Schubert and the Sea

Track Listings

1. Ave Maria

2. Marche Militaire, No. 1

3. 1st MVT. From Symphony, No. 8, Unfinished

4. 4th MVT. From Piano Quintet in a Trout

5. Moment Musical, No. 3

6. Ballet Music from Rosamunde

7. Impromptu in A-Flat, D. 899, No. 4

8. Second Movement from String Quartet, No. 14 Death and the Maiden

9. 4th MVT. From Symphony, No. 5

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:

Christmas Oratorio: Bereite Dich, Zion
Messiah: He Was Despised
Elijah: O Rest In The Lord
Alto Rhapsody
Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen
L'Invitation Au Voyage
Pie Jesu (From The Requieum Op.9)
Sea Pictures Op.37: I. Sea Slumber-Song
Sea Pictures Op.37: II. In Haven
Sea Pictures Op.37: III. Sabbath Morning At Sea
Sea Pictures Op.37: IV. Where Corals Lie
Sea Pictures Op.37: V. The Swimmer
The Angel's Farewell - Ambrosian Singers

Tracks:

Linden Lea
A Boy Was Born, Op.3: Corpus Christi Carol
Pretty Ring Time
Prison
Soir
Clair De Lune
Ave Maria (Ellens Gesang III)
Gretchen Am Spinnrade
Wiegenlied (Schlafe, Schlafe)
Die Forelle
Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen
An Die Musik
An Sylvia
Nacht Und Traume
Heidenroslein
Du Bist Die Ruh'
Auf Flugeln Des Gesanges
Liederkreis, Op.39: Mondnacht
Frauenliebe Und -Leben Op.42: Du Ring An Meinem Finger
Geistliches Wiegenlied
Befreit
Morgen!

Amazon.com

While it is impossible to really squeeze The Very Best of Janet Baker onto just two CDs, this two and a half hour anthology is a fine portrait of the British mezzo-soprano. Central to CD 1 is Elgar's Sea Pictures, a definitive account with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli. While other British music is represented by Vaughan Williams's "Linden Lea," Britten's "Corpus Christie Carol," and Warlock's "Pretty Ring Time," CD 2 balances the program with 10 Schubert songs accompanied at the piano by either Gerald Moore or Geoffrey Parsons, which range from "Ave Maria" to Shakespeare. The set lends equal weight to orchestral and more intimate song, as well as to works in English--a very moving reading of Handel's "He was despised" from Messiah--and European landmarks, including Mendelssohn's On Wings of Song and Brahms's Alto Rhapsody, the latter with a superlative London Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult. In an age of technically dazzling but sometimes bland singers, this release is a reminder of emotionally intense musicianship that retains vocal clarity and commitment to the composer's intentions over superstar ego. The word great is often used all too easily, but it could not be more appropriate for this outstanding collection of a great singer. --Gary S. Dalkin

Customer Reviews:

The Very Best of Janet Baker is simply the very best!.......2005-02-09

This cd and this amazing musician are an absolute must have for any music lover or music snob alike! Her voice is amazing!

Grace Incarnate.......2002-09-02

If there is one singer who has ever truly been able to master the singer's art of interpretation, this is her. She is a gift to music, I truly believe this. A few words, or glowing adjectives could not accurately describe the singing of a woman who epitomizes art. And music. Grace and beauty.
Each track on this cd is a perfect union of poetry, melody and technicality. Dame Janet Baker fully immerses herself into each piece, and delivers highly commited, intelligent & emotional performances.

A Rare & Glorious Singer.......2002-06-10

This is a pretty good cross-section of Dame Janet's output from the prime of her career. There are few if any singers like her around today. There are many mezzos who can sing beautifully, with great articulation and finesse, but they lack the moral and musical integrity Dame Janet always brought to her singing. The voice is ardent, seeking, yearning, finding, exulting. Listen to the excerpt from "Dream of Gerontius" or the third of the "Sea Pictures" to see what I mean.
She does not sing to show off. She sings to enlighten, to illuminate, to reveal, to enter into. Her voice carries us off, near to Heaven.
Dame Janet has been neglected of late. This recording shows us why, in these perilous times, we need her more than ever.

Average customer rating:

Romancing Romance

Songs of Romance, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Ranwood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Songs of Romance, Vol. 2
Romance of the Panflute
Return to Romance
Zamfir: The Lonely Shepherd
Pipe Dreams

ASIN: B000000BBS
Release Date: 1997-02-18

Tracks:

Schubert's Serenade
El Condor Pasa
The Wind Beneath My Wings
Clair de Lune
Spanish Eyes
La Mer
Serenade From 'The Student Prince'
La Paloma
On Wings Of Song
Musetta's Waltz
You Light Up My Life

Customer Reviews:

Romancing Romance.......2005-02-26

I have been in love with Zamfir's music since 1982 or so, when I listened in a radio station his fabulous renderng of the --''Theme From Limelight''. I called the radio station, gor the artist's name and album title and went out to a record store and bought it.

I listened to this album's samples and ALL of the songs are just beautifil. I highly recommende it to alll those who really love soft and romantic music, and I am buyinbg this album too!...

Original Masters: Leopold Stokowski: Decca Recordings 1964-1975 [BOX SET]

Average customer rating:

My own life is behind these recordings
Don't go for broke unless you're a die-hard Stokowski fan
More Sensational Stokowski

Original Masters: Leopold Stokowski: Decca Recordings 1964-1975 [BOX SET]

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Decca Recordings, 1965-1972 (Limited Edition)
CARL SCHURICHT Decca Recordings 1949-1956
George Szell: Decca & Philips Recordings 1951-1969
Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967
Pierre Monteux Decca & Philips Recordings, 1956-1964

ASIN: B00067R3BQ
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Customer Reviews:

My own life is behind these recordings.......2007-06-10

I can assure that one of the reason I love music is due to these recordings of Mr. Stokowsky. My father had the record of Scherezade and, though my father was an ignorant about cultivated music, he knew very well what to appreciate. We never argued when I played Beethoven's first symphony so loud, however, he always did when I played Rolling Stones so loud. I adore that he taught me to appreciate Rimsky-korsakov's music as well as Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Spagnolo so young. He was wise, on his way. I can't help to cry for him, listening to Borodin's Palatsovian dances, because, it is great music, and, having into account that I used to love it by Mr. Stokowsky's work, it doubles my crying and my remembrance. He loved the record so much. I love you, daddy.

Don't go for broke unless you're a die-hard Stokowski fan.......2006-09-22

When Stokowski began to make Phase 4 recordings for Decca in 1964, he was already 82, but he hadn't lost his energy or his tendency to shape music in outlandish ways. I mostly love him, but this box set duplicates recordings that can be found on the Cala label, which has been releasing everything Stokowski in the world, and on Decca single CDs if you go to the used market.

I mention this because the whole box set, Vol. 2 in the Original Masters series, continas some forgettable performances, in particular the rhythmically slack Beethoven Sym. 5 and 7, the over-highlighted Schubert 'Unfinished,' and a live Brahms First that seems manic and forced too much of the time. However, if you think of Stokowski having little to offer in the German classics, here is an exceptional Beethoven Ninth, one of the best things from his late career and wonderful in every way.

Decca knows that the crowd-pleasers are the gaudy, multi-miked Phase 4 versions of Scheherazade, as bombastic as you could imagine, and lots of Russian fare, including Stoki's signature synthesis from Boris Godunov. The 1812 Over., by the way, isn't over the top and yet needed to be. Finally, this German-Russian collection contains a thrilling disc of Wagner excerpts, much of it grossly over-miked, but at its core containing very impressive, vital interpretations.

In all, I'd select the Wagner, the Beethoven Ninth, and the legendary Scheherazade as the best things here. Buy them separately or take the plunge for this whole box, your choice.

More Sensational Stokowski.......2005-06-08

It took me a while to purchase this six-disc set in UNI's "Original Masters" series, but I finally did this past weekend. Classical music fans seem to either love or hate Leopold Stokowski (I, of course, love him), and unfortunately much of "Decca Recordings 1964-75, Volume 2" will be old news to serious devotees of the conductor. While I'm not familiar with the complete Decca back-catalog, at least three full discs worth of material have been previously available in the old "Weekend Classics" series -- Beethoven's 5th & 7th, Beethoven's 9th, and the Wagner selections. (I'm pretty sure the Rimsky-Korsakov material on disc five, and the Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky pieces on disc six have been issued prior too.) This is good news for those who came to collecting classical CDs late (like me) because while the Wagner is still available individually, the Beethovens have been fetching absurd prices in the Amazon Marketplace. The only material receiving its first international release is contained on disc 3 -- a Schubert "Unfinished" with the London Philharmonic from 1969 and a rousing live performance of the Brahms 1st with the London Symphony on the occasion of the conductor's 60th anniversary leading that body. The original instruments crowd will surely turn up their noses at these legendary performances, but me, I'll just sit back and listen to some more sensational sounding Stokowski.

Average customer rating:

Fine work, by a fine gentleman...

George London In Concert

Manufacturer: Video Artists Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Famous Voices of the Past

ASIN: B000003LJ3
Release Date: 1995-11-06

Tracks:

O Nuit, deesse du mystere
Verzosette e care pupillette
Deh, dolc'anima mia
Der Zwerg
An Silvia
Die Allmacht
An die Musik
Songs and Dances of Death: Trepak
Songs and Dances of Death: Cradle Song
Songs and Dances of Death: Ser
Songs and Dances of Death: The Warrior Captain (Polkovodyets)
The Sally Gardens (Irish folk melody)
We are a Hundred Pipers (Scottish folk melody)
Turn Ye to Me (Scottish folk melody)
Hangman, Hangman, Slack on the Line (American folk song)
I Wonder As I Wander
Blow the Man Down (Sea chanty)

Customer Reviews:

Fine work, by a fine gentleman..........2002-05-26

George London had a voice I've seen described as pantherish. The sound is black, silken, powerful, and often overwhelmingly passionate. As the CD title says, this is from a concert he gave in 1957, accompanied by pianist John Newmark, who does excellent work here. We get quite a variety of songs here, from German Lied to Mussorsgky's Songs and Dances of Death to American and Celtic based folk.

I must admit that London surprised me on this album many times. While I expect him to do the powerful songs superbly, it's hard to expect tenderness in a wonderful old tune like Turn Ye To Me, a Scottish melody. Not from George London- Mister `Voice of Wotan' himself... but he pulls it off excellently to my ears. No, he will not erase memories of John McCormack and Kenneth MacKellar, but it's wonderful to hear a fine bass-baritone version of this song. Thank ye, George, wherever ye may be. He even does Down By The Sally Gardens in a fashion that fits the song very well, thank you. For those who love the lower male voices, as I do, this CD comes highly recommended.

Tracks:

Passacaglia
Faded Blossoms
Impatience
Good Night
Wandering
Hedge Rose
By The Sea
Love's Message
To Mignon
Morning Greeting
The Trout
Cradle Song
The Brooklet
The Young Nun
Litany
Ballet Music For Rosamunde
Moment Musical, Op.94, No.3

Customer Reviews:

The Schubert Transcriptions are Well Done.......2003-10-28

All the music here is based on music of Schubert and all but one of the pieces is a fairly straightforward transcription of his music by pianist/composer Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938). But the big piece here is the Passacaglia which is a twenty-minute original work based on the first few measures of the Schubert Unfinished Symphony (not the big tune, but the misterioso opening). Here pianist Konstantin Scherbakov has superior competition in the recording of Marc-André Hamelin whose interpretation is also available at Amazon coupled with his gargantuan (and important) Piano Sonata. If your main reason for considering this CD is to get the Passacaglia I'd advise you to go to Hamelin; Scherbakov, while competent, comes across as a bit subdued in the Passacaglia.

However, 50 minutes of the music here is made up of Godowsky's transcriptions and they are a delight. All but two of the 16 transcriptions are from songs. The exceptions are Ballet Music from 'Rosamunde,' and the 3rd Moment Musical, Op. 94, No. 3, each of which is elaborated in Godowsky's virtuosic style and played with sparkle by Scherbakov.

The real treasures, though, are the song transcriptions. Presumably Amazon will eventually list them, but they haven't at the time of this review so I will list them here: Trockne Blumen; Ungeduld; Gute Nacht; Das Wandern; Heidenröslein; Am Meer; Liebesbotschaft; An Mignon; Morgengruss; Die Forelle; Wiegenlied; Wohin?; Die junge Nonne; Litanei. As you can see they are all very familiar to those of us who love Schubert's lieder. Some are more elaborated than others. For instance, 'Ungeduld' ('Impatience') is a real barn-burner; as you undoubtedly know (as I do from having accompanied the song), the piano accompaniment is itself quite virtuosic and when Godowsky adds in the singer's melodic line and then further fills in the harmonies it becomes a real knucklebuster, and the tag-end of each verse 'Dein is mein Herz, und soll es ewig bleiben' ('Your heart is mine and shall ever be') bursts with joy. In the same vein is 'Das Wandern' ('The Wanderer'), the first of the Schöne Müllerin songs. Godowsky's elaboration makes the song all the more insouciant by adding crushed notes and leggerissimo arpeggios. Clever fellow.

Entirely different in character is 'Morgengruss' ('Morning Greeting') whose peaceful character is altered subtly by slyly changed harmonies. Shades of Percy Grainger and 'Blithe Bells'! Still, it's quite effective. Much the same thing is done with 'Wohin?' ('Whither?', sometimes called 'The Brooklet').

Scherbakov does a beautiful job catching the mood of each piece. He seems to be in the process of recording a lot of Godowsky's music, I see, but this is the first volume I've come across. On the evidence of this disc I'd say I'll have to reserve judgment about how that will go. Certainly we already have several complete recordings of the Chopin/Godowsky Études (foremost of which is the set by Hamelin). But there is plenty of other Godowsky music that either has not been recorded or has not been recorded well (I remember being put off Godowsky years ago because of what I now realize was a poor performance by a German pianist whose name I have mercifully forgotten) and Scherbakov could fill in a big gap in the recording of these works.

TT=69:34

Tracks:

Four Serious Songs, Op.121: I. Denn Es Gehet Dem Menschen Wie Dem Vich
Four Serious Songs, Op.121: II. Ich Wandte Mich Und Sahe An Alle
Four Serious Songs, Op.121: III. O Tod, Wie Bitter Bist Du
Four Serious Songs, Op.121: IV. Wenn Ich Mit Menschen- Und Mit Engelszungen Redete
Der Wanderer An Den Mond, D.870
Auf Der Donau, D.553
Der Schiffer, D.536
Der Wanderer, D.489
The Illusory Horizon, Op.118: I. La Mer Est Infinie
The Illusory Horizon, Op.118: II. Je Me Suis Embarque
The Illusory Horizon, Op.118: III. Diane, Selene
The Illusory Horizon, Op.118: IV. Vaisseaux, Nous Vous Aurons Aimes
Rollicum-Rorum
Earth And Air And Rain, Op.15: Lizbie Browne
Lowlands (Sea Shanty)
Sea Fever
Trade Winds
The Estuary

Customer Reviews:

Accomplished Debut for Unique Young Kiwi Bass-Baritone.......2005-05-25

I was impressed enough with young bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu's recently released "Opera Arias" disc to get his 2002 recital debut CD, especially since it is part of the bargain-priced EMI Classics "Debut" series, the same series that produced fellow baritone Nathan Gunn's wonderful 1999 folk song panorama, "American Anthem". This time, Lemalu is accompanied only by the sure hands of pianist Roger Vignoles rather than a full orchestra, and the results are no less enthralling. His booming voice is amazingly nuanced and quite resonant for such a young singer (he was 25 when he recorded this disc), and his program is thoughtful and well-rounded here.

First, Lemalu ambitiously tackles Brahms' penultimate opus, "Vier ernste Gesänge" ("Four Serious Songs"). Written a year before the composer's death, they carry a dark funereal tone, which Lemalu carries with appropriate heft initially and then expertly lightens the tone with each successive song until he achieves a measured level of romanticism on the last one, "Wenn ich mit Menschen" about St. Paul's sermon on love in his first Epistle to the Corinthians. The Schubert series carries a fatalistic romanticism throughout the four selections here, which Lemalu showcases most notably on "Auf der Donau", which places a Johann Mayrhofer poem in a wintry setting, and "Der Schiffer", a beautifully rhythmic combination of rolling piano and sharply enunciated German verse. The four brief pieces that make up Fauré's "L'Horizon chimérique" ("The Illusory Horizon") are dream-like discourses that use images in nature to focus ironically on the disenchantment that comes with love.

The tone shifts gears with the English folk songs that make up the remainder of the program. Lemalu is downright jolly on the rambunctious "Rollicum-rorum" and openly yearning on the swooning "To Lizbie Browne", the latter my favorite track and his most accomplished performance here. The four remaining songs are devoted to the sea - the melancholy "Lowlands" is a chantey that sounds quite a bit like "Shenandoah" and beautiful all the same; "Sea Fever" and "Trade Winds" both vividly capture a sailor's need for the high seas in individually distinct fashion; and "The Estuary" is a haunting ballad which dramatically describes a ship passing into the distance and into one's memory. There are minor flaws in Lemalu's performance, for example, he has a slight tendency to roll his r's unnecessarily, an affectation that I hope he uses sparingly in the future. But the talent is rich and most promising, the tone velvety and the future quite bright for this New Zealand-born Samoan performer. A highly recommended peek at a talent ready to fly.

CARL SCHURICHT Decca Recordings 1949-1956

Average customer rating:

Beautiful early 1950s recordings by an unknown conductor to many Americans
Schuricht's Classic Studio Recordings 1949-56
Carl Schuricht: An Original Master

CARL SCHURICHT Decca Recordings 1949-1956

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Decca Recordings 1949-1955
Edward van Beinum : The Decca Recordings 1948-1953
Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967
The 1950s Haydn Symphonies Recordings
Pierre Monteux Decca & Philips Recordings, 1956-1964

ASIN: B000276K3W
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful early 1950s recordings by an unknown conductor to many Americans.......2006-04-29

Carl Schuricht (1880-1967) may be an unknown conductor to many Americans, but had an active career in Germany, Holland and France from the 1930s until his death in 1967. Schuricht was known to me primarily from his EMI stereo recording of Bruckner Symphonies 8 and 9 with the Vienna Philharmonic. The recordings in this Decca set are MONO, but in very clear, well defined sound. Decca's engineers have done excellent work for this reissue.

Some listeners will know which works are by the Paris Conservatory Orchestra, as their trumpets, horns, and woodwinds have a certain vibrato laden timbre which their American and British counterparts, for example, do not. You either like the Paris Conservatory or you don't, and I DO. Beethoven's Symphony 5; Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Italien, Orchestra Suite No. 3 Variations; Schumann's Symphonies 2 and 3 + Overture, Scherzo and Finale are all by the Paris Conservatory Orchestra in this collection. The other works: Beethoven Symphonies 1 and 2, Mendelssohn RUY BLAS, HEBRIDES, FAIR MELUSINA and CALM SEA AND PROSPEROUS VOYAGE Overtures; Brahms Symphony 2 and Schubert Symphony 8 "Unfinished" are all with the Vienna Philharmonic from the early 1950s.

There is much here to love, even if you have other recordings of these works. Schuricht had a special solidity but was never stodgy or dry. I compare him favorably with Karl Bohm (1894-1981). Recommended, and I have other recordings of all these works, but am glad to have Schuricht, too.

Schuricht's Classic Studio Recordings 1949-56.......2005-04-08

To my mind, Schuricht's sane and very musical conducting always occupied an appealing "middle ground" between the more subjectively romantic way of Furtwangler/Abendroth/Mengelberg and the tougher rhythmic drive of Toscanini and Kleiber. Here is a brief assessment of each CD in this 5-disc collection:

CD 1. Schuricht draws wonderfully disciplined playing from the VPO in this superb Beethoven 1st, which is one of my favorite versions along with the more Haydnesque, gemutlich Weingartner/VPO (best heard on an Opus Kura CD from Japan, coupled with Weingartner's magnificent Beethoven 7th). Schuricht's Beethoven 5th with the Paris Conservatory Orchestra has appeared elsewhere on Italian bootleg labels. The transfer here is vastly superior. This is, to my ears, one of the greatest-ever accounts: it's very straight (lean and mean) and better-played than Schuricht's later recording in his complete Beethoven symphony set (French EMI). Even though Furtwangler remains my exemplar here (his 1943 wartime concert performance on DG and the mellower 1952 account on Tahra), Schuricht's more classical manner is very persuasive. This surely ranks among the finest "straight" 5ths of Weingartner (Naxos), Erich Kleiber (Decca) and Carlos Kleiber (DG). Schuricht's Mendelssohn is well-played, if a bit sober and penny-plain. In the Hebrides (Fingal's Cave) Overture, I still prefer Beecham, Furtwangler, Maag and Fritz Lehmann. In the Ruy Blas, Beecham is simply inimitable. For the Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, there was once an excellent version on Columbia LP (England) by Paul Kletzki and the Israel Philharmonic (coupled with a great Scotch Symphony) that deserves to be on CD. My favorite account remains the Lehmann/Berlin Phil., which DG ought to re-issue in a coupling with the Hebrides and the Roloff/Lehmann readings of Mendelssohn's piano concertos.

CD 2. This disc holds two treasurable 2nds of the "desert island" variety. The Beethoven Symphony has a wonderfully trenchant first mvt., a Larghetto with delectable interplay between the VPO's beautifully sweet strings and its plangent winds, a witty Scherzo, and an affectionately slow last mvt. At a length of 7:07, the latter is hardly Allegro Molto (for that you have to hear the brilliant Erich Kleiber on Teldec), but to my ears this is one of the truly classic performances, along with the Kleiber and the outstanding Weingartner (best transfer: Naxos). The Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto with Backhaus is a great collaboration - this pianist was always at his best in Brahms - and the transfer is HUGELY superior to what was (barely) heard in the Philips "Great Pianists" series. It's my favorite account, though I wouldn't be without the exceptional readings by Clifford Curzon/Hans Knappertsbusch (Living Stage) and Sviatoslav Richter/George Georgescu (Dorian, coupled with Richter's only recording of the Handel Variations).

CD 3. Schuricht's gorgeously lyrical, very pastoral account of Brahms' 2nd Symphony is more uptempo than his live Stuttgart account (Archiphon). If I could have only 3 recordings, they would be this Schuricht (excellent transfer!), the Fritz Busch (EMI) and the Furtwangler (EMI). Incidentally, I can't help noticing (in the last mvt., the passage starting at 4:43 here) an odd similarity to the opening of Mahler's 1st (since the opening of Mahler's 3rd is clearly patterned on the main theme of the Brahms 1st's last mvt., I think this may be more than just a coincidence). Christian Ferras' interpretation of the Brahms Violin Concerto reminds me somewhat of Fritz Kreisler's (Ferras also uses the Kreisler cadenza). It's a lovely, small-scale account, and joins a lengthy list of "greats" (e.g., Kreisler/Blech, Busch/ Steinberg, Szigeti/Harty, Martzy/Kletzki, De Vito/Schwarz, etc.)

CD 4. This disc is all Schumann: The Overture, Scherzo & Finale (rather like a symphony without a slow movement), plus the 2nd and 3rd Symphonies. All are with the Paris Conservatory Orchestra, whose billowing brass may be an acquired taste. These are all masterly readings. The CD notes fail to mention that, in the "Rhenish," Schuricht uses Mahler's re-orchestration. My other favorite 2nds (the opening measures so like Haydn's #104!) are the more richly romantic readings by Stokowski (Cala) and Pfitzner (Koch Legacy), and the chastely classical Enescu (Dutton). My favorite stereo 3rd is probably the Leibowitz (Chesky). Hopefully a long-extinct 10" DG LP of the 3rd with Leitner and the Berlin Phil. will achieve a CD transfer: it had the loveliest slow mvt. I have ever heard.

CD 5. This disc is of lesser distinction. Mendelssohn's Fair Melusine Overture receives a sturdy reading that isn't quite on the level of Busch or Beecham. The Schubert 8th strikes me as a mis-fire - it's also available on Schuricht's "Great Conductors" volume on IMG (see my review). And the Tchaikovsky Capriccio Italien is simply no match for the ebullient Kondrashin (RCA).

This Decca set is essential listening, especially for its pace-setting accounts of Beethoven and Brahms. If you would like to hear a broader representation of Schuricht's artistry, you may want to explore his 10-disc set on Scribendum (available at Amazon.uk), which includes stylish accounts of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, Mozart's 38/40/41, a fine Bruckner 7th, and a very warm-hearted Brahms 4th.

Strongly recommended.

Carl Schuricht: An Original Master.......2005-01-13

Conductor Carl Schuricht has been unfairly neglected over the years, but a recent string of reissues should go to great lengths to remedy that problem. Compiling many of his greatest recordings for the Decca label from 1949-1956, this box set will be a most welcome addition to the shelves of classical music connoisseurs. Unfortunately, this title is not without its problems. While the set claims on its back cover that all of this material, save a 1952 account of the Brahms 2nd Piano Concerto with Backhaus (amazing BTW) and a 1956 Schubert 8th Symphony, are receiving their first international CD release, a lot of this material has been readily available for years. In addition to the aforementioned "Unfinished," the 1954 performance of Mendelssohn's "Hebrides" Overture with the Vienna Philharmonic was recently included in Schuricht's "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" title. Also the 1954 recording of the Brahms Violin Concerto with Christian Ferras is the very same version featured on Testament SBT 1293, and it is an alarming trend, if you ask me, that these "licensed" recordings are starting to appear simultaneously on two labels (see my recent review of EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" release of David Oistrakh performing Prokofiev's Violin Concertos). Finally, why UNI chose to issue this and the recent Erich Kleiber set in clunky plastic jewel cases, instead of the normal slim paperboard box with paper sleeves for the discs, is beyond me. Overall though, "Original Masters: Carl Schuricht" is another first rate historical reissue from Universal. Schuricht's earlier performances of Beethoven's 1st, 2nd & 5th Symphonies featured here offer a nice contrast to his accounts of a few years later on EMI, and his Schumann -- the 2nd & 3rd Symphonies and "Overture, Scherzo and Finale" comprising CD4 -- is surprisingly good. In fact, I can hardly wait for the next batch of Decca OMs next month!

Average customer rating:

best since beethoven!!! ...

Serenade

Manufacturer: Aca Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000004CLD
Release Date: 1996-02-20

Tracks:

Serenade
By The Sea
Faith In Spring
Sea's Tranquillity
Eulogy Of Tears
Angel Of Beauty
The Wayside Inn
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Sleepers, Wake
Now Comes The Gentiles' Saviour
I Call On Thee, Lord
Sheep May Safely Graze
Romance Without Words, Op.17, No.3
Thais: Meditation
Lilacs, Op.21, No.5
Vocalise
Hopak

Customer Reviews:

best since beethoven!!! ..........2001-06-18

I don't like classical music so when I saw this product I was a little skeptical. But now that I have his CD I love it!! I listen to it 24/7.My friend actually met this guy and so now I know him. he cracks me up. so all you people who think this guy is "just another dumb blonde" he's not. In fact, he's not blonde at all. buy this CD!!!...

Average customer rating:

Not a Lullaby at All!
Not for babies, but certainly for singers!
Caveat emptor
Ultimate Lullaby Album
Is there a dispute?

Ultimate Lullaby Album

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Classical Lullabies
Disney's Lullaby Album
The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer

ASIN: B00000IX7P
Release Date: 1999-05-11

Tracks:

Cradle Song
Summertime (Porgy And Bess)
Beautiful Dreamer
Pinnochio: When You Wish Upon a Star
Greensleeves: What Child Is This
I Dream of Jeanie
Shenandoah
Ave Maria
Maria's Lullaby
Sleep My Little Prince, Sleep
Hansel And Gretel: I Am The Little Sandman
Hansel And Gretel: Children's Prayer
Ave Maria
Lullaby
O Danny Boy
Madame Butterfly: Humming Chorus
Hine E Hine: Maori Lullaby
Songs of Auvergne: Brezairola
Songs My Mother Taught Me
Bist Du Bei Mir (When Thou Art Near)
Sea Slumber Song

Product Description

Excellent condiion, no scratches, includes the original CD, case, and paperwork, First Class shipped, ask me for my CD List or more Titles! :D

Customer Reviews:

Not a Lullaby at All!.......2003-09-10

I can't give this CD anything but a 2. It was certainly NOT the Ultimate Lullaby. And although the music is beautiful I would not put my baby to sleep with this. I'm not a fan of opera and perhaps if I listen a bit more that may change. Our daughter listens to music every night. It is so hard to buy music sometimes and I went out on a limb with this one. I really wish it had stated that there were vocals - I much prefer the music without.

Not for babies, but certainly for singers!.......2003-08-08

I bought this cd on a whim, and I got way more than I bargained for! I'm an opera singer and I absolutely love the assortment of gorgeous ballads - lots of classics and old favorites. I agree this might not be the best music to lull and infant to sleep, but it's a great way to build your child's appreciation for operatic vocals. I highly recommend this cd singers - specifically sopranos. It's a diamond in the rough.

Caveat emptor.......2002-10-21

I'm in violent agreement with the other reviewers who remarked that this CD is not for the purpose of lulling baby to sleep, in spite of its misleading title. A1-opera-grade sopranos and mezzos sing most of the selections and their vocal dynamics range from pianissimo to a house-shaking fortissimo. The only track where baby might catch a bit of shut-eye is Puccini's "Humming Chorus" from "Madama Butterfly."

Try "Celtic Lullaby" if you're looking for a truly sleep-inducing CD.

"The Ultimate Lullaby Album" contains a wonderful assortment of Marilyn Horne and Leontyne Price solos, which is all to the good if you're not trying to snooze. My two favorites are the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria" sung by Price (I don't think there is a more perfect rendition), and Bach's "Bist Du bei Mir" sung by Horne in her rich, smooth, chocolate-y prime.

Unfortunately another grand voice is not at its prime in "When You Wish upon a Star." I'd guess Dame Joan was near the end of her stellar (sorry) career when she recorded this Disney song. Her vibrato stretches as wide as Dumbo's behind.

Another rather odd selection is the only instrumental arrangement on this CD: "O Danny Boy" as rendered by the English Chamber Orchestra, with a trombone as the lugubrious solo instrument. It's long enough and trite enough to be used as the soundtrack for that tacky sequel to "Gone with the Wind."

"The Ultimate Lullaby Album" is definitely not for baby's room. If you want your kid to grow up listening to "Londonderry Air," get Kiri Te Kawana's version. It'll prickle up the hair on the back of your neck if you can find it. I can't. I wore out my original tape and have fruitlessly searched the Internet for a new copy. If anyone out there in Amazon land has a recording of Dame Kiri singing folksongs of the British Isles, please consider selling it to me.

Ultimate Lullaby Album.......2002-06-01

The music is superb. Although it would not be used to put the baby to sleep, it is a wonderful choice for one-to-one relaxing time with baby.
An excellent addition to the new baby's music collection. I listened to it with my class in school before giving it to my brand new grandson. I now give it as a gift to all newborns.

Is there a dispute?.......2002-01-12

3 music fans gave different ratings. 2 said it's diappointing, the other said they were ridiculous. I bought and listened to this CD. I feel great about my purchase. These are good music, and there should not be a dispute. If one is disappointed because of the opera voice, blame it on Decca's label "Ultimate Lullaby". The music deserves my 5-satr rating.

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Music Review

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