Wagner and the Sea

Track Listings

1. Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walküre

2. Overture to Tannhäuser

3. Siegfried Idyll

4. Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin

5. Overture to Rienzi

6. Prelude to Die Meistersinger

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:

Star Wars - Main Title
Space Fantasy
Pacific 231
The Unanswered Question
Aranjuez
Peer Gynt: Solveig's Song
Hora Staccato
The Sea Named Solaris

Customer Reviews:

One Of His Best.......2003-06-07

If one can get past the laughably bad Star Wars opening track, this album is a stunner. Though lacking the fluid continuity of his previous efforts, Tomita manages to select darker, more beautiful, and more moody pieces than before, creating an incredible dream-like atmosphere without resorting to the usual space-ship and "alien" sounds that tarnished The Planets and The Bermuda Triangle. His sound became larger, more ambient, and denser. The final Bach medley "The Sea Named Solaris" is Tomita's finest hour, and this album is a must for any fan or Tomita's work, or of electronic music. A flawed but still great work.

Complete list of Tomita's classical albums..........2002-03-05

This CD is fantastic, but a big box set of every classical Tomita album would be even better. Most of the CDs out of print for years are absolutely fantastic. Four of his albums would fit two on one CD. Here's the complete list...

Snowflakes Are Dancing 1974 (11 Debussy pieces) The newly remastered CD is an audiophile recording, adds Prelude To The Afternoon of a Faun and is available for a good price.

Pictures At An Exhibition 1975 (Mussorgsky)

Firebird 1976 (Stravinsky: Firebird. Debussy: Prelude To The Afternoon of A Faun. Mussorgsky: Night On Bald Mountain)

The Planets 1976 (Holst)

Kosmos 1978 (Star Wars Title. Space Fantasy- R. Strauss: 2001 Title, Wagner: Ride of The Valkyries and Tannhauser Overture. Honnegar: Pacific 231. Ives: Unanswered Question. Rodrigo: Aranjuez. Grieg: Solveig's Song. Dinicu-Heifetz: Hora Staccato. Bach-Tomita: The Sea Named Solaris)

The Bermuda Triangle 1979 (Sibelius: Valse Triste. And excerpts from... Williams: Close Encounters. Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, Scythian Suite, Symphonies 5 and 6, Violin Concerto 1. My favorite electronic CD.)

Bolero 1980 (Ravel: Daphis and Chloe. Pavane for A Dead Princess. Bolero. Mother Goose Suite)

The Grand Canyon 1982 (Grofe)

Canon of The Three Stars 1984 (Pachelbel: Canon. Rachmaninoff: Vocalise. Albinoni: Adagio. Bach: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. 4 pieces from Villa Lobos: Bachianis Brasileiras 2, 4, and 7)

Live At Linz, Austria 1985 (With speakers on both sides of the Danube River and live soloists. Includes 7 pieces from previous albums plus Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring. Japanese Traditional: Cranes In Their Nest. Vaughn Williams: The Lark Ascending. Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde-Liebestod. Beethoven: Ode To Joy with full Choir.)

Live In New York 1988 (Includes 7 pieces from previous albums plus Dukas: Fanfare. Mahler: Symphony 3 in D Minor - 5th Movement. Traditional: Chinese War Lord Going Home. Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue. Fisher-Dvorak: Goin' Home. My favorite live concert CDs.)

electronic instruments, very good selections,.......1999-05-29

I have this album in vinyl, should be better without background hiss. Star Wars theme is quite interesting, lovers of "the force" should be impressed. Worth every dime.

Average customer rating:

Under the Double Eagle

Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Trombone Soloist of the Sousa Band

ASIN: B000000WRI
Release Date: 1996-09-24

Tracks:

Under The Double Eagle
High School Cadets
Sabre And Spurs
Solid Men To The Front
Sabre And Spurs
Solid Men To The Front
El Capitan
The National Game
The Black Horse Troop
Washington Post
Hands Across The Sea
The Royal Welch Fusiliers
Nobles Of The Mystic Shrine
The Dauntless Battalion
The Thunderer
March Of The Mitten Men
The Sesqui-Centennial Exposition
The Gridiron Club
Pride Of The Wolverines
The Chantyman's March
Ancient And Honorable Company
The Fairest Of The Fair
Riders Of The Flag
Golden Jubilee
Stars And Stripes Forever

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

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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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:

Marches: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

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

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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Stars & Stripes Forever and the Greatest Marches
Screamers (Circus Marches)
The Music of Kenneth Alford
Stars & Stripes: Fanfares, Marches & Wind Band Spectaculars
Sousa: Marches; Band of HR Royal Marines; Lt. Col. G.A.C. Hoskins

ASIN: B0007WQHWG
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Tracks:

Washington Post - The Band Of The Grenadier Guards
El Capitan - The Band Of The Grenadier Guards
Under The Double Eagle - Philip Jones Ensemble
Manhattan Beach - The Band Of The Grenadier Guards
King Cotton - Eastman Wind Ensemble
Hands Across The Sea - Eastman Wind Ensemble
The Liberty Bell - Philip Jones Ensemble
Colonel Bogey - Philip Jones Ensemble
Marche Lorraine - Philip Jones Ensemble
Lilliburlero - Philip Jones Ensemble
The Bride-Elect - Philip Jones Ensemble
On The Mall - Eastman Wind Ensemble
The Thunderer - Eastman Wind Ensemble
The Gladiator - Philip Jones Ensemble
The Corcoran Cadets' March - Philip Jones Ensemble
Bombasto - Eastman Wind Ensemble
Grandioso - Eastman Wind Ensemble
The Circus Bee - Eastman Wind Ensemble
Barnum And Bailey's Favorite - Eastman Wind Ensemble
Thunder And Blazes - Eastman Wind Ensemble
Semper Fidelis - Philip Jones Ensemble
The Stars And Stripes Forever - Eastman Wind Ensemble

Poul Ruders Edition, Volume 3 - Concerti

Average customer rating:

Poul Ruders Edition, Volume 3 - Concerti
Ruders , Starobin , Ejsing , Fukacova , and J Wagner
Manufacturer: Bridge
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Poul Ruders Edition, Volume Four
Poul Ruders: Guitar Concertos and Solos; David Starobin, guitar
Ruders: Psalmodies

ASIN: B00007653G
Release Date: 2002-10-20

Tracks:

Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
Paganini Variations (Guitar Concerto No. 2)
The City in the Sea (on a poem by Edgar Allan Poe)
Anima (Cello Concerto No. 2)

Album Description

This CD features premiere recordings of three Poul Ruders concertos. Ruders has been hailed as one of the most exciting composers of our time and was named "Composer of the Year" in 2001 at the Cannes International Critics Awards. Ruders, (b. 1949 in Denmark) will be having a "career" year this season, with new orchestral works due for premiere by the Berlin Philharmonic and The New York Philharmonic. His smash hit opera, "The Handmaid's Tale" is set for new productions by the English National Opera (April, 2003) and the Minnesota Opera (May, 2003), and the CD of The Handmaid's Tale received two 2001 Grammy nominations-for "Best Opera"; and "Best Contemporary Composition". Paganini Variations, Ruders's second guitar concerto is a roller coaster ride through Paganini's famous 24th Caprice, and is a brilliant display vehicle for guitarist Starobin and orchestra alike. The City in the Sea is a dramatic setting of Edgar Allan Poe's gothic poem about a lifeless decaying city, surrounded by "hideously serene" seas. The sensational Danish contralto, Mette Ejsing, gives a reading of power and conviction. Anima, Ruders's second cello concerto, is a work of true lyric beauty. It is played here by the Czech cello virtuoso, and Tchaikovsky competition prize winner, Michaela Fukacova.

Average customer rating:

Happy birthday...

Music for All Occasions

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

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Happy Birthday
Flags of Our Fathers (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000003FE1
Release Date: 1993-01-12

Tracks:

Happy Birthday To You
Romeo And Juliet: Love Theme
Crowley's Reel
Victory At Sea: Guadalcanal March
Pomp And Circumstances March No. 1: Pomp And Circumstance March No.1
Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March
Yankee Doodle
The Stars And Stripes Forever
Night On Bald Mountain
Prayer Of Thanksgiving
Prayer Of Thanksgiving
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus
White Christmas
Auld Lang Syne

Customer Reviews:

Happy birthday..........2001-02-20

This version of Happy Birthday is 100% completely over the top and an absolute MUST HAVE when you are celebrating and want to embarass your friends! Get it now!

Hoch Deutschlands Flotte! Music of the Imperial German Navy in Archival Recordings, 1907-1917

Average customer rating:

Enjoyable trip into history
It doesn' t come any better than this
Hoch Deutschlands Flotte, a musical journey in to the past

Hoch Deutschlands Flotte! Music of the Imperial German Navy in Archival Recordings, 1907-1917
Various
Manufacturer: Brandenburg Historica
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000R181LC
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

Flaggenparade mit dem Hollaendischen Ehrenmarsch HM I, 60 (Rauscher)
Deutsches Flaggenlied aus "Unsere Marine" (Thiele-Linderer)
Unter der Admiralsflagge - Marsch, Op. 82 (Fucik)
Hiss'Wimpel und Flaggen - Marsch (Witteborn)
Deutschland zur See - Marsch (Fetràs)
Prinz-Admiral Marsch (Jummel)
Praesentiermarsch der I. Matrosen-Division HM I, 61 (Heinrich v. Preussen)
Parademarsch der I. Matrosen-Division AM II, 173 (Luebbert)
Parademarsch der II. Matrosen-Division AM II, 113 (Eriksson)
Parademarsch des III. Seebataillons, Tsingtau AM II, 198 (Radeck)
Germans to the Front! - Marsch (Wagner)
Admiral Stosch-Marsch, Op. 140 (Latann)
Seemannslos - Fantasie (Petrie)
Matrosenlied (Ramrath-Loens)
Blaujacken-Marsch (Anon.)
Lied der Torpedoboote (Witteborn)
Marine-Marsch (v. Blon)
Das Lied von der Emden (Soechting-Boeer)
SMS Moewe - Marsch (Richter)
Das war U-9 - Marschcouplet (Dannenberg)
Unterseeboot-9 im Einsatz - Dramatization (Schoenwald) .
Hoch Deutschlands Flotte! - Marsch (Friedemann)
Marsch des Yorckschen Korps AM II, 37 (v. Beethoven)
Zapfenstreich-Marsch und Gebet (Trad.-Anon.-Wieprecht)
Unsere Marine HM II, 145 - Marsch (Thiele)

Product Description

The mighty dreadnoughts and battle cruisers of Kaiser Wilhelm II's navy sail again in this magnificent, first-ever compilation from Brandenburg Historica! This TWENTY-FIVE-TRACK CD presents the marches and songs of the golden age of German sea power, with PERIOD performances by illustrious units of the Imperial German Navy and leading military- and civilian ensembles of the German Empire. "Hoch Deutschlands Flotte!" features not only the most famous parade- and presentation marches from the core repertoire of the Kaiser s "High Seas Fleet", but also many forgotten treasures of nautically flavored German martial- and patriotic music. Included here are period pieces celebrating the First World War-era exploits of the SMS Emden, Otto Weddigen s U-9 and the raider SMS Moewe; a 1907 recording of the "Flag Parade" of the Imperial German Navy (complete with drill commands and including the "Hollaendischer Ehrenmarsch", which was designated as the presentation march for all naval units by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1901); and a super-rare 1915 version of Hermann Loens battle song, "Wir fahren gegen Engelland", set to a score that has been completely overshadowed by Herms Niel's famous setting of that song from 1940. In addition to these rarities, the album features numerous German naval marches and concert band pieces of the Imperial era that are endowed with a distinctive maritime ambience, but are virtually unknown to today's listeners The performances assembled in this compilation were originally recorded between 1907 and 1917, and though the extremely rare early discs from which they have been transcribed date from the acoustic age of recording (that is, before the invention of electric microphones and pick-ups), they have been laboriously restored and reengineered to maximize the considerable fidelity already inherent to them without altering their historical authenticity in any way whatsoever. "Hoch Deutschlands Flotte!" is accompanied by a TWENTY-FOUR PAGE BOOKLET (lavishly illustrated with many rare, never-before published photographs) which features detailed historical notes on the development of the Imperial German Navy during the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II, its musical traditions and the background of the featured musical selections.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable trip into history.......2007-07-03

This is a very creditable work that preserves music of a bygone era. Original recordings are used to give an exact reproduction of the sounds of military music of the Kaiser's navy. Particularly interesting was the track where the U-9 march went off into a verbal reenactment of the U-boat attack.

It doesn' t come any better than this.......2007-06-26

The folks at Brandenburg Historica have done it again with Hoch Deutschlands Flotte. Twenty five (25) exceptionally re-mastered original 78 rmp recordings of navy marches, songs and other music, many by naval and seebattalion(marines)bands of the Kaiser's Navy. As with Brandenburg Historica's prior albums,the 19 pages of album notes and photographs are outstanding and second to none I have seen. It's a class act and does not get any better than this.

Hoch Deutschlands Flotte, a musical journey in to the past .......2007-06-17

I just finished listening to this CD and it is a real gem. A rare look back at what the German navy was like in the Glory days of Kaiser Wilhelm's Germany. Any one that is a Military Music enthustiast and/or interested in the history of this time period should not pass up this treasure. All the selections on this CD are first rate.

Average customer rating:

AMERICAN SONG RECITAL

American Song Recital

Manufacturer: Channel Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Stefano Donaudy: Amor mi fa cantare

ASIN: B000003UYE
Release Date: 1993-08-19

Tracks:

Come Ready And See Me
Sweet Suffolk Owl
Waterbird
Anniversaries: For Craig Urquhart - Fred Weldy
On This Wondrous Sea
The Metropolitan Tower
The Strong House
Secret Words
Sugar In The Cane
Night Without Sleep
Fort Tryon Park: September
For My Daughter, Nina - Fred Weldy
Bee! I'm Expecting You
I Never Saw A Moor
Recuerdo
Social Note
Anniversaries: For William Kappel - Fred Weldy
Never More Will The Wind
Dream With Me
Prld I - Fred Weldy
Prld II - Fred Weldy
Prld III - Fred Weldy
Someone To Watch Over Me

Customer Reviews:

AMERICAN SONG RECITAL.......2000-02-17

AMERICAN SONG RECITAL

Channel Classics Records has taken a first-rate initiative in giving winners of important international music competitions the opportunity to record a CD in the "Winning Artists Series." This CD, with fairly unknown American songs, is part of the above series. Other than a piece by Hundley, the remaining 22 songs are based on texts by American writers.

Richard Hundley's songs are beautiful and his compositions true to the texts on which they are based. All the emotions found in the texts are expanded in the compositions to ensure that the story comes through clearly and is not lost in the music. Lori Laitman was specifically asked by Lauren Wagner to compose a song. She chose a text by Sara Teasdale and the CD is worth owning for this song alone: magnificent! Another "plus" to this production is that the source and full text of the songs are in the CD book.

In addition to songs, a number of piano solos have been recorded. Those of Leonard Bernstein are not very well known, but very much worth listening to. He composed these works for friends, relatives and colleagues. They are concise, very complete compositions.

The fact that Lauren Wagner won four important prizes in 1991 is also not surprising. This singer possesses incredible timbre, has a beautiful, controlled voice and sings with incredible ease. Her music is truly a pleasure to hear. Her accompanist Fred Weldy matches her level of skill easily. This CD is definitely a worthwhile addition to your collection.

Tracks:

Benvenuto Cellini: Overture - Philharmonia Orchestra
I. Andante - Allegro Con Anima - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
II. Andante Cantabile, Con Alcuna Licenza - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
III. Valse. Allegro Moderato - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
IV. Finale. Andante Maestoso - Allegro Vivace - Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
No. 5: Entr'Acte Nach Dem 3. Aufzug - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
In D Major, Op46 No.6 - Paul Kletzki
In C Minor, Op.46 No.7 - Paul Kletzki
In C Major, Op.72 No.7 - Paul Kletzki

Tracks:

Ouverture 'Meeresstille Und Gluckliche Fahrt', Op.27 - Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
I. Allegro Non Troppo - Paul Kletzki
II. Andante Moderato - Paul Kletzki
III. Allegro Giocoso - Poco Meno Presto - Tempo I - Paul Kletzki
IV. Allegro Energico E Passionato - Piu Allegro - Paul Kletzki
No.5: Traume - Hugh Bean
Capriccio Italien, Op.45 - Philharmonia Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

An EMI house conductor with a devoted cult following.......2005-11-22

Sometimes one feels that the Great Conductors series is just a convenient way for EMI to push recordings that otherwise wouldn't sell. I don't think there's much market for these performances from the Polish-born, Swiss-naturalized Paul Kletzki. When he died in 1973 Kletzki had had a strong career as a perennial guest condcutor around Europe--he appears on these two CDs with five different orchestras from London to Prague. Kletzki made lots of records for EMI, but none that I've heard really rose to any level of inspiration.

In fact, I would rate this set as one of the poorer compilations in the whole series. The big works here are a live Tchaikovsky Fifth with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra (stereo, 1967) and a less well recorded Brahms Fourth with the Czech Phil. (stereo, 1965). Neither strikes me as anything but ordinary, or worth salvaging, really, despite their honest, sober ways. Neither orchestra sounds at its best. Nor are the minor works, such as a cautious Benevenuto Cellini Over. and a decent enough Mendelssohn Calm Sea and Happy Voyage Over., anything notable.

The happiest item is the Capriccio Italien that wraps up CD 2, a 1958 studio recording with the Philharmonia. It is fresh and lively, without a trace of bombast or fakery. I liked it better than anything else here, but one bright performance can't save the dullness of the rest. Overall, this is a perfect set to keep around in case somebody claims that Kletzki was great just becasue his records are out of print.

Great Conductors of 20th Century= Best Reissues of the 21st.......2003-03-29

It's sad that the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" reissue series has not gotten more notice on Amazon and in other places, because it has my vote for the best reissue program thus far of the 21st Century. Drawing from the archives of all the major classical labels (EMI, Sony, BMG, DG, Decca, Philips, Supraphon, etc.), EMI and IMG Artists have assembled a wonderful series of affordable two-disc sets by the leading conductors of the last century. And unlike its counterpart, "The Great Pianists of the 20th Century," which are basically compilations of material already available on other CDs, the "Great Conductors" features rare and, for the most part, previously unreleased performances!

This particular CD, Volume 20, features the great Paul Kletzki, a conductor who is woefully underrepresented on CD at the present time. (His wonderful recordings of Sibelius, Prokofiev, Beethoven, and others are currently unavailable -- in fact the only decent recordings of his that are in print is the Chopin Piano Concerto with Pollini, and only a couple of Mahler discs!) As the track information is not abundantly clear above, allow me to mention that these two discs feature memorable stereo performances of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony and Capriccio Italien, Brahms' 4th Symphony, 3 of Dvorak's Slavonic Dances, an excerpt from Schubert's ballet "Rosamunde," and a Wagner song. There are also two mono performances from the early 50s --Berlioz's "Benvenuto Cellini" Overture and Mendelssohn's "Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage" Overture. Kletzki, who was probably best associated with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic, also performs here with Bavarian RSO, Royal Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, and Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise.

Whether you are a serious collector of classical music or a beginner, the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" has something for everyone. If the prized, rare performances previously unreleased on CD (or ever!) doesn't excite you, then use this as an opportunity to check out one of the greatest conductors ever recorded. Chances are, since stores are offering increasingly homogenized classical music sections, this conductor isn't even in your collection. And that would truly be a shame.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

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