Excursions

Track Listings

1. Tableaux de Provence: I. Faranduolo Di Chatuono

2. Tableaux de Provence: II. Cansoun Per Ma Mio

3. Tableaux de Provence: III. La Boumiano

4. Tableaux de Provence: IV. Dis Alyscamps l'Amo Souspire

5. Tableaux de Provence: V. Lou Cabridan

6. Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14

7. Rumba

8. Three Romances, Op. 94: I. Not Fast

9. Three Romances, Op. 94: II. Simple, Heartfelt

10. Three Romances, Op. 94: III. Not Fast

11. Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: I. Allegro

12. Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: II. Vivace

13. Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: III. Adagio- Presto

14. Six Studies in English Folksong: I. Adagio

15. Six Studies in English Folksong: II. Andante

16. Six Studies in English Folksong: III. Larghetto

17. Six Studies in English Folksong: IV. Lento

18. Six Studies in English Folksong: V. Andante Tranquillo

19. Six Studies in English Folksong: VI. Allegro

20. Carnaval de Venise

Tracks:

Sonata for Piano, Op 26: Allegro energico
Sonata for Piano, Op 26: Allegro vivace e leggiero
Sonata for Piano, Op 26: Adagio mesto
Sonata for Piano, Op 26: Fuga: Allegro con spirito
Excursions, Op 20: Un poco allegro
Excursions, Op 20: In Slow Blues Tempo
Excursions, Op 20: Allegretto
Excursions, Op 20: Allegro molto
Nocturne, Op 33: Moderato
Three Sketches: Lovesong: Tempo di valse: Allegretto
Three Sketches: To My Steinway (To No.220601): Adagio
Three Sketches: Minuet: Tempo di minuetto
Interlude I ('For Jeanne'): Adagio, ma non troppo
Ballade, Op 46: Restless
Souvenirs, Op 28: Waltz: tempo di valse, Allegro con brio
Souvenirs, Op 28: Schottische: tempo si Schottische, Allegro ma non troppo
Souvenirs, Op 28: Pas de deux: Adagio
Souvenirs, Op 28: Two-Step: Allegro molto
Souvenirs, Op 28: Hesitation Tango: Con moto
Souvenirs, Op 28: Galop: Allegro molto

Customer Reviews:

Barber: genius; Pollack: great, but not as great as John Browning.......2007-05-29

This CD includes a mini biography of the composer and a short description of each piece, which is always a plus. I am still amazed he wrote those 3 sketches at such a young age! Barber's music is always lyrical, even when it sounds a-tonal. While John Browning is the most popular interpreter of Barber's music, Pollack also does a wonderful job. The only problem I have is his playing of the Nocturne, op. 33, because he plays it very heavily and too fast, much unlike a nocturne should be.

A variety of emotions.......2006-11-16

This CD collects all the published piano music of Samuel Barber, including the highly regarded masterwork SONATA, OP.26. The SONATA, in four movements, goes from the severe in the first movement to the openly joyous in the second; the third movement builds slowly to a mighty grumbling before just as slowly resigning itself to a quiet resolve. The final movement is all energy, requiring great technical prowess, which pianist Daniel Pollack has. It's an excellent performance.

Some of the other pieces, though less demanding, are most enjoyable. The four EXCURSIONS explore "regional idioms," including boogie-woogie, the blues, and country roots (this last is delightful). The four SOUVENIRS show Barber at his most humorous: the Waltz is laugh-out-loud charming, and the Hesitation Tango is just that - and very compelling. This is an excellent CD all around, from the varied and intelligent music of Barber to the assured, lyrical interpretations by Pollack. Highly recommended.

Samuel Barber's Piano Music.......2003-11-26

Samuel Barber's(1910 --1981) music is lyrical, romantic, and accessible. But his music still manages to be challenging. As is the case with many American composers, Barber tried to develop an American voice by combining art music with American themes derived from jazz and American popular culture. Again, Barber wrote in an accessible way using sophisticated 20th century compositional techniques.

Although he did not compose a great deal of music for solo piano, much of what Barber did write is outstanding. This disc on the budget-priced Naxos label includes all of Barber's published solo piano music performed by Daniel Pollack. Pollack knows and plays this music well indeed. He performed Barber's piano sonata at the First International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 1958. The CD includes detailed, insightful liner notes by Victor and Marina Ledin.

Barber's piano sonata op 26 (1946) is the highlight of this disc and is a work that has become an important part of the piano repertory. The work is in four movements, and in it Barber uses an expansive musical vocabulary which includes serial composition. The work is romantic and virtuosic and immediately appealing. Vladimir Horowitz championed this music and it has been recorded many times.

The sonata opens with a two-note falling figure with the second note heavily accented that becomes the basis for the opening allegro movement. Throughout the first movement, loud, virtuosic passages alternate with quieter sections, with feathery piano writing in the instrument's high register. The two-note figure is prominent at the end of the movement with a shift in accent to the first note of the pair. The second movement is a short, light scherzo which picks up on the quieter portions of the first movement. The third movement, an adagio, is spare and minimalist. It rises to a large climax before the music falls away pensively over a walking bass. The last movement is a fugue which begins rapidly and quickly develops to a frenzied, cataclysmic conclusion.

The other extended works on this CD are two piano suites. The first suite, "Excursions" Op. 20 (1942-1944) was also championed by Horowitz. It consists of four movements based upon American jazz and popular song. The first movement features a syncopated theme with repeated notes over a boogie-woogie theme in the bass. The second movemement develops as a blues, with a slow-drag theme that becomes more prominent as the movement progresses. It reminded me of a Gershwin piano prelude. The third movement consists of a lyrical, rippling theme in a moderate tempo which undergoes brief variations. The final movement is a foot-stomping barn dance. The movement reminded me of a conservative Charles Ives.

The other suite in this collection is titled "Souvenirs", op 28 (1951-1952) It consists of six short dance movements. (Barber used it for a ballet.) I loved this piece. It is deliberately anachronistic in character and is a throw-back to a hotel-style elegance just before WW I. In listening to this suite, I tried to think of the tone it intended to convey. Some people find this music light and frivolus while others find it ironic. I heard it as loving, but detached and a bit distant. Barber is trying deliberately to recreate a musical experience in an idiom that is no longer his. I think the tone is affectionate, with the music played straight (rather than satirically), but with a distinct feeling of looking back. Thus the title, "Souvenirs".

There are a number of short pieces on this CD including three sketches dating from Barber's 13th year. I enjoyed the Nocturne which is highly chromatic (op. 33) and the late Ballade, Op. 46 among these short works.

This disc is part of the Naxos "American Classics" series. It will allow the listener to get to know some great works of 20th century American piano music.

What's the rush?.......2003-10-22

I can't tell if the overly fast tempi on much of this recording is so all the works could be jammed onto one CD, or if Mr. Pollack was dared to see how fast he could go. To be fair, he starts the Sonata at the metronome marking in the score (which some performers do not) but he doesn't keep it there. He pulls back tremendously in the second theme, then rushes through much of the closing theme so quickly as if to suggest that hearing the notes is not the important part. I'm impressed at how fast he can play certain parts (and the scherzo), but what honestly is the point? Passages in the development and coda are reduced to a blurry mash. Along with this he punches many notes (first and third movements), especially in the base, that have no need for added emphasis. Barber provided enough angularity to this piece that just playing it gets the message - and the music - across. The fourth movement, I will concede, is as admirable as any other performance.
The rest of the works on the CD fare better - in areas where a change in tempo might be tasteful, Mr. Pollack seems invariably to push ahead but it doesn't sabotage anything as badly as the Sonata.
Despite the tempting price, a newcomer to Barber's piano output would do better to buy John Browning's recording and come back to this one later for a different viewpoint.

Barber at a bargain.......2001-09-10

Daniel Pollack has a special relationship to this music. He premiered Samuel Barber's Piano Sonata in the Soviet Union, and played it to wildly enthusiastic acclaim during the 1958 Tschaikovsky competition. That was the year Cliburn took the Gold medal, but Pollack was also a winner, and was very well received.

I am very familiar with the Sonata. I performed it at my senior piano recital in college. I also had the pleasure of playing most of the Sonata for Daniel Pollack when I competed in a college-based piano competition. It was a special pleasure for me to learn how intimately he knows this piece. Pollack plays the Sonata with tremendous energy, brilliance and passion. The recorded sound of this Naxos CD is bright and a little too resonant for my taste. Still, the performance is thoroughly exciting, sometimes to the point of being overwhelmingly powerful (for example, at the end of the fugue).

I own eleven recordings of the Barber Piano Sonata on CD or LP. Although Pollack's is not my first choice, his playing is so exciting and powerful that I regard his performance as special and worth having. My favorites are Cliburn and Horowitz. My other recordings include Garrick Ohlsson, Willis Deloney, two by John Browning, Leo McCawley, Earl Wild, Peter Lawson and Ruth Laredo. It would be difficult to rank these performances, as they all have something special to commend them. Pollack's passion and abandon stand out in this group.

The other Barber works are less familiar to me, and so I am less able to comment on them. They seem beautifully played and, again, only hampered a little by the overly resonant sound.

Tracks:

Adagio For Strings Op.11 - Leonard Slatkin
Overture, Op.5 - Leonard Slatkin
I. Allegro - Elmar Oliveira
II. Andante - Elmar Oliveira
III. Presto In Moto Perpetuo - Elmar Oliveira
Essay For Orchestra Op.12 - Leonard Slatkin
Second Essay For Orchestra Op.17 - Leonard Slatkin
Medea's Dance Of Vengeance Op.23a - Leonard Slatkin

Tracks:

I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Israela Margalit
II. Adagio-Presto - Israela Margalit
III. Alegro Appassionato - Israela Margalit
Canzone For Flute & Piano Op.38a - Israela Margalit
I. Un Poco Allegro - Israela Margalit
II. In Slow Blues Tempo - Israela Margalit
III. Allegretto - Israela Margalit
IV. Allegro Molto - Israela Margalit
Nocturne (Homage To John Field) Op.33 - Israela Margalit
Slow And Indolent - Stanley Drucker
Faster - Stanley Drucker
Lively, Still Faster - Stanley Drucker
With Motion, As Before - Stanley Drucker
Joyous And Flowing - Stanley Drucker
Tempo I - Stanley Drucker
Pas De Deux - Israela Margalit
Two-Step - Israela Margalit
Third Essay For Orchestra Op.47 - Leonard Slatkin

Customer Reviews:

Most valuable Barber set. .......2005-09-14

Having virtually all the shorter orchestral works plus some of the best chamber and instrumental music makes this set more than its weight in gold -- especially now that EMI has sensibly lowered the price even further by issuing it on its Gemini line. This set also fills a void as an adjunct to RCA France's two-disc release of the First Symphony and three concertos with Slatkin and the St. Louis Orchestra. (Or, if you don't want the symphony -- and which Barber lover wouldn't? -- RCA now has those concertos on one very full mid-price disc.) The only major work missing is Knoxville, which no one coming to Barber's music should be without. But, depending on what you want with that heavenly masterpiece, there are ways to easily solve that problem.

Of course, the fiercest competition to these recordings comes from Naxos through Marin Alsop and the Royal Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Both Alsop and Slatkin have Barber's music fully in their blood. They practically breathe and move by the pulse and cadence of the music, and they intuitively understand the yin and yang of its dramatic and the rhapsodic qualities.

Slatkin lingers more than Alsop in the quieter spots, and takes bigger risks, yet maintains greater control and tension in overall pacing. In The School for Scandal Overture, a wider ranging ride through the valleys and expertly picking up the pace through the dramatic peaks shows Slatkin at his best. He adopts takes an even broader pace than Alsop out of the gate in the Third Essay. Once past any thought of ponderousness, one hears how Slatkin links the notes like Alsop, phrasing the lines and even that percussion solo at the onset, taking more time than her in projecting the emotive weight and complexity, which is so easy to miss in this work. The results, as in Alsop's reading, are enormous, but richer and more rewarding.

The other way this set sweeps the field is through the impressive stable of chamber and instrumental works - nearly a full disc's worth. Each performance is very good to exceptional, and together yields a much wider (and welcome) range and variety in Barber's music than we are normally accorded. All of the players deserve special mention: cellist Alan Stepansky and pianist Isreala Margalit in the Cello Sonata; flautist Jeanne Baxtresser and Margalit in the Canzone for flute and piano; Margalit as soloist in Excursions, Nocturne in homage to John Field and two pieces arranged from the piano four-hands Souvenirs; and Baxtresser, Joseph Robinson, clarinetist Stanley Drucker, bassoonist Judith Le Clair and French hornist Philip Myers in Summer Music.

The Violin Concerto is the only also-ran, and not because it is a bad performance - just a less than fully persuasive one. Soloist Elmar Oliveira combines Isaac Stern's firm tone with some of the Kyoko Takezawa's rhapsodic approaches to the melodies. The key word here is "some." As good as Oliviera is - and he is very good - where he lacks is striding one leg on Stern's stay-on-the-rail firmness to the work's structure and the other on Takezawa wider-ranging, more mercurial jaunt around the course. He's astride two horses with very different temperaments and riding styles, not giving either mount his full attention but doing all he can just to keep them together. Slatkin gives this piece his all, but Oliviera holds him back. When you hear Slatkin and Takezawa, you hear how Slatkin and his team are willing to deliver a much more exciting a ride.

Barber: Adagio for Strings; Orchestral & Chamber Works

Average customer rating:

Very good Barber overview from the LP era

Barber: Adagio for Strings; Orchestral & Chamber Works

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915
Samuel Barber / Thomas Schippers
Rorem: Three Symphonies
William Schuman: Symphonies Nos. 7 and 10
William Schuman: Symphonies Nos. 4 and 9; Orchestra Song; Circus Overture

ASIN: B000AARL3Y
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Tracks:

Adagio For Strings, Op.11 - New York Philharmonic
Summer Music, Op.31 - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet
No.1: Un Poco Allegro - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet
No.2: In Slow Blues Tempo - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet
No.3: Allegretto - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet
No.4: Allegro Molto - The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet
Dover Beach For Voice And String Quartet, Op.3 - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Molto Allegro E Appassionato - Beaux Arts String Quartet
Molto Adagio - Beaux Arts String Quartet
Molto Allegro - Beaux Arts String Quartet
Intermezzo - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Toccata Festiva, Op.36 - The Philadelphia Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Very good Barber overview from the LP era.......2007-01-08

Sony/BMG reached deep into their vaults to pull together this intriguing Barber overview, and as a bonus brought together an impressive collection of performers. In spite of the fact that these recordings are all about 40 years old, the sound has worn fairly well. The Schippers "Adagio for Strings" remains one of the most intense performances ever recorded. It's nice having the work's original version as the middle movement of the String Quartet available on the same disc, along with Schippers conducting the Intermezzo from "Vanessa." Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and the Juilliard String Quartet zero in on the dark depression in the setting of Arnold's "Dover Beach," and André Previn's jazz credentials are put to good use in "Four Excursions." When the "Toccata Festiva" first appeared on LP back in the 1960s, the recording already sounded too close and strident, but Eugene Ormandy and E. Power Biggs find in this celebratory piece touches of angst underplayed by later performers. At mid-price, this disc is very attractive.

Slider- Ambient Excursions for Pedal Steel Guitar

Average customer rating:

Ahhh...HELLO?!?!?
Don't think Country and Western, or Hawaiian music!
Country & Eastern And All That Stuff
Beautiful Pedal Steel Music

Slider- Ambient Excursions for Pedal Steel Guitar

Manufacturer: Wiggling Air Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music
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Slide Show
Released
Distance
Aerial Boundaries
Desert Ocean

ASIN: B000BWDUCM
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Product Description

The label and graphics have changed, but the recordings are exactly the same as the 2000 Hearts Of Space release "Slider- Ambient Excursions for Pedal Steel Guitar". "Slider" is Bruce Kaphan's solo debut album. Known for his pedal steel work with artists such as Sheryl Crow, REM, David Byrne, Chris Isaak, Jewel, The Black Crowes, Jellyfish and American Music Club, and for the underscore to Bob Dylan's feature film "Masked & Anonymous", "Slider" contains all original compositions and performances featuring the unique sound of Bruce Kaphan's pedal steel playing. Zen music... sweet dreams of light and flight in which Kaphans licks ring like prayer bells across an open Texas plain. Rolling Stone Magazine. An ambitious and groundbreaking effort... langorous, soulful expressivity. The San Francisco Bay Guardian. Kaphan pioneered new territory for the pedal steel in the90s with alt-rock cult faves American Music Club... where he quickly liberated the instrument from Nashville stereotypes. SLIDER is an extensive rethinking of the pedal steel, with its silvery liquid tone refracted through Kaphans harmonic vocabulary, skillful arrangements and wide-ranging stylistic compass. Backroadsmusic.com. CD Now Top 10 CD of the Year

Customer Reviews:

Ahhh...HELLO?!?!?.......2007-06-18

Yes...this is very enjoyable material!

BUT--with this and Jeff Pearce and others...it's as if NONE of you have ever heard Pink Floyd's DARK SIDE OF THE MOON!! It seems as if everyone is "astounded" that there is a use for the pedal steel "other than country or perhaps soundtracks" out there! Has David Gilmore's masterful use and playing of it on that and other Pink Floyd work been forgotten THAT easily?!? YES...it wasn't the "primary" instument, but it's inclusion and useage and tone individualized and created with and for it are extraordinary and ground-breaking!

Wake up and smell the coffee brewing...oh ambient fanciers! :-)

Don't think Country and Western, or Hawaiian music!.......2006-04-22

If you've never heard 'Clouds', you're in for a treat. I stumbled upon this song on my cable station's Soundscapes channel, and fell in love with it the first time I heard it. Bruce's music is pure magic. I never knew the pedal steel guitar could produce such a full and sensuous sound until I heard this album. He is a master of the pedal steel guitar.

Like a true pioneer, Bruce takes you down several paths, ranging from a couple of eastern-style tracks, to more traditional 'new-age' compositions. Not to leave country & western totally ignored, his 'High Desert' explores the lost art of western music. 'Outpost' conveys a sense of loneliness and isolation that its name implies.

Don't take my word for it. You can listen to every track on this CD from his website - www.brucekaphan.com. Then buy it!

Country & Eastern And All That Stuff.......2006-03-04

When Bruce Kaphan's "Slider" came out in 2000, as one of the last official releases on the Hearts Of Space label, it made quite a splash-besides the English pedal steel player B.J. Cole and the equally obscure but still immensely talented Chas Smith, not much ambient/space music had been heard from the steel guitar as a source instrument.

"Slider" changed that in a big way: The track "Country & Eastern" substituted a slide guitar where a sitar or esraj might have been; "Clouds" and "Big Brain Small Brain" went off into Jeff Pearce/Michael Brook "infinite guitar" territory, but using the slide as opposed to a heavily processed six string or e-bow. Six years later, "Slider" sounds just as fresh. This is an essential purchase.

Beautiful Pedal Steel Music.......2005-11-11

Modern music fans recognize Bruce Kaphan's name from his work with American Music Club, Chris Isaak, REM, Black Crowes, John Lee Hooker and David Byrne. It's a rare treat to get an instrumental album from such an accomplished sideman. This collection of instrumental "new age" music was originally recorded for the prestigious Hearts Of Space label, and its tone is consistent with the sound of their popular radio show.

The tunes are dreamy, multi-layered steel tracks, dripping with echoes and punctuated with diamond edges. Bruce Kaphan combines his double-neck pedal steel, the recording studio, and a few tasty acoustic instruments to create beautiful ambient tapestries. This CD is on the leading edge of steel guitar art music. It's one of my personal favorites.

Average customer rating:

American Beauty
Unusual - I love it!

American Ballads

Manufacturer: Postcards
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Invitation to the Dance
Reform: Solo Piano

ASIN: B000059T25
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

Excursions, Op.20: I. Un Poco Allegro
Excursions, Op.20: II. In Show Blues Tempo
Excursions, Op.20: III. Allegretto
Excursions, Op.20: IV. Allegro Molto
Four Piano Blues: I. Freely Poetic
Four Piano Blues: II. Soft And Languid
Four Piano Blues: III. Muted And Sensuous
Four Piano Blues: IV. With Bounce
On Gossamer Wings
American Ballads: I. Streets Of Laredo
American Ballads: II. Wayfaring Stranger
American Ballads: III. The Bird
American Ballads: IV. Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair
American Ballads: V. Cod Liver Pie
North American Ballads: III. Down By The Riverside
Piano Sonata No.2: III. The Alcotts
The Plow That Broke The Plains, Ste: I. Prelude
The Plow That Broke The Plains, Ste: II. Cowboy Songs
The Plow That Broke The Plains, Ste: III. Blues
The Plow That Broke The Plains, Ste: IV. Finale
American Nocturne

Album Description

Pianist Lara Downes takes us on a journey through the heart and soul of the USA with American Ballads, as she interprets 20th century works by Barber, Copland, Ives, Thompson and features the world premiere recording of jazz composer/saxophonist Benny Golson's On Gossamer Wings.This collection of solo pieces reflects the influence of popular music on our master composers and captures the essence of the American spirit, brilliantly performed by one of today's remarkable talents.

Lara Downes has attracted attention as one of the most exciting and communicative pianists of today's younger generation. She has been cited by critics for her breathtaking virtuosity and penetrating, sensitive accounts of classical and romantic repertoire. She has been hailed as an artist worthy of placement in the highest rank of classical performers. Since making noteworthy debuts at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Vienna Konzerthaus, and Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, Ms. Downes performs regularly throughout Europe and the United States.

Ms. Downes eclectic and engaging programs encompass both the standard repertoire and works by young composers such as Augusta Read Thomas and Stephen Paulus. Her recent projects include a Copland Centennial recital, a recently discovered piano concerto by Clara Schumann, and a four-part recital series entitled This American Century. She recently made the world premiere recording of On Gossamer Wings by legendary jazz composer Benny Golson for the Arkadia/Postcards label.

The eldest of the three musical daughters of a civil-rights attorney mother and a Jamaican biochemist father, Ms. Downes began her piano studies at age five at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. At seven, she composed an opera based on the book Charlotte's Web, which was performed in San Francisco. Home-schooled through high school, Ms. Downes completed her advanced studies under Hans Graf at the Vienna Hochschule and with Rudolf Buchbinder at the Music Academy in Basel. She has received highest honors in the Claude Kahn, Palma d'Oro and Artists International competitions.

Ms. Downes' busy solo and chamber career is strongly impacted by her commitment to expanding and developing new audiences for the arts. She dedicates time during her concert tours to elementary school workshops, and has developed a wide network of community outreach through the University of California at Davis. She is the co-founder and artistic director of Arts Exchange, a project dedicated to building creative partnerships between the visual and performing arts. In her own words: "I'd like to re-define the concert experience, to give it new relevance in our 21st-century world".

Ms. Downes speaks fluent English, Italian, German and French. She lives in Northern California.

Customer Reviews:

American Beauty.......2001-07-26

OK, I admit it! I picked up this CD because of the great-looking Ralph Lauren-esque cover art. Lara is gorgeous and not your typical classical pianist. But then I listened to the recording and discovered that she's REALLY not your typical classical pianist! A feisty, swinging musician with a mind of her own, she brings a brand new sound to these terrific American classics. I can't recommend this enough.

Unusual - I love it!.......2001-04-18

As a piano fan and record collector, I always look for new concepts and presentations. This is a marvelous collection of seldom-heard works that deserve more attention. Miss Downes is a big talent. Bravo!

Average customer rating:

Classics with a Jazzy Pulse
A marvelous blend
"wonderful marriage between Classical and Jazz...Concord!"

Virtuosi

Manufacturer: Concord Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Next Generation
Generations
Pandora
Libertango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla
Departure

ASIN: B000060OWW
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Tracks:

Tombeau De Couperin I: Prelude
Excursions I, Op.20
Prelude VIII, Op.32
Milonga
Prelude II
Sonata K20
Three Little Oddities: Impromptu
Piano Concerto In F: Movement III
Lakme Medley: Berceuse/Duettino
Capriccio II, Op.76
Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Customer Reviews:

Classics with a Jazzy Pulse.......2005-07-07

Burton and Ozone perform a splendidly diverse variety of classics alongside some newer tunes considered classics in their own right. Tombeau de Couperin, Rachmaninoff's Prelude, Scarlatti's Sonata, and the Lakmé Medley do not merely use a melody and chord changes as inspiration for a "head chart," but rather delve inside the original songs for a new twist. The Sonata particularly shows off the duo's ingenuity in finding a new interpretation that respects the old melody.

The newer pieces (such as Milonga, the Confrey Impromptu and the Gershwin pieces) do not belittle themselves as "lesser classics," but Ozone and Burton respect them as equals to the other pieces. The final piece, though not destined to be a classic of its own, is a pensive reflection on the "classics" which echoes the voice the duo found inside many of the other pieces. Overall, a charmingly novel album perfect for lovers of jazz and classical music alike.

A marvelous blend.......2002-11-27

This Burton-Ozone collaboration has produced a record that deserves to be timeless. It is a marvelous blend of the classical and jazz traditions. The spirit of the classical composers represented on the disc comes through in a refreshing way, brilliantly interpreted by these two superb musicians. This will be my favorite record from the year 2002, no question about it.

"wonderful marriage between Classical and Jazz...Concord!".......2002-03-12

Two genres appease my appetite for today's music CLASSICAL and JAZZ...so it's no
wonder this latest Concord release hits the spot to satisfy my craving...featuring Gary
Burton(vibes) and Makoto Ozone(piano), performing the works of Barber, Bonilla, Brahms,
Cardoso, Confrey, Delibes, Gershwin, Rachmaninoff, Scarlatti and even Ozone composed
his "SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE", mesmerizing with haunting
overtones, a perfect ending to this classic event.

Each piece mirrors the harmonies of both classical and jazz, through the musicianship of each
artists...much care has been taken to present various tempo and moods...from Latin,
Brazilian, Swing, Tango leaning toward polished styles that will amaze and enlightened the
listener...each selection has tremendous improvisation, with some Blues thrown in for good
measure(now we're cooking).

A big thank you to Concord Jazz, Gary Burton(producer), Glen Barros and John
Burk(executive producers)...a wonderful and exciting album for all jazz and classical fans
alike...just listen and study this one-of-a-kind project...hope to see more in the future...this is
a totally satisfying CD, a must have for anyone who plays an instrument or just enjoys GOOD
MUSIC!

Tracks:

He Took Her To A Movie - Ladytron
Now That The Love Has Gone (From Loneliness To Happiness Mix By Les Rythms Digitales) - We In Music
Champu - Daniel Diamond
Missy Queen's Gonna Die (Original Mix) - Tok Tok Vs. Soffy O
Treat Me Better - Northern Line
Substance (Felix Da Housecat Mix) - Dot Allison
Take A Walk (Youngsters Bass Remix) - Bolz Bolz
Silver Screen - Shower Scene (Phunk Remix) - Felix Da Housecat
Gas 126 - Kiki
Dirty Breaks Federation - User 010
Over The Hill (Original Mix) - Tim Taylor Vs. Thor 54
Ticket To Thrillville - Jeff Mills
Flexability - Miss Kitten & The Hacker
Thee Underground Made Me Do It - Aphrohead
What Does It Feel Like? - Felix Da Housecat
It's Automatic (Paper Faces Remix) - Zoot Woman
Playgirl (Felix Da Housecat Glitz Clubhead Mix) - Ladytron
In Flight (Raw Cluc Mix) - Archigram

Album Description

2002 album featuring new & exclusive tracks and mixes from Dot Allison, Aphrohead, Daniel Diamond & Felix Da Housecat. 18 tracks. Slipcase.

Customer Reviews:

Electro.......2003-12-16

Very good track selection ruined by questionable mixing. I mean the first 3 mixes not only aren't properly matched, the location of the mix is poor. Aside from that, great tracks. Bring back the 80's!

Excursions - One of the best house CD's ever!.......2003-08-14

Ok, I normally dont write reviews for Amazon but I'm at work and bored so I thought I'd tell everyone just how good I think this CD is. I got this CD last summer and it was pretty much my theme CD then but on a recent road trip to Moab I really realized that this is simply one of the best house CDs ever mixed. Housecat is one of the founding fathers of the whole Electro / New Wave reincarnation and this CD doesn't just say New Wave is back, but slaps you in the face with it. This mixing is shabby at times but for the most part, very aggressive through the first seven or eight songs. There is no letdown. As soon as the current song climaxes, the next song is in, unlike the very standard, predictable mixing on most recent progressive house mixes. Don't get me wrong I love progressive house but the market is saturated with it and the more people that put out a boring mix the more the genre is hurt. This CD is passionate and unique and in my opinion a CD that helped kick start Electro into the mainstream.

WOW.......2003-05-23

I've heard this CD 5 times in a row already and can't get enough. The mix is excellent and dirty enough like the 80s. I saw Felix mixing deep house 3-4 years ago in Miami, and he's come a long way staying on top of the genres and redefining what people are searching for musically. Great mix, and great depeche mode style synths! --

not bad.......2003-04-10

I'm sorry but I've got to say that this album slightly disappointed me. The tunes felix has chosenare all great but I have to say for a commercial release the mixing is not very tight - pretty poor in places. Not quite what I expected from someone who makes as good a tunes as Felix.

Overall though it's worth about 3 stars.

Simply wicked.......2002-06-05

This is exactly the sort of house that I'm looking for all the time. I never heard of Felix the Housecat until I started delving into Miss Kitten, Golden Boy, et al but am so far quite impressed. Right mix of deep house, light house, pumping beats and progressive even? Anyway, mix goes all over the place which keeps me interested. I recommend it as it's the best I've heard in a while. Somewhat of a cross between Danny Tenaglia and Daft Punk? Not exactly a party album as it tends to slow down in places bu fun nonetheless.

Average customer rating:

An ambient classic
More adventures beyond the Ultraworld!

Aubrey Mixes: The Ultraworld Excursions
The Orb
Manufacturer: Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

IDM | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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U.F.Orb (Limited initial quantities include 2nd disc with full length 40 minute "Blue Room" +3)
Okie Dokie It's the Orb on Kompakt

ASIN: B00000DQAZ
Release Date: 1991-12-27

Tracks:

Little Fluffy Clouds [Cumulo Nimbus Mix]
Backside of the Moon [Under Water Deep Space]
Spanish Castles in Space [Castles in Goa Mix]
Outlands [Fountains of Elisha Mix]
Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of ...
Perpetual Dawn [January Mix 3]
Spanish Castles in Space [Extended Youth Mix]

Customer Reviews:

An ambient classic.......2006-06-30

The Orb's Aubrey Mixes - Ultraworld Excursions are (in my opinion) the best they have produced, and is better than the original TOABTU that they come from. It does need some listening to.

More adventures beyond the Ultraworld!.......2004-10-01

Hard to believe this hasn't been reviewed yet. I've owned this album for many years and it is a mainstay in my Orb collection. Seeing how expensive and rare it has become makes me count by blessing that I got it when I did.

Basically what you have here are more ambient mixes of 6 tracks from the Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld album with 2 mixes of Spanish Castles for a total of 7 tracks. Over an hour of floaty ambient trancy bliss. There was a time when I thought this was even better than TOABTU, but years later I have to say I think the orginal is the best. This is still a great album and a must for Orb and trance fans, but it doesn't have quite the same cohesion and flow that the original does. Still, it is a solid 4 stars--not a classic but still an experience well worth having. Putting this on as a continuaton of the TOABTU album is quite a listening experience.

It will take you beyond the Ultraworld and back. ;^]

Average customer rating:

All the best in one place!

Barber: Complete Works for Solo Piano

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Barber: Violin Concerto; Cello Concerto; Piano Concerto
American Classics: Barber: COMPLETE PUBLISHED SOLO PIANO MUSIC
Amy Beach: "Gaelic" Symphony; Piano Concerto

ASIN: B000000AS3
Release Date: 1994-07-26

Tracks:

Excursions Op. 20: I. Un poco allegro
Excursions Op. 20: II. In Slow Blues Tempo
Excursions Op. 20: III. Allegretto
Excursions Op. 20: IV. Allegro molto
Nocturne Op. 33: Moderato
Sonata For Piano Op. 26: I. Allegro energico - Un poco meno mosso - Tempo 1
Sonata For Piano Op. 26: II. Allegro vivace e leggero
Sonata For Piano Op. 26: III. Adagio mesto
Sonata For Piano Op. 26: IV. Fuga. Allegro con spirito
Ballade Op. 46: Restless - Allegro con fuoco - Restless, As Before
Souvenirs Op. 28: I. Waltz
Souvenirs Op. 28: II. Schottische
Souvenirs Op. 28: III. Pas de deux
Souvenirs Op. 28: IV. Two-Step
Souvenirs Op. 28: V. Hesitation-Tango
Souvenirs Op. 28: VI. Galop

Customer Reviews:

All the best in one place!.......2005-09-24

If you ever want to buy anything by Barber, this is one that you owe it to yourself to have in your collection. We often forget while listening to all of his symphonic and chamber works that he was a fantastic pianist, and some of his best-crafted work was done for solo piano.

Highlights (well, for me):

The Sonata is incredible. It has all of the development and execution that we expect from an orchestra from one person, in one take.

The Four Excursions are an interesting foray into Americana, although my favorite is III, a theme and variations on the old cowby song Streets of Laredo. Could be really sappy, until you hear that the opening melodic figure pits seven notes in the right hand against eight in the left, an interepretation that stuns me every time I hear it, and Parkin does a great job of interpreting all of it.

You won't be sorry.

Average customer rating:

"Missa" is magical
Loved it - Better than Passion of the Christ!!
Knowing Ear:

Missa
Thomas Barquee
Manufacturer: Spirit Voyage Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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The Sound of OM
Close To Silence
Reveal
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Portraits

ASIN: B00007GW0E
Release Date: 2002-06-01

Tracks:

Dona Nobis Pacem
Gloria
Kyrie
Mea Culpa
Salva Me
Communio
Lux
Amen

Album Description

Great music of any genre draws you into an experience of your own depth, to an exultation of the Divine or both. This is especially true of sacred music of all religions and spiritual traditions.

Now, Thomas Barquee, an artist of uncommon sensitivity, has woven a profoundly moving tapestry of Indian, Middle Eastern and Western musical elements, with Latin choral overtones, onto the form of the Catholic Mass. Missa (mass in Latin) is an experience of world church. It transforms this holy structure into a serious and reverential modern musical journey.

As our world continues to shrink, assuming more of the characteristics of a global village, music that crosses the boundaries of different genres, blending elements of East and West, North and South, gains an ever greater audience. The expanding interest in spiritual matters - especially Eastern spirituality -- attracts a larger audience for music with a sacred or inspirational theme. Missa nourishes this need.

Missa combines Eastern and Western approaches to life and spirituality. Its lyrics are drawn from the Roman Catholic service, as well as ancient Sanskrit texts and inspired by the wisdom of Kahlil Gibran, Rumi, the Bhagavad Gita, the Holy Bible and other immortal words. The result showcases Thomas Barquee's great skill as both composer and vocalist.

A call for peace, Missa seeks to tear down barriers between us, allowing emotional commonalties to emerge. The work uses our religious diversity as a vehicle to express human unity, transcending the limitations of individual spiritual and musical traditions. It is this desire to express unity that is the hallmark of Barquee's work.

Missa follows Barquee's previous World-inspired album, Temple, released in 2000 on Hearts of Space Records. A more Eastern-influenced work, Temple was the precursor for the more elaborate canvas Barquee used to create Missa. Barquee, who sees himself as both a composer and vocalist, wanted Missa to be a fuller integration of vocals and music than Temple, a more explicit blending of sacred text with crossover composition.

Customer Reviews:

"Missa" is magical.......2004-08-03

Separately, the musical elements of "Missa" are brilliant, well-polished jewels. Combined, the elements fit together in a big and wonderful way. Magic happens. Every time I listen to "Missa," I love it even more. It stays eternally wonderful, as if it springs from a bottomless well of peace and inspiration. It makes me feel peaceful and inspired, too. It's just beautiful. Happy listening. -- from Renee

Loved it - Better than Passion of the Christ!!.......2004-03-17

This album is incredible - it's like a spiritual retreat rolled into an album. It was so inspiring and soothing - I felt rejuvenated just from listening to it.

I saw a reviewer say that the new sound track to Passion of the Christ was like Missa, but Missa has so much more depth and feeling to it - I would recommend this over the Passion soundtrack anyday!!

Knowing Ear:.......2003-04-11

Missa:
While it doesn't walk on water (like spinfield or mr. potts),
it certainly does elevate ones self with a hauntingly beautiful & increasingly energetic melody of rising energy and spirit. Simply stated, a lucky find for those with ears for such. Please enjoy !
yp

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

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1. Tableaux de Provence: I. Faranduolo Di Chatuono
2. Tableaux de Provence: II. Cansoun Per Ma Mio
3. Tableaux de Provence: III. La Boumiano
4. Tableaux de Provence: IV. Dis Alyscamps l'Amo Souspire
5. Tableaux de Provence: V. Lou Cabridan
6. Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14
7. Rumba
8. Three Romances, Op. 94: I. Not Fast
9. Three Romances, Op. 94: II. Simple, Heartfelt
10. Three Romances, Op. 94: III. Not Fast
11. Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: I. Allegro
12. Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: II. Vivace
13. Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: III. Adagio- Presto
14. Six Studies in English Folksong: I. Adagio
15. Six Studies in English Folksong: II. Andante
16. Six Studies in English Folksong: III. Larghetto
17. Six Studies in English Folksong: IV. Lento
18. Six Studies in English Folksong: V. Andante Tranquillo
19. Six Studies in English Folksong: VI. Allegro
20. Carnaval de Venise