Brahms: Piano Quintet; Clarinet Trio

On this CD:

1. Trio for Clarinet (or viola), Cello & Piano in A minor, Op. 114
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy, Robert Bernon, Cleveland Orchestra String Quartet, Franklin Cohen, Stephen Geber, Bernhard Goldschmidt, Daniel Majeske

2. Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34a
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy, Robert Bernon, Cleveland Orchestra String Quartet, Franklin Cohen, Stephen Geber, Bernhard Goldschmidt, Daniel Majeske

Brahms: Piano Quintet; Clarinet Trio, Music, Stephen Geber, Franklin Cohen, Johannes Brahms, Cleveland Orchestra String Quartet, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Robert Bernon, Bernhard Goldschmidt, Daniel Majeske, Chamber, Classical, Classical Music, Mixed Chamber Ensemble with Keyboard, Quintet for Keyboard and Four String Instruments
Brahms at Bedtime: A Sleepytime Serenade
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • pre bedtime music
  • Great For Bedtime
  • A true disappointment
  • Naptime
  • A good choice for quiet time and nap.
 Brahms at Bedtime: A Sleepytime Serenade

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Bach at Bedtime: Lullabies for the Still of the Night
  2. Beethoven at Bedtime: A Gentle Prelude to Sleep
  3. Mozart for Meditation
  4. Mozart at Midnight
  5. Debussy for Daydreaming: Music to Caress Your Innermost Thoughts

ASIN: B0000041FU
Release Date: 1996-10-15

Tracks:

  1. Lullaby
  2. Piano Concerto In B-Flat - Piu adagio
  3. Violin Concerto In D - Adagio
  4. 'Double' Concerto In A Minor - Andante
  5. Clarinet Quintet In B Minor - Adagio
  6. Piano Quartet In C Minor - Andante
  7. As Melodies Were Passing By
  8. Sonata In D Minor - Adagio
  9. Trio In C Minor - Andante grazioso (Excerpt): Piano Trio In C Minor - Andante grazioso (Excerpt)
  10. Intermezzo No. 1 In E-Flat
  11. Fantasy No. 4 In E
  12. Variations & Fugue On A Theme By Handel - Variation V
  13. Waltz No. 15 In A-Flat
  14. Lullaby: Lullaby (Reprise)

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars pre bedtime music.......2007-05-30

Great music for helping you unwind after a long day so you can be more relaxed at bedtime.

5 out of 5 stars Great For Bedtime.......2005-12-15

A few years ago I started having trouble sleeping at night. It was probably due to my new husband's snoring! I remembered how when I worked at a daycare, we would play classical music while the children took naps. So I thought I would give it a try. I have tried a couple different CD's and so far this is my favorite! All of the music is soothing. There aren't any songs that get loud or fast. The only weird thing is that the first and last song are the same. I repeat the CD all night and it really does help me to sleep! If the power goes out I notice immediately because my soothing music is gone! I highly recommend this CD!

2 out of 5 stars A true disappointment.......2004-11-04

Amazingly this compilation has managed to get together some of the most untallented performances of Brahms' music. With a few exceptions the moto of this CD can be summed up as 'no understanding and appreciation for a musical genius'. The choice of music is also quite perfunctory. There are many Brahms pieces that could have served better the bedtime purpose. Buy at your own risk. My only fear is that some people will get their first impressions of Brahms from this CD...

5 out of 5 stars Naptime.......2003-04-18

I love to listen to this cd if I'm tired and need to take a nap or just rest for a while. It is very soothing.

5 out of 5 stars A good choice for quiet time and nap........2000-09-27

This is one of my favorite nap and quiet time choices. It is very mellow and soothing. My three year old frequently falls asleep listening to it, and even turns it on again for herself if she wakes up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep!
Instruments of the Orchestra
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
  • Beginner or Expert
  • Very Informative and Enjoyable
  • Frank's view
  • Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra
 Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
  2. The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
  3. What to Listen for in Music
  4. Study of Orchestration, Third Edition
  5. The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

  1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
  2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
  3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
  4. Hungarian Dance No.7
  5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
  6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
  7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
  8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
  9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
  10. Csardas Music
  11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
  12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
  13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
  14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
  15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
  16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
  17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
  18. Tzigane
  19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
  20. Caprice No.24
  21. 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.
  22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
  23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
  24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
  25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
  26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
  27. The Violin Muted
  28. Clair De Lune
  29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
  30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
  31. The Pizzicato Violin
  32. Pizzicato Polka
  33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
  34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
  35. 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...
  36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
  37. 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
  38. Hungarian Dance No.4
  39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
  40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
  41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
  42. Bolero
  43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
  44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
  45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
  46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
  47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
  48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
  49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
  50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
  51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
  52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
  53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
  54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
  55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
  56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
  57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
  58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
  59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
  60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
  61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
  62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
  63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
  64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
  65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
  66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
  67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

  1. Introduction To The Viola
  2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
  3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
  4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
  5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
  6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
  7. 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.
  8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
  9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
  10. Cypresses (No.9)
  11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
  12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
  13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
  14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
  15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
  16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
  17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
  18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
  19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
  20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
  21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
  22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
  23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
  24. Elfentanz, Op.39
  25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
  26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
  27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
  28. Flamenco
  29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
  30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
  31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
  32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
  33. 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.
  34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
  35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
  36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
  37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
  38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
  39. 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.
  40. Capriccio Di Bravura
  41. 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)
  42. 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....
  43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

  1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
  2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
  3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
  4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
  5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
  6. Sa'Dawi
  7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
  8. Chamber Music No.II
  9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
  10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
  11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
  12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
  13. A Variety Of Techniques
  14. Chamber Music No.II
  15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
  16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
  17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
  18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
  19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
  20. Naelden, Naelden
  21. The Bachian Oboe
  22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
  23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
  24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
  25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
  26. The Swan Of Tuonela
  27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
  28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
  29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
  30. Bolero
  31. 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...
  32. 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)
  33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
  34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
  35. 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).
  36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
  37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
  38. ...And Quite Low.
  39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
  40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
  41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
  42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
  43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
  44. Introduction To The Saxophone
  45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
  46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
  47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
  48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
  49. Bolero
  50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
  51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
  52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
  53. Sax-O-Phun
  54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
  55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
  56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
  57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
  58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
  59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
  60. Bolero
  61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
  62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
  63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
  64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
  65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
  66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
  67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
  68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
  69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
  70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
  71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
  72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
  73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
  74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
  75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
  76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

  1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
  2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
  3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
  4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
  5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
  6. Fanfare For The Common Man
  7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
  8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
  9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
  10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
  11. 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
  12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
  13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
  14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
  15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
  16. Billy The Kid
  17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
  18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
  19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
  20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
  21. The Birth Of The Trombone
  22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
  23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
  24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
  25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
  26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
  27. 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.
  28. Hosannah
  29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
  30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
  31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
  32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
  33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
  34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
  35. The Horn And The Hunt
  36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
  37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
  38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
  39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
  40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
  41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
  42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
  43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
  44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
  45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
  46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
  47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
  48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
  49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
  50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
  51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

  1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
  2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
  3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
  4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
  5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
  6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
  7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
  8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
  9. Den Hoboecken Dans
  10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
  11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
  12. 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.
  13. Gymnopedie No.2
  14. 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...
  15. 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)
  16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
  17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
  18. 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.
  19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
  20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
  21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
  22. The Birth Of The Bongo
  23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
  24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
  25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
  26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
  27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
  28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
  29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
  30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
  31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
  32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
  33. 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.
  34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
  35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
  36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
  37. Ravel And The Xylophone
  38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
  39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
  40. Introducing The Vibraphone
  41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
  42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
  43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
  44. Folk Dances
  45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
  46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
  47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
  48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
  49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
  50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
  51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
  52. Introducing The Celeste
  53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
  54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
  55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
  56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
  57. 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
  58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
  59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
  60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
  61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
  62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
  63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

  1. Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
  2. Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
  3. But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
  4. Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
  5. The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
  6. An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
  7. Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
  8. Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
  9. Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
  10. Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
  11. Mahler's Sleighbells
  12. Symphony No.4 (Opening)
  13. A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
  14. Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
  15. Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
  16. Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
  17. National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
  18. And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
  19. And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
  20. The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
  21. The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
  22. The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
  23. The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
  24. The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
  25. The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
  26. The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
  27. The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
  28. There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
  29. The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
  30. Nocturnes
  31. Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
  32. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
  33. The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
  34. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
  35. The Oboe As Duck
  36. Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
  37. The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
  38. The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
  39. The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
  40. Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
  41. Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
  42. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
  43. Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
  44. The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
  45. A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
  46. Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
  47. A Thunderstorm In A Million
  48. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
  49. the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
  50. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
  51. Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
  52. The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

  1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
  2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
  3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
  4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
  5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
  6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
  7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
  8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
  9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
  10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
  11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
  12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
  13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
  14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
  15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
  16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
  17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
  18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
  19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
  20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
  21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
  22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
  23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
  24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
  25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
  26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
  27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
  28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
  29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
  30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
  31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
  32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
  33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
  34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
  35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
  36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
  37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
  38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
  39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
  40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
  41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
  42. Canzon 28
  43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
  44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
  45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
  46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
  47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
  48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
  49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
  50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
  51. Images (Gigues)
  52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
  53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
  54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
  55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
  56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
  57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
  58. A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

3 out of 5 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.
Brahms: Complete String Quartets, Quintets & Sextets
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Very Good, but beware technical problems
  • This is how all Brahms should be played!
  • Mastery and joy
  • 9 CDs with THE AMADEUS: WHAT A BARGAN!
  • Exquisite music performed with exquisite artistry
 Brahms: Complete String Quartets, Quintets & Sextets
Karl Leister , Johannes Brahms , Christoph Eschenbach , Cecil Aronowitz , Norbert Brainin , Siegmund Nissel , and Amadeus Quartet
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
QuintetsQuintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
SextetsSextets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by BrahmsAll Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
Deutsche Grammophon: MusicDeutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Schubert: The String Quartets
  2. Brahms: Works for Solo Piano
  3. Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet
  4. Beethoven: The String Quartets
  5. Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets / Emerson String Quartet

ASIN: B00008RWRG
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Very Good, but beware technical problems.......2007-05-26

Overall, I really enjoy these pieces. The playing is good, and the sound is quite live, which I enjoy. My favorite piece is the Quintet in G Major Op.111, though the sextet in Bb is a close second. I am a perfectionist, and my familiarity with these pieces led me to be a little dissapointed, which is why there is only 4 stars. My dissapointment stems from two facts:
1. In the first movement of the Brahms G Major Op.111, the string quintet elects not to take the repeat in m.56, so you will never hear the first ending on this recording and thus only get one shot at the awesome cello opening. I haven't listened closely enough to the other pieces on this set to discern if they avoided other repeats or not, but for the most part, they appear to be there.

2. There are technical printing problems. Though the recording is so live that you can hear the breath of the musicians and their fingers fall on the strings, there are some actual technical pops in the recording. Perhaps it was a transfer problem from analog to digital, as the recordings are old. Most of these pops are minor, but they are dissapointing for an audiophile such as myself. My CDs are pristine (no scratches at all), and even the first time playing them these pops were there. So, here's the list of what I've found thus far:

CD 3:
Track 6: Pops & clicks at 1:19 & 1:22.

CD 5:
Track 1: Pops at 6:01.
Track 2: Pops & clicks at 0:13, 3:56, & 6:16.
Track 5: Pop at 12:07.
Track 7: Pop & clicks at 6:11, 7:45, 7:51-7:52 (these are quite noticable), 7:59, 8:03, 8:11.
Track 8: Pop at 7:34.

It is a well-played set; hopefully they will get the printing correct on the next batch.

5 out of 5 stars This is how all Brahms should be played!.......2007-02-14

There isn't much to say about this set, but I'll say what there is to say: These players play the Brahms chamber music here with such emotion, musical understanding, and overall perfection that this set should be made into a must for all Brahms chamber music lovers. The Amadeus quartet, along with all of the other performers, including Eschenbach on the piano and Leister on the clarinet, really know what they're doing and play it so beautifully that the listener will want to hear the pieces again and again until the CD player is practically worn out. These Brahms works are some of the most sublime works of the later 19th century. For such quality music and great sound, especially for having been recorded in the 1960's, the price is also great. I recommend this set very highly, and hope you decide to get and enjoy it as much as I do.

5 out of 5 stars Mastery and joy.......2006-12-12



Because they lasted such a long time and toward the end didn't play at their best, I found reasons to overlook the Madeus Qt. But in this 9-CD set of the complete chamber music of Brahms, there are some sublime performances--I would especially point to both String Sextets, for example. In every instance the style of the Amadeus is full of vibrancy and joy, and their ensemble isn't baased on technical perfection but rather a kinship of musical taste and feeling (this puts them poles apart from the Emerson Qt., for me at least). I also love the Brahms chamber performances on Sony with Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, emanuel Ax, and friends, but this DG set is altogether sweeter and more lyrical.

Since Amazon neglects to list the additional players who join the Amadeus for the works that aren't soely for a string quartet, here's the run-down from Tower:

1. Quartet for Strings no 1 in C minor, Op. 51 no 1
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet

2. Quartet for Strings no 2 in A minor, Op. 51 no 2
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet

3. Quartet for Strings no 3 in B flat major, Op. 67
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet

4. Quintet for Piano and Strings in F minor, Op. 34
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Eschenbach, Christoph

5. Quintet for Strings no 1 in F major, Op. 88
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Aronowitz, Cecil

6. Quintet for Strings no 2 in G major, Op. 111
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Aronowitz, Cecil

7. Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano in A minor, Op. 114
Performer: Leister, Karl; Eschenbach, Christoph; Donderer, Georg

8. Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in B minor, Op. 115
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Leister, Karl

9. Sextet for Strings no 1 in B flat major, Op. 18
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Aronowitz, Cecil; Pleeth, William

10. Sextet for Strings no 2 in G major, Op. 36
Ensemble: Amadeus String Quartet
Performer: Aronowitz, Cecil; Pleeth, William

5 out of 5 stars 9 CDs with THE AMADEUS: WHAT A BARGAN!.......2005-10-04


This is a really nice set at a bargan price.

5 out of 5 stars Exquisite music performed with exquisite artistry.......2005-05-20

All the passion, majesty, pathos, and soul of his symphonies is in these 10 works of chamber music by Brahms:

3 string quartets;
2 string quintets;
2 string sextets;
a quintet for piano, 2 violins, viola, and violoncello;
a trio for piano, clarinet, and violoncello;
and a quintet for clarinet, 2 violins, viola, and violoncello.

All this wealth of extraordinary music is in a 5 CD set, performed by one of the finest chamber music ensembles in the world, with the added artistry of Christoph Eschenbach (piano), Cecil Aronowitz (viola), and Karl Leister (clarinet).

One CD is 50' 36 in length, 2 are in the low 60's, and 2 are in the low 70's.

I have an inexpensive CD player, but this music emerges from it with the sharpness of etched glass, the smoothness of warmed honey, and the softness of rivers of silver in moonlight.

This is music to celebrate the joy and the pathos of life, played with soul, sensitivity, and power. Buy it and treasure this gift to yourself.
Brahms: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • The "Clinker" of the bunch
 Brahms: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
QuintetsQuintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
SextetsSextets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
TriosTrios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by BrahmsAll Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
BalladsBallads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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RomanticRomantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
IntermezzosIntermezzos | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
VariationsVariations | Variations | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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PianoPiano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
ClarinetClarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
CelloCello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
ViolinViolin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
  2. Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set]
  3. Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)
  4. Beethoven: The Masterworks (Box Set)
  5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Complete Works (170 CD Box Set)

ASIN: B00062FLIS
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars The "Clinker" of the bunch.......2006-12-19

Having collected the entire "The Masterworks" series (including the Bach and Mozart Complete Works) this set is the 'clinker' of the bunch. First off... 6 CD's of Lieder 'historic' (pre-historic) recordings. No Overtures, No Orchestral Seranades, No Haydn Variations?? The performances of the Symphonies and the Concertos are shakey and not very well recorded. Brilliant Classics, who has done such a wonderful job with the Hadyn Complete Symphonies (licensed from Nimbus), the Mozart and Bach Complete sets, has stumbled a bit with this release.
Brain
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Dennis Brain is superb
  • As Good As It Gets!
  • The Best Recording of the Best Horn Player Ever Born
  • Once again an unforgettable cd!
  • Horn's fans BUY this cd!
 Brain

Manufacturer: BBC Legends
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

QuintetsQuintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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All Works by BrahmsAll Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by DukasAll Works by Dukas | Dukas, Paul | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by MaraisAll Works by Marais | Marais, Marin | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Mozart: Horn Concertos Nos. 1-4
  2. Horn Concertos
  3. American Horn Quartet
  4. London Horn Sound
  5. Take 9

ASIN: B00004WJMI
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Dennis Brain is superb.......2005-10-03

My mother bought this CD for me because I play the French Horn. Listening to a legendary horn player like Dennis Brain is a wonderful experience. I rate this product so highly because of the fine quality of the songs on the CD. I highly recommend this product for any brass player.

5 out of 5 stars As Good As It Gets!.......2004-11-15

This album and Brain's other recordings are a must for any French Horn player. His performance on this album is stunning.

5 out of 5 stars The Best Recording of the Best Horn Player Ever Born.......2003-06-08

This CD is - Thank God! - a re-release of a BBC Records Recording from 1974 Titled simply, "Dennis Brain (1921-1957)". When I was a horn student in Highschool back in the 80's, my parents brought it back for me from Europe. I have been looking for this recording on CD ever since then because I completely wore the record out. It is absolutely the best horn playing you will EVER hear. I used to play the record at least ten times a day - it inspired me to practice four hours a day and to despair that I would never play half as well as this genius. It brought tears to my eyes to hear it again and to remember what it was like to fall in love with Horn music and to spend so many happy hours rejoicing in the sound this man made with this wonderful instrument. The music is completely miraculous. What a tremendous loss he was, God rest his soul.

5 out of 5 stars Once again an unforgettable cd!.......2002-02-25

As with all of Brain's performances, satisfaction is guaranteed! Not to dwell on a point brought up by the other reviewers, but the Villanelle is exceptionally spectacular. Forget the fact that he missed the high C at the end, it only spotlights the fact that this was a live performance, and unedited as such. It also shows us that we are all human, and even a missed note does not detract from the glory of his musicianship and virtuosity! This album (like others) really captures the magnificence of Brain's musiciality, from his seemingly unplayable pianissimos to his flawless and perfectly clean articulations. Nothing will help you to appreciate horn music better than this cd (and the Mozart cd) and few others will have you running to the practice room quicker. A must buy for any horn student or anyone that just appreciates horn playing at its finest.

5 out of 5 stars Horn's fans BUY this cd!.......2001-09-18

I think this should be an essential recording for all the horn's players or fans.
Here we have some of the most important and beautiful chamber music for horn (Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms) and one of the most exciting solo piece for horn (Dukas's Villanelle).
The star of the cd is (of course) Dennis Brain, who in my humble opinion IS the best horn player ever.
Since the legendary recording of Mozart's concerti (that every serious horn's fan should own) you can hear how the technique and the musicianship in Dennis's playing are both wonderful.
Here we have something more to prove this (if it was necessary...)
The Villanelle is outstanding, as said. The finale is rushed so fast that is almost unbelievable. The only little complaint (?) is that if I remember, he first bars are written for "hand-horn" that means to be played without using the valves but using instead the right hand in the horn's bell to perform the notes that are otherwise not possible to obtain using the lips only.
Here it seems not to be the case, but as I said it's a very little remark.
But the piece I like the most is the Mozart's quintet, that is the most difficult and virtuoso piece for horn written by the great composer. Especially in the last movement the horn has to compete in technique and articulation with the first violin, but never forgetting the elegance and grace characteristics of Mozart's music.
The second movement is, for this point of view, exemplary; each phrase is played with extraordinary musicianship and beauty.
The Beethoven quintet is maybe better here than in the other recording with Walter Gieseking and the Philarmonia winds (another essential cd for Dennis's fans) and the Brahms's trio (a wonderful piece of music) shows as Dennis was perfectly suited even with a romantic piece like this (he was somehow "accused" to be without nerves...).
In conclusion, I think that after purchasing the Mozart's concerti, this should be your next horn's cd.
Meditation: Classical Relaxation (Box Set)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Relaxing music at its finest!
  • Get it for $9.99 at Sam's Club!
  • Beautiful, moving music! You'll recognize many of the pieces
  • Meditative, But Not Boring
  • A Bargain and Beautiful
 Meditation: Classical Relaxation (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Masters of Classical Music (Box Set)
  2. Classics for Relaxation and Meditation
  3. Chopin For Relaxation
  4. Beethoven for Relaxation
  5. Vivaldi for Relaxation

ASIN: B000001VUT
Release Date: 1991-10-11

Tracks:

  1. Canon
  2. Andante From Piano Concerto No. 21: Elvira Madigan
  3. Coppelia: Notturno
  4. String Quintet In C: Adagio - Schubert
  5. Orchestral Suite No. 3: Air - Bach
  6. Clarinet Concerto: Adagio
  7. Symphony No. 8 'Unfinished': Andante con moto - Schubert
  8. Concerto, Op. 9 No. 2: Adagio
  9. Orpheus And Eurydice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits

Tracks:

  1. Thais: Meditation
  2. Romance In G, Op. 26
  3. The Last Spring
  4. Minuet
  5. Serenade, Op. 3 No. 5
  6. Poeme, Op. 41 No.6
  7. Elegiac Melody No. 1
  8. Serenade For String Orchestra: Elegia
  9. I Love You
  10. La Gioconda: Dance Of The Hours

Tracks:

  1. Adagio
  2. Romance In F Minor, Op. 11
  3. Peer Gynt: Solveig's Song
  4. Romance For Violin No. 2 In F, Op. 50
  5. Rosamunde: Ballet Music In G
  6. Symphony No. 5: Adagietto

Tracks:

  1. Peer Gynt: Morning
  2. Standchen (Serenade)
  3. Mozartiana Suite: Preghiera (Ave Verum)
  4. Moonlight Sonata: Adagio sostenuto
  5. Piano Concerto No. 23 in A: 2nd Movement
  6. Rosamunde: Intermezzo
  7. Violin Concerto In E Minor: 2nd Movement
  8. Serenade For String Orchestra: 1st Movement
  9. L'Arlesienne, Suite No. 2: Intermezzo
  10. Concierto De Aranjuea: 2nd Movement
  11. Trout Quintet: Theme And Variations

Tracks:

  1. The Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle
  2. Valse Triste
  3. Liebestraum No. 3 In A Flat
  4. Minuet
  5. Oboe Concerto In D Minor: Oboe Concerto In D Minor (Excerpt)
  6. Piano Sonata No. 8: Pathetique: 2nd Movement
  7. Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo sinfonico
  8. Christmas Oratorio: Sinfonia
  9. Ave Maria
  10. Horn Concerto No.3: 2nd Movement
  11. Symphony No. 1: 3rd Movement
  12. Traumerei
  13. Peer Gynt: Ase's Death
  14. Xerves: Largo
  15. Symphony No. 9: From The New World: 2nd Movement

Tracks:

  1. Swan Lake
  2. Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Romance
  3. Nocturne In B Major, Op. 9 No. 3
  4. Madama Butterfly: Humming Chorus
  5. A Midsummer Night's Dream: Notturno
  6. Symphony No. 35: Haffner: Andante
  7. Carmen Suite No. 1: Intermezzo
  8. Piano Sonata In B-Flat Major, D.960: Andante sostenuto
  9. Sinfonia Concertante In E Flat Major: Andante
  10. Piano Concerto No. 2: Larghetto

Tracks:

  1. Impromptu In G Flat Major
  2. Evening Song
  3. Serenade No. 1: Adagio non troppo
  4. The Merry Peasant
  5. Flute Quartet In G Major
  6. Symphony No. 7: Allegretto
  7. Cradle Song
  8. Quartet in G Major: Theme And Variations
  9. Barcarolle: The Seasons: June
  10. Symphony No.36 'Linz': Poco adagio

Tracks:

  1. Prelude In C Minor - Meditation
  2. Piano Concerto In A Minor: Adagio - Meditation
  3. Flute Concerto No. 2: Adagio non troppo - Meditation
  4. Andante - Meditation
  5. Impromptu In B Flat Major - Meditation
  6. Clair de lune - Meditation
  7. Divertimento In D, K.251: Andantino - Meditation
  8. Caro mio ben - Meditation
  9. Piano Concerto No. 9: Jeunehomme: Andante - Meditation
  10. Theme And Variations - Meditation

Tracks:

  1. The Sleeping Beauty: Panorama
  2. Waltz, Op.39 No.15
  3. Flute Concerto In G Minor: Andante
  4. Impromptu In A Flat
  5. Violin Concerto No. 5: Adagio
  6. Symphony No. 3: Allegretto
  7. Brandenburg Concerto No. 2: Andante
  8. Piano Sonata No. 3: Largo
  9. Suite No. 1: Intermezzo
  10. Piano Concerto No. 3: Largo

Tracks:

  1. La Traviata: Act 1: Prelude
  2. Kinderscenen: Foreign Countries And People
  3. Chanson triste
  4. Symphony No. 5: Andante
  5. La Campanella
  6. Flute Concerto in B Flat: Adagio
  7. Piano Sonata No. 2: Funeral March
  8. Symphony No. 94: Surprise: Andante
  9. Concerto for Flute and Harp: Andantino
  10. Symphony No. 6: Pathetique: Adagio lamentoso

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Relaxing music at its finest!.......2005-10-14

This is a GREAT 10-CD set!The performances are top-notch, the music is varied, and the feelings engendered are wondrously beautiful.

5 out of 5 stars Get it for $9.99 at Sam's Club!.......2005-06-22

Very nice set of CD's, very beatiful and relaxing, but don't pay $27, get it for $9 at Sam's Club. I know this will be censored but come on, how can you guys charge those saps that much! Amazon should try to find the best price for its customers, even if it sends them to different vendors. Censoring this message is a crime, DON'T DO IT. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

5 out of 5 stars Beautiful, moving music! You'll recognize many of the pieces.......2004-02-24

John Cheng's review, below, said it's "an undeniable bargain," and I whole heartedly agree! I especially LOVE Volume 5. I have a Typing/Resume business, and I listen to Volume 5 ALL the time on my computer while I'm doing my work. It inspires me to be creative and calms me down when I'm stressed.

I would say I've _easily_ listened to Volume 5 at least 100 times, and I'm still not tired of it. That's amazing for me, because I'm also a musician (singer/pianist) and I get bored easily. I actually found the Volume 5 CD at a Thrift store, and loved it so much that I bought the whole set recently. So I've only listened to a few of the other CD's in this set, so far, and they're also great.

This is NOT boring music. My clients and family have heard it also, and they've also mentioned how soothing and wonderful these pieces are. Most of you will probably recognize a lot of these songs! You'll be saying, "OH! I remember THIS one! I haven't heard this for YEARS!!!"

It's well worth the money for 10 very full CD's!!! Try it! You won't be disappointed!

Happy listening!
Betty, Owner of Betty's Desk Typing Service and Quality Resumes

5 out of 5 stars Meditative, But Not Boring.......2002-06-21

Here's the deal: If you check out the individual CDs of this collection, you'll pay way too much. That said, compare this price, and realize it is a steal at twice the price.

The list of selections is immense. 101 selections. Most of it you've heard before, but that's OK. Despite the various cute names -- quite creative -- "Vol. 9"!... you can load your CD player and enjoy them without feeling a transition of style.

It's true these aren't meditative in the sense of a Gregorian chant. Anyone familiar with classical music will recognize the composers and various movements to know this. What is true is that you can sit down and write Amazon reviews with it in the background quite comfortably. No weird interpretations, just the music as you know it.

It is also meditative in the sense of popping on it your portable player as you go for a Sunday afternoon walk. The music has just the right pacing: no quite aerobics class, but not ready for the office elevator either.

The box and jewel cases are not that flimsy kind of thing often associated with box sets. It sounds silly to review the jewel cases, but I'm frustrated with the ones I've received lately that have no meat to them. This'll do the job.

I fully recommend "Meditation: Classical Relaxation, 10 Volume Set [BOX SET].

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

4 out of 5 stars A Bargain and Beautiful.......2002-02-28

This is a wonderful collection of some of my most favorite classical selections. Most I already own, but still like having these all together. I could only wish that the recording level was the same for all selections. Yes, some are written to be softer, but I found it often necessary to turn the volume up or down for different selections. But aside from this minor preference, the quality, the choices, and the price are all super.
Brahms for Book Lovers: A Cozy Companion for Reading
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Read and Enjoy the Accompaniment of Music Together.
  • The 'sweetest creme' of Brahms' chamber music
  • Lyrical...Passionate...Tender
  • Brahms in the Background
 Brahms for Book Lovers: A Cozy Companion for Reading

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Beethoven for Book Lovers: An Intimate Companion for Reading
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  4. Bach for Breakfast
  5. Mozart for Meditation

ASIN: B000007OTL
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

  1. Violin Sonata No. 1 In G, Op. 78: Vivace ma non troppo
  2. Clarinet Sonata No. 1 In F Minor, Op. 120: Allegretto grazioso
  3. Serenade No. 1 In D, Op. 11: Menuetto I & II
  4. Violin Sonata No. 2 In A, Op. 100: Andante tranquillo - Vivace - Andante - Vivace di piu - Andante vivace
  5. Piano Trio No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 101: Andante grazioso
  6. Clarinet Sonata No. 2 In E - Flat, Op. 120: Andante con moto
  7. Violin Sonata No. 2 In A, Op. 100: Allegretto grazioso
  8. Clarinet Trio In A Minor, Op. 114: Andante grazioso
  9. String Quartet No. 1 In C Minor, Op. 51: Romance. Poco adagio
  10. Piano Quintet In F Minor, Op. 34: Andante, un poco adagio
  11. Clarinet Quintet In B Minor, Op. 115: Adagio

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Read and Enjoy the Accompaniment of Music Together........2006-02-14

This relaxing compilation of mostly sonatas are representative of Brahms' moody, gentle ruminations and meditations on love and life. These selections highlight the intimate Brahms, most famous for his lullaby (cradle song), baring his soul in music which is warm, friendly, and beautiful.

This music is 'laid back;' it has secrets but is in no hurry to reveal them. It's like reading a novel where things are seldom what they seem at the beginning. It subtly works its way into the consciousness with its tender beauty. The moderate, easy-going gait of the music puts the listener into a relaxed mood, perfect for reading. By the time the reader reaches the end of the story, changes have occurred. As it is in novels, it is in the music of the romantic period. This one will help you to unwind at the end of a busy day.

5 out of 5 stars The 'sweetest creme' of Brahms' chamber music.......2005-04-02

If you could put all of Brahms' chamber music in a big vat, churn it like butter and then skim off the creamiest, sweetest part from the top, you would likely get nearly all of the music on this CD. This collection of slow movements here shows Brahms in his finest and most lyrical moods and is really some of his most beautiful and inspired music. By the way, "chamber music" refers to compositions for 2-8 instruments intended for a more intimate environment (as compared to a large orchestra or symphony). This compilation of Brahms' intimate chamber music is not by any means one of those thrown-together collections of "nice music" but is a high-quality, deserving intro to Brahms that you can be proud to own. It is my favorite in this Philips' series. Notably, some of Brahms' most melting and alluring clarinet music is featured on this disc (clarinet sonatas, trio and quintet arrangements). Brahms' clarinet chamber music is some of the most unique and most loved in all the classical chamber-music repertoire. In particular, the legendary Clarinet Quintet is his finest composition whose dreamy, "autumnal" slow movement (featured on this disc) is particularly magical and beguiling. In fact, I would say that movement alone is probably among my favorite three movements in all of classical music.

All of these compositions are true masterpieces written in the late 19th century ("Romantic era"). As such a few selections tend to demand more attention with their soaring violin lines, complex harmonies, more intense minor keys and surging "romantic" dynamics - making them a bit less condusive fo reading or dosing off. But, this should not bother all who are not easily distracted with such expressive music. (Some other CD's in this series provide a more relaxing, non-intrusive setting for long sessions on the sofa reading such as the Bach, Baroque and 'quiet Mozart' CD's as well as 'Beethoven for Book Lovers'). Personally, I think this amazing CD is best suited for really getting into and learning the music of Brahms rather than merely as a backdrop for reading. Regardless, the compositions, performers and sound quality are all excellent, making this Brahms' collection one in scope and quality way beyond what the cute cover graphics would suggest. Having superb musicians like the legendary Arthur Grumiaux (violin) and George Pieterson (clarinet) or the Quartetto Italiano assure the finest, silky-smooth and captivating performances of this staturesque music. But, in particular, the three clarinet pieces on this CD are among the finest - the creme - of all 19th-century classical chamber music and are a true highlight to be savored. There's not one selection on this CD that is not superb really. Most recommended - 5 stars.

5 out of 5 stars Lyrical...Passionate...Tender.......2000-10-20

Brahms was a somber, yet tender and sensitive spirit. All of the works
of this CD are a testament to that fact. He is one of the great
Chamber Music composers in history. At first you may think this is a
background music CD; and of course, you can use this CD for reading,
but I have to warn you that Brahms Chamber Music is
infectious. Certain passages, as gentle and yet surprising as they
are, will pull you right out of what you are doing and demand your
attention. Not in a brash or dramatic way, but gently; like someone
tugging at your arm to lead you to a new World. Brahms wasn't
composing background music. In this music he makes some of his most
heartfelt statements. It's like having someone talk to you in a quiet
and pleasant tone. It makes you just want to go on listening and
listening. This CD has inspired me to begin to collect all of his
Chamber Music. Listen to Violin Sonata No. 2; It begins so gently, yet
it overflows with emotion. Try the Piano Trio No. 3 in C
Minor-lyrical is the word for that one. I like this CD as a book
reader. I like it even more as a music lover!

4 out of 5 stars Brahms in the Background.......1998-11-09

I'm not usually one for "anthology" recordings, especially ones that cut and snip the "good stuff" out of larger pieces, but the premise behind this series of "book lovers" cds is hard to argue with. Who hasn't wanted to have some good music in the background to listen to when reading, reflecting, or generally retiring for the evening. This cd, in spite of its piecemeal nature, is easy to listen to or, perhaps, even better, easy not to listen to if you become enthralled in your novel.
Schubert: Piano Quintet, Op. 114 "Trout"; Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, K481
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Schubert: Piano Quintet, Op. 114 "Trout"; Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, K481

    Manufacturer: Sony
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B0002J58YM
    Release Date: 2004-07-27
    Essential Hyperion, Vol. 2
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Nothing but hits
    		 Essential Hyperion, Vol. 2

    Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    WaltzesWaltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
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    All Works by ArneAll Works by Arne | Arne, Thomas Augustin | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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    Byrd, WilliamByrd, William | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    Chausson, ErnestChausson, Ernest | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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    Purcell, HenryPurcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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    Concerto GrossiConcerto Grossi | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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    GeneralGeneral | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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    Sacred & ReligiousSacred & Religious | Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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    PianoPiano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
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