The Magic Of The Harpsichord

On this CD:

1. Andantino
Composed by Baldassare Galuppi
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

2. Soeur Monique, for harpsichord (Pièces de clavecin, Book III, Ordre 18)
Composed by Francois Couperin
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

3. Pièces de clavecin, for harpsichord, Book III 14th Order, No 7, Le Carillon de Cythere
Composed by Francois Couperin
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

4. Pièces de clavecin, for harpsichord, Book II 6th Order, No 5, Les Baricades Mistérieuse
Composed by Francois Couperin
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

5. Pièces de clavecin, for harpsichord, Book II 8th Order, No 9, Passacaille
Composed by Francois Couperin
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

6. Le Rappel des oiseaux, for harpsichord (Pièces de clavecin avec une méthode)
Composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

7. Pièces de clavecin avec une méthode sur la mécanique des doigts Les Niais de Sologne
Composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

8. La Dauphine, for harpsichord
Composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

9. La Poule, for harpsicord (Nouvelles suites)
Composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

10. Pièces de clavecin avec une méthode sur la mécanique des doigts Tambourin
Composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

11. Gavotte with 6 doubles, for harpsichord (Nouvelles suites)
Composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

12. Sonata for keyboard in D major, K. 511 (L. 314)
Composed by Domenico Scarlatti
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

13. Sonata for keyboard in A major, K. 300 (L. 92)
Composed by Domenico Scarlatti
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

14. Sonata for keyboard in F minor, K. 185 (L. 173)
Composed by Domenico Scarlatti
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

15. Sonata for keyboard in B flat major, K. 440 (L. 97)
Composed by Domenico Scarlatti
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

16. French Suite for keyboard No. 1 in D minor, BWV 812
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

17. Keyboard Sonata No.61 in G minor
Composed by Domenico Cimarosa
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

18. Keyboard Sonata No.55 in A minor
Composed by Domenico Cimarosa
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

19. Suite for keyboard (Suite de piece), Vol.1, No.8 in F Minor, HWV 433
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Robert Veyron-Lacroix

Tracks:

Andante
Andantino
Lento
Romance De Los Pinos
Madronos
Serenata Burlesca
Variations On A Theme From Mozart's 'The Magic Flute'
Mesto E Calmo
Theme, Variations & Finale
Cancion Mexicana No.X
Sevillana, Op.29
Sarabanda
Capriccio Diabolico, Op.85
Tonadilla For Guitar On The Name Of Andres Segovia
No.1 In E Minor
No.3 In A Minor
Guitarreo
Segovia, Op.29

Tracks:

If My Complaints
Now, O Now I Need Must Part
Sarabande
1. Prelude (Transposed In D Major)
4. Tempo Di Bourree
Courante
3. Gavotte En Rondeau
Aria E Corrente
Moderato
Menuet In G Major
Andantino Variato
No.7 In A Major
2. Canzonetta
2. Quasi Lento (Preludio)
1. Andantino Poco Allegretto (Allegretto)
2. Il Vecchio Castello
Allegretto
Tres Calme Et Doucement Expressif
No.4 In E Flat Minor
5. Asturias. Leyenda - Preludio
7. Zambra Granadina
Estudio Sin Luz
Allegro Con Brio

Amazon.com

DG has put together a fascinating compilation of Segovia's art that reminds us what a protean figure he was. Segovia single-handedly put the instrument on the map by making classical guitar concerts popular events, broadening the instrument's repertory through commissions and transcriptions, and convincing even doubters that it could be a vehicle for serious music. He's heard here in brief pieces recorded between 1952 and 1969. Even in those made when he was well into his 70s, his fingers remain nimble and interpretations lively. Listening straight through, one hears many all-time Segovia favorites as Turina's Sevillana and Albeniz's Asturias and Zambra Granadina and renews appreciation for path-breaking composers like Castelnuovo-Tedesco. He wrote extensively for Segovia and his Capriccio diabolico and Tonadilla are pieces of real substance. Disc two is largely made up transcriptions and it's amazing how well so many of them work on the guitar, at least under Segovia's magic fingers. Thus the transformations of Bach's violin music and even a Chopin Prelude sound idiomatic, and the gorgeous melodies of the Canzonetta from Mendelssohn's Op. 12 String Quartet are irresistible here. An entrancing set. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A Man and His Art - Magnificently Captured.......2007-04-06

This 2-CD set produced by Deutche Grammmophon and first released in 2002 is one set of the hundreds that could have been or the dozens that actually have been made and sold successfully all over the world. The exceptional feature of this particular collection is not, of course, the performer. Quite to the contrary, the miraculous consistency of stylings and performance are amongst the most remarkable aspects of the man who was, arguably, the 20th Centry's virtuoso supreme of the classical guitar, Andres Segovia (1893-1987.) Rather, it is the collection itself - the pieces chosen to be produced on this one set - this, to steal a German word, gestalt. While his style did not remain constant throughout his long life and career, by the time he had developed his most masterful skills that included doing his own arrangements - the era represented on this particular set (1951-1960) - his playing had become completely his own - unchallenged and unmatched by even other clearly great guitarists with whom he shared this era.

There are a total of 31 pieces played on these CDs and while a playlist would be an unnecessary use of space here, a list of the composers represented is not. More than the specific pieces Segovia gives us here, the range of composers chosen by the compilers and editors - with each piece rearranged by Segovia himself, tells us a great deal about his interests, talents and musical range. These composers include:
Isaac Albeniz, Johann Sebastian Bach, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Frederic Chopin, Claude Debussy, John Dowland, Manuel de Falla, Cesar Franke, Girolamo Frescobaldi, Edvard Grieg, George Frederic Handel, Felix Mendelsohn, Frederico Moreno Torroba, Modest Mussorgsky, Nicolo Paganini, Felipe Pedrell, Manuel Ponce, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Joaquin Rodrigo, Albert Roussel, Domenico Scarlatti, Alexander Scriabin, Segovia's own composition of Estudio sin luz, Fernando Sor, Francisco Tarrega, Joaquin Turina and Heitor Villa-Lobos. A truly magnificent and broad ranging collection held together by Segovia's unique personal style, approach and sound.

Largely self-taught, Andres Segovia did things with a guitar that others only imagined. He didn't just play Bach, for example - music written for an entirely different type of instrument (keyboards.) He went a step further, and recorder Bach's keyboard lessons written for his students (the Two and Three Part Inventions) and made them sound as if they had been written for the guitar! His artistry is evident to even the casual listener and in this collection, any devote of classical guitar and/or of Segovia as an individual artist, will not be disappointed.
Perfect listening for anytime. Hypnotic and, simply, unsurpassed. A necessary addition to any serious classical guitar collection.

What can you say - it's Segovia!.......2007-02-10

I saw Segovia perform live in my youth. What a treat! Anyone who loves Classical Guitar should love this collection.

EVERYBODY KNOWS.......2007-01-13

EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT ANDRES SEGOVIA WAS/IS THE WORLD'S GREATEST CLASSICAL GUITAR PLAYER. THIS CD IS A COMPILATION OF HIS RECORDINGS FROM THE THE EARLY 50'S TO THE LATE 60'S. HIS GUITAR MASTERY IS UNQUESTIONED AND HE IS AN INSPIRATION. I WISH I COULD PLAY GUITAR LIKE ANDRES SEGOVIA (BUT I CAN'T AND I NEVER WILL!).

Immortal guitar.......2006-08-02

Two CD's with Segovia's immortal music - an incredible treat at a great price!

WOW.......2006-02-23

Even though there is hiss from the original analog recordings this one is a must. Segovia! What more can you say. Anyone who likes classical guitar will love this.

Christopher Parkening - The Great Recordings ~ By America's Preeminent Guitar Virtuoso

Average customer rating:

Excellent recording
Highly Recommended!
Amazing
A gentleman musical agreement!
Extreme virtuosity

Christopher Parkening - The Great Recordings ~ By America's Preeminent Guitar Virtuoso
Johann Sebastian Bach , François Couperin , Gabriel Fauré , Isaac Albeniz , Anonymous , Francisco Tarrega (y Eixea) , Silvius Leopold Weiss , Claude Debussy , Maurice Ravel , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Gordon Young , Georg Philipp Telemann , Heitor Villa-Lobos , Manuel de Falla , Manuel Ponce , Enrique Granados , Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco , Andrew York , Fernando Sor , Gaspar Sanz , Joaquin Rodrigo , and Christopher Parkening
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Christopher Parkening plays Bach
Simple Gifts: Christopher Parkening
In the Spanish Style / Christopher Parkening
The Christopher Parkening Guitar Method - Volume 2: Guitar Technique
Christopher Parkening - A Tribute to Segovia

ASIN: B000002RTR
Release Date: 1993-09-14

Tracks:

Fugue From Violin Sonata No. 1, BWV 1001 - J S Bach
Estudio brillante
Etude No. 1 In E Minor
Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Leyenda
Romance
Rumores de la Caleta
Capricho Arabe
Cantata 147: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude No. 1
Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude No. 6
Cantata 140: Sleepers Awake
Prelude, Fugue, And Allegro: Allegro
Cantata 208: Sheep May Safely Graze
Les Barricades mysterieuses
Preambulo & Allegro vivo: Preambulo And Allegro vivo
Passacaglia
The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
Gymnopedie No. 1
Empress Of The Pagodas
Afro-Cuban Lullaby

Tracks:

Fourth Lute Suite: Praludium
Fairest Lord Jesus
Praise Ye The Lord, K. 339
Simple Gifts
Hymn Of Christian Joy
Cantata 29: We Thank Thee, Lord
Cantata 156: Arioso
Cantata 99: What God Hath Done
Canon
Dolly Suite: Berceuse
La Vida breve: Spanish Dance No. 1
Terezinha De Jesus
Prelude (In The Baroque Style)
Goyescas: Intermezzo
Prelude & Fugue No. 4 In E: Fugue
Evening Dance
Variations On A Theme Of Mozart
Canarlos
La Maja de Goya
El Noi de la Mare
Concierto de Aranjuez: Adagio - J. Rodrigo

Customer Reviews:

Excellent recording.......2007-05-12

If you are a fan of classical guitar than this is a must own set. I enjoy every moment.

Highly Recommended!.......2006-12-23

I would recommend this CD to anyone who loves music--period! Christopher Parkening is unquestionably one of the greatest classical guitarists of all-time. He embodies personal excellence like no other and is a brilliant artist. This CD is a must-have for any classical enthusiast. My favorite pieces include: Tárrega's "Recuerdos de la Alhambra," "Romance," Bach's "Prelude No. 6," and Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez." There are other versions of these pieces as well, but I always prefer Parkening's renditions, as they are oh so extraordinary--especially the recording of Aranjuez!! Other guitarists never seem to capture the essence of Rodrigo's musical masterpiece (e.g., Göran Söllescher in "Mad About Guitars"). But Parkening did! And the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was a perfect accompaniment.

This CD is definitely worth buying. Included is a CD booklet, which illustrates the history of Parkening's illustrious career, interesting tidbits about all 25 recorded pieces, and several photos of his early life to his "breathtaking performance" at Rodrigo's 90th birthday celebration at the Royal Festival Hall in London, 1992.

Amazing.......2006-05-08

I am not going to go into great detail. I am working on a degree in classical guitar and I can say this is something to strive for. His musical interpretation of the peices represented here are some of the best I've heard. His tone,color, and phrasing is incredible.

A gentleman musical agreement! .......2006-03-16

In guitar ` s playing there have been many renowned performers, gifted of exuberant technique. But curiously the Apollonian playing is not by itself strictly enough. The guitar is the instrument which is closer to heart as any other one. It demands from you passion and sentiment. There have been three well known guitarists, one of them from England and the other one from Spain and the third one from Japan whose sensibility was totally absent in their performances.

But fortunately for us, there have been notable interpreters that have been maintained a desired balance and contrast between brain and heart, achieving great distinction and total acknowledgement around the world. I would name seven primordial names along the instrument `s story. First of all: the mythic soloist Andres Segovia, Regino Sainz de la Maza, John Williams, Alirio Diaz, Manuel Berrueco, Siegfried Behrend and Christopher Parkening, among the most representative ones of a great list.

Christopher Parkening `s career has made a brilliant colorist, an impeccable and sensitive interpreter of this well reduced repertoire. His profound artistic conviction and convincing phrasing has been a perpetual motive of constant invitations and presentations around the world.

Extreme virtuosity.......2005-09-25

CP has become my chief inspiration to improve as a classical guitarist. His performances here are, without exception, phenomenal. He makes the most difficult pieces sound effortless. I prefer CP over John Williams because, while Williams is also unquestionably a master, he sounds a bit robotic to me at times. CP, on the other hand, never sacrifices musicality to precision. He sublimely maintains both.

Average customer rating:

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:

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

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Tracks:

A Centenary Celebration: Pavana No. 1 in A Minor
A Centenary Celebration: Pavana No. 6 in D Major
A Centenary Celebration: Pivana No. 4 in D Major
A Centenary Celebration: Prelude
A Centenary Celebration: Allemande
A Centenary Celebration: Bourree
A Centenary Celebration: Sarabande
A Centenary Celebration: Gavotte
A Centenary Celebration: Gigue
A Centenary Celebration: Song and Galliard
A Centenary Celebration: Melancholy Galliard
A Centenary Celebration: Prelude
A Centenary Celebration: Minuet
A Centenary Celebration: A New Irish Tune
A Centenary Celebration: Sonata in A (L. 483)
S.L. Weiss: Fantasie
Frescobaldi: Passacaglia
A Centenary Celebration: Sonata in D Minor
A Centenary Celebration: Prelude for Lute
A Centenary Celebration: Siciliano (fr. Violin Sonata No.1)
A Centenary Celebration: Gavotte en rondeau (fr. Violin Partita No.3)
A Centenary Celebration: Chaconne (fr. Violin Partita No. 2)
Sor: Study: Allegretto in E, Op.32, No.2
Sor: Variations on a Theme by Mozart
Ponce: Prelude (after S. L. Weiss)
Ponce: Allemande (after S. L. Weiss)
Paganini: Romanza

Tracks:

Albeniz: Leyenda (Trans. Segovia)
Tarrega: Estudio Brillante
Tarrega: Marieta (Mazurka)
Tarrega: Capricho Arabe
Tarrega: Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Granados: Tonadilla (La Maja de Goya) (Trans. Segovia)
Granados: Danza Espagnole No. 10 in G
Moreno Torroba - Two Pieces from 'Castles in Spain': Torija (Elegia)
Moreno Torroba - Two Pieces from 'Castles in Spain': Montemayer (Contemplacion)
Sonatina In A: Allegretto
Sonatina In A: Andante
Sonatina In A: Allegro
Espla (Trans. Segovia) - Dos Impresiones Levantinas: Andante
Espla (Trans. Segovia) - Dos Impresiones Levantinas: Andante
Ponce: Cancion
Ponce: Cancion y Paisage
Ponce: Prelude No. 6 (Moderato espessivo)
Prelude No. 9 (Allegretto vivo)
Ponce: Prelude No. 1 (Tranquillo)
Ponce: Theme, Variations & Finale
Lauro: Dance From Venzuela
Pedrell: Guitarreo

Tracks:

Ponce - Concierto del Sur: Allegretto
Ponce - Concierto del Sur: Andante
Ponce - Concierto del Sur: Allegro moderato e festivo
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Three Pieces from 'Platero and I' (From the Poems by Juan Ramon Jimenez): Platero
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Three Pieces from 'Platero and I' (From the Poems by Juan Ramon Jimenez): Melencolia
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Three Pieces from 'Platero and I' (From the Poems by Juan Ramon Jimenez): Golondrinas
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Three Pieces from 'Platero and I' (From the Poems by Juan Ramon Jimenez): Tonadilla For Guitar on the Name of Andres Segovia
Mompou - Two Pieces from 'Suite Compostelana': Preludio
Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Three Pieces from 'Platero and I' (From the Poems by Juan Ramon Jimenez): Cancion
Tansman - Two Pieces from 'Suite in Modo Polonico': Kolisanka No. 2
Tansman - Two Pieces from 'Suite in Modo Polonico': Oberek
Villa-Lobos: Prelude No. 1 in E Minor
Villa-Lobos: Study No. 1 in E Minor
Cassado: Sardana
Donostia: Dolor
Debussy (Trans. Segovia): Prelude: La Fille aux cheveux de lin
Scriabin (Trans. Segovia): Prelude, Op. 16, No. 4
Segovia: Study (Estudio sin luz)

Tracks:

The Guitar and I (In English): Linares
The Guitar and I (In English): Granada
The Guitar and I (In English): Cordoba
The Guitar and I (In English): My First Exposure To Classic and Romantic Music
The Guitar and I (In English): Early Concerts In Granada And Sevilla
The Guitar and I (In English): My First Concert Guitar
La Guitarra y Yo (In Spanish): Linares
La Guitarra y Yo (In Spanish): Granada
La Guitarra y Yo (In Spanish): Cordoba
La Guitarra y Yo (In Spanish): Mi Primera Revelacion de Musica Clasica y Romantica
La Guitarra y Yo (In Spanish): Primeros Conciertos en Granada y Sevilla
La Guitarra y Yo (In Spanish): Mi Primera Guitarra de Concierto

Customer Reviews:

The Maestro.......2005-07-25

Segovia was and always will be The Maestro. He was, as other reviewers say, the pioneer of modern classical guitar. To say that he has been somehow surpassed and passed by, as one previous reviewer seems to think is pure rubbish. To say that others have followed in his footsteps and become greats as well, is fact.

Music is always open to interpretation. Segovia was a great player and to understand the history of the classical guitar one must have listened to Segovia. He created the yardstick by which others are now measured.

This set not only includes great works played by the Maestro, it also includes Segovia speaking of his own life with the guitar. It is worth having along with other, more modern, gifted players such as Williams, Bream, Parkening and others who followed in the Maestro's footsteps.

Has anyone ever created melodies like this from a guitar?.......2003-07-21

Okay, my classical experience is highly limited, having been raised on a healthy diet of Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and other blazing rock guitarists. But that doesn't mean I can't recognize a powerful guitarist when I see it, and Andres Segovia is just that. Sure you'll find your share of faster, more energetic playing, but you won't find any guitarist (Robert Johnson probably. George Harrison, maybe) in blues or rock that plays with as much melody, texture, and sheer, tear-jerking, beauty. And even if you have, guess what? They weren't the first to do it, and they weren't doing as far back as the 1920s. (Kicking it until the grand old age of 104) He is one of the first truly great guitarists, a virtuoso long before Satriani and Vai, playing classical on guitar long before anyone else, and playing it better then anyone else. This is him, completely solo and absolutely out of this universe in his playing. If you want to play guitar like the greats, then you can't go another day without this in your collection, deserving of a spot on your wall with Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Johnson, and all the imitators that followed him!

The Anton Rubinstein of Guitarist.......2003-06-15

Musically, it's not just guitar music that he is offering: note the exquisite emotion patterns, the languor and the nostalgia and his sighs...it's most soothing and consolating.

Technically, the subtleties and the phenomenon could partly be attributed to his insistence on the use of the fleshy part, instead of the hard part of his thumb. Like Arrau and Horszowski on the piano or Menuhin on the violin: they always stuck to the hardest way aiming at the best result.

The remastered sound is wonderful. I'm not particularly keen about the narrative part though.

I AGREE.......2003-02-21

Segovia was the greatest classical guitarist that ever lived and always WILL be the greatest that ever lived, for he was the ROCK on which the classical guitar was practically founded! These 3 CD's of his most treasured pieces cut straight through the heart with GREAT brilliance and virtuosity- Words cannot express his mastery of the instrument. I especially liked the autobiography on the fourth CD- VERY thrilling to hear the maestro's voice- In Spanish AND in English. This is a MUST HAVE for the serious classical guitarist-

this once was a great recording........2002-11-10

I totally agree with the fact that every classical guitarist
owes great respect to Segovia, but the reason I gave this recording such a low rating is a simple matter of evolution. Unlike instruments like the violin, the classical guitar as we know it today is a very young instrument (+-1 century). It also didn't get the recognition it deserved untill segovia came along. From that moment on, the classical guitar's popularity increased immensely, actually it is still growing. As a logical result of this growing popularity, the quality of the technique improved and interpretations were refined.
Though Segovia was incredible guitarist in his time and situation (he was the ONLY international preformer that played this instrument), it would just be irrational to claim that the dozens of great preformers later on never improved compared to segovia. It's like denying that einstein's theories are more accurate than those of Isaac Newton, because Newton was the rock on wich fysics were mostly build.

Tracks:

Toccata In D Minor: Toccata In D Minor (1709) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Canon In D: Canon in D (1698) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, 1st Movement: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, 1st Movement (1721) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Water Music, Suite No. 2 In D: 4.1 1st Movement - 4.2 Alla Hornpipe - 4.3 Minuet - 4.4 Lentement - 4.5 Bourree - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Trumpet Tune And Air: Trumpet Tune And Air (1685) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D: Air - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
The Four Seasons - Spring: The Four Seasons - Spring (1725): 7.1 Allegro - 7.2 Largo e painissimo - 7.3 Allegro Bela Banfalvi - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Adagio: Adagio (1730) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Mandoline Concerto In C, RV 425: 9.1 Allegro - 9.2 Largo - 9.3 Allegro - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor: Minuet and Badinerie (1721) : - 10.1 Minuet - 10.2 Badinerie - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)

Tracks:

Messiah: 'Hallelujah' (1742)
'Orpheus and Eurydice': Dance Of The Blessed Spirits (1762)
'Christmas Oratorio': Sinfonia In G (1734)
Violin Concerto No.3 in G: Violin Concerto No.3 In G, 1st Movement (1775)
'Xerxes': Largo (1734)
Flute Concerto In G 'La Notte': VI. Allegro (1731)
'Solomon': Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba (1749)
Oboe Concerto In D Minor: Oboe Concerto In D Minor, 2nd Movement (1731)
Concerto grosso In A Minor Op.6 No.4: 9.1 Larghetto affettuoso - 9.2 Allegro - 9.3 Largo Piano - 9.4 Allegro
Violin Concerto No.5 In A, 2nd Movement: Violin Concerto No.5 In A, 2nd Movement (1775)

Tracks:

Eine kleine Nachtmusik: 1st movement (1787)
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C: 2nd Movement (Elvira Madigan)
The Marriage Of Figaro: Overture (1786)
Flute Concerto No. 2 In D: 2nd Movement (1778)
Piano Sonata In A (1778): Rondo Alla Turca
Don Giovanni: Overture (1787)
Horn Concerto No. 3 In E Flat: 2nd Movement
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A: 1st Movement (1786)
The Marriage Of Figaro: March (1786)
Serenata Notturna: 10.1 Marcia. Maestoso - 10.2 Menuetto - 10.3 Rondeau. Allegretto

Tracks:

Symphony No. 40: 1st Movement (1788) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
'Moonlight' Sonata: 1st Movement (1801) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
Symphony No. 94: 'Surprise' ,2nd Movement (1791) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
The Magic Flute: Overture (1791) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
Fur Elise: Fur Elise (1810) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
String Quartet In C: Emporor's Hymn - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
Symphony No. 5: 1st Movement (1808) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
Clarinet Concerto In A: 2nd Movement (1791) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
Minuet In G: Minuet in G (1796) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
Trumpet Concerto In E Flat: 3rd Movement - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)

Tracks:

The Barber Of Seville: Overture (1821)
Symphiny No.8 In B Minor: 'Unfinished' 2nd Movement (1822)
Spring Song: Spring Song (1841)
Polonaise In A, Op.40 No.3: 'Military'
Rosamunde: Ballet Music In G
Der Freischutz: Overture (1820)
Ave Maria: Ave Maria (1825)
Symphony No.4 In A: 'Italian', 1st Movement (1833)
Traumerei: Traumerei (1838)
German Dance No. 1: German Dance No. 1 (1811)

Tracks:

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March (1843) - 100 Masterpieces
Liebestraum No. 3 In A flat: Liebestraum No. 3 In A Flat (1847) - 100 Masterpieces
Nabucco: Overture (1842) - 100 Masterpieces
The Merry Peasant: The Merry Peasant (1848) - 100 Masterpieces
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (1847) - 100 Masterpieces
Lohengin: Prelude to Act 3 (1850) - 100 Masterpieces
La Traviata: Prelude to Act 1(1853) - 100 Masterpieces
Tannhauser: Arrival Of The Guests At Wartburg (1845) - 100 Masterpieces
Violin Concerto In E Minor: Violin Concerto In E Minor, 2nd Movement (1845) - 100 Masterpieces
Poet And Peasant: Overture (1846) - 100 Masterpieces

Tracks:

Orpheus In The Underworld: Overture (1858)
Melody In F: Melody In F (1858)
Les Preludes: Les Preludes (1854)
Waltz In A Flat: Waltz In A Flat (1865)
The Force Of Destiny: Overture (1862)
I Love You: I Love You (1864)
The Bartered Bride: Overture (1866)
The Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle (1864)
Tritsch Tratsch Polka: Tritsch Tratsch Polka (1858)
Light Cavalry: Overture (1866)

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 In B Flat Minor: 1st Movement (excerpt) (1875) - 100 Masterpieces
Cradle Song: Cradle Song (1868) - 100 Masterpieces
The Moldau: The Moldau (1875) - 100 Masterpieces
The Valkyrie: Ride Of The Valkyries (1870) - 100 Masterpieces
Peer Gynt: Morning (1876) - 100 Masterpieces
Carmen: Les Toreadors (1875) - 100 Masterpieces
Coppelia: Notturno (1870) - 100 Masterpieces
Marche Slave, Op. 31: Marche Slave, Op. 31 (1876) - 100 Masterpieces
L'Arlesienne: Intermezzo (1872) - 100 Masterpieces
The Blue Danube: Waltz (1867) - 100 Masterpieces

Tracks:

Eugene Onegin: Polonaise (1878) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
Symphony No.9 'From The New World': 2nd Movement (1893) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
The Nutcracker: Waltz of the Flowers (1892) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
Capriccio espagnol: Alborado (1887) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
The Last Spring - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
Slavonic Dance No. 2: Slavonic Dance No. 2 (1886) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
The Sleeping Beauty: Introduction (1889) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfred's Death And Funeral March (1877) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
Songs My Mother Taught Me: Songs My Mother Taught Me (1880) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
Emperor Waltz - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9

Tracks:

Also sprach Zarathustra: Fanfare (1896)
Symphony No.5: Adagietto (1902)
Finlandia: Finlandia (1899)
Dance Of The Bumble Bee: Dance Of The Bumble Bee (1900)
'Thais': Meditation
Pomp amd Circumstance: March No.1 (1901)
Humoresque: Humoresque (1894)
Valse Triste: Valse Triste (1903)
Vienna Blood: Vienna Blood - Waltz (1899)
Bolero: Bolero (1928)

Customer Reviews:

Decent Quality, But a Little Rushed.......2002-09-20

I have to agree that this is a good collection of music for the money, especially if you are a novice at the Classics like me. Each disc covers a 40 year period with an hour of music and a little bit of history in the cover slip. However, there were some oddities that made me question the quality of this product. First, a few of the songs seemed like the conductor was hurrying them along so the songs on a disc would add up to exactly one hour -- where's the love? I know I'm a novice, but there are just some songs that are so famous that you can pretty easily tell when they are being butchered or compressed. Second, the quality of the product was suspect. Some of the discs looked like they were manufactured in 1990 and some in 1994. The older ones just had the titles on the discs and the newer ones had a screen-printed color change with no information. They couldn't even use the same type of Jewel Case throughout the collection. In total, it's good for beginners and the money, but not much else.

Decent, but not exciting.......2002-09-01

Not bad, but not a perfect as well. The music selection is very questionable for my taste. The performers are not always very suitable for specific masterpieces. It is inherently, just because such mix of names cannot be bad ;). If I will compose such set a lot of forgotten things should take their place.

Decent, but not exciting.......2002-09-01

Sounds good to me........2002-07-25

Bought this CD to calm and relax myself after a hard days work. CD seems like a great collection to me. It's got a lot of songs that I recognize and some that I don't. It does sooth me a bit after the the many stresses of everyday life.

I'm not really a classical music nut like "Frasier Crane" so I'm not sure how much merit I can bring to the table with this review. But I think it's great..!!!

Wonderful Selection.......2001-05-13

Some of the world's truly finest musicians perform some of the all time greatest and most loved musical masterpieces. The CD makes for easy and peaceful listening of an evening.

The Great History of Austrian Classical Music

Average customer rating:

Has anyone seen Bob in here?
Ignore the other other reviewer
ignore the other reviewer
Huh?

The Great History of Austrian Classical Music

Manufacturer: Columbia River Ent.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Tracks:

Harpsichord Concerto: Allegro Moderato
String Quartet In D Major: Vivace
Largetto - Allegro - Largo-Allegro
Symphony No. 7: Allegro Moderato
'Mass' in E Minor: Kyrie
'Mass' in E Minor: Gloria
'Mass' in E Minor: Agnus Dei
Piano Concerto op. 204: Variations and Rondo
Harp Concerto in A Major: Allegro molto

Tracks:

Symphony No. 104 in D Major: Adagio - Allegro
Symphony No. 94 in G Major: Andante
Quartet op. 3/5: Serenade
Emperor Quartet: Poco Adagio cantabile
The Seasons: Finale - 'Dann bricht der grosse Morgen an'
String Quartet in A Major: Presto
Ave maris stella
Piano Concerto No. 2 in A minor: Allegro Moderato
Viel Larm um nichts: Stage music op. 11
Liebesfreud
Liebesleid

Tracks:

Tarantella Galop
Paganini: Liebe - du Himmel auf Erden
The Count of Luxembourg: Unbekkant - doch nicht minder interessant
The Czarevitch: Hab' nur dich allein
Quintetto concertante in F Major: Menuetto
Adagietto
Das Lied von der Erde: The Drunken One in Spring
Der Bettelstudent: Und da soll man noch galant sein
Der Bettelstudent: Nur das ein bitt' ich dich
Gasparone: Anzoletta's Song - 'Komm - mia bella'
Gasparone: Dunkelrote Rosen
Harpsichord Concerto: Allegro
Piano Concerto op. 14: Allegro
Symphony No. 40 in G minor: Molto Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 21: 'Elvira Madigan' Andante
Sonata No. 11 in A Major: Rondo alla Turca

Tracks:

Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Serenade No. 13 - Allegro
'Der Holle Rache'
Boys trio: :Bald prangt, den Morgen zu verkunden'
'In Diesen heil'gen Hallen'
O zittre nicht
Ave verum corpus
Requiem: Domine Jesu Christe
Laudate Dominum
Franz Lehrndorfer; organ: Hallelujah por la Resurrectione
Dance of the Elves
Tafelmusik: Intrada
Intermezzo from Notre Dame
Desire Waltz: Allegro Moderato
Desire Waltz: op 9a in A flat Major
The Trout Quintet: Andante - Theme with Variations

Tracks:

Der Erlkonig (Goethe)
Heindenroslein
Ungeduld
Rastlose Liebe
Die Winterreise: Der Lindenbaum
Carmen Quadrille
Radetzky March
The Blue Danube Waltz
Medley from 'Die Fledermaus': Champagne Polka
Medlef rom 'Die Fledermaus': So muss allein ich bleiben
Oje oje wie ruhrt mich dies
Medley from :Die Fledermaus': Klange der Heimat
Intermezzo from '1001 Nights'
Souvenior Polka
Galop of the Bandits
Boccaccio March
6 pieces for Orchestra, No. 1 - Langsam, No. 2 - Bewegt
Sei nicht bos
Faschingskinder

Customer Reviews:

Has anyone seen Bob in here?.......2006-05-23

Hey, has anyone seen my friend Bob in here? He said he'd meet me here. Oh well...

Ignore the other other reviewer.......2004-03-21

Five stars, one star, has anyone actually heard this recording? The first reviewer makes it pretty clear he's reviewing the search engine; the second reviewer is reviewing NOTHING.

ignore the other reviewer.......2004-03-19

I haven't heard this recording; I just wanted to give to something to boost its rating because obviously the other reviewer was writing a review of amazon's search engine and not this recording. I really don't know what rating it deserves, but seeing a recording w/ Wunderlich on it that gets one star just seems wrong.

Huh?.......2003-12-26

Oddly enough, Amazon's search engine brought me here when I was searching for "Blue Man Group"....unfortunately, the closest we get is the Blue Danube. Wonderful though it might be, it's NOT Blue Man Group.

Let me reiterate, there is NO Blue Man Group at all on this CD. Not even one track. None. Niente. Nada.

Heck, they aren't even Austrian. Or Australian, for that matter.

Tracks:

Toccata In D Minor - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Canon In D - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: 1st Movement - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Water Music, Suite No. 2 In D: 1st Movement - Alla Hornpipe - Minuet - Lentement - Bourree - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Trumpet Tune And Air - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D: Air - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Four Seasons: Spring: Allegro - Largo e pianissimo sempre - Allegro - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Adagio - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Mandoline Concerto In C, RV 425: Allegro - Largo - Allegro - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor: Minuet And Badinerie - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES

Tracks:

Messiah: 'Hallelujah' - Various Artists
Orpheus And Eurydice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - Various Artists
Christmas Oratorio: Sinfonia In G - Various Artists
Violin Concerto No. 3 In G: 1st Movement - Various Artists
Xerxes: Largo - Various Artists
Flute Concerto In G Minor 'La Notte': VI. Allegro - Various Artists
Solomon: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba - Various Artists
Oboe Concerto In D Minor: 2nd Movement - Various Artists
Concerto grosso In A Minor Op. 6 No. 4: Larghetto affettuoso - Allegro - Largo e piano - Allegro - Various Artists
Violin Concerto No. 5 In A: 2nd Movement - Various Artists

Tracks:

Eine kleine Nachtmusik: 1st Movement - Various Artists
Piano Concerto No. 21 In C ('Elvira Madigan'): 2nd Movement - Various Artists
The Marriage Of Figaro: Overture - Various Artists
Flute Concerto No. 2 In D: 2nd Movement - Various Artists
Piano Sonata In A: Rondo Alla Turca - Various Artists
Don Giovanni: Overture - Various Artists
Horn Concerto No. 3 In E Flat: 2nd Movement - Various Artists
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A: 1st Movement - Various Artists
The Marriage Of Figaro: March - Various Artists
Serenata Notturna: Marcia. Maestoso - Menuetto - Rondeau. Allegretto - Various Artists

Tracks:

Symphony No. 40: 1st Movement - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
'Moonlight' Sonata: 1st Movement - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Symphony No. 94, 'Surprise': 2nd Movement - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
The Magic Flute: Overture - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Fur Elise - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
String Quartet In C: Emporor's Hymn - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Symphony No. 5: 1st Movement - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Clarinet Concerto In A: 2nd Movement - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Minuet In G - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
Trumpet Concerto In E Flat: 3rd Movement - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES

Tracks:

The Barber Of Seville: Overture - Various Artists
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor, 'Unfinished': 2nd Movement - Various Artists
Spring Song - Various Artists
Polonaise In A, Op. 40 No. 3 'Military': Polonaise In A, Op.40 No.3, 'Military' - Various Artists
Rosamunde: Ballet Music In G - Various Artists
Der Freischutz: Overture - Various Artists
Ave Maria - Various Artists
Symphony No. 4 In A, 'Italian': 1st Movement - Various Artists
Traumerei - Various Artists
German Dance No. 1 - Various Artists

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful way to start a classical collection.......2006-10-20

These five discs are the first in a series of ten CDs that have what are considered to be the most famous and best known classical masterpieces of all times. It has most of those songs that everybody knows, and here and there a song that's familiar, but you didn't know who was the composer. It's a great collection to use to start your classical collection, because from these occasionally shortened clips you can move on to the "real deal" and discover lots of great music along the way.

My only issue with this was that there was an entire disc devoted to Mozart, and thus other less-known composers, who are just as good, got no mention at all. Everyone knows who Mozart is, but few know of Telemann, Spohr, etc. I feel that there should have been a few more pieces by less known composers in place of an entire disc of Mozarts music.

A Bargain.......2004-02-28

A great selection of classical music with good, pleasant sound. These discs are to be listened to and enjoyed; not analyzed and argued over. Just play one after the other for hours of famous pieces that take you chronologically from the Baroque through the Romantic period. It is an easy and economical way to listen to a fine general survey of great, timeless music. Plainly stated, a bargain.

It's an OK CD.......2003-02-07

There are a lot of classical music on these CDs, but the quality of the orchestra is not that good :(

They need to improve the digital quality of the music, even with a great CD player the music sounds pretty awful

good start to classical music.......2002-06-11

while not the best and crispest recordings and best interpretations of the compositions, this is a good start to delving into classical music. it does require a learned taste to truly enjoy some of the more complex and diverse classical pieces and this is a good start.

Truly enjoyable.......2002-05-16

I don't know if one could say that these are the "definitve" recordings of classical works, but they are certainly good, and are a great way for people to discover the titles and composers of some of the great familiar works, even if they are untutored, as I am. Two questions though: where are the next five volumes? I have the first 50 works here, but there must be 50 more somewhere? Also, did nobody but Mozart write great works from 1776-1785? One volume is nothing but Mozart.