A Classical Portrait

On this CD:

1. Well tempered clavier book 1, No. 1 in C major, BWV 846 Prelude No.1 in C
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Vladimir Feltsman

2. Die Kunst der Fuge (Art of the Fugue), BWV 1080 Contrapunctus No.12
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Vladimir Feltsman

3. Harpsichord Concerto No. 3 in D major, BWV 1054 3rd Mvt
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Vladimir Feltsman

4. Flute Concerto ("Il gardellino"), for flute, strings & continuo in D major, Op. 10/3, RV 428 2nd Mvt
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Eliot Fisk

5. Caprices (24) for violin solo, Op. 1 (MS 25) Capriccio No.5 in A minor
Composed by Niccolo Paganini
Performed by Eliot Fisk

6. Canciones populares de distintos paises Catalana: Andante
Composed by Andres Segovia
Performed by Eliot Fisk

7. Greeting Prelude, for orchestra
Composed by Igor Stravinsky
Performed by Robert Craft

8. Petrushka, ballet (burlesque) in 4 scenes for orchestra (1947 version) Russian Dance
Composed by Igor Stravinsky
Performed by Robert Craft

9. L'oiseau de feu (The Firebird), ballet in 2 scenes for orchestra Scene III
Composed by Igor Stravinsky
Performed by Robert Craft

10. String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, K. 159 3rd Mvt
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by American String Quartet

11. String Quartet No. 8 in F major, K. 168 4th Mvt
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by American String Quartet

12. Violin Concerto, for violin, strings & continuo in G major ("L'estro armonico" No. 3), Op. 3/3, RV 310 1st Mvt
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Shlomo Mintz

13. Violin Concerto, for violin, strings & continuo in C major, RV 186 1st Mvt
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Shlomo Mintz

14. Sonata for keyboard in C major, K. 327 (L. 152)
Composed by Domenico Scarlatti

15. Excursions (4), for piano, Op. 20
Composed by Samuel Barber
Performed by John Browning

16. Trio for Horn (or viola or cello), Violin & Piano in E flat major, Op. 40 Part III: Scherzo
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by John Browning

17. Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 2nd Mvt
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Julius Rudel

18. Symphony No. 35 in D major ("Haffner"), K. 385 4th Mvt
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Julius Rudel

19. Giulio Cesare in Egitto, opera, HWV 17 Caro! Piu amabile belta (Excerpt)
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Julius Rudel

20. Lost in the Stars, song for voice & piano (from "Lost in the Stars")
Composed by Kurt Weill
Performed by Julius Rudel

21. Appalachian Spring, concert suite Excerpt
Composed by Aaron Copland
Performed by Dennis Russell Davies

22. Symphony No. 2 ("Elegiac") 2nd Mvt
Composed by Lou Harrison
Performed by Dennis Russell Davies

23. Symphony No. 2 ("Mysterious Mountain"), Op. 132 2nd Mvt
Composed by Alan Hovhaness
Performed by Dennis Russell Davies

24. Estudio, for guitar No. 1 in E Minor, A. 235/1
Composed by Heitor Villa-Lobos
Performed by Fabio Zanon

25. España (Souvenirs), 2 pieces for piano, B. 45 Tango
Composed by Isaac Albeniz
Performed by Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo, Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo

26. Etude for piano in G flat major, Op. 10/5, CT 18
Composed by Fryderyk Chopin
Performed by Cecile Licad

27. Le tombeau de Couperin, for piano IV, Rigaudon
Composed by Maurice Ravel
Performed by Cecile Licad

Tracks:

Samarkand
Oblivion
Meditation From Thais
Portrait
To Love You More
Reflexio
Aurora
Lady Grinning Soul
Ravel String Quartet IN F Major: Assez Vif - Tres Rythme
She Is Like The Swallow
My Funny Valentine
Nocturne/Bohemian Rhapsody

Amazon.com

Josh Groban fans who caught the singer's 2004 Closer tour would no doubt take note of Lucia Micarelli, who was the violinist and concertmaster for Groban. Like her boss, who also is executive producer of Music From A Farther Room, Micarelli is a young, attractive, and talented player who has the classical training, but who is also enchanted with pop music. Also like her boss, her strain of classical crossover works thanks to tasteful accompaniment, in this case from arranger/composer Paul Schwartz. The smartly chosen program of material comes from such varied catalogs as David Bowie and Rogers and Hart. Micarelli's playing is emotional without being overreaching, assertive when called upon, and nuanced. When she does go over-the-top pop on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," it's brief but fun; when she navigates Piazzolla's "Oblivion" she draws upon the song's passion more than its technical requisites. This is a debut with likeable pizzazz, coming in a genre not often enough known for it. -- Tad Hendrickson

Album Description

For anyone who has attended Josh Groban's phenomenal live show, you will have undoubtedly had the pleasure of seeing and hearing his lead violinist, Lucia Micarelli. Lucia came to Josh's tour after appearing with the Trans- Siberian Orchestra playing arenas across the U.S. in 2003. With the close of the second leg of Josh's tour, Lucia is recording her debut album in New York and London with producer Paul Schwartz. Musical selections will range from the works of composers Ravel and Ennio Morricone to David Bowie.

Customer Reviews:

Music from a Farther Room.......2007-05-22

I heard Lucia Micarelli during a 2007 Josh Groban concert. Her live solo performance in addition to her backgrounds for Groban were mesmerizing. I purchased this album to see if it was as enjoyable as her live work, and I was not disappointed. Micarelli performs a good mix of classical and pop pieces. My favorite tracks on the album are Smarkland, Meditation, Lady Grinning Soul, Portrait, and Nocturne/Bohemian Rhapsody.

relaxation.......2007-05-13

This CD is very well done. I was familiar with old favorites and delighted with new songs. I would like to hear more of the rock songs preformed by her. I think she's got a lot of talent and could possibly do well with the rock songs on a future album.

amazing.......2007-05-07

Lucia has power in her playing. I think that she shouldn't be allowed to play violin this good. Her raw talent is conveyed in every song. She doesn't just stick to classical, as the accompaniment music isn't just strings. I wished she had played a little more in Bohemian Rhapsody. I saw her in concert with Josh Groban and I knew I had to purchase this CD. Lucia is an inspiration and her love for the violin cannot be contained.

Talented violinist.......2007-03-29

When I saw and heard Lucia Micarelli perform with Josh Groban at a recent concert, I was so impressed with her talent, that I immediately went online to see what music of hers was available. Every item on her CD is wonderful, and I'm looking forward to her next CD.

Lucia does for Violin what Ian Anderson did for the flute.......2007-01-22

I saw the beautiful and gypsy-like Lucia play with Ian Anderson a few months ago, and she was absolutely amazing! The whole audience kept chanting "bring back the girl!" everytime Ian stepped back on stage, and these were all tried-n-true Jethro Tull/Ian Anderson fans who just paid over $100/tkt to see him. She played Stairway to Heaven on the violin, and totally rocked the house. She smoothly slipped from classical to jazz to rock, much like Ian does. Hopefully it will be on an upcoming CD. As she becomes better known, I am sure she will bring a whole new generation to the Violin, just like Ian got a whole generation of Baby-Boomers playing the flute.

Average customer rating:

The funniest Schickele piece ever!
P D Q on form again
beware of the organ cadenza!
Another assault to your funny bone!
PDQ Bach at his best (worst)

1712 Overture & Other Musical Assaults

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Wurst of P.D.Q. Bach
Oedipus Tex & Other Choral Calamities
Music for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion
P.D.Q. Bach: The Short-Tempered Clavier
P.D.Q. Bach in Houston - We Have a Problem!

ASIN: B000003CVW
Release Date: 1989-06-13

Tracks:

Introduction
1712 Overature
Introduction
Bach Portrait
Introduction
Capriccio La Pucelle De New Orleans (The Maid Of New Orleans)
Introduction
Minuet Militaire
Introduction
Prelude To Einstein On The Fritz
Introduction
I. Prologue (Bottomless Sorrow; Topless Gaiety)
II. The Lamentations Of Jerry Maja
III. Finale: Special Deliverance

Customer Reviews:

The funniest Schickele piece ever!.......2006-05-23

My experience with the 1712 Overture is similar to Victoria's (in another review). I was listening to the car radio when I heard the dissonant pile-up halfway through, and almost drove off the Interstate.

It should be noted that the Amazon listing is incorrect. The 1712 Overture is in reality conducted by "Walter Bruno" who is actually David Zinman. It is most assuredly not conducted by Bruno Walter (can you imagine that?), who died in 1962.

Highly recommended.

P D Q on form again.......2005-07-20

P D Q has quite a cult following among the 'cognoscenti', and others may know some of his works without being aware of it or why. Much of this is fun listening if you have that kind of mind &/or background, and has the virtual ring of period authenticity.
Classical music, like any living corpus of cultural tradition (eg religion, sport & politics) should be well capable of laughing at itself. Others have done so successfully (Hoffnung, Spike Jones, the Comedy Harmonists et al.) and PDQ follows in a worthy & rollicking tradition!

beware of the organ cadenza!.......2005-05-18

This is my favourite PDQ Bach collection. The 1712 Overture alone is worth the price of admission. The use of the motif from 'I Ain't Got No Home' is inspired and the skewering of 'Day Tripper' reduces me to helpless giggles every time.

Einstein on the Fritz is a tonic to anyone sick of the pretentious meanderings of Philip Glass, Taverner et al. And Cappricio La Poucelle de New Orleans (engineered by Burt Bach, a living direct decendant of JS Bach) is frighteningly intense, as well as hysterical. These musicians are also terrific - the pieces wouldn't work at all otherwise. And who couldn't love the rapturous intro to The Preachers of Crimetheous - featuring the most incredible percussion playing since Ginger Baker's 'Toad'.

All in all, this is a completely ridiculous delight!

Another assault to your funny bone!.......2004-04-12

P Schickele does it yet again! He successfullly skewers the classics again. My personal fave is Einstein On The Fritz, where he does a wonderful job of spoofing Philip Glass.....Only the Prof. is so twisted as to be able to sneak in 'Three Blind Mice" in the middle of a Glassian composition!

PDQ Bach at his best (worst).......2001-11-13

Mr. Schickele is a genius, he's taken music history and disgraced it, apocryphally!
the 1712 overture pokes fun at just about every type of music out there, and what the 1712 doesn't defile, the rest of the tracks on this CD pick up the slack.

This incredibly irreverent album is a must for music lovers everywhere!

Tracks:

Miracles Of Sant'Iago: Music From The Codex Calixtinus: Venite omnes cristicole
Miracles Of Sant'Iago: Music From The Codex Calixtinus: Ad superni regis decus
Miracles Of Sant'Iago: Music From The Codex Calixtinus: Portum in ultimo
The Lily & The Lamb: Chant & Polyphony From Medieval England: O Maria stella maris
The Lily & The Lamb: Chant & Polyphony From Medieval England: Stabat iuxta Christi crucem
The Lily & The Lamb: Chant & Polyphony From Medieval England: Stillat in stellam radium
A Star In The East: Medieval Hungarian Christmas Music: Primo tempore alleviata
A Star In The East: Medieval Hungarian Christmas Music: Speciosus forma
A Star In The East: Medieval Hungarian Christmas Music: Mi Atyank Atya Isten
Love's Illusion: Music From The Montpellier Codex: Puisque bele dame m'eime - Flos Filius
Love's Illusion: Music From The Montpellier Codex: Ne sai, que je die - Iohanne
Love's Illusion: Music From The Montpellier Codex: Amor potest conqueri - Ad amorem sequitur
Love's Illusion: Music From The Montpellier Codex: Quant yver la bise ameine - In Seculum
Love's Illusion: Music From The Montpellier Codex: On doit fin(e) Amor - La Biaute - In Seculum
An English Ladymass: Medieval Chant & Polyphony: Edi beo thu hevene quene
An English Ladymass: Medieval Chant & Polyphony: Ave maris stella
An English Ladymass: Medieval Chant & Polyphony: Salve virgo virginum
On Yoolis Night: Medieval Carols & Motets: Ther Is No Rose Of swych vertu
On Yoolis Night: Medieval Carols & Motets: Prolis eterne genitor - psallat mater gracie
On Yoolis Night: Medieval Carols & Motets: Ecce quod natura
Spiritui sancto

Amazon.com

This sampler album of excerpts from seven other Anonymous 4 releases is a good introduction for anyone who is unacquainted with the A4's startlingly pure singing and virtually celestial blend. But if you fall under the spell of this outstanding a capella quartet, the present disc will become extraneous because you'll want to own the complete recordings from which it's drawn. If you prefer complete works to samplers, try taking the plunge with "An English Ladymass" or "On Yoolis Night." --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

An aural treat for lovers of vocal music.......2007-04-14

If you love vocal music these gals are fabulous! This is a best of album, which is always good as an introduction to a new artist. It gives you a taste of their various albums, so you can go ahead and pursue the ones you like. Enjoy!

Enchanting.......2007-01-10

If you enjoy music that takes you to a different time and place, you will get lost in time with this beautiful work.

If Angels Ever Recorded A CD.......2006-03-16

Four female voices have never blended together so perfectly and beautifully as do those of the 'Anonymous 4.' Their CD titled, 'Portrait' contains a selection of tracks from seven other previous CD's, kind of a "Best Of" you might say.

If angels ever came down from heaven to record a CD this is what they would sound like.

Harmonious, Celestial, Purifying and Eternal.

another exquisite performance.......2006-02-27

This amazing quartette is so talented. The Christmas cd reminds me of Christmas 50 years ago in rural England where I grew up. It contains the only rendition of The Holly and the Ivy I have heard that actually does the carol justice.

Anonymous, but in no way generic.......2001-02-04

I learned about this quartet though a review in Stereophile magazine. Although they don't publish a lot of reviews, I've had exceptionally good luck with their past picks and have been able to branch out successfully in new musical directions as a result.

These four women are virtuoso female vocalists, hauntingly pure of voice. They perform music from centuries ago in the same type of setting that it was originally performed in, with stunning results. I'm generally not one for "religious" material (this is the first recording of this nature I've ever bought), but this music goes so far back in time that it sounds more primal than Christian overall.

A refreshing change when you're in the right mood, and something that can relax even you type A personalities out there (and you *know* who you are :) , I can suggest this one without reserve. You'll be adding a nice, quiet corner to your collection, and you'll probably wind up visiting it more than you ever imagined.

A Portrait of the Viola
Average customer rating:

if you own 1 viola cd

Absolutely Stunning!

A Portrait of the Viola

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Six Cello Suites performed on viola

English Music for Viola

Bartok: Viola Concertos

William Primrose: Viola Transcriptions

Helen Callus performs Walton, Vaughan Williams, Howells & Bowen

ASIN: B0000666B8
Release Date: 2002-06-25

Tracks:

Clarke: Viola Sonata: Impetuoso
Clarke: Viola Sonata: Vivace
Clarke: Viola Sonata: Adagio-allegro
Clarke: Morpheus
Clarke: Lullaby
Clarke: Lullaby
Swain: English Reel
Clarke: I'll Bid My Heart Still
Harrison: Viola Sonata: Moderato
Harrison: Viola Sonata: Vivace leggiero
Harrison: Viola Sonata: Andante affectuoso
Harrison: Viola Sonata: Presto
Gould: Oh Can Ye Sew Cushions

Customer Reviews:

if you own 1 viola cd.......2002-06-30

I agree completely with the review above. I am familar with several of these selections, however they sound completely flat compared to these wonderful recording. Tender yet not hesterical. I also had the pleasure of hearing some of this live recently and lived up to the recording and beyond. If you own 1 viola cd this should be it.

Absolutely Stunning!.......2002-06-26

This CD is beyond words. The playing is spectacular. Helen Callus sounds like no other viola player I've ever heard. She has a gorgeously rich, warm sound that is breathtaking. Her playing is both incrediby touching and human, as well as seeming to come from the heavens. Robert McDonald (who often plays with Midori and the late Isaac Stern) is phenomenal. Although the focus of the CD is on the viola, there is some virtuosic piano writing especially in the Clarke Sonata and these brilliant passages in the 2nd mvt of the Harrison Sonata.

The music is all great. Extremely listenable. It's all from the 20th-century but it all sounds like Vaughn-Williams or Holst, great, lush English music from the period when they knew how to win over the audience.

Finally, the sound quality is amazing. But you wouldn't expect less from engineer Max Wilcox and the fantastic sound in the Academy of Arts in Manhattan.

I fully recommend this CD!!!

Romeo Cascarino: Pygmalion; Portrait of Galatea; Prospice; The Acadian Land; Blades of Grass
Average customer rating:

wonderful

One of the best of 2007

Gems from a Undiscovered American Composer

Romantic American Orchestral Music in the Barber/Copland Vein

Romeo Cascarino: Pygmalion; Portrait of Galatea; Prospice; The Acadian Land; Blades of Grass

Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Joan Tower: Made in America

ASIN: B000H4VZBM
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Tracks:

Pygmalion
Portrait Of Galatea
Blades Of Grass
Prospice
Meditation
Elegy
The Acadian Land

Customer Reviews:

wonderful.......2007-05-30

Cascarino's "Blades of grass" is a masterpiece of 20th century music.The cd is worth it just for that one work. Overall the works on this cd are well composed, melodic, tonal, well organized and beautifully orchestrated.

One of the best of 2007.......2007-05-07

I totally agree with the two previous reviews (although I think Mr. Morrison misses the beauty of these pieces) - they are slow, "serene", but this is beautiful music beautifully played. Hats-off to Fanfare Magazine that convinced me to purchase a CD by a composer I was not familiar with, Naxos for its continuing commitment to recording every composition ever written, and to Ms. Falletta and her fine orchestra for making this wonderful music available to the audience that Mr. Cascarino never had.

Gems from a Undiscovered American Composer.......2007-01-12

Twentieth century classical music in the tradition of Ravel, Faure, Copland Delius, Britten and RV Williams. Lush and complex, rich and melodic , somber and uplifting.

Cascarino's works may one day be receiving more attention and scheduled on more programs as an outstanding example of American 20th century polyphony.

Romantic American Orchestral Music in the Barber/Copland Vein.......2006-10-07

Romeo Cascarino (1922-2002) was a basically self-taught Philadelphian who labored in relative obscurity. Of the six works recorded here five are first recordings. And some of the music had never been played before. Cascarino worked for many years as a respected teacher of harmony and composition at the now-defunct Combs College of Music in Philadelphia. His compositional style is completely tonal and sometimes comes across as a blend of the styles of Barber and Copland. This CD contains his six works, with few exceptions all dreamily serene.

'Pygmalion' (1956) recounts the Greek myth of the sculptor Pygmalion and his infatuation with his own marble creation, the beautiful Galatea. It was intended as a ballet and has been staged only once, apparently, in Philadelphia in 1959. A companion piece 'Portrait of Galatea' (1945) preceded the ballet by four years. This recording is from the first performance ever of that work and of its predecessor 'Prospice' (1945) which was written just after Cascarino returned from service in World War II. 'Prospice' is based on the Browning poem of that name, which opens:

"Fear death?--to feel the fog in my throat,
The mist in my face,
When the snows begin, and the blasts denote
I am nearing the place,
The power of the night, the press of the storm,
The post of the foe ... "

Its first measures have harmonies redolent of the Copland scores of the previous decade.

'Blades of Grass' (1945) is a seven-minute mini-concerto for English horn, harp and strings. It was inspired by Carl Sandberg's 'Grass' which is 'a meditation about men dying in battle.' The plangent lines given the English horn soloist are melancholy in the extreme and are played here beautifully by Geoffrey Deemer, principal in the Philadelphia Chamber Players. (A note about the orchestra used on this recording. The Philadelphia Philharmonic is an ad hoc group whose core is the Philadelphia Chamber Players; its roster is extended by use of some of the many fine free-lance musicians in the Philadelphia area. They sound marvelous.)

'Meditation and Elegy' (2000) is an orchestration for strings of two piano pieces Cascarino wrote in his teens. Both pieces are slow and meditative, with lush string sonorities and often modal melodies. 'The Acadian Land' (1959-60) was premiered in a shortened version by the then New Orleans Philharmonic. It was inspired by Longfellow's 'Evangeline' and of course had particular interest for the Louisianans as their Cajun culture is based on the Acadian culture of Nova Scotia. 'The Acadian Land' is contemplative and melancholy.

Most of the music here is fairly slow. The main up-tempo bits are in 'Prospice.' Admittedly the texture and harmonic language of these works are lush and romantic, but more than 75 minutes of ruminative music might be a bit much for one sitting. Still, the playing of the Philadelphia Philharmonic under JoAnn Falletta is gorgeous and the music qua music engaging. Most will, I suspect, find themselves becoming tranquilly contemplative on listening to these works.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

My idea of heaven
Wonderful, but not quite the best of I had hoped
A treasury
Chanticleer: A Portrait

Chanticleer: A Portrait
Caroll Coates , Harold / Mercer, Johnny Arlen , Spiritual Traditional , Vince Guaraldi , Joseph Jennings , Ettore Stratta , Eric Alatorre , Tim Krol , Corey McKnight , Kevin Baum , David Munderloh , and Dawn Upshaw
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008J2VP
Release Date: 2003-03-18

Tracks:

Quem Terra Pontus Sidera
Ave Maria (Gregorian Chant)
Alma Redemptoris Mater
The Angel Cried Out
Angelicas Milicias
Wherewithal Shall A Young Man...
Love Is A Beautiful Dream
This Heart That Flutters Near My Heart
Wild Grass
Labbra Vermiglie E Belle
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Dulaman
Shenandoah
Spanish Carol
Love Is Letting Go
Blues In The Night
Wade In The Wate
We Shall Walk Through The Valley In Peace
Christmas Time Is Here

Amazon.com

With this disc, Chanticleer, the internationally renowned, all-male 12-voice chamber choir, celebrates its 25th anniversary. Presenting songs from earlier albums plus one not previously recorded, the selection displays the group's remarkable stylistic and linguistic versatility, as well as all the qualities that have made it famous: the impeccable precision and intonation; the pristine tonal purity; the deep, inner expressiveness; the infinitely variable range of colors, textures, dynamics and moods; and the incredible vocal control that allows voices to stand out as well as to blend into a seamless, sonorous whole. Not for nothing has the group been called "an orchestra of voices" with its ability to sound like a big band in chordal passages and to imitate bass pizzicati as well as patter-songs and gospel shouts. The sopranos take off into stratospheric heights with florid coloratura; it is hard to believe that these are male voices. The program ranges from Gregorian chant and liturgical music of the 16th and 17th century, through traditional and jazz-influenced folk songs and spirituals (some in deplorably bad arrangements), to works by contemporary composers. Chanticleer's mostly vibrato-less vocal style still reflects its roots in its original Renaissance repertoire, but the way the singers use their voices in the popular, jazzy songs makes one aware of the evolving kinship between the two traditions. Though primarily an a capella ensemble, Chanticleer is occasionally joined by various instrumental groups, from period instrument orchestras to a jazz trio, and Dawn Upshaw adds her radiant, smiling, unmistakably "real" soprano to a delightful, high-spirited performance of a Spanish Carol. This disc is a fine, varied sampling of Chanticleer's discography and should inspire listeners to search out all the complete albums. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

My idea of heaven.......2007-02-17

If you liked Norman Luboff's Song's of the Sea's "Shenandoah", the price of this CD is worth it alone. That's why I ordered the CD. I heard Chanticleer's version and immediately ordered it. The rest is just the icing on the cake.

Then there is the one Kiri Tekanawa (sp?) offering, which is the only female voice on the recording.

Wonderful, but not quite the best of I had hoped.......2006-07-18

Some great material truly shines on this album, but I wsih that the group had been a little less populist in their choice of repertoire. There is a little too many arrangements and folk-like material, with the exception of the wonderful "Dulaman", and I would like to have heard some more varied repertoire. That said this is an excellent starting point for this amazing group.

A treasury.......2005-11-06

As you can tell from the samples, the music here is amazing and covers a wide territory. It is less obvious that much of this is available on other CDs. I am confident, for example, that "We Shall Walk Through the Valley In Peace" is the same track that you will find on their phenomenal and highly recommended gospel collection, _Where the Sun Shall Never Go Down_, and I see a number of familiar-looking titles from other CDs. My advice is: if you're looking for a broad sample of the group's repertoire, then you can't go wrong here -- but if you've already got several Chanticleer albums, then you'll want to check your existing collection for potential duplications before buying this 'treasury.'

Chanticleer: A Portrait.......2005-10-26

This is a marvelous singing group of all males with a little addition of Dawn Upshaw on a couple of pieces. They are thourally amazing at what they can sing with Male Voices usually unaccompanied. Obviously they have good strong Contra-Tenors that can manage the high notes without any problems. I would recommend this album to anyone who enjoys vocal music, unaccompanied and like Male Voices

The Copland Collection: Orchestral & Ballet Works, 1936-1948

Average customer rating:

Aaron Copland: Populist and Conductor
Tribute to Lincoln
A great way to get your dose of Copland....
Well balanced retrospective, -or- Listen to this!

The Copland Collection: Orchestral & Ballet Works, 1936-1948

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Copland Celebration Vol. 1
Samuel Barber / Thomas Schippers

ASIN: B0000027BJ
Release Date: 1991-01-18

Tracks:

El Salon Mexico
An Outdoor Overture
Billy The Kid: Introduction: The Open Prairie
Billy The Kid: Street In A Frontier Town
Billy The Kid: Prairie Night (Card Game At Night)
Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
Billy The Kid: Celebration (After Billy's Capture)
Billy The Kid: Billy's Death
Billy The Kid: The Open Prairie Again
Quiet City
John Henry
Our Town
Las Agachadas
Fanfare For The Common Man

Tracks:

Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes): I. Buckaroo Holiday
Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes): II. Corral Nocturne
Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes): III. Saturday Night Waltz
Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes): IV. Hoedown
The City: New England Countryside
Of Mice And Men: Barley Wagons
The City: Sunday Traffic
Our Town: Grovers Corners
Of Mice And Men: Threshing Machines
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Very Slow
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Fast
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Moderato
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Fast
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Still Faster
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): As At First (Slowly)
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Calm And flowing
Appalachian Spring (Suite From The Ballet): Moderato; Coda
Letter From Home
Danzon Cubano

Tracks:

Lincoln Portrait: Lento
Lincoln Portrait: Subito Allegro
Lincoln Portrait: 'Fellow Citizens, We Cannot Escape History...'
Symphony No. 3: I. Molto Moderato-With Simple Expression
Symphony No. 3: II. Allegro Molto
Symphony No. 3: III. Andantino Quasi Allegretto
Symphony No. 3: IV. Molto Deliberato
Concerto For Clarinet, Strings, Harp, & Piano

Amazon.com

Aaron Copland made numerous recordings of his own music, including an extensive series for CBS during the 1960s and '70s, mostly with London orchestras. He was not an especially proficient conductor--consequently, the performances he conducted often lacked pace and rhythmic punch. His last recordings of his most popular scores have been reissued by Sony on an exceptionally well-remastered 3-CD set. These accounts do a good job of conveying the overall shape of the pieces, and they deliver telling characterizations of many episodes. Details emerge that are lost in some other accounts, and there is an appealing gentleness and sweetness to the approach. But the readings do not have as much grip as those of Bernstein and Slatkin, among others, and in spite of the authority they automatically possess, they are not necessarily preferable. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Aaron Copland: Populist and Conductor.......2005-03-29

If you want a prime collection of Copland's more accessible works, this is it. Yes, it's true that Bernstein's recordings of individual pieces are often bolder and livelier; but this set offers the composer's own authoritative view of his work, and for that reason alone it is priceless. In addition, it includes virtually all the orchestral pieces he composed during his "populist phase," from El Salon Mexico (1936) to the Clarinet Concerto (1948). You won't find some of these lesser-known gems, such as An Outdoor Overture (1938) or Letter from Home (1944, written--like Rhapsody in Blue--for Paul Whiteman), on typical single-disc Copland compilations. I'd even go so far as to claim this as one of the four indispensable compilations of American instrumental music from the first half of the twentieth century (the others on my list--in case anyone cares--are Joshua Rifkin playing Scott Joplin, Oscar Levant playing Gershwin, and the Blanton-Webster band recordings of Duke Ellington).

What amazing riches flowed from Copland's pen during the period covered by these three discs! Billy the Kid (1939), Quiet City (1940), Our Town (1940), Fanfare for the Common Man (1942), Rodeo (1942), Lincoln Portrait (1942), Appalachian Spring (1944), and the Third Symphony (1946)--all are here. Some of this music is so familiar, so deeply ingrained in America's cultural consciousness, that we might be tempted to take it for granted. But imagine how much poorer the American concert repertoire would be without it. It's almost impossible, at this point, to conceive of a time when this wonderful music--which is to America roughly what Mussorgsky's music is to Russia, Grieg's to Norway, and Falla's to Spain--didn't exist. It was during the dozen years covered by this collection that Copland pulled away from the pack of his talented contemporaries (Hanson, Thomson, Harris, etc.) and, in a way, but with greater technical sophistication, filled the void left by the tragically early death of Gershwin, whose heyday, 1924-1935, immediately preceded the composition of the works on this collection.

The ballet music is all presented here in the familiar orchestral suites Copland arranged. Most of the selections are played by the London Symphony Orchestra, although the New Philharmonia and the just-plain Philharmonia get cracks at a few key works. The last-named orchestra, for instance, takes on the biggest piece on the program, Copland's Third, the closest thing American music has to a Beethoven's Ninth (although the work's sublime rhetoric has never completely convinced me--it's neither my personal favorite by Copland nor my favorite American symphony . . . but it sure has its moments). In addition to the fine orchestral playing, another treat is that Henry Fonda narrates the Lincoln Portrait--an almost inevitable pick, given the virtually mythic way his acting style embodied the American spirit and the fact that he had portrayed the sixteenth president in John Ford's classic film Young Mr. Lincoln (1939).

The set concludes with what, over the years, has become my favorite work by Copland, the Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp, & Piano, written for and performed here by surely the last century's greatest clarinetist, Benny Goodman. This work effects a concise synthesis between Copland's mature style and his earlier jazz stylings from the 1920s; in addition, the searing eloquence of the opening slow movement seems to me the most profound lyrical writing Copland ever achieved. Stoltzman's recording, ironically enough, swings harder than the king of swing's, but this collaboration between the composer and the man who commissioned it is for the ages.

The only major "populist" scores written after the period this collection covers are the film scores to The Red Pony (1948) and The Heiress (1949). Both can be acquired on an essential Leonard Slatkin CD for RCA. And since this collection doesn't include chamber music, the great Violin Sonata (1943), a kind of more intimate counterpart to Appalachian Spring, will have to be sought elsewhere. (One good option is Gil Shaham/Andre Previn on DG.) A serious Copland collector will also want to grab the other two volumes of the Copland Collection itself. The early set features important works such as the Organ Symphony (1924), Music for the Theater (1925), and the Short Symphony (1932)--but both of the other collections also include long, thorny pieces like the early Symphonic Ode and the late Connotations that can be rather difficult for the average enthusiast to enjoy.

Most of the essential, universal Copland is to be found on this second installment of the Copland Collection, and I would definitely recommend it as the place to start exploring Copland's magnificent contribution to American music. It has been a wonderful and treasured companion of mine for many years, and it also serves to conjure up a timely and inspiring vision of open prairies, nocturnal cityscapes, and the populist, humane values that America should, ideally, epitomize.

Tribute to Lincoln.......2001-10-28

I purchased this set of Copeland CD's because I wanted the Tribute to Lincoln narrated by Henry Fonda. This is a masterful recording especially for Americans in this time. The Tribute sends chills down my spine whenever I her it. My greatest joy however, was how much I have enjoyed all of the CD's in the set. I tend to be much more of a classical listener. I have heard Copeland but not in any organized fashion. This set has brought a new and delightful experience to my listening options.

A great way to get your dose of Copland...........2000-06-30

The 2nd of this three CD collection is wonderful. My favorite though is the third one. Doesn't mean this isn't good. This Sony Copland Collection set is worth the money for. Copland is sooo much more then Appalachian Spring, Fanfare for the Common Man, Rodeo, etc... But you get a lot of typical Copland on these CDs. Songs we all know and love. But there are some unfamiliar good ones too. Concerto for Clarinet took me by storm. So did Letters from Home. Good quality, good booklet, good recording, good playing (how Copland got the London Symphony to play something right I will never know), good everything. It's not perfect because it doesn't compete with THE best Copland like the third CD set of this collection, or the The Tendeer Land. Oh, these three CD sets don't cover all Copland, but it does for the most part. It doesn't have many chamber works, two choral works, and his two operas. You can cover some of those with the full version of Tender Land and of Second Hurricane (which also comes with the choral work, In the Beginning). But this is a good series. I highly recommend it!

Well balanced retrospective, -or- Listen to this!.......1999-08-11

Mr. Copland's works, as always, are exceptional This album, which consists of his work both as a composer and as a conductor, brings his music to life in a way no other conductor can. This is a well mastered and well produced work and worth the listen. To hear Arron Copland's music as he intended is wonderfull.

Average customer rating:

The Incomparable Bartoli Offers Great Interpreting
Very good singing!
Worthy Introduction to Mme. Bartoli
beautiful singing except for the last aria
A fun compilation of arias and songs!

Cecilia Bartoli - A Portrait
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Gioachino Rossini , Giulio Caccini , Guiseppe Giordani , Alessandro Parisotti , Ion Marin , Christopher Hogwood , Riccardo Chailly , György Fischer , Lesley Schatzberger , Cecilia Bartoli , and The Academy of Ancient Music
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Cecilia Bartoli - If You Love Me (Se tu m'ami ), 18th-Century Italian Songs
Cecilia Bartoli - Mozart Portraits
Cecilia Bartoli - Mozart Arias
Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Cecilia Bartoli - Live in Italy / Jean-Yves Thibaudet

ASIN: B000004288
Release Date: 1995-09-19

Tracks:

La Clemenza di Tito: Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio
Cosi fan tutte: Temerari!...Come scoglio
Cosi fan tutte: In uomini, in soldati
Le nozze di Figaro: Voi che sapete
Le nozze di Figaro: Giunse alfin il momento...Deh vieni
Don Giovanni: Batti, batti, o bel Masetto
Ch'io mi scordi di te?
Se tu m'ami
Caro mio ben
Amarilli
D528: La pastorella
D510: Vedi quanto adoro ancora ingrato!
Belta crudele
Semiramide: Bel raggio lusinghier
Maometto II: Giusto ciel, in tal periglio
La Cenerentola: Nacqui all'affanno... Non pita

Customer Reviews:

The Incomparable Bartoli Offers Great Interpreting.......2007-04-11

Cecilia Bartoli is nearly unparalleled in her talent. The great mezzo-soprano is widely and rightly regarded as the great operatic voice of this generation, and this record will do nothing to change that opinion.

We hear Mozart, Schubert, Rossini, and more, sung with the voice of a angel on one hand, and with power and majesty on the other. She interprets with skill and finesse, and her knowledge of the music helps to inform her performances.

For anyone who's been wanting an introduction to opera, or to Cecilia Bartoli, buying this CD is a great way to start.

Very good singing!.......2007-03-21

Cecilia Bartoli has a wonderfully rich, textured mezzo voice. This CD shows her skills to good effect. Some illustrative cuts. . . .

"Voi che sapete" from Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" is richly sung. She displays a lush mezzo voice. This aria is smoothly sung; a very nice version. Her sumptuous voice interprets this piece nicely. A very satisfying version.

From "Don Giovanni," we have "Batti batti, o bel Masetto." Her rich voice does justice to this piece. There is also a nice characterization in play. Poignantly sung.

Rossini's "Belta Crudele" is smoothly sung; her rich voice does well by this piece. An effecting version. She notes of Rossini that he is "a composer to whom I feel particularly close, and in whose coloratura writing I have found a new and different expressive mode."

She takes a crack at Rossini's "Bel raggio lusinghier," normally sung by sopranos. And this does not disappoint. This work, sung by a mezzo, provides an interesting interpretation. She demonstrates agility in her technique; she shows good ornamentation. There is even a decent trill in this work, something that some current coloratura sopranos would long to equal, from my listening.

The final cut on the CD is from Rossini's "La Cenerentola," "Nacqui all'affano. . .Non piu mesta." Very well done. Her coloratura technique is rock solid. A trill during this cut would fill many sopranos with envy. She clearly shows a good coloratura sensibility. This is great stuff!

This is a good introduction to the range of skills possessed by Bartoli. A nice CD indeed.

Worthy Introduction to Mme. Bartoli.......2006-06-18

'Cecilia Bartoli, A Portrait' featuring the very same mezzo-soprano, Cecilia Bartoli is, after reviewing about a half dozen of her other albums, the best introduction to her art. It is not my favorite. Oddly enough, this is her album of French songs, which I prefer to her many collections of Italian pieces. But, this collection, at a very nice 76 minutes and change does a very good job of selecting operatic pieces with good choral and orchesteral backings.

I am not an experienced music or voice critic, but to my ear, compared to the likes of Anne Sophie Von Otter and Renee Fleming, Mme. Bartoli is a pleasantly different take on the operatic genre. She is not quite as powerful as Maria Callas, but then, who is?

beautiful singing except for the last aria.......2004-12-12

I'm not a fan of cecilia bartoli, however I find this
compilation enjoyable.
I love bartoli's rendition of sussana's "deh vieni non tardar" which is normally sung by sopranos.
the other mozart arias, the rossini arias and the songs
for voice and piano are also very good.
I can't stand bartoli's rendition of "naqui allaffanno...non piu mesta". she sings it in such an exaggerate manner, in "non piu mesta" she sounds like a strangled parrot!

A fun compilation of arias and songs!.......2000-05-22

"A Portrait" is a collage of recordings from Ms. Bartoli's career. The highlight for me (from the many enjoyable numbers) is her "Bel raggio lusinghier" from "Semiramide." I highly recommend this fine CD.

Average customer rating:

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FILM PIANO MUSIC
Warsaw Concerto
Classic Movie Pieces
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful

Warsaw Concerto

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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

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Similar Items:

The Music Of Richard Addinsell
Jean-Yves Thibaudet ~ Warsaw Concerto ~ romantic piano classics from the silver screen
The Film Music of Richard Addinsell
Film Music
Richard Clayderman Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

ASIN: B0000060DC
Release Date: 1998-05-12

Tracks:

Dangerous Moonlight: Warsaw Concerto
The Case Of The Frightened Lady: Portrait Of Isla
Spellbound: Spellbound Con
The Glass Mountain: The Legend Of The Glass Mountain
Murder On The Orient Express: Theme And Waltz
Love Story: Cornish Rhap
Hangover Square: Con Macabre
While I Live: The Dream Of Olwen
Midnight On The Cliffs: Midnight On The Cliffs

Customer Reviews:

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FILM PIANO MUSIC.......2007-04-11

MOST OF THE FILMS FOR WHICH THESE PIANO PIECES WERE WRITTEN ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE, SO WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE THIS WONDERFUL RECORDING. FORGET ABOUT MORE EXPENSIVE VERSIONS. THIS IS THE BEST INTERPRETATION OF THE WARSAW CONCERTO ON THE MARKET!

Warsaw Concerto.......2005-10-09

The version of the toon was not what I expected. I wanted more the "popular" version.

Classic Movie Pieces.......2003-10-04

I am a pinaist, and several of thses pieces find themselve in my repertoire, and by hearing them on this cd, one is able to truly appreciate the composition and performance of these songs, which are not very popular nowadays. A great collection that I highly recommend to all musicians and music lovers.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.......2003-02-07

If you like light works for piano and orchestra, this is the BEST I have heard. With the popularity of movie themes in this genre, this CD will not disappoint you. There are some great undiscovered gems on this CD. Every pianist should have this to 'expand their horizons'. Simply the best!

Average customer rating:

Marvellous!!A delicious recording!!!
Rock guitarist turned lutanist

Portrait

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Baroque Lute Music, Vol. 1
Lute Music, Vol. 2
Early Venetian Lute Music
Weiss: Sonatas for Lute, Volume 1
Dowland: Complete Lute Works, Vol.1-5

ASIN: B00004SCUK
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

Sir John Smith His Almain
Forlorne Hope Fancye
(Pavan)
La Jota
Cumbees
Piva
Emporer Of The Moon
La Battaglia (Jannequin)
Voglio di vita uscir'
(A Jig)
The Earl Of Essex Galliard
The Right Honourable
Aria: Come La Rondinella
Greene-Sleeves
The Glory Of The West
The Queen's Jigg
Fantasia
Sarabrand (sic)
Go From My Windoe
Toccata 2a, For Chitarrone
Hor che gli augelli
Je ne seray jamais bergere

Customer Reviews:

Marvellous!!A delicious recording!!!.......2004-10-01

O`Dette! The lutanist that would become popular in Dowlands time! he seems to me like a Leonhardt on lute.I find the lute no less expressive and enchanting than harpsichord or piano when I listen to Mr O`Dette

Rock guitarist turned lutanist.......2002-08-05

I listen to this album over and over and never get tired of it. O'Dette's interpretations keep sounding fresh and alive, perhaps because of his rock background. This was the popular music of the time and he plays it that way. There's no dusty mustiness of age hanging over it.

The compilation of different albums is great; different instrument combinations and vocal pieces interspersed. I highly recommend it.

Music Track: