Bartók: Dance Suite; Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta; The Wooden Prince

On this CD:

1. Dance Suite, for orchestra (Táncszvit), Sz. 77, BB 86a
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste

2. Music for Strings, Percussion, & Celesta, Sz. 106, BB 114
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste

3. The Wooden Prince, ballet in one act for orchestra (A fából faragott királyfi), Sz. 60, BB 74 (Op. 13)
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste

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:

I. Introduzione: Andante Non Troppo-Allegro Vivace
II. Giuoco Delle Copie: Allegretto Scherzando
III. Elegia: Andante, Non Troppo
IV. Intermezzo Interrotto: Allegretto
V. Finale: Pesante-Presto
I. Moderato
II. Allegro Molto
III. Allegro Vivace
IV. Molto Tranquillo
V. Comodo
VI. Finale: Allegro
I. Andante Tranquillo
II. Allegro
III. Adagio
IV. Allegro Molto

Customer Reviews:

Which Solti to choose in Bartok?.......2007-04-27

This remastered digital collection from Chicago features two works that Solti recorded decades before in London, the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra and the Dance Suite. Both CDs contain a third work, the Music for Strings, Percussion and Celestra from Chicago and the Miraculous Mandarin Suite from London. Since these are all acclaimed recordings and Solti's Bartok was one of his strongest composers, I thought a side-by-side listen would be helpful.

Sound: Decca set out to produce sonic spectaculars in both cases, and in both cases succeeded. The earlier analog sound from London is miked closer and is free of digital edginess. The new remastering of the Chicago recordings has successfully removed the sting form the original CD issue, and though the CSO sits farther back, the sound has great visceral impact. Let's give a slight edge to Chicago.

Execution: You might assume, especially after reading the reviews at Amazon, that the CSO plays so spectacularly that there is no comparison with the London Sym. But Solti was both a powerhouse and a technician. I can't hear that much difference, except that the LSO's wonderful precision of attack isn't quite the super-precision of the CSO, especially in the violins. On the other hand, the LSO soloists play with more personalaity. Call it a draw.

Interprettion: Solti's Bartok was always fast, fierce, precise, and a tad clinical. Not for him the looser phrasing and warmer tone of Ivan Fischer. Having set his interpretation in place, Solti didn't change his timing or phrasing except by indignificant degrees. These two Concertos for Orchestra have an identical approach. However, the Dance Suite form London is hair-raisingly exciting, which isn't true of the Chicago version. And the Miraculous Mandarin Suite from London is even more thrillingly brutal; Solti gives this music the shock treatment, to great effect. By comparison, his MFSP&C from chicago is decidely lackluster.

In the end, it's the couplings that sell me on the London collection. For sheer excitment, Solti's earlier Dance Suite and Miraculous Mandarin qualify as two of his best recordings. As for the main attraction, both versions of the Concerto for Orchestra come out essentially equal.

Sony Classical: Great Performances 1903-1998

Average customer rating:

What I Bought From Sony Companies
Strange interpretation of "classical"
An interesting mix...
A touch of history....
A touch of history....

Sony Classical: Great Performances 1903-1998

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Star Wars | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

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

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

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Jazz: The Definitive Performances
Pop Music: The Modern Era 1976-1999

ASIN: B00000K2EX
Release Date: 1999-10-12

Tracks:

Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Largo Al Factotum'
Mazurka In G Major, 'Obertass,' Op.19, No.1
Contrasts For Violin, Clarinet And Piano: II. 'Piheno'
String Quartet In C Minor, Op.18, No.4: IV. Allegro - Prestissimo
Bachiana Brasileira No.5: Aria - Cantilena
Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64: Allegro Molto Vivace
Rigoletto: 'La Donna E Mobile'
String Quartet No.4: II. Prestissimo, Con Sordino
Carnival Of The Animals: 'Fossils'
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra: III. Rondo. Allegro Spirituoso
Le tombeau de Couperin: I. Prelude
Hermit Songs: 'The Desire For Hermitage'
Variation 30 A 1 Clav. Quodlibet
From 'Goldberg' Variations: Aria
The Threepenny Opera: 'Mack The Knife'
Symphony No. 36 In C Major, K. 425 'Linz': III. Menuetto - Trio
Piano Concerto No. 21 In C Major: III. Allegro Vivace Assai
Symphonie espagnole In D Minor, Op. 21: V. Rondo (Allegro)
'Battle Hymn Of The Republic'
Madama Butterfly: 'Un Bel Di'

Tracks:

Le Sacre du printemps: 'Danse Sacrale'
El Amor Brujo: 'Ritual Fire Dance'
Rodeo (Four Hour Dance): 'Hoe-Down'
Fugue In G Minor, BWV 578 'Little'
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude No. 1 In C Major, BWV 846
Syphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: II. Allegretto Scherzando
Slavonic Dance No. 8 In G Minor, Op. 46
Symphony No.2 In C Minor 'Resurrection': IV. 'Urlicht'
Chichester Psalms: I. Psalm 108
Octet In E-Flat Major, Op.20: III. Scherzo: Allegro Ieggierissimo
Etude In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 2, No.1
Etude In A-Flat Major, Op. 72, No.11
Concierto de Aranjuez: I. Allegro Con Spirito
Karelia Suite, Op.11: III. Alla Marcia. Moderato
Canzon Septimi Toni No.2
Fanfare For The Common Man
'Beau Soir'
Suite For Flute And Jazz Piano: 'Baroque And Blue'
Piano Concerto No. 20 In D Minor, K. 466: III. Rondo. Allegro Assai
Daphnis et Chloe: 'Danse Generale'

Tracks:

Eubie's Classical Rag
Intermezzo In B Minor, Op. 119, No. 1
III. Alegro
Behind The Gardens - Behind The Wall - Under The Tree
Perhaps Love
Facades
O mio babbino caro
Passo pel prat
III. Finale. Allegro
I. Allegro
Promenade (Walking The Dog)
Sonata No.5 In D Major For Cello And Piano: III. Alegro fugato
Turangalila II
IV. Rondo alla Zingarese. Presto
Mazurka In C Minor , Op. 56, No.3
String Quartet In D Minor, Op. 56 'Voces intimae': II. Vivace
Ch'ella mi creda libero e lontano

Tracks:

Main Theme From Star Wars
Andante
Salut d'amour, Op. 12
Minuet
Appalachia Waltz
Appalachia Waltz
Gershwin,
All The Delights Of The Season
Steam Engine
Summon The Heros
Prelude To Suite No. 1 In G Major
Brunnhilde's Battle Cry
Sonata In A Major
A Suite For Strings: The Murder
Flight Of The Bumblebee
Prelude To Suite No. 3 IN E
Libertango
Angel (Lust)
Theme From Schindler's List
I. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
La donna e mobile
Gymnopedie No. 3
Song Of Peace

Customer Reviews:

What I Bought From Sony Companies.......2005-08-20

Bach, Goldberg Variations, Gould, Haydn, L. Mozart, Hummel, Wynton Marsalis, Leppard, Joseph Haydn, Walter (Japanese), Mozart Piano Concertos & Rondos, Murray Perahia, Mozart Quartets by Ax, Stern, Laredo, and Ma, Mozart Concerto Violin, Zukerman, Chopin, Concertos Piano, Gilels, Ormandy, Watts, Schippers, Bruckner, L'Archibudelli, Johannes Brahms, Gould, Brahms, Stern, Trios and Quartets, Brahms, Ax, Ma, Bizet, Carmen and L'Arlesienne suites, Bernstein, Dvorak, Herbert, Ma, Masur, Faure, Quartets, Ax, Stern, Laredo, Ma, Janacek, String Quartets, Alban Berg, Lyric Suite, Juilliard String Quartet, Copland Collection, Debussy, nocturnes, Upshaw, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Canteloube, John Williams Plays Barrios, Ligeti Edition, Claude Bolling, suites and such Jazz, 4 CDs, Joshua Bell, Bernstein, West Side Story. Albert, Bartok, Bloch, Ma, Zinman, John McLaughlin, Concerto for Guitar, and with Katia Labeque, Kathleen Battle.Wynton Marsalis, Baroque Duet,Kathleen Battle Jean-Pierre Rampal in Concert, Bobby McFerrin paper music, with Yo-Yo Ma in Hush, Katia & Marielle Labeque, Love of Colours, Wynton Marsalis, Baroque Music for Trumpets, and Elliot Goldenthal, Fire Water Paper, A Vietnam Oratorio.
I list these because I am trying to figure out what of value is in the Columbia, CBS, and Sony sound legacy in case they come back to the U.S. and revive classical music recording in this country.
Duane Crawford

Strange interpretation of "classical".......2005-01-17

I bought this CD because it contained some songs I was having a hard time finding elsewhere, such as Passo pel prat, Chants d'Auvergne sung by Fredrica Von Stade. However, some of the songs on this CD do not seem to belong e.g. all three songs by John Williams, Mack the Knife, Barbra Streisand, and the Psycho Murder Theme for starters, and many more.

I gave the CD 4 stars only because I was happy that I was able to find a few somewhat rare tracks.

An interesting mix..........2002-05-18

This is a sampler in the truest meaning of the word. I bought this 4 CD work primarly for two tracks, but also because I was interested to see what else was out there without investing a fortune in CD's I wouldn't like! I was surprised by the wide diversity of music ranging from true classical and jazz to contemporary compositions and interpretations.

While I find some tracks divine (Williams's _Schindler's List_), I find other tracks unsettling (_Beau Soir_ performed by Barbra Streisand). But when you are trying to span 100 years of music, you will (and should) encounter all tastes and styles. Overall, I really enjoy listening to this set. My only regret is that I don't have a CD changer...

A touch of history...........2002-01-28

An exceptional set. The history of music making of the 20th century in 4 CDs. Even from the first track with Giuseppe Campanari and Charles Adams Prince you can see that people put much time in collecting the best interpretations and putting together an amazing collection. Other highlights include the "Mack The Knife" with Lotte Lenya, the Bachiana Brasileiras, The Fanfare For The Common Man with LSO conducted by the composer and so many more. An undespiuted *****

A touch of history...........2002-01-28

Bartok: Orchestral Works; Bluebeard's Castle

Average customer rating:

Dorati's MLP Bartok is Back

Bartok: Orchestral Works; Bluebeard's Castle

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Percussion | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hungarian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Antal Dorati Conducts
Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 1-6
Howard Hanson Conducts American Masterworks
Paul Paray Conducts French Orchestral Music
Rafael Kubelik conducts Dvorák, Smetana, Mussorgsky, Bartók, Hindemith, Schoenberg

ASIN: B00035VV78
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Customer Reviews:

Dorati's MLP Bartok is Back.......2005-06-08

Those familiar with my reviews on Amazon know of my great love for the Mercury Living Presence series. Equally great is my disgust that so many of these brilliant recordings have been deleted in the last few years! Thankfully, some of these legendary performances are resurfacing as SACD hybrids. However, they are unfortunately now being sold at full-price, despite a competing Living Stereo hybrid series on RCA/BMG being available at midline. In spite of the added expense, I hope this MLP reissue trend will continue, and maybe we'll even see a few items receiving their CD debut in this series.

These Bartok performances by the great Antal Dorati are nothing short of definitive, and have always been among my favorite MLP offerings. While three of these recordings continue to be available in their original CD incarnations -- the Violin Concerto with Menuhin, Miraculous Mandarin and Wooden Prince discs -- the remaining two discs of material have been out-of-print for some time. However, with this box set Dorati's classic Concerto for Orchestra, and Bluebeard's Castle albums are deservedly restored to the catalog. Even better is the fact that the 5CD box sets being reissued have been reasonably priced, however they are not SACD Hybrids. This set and three others (see my reviews) have a total cost cheaper than the original single issue CDs! Once again, Mercury Living Presence lives!

Average customer rating:

a very welcome anthology for modest price
Bartok and Kodaly in hungarian style

Bartók for Orchestra

Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies; 7 Overtures
Grieg: Complete Music with Orchestra

ASIN: B0000037B0
Release Date: 1997-10-07

Tracks:

The Wooden Prince: Ste, Op.13: Vorspiel-Die Prinzessin
The Wooden Prince: Ste, Op.13: Der Wald
The Wooden Prince: Ste, Op.13: Arbeitslied Der Prinzen
The Wooden Prince: Ste, Op.13: Der Bach
The Wooden Prince: Ste, Op.13: Tanz Des Holzgeschnitzien Prinzen-Nachapiel
Two Portraits, Op.5: I. One Ideal
Two Portraits, Op.5: II. One Grotesque

Tracks:

Music: I. Andante Tranquillo
Music: II. Allegro
Music: III. Adagio
Music: IV. Allegro Molto
Diver: I. Allegro Non Troppo
Diver: II. Molto Adagio
Divert: III. Allegro Assai

Tracks:

Vn Con No.1 (Op. Posth.): I. Andante Sostenuto
Vn Con No.1 (Op. Posth.): II. Allegro Giocoso
Vn Con No.2: I. Allegro Non Troppo
Vn Con No.2: II. Andante Tranquillo
Vn Con No.2: III. Allegro Molto

Tracks:

Romanian Folk Dances: I. The Stick Dance
Romanian Folk Dances: II. Round Dance
Romanian Folk Dances: III. In One Spot
Romanian Folk Dances: IV. The Horn Dance
Romanian Folk Dances: V. Romanian Polka
Romanian Folk Dances: VI. Short And Sweet
Romanian Folk Dances: VII. Short And Sweet
Dance Ste: I. Moderato
Dance Ste: II. Allegro Molto
Dance Ste: III. Allegro Vivace
Dance Ste: IV. Molto Tranquillo
Dance Ste: V. Comodo
Dance Ste: VI. Finale: Allegro
Hungarian Pictures: I. Evening In Transylvania
Hungarian Pictures: II. Bear Dance
Hungarian Pictures: III. Melody
Hungarian Pictures: IV. A Bit Tipsy
Hungarian Pictures: V. Urog Swineherd Dance
Two Pictures: I. In Full Bloom
Two Pictures: II. Village Dance
Romanian Dance: Allegro Vivace

Tracks:

Con: I. Intro: Andante Non Troppo-Allegro
Con: II. Giuoco Delle Coppie: Allegretto Scherzando
Con: III. Elegia: Andante, Non Troppo
Con: IV. Intermezzo Interrotto: Allegretto
Con: V. Finale: Pesante-Presto
The Miraculous Mandarin: Ste

Tracks:

Hary Janos: Ste: Prld/The Fairy/Tale Begins
Hary Janos: Ste: Viennese Musical Clock
Hary Janos: Ste: Song
Hary Janos: Ste: Battle And Defeat Of Napoleon
Hary Janos: Ste: Intermezzo
Hary Janos: Ste: Entrance Of The Emperor And His Court
Dances Of Galanta
Vars On A Hungarian Folksong (The Peacock)

Amazon.com

Some people are frightened by the (mostly) 20th century Hungarian composer Béla Bartók. His colorful orchestration and by turns folksy and angular rhythms and melodies seem to be cut from very exotic cloth. But there's nothing to fear--this six-CD set presents his most popular orchestral music played with authentic flair by the Hungarian State Orchestra: the two violin concerti with the excellent soloist Gerhart Hetzel, the suite from his ballet The Wooden Prince, the Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, the Concerto for Orchestra, and several other flavorful works. As a bonus, three pieces by his compatriot, Zoltán Kodály are included. A fine introduction to a master composer. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

a very welcome anthology for modest price.......2001-01-06

For many classical music lovers who are not specialists in Hungarian music - and I would count myself among them - this collection of Bartok's orchestral works along with a supplemental Kodaly disc at budget price cannot be too strongly welcomed. The Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra plays with rhythmic finesse and considerable virtuoso skill, and the direction of Adam Fischer is very fine. I will not attempt a comparison between his performances and those of Janos Ferencsik and Arpad Joo among others. The documentation is brief but well written. CD 1 has a playing time of only 39:25, but that should not seriously deter anybody. The tracking and cueing is excellent, as is the digital stereo sound. The reproduction of the painting "Preparing the meal in the wood" by A. Fenyes on the cover is very tasteful. Overall, this is a very satisfying issue.

Bartok and Kodaly in hungarian style.......2000-06-15

This 6 cd box is a very good one if you are looking for a essential Bartok, as a gift you get Kodaly too. Bartok is a master of taking folk songs and translated them to the finest classical music. The quality of recording is very good and we can imagine that the interpretation is accurate since the players are hungarians. There is a tenderness in the orchestra under Mr. Fischer that bring us a light and elegant Bartok instead of a rough one, as we can expect from folkloric music. The Romanian Folk Dances are amazing and you can imagine people dancing in the country. But the best in this collection are the violin concertos. Since I bought this box I listen the concertos many times and it is always a pleasure for soul.

Gateway To Classical Music: Volume 1/Volume 2

Average customer rating:

Gateway To Classical Music: Volume 1/Volume 2

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | 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

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002SCD
Release Date: 1994-03-15

Tracks:

Six Medieval Tunes - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Rosa das rosas - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Maravillosos e piadosos - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Instrumental Kyrie (Codex Faenza) - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Sanctus - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Flos florum - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Messe de Nostre Dame III.: Gloria - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Motet - Quam pulcra es - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Requiem (Missa pro defunctis): II. Kyrie - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Motet - Absalom, fili mi - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
(untitled) - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Rias Chamber Choir: Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
O magnum mysterium - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Hodie Christus natus est - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Ricercar - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Buccinate in neomenia - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Toccata V In G major - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Zefiro torna - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
The First Booke Of Songes: 'Now O Now' - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Dances From Terpsichore: Passameze - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC

Tracks:

Suite In A Minor For Flute And Strings - Overture - Various Artists
Abdelazer: Rondo - Various Artists
Concerto Grosso In G Minor, Op. 6, No. 8 'Christmas': I. Allegro - Various Artists
Oboe Concerto: I. Allegro - Various Artists
Concerto For Mandolin: I. Allegro - Various Artists
Concerto For Mandolin: II. Largo - Various Artists
Concerto For Mandolin: III. Allegro - Various Artists
Adagio In G Minor For Organ And Strings - Various Artists
The Four Seasons - 'Spring' RV.269: I. Allegro - Various Artists
The Four Seasons - 'Spring' RV.269: II. largo - Various Artists
The Four Seasons - 'Spring' RV.269: III. Allegro - Various Artists
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565 - Various Artists
Canon In D - Various Artists
Water Music - Suite In D: Alla Hornpipe - Various Artists
Contata No. 80: Chorale - Ein 'Feste Burg ist unser Gott - Various Artists
Quella pace gradita (Cantata) - 'Care selve, soggiorni quieti' - Various Artists
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 In F Major, BWV 1047: I. Allegro - Various Artists
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 In F Major, BWV 1047: II. Andante - Various Artists
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 In F Major, BWV 1047: III. Allegro assai - Various Artists

Tracks:

Symphony No. 96 In D Major 'Miracle': I. Adagio - Allegro - Various Artists
Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade, K. 525): I. Allegro - Various Artists
Minuet For Strings - Various Artists
Divertimento, Hob.II:20: III. Adagio - Various Artists
Horn Concerto No. 4, K. 495: III. Rondo - Various Artists
Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - Various Artists
Cello Concert No. 1 In E Flat, G. 474: I. Allegro moderato - Various Artists
Piano Concerto No. 21 In C, K. 467, 'Elvira Madigan': II. Andante - Various Artists
Trumpet Concerto In E Flat Major: III. Allegro - Various Artists
Symphony No. 40 In G Minor, K. 550: I. Molto Allegro - Various Artists
Marriage of Figaro, K. 492: Overture - Various Artists
Medea: Overture - Various Artists

Tracks:

Barber Of Seville: Overture - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Violin Concerto No. 1 In D Major, Op. 6: III. Rondo (Allegro spirituoso) - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor, D.759 'Unfinished': I. Allegro moderato - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Symphony No. 4 In A 'Italian': I. Allegro Vivace - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Piano Concerto No. 1 In E Minor, Op. 11: II. Romance (Larghetto) - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Symphony No. 6 In F, Op. 68 'Pastoral': I. Allegro ma non troppo - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Der Freischutz: Overture - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC

Tracks:

Roman Carnival Overture - Various Artists
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3 In D - Liszt
Symphony No. 3 In E Flat Major, 'Rhenish': I. Lebhaft - Various Artists
Voices Of Spring, Op. 410 - Johann Strauss
Dance Of The Persian Slaves: Khovanshchina - Various Artists
VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D, OP. 77: III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace - Various Artists
Carnaval Overture, Op. 92 - Various Artists
Tristan und Isolde: Liebestod - Various Artists
Symphony No. 4 In F Minor, Op. 36: IV. Finale, (Allegro con fuoco) - Tchaikovsky

Tracks:

Mlada: Procession Of The Nobles - Various Artists
Pavane, Op. 50 - Various Artists
Symphony No. 1 In E Major, Op. 26: I. Lento - Various Artists
Symphony No. 4 In E Flat 'Romantic': III. Scherzo And Trio - Various Artists
Symphony No. 5 In C Minor: IV. Adagietto (Sehr langsam) - Various Artists
Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1 In D, Op. 39-1 - Various Artists
Poeme De L'amour Er De La Mer, Op. 19: II. Interlude - Various Artists
On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring - Various Artists
The Sorcerer's Apprentice - Various Artists
Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: Renunciation - Various Artists

Tracks:

Finlandia - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini: Variation No. 18 - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Pavane pour une infante defunte - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Nocturnes: 'Fetes' - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
The Firebird: 'Infernal Dance' - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Feste romane: 'La Befana' - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: III. Adagio - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Adagio For Strings - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Rodeo: Hoe-down - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Romeo And Juliet, Suite No. 2, Op. 64c: Montagues And Capulets - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
5 Orchestral Pieces, Op. 16: Peripetie: Sehr rasch - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
A Set Of Pieces For Theater Or Chamber Orchestra - No. 3: In The Night - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
Candide: Overture - GATEWAY TO CLASSICAL MUSIC

Tracks:

Orfeo ed Euridice: 'J'ai perdu mon Eurydice' - Various Artists
Don Giovanni: 'Madamina, il catalogo e questo' (Catalog Aria) - Various Artists
Fidelio: 'O namenlose Freude!' - Various Artists
Norma: 'Casta Vista' - Various Artists
Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Largo al factotum della citta' - Various Artists
L'Elisir d'Amore: 'Una furtiva lagrima' - Various Artists
La Traviata: 'Lunge da lei...de'miei bollenti spiriti' - Various Artists
Aida: 'Qui Radames verra...O patria mia' - Various Artists
Tannhauser: 'Wie Todesahnung O du mein holder Abendstern' - Various Artists
Carmen: 'Votre toast je peux vous le rende' (Song Of The Toreador) - Various Artists
La Gioconda: 'Suicidio!' - Various Artists
Pagliacci: 'Vesti la giubba' - Various Artists
La Fanciulla del West: 'Ch'ella mi creda libero' - Various Artists
TOSCA: 'E lucevan le Stelle' - Various Artists
Adriana Lecouvreur: 'Ecco! respiro appeno...Io son lumile ancella' - Various Artists
Peter Grimes: 'Embroidery In Childhood Was A Luxury Of Idleness' - Various Artists
Salome: 'Ah! Ich habe deinen Mund gekusst' - Various Artists

The First Recordings as pianist and conductor, 1947-1958

Average customer rating:

Brilliant Recordings Rescued From The Vaults

The First Recordings as pianist and conductor, 1947-1958

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B00008CLMK
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant Recordings Rescued From The Vaults.......2003-05-30

Now that Decca and Deutsche Grammophon, among others, are all part of Universal, we have seen some interesting things happen, and not all of them bad. What I'm referring to in this case is the new "Original Masters" Limited Edition Box Set series. Finally, the classical music world has taken a page out of the jazz reissue handbook -- put out a quality product featuring rare recordings but make its availability limited, and people will snatch it up. In the "Original Masters" series, first DG and now Decca have each reissued five box sets, of 4 to 7 CDs each, in distinguished, space-saving slim paper boxes, though the style of packaging is different. The DG sets feature 50s style graphics design on their covers, while the Decca ones have a distinctive rainbow/spectrum pattern on the spines and banners, and a black-and-white photo of the artist in question on the face of the box.

This particular set brings back Sir Georg Solti's first recordings as a pianist and conductor, from 1947-1958, for Decca. The first two discs are mostly Solti on piano with violinist Georg Kulenkampff on the three Brahms Violin Sonatas and Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata, recorded in 1947-48. Rounding out disc two is Violinist Mischa Elman performing Beethoven's Violin Concerto with Solti conducting the London Philharmonic from 1955. Disc three features Solti conducting the Israel Philharmonic in Schubert's 5th Symphony from 1958 (the collection's only stereo recording), and Bartok's Dance Suite (1952) and Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1955) again with the LPO. The final disc showcases Solti with the Bayerisches Staatsorcheter in Kodaly's Hary Janos Suite and excerpts from Richard Strauss' "Elektra." While clearly not as essential as Solti's Beethoven or Brahms Cycles, or his great "Decca Legends" offerings like his Mahler 8th and "Romantic Russia," this box set is a great introduction to this artist and something Solti fans will certainly not want to miss. Well, I guess the consolidation of the music industry isn't so bad after all, as long as I can look forward to more reissues like this.

Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Divertimento; Rhapsody No. 1; Dance Suite; Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta

Average customer rating:

Great Music, in Fine (But in One Case Imperfect) Performance

Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Divertimento; Rhapsody No. 1; Dance Suite; Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Concerto For Orchestra Sz 116: I. Introduzione
Concerto For Orchestra Sz 116: II. Giuoco delle coppie
Concerto For Orchestra Sz 116: III. Elegia
Concerto For Orchestra Sz 116: IV. Intermezzo interrotto
Concerto For Orchestra Sz 116: V. Finale
Divertimento Sz 113: Allegro non troppo
Divertimento Sz 113: Molto adagio
Divertimento Sz 113: Allegro assai
Rhapsody No. 1 (Orig. For Violin And Orchestra): Lassu
Rhapsody No. 1 (Orig. For Violin And Orchestra): Friss

Tracks:

Dance Suite Sz 77: I. Moderato
Dance Suite Sz 77: II. Allegro molto
Dance Suite Sz 77: III. Allegro vivace
Dance Suite Sz 77: IV. Molto tranquillo
Dance Suite Sz 77: V. Comodo
Dance Suite Sz 77: VI. Finale: Allegro
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: I. Andante tranquillo
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: II. Allegro
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: III. Adagio
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta: IV. Allegro molto
The Wooden Prince Sz. 60, Op. 13

Customer Reviews:

Great Music, in Fine (But in One Case Imperfect) Performance.......2001-11-20

I nearly rated this only four stars; but since my only real quarrel was with one movement of one of the pieces, I felt that would be unfairly draconian.

There is much to like in Andrew Davis' reading of the Concerto for Orchestra; such a wealth of detail WORKS here that I've never heard any other conductor do: when the tempo picks up in the Introduzione, and there's a brief interruption of the new tempo while the horns have a unison perfect-fourth figure, Davis DOES NOT milk this, and the effect is an arresting tenuto rather than an exaggerated curtain-line, when we've only just got started ... the best clarinet reading in the Giuoco delle coppie that I remember hearing ... the Shostakovich parody which "interottos" the Intermezzo is taken at a deliciously deliberate pace which is far more mocking than the general "whip-it" consensus ... and the Finale dances and bubbles without being an insensate race to the final double-bar.

But there is a moment of mush in the strings during the Elegia which I cannot in good conscience overlook. It doesn't ruin the performance, or this recording, for me; but it cannot be called the "best," either ... like a year in which First Prize is not awarded ....

The performance here by the Helsinki Strings of the Divertimento is brilliant, and brings out the beauty and elation of this masterwork for the string orchestra.

The Dance Suite is to Bartók's oeuvre what the Slavonic Dances are to Dvorák's; well-made, ebullient dance-music ... not "serious art," perhaps, but far finer art than a great deal of laboriously "serious art" ....

The Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta needs no praise from me; it is in many respects Bartók's signature work, and enduringly unique. Utterly inimitable, so that it is an unforgiving Nemesis to its imitators; a piece which Bartók alone could have written.

The other pieces complement the disc brilliantly, without being in any negative sense "filler": the suite from the ballet "The Wooden Prince" and an arrangement for cello of the First Rhapsody.

Tracks:

Concerto For Orchestra: Introduction: Allegro non troppo
Concerto For Orchestra: Giuoco delle Coppie: Allegretto scherzando
Concerto For Orchestra: Elegia: Andante non troppo
Concerto For Orchestra: Intermezzo interrotto: Allegretto
Concerto For Orchestra: Finale: Presto
Dance Suite: Moderato
Dance Suite: Allegro molto
Dance Suite: Allegro vivace
Dance Suite: Molto tranquillo
Dance Suite: Commodo

Tracks:

Suite From 'The Miraculous Mandarin': The Robbers - B. Bartok
Suite From 'The Miraculous Mandarin': The Girl - B. Bartok
The Mandarin - B. Bartok
Music For Strings, Percussion & Celesta: Andante tranquillo - B. Bartok
Music For Strings, Percussion & Celesta: Allegro - B. Bartok
Music For Strings, Percussion & Celesta: Adagio - B. Bartok
Music For Strings, Percussion & Celesta: Allegro molto - B. Bartok

Tracks:

Divertimento For String Orchestra: Allegro non troppo
Divertimento For String Orchestra: Molto adagio
Divertimento For String Orchestra: Allegro assai
Suite From 'The Wooden Prince', Op.13: Prelude
Suite From 'The Wooden Prince', Op.13: Dance Of The Princess In The Forest
Suite From 'The Wooden Prince', Op.13: Dance Of The Trees
Suite From 'The Wooden Prince', Op.13: Dance Of The Waves
Suite From 'The Wooden Prince', Op.13: The Prince And His Wooden Doll
Suite From 'The Wooden Prince', Op.13: Dance Of The Princess With The Wooden Doll
Suite From 'The Wooden Prince', Op.13: Postlude

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Bartók starter.......2002-01-04

Although at least some of the pieces on this album have better versions available, notably the poerful interprettions of Iván Fisher, there are also far worse, and this isn't one without character. As an introduction to the work of Béla Bartók, it's a must have. The inexpensive 3-disc set is a regular shelf item at B&N. Skrowaczewski's interpretation of Concerto for Orchestra brings out its quirks much more effectively that Dorati's better-known version, and is worth hearing even if you have Fisher's more recent recording (Fisher made two). Some of the other works are reduced to suites, but these edits are common, and I believe done by Bartók himself. I can comfortably say that, unlike some inexpensive Bartók recordings, that if you don't like this album, you probably won't like the better versions that are out there, and if you do like this album, you'll continue to listen to it even if you do get some of the better ones.

Music Track:

Music Track

music track

Recommended Music:

Floating Anarchy Live 1977 [Import]

McEwen: String Quartets, Vol. 1

Marcello: Sonatas Op. 2 Nos. 1-6

Music: Crammed Global Soundclash 1980-89 [Box set] [Import]

Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel [Import]

Just Like the Ivy

electronicspartner.com Music: 1949-1974 [Import]

germanbooks88.com Music: 1909-1940 Vol 2

Italian Musical Odyssey

Machito and His Afro-Cubans

Maybe This Christmas

Jazz Music: 100 Ans De Jazz [Limited Edition] [Import]

FM99.9: Primavera en la 100 [Import]

Expressions of Praise

24 Exitos en Castellano