Trio

On this CD:

1. Concerto in F minor, for viola and small orchestra, Op. 24
Composed by Paul Muller-Zurich

2. Pieces for piano (6), Op. 10
Composed by Paul Muller-Zurich
Performed by Andrew Zolinsky

3. Sonata for violin & piano, Op. 32
Composed by Paul Muller-Zurich
Performed by Roland Roberts, Andrew Zolinsky

4. Trio for basset-horn, viola & cello
Composed by Paul Muller-Zurich
Performed by Alan Hacker

5. Quartet for violin, clarinet, cello & piano in C minor, Op. 26
Composed by Paul Muller-Zurich
Performed by Alan Hacker, Roland Roberts, Andrew Zolinsky

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2, 'Moonlight': Adagio sostenuto
Symphony No. 2 In D, Op.36: II. Larghetto
String Quartet No.13 In B-Flat, Op.130: V. Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo
Violin Sonata No.5 In F, Op.24, 'Spring': II. Adagio molto espressivo
Fur Elise
Triple Concerto In C, Op.56: II. Largo
Piano Sonata No.8 In C Minor, Op.13, 'Pathetique': II. Adagio cantabile
Fidelo, Act I: Quartet 'Mir ist so wunderbar'
Piano Sonata No. 18 In E-Flat, Op.31, No.3: III. Menuetto: Moderato e grazioso
Serenade In D, Op.8: II. Adagio
Symphony No.6 In F, Op.68, 'Pastoral': II. Scene By The Brook

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2, 'Moonlight': I Adagio sostenuto
Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 36: II Larghetto
String Quartet No. 13 In B-Flat, Op. 130: V Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo
Violin Sonata No. 5 In F, Op. 24, 'Spring': II Adagio molto espressivo
Fur Elise
Triple Concerto In C, Op. 56: II Largo
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, 'Pathetique': II Adagio cantabile
Fidelio, Act I: Quartet 'Mir ist so wunderbar'
Piano Sonata No. 18 In E-Flat, Op. 31 No. 3: III Menuetto: Moderato e grazioso
Serenade In D, Op. 8: II Adagio
Symphony No. 6 In F, Op. 68, 'Pastoral': II Scene By The Brook

Customer Reviews:

I love it!.......2007-01-21

I've had this CD for about 6 years now and it never gets old. As the title suggests, it's great for relaxing with a good book and a glass of wine. I find myself reaching for this CD whenever I get a migraine. I had always heard that the complexities of Beethoven's music could ease a migraine, or I suppose any headache. I've never been able to find any substantiated proof of this but from my experience the music eases my headaches. Whether it's psychological is still a mystery to me. Fact is, I love this CD and it's never far from me.

Famous Beethoven slow movements.......2006-01-15

The real Beethoven would probably be irritated with compilation CD's like this that "cherry picks" a variety of slow movements from various works he composed. But, the average listener today will see it as a great way to get to know his music and enjoy an hour of more serene music - less Beethoven's more intense movements. The variery here is broad: solo piano, violin + piano, string quartet and full orchestra symphonies and concertos. The dreamy solo-piano pieces are some of Beethoven's most beloved and alluring slow movements that vaulted him to fame. While these and the chamber music tend to be more "relaxing," the latter orchestral pieces especially contain shifts in tempo, dynamic range and emotion that some might not find so relaxing. After all, this is Beethoven with a full orchestra and not Bach or the Baroque.

But, all is not lost if you are looking for a collection of serene, lyrical music composed by the great Beethoven. There actually is a CD that features some of Beethoven's most endearing and melodic adagios and largos: "Beethoven for Book Lovers" (Philips label). This CD is mostly comprised of the nicest slow movements from Beethoven's ten violin sonatas (violin + piano) played by the legendary David Oistrakh - a violinist with one of the most gentle and beautiful tone ever recorded. Fortunately for those wanting uninterupted peacefulness, there are only a couple of those typical "Beethoven outbursts" in this CD (very brief though). But, overall, the flow and tone of the entire CD is truly relaxing, enchanting and not distracting. All of these works reveal the gentle side of Beethoven and his surprizing ability (for such a fiery composer) to write music of such poinant and tenderhearted emotional appeal. Also, the "Chopin for Relaxation" is one of the better ones in this series and features some of Chopin's slower, more serene solo-piano music and the ever-so lovely middle movements from his two legendary piano concertos.

Number of discs.......2005-03-16

The ad above shows 2 discs with the same track names... this item has only 1 disc with 11 tracks (names as shown above).

I Know Music, and This is Not the Best (by Beethoven Lover).......2005-02-21

Ok, I'll admit, this is a pretty good album, but it lacks the feeling of Beethoven. Its songs don't sound like Beethoven is playing, and its not too relaxing. It deserves three stars because of this lack of the great Beethoven himself. Sure, the songs are pretty, but I'd buy a different album if I was you.

Not the Best By beethoven Lover.......2005-02-20

not completely a delight...shows little Beethoven in it all, deserves only about two or three stars.

Average customer rating:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
Beginner or Expert
Very Informative and Enjoyable
Frank's view
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

Trumpet Concerto In E: 1. Allegro Con Spirito
Trumpet Concerto In E: 2. Andante
Trumpet Concerto In E: 3. Rondo
Trumpet Concerto In D: 1. Allegro Non Troppo
Trumpet Concerto In D: 2. Largo
Trumpet Concerto In D: 3. Vivace
Trumpet Concerto In D: 1. Allegro Non Troppo Presto
Trumpet Concerto In D: 2. Adagio
Trumpet Concerto In D: 3. Allegro Molto
Trumpet Concerto In E Flat, Hob. VIIIe:1: 1. Allegro
Trumpet Concerto In E Flat, Hob. VIIIe:1: 2. Andante
Trumpet Concerto In E Flat, Hob. VIIIe:1: 3. Allegro
Trumpet Concerto In D: 1. Allegro Moderato
Trumpet Concerto In D: 2. Andante
Trumpet Concerto In D: 3. Allegro

Tracks:

Trumpet Concerto In D: 1. Andante
Trumpet Concerto In D: 2. Allegro Moderato
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 In E Flat: 1. Allegro
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 In E Flat: 2. Adagio
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 In E Flat: 3. Vivace
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 In D: 1. Allegro
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 In D: 2. Adagio
Trumpet Concerto No. 1 In D: 3. Allegro
Trumpet Concerto No. 2 In C: 1. Adagio
Trumpet Concerto No. 2 In C: 2. Allegro Molto
Sonata In D For Trumpet, Two Violins And Continuo: 1. Grave
Sonata In D For Trumpet, Two Violins And Continuo: 2. Allegro
Sonata In D For Trumpet, Two Violins And Continuo: 3. Grave
Sonata In D For Trumpet, Two Violins And Continuo: 4. Allegro
Sonata In D For Trumpet, Two Violins And Continuo: 5. Allegro
Concerto In B Flat, Op. 7 No. 3: 1. Allegro
Concerto In B Flat, Op. 7 No. 3: 2. Adagio
Concerto In B Flat, Op. 7 No. 3: 3. Allegro
Adagio In G Minor
Trumpet Tune
Chorale Preludes: 'Erbarm Dich Mein, O Herre Gott' BWN 721
Chorale Preludes: 'Ich Ruf' Zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ' BWV 639
Chorale Preludes: 'Herzlich Tut Mich Verlangen' BWV 727
Ave Maria

Customer Reviews:

Virtuosic Trumpet: Baroque And Classical Showcase.......2004-02-22

This album is an incredible showcase for the trumpet and the orchestra, in other words, the trumpet concerto. Hakan Hardenberger, the featured trumpet player, is highly talented and at the top of his game. Even the great jazz and classical trumpeter Winston Marsalis does'nt seem to reach the flights of fancy on the trumpet as does Hakan Hardenberger. Hardenberger masters the trumpet to perfection, capturing every nuance and every tone, from fortissimo fanfares to the softest pianissimo. On this compilation are the trumpet concerti of Baroque and Classical Era composers, among them Corelli and Albinoni and the Classical masters Franz Joseph Haydn and Leopold Mozart, Mozart's father. The sheer scale and magnetism of this music cannot be neglected. It is the greatest gathering of trumpet concerti ever made. The trumpet was perhaps the most fascinating instrument for Baroque composers. The trumpet produces grand, triumphant tones when played forte. It was an instrument that was displayed in ceremonial pomp- weddings, coronations and marches. The Baroque composers were sponsored by kings so they were expected to compose music for trumpet, which could be expressive not only as a fanfare for the king himself, but as an instrument of many dynamics. It can be played softly and slowly, which seems to create a nocturnal, reflective mood and staccato and fast-paced which made the music sound exciting and lively. In my opinion, it was the premier instrument of the Baroque Age.

The cd opens with the Trumpet Concerto In E Flat Major by Johann Hummel. This colorful piece is particularily impressive as it really explores the dynamic potential for the trumpet. It's third movement, the Rondo, is very exciting music, as it is played very fast and in a bouncy, dance-like manner. The Trumpet Concerto by Stamitz, Hertel and Richter are very stylish and must have been highly admired in the Baroque Era. The Trumpet concerto in E by Franz Joseph Haydn, who influenced Mozart, is beautiful, especially in its serenade-style andante second movement. In the last cd, Leopold Mozart's trumpet concerto is featured, and it's a good work. Perhaps his son Mozart greatly admired it, though Mozart did'nt really expand on trumpet concerti himself nor really ever showcased the instrument greatly. There are trumpet arrangements for the famous Albinoni Adagio in G, which on this version, sounds chilling, dark and dramatic. The cd concludes with trumpet versions of Bach's Organ Preludes and the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria.

superb playing.......2003-10-30

Hardenberger is indeed an extraordinary. The playing is right up there with the best of them. One thing unique to hardnberger is his ability to lock in ever note of every passage reguardless of register, speed, etc. In addition he playes with great character. The only reason i give hims less than 5 stars is because his lyricism, the most important thing, is surpassed by Maurice Andre and Phil Smith without questiong. especially after seing all of them live and buying their CDs. He is definitely among the greatests ever.

The Best Trumpeter in the Business.......2003-05-25

It's a rare treat for a reviewer when he can throw caution to the winds and go out on a limb for a musician. This is such an occasion for me. Hakan Hardenberger is a phenomenon. I think he is the Babe Ruth, the Wayne Gretzky, the Michael Jordan, the Vladimir Horowitz, the Jascha Heifetz of trumpet players.

Hardenberger is a Swedish trumpeter who made his first recording (Haydn, Hummel, Hertel, and Stamitz trumpet concertos, with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under Neville Marriner, on Philips) in 1986 when he was only 25 years old (in the cover photo of the original CD he looks like a boy). The first time I played this debut CD of his, my jaw dropped and I could hardly believe my ears. His playing was a revelation--absolutely stunning. I'd never heard trumpet playing to compare with it. In my opinion, with his first two CDs young Hardenberger not only moved into the top rank of trumpeters; he swept right past his competitors to the head of the class. I've compared a number of his baroque concerto performances, here and elsewhere, with those of other famous trumpeters, and he always comes out on top. I believe him to be in a league of his own. He has everything: virtuosity and technique to burn, dead-on intonation, clean trills, smooth legato, expressive shading, beauty of tone, brilliant high notes, enormous dynamic range. He is also a sound musician, with taste and a sense of style. His arsenal is complete and unassailable; there is no chink in his armor.

Everything that was on that debut CD is now in this Philips Duo set, which is a much better value, because it offers two generously filled CDs--72:55 and 78:27--for the price of one, adding most of the contents of two later Hardenberger CDs of baroque music for trumpet (the recordings here were made from 1986 through 1993). It's a good buy, and if you're going to own only one collection of baroque trumpet music, this is the one I'd recommend.

The trumpet has always been a difficult instrument to record and reproduce accurately. Here, although the consistently excellent digital recording presents Hardenberger very much front and center, it captures the timbre, "bite," and wide dynamic range of his trumpet with exemplary vividness and fidelity. On a top-quality playback system, he sounds like he's standing right between the speakers playing for you. And what playing it is! Not to be missed.

Hardenberger's second CD, of Telemann Trumpet Concertos, also accompanied by the ASMF, this time under Iona Brown, was recorded in 1987 (again on Philips). It too is marvelous, fully as impressive as his first CD, but unfortunately none of it is included in the Philips Duo reviewed here, so you have to acquire it separately. It's well worth it.

Long live the king!

Virtuosic... Incredible.......2001-08-06

You don't have to be a fan of the instrument in order to appreciate and become overwhelmed by the beauty, the splendor and acrobatics of the trumpet. In the Baroque era, it was a instrument for the royal treatment and heralded arrival of kings and war. The performances here are excellent- Hardenberger, I Musici and Neville Marriner and his orchestra deliver virtuosic renditions of Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in E flat, Hummel's, Hertel's, Molter's and Albinoni's concerti, as well as incredible arrangements of Ave Maria by Bach and Albinoni's Adagio.

A non-trumpet player's view..........2001-02-12

Although I love classical music and have done so for a long time, I must confess that I am not a trumpet player. With that said, I must say that these two CDs are wonderful. My first recording of the Hummel and the Haydn concertos was the second Marsalis/Leppard/ECO recording on Sony Classical (titled Wynton Marsalis - The London Concert). Inexperienced with trumpet recordings at the time, I really treasured the CD. After all, a big name artist known for his virtuosity was performing the technically demanding concertos. What more could you ask for? After a while, though, I began to feel that Marsalis didn't really do it for me in these works. Sure, he played with a flair (and what a flair it was), but he lacked the focused, rich tone that I've come to associate with great trumpet players (Herseth comes to mind here).

The current reviewed recording, on the other hand, is quite a piece of gem. Even though I have never heard of Hardenberger before (you trumpet players out there please excuse my ignorance), he delivers precisely what I am looking for. Hardenberger has the centered tone that most trumpeters would envy, yet he lacked none of the technical virtuosity needed for the music. His vibrato is light and very classical (as opposed to the wider jazz vibrato). On top of all that, he shows much understanding and affinity for the various works on these two CDs.

Customer Reviews:

breakdown by cd........2007-01-14

CD1-7:SYMPHONIES 1-9

CD8:PIANO CONCERTO

CD9:VIOLIN CONCERTO & CELLO CONCERTO

CD10-11:REQUIEM

CD12-13:STABAT MATER

CD14:PIANO TRIOS OP.90 "DUMKY" & 21

CD15:PIANO TRIOS OP.65 & 26

CD16:PIANO QUARTETS

CD17:PIANO QUINTETS

CD18:STRING QUINTETS

CD19-20:MUSIC FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO

C21:SERENADE/HAUSMUSIK

CD22-31:THE COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS

CD32:SLAVONIC DANCES OP.46 & 72

CD33:PIANO DUET SLAVONIC DANCES

CD34:PIANO DUET LEGENDS FROM THE BOHEMIAN FOREST

CD35:PIANO WORKS

CD36-37:RUSALKA

CD38-40:SYMPHONIC POEMS

I'm not a music expert.......2005-08-25

I don't know too much about music. I own over 700 cds, but I don't play music and I don't have much experience with this music. My only point of reference was the ninth symphony, seeing as every other piece in this box set was new to me. It sounds fine, nothing wrong with it as far as I can see.

Now, here's what you'll get in this box set, seeing as Amazon does not give it a description. 40 cds! no joke, you get 40 cds in this box set. It features:
1. Complete symphonies
2. Complete symphonic poems
3. Cello concerto
4. Piano concerto
5. Violin concerto
6. Requiem
7. Stabat Mater
8. Slavonic Dances
9. Complete String quartets
10. Chamber music
11. Piano Works (solo and duet)
12. Rusalka

As far as I can tell, the only things missing are The Spectre's Bride and Jacobin. Seeing as it is 40 cds, i have not had an opportunity to listen to it, however what i have heard i have been quite satisfied with.

Average customer rating:

The "Clinker" of the bunch

Brahms: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Sextets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Brilliant Classics | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Beethoven: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Complete Works (170 CD Box Set)

ASIN: B00062FLIS
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

The "Clinker" of the bunch.......2006-12-19

Having collected the entire "The Masterworks" series (including the Bach and Mozart Complete Works) this set is the 'clinker' of the bunch. First off... 6 CD's of Lieder 'historic' (pre-historic) recordings. No Overtures, No Orchestral Seranades, No Haydn Variations?? The performances of the Symphonies and the Concertos are shakey and not very well recorded. Brilliant Classics, who has done such a wonderful job with the Hadyn Complete Symphonies (licensed from Nimbus), the Mozart and Bach Complete sets, has stumbled a bit with this release.

Shostakovich Edition [Box Set] [Includes Interview DVD]

Average customer rating:

Shostakovich Edition [Box Set] [Includes Interview DVD]

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Gershwin: Piano Cto in F/Rhapsody in Blue in C (Hybr)
Bach: Complete Works - 155 CD Box Set
Grieg: Chamber Music (Complete)
Violin Concertos [Box Set]
Haydn: Piano Sonatas

ASIN: B000J20V8K
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Meditation: Classical Relaxation (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Relaxing music at its finest!
Get it for $9.99 at Sam's Club!
Beautiful, moving music! You'll recognize many of the pieces
Meditative, But Not Boring
A Bargain and Beautiful

Meditation: Classical Relaxation (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | 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

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Masters of Classical Music (Box Set)
Classics for Relaxation and Meditation
Chopin For Relaxation
Beethoven for Relaxation
Vivaldi for Relaxation

ASIN: B000001VUT
Release Date: 1991-10-11

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

Relaxing music at its finest!.......2005-10-14

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meditative, But Not Boring.......2002-06-21

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

A Bargain and Beautiful.......2002-02-28

This is a wonderful collection of some of my most favorite classical selections. Most I already own, but still like having these all together. I could only wish that the recording level was the same for all selections. Yes, some are written to be softer, but I found it often necessary to turn the volume up or down for different selections. But aside from this minor preference, the quality, the choices, and the price are all super.

Average customer rating:

Nothing but hits

Essential Hyperion, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

Te Deum | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music

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

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
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The Essential Hyperion (Label Highlight Compilation)
Essential Purcell

ASIN: B00004RITB
Release Date: 2001-01-09

Customer Reviews:

Nothing but hits.......2001-01-31

As with their first collection of label highlights, Hyperion's new two-disc collection provides a broad sampling of their exceptional catalogue and performers. Particularly rewarding are the selections from Beethoven (Scherzo from String Trio in C minor, op 9 no 3, performed by the Leopold Trio) and Thomas Tallis (Salvator mundi I, performed by the Winchester Cathedral Choir), but experienced and novice listeners alike will find much to enjoy on these discs. It's also a good value--more than 2 1/2 hours of music for less than $10.

Average customer rating:

Uneven quality but great value
A superb collection of Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Te Deum | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
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Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Haydn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Brahms: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Schubert: The Masterworks [Box Set]

ASIN: B00062FLJ2
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

Uneven quality but great value.......2007-04-30

Brilliant Classics has found a niche with their extremely low-price multi-disc collections of the work of a single composer or performer. The Bach, Mozart and Chopin Complete Editions are legitimately considered to be artistic and economical triumphs. But the Masterworks series are more uneven. Currently available from Amazon France at about a buck per CD, they're still a bargain for those interested in quickly building a music library. But it's worth keeping a few things in mind. Unlike the Bach and Mozart Editions, these are not always historically informed performances. In this Mendelssohn set, the Hanover Band puts in a cameo (in Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage), but most of the ensembles use modern instruments, techniques and proportions. This doesn't always work out, as in the case of the ponderously heavy recordings of the String Symphonies by an apparently full complement of Gewandhausorchester Leipzig strings (Mendelssohn likely wrote these early works for a much smaller group). The caliber of the performances varies too, ranging from good to poor, and from marquis musicians such as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to a few Dutch who-dats. The chamber musicians generally acquit themselves well (though the Octet recording is marred by an engineering flaw in the last movement, distortion, at least on my copy). But the symphonies suffer from some substandard performances, such as the Italian Symphony's live recording with not only audience noise but also ensemble flaws such as a distracting clarinet squeak in the first movement's recapitulation. Another strike is the lack of program notes. Brilliant's Complete Editions provide a booklet or CD-ROM with program notes, but here you'll need to do your own research.

Despite these shortcomings, this set is still good value (at least at Amazon France's current price of 31 Euros). And it's a fine way to become acquainted with Mendelssohn's music.

A superb collection of Mendelssohn.......2007-03-24

Let me preface this by saying that most of these works were not new to me - I own many other Mendelssohn CDs and have enjoyed his compositions for some time now. Also, this set is available much cheaper elsewhere, particularly from European retailers.
The symphonies are well-performed. 'Reformation' is an inspired live recording. The 12 string symphonies, written in Mendelssohn's youth, are also included. The concertos are exceptional - the violin concerto is as good as you'll find anywhere. The oratorios Elijah and Paulus are included, as well as the complete chamber works and a diverse assortment of choral works. The last few discs include the Lied ohne worte, the epic organ sonatas, and excellent renditions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Fingal's Cave. While there are a few sketchy performances in the choral and chamber works, the performances and recordings are generally very solid, and the body of work couldn't be better.

Average customer rating:

It's good and all but...
My Opinion
Mood music collection with plenty of good selections

Evening Adagios

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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Romantic Adagios
Movie Adagios
Baroque Adagios
Violin Adagios
Midnight Adagios

ASIN: B000069HLY
Release Date: 2002-07-16

Tracks:

Clair De Lune: Suite Bergamasque - Frederick Fennell
Adagio For Strings - David Zinman
Concierto De Aranjuez: Adagio - Marisa Robles
Intermezzo - National Philharmonic Orchestra
Serenade In G Major, K525 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik': Romance: Andante - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Pavane, Op.50 - Choeur De L'Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal
Nocturne In E Flat Major, Op.9 No.2 - Vladimir Ashkenazy
The Swan: Carnival Of The Animals - Samuel Sanders
String Quintet In C Major, D956: Adagio (Excerpt) - Weller Quartet
Orchestral Suite No.3 In D Major, BWV 1068: Air (Air On A G String) - Karl Munchinger
Songs My Mother Taught Me, Op.55 No.4 - Arthur Grumiaux
Romance (Jeux Interdits) - Pepe Romero
Nocturne, Op.33 No.1 - Pascal Roge
Serenade In B Flat Major, K361/370a 'Gran Partita': Adagio - Neville Marriner
sospiri For Strings, Harp And Organ, Op.70 - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Bailero (Songs Of The Auvergne) - Kiri Te Kanawa

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No.14 In C Sharp Minor, Op.27 No.2 'Moonlight': Adagio Sostenuto - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Clarinet Concerto In A Major, K622: Adagio - Jack Brymer
Nocturne (A Midsummer Night's Dream) - Charles Dutoit
Impromptu In G Flat Major, D899 No.3 - Radu Lupu
String Quartet No.2 In D Major: Notturno: Andante - Borodin String Quartet
Oboe Concerto In D Minor: Adagio - I Musici
Piano Quintet In A Major, D667 'The Trout': Andante - Willi Boskovsky
Concerto For Flute And Harp In C Major, K299/297c: Andantino - Maria Graf
Guitar Concerto In D Major, RV93: Largo - Eduardo Fernandez
Serenade: Andante Cantabile - I Musici
Romance (The Gadfly) - Alexander Kerr
Suite For 2 Violins, Cello And Piano: Lied - Bengt Forsberg
Concerto For 2 Violins In D Minor, BWV 1043: Largo, Ma Non Tanto - Henryk Szeryng
Soave Sia Il Vento (Trio): Cosi Fan Tutte - Tom Krause

Customer Reviews:

It's good and all but..........2006-02-03

A lot of these tracks on these cds were... poorly recorded. If you hear an alternate, well produced version, the difference is night and day. But if this is your stop, you could do so much worse. It is rather relaxing.

My Opinion.......2005-08-11

I like the peacefulness this cd brings to my day. At the end of work, I go home to play this and it completely clears my mind.

Mood music collection with plenty of good selections.......2003-12-28

If you are looking for a wonderful cd to load into the player and create a mood, this set of adagios is practically perfect. Spanning baroque to modern, the pieces are well-chosen for beauty and variety. Even if you are not particularly knowledgeable about classical music, you probably will like this set. I like samplers for background music, and this is one of my favorites.

Music Track:

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