Duos for 2 Violins

On this CD:

1. Duos (44), for 2 violins, Volumes 1-4, Sz. 98, BB 104
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Peter Csaba, Vilmos Szabadi

2. Balassa Duos, for 2 violins
Composed by Ede Terenyi
Performed by Peter Csaba, Vilmos Szabadi

Tracks:

Divertimento (String Trio) In E Flat, KV 563: Allegro
Divertimento (String Trio) In E Flat, KV 563: Adagio
Divertimento (String Trio) In E Flat, KV 563: Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio
Divertimento (String Trio) In E Flat, KV 563: Andante
Divertimento (String Trio) In E Flat, KV 563: Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio I - II
Allegro
Duo For Violin And Viola In G, KV 423: 1. Allegro
Duo For Violin And Viola In G, KV 423: Adagio
Duo For Violin And Viola In G, KV 423: Rondeau, Allegro
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat, KV 424: Adagio - Allegro
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat, KV 424: Andante cantabile
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat, KV 424: Tema con variazioni. Andante grazioso - Allegretto - Allegro

Tracks:

Sonate (Trio) In B Flat, KV 266: Adagio
Sonate (Trio) In B Flat, KV 266: Menuetto, Allegretto
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 1 In D Minor: Adagio
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 1 In D Minor: Fuga
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No.2 In G Minor: Adagio
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No.2 In G Minor: Fuga
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 3 In F: Adagio
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 3 In F: Fuga
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 4 In F: Adagio
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 4 In F: Fuga
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 5 In E Flat: Largo
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 5 In E Flat: Fuga
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 6 In F Minor: Adagio
Six Preludes And Fugues For Violin, Viola And Cello, KV 404a No. 6 In F Minor: Fuga

Customer Reviews:

forgotten masterpieces.......2007-02-22

I was a little surprised to see so many reviews for this CD, most of them are full of praise. As I, too, am full of praise I can be brief.
First I must confess that, after listening to Mozart for well over 40 years, it is only very recently that I came accross any of the works on these CDs. I heard the last movement of the string trio and went straight to the computer to get it. As last year was Mozart's 250th birthday and we were deluged with his music this is incredble.
The string trio K563 is a late work by a mature Mozart, it is a very fine work, beautifully played by Arthur Grumiaux and friends. The two duos for violin and viola is another great find for me, more superb Mozart. These do not have a bass line, the composition is so good that they don't need one, indeed I was well into them before I noticed that there wasn't one. In all of these works all the instruments are equals, there is lots of work for the viola and the cello too has an important role. The six preludes and fugues again were new to me, but I am getting to know them and love them.
This is another excellent recording of Mozart's chamber music from Philips Duo, and well worth full marks. I recommend it highly, especially for Mozart lovers. If you are not well versed in Mozart I might suggest that you start with his concertos and instrumental works before you buy these Cds.

Eclipsed.......2006-08-04

For me the point here is the K.563, and while I have loved Grumiaux's playing for decades, and this is a nice older [1967] recording, it is completely blown away by the recent recording by Yo Yo Ma, Gidon Kremer, and Kim Kashkashian. On the other hand, the latter recording is defective in that the technicians managed to make the violin sound shrill and harsh -- the usual suspects are of course recording engineers who've spent much of their careers blowing out their high-end hearing listening to and working with "rock and roll" recordings, and thus needing to boost the highs in order to hear them; at the same time, it was miked much too closely. At least the Philips recordings were done in an era when the engineers were older folks who had spent their careers listening to and recording music. My choice: the Ma / Kremer / Kashkashian CD, but with my treble control cranked down....

A style made for Mozart.......2005-08-26

Here is yet another great Mozart Philips recording featuring the elegant playing of Arthur Grumiaux. The String Quintets and Violin Concertos are other ones. When you hear Grumiaux play Mozart like this, you think, "Now, how can one top that?" Such a dignified, galante and poised style as his is perfect for Mozart's music. These two CD's provide a cournacopia of Mozart delights played magnificantly by Arthur Grumiaux and friends: three string duos, the one and only great string trio (K.563) and a rather unique collection of preludes and fugues mostly transcribed from Bach's "Well Tempered Clavier" for violin and viola. Each work also has an interesting story behind it as does most of Mozart's music.

Two of the late duos Mozart wrote were "ghost written" for a terribly ill Michael Haydn - a comtemporary and great friend of Mozart. As history goes, Haydn had promised a series of six duos for the impatient Archbishop Colloredo and was two short. Mozart's continual visiting the ill Haydn and lightening-fast composing of these two duos reveal the compassionate, warm-hearted side of Mozart. In each you can hear both Haydn and Mozart by the various musical mannerisms, but they eventually passed off as Haydn's works just fine.

The trio is a late work (K563/626) that was written in 1788 - the year that Mozart's popularity with the fickle Vieneese dwindled and life strarted to fall apart. But, one would never know this from the skill and stature of the great work. Having a full six movements lasting a full 45 minutes, the string trio is a work of grand scale and rich diversity that does not once become bogged down, repetitive or dull. The equality of the part writing is especially notable as much as is the complex sonorities, intelligent design and lyrical charm. It ranks right up there with his quintets as Mozart's most accomplished chamber works.

Perhaps the surprize delight of the set are the six preludes and fugues, most of which are transcribed from JS Bach (and one each from JC Bach and Mozart). It is said that Mozart's wife Constanze adored the fugues of Bach and Handel upon first hearing them in 1782 and supposedly begged her husband to compose such music - which apparently he obliged with these works here. Of course they sound like Bach as they mostly are Bach. The Grumiaux Trio makes them sound glorious from their rich and nuanced playing and the fine Philip's sound quality. Overall, a rich, rewarding listening experience.

If you are new to Mozart's chamber music, these Philips DUO sets are excellent CD's to collect. The most recommended Philips Mozart CD's are: The Great Piano Concertos Vol I, II, the Violin Concertos, Great Quintets Vol. I and II, the Piano Trios and String Trios/Duos here. Then, the Great Seranades, the six 'Haydn' String Quartets, the two Piano Quartets and Great Violin Sonatas Vol. I, II are also fine music.

A nice pair.......2005-06-22

Not much to add here: 1st CD: The string trio K. 563 is a peer to Mozart's greatest quartets and quintets. Period! The string duos K. 423 and 424 are simple in sound, but rich in texture; the simplicity of means calls for advanced composing and Mozart doesn't dissappoint. 2nd CD: The trio K. 266 is less interesting, but the six preludes and fugues are really great, fusions of Mozart and Bach. All the playing is excellent.

Nobody like Artur Grumiaux for Mozart violin music!.......2004-07-19

Joseph Szigetti gave a towering surprise with the ten violin sonatas , but Grumiaux was a real fighter for this Mozart music so plenty of lyricism.

The vibrato and musicality given for Grumiaux is out of this world. His playing is kindness enjoyable extremely cantabile and above all deeply idomatic , loaded with majesty and charm and intimacy.

This belgium violinist was a pupil of Georges Enesco . Pleas acquire also the trio Kv 563 . I've never a recording that rivalizes with that.
Certainly Grumiaux was a champion master in this field!

If you take a look around about the most remarkable string Trios, you will find out that these are not so many. Before that immense Mozart's Divertimento in E flat Kv. 563, written in 1788, we just find a dozen of Trios by Bocherini and after, Beethoven Piano Trios, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Brahms. Dvorak Dohnayi, Webern, Roussel and Schoenberg. In this sense and taking into account the brief set it's obvious to state we are in presence of the most significant, pyramidal and complete string Trio ever written, not only because it was a true milestone in what concerns to structural complexity, lyrical density and enjoyable mood.

Surprisingly, it does not use to appear among the most extraordinary musical achievements ion the enormous musical legacy of the beloved son of Salzburg. But measure by measure, I wouldn't hesitate just for a second in what respects to include it among the ten best works of Mozart throughout his opulent and extraordinary production.

And particularly this version possesses that touch of genius and dazzling luminosity, filled of kind spirits, cheerful energy and rhythmic vitality.

This masterpiece by itself justifies plainly your inversion in this double CD, but additionally you will find out another treasures of highest level as both Duos for violin and viola, The Kv. 266 The six preludes and fugues for violin, viola and cello written as a profound and heartfelt homage in Bach's memory are astonishing and notable compositions by themselves.

So I think not to sin of exaggerate when I recommend you this extraordinary set, one of my most beloved albums of my personal collection and wishing for you to have. You will agree with me once you have acquired and enjoyed over and over.

It's almost useless to talk about the purity of spirit of Artur Grumiaux, one of the most distinguished, refined and honest violinists ever born as well as one of the maxim exponents of Mozart's repertoire for violin, and I don't think to sound exaggerate to affirm this record was one of his highest artistic peaks as musician.

Bartok: Violin Concertos, Viola Concerto, 6 Duo for 2 Violins, Violin Rhapsodies; Yehudi Menuhin

Average customer rating:

As good as it gets

Bartok: Violin Concertos, Viola Concerto, 6 Duo for 2 Violins, Violin Rhapsodies; Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin , Bela Bartok , Pierre Boulez , Antal Dorati , New Philharmonia Orchestra , and BBC Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bartok: Viola Concertos
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Beethoven: Piano Trios, Vol. 1; Itzhak Perlman; Vladimir Ashkenazy; Lynn Harrell
Bartok: Complete Solo Piano Music
Berg: Violin Concerto; Schoenberg: Piano Concerto; Violin Concerto

ASIN: B0000CE7FG
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

I: Andante Sostenuto
II: Allegro Giocoso
I: Moderato
II: Adagio Religioso
III: Allegro Vivace
I: Lassu: Moderato/II: Friss: Allegretto Moderato
I: Lassu: Moderato/II: Friss: Allegretto Moderato

Tracks:

I: Allegro Non Troppo
II: Andante Tranquillo
III: Allegro Molto
28. Sorrow
31. New Year's Greeting 4
33. Harvest Song
36. Bagpipes
41. Scherzo
42. Arabian Song
I: Tempo Di Ciaccona
II: Fuga: Risoluto, Non Troppo Vivo
III: Melodia: Adagio
IV: Presto

Customer Reviews:

As good as it gets.......2007-02-07

First you have to like Bartok. Not everyone enjoys the 20th century extention of classical music. If you do like Bartok and want to hear his violin compositions - then buy this CD and hear a true master at work.

Average customer rating:

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

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

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Similar Items:

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

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

Fanfare No.4
Sonata
Kyrie
Gloria
Sonata A 6
Credo
Sonata XII
Sanctus
Sonata XI
Sgnus Dei
Fanfare No.1
Sonata I
Sonata V
Sonata III
Sonata VII

Customer Reviews:

A splendid achievement.......2006-04-22

Andrew Manze has done much in recent years to popularize Biber's "other" music, i.e., pieces other than the justly-renowned Rosary Sonatas, and he scores another victory with this disc of a recently-rediscovered Mass setting.

When performed in a reverberant space, antiphonal music (like Biber's) can sometimes sound muddied or confused, as group clashes with group and line with line. Manze and his band avoid this pitfall, and keep the music intelligible while still using the spacious acoustic of London's Temple Church to create excitement at the climaxes. The instrumentalists are excellent; the singers are likewise, and blend nicely.

In addition to the Mass itself (tracks 2-4, 6, 8, 10) Manze gives us instrumental music that might have been used at an Easter Mass in Biber's Salzburg. I am particularly fond of the framing trumpet fanfares, and also of the sonata by Biber's contemporary Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, which has all the excitement of a piece by the Gabrielis with a delicious Austrian flavor.

Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

A little too much and poor sound quality
And now, honored ladies and gentlemen, may we present...!

Imperial Fanfares

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | 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
Similar Items:

Fanfare, British Music for Symphonic Brass Ensemble
Music from the Royal Court
Ceremonial Music for Trumpet & Symphonic Organ
Lully: Les Divertissements de Versailles
Lully - Ballet Music for the Sun King / Mary Enid Haines · Aradia Baroque Ensemble · Kevin Mallon

ASIN: B00008MLVK
Release Date: 2003-07-15

Tracks:

Imperial Fanfare
Royal Entry
Ceremonial Procession
Heroic Procession
Festive Procession
Elector's Procession
Elector's Procession
Majestic Procession
Priere Du Matin
Intrada
Largo - Allegretto
Intrada
Festive Overture
Toccata (Prelude To Orfeo)
Courante For The Entry Of His Imperial Majesty And All The Cavalry
Follia For New Entry Of The Sprinter And Other Equestrian Manoeuvres
Sarabande For The End Of The Ballet
Trumpet Duet
Intrada For The Trombet Und Musicalischen Tafeldienst
Menuet (Trumpet Duet No. 82)
Trumpet Duet No. 8
1812 Overture, Op. 49
Festive Table Music No. 1
Festive Table Music No. 2
Procession At The Imperial Court
Procession No. 3
Festive Procession: The Entry Of The Emperor, 1631
Intrada From Bruck An Der Mur
Procession No. 4
Procession No. 1
Procession (Brilliant, Bright)
Marche Des Nations De Flore
2e Air Du Combat De Lance D?Amadis
La Descente De Mars
La Marche Italienne
Prelude Des Divertissements
Chaconne Du Palais Royal
Menuet Royal
Marche Pour Les Trompettes Seules
Bruit De Trompettes
L?Etendard
Fanfare A Deux Trompettes
Bruit De Guerre
Allemande
Molto Moderato
Signature Tune Of The Old Town Of Bratislava
Fanfara 1
Fanfara 2
Marcia Per La Cavalleria, No. 1
Entree Fanfare
Modern Fanfare
Signature Fanfare
Convention
Fanfare Solo I
Fanfare Solo II
Fanfare Solo III
Fanfare Solo IV
Fanfare Solo V
Fanfare Solo VI
Opening Fanfare
New Palace Fanfare
Welcome Fanfare
Excitement
Short and Concise
Short Fanfare No. 1
Short Fanfare No. 2
Short Fanfare No. 3
Short Fanfare No. 4
Flourish
Il Giorno Del Silenzio
Fanfare For Solo Trumpet And Drum - V
Fanfare For Solo Trumpet And Drum - II
Wrapped In Mystery
Marcia Maestoso
Imperial Procession In Vienna
Procession No. 8: Allegretto

Customer Reviews:

A little too much and poor sound quality.......2006-11-10

Even though this was recorded just a couple of years ago the sound quality is not that good. It sounds like it was recorded in the 70s and outside with the microphones far away. There is nothing too deep here and all the fanfares are fairly short, just lasting a few seconds it seems. I got tired of this pretty quickly and it doesn't stand up to repeated listenings and to be honest a lot of the stuff on here sounds the same. The performances are ok, but nothing special, they sound kind of flat, and they don't really do anything to make this sound exciting like it should. Maybe if the performance and sound was better I would of enjoyed this more.

And now, honored ladies and gentlemen, may we present...!.......2003-07-17

This is what you'd have to call a specialty CD. It consists entirely of fanfares--nothing but fanfares--some of them as short as 10 seconds long. An interesting idea for a CD, perhaps, but I would guess it is primarily for directors of costume dramas, period pieces, and ceremonies of various sorts.

There are 76 fanfares on the disc covering composers ranging from Monteverdi to a trio of modern composers, all of the latter associated with the CD itself. They are played by an outfit called 'The Art of the Trumpet,' a coalescence of 24 Austrian trumpeters and a couple of timpanists (and on occasion a single trombone). Some of the fanfares use the whole group, there are others for solo trumpet, and for all combinations in between. They are led by a trumpeter from Vienna named Leonhard Leeb who is not only one of the trumpeters but also one of the composers--the other two modern composers are Leon Bolten and Joel Modart (I almost typed 'Mozart' but no!...).

Other composers include Salieri, Lully, Biber, J.H. Schmelzer, Pezel (often spelled Petzel here in America), Philidor (yes, the chess master of that name), Marc-Antoine Charpentier, and the multi-talented A. Nony Mous.

The performances are appropriately stirring, ceremonial, attention-grabbing, even mournful (one, Bolten's 'Wrapped in Mystery,' was dedicated to the victims of the World Trade Center tragedy of September 11, 2001). I would strongly suggest you not listen to the whole CD at one sitting--actually, it's hard to imagine anyone would--because too much B flat can fry your brain unless you yourself are a brass player or bagpiper.

For what it is, though, this CD is excellent.

Tracks:

Dunantuli Friss Csardasok
Jocul Barbatesc
Violin Duo No.32, 'Dance Of Maramaros'
Maramaros Dances
On The River Bank
Swineherds' Dance
Dunantuli Ugrosok
Shepherd's Flute Song
Forgacskuit Lads' Dance
My Horse's Shoe
Violin Duo No.28, 'Sorrow'
Bonchida: Slow Lads' Dance
Magyarbecei Oreges Csardasok
Pe Loc
Bota Dance
Torontal Dances
Ardeleana
Vioiln Duo No.44, 'Transylvanian Dance'
Fuzes: Lads' Dance
The Churchyard Gate
Kalotaszeg Dances
I Left My Homeland

Amazon.com

Hungarian composers were among the world's most diligent in using folk resources to inform their classical compositions, and no composer was more involved in his nation's folk music than Bela Bartók. His recording expeditions into the Hungarian countryside in the early years of the 20th century preserved a musical heritage that might have otherwise been lost. While his main interest was finding inspiration for radical new music, his recordings lived on to inspire generations of modern folk revivalists. This album is a tribute to Bartók's work. The songs he recorded are born anew in the strings of Muzsikás and singer Márta Sebestyén. They play and sing these old songs in a traditional style but never fail to stamp a strong personal mark on the material. In addition to Muzsikás's own renditions, the CD includes a few special tracks of the original Bartók recordings that let you hear the old style of playing and singing in the purest form. There are also a few Bartók compositions, performed by Muzsikás fiddler Mihaly Sipos and Romanian classical violinist Alexander Balanescu. The old recordings and the Bartók works add a unique perspective to the folk songs, offering us a timeline from the oldest sources to the most modern interpretations. --Louis Gibson

Customer Reviews:

Nagyszeru!! (Excellent!).......2003-04-05

An absolutely stellar recording! It simply doesn't get any better than this in terms of musicianship, vocals, performance quality or ethnomusicological value.

A sort of concept album, Muzsikas and Marta Sebestyen perform some serious musical detective work in The Bartok Album, juxtaposing original phonograph field recordings from a century ago by Bartok himself alongside excerpts from his works which clearly reflect these folkloric influences. Finally, we are treated with Muzsikas' own renditions of these classic folk pieces, executed with the perfect mix of flawless technique and earthy exuberance, not to mention the magnificent haunting vocals of Sebestyen.

Particularly intriguing are the swineherd and shepherd songs, among the most ancient styles in the Carpathian Basin. The long flute on the Shepherd's Flute Song, beautifully played by Zoltan Juhasz, has an ethereal otherworldly quality and contrasts most favourably with the spirited ugros dances that precede it. The carefully chosen clips from Bartok's musical archives clearly show the link between his field recordings and subsequent compositions, such that the listener gets an idea of just how influential folkloric elements were in Bartok's work. Fascinating for anyone with even a casual interest in Bartok, ethnomusicology, or the unique musical styles found in Transdanubia and Transylvania, or just for anyone who needs a frenetic folk-dancing workout.

All in all, an absolutely top-notch album in every sense of the word, and highly recommended to any fan of great music!

The Real Deal.......2002-06-28

One day, in adventurous mood and tired of RAWK, I decided it was time to investigate Gypsy fiddle music and stumbled onto this CD (who says you can't judge a CD by the cover art?). It became my happiest discovery in years. There's nothing hokey about the performance of these re-worked folk tunes; the album is passionate and exhuberant and visceral, and the violin work often soars into the stratosphere.

I've seen other reviewers express disappointment that the ensemble didn't perform/arrange the work in the fashion Bartok himself would have, ie, classical mode, but that would have diluted the whole point: the people who performed the songs for the Bartok's microphone (clips of the original field recordings Bartok made are presented inbetween the modern renditions) didn't make music for upper-crust performance halls and Sony Classical, they played it in the intimacy of their everyday lives and communities. By presenting the songs in this context, the album reminds us of a time and place when popular music had real communal value not measured in units sold.

Re-living the past.......2000-06-20

This newest Muzsikas album includes 4 excelent elements:

- Bela Bartok's genius for documenting folk melodies

- Muzsikas orchestra whish reproduces traditional music with passion

- guest star Marta Sebastian, passionate voice to reveale sadness from Transilvania

- and last but not least - Alexander Balanescu, precious performer and great experimentator.

I was lucky enough to see the concert in Budapest. May 2000, where many songs from "The Bartok Album" were introduced. On the recording it is possible to hear only the echo of the stomping dance that gives the rythm to the music, and you can only imagine antiend and rude instruments that, played together with virtuose violine, compose timeless tunes that Bartok saved from extintion.

Still, the advantage that CD has over the live performance are recordings from the museum archives, valuable historical docuemntation of traditional music from Hungary and Romania, as well as very well equiped booklet with descritions and translations of many songs.

Tracks:

Tempo Di Ciacona
Fuga
Melodia
Presto
Parosfto (Teasing Song)
Kalamajko (Maypole Dance)
Menuetto
Szentivaneji (Midsummer Night Song)
Tot Nota (1) (Slovakian Song)
Magyar Nota (1) (Hungarian Song)
Olah Nota (Walachian Song)
Tot Nota (2) (Slovakian Song)
Jatek (Play Song)
Ruten Nota (Ruthenian Song)
Gyermekrengeteskor (Cradle Song)
Szenagyujteskor (Hay Song)
Lakodalmas (Wedding Song)
Parnas Tanc (Pillow Dance)
Katonanota (Soldiers Song)
Burleszk (Burlesque)
Menetelo Nota (1) (Hungarian March)
Menetelo Nota (2) (Hungarian March)
Mese (Fairy Tale)
Dal (A Rhythm Song)
Ujevkoszonto (1) (New Year's Song)
Szunyogtanc (Mosquito Dance)
Mennyasszonybucsuztato (Bride's Farewell)
Trefas Nota (Comic Song)
Magyar Nota (2) (Hungarian Song)
`Ugyan Edes Komamasszony..' (Teasing Song)
Santa-Tanc (Limping Song)
Bankodas (Sorrow)
Ujevkoszonto (2) (New Year's Greeting)
Ujevkoszonto (3) (New Year's Greeting)
Ujevkoszonto (4) (New Year's Greeting)
MaramarosiTanc (Dance From Maramaros)
Ara Taskor (Harvest Song)
Szamlalo Nota (Enumerating Song)
Ruten Kolomejka (Ruthenian Kolomejka)
Szol A Duda (Bagpipes)
Preludium Es Kanon (Prelude And Canon)
Forgatos (Rumanian Whirling Song)
Szerb Tanc (Serbian Dance)
Olah Tanc (Walachian Dance)
Scherzo
Arab Dal (Arabian Song)
Pizzicato
`Erdelyi' Tanc (Transylvanian Dance)

Customer Reviews:

Simply Scintillating.......2001-08-16

I found the sound quality superb on this recording of the 44 duos, which I find poignant and pungent whether listened to in sequence or shuffled. The two artists give sensitive and articulate versions of the Bartok pieces. I found some of the bowing particularly evocative and haunting on the sonata for solo violin, with which I was hitherto unfamiliar.

The moods of joy, contemplation, sadness, anger, etc. to the duos, as well as their diversity in form and complexity, make them endlessly listenable for me. I love this recording.

A bone to pick.......2001-07-31

The Sonata and the 44 Duos are wonderful pieces to be sure, and Pauk's interpretation is good. However, the sound quality on this and every other Naxos recording I have ever heard is bad. Do Bartok the courtesy of listening to a good recording of this fantastic music.

Superb Bartokian fiddling.......2000-09-13

Bartok's solo violin sonata is one of his most haunting masterpieces, and Gyorgy Pauk's performance equals or surpasses any of the half dozen or so I have heard. The Duos are also given a wonderfully lively and accomplished rendition, and the sound on this CD leaves nothing to be desired. A genuine bargain, as are Pauk's other Bartok recordings on Naxos. I like to put my CD player on random and let this one fill the room for its generous 73 minutes. (Listening to the entire set of duos in order can take the sparkle off them somewhat.)

Average customer rating:

Unsurpassed

Béla Bartók: 44 Duos for Two Violins

Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000062X71
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

Bartok: 44 Duos for Two Violins
Ligeti: Ballad and Dance
Kurtag: Ligatura-Message To Frances-Marie op. 31b

Amazon.com

Bartók's Duos are triple-threats: progressions of very brief practice works for violinists from students to skilled artists; transformations of folk dances and songs into art works; and pieces for concert performance, either piecemeal or complete. The Keller-Pilz duo makes its own sequence of the 44 primarily to heighten contrasts and sustain interest, a practice sanctioned by Bartók since the published order progressing from easiest to most difficult doesn't complement the pure listening experience. This revised order certainly works in these spirited performances.

Keller and Pilz convey the full range of Bartók's technical demands, even while they bring out the folk elements that pervade the music. In their opening "Transylvanian Song," they sound like village fiddlers; they quietly buzz away in the "Mosquito Dance" and seamlessly weave their contrasting lines in the more abstract Prelude and Canon. Further feats of violinism are expertly performed in the finger-breaking "Pizzicato" and the tremolos of the "Arabian Song." It's not all village fun or violinistic virtuosity either. Some of the slower pieces, such as the fragile "Ruthenian Song" and the moving "Lament," touch the heart. The brief fillers are a pair of similarly folk-based violin duos by Ligeti and Kurtág's hushed, pianissimo "Ligatura." Vibrant sound and ECM's usual deluxe packaging complete a highly desirable production. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Unsurpassed.......2003-09-18

This is the recording to get. I've heard all the others (Vegh, Pauk, et al.) and none match Keller & Pilz for luscious tone and idiomatic phrasing. They make these pieces sound the way they were meant to: like vibrant folk tunes played with flawless technique, not like some dry student exercises. Plus, it's beautifully recorded.

Telemann: Sonatas Corellisantes & Canonic Duos

Average customer rating:

Telemann: Sonatas Corellisantes & Canonic Duos

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000000A5E
Release Date: 1994-07-26

Tracks: