High Life

1. Children of the Night

2. At the Fair

3. Maya

4. On the Milky Way Express

5. Pandora Awakened

6. Virgo Rising

7. High Life

8. Midnight in Carlotta's Hair

9. Black Swan

High Life,Wayne Shorter,Polygram Records,Jazz,Jazz Music,Modal Music,Neo-Bop,Pop,Post-Bop

Jazz

Music

jazz

music

Average customer rating: Stands the test of time Got it for "Back in the High Life" Three good songs and the rest is forgettable to unbearable Great Variety In One Package I'm not really under thirteen

Back in the High Life Steve Winwood Manufacturer: Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Blue-Eyed Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music R&B | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Roll with It Chronicles Arc of a Diver 20th Century Masters: The Best of Steve Winwood (Millennium Collection) Greatest Radio Hits ASIN: B000001FKA Release Date: 1990-10-01

Tracks:

1. Higher Love
2. Take It As It Comes
3. Freedom Overspill
4. Back In The High Life Again
5. The Finer Things
6. Wake Me Up On Judgement Day
7. Split Decision
8. My Love's Leavin'

Customer Reviews:

Stands the test of time.......2007-07-16

The year I really started to take interest in music was 1986. It was the summer inbetween 6th and 7th grade and every song that I liked I would go out and buy the 45 single. Because I didn't have much money an album would really have to strike my interest to get me to buy it. "Back in the High Life" was one of those albums. The song "Higher Love" was a huge hit and I loved the song "Back in the High Life Again". Because there were at least two songs I liked I saved up the money and bought the tape. Every song sounded like a hit and I played the heck out of that tape until it wore out. When I got a CD player in the late 80s this was on my purchase list.

There were many albums and songs that I enjoyed in 1986 but very few albums that have held up well. Many albums had a lot of songs that sounded the same. You would have an artist that had a HUGE hit in one style and half of the next album would be trying to copy that style in order to get another big hit. Albums like this was an exception. Of course it helps that this is Steve Winwood's first big solo hit album. There is a lot of varity to keep this album interesting from the first to the last song and it is short enough that it doesn't over stay it's welcome. It is now 2007 and I have yet to get tired of this album and it has remained in my essential favorites for over 20 years.

If you are a fan of the 80s, even though you may have "Higher Love" on one of the many 80s compilations out there, the other songs are just as good and in some cases better (like "Finer Things" and "Freedom Overspill"). Give this one a chance.

My only complaint is this album is in much need of remastering. This is a minor complaint because all I have to do is turn up the volume a tad more than I have to do with other CDs.

Got it for "Back in the High Life".......2007-07-12

Discovered I liked "Higher Love" and "Finer Things" and that was it. The sound quality on my disk isn't great--I had to raise the volume and do some fiddling to get it to compare to the previous levels that had worked for months. Wasn't worth the price, IMHO.

Three good songs and the rest is forgettable to unbearable.......2007-05-28

I'm really surprised how high the ratings are for this. I'm a big Steve Winwood fan but really only three songs on here do it for me. The Celtic sounding Back In The High Life Again with nice mandolin and James Taylor harmony. Split Decision co written by Joe Walsh which gives the album an edge and My Love's Leavin' co written by former Bonzo Dog Vivian Stanshall(it's a shame the two of them didn't do this as a duet, as it's also perfect for Viv's voice). The hits Higher Love and The Finer things are okay but the rest isn't really any good in my humble opinion.

Great Variety In One Package.......2007-05-12

This is a wonderful set of Steve Winwood's performances, and may be the best in all of his career. Althought there are "only" eight songs included on this disc, each one is unique and creative, with its own characteristicsand style. Also, each of these tracks is over five minutes long, for a total of about 45 minutes of play. Therefore, one does not feel shortchanged by listening to the eight songs, for each is great in its own right.

Steve primarily focuses on jazz, soul, dance, and island styles blended with good ol' rock 'n' roll. The lyrics of these songs explore fairly deep issues of life but the music tends to be light-hearted and suited for a party. Several of these tracks have become major hits on pop radio during the late 1980s, and the listener may be moved to sing along as the tune plays on the radio or on one's personal music player.

The album starts out with "Higher Love", a bouncy, lively hit with plenty of lighthearted percussion, and a memorable, sing-along chorus. This song is about finding a type of love in contrast to world problems and concerns, and was a popular hit on the radio. "The Finer Things" is generally an island sound, almost reggae-like, and was also a major hit. This track explores the enjoyment and appreciation of the good parts of a relationship with a loved one. "Back In The High Life" is perhaps the gentelest track, with a piano and synthetic fiddle in the background, and a folk/country sound; it was another major hit to reach the airwaves. It deals with returning to the good life after having to face responsibilities and problems.

The remaining five songs are of high quality as well, and noteworthy on their own. "Take It As It Comes" is the second track and is marked by a prominent brass section, giving it a jazzy flavor. This high-energy piece covers the necessity of dealing with and accepting difficulties in one's life. The next track, "Freedom Overspill" has a rhythm and blues style and brass horns, and could be misattributed to another very popular R&B singer. In this song, the subject encourages his friend to open up and talk about concerns and problems. "Wake Me Up On Judgement Day" makes a great dance song for a party, with a high-energy pop/synth background, even though the lyrics are about a guy who would rather sleep through the world's problems caused by human error. The second-to-last track "Split Decision" includes verses with a reggae sound and a chorus with a southern rock style similar to that of Joe Walsh. This mid-paced song tells a story about a guy in conflict with himself over making decisions and taking action. The last track "My Love's Leavin'" contains a synthetic string background along with extensive percusion and electronic keyboard. As the title suggests, this song is about experiencing the loss and heartache when one's lover leaves him.

Overall, this is probably the best of Steve Winwood's albums in his entire music career. If the listener obtains just one of his albums for their collection, this would be the best one to choose. It demonstrates his versatility in his musical styles and performances.

I'm not really under thirteen.......2007-04-10

I'm in my mid 20's and discovered this song a few years ago on the radio and just couldn't turn it off. It totally drew me in, musically, vocally, melodically and everything. Fortunately the radio deejay said the title and artist of the song as soon as it was over so I was able to go out and buy this album the next day and fell in love with it.

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 General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | 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 Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4 What to Listen for in Music Study of Orchestration, Third Edition The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin ASIN: B00006O0NT Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
4. Hungarian Dance No.7
5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
10. Csardas Music
11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
18. Tzigane
19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
20. Caprice No.24
21. 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.
22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
27. The Violin Muted
28. Clair De Lune
29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
31. The Pizzicato Violin
32. Pizzicato Polka
33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
35. 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...
36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
37. 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
38. Hungarian Dance No.4
39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
42. Bolero
43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

1. Introduction To The Viola
2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
7. 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.
8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
10. Cypresses (No.9)
11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
24. Elfentanz, Op.39
25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
28. Flamenco
29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
33. 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.
34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
39. 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.
40. Capriccio Di Bravura
41. 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)
42. 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....
43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
6. Sa'Dawi
7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
8. Chamber Music No.II
9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
13. A Variety Of Techniques
14. Chamber Music No.II
15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
20. Naelden, Naelden
21. The Bachian Oboe
22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
26. The Swan Of Tuonela
27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
30. Bolero
31. 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...
32. 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)
33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
35. 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).
36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
38. ...And Quite Low.
39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
44. Introduction To The Saxophone
45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
49. Bolero
50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
53. Sax-O-Phun
54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
60. Bolero
61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
6. Fanfare For The Common Man
7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
11. 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
12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
16. Billy The Kid
17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
21. The Birth Of The Trombone
22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
27. 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.
28. Hosannah
29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
35. The Horn And The Hunt
36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
9. Den Hoboecken Dans
10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
12. 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.
13. Gymnopedie No.2
14. 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...
15. 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)
16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
18. 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.
19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
22. The Birth Of The Bongo
23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
33. 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.
34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
37. Ravel And The Xylophone
38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
40. Introducing The Vibraphone
41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
44. Folk Dances
45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
52. Introducing The Celeste
53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
57. 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
58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
42. Canzon 28
43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
51. Images (Gigues)
52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
58. 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.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Average customer rating: They were right--there is NO business like the show business they did way back when !!! One of the best cds I ever bought. Never Sounded Better Somewhere Over The Rainbow "Hollywood Musicals of the Golden Age are still among us"

Somewhere over the Rainbow: The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals Various Artists Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Ultimate Broadway Only Broadway CD You'll Ever Need The Best Of Broadway (Cast Recording Anthology) Greatest Hits: Broadway That's Entertainment!: The Best Of The M-G-M Musicals - Motion Picture Soundtrack Anthology ASIN: B000066RO5 Release Date: 2002-06-04

Tracks:

1. Singin In The Rain - Gene Kelly
2. Theres No Business Like Show Business - Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Keenan Wynn & Louis Calhern
3. 'S Wonderful - Gene Kelly & Georges Guetary
4. Thats Entertainment! - Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray & Oscar Levant
5. Stranger In Paradise - Ann Blyth & Vic Damone
6. Easter Parade - Judy Garland & Fred Astaire
7. Lullaby Of Broadway - Winifred Shaw, Dick Powell & Chorus
8. Get Happy - Judy Garland
9. Night And Day - Fred Astaire
10. True Love - Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly
11. Honeysuckle Rose - Lena Horne w/ Benny Carter & His Orchestra
12. They Cant Take That Away From Me - Fred Astaire
13. Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet - Nancy Walker & The M-G-M Studio Chorus w/ Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra
14. Baby, Its Cold Outside - Esther Williams & Ricardo Montalban
15. For Me And My Gal - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland
16. Puttin On The Ritz - Clark Gable & Co.
17. Hallelujah! - Tony Martin, Vic Damone, Kay Armen, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, Clark Burroughs & Co.
18. Bless Yore Beautiful Hide - Howard Keel
19. Taking A Chance On Love - Ethel Waters & Eddie "Rochester" Anderson
20. As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson w/ Elliot Carpenter (Bonus Track)
21. Laras Theme (Main Title) - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra (Bonus Track)

Tracks:

1. Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland
2. Its A Most Unusual Day - Jane Powell
3. Wunderbar - Kathryn Grayson & Howard Keel
4. Cant Help Lovin Dat Man - Ava Gardner
5. Going Hollywood - Bing Crosby
6. The Trolley Song - Judy Garland, The M-G-M Studio Chorus
7. Gigi - Louis Jourdan
8. I Got Rhythm - Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney & Co.
9. Aba Daba Honeymoon - Debbie Reynolds, Carleton Carpenter & M-G-M Studio Chorus
10. The Lady Is A Tramp - Lena Horne
11. The Best Things In Life Are Free - June Allyson & Peter Lawford
12. Cheek To Cheek - Fred Astaire
13. A Kiss To Build A Dream On - Louis Armstrong
14. Put 'Em In A Box - Doris Day & The Page Cavanaugh Trio
15. If Swing Goes, I Go Too - Fred Astaire
16. Almost Like Being In Love - Gene Kelly
17. Lets Face The Music And Dance - Fred Astaire
18. Be A Clown - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland
19. Embraceable You - Connie Francis
20. On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe - Judy Garland & Co.
21. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) - Fred Astaire

Amazon.com

The "Golden Age" referred to here spans The Jazz Singer and the advent of the talkies to the death throes of the old studio system in the 1960s. So vast was the era's musical landscape that even this 42-track, double-disc anthology can't encompass all its peaks. Not surprisingly, the bulk of this collection originated with the Tiffany's of the screen musical, M-G-M, a body of work whose riches here encompass both pop-cultural bedrock ("Over the Rainbow," "Singin' in the Rain," "There's No Business Like Show Business," etc.) and some less familiar, if equally delightful star turns: Clark Gable gamely "Puttin' On the Ritz"; the sassy, 1948 original of "The Lady Is a Tramp" by Lena Horne; and a loopy duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban. Fred Astaire's elegant, epochal reign at RKO and M-G-M is represented by "Night and Day," "Let's Face the Music and Dance," and three others, while Metro mainstays Gene Kelly and Judy Garland share equal time and billing. It's not perfect--Cagney's "Yankee Doodle Boy" and/or some Sinatra seem more logical choices than the odd "bonus" duet of Casablanca's "As Time Goes By" and "Lara's Theme" from Dr. Zhivago that close out disc one--but it's a stunning, surprisingly comprehensive primer on the Hollywood film musical nonetheless. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

They were right--there is NO business like the show business they did way back when !!!.......2006-11-18

Everything that happens in life
Can happen in a show
You can make 'em laugh
You can make 'em cry
Anything
Anything can go....

The clown with his pants falling down
Or the dance that's a dream of romance
Or the scene where the villain is mean
That's entertainment!

The lights on the lady in tights
Or the bride with the guy on the side
Or the ball where she gives him her all
That's entertainment!

The plot and the hot simply teeming with $ex
A gay divorcee who is after her ex
It could be Oedipus Rex
Where a chap kills his father
And causes a lot of bother

The clerk who is thrown out of work
By the boss who is thrown for a loss
By the skirt who is doing him dirt

The world is a stage,
The stage is a world of entertainment!

This two CD set amply proves that the musical melodies and lyrics from the golden age of the Hollywood musical remain unsurpassed to this day. This generous two CD set offers 42 incredible songs from Hollywood classic musicals. Most of these fine numbers are indeed from MGM, as Amazon correctly notes; but there are some RKO numbers and even a little from Warner Brothers. Thank goodness, though, that most of these songs came from MGM movies; MGM was the only studio that could boast that it truly had "more stars than there are in the heavens."

I love so many songs on these two CDs. Of course, there's the unforgettable classic "Over The Rainbow" sung by Judy Garland; she also performs "Easter Parade" and "Get Happy" on this two CD set and she carries most of the tune for "I Got Rhythm" even though Mickey Rooney helps her a little. I love "Baby, It's Cold Outside" for its' romantic overtones; and Lena Horne's "The Lady Is A Tramp" is flawless! We also get a rare chance to hear Clark Gable sing in "Puttin' On The Ritz;" and Bing Crosby's "Going Hollywood" may be brief but it's a fun song anyway.

There are two "bonus" tracks on the first CD: "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca and "Lara's Theme" from Doctor Zhivago. "As Time Goes By" is a good choice; it is another unsurpassed classic song that brings back memories and touches even the hardest of hearts. "Lara's Theme," however, is from the mid 1960s and I don't consider this period to be part of the "golden age" of Hollywood musicals.

The liner notes are excellent and they offer wonderful photos of the stars as well. The cover art is well done and the reverse cover art tells which movie each song is from and who is performing each song. Moreover, the quality of the sound is excellent especially when you consider that these numbers were recorded quite a few decades ago.

In short, this superlative two CD highlights the glory of the Hollywood musical when a certain type of sophistication dominated professional movie production. I highly recommend this CD for fans of Hollywood musicals, classic pop vocals and fans of the artists and actors who perform on this two CD set.

One of the best cds I ever bought. .......2006-06-07

What an amazon collection of songs! This is bar none my favorite cd just because of the variety and the quality of songs on it. I love music from this era, and this cd is the perfect companion to my life. Love it! Buy it, you won't regret it for a moment!

Never Sounded Better.......2006-03-16

Apart from the great selection of soundtracks, what really makes this compilation top value is the quality of the sound processing. Executed with finesse, these tracks sound better than when first issued and many are unedited, fuller versions: like "Singing In The Rain", for example. Throw in the great price, and this double disc set is a "must have" for all lovers of classic movie music.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow.......2006-02-24

A Sensational CD with Lots of Showtunes that Keep You Happy and makes You Want To Sing Along With!!!

"Hollywood Musicals of the Golden Age are still among us".......2005-07-13

Rhino Records and Turner Classic Movies Music present - "SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW: THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD MUSICALS", some of the long ago musicals and stars that will never be forgotten...a 2-CD-Set covering several decades from 1935-1965 with many of the show stoppers of that time...some rare moments from entertainers that you haven't heard or thought of in sometime.

The lineup is fantastic and gives the listener a variety of what musicals were all about in the "Golden Age of the Hollywood Musicals"
June Allyson, Kay Armen, Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Ann Blyth, Jack Buchanan, Louis Calhern, Bing Crosby, Vic Damone, Doris Day, Nanette Fabray, Connie Francis, Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, Kathyrn Grayson, Georges Guetary, Lena Horne, Betty Hutton, Louis Jourdan, Howard Keel, Gene Kelly, Grace Kelly, Peter Lawford, Oscar Levant, Ann Miller, Ricardo Montalban, Page Cavanaugh Trio, Debbie Reynolds, Winifred Shaw, Nancy Walker, Ethel Waters, Esther Williams, Dooley Williams and Keenan Wynn.

On Disc One 21 Classic Songs from great musicals with songs in alphabetical order:
AS TIME GOES BY - Dooley Wilson with Elliot Carpenter, pianist (1942)
BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE - Esther Williams & Ricardo Montalban (1949)
BLESS, YORE BEAUTIFUL HIDE - Howard Keel (1954)
EASTER PARADE - Fred Astaire & Judy Garland (1948)
FOR ME AND MY GAL - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland (1942)
GET HAPPY - Judy Garland (1950)
HALLELUJAH! - Tony Martin, Vic Damone, Kay Armen, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, Clark Burroughs (for Russ Tamblyn) (1955)
HONEYSUCKLE ROSE - Lena Horne with Benny Carter & His Orchestra (1943)
LARA'S THEME (MAIN TITLE) - M-G-M Studio Orchestra (1965)
LULLABY OF BROADWAY - Winifred Shaw & Dick Powell (1935)
MILKMAN, KEEP THOSE BOTTLES QUIET - Nancy Walker with Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra (1944)
NIGHT AND DAY - Fred Astaire (1934)
PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ - Clark Gable & Company (1939)
'S WONDERFUL - Gene Kelly & Georges Guetary (1951)
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN - Gene Kelly (1951)
STRANGER IN PARADISE - Ann Blyth & Vic Damone (1955)
TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE - Ethel Waters & Eddie "Rochester" Anderson (1943)
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT - Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray & Oscar Levant (1953)
THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS - Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Keenan Wynn & Louis Calhern (1950)
THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME - Fred Astaire (1949)
TRUE LOVE - Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly (1956)

On Disc Two more memorable performances from the Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals:
A KISS TO BUILD A DREAM ON - Louis Armstrong (1951)
ABA DABA HONEYMOON - Debbie Reynolds & Carleton Carpenter (1950)
ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE - Gene Kelly (1954)
BE A CLOWN - Judy Garland & Gene Kelly (1948)
BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE - June Allyson & Peter Lawford (1947)
CAN'T HELP LOVIN' DAT MAN - Ava Gardner (beautiful woman, who my youngest grandaughter is named after...Avalon) (1951)
CHEEK TO CHEEK - Fred Astaire (1935)
EMBRACEABLE YOU - Connie Francis (1965)
GIGI - Louis Jourdan (1958)
GOING HOLLYWOOD - Bing Crosby (1933)
I GOT RHYTHM - Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney (1943)
IF SWING GOES, I GO TOO - Fred Astaire (1946)
IT'S A MOST UNUSUAL DAY - Jane Powell (1948)
LADY IS A TRAMP - Lena Horne (1948)
LET'S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE - Fred Astaire (1936)
ON THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND THE SANTA FE - Judy Garland & Company (1946)
ONE FOR MY BABY (AND ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD) - Fred Astaire (1943)
OVER THE RAINBOW - Judy Garland (became her theme song for the rest of her life) (1939)
PUT 'EM IN A BOX - Doris Day & the Page Cavanaugh Trio (1948)
THE TROLLEY SONG - Judy Garland & MGM Studio Chorus (1944)
WUNDERBAR - Kathryn Grayson & Howard Keel (two of MGM's favorite singing duos) (1953)

It was once said by the songwriters of that era - "There are two artists you want perform your songs on the big screen, they are Fred Astaire and Judy Garland they sing it just the way we wrote it, for which you will have a guaranteed hit on your hands"...well, this collections certainly has some merit to that statement...because with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire performing seven songs each, there must be something to it.

This collection of musicals still has the magic that we remember from those bygone years...but as long as we have the labels and networks who play and show these wonderful films of yesteryear, they will never be forgotten...hats off to Rhino Records, George Feltenstein (producer) and Doug Schwartz (engineer) and Turner Classic Movies for sharing those 42 selections from 42 films...celebrating decades of the tunes and artists that gave it their all...from what it commonly called "The Hollywood Dream Factory"...The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals is still among us...gotta love it!

Total Time: 2-CD-Set ~ Rhino Records 78323 ~ (6/02/2002)

Average customer rating: Not For Purists Cute CD for Looney Tunes fans Oh, the memories this brings back! BRILLIANT AT THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE; THE CD IS JUST AS GREAT Bugs at the Bowl

Bugs Bunny on Broadway Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Nostalgia | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Television Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Carl Stalling Project: Music From Warner Bros. Cartoons, 1936-1958 The Carl Stalling Project, Volume 2: More Music From Warner Bros. Cartoons 1939-1957 Tunes from the Toons: The Best of Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Greatest Hits That's All Folks! Cartoon Songs from Merrie Melodies & Looney Tunes ASIN: B000002LOA Release Date: 1991-01-29

Tracks:

1. Overture (Merrie Melodies Main Title Music)
2. This Is A Life
3. High Note
4. What's Up, Doc?
5. Baton Bunny
6. Jumpin' Jupiter
7. The Rabbit Of Seville
8. Act II Entr' Acte (Excerpt From Long Haired Hare And Merrie Melodies Main Title Music)
9. A Corny Concerto
10. Long-Haired Hare
11. What's Opera, Doc?
12. Merrie Melodies Closing Theme 'That's All Folks'

Amazon.com

Though it's the "cast album" to the touring Bugs Bunny on Broadway show, which featured a 50-piece orchestra playing to the original cartoons, the real stars here are not the musicians but Carl Stalling and Milton J. Franklyn. As the composers behind the Looney Toons cartoons, Stalling (and later Franklyn) expertly composed scores that borrowed from classical music, popular songs of the day, and the whimsical compositions of Raymond Scott. Working with talents like Chuck Avery (the most musically adventurous of Bugs Bunny's directors) and voice actors Arthur Q. Bryan (Elmer Fudd) and Mel Blanc (virtually everybody else), they created some of the best-loved music of the century. They also introduced classical music to new generations through their loving reenactments of Rossini's The Barber of Seville (as "The Rabbit of Seville") and, amazingly, the entire Ring cycle (condensed to seven minutes in "What's Opera, Doc?"). Not as expansive as the two volumes of the Carl Stalling Project, Bugs Bunny on Broadway nevertheless is a fine collection that concentrates on an oft-overlooked legacy of Bugs Bunny and company. --Randy Silver

Customer Reviews:

Not For Purists.......2004-09-22

If you have an ear for the original recordings, then this collection is not for you. On tracks like "The Rabbit of Seville" the switch from the original soundtrack to the modern re-recording is both jarring and unsatisfying. If you loved the "live" show then this may bring back some memories for you. If you want to hear the original performances of the great music from Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, I recommend "The Carl Stalling Project" instead.

Cute CD for Looney Tunes fans.......2004-04-03

Sure, it's not for everyone's taste but no fan of Bugs or Daffy can be without this CD. Outside of the famous 'Merry Go Round Broke Down' and Merrie Melodies theme the Looney Tunes cartoons are well known for paying tribute to and parodying classical music and there's loads of that behavior to be had on this CD. The popular song 'What's Up Doc' is also featured here and there's just enough of Daffy Duck included to keep me happy. Hard to come by but worth getting if you can pick it up cheap.

Oh, the memories this brings back!.......2003-03-05

I never thought I'd hear some of these again. At their height, the Warner Brothers studio used classical music very cleverly in their animations, and this compilation gives us a sampling of the best. About the only thing that made me not give it the full five stars was that it didn't have the excellent "Daffy's Rhapsody."

BRILLIANT AT THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE; THE CD IS JUST AS GREAT.......2002-03-12

I just had the incredible pleasure of seeing this production, conducted by George Daugherty, at The Sydney Opera House. If the week of sold-out audiences were any indications, it's "adult kids" who really love the classic Looney Tunes cartoons. Ordered the CD immediately from Amazon when I got home, and have relived this magnificent production over and over. The music is as incredible as the animation, and Carl Stalling's incredible collaboration with the brilliant Chuck Jones is even more evident when one is just listening to the incredible orchestral performances of these spectacular scores. With the death of Mr. Jones, this CD is even more of a memento of a brilliant golden age of American animated cinema. As we say down here "downunder," it's a bloody ripper!!! (And that's a supreme compliment in Australian!!!!)

Bugs at the Bowl.......2001-07-14

Oh what joy there is in Bugs Bunny. Santa Claus came down the chimney last Christmas and left a beautifully wrapped gift with my name on it underneath our Christmas tree. A CD? For me? Yes, it was. I listened entranced and recaptured so many happy memories of my favourite Chuck Jones characters, all brought vividly to life in George Daugherty's brilliant Bugs Bunny on Broadway. But that wasn't the end of my dreams come true. I was lucky enough to see Bugs brought to life again at The Hollywood Bowl. Rush out and buy this joyful CD - then do your utmost to catch a live performance when it's next in your city.

Average customer rating: The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan Pure delight Delicious G&S samplings abound here. Fine Intro to G&S

Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury Nicholas Folwell , Arthur Sullivan , Marie McLaughlin , Rebecca Evans , Anthony Rolfe Johnson , John Mark Ainsley , Alwyn Mellor , Anne Howells , Barry Banks , Eric Garrett , Felicity Palmer , Gareth Rhys Davies , Janice Watson , Julie Gossage , Neill Archer , Pamela Helen Stephen , Peter Savidge , Richard Stuart , Richard Suart , Richard Van Allan , Sir Thomas Allen [baritone] , Sir Charles Mackerras , and Welsh National Opera Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Sullivan | Sullivan, Arthur | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Allen, Thomas | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Ultimate Gilbert & Sullivan Collection Topsy-Turvy - The Music of Gilbert & Sullivan: From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan The Complete Annotated Gilbert & Sullivan The Gilbert and Sullivan Overtures ASIN: B000003D1Y Release Date: 1996-01-23

Tracks:

1. A Wandering Minstrel I
2. Behold The Lord High Executioner!
3. Three Little Maids From School Are We
4. Braid The Raven Hair
5. The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring
6. On A Tree By A River, A Little Tom-tit Sang, 'Willow, Tit-willow'
7. For He's Gone And Married Yum-Yum
8. We Sail The Ocean Blue
9. I'm Called Little Buttercup
10. My Gallant Crew
11. When I Was A Lad
12. Things Are Seldom What They Seem
13. Never Mind The Why And Wherefore
14. Climbing Over Rocky Mountain
15. Poor Wand'ring One
16. How Beautifully Blue The Sky
17. I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General
18. When The Foeman Bares His Steel
19. Ah, Leave Me Not To Pine
20. With Cat-Like Tread
21. Is Life A Boon?
22. I Have A Song To Sing, O!
23. Were I Thy Bride
24. Oh, A Private Buffoon Is A Light-Hearted Loon
25. When A Wooer Goes A-Wooing
26. When I, Good Friends, Was Called To The Bar
27. A Nice Dilemma We Have Here
28. Oh, Joy Unbounded

Customer Reviews:

The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan.......2004-03-15

At the end of the 19th century (1870's, 80's and 90's) the compatible duo of librettist and composer Gilbert and Sullivan popularized the pre-Broadway entertainment of Savoy opera. These were light operas or operettas whose content was satire and comedy, full of bouncy melodies and beautiful singing, highly entertaining theatrical works staged at London's Savoy theatre. Gilbert and Sullivan did not always get along and in fact there was a time when they ended their professional relationship because personal conflicts surfaced. But they managed to create the world's most beloved light operas, over 40 of them. Their most famous are what I call the Big Three- The H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates Of Penzance and The Mikado. Other works include their first hit Trial By Jury, The Yeomen Of The Guard, Princess Ida, The Gondoliers, Patience and several others. A standard signature of Gilbert and Sullivan was in the colorful cast- a comic actor with a special kind of baritone voice, a canary-like and sweet-voiced coloratura or lyric diva, a mezzo soprano with strong chest register and a lyric tenor as the romantic hero. On this album, English conductor Sir Charles Mackerras, a popular figure in the classical music scene and opera, guides the Chorus and Orchestra Of the Welsh National Opera in generally well-delivered performances of excerpts from the operas The Mikado, The H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates Of Penzance, Yeomen Of The Guard and Trial By Jury. Although I feel that the recordings made by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, with Isodore Godfrey conducting and starring the best cast of the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire- the singers of the 60's and 70's- tenor Phillip Potter, soprano Valerie Masterson, baritone John Reed, Donald Adams and mezzo soprano Christine Palmer. Their version of the Pirates Of Penzance and the Mikado far outshine the Welsh National Opera in technical mastery and vibrant tone color.

But these are fine excerpts. Especially appealing is the famous and cheerful "Three Little Maids From School Are We", a trio that imitates Japanese style melody. Most of the Mikado does this, for it was inspired by Japanisme or the new fashion in Victorian England- everything Japanese, from prints to paintings to poetry. Gilbert and Sullivan simply "Japanized" their English operettas. The Finale "For He's Gone To Marry Yum Yum" is an ebullient and pleasant finale. Not featured here is the domineering and powerful Katisha, a figure who stands out in the Mikado.

The H.M.S. Pinafore is Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular work. The sea chanty "We Sail The Ocean Blue" opens the opera with appropriate atmosphere and it seems to fit perfectly with the other scene in which the Captain greets his crew and they sing his praises "My Gallant Crew..I am the Captain Of The Pinafore". A beautiful melody that seems to come out of a romantic Offenbach tune is "I"m Called Little Buttercup". The finale, not featured here, is also very engaging "For He Is An Englishman" which can almost resemble a British national anthem. The Yeomen Of The Guard was Gilbert and Sullivan's "serious opera" eventhough it remains very Savoyard. The plot deals with Tudor England and takes place at the London Tower. "I have a song to sing" makes use of what can be taken for an English ballad of the Renaissance. Trial By Jury, about the eccentric and hilarious activity of a court trial, has a sextet that although different in composition, has the sextet "Che Mi Frena" from Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor in mind. All in all, an excellent recording sure to delight young and old.

Pure delight.......2003-08-02

--Gilbert & Sullivan--
William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan were a match made in heaven, yet on earth their pairing seems even with hindsight a most unlikely coupling. Both were destined for other things, Gilbert in fact for decidedly non-musical careers. Introduced by a mutual friend, Fred Clay, the fledgling lyricist Gilbert met the military-band-leader's son Sullivan and together continued to conspire to inspire the delights of audiences from high Victorian times down to the present, as their work in musical theatre comedy continues to provide merriment throughout the English-speaking world and beyond.

--The Music--
This collection includes highlights from five of the most popular Gilbert & Sullivan operettas: The Mikado, HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, The Yeoman of the Guard, and Trial by Jury. The arrangements and orchestrations are delightfully energetic and clear; the characterisation and vocal qualities of the leads are perfect for their roles. The haughty if misplaced Lord of the Admiralty has the perfect combination of insecurity and pompous officiousness. The Plaintiff and the Defendant in the Trial are perfectly cast. This is a collection of highlights - at least three but no more than seven songs each, but this gives a good flavour of the music. The recordings on this collection come from complete performances by Mackerras and the WNO.

--Sir Charles Mackerras--
Mackerras is one of the geniuses of the twentieth century musical scene. Having a conducting career that includes the Hamburg Opera, the English National Opera (formerly Sadlers Wells Opera), and the Welsh National Opera (the performers for this piece), he has also conducted major orchestras on the continent of Europe and in the United States. The holder of many major awards and honourary doctorates, he has devoted much time and energy to the preservation and performance of eighteenth and nineteenth century music, as well the restoration of historical musical venues, such as the Estates Theatre in Prague, scene of the original production of Don Giovanni (Mackerras conducted the opera there to commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Mozart).

--Welsh National Opera Orchestra and Chorus--
The seeds of the WNO were planted in Cardiff during World War II by music lovers; the first performances occurred a year after the war's end, with Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci on the bill, with Faust the next night. Popular appeal was so great that the WNO was established, later adding choruses in both Cardiff and Swansea. The professional chorus was established in 1973, with a strength that matches the orchestra. They continue an ambitious performance schedule for recording and live events; Mackerras remains the Conductor Emeritus, as the WNO continues under the direction of Carlo Rizzi. The list of awards the WNO has won over the years is staggering - they are a world class institution by any measure.

--Other performers--
Notable singers such as Richard Stuart, Rebecca Evans, Felicity Palmer, John Mark Ainsley and Anne Howells lead the chorus with stunning vocals and clever characterisations of the parts they play. Many (such as Stuart and Evans) play the leading roles across several of the pieces of the disc.

--Liner Notes--
The liner notes give a good introduction and biographical information about Gilbert and Sullivan, as well as synopses of the five pieces presented here. It does not, unfortunately, include any information about Mackerras, the WNO Orchestra and Chorus, or the other special performers. It also does not include the lyrics to the songs. Were the quality of the CD not so great, this might cost it a star in rating.

--Overall Impressions--
I play this CD in my car, in my home and in my office frequently. It is a great sing-along work and a great comedic relief from the stresses of the day. The music is bubbly and clear; the recording quality is excellent and crisp. I recommend this to any Gilbert & Sullivan lover, any fan of musical comedy, opera and operettas, and anyone who delights in good music.

Delicious G&S samplings abound here........2003-05-06

The first thing I should be saying is "What an infectuous G&S CD." Indeed this is, with this fine sampling of the peppy and bright Mackerras series. I know I have praised its "Mercedes-Benz quality" elsewhere on these pages, but that doesn't stop me from saying that everyone is in fine voice. This generously filled CD may only focus on five operas, but at least you can savour a reasonable choice sampling of delights from each one. Of particular interest is Richard Suart's patter-baritone parts and the soaring lyric soprano of Rebecca Evans. The selection on this disc is filled with a mixture of familiar favourites and lesser-known gems such as the female choruses in Mikado and Pirates. Mackerras is a true G&S conductor, but one who always springs rhythms crisply, and adopts peppy tempo for the fast bits. The one drawback is that this selection is far too infectuous that you'll want to shell out money to buy the full 5-CD Mackerras cycle - an incredible bargain with most of the operas fitted onto one disc each. But still, this is at least a decent G&S sampling for beginners, capped with Steven Ledbetter's copious liner notes. It will leave you wanting to say "dammit I'm going to play it again."

Fine Intro to G&S.......2000-12-30

This is the perfect CD for those who may not be familiar with G&S, or for the initiated who want a smattering but don't have the mother of all CD changers. The difficulty with any G&S Greatest Hits CD is determining which pieces to leave off; while one could easily point to any number equally good bits, it would be difficult to argue about the quality of the choices included. The only problem, such as it is, is that after listening to it I am usually induced to go back and listen to the whole opera anyway. The Mackerras recordings are uniformly excellent. I have read elsewhere the criticism that they are too 'operatic' for light opera. If by this it is meant that the singers are too good, then I leave it to the discretion of the listener when the singing becomes too good to be enjoyable.

Average customer rating: Surprising Variety in Modern A Capepella Choral works Mostly unlistenable.... a handful of great Ligeti works. brilliant choral music Exquisite use of the voice

György Ligeti Edition 2: A Cappella Choral Works - London Sinfonietta Voices Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music A Cappella | Folk | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: György Ligeti Edition 4: Vocal Works (Madrigals, Mysteries, Aventures, Songs) - The King's Singers / Philharmonia Orchestra / Esa-Pekka Salonen György Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets - Arditti String Quartet György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard György Ligeti Edition 6: Keyboard Works (Piano, Harpsichord, Organ) - Irina Kataeva / Pierre-Laurent Aimard / Elisabeth Chojnacka / Zsigmond Szathmáry Ligeti: Mechanical Music ASIN: B0000029OX Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks:

1. A Cappella Choral Works: Night
2. A Cappella Choral Works: Morning
3. A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 1
4. A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 2
5. A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 3
6. A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 4
7. A Cappella Choral Works: Solitude
8. A Cappella Choral Works: Two Canons 1
9. A Cappella Choral Works: Two Canons 2
10. A Cappella Choral Works: Kings of Bethlehem
11. A Cappella Choral Works: The Fugitive
12. A Cappella Choral Works: Lux aeterna
13. A Cappella Choral Works: Wedding Song
14. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 1
15. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 2
16. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 3
17. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 4
18. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 1
19. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 2
20. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 3
21. A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 4
22. A Cappella Choral Works: Widow Papai
23. A Cappella Choral Works: Three phantasies after Hrlin 1
24. A Cappella Choral Works: Three phantasies after Hrlin 2
25. A Cappella Choral Works: Three phantasies after Hrlin 3
26. A Cappella Choral Works: Hungarian Etudes 1
27. A Cappella Choral Works: Hungarian Etudes 2
28. A Cappella Choral Works: Hungarian Etudes 3
29. A Cappella Choral Works: Heigh, Youth! 1
30. A Cappella Choral Works: Heigh, Youth! 2
31. A Cappella Choral Works: Easter
32. A Cappella Choral Works: Hortobagy 1
33. A Cappella Choral Works: Hortobagy 2
34. A Cappella Choral Works: Hortobagy 3
35. A Cappella Choral Works: From a high mountain rock
36. A Cappella Choral Works: Double-Dance from Kallo 1
37. A Cappella Choral Works: Double-Dance from Kallo 2

Amazon.com essential recording

A vast audience received its first exposure to the music of György Ligeti through Stanley Kubrick's use of his haunting "Lux Aeterna" (despite the composer's lack of consent) in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. This collection--part of Sony's invaluable Ligeti edition--places "Lux aeterna" in the context of Ligeti's other a cappella choral works, which together provide an overview of the evolving phases of one of the 20th century's most intriguing composers. In his booklet notes to the disc, Ligeti recalls the influence of Bartók and Kodály on his early folkloric compositions, from arrangements of traditional material to free, polyrhythmically inflected inventions on Hungarian folk texts, a format that allowed him some degree of experimental freedom from the strictures of "socialist realism" before he fled the Hungarian Communist regime. The breakthrough "Lux aeterna" is a classic example of Ligeti's trademark technique of "micropolyphony," enveloping the listener in mesmerizingly dense textures of cloudlike harmonies. From Ligeti's late period comes a triptych of "Hölderlin Phantasies." Their 16-voice polyphony transcends the simplistic distinction between tonality and atonality to explore "new kinds of half diatonic, half chromatic harmonies." The resulting sound world of fragmentary, dislocated epiphanies mirrors the unfathomable richness of the great visionary poet to uncanny effect. Throughout, the acoustical balance and conviction of the London Sinfonietta Voices give vivid shape to Ligeti's genius. -Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Surprising Variety in Modern A Capepella Choral works.......2006-08-24

This 'A Cappella Choral Works', the second volume in a collection of Gyorgy Ligeti compositions contains one of the pieces of music which contributed to making '2001, A Space Odyessy' such a profoundly interesting film. This piece, 'Lux aeterna' which is the textbook example of 'SciFi' music, is very different from many of the other pieces on this recording. In fact, one is really impressed by the wide variety of styles, where you have some peasant songs which sound a lot like sea chantys and other pieces which are definitely liturgical. One can certainly thank Stanley Kubrick for bringing Ligeti to our attention.

Mostly unlistenable...........2006-08-23

Not even good for background music/noise as the voices get really loud in certain parts and almost silent.

I bought this CD and am returning it. It's just more & more of the sameness throughout the whole CD.

I realize that Ligeti is avant garde but I heard that if you like Gregorian chant (which I do) this CD is similar. I don't think it is. It's very disquieting and full of tension (great, if that's the mood you're looking for).

a handful of great Ligeti works........2004-09-06

As a compilation, musically speaking, Edition 2 is probably my least favorite of the Sony Ligeti Edition collection. Many of the pieces come from traditional Hungarian sources, conceived while Ligeti was still in his early years. They are pretty, but also pretty straightforward and conventional, and other than their simple pleasantness and occasionally yummy dissonances, they aren't really mindblowing like the best Ligeti. They are often very beautiful though. However, Edition 2 DOES feature one of the most harrowing, apocalyptic compositions of 20th century Western music, _Lux aeterna_. The profound tension in the quiet web of micropolyphonic voices is just devastating. Also great are the other later pieces, _Drei Phantasien nach Friedrich Holderlin_, three wild polyphony pieces from German literature, and _Magyar Etudok_, three very complex Hungarian etudes for 16 voices. Those pieces are all outstanding but honestly I think everything I've heard by Ligeti is worth hearing. Check out Ligeti edition 4 for more vocal works, some of which are the best of Ligeti's works.

brilliant choral music.......2003-07-21

This cd is beautiful to listen to.From Ejszaka to Kallai Ketto
is brilliant. Ligeti choral works is the first cd have got choral music on it and i love it.Now im going to get the other two cds in the ligeti edition.
(the vocal works & le grand marabre)

Exquisite use of the voice.......2002-07-11

Bringing Ligeti's works to a wider public was one of the great services Stanley Kubrick performed for the world when Lux aeterna was included in the soundtrack for 2001: a Space Odyssey.

This album is a collection of a cappella choral works and which highlights Ligeti's great talent and skill in the use of the voice as a musical instrument. He, together with Yoko Ono, have excelled in this field though from different, sometimes conflicting directions.

When I listen to this I revel in it's glory. The sounds are ethereal and atmospheric, ghostly and angelic in a way that no-one but the composer can make them sound. I never want those sounds to end and in a way it is like having a sort of dependence.

I could go on and on and on about this but I had better stop. This is one essentila component of anyone's classical music collection yet it really defies categorisation. This is timeless, awesome music, not just for a generation but for a world. Lest Zeus strike me with a thunderbolt, these voices are sweeter and more angelic than the voices of the angels themselves.

Exquiiste. Words are insufficient to describe such beauty.

Average customer rating:

Land of My Fathers: 100 Great Welsh Choir Favourites Manufacturer: Castle Pulse ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Boito, Arrigo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Foster, Stephen | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Porter | Porter, Cole | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rutter | Rutter, John | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sibelius | Sibelius, Jean | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sullivan | Sullivan, Arthur | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mancini | Mancini, Henry | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Favourite Welsh Choirs Land of Song Welsh Choral Classics Welsh Choirs: Wonderful Welsh Choirs Bryn Terfel - We'll Keep a Welcome Traditional Songs of Wales ASIN: B0009SOFXG Release Date: 2005-08-01

Tracks:

1. Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer (CWM Rhondda) - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
2. Land of My Fathers - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
3. Dies Irae
4. Men of Harlech
5. You'll Never Walk Alone
6. Cadwyn O Emyn Donau Cymreig: Joanna (Trad./Elfion Wyn)/Crugybar (Trad.
7. Old Folks at Home
8. Il Liza Jane
9. Faust/Soldier's Chorus - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
10. Vergine Degli Angeli
11. Ballard of Rourke's Drift - Cwt-Y-Collen Choir
12. My Hero
13. God Bless the Prince of Wales - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
14. German Mass/Gloria
15. German Mass/Sanctus
16. Misbles/Master of the House/On My Own/Drink with Me/Empty Chairs at
17. All Through the Night - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
18. Arwelfa
19. Invictus
20. Softly as I Leave You

Tracks:

1. Diolch l'R L
2. Hine E Hine (Maori Lullaby)
3. Pererin Wyf (Amazing Grace)
4. Tribute to the USA: America the Beautiful (Ward/Bates)/God Bless ...
5. Memories of Martha
6. I Lombardi/The Crusaders' Chorus - Treorchy Male Choir
7. Myfanwy - Treorchy Male Choir
8. Tales of Hoffman/Barcarolle
9. Creation's Hymn
10. In the Spirit!
11. Shall We Gather at the River
12. Nos a Bore
13. Very Best Time of Year
14. Soon Ah Will Be Done
15. Thanks Be to God
16. Flower That Shattered the Stone
17. Rhys - Treorchy Male Choir
18. Where Shall I Be?
19. Bywyd y Bugail
20. Lord's Prayer

Tracks:

1. Ave Maria
2. Pearl Fishers/Divine Brahma
3. She Was Beautiful (Cavatina) - Treorchy Male Choir
4. Cymru Fach
5. Nidaros
6. Jacob's Ladder - Treorchy Male Choir
7. Watching the Wheat
8. Pan Ddaw y Saint (When the Saints Go Marching In)
9. Misbles/Stars
10. Rachie
11. Pirates of Penzance/With Cat-Like Tread - Treorchy Male Choir
12. There Is a Balm in Gilead
13. Rise Up Shepherd and Foller
14. My Lord, What a Mornin'
15. Bryn Myrddin
16. Jesus Christ Superstar/Medley: Jesus Christ Superstar/Hosanna/The Last
17. Finnish Forest (Suomen Salossa)
18. Nabucco/The Glory of Israel
19. Ride the Chariot
20. Tydi a Roddaist - Treorchy Male Choir

Tracks:

1. Y Nefoedd
2. Phantom of the Opera/Think of Me
3. Morte Christe (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross)
4. By Babylon's Wave
5. I'm Gonna Sing
6. Where Could I Go But to the Lord?
7. Holy City - Treorchy Male Choir
8. Mefistofele: Ave Signor, Degli Angeli
9. Senzenina (Zulu Chant)
10. That's All I Want from You
11. Deep Harmony - Treorchy Male Choir
12. Give Me Jesus
13. Just a Closer Walk with Thee
14. My Wish for You
15. Jeptha/Waft Her Angels
16. Mose in Egitto/Prayer
17. Be Still My Soul (Finlandia Hymn)
18. God's Choir in the Sky
19. Floral Dance - Treorchy Male Choir
20. Smilin' Through

Tracks:

1. Calon Lan
2. True Love
3. Mor Fawr Wyt Ti (How Great Thou Art)
4. Aberystwyth
5. Comrades in Arms
6. Cats/Memory
7. They Led My Lord Away
8. State Fair/It's a Grand Night for Singing
9. When I Fall in Love
10. Let's Face the Music and Dance
11. Windmills of Your Mind
12. How Soon
13. Non Nobis Domine
14. Rhythm of Life
15. Kalinka
16. Sound an Alarm
17. Neapolitan Trilogy: It's Now or Never (Di Capua/Schroeder/Gold)/Mo ...
18. Turandot/Nessun Dorma
19. Christus Redemptor
20. Ann Evening's Pastorale

Album Details

Choirs Include the Morriston Orpheus Choir, the Pontadrddulais Male Voice Choir, the Caerphilly Male Voice Choir, the Cwrt-y-gollen Choir, the Treorchy Male Choir and the Lucknow Male Voice Choir.

Average customer rating: Bluesy garage rock from Atlanta

High Life High Volume The Forty-Fives Manufacturer: Yep Roc Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Garage Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Oldies & Retro | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Fight Dirty Making the Rounds Too Much Guitar Get It Together The Set-Up ASIN: B0002ABTSK Release Date: 2004-06-29

Tracks:

1. Who Do You Think You Are?
2. Go Ahead And Shout
3. Bad Reputation
4. Superpill
5. Backstage At Juanita's
6. Daddy Rolling Stone
7. Junkfood Heaven
8. Too Many Miles
9. bicycle Thief
10. C'mon Now Love Me
11. Stop At Nothing

Amazon.com

The back-to-the-future success of the Hives, Jet, and the Strokes has proven that roots rock is a decidedly relative term. But while much of those bands' work is rooted in a '70s-vintage melange of hooks, crunch, and sass, Atlanta's Forty-Fives are driven by a fetish for another decade entirely: the raw, mid-'60s thrash of the British Invasion and American contenders like the Standells. On this, the quartet's third album, they've driven that fervent, back-to-the-garage sensibility into a virtual musical time warp, an ironic pop conundrum that will sound invitingly fresh to Generation Y-ers, while evoking a sense of strange nostalgia in boomers. The key here is the album's sole cover, an energetic workout of the obscure early Who album track "Daddy Rolling Stone" that succeeds, as did the original, on sheer, committed chutzpah. Backed by the band's driving retro-beat, vocalist Bryan Malone barrels through standouts like "Bad Reputation" and "Who Do You Think You Are" with impressive abandon before taking a twangy respite with the Stonesy country blues of "Bicycle Thief." The Flamin' Groovies may have pioneered this shtick back in those now-hallowed '70s, but their efforts sound self-consciously precious by comparison; the Forty-Fives are content to simply live and die by the rave-up. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Bluesy garage rock from Atlanta.......2004-07-03

No doubt this band is tired of being likened to Jet, but with the latter serving as the video poster-boys for this year's go-round of punchy guitar-based rock (having supplanted The Hives, The Vines, White Stripes and other), the comparison is inevitable. But where Jet leans on 70s and 80s stalwarts like Humble Pie and AC/DC, the Forty Fives tread back to mid-60s garage rockers such as The Sonics and Standells, early-70s anti-flower power bands like The Stooges and MC5, and 80s revivalists such as The Lyres and Chesterfield Kings.

The Forty Five's second full-length CD for Yep Roc serves up 10 originals so steeped in the genre that they might as well be covers, and one actual cover - an early-Who styled take of "Daddy Rolling Stone." All are loaded with guitar hooks, supplemented by harmonica, sax and the unmistakable sound of Hammond B-3, underlining raucous rock 'n' roll with a soulful touch of Stax. The band revisits the bar-blues-in-the-garage sounds of the Stones, Shadows of Knight, and Black Crowes with the élan of true rock 'n' roll believers - a commodity that's been in short supply lately.

Average customer rating: More expensive than the other Essential but worth it. Excellent compilation of an important composer. "film composer Dimitri Tiomkin gave his all and then some"

The Alamo: The Essential Film Music Collection Dimitri Tiomkin Manufacturer: Silva America ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Tiomkin: Red River The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection Way Out West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection, Vol. 2 The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection Giant ASIN: B00022MBNK Release Date: 2004-07-13

Tracks:

1. Night Passage
2. Tension At Table Rock
3. High Noon
4. The War Wagon
5. The Wild Wild West: Main Theme
6. The Wild Wild West: The Ballad Of Jim West
7. Gunfight At The O.K. Coral
8. Rio Bravo
9. Rawhide
10. Red River
11. The Unforgiven: Across The Texas Panhandle
12. The Unforgiven: The Need For Love
13. The Unforgiven: Horse Ballet
14. The Young Land
15. Duel In The Sun

Tracks:

1. The Fall Of The Roman Empire: Overture
2. The Fall Of The Roman Empire: The Fall Of Love
3. The Fall Of The Roman Empire: Pax Romana
4. 55 Days Peking
5. Land Of The Pharaohs
6. Circus World (The Magnificent Showman)
7. Dial M For Murder
8. Strangers On A Train
9. Giant: Main Title
10. Giant: Love Theme
11. Giant: The Jett Rink Theme
12. The High And The Mighty
13. Wild Is The Wind
14. The Guns Of Navarone

Tracks:

1. Cyrano De Bergerac
2. The Well
3. Friendly Persuasion
4. Town Without Pity
5. It's A Wonderful Life
6. Tarzan And The Mermaids
7. The Thing From Another World
8. The Alamo: Overture/Prologue
9. The Alamo: Davy Crockett
10. The Alamo: Tennessee Babe
11. The Alamo: The Battle Of The Alamo
12. The Alamo: The Green Leaves Of Summer
13. The Alamo: Finale

Tracks:

1. Giant: This Then Is Texas
2. Rawhide: Rawhide
3. High Noon: Do Not Forsake Me
4. Night Passage: Follow The River
5. Giant: The Ballad Of Jett Rink
6. Friendly Persuasion: Thee I Love
7. It's A Wonderful Life
8. Wild Is The Wind
9. The High And The Mighty
10. The War Wagon: The Ballad Of The War Wagon
11. Rio Braco
12. The Young Land: Strange Are The Ways Of Love
13. The Wild Wild West: The Ballad Of Jim West
14. The Wild Wild West: The Wild Wild West

Amazon.com

Dimitri Tiomkin was one of the most prominent composers of Hollywood's Golden Age and beyond, his career spanning a half-century and some of America's most classic films. This sprawling, four-disc anthology (its title a marketing nod to the modern remake of one of Tiomkin's notable collaborations with John Wayne) features new digital recordings of full-bodied performances by the City of Prague Orchestra and Festival Chorus, the most ambitious and comprehensive tribute to the composer yet attempted. There's something here for film score buffs (rarities like a suite from his sci-fi genre-defining Thing From Another World and the "Main Theme" for the pilot of TV's Wild, Wild West) and novice alike; indeed one could scarcely ask for a more complete overview of Tiomkin's robust orchestral oeuvre. Divided into four chapters, disc one chronicles how the Ukrainian immigrant concocted a rich Western film heritage (including such genre landmarks as Red River, High Noon, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and Rio Bravo) from largely European traditions, while the next two CD's cover his rousing work for epics and thrillers of every stripe, and collaborations with Hitchcock, Wayne, Capra, Stevens and more. The concluding disc pays homage to Tiomkin the unlikely pop tunesmith, via his hit vocal themes to Rawhide, Wild is the Wind and High Noon's "Do Not Forsake Me." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

More expensive than the other Essential but worth it........2007-04-22

This is an excellent set of music of Dimitri Tiomkin's music! The 4th disc is short (at just over 30 minutes), but thats because it is just the vocal versions of tracks which appeared in instrumental form throughout the first 3 discs. Whenever you buy a silva screen compilation, the first thing you ask yourself is 'when were these recordings made' and 'do I have these tracks on other compilations? Thankfully, this set has TONS of new recordings, but there is some recycled stuff and they are as follows:

Dial M For Murder is from the 1993 History of Hitchcock Vol. I, while Strangers on a Train is from 1995's History of Hitchcock Vol. II.

Three tracks originate from 1994's "Music From the Films Of John Wayne". They are "The High and the Mighty", "The Alamo - Overture" and "The Alamo - Green Leaves of Summer".


Red River is from 1996's "How The West Was Won: Classic Western Film Scores Vol. One".

The Thing From Another World suite is from the excelllent 1998 set "Alien Invasion: Space And Beyond II"

Many tracks first appeared on "Way Out West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection Vol. Two". They are: "Duel In The Sun", "The Alamo (Davy Crockett)", "Friendly Persuasion", "Giant (Main Theme)", "Gunfight at the OK Corral", "High Noon", "Rio Bravo", and "The Unforgiven (The Need For Love)".

The rest of the tracks are brand spankin new, and most are not available on other discs, so snag this one up in a hurry!

Excellent compilation of an important composer........2004-07-16

This long overdue collection of Tiomkin standards and rarities is a must for any fan of symphonic music; albeit, for film or concert hall. As the liner notes clarify; these recordings are a real labor of love for James Fitzpatrick and the Silva Screen team. Tiomkin is; undoubtedly, one of the most difficult of composers to replicate. This recording comes extremely close to "hitting the nail on the head" particularly with tracks such as: "Across the Texas Panhandle" from the Unforgiven, The Entr'acte from Duel in the Sun, The Guns of Navarone, The War Wagon, and the main title and Jett Rink theme from Giant. This recording is a bargain, particularly for collectors who have sought after many of Tiomkin's composer conducted soundtracks (which are getting harder and harder to obtain). Listeners who enjoy this set should consider seeking out previous cd releases of the soundtracks to "The Guns of Navarone" (SONY, Varese Sarabande), "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (Varese Sarabande, PEG), "55 Days at Peking" (Varese Sarabande), and "The Alamo" :original soundtrack (still available on SONY-Legacy).

"film composer Dimitri Tiomkin gave his all and then some".......2004-07-13

Silva America presents the ultimate in film music during the illustrious career of an icon and legendary composer of film scores ~ "Alamo:Dimitri Tiomkin Essential Film Collection/O.S.T", featuring some long forgotten 53 cues that sent chills and thrills into the pulses of world events ~ selections from a limited collectors edition that would make any "film-score-buff" green with envy.

Tiomkin was born in Ukraine, Russia [1894-1979] attended and graduated from St. Petersburg Academy[studied under the famed composer Glazunov] ~ had a degree in music as well as law ~ came to America in 1925, shown great interest for Native American music early in his film career.

Great fondness for "The Western" ~ "DUEL IN THE SUN" (1946) (Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotton, Lionel Barrymore, Lilian Gish and Charles Bickford - one of biggest an