M.O.T.A.

1. Ritmo Que Pesa

2. Revolución en Estéreo

3. Deseo

4. Nadie Se Atreve

5. Qué Sera

6. Yavida

7. Canto en la Priosión

8. de Más

9. Momento de Ocio (Pt. 1)

10. No Me Interesa

11. Canción Despojo

12. Qué Tiempo Se Vive

13. Momento de Ocio (Pt. 2)

14. Noche Vibra

15. Momento de Ocio (Pt. 3)

16. Desde Mi Silla

17. Sube el Humo

M.O.T.A.,Cultura Profetica,Machete Music,Latin,Latin Pop,Latin Rock,Reggae,Regional Mexican

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music

Average customer rating: Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour) Luciano Pavorotti Luciano is the best!

Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour) Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Flotow | Flotow, Friedrich von | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works Featuring Luciano Pavarotti | Pavarotti, Luciano | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | 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 German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Bixio, Cesare Andrea | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cardillo, Salvatore | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Capua, Eduardo di | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Curtis, Ernesto de | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: The Best of the Three Tenors Romantica: The Very Best Of Luciano Pavarotti Pavarotti: Greatest Hits Amore: Romantic Italian Love Songs The Best of Luciano Pavarotti: 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection ASIN: B0007V5WB4 Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

1. La donna obile
2. Una furtiva lagrima
3. "Libiamo ne'lieti calici (Brindisi)
4. Donna non vidi mai
5. Che gelida manina
6. O soave fanciulla
7. Mi batte il cor...O Paradiso!
8. M'appari
9. Quando le sere al placido chiaror d'un ciel stellato
10. Se quel guerrier io fossi!..Celeste Aida
11. Forse la soglia attinse
12. Recitar! - "Vesti la giubba"
13. Come un bel di maggio
14. Ah mes amis - Pour mon
15. Di quella pira
16. Nessun dorma!

Tracks:

1. Torna a Surriento
2. Santa Lucia luntana
3. La Danza
4. L'ultima canzone
5. Non t'amo pi
6. Mattinata
7. 'O sole mio
8. 'A vucchella
9. Core 'ngrato
10. Nel blu, dipinto di blu
11. Vivere
12. Il Canto
13. Caruso
14. Buongiorno a te
15. Ti adoro
16. E lucevan le stelle
17. Questa o quella (Ballata)
18. Parmi veder le lagrime

Customer Reviews:

Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour).......2007-06-27

Wonderful Pavarotti sings the best of the best. His voice never ceases to amaze me. Listening pleasure at it's finest.

Luciano Pavorotti.......2007-02-17

All the songs are wonderful, can never become tired of listening to his songs. Excellent.

Luciano is the best!.......2007-01-20

I can't speak more highly of this collection of Pavrotti's songs. I keep this two CD pack in my car so I can enjoy it on my way to and from work. Even after I have arrived, I find myself sitting in my car waiting for a song to end. Walking out on a song seems sacriligious. While I grew up listening to Caruso and Lanza, there is no question that Pavrotti is the Master! Although, I do have to admit Pavrotti has the greater advantage of modern recording technology to better present his talent than Caruso and Lanza had. However, Lanza definitely didn't have the power that Pavrotti has. With Caruso, we will never know... I highly recommend this collection of Pavrotti's, if you are a Pavrotti fan. If you aren't, buy it anyway and become one:)

Average customer rating: Absolutely peerless once-in-a-lifetime greatness We love this album Simply great Porgy and Bess

Porgy & Bess Ella Fitzgerald , and Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Porgy and Bess Gershwin: Porgy & Bess [With Members of the Original Cast] Porgy & Bess: High Performance George Gershwin - Porgy & Bess / Trevor Nunn · Sir Simon Rattle · W. White · C. Haymon · Glyndebourne Opera Ella & Louis Again (Dig) ASIN: B0000046Z5 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Summertime
3. I Wants To Stay Here
4. My Man's Gone Now
5. I Got Plenty O'Nuttin'
6. Buzzard Song
7. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
8. It Ain't Necessarily So
9. What You Want Wild Bess?
10. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
11. Oh, Doctor Jesus
12. Medley: Here Come De Honey Man/Crab Man/Oh, Deh's So Fresh And Fine (Strawberry Woman)
13. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
14. Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
15. Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way

Amazon.com

Getting the two most personable voices in jazz to sing an hour's worth of George Gershwin's opera Porgy & Bess (Ella doing all the female parts, Satchmo all the male) was a good idea, but not quite as great as it sounded. Armstrong savors the down-and-dirty Charlestonisms that inspired the cadences of the music and lyrics, and they fit his happy rasp like an old shoe; Fitzgerald, conversely, sounds almost prissy every time she has to sing the word "ain't," though her melodic genius gets Gershwin's bold, supple tunes over. The arrangements are full-throttle Broadway, with a few leaps into Dixieland (including some fine Armstrong trumpet solos), but the disc works best when the vocalists break character and let their jazz side out. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely peerless.......2006-11-17

"Porgy and Bess" has just opened (with some controversy) in London's West End, though as a musical and not as an opera as it was originally conceived. Reviews have been promising and I aim to go down and see it soon. I decided to listen to this CD to put myself in the mood. I hadn't listened to it for years and I'd completely forgotten how good it actually is. Ella's voice blends with Louis' perfectly and Russell Garcia's orchestration gives them a dreamy landscape to perform against. I have one or two other CDs by Louis and Ella but this one is by far my favourite. The CD opens with "Overture" and its orchestral performance of classics like "Summertime", "I Wants To Stay Here", "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" and "It Ain't Neccessarily So" set the tone nicely, leaving one ever so keen for the vocal versions. Louis Armstong has a very rough tone to his voice but the emotion he packs with it is moving, most especially on the mournful "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" And we get all this and Louis' wonderful trumpet playing too?

Gershwin and Gershwin must be among the top composers of the last century and this opera showcases their talents more than anything I've heard. Ella and Louis are peerless as a vocal duo and though I doubt the West End performance will capture the magic in the same way they did, I still remain very keen to go see it. Is it opera or is it a jazz performance? I don't really know. I just know that I love it. And strongly recommend it.

once-in-a-lifetime greatness.......2006-10-06

Two thousand five hundred musicians have recorded "Summertime" --- it's a classic. (I bet most Americans can name Janis Joplin and no other singer.) As for "Porgy and Bess," the folk opera from which "Summertime" springs, it's such a classic that it's hard to believe anyone ever had a harsh word to say about it.

But after its premiere in 1935, no less than Duke Ellington said, "It has grand music and a swell play, but the two didn't go together. It does not use the Negro musical idiom --- the times are here to debunk Gershwin's lampblack Negroisms."

A quarter of a century later, the producers of the film version had trouble assembling a cast. Harry Belafonte rejected their offer to play Porgy. Sidney Poitier took the part --- and wished he hadn't. Poitier later wrote that the movie insulted black people; when he chose clips of his best performances for his tribute at the American Film Institute, he picked nothing from "Porgy and Bess."

And in 1985, when Grace Bumbry was a sensation as Bess in a Metropolitan Opera production, she slammed the opera: "I thought it beneath me, I felt I had worked far too hard, that we had come far too far to have to retrogress to 1935."

All that may be. All I know is that I have, in a long life, rarely been confronted with more genius than in the Fitzgerald/Armstrong recording of "Porgy & Bess." Set aside the achievement of George and Ira Gershwin in transforming DuBose Heyward's novel into a folk opera. Let's just focus on Armstrong and Fitzgerald, who were at the peak of their popularity when this record was made in 1957.

"Summertime" --- the first song --- sets the tone. A baleful horn figure, then violins. And then Armstrong's trumpet: slow, steady, dignified. But wait --- here comes a slurred note. And a cool little improvisation. Just enough of each. Very tasty.

Fitzgerald sings a verse. She is cool and formal. A lady. Not to be taken lightly. Now it's Armstrong's turn. Tender, but let's not kid ourselves --- this is not singing as others define it. This is melodic speech: rough, gutteral. And thus he is ideally cast: His Porgy may have his charms, but he'll have to stretch to keep Bess.

And so it goes throughout the CD. Trumpet mastery --- Armstrong has dazzling control. His tone is bright, but never shrill; there's a warmth in his playing no one else could produce. And Fitzgerald is just a study in inevitability; to hear her is to wonder how anyone could sing these songs any other way.

"I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'." "Bess, You Is My Woman Now." "A Woman Is a Sometime Thing." "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York." "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way."

All brilliantly conceived, orchestrated and recorded.

The greatest trumpet player in this history of jazz.

The father of scat singing.

The queen of the jazz vocal.

There are no-brainers, and then there is this Ella Fitzgerald-Louis Armstrong collaboration --- music that imprints on your soul.

We love this album.......2006-08-22

We hope they will someday bring this beautiful story back to the stage

Simply great.......2006-03-04

The fusion between the great two voices and the orchestra is just brilliant. Very good brass and violins that accompany Fitzeralds and Armstrongs magic voices leaves you with your mouth open.

A must have for everyone!

Porgy and Bess.......2005-10-14

Could not find this anyway locally. It is a great recording

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: Highest Level of Artistry Displayed "Behold the Tomb" Well-sung Shakespearean travesty beautiful and moving opera Wonderful nostalgia

Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Rossini: L'Assedio di Corinto Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) Massenet: Manon Verdi: La Traviata / Sills, Gedda, Panerai; Ceccato Handel - Julius Caesar / Treigle · Sills · Forrester · Wolff · NYCO · Rudel ASIN: B0002XV2XO Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

1. Sinfonia
2. Aggiorna Appena...
3. O Di Capellio, Generosi Amici
4. E Serbata A Questo Acciaro
5. Si: M'abbraccia
6. L'amo Tanto, E M'e Si Cara
7. Vanne Lorenzo
8. Lieto Del Dolce Incarno
9. Ascolta. Se Romeo T'uccise Un Figlio
10. Riedi Al Campo
11. La Tremenda Ultrice Spada
12. Eccomi In Lieta Vesta...
13. Oh! Quante Volte
14. Propizia E L'ora
15. Si, Fuggire: A Noi Non Resta
16. Odi Tu? L'altar Funesto
17. Vieni, Ah! Vieni

Tracks:

1. Lieta Notte, Avventurosa
2. Deh! Per Pieta, T'arresta
3. Tace Il Fragor
4. Che Miro?
5. Soccorso, Sostegno Accordagli
6. Accorriam...Romeo!
7. Ne Alcun Ritorna!
8. Morte Io Non Temo Il Sai
9. Prendi, Gl'istanti Volano
10. Deh! Padre Mio, Deh Padre Mio!
11. Deserto E Il Luogo
12. Chi Sei Tu?
13. Qua' Voci! Oh Dio!
14. Ella E Morta, O Sciagurato
15. Siam Giunti
16. Ecco La Tomba
17. Tu Sola, O Mia Giulietta
18. O Tu, Mia Sola Speme
19. Ah! Crudel! Che Mai Facesti?

Customer Reviews:

Highest Level of Artistry Displayed .......2007-02-13

This isn't the Shakespearean version, in case you get disappointed, but is based on an Italian source. In spite of the obvious fact the Sills and Gedda were already past their prime by the time of this recording, they still have plenty to give us, and their musical insight makes this recording better than other well-sung performances recorded in the studio. Baker is absolutely fantastic throughout and gave a very satisfying performance both musically and artistically.

Now coming to the comparison made by a reviewer between Bellini and Verdi. Well, even if Bellini had lived to 80, it would not be his aim to write like Verdi. Bellini stood alone amongst the great opera composers of Italy. Even his contemporaries recognized it and called his music 'filosofico'. Bellini's aim was not to create dramas with music like Donizetti or Verdi, but rather music drama - a fact which Wagner recognized. Only that Bellini's aim was to realize it via the voice (think Norma), while Wagner did it with the orchestra. It is note-worthy that Wagner spared Bellini the usual bashing he gave to the Italians. Not only that - he admitted to Cosima that the love duet from Capuleti was the source of his inspiration for his own in Tristan. In his old age, he was proud to say that he learned from 'these pages' what Messrs Brahms etc had failed to learn. One should approach a Bellini opera as one does a Chopin Ballade or Wagner's Tristan, not Verdi. That is not to say that Verdi is inferior, but just different.

And regarding Bellini's orchestration, Wagner and Bizet were on separate occasions, were tasked to 'improve' the orchestration of Norma. Both eventually gave up the job as impossible and concluded that the orchestration written by Bellini was the most suitable. Comparing the orchestration between the early Il Pirata (with its almost Wagnerian finale!) with Norma, it dawns upon one that the decision to thin out the orchestra by Bellini was deliberate, in line with his purpose of using the voice as the primary tool to express the drama.

"Behold the Tomb".......2006-09-30

I find it difficult to evaluate Bellini's work because it depends so heavily on performance. Never a connoiseur of performances, I leave it to others to tell one bel canto aria from another. It is discouraging to realize that Bellini, who died young, never took much interest in orchestral music, making him a lesser counterpart to Verdi, who combines the Italian devotion to the voice with powerful dramatic effects from the orchestra. Even the cover of the EMI CD is disappointing because it slaps a mod-erotic photograph on an opera where the lovers are too traumatised to make love. The libretto is so poor that the recording does not bother to supply it, confirming the view that Bellini's operas are for connoiseurs of vocal sound only.

I have downoaded the text from Karadar Classical Music as well as a synopsis from Opera japonica. We learn that the Capuleti and Montecchi are local versions of the Guelph and Ghilbelline parties respectively. The Ghibelline Dante would have been allied with the Montecchi, Romeo's party. Capellio, Juliet's father, seeks to avenge the death of a son at the hands of Romeo. Romeo's part is sung by a mezzo-soprano, adding further to the absurdity of the EMI cover photo. Although Romeo and Juliet are already lovers, she refuses to elope with him out of loyalty to her father. These lovers really seem more interested in dying than in making love. Juliet does manage to declare that she breathes easier when she learns that Romeo has survived a fight. We know that Romeo has reached his appointed place when he sings, "Ecco la tomba." Janet Baker, as Romeo, shines in the slow, heart-broken singing that follows, interspersed with sympathetic passages by the chorus of Montecchi. There is no doubt that Bellini's operas allow top performers to sing as beautifully as they can. The instrumental accompaniment in this concluding scene is reduced to a bare minimum.

Well-sung Shakespearean travesty.......2005-10-15

Source: Studio recording made at Abbey Road Studio, London, June 16-25, 1975.

Sound: Analog stereo. The engineering is competent, I suppose, but as a matter of personal taste I do not care for the distant and echo-y soundscape. It sounds as though the opera were taking place at the far end of a Gothic cathedral.

Documentation: No printed libretto, although there is a reference to an on-line libretto available at the EMI Classics website, (which failed to download in five tries over two days) just in case I want to listen to this opera while I am working at my computer. The accompanying essay by James Harding is the most useless I have ever found in a CD case--and that is by no means an easily earned distinction. Harding is vitally interested in Bellini's lame love life but indifferent to such trifles as the plot of the opera he is supposed to be writing about.

Format: Disk 1, Act I, Scenes 1 and 2; 60:42. Disk 2, Act I, Scene 3; Act II, Scenes 1-3; 74:23.

Bellini premiered "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" at Teatro La Fenice in Venice exactly one month before his twenty-ninth birthday. It was a success but it was not without critics. In his essay, Harding writes, "It was unfair of Berlioz to denounce I Capuleti e i Montecchi as a travesty of Shakespeare." Berlioz clearly had a point, for where the Bard had twenty characters, the librettist "Romani made do with only five. You will look in vain," Harding gushes on, "for the Nurse and Friar Laurence" and, I must add, for Mercutio, Benvolio and Paris, too. In the opera, Paris and Tybalt become a single character, Tebaldo, to the great detriment of the plot.

"I Capuleti e i Montecchi" came about midway in Bellini's too short career. The really big hits on which his fame rests were yet to come. The music is competent but somehow lacking that indefinable ping that makes "La Sonnambula," "Norma" and "I Puritani" extraordinary.

Overall, the performance is good. Best by far in the cast is Janet Baker. She does not generate overt excitement but she offers an overwhelming sense of rightness when she essays any part in the narrow range that she made her own. This recording is a little late for the best of Sills but she is still very bright and amazingly agile. As always, I feel that her voice is just a little too cool and too thin, but that is purely a matter of personal taste. It is also late for Nicolai Gedda, who sounds unexpectedly baritonal as Tebaldo, a part that any other 19th Century composer would surely have written for a baritone. (I know, I know, Gounod's Tybalt is a tenor. I sang the role, myself, back in college days. But Gounod's Tybalt is markedly different in character from Bellini's Tebaldo-Paris.) Gedda is very good, but I am not at all sure that I would have recognized him if his name had not been on the cover.

"I Capuleti e i Montecchi" is not a great opera, but three famous and very fine singers offer intelligent and entertaining performances. That's worth five stars as far as I'm concerned.

FOR THE HISTORICALLY MINDED: William Shakespeare wrote his "Romeo and Juliet" in the 1590s, in the early days of his career. As was usual for him, he based his play on older materials. The first literary mention of the Montagus and the Capulets is in Dante's "Purgatorio," vi, lines 106-108. The Montagus lived in Verona and the Capulets in Cremona. They were used by Dante as examples of warring factions that had been exterminated. About 1530, Luigi da Porto mistakenly assumed that the Montagus and the Capulets had both resided in Verona and had feuded with one another. He worked up a tale that involved two young members of his warring clans, Giulietta and Romeo. In 1554, Matteo Bandello published a novella called "Romeo e Giulietta" which proved to be an international hit. A French version was adapted from Bandello by Pierre Boaistuau in 1559. This, in turn, was translated into English in 1562 by Arthur Brooke as a "tragical history" in verse form called "Romeus and Juliet," later to be pounced on by Will Shakespeare in search of a popular hit. The only major changes that Shakespeare made in Brooke's plot were to compress the time frame and to introduce Tybalt into the story at an earlier point in order to build him up as a worthy adversary for Romeo. And, oh, yes, he created an array of living characters such as had never been conceived before.

A number of commentators have taken note of the much simplified plot of "I Capuleti e i Montecchi." They have accounted for it by declaring that Shakespeare's version was not yet well-known in the world, so Romani must have based his work on an earlier version of the story, by which I presume they mean by Bandello or even by da Porto. I don't buy that explanation. By 1830, the cult of Bardolatry was firmly established. The standard German translations (that the Germans to this day hold to be superior to the English originals) were well along. Two generations earlier, the tourist industry of Stratford Upon Avon had been given a kick start by the great actor, Garrick (in a bicentennial celebration conceived by David Garrick, written by David Garrick, produced by David Garrick, directed by David Garrick and starring David Garrick--additional dialogue by W. Shakespeare.) Just seventeen years later, Verdi would write his "Macbeth" and make sketches for a "King Lear," that greatest of all operatic might-have-beens. One of the twenty or so books that Verdi kept close to himself until the day he died was an Italian translation of the works of Shakespeare.

No, I do not think that Romani dealt with any obscure 16th Century originals. I think that he exercised a hack's privilege to pillage a respectable source for his convenience. Berlioz was correct. In both the literal and the figurative senses of the word, this is a travesty.

beautiful and moving opera .......2005-08-12

One may regret that Beverly Sills and Nicolai Gedda did not
record this opera earlier in their careers (1975) yet still
be glad they did. Though there are some audible signs of vo-
cal wear their artistry and commitment are never in doubt and
they offer memorable performances. Janet Baker is on the other
hand in splendid voice and sings superbly - she portrays a
somber Romeo and is supremely moving in the tomb scene.
Robert Lloyd and Raimund Herincx offer excellent support.
Very well recorded and beautifully conducted by Maestro
Patane - a very welcome release !

Wonderful nostalgia .......2005-05-20

Back in the 1970's I was a very intense fan of both La Sills and La Baker. The very idea of both of them coming together for an opera recording sent this rapid fan into a severe swoon! Therefore, this recording sent me into a state of ecstasy! I along with other Sills and Baker fans would gather around my stereo listening to this recording with Baker and Sills weaving their vocal magic which always elicited from us many tears and bravos.
At the time Beverly was a known commodity in Bell Canto operas; however, Janet was mainly known as a song recitalist. Nevertheless, Janet Baker, in this opera, proves that she could sing opera with the best of them showing her great operatic credentials-she is up to every vocal challenge Bellini throws at her. She tackles the role with great artistry and beauty of tone. Her last scene STILL dissolves me to copious tears.
In this recording Beverly sings a little cautiously not throwing out high E's with abandon as before; however, her years of experience being a sublime singer of Bell Canto operas comes through. Her singing is gorgeous, sweet and touching to the highest degree, I truly believe that this recording was one of her best.
It truly is great to hear this recording again-ah the memories. Time has NOT diminished its appeal!

Average customer rating: Not Thrilling Good CD Re-release of Il Solazzo A good, simple bargain, with a sweet reward

Music for a Medieval Banquet Manufacturer: Hmf Classical Exp. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Madrigals | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Sinners & Saints: The Ultimate Medieval and Renaissance Music Collection Medieval Dance Music Courts, Kings, & Troubadours: Medieval & Renaissance Music Medieval & Renaissance Minstrels, Songs & Dances Music Of The Crusades ASIN: B00005A3WX Release Date: 2001-05-08

Customer Reviews:

Not Thrilling.......2007-01-05

I have been online for 3 hours tonight reading Amazon's reviews of various medieval CD's. I really wanted to find a Waverly Consort CD comparable to their marvelous, magical, exuberant "A Waverly Consort Christmas," but nothing seems to match that one. I have a dial-up modem and for some reason none of Amazon's musical selections will play even though I have no problems with video games and music uploads from other sources. Thus, I have to rely upon written reviews.

Among the many albums for which I read reviews tonight was one for "A Medieval Banquet" by the Newberry Consort. The title & group rang a bell so I checked my collection and found that it was originally called *Il Solazzo" (as others have already noted among these reviews). I bought it in early 1995 but never wrote any comments in the attached booklet, which is unusual for me.

I have now played the CD twice and understand why I made no comments: it was simply not thrilling. I am no musicologist -- just someone who loves early music because it makes my soul sing. This CD is "nice," but my soul goes ho-hum when I hear it. (The one exception is the #9 selection with rebec, vielle & lute -- and no voices.)

The instrumentals have a certain charm but they generally feel more Renaissance than medieval to me. The vocals leave me completely cold. In some of the reviews I read tonight I came across the concept of "operatic" applied to some of this early music. I had no idea what the authors meant since there was no opera at such an early period. But in playing this CD, I understood -- there is indeed a bloated, elaborate vocal quality that really does feel "operatic." It seems entirely unsuited to "Music for a Medieval Banquet."

If your soul wants to sing, this proably isn't the CD for you. Try the Waverly Consort's "Christmas" along with a glass of fine wine Good CD.......2004-04-30

One of the reasons why I bought this recording is the interesting choice of pieces, which range from the often-recorded instrumental dances to the less-known sung tracks.

When I played it, the first thing that struck me of this CD is the thinness of the sound in the dances. Although the performance is spotless, it lacks the body that other medieval-dance groups add to their sound - notably the older but still great Studio der Fruehen Musik. Is this an unfair statement? Perhaps - but these dances have been recorded so many times that it is only natural to compare versions.

Also, the use of percussion instruments would have been a nice touch, besides being perfectly historical. Then, a more varied instrumental arrangement may have been a good addition, especially in the longer numbers such as Chominciamento di gioia.

The other point that puzzled me is that in the first track (La Badessa), the singer sounds as if she is playing a losing game of catch-up with the instruments, which results in a mediocre performance of that particular piece. It is a pity, because the song is very catchy and the singer's voice is stylistically spot on.

Having said all this, the selections of songs and dances is first-choice, the performance is good and well researched and the CD remains one of the most played in my household.

Re-release of Il Solazzo.......2002-10-10

Just a quick note on this CD: It's a re-release of the Newberry Consort's "Il Solazzo" disc without the texts and with less nice packaging. Since that disc can be hard to find, this CD is welcome, but if you can find the other release cheaper it's a better deal.

A good, simple bargain, with a sweet reward.......2002-06-11

This simple little album reminds me of what it is that I love most about the Italian Renaissance - its barefaced passion and gut level power. So playful and raucous at times that I felt as if I were in a scene from Pasolini's irreverent "Decameron" and at other moments, so serene that I was in a chapter from Chaucer. The music is simple and unpretentious. Not resorting to gimmicks, they allow the music to be expressed in a way that it very probably was in the age when it reigned: unashamed, expressive, brazenly colorful and just a bit flamboyant.

So much for the performers. As for the producers...

On the downside, it is painfully obvious that they made this album on a shoe-string budget. That can be a good thing in forcing the artists to stick to the music's purity instead of hiring a team of sound engineers to make it "sound" better, but there is absolutely no documentation about the songs, other than their titles and playing times. A sickly-thin album insert has a blurb in English and Italian about polyphony, told in allegorical style, with each paragraph in an alternating language instead of one section in each language. Go figure! Maybe the AltaVista translator they used for free had a one-paragraph limit.

But it also has a variety of styles, both vocal and instrumental, so it gives a nice overall flavor of what life might have sounded like in that little part of the world, during that remarkable little slice of musical history.

Average customer rating: Not much of a Disney Princess CD! The Real Reason to Get This CD Another Repackaging Of Princess Favorites Whose Princess Favorites??? Save your money!

Princess Favorites Various Artists Manufacturer: Disney 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 | Children's Music | Styles | Music Disney | Children's Music | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Rap Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Disney Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Disney's Princess Collection: The Music of Hopes, Dreams and Happy Endings Disney's Princess Sing-Along Album Princess Lullaby Album Disney Princess Tea Party Disney's Princess Christmas Album ASIN: B00005Y1ZG Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

1. I Won't Say (I'm In Love)
2. Belle
3. Can You Feel The Love Tonight
4. If I Can't Love Her
5. Reflection
6. Out Of Thin Air
7. Kiss The Girl
8. Once Upon A Dream
9. Follow Your Heart
10. The World Is Looking Up To You
11. It's What's Inside That Counts
12. Put It Together (Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo)

Customer Reviews:

Not much of a Disney Princess CD!.......2006-05-04

Well, Disney has done this again... How can this thing earn money?
Only "Kiss the Girl" "Reflection" and "Once Upon a Dream" are favorites. It was so strange that "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" which was from "The Lion King" was in this album. This was not from a Disney Princess Movie! And why the song from "Aladdin & the King of Thieves" can be recorded in a Disney Princess album?
I love Disney Princess very much, and I love listening to the wonderful and sweet voices of the Princesses, for example, Ariel, Belle and Pocahontas, even Mulan. Well, where are the songs of the Princesses? And I don't like the songs from "Cinderella-2: Dreams Come True", I think they wouldn't be so terrible if there were no classic Princess songs as reference substance!
This album is really unworthy. It was neither fit for adults nor children, even a Disney fan won't love this. This album might make Disney fans and your kid disappointed, even angry. We want to listen to REAL Disney Princess songs! What we want is not this confusing album. I hope that there won't be any Disney Favoties albums like this. It's really disappointing. I have to say this even though it's not nice: If you buy this, you might be taken in by this. Save your money to buy other better off Disney albums!

The Real Reason to Get This CD.......2005-12-31

I'm going to say it right now --- this CD is good. It's very good. If you're looking for true "Disney princess" tracks and you don't consider Cinderella II, Aladdin and the King of Thieves or Mulan/Lion King to count, then stop now. But it seems like most people are basing their opinions on the sorts of songs they expected from the CD, rather than what's actually on it.

The CD begins with "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" by Meg(ara) from Disney's "Hercules." This is one of my favorite Disney movies and this is an excellent track. Meg tries to deny her feelings for Hercules, before finally sort of admitting that she is in love.

Next is "Belle" from "Beauty and the Beast." A wonderful tune of dreams and romance that was nominated for an Academy Award.

Who doesn't enjoy "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" Featuring funny bits by Timon and Pumbaa, excellent harmonies and singing by both Simba and Nala.

"If I Can't Love Her" is from the stage show of "Beauty and the Beast." It's my least favorite track on the CD, but it's still fairly decent and interesting to hear for those who haven't seen this stage show.

"Reflection" is from "Mulan" and I consider it to be possibly be the best track from that movie. Is Mulan is a Disney princess? Well, you can debate that all you want --- I suppose at this point, she's royalty, so I guess she counts.

"Out of Thin Air" is my favorite song "Aladdin and the King of Thieves." Aladdin and Jasmine sing about what it would be like for Aladdin to finally find his father. Jasmine tells Aladdin that he doesn't just come out of thin air. The music on this recalls "A Whole New World" for me.

"Kiss the Girl" is from "The Little Mermaid." It's not my favorite song from that movie --- I would have preferred "Part of Your World." But it'll do all right. And it can't be said that Ariel isn't a Disney princess --- after all, she does marry Prince Eric.

"Once Upon a Dream" is a classic! It's from "Sleeping Beauty." Sure, the little kiddies today may not entirely appreciate this, but I think it's wonderful that they would include a classic like this.


Now, part of the reason for this CD's release was to have a place for the music from the Disney "Cindrella" sequel "Cindrella II." Yes, this is a direct-to-DVD release, but it's a good one. This CD is the only place to find these excellent songs, all performed by Brooke Allison. They also all (except the last one) follow a theme of "being yourself:"

"Follow Your Heart" is about a time when Cinderella was assigned to the preparations for the royal ball. She was given all sorts of instructions, such as not opening the curtains and not inviting commoners in. Finally, she decided to just do things her own way. A lively, upbeat, positive theme.

"The World Is Looking Up To" is about the mouse Jaq and when he decides to become human. Another fun track about being yourself.

"It's What's Inside That Counts" comes from when Cinderella's stepsister Anastasia fell in love. She thought she'd get all dolled up, but learned that she can be loved just for being her.

Finally, "Put It Together" is a wonderfully fun techno remix of the classic "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo." I was surprised this works, but it does, splendidly.

So if you're looking for a Disney CD with great music and are willing to look past any preconceived ideas, then snap this CD up.

Another Repackaging Of Princess Favorites.......2004-04-21

When is Disney ever going to realize that recycling Disney Princess songs aren't such a good idea? As a Disney Princess fan since I was really little I have always enjoyed Disney princess songs. But i am so so so so sick and tired about on just about every Disney album dedicated solely to the Disney Princesses Disney always always ALWAYS has a habit of recycling old princess songs instead of adding new princess songs. I mean people already own half the songs on Princess Favorites and can buy them on the film soundtracks or the Disney princess collection cd. Why I think this cd was released is that Disney was trying to promote the movie Cinderella II Dreams Come True as the songs from that movie are on this cd. But heck one of the songs Put it Together is also on the SUPERSTAR HITS cd. So while this cd may be a redone version of Princess Collection Volume #2 please Please Please PLEASE do not buy,
Thank you very much for your time

Whose Princess Favorites???.......2003-10-15

I would classify only 3 of the songs on this CD as Princess Favorites - Belle, Kiss The Girl and Once Upon A Dream. The rest are either not Princess songs or not favorites.

My daughter is a huge Disney Princess fan, and wants to hear the songs from the Princess movies non-stop. She's only 3, but she does know her princesses, and the girl from Hercules and Nala from the Lion King are definitely NOT princesses! This is also the first time that I've seen Mulan grouped with the princesses.

We wanted music from the classic Disney Princess movies that she loves - Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty & The Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. I do not put Cinderella 2 and Aladdin and the Forty Thieves in that category - were those even released in the theaters, or direct to video?

I am generally a fan of the Disney compilations, but this one feels like a marketing rip-off. Get the Disney Classics 5 CD set if you really want the Princess Favorites - they may be spread out over all the discs, but they are the songs you want to hear!

Save your money!.......2002-04-30

A friend gave this CD to my little girl for her 5th birthday...she was thrilled to get it. The thrill ended as soon as it was played. She wanted to know where the Princesses were.
There is no Ariel...just a song by Sebastian. No Cinderella, no Snow White, and why would they place an unknown song from the Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast which only has been heard by the people attending the musical?? At least Sleeping Beauty made the grade. My daughter has the movie Cinderella II which the CD promotes, but is not familiar with them to really enjoy these 4 songs.
Again, save your money...some day maybe Disney will set aside some of their money and marketing hunger and put out a CD that any 5 year old princess will enjoy singing along with...BTW isn't Beauty and the Beast being re-released...oh yea, thats why that endless song about Belle is on there..Bon Jour!

Average customer rating: Bella Bellisimo Very nice collection of Italian classical repertoire Beautiful

Bella Tuscany: Music Inspired by Tuscany Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Gabrieli, Giovanni | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mascagni | Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Respighi | Respighi, Ottorino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Atlanta Symphony Orchestra | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Gabrieli, Giovanni | ( G ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Respighi, Ottorino | ( R ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Atlanta Symphony Orchestra | ( A ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra | ( C ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Tuscany: A Romantic Journey Under the Tuscan Sun Provence: A Romantic Journey Dinner Classics: The Italian Album Dinner In Italy ASIN: B000294RMQ Release Date: 2004-06-22

Tracks:

1. O Mio Babino Caro - Erich Kunzel
2. Quando M'en Vo' - Erich Kunzel
3. Italiana - Jesus Lopez-Cobos
4. Danza Rustica - Jesus Lopez-Cobos
5. Sonate XIII - Empire Brass Quintet And Friends
6. Allegro - Yolanda Kondonassis
7. Allegro Non Molto - Yolanda Kondonassis
8. The Nightengale - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
9. The Cuckoo - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
10. Siciliana - Angel Romero
11. Che Gelida Manina - Fernando De La Mora
12. Humming Chorus - May Festival Chorus
13. Adagio - Angel Romero
14. Allegro - Paul Patterson
15. Di Provenza Il Mar, Il Suol - Erich Kunzel
16. Intermezzo Sinfonico - Erich Kunzel

Customer Reviews:

Bella Bellisimo.......2007-07-07

A wonderful compellation of Italian classical music. I love to hear it while I'm driving; it makes road rage disappear.

Very nice collection of Italian classical repertoire.......2007-01-11

Very enjoyable listening to this classical CD. I also highly recommend the CD of this series "LaBelle France Music Inspried by France".

Beautiful.......2007-01-09

I bought the CD after hearing it at a friend's home. It's quite different than the music I typically listen to; but it's quite lovely. It's very relaxing and reflective.

Average customer rating:

Handel: The Masterworks (Box Set) Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concerto Grossi | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Trio Sonatas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Flute | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Oboe | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Recorder | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Brilliant Classics | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set) Haydn: The Masterworks [Box Set] Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set] Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set] Schubert: The Masterworks [Box Set] ASIN: B00062FLI8 Release Date: 2004-11-30

Average customer rating: Choose It for the Songs You Recognize wonderful

New Wave Dance Hits: Just Can't Get Enough, Vol. 15 Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music | Vinyl Records | American Punk | British Punk | Emo | Garage Punk | Hardcore | Post Hardcore | Proto Punk | Punk | Punk Revival | Punk-Pop | Riot Grrl | Ska Punk | Straight Edge New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music New Wave | Compilations | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music 1980s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music 1980-1989 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: New Wave Dance Hits: Just Can't Get Enough, Vol. 6 Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 10 New Wave Dance Hits: Just Can't Get Enough, Vol. 3 New Wave Hits of the 80's: Just Can't Get Enough, Vol. 9 New Wave Dance Hits: Just Can't Get Enough, Vol. 2 ASIN: B0000033K0 Release Date: 1995-06-20

Tracks:

1. Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves
2. Head Over Heels - Tears For Fears
3. It's A Mistake - Men At Work
4. Life In A Northern Town - Dream Academy
5. Beat's So Lonely - Charlie Sexton
6. Guitar, Talk, Love & Drums - Gary Myrick
7. Since Yesterday - Strawberry Switchblade
8. Obsession - Animotion
9. Endicott - Kid Creole & The Coconuts
10. Perfect Way - Scritti Politti
11. So In Love - Orchestral Manoeuvers In The Dark
12. Election Day - Arcadia
13. 19 - Paul Hardcastle
14. Why? - Bronski Beat
15. Some People - Belouis Some
16. Like A Virgin - The Lords Of The New Church

Customer Reviews:

Choose It for the Songs You Recognize.......2004-12-22

I own several CDs in this series and this one, unfortunately is the one that comes off the shelf the least. Even since loading the contents up MP3 style into my computer and iPod only a few get played. Only a select few truly sound like the alternative radio I grew up with in the 80s.

wonderful.......1999-04-28

I love listening to the music, but can you please tell me how to find New Wave Dance Hits: Just Can't Get Enough, Vol. 8. I've been looking everywhere for it. Thanks, Cristy

Average customer rating: Stellar Singing From still waters to fireworks in baroque singing - Duets sung exquisitely Supreme Handel Duets Lack Dramatic Context But Still Lovely A feast A sumptuous feast of Handel

Handel Operatic Duets ~ Amor e gelosia / Ciofi · Di Donato · Il Complesso Barocco · Curtis George Frideric Handel , Patricia Ciofi , Joyce Di Donato , Alan Curtis , and Il Complesso Barocco Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Sandrine Piau - Handel Opera Seria Handel: Radamisto Handel - Arcadian Duets / Dessay, Gens, Petibon, Claycomb, Lascarro, Panzarella, Mijanovic, Mingardo, Asawa, Agnew, Le Concert d'Astrée, Haïm Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski Vivica Genaux - Handel/Hasse: Opera Arias ASIN: B0001CTKD0 Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

1. Caro Amico Amplesso!
2. Scherzano Sul Tuo Volto
3. Non Ti Basto, Consorte/Io T'abbraccio
4. Mio Diletto, Che Pensi?/Sol Per Te, Bell'idol Mio
5. Per Le Porte Del Tormento
6. Del Destin Non MI Lagno/Caro, Tu M'accendi
7. Amarilli?/Amarilli? Oh Dei! Che Vuoi?
8. Vivo Senz'alma, O Bella
9. Finche Prendi
10. Perfidi! Ite Di Poro/Se Mai Piu Saro Geloso
11. Macedoni Guerrieri/Se Mai Turbo Il Tuo Riposo
12. Sinfonia To Act 3
13. Gran Pena E Gelosia!
14. Lode Agli Dei/Se Mai Turbo Il Tuo Riposo
15. Alma Mia, Dolce Ristoro
16. Ricordati, Mio Ben
17. Addio, Mio Caro Bene

Amazon.com

In baroque opera, the spotlight was usually reserved for the bravura arias, designed to show off the singers' brilliant coloratura and skill in improvising ornamentation. The ensembles, on the other hand, were left to languish in the shadows. This record aims to right that wrong in a program of 17 duets drawn from 13 mostly unfamiliar Handel operas. In an attempt to create some cohesion, these primarily short selections are arranged under the heading "Love and Jealousy," with love predominating and usually prevailing. If the title sounds a bit gimmicky, never mind: the music's the thing and it is wonderful. Expressed with Handel's inimitable dramatic intensity and deeply felt inwardness, it encompasses every amorous emotion from tenderness, ardent protestation and rapturous joy to fear of loss, anguish and mournful farewell, using an infinite variety of form, texture and character. Some duets begin with a recitative; the voices separate and unite, conversing, interweaving, joining in imitation or harmony. The orchestra, a period-instrument group of soloists, provides introductions, interludes and postludes which set mood and atmosphere and contribute greatly to contrast and diversity. The performances are splendid. The two singers prove that the duet is as fertile a vehicle for virtuosic display as any aria, and they find plenty of opportunities for ornamentation in the da capos. Their voices can blend and merge as well as remain distinctly individual in timbre and color, and they succeed in creating, or at least suggesting, situations and personalities even in the shortest selections. The playing is impeccable: rhythmically crisp and pungent, texturally transparent, and very expressive. The only cavil is that the selections often follow each other without a pause, making it difficult to be sure where one ends and the next begins. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Stellar Singing.......2007-01-04

I must admit that, before becoming a dedicated Joyce DiDonato fan, I probably wouldn't have purchased a CD of Handel duets, or any Baroque duets for that matter. Like other reviewers have observed, the duets are performed out of dramatic context. I also prefer the full opera, particularly when it comes to Handel.

In the case of this CD, who cares? This is literally some of the loveliest Baroque ensemble singing I have ever heard. The pairing of Joyce DiDonato with Patrizia Ciofi was a stroke of brilliance. Their voices match perfectly. Their intonation is spot on, all the time. Their ornamentations, particularly the da capo ornamentations, are intelligently selected and brilliantly executed. The balance is just right between the singers and the chamber musicians.

I have a big thanks to give to Virgin Veritas and these two wonderful artists for this CD. It will get lots of play in my home.

Highly recommended.

From still waters to fireworks in baroque singing - Duets sung exquisitely.......2005-11-28

Handel was a master of his medium - his music paints with elegance and soul-stirring emotion upon the canvas of the human heart. His duets often exhibit particular indebtedness to Steffani (truly a genius of duet writing), and they are gorgeous duets indeed!

I note that some other reviewers quibble with a) duets only on this recording; and b) a sense of disjointedness.

Addressing both of those issues, let's admit that any recital disc is going to give some disjointedness in the absolute and literal sense. To take a portion of an opera out of its setting and perform it separately is a sort of amputation, be it an album of arias OR an album of duets. Should singers then avoid putting out solo recordings of Handel arias? I find no reason to come to THAT conclusion - and for the same reason, I have no quarrel at all with the recording of an album of Handel duets.

Of course, to enjoy Handel to the fullest degree, do get full recordings as well... but even in Handel's time, singers would pull specific bits of their roles out of context, perform them separately... so it's a time-honoured practice! Let us simply enjoy the high standard of the music without worrying about context in any recording of arias, duets, trios, or operatic scenes.

Handel's duets vary so much in their shape, melodies, harmonies, rhythms - there's plenty of variety. It comes down to a question of the singers involved having suitable voices, singing appropriately for the style, the playing of the orchestra, and the particular variety of duets chosen.

On all points, this album scores highly! Both Ms Ciofi and Ms Di Donato have beautiful voices, clearly trained in baroque singing, and they have equally clearly put in a lot of work to achieve a lovely blend and similar approach within these duets. What a joy to hear gifted singers perform these duets with such intelligence, emotional involvement and lovely, lovely tone!

This recording is a favourite of mine - not just because I perform many of the duets on this CD with another soprano, but because I am genuinely delighted to hear appropriately performed Handel singing in a duet album. I've found fault with some other duet albums because I consider them under-rehearsed, insufficiently blended, and inappropriately embellished - but this album shows none of those faults, and I am very happy to recommend it highly and without reservation. Beautiful singing, beautiful works - you can scarcely wish for more!

Supreme Handel Duets Lack Dramatic Context But Still Lovely.......2005-01-08

I was fortunate to see and hear Renée Fleming and the astounding David Daniels sing "Io t'abbraccio" together in the magnificent Stephen Wadsworth production of Handel's "Rodelinda" at the Metropolitan Opera last week. There is nothing here that can match the ethereal quality and overwhelming melancholy of that duet performance, but sometimes this recording comes pretty close under the masterful baton of Alan Curtis. Soprano Patrizia Ciofi and mezzo-soprano Joyce Di Donato blend quite well together with Ciofi's often fiery coloratura floating easily over the verses and Di Donato's contrasting darker, fuller tone.

It's a nice idea to make a disc of just Handel duets but also a bit risky since they usually represent the major dramatic highpoints of his operas, mostly coming at the end of an act or of the entire opera. Given that fact, one would think there would be plenty of exhausting dramatic fireworks by providing one duet after another. In fact, the higher profile duets, such as the aforementioned "Io t'abbraccio" and the equally famous "Scherzano sul tup volto" from "Rinaldo", feel a bit lackluster probably because their gorgeous music crowns the end of scenes full of tension and drama. The joy in hearing two characters sing together, especially after hearing each of them express their individual sentiments, acts as a catharsis. But here the duets become lovely moments partially robbed of their dramatic impact because the organic synthesis of character and music is lost. Certainly it's not easy to deliver a recital containing only music that Handel devised for key dramatic moments. Yet, it more often does work here perhaps because there are a treasure trove of little-known gems such as "Caro, tu m'accendi" from "Faramondo", "Se mai turbo il tuo riposo" from "Poro" and "Alma mia, dolce ristoro" from "Admeto". The performances really become more like chamber music pieces, almost understated and always tasteful. Toward that end, the singing is expressive and stylish as Ciofi and Di Donato play lovers who quarrel and console in these duets. Together they bring this recording to a consistently high level regardless of the dramatic shortcomings, and their emotional availability makes their unified voices all the more resonant as they get lost in each other.

A feast .......2004-09-28

The programme maybe disjointed, but it doesn't matter, because the singing is some of the most glorious I have EVER heard. A shining feast of articulation, phrasings and harmonies, heavenly executed by Ms Ciofi and Ms Di Donato.

Just buy it for an unparalleled vocal chord experience; marvel at the singing. Any other considerations are entirely oblivious.

A sumptuous feast of Handel.......2004-08-04

Alan Curtis has here chosen to bring to life some of the more memorable duets of Handel's many operas. Quite apart from chewing over some of the more well-known operas he has chosen some duets from Silla, Sosarme (Per le porte del tormento), Faramondo, Atalanta, Poro and Muzio Scevola, few of which have had decent recordings in the last number of years.

His band is small, one player per part, withe the resultant effect rather to make the duets seems like chamber music. There is a danger in that with duets such as Io t'abbraccio (end of Act 2 Rodelinda) taken out of context that the dramatic moment of the music would be lost. However, by arranging the duets in a sequence (as Curtis writes in the notes) from love's joy through self-doubt and jealousy, back to undying love, the duets out of context sound superb.

Both singers, Patrizia Ciofi (Soprano) and Joyce di Donato (Mezzo) sound thoroughly at home in the idiom of baroque opera, and in fact their cadenzas and ornamentation are delightfully understated, rather than the sort of shrieking 'I can go higher still' of some more lauded performers. I look forward to Curtis' forthcoming recordings of Lotario, Rodelinda and Radamisto, if these performers are to be retained.

In short this is a delightful enterprise showing the genious of Handel in dealing with the most basic of human emotions - love and jealousy. Well done Alan Curtis!

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1. Magia
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3. Master Sessions, Vol. 1
4. Mi Reflejo [Enhanced]
5. Misa Criolla [Import]
6. Motivando a la Yal
7. MTV Unplugged [Live]
8. MVP, Vol. 2: The Grand Slam
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10. No Soy de Nadie [Enhanced]

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