Part II [Enhanced] [Explicit Lyrics]

1. Watchwho You Fuckin' With

2. Keep on Thugin'

3. These Haters

4. Get Out of My Way

5. Do You Wanna Roll

6. Gunshots

7. Up in Tha Club

8. Can't Hold Us Back

9. Back 2 Bust Again [Free Video]

10. Controlamos las Calles

11. In Guns We Trust

12. Getting Irie as Fuck

13. Why Must Life Be This Way

14. We Still Rollin'

15. Never Let It Go

16. Up Side Your Head

17. Str8 Southsidin'

18. Aimin' at Ya Foolls

19. LPG Radio Mix

Part II,Califa Thugs,Aries Music Ent.,Latin,Latin Rap,Rap & Hip-Hop

Music

jazz

music

Jazz

Average customer rating: Nice music Part Two- Brad Paisley Brad Paisley Part 2 Brad Paisley CD Worth the price of admission!

Part II Brad Paisley Manufacturer: Arista ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music $8.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Country | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $8.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Who Needs Pictures Mud on the Tires Time Well Wasted 5th Gear A Brad Paisley Christmas ASIN: B00005EBQP Release Date: 2001-05-29

Tracks:

1. Two Feet Of Topsoil
2. I'm Gonna Miss Her
3. Part Two
4. Wrapped Around
5. Two People Fell In Love
6. Come On Over Tonight
7. You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive
8. I Wish You'd Stay
9. All You Really Need Is Love
10. Munster Rag (Instrumental)
11. You Have That Effect On Me
12. Too Country
13. The Old Rugged Cross

Amazon.com

Brad Paisley's unabashedly back-to-basics 1999 debut, Who Needs Pictures, went platinum. Part II continues in that direction with 13 songs (10 of them cowritten by Paisley) that build on that impressive beginning. While "Two People Fell in Love" and "I Wish You'd Stay" overflow with heart and eloquence, he's witty on "Two Feet of Topsoil," loungy on "You Have That Effect on Me," and loopy with "Come on Over Tonight." He evokes his West Virginia roots with a stark rendition of Darrell Scott's "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive." Buck Owens, George Jones, and Bill Anderson join him on the obligatory vocal event, Anderson's "Too Country." But Paisley's courage goes further. It takes nerve to slap an instrumental ("Munster Rag") on any Nashville-produced album in 2001 and even greater fortitude to close it out with an emotional acoustic performance of "The Old Rugged Cross" recorded live at the Opry. Part II makes one magnificent, resounding point: mainstream Nashville, try as it might, hasn't quite succeeded in confining traditional country to the Hall of Fame --Rich Kienzle

Customer Reviews:

Nice music.......2007-05-14

I bought this CD because I wanted one of the songs in it.
After hearing the complete album, now I like the other songs also.

Part Two- Brad Paisley.......2006-11-10

Good Cd. The most I Like are de moved songs and the colaborations with other artists.
I find it more commercial than the following albums.

Brad Paisley Part 2.......2006-07-08

My first album of this artist and I find it a very interesting and varied mixture. His guitat playing is of exceptional quality and the lyrics reallly interesting. All in all a very good purchase

Brad Paisley CD.......2006-03-03

Heard his song "I'm Gonna Miss Her" and bought the CD. I'm not a country and western fan, but I did like this CD.

Worth the price of admission!.......2006-01-30

You've already heard hits on the radio like "I'm Gonna Miss Her", "Wrapped Around" and "Two People Fell in Love", but there's more great songs than that. "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" is worth the price of the CD all by itself. And you probably won't hear the duet with George Jones, Bill Anderson and Buck Owens, "Too Country", on the the radio. Plus, how else can you truely appreciate the lyrics to "Two Feet of Topsoil" without listening to the song?

There's two feet of topsoil
A little bit of bedrock, limestone in between
A fossilized dinosaur
A little patch of crude oil
A thousand feet of granite underneath
Then there's me

Average customer rating: Excellent Introduction to Spanish Classical Guitar Music The guitar is an orchestra in miniature! GUITAR MAJESTY Sweet, sweet music, an essential addition to your collection A True Classic

Spanish Guitar Music Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Albeniz, Mateo Pérez de | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Falla | Falla, Manuel de | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Granados, Enrique | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tarrega | Tarrega, Francisco | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Turina | Turina, Joaquin | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Villa-Lobos, Heitor | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | 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 General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Villa-Lobos, Heitor | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Guitar | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Williams, John [guitar] | ( W ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Essential Guitar: 33 Guitar Masterpieces 300 Years of Guitar Masterpieces Baroque Guitar Masters of Flamenco Guitar Classic Williams: Romance of the Guitar ASIN: B00005YJ4Q Release Date: 2002-01-29

Tracks:

1. Albeniz: Asturias
2. Albeniz: Tango
3. Sanz: Canarios
4. Rodrigo: Fandango
5. Torroba: Nocturno
6. Segreras - El Colibri
7. Albeniz: Sonata in D
8. De Falla: The Corregidor's Dance
9. De Falla: Fisherman's Song
10. De Falla: The Miller's Dance
11. Torroba: Madronos
12. La Nit de Nadal
13. El Noy de la Mare
14. Granados: Ma Maja de Goya
15. Abeniz: Cordoba
16. Tarrega: Recuerdos de la Alhambra
17. Granados: Spanish Dance No. 5
18. El Testamen de Amelia
19. Villa-Lobos: Prelude No. 4 in E Minor
20. Albeniz: Sevilla
21. De Falla: Homanaje
22. Mudarra: Fantasia
23. Turina: Fandanguillo

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Introduction to Spanish Classical Guitar Music.......2005-09-18

As a sampler, this CD is an excellent introduction both to Spanish classical guitar music and to guitarist John Williams.
The music ranges from Renaissance composers (Sanz, Mudarra) and harmonized folk melodies to standard 20th Century works (Rodrigo, Torroba etc).

John Williams is excellent throughout. The CD is also cheap, and can be used either just for enjoyment, or further to explore other recordings by Williams, the classical guitar repertoire, or other classical guitarists.

As a marketing ploy, it is very effective.

For the collector or classical guitar enthusiast, the chief disadvantages of the CD are duplication of other recordings, and that the way at least some of the works on this CD are listed isn't helpful in telling the listener the set(s) to which these pieces belong and how to find them (e.g. "from ______, Op # "). The font listing the titles and track numbers is small and somewhat hard to read.

However, this CD should attract many listeners and enthusiasts both to the classical guitar, the repertoire, and guitarist John Williams - and I'm all for that.

Over 70 minutes playing time.

Recommended.

The guitar is an orchestra in miniature!.......2005-02-05

This admirable concept belongs to Hector Berlioz and it must not be a surprise the best guitarrists in the story have in common this trademark.

John Williams has always known the delicate equilibrium between the expresiveness and the glamouer. His impresive technique however is not exposed as his prima edonna. He goes directly to the soul of the composer, melts in his spirit and let the music sharp the qith eloquent conviction the composer's demanded atmosphere.

From Granados to Albeniz, from Rodrigo to Agustin Barrios - El indio Mangore -, from Moreno Torroba to Ponce , you will find the warmth, the passion and the Midas touch of this golden guitarrist.

GUITAR MAJESTY.......2004-12-21

John Williams is a true Guitar virtuoso. His repetoire is very extensive and I use his music in my office while I work at my daily office duties. This album is a must for all guitar enthusiasts old or young.

Sweet, sweet music, an essential addition to your collection.......2004-12-07

I originally bought this album three years ago, looking for a good introduction to Spanish guitar music. And this one fits that need perfectly. I still listen to and enjoy it today. I play this for guests at happy hour or dinner for a relaxed atmosphere. At Amazon's current price, this is a great value.

A True Classic.......2004-01-26

This album/cd is extraordinary. All the songs are gorgeous and exciting to listen to. John Williams' interpretation and technique are perfect. After 22 years of listening to it, I still enjoy and appreciate it more every time. I love giving it as a gift.

Average customer rating: The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Eveer, Volume II Great music listein to while you read in bed A must buy for the non-snobbish classical music fan. A bliss of spirit. Boring

The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Ever, Volume II Gabriel Faure , Frederic Chopin , Antonio Vivaldi , Gustav Mahler , Claude Debussy , Sir Neville Marriner , Maris Jansons , Lorin Maazel , Sir Adrian Boult , Miklos Rozsa , Riccardo Muti , Stephen Cleobury , Sir John Barbirolli , New Philharmonia Orchestra , Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus , Academy of St. Martin in the Fields , and Berlin Philharmonic Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Allegri | Allegri, Gregorio | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bruch | Bruch, Max | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Duruflé, Maurice | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( 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 Liszt | Liszt, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rutter | Rutter, John | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Divertimentos | Serenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Nocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | 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 | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Paris Symphony Orchestra | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever! The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe The Most Relaxing Piano Album in the World...Ever! Mozart for Relaxation Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits ASIN: B00002439O Release Date: 2003-03-11

Tracks:

1. Sheep May Safely Graze - Sir Neville Marriner
2. Serenade In G 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' - Sir Neville Marriner
3. Violin Concerto No.1 In G Minor, Op.26 - II. Adagio - Yedudi Menuhin
4. Nocturne No.2 In E Flat Op.9 No.2 - John Ogdon
5. Miserere Mei, Deus - Stephen Cleobury
6. Schindler's List - Tasmin Little
7. Traumerei - Dame Moura Lympany
8. Dance Of The Sylphs - Sir Neville Marriner
9. Water Music - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
10. Symphony No.9: II. Largo - Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
11. Jean De Florette - Toots Thielemans
12. Concerto For Lute And Two Violins - II. Largo - Anthony Bailes
13. Cello Concerto In E Minor Op.85 - III. Adagio - Jacqueline De Pre
14. Waltz No.15 In A Flat - Dame Moura Lympany
15. Romance - Piers Lane
16. Pavane - Maurice Handford
17. Woodbrook - Micheal O Suilleabhain
18. Time To Say Goodbye - Orchestra

Tracks:

1. The Four Seasons - Concerto No.1 In E 'Spring' - Yehundi Menuhin
2. Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - New Philharmonia Orchestra
3. Double Violin Concerto In D Minor - II. Largo Ma Non Tanto - Yehudi Menuhin
4. Prelude No.7 In A Op.28 No.7 - Tzimon Barto
5. Cantique De Jean Racine - MONKS AND CHOIRBOYS OF DOWNSIDE ABBEY
6. The Lark Ascending - Hugh Bean
7. 'Pathetique Sonata Op.13 - II. Adagio Cantabile - Leonard Pennario
8. Pie Jesu - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
9. Salut D'Amour - Richard Hickox
10. La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin (The Girl With Flaxen Hair) - Dame Moura Lympany
11. The Coventry Carol - Medeval Babes
12. Pavane For A Dead Princess - New Philharmonia Orchestra
13. Liebestraum No.3 In A Flat - John Ogdon
14. Panis Angelicus - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
15. Piano Concerto No.2 In F Op.102 - II. Andante - Dmitri Alexeev
16. Agnus Dei - Peter Barley
17. Symphony No.5 In C Sharp Minor - IV. Adagietto - New Philharmonia Orchestra
18. My Heart Will Go On - Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Eveer, Volume II.......2006-08-28

Good selection of music, poorly performed and badly arranged. Good album for a tag sale. Same comment applies for Volume I.

Great music listein to while you read in bed.......2005-08-21

I have listened to this CD for the last several years before going to sleep at night. I love classical music, and this is great music to help make my soul feel at peace and unwind after a taxing day.

A must buy for the non-snobbish classical music fan........2004-10-22

I bought Vol. 1 of this series and was quite satisfied, but I have to say I'm more than satisfied with this one. If you can just mellow out and enjoy some great pieces, you'll love this CD. #15 on Disc 2 is almost worth the price alone!

A bliss of spirit........2004-09-18

That's disc will open You a wonderful, beautiful world of sounds, their harmony & emotion : you'll feel your heart full of
Joy, Tears, Love.
Good LUCK!

Boring.......2004-05-11

Yes this CD will put you to sleep in minutes. Its the most boring uninspiring classical music. The first CD was very good but this Vol. 2 is like most movie sequels....AWFUL !

Average customer rating: so amazing Essential Bach is OK Excellent collection of mostly recognizeable music Exquisite Essential Bach Good

Essential Bach Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Concerto Grossi | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Variations | Forms & Genres | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Organ | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Lute | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces Essential Beethoven Essential Tchaikovsky 25 Bach Favorites Chopin: Favorite Piano Works ASIN: B00004SPLF Release Date: 2000-06-13

Tracks:

1. Toccata And Fugue In D Minor: Toccata in D minor
2. Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D Major: Air
3. Prelude in C major
4. Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 In G Major: Allegro
5. Goldberg Variations: Aria
6. Sleepers Awake: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
7. Violin Concerto No.1 In A Minor: I Allegro moderato
8. Jesu, joy of man's desiring
9. Keyboard Concerto No.4: Allegro: I Allegro
10. Cello Suite No.3: Bourees I & II: Bourrees I And II
11. Concerto for Oboe & Violin In C Minor: Adagio
12. Mass In B minor: Crucifixus
13. Cello Suite No.1 in G Major: Praeludium
14. French Suite No.5 in G major: Gigue
15. Prelude in D Minor
16. Brandenburg Concerto No.5 In D Major: III Allegro
17. Matthaus-Passion: St Matthew Passion

Tracks:

1. Brandenberg Concerto No.2 In F Major: I Allegro
2. Concerto For 2 Violins In D Minor: II Largo, ma non tanto
3. Lute Suite In E Major: Prelude
4. Cantata: Sheep may safely graze
5. Cello Sonata In G Minor: II Adagio (excerpt)
6. Italian Concerto In F Major: II Allegro
7. Weihnachtsoratorium: Pastoral sinfonia
8. Violin Concerto No.1 In A Minor: II Andante
9. Partita No.1 In B Flat Major: Gigue
10. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor: Menuet
11. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor: Badinerie
12. Oboe Concerto In F Major: Siciliano
13. Brandenberg Concerto No.3 In G Major: I Allegro
14. Violin Partita No.2 In D Minor: Allemande
15. Violin Partita No.2 In D Minor: Gigue
16. Keyboard Concerto No.2 In E Major: I Allegro (excerpt)
17. Cantata: Sanctify us by thy goodness
18. Keyboard Concerto No.5 In F Minor: II Largo
19. Concerto In A Minor: I Allegro

Amazon.com

It is not possible to fit 36 Bach masterpieces on two CDs, so what Essential Bach does is present individual movements from across a range of the composer's work. The anthology is clearly aimed at the newcomer, and the absence of booklet notes to put the music in context is disappointing. We are only given titles, performers, and what films the extracts have been featured in, from Rollerball to The English Patient.

On the plus side, most if not all of the music is instantly recognizable, by melody if not by name. Everything from the Brandenburg Concertos to "Air on a G String" to the B Minor Mass and St. Matthew Passion is represented. Performances range from 1960 to 1993, encompassing both early instrument and modern orchestra interpretations by a wide variety of forces, including Sir Neville Marriner with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Raymond Leppard leading the English Chamber Orchestra. Given such diversity the result is unavoidably a patchwork, albeit one made from the finest materials, and as such is perhaps best treated as a sampler to aid exploration of the vast legacy of one of the very greatest composers who ever lived. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk

Customer Reviews:

so amazing .......2006-06-14

I love this kind of playing. this is my favorite classical cd.

Essential Bach is OK.......2005-09-29

This is a good basic primer. A true Bach lover might find a better selection/orchestra.

Excellent collection of mostly recognizeable music.......2005-03-18

LOVE LOVE LOVE this 2-CD set. I bought I a awhile back and have enjoyed it very much. My toddler likes it too. I think it's a great value for the money and may have to get another copy if this one wears out.

Exquisite Essential Bach.......2005-02-01

Value and exquisite sampler of Bach on two CD's at an affordable price. Recorded by the likes primarily of Academy of the St. Martin-in-the-fields, Chicago Sympony, Boston Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra and with virtuoso performers as William Bennett, Heinz Hollinger, Pepe Romero, and Wolfgang Rubsam, one gets treated to wonderful Bach exerpts of all his fantastic breath and depth of chamber, symphony and choral works.

One will have to go to other places to find background on these marvelous compositions as the liner notes only list perfomer and date recorded.

Good.......2004-07-13

This is a good album but for information on real choral music visit www.freewebs.com/bachster67/

Average customer rating: Children's Favorites a solid purchase The perfect package A Wonderful Introduction to the Classics

Children's Favorites Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Dukas | Dukas, Paul | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Prokofiev | Prokofiev, Sergei | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Inventions | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Baltimore Symphony Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Minnesota Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music Compilations | Children's Music | Styles | Music Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Children's Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music CDs Under $7 | Children's Music | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Children's Music | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Concertos | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Concertos | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Fugues | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Fugues | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Preludes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Preludes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: Classical Music for Children: A Toddler's Introduction to Classical Music Classics for Kids Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy-My Favourite Opera For Children Bernstein Favorites: Children's Classics World's Very Best Opera for Kids... in English! ASIN: B00004Y6T3 Release Date: 2000-09-05

Tracks:

1. March Of The Tin Soldiers - Leon Jessel
2. Variations On 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' - Walter Klien
3. The Nutcracker: Dance Of The Reed Flutes - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
4. The Nutcracker: Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
5. The Sorceror's Apprentice - Paul Dukas
6. Peter And The Wolf (Extract) - Brandon de Wilde
7. Invention No. 8 In F Major - Christiane Jaccottet
8. Invention No. 11 in G Minor - Christiane Jaccottet
9. Invention No. 13 in A Minor - Christiane Jaccottet
10. Prelude And Fugue No. 21 In B Flat Major (Book 1) - Christiane Jaccottet
11. Sonata For 2 Pianos In D Major, K. 448, 1st Mvt. - Rudolf Firkusny
12. III. Allegretto - Walter Klien
13. Kinderszenen: Of Strange Lands And People - Walter Klien
14. Kinderszenen: Curious Story - Walter Klien
15. Kinderszenen: Entreating Child - Walter Klien
16. Kinderszenen: Perfect Happiness - Walter Klien
17. Introduction And Royal March - Marylene Dosse
18. The Elephant - Marylene Dosse
19. Kangaroos - Marylene Dosse
20. The Aquarium - Marylene Dosse
21. Cuckoo In The Woods - Marylene Dosse
22. Birds - Marylene Dosse
23. Fossils - Marylene Dosse
24. The Swan - Marylene Dosse
25. Finale - Marylene Dosse

Customer Reviews:

Children's Favorites a solid purchase.......2006-03-09

This CD mostly delivered what was expected of it. The only critique I have is that some of the tempos could have been cleaner, and that it should be cross-referenced by the other composers besides J. S. Bach.

The perfect package.......2005-10-23

This is the most wonderful collection to have on 1 CD. Children from birth on up can benefit from this musical collage.
Songs from the "Nutcracker" are familiar and comfortable for many children. What child wouldn't love "March of the Tin Soldiers?"
Selections from Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals" is a must in my creative movement library. Every child should be exposed to this music. Well,I believe every age should be.

A Wonderful Introduction to the Classics.......2003-03-11

With total playing time clocking in at 78:04 minutes of music, you'll be paying about 6-cents/minute, which is a better bargain than long distance phone calls, and often more rewarding!

This disc is far superior than most other "Classics for Kids"-type recordings I've sampled for a number of reasons:

1) This album was expertly engineered. The production quality on this disc is first-rate from start to finish with crisp, clear sound.

2) The pieces were expertly picked. There is wonderful sonic variety here, spanning hundreds of years of wonderful melodies. There are orchestral pieces, harpsichord pieces, solo piano, and a piano concerto, capped off with Saint-Seans whimsical Carnival of the Animals. What kid (or adult) wouldn't love that?

3) The performances are, without exeption, expert! The pieces were definately screened for quality as well as content. Many are simply a joy to behold. Walter Klein is a particular stand-out, almost giddily prancing through Schumann's pieces. Believe it or not, he sounds even more impressive when backed up by the always inspiring Minnesota Orchestra on Mozart's Piano Concerto #17.

In short, this album is a great album even before you factor in the great price. You and your children are almost guaranteed to enjoy every 6-cents worth!

Average customer rating: Relaxing music for baby's bedtime Baby loves this music! yikes! would say any lover of classical music ANOTHER FANTASTIC CD Excellent CD

Baby Bach Various Artists Manufacturer: Buena Vista ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Children's Music | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Children's Music | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Children's Music | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music CDs | Music & Video | Products | Similar Items: Baby Mozart Baby Beethoven Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics Baby Neptune Baby Galileo ASIN: B000065VBH Release Date: 2002-05-07

Product Description

Tracks from this delightful music CD are featured on Baby Einstein's Baby Bach video. The Baby Bach music CD is a 17-track, 28-minute musical excursion through some of Johann Sebastian Bach's most memorable scores. Recipient of the National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval, the Baby Bach music CD has been re-orchestrated for little ears to help your child discover the melody and harmonic movements of Bach's best-known compositions.Musical Selections:1. Minuet in G from the Anna Magdalena Notebooks2. Flute Sonata in Eb, 3rd movement, BWV 10313. Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, 3rd movement, BWV 10474. Orchestral Suite No. 4, Rejouissance, BWV 10695. Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, 1st movement, BWV 10496. Flute Sonata in Eb, 1st movement, BWV 10317. Toccata in D, BWV 565 (excerpt)8. Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, 3rd movement, BWV 10509. Orchestral Suite No. 2, Badinerie, BWV 106910. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, BWV 14711. Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D, Air, BWV 106812. 2-Part Invention, No. 1, BWV 77213. Goldberg Variations, No. 1, BWV 98814. Goldberg Variations, No. 4, BWV 98815. Goldberg Variations, No. 30, BWV 98816. Goldberg Variations, Canons, BWV 98817. Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, 3rd movement, BWV 1047 Age: birth +Award: Billboard Magazine Top Midline Classical Albums (#3) - 2004

Customer Reviews:

Relaxing music for baby's bedtime.......2007-04-27

While I do want my baby to listen to Bach's music played with "real" instruments in an authentic style (which Baby Bach is NOT), Baby Bach is a very sweet, soothing selection of music. My newborn son and I both find this music very relaxing and it works like a charm to calm him down at bedtime! I would recommend this CD to any parent looking for new music to add to a baby's or young child's bedtime routine.

Baby loves this music!.......2007-02-17

Puts our 6-week old daughter to sleep. What more could you ask for!

yikes! would say any lover of classical music.......2007-01-05

The baby einstein series of music CDs is the equivalent of muzack for babies- horror to the ears!
I don't think babies need their music dumbed down to that degree.
Anyway, for the parent it's awful to hear. The beauty inherent in the muusic is completely lost, and replaced with whistles, goofy chimes, and plastic pianos. Absolutely horrible.

ANOTHER FANTASTIC CD.......2006-04-25

This cd absolutely calms my newborn - and I like the music also. Everyone with children should have this cd.

Excellent CD.......2005-10-12

Loved the CD, same music as on the DVD which my 20-month-old grandson loves. Falls asleep at night with the CD on, and I leave it on all night to soothe him if he wakes. Great puchase, worth the money!

Average customer rating: A Must Have Broad Spectrum Virtuosity Cool Pairing for Meyer/Fleck Fans Bela Fleck + Edgar Meyer = strange mixture Virtuosity Knows No Musical Boundaries

Music for Two (Bonus DVD) Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Eccles, Henry | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sinfonia | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Bluegrass Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music Jam Bands | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Bluegrass | Live Albums | Country | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Country | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Jazz | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Perpetual Motion Uncommon Ritual The Telluride Sessions The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2 Bach Unaccompanied Cello Suites: Performed on Double Bass ASIN: B0001XAMS6 Release Date: 2004-04-27

Tracks:

1. Bug Tussle
2. Invention 10, BWV 796
3. Pile Up
4. Prelude No.24, BWV 869
5. Solar
6. Blue Spruce
7. Canon
8. The One I Left Behind
9. V. Menuet I - II, BWV 825
10. Prelude No.2, BWV 847
11. Palmyra
12. The Lake Effect
13. Largo/Allegro Vivace
14. Allegro Vivace
15. Wrong Number
16. Woolly Mammoth
17. Wishful Thinking

Amazon.com

On Music for Two, banjo wizard Béla Fleck and stand-up bass maestro Edgar Meyer effortlessly sail through a challenging program that includes compositions by Bach, a sonata by Henry Eccles, a Miles Davis tune, and a number of self-composed finger twisters. The amazing thing about this varied selection is not its eclecticism--which is only to be expected with these two--but that it all blends together so seamlessly. Fleck's jazz-tinged compositions (like "The Lake Effect") and Meyer's bluegrass-inspired tunes (like "Wishful Thinking") sit so comfortably next to Bach's baroque jewels and Davis's cool jazz that it makes you question the entire of concept of musical classification. (In fact, the Bach preludes, inventions, and partitas translate so well to the banjo/bass arrangements, you have to wonder if old JSB might not have had a bit of bluegrass in his soul.) Music for Two was recorded live at a series of 2001 concerts, where Fleck and Meyer proved conclusively that the banjo and the bass were capable of remarkable subtlety and not just twang and boom. --Michael John Simmons

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have.......2007-04-25

These two really sound good together. If you're not so impressed with the music when you first hear it (I don't know if that's possible), check out the DVD that comes with it. You will gain such an appreciation for the music that's being played. Watch out for the guy making the banjo jokes. This CD is really an incredible work, I can't say it enough. Very relaxing music.

Broad Spectrum Virtuosity.......2007-04-23

This album runs the gamut of styles and genre. It is hard to get bored when a musical turn is but a few notes away. The two musicians integrate their instruments with incredible skill. I hate to give it a four star rating. The music is worth the 5. The loooooong, live applause tracks detract from the album. The asides by the musicians are sometimes hard to hear. Minor aggravations aside,this album plays frequently, very frequently, in our home,car, iPods, etc.

Cool Pairing for Meyer/Fleck Fans.......2007-01-02

I've seen both Edgar Meyer and Bela Fleck live (unfortunately not together) and I really think this album just captures the magic of their live shows: I can almost see them in my living room together! For those not so familiar with the music of one or both the inclusion of classical tunes with those composed by Meyer/Fleck and other contemporary songwriters is a cool drink of water. Music for Two is a good intro to the world of cozy bluegrass.

Bela Fleck + Edgar Meyer = strange mixture .......2006-11-10

Bela Fleck is one of the my jazz favorites... And hi with combination called Edgar Meyer are... great music!!!

Virtuosity Knows No Musical Boundaries.......2006-10-22

Béla Fleck & Edgar Meyer are both extraordinarily accomplished musicians who spend much of their time in very different worlds: Fleck in his newgrass space and Meyer in a more classical mode. But each has travelled in the other's territory before, and on this CD they connect around more genres than you can shake a stick at. In addition to their own compositions they tackle many of their joint favorites. The affection shows in the passion of the playing and the obvious camaraderie. And the accompanying DVD is a treat. Don't miss this one.

Average customer rating: Mad about Baroque The beauty of the songs brings tears to my eyes Brilliant Be Welcome then, great Sirs (and Mesdames). Brilliant Purcell Disc

Essential Purcell Henry Purcell , New College Choir Oxford , King's Consort , Robert King , Roy Goodman , Charles Daniels , John Mark Ainsley , James Bowman , Peter Buckoke , Jane Coe , Rogers Covey-Crump , Gillian Fisher , Michael George , Miles Golding , Jane Norman , Barbara Bonney , Mark Caudle , William Carter , King's Consort Choir , Helen Gough , Paul Nicholson , Angela East , Barry Guy , Tessa Bonner , Jerome Finnis , Rupert Bawden , Lucy Howard , Richard Campbell , Susan Addison , James O'Donnell , and Stephen Saunders Manufacturer: Hyperion UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Odes | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Bonney, Barbara | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | 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 CDs $7 - $10 | Choruses | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Choruses | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Operas | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Operas | Opera & Vocal | 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 Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bonney, Barbara | ( B ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Purcell: Odes for St. Cecilia's Day - Music for Queen Mary / Taverner Consort Purcell: The Fairy Queen Purcell: Songs & Airs / Argenta, North, Boothby, Nicholson, Toll Purcell: Dido and Aeneas / James, Lewis, Baker, Herincx Purcell: Full Anthems & Organ Music ASIN: B000002ZDU Release Date: 1995-04-10

Tracks:

1. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol. 5: Welcome, Welcome Glorious Morn. Symphony And Opening Chorus
2. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol. 3: Be Welcome Then, Great Sir
3. Complete Secular Solo Songs Vol.1: Oh, Fair Cedaria
4. The Choir Of The King's Consort: Hear My Prayer, O Lord
5. Great Baroque Arias: When I Am Laid In Earth ('Dido's Lament')
6. Complete Anthems And Services Vol.1: Let Mine Eyes Run Down With Tears (Part 1)
7. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol.4: The Sparrow And The Gentle Dove
8. Complete Secular Solo Songs Vol.1: If Music Be The Food Of Love (First Setting)
9. Complete Anthems And Services Vol.5: Rejoice In The Lord Always ('The Bell Anthem')
10. Complete Anthems And Services Vol.3: Hosanna To The Highest
11. Complete Anthems And Services Vol.7: Thou Knowest, Lord, The Secrets Of Our Hearts
12. Mr. Henry Purcell's Most Admirable Composures: Fairest Isle, All Isles Excelling
13. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol.6: Mark, How Readily Each Pliant String
14. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol.8: Sound The Trumpet
15. Complete Secular Solo Songs Vol.3: She Loves And She Confesses Too
16. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol.8: O How Blest Is The Isle
17. Complete Anthems And Services Vol.3: Remember Not, Lord, Our Offences
18. Complete Anthems And Services Vol. 11: An Evening Hymn
19. Complete Church Music Vol.2: Vouchsafe, O Lord, To Keep Us This Day
20. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol.2: With Rapture Of Delight... Hail Bright Cecilia

Amazon.com essential recording

The "Essential" Purcell? Well, you could get a bunch of critics to argue about that for a few days, but in the meantime, here is a sampler of highlights from the King's Consort's three admirable Purcell series: the Complete Odes and Welcome Songs, Complete Anthems and Services, and Complete Secular Solo Songs. There are, of course, some of Purcell's most-performed pieces (which probably are "essential"): Dido's Lament from Dido and Aeneas, "Sound the trumpet" from Come, ye sons of Art, Rejoice in the Lord alway (the "Bell Anthem," named for the string figure at the opening that sounds like pealing bells), the gently patriotic "Fairest isle, all isles excelling" (sung by a miscast James Bowman), and a selection from the funeral music for Queen Mary. There are also some delightful surprises--particularly among the little-known secular songs and church music. The plaintive "O fair Cedaria" gets a lovely performance by Barbara Bonney (a singer not usually associated with Purcell); tenor Rogers Covey-Crump (possibly the ideal high tenor for Purcell) sings the enchanting "If music be the food of love"; the church anthems "Let mine eyes run down with tears" and "Remember not, O Lord, our offences" have some startling harmonies as daring as any Monteverdi ever wrote. If you're unfamiliar with Purcell, this reasonably priced disc is a good place to start exploring without a big initial investment. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Mad about Baroque.......2007-02-12

This is a terrific CD. The music is breathtaking. Just buy IT !!!!!

The beauty of the songs brings tears to my eyes.......2002-08-21

Absolutely beautiful baroque music! The arrangament, singing and instrumentation is superb. It is too bad that Henry Purcell is not as widely known as Bach, because he should be recognized equally well."The Sparrow and the Gentle dove" is alone worth the price of the album! I can not stop playing it!

Brilliant.......2001-10-31

Like in his renditions of Handel's oratorios, Robert King manages to bring a freshness and strenght to Purcell's music that I had seldom heard before. This CD also features some of the best performers of early music in the world. My favourite tracks are Oh, Fair Cedaria, sung by the multi-talented Barbara Bonney; Dido's Lament from Dido and Aeneas, sung by Gillian Fisher; She Loves and she Confesses too, sung by the wonderful Susan Gritton; and Welcome, Welcome Glorious Morn, sung by Rogers Covey-Crump. The only track I didn't find absolutely wonderful is Fairest Isle, sung here by James Bowman. Don't get me wrong, I generally love Mr Bowman, I think that his performance in Mr Purcell's Most Admirable Composures (also conducted by Robert King) makes it another essential Purcell recording; but I find that Fairest Isle was much better done elsewhere, particularly by Christopher Hogwood and Barbara Bonney.

These songs aren't only beautiful, they're also poignant, sweet and unpretentious. I think that it will be very clear to anyone who listens to this recording that Mr Purcell was one of the finest composers that ever lived.

Be Welcome then, great Sirs (and Mesdames)........2001-10-20

If anyone has benefitted from the reversion in the last three or so decades to period instruments and historical reconstruction, it is Henry Purcell. Before, he was merely great, the peerless word-setter in the English language, a virtuoso of boundless range, a professional composer whose offical commissions were always imbued with personality and invention. But period instrumentation has added to this a greater depth, an other-worldly texture of sound. With his intricate, multi-part vocal writing, his preference for low, rumbling instruments such as the bass viol and the strange and remarkable theorbo, as well as his often sombre and low-key subject matter and treatment, Purcell creates a round, glowing, humming sound as pregnantly full as dub reggae.

This has an extraordinary effect on the listener. Whereas Bach, with his mathematical abstractions, sounds universal and timeless, Purcell's music takes the listener back 300 years, back to different ways of thinking about, feeling about and addressing things we still think etc. about today - death, love, friendship. The emotion is timeless, but the music's beauty is alien, THEIRS, hence its preciousness.

A lot of intelligence has gone into the unity of this compilation, beginning with two Welcomes (to the dawn and to the listener, in this case a King), and ending with thoughts of evening, death and a Baroque 'Thank you for the music'. These are bright, fanfare-like works, but the predominant mood is slow, ruminative, quiet. The selection covers the wide range of Purcell's oeuvre, from opera and funeral marches to secular songs and odes, and includes his most famous vocal works - Dido's Lament from Dido and Aeneas, sung by Gillian Fisher, and never more evocative of pagan loss and death; the massive 'Bell Anthem', with its ingenious opening symphony and joyful antiphon; and a miraculously serene 'Evening Hymn', Dido's opposite, death indicating hope, the treble voice swirling over the heavy ground bass like the soul released from the inert body.

it might seem quixotic to choose highlights from an exemplary collection of highlights, but the entry of the strings washing over the serene repetition of 'Be Welcome then, great Sir' always makes my heart stop still, while the musical picture of 'Bold Honour', the 'noisy Nothing, stalking shade', blocking the poet's amorous intentions in 'She loves and confesses too', adds a chilling hint of life's transience to a bouyantly bawdy song.

Brilliant Purcell Disc .......2000-11-30

With this album director and Purcell expert Robert King provides the listener with an excellent introduction to the composer's vocal works. The pieces presented here were taken from Mr. King's recordings of 'The Complete Odes and Welcome Songs', 'The Complete Anthems and Services', 'The Complete Secular Solo Songs' and diverse anthology discs. King, his wonderful soloists and musicians do the brilliance of Purcell's music fully justice. Whether he was commissioned by royalty, the church or theatre, Purcell shone in all areas. This disc certainly demonstrates the variety and originality of his craft, not to speak of his uncanny ability of setting words to music.

An outstanding Purcell offering. With a beautiful perfomance by Barbara Bonney of 'Oh, fair Cedaria'. Susan Gritton is equally captivating in 'She loves and she confesses too'. Gillian Fisher's rendition of the famous 'Dido's Lament' is haunting and poignant. Further an intelligent and brilliant 'Hosanna to the highest' by Michael George. James Bowman and Michael Chance sparkle in the countertenor duet 'Sound the trumpet' (from 'Come Ye sons of Art away'). And I should not forget to mention the joyous, luminous performance of the beautiful 'Bell Anthem'. To name but a few favourites, only James Bowman's 'Fairest Isle' was a disappointment.

Those who are familiar with Purcell's music will get an excellent disc with some of his most beloved works. If you are new to Purcell, this is, as already said a great introduction. Which might be the incentive to further explorations of Purcell.

by stardustraven

Average customer rating: Flats and Sharps Still new... and fantastic A Swingle Singers Half Treasure - A capella reigns Best Swingles Ever

The Swingle Singers - Bach Hits Back ~ A Capella Amadeus Johann Sebastian Bach , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , and The Swingle Singers Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Gigue | Baroque Dance Suites | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concerto Grossi | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Improvisation | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Divertimentos | Serenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sinfonia | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music French Horn | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Organ | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Keyboard Classics Swingle Singers Jazz Sebastian Bach, Vol. 1 Jazz Sebastian Bach, Vol. 2 Christmastime ASIN: B00000632P Release Date: 1998-05-05

Tracks:

1. Ein' feste Burg - Johann Sebastian Bach_
2. Organ Fugue from Fantasia and fugue - Johann Sebastian Bach_
3. The Well -Tempered Clavier: Prelude XVIII - Johann Sebastian Bach_
4. Cantata No. 140: Chorale prelude from Cantata No. 140 'Wachet Auf' - Johann Sebastian Bach_
5. Wachet Auf: Chorale from 'Wachet Auf' - Johann Sebastian Bach_
6. Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier - Johann Sebastian Bach_
7. In Dulci Jubilo - Chorale Prelude - Johann Sebastian Bach_
8. In Dulci Jubilo - Chorale - Johann Sebastian Bach_
9. Andante fromSonata No. 2 for unaccompanied violin - Johann Sebastian Bach_
10. First movement from Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 - Johann Sebastian Bach_
11. Cantata No. 208: Schafe konnen Sicher Weiden (Sheep May Safely Graze) from Cantata No. 208 - Johann Sebastian Bach_
12. Badinerie from Suite No. 2 - Johann Sebastian Bach_
13. Fugue VIII fromThe Well-Tempered Clavier - Johann Sebastian Bach_
14. Three - Part Invention - Johann Sebastian Bach_
15. Mass In B Minor: Et Resurrexit from Mass in B minor - Johann Sebastian Bach_
16. Bist Du Bei Mir - Johann Sebastian Bach_
17. St. Mathew Passion: Blute Nur, Du Liebes Herz - Johann Sebastian Bach_
18. Organ Fugue: Alla Gigue - Johann Sebastian Bach_
19. Suite No. 3: Air from Suite No. 3 (Air on a G String) - Johann Sebastian Bach_
20. Little Organ Fugue - Johann Sebastian Bach_
21. Cantata No. 60: Es Ist Genug from Cantata No. 60 - Johann Sebastian Bach_

Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 40: Die Zauberflote - Overture - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
2. Symphony No. 40: I Molto Allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
3. Symphony No. 40: II Andante - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
4. Symphony No. 40: III Minuetto: allegretto - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
5. Symphony No. 40: IV Finale: Allegro assai - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
6. Ave Verum Corpus - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
7. String Quartet In G Major: Finale from String Quartet in G major - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
8. Cosi fan tutte: Un' Aura Amorosa from Cost fan tutte - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
9. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Finale: Rondo from Eine kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
10. Finale from Horn Concerto No. 4 - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
11. Canzonetta from Don Giovanni - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
12. Terzettino from Cosi Fan Tutte - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
13. Gigue - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
14. Piano Concerto No. 21: Andante from Piano Concerto No. 21 - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
15. Hostias from Requiem - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
16. Requiem: Quam Olim Abrahae from Requiem - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
17. Piano Sonata In A Major: Finale: Alla Turca from Piano Sonata in A major - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
18. Fantasia In F Minor And Major - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus

Customer Reviews:

Flats and Sharps.......2007-05-18

I enjoy the Swingle Singers very much but sadly, in this album they are flat on about half of the tracks. When they are on key, they are very, very good. When they are flat they are awful. Recommendation: buy a different Swingle Singers CD.

Still new... and fantastic.......2007-03-25

As time goes by, these recordings seem to become better and better. Fresh, perfect... fantastic CD.

A Swingle Singers Half Treasure -.......2007-03-10

If you love Bach and are a fan of the Swingle Singers, buy this CD. Fans of the Swingle Singers enjoy them for what they do to music - release it with air and bounce - and their style is perfectly suited for Bach. I couldn't enjoy it more. But the second Cd in this set is their treatment of Mozart, and, for me, it's inconsistent. This is due to the different styles of the two composers and I just think they match up better with Bach. But at this price, I shouldn't be complaining. The first CD alone is worth twice as much. Snatch it up!

A capella reigns.......2007-01-12

Another fine offering by this group. Fun for classical music buffs and novices.

Best Swingles Ever.......2006-02-16

If you know the Swingle Singers, you may expect jazzed-up Bach with a rhythm section. Now, don't get me wrong, i like that stuff, too, but that is just clean fun, while this is just Bach. No percussion, no jazzy rythym, just straight unaccompanied Bach. AND IT IS WONDERFUL.
Precise rhythm, clear vocal lines, everything you expect from the Swingles without the jazz. This is a really great album that should be bought by all Swingle lovers and all Bach lovers.
P.S. i bought this cd when it first came out,so I have never even heard the Mozart. With all due deference to fans of the worthy Wolfgang, i have always found the artful Amadeus rather a bore, so I will remain silent about that part of the album. No matter. The Bach alone is worth twice the price, so enjoy. And, hey, the Mozart is a nice bonus.

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.

Jazz Music:

1. Pasaporte
2. Perdoname
3. Pistas: Canta Como Paquita La Del Barrio [Karaoke]
4. Pistoleros Famosos
5. Plays the Music of Luis Miguel
6. Pochy Familia y Su Cocoband
7. Por Ti Volare
8. Quisiera
9. Ruido Blanco [Limited Edition] [Import]
10. Salsa Mambo Cha-Cha-Cha

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