Mahler: Symphony No. 3; Bach Suite

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
There are lots of excellent Mahler 3rds in the catalogue, and a few great ones. Chailly's is one of the great ones. He leads this all-encompassing work with mastery of structure, close attention to the score’s plentiful instructions, and brings out the orchestral details that often go missing. He also has the benefit of a great Mahler orchestras. the Royal Concertgebouw, whose playing here is beyond praise. The fabulous Dutch winds have never sounded better, investing their many solo turns with idiomatic perfection. The important brass section is weighty, the posthorn solo done with moving lyricism. The strings are simply radiant, as is the chorus and the important vocal contribution of mezzo Petra Lang. The engineers match the playing, providing sound that's thrilling in its impact and presence in both SACD and standard CD. A bonus is Chailly's expert reading of Mahler's arrangement of movements from Bach's 2nd and 3rd Suites. If you love Mahler, you must have this set, even if your shelves are bulging with other versions of the Mahler 3rd. --Dan Davis

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

The Most Soothing Lullabies In The Universe

Average customer rating:

The Most Soothing Lullabies In The Universe

Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Lullabies | Children's Music | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

National Geographic: Lullabies - Dream Songs from Around the World
Traditional Lullabies
Bach at Bedtime: Lullabies for the Still of the Night
Lullaby: A Collection
Lullaby Favorites: Music for Little People

ASIN: B0001NBNE8
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Tracks:

CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 1, Larghetto
DEBUSSY: Clair de Lune
MANFREDINI: Concerto grosso in C, I. Largo (Pastorale)
MOZART: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Andante
BEETHOVEN: Moonlight Sonata, Adagio
BACH: Goldberg
SIBELIUS: Swan of Tuonela
LISZT: Liebestraume
SCHUMANN: Dreaming
MASSENET: Meditation from "Thais"
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Greensleeves

Tracks:

HANDEL-WEINER: Sicilienne
A. CORELLI: Concerto grosso in G, Pastorale
VERDI: "When the evening becomes peaceful"
CHOPIN: Three Preludes
MOZART: Clarinet Concerto in A, II. Adagio
BRAHMS: Piano Sonata No. 3, II. Andante espressivo
TCHAIKOVSKY: Swan Lake (excerpt)
MENDELSSOHN: Three Songs Without Words
MAHLER: Symphony No. 3, IV. Sehr Langsam

Average customer rating:

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

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

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Similar Items:

Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
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:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

Platoon: Adagio For Strings - Baltimore Symphony Orchestra/David Zinman
Elvira Madigan: Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 - Radu Lupu/English Chamber Orchestra/Uri Segal
A Room With A View: O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianni Schicchi) - Renata Tebaldi/Orch Del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino/Lamberto Gardelli
Dangerous Moonlight: Warsaw Concerto - Cristina Ortiz/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Moshe Atzmon
Dances With Wolves: John Dunbar Theme - Hollywood Bowl Orchestra/John Mauceri
Raging Bull/Godfather III: Intermezzo (Cavalleria Rusticana) - National Philharmonic Orchestra/Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Brief Encounter: Piano Concerto No.2 In C Minor: Adagio Sostenuto (Excerpt) - Jean-Yves Thibaudet/The Cleveland Orchestra/Vladimir Ashkenazy
The Mission: Gabriel's Oboe - Prague Philharmonia/Nick Ingman
The Piano: The Heart Asks Pleasure First - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
The Gadfly: Romance - Alexander Kerr/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Riccardo Chailly
Amadeus: Serenade In B Flat Major, K.361 'Gran Partita': Adagio - Members Of The Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields/Neville Marriner
Sunday, Bloody Sunday: Soave Sia Il Vento (Trio) (Cosi Fan Tutte) - Lucia Popp/Brgitte Fassbaender/Tom Krause/Vienna Haydn Orchestra/Istvan Kertesz
Diva: Ebben?...Ne Andro Lontana (La Wally) - Renee Fleming/London Philharmonic Orchestra/Charles Mackerras
Hannah And Her Sisters: Keyboard Concerto No.5 In F Minor, BWV 1056: Largo - Andras Schiff/Chamber Orchestra Of Europe
Immortal Beloved: Piano Sonata No.14 In C Sharp Minor 'Moonlight': Adagio Sostenuto - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Carrington: String Quintet In C Major, D956: Adagio (Excerpt) - Weller Quartet
Amadeus: Lacrimosa (Requiem) - John Alldis Choir/BBC Symphony Orchestra/Colin Davis

Tracks:

Billy Elliot: Scene (Opening Of Act 2) (Swan Lake) - Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal/Charles Dutoit
Life Is Beautiful (La Vita E Bella): Barcarolle (The Tales Of Hoffmann) - L'Orchestra De La Suisse Romande/Richard Bonynge
Dead Poets Society/Picnic At Hanging Rock: Piano Concerto No.5 In E Flat Major, Op.73 'Emperor'... - Vladimir Ashkenazy/The Cleveland Orchestra
Hilary And Jackie: Cello Concerto, Op.85: Adagio - Moderato (Excerpt) - Julian Lloyd Webber/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Yehudi Menuhin
Out Of Africa: Clarinet Concerto In A Major, K.622: Adagio - Jack Brymer/London Symphony Orchestra/Colin Davis
Children Of A Lesser God: Concerto In D Minor For 2 Violins, BWV 1043: Largo, Ma Non Tanto - Henryk Szeryng/Maurice Hasson/Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields/Neville Marriner
Frankie And Johnny: Clair De Lune - Eastman-Rochester Pops Orchestra/Frederick Fennell
Cinema Paradiso: Nuovo Cinema Paradiso - Prague Philharmonia/Nick Ingman
Death In Venice: Symphony No.5: Adagietto - Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Sir Georg Solti
Seven: Suite No.3 In D Major, BWV 1068: Air - Stuttgarter Kammerorchestra/Karl Munchinger
The Shawshank Redemption: Che Soave Seffiretto (Letter Duet) (The Marriage Of Figaro) - Kiri Te Kanawa/Lucia Popp/London Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Georg Solti
Fatal Attraction: Un Bel Di (Madama Butterfly) - Renee Fleming/London Philharmonic Orchestra/Charles Mackerras
Ordinary People: Canon In D Major - Stuttgarter Kammerorchester/Karl Munchinger
Truly, Madly, Deeply: Cello Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1029: Adagio (Excerpt) - Janos Starker/Gyorgy Sebok
Shine: Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op.3 No.2 - Vladimir Ashkenazy
On Her Majesty's Secret Service: We Have All The Time In The World - Prague Philharmonia/Nick Ingman

Customer Reviews:

If You Love Classical Music, This CD Is For You .......2007-01-10

This compilation of movie themes is one of the most pleasurable CD's you'll ever own.

Probably Decca's best "Adagios" set.......2006-07-26

I say "probably," since it's hard to outdo its "Beethoven Adagios" set. I've only bought a few of these "Adagios" sets because, looking over the track listings of so many, there's just so much overlap. Here, you get the best single collection of the bunch. Here, I was introduced to Addinsell's "Warsaw Concerto," and for that alone it was worth the price. But let's not forget a significant number of other gorgeous classic adagios: Beethoven's "Emperor" concerto (used in a gorgeous film, "Picnic at Hanging Rock"), Bach's "Air on a G String," Mahler's Adaghietto from Symphony no. 5, some obligatory Mozart, the Barber adagio, Debussy's Claire de lune, and - oh lovely! - Schubert's String Quintet in C. Then there are much-appreciated entries (Cinema Paradiso, Gabriel's Oboe) from a personal favorite composer, Ennio Morricone, one of the actual official film composers (as distinct from long-dead composers whose music was used in film) used for this collection, along with a couple from another personal favorite, John Barry. (You'd really need to get Barry's own set of "adagios," titled "Moviola," to get his best, e.g., the title theme to "Out of Africa" and to "Somewhere in Time." For Morricone, the master of the romantic adagio in the past century, go with "Itinerary of a Genius" or individual soundtracks like "Legend of 1900," "Lolita," "Once Upon a Time in America," "Once Upon a Time in the West," and others.)

A couple drawbacks to this set: (1) The adagio from Rachmaninov's 2nd is truncated to a mere 4 minutes. For this, one is well advised to purchase a CD with the entire concerto, or get a full version of just the adagio elsewhere (Decca does include a full version on its "Romantic Adagios" collection). (2) So much from so many composers is included, that there is too little room for more Beethoven. I'd prefer the adagio from the "Pathetique" sonata to the "Moonlight" one which was included here. For Beethoven adagios, you need the "Beethoven Adagios" set as an accompaniment (where you get, among other things, adagios for the op. 130 string quartet, the 6th symphony, the violin concerto, piano concerto no. 3, the 7th symphony, and the romance for violin no. 2, op. 50). If you're a fan of Mozart music often used in the movies, there's the "Mozart Adagios" set and/or the "Amadeus" soundtrack.

I'm a "purist" as to a few works; I'd rather hear the entirety of the "Emperor" concerto than merely the adagio, for instance. In plenty of other cases, an adagio movement is heard just fine as a stand-alone work; plenty of the most beautiful music is used for adagio movements, as these sets make clear enough.

One of the best CDs you'll ever own.......2003-03-23

This is an excellent selection of music. I listen to it every chance I get. It is great just to put in your CD player on "repeat" and allow it to soothe and inspire you for a few hours, for an evening, or an for entire day.

One reason I chose it was that I was looking for music that could simply be a nice background noise for when I'm working on things that require reading and concentration. I wanted music that would not be a distraction, and this does a good job. It is also great to listen to when doing almost anything, like even cleaning the house or doing laundry. I will admit though, that listening to the selection from Swan Lake might make you want to dance around the living room.

Also, besides the obvious ones that everybody knows (Beethoven's 5th, or Canon in D, etc.) I do not know enough to distinguish specific songs from their composers, which is why I was hesitant to buy a classical CD soley of one artist because once I got it I may not have liked it or been familiar with any of the songs. That is why I picked Movie Adagios because I knew it would be a selection of some of the best classical music from the movies, which it is.

Sublime!.......2002-09-08

Of course, I'm nuts for classical music and classic movies, so this compilation of music featured in some of the most famous movies ever made is an absolutely ideal CD.

Filmmakers have been raiding the classical music files since the days of the silents in order to heighten the mood of a scene and provide a greater emotional impact. Barber's Adagio for Strings has been used not only in "Platoon", as this CD lists, but also in "The Elephant Man". While there's only a small snippet of Rachmininoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 here, it's worth remembering that the entire piece is used throughout the magnificent "Brief Encounter" to heighten the impact of the romance. Mozart's Trio (Cosi fan tutte) was brilliantly used in "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" to comment on a complex romantic triangle.

There are also 5 pieces written directly for the screen, two by Ennio Morricone (the haunting Gabriel's Oboe from "The Mission" and the exquisite Nuovo Cinema Paradiso from "Cinema Paradiso"), two by John Barry (a lovely version of We Have All the Time in the World from the James Bond classic "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and the elegiac John Dunbar Theme from "Dances With Wolves") and one by Michael Nyman (The heart asks pleasure first from "The Piano").

I love this CD, to relax with, to read with, and just immerse myself in the spectacular sounds of genius.

GREAT MUSIC.......2001-12-03

This is a great classical piece for the lovers of classical, as well as the ones who may hate it. These Adagios CDs get beter and better each time there is a new release. I must warn you there some good as well as some bad ones. There is a certain Adagio flavor for everyones. At the present I have others, but the ones I truly enjoy are Violin Adagios, The Piano Adagios and this one. This compilation is great for reading. Furthermore this CD can be great evening music... for sleeping.

Those of you who have not got on board with the ADAGIOS, please get on board the next time you go to your favorite music store. You may be surprised at how you have enriched yourselves with great music for your listening pleasure.

You may want to check other reviews here at Amazon under my section in the customers reviews.

Thanks

TRIPP

Mahler 3 [Hybrid SACD]
Average customer rating:

Best overall Mahler 3rd of any

Best Mahler 3 on SACD

Dull, Dull, Dull

Chailly, RCGBO & Mahler: Finally, the heights (sound+perfor)

Mahler 3 [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001RBVLY
Release Date: 2004-06-15

Amazon.com

There are lots of excellent Mahler 3rds in the catalogue, and a few great ones. Chailly's is one of the great ones. He leads this all-encompassing work with mastery of structure, close attention to the score's plentiful instructions, and brings out the orchestral details that often go missing. He also has the benefit of a great Mahler orchestras. the Royal Concertgebouw, whose playing here is beyond praise. The fabulous Dutch winds have never sounded better, investing their many solo turns with idiomatic perfection. The important brass section is weighty, the posthorn solo done with moving lyricism. The strings are simply radiant, as is the chorus and the important vocal contribution of mezzo Petra Lang. The engineers match the playing, providing sound that's thrilling in its impact and presence in both SACD and standard CD. A bonus is Chailly's expert reading of Mahler's arrangement of movements from Bach's 2nd and 3rd Suites. If you love Mahler, you must have this set, even if your shelves are bulging with other versions of the Mahler 3rd. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Best overall Mahler 3rd of any.......2006-12-27

If, like me, you consider a recording of something as huge and all encompassing as Mahler's 3rd to always be something of a compromise - a gesamtkunstwerk of conducting, orchestral execution, singing, and sound quality - then you might come to the same conclusion as I: this is the best overall M3 to date. Yes, there are things that could have been just a tad better - the mezzo being one of them (Petra Lang). But you won't hear better or more detailed accompaniment underneath the mezzo either. In fact, I've never heard an M3 where what the mezzo was doing, and what the orchestra was doing, was so well integrated as here. Maybe that's because Decca's fine recording quality brings things into sharper perspective, I don't know. Also, the coda to the third movement (scherzo) could be a bit more grand in scope. But everything else about the scherzo is darn near perfect, including the distance and pacing of the offstage trumpet solos - the so-called "posthorn". Just listen to how fabulous the Concertgebouw woodwinds sound at the start of the scherzo - it doesn't get any better than this. Chailly's first movement is a huge tour-de-force, capturing just a collosal amount of dynamic range and orchestral detail. Nope, there's no need to hype this recording - the evidence is all there. All six movements are really well done, which is rare. In the finale, Chailly progressively lengthens each of the symphony's final three chords. That's such an obvious thing to do! - why hasn't anyone thought to do that before? Yep, it's not perfect. As always, some minor details could still be better yet. But I also can't think of any other recording that gets so little "wrong" (nothing, really), and so much right. If you're going to get this, regardless of how you're playing it back, get it in the DSD upgrade, which is the SACD/CD hybrid version, . Decca has priced it the same as the regular version.

Best Mahler 3 on SACD.......2004-11-18

Move to the head of the class. The performance here by Chailly and the RCOA overshadows recent SACDs from Boulez, MTT, and Zander. This is the real deal. FINALLY!

Everything is so carefully thought out in this performance, and the playing is highly idiomatic. The bass drum will have cups moving on your coffee tables. Certain parts of the interpretation are exactly as called for in the score, and I am so thrilled that they were caught so vividly on this SACD. These are orchestral effects like glissandos, mutes, brass trills, dynamic effects, "Schalltrichter in die Hoehe" or "Schalltricther auf" (really comes through!!!!!), etc.

The brass are very nicely captured. The winds come out like a nice wind choir. The orchestral quality is very European and balanced with a lot of transparency, which is not typical of American orchestras and these days, even the VPO and the BPO don't have this quality very much any more. This has been so well recorded, that you will really be able to hear every part, just like you can in a concert hall.

In the 4th Movement, Petra Lang does a very nice job in her song, and the brass and bassoons have a wonderful ominous sound. In the 5th Movement, the women's chorus is very well captured and it moves along very nicely with wonderful energy.

The last movement, the jewel of the symphony (next to the first movement), is ravishing. You will not want it to end. The quiet sections are so lovingly shaped and filled with yearning. You can hear the vibrato of individual violin players at times. The dramatic and bitter utterances are very jarring and then soothed by the main theme with great sensitivity and Chailly gives the transitions a lot of space. The final chorale builds to a very satisfying climax. Chailly holds out the final note of the symphony just like Mahler wanted (a fermata, and with notations to not allow the sound to diminish at all, and not to have an abrupt release) and the effect is beautiful. At 22min, the final movement is, timing-wise, faster than most, but it has great lyrical weight and speaks very much in that time.

I'm thrilled about this performance and this SACD! Although Chailly's Mahler cycle hasn't always had such great performances (the 8th, despite an awesome cast, was a huge disappointment), this one is really an achievement. If you don't know this piece, this performance will be an excellent introduction; and if you don't know Mahler very well, or have been a Mahler-naysayer, give this one a shot, because this is Mahler done "right". Up next, the 9th, and Chailly's cycle will be complete.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED without reservation. It's also priced much cheaper than the competition (and it's own Redbook-only version) so not only is it a great performance, it's a bargain, too.

Dull, Dull, Dull.......2004-07-27

Except for Petra Lang's arrestingly sexy singing in the fourth movement - not necessarily what Mahler had in mind, but it will certainly make you pay attention! - this is a musical dead zone. Gorgeous playing, lovely sound, all to naught. There's no sign that i was able to hear that Chailly is involved in or even cares about the music. The first reviewer heard it differently, but i can't imagine how.
The best modern M3s now available are the Barbirolli, even if he miscalculates and rushes at the very end, and Lopez Cobos, and there are very close rivals from Boulez and Tilson Thomas. I used to like the Horenstein more than i do now. It hasn't worn well in places that need momentum or lightness.
A gorgeous wonderful symphony, not that you'd guess it from this reading. Probably the best way to learn this work and learn about it is to get the VAI DVD called What the Universe Tells Me, a series of film essays about this piece backed by a terrific reading by Glen Cortese and the fully professional sounding Manhattan School of Music Orchestra.

Chailly, RCGBO & Mahler: Finally, the heights (sound+perfor).......2004-07-05

Finally. I have had considerable doubts about many of the previous recordings in this ongoing Mahler complete symphony series. Often, to me and my ears, Chailly sounds like he is glossing over, and sometimes even compressing or truncating, many of the many specific expressive indications that Mahler took great pains to write into his scores. The foreshortening of dynamic ranges, for example, often bothers me quite a bit. Mahler is famous for writing extremes into his phrasing, ranging from triple or quadruple soft (pppp) to triple or quadruple forte/loud (ffff). While this can be easily dismissed by carelessness on the conductor's part, or by the inabilities of a given band to carry the range as indicated; the fact is, if Mahler is going to express himself, he needs careful and scrupulous observance of his markings. This is particularly true when such detailed dynamics as are marked are cross-happening throughout different departments of the huge orchestra. Mahler knew what he wanted musicians to play, and as a conductor he had decades of experience with high-level bands that he usually left playing at an even higher level. If you observe the markings, in my view, you can get away with quite a few other variations in your approach, including tempo. Some Andante movements are slower or faster than others, but nonetheless express genuine Mahlerian style and narration.

In the past recordings, these are the points where I have felt let down by Chailly. The Concertgebouw has a fabulous and honestly-earned Mahler tradition, dating all the way to Willem Mengelberg and Otto Klemperer. And as regards the Haitink-led versions, I think the orchestra mostly carried the conductor to whatever success he achieved in those recordings. With Chailly, however, it often seemed to me that he was overriding the orchestra's knowledge of how exacting Mahler might sound, in favor of a sort of operatic, generalized interpretation.

Well, no more. In this one, Chailly has finally allowed himself to settle into the deep and abiding performance practices of the Mahler traditions that this world-class orchestra has long embodied. He does contribute something to their understanding, in the way of a certain operatic and songful flow. But in this case, his operatic sensitivities do not preclude being much more faithful to observe Mahler's myriad expressive markings. The success of this performance also includes a clarity of the polyphony .... whether chamber-like in texture, or grand full orchestra ... that is indispensable in great Mahler.

The soloist Petra Lang carries the Nietzsche movement off at a high level of vocal and interpretive insight. It is a difficult thing to sing this night-music, I imagine. First of all, you are almost completely exposed as a singer, and if you do not have the vocal resources to manage, or you do not know how to marshal your voice to the expressive line, your lack is obvious to all listeners. Secondly, although Mahler writes wonderful music for his Wunderhorn songs, they cross over to instrumental phrasing and expression, as the orchestra plays with you. Petra Lang continues her artistry in the next movement, joined by the children's chorus and the women. All are exquisitely bell-like and raucous, managing to suggest a rather lively and country-wided view of heaven and its redemption of humankind as common folk, not nobility.

Then the orchestra takes over in the famous culmination of the final movement. With string tone that must be the envy of many a player in big-name orchestras all over the world, the RCGBO puts us on immediate notice that this last movement of the Third Symphony will be the mystical fulfillment of Mahler's comprehensive vision. ("The symphony must be a whole world," Mahler said.) Each instrumental department gradually joins in, as Mahler expertly weaves and interweaves materials from prior movements, at the same time demonstrating so joyously to the human ear how masterfully he could transform what (at first hearing) appear only to be innocuous and mischievous folk themes.

My measure of the Third Symphony has long been the revered recording by Jascha Horenstein with the London Symphony Orchestra. I almost never find other versions its full equal, although I have added Boulez, Solti, Abbado, Neumann, and Bertini to the nearby shelf. Now, I believe a very close second has arrived. Chailly still cannot match the dark, malevolent detail of the Jascha Horenstein; but he matches its overall grandeur of musical vision, at last successfully bringing his songful ear to the rich and pervasive Mahlerian genius of this great orchestra. If only earlier recordings of other symphonies had been so blessed as is this one.

No one who listens to this recording can fail to mention the SACD high resolution surround sound. Perhaps those other, earlier Chailly versions of Mahler symphonies are lacking, because they are not yet available via this incredible, vivid sound. More successfully than it is possible to describe, you are placed in the Grotesaal of the Amsterdam home of these wonderful players. The sheer tonal presence of their genius is captured and recreated by the quality of recording. A giant coup is delivered in the surround sound mix, neither too close nor too distant. You can tangibly sense the hall without being bombarded by echoes and reflections that interfere with paying attention to the main event of the RCGBO playing in front of you.

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 - Andre Previn
Intermezzo - Philharmonia Orchestra
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini - Sir Simon Rattle
O Mio Babbino Caro - London Symphony Orchestra
Viola Da Bamba Sonata In G Minor - Ton Koopman
Beim Schlafengehen - London Philharmonic Orchestra
Schindler's List Theme - Tasmin Little
Clair De Lune - Dame Moura Lympany
Symphony No. 5 - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana - Philharmonia Orchestra
Moonlight Sonata - Dame Moura Lympany
Violin Concerto No. 1 In G Minor - Yehudi Menuhin
E Lucevan Le Stelle - Georges Pretre
Nocturne In C Sharp Minor - Maria Tipo
Adagio For Strings - Philadelphia Orchestra
Cello Concerto - English Chamber Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 2 In F - English Chamber Orchestra
Va Pensiero - Bernard Haitink

Tracks:

Adagio In G Minor - Sir Neville Marriner
The Heart Asks Pleasure First / The Promise - Michael Nyman
Time To Say Goodbye - Orchestra
Goldberg Variations - Maria Tipo
Barcarolle - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Piano Concerto No. 2 - Sir Simon Rattle
Nimrod - London Symphony Orchestra
Vissi D'art - Maria Callas
Cavatina - Manuel Barrueco & Steve Morse
String Quintet In C - Laszlo Varga
J'ai Perdu Mon Eurydice - John Eliot Gardiner
Etude In E 'Tristesse' - John Ogdon
Addio Del Passato - London Symphony Orchestra
Double Violin Concerto - Bath Festival Orchestra
Queen Symphony - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 1 - Garrick Ohlsson
In Paradisum - English Chamber Orchestra
My Heart Will Go On - Orchestra
Rhapsody In Blue - Andre Previn

Customer Reviews:

a terrific compilation for beginners.......2006-02-07

I agree with P. Grupe-for classical music lovers, it is a let down to listen to cut tracks of well-performed classical greats, like Chopin's 1st piano concerto in this collection. Nonetheless, this is a terrific compilation for people beginning to get interested in classical music. This compilation is an eclectic mix of the familiar (Beethoven's moonlight sonata, Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini variation no. 18, Myer's Cavatina, Barber's "Adagio for Strings, etc.), the contemporary (Michael Nyman's The Promise, Horner's My Heart Will Go On), and the truly moving (Bach's Double Violin Concerto, Bruch's Violin Concerto, Schubert's String Quintet in C)-relatively obscure pieces usually left out in less inspired and mediocre classical music compilations. It is gratifying to see that opera music has not been left out. Get this cd if only for the Maria Callas tracks, Lucia Popp's performance of Strauss' Beim Schlafengehen, and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's Addio del passato.

"Classical heartbreakers" broke my heart.......2004-06-27

I am an avid listener of classical music, and I purchased this CD expecting to get some of the best classical music ever composed. I guess I expected a bit much though. Although the recording is filled with high quality performances of fantastic pieces, I was disappointed to find that only about half of the pieces are contained in their entirety on this 2-disc set. Songs such as Rhapsody in Blue and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata were not recorded in full for this album, which caught me off guard and bothered me quite a bit.

Anybody who is unfamiliar with classical music will appreciate this album. Since it features some of the most moving classical pieces ever written, it is sure to entrance listeners. And by not placing entire 10-minute pieces on the CDs, it will not run on and bore those unaccustomed to the length of most classical music. However, if you are already well-versed in classical music and can listen to entire symphonies with ease, I would advise against buying this album. I now feel a desire to go out again and find the full versions of some of these pieces, since I feel I was cheated by only getting introductions or short movements on most of the album. Guess I should have paid a little more attention to what I was buying.

A Fantastic Compilation.......2004-05-01

Most of the musical pieces in this compilation are from versions as they appear in various movies. This is Classical music from classic movies such as: Somewhere in Time, Schindler's List, English Patient, The Piano, Platoon, et al. But make no mistake; the music is what's really worth mentioning here.

The title says it all. It claims to have "the most moving Classical music of all time," and they certainly have a case, as it is chock full of the kind of emotional pieces that can easily bring you to tears. This double CD compilation with 37 passionately beautiful pieces is a steal at $16.99.

If you've ever recorded your favorite songs on to tape, or burned them on to a CD, you'll see that this compilation is exactly what EMI Records has done. It is like a greatest hits, volume 1, of poignant Classical music. Almost all of the musical pieces are classic favorites, though there are a few contemporary ones also.

I found the music on this CD powerful and moving as advertised, and I think that Classical music fans should truly enjoy it. It is well worth the price it's being sold for, and I highly recommend it.

Since there is some missing information as to who the composers and artists are, here they are:

Disk 1

Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor Op.23: I. Allegro Non Troppo E Mol; Andre Previn; Horacio Gutierrez; The London Symphony Orchestra

Mascagni - Intermezzo (Cavalleria Rusticana) {Raging Bull}; Riccardo Muti; The Philharmonia Orchestra

Rachmaninov - Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini - Variation #18 {Somewhere in Time}; Cecile Ousset; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Sir Simon Rattle

Puccini - O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianni Schicchi) {A Room with a View};
Montserrat Caballe; The London Symphony Orchestra; Sir Charles Mackerras

Bach - Viola da Gamba Sonata in G Minor BWV1029 - II. Adagio (Opening) {Truly, Madly, Deeply}; Jordi Savall; Ton Koopman

Richard Strauss - Beim Schlafengehen (Vier Letzte Lieder) {The Hours}; Klaus Tennstedt; London Philharmonic Orchestra; Lucia Popp

Williams - Schindler's List (Theme) {Schlinder's List}; Iain Sutherland; New World Philharmonic; Tasmin Little

Debussy - Clair de Lune {Frankie and Johnnie}; Dame Moura Lympany

Mahler - Symphony No. 5 in C Sharp Minor: IV. Adagietto (Conclusion) {Death in Venice}; New Philharmonia Orchestra; Sir John Barbirolli

Catalani - Ebben? Ne Andrò Lontana (La Wally) {Diva}; Maria Callas; The Philharmonia Orchestra; Tullio Serafin

Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor "Moonlight" Op. 27/2 - I. Adagio S; Dame Moura Lympany

Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor - II. Adagio (Opening) Sir Yehudi Menuhin; The Philharmonia Orchestra; Walter Susskind

Puccini - E Lucevan le Stelle (Tosca) {The Man Who Cried}; Carlo Bergonzi; Georges Pretre; Orchestre De La Societe` Des Concerts Du Conservatoire

Chopin - Nocturne in C Sharp Minor Op. Posth {The Pianist}; Maria Tipo

Barber - Adagio for Strings {Platoon} Eugene Ormandy; Philadelphia Orchestra

Elgar - Cello Concerto in E Minor Op. 85 - I. Adagio - Moderato (Opening) {Hilary and Jackie}; London Philharmonic Orchestra; Norman Del Mar; Robert Cohen

Shostakovich - Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Op.102 - II. Andante Dmitri Alexeev; English Chamber Orchestra; Jerzy Maksymiuk

Verdi - Va, Pensiero (Chorus of Hebrew Slaves) (Nabucco) {The Godfather, Pt. 3}; Bernard Haitink; Covent Garden Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Disk 2

Albinoni - Adagio in G Minor (Realised Giazotto) [Extract] {Gallipoli}; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; Sir Neville Marriner

Nyman - Heart Asks Pleasure First/The Promise {The Piano}; Unknown artist

Quarantotto & Sartori - Time to Say Goodbye; David Abel

J.S. Bach - Goldberg Variations - Aria {The English Patient}; Maria Tipo

Offenbach - Barcarolle (Les Contes d'Hoffmann) {Life Is Beautiful}; Choeurs Rene Ducios; Clu; Elisabeth Schwartskopf; Jeannine Collard; Orchestre De La Societe` Des Concerts Du Conservatoire

Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor - II. Adagio Sostenuto (Opening) {Brief Encounter}; Cecile Ousset; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Sir Simon Rattle

Elgar - Nimrod ("Enigma" Variations) {Elizabeth}; The London Symphony Orchestra; Sir Adrian Boult

Puccini - Vissi d'Arte (Tosca); Georges Pretre; Maria Callas; Orchestre De La Societe` Des Concerts Du Conservatoire

Myers - Cavatina {The Deer Hunter}; Manuel Barrueco; Steve Morse

Schubert - String Quintet in C D956 - II. Adagio (Opening) {Carrington}; Hungarian Quartet; Laszlo Varga

Gluck - J'Ai Perdu Mon Eurydice (Orphée et Eurydice); Anne Sofie Von Otter; John Eliot Gardiner; Orchestre De L'Opera De Lyon

Chopin - Étude in E "Tristesse" Op.10/3; John Ogden

Verdi - Attendo, Attendo...Addio del Passato (La Traviata); Dame Kiri Te Kanawa; Myung-Whun Chung; The London Symphony Orchestra

Bach - Double Violin Concerto in D Minor BWV 1043 - II. Largo Ma Non Tanto {Children of a Lesser God}; Bath Festial Orchestra; Christian Ferras; Sir Yehudi Menuhin

Kashif - Queen Symphony - III. Adagio {Who Wants to Live Forever - Save Me}; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Tolga Kashif

Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor - II. Romance (Larghetto) (Opening) {The Truman Show}; Garrick Ohlsson; Jerzy Maksymiuk; Polish National Symphony Orchestra

Faure - In Paradisum (Requiem) {The Thin Red Line}; Cambridge Choir of Kings Choir; English Chamber Orchestra; Stephen Cleobury

Horner - My Heart Will Go On {Titanic}; David Abel

Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue (Conclusion) {Manhattan}; Andre Previn; The London Symphony Orchestra

Karajan: Adagio
Average customer rating:

If you're really in a hurry to get over Pachelbel's Canon

A beautiful way to spend some time

Gentle, Slow, Reflective...and Wonderful

If you wish the moderate baroque music,

* * * * *

Karajan: Adagio

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( 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 Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( 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
All Works by Pachelbel | Pachelbel, Johann | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Sibelius | Sibelius, Jean | ( S ) | 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
Divertimentos | Serenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
Romantic | Symphonies | 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
General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | 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
Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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Adagio 2

Romantic Adagio: Karajan

Albinoni: Adagio; Pachelbel: Canon

Albinoni's Adagios

ASIN: B000001GMK
Release Date: 1995-05-16

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5: Adagietto: Fourth movement
Canon & Gigue In D Major: Canon
The Opera: Thais: Meditation
Sypmhony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90: Andante
Sinfonia In B Minor, RV 169 - 'Al Santo Sepolcro': Adagio molto: First movement
Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1, Op. 46: Ases Tod - Ases's Death: Second movement
Divertimento In B Flat Major, K. 287 (271H): Adagio: Fourth movement
Adagio In G Minor For Strings and Organ
Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Op. 92: Allegretto: Second movement
Suite For Orchestra No. 3 In D Major: Air
Valse Triste, Op. 44

Customer Reviews:

If you're really in a hurry to get over Pachelbel's Canon.......2006-05-01

Karajan was an amazing conductor. Precise, demanding, exacting, but also emotional and deeply sensible to nuances and subtleties of the various works and comosers he conducted. He's amazing with Beethoven and Wagner, for instance.

With Pachelbel, however, something didn't click. I have at least three Karajan recordings of the Canon in D -as well as over 50 other versions- and none are as brief, "martial", cut-and-dry, hurry-up-and-leave like Karajan's. Don't ask me why, but it would seem that conducting Pachelbel was something he didn't enjoy.

The rest of the album, however, is very enjoyable, smooth, melodious, and thoroughly enjoyable and commendable.

So, in a nutshell: if you've had it with Pachelbel's Canon in D, this is a great recording for you. If, on the other hand, you really love the Canon, skip it while playing this album or, for that matter, any of Karajan's recordings of it, where you'll also find this report, as I have collected them all: my acoustical masochism knows no boundaries.

I hope this helps you in your selection. Enjoy!

A beautiful way to spend some time.......2005-09-05

Unlike some recordings of works that demand your attention, as one reviewer pointed out this can be the backdrop for romance, (dare I say) easy listening, or playing with the kids or grandkids. It is a wonderful canvas upon which to paint your day.

von Karajan and the Berliner Philharminiker are probably the only remnants of a time that shook the world, both before, during and after. They and their progeny stayed the course. The DG recording is wonderful, kind of a collection of other tracks on other recordings.

von Karajan has always worked towards the prize of achieving the most perfect musical sound. He does not fall short here. 5 Stars. Wonderful music. Larry Scantlebury

Gentle, Slow, Reflective...and Wonderful.......2003-09-04

Karajian's Adagio is, as the title of this 1994 album culled from previous recordings of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, a CD devoted to the "adagio," a slow, gentle tempo that first became widely used in the Baroque period of music. An adagio can be either part of a greater whole (the Allegretto or 2nd Movement from Beethoven's Seventh Symphony in A major) or a complete self-contained composition (the "Valse Triste/Sad Waltz by Sibelius).

The best known pieces in this collection from Deustsche Gramophon are perhaps Pachelbel's Canon in D, which features a gentle melody that is played first by one section of the orchestra, then repeated and taken up by other sections, becoming more intricate as the piece ascends to a shimmering conclusion. The other widely known composition, Tomaso Albinoni's Adagio in G minor, sounds as if it was a Baroque piece from the late 17th Century, but it was neither composed by Albinoni nor is it a Baroque-period work. It's actually a 20th Century forgery executed by Albinoni's biographer Remo Giazotto. Nevertheless, it's a powerful and deeply moving piece, marked by the somber interplay of organ and strings. (This piece was used, with great effect, in the latter section of Australian director Peter Weir's 1980 film Gallipoli.)

Karajan's Adagio spans several centuries and musical eras, from the aforementioned Baroque to the post-Romantic 20th Century. In addition to Albinoni/Giazotto, Pachelbel, Sibelius, and Beethoven, listeners will find compositions by Mozart, Massenet, Vivaldi. Brahms, Grieg, Mahler, and J.S. Bach. With such a diverse group of composers, even though the pieces are leisurely and gentle, they also express a wide range of musical moods, ranging from the pathos of Grieg's Anse's Death to the pastoral tranquility of Mozart's 4th Movement from his Divertimento in B-flat major.

If you wish the moderate baroque music,.......2002-07-23

Disappointed is the Canon of Pachelbel. The score is partly omitted and the temp is too rhythmical like a march. On the other hand the Adagio of Albinoni is orchestrated beautifully except the pipe organ which sounds after-recording. The Air is normal.
If you wish the baroque music above, compare others.

* * * * *.......2001-09-23

This CD is a wonderful compilation of amazing and beautiful pieces and movements. The Massenet is gorgeous, Grieg is breathtaking, and Mahler... well all I can say is WOW ::sigh:: The Beethoven was performed a bit fast for my personal tastes but still a beautiful performance. This is definitely a disc no one should be without.

Average customer rating:

Orchestral Trumpet Player's Bible:
Essential Recording for Any Trumpet Player
Most Excellent
Awesome!
Excellent for aspiring trumpet players, otherwise...

Orchestral Excerpts For Trumpet

Manufacturer: Summit(Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | 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

Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Philip Smith, Prinicpal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic
David Hickman, Trumpet
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Orchestral Excerpts For Horn
Famous Classical Trumpet Concertos

ASIN: B0000038JG
Release Date: 1995-02-07

Tracks:

Trumpet concerto: Brandenburg Concerto No.2 - Trumpet Concerto
Petrouchka
Pictures at an Exhibition
Leonore Nos. 3&2
Ein Heldenleben
Symphony No.5
Scheherazade
Don Juan
Fetes
Piano Concerto In G
Piano Cto. No. 1
Pines Of Rome
Concerto For Orchestra
Carmen Prelude
Firebird Suite
Parsifal Prelude
La Mer
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 3 (Post Horn)
Capriccio Espagnol
American In Paris
Magnificat

Customer Reviews:

Orchestral Trumpet Player's Bible:.......2003-05-08

I carry this recording around with me in my case, and listen to it before auditions, concerts, rehearsals, etc. It's simply how the excerpts (along with trumpet playing in general) should sound. Smith's virtuostic playing, coupled with his vast orchestral experience, really teach the parts. All trumpet players, top to bottom, have something to learn from this CD--and while the entire work (with orchestra) and part should be studied (Smith actually recommends this), it is still very useful to hear one of the finest players on earth performing just the trumpet part.

Essential Recording for Any Trumpet Player.......2001-05-24

If any principal orchestral trumpet player has succeeded Adolph Herseth as the "state of the art," the probable consensus among his peers would be Philip Smith of the New York Philharmonic. His virtually flawless technique, gourgeous sound, rarified musicianship and exceptional leadership make him virtually unique in his field, and his more than 20 years with the Philharmonic (plus his early years with the Chicago Symphony) have firmly established him as one of the greats in the history of orchestral brass performance.

Measured simply as a documentation of his skills, this recording would be an extraordinary document - the playing throughout is stupendous. But this is much more than that; Mr. Smith proves to be as articulate (mild "New Yoahk" accent and all) as he is talented, and his performance suggestions are truly helpful, even for those of us without his superhuman abilities. The recorded sound is superb, and overall this is a joy to listen to at every level. I recommend it without reservation for any trumpet player aspiring to a higher level of musicianship and performance - and if you play it at full volume shortly after your warmup, your neighbors will be very impressed.

Most Excellent.......1999-12-13

As a trumpet player, I must say that Phil Smith's comments during each track are immensely beneficial. His thoughts have produced profound understanding in my trumpet playing, and despite the fact that this CD is intended as a grouping of Phil Smith's insights into common Orchestral Excerpts and his following demonstration, I have countless times listened out of pure enjoyment than to gain expert insight. His tone is the most beautiful I have ever heard, and it shows on this CD. I recommend this particularly for any aspiring trumpet student.

Awesome!.......1999-10-25

The previous reviewer of this CD missed the point of the CD. Lets say your working on the Carmern Prelude or Stravinsky Pétrouchka you buy this CD, and learn how Philip Smith (one of the greatest symphonic trumpet players in the world) would interpret and play it. Thats why its entitled Orchestra Trumpet Excerpts.

Excellent for aspiring trumpet players, otherwise..........1999-05-31

This CD would be excellent for aspiring orchestral trumpeters and soloists; although Philip Smith conveys his expertise exceptionally well, this short snips of music on this CD are no substitute for the actual full-orchestra recordings.

Karajan Forever: The Greatest Classical Hits

Average customer rating:

Classical music CD for everyone
... in a nutshell
Karajan Forever: The "Eternal" Classical Music Album
Meditation!

Karajan Forever: The Greatest Classical Hits

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Karajan: Adagio
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ASIN: B00008CLNO
Release Date: 2003-06-10

Tracks:

Spring - Michel Schwalbe
Adagio In G Minor For Strings And Organ - Leon Spierer
Valese
Menuetto
Morning Mood
Valse Triste
Symphony No. 40 In G Minor, K. 550 (Molto Allegro)
Symphony No. 9 'From The New World' In E Minor
Intermezzo
'Carmen' Suite, Prelude I (Allegro Giocoso)
Bolero (Conclusion)
'The Sleeping Beauty', Valse
'La Traviata', Prelude To Act III
Symphony No. 3 'Organ', In C Minor (Finale) - Pierre Cochereau

Tracks:

'Also Sprach Zarathustra' (Introduction)
'Cavalleria Rusticana', Intermezzo Sinfonico - Wolfgang Meyer
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Allegro)
Swan Lake, Suite Op. 20, Scene 1 (Swan Theme) - Michel Schwalbe
An Der Schonen, Blauen Donau
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 In G Major (1rst Movement)
Meditation - Michel Schwalbe
Badinerie From Suite No. 2 In B Minor - Karlheinz Zoeller
Barcarolle From 'La Gaiete Parisienne'
Piano Concerto No. 1 In B Flat Minor (Ex. 1rst Movement) - Lazar Berman
Adagietto From Symphony No. 5
Symphonie Classique (Finale. Molto Vivace)
Dance Of Teh Blessed Spirits From 'Orpheus And Eurydice - Karlheinz Zoeller
Danse De La Fee Dragee
Valse Des Fleurs

Customer Reviews:

Classical music CD for everyone.......2007-01-09

A great selection. I bought one for my husband, and later the other one for my parents.
Quality, and a superb selection of masterpieces.
A must have for classical music lovers, and for everyone who wants to get introduced to classical music.

... in a nutshell.......2006-09-08

Probably the best one-volume compilation of Karajan available, with the most broad-based approachable track list currently being offered to the general enthusiast/collector. Back in the vinyl days, there were two-disc sets available like the "Karajan Super Concert" or the three-volume "Karajan Conducts" set on Angel. Some of these have been re-arranged and re-released with new or different cover art on CD too, but here is a newly remastered set just as good or better than any of those.

It also contains probably the best short essay on what Herbert von Karajan was all about by Axel Bruggemann, that I have ever read. A CD or two of the "Adagio" set by this conductor (also on DG) may be a nice supplement too, otherwise you can't really go wrong with this two-disc set at a fairly affordable price.

Karajan Forever: The "Eternal" Classical Music Album.......2005-09-26

Another fine recording of classical music, as conducted by the man considered to be the greatest conductor of the 20th century- Herbert Von Karajan, whose position as conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic made that particular orchestra unbeatable and at number one in the list of world's greatest orchestras. Karajan was involved with the Berlin Philharmonic's musical development for years, until his death in 89, before the Berlin Wall fell, an event he did not live to see. This recording has to the best of Karajan's many collected classical pieces on record. It is a perfect introduction to classical music itself and to Karajan's style. A plethora of composer and time periods- from Baroque, to Classical to Romantic- are all on here. Vivaldi's Spring opens the CD, and is followed by the melancholy and fatalistic sounding Baroque classic Albinoni Adagio in G. This is followed by Mozart's 40th symhony. The first Romantic Era symphony on here is Dvorak's famous New World Symphony, which Karajan conducts with supreme mastership. The Intermezzo from the verisimo opera Cavalleria Rusticana is on here and sounds absolutely breathtaking. The suite of Bizet's Carmen is musically intoxicating and the Bolero has never sounded hotter, except for maybe Zubin Mehta conducting it which I've heard live and know is absolutely wonderful. The famous Waltz from Tchaikovsky's ballet masterpiece Sleeping Beauty is on here as well as the Third Act Prelude to Verdi's Traviata. The final track on CD 1 is Saint Saens Organ Symphony Finale.

The second disc opens with a masterful version of the powerfully evocative Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss, another Austrian composer Karajan championed. The Swan Theme from Swan Lake is on here, as well as the Viennese Waltz favorite On the Beautiful Blue Danube- something I didn't know Karajan even conducted. But being Austrian, I'm not surprised. Karajan even conducted Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus as well as other waltzes. Back to Baroque, he continues with the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 by Bach and the gorgeous and somewhat gloomy Dance of the Blessed Spirits from Orpheus and Eurydice by Gluck. The CD ends with the elegant and beautiful Waltz of the Flowers from Tchaikovsky's Nutracker. This is a must have for fans of classical music, as a lot of favorites are on here.

Meditation!.......2003-07-20

A veritable who's who of pieces & composers, the CDs Karajan Forever will hopefully live forever.
Herbert VonKarajan was the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic from 1955 until his demise in 1989. His vision & helmsmanship of this magnificent orchestra have literally changed the way a whole generation heard music.

In this 2 CD collection, DG has kind of done a Greatest Hits. Everything from the Four Seasons by Vivaldi to Opera Overtures, Ballet Themes and Piano Concertos. There is truly something for everyone on this CD, but being an opera fan, 2 of my favorites are on disc 2. The Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana and the Meditation from Thais. This music simply transports the listener to another place and time. The Philharmonic is so in sync- so one that it is hard to believe how huge they really are. I can wholeheartedly recommend this CD without reservation. And it's a steal at $... for 2 new CDs. For more information on this CD & others in a line paying tribute to Maestro VonKarajan, go to his website: karajan.org
Enjoy!

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