Instrument of the Devil

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The title and garish cover photo give little indication of how excellent this disc is. Rachel Barton's powerful musical personality lifts virtuoso showpieces (Bazzini, Paganini, Sarasate) almost into the realm of high art. She plays Ernst's virtuoso arrangement (for solo violin!) of Schubert's Der Erlkönig with drama intense as any singer's. Her version of Tartini's Devil's Trill isn't quite as crazy as Andrew Manze's, but it's similarly wild and heavily embellished. Among fascinating novelties are Milstein's solo violin version of Liszt's Mephisto Waltz and the performers' own arrangement of the "Witches' Sabbeth" from Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. This is a unique and wonderful disc, not to be missed by any lover of the violin. Sinozich and the other collaborators all play as well as Barton. --Leslie Gerber

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:

Pachelbel: Canon
Vivaldi: Winter: Largo
Albinoni: Adagio
Gluck: Dance of the blessed spirits (Orfeo)
Vivaldi: Guitar Concerto in D: Largo
Bach: Concerto for 2 violins in D minor
Marcello: Oboe Concerto in D minor
Vivaldi: Nisi Dominus: Cum dederit delectis
Handel: Concerto grosso in A minor: Larghetto affteuoso
Handel: Organ Concerto "The cuckoo and the nightingale": Larghetto
Bach: Sleepers awake (excerpt)
Tartini: "The Devil's Trill" Sonata: Larghetto affetuoso
Bach: Obo Concerto in F: Siciliano
vivaldi: Concerto for 2 oboesin D minor: Largo
Corelli: Concerto grosso in D: Largo
Bach: Keyboard Concerto in A: Larghetto
Bach: Goldberg Variations: Aria
Handel: Ombra mai fu (Largo) (Xerxes)
Vivaldi: Nulli in mundo pax sincera (excerpt)

Tracks:

Bach: Air on a G string: Orchestral Suite No. 3
Handel: Lascia ch'io pianga
Vivaldi: Spring: Largo
Bach: Keyboard Concerto in D: Adagio
Albinoni: Oboe Concerto in D minor: Adagio
Bach: Cello Sonata in G minor: Adagio
Handel: Concerto in B flat for Harp & 2 flutes: Larghetto
Bach: Violin Concerto in A minor: Andante
Bach: Brandenburh Concerto No. 5: Affetuoso
Pergolesi: Stabat Mater: Stabat Mater
Bach: Arioso: Cantata, BWV 156
Vivaldi: Concerto in G for 2 Mandolins: Andante
Bach: Concerto for Oboe & Violin: Adagio
Vivaldi: Autumn: Adagio molto
Telemann: Oboe Concerto in D minor: Adagio
Scarlatti/Avison: Concerto grosso in D: Largo
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in A minor: Largo
Croft: Ground
Purcell: Dido's Lament (Dido and Aeneas)

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding Collection With Exquisite Vocals.......2005-09-18

I could not agree more with the review written by Frank T. Manheim. All I would add to his comments are that the recording quality is excellent, and that there are, amongst all of the wonderful selections on this CD, two vocal selections that I found deeply moving. On the first CD, there is a powerful, yet at the same time delicate performance of Vivaldi's In Nisi Dominus, by Andreas Scholl. I had never heard this selection of Vivaldi before buying this CD and don't have other performances to compare it to, but Scholl's performance was so moving, as was the accompaniment of the musical instruments on this track, that I listened to it several times in a row. I did the same with Janet Baker's performance of Dido's Lament, by Henry Purcell, on the second CD of this 2 CD set, listening to her haunting passionate voice over and over again. As with Vivaldi's In Nisi Dominus, I had never heard this composition, nor in fact any composition by Henry Purcell before buying this CD. The emotional depth and intensity that Janet Baker brings to her performance is very deeply moving. This is, fittingly, the last track on CD 2, ending this collection on a musical and emotional level, or rather, summit, that will leave you with eyes closed, thinking of the stars. As a result of having heard Janet Baker's performance on this compilation, I bought the full recording of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. In fact, I bought several CDs of music by Henry Purcell after hearing Dido's Lament.

As Frank Manheim writes in his review, this CD can either be put on as background music, or it can be listened to intently, savoring every note. Although the title of this CD set has the work "Adagios" in it, this is no mere easy listening experience. There is plenty of musical passion on both CDs. This is a wonderful 2 CD set. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in classical, and especially, Baroque music.

Why is this beautiful set so low in Amazon sales? .......2005-09-15

While classical music is achieving a resurgence in the UK and Finland, in the U.S. the meager proportion of classical music among record store and department offerings still reflects classical's waning status. What we do find even in drugstores and supermarkets is inexpensive "mood" collections like "Romance", "Spring", "Melancholy", etc. I have no problem with this - some of the unnamed orchestras or soloists aren't bad although recording quality may disappoint.

"Baroque Adagios" is a big cut higher for both enjoyable listening, as well as background music for social occasions. The Baroque period simply overflows with memorable slow movement gems - both well-known, and rarely heard. The famous Italian tenor, Beniamino Gigli, confessed that many of his most favorite pieces came from the Italian baroque and earlier. Music of the earlier times combines emotional and melodic appeal with a restraint and depth that makes it wear well on many hearings. The only risk for background music is that the gorgeous melodies and resonant sonorities will draw people away from what they might otherwise do.

The choice of repertory is rich and varied, but this collection is particularly noteworthy for its long list of famous soloists and conductors. Besides Janos Starker, these include Heinz Holliger, Andras Schiff, Henryk Szeryng (in the Bach Double Concerto in D minor), Thurston Dart, Enrique Fernandez, Christopher Hogwood, Karl Munchinger, Neville Marriner, and many others.

I can think of few ways to better dissolve stress than to put this recording on a player and relax into a comfortable easy chair - or or put it into a car CD player on a longer trip. It makes a thoughtful present for both knowledgeable classic buffs and newcomers to classical music.

Average customer rating:

Instrument of the Devil

Manufacturer: Cedille
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000026AOM
Release Date: 1998-01-01

Tracks:

Danse Macabre (Op. 40)
Sonata in G minor, 'The Devil's Trill': I. Larghetto Affectuoso
Sonata in G minor, 'The Devil's Trill': II. Tempo guisto della Scuola Tartinista
Sonata in G minor, 'The Devil's Trill': III. Sogni dellautore: Andante
Mephisto Waltz
Round of the Goblins (Op. 25)
Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: Dream of a Witches' Sabbath (Op. 14)
El Amor Brujo: Dance of Terror
Grand Caprice on Schubert's Der Erlkonig, Op. 26
The Witches, Op. 8
L'Histoire du Soldat: The Devil's Dance (trio version)
Faust Fantasy

Average customer rating:

Bravo!
Milstein Had it All
Perfect
Scintillating Tone, Enthralling Musicallity
The Violinist's Violinist

The Art of Nathan Milstein

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
Michael Rabin, 1936-1972
Mozart Violin Concerto / Brahms Violin Concerto etc. / Nathan Milstein (EMI Classic Archive 13)
Bach: Sonatas for Unaccompanied Violin
Milstein (4CD Set)

ASIN: B000002S53
Release Date: 1993-07-20

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op. 82: Moderato - Tranqillo
Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op. 82: Andante - Tempo I - Cadenza
Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op. 82: Animando - Allegro - Piu animando
Violin Concerto No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 63: I. Allegro moderato
Violin Concerto No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 63: II. Andante assai
Violin Concerto No. 2 In G Minor, Op. 63: III. Allegro, ben marcato
Violin Concerto No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 61: I. Allegro non troppo
Violin Concerto No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 61: II. Andantino quasi allegretto
Violin Concerto No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 61: III. Molto moderato e maestoso - Allegro non troppo

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In D, Op. 35: I. Allegro moderato
Violin Concerto In D, Op. 35: II. Canzonetta (Andante)
Violin Concerto In D, Op. 35: III. Finale (Allegro vivacissimo)
Violin ConcertoIn D, Op. 77: I. Allegro non troppo
Violin Concerto In D, OP. 77: II. Adagio
Violin Concerto In D, OP. 77: III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In D, Op. 61: I. Allegro ma non troppo
Violin Concerto In D, Op. 61: II. Larghetto
Violin Concerto In D, Op. 61: III. Rondo: Allegro
Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op. 53: I. Allegro ma non troppo
Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op. 53: II. Adagio ma non troppo
Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op. 53: III. Finale: Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo

Tracks:

Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins, Cello, And Strings Op. 3 - No. 11: I. Allegro - Adagio - Allegro
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins, Cello, And Strings Op. 3 - No. 11: II. Largo
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins, Cello, And Strings Op. 3 - No. 11: Allegro
Violin Sonata No. 2 In A, Op 2 - No. 2 (ed. David): I. Preludio a capriccio (Presto - Adagio - Presto)
Violin Sonata No. 2 In A, Op 2 - No. 2 (ed. David): II. Corrente (Allegro)
Violin Sonata No. 2 In A, Op 2 - No. 2 (ed. David): III. Adagio
Violin Sonata No. 2 In A, Op 2 - No. 2 (ed. David): IV. Giga (Allegro)
Violin Sonata No. 4 In D, Op. 1: I. Adagio
Violin Sonata No. 4 In D, Op. 1: II. Allegro
Violin Sonata No. 4 In D, Op. 1: III. Larghetto
Violin Sonata No. 4 In D, Op. 1: IV. Allegro
Larghetto (arr. Hubay)
Chaconne In G Minor (attrib. Vitali)
'La Follia', Op. 5 - No. 12 (arr. Leonard)
Violin Sonata In G Minor: I. Larghetto
Violin Sonata In G Minor: II. Allegro energico
Violin Sonata In G Minor: III. Grave - Allegro assai; Cadenza - Adagio
Air From Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D, BWV 1068 (arr. Wihelmj)

Tracks:

Violin Sonata In C, K. 296: I. Allegro vivace
Violin Sonata In C, K. 296: II. Andante sostenuto
Violin Sonata In C, K. 296: III. Rondeau; Allegro
Violin Sonata In E Minor, K. 304: I. Allegro
Violin Sonata In E Minor, K. 304: II. Tempo di Menuetto
Violin Sonata No. 5 In F, Op. 24 'Spring': I. Allegro
Violin Sonata No. 5 In F, Op. 24 'Spring': II. Adagio molto espressivo
Violin Sonata No. 5 In F, Op. 24 'Spring': III. Scherzo. Allegro molto
Violin Sonata No. 5 In F, Op. 24 'Spring': IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo
Violin Sonata No. 2 In D, Op. 94a: I. Moderato
Violin Sonata No. 2 In D, Op. 94a: II. Scherzo - Presto
Violin Sonata No. 2 In D, Op. 94a: III. Andante
Violin Sonata No. 2 In D, Op. 94a: IV. Allegro con brio

Tracks:

Vocalise, Op. 34 - No. 14
Gopak From Sorochintsky Fair
Meditation, Op. 32
Waltz - Scherzo, Op. 34
Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42: Meditation
Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42: Scherzo
Fantasia On Russian Themes, Op. 33
Flight Of The Bumblebee From The Tale Of The Tsar Sultan
Hungarian Dance No. 2
Meditation From Thais
Dance Of The Blessed Spirits From Orfeo Ed Euridice
Nocturne No. 20 In C Minor
Jota From Siete canciones populares espanolas
Scherzo - Tarantelle, Op. 16
Minstrels From Preludes, Livre I
Introduction and Tarantelle, Op. 43
Praeludium and Allegro In the Style Of Pugnani

Customer Reviews:

Bravo!.......2006-12-19

This is an excellent compilation that shows Milstein at his polished, elegant best. The performance here of the Brahms concerto stands out in particular, as does the disc of Baroque selections. My only complaint is I wish they had included some Bach instead of the disc of bonbons.

Milstein Had it All.......2005-03-28

Nathan Milstein, besides being a great violinist, was a great musician. He had the technique, the intonation, the phrasing, the tone and the high musical ideal which he was able to transfer from the mind to the hand. I've heard most of these tracks in the past. I recently heard the Beethoven concerto, included here, and I must say that it is one of the most beautiful performances of this work, the only others rivaling it
being Kreisler's 1936 recording with all the hisses and pops and
Francescatti's (which I think is taken a trifle too fast, even though in execution, perfect). This set is a treasure that must
be had even though I think the price is rather dear. You will love Nathan Milstein.

Perfect.......2004-11-05

To me, Milstein was the greatest violinist of the twentieth century. He was a great technical player and was an eqauly good muscian. I love his playing! He plays most of the great violin concertos and plays them beuatifully. His recordings of the Brahms, the Tchaikovsky, the Beethoven, Saint-Saens 3, an Introduction and Tarantelle are my favorites. This CD is pricey, but at least put it on your Christmas list. I don't actually own I've just listened to it and it's great so buy it if you can afford it.

Scintillating Tone, Enthralling Musicallity.......2000-07-03

This volume set clearly highlights the musical giant that is Milstein. Piquantly and thoughfully phrased with such a clear sense of motion... a must have for any musician!

The Violinist's Violinist.......2000-04-20

Milstein was a contemporary of Jascha Heifetz, and, like Heifetz, was Russian-born, taught by Leopold Auer and emigrated to the USA. Though he had a phenomenal technique and a pure, lyrical, elegant musical style, he spent his career in the shadow of Heifetz's technical perfection. These recordings show him at his best. The remasterings are sonically excellent, and the quality of the sound holds its own against current standards (this is modern, not vintage, sound, despite the fact that some of the recordings are mono).

Milstein's Dvorak and Glazunov concerto recordings , both part of this set, continue to be peerless. The Beethoven concerto has a gorgeous elegance, and the Brahms and the Tchaikovsky concertos are robust; this is perhaps the best of the multiple recordings of the Tchaikovsky that Milstein made during his career. The encores are also superb.

Tracks:

The Devil's Quickstep
The Rainbow Snake
Sonata For Clarinet And Percussion
Quintet
The Last Quintet: I. (1:59)
The Last Quintet: II. (2:04)
The Last Quintet: III. (1:03)
The Last Quintet: IV., (2:17)
The Last Quintet: V. (2:05)
The Last Quintet: VI. (2:03)
Sonata For Harpischord And String Quartet: I Allegro moderato
Sonata For Harpsichord And String Quartet: II Adagio
Sonata For Harpsichord And String Quartet: III Allegro

Average customer rating:

An artist worthy to play the "Cannon"
Prodigy sets new standards for virtuoso compositions:
an energetic CD showcasing Ms Bartons skills and speed

Instrument of the Devil
Rachel Barton , Sinozich , Tartini , Liszt , Paganini , Rachel Barton , and Patrick Sinozich
Manufacturer: Cedille
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Devil's Dance
Solo Baroque
Scottish Fantasies for Violin and Orchestra with Rachel Pine (2 CDs)
Tartini: The Devil's Sonata / Andrew Manze
Brahms & Joachim Violin Concertos

ASIN: B00000DGNA
Release Date: 1998-12-02

Tracks:

Danse Macabre (Op. 40)
Sonata in G minor, 'The Devil's Trill': I. Larghetto Affectuoso
Sonata in G minor, 'The Devil's Trill': II. Tempo guisto della Scuola Tartinista
Sonata in G minor, 'The Devil's Trill': III. Sogni dellautore: Andante
Mephisto Waltz
Round of the Goblins (Op. 25)
Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14: Dream of a Witches' Sabbath (Op. 14)
El Amor Brujo: Dance of Terror
Grand Caprice on Schubert's Der Erlkonig, Op. 26
The Witches, Op. 8
L'Histoire du Soldat: The Devil's Dance (trio version)
Faust Fantasy

Amazon.com

The title and garish cover photo give little indication of how excellent this disc is. Rachel Barton's powerful musical personality lifts virtuoso showpieces (Bazzini, Paganini, Sarasate) almost into the realm of high art. She plays Ernst's virtuoso arrangement (for solo violin!) of Schubert's Der Erlkönig with drama intense as any singer's. Her version of Tartini's Devil's Trill isn't quite as crazy as Andrew Manze's, but it's similarly wild and heavily embellished. Among fascinating novelties are Milstein's solo violin version of Liszt's Mephisto Waltz and the performers' own arrangement of the "Witches' Sabbeth" from Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. This is a unique and wonderful disc, not to be missed by any lover of the violin. Sinozich and the other collaborators all play as well as Barton. --Leslie Gerber

Album Description

On Instrument of the Devil, gifted young violinist Rachel Barton displays her technical prowess and the instrument's emotional range in an unusual, virtuosic program that. The CD opens with a dramatic prelude: the violin-made sound of bells tolling midnight in Saint-Saens' arrangement of his symphonic poem Danse Macabre, Op. 40. With a penchant for historically informed performances, Mss Barton performs Tartini's Sonata in G minor ("The Devil's Trill") from a 1798 first edition, rather than Kreisler's familiar, romanticized version. Liszt's Mephisto Waltz is a piano piece that depicts the Devil playing a frenzied dance on the violin. In a turnabout, Miss Barton performs Nathan Milstein's monstrously challenging arrangement for solo violin. Bazzini's Round of the Goblins is one of Miss Barton's standard encores. Even without the theatrics of live performance, this addictive musical confection is a crowd-pleaser. Miss Barton co-wrote and performs, with pianist Sinozich, and original transcription of Berlioz's Dream of a Witches' Sabbath from Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14 -- a familiar theme in an unusual guise. Polish violinist Pawel Kochanski, a contemporary of Manuel de Falla, transcribed several of the Spanish composer's works. Miss Barton performs his version of the Dance of Terror from El amor brujo (Love, The Magician), depicting the ill-timed appearance of a lover's angry ghost. Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst's Grand Caprice on Schubert's Der ErlkÃ¶nig, Op. 26, is considered one of the most difficult works ever written for solo violin. The violin assumes three vocal roles and the piano's ubiquitous galloping-horse leitmotiv. No disc exploring the associations between the Devil and the violin would be complete without a work by the great nineteenth-century virtuoso Niccolo Paganini. Miss Barton has chosen to include Paganini's The Witches, Op. 8.

Stravinsky's The Devil's Dance comes from the trio version of his L'Histoire du soldat. Of the many instrumental fantasies based on Gounod's Faust opera, Wieniawski's is the most familiar for violin -- and the most physically challenging. But Miss Barton and producer James Ginsburg felt Pablo Sarasate's version was musically superior and more in the diabolical spirit of Gounod's original. Miss Barton earned a reputation as a stellar Sarasate interpreter with her acclaimed CD, Homage to Sarasate.

Customer Reviews:

An artist worthy to play the "Cannon".......2004-05-06

A few times a year a committee of artists, politicians, and the like (the Paganini committee), allows the revered violin which once belonged to Nicolo Paganini to be played. Exacting standards by the committee must be met for a performer to play Paganini's "Cannon." In my opinion, Rachel Barton truly deserves a "shot" at the "Cannon" (pardon the humor.) I bought this CD after reading about the Ernst transcription of Schubert's "Erlko"nig," checked out the reviews of a host of violinists who performed it--and was totally shocked when I heard Barton's performance of the piece. She actually gets the "four voices" of the narrator, child, father, and Erlko"nig on a solo violin!! One listen and I could not believe that this was a solo violinist!! All of the compositions are just as memorable, and the two other artists who appear on the album are also excellent!!
Paganini wrote compositions which were pronounced "unplayable" by virtuosi of his era--in Paganini's flamboyance, he would not only perform them, but often carry a razor and, after the double/triple stops, would cut the strings, sometimes finishing an "unplayable" composition on one string.
I hope that if/when Rachel Barton plays the "Cannon," she leaves the razor at home!!
THIS IS A "MUST HAVE" RECORDING!!

Prodigy sets new standards for virtuoso compositions:.......1999-08-25

Rachael Barton is a very unique artist, overcoming her disastrous subway incident in which she lost a leg and an ankle to win and earn high honors in many prestigious competitions. Her unparelleled virtuosity shines in the Paganini, and, though the Bazzini has rhythm problems in the melody, the overall depth and scope of her playing is astounding. This is a violinist not to be reckoned with.

an energetic CD showcasing Ms Bartons skills and speed.......1999-05-25

While a couple of the pieces seem to lack depth,in general "Instrument of the Devil" is a wonderful CD, highlighting Rachels talents,as well as showcasing some pieces which are not that readily heard on radio or concert!

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