Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1; The Nutcracker (Excerpts)

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
You gotta have at least one recording of this most Russian of piano concertos played by a Russian pianist, right? The fact is, most of the greatest ones have not been by Russians, perhaps reflecting the history of the concerto itself, which was rejected by Anton Rubinstein, its Russian dedicatee, and premiered by the German conductor/pianist Hans von Bulow--in Boston of all places. Gilels is the exception that proves the rule, however, for here is a super interpretation by one of Russia's best pianists. Having Fritz Reiner and Chicago on hand to handle the accompaniment virtually guarantees the best possible results from all concerned, but let's give Gilels his due. It's a great recording. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Eine Klein Nachtmusik: (I. Allegro)
Nutcracker Suite: (Russian Dance)
The Four Seasons, Op. 8: (Spring: I. Allegro)
Hungarian Dance No. 5 In G Minor
Symphony in D, K. 161 - 163: (III. Presto)
Waltz In D-Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 1
Tritsch-Tratsch Polka, Op. 214
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 In G, S. 1048: (III. Allegro)
Swan Lake: (Dance Of The Swans)
Carmen Suite No. 2: (Habanera)
Messiah: (Overture)
Wind Serenade 'The Marriage Of Figaro': Overture
Violin Concerto No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 12: (III. Allegro)
Water Music: (Overture)
Sleeping Beauty Ballet Suite, Op. 66: (Panorama)
Symphony No. 26 In E-flat Major, K. 184: (III. Allegro)
Waltz No. 10 In B Minor, Op. 69 No. 2
Violin Concerto No. 1 In A Minor, S. 1041: (III. Allegro)
Water Music: (Lentement)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 In G Major, S. 1049: (II. Andante)
Habanera
Horn Concerto No. 3 In E-Flat Major, K. 447: (II. Romanza)
Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini, Op. 43: (Variation No. 18)
Thunder And Lightning Polka, Op. 324
Stars And Stripes Forever

Customer Reviews:

classic music CD.......2007-06-27

The CD was well represented by the clips on the Amazon website and came in time for our event. We did have a problem with the charge but that was taken care of promptly. Great service.

Good for beginners.......2007-02-15

It is an excellent collection of classical music. I would recommend this CD if you have a friend who don't like classical music, since it has the most beautiful overtures and portions of famous artists. If you are a Classic Music Savvy you probably will not be impressed by it, unless you want to play the CD as background music in a friends gathering.

Great mix.......2007-02-14

All the best composers! Over an hour of music. A samble of the greatest pieces.

Good for first-timer.......2007-01-22

This is the first time I have ever bought a classical music CD and I was very pleased with this one. It has a good variety of selections. I would buy it again.

25 Classical Favorites cd.......2007-01-06

This CD has so many of my favorite, lively classical music -- love it!!

Average customer rating:

hmmmm
Good Introduction but poor quality
Tchaikovsky's Greatest Pieces of Music
great music poorely performed.
Great!

25 Tchaikovsky Favorites

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

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ASIN: B0000058HZ
Release Date: 1996-08-20

Tracks:

Overture
Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
Dance Of The Flutes
Scene
Waltz
Dance of the Swans
Scene 2
Hungarian Dance
III. Scherzo
I. Adagio; Allegro Non Troppo
II. Allegro Con Grazia
III. Allegro Molto Vivace
II. Andante Cantabile
Capriccio Italien In A Major, Op. 45
Marche Slave In B Flat, Op. 31
June - Michael Ponti
II. Andantino Simplice - Felicja Blumental
Coronation March
Eugen Onegin: Waltz
Romeo & Juliet: Fantasy-Overture
Serenade For Strings: II. Waltz
Sleeping Beauty: Tempo Di Valse
String Quartet In D Major, Op. 11: Andante Cantabile
Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 35: III. Allegro Vivacissimo - Aaron Rosand
1812 Overture, Op. 49: Excerpt

Customer Reviews:

hmmmm.......2005-09-14

definitely not the best rendition of the popular suite.on the other hand,try finding another one.
stuff is edited,bludgeoned,rather.
tempos verge on comical.
rather disapointing,I really needed a nice version of the sugar plum faerie dance.
will probably stick to Wendy Carlos's,cheesy,runningly cheesy,blue cheese smelly,even,as it might be,still holds the original pace and campy pomp.

...not nuch of a cheese shop is it?
-it's fairly clean.
certainly not contaminated by Cleese!

Good Introduction but poor quality.......2005-09-12

This is a good introduction to Tchaikovsky for the beginner that gives a broad sampling of his work. Considering the price, it's a good value if someone is just wanting to begin exploring classical music or Tchaikovsky in particular.
However, the sound quality on this albumn is quite poor and there are much higher quality Tchaikovsky recordings available.

Tchaikovsky's Greatest Pieces of Music.......2000-09-04

Here are some of Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky's greatest works. His Nutcraker, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty ballets are the most famous in the repoirtaire. The Symphony No. 5 and 6 are very excellent symphonic orchestrations. However, despite all the good stuff in here from the Russian master, the performers and conductors cannot surpass the beauty and artistry that such Tchaikovsky music masters as Dorati, Markevitch and Ormandy are. So if you want quality Tchaikovsky, get those conductor renditions. However, for a Tchaikovsky beginner, these pieces will get you hooked. This is a good cd to begin with for a Tchaikovsky listener. I am a Tchaikovsky listener ever since a friend recommended his glorious works to me. I am a Mozart fan but Tchaikovsky is undoubtedly the greatest Romantic composer of all time. He combines Russian melodies (Russian dances, mazurkas, waltzes) and gives them a definite Western romantic feel. He was friends with such noted Romantic composers as Camille Saint Saens, known to create such marvelous music of the era- Carnival of the Animals (now popular through Dysney) and Danse Macabre, to name only a small portion. Tchaikovsky also adored Mozart and although he is not exactly a Classical composer, he greatly admires the beauty of Mozart's works. Three cheers for Tchaikovsky !

great music poorely performed........1999-09-18

T. is my favourite composer but the interpretation on this CD is rather like a good effort in high shool

Great!.......1999-04-18

I think that Peter Tchaikovsky is one of the greatest composers ever. His Nutcracker suite and Capriccio Italien are wonderful pieces of music, as well as the rest of his pieces! This CD is definetly worth owning if you like classical music.

Average customer rating:

Not A Music Critic ... But A Lover Of All Music ...
Misleading title scheme
Don't Bother...Really!
Could have been better
Some great tracks, but flawed nonetheless

25 Romantic Classics

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

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000058HR
Release Date: 1996-01-30

Tracks:

Suite No. 3 In D Major: Air On The G String - Frank Shipway
Fur Elise - Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 23 In A Major, K. 488: II. Adagio - Arie Vardi
The Four Seasons, Op. 8: Summer: I. Allegro - Alberto Lizzio
Nutcracker Suite: Dance Of The Flutes - Jonel Perlea
Ombra mai fu: Handel's Largo - Philip Gibson
Waltz In A-Flat Major, Op. 39 - Brahms
Prelude In A Major, Op. 28 No. 7 - Chopin
Reverie - DeBussy
Canon In D - Gunter Kehr
Spring Song - Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 9 In C Major, K. 73: III. Menuetto - Gunter Kehr
Sarabande - I Musici di Zagreb
Eine kleine Nachtmusik: III. Menuetto; Allegretto - Libor Pesek
Suite No. 2 In B Minor: Menuet - Gunter Kehr
Concerto Grosso In D Major, Op. 6 No. 4: Vivace - I Musici di Zagreb
Ave Maria - Hans Hagan And His Orchestra
Sleeping Beauty Ballet Suite: Waltz - Lawrence Siegel
Concerto In D Minor For 2 Oboes & Strings, Op. 42 No. 2: I. Largo - Piero Santi
Trumpet Concerto In D Major - Gunter Kehr
Lullaby - Hans Hagan And His Orchestra
Nutcracker Suite: Chinese Dance - Don Jackson
Symphony No. 5 In D Minor, Op. 107: Andante - David Zinman
Oboe Concerto In D Minor: II. Andante e spicatto - Paul Angerer
Gianni Schicci: O mio babbino caro - Nikea Baroza

Customer Reviews:

Not A Music Critic ... But A Lover Of All Music ..........2006-08-29

Let's not be too harsh regarding this CD. I purchased this as my first baby step into the classical genre and it absolutely made me fall in love with classical music and appreciate it in a way I never could when people tried to make me like it. It is such a wide variety of classical music and I find romance to be joyful, tragic, gentle, harsh & a complete roller coaster that I found all in this ONE CD! It also made my boyfriend who hates, or shall I say HATED classical music NOW like it! That was an amazing feat! We now have many classical cd's and we always go back to this one for dinner parties, romantic baths and other things... I played this CD so much, that it got damaged and I just purchased another one to replace the one I bought years ago. If you are a critic, stay away from this cd, you will rob it of its beauty & innocence. If you are a beginner and want to open your mind to all that classical music has to offer, then this is the best money you can spend. BUY & ENJOY!!!

Misleading title scheme.......2006-01-01

This is what bothered me about the CD. Three of the biggest eras in classical music were: the baroque era, the classical era, and the romantic era. Now, with CD's titled baroque favorites, classical favorites and romantic classics, one would expect these CD's to be era specific. Such is not the case. If you read the back of the CD it even says "from the romantic era of music", but the there are composers like Vivaldi (baroque) and Debussy (impressionism) on this CD. About more than half are from the wrong eras. So this music is romantic in the non-musical sense of the word, which is fine, but a little bit misleading.

Don't Bother...Really!.......2005-02-21

Not what I call classical composers! THis cd is annoying in a way I really can't stand. It lacks the pure elegance of the classical days. Don't buy this cd unless you want a phony all around bad album played by cheap ameteurs.

Could have been better.......2004-02-19

I think the quality is good, and better on a few tracks, but all these romantic tracks?? Not what I listened to. Actually I was kind of disappointed; I had purchased an abundance of the "Favorites" collection some were better than others.
I was kind of perturbed when some same tracks on this CD were on another CD, and visa versa.

Still, I suppose for the price, one can't go wrong.

Some great tracks, but flawed nonetheless.......2004-01-12

Whether or not this CD lives up to its promise of "Romantic" music is not truly a concern, being that the entire nature of classical music is that it is open to one's own interpretation. However, I can speak to the quality of the recordings themselves.

A few of the tracks (Reverie, Canon, Sarabande, a few others) are absolutely superb. Well recorded, and played with genius bravado, coupled with great arrangements (it was interesting to hear Reverie outside of its native instrument, the Piano). Most of the tracks, however, are absolutely horrid. Fur Elise for the sheer amateurish quality, Vivaldi's Concerto for oboe and strings sounds like it was copied from an old phonograph record, as does Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty Suite, Mendelssohn's Spring Song, and Puccini's Gianni Schicci, and a few others. A few other tracks still are played horribly, most of them already mentioned.

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 1 In D: Andante Cantabile
Swan Lake: Odette And The Prince (Act II)
Piano Concerto No. 1 In B-Flat Minor: Andantino
Swan Lake: Pas de deux (Act III)
The Sleeping Beauty: Panorama (Act II)
Violin Concerto In D: Canzonetta (Andante)
The Nutcracker Suit (Selections): Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
The Nutcracker Suit (Selections): Coffee Dance
The Nutcracker Suit (Selections): Tea Dance
The Nutcracker Suit (Selections): Dance Of The Reed-pipes
Rococco Variations: Final variation
Piano Trio In A Minor: Andante con moto
Piano Trio In A Minor: Variation I. L'istesso tempo
Piano Trio In A Minor: Variation IX. Andante flebile, ma non tanto
Piano Trio In A Minor: Variation XI. Moderato
The Sleeping Beauty: Vision Of Aurora
Serenade For Strings In C: Elegie: Larghtto elegiaco

Customer Reviews:

Tchaikovsky and Tchai.......2006-07-17

I wondered what do Tchaikovsky and Tea have in common, and then I remembered that in many countries across the world - the word for tea is "tchai". That aside, yes, this is a refreshing blend of music, perfect for tea time - relaxing and reviving at the same time, and quite a bit dreamy.

Teatime...or otherwise........2005-11-02

I've owned this for years & play it often. It IS perfect for teatime, as it makes pleasant background music which you can talk over....but is also great w/volume up in car w/it's rambunctious side and incredible instrumentation. A really nice blend of Tchaikovsky's pieces.

Tchaikovsky's Dreamier Music: A Soothing Album.......2005-07-31

"Set your Life to Classical Music" is a fine album series that feature beautiful classical music for background music of any occasion- weddings, barbecues, breakfast, beauty sleep, bathtime, reading a book, romantic dinner, massages you name it. And indeed many classical pieces are perfectly therapeutic sessions in themselves. This album features the more intimate-sounding, soulful, sweet and relaxing tunes of Tchaikovsky. He did compose heavier and more dramatically intense music- his later symphonies, his Overtures and operas. But here we hear no Russian fire or harshness. Instead we are treated to the charming Mozartian style works of the Roccoco Variations and the Piano Trios. The disc also features the Andantino from his Piano Concerto No. 1 - and that piece is almost a Chopin Nocturne, with beautiful soft rubato and dream-like qualities. Included here is also the Pas De Deux and Odette and Siegfried theme from his ballet Swan Lake, lilting and graceful as the dancers movements themselves. The dance divertissements from Nutcracker round out the ballet segments with charming allure. The melancholy String Quartet and Serenade For Strings is here as well and not to mention the beautiful, wistful excerpts from the ballet Sleeping Beauty, his greatest ballet. The Panorama and Vision of Aurora played with delicate strings and sublime technicality. This is indeed a "refreshing blend for body and spirit" and is in fact perfect to listen to while drinking tea cosnidering you drink tea. I have tried it and believe me the experience is very soothing and refreshing. Try putting this on in your miniature CD player with headphones, then go out into an outdoor, natural environment, a park or a backyard garden or patio, and drink tea or read a book and you will find this is a fine companion.

Beautiful.......2003-08-25

One of the best aspects of Tchiakovsky's music is the ocnsistency: he just DIDN'T compose any bad pieces. And with such consistency, you can compile a CD such as this.
THis CD gives you a proper taste of Tchaikovsky's style, and is a very nice sampler of some of his most famous works. This CD lacks some of his more energetically volatile works, but it thus lives up to its title. It is extremely relaxing, and soothes you as you listen to it. The works are melodic, and the orchestras and soloists are superb, especially in the Serenade and the Rococco Variations. I highly recommend this CD for anyone, even if you aren't a huge classical music fan.

Tchaikovsky's Most Enchanting Tunes.......2000-08-19

Like the title suggest, a good companion for tea time. Or any time. The music of Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky is beautiful, lyrical and full of a grace and charm that parallels to Mozart's. A great collection of music by the legendary Russian composer. He had a gift for making music in a style that did not sway away from Russian folk music but that added a Classical perfection, or better yet a Romantic mastership. Who can forget the Sleeping Beauty suite. Here is the Panorama scene.. gorgeous music. I recommend the entire ballet score. The Nutcraker and Swan Lake are also here. The Piano concerto no. 1 in B, Andante Cantibile and so much more. I garauntee any listener satisfaction.

Average customer rating:

The Story of Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Edouard van Remoortel , and Arthur Hannes
Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001KD9
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

Finale
Overture
June (Barcarolle)
Andante Cantabile
Waltz
Romeo and Juliet (Overture-Fantasy)
None But The Lonely Heart, Op. 6 No. 6
Allegro Non Troppo
Waltz
Andante cantabile
Chanson Triste, Op. 40 No. 2
'Pathetique' Allegro Con Grazia
Andante Sostenuto
Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
Finale
Marche Slave, Op. 31
Excerpts
1812 Overture, Op. 49
'Pathetique' Excerpts
Scene
Valse
Dance Of The Swans
Scene
Hungarian Dance
Panorama Andantino
Tempo Di Valse

Average customer rating:

What is all the hype about?
great cd
My girls listen to this every night
I would give it more than 5 stars....
Great CD: soothing music by best performers. Worth every penny.

Baby Sleep

Manufacturer: Erato
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005E5H
Release Date: 1997-04-22

Tracks:

Scenes Form Childhood: Foreign Lands And People
Scenes Form Childhood: Dreaming
Scenes Form Childhood: Child Falling Asleep
Dream Of Children: Andante
Dream Of Children: Allegretto Piacevole
Sicilienne
Study No. 5: Moderato
The Nutcracker Suite Op. 71a: Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy - Tchaikovsky
Notebooks Of Anna Magdalena Bach: Minuets 4 and 5
The Indian Queen: Adagio
Album Leaves: Lullaby
Album Leaves: Cradlesong
Prelude In C Major - Bach
The Carnival Of Animals: The Swan
Gymnopedie I
Gymnopedie III
Album for the Young: Morning Prayer - Tchaikovsky
Album for the Young: My Dear Little Mother - Tchaikovsky
Album for the Young: Sweet Reveries - Tchaikovsky
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Nocturne No. 7 - Mendelssohn
Contes D'Hoffmann: Barcarolle
Piano Concerto No. 26 In D Major: Larghetto
Melody
Lullaby

Amazon.com

I think this music is intended for adults, though the photo on the cover is of a sleeping baby. In any event, Schumann's work, Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15, featured here is more likely to bolt you out of bed than put you to sleep, as the mike is far too close to the piano being played by Cyprien Katsaris. Purcell's Adagio from The Indian Queen is magnificent, performed by John Elliott Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists. The Weird Award goes to triple harpist Tim Hobrough and lutenist Stephen Barber for their bizarre, spiky rendition of Minuets Nos. 4 and 5 from the Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach. I would like to meet Bill Holland, producer of all these Atlantic Records classical compilations. He's programmed Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1 on three different CDs, billed alternately as sensuous, romantic, and now here: good for a long snooze. --Gwendolyn Freed

Customer Reviews:

What is all the hype about?.......2007-07-09

I purchased this CD on the basis of the reviews written on Amazon. I have to say I am terribly disappointed. My son hates the CD, I listened to it and I am not all that impressed either. It is ok but nothing like described by other users.

great cd.......2007-06-26

We play this cd every night at bedtime. It not only helps my baby stay asleep, but helps me fall asleep. The only issue I have is that one of the tracks near the end of the cd is a little louder than the tracks before it, so I just make sure I keep it on very quiet and it's wonderful.

My girls listen to this every night.......2006-11-10

My girls (ages 3 & 5) have a hard time winding down at night. We have a regular bedtime routine (bath, snack, teeth brushing, books, hugs), but they still take forever to settle down and sleep. Adding this CD to the bedtime routine has really helped.

I would give it more than 5 stars...........2005-11-18

I had this CD when my daughter was born 5 years ago, and it gave us such a soothing environment in which to bond during quiet times. We also put it on shortly before we'd put her down to sleep, and by 6 weeks she was sleeping through the night in her own crib. I think it was her sanctuary, and the music helped her feel comforted. We've since then completely worn out the CD (she listened to it through her 3rd year), and will have to buy a new one for our next little addition (coming soon!). I found it on this site and just listened to the samples from each track. Aahhh... very soothing for Mommy, too!
I also plan to get it as a baby gift for a friend. :)

Great CD: soothing music by best performers. Worth every penny........2005-08-05

I listened to this CD countless times ever since I first bought it from BMG music service back in 1997. Compositions of this CD are popular classical hits. That is, you will likely recognize at least some of them if you listen to the sampler.

What sets this CD apart is supreme music performance. Every composition is performed flawlessly, with real feeling and passion. There is a good reason why this CD that was released in 1997 is still around and costs over ten dollars. This reason is called quality.

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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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.