Dvorak: Symphony No. 6/American Suite

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Andrew Davis recorded a fine series of Dvorák symphonies for Sony at the beginning of the digital era, and this performance was one of them. It reappears now, coupled with a very fine version of the rarely heard American Suite conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. While there are other excellent versions of the Sixth Symphony, this coupling is unusual enough, and the price is low enough, that you may very well want to duplicate the major work in order to get the Suite. --David Hurwitz

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.

Customer Reviews:

breakdown by cd........2007-01-14

CD1-7:SYMPHONIES 1-9

CD8:PIANO CONCERTO

CD9:VIOLIN CONCERTO & CELLO CONCERTO

CD10-11:REQUIEM

CD12-13:STABAT MATER

CD14:PIANO TRIOS OP.90 "DUMKY" & 21

CD15:PIANO TRIOS OP.65 & 26

CD16:PIANO QUARTETS

CD17:PIANO QUINTETS

CD18:STRING QUINTETS

CD19-20:MUSIC FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO

C21:SERENADE/HAUSMUSIK

CD22-31:THE COMPLETE STRING QUARTETS

CD32:SLAVONIC DANCES OP.46 & 72

CD33:PIANO DUET SLAVONIC DANCES

CD34:PIANO DUET LEGENDS FROM THE BOHEMIAN FOREST

CD35:PIANO WORKS

CD36-37:RUSALKA

CD38-40:SYMPHONIC POEMS

I'm not a music expert.......2005-08-25

I don't know too much about music. I own over 700 cds, but I don't play music and I don't have much experience with this music. My only point of reference was the ninth symphony, seeing as every other piece in this box set was new to me. It sounds fine, nothing wrong with it as far as I can see.

Now, here's what you'll get in this box set, seeing as Amazon does not give it a description. 40 cds! no joke, you get 40 cds in this box set. It features:
1. Complete symphonies
2. Complete symphonic poems
3. Cello concerto
4. Piano concerto
5. Violin concerto
6. Requiem
7. Stabat Mater
8. Slavonic Dances
9. Complete String quartets
10. Chamber music
11. Piano Works (solo and duet)
12. Rusalka

As far as I can tell, the only things missing are The Spectre's Bride and Jacobin. Seeing as it is 40 cds, i have not had an opportunity to listen to it, however what i have heard i have been quite satisfied with.

Average customer rating:

I can name that tune in three notes
A Fabulous CD
Mega-Sampler! This really does have 99 tracks!
Fun Sampler
Useful.

Idiot's Guide to Classical Music

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

1990s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

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ASIN: B000003FPT
Release Date: 1995-02-14

Tracks:

Adagio
Air on the G String: Air on the G String, Excerpt
Brandenburg Concerto: Third Movement, Excerpt
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Excerpt
Tocatta & Fugue: Excerpt
Adagio for Strings: Excerpt
Synphony No. 5: First Movement, Excerpt
Symphony No. 9: Fourth Movement, Excerpt
Fse: Excerpt
Turkish March: Turkish March, Excerpt
Moonlight Sonata: Excerpt
Symphonie Fantastique: March Ot the Scaffold, Excerpt
Damnation of Faust: Excerpt
Carmen - Habanera: Habanera, Excerpt
Toreador Song [From Carmen]
Minuet: Minuet, Excerpt
Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dance No 17, Excerpt
Hungarian Dance No. 5: No 5, Excerpt
Lullaby: No 4, Lullaby, Excerpt
"Minute" Waltz: Excerpt
Grande Valse Brillante: Excerpt
Marche Fune: Marche Fune
Appalachian Spring: Excerpt
Fanfare for the Common Man: Excerpt
Clair de Lune: Excerpt
Prelude to the Afternoon: Excerpt
Lakm Flower Duet: Flower Duet, Excerpt
Symphony No. 9 "New World": Second Movement, "Going Home" Theme, ...
The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Excerpt
Pomp & Circumstance: Excerpt
El Amor Brujo
Pavane: Excerpt
Rhapsody in Blue: Excerpt
American in Paris: Excerpt
Funeral March of Marionette: Excerpt
Piano Concerto in a Minor: Excerpt
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 - Morning: Morning, Excerpt
Messiah - Hallelujah Chorus: Hallelujah Chorus, Excerpt
Water Music - Hornpipe: Hornpipe, Excerpt
Symphony No. 94 "Surprise": Second Movement, Excerpt
The Planets - Mars: Mars, Excerpt
Sabre Dance: Sabre Dance, Excerpt
Pagliacci: Vesti la Giubba, Excerpt
Hungarian Rhapsody
Liebestraum No. 3: No 3, Excerpt
Cavalleria Rusticana - Intermezzo: Intermezzo, Excerpt
Midsummer Night's Dream - Wedding March: Wedding March, Excerpt
Symphony No. 4 "Italian": Fourth Movement, Excerpt
Rondeau: No 1, Rondeau
Piano Concerto No. 21: Andante, Excerpt
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: First Movement, Excerpt
The Marriage of Figaro - Overture: Overture, Excerpt
Sonata in A - Rondo Alla Turca: Rondo Alla Turca, Excerpt
Symphony No. 40: First Movement, Excerpt
Night on Bald Mountain: Excerpt
Pictures at an Exhibition - Great Cave of Kiev: Great Gate of ...
Barcarolle: Barcarolle, Excerpt
Orpheus in Hades - Theme II: Excerpt (Theme)
Carmina Burana - O Fortuna: O Fortuna, Excerpt
Canon: Canon, Excerpt
Romeo & Juliet - Montagues & Capulets: Montagues & Capulets, Excerpt
Lt. Kije's Wedding: Lt. Kije's Wedding, Excerpt
Turandot - Nessun Dorma: Nessun Dorma, Excerpt
Piano Concerto No. 2: Second Movement, Excerpt
Symphony No. 2: Third Movement, Opening, Excerpt
Rhapsody on a Theme: Variation 18, Excerpt
Bolero
Flight of the Bumblebee
Concierto de Aranjuez - Adagio: Adagio, Excerpt
The Barber of Seville - Overture: Excerpt
The Barber of Sville - Largo Al Factotum: Largo Al Factotum, Excerpt
William Tell Overture - Theme II: Excerpt
Danse Macabre: Excerpt
Gymnope No. 1
Symphony N0. 8 "Unfinished": Excerpt
Ave Maria: Excerpt
Finlandia [Finale: Finale, Excerpt]
Valse Triste: No 1, Valse Triste, Excerpt
Stars & Stripes Forever: Excerpt
Semper Fidelis: Excerpt
Blue Danube Waltz: Excerpt
Tales from the Vienna Woods: Excerpt
Also Sprach Zarathustra: Fanfare, Excerpt
Firebird - Infernal Dance & Main Theme: Infernal Dance & Main ...
The Nutcracker - Waltz of the Flowers: Waltz of the Flowers, Excerpt
Swan Lake - Waltz: Waltz, Excerpt
Sleeping Beauty -: Waltz, Excerpt
Romeo & Juliet - Theme II: Theme LL, Excerpt
Piano Concerto No. 1 - Opening: Opening, Excerpt
1812 Overture - Finale: Finale, Excerpt
Fantasia on "Greensleeves": Excerpt
Alda - Grand March: Grand March, Excerpt
Il Trovatore - Anvil Chorus: Anvil Chorus, Excerpt
Requiem - Dies Irae: Dies Irae, Excerpt
Rigoletto - La Donna Mobile: La Donna Mobile, Excerpt
The Four Seasons "Spring" - Allegro: Allegro, Excerpt
The Four Season "Winter" - Largo: Largo, Excerpt
Lohengrin - Bridal Chorus: Bridal Chorus, Excerpt
Die WalkRide of the Valkyries: Ride of the Valkyries, Excerpt

Customer Reviews:

I can name that tune in three notes.......2005-02-19

My family likes to put this disc in on shuffle and play name that tune. I wish they made more discs like this, only with more obscure works.

A Fabulous CD.......2004-10-14

The Idiot's Guide to Calssical Music is an awesome Cd for those people who want to have a tiny sample of all the great classical compositions. Track 61 and 63 are my favorite.

Mega-Sampler! This really does have 99 tracks!.......2002-03-20

Yes, this CD really does have 99 tracks. How do they do it? Each is about a minuet long. Some are longer, some are shorter, but you get the micro-essential moments of the music.

If you like burning your own CDs, then this is a great source for intra-track fillers, along the lines of They Might Be Giants' "Apollo 18" album, which has all of those short tracks on the end. The idea is to put your CD player on shuffle, so the short tracks get mixed in with the bona fide songs. The result being a very unusual album.

The booklet gives an explanation of the track, where you heard it (i.e. the Warner Brother's Cartoons, or on famous films), and where you can get the full piece of music. So it's a mega sampler CD.

I can honestly say that this CD is a great gift for the friend who has everything.

Fun Sampler.......2001-11-09

For the beginner. You will be surprised at how many of the 99 themes you recognize here. It is an easy introduction to classical music. Nice booklet too.

Useful........1999-03-22

Take it for what it is, a clever and useful GUIDE to classical music. No, it is NOT an uncut rendition of Beethoven's 9th symphony. It IS a cd that will jog your memory. You have heard many of the tunes presented here, but not always knowing what the work was. This is your chance to catch up with all the great classical music you have been exposed to. Cheap too.

Average customer rating:

Isaac Stern Presents Encores

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000002A92
Release Date: 1995-12-05

Tracks:

Greensleeves
I Dream Of Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair
Liebesleid
Ave Maria
On Wings Of Song, Op. 34 No. 2
Hungarian Dance No.5
Humoresque
Flight Of The Bumblebee
Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14
None But The Lonely Heart, Op. 6 No. 6
String Quartet No. 2: Nocturne
Jamaican Rumba
Gymnopedie No.3
Porgy And Bess: 'Bess, You Is My Woman Now'
Rodeo: Hoedown

Average customer rating:

Davis is a dud, but hold out for the delightful "American" Suite
Sony...Why?

Dvorak: Symphony No. 6/American Suite

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Dvorak: Symphony Nos.7 & 8
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Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Richter
Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 88 - 92

ASIN: B0000062DO
Release Date: 1998-03-17

Tracks:

Symphony No. 6 In D Major, Op. 60, D-dur: I Allegro non tanto
Symphony No. 6 In D Major, Op. 60, D-dur: II Adagio
Symphony No. 6 In D Major, Op. 60, D-dur: III Scherzo (Furiant) - Presto
Symphony No. 6 In D Major, Op. 60, D-dur: IV Finale. Allegro con spirito
Scherzo capriccioso, Op. 66
Suite In A Major For Orchestra, Op. 98b 'American' A-dur: I Andante con moto
Suite In A Major For Orchestra, Op. 98b 'American' A-dur: II Allegro
Suite In A Major For Orchestra, Op. 98b 'American' A-dur: III Moderato (alla polacca)
Suite In A Major For Orchestra, Op. 98b 'American' A-dur: IV Andante
Suite In A Major For Orchestra, Op. 98b 'American' A-dur: V Allegro

Amazon.com

Andrew Davis recorded a fine series of Dvorák symphonies for Sony at the beginning of the digital era, and this performance was one of them. It reappears now, coupled with a very fine version of the rarely heard American Suite conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. While there are other excellent versions of the Sixth Symphony, this coupling is unusual enough, and the price is low enough, that you may very well want to duplicate the major work in order to get the Suite. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Davis is a dud, but hold out for the delightful "American" Suite.......2007-03-18

How Sir Andrew Davis ever got knighted for his lackluster conducting is anyone's guess (did he tell the Queen jokes over tea?), and it's no surprise that this Dvorak sixth is proficient and faceless. It has neither Czech folk energy nor sophisticated polsih. We hear a professional orchestra going through its paces. The first and last movements lack sweep, the slow movemeent drags, the Scherzo is a run-through, albeit at high speed. I've heard duller versions (from Dohnanyi, for example) but also rousing ones from Istvan Kertesz, Vaclav Neumann, and Myun-Whun Chung.

Skipping over Davis's brisk and perfunctory version of the Scherzo Capriccioso, we get to the rarity on the program, the "American" Suite performed by Tilson Thomas and the Bavarian State Radio Orch. The music itwself is immediately winning, full of Dvorak's characteristic melodic inspiration. MTT conducts it affectionately, and the orchestral sound is full and warm. Ideally the style should be earthier, but MTT is always a white-glove conductor except in jazzy works. He summons up plenty of energy, and the final result is quite enjoyable.

So, a mixed bag, but the Davis portions are good enough, while Tilson Thomas delivers an unexpected delight. Four stars for his contribution.

Sony...Why?.......2005-08-31

David Hurwitz's fine editorial review more than adequately discusses the contents of this disc, so I will not add anything else other than I found it enjoyable as well. However, at this time I feel it is appropriate to ask the following question. Why is Sony deleting their "Essential Classics" budget line? If you haven't already noticed, many of these absolutely classic performances, by the likes of Szell, Ormandy, Fleisher, etc. are disappearing. Once widely available, inexpensive recordings are now fetching astronomical prices, sometimes more than five times their original value, in the Amazon Marketplace as rare collector's items. Is this just some grand scheme to reissue all of this material later at mid-line, or are these gems unfortunate victims of the corporate spread sheet, never to be heard from again? Even if it is only the former, shame on you Sony! You should remember that the next generation of classical music fans generally use the budget line as an entry point for this vast genre, in fact it was my road to discovery for this beautiful music. In your haste, don't forget that all of your next potential customers aren't music downloading teeny-boppers!

Average customer rating:

It's only snippets of the music!

Classical Music 101

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music
Classical Music 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Classical Music
25 Classical Favorites
The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever!
Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits

ASIN: B0002XEECK
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Tracks:

Adagio - Baroque Chamber Orchestra
Air On The G String - Festival Strings Lucerne
Mvmt. III - Festival Strings Lucerne
Aria - Peter Serkin
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Norman Luboff Choir
Toccata & Fugue In D Minor - Philadelphia Orchestra
Adagio For Strings - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Mvmt. I - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Mvmt. IV - New York Philharmonic
Fur Elise - Nellie Kokinos
Turkish March - Arthur Fiedler
'Moonlight' Sonata - Jorg Demus
March To The Scaffold - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Rakoczy March - Arthur Fiedler
Habanera/Toreador Song - Arthur Fiedler
Minuet - Arthur Fiedler
Polovtsian Dance No.17 - Arthur Fiedler
Hungarian Dance No.5 - London Festival Orchestra
Lullaby - Arthur Fiedler
Minute Waltz - Geza Anda
Grande Valse Brillante - Geza Anda
Marche Funebre - Emanuel Ax
Simple Gifts - Copland
Fanfare For The Common Man - Philadelphia Orchestra
Clair De Lune - Arthur Fiedler
Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun - Philadelphia Orchestra
Flower Duet - Philharmonia Virtuosi
Mvmt II. Going Home Theme - Arthur Fiedler
The Sorcerer's apprentice - Philadelphia Orchestra
March No.1 - Arthur Fiedler
Ritual Fire Dance - Arthur Fiedler
Pavane - National Philharmonic
Rhapsody In Blue - Arthur Fiedler
An American In Paris - Arthur Fiedler
Funeral March Of A Marionette - Arthur Fiedler
Piano Concerto In A Minor - Kjel Baekkelund
Morning - Philadelphia Orchestra
Hallelujah Chorus - Royal Philharmonic Chorus
Alla Hornpipe - Festival Strings Lucerne
Mvmt. II - English Chamber Orchestra
Mars - Philadelphia Orchestra
Sabre Dance - Arthur Fiedler
Vesti La Giubba - Placido Domingo
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 - Philadelphia Orchestra
Liebestraum No.3 - Arthur Fiedler
Intermezzo - National Philharmonic
Wedding March - Philadelphia Orchestra
Mvmt. IV - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Rondeau - U.K. Symphony
Andante - Geza Anda
Mvmt. I - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Overture - Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Rondo Alla Turca - Walter Hautzig
Mvmt. I - English Chamber Orchestra
A Night On Bald Mountain - Philadelphia Orchestra
Great Gate Of Kiev - Philadelphia Orchestra
Barcarolle - Arthur Fiedler
Theme II (Can Can) - Arthur Fiedler
O Fortuna - New England Conservatory Chorus
Canon - Baroque Chamber Orchestra
Montagues & Capulets - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Lt. Kije's Wedding - Arthur Fiedler
Nessun Dorma - Jussi Bjorling
Mvmt. III - Rome Opera Chorus
Mvmt. III. Opening - London Symphony Orchestra
Var. 18 - Leonard Pennario
Bolero - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Flight Of The Bumblebee - Arthur Fiedler
Adagio - Julian Beam
Overture/Largo Al Factotum - Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Theme II - Arthur Fiedler
Danse Macabre - Philadelphia Orchestra
Gymnopedie No.1 - National Philharmonic
Symphony No.8 'Unfinished' - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Ave Maria - Robert Shaw Chorale
Finle - Morton Gould & His Orchestra
Valse Triste - Finnish Radio Orchestra
Stars & Stripes Forever - Arthur Fiedler
Semper Fidelis - Arthur Fiedler
Blue Danube Waltz - Arthur Fiedler
Tales From The Vienna Woods - Arthur Fiedler
Fanfare - Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Infernal Dance & Main Theme - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Waltz Of The Flowers - Arthur Fiedler
Waltz - Philadelphia Orchestra
Waltz - Philadelphia Orchestra
Theme II - Philadelphia Orchestra
Opening - Barry Douglas
Finale - Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On Greensleeves - Philadelphia Orchestra
Grand March - Arthur Fiedler
Anvil Chorus - Rome Opera Chorus
Libiamo (Drinking Song) - Carlo Bergonzi
Die Irae - Chicago Symphony Chorus
Rigoletto - Placido Domingo
Allegro - Jose-Luis Garcia
Largo - Jose-Luis Garcia
Bridal Chorus - Robert Shaw Chorale
Ride Of The Valkyries - Philadelphia Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

It's only snippets of the music!.......2006-02-12

This CD only contains 30-60 second long snippets of each of the pieces. It could be a teaching tool but is not something you can just put on to listen. It does contain reference to popular TV and Film works that contain the music.

Average customer rating:

Peculiar Amazon indexing

100 World's Best Loved Melodies

Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever!

ASIN: B0009VNBR4
Release Date: 2005-07-05

Tracks:

Blue Danube
Waltz of Flowers
Waltz No. 1
Waltz of the Snowflakes
Naila Waltz
Spanish Dance
I Dream of Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair
Sugar Plum Fairy
Dance of the Comedians
Camptown Races
Carnival of the Animals Finale
Dance of the Clown [From "A Midsummer Night's" Dream]
Dance of the Hours
Dance of the Swans [From "Swan Lake"]
Faust Ballet
Tritsch Tratsch Polka
Hungarian Dance
Dance of the Priestesses
Overture from "William Tell"
Toreador Song [From "Carmen"]
Overture from "Carmen"
Samson & Delilah
Ride of the Valkyries
Baracole from "The Tales of Hoffmann"
Scheherazade
Water Music - The Hornpipe
Nocturne
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Hungarian Rhapsody
Prde L& Arlenne
Preer Gynt Suite No. 1 Anitra's Dance
Liebestraum
Adagio from "The New World Symphony"
Flight of the Bumblebee
Ave Maria
Air on a G String
Neapolitan Song
Violin Concerto
Serenade No. 4

Tracks:

When You Wish Upon a Star
Chances Are
Calcutta
Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White
Gigi
They Call the Wind Maria
Memories Are Made of This
Catch a Falling Star
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
So in Love
Begin the Beguine
Misty
Little Things Mean a Lot
Embraceable You
It Might as Well Be Spring
On the Street Where You Live
Moment to Remember
Anniversary Song
Golden Days
Theme from a Summer Place
Tonight
Lullaby of Broadway
Easter Parade
Tenderly
Young at Heart

Tracks:

Claire de Lune
Piano Concerto No. 1
Minute Waltz
Piano Concerto
Fantasy Impromptu
Piano Sonata No. 20 - Finale
Swan
Polonaise No. 6
Waltz in C Minor
1812 Overture
Light Cavalry Overture
Nutcracker Overture
Marche Militaire
Tannhauser Overture
Radetsky March
Tragic Overture
Triumphal March
Tales of Vienna Woods
Emperor's Waltz
Waltz. Wine, Women and Song
Voice of Spring
Fledermaus Overture
Skater's Waltz
Roses from the South
Romance
Symphony No. 5
Mer
Moonlight Sonata
Capriccio Espagnol
Lohengrin
Symphonie Fantastique
Greensleeves
Souvenir
Lonely Heart
Die Meistersinger
Polovtsian Dance

Customer Reviews:

Peculiar Amazon indexing.......2007-06-08

A search for Deep Purple's "Smoke on [in] the water," brought up this title. I rate it only #1 because I could not locate the "Smoke on the Water" listing. Amazon seems to be having an indexing problem.

Average customer rating:

Mr. Holland's Guide to Classical Music

Mr. Holland's Guide To Classical Music

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000429P
Release Date: 1996-09-17

Tracks:

Brandenburg Con No.2: Allegro assai - New London Consort/Pickett
Sym No.40: Molto allegro - CO of Europe/Solti
Sym No.5: Allegro con brio - Vienna Phil/Solti
Sym fantastique: March to the Scaffold - Chicago SO/Solti
'Minute' Waltz - Vladimir Ashkenazy
1812 Overture (finale) - Chicago SO/Solti
Die Walkure: Ride of the Valkyries - Vienna Phil/Solti
Peer Gynt Suite No.1: Morning Mood - San Francisco Sym/Blomstedt
Sym No.9 'From the New World': Largo Theme - Chicago SO/Solti
The Firebird: General Rejoicing - Orch Sym Montreal/Dutoit
The Planets: Mars - London PO/Solti
An American in Paris (opening) - Los Angeles PO/Maazel
Bolero (finale) - Chicago SO/Solti
Romeo and Juliet: Dance of the Knights - Orch Sym Montreal/Dutoit
Con for Orch: finale - World Orch for Peace/Solti

Customer Reviews:

Mr. Holland's Guide to Classical Music.......2000-06-24

This is an excellent collection of essential classical pieces. Every track is of the highest quality performance. The CD insert provides a short, applicable summary of each selection and each composer. It is the very best collection of classical music I have found- for beginning classical music lovers or seasoned vetrans of the arts- of ALL ages.

Dvorak: Symphonies 1-9 / Orchestral Works

Average customer rating:

ambitious and comprehensive
An astonishing bargain on the used market
Hard to beat

Dvorak: Symphonies 1-9 / Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas (Complete) [Box Set]

ASIN: B00004Z34H
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Tracks:

The Wild Dove, Op.110
Sym No.1 in c: I. Allegro
Sym No.1 in c: II. Adagio Molto
Sym No.1 in c: III. Allegretto
Sym No.1 in c: IV. Finale: Allegretto

Tracks:

Sym No.2 in B flat, Op.4: I. Allegro Con Moto
Sym No.2 in B flat, Op.4: II. Poco Adagio
Sym No.2 in B flat, Op.4: III. Allegro Con Brio
Sym No.2 in B flat, Op.4: IV. Finale: Allegro Con Fuoco Alla Breve
My Home (Domov Mui) Ov, Op.62: Andante/Maestoso/Quasi Andante/Allegro Vivace

Tracks:

Sym No.3 in E flat, Op.10: I. Allegro Moderato
Sym No.3 in E flat, Op.10: II. Adagio Molto, Tempo Di Marcia
Sym No.3 in E flat, Op.10: III. Finale (Allegro Vivace)
Scherzo Capriccioso, Op.66
Carnival Ov, Op.92

Tracks:

Othello, Op.93: Ov
Sym No.4 in d, Op.13: I. Allegro
Sym No.4 in d, Op.13: II. Andante Sostenuto E Molto Cantabile
Sym No.4 in d, Op.13: III. Scherzo: Allegro Feroce
Sym No.4 in d, Op.13: IV. Finale: Allegro Con Brio

Tracks:

Czech Ste, Op.39: I. Allegro Moderato
Czech Ste, Op.39: II. Allegro Grazioso
Czech Ste, Op.39: III. Allegro Giusto
Czech Ste, Op.39: IV. Andante Con Moto
Czech Ste, Op.39: V. Presto
Sym No.5 in F, Op.76: I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Sym No.5 in F, Op.76: II. Andante Con Moto
Sym No.5 in F, Op.76: III. Scherzo: Allegro Scherzando
Sym No.5 in F, Op.76: IV. Finale: Allegro Molto

Tracks:

In Nature's Realm Ov, Op.91: Allegro, Ma Non Troppo
Sym No.6 in D, Op.60: I. Allegro Non Tanto
Sym No.6 in D, Op.60: II. Adagio
Sym No.6 in D, Op.60: III. Scherzo
Sym No.6 in D, Op.60: IV. Finale: Allegro Con Spirito

Tracks:

Sym No.7 in d, Op.70: I. Allegro Maestoso
Sym No.7 in d, Op.70: II. Poco Adagio
Sym No.7 in d, Op.70: III. Scherzo: Vivace
Sym No.7 in d, Op.70: IV. Finale: Allegro
Sym No.8 in G, Op.88: I. Allegro Maestoso
Sym No.8 in G, Op.88: II. Poco Adagio
Sym No.8 in G, Op.88: III. Scherzo: Vivace
Sym No.8 in G, Op.88: IV. Allegro Ma Non Troppo

Tracks:

American Ste, Op.98b: I. Andante Con Moto
American Ste, Op.98b: II. Allegro
American Ste, Op.98b: III. Moderato (Alla Polacca)
American Ste, Op.98b: IV. Andante
American Ste, Op.98b: V. Allegro
Sym No.9 in e, Op.95 'From The New World': I. Adagio - Allegro Molto
Sym No.9 in e, Op.95 'From The New World': II. Largo
Sym No.9 in e, Op.95 'From The New World': III. Scherzo (Molto Vivace)
Sym No.9 in e, Op.95 'From The New World': IV. Allegro Con Fuoco

Customer Reviews:

ambitious and comprehensive.......2007-01-26

I bought this set because I was looking for early Dvorak, which is surprisingly difficult to find. As a collection of such hard-to-find material, this set of recordings is fabulous. I am already enamored of the fourth, listening to it over and over. The more I listen to this set of CDs, the more I like it. The technical quality of the playing, though overall not quite up to the level of the top world-class orchestras, is nonetheless excellent and in many ways more authentic of Dvorak and his world -- plus there are some really strong performances especially on the woodwind side.

An astonishing bargain on the used market.......2006-07-29

I was listening to Libor Pesek's complete Dvorak symphonies, which unlike most is generously filled with miscellaneous tone poems, overtures, and suites. The Czech Phil. sounds like they are to the manner born, but technical execution is spotty--this is an orchestra to appreciate for its local color rather than virtuosity. Pesek has middle-of-the-road ideas about the symphonies. The thin recorded sound isn't ideal, but the tangy Czech woodwinds are miked very close, which is appealing. There's no single performance to rival the best on CD, but everything is quite agreeable.

Then I noticed that on the used market this whole set sells for under $10--bargain alert. One could easily live with thwese readings and enjoy them al the more at such a steal.

Hard to beat.......2002-11-23

This set is a compilation of Pesek's recording cycle for Virgin between 1987-1995.

As a set of the complete symphonies it competes with Gunzenhauser (Naxos), Kertesz (Decca), Kubelik (DG), Jaarvi (Chandos) and Rowicki (Philips) In the UK this set is the cheapest way to buy a complete Dvorak cycle (there is a compilation box from Brilliant slightly cheaper but has the performances split unsuccessfully between three conductors : Paavo Jarvi, Kosler and Menuhin). However, in reviewing the set I took no account of price because, quite simply this set stands up well against all of the above.

First a note on the works. Dvorak's early symphonies are rarely performed and until recently hard to find on record. They dont reflect the maturity of style and understanding of symphonic form that one associates with 7, 8 and 9 but amongst them there are some real gems that it is a pity to neglect. Most notable is how clear Dvorak's orchestral voice is right from the start. Apart from strong and very obvious early influences from Wagner, Brahms and Beethoven what one hears most are pre-echoes of orchestral techniques used more successfully in the later works. Listening to the symphonies chronologically one is aware of the gradual maturing of form with the occasional marked change in approach such as from 4 - 5 when Dvorak's friendship with Brahms has clearly had effect. Needless to say, all the symphonies are orchestrally rich, colourful and dynamic with passages of great excitement and moments of sublime beauty.

Pesek's cycle alternates between his two favorite orchestras, 1,3,7,8 & 9 performed with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (of whom he is currently conductor in residence) and 2,4, 5 & 6 the Czech Philharmonic (of whom he used to be conductor in residence). This alternation of orchestras adds an extra dimension to the cycle that I found quite refreshing. Pesek's approach has always been to let the orchestra have the freedom to express what he calls its "invisible spirit". "..you can hardly come to any orchestra and make them only play your way - it's a mutual exchange of experience..". Indeed this cycle gives one the chance to contrast the "invisible spirits" of the RLPO and CPO whilst still being aware of a unifying approach from Pesek.

The first 3 symphonies suffer perhaps from having too many ideas jostling for attention. It seems as if Dvorak is so excited with the infintie range of colours his orchestral paintbox can offer that he cant help but try out as many original and unusual scorings as possible. There are also many and frequent changes of dynamic, resulting in a kind of "crescendo-fatigue" Where Jaarvi tries hard to bring out an overall architecture that quite simply isnt there, Pesek, instead, revels in the many different textures and contrasting dynamics spotlighting certain passages for the inherent beauty they contain. I can think of no better approach for these early symphonies. With the fourth symphony however, Pesek now brings out the emerging sense of form as Dvorak reduces his orchestral palette in favour of more thematic development.

With Kertesz and Kubelik (and even the old Neumann on Supraphon) I was always aware of the shortcomings of the "middle" symphonies (5 & 6) feeling that they were "almost there but not quite". Under Pesek however, these symphonies exhibit a depth and maturity that gives me new respect. There is a relaxed confidence in his approach that makes us wonder why these works arent more played. There is much good music here and certainly I would put these particular performances at the top of my list.

When it comes to the "big three" (7, 8 and 9) there is so much competition in the catalogue that it would be impossible to pull out any one version and label it the best. Everyone has their own favorites (mine are Szell for 7, Kertesz for 8 and Barbirolli for 9). All I can say is the performances here are superb and cannot be criticised. Everything I look for in each performance Pesek has in spades. I may prefer Szell's third movement of the seventh or Barbirolli's opening to the ninth but this is countered by other aspects of the Pesek performances that are better in different ways. Most satisfying of all, having listened to Pesek guide me through the earlier symphonies, following his interpretation through into the last ones provides an insight and sense of completeness that any individual performance cannot achieve.

Finally a note on the recording. The CPO recordings (House of Artists, Prague) have slightly more ambience than the RLPO (Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool) which perhaps reinforces their "Czech" sound (memories of Supraphon!) but although the acoustic results in a slightly "fuller" sound it does not muddy the overall clarity of the excellent recording. The CPO recording of Symphony no 2 though was recorded in the Dvorak Hall, Prague and here there is slightly more reverberation. It's still within tolerable limits though. Overall the sound quality is excellent.

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