West Side Story Suite [SACD]

Track Listings

1. West Side Story Suite

2. Lonely Town {From On the Town}

3. Make Our Garden Grow {From Candide}

4. Serenade After Plato's Symposium: I. Phaedrus: Pausanias

5. Serenade After Plato's Symposium: II. Aristophanes

6. Serenade After Plato's Symposium: III. Eryximachus

7. Serenade After Plato's Symposium: IV. Agathon

8. Serenade After Plato's Symposium: V. Socrates: Alcibiades

9. New York, New York {From On the Town}

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

The Star Spangled Banner
George M. Cohan Medley: Yankee Doodle Dandy/Harrigan/Mary's A Grand Old Name/You're A Grand Old Flag
American Salute
The Washington Post
El Capitan
Armed Forces Medley: The Army Goes Rolling Along/Anchors Aweigh/Semper paratus/The U.S. Air Force...
God Bless America
Colonel Bogey
National Emblem March
Americans We
Manhattan Beach
Deep In The Heart Of Texas
The Yellow Rose Of Texas
Hoe-Down From 'Rodeo'
Shaker Melody from Appalachian Spring

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
Overture To 'Strike Up The Band'
America The Beautiful
76 Trombones
Victory At Sea Suite
America From 'West Side Story'
Liberty Bell
Variations On 'America'
The Stars And Stripes Forever

Customer Reviews:

worth money.......2007-05-24

this cd set is definately worth the money spent. i haven't heard some of the music before but was willing to give it a try.

Great Patriotic Music.......2007-02-21

Beautiful music perfect for feeling patriotic. Received CD promptly and in great condition.

A good choice of tunes with good quality.......2005-06-30

If you like military tunes and marches, this 2-CD is a good choice. The orchestration is good, it is well played and the quality of recording is good. If you like this kind of music, it is a good choice to buy.

Brilliant!!!.......2003-08-11

I have the CD at home and the songs sound fabulous. I've heard the Houston Symphony's version of the Star Spangled Banner many times on TV as this anthem has been used at sign-off (when this was happening). It's as powerful a version you'll hear. Probably the finest patriotic music CD you can find out there.

Best Patriotic Music I've Found.......2001-09-20

Loved the CD! I am buying it to use with a Musical Freestyle Ride for a Quadrille. A horse oriented endeaver. The music will be perfect to bring positive patriotism to fairs and fund raisers for NYC.

Average customer rating:

Ultimate Wedding Album
The Best!
A beautiful CD - wedding or not
The best of my Wedding CD's
When they say Ultimate, they mean it!

The Ultimate Wedding Album

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000427S
Release Date: 1995-03-14

Tracks:

Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Sheep May Safely Graze
Suite No.3 In D: Air On The G String
Xerxes: Largo
The Water Music: Air
Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus
Trumpet Voluntary (The Prince Of Denmark's March)
Solomon: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
Canon In D
Ave Maria
Panis Angelicus
Ave Maria
Because
West Side Story: One Hand, One Heart
Be My Love
The Water Music: Hornpipe In D
Fifth Symphony: Toccata
Trumpet Tune And Air
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March

Customer Reviews:

Ultimate Wedding Album.......2007-06-01

The perfect album for anyone planning a wedding. Both traditional and contemporary wedding favorites. Sound quality is excellent.

The Best!.......2007-05-24

Send this to every future bride and groom - yes. But even better, send a copy to the PARENT(S) of the future bride and groom!!! It gets everyone in the mood and filled with excitement! Also, it allows them to hear some choices other than "Here Comes the Bride." This CD can also be a lasting pre-wedding shower gift.

A beautiful CD - wedding or not.......2007-01-11

Whether you're getting married, attending a wedding or just want some sweet music to listen to - this album is it. A terrific collection of some of the most beautiful music ever written.

The best of my Wedding CD's.......2007-01-10

I purchased quite a few Wedding CD's but for me, this Album has the most elegant and classic pieces. Ultra modern, trendy girls...don't you dare go here. Classic, beautiful, refined women...this is your CD.

Pamela

When they say Ultimate, they mean it!.......2006-03-14

This album really is great. As of writing the review I haven't gotten married yet, but I am definetly using it in my June wedding. It has all of the classics that we always associate with weddings and only weddings ("Bridal Chorus" for the bridal processional, "Wedding March" for a recessional, etc.) PLUS plenty of other music for the wedding party processional, unity candle lighting, prelude music, etc. I purchased another CD, but only because that music was used in EVERY ceremony at my high school and it has sentimental value to me. I didn't need to, as the album cover even sorts the tracks by Prelude, Processional, Ceremony, and Recessional.

The songs are so peaceful, well performed, and just plain pretty. Those with organ truly remind me of being in church as a child. I plan to keep the CD in my IPod and listen to it when I need some "chill out" time. Those which are not AS specific to weddings ("Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," "Air on the G String," etc.) sort of make you feel like you're in a classy coffee shop or in a bakery in an Italian villa.

Overall, a very well-rounded album. You could get by with this CD alone for all of your ceremony music and save hundreds of dollars on hiring an organist and soloist. With a decent sound system at your ceremony site, guests who didn't know any better would wonder where the orchestra is.

Bernstein: Candide; West Side Story; On the Waterfront; Fancy Free

Average customer rating:

A one-of-a-kind (almost) collection
One to remember Lenny by
Fundamental recording icon !
Terrific performances
An amazing Bernstein snapshot

Bernstein: Candide; West Side Story; On the Waterfront; Fancy Free

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bernstein Century - Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah" & Symphony No. 2 "The Age of Anxiety"
Haydn: The London Symphonies, Vol. 1

ASIN: B0000029XI
Release Date: 1997-10-28

Tracks:

Overture to Candide-Allegro molto con brio
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: Prologue. Allegro moderato
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: 'Somewhere.' Adagio
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: Scherzo. Vivace e leggiero
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: Mambo. Presto
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: Cha-Cha
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: Meeting Scene. Meno mosso
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: 'Cool' Fugue. Allegretto
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: Rumble. Molto allegro
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story: Finale. Adagio
Symphonic Suite from the film On the Waterfront: Andante (with dignity)- Presto barbaro
Symphonic Suite from the film On the Waterfront: Allegro molto
Symphonic Suite from the film On the Waterfront: More Flowing
Symphonic Suite from the film On the Waterfront: Moving forward, with warmth-Largamente-a tempo-Calmato-Andante come prima-sempre avanti,
Symphonic Suite from the film On the Waterfront: Allegro non troppo, molto marcato
Symphonic Suite from the film On the Waterfront: A tempo
Fancy Free Ballet: I. Enter three Sailors
Fancy Free Ballet: II. Scene at the Bar
Fancy Free Ballet: III. Enter two Girls
Fancy Free Ballet: IV. Pas de deux
Fancy Free Ballet: V. Competition Scene
Fancy Free Ballet: VI. Three Dance Variations: Variation I (Galop)
Fancy Free Ballet: VI. Three Dance Variations: Variation II (Waltz)
Fancy Free Ballet: VI. Three Dance Variations: Variation III (Danzon
Fancy Free Ballet: VII. Finale

Amazon.com

This release comes from Sony's immense backlog of famous recordings of Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. In fact, these works trace the evolution of the New York Philharmonic into a world-class orchestra in the late 1950s under Bernstein's hand. At this remove in time, we can almost hear New York in these works. Bernstein deftly captures the shimmering glamour of his music, particularly in Overture to Candide and the astonishing Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. If you don't own this music--and these performances--you should. --Paul Cook

Amazon.com

Fancy Free provided Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolf Green with the inspiration for the his hit musical On the Town. The ballet describes the adventures of three sailors on 24-hour shore leave in New York City, and does so with music typically jazzy and popular in style. Coupled with the marvelous dance music from West Side Story and the suite from Bernstein's only film score, On the Waterfront, this disc should quickly become the cornerstone of any Bernstein collection. One of the problems Bernstein's music has faced both on disc and in public performance arises from the simple fact that no one played it better than he did. As you can hear for yourself, he's a tough, but perhaps not completely impossible, act to follow. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

A one-of-a-kind (almost) collection.......2007-01-09

Anyone who loves Bernstein's theater music has probably owned this CD or its LP equivalent for decades. The sonics are still great--the huge, lush sound that Cloumbia favored for the NY Phil. in Manhattan Center. David Hurwitz is silly to say that Bernstein's music has had "a problem" because he conducted it so well. There's no problem, but it's undeniable that LB was his own ideal conductor. Recently Carl Davis, an experienced film conductor, has led the Royal Phil. of London in the same program we have here. The sound is updated somewhat, and the price is ultra-bargain. So for the first time in forty years one can say that LB has a close rival in the West Side Story suite.

One to remember Lenny by.......2005-02-17

A composer/conductor at the peak of his energy level in some of his own most vibrant music, working with an orchestra that (in these recordings anyway) was an extension of his personality--what more could you possibly want? In later years Bernstein re-recorded most of this music for DG (including the WSS "Symphonic Dances"), and while those readings are technically fine, they miss a lot of the verve and New York atmosphere that this CD exudes. The version I'm writing about is a 2004 reissue with remastered sound and a bonus in the form of Three Dance Episodes from "On the Town."

Fundamental recording icon ! .......2004-10-08

I am not a hard fan of Leonard Bernstein , but there are exceptional cases like this in which you simply have yo say : Bravo Maestro !
The Candide overture is terrific . Based on the Voltaire work , the overture of almost five minutes is a tribute to the life . played with dyonisiac enthusiasm and overpassing passion .
The West Side Story Suite is extraordinary played . Personally I do not know about any other performance which can match with this one .
On the waterfront is simply brilliant . This is the soundtrack of that brave film of Elia Kazan of the early fifties .
And Fancy free performing only matches with another version of the same director with the Columbia Symphony of 1950 . I hace it in vynil , because believe or not ; this recording has not transfered to CD .
But this set is simply fundamental for you . Be or not a fan of Bernstein , because that inspired music represents the golden years of Bernstein as composer and conductor .
The New York Philarmonic members played as real Greek Gods .
Supreme majesty and overwhelming passion .

Terrific performances.......2003-01-27

I bought this CD a few years ago just to for the "Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront," which is one of my all-time favorite classic film scores. The NYPO's performance is very robust and energetic, and easily the best version available of the piece. Bernstein recorded this same piece again many years later with the Israel Philharmonic, but I found it lacking the same drive and passion as the earlier one. The NYPO really captures the mood of New York and the struggle of the dockworkers, as Bernstein envisioned for the film. And they also splendidly perform the love theme, too.

The rest of the album is also very good, but they're largely his standards that you've probably once too often. "On the Waterfront" is certainly a treat for any fan of film music from Hollywood's Golden Age. One can only imagine what it would have been like had Bernstein scored more films, but apparently the experience he had (music was cut or removed around in the film) made him think twice. But this CD is a winner.

An amazing Bernstein snapshot.......2002-11-26

If I had to choose five recordings to represent Leonard Bernstein at his absolute best, this would be one of them. Made in the mid-1960's, these recordings have been reissued a number of times, but never sounding as natural as they do here. They show off some of Bernstein's best work as a composer, as well as his inimitable conducting talent and legendary rapport with the New York Philharmonic during that time.

The disc opens with the rollicking overture to "Candide" - totally infectious - and although some other versions (including Bernstein's later one for Deutsche Grammophon) may be its equal, I can think of none that surpass this one in sheer excitement and precision. Ditto for the sizzling suite from "West Side Story," which will probably remain definitive for many years.

The sweeping music from the film "On the Waterfront" is stirringly conducted, and the addition of the sparkling ballet "Fancy Free" makes this disc a serious contender for many "Desert Island" lists. As for the recording itself, the 1960's sound is excellent and quite listenable. Obviously great care has been taken to preserve the original source material after all these years.

Tracks:

West Side Story Suite
Lonely Town
Make Our Garden Grow
-8. Serenade
New York, New York

Amazon.com essential recording

This all-Bernstein disc includes four compositions in addition to the title piece, of which only the "Serenade" was originally written for solo violin and orchestra. John Corigliano made the arrangement of "Make Our Garden Grow," the famous final song from Candide, and William David Brohn, who had long been close to Bernstein's music, arranged two songs from On the Town. His West Side Story Suite is a free adaptation rather than an arrangement; he calls it the greatest adventure of his musical life.

However, the real hero of the recording is Joshua Bell, for whom Sony commissioned the Suite; he collaborated closely with Brohn in its creation and contributed one of the two cadenzas. Not surprisingly, its violin part, as well as those of the other arrangements, are written to his strengths, which seem to be growing and expanding all the time. His virtuosity is breathtaking and he revels in it with unbridled exuberance. His tone is ravishingly beautiful, intense, focused, pure; it can generate a warm glow and a radiant shimmer. His facility and silvery sound in the violin's topmost register have always been particularly striking and are displayed throughout to terrific effect. He handles Bernstein's multifaceted style, rhythm, and idiom with easy, natural mastery. His love and respect for the music come through in his ability to identify with its swiftly changing moods and in his strongly felt, direct expressiveness. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Superb, Magical!.......2002-07-28

I have been fortunate enough to have seen Joshua Bell perform this piece live! He interprets the piece so well, playing tenderly, magically, casually, and with a in-your-face quality that outlines the character of this piece so well. West-Side Story has been interpreted beautifully into a suite almost resembling a Violin Concerto.
The sound quality in this recording is superb and sparkling, as if live.
This is a must-have for any music library.

A Match Made in Heaven.......2002-04-11

Bell and Bernstein seem made for each other as one can hear in this wonderful recording. Bell's playing somehow is absolutely "right" in it's evocation of Bernstein's spirit and no more so than in the "West Side Story" suite. Special mention should go to Brohn (the arranger on this record) for raising the often disparaged technique of "mere" arranging to high art indeed! More than just a medley of tunes, Brohn creates a virtual violin concerto out of Bernstein's unforgettable melodies all without distortion of the source material. The transitions between the sections are astonishing in terms of sheer invention while retaining absolute fidelity to the composer- a remarkable feat! Joshua's playing soars and exalts and his no-holds barred romantic approach cannot fail to connect emotionally with the listener. The hair on the back of my neck stood up during the "Tonight" section both times I heard it. The rest of the CD is very good too. This CD manages the rare trick of creating a commercially succesful offering that is a real and satisying work of art.
Absolutely terrific!

This is what virtuosity sounds like.......2001-12-27

When violin virtuoso Joshua Bell released this album, many in the classical community bemoaned the death of true classical music. Here was one of their foremost musicians "crossing over" into what they termed "pop" music. Such a dismissal does a great disservice to Bell, and, indeed, to Leonard Bernstein.

"West Side Story" may not be a Sibelius concerto, but it is still a beautifully rendered, worthwhile piece of music. Bell's emotive musicianship raises the piece to a new height. His technique is unparalleled, and the pathos he creates during "Maria" and "Somewhere" is just stunning. His gorgeous cadenzas seem like they belonged in "West Side Story" all along, and his playing evokes an impressive range of emotions.

This retooling of "West Side Story" also attests to Leonard Bernstein's staying power. While classical purists mired in the 19th century aim to dimiss Bernstein as just a flash in the pan, the "West Side Story" suite suggests that his music will endure. This is one "crossover" that's worth buying.

I also got one for my doctor--.......2001-10-17

When we saw The Red Violin and we fell madly in love with the film and the music we had to own it. And we do. Then we saw Joshua Bell doing something from the West Side Story CD on Today and had to buy the album. Today I bought another and we're looking to buy more. There are no words to describe this genius. There is nothing to compare the beauty of the sounds that eminate from his talent. He is incomparable. No one ever could equal him. No one has and no one will. We thank him for hours of sheer enchantment found nowhere else. And with all that has happened since September 11, this is the only thing that has rescued us from the depths of hell. Thank you Joshua Bell. May you ring forever and ever and ever.

I also got one for my doctor--.......2001-10-17

Average customer rating:

No. 1 Wedding Album

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000095J85
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Tracks:

Wedding Bells - The #1 Wedding Album
Bridal Chorus - Wagner
Allegro - Peter Hurford
Trumpet Tune And Air - Philip Jones
Prelude - Pierre Cochereau
Air - J.S. Bach
Largo In F - Randall Wolfgang
Sheep May Safely Graze - J.S. Bach
Largo Ma Non Tanto - Regis Pasquier
My Heart Will Go On - Patricia Spero
Panis Angelicus - Luciano Pavarotti
Ave Maria - Lisa Otto
One Hand, One Heart - Jose Carreras
Alleluja (Allegro) - Arleen Auger
See The Conquering Hero Comes - Simon Preston
Let The Bright Seraphim - Joan Sutherland
Alla Hornpipe - Handel
Wedding March - Stephen Cleobury

Tracks:

Bridal Chorus - Stephen Cleobury
Trumpet Voluntary - John Wilbraham
Trumpet Tune In C - Purcell
Allegro - Maurice Andre
Sonata - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Canon In D - Pachelbel
The Heart Asks Pleasure First - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Sleepers Awake - Peter Hurford
Greensleeves - Goran Sollscher
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - J.S. Bach
Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
O Mio Babbino Caro - Ranata Tebaldi
How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place - John Scott
Be My Love - Jose Carreras
Because - Placido Domingo
Rondeau - Simon Preston
Wedding Day At Troldhaugen - Wolfgang Marschner
Canzon In Imitation Of An English Bergamask - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
La Rejouissance - Handel
Wedding March - Mendelssohn

Average customer rating:

Disappointing
The Feel of New York
The next stop once you've heard the originals
Bernstein's New York, it's a wonderful town!
Great CD BUT...

Leonard Bernstein's New York
Leonard Bernstein , Dawn Upshaw , Judy Blazer , Mandy Patinkin , Audra McDonald , Donna Murphy , Richard Muenz , Eric Stern , and Orchestra Of St. Luke's
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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How Glory Goes
Leonard Bernstein's New York / Mandy Patinkin, Dawn Upshaw, Donna Murphy
Experiment
Sings Sondheim
Oscar & Steve

ASIN: B000005J40
Release Date: 1996-08-20

Tracks:

Lonely Town
Come Up To My Place
What A Waste
A Little Bit In Love
Fancy Free: Danzon Variation
Ain't Got No Tears Left
Ballet At The Village Vortex
Wrong Note Rag
Story Of My Life
Cab And Bedroom
One Hand, One Heart
Ya Got Me
A Quiet Girl
Balcony Scene (Tonight)
Lonely Town Pas De Deux
Somewhere
West Side Story: Ballet Sequence From West Side Story
Some Other Time
New York, New York (Finale, Act II)

Amazon.com

Leonard Bernstein's New York is a cornucopia of tongue-in-cheek wit, unabashed romanticism, big-city loneliness, and intellectual irony. His well-known orchestral brilliance is beautifully represented under the stellar conducting of Eric Stern, but his underappreciated talents as a songwriter are what shine, elevating this recording to magic. The cast of American theater's best includes Mandy Patinkin wonderfully indulging his comic side; Judy Blazer and Donna Murphy, the shiniest lights on Broadway, demonstrating their extensive range as singing actresses; Audra McDonald making the difficult sound easy; and Richard Muenz and Dawn Upshaw singing elegantly. Most unforgettably pleasing are the trios "Ya Got Me" and "What A Waste." A great tribute to Bernstein's theater works. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2007-03-13

I agree that this is a great collection. But I have to wonder: Am I the only one who got a bum copy of the CD? The songs are all mixed up on my copy, as in, most of the tracks are mislabeled: "A Quiet Girl" is really "Tonight", The Balcony Scene, printed as "Tonight" is really "Somewhere". The list goes on.

So, who do I kvetch to? I'd like a copy that isn't a complete mishmash.

The Feel of New York.......2007-01-09

Having spent most of my working years in NYC, I felt this CD brought the city to me. Bernstein has allways been a favorite.

The next stop once you've heard the originals.......2007-01-09

As a tribute to Bernstein on Broadway, this CD is hard to beat. All the singers are stars but of a generation, ro two, beyond the originals. Naturally here's been a change of style, and these renditions are more knowing, sophisticated, and at times ironic than the originals. On their own, Donna Murphy, Dawn Upshaw, and Mandy Patinkin, among others, are masters of their craft, but I hope anyone who loves LB will also seek out the original cast albums for all of his musicals, or the clesest one can get (On the Town was remade in the Fifties). Those recordings cast a unique spel, but the next stop is this marvelous CD.

Bernstein's New York, it's a wonderful town!.......2002-01-15

And speaking of "Wonderful Town," it's so nice to hear music from this least appreciated of Bernstein's musicals. "What a Waste," "A Quiet Girl" and Audra McDonald's enchanting "A Little Bit in Love" have never sounded better. Donna Murphy burns the house down with the torchy "Ain't Got No Tears Left," and has fun with Patinkin and Blazer on the raucous "Ya Got Me." "One Hand, One Heart" sung by Dawn Upshaw and Richard Muenz is movingly rendered, as is Patinkin's wonderful delivery of an all-time Bernstein favorite, "Some Other Time." My only comlaint? Where is "I Can Cook Too?" A terrific recording.

Great CD BUT..........2000-07-02

I loved this CD, but there was some things that kept it fromgetting four stars. First Mandy Patkin, I loved him in Sunday in The Park With George, also I have a CD of him singing yiddish songs all good, but in this CD I just don't like him. Like in the song "Come Up To My Place" I didn't like his voice and I never could quite see him as the character for that song. Also I would have liked to see (well actually "hear") some more of the dance numbers or overtures, I realize the main point of the CD was all the singers they put together, but the real highlight of the CD for me was the sections from Fancy Free, and Ballet At The Village Vortex from Wonderful Town. Also I liked "One Hand One Heart" a lot. Overall I would get this CD if you like Bernstein or any of these musicals, it is good listen, just not outstanding.

West Side Story/Candide/On the Town (3 Dances)

Average customer rating:

What else? Definitive
Jazzy stuff

West Side Story/Candide/On the Town (3 Dances)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Bernstein: Candide Overture & Symphonic Dances
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Bernstein Century - Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, etc / Bernstein, New York PO
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall

ASIN: B0000026FF
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Candide: Overture
West Side Story: Symphonic Dances
On The Town: I The Great Lover Displays Himself
On The Town: II Lonely Town (Pas de deux)
On The Town: Act 1: III Times Square (Finale)
On The Waterfront: Symphonic Suite

Amazon.com essential recording

Nothing can compare with Bernstein's own accounts of his music. The best recordings are still the ones he made with the New York Philharmonic for Columbia, when scores such as Candide and West Side Story were still "new" music. Originally produced by John McClure (and remixed by him for CD), these recordings of the Candide Overture and the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story have never been bettered, not even by Bernstein. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

What else? Definitive.......2005-09-11

Bernstein was the greatest conductor of Bernstein, and nothing has changed over the decades. This pressing of some classic performances comes from early digital remastering, I believe, and later remasterings remove some of the harshness and sketchiness of the sonics. Also, one has to be prepared for the huge orchestral forces that inflate this theater music, but even so, nothing matches these readings.

Jazzy stuff.......2000-06-10

This is all basically the music of Bernstein's Symphonic dances condensed into one little CD. Excellent CD considering its price where many other Westside story CD's go for 30 dollars or more. A definate buy.

Bernstein: Candide Overture & Symphonic Dances

Average customer rating:

Bernstein: Candide Overture & Symphonic Dances

Manufacturer: Sony
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West Side Story/Candide/On the Town (3 Dances)
Bernstein Century - Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, etc / Bernstein, New York PO

ASIN: B0002J58R4
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Average customer rating:

Great Intro to Modern American Classical Music

American Classics
Boston Pops Orchastra
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004Z330
Release Date: 2001-03-27

Tracks:

Candide - Overture
West Side Story (Selection)
New York, New York
Gone With The WInd
A Summer Place
On The Town: The Great Lover
On The Town: Lonely Town: Pas de deux
On The Town: Times Square: 1944
Fanfare For The Common Man
A Little Night Music
America, The Dream Goes On
America Medley
Wonderful Town (Selection)
The Pink Panther
Divermento For Orchestra: Sennets And Tuckets
Divermento For Orchestra: Waltz
Divermento For Orchestra: Samba
Divermento For Orchestra: Turkey Trot
Divermento For Orchestra: March 'The BSO Forever'

Customer Reviews:

Great Intro to Modern American Classical Music.......2004-06-09

I'm not a Classical Music expert, but I found "American Classics" to be a very good collection of great 20th century American Classical musical numbers. The bulk of the selections were composed by Leonard Bernstein. However, other composers such as John Kander, Max Steiner, Aaron Copland, Stephen Sondheim, Henry Mancini, and John Williams are also included on this collection. All of the selections are performed by the legendary John Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra. Williams is probably the top Classical Music conductor around today. His name is synonymous with many movie soundtracks, but on this collection we get to hear John Williams do what he does best - conduct the Boston Pops orchestra.

As mentioned, this focuses on American Music. Your not going hear Beethoven, Chopin, or Mozart here. For the most part, this is Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra performing Leonard Bernstein (a great conductor in his own right). The music is grouped logically and by composer. Some of the music will be familiar to you and some of it might not be as familiar. You'll hear the theme from "The Pink Panther" (Mancini) as well as the theme from "Gone with the Wind" (Steiner). There is a riviting instrumental version of "New York New York" (i.e. Start Spreading the News...) that will make the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra proud. Another popular selection is Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" - this is heard around Summer Olympics time quite a bit, but possibly not know by its actual name.

There are three tracks from the famous Bernstein musical "On the Town" and they are grouped together. These selections are among the best that are included in the collection. The first is "The Great Lover", the second is "Lonely Town: Pas de deux", and the third is an instrumental version the famous "Times Square: 1944" (i.e. New York New York, it's a hell of a town...). The "Times Square" melody I believe is the part in "On the Town" when the sailors go dancing in Times Square. Hearing this selection as an instrumental gives it a whole new dimension. There is also a nice reprise of this in Bernstein's "America Medley".
John Williams who is a great composer in his own right only has one number on this collection - that is "America, The Dream Goes On". This is one track on this collection that has vocals (although no credits are given to the vocalist(s) who sings). Although you'll hear the Boston Pops play real nicely here, it is the stirring vocals that make this one of the highlights of the CD. I consider Williams the best in the business, so I expect nothing less when it comes to him.

There are no liner notes whatsoever. I would have liked some sort of commentary of background on the pieces in this collection. As mentioned, this does hurt particularly in the Williams piece "America, The Dream Goes On". Overall, this is a great way to get an intro to modern classical music and is a nice change of pace if you don't normally listen to classical.

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1. West Side Story Suite
2. Lonely Town {From On the Town}
3. Make Our Garden Grow {From Candide}
4. Serenade After Plato's Symposium: I. Phaedrus: Pausanias
5. Serenade After Plato's Symposium: II. Aristophanes
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7. Serenade After Plato's Symposium: IV. Agathon
8. Serenade After Plato's Symposium: V. Socrates: Alcibiades
9. New York, New York {From On the Town}