Mozart: Music for Piano Duet [Import]

Track Listings

1. Sonata C Major 1

2. Sonata C Major 2

3. Sonata C Major 3

4. Sonata D Major 1

5. Sonata D Major 2

6. Sonata D Major 3

7. Sonata B Flat Major 1

8. Sonata B Flat Major 2

9. Sonata B Flat Major 3

10. Andante G Major

11. Sonata For Two Pianos 1

12. Sonata For Two Pianos 2

13. Sonata For Two Pianos 3

14. Sonata F Major 1

15. Sonata F Major 2

16. Sonata F Major 3

17. Adagio F Minor

18. Sonata C Major 1

19. Sonata C Major 2

20. Sonata C Major 3

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Tracks:

Carmen: Act 1: Prld - LPO/Sir Georg Solti
La Traviata: Brindisi: Libiamo, Ne'lieti Calici - Luciano Pavarotti/Joan Sutherland/London Opr Chor/Terry Edwards
La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina - Luciano Pavarotti
Lakme: Flower Duet: Dome Epais Le Jasmin - Joan Sutherland/Jane Berbie
Fedora: Amor Ti Vieta - Jussi Bjorling
Carmen: Habanera: L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle - Tatiana Troyanos/John Alldis Chor/John Alldis
Nabucco: Chor Of The Hebrew Slaves: Va Pensiero - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hills
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Dove Sono - Kiri Te Kanawa
Rigoletto: La Donna E Mobile - Luciano Pavarotti
Lohengrin: Bridal Chor: Treulich Gefuhrt Ziehet Dahin - Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor/Walter Hagen-Groll
Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro - Renata Tebaldi
Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Largo Al Factotum - Leo Nucci
La Wally: Ebben?... Ne Andro Lontana - Angela Gheorghiu
Madama Butterfly: Humming Chor - Wiener Staatsopernchor/Norbert Balatsch
Carmen: Flower Song: La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee - Placido Domingo
Les Contes D'Hoffmann: Barcarolle: Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'Amour - Joan Sutherland/Huguette Tourangeau/Chor De La Radio Suisse Romande, Pro Arte De Lausanne Et Du...
Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle - Placido Domingo
Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di - Mirella Freni
Les Pecheurs De Perles: C'est Toi... Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Gregory Cross/Gino Quilico

Tracks:

Die Walkure: The Ride Of The Valkyries - Wiener Phil/Solti
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete - Cecilia Bartoli
Pagliacci: Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba - Luciano Pavarotti
La Boheme: O Soave Fanciulla - Mirella Freni/Luciano Pavarotti/Roland Panerai
Il Trovatore: Anvil Chor: Vedi! Le Fosche - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis
Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai - Jose Carreras
Don Giovanni: La Ci Darem La Mano - Lucia Popp/Tom Krause
Mattinata - Andrea Bocelli
Faust: Soldiers' Chor - Ambrosian Opr Chor/John McCarthy
L'elisir D'amore: Una Furtiva Lagrima - Roberto Alagna
Turandot: Signore, Ascolta! - Montserrat Caballe
Don Giovanni: Champagne Aria: Finch'han Dal Vino - Bryn Terfel
Cosi Fan Tutte: Trio: Soave Sia Il Vento - Renee Fleming/Anne Sofie Von Otter/Michele Pertusi
Il Trovatore: Di Quella Pira - Luciano Pavarotti/Joan Sutherland/London Opr Chor/Terry Edwards
Tosca: Vissi D'arte - Kiri Te Kanawa
Carmen: Toreador Song - Jose Van Dam/Tatiana Troyanos/Norma Burrowes/Jane Berbie/Thomas Allen/Pierre Thau/John Alldis...
Madama Butterfly: Love Duet: Vogliatemi Bene - Mirella Freni/Luciano Pavarotti
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo - Nat PO/Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Rusalka: O Silver Moon - Renee Fleming
La Boheme: Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi - Angela Gheorghiu
Turandot: Nessun Dorma - Luciano Pavarotti/John Alldis Chor/John Alldis

Amazon.com

The labels that are now gathered under the Universal Classics umbrella have a pretty impressive scorecard in the area of classical compilations. We've seen The Greatest Opera Show on Earth, The Yellow Guide: Classical Music, Best of the Millennium, and now there's The No. 1 Opera Album. But that's no surprise, since Universal has some of the finest interpreters in its catalogue to draw from. This two-CD set (at the price of one), for example, brings together the likes of Cecilia Bartoli, Renée Fleming, Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Georg Solti, Herbert von Karajan, and many more. Yet the other key to a successful compilation is canny anthologizing, and here again, you have a nice selection to give you a smattering of opera's heavyweights from the Italian, German, and French repertory (there's even a step outside the standard framework with an aria from Dvorák's lovely Rusalka). Ranging from 1959 to 1997, the choices from back catalogue will doubtless be the entry ticket for many into this grandest of the arts. --Sarah Chin

Customer Reviews:

The beautiful gift of opera..........2007-07-17

This 2-CD set is absolutely wonderful! You can close your eyes and feel like you're actually at the opera, listening to those beautiful voices bringing tears to your eyes. Nessun Dorma still stirs up emotions in me, no matter how many times I hear it. Great examples of opera to give someone wanting to get interested in this style of music.

Pretty darn good.......2007-07-04

This CD set has a lot of familiar music on it, so if you're a newbie, you might want to try starting with this. There are some great pieces on the first CD. I usually don't even make it to the second.

The Opera #1 Opera Album.......2007-06-07

The music is wonderful. The production is terrible!! The sound fades in and out and is very scratchy in some places.

Excellent assortment.......2007-05-12

I'm not a big opera fan but I wanted to expose an assorted selection for my kids. This was perfect since it included several recognizable selections.

Great Selections.......2007-03-31

This Cd, has the very best of Opera
covering mainly from the classcal
to the to the romantic periods, a most
memorable selection here is Leo Nucci
in a lagendary performance of Rossini's
"Largo al Factotum" from "Il Barbiere di Seviglia"
also Andrea Bocelli in his performance of Leoncavallo's
memorable "Matinatta" here in an orchestrated version.
Indeed some of opera's most loved arias are in this recording
various conductors, orchestras, and soloists. All in their
very best. Indeed a five-star recording...

Average customer rating:

Too busy
good product and fast service
what a road trip
Mesmerized and moved mom to tears
Daughter loves it

Mozart's Magnificent Voyage

Manufacturer: Children's Group
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

Mr. Bach Comes To Call
Beethoven Lives Upstairs
Tchaikovsky Discovers America
Classical Kids: Hallelujah Handel!
Vivaldi's Ring Of Mystery

ASIN: B0000061XU
Release Date: 1998-10-13

Tracks:

Horn Concerto, K.495, Movt 3
Clarinet Quintet, K.581, Movt 2
Symphony No.1, K.16, Movt 2
Piano Sonata In F, K.332, Movt 3
Medley: We Are Three Spirits ('Drei Knabchen')/Magic Flute, K.620
Overture, Marriage Of Figaro, K.492
Arrival At Court: Child's Minuet in C
Medley: Symphony No.1, K.16, Movt 1/Variations On 'La Ci Darem,' By Beethoven
Evening Falls ('Abendempfindung'), K.523
Flute Quartet, K.285, Movt 2
Symphony No.40, K.550, Movt 1
Arrival In Rome
Miserere Mei, By Allegri
Cassation in C, K.63
Minuet, Don Giovanni, K.527
Medley: Barrel-Organ Var On 'Deh Vieni,'/Don Giovanni, K.527
Variations On 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,' K.265
Letter Duet, ('Canzonetta Sull'aria'), Marriage Of Figaro, K.492
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K.525, Movt 4
Ave Verum Corpus, K.618
Medley: Waldstein Sonata, Op.53, By Beethoven/Piano Concerto in C, K.467, Movt 1...
Medley: Piano Sonata in A, K.331, Mvt 1/Gran Partita, K.361, Movt 7
Blow Softly, You Breezes ('Soave Sia Il Vento'), Cosi Fan Tutte, K.588...

Product Description

GENERAL FEATURES: The Dream Children are about to be written out of Mozart's most famous opera. Hoping to change their fate, they enlist the help of the composer's young son Karl. Together the children embark on an incredible journey that takes them back in time to Mozart's childhood as well as far into the future. Along the way, Karl learns much about his father and comes to understand his legacy of timeless music. Educational entertainment for all ages.

Customer Reviews:

Too busy.......2006-07-14

I was hoping for more music - there's just too much storytelling for my and my kids' taste. We love the Beethoven's Wig series and were hoping this would be similar.

good product and fast service.......2005-09-11

Product arrived in ample time overseas and was pleased with quality of product!

what a road trip.......2005-02-21

i bought this item after reading some of the reviews on amazon for my nephews who are 2 and 4 years of age. two months after christmas their mom was explaining how they request the cd everytime they are in the car. she groaned when i was in the car and they boys wanted to show me how much they liked the cd. during the trip i witnessed a mother humming along to the music with her children, the boys singing to excerpts, and an overall execptional learning experience about music, culture, and history. if you are looking for something that all children will like, passes the time on a road trip, and teaches important lessons about life without being pretentious then get this cd, it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Mesmerized and moved mom to tears.......2005-01-26

This CD is awesome, the music great, the story captivating. But it's Mozart, you already know about the music. Other reviewers have already discussed the story and I agree with their assessments that it's very good. The reason for this review is to say that my very active, never stopping, constantly in motion 5 year old SAT DOWN AND LISTENED without fidgeting or fiddling for a full 20 minutes and then sat but fiddled for the remainder of the CD. Maybe this is not a big deal to moms of "normal" energy level children -- but this simple act of being still for 20 minutes moved me to tears. I said nothing before putting the CD in, I just put it in while he was doing his running around. Within seconds of hearing the story start he sat down on the floor, crossed his legs, and listened while looking at the speakers. I have never seen this behavior from my child before, ever. Please note that this is a child who is not ADD, he just cannot be still. He listens to hundreds of hours of stories we read to him -- while he's doing something else. He "watches" videos -- while he's doing something else. He reads, while clapping or tapping out the beat of the syllables. I cannot remember my child ever stopping what he was doing to JUST LISTEN. When it was over he said, "That was a cool story," and got up to run around. That was it, but that's high praise from this child. To see my child sitting still for a full 20 minutes, you cannot begin to imagine my awe. I am running right out to get the rest of the series! Bravo to the producers!

Daughter loves it.......2003-03-27

My daughter is 5 and loves to hear this CD over and over in the car.

Average customer rating:

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

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

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
What to Listen for in Music
Study of Orchestration, Third Edition
The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks

Tracks:

Les Pecheurs De Perles: 'Au Fond Du Temple Saint'
Louise: 'Depuis Le Jour'
Faust: Duet From Act I
Giuditta: 'Meine Lippen Sie Kuessen So Heiss'
Don Carlo: 'O Don Fatale!'
Don Giovanni: Sextet From Act II
Romeo et Juliette: Juliet's Waltz ('Je Veux Vivre')
Die Fledermaus: Watch Duet ('Dieser Anstand, So Manierlich')
Werther: 'Pourquoi Me Reveiller'
Samson et Dalila: 'Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix'
Tannhauser: 'Dich, Teure Halle'
La Perichole: 'Ah, Quel Diner'
Der Rosenkavalier: Trio From Act III
A Tribute To James Levine

Customer Reviews:

James Levine's 25th Anniversary Met Opera Gala.......2006-08-14

It is an incredibly beautiful album. As with any album I like some pieces better than the next but overall it is beautiful and soothing. I keep it in the car and listen to it in horrid traffic time. It helps!

Passing the acid test.......2004-07-04

My acid test is whether I leave the CD in the player for repeated (and repeated) playings. This one makes my cut. Every track is not as marvelous as some, but each has its charms. The whole adds up to a delicious opera excursion.

I saw this live and was completely captivated. Without the visuals, it is just as wonderful. I too wish they would release the rest of this marathon extravaganza. It deserves to be memorialized.

Great cd.......2003-08-13

i recommend this cd it's great to listen to while walking the dog.Opera makes fluffy happy.

Great variety of fantastic singers!.......2002-01-07

This is as good as it gets. An awesome roster of international stars singing some of the best (but not the most well known) selections in all of opera, and of course James Levine, the man they are all celebrating. It almost goes without saying that Levine's conducting is without comparison throughout the recording. He is truly one of the best conductors of the last thirty years, and he has molded the Met Orchestra into the best in the world. This celebration perfectly captures the incredibly broad repertoire that he is familiar for. It starts out with a well-rounded performance of the famous duet from The Pearl Fishers by Bryn Terfel and Roberto Alagana. When I bought the CD I had never heard the incredible melody that forms the theme of the duet, but it is one of the best in all of opera. Renee Flemming gives a performance of "Despuis le jour" that would be hard to match for sheer vocal beauty. Her final pianisimo is stunning. Domingo and Ramey sing a typically excellent performance of the Faust duet, while Ileana Cotrubas, in a Lehar excerpt shows why she was one of the best lyric sopranos of the last 25 years. "O don fatale" as sung by Dolora Zajick is the thrilling experience it should be. She nails the top notes perfectly and still maintains the warm fullness of the bottom of her register. The 'bravas' start almost before she finishes her final note. The sextet from Don Giovanni is given a world class performance (I have never heard it done better). Ruth Ann Swenson displays awesome coluratura ability in Juliet's lively waltz song, soaring to a high D in the final cadenza. I am not a big fan of Die Fledermaus, but if you are you will surely love the included duet. I was also never a big Alfredo Kraus fan, and I think he sounds more than a bit strained while singing the famous aria from Werther. Not so Grace Bumbry, who's seductive performance of Delila's music should be the standard for this aria. Deborah Voight's Tannhauser is impeccable, while Frederica von Stade sounds a little shrill in her aria. To round out the program is possibly the most exquisite performance ever of some of the most gorgeous music ever written; the final trio from Die Rosenkavalier. It will make a Strauss convert out of anyone.
There are no problems with the live sound, which is crisp, clean and sounds like it could have come from a recording studio. My only complaint is the lack of an overture or other orchestral number that would showcae the Met orchetra. Overall a CD well worth your money. Hopefully DG will release another CD soon with the rest of the concert. You won't find these selections anywhere else so every minute of it will be new and fresh. Fantastic for hard core opera fans or beginners. Highly Recommended!

Average customer rating:

Two and a half hours of divine music...what more can I say?

Heavenly Adagios

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Midnight Adagios
Bedroom Adagios
Evening Adagios
Guitar Adagios
Violin Adagios

ASIN: B0000DJZ7H
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Karl Munchinger
Meditation - Nigel Kennedy
In Paradisum - Iwan Edwards
Gymnopedie No. 1 - Charles Dutoit
Flower Duet - Joan Sutherland
The Swan - Jascha Silberstein
Sleepers Awake - Raymond Agoult
Humming Chorus - Vienna State Opera Chorus
Nimrod - Sir Georg Solti
Walk To The Paradise Garden - Sir Charles Mackerras
Pavane, Op. 50 - Iwan Edwards
Panis Angelicus - Julian Lloyd Webber
Ombra Mai Fu (Largo) - Anthony Way
The Lark Ascending - Iona Brown

Tracks:

Clair De Lune - Pascal Roge
Sheep May Safely Graze - Karl Munchinger
Symphony No. 3 - Second Movement (Excerpt) - Joanna Kozlowska
Stabat Mater - Judith Raskin
Ave Maria - Julian Lloyd Weber
Adagio - Miklos Perenyi
Ave Verum Corpus, K618 - Peter White
Andante Molto Mosso: Scene By The Brook - Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - Karl Munchinger
Largo - Colin Davis
Wiegenlied (Lullaby), Op. 49 No. 4 - Marisa Robles
Adagio - Valery Gergiev
Air On A G string - Sir Neville Marriner

Customer Reviews:

Two and a half hours of divine music...what more can I say?.......2006-02-27

Well, a lot! And since no one else has taken the trouble to review my favorite Adagios collection, I'm just gonna hafta go an' do it myself, won't I?

Starting with the stunningly gorgeous 'Jesu, joy of man's desiring' by Bach, this tape reels you in instantly. I'm not much of a fan of 'slow' and 'peaceful' music; I like the beautiful, sublime type that just makes you tingle all over whenever you hear it. (If only Canon in D was in this tape my cup of joy would overflow) Anyway, don't stop listening because Delibes' 'Flower Duet' comes soon after and it is the very meaning of divine. I listen to the taoe just to hear that one song over and over--but not too much, or it'll loose it's touch. This is a Opera duet (sorry, don't know technical terms, my passion is music, not the science of) sung by two women, for those of you out there like me who know practically nothing!! Gorgeous! Sugoi!! (That's Japanese)

Ahem.
The lovely 'Ombra mai fu' (which, I believe Elizabeth Bennet's sister horribly sings in the BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries) is another memorable piece (hear the previews of these titles, please) and finally, William Vaughan's 'The Lark Ascending' a sixteen minute piece of violin heaven played so expertly you will see larks flying in circles about your head--or is that because your noggen got whacked?

Well, as for the second CD, it wasn't quite as memorable, but it's up against perfection, ok? Brahms' 'lullaby' (yes, THAT lullaby) is really sweet and of course there's 'Claire de Lune', a favorite of the Adagios collection, besides 'Sheep may safely graze' and 'Air on a G string'. (Honestly, does EVERY Adagios collection have that one? It's not even that wonderful.)

But what am I going on and on for?
BUY IT!!!!

NOW!!!!

STOP THINKING ALREADY AND BUY IT!!!
=^-^=

The Magic of Wunderlich [Includes Bonus DVD]

Average customer rating:

Delightful!
A Great and Varied Collection
MAGIC is a good word to describe Fritz Wunderlich

The Magic of Wunderlich [Includes Bonus DVD]

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Very Best of
Fritz Wunderlich: Great German Tenor
The Art of Fritz Wunderlich
An die Musik [2 CD & DVD Limited Edition]
Schumann: Dichterliebe / Wunderlich, Giesen

ASIN: B000AC5B20
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

Finstre Furien, Ihr Geister Der Holle (Crude Furie Delg'orridi Abissi)
Wenn Der Freude Tranen Flieben
Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schon
Lebe Wohl Flandrisch Madchen
Nadir, Du Stehst Wirklich Vor Mir - Und In Des Tempels Grund (C'est Toi, Toi Qu'enfin Je Revois - Au Fond Du Temple Saint)
Wohin Seid Ihr Entschwunden (Kuda, Kuda, Kuda Vi Udalilis)
Ich Denk Ihn Lieber Mir Von Meinem Statde - Liebe Ist Seligkeit, Ist Licht Und Leben (Signor Ne Principe Io O Vorrei - E Il So Dell'anima, La Vita E Amora)
O, Lass Uns Fliehen Aus Diesen Mauern (Parigi, O Cara, Noi Lasceremo)
Und Es Blitzten Die Sterne (E Lucevan Le Stelle)
Wenn Es Abend Wird - Grub Mir Mein Wein
Wien Wird Bei Nacht Erst Schon
Heute Nacht Oder Nie
Ein Lied Geht Um Die Welt
Be My Love
Granada

Tracks:

Nun Schwanden Vor Dem Heiligen Strahle/Verzweiflung, Wut Und Schrecken
Mit Wurd' Und Hoheit Angetan
Ma Qual Mai S'ofre, Oh Dei - Fuggi Crudele
Come Mai Creder Deggio - Dalla Sua Pace
Amici Miei - Il Mio Tesoro Intanto
Nur Einen Wunsch, Nur Ein Verlangen (Unis Des La Plus Tendre Enfance)
O Unverhofftes Gluck - Das Hore Ich Von Dir, Von Meinem Freunde? (O Moment Trop Heureux! - Et Tu Pretends Encore Que Tu M'aimes?)
Hier Nimm Den Ring Der Treue (Prendie: L'anel Ti Dono)
O Schweige Still, O Lasse Dich Erbitten (Ne Parle Pas, Rose, Je T'en Supplie)
Doch Nun Zu Dir - Trenne Nicht Das Band Der Liebe
Di Rigori Armato Il Seno
Heimliche Aufforderung Op.27 No.3
Ich Trage Meine Minne Op.32 No.1
Standchen Op.17 No.2
Zueignung Op.10 No.1
Morgen Op.27 No.4

Customer Reviews:

Delightful!.......2007-01-19

What a beautful voice and such an artist. I've always loved Wunderlich's voice and this album was such a delightful surprise to happen across. The Pearl Fishers' duet with Herman Prey is spectacular--it would be even better than Bjoerling/Merrill if it were in the original French!

A Great and Varied Collection.......2005-12-19

Fritz Wunderlich is a name that is familiar to opera buffs, at least those who enjoy the great singers of the past, but his name is not as familiar with the general public. It probably would have been, had it not been for a tragic and fluke accident that claimed his life. For those who are familiar with this great tenor, he's a beloved musician that makes listeners wonder what could have been.

Wunderlich's voice is one that can be light and airy at times, yet it can also have a dramatic intensity. This two disc set includes a variety of pieces that display Wunderlich's wide range and great vocal talent. His excerpts from Mozart are perhaps his strongest. So often the tenor roles in Mozart operas are cast with performers who are agile and can reach the higher notes, but their voices are somewhat weak. Wunderlich shows just how beautiful these arias can be. The same holds true for his arias from EUGENE ONEGIN and the pieces from well known operettas. His "Au Fond De Temple Saint" performed with Hermann Prey (a dream team pairing if there ever was one) is close to the Bjorling/Merrill rendition. We see his versatility in the excerpt from Haydn's CREATION and the live performance of "Di Rigori Armato" from DER ROSENKAVALIER is a treat and allows the listener to compare his live and studio recordings. The bonus DVD has a few slight flaws, but we see, at least in the scenes from THE BARBER OF SEVILLE that he not only has a wonderful voice but a good stage presence as well.

Most of the tracks are performed in German, even the Bellini, Bizet, and Verdi tracks, as was the case in many of the recordings of famous German singers. This may detract at first, especially of we expect to hear gorgeous French singing and it comes out, well German sounding. Still, it's a wonderful set with great variety and shows us what we missed in this tenor whose career had just begun.

MAGIC is a good word to describe Fritz Wunderlich.......2005-11-08

Magic is a good word to describe Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966), and if you aren't already familiar with his work, you'll see why when you experience this CD.

Many of the tracks are not new to CDs: I'd say 50% of them are also in the "Art of Fritz Wunderlich" set (DG, 7 CDs), including Handel, Mozart, Bellini, and other opera arias. There are 3 tracks from "Don Giovanni" which I had not encountered elsewhere, and a scene from Richard Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier" + 5 Strauss Lieder (with orchestra) not previously released in recent years.

Wunderlich was never less than the very best, and here is no exception. The bonus DVD has almost 30 minutes of scenes of Wunderlich (Count Almaviva) in Rossini's "Barber of Seville", sung in German with Hermann Prey (Figaro) and Erika Koth (Rosina) from a 1959 black and white TV production, in very good mono sound; and two scenes from Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin", also sung in German, and with a young Brigitte Fassbaender (a little more hiss but very good, full, rich mono sound). The Rossini is available from English sources, and hopefully will be available in the US soon.

Like conductor Karl Bohm (1894-1981), I'm going to try to get as much Fritz Wunderlich material as I can find, CD or DVD, as is practical (and even when it isn't!).

Average customer rating:

Gruberova's Extraordinary "Mein Herr Marquis", Sumi Jo's winning "Der hölle Rache"
Beautiful collection, even though not perfect
Breathtaking performances of standard literature
Finally, a 2-disc soprano collection from Decca
The grandeur of the Opera

The #1 Soprano Album

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The #1 Tenor Album
Jewel Song ~ 20 Great Soprano Arias / Crespin, Freni, Te Kanawa, Sutherland, Jo, Tebaldi, Cotrubas, Caballé, Cerquetti...
The #1 Opera Album
The Ultimate Divas Album
The Most Famous Opera Duets

ASIN: B000060OHV
Release Date: 2002-04-09

Tracks:

Puccini: Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro
Delibes: Lakme: Flower Duet
Catalani: La Wally: Ebben?...Ne Andro Lontana
Strauss: Die Fledermaus: Mein Herr Marquis
Canteloube: Chants D'Auvergne: Bailero
Bellini: Norma: Casta Diva
Mozart: The Marriage Of Figaro: Che Soave Zeffiretto
Mozart: The Magic Flute: Der Holle Rache Kocht In Meinem Herzen
Mozart: The Abduction From The Seraglio: Welche Wonne
Verdi: The Sicilian Vespers: Merce, Dilette, Amiche
Verdi: Rigoletto: Caro Nome
Puccini: Tosca: Vissi D'Arte
Puccini: Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di Vedremi
Puccini: La Rondine: Chi il Bel Sogno Di Doretta
Puccini: La Boheme: Quando M'en Vo'
Puccini: La Boheme: Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi
Schubert: Ave Maria

Tracks:

Bizet: Carmen: L'Amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle
Offenbach: The Tales Of Hoffman: Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'Amour
Rossini: The Barber Of Seville: Una Voce Poca Fa
Verdi: La Traviata: E Strano.Ah Fors'e Lui.Sempre Libera
Mozart: The Marriage Of Figaro: Giunse Alfin Il Momento.Deh Vieni Non
Mozart: Don Giovanni: In quali Eccessi.
Villa-Lobos: Aria from Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5
Bach/Gounod: Ave Maria
Handel: Rinaldo: Lascia/Ch'io Pianga
Handel: Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim
Giordano: Andrea Chenier: La Mamma Morta
Flotow: Martha: Last Rose Of Summer
Puccini: Manon Lescaut: In Quelle Trine Morbide
Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde: Mild Und Leise
Orff: Carmina Burana: Cour D'Amours: In Trutina
Shenandoah

Customer Reviews:

Gruberova's Extraordinary "Mein Herr Marquis", Sumi Jo's winning "Der hölle Rache".......2007-06-30

I bought that 2-CD set only for the extraordinary performance of Adele's "Laughing Song" ("Mein Herr Marquis") by Edita Gruberova. It is highly surprising (and inexcusable IMO) that a great label as Universal/Decca wrongly gives it to Kiri Te Kanawa, and that another great company (amazon) relays that big error on this site; the recording is quite recognizable (Gruberova can't be confused with anyone; and at her final, you can't confuse the particular audience of that live performance unable to refrain from blowing their stunning and applause before end), and you can check J. Strauss - Die Fledermaus / Te Kanawa, Gruberova, Fassbaender, Bär, Wiener Philharmoniker, Previn and search it, 1st for "Gruberova", 2nd for "Kanawa".

Another track is, alone, worth buying the CD: Königin der Nacht's "Der hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" by Sumi Jo. Lucia Popp despite her quite deserved immense reputation for this, is beaten (IMO) by Cheryl Studer (purer and more subtle - at least when with Neville Marriner), who is in turn by Sumi Jo: Jo brings the incredible energy and speed and emotion yet chirurgical precision required by that piece full of terrible wrath and grudge (I once attended the Flute where Königin was on her balcony, pointing her finger at her daughter, far away in the court, giving full life to the ultra-powerful music and lyrics "The hellish revenge burns in my heart! Death and destitution to the traitor I hate! Strike him with this deadly weapon! Or you are not my daughter! never more and forever! Go away, ungrateful! Ungrateful! Everything is broken between us until he gives back his villain soul!"), she sings with perfect pitch, tempo and power even up to the 4-repeated highest note (F), with score in hand you find exceptionally little and small flaws, and only in secondary passages. And she sings with "no emotion added" (or removed!), I mean, she is quite accurate emotionally - not everyone is, particularly when singing perfectly such a masterpiece.

There are several more very good tracks (Casta Diva/Sutherland, Welche Wonne welche Lust/Kathleen Battle, O mio babbino caro/Fleming, Dôme épais le jasmin/Sutherland, Schubert's Ave Maria/Leontyne Price), each worth buying the disc, but I agree with previous reviewers that globally the selection is uneven.

Versailles, Sun 1 Jul 2007 01:55:40 +0200

Beautiful collection, even though not perfect.......2006-05-17

As many reviewers have said before, there is a lot of incoherencies in the choices of singers on this double CD. In order to be a truly ultimate collection, the boundaries of recording companies and rights must not interfere, as must have been in this case. This said, it is up to the private collector to accumulate his/her ultimate soprano collection, BUT these CDs are an enormous contribution!

It starts out very strong with beautiful pieces of, and then some singers repeat OFTEN. Not that they are bad choices, it's just that a greater variety would have been nice. More importantly it would have been great to have the "definitive" version/singer of a given aria. Just one example, Sumi Jo's Der Holle Rache is just everywhere as a previous reviewer mentioned -- let's not forget that there is a pristine-perfect-beyond-comparison of Lucia Popp's Queen of the Night also out there somewhere...just NOT on this particular CD...

As far as aria choices are concerned, that is a bit strange to me, too. Of all of Mozart's arias, why those and leave out the magnificent soprano aria from Zaide, "Ruhe sanft"? Hmm...But anyway, the CDs are much better than any other compilation I have of the same type. Highly recommendable after all.

Breathtaking performances of standard literature.......2005-06-09

This CD is a delight from start to finish. It covers most of the most famous soprano arias and duets, featuring celebrated performances by such artists as Nillson and Sutherland, Te Kanawa, Fleming and Bonney. The booklet lists the information on each performance, but does not include the translations. As all are very familiar peices, finding the opera from which they are taken should not be much of a challenge. Not all are opera arias, either; we have "Sheep May Safely Graze" and "Let The Bright Seraphim" to mention a few of the sacred arias here. For opera collectors and those who are just starting to listen alike, this is a very enjoyable CD.

Finally, a 2-disc soprano collection from Decca.......2004-01-09

This is a great compilation to have. I understand that no Maria Callas recordings are not available on this CD because she was never part of the company. There, I set the record straight for any fans of the late opera singer who question it. There are, however, some sopranos and mezzos who are a part of the company that were left off as well, which is my reasoning for giving a 4-star rating rather than a five. Where are Cecilia Bartoli and Mirella Freni. I know that Freni is featured as Mimi on the recording of Musetta's Waltz, but it is minor on the recording, and there should be a recording of her singing an actual aria of her own. Also, recordings of "Dove Sono" (by Te Kanawa, for example), "Voi Che Sapete" (by Bartoli, let's say), "Signore Ascolta" by Caballe, and the Song to The Moon should all be on this compilation. Plus I think that Tatiana Troyanos' recording of the Habanera from Carmen should be featured rather that of Marylin Horne's. Other than that, the #1 Soprano Album is great.

The grandeur of the Opera.......2003-11-27

The #1 soprano album, is a compilation of the most popular opera arias.
This album includes some of the best female voices in history, such as:
Joan Sutherland
Monserrat Caballé
Birgit Nilsson
Renée Fleming
Leontyne Price
Sumi Jo
Kiri Te Kanawa
singing excerpts from Gianni Schicchi, Madama Butterfly, La Bohéme, The Magic Flute, Carmen, Les contes du Hoffman, among many others.

Higlights:
O mio babbino caro/ Fleming
Dome epais le jasmin/ Sutherland & Berbié
Der hölle rache kocht in meinem herzen/ Jo
Un bel di vedremi/ Crespin
Let the bright seraphim/ Sutherland
La mamma morta/ Caballé
Mild und leise/Nilsson
among others.

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5: Mvmt. I - Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Four Seasons 'Spring': Mvmt. I - Jose-Luis Garcia
Canon - Ettore Stratta
Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Mvmt. I - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Jewels Of The Madonna: Intermezzo - Richard Kapp
Claire De Lune - Boston Pops
Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - Arthur Fiedler
Air On The G String - Rudolf Baumgartner
Lakme - Flower Duet - Richard Kapp
Blue Danube Waltz - Arthur Fiedler
Polovtsian Dance No.17: 'Stranger In Paradise' - Arthur Fiedler
Ride Of The Valkyries - Philadelphia Orchestra
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni: Var. 18 - Leonard Pennario
Fur Elise - Lisa Moore
William Tell Overture: Finale - Arthur Fiedler
1812 Overture: Finale - Fritz Reiner

Customer Reviews:

I loved this cd very much!!.......1999-06-09

If you are looking for a CD that has a little of everything, you should get this one.

Average customer rating:

Simply Wonderful!
A Fine Way to Spend One's Evening
Nice CD for the office, or the ride home from work

The Ultimate Relaxation Album

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Ultimate Relaxation Album II
Ultimate Relaxation Album IV
Ultimate Relaxation Album, Vol. 3
Heavenly Adagios
The Ultimate Relaxation Christmas Album

ASIN: B00005M0NC
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Tracks:

Air on G String from Orchestral Suite 3, BWV 1068 - Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Largo from Guitar Concerto in D Major - English Chamber Orchestra, George Malcolm
Pavane - Charles Dutoit,
Canon in D - Karl Mger, , Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
Pavane from Capriol Suite - Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Romance for String Orchestra Op. 11 - Narciso Yepes
Gymnopedies Nos. 1 and 3 - Charles Dutoit,
Gymnopedies Nos. 1 and 3 - Charles Dutoit,
Variation No. 18 from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Nocturne from String Quartet No. 2 in D - BBC Concert Orchestra, James Judd, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth
Swan from Carnival of the Animals - Marie Goosens, Jascha Silberstein
Pieds-En-L'Air from Capirol Suite - Academy of St. Martin in the Fields,
Largo from Keyboard Concerto No. 5, BMV 1056 - English Chamber Orchestra, Raymond Leppard
Vocalise No. 14 Op. 34 - Academy of St. Martin in the Fields,
Andante from Piano Concerto No. 21, K467 - English Chamber Orchestra, Uri Segal
Pavan for a Dead Princess - Bernard Haitink, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Simply Wonderful!.......2005-10-09

Are you ever searching for a great, relaxing, classical album that has more than just a single composer such as Chopin or Vivaldi? This is the album for you. Great classical composers all together on one album that can help soothe the day's stresses away. Great from start to finish and one of my favorites in my collection of classical music.

A Fine Way to Spend One's Evening.......2005-06-14

To start, I'll say my family (with the possible exception of my sister) is a fan of classical music. I was raised on Mozart adagios and Beethoven symphonies. When I came across this album in my parents collection not long ago, I began to listen quite avidly to it. The "Air on G String from Orchestral Suite 3, BWV 1068" is quite probably my favorite JS Bach pieces (probably due to its usage in "End of Evangelion") and the "Canon in D" has long inspired emotional scenes in my novels. While I'm sure many disagree, I find other recordings of the piece less emotional from my experience.

I rarely listen to the second half of the CD (my favorites are in the first quarter of the album), but all are relaxing and have excellent tone. The one piece I do not enjoy is the Vivaldi's Lute Concerto in D. For some reason, the sound of a classical guitar doesn't lull me into relaxation.

Overall, a very relaxing CD with great voice.

Nice CD for the office, or the ride home from work.......2005-03-25

A quite nice collection of classical favorites, including Bach's "Air on a G String" played by the ever-talented Academy of St.-Martin-in-The-Fields and Borodin's "Nocturne from String Quartet. Of course they didn't leave out everyone's favorites - Pachelbel's "Canon" and Rachamaninoff's "Rhapsody on a THeme of Paganini" which would alone make this CD worth buying. Nice easy listening for in the car or your office cube.

Music Review:

Music Review

Schumann: Romances Op94; Nachtstücke Op23

Lust [Explicit Lyrics]

Star Status, Vol. 1

Round and Round the Table of God

Porto Dos Milagres [Import]

Talk On Corners [Special Edition] [Special Edition]

Shakin' the Tale: Live 2003 [Live] [Import]

Tchaikovsky - Eugen Onegin / T. Allen, Freni, von Otter, Shicoff, Burchuladze; Levine

Sidewinder [Import]

Salsa [Import]

Operacion Rebenque

Albert Roussel: Chamber Music with Flute

Short Bus

1. Sonata C Major 1
2. Sonata C Major 2
3. Sonata C Major 3
4. Sonata D Major 1
5. Sonata D Major 2
6. Sonata D Major 3
7. Sonata B Flat Major 1
8. Sonata B Flat Major 2
9. Sonata B Flat Major 3
10. Andante G Major
11. Sonata For Two Pianos 1
12. Sonata For Two Pianos 2
13. Sonata For Two Pianos 3
14. Sonata F Major 1
15. Sonata F Major 2
16. Sonata F Major 3
17. Adagio F Minor
18. Sonata C Major 1
19. Sonata C Major 2
20. Sonata C Major 3