Elgar: The Sketches for Symphony No. 3

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Naxos's title for this disc is an outstanding example of honesty. Edward Elgar never wrote his Third Symphony; he left behind a mass of sketches that were in no sense a completed work. The detailed program notes for this disc clearly explain what Elgar wrote and what use Anthony Payne has made of the materials. The result is a coherent, four-movement symphony, but only a hint of what Elgar's would have been like. Some striking material, including the opening theme of the first movement, grabs the listener's attention, but, for the most part, that material is dispersed in discursive development--not unlike, a cynic might remark, the style of Elgar's completed symphonies. This is not a major discovery, but those already fond of Elgar's music will welcome the disc, with its lively and sensitive performance, good recorded sound, excellent annotations, and bargain price, as a reasonable opportunity to investigate what might have been. --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

Bach: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Vivaldi: Largo Winter
Bach: Air On A G String
Torelli: Trumpet Concerto
Bach: Sheep May Safely Graze
Handel: Let The Bright Seraphim
Handel: Pastoral Symphony
Boccherini: String Quintet, Minuet
Mendelssohn: On Wings Of Song
Liszt: Dream Of Love
Rachmaninov: Vocalise
Debussy: Claire De Lune
Satie: Gymnopedie No.1
Gluck: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits
Debussy: Arabesque
Bizet: Intermezzo
Elgar: Salut D'amour
Debussy: Prelude A L'apres - Midi D'un Faun

Tracks:

Wagner: Bridal Chorus
Clarke: Trumpet Voluntary
Handel: Royal Fireworks Music, Overture
Gabrieli: Canzon V
Charpentier: Te Deum
Purcell: Trumpet Tune
Mussorgsky: Promenade
Pachebel: Canon In D
Handel: Larghetto
Vivaldi: Guitar Concerto In D Major, Largo
Handel: Water Music, Air
Macdowell: To A Wild Rose
Beethoven: Pathetique Sonata, Adagio
Melchior: Adagio
Gounod: Ave Maria
Schubert: Ave Maria
Franck: Panis Angelicus
Faure: Pie Jesu
Rachmaninov: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini
Schumann: Romance For Violin And Piano
Massenet: Meditation

Tracks:

Mendelssohn: Wedding March
Vivaldi: Concerto For Two Trumpets In B, Allegro
Telemann: Trumpet Concerto In D, Allegro
Vivaldi: Spring, Allegro
Telemann: Trumpet Concerto In B, Allegro
Handel: Concerto Grosso, Hornpipe
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.4, Allegro
Handel: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
Schumann: Piano Quintet In E Flat Major
Widor: Toccata
Dubois: Toccata
Walton: Crown Imperial
Bach: Cantata No.51. 'Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen.' Alleluia
Mozart: Exsultate Jubilate, Alleluia
Handel: Water Music, Hornpipe
Chopin; Variations On A Theme From 'La Cenerentola'
Faure: Sicilienne
Offenbach: Barcarolle
Faure: Berceuse
Saint-Saens: The Swan
Brahms: Waltz In A Flat
Grieg: Wedding Day At Troldhaugen

Album Description

The process of choosing music for a wedding day can certainly be a daunting process for any couple. There are many choices and the questions can be endless. Traditional music or something off the beaten path? Will your Mom cry (and not in a good way) if you do not come down the aisle to the traditional Wedding March from Wagner, or are you eager to try something new? This collection is designed to give the bridal couple some key pointers to navigate the world of classical music for their wedding day. The package includes over 3 1/2 hours of music on 3 CDs for all portions of the wedding service, all from the Naxos classical label (known for high-quality recordings at inexpensive prices). Wedding day favorites are there, along with new discoveries and tunes you may have never considered for a wedding. All pieces are hand selected by professional wedding musicians and consultants. As a bonus, the 20 page booklet will lead you through the process of choosing music, from hiring musicians to sample programs. Everything you need to create your own unique personal wedding soundtrack.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT WEDDING MUSIC!.......2007-01-24

I used these CD's for my wedding, and I was so happy I did. You need to buy this CD if you like having a traditional wedding! :)

Good Music.......2006-07-05

I bought these CDs for my wedding, in ceremony and reception. Also, when I created my own wedding video, I used it as background music.

A very complete selection of ceremony music!.......2005-02-02

I am getting married in several months and we couldn't decide what music we wanted at our wedding ceremony. This three disk compilation reminded us of all the great ones- including new options we hadn't thought about. I really enjoyed hearing the organ and strings versions of the songs. If you're someone who hears a classical or baroque piece of music, but can't remember the name or the precise tune, this is a must-have to jog your memory and trigger the tear ducts!

Comprehensive Classical Selection.......2004-04-15

I searched all over for a CD set that had a somewhat comprehensive list of classical selections that are traditionally played at weddings. When I found this 3 CD set, I was very pleased. It contains 61 works from almost as many composers. This set might not contain the "best recording ever" of each of the selections, however it is very well done and the quality is very good. I used it primarily to choose the pieces that I wanted to have played by the church organist, and so the actual recordings were more for my consumption rather than for use in the ceremony/reception itself. However, I would not have hestitated to use the CD's in the wedding itself if needed. The book inside includes a list of suggested songs for various wedding styles (formal, outside, morning, etc.). From the classical neophyte to the seasoned classical music expert, this CD set will meet if not exceed expectations.

Just one note..........2003-06-07

I have not heard this album, so I cannot rate it as a whole. (The form made me include a rating, but disregard that.) However, I want to point out that track 36, the Pie Jesu from Gabriel Faure's Requiem is - well, from a requiem, a mass for the dead. The Pie Jesu is a lovely, gentle movement, and it has a beautiful and pure sound that does seem to fit the mood of a wedding. The Latin words, however, mean "Merciful Lord Jesus, grant them everlasting rest," where "them" refers to the dead.

Tracks:

Military March No. 1 In D Major, Op. 39: Pomp Ad Circumstance
Waltz Fom Der Rosenkavalier Suite
'Von der Schonheit' From Das Lied von der Erde
'De l'aube a midi sur la mer' From La Mer
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 'Classical Symphony': III. Gavotta. Non troppo allegro
L'histoire du soldat Suite - IV. The Royal March
L'histoire du soldat Suite - V. The Little Concert
Le tombeau de Couperin - V. Menuet
Le tombeau de Couperin - VI. Toccata
Sinfonia From Pulcinella Suite
Walzer From Funf Klavierstucke, Op. 23
Interlude From Wozzeck, Act III
Prologue From Music Ffor The Theatre
'Shine On Harvest Moon'
'Alexander's Ragtime Band' - Irving Berlin
'Over There'
'How You Gonna Keep'em Down On The Farm (After They've Seen Paree)?'
'The Man I Love' From Stride Up The Band
'West End Blues'

Amazon.com

The first two-thirds of this disc is a fascinating cram course in concert music around the time of World War I. The programmer has put together some fascinating juxtapositions--for example, Strauss's Rosenkavalier leads almost seamlessly into Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, and Schoenberg sounds out of context with everybody (including Berg). The selections are all short, and performance quality runs from great to mediocre, but this is still a thought-provoking educational experience, even though Bartók and Ives are conspicuously missing. The popular selections are less interesting, often campy, and although vintage recordings are used, they aren't always the right vintage. And someone missed a point by separating Copland's jazzy "Music for the Theatre" from Louis Armstrong, who could have followed immediately. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Music and the Great War.......2007-05-14

This is a fascinating compendium of popular and classical music from the World War One period. It evokes all the turmoil, anguish, and also humor, of the age, and is a vital CD to own if you have an interest in the Great War and the music it inspired or was inspired by.

How a Century Has Change Our Perception of War.......2005-10-29

War. Tough subject these days - tough subject since the beginning of time. Yet Americans tend to mend wounds and gradually allow the atrocities of yesteryear to fade into coated cases that signal more memories of 'how things used to be' rather than learning from the tragedies with which war has scarred the planet. National Public Radio issued this excellent memoir at the turn of the millennium and one wonders if it now has the same response that greeted it in 1999.

Linda Kobler reconstituted this mix of classical and popular music with a keen sense of history. The CD is twice divided (in both the classical and the popular music) into 'Before the War' 1901 - 1917, 'During the War' 1917 - 1922, and 'After the War' 1922 - 1928. In the first era are the works of Elgar ('Pomp and Circumstance'), Strauss (a waltz from 'Der Rosenkavalier'), Mahler (excerpt from 'Das Lied von der Erde'), and Debussy ('La Mer') joining the songs 'Shine On Harvest Moon' and 'Alexander's Ragtime Band'. The War period is represented by Prokofiev's 'Symphony No. 1', Stravinsky's 'L'histoire du soldat', and Ravel's 'Le tombeau de Couperin' in tandem with 'Over There'. After the war include Stravinsky ('Pulcinella Suite'), Schoenberg (Waltz from 'Five Piano Pieces'), Berg (excerpt from 'Wozzeck') and Copland ('Music from the Theatre') with popular songs 'How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm', 'The Man I Love', and 'West End Blues'.

The excerpts selected for this survey are exceptionally good: orchestras include NY Phil, LA Phil, Philadelphia Orchestra, London Symphony, and the Columbia Symphony under such batons a Ormandy, Bernstein, Salonen, Tilson Thomas, Schippers and Stravinsky; soloists include Glen Gould, Robert Casadesus, Lili Chookaskian, Louis Armstrong, et al. The sonics are very fine and the performances are each from significant full recordings remaining in the catalogue.

The booklet accompanying this concert of memories is written by Linda Kobler who uses each selection as a pivotal point in the atmosphere of the globe that accompanied the Great War: it is very well written and informative. This is one of those recorded collections that goes far beyond an accumulation of bits and pieces and instead gives food for thought about how our political and social actions intertwine with the arts in a prophetic way. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

Excellent Recording!.......1999-03-13

(It was called The "Great" War, because nobody knew about WWII at the time and it was the biggest war anyone had ever seen.)

I think this CD may be a bit choppy to "easy" listeners, but for anyone who has a sincere interest in delving into the musical senses of earlier generations it's VERY good! I recommend the entire NPR Milestones of the Millennium series to such aficionados.

Good music, bad title.......1999-02-11

Since when is war great? Life in the trenches waiting for the germans to attack you worrying about whether mustard gas is gonna loft your way isn't exactly like sipping chablis.

Average customer rating:

not to great
Not so bad, 100 tunes for 4$
You get what you pay for.
Now I know why there were no song samples to listen to ...

100 Favorite Patriotic Songs

Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | 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

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

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

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

America's Favorite Patriotic Songs
United We Stand: Songs for America
American Pride: Sixteen Stirring Patriotic Themes
America's Bugle Calls
Patriotic Country

ASIN: B0000A1HT8
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Tracks:

America the Beautiful
All Quiet on the Potomac Tonight
Ballad of the Green Berets
On Top of Old Smokey
Coyote Warrior
Semper Fidelis
Breeze from Alabama
Onward Christian Soldiers
Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming
Patriot
Sweet Betsy from Pike
Marines' Hymn
America Is
When Johnny Comes Marchin' Home
Happy the Soldier
American Trilogy
Home Sweet Home
Washington Post March
Enraptured I Gaze
Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair
Yellow Rose of Texas
Over There
Simple Gifts
Liberty Bell
Star Spangled Banner

Tracks:

God Bless the USA
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Katy Cruel
I Vow to Thee My Country
King Cotton
Beautiful Dreamer
America
American Patrol
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Beauty
Mohican Dream
Red, White and Blue
Some Folks
Liberty Song
Pomp and Circumstance
Hail to the Chief
Bennington Rifles
Peace on the Battlefield
I've Been Working on the Railroad
Under the Double Eagle
Red River Valley
My Country 'Tis of Thee
Camptown Races
Wild Blue Yonder
Hands Across the Sea
Fanfare for the Common Man

Tracks:

Stars and Stripes Forever
Living in America
Home on the Range
Old Colony Times
Clementine
Invincible Eagle
Ring Ring de Banjo
Yankee Doodle
Largo from "The New World"
To a Wild Rose
Hail Columbia
Alexander's Ragtime Band
Gettysburg
Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
Capitan
Prairie Daughter
Little Brown Jug
Marching Through Georgia
Entertainer
Steamboat Around the Bend
Revolutionary Tea
Cassions Keep Rollin' Along
Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier
Amazing Grace
Grand Old Flag

Tracks:

God Bless America
National Emblem
Soldier, Soldier Won't You Marry Me
Anchors Away
Oh, Susannah
Tramp, Tramp, Tramp
Toast
Dixie
St. Louis Blues
Appalachian Spring
Bonnie Blue Flag
Old Hundreth
Swanee River
Battle Cry of Freedom
U. S Field Artillery
Sidewalks of New York
Chester
Auld Lang Syne
Kingdom Come
My Old Kentucky Home
Hail to the Spirit of Liberty
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Shenandoah
Abraham's Daughter
This Land Is Your Land

Customer Reviews:

not to great.......2007-04-04

We were disappointed with this CD, but for the price I guess we can't expect much. I didn't care for the new style presentation of the songs. I like a more traditional rendering.

Not so bad, 100 tunes for 4$.......2005-06-22

I red the comments of two other people who have bought this 4 CD BOX SET and it is not really so bad. I will even add that there are some excellent tunes. However, I must agree with the fact that few tunes seem to have been recorded 40 or 50 years ago, mainly when you hear the scratches of an old turntable but it is just 2 or 3 tunes. Furthermore, if you do not know American music, it is a good BOX SET to buy if you consider that you received 4 CD for 4$ including 100 tunes. On these 4 CD, I have heard some orchestration that I have never heard before and I consider that they are different but interesting. Any way, after hearing these 100 tunes, you will say to yourself that you like this tune, this other tune, this other tune and so on and you will be able to buy a more expensive CD with the tunes that you like. However, I have bought many CDs in the last few weeks and as you know, there are always some tunes that you like and some tunes that you do not like on every CD that you will buy. So, don't buy it at 25$ but at 4 or 5$ dollars, it is a very good choice for 100 tunes.

You get what you pay for........2004-07-04

You get what you pay for. The singers put their own spin on the singing of each song. If you didn't hear the words you would not recognize some of them. Even some of the music sounds like a bad recording of music played on a turntable. Definitely not worth the price.

Now I know why there were no song samples to listen to ..........2004-07-04

I wish this review had been here when I was thinking of purchasing it. I guess you get what you pay for. If you are thinking of buying this, you are better off recording your own CDs (or at least buying one that you can listen to a sampling of the songs). This album includes songs that were mere recordings of the songs playing on an old record player. It's almost so unbelievable that it is funny.

Classical Music Start-Up Kit, Vol. 2: 1825-1945

Average customer rating:

Classical Music Start-Up Kit, Vol. 2: 1825-1945

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Classical Music Start-Up Kit, Vol. 1 (1500-1825)
Prehistoric Art (Art in History)
Ancient Roman Art (Hodge, Susie, Art in History.)
Ancient Egyptian Art (Hodge, Susie, Art in History.)
The Instruments of Classical Music, Vol. 6: The Cello

ASIN: B00005YCX6
Release Date: 1996-01-04

Tracks:

Scherzo - Jeno Jando
Waltz In C# Minor - Peter Nagy
Song Without Words, Op.102, No.5 - Peter Nagy
'The Fountains Of The Villa D'Este' - Jeno Jando
Scherzo - Jeno Jando
'March To The Scaffold' - Pinchas Steinberg
Finale - Adrian Leaper
Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (Excerpt) - Adrian Leaper
The Moldau (exc) - Slovak PO/Barry Wordsworth
Final Movement Of Symphony No.9 'From The New World' - Stephen Gunzenhauser
'Bydlo' - Jeno Jando
'Flight Of The Bumblebee' - Balazs Szokolay
'Polovtsian Dances' - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Finale - Adrian Leaper
Finale - Takako Nishizaki
'Liebestod' - Johannes Wildner
Finale - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Intro To Also Sprach Zarathustra - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Uranus, The Magician - Adrian Leaper
'Jeux De Vagues' - Alexander Rahbari
'Sunrise' - Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Chorus
Adoration Of The Earth (Finale) - Alexander Rahbari
March From Love For Three Oranges Suite, Op.33: March - Andrew Mogrelia
Scherzo - Alexander Rahbari
Finale - Alexander Rahbari

Average customer rating:

Only thing wrong is the title... Good classical collection!

Candlelight Favorites (25)

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

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | 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

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Sentimental Favorites (25)
25 Romantic Classics
25 Classical Favorites
Symphony (25) Favorites
25 Concerto Favorites

ASIN: B0000058IB
Release Date: 1996-08-20

Tracks:

The Entertainer - Roger Shields
Nutcracker Suite (Chocolate) - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Water Music (Original No. 18) - George Frideric Handel
Concerto For 2 Oboes & Strings In D Minor, Op. 42 No. 2 (I. Largo) - A. Caroldi
Concerto For 4 Pianos In A Minor BWV 1065 (III. Allegro) - Bracha Eden
Symphony In G Major, K. 45a 'Lambacher - Sinfonie' (II. Andante) - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Trumpet Concerto In C (IV. Allegro) - Edward H. Tarr
Enigma Variations, Op. 36 (Beginning) - Sir Edward Elgar
Op. 289: Persian March - Johann Strauss II
Barcarolle - Susan Jolles
Concerto In D For Trumpet, 2 Oboes, Strings & Continuo (II. Largo) - Heinz Zickler
Prelude No. 6, Op. 28 - Walter Klien
Violin Concerto No. 1 In A Minor BWV 1041 (I. Allegro) - Susanne Lautenbacher
Suite For 2 Trumpets, 2 Oboes & Strings (II. Largo) - Heinz Zickler
Serenade No. 4 In D Major, K. 203 - Oscar Ravina
Violin Concerto No. 2 In B Minor, Op. 7 'La Campanella (II. Adagio) - Jean-Jacques Kantorow
Pictures At An Exhibition (I. Promenade) - Modest Mussorgsky
Variation On A Waltz By Diabelli, D. 718 - Peter Frankl
Water Music (Original No. 15) - George Frideric Handel
Le Coucou - Werner Simons
Plaisir D'Amore - Susan Jolles
Caucasian Sketches (IV. Procession Of The Sardar) - Mikhail Mikhaylovich Ippolitov-Ivanov
Salu D'Amour (Love's Greeting) - Sir Edward Elgar
Symphony No. 39 In F Major (II. Andantino) - Michael Haydn
Cello Concerto No. 2 In D Major, Hob VIIb/2 (II. Adagio) - Laszlo Varga

Customer Reviews:

Only thing wrong is the title... Good classical collection!.......2003-10-13

I've pondered the title of this fine classical collection for quite some time (far longer than is warranted, to be sure), and I've yet to come to a conclusion as to why this album is called CANDLELIGHT FAVORITES. While some selections are solemn (Enigma Variations), romantic (Variations on a Waltz), and intense (Concerto for 2 Oboes), far more pieces are bright (Water Music) and even whimsical (The Entertainer). Though it didn't exactly set the mood I was anticipating, this album will by no means be collecting dust on my shelf.

This collection surpasses many classical variety albums in its overall quality, regardless of the excellent price. The performances of the respective pieces are excellent as is the audio engineering, which is crisp and clear. What suprised me most, after a couple listens, was how well the widely varied pieces fit together as an album. The selections cross time from the early Baroque period into the 20th century, and they all have a certain continuity. This gives the album added value, as you'd have to purchase many albums to have the wide range of music represented here. CANDLELIGHT FAVORITES gives a mixture of instantly recognizable tunes with some "deeper cuts". It's essentially a classical "mix tape" of sorts, and it works well for both background and purposeful listening.

Tracks:

Solomon: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
The Four Seasons: Autumn: Allegro
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral': Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Symphony No.41 'Jupiter': Menuetto Allegro
Fair At Sorochintsy: Gopak
La Gioconda: Dance Of The Hours
Carnival Of The Animals: Aquarium
La Mer: Play Of The Waves
Humoresque
Sheep May Safely Graze
Masques Et Bergamasques: Ouverture
The Gadfly: Barrel-Organ Waltz
The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Fugue
Symphony No.104 'London': Allegro Finale

Tracks:

Orpheus In The Underworld: Can-Can
William Tell: Overture
Four Overtures: Rakoczy March
Perpetual Motion: A Musical Joke
Pizzicato Polka
Minute Waltz
Concerto For Two Horns: Vivace
Pomp And Circumstance
Parade Of The Sandwich Board Men
Thunderbird Suite: Wolf Song
Indian Scenes: On The Jocko
Lieutenant Kije
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro
Radetzky March
The Tale Of The Tsar Sultan: Flight Of The Bumblebee
Die Walkure: Ride Of The Walkyries
The Bartered Bride: Dance Of The Comedians

Tracks:

Gayane: Sabre Dance
Carmen Suite: March Of The Toreadors
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 In D Minor (Excerpt)
Suite No.2: Badinerie
Fireworks Music: Allegro Finale
Children's Corner Suite: Golliwog's Cake Walk
Parade Of The Tin Soldiers
Carnival Of The Animals: Fossils
Sleeping Beauty: Sleeping Beauty Waltz
Giselle: Allegro
Giselle: Gallop
Peter And The Wolf: Peter In The Meadow/The Bird
Pictures At An Exhibition: Ballet Of The Chickens
Masquerade: Gallop
Sylvia: Pizzicato
Italian Polka
The Red Poppy: Russian Sailor's Dance
Shepherd's Hey
Emperor Waltz
Peer Gynt: In The Hall Of The Mountain King
A Night In The Tropics: Festa Criolla
Hungarian Dance No.5

Customer Reviews:

Listen,Learn, & Grow: Playtime.......2007-05-14

The music is excellent, with high quality sound. Not irritating as some classical music can be. Plus the tempo's are varied which is great depending if you need something fast paced or more slow. Best of all, the kids enjoyed it!

Grandkids love it!.......2007-01-03

How to gently insert a little culture into the grandkids' lives without Mom freaking out.....send this set of CDs for Christmas. Dad's into heavy metal and Mom, although she has a long history of listening to Classical music as a child, is now into Country. Nothing wrong with that, but how are the three little ones going to hear any of the Classics with Grandma living more than 600 miles away? "Play this in the background while they're having creative time," said I, "and see if they don't enjoy it." When I talked with them a week later the 4 year old couldn't wait to tell me how much he liked the "playtime music" I'd sent him. The quality of the recording is good and the variety of rhythms and tempos make it interesting. Yes they're a little trite and you're going to have to explain that the theme to "the Bad News Bears" really is Classical, but that's okay. If they skipped the genius of Mozart as an infant, or even if they teethed to "the Magic Flute", these CDs will give them a taste of a variety of good music and who knows how far into the Classical realm it may send them as they mature?

Decca Recordings, 1965-1972 (Limited Edition)

Average customer rating:

Stokowski in Phase 4 land, Vol. 1
Stupendous Stokowski

Decca Recordings, 1965-1972 (Limited Edition)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Original Masters: Leopold Stokowski: Decca Recordings 1964-1975 [BOX SET]
Pierre Monteux Decca & Philips Recordings, 1956-1964
Ernest Ansermet: Decca Recordings 1953-1967
Dvorak: Symphony No7;Symphony No8;Symphony No9
CARL SCHURICHT Decca Recordings 1949-1956

ASIN: B0000B0A0P
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Customer Reviews:

Stokowski in Phase 4 land, Vol. 1.......2006-09-22

Decca has pulled a lot of Stokowski's gaudy Phase 4 recordings off the market so that they can reappear in this box set, but the company had already licensed many out to another label, Cala, that specializes in all things Stokowski. So if you pick and choose, you can buy your favorites recordings individually with a little effort. Of the two volumes in the Original Masters series, this one is the more interesting musically.

For one thing, it features two of the conductor's great strengths: his incomparable Bach transcriptions (no one else performs them with the same total commitment) and his Debussy and Ravel. Admittedly, this La Mer and Daphnis and Chloes have been multi-miked within an inch of their lives, and neither represents Stokowski as wonderuflly as his EMI Debussy collection, but if you love the old magician, you'll love these readings.

Aslo very appealing are the Enigma Variations, which Stokowski recorded only once, and the Franck D minor Sym., though don't expect world-class execution in either case. Stokowski championed early Messiaen in l'Ascension, and here is his last version, along with a swooning and seductive Scriabin Poeme d'Extase.

You have to adore recorded excess to swallow this Symphonie fantastique and Firebird, both gorgeous in a kind of Las Vegas neon billboard sort of way. But for geneations of listeners, that's what Stokowski is all about. What he's not about, sadly, is the wretchedly eccentric and nearly unlistenable Tchaikovsky Fifth Sym., the only performance in this whole set that made me hold my nose.

In all, thee are enough goodie here to justify buying the whole box, unless you want to pick and choose, in which case turn to Cala's excellent reissues.

Stupendous Stokowski.......2004-03-30

This five disc box set featuring the Decca Recordings (1965-72) of conductor Leopold Stokowski is among the latest batch of releases in the limited edition "Original Masters" series. While parts of this particular collection have been available on CD in the past (in the old "Phase 4" and "Weekend Classics" series), some of this material is being made available for the first time internationally. Those performances include Franck's Symphony (Hilversium RPO, 1970), Elgar's Enigma Variations (Czech PO, 1972), Ravel's "Fanfare" (Hilversium, 1970) and Messiaen's "L'Ascension" (London SO, 1970). Other highlights include an entire disc (CD1) of Stokowski's Transcriptions, and a delightful reading of Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique" with the New Philharmonia Orchestra from 1968. In all, another great set in the "Original Masters" series.

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How to win a job

Orchestral Excerpts for Cello

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

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Orchestra Excerpts for Viola
Orchestral Excerpts for Violin

ASIN: B0000038KY
Release Date: 1998-01-27

Tracks:

William Tell Ov
Sym No.1
Sym No.2
Pno Con
Don Juan
Ein Heldenleben
Don Quixote
Sym No.2
Enigma Vars
Sym No.5
Sym No. 8
La Mer
Requiem (Offertorio)
Marriage of Figaro Ov
Syms No.40 & No.35
Midsummer Nights Dream
Sym No.4
Sym No.4
Sym No.6
Sym No.5

Customer Reviews:

How to win a job.......2006-06-12

Leonard does a wonderful job introducing each excerpt by describing common mistakes made on each piece in auditions and how to avoid them. Also gives advice on tempos, bowings, and fingerings. A wonderful resource, even for noncellists. I'm a bassist and have found many helpful hints to fix problems. A must have for any cellist or bassist hoping to give better auditions and even play better in an orchestra on these common excerpts.

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The saddest story...
Elgar's third symphony
Thank God for Anthony Payne!
Brilliant realization
A different view, for different tastes

Elgar: The Sketches for Symphony No. 3
Paul Daniel
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Elgar: Symphony No. 2, Op. 63
Elgar: Imperial March / Symphony 1
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez; Fantasía para un Gentilhombre; Concierto para una Fiesta
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 / Karl Böhm

ASIN: B00004RC80
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3: I Allegro molto maestoso
Symphony No. 3: II Scherzo: Allegretto
Symphony No. 3: III Adagio solenne
Symphony No. 3: IV Allegro

Amazon.com

Naxos's title for this disc is an outstanding example of honesty. Edward Elgar never wrote his Third Symphony; he left behind a mass of sketches that were in no sense a completed work. The detailed program notes for this disc clearly explain what Elgar wrote and what use Anthony Payne has made of the materials. The result is a coherent, four-movement symphony, but only a hint of what Elgar's would have been like. Some striking material, including the opening theme of the first movement, grabs the listener's attention, but, for the most part, that material is dispersed in discursive development--not unlike, a cynic might remark, the style of Elgar's completed symphonies. This is not a major discovery, but those already fond of Elgar's music will welcome the disc, with its lively and sensitive performance, good recorded sound, excellent annotations, and bargain price, as a reasonable opportunity to investigate what might have been. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

The saddest story..........2005-04-06

The other reviewers on this page have covered most of the essentials. All I want to add is something sufficiently subjective to open up a different kind of objectivity. No, this isn't Elgar's Third Symphony (and doesn't claim to be); in some deep way it's a meditation on that non-existent work. To me it is a very strong piece, and strong in inimitably Elgarian ways. Regardless of what is Elgar and what is Payne, we are often taken aback by moments or connections that aren't Elgarian in their typicality but--far better--Elgarian in the kind of revelation they bring. And what Payne has done with them is create a finished work that is always gesturing towards its incompleteness, most of all in the strange yet hauntingly effective ending.

And all this is exactly as it should be. In the last two or three years of his life Elgar had felt his muse returning--in part, almost as with Janacek, through his attraction for a young performer. He surely knew how good the new material in the Symphony was. He was working again, and well, and for any artist there is no pleasure that is at all comparable. And then, of course, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Any hope that he had, delusory or not, that his strength would see the work to completion collapsed.

The terrible pathos of Elgar's last months was not that his best work was long behind him. It was that he had once more come to life as the great artist he was, only to watch that life slip away--and with it his Third Symphony. I don't think it's over-interpreting to hear that pathos in Payne's brilliant yet respectful "elaboration." Nor is such duplicity alien to Elgar's other works, which are so often emotionally ambivalent and which also simultaneously celebrate his self-made place in the Western classical tradition and lament that tradition's passing. The sad grandeur of Elgar's best work is woven from this, and the "Elgar Third" now closes his career in splendor, reflection and sadness at once.

Elgar's third symphony.......2003-10-11

This is, admittedly, a reconstruction of what Elgar may have done with the sketches he left for his proposed third symphony. Fortunately, he left some sketches fully orchestrated and quite a bit more in a piano score. When Anthony Payne reconstructed the symphony, he was able to utilize not only the sketches but some written comments by one of Elgar's closest friends. Payne worked long and hard on the score and it is probably as close to what Elgar would have done with the music as is humanly possible. The results are very impressive, quite powerful, and often very moving. The third movement is especially emotional, with a tragic, dramatic quality that suggests that Elgar knew the end of his life and work was drawing to a close. The performance of this wonderful music by Paul Daniels and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is outstanding and it is very well recorded by Naxos. One of the nicest things about this particular recording is that it's quite affordable. The third symphony is a welcome addition to the other very fine orchestral works that Elgar composed (and even recorded) during his very long life.

Thank God for Anthony Payne!.......2002-08-23

This splendid symphony may not be exactly what Elgar had in mind, but I'm certain he would have been proud of it. From the strikingly majestic opening (which Elgar had already orchestrated), there is no doubt that the great composer's creative juices were flowing to the brim once again, a year before his death. The symphony positively abounds with Elgar's unique melodic inventions, and we owe Anthony Payne an enormous debt of gratitude for enabling us to hear them in such a potent context.

Leslie Berber's editorial gives the impression that this is a minor work, but nothing, in fact, could be further from the truth. Repeated listenings have merely confirmed my admiration for Elgar's vision of this work, and Payne's painstaking "elaboration", as the latter has described it. For this is a symphony of considerable vitality with a very wide palette of colours and moods.

The splendidly dramatic opening that I referred to quickly dissolves into one of the most lilting, tender melodies that Elgar ever composed, infinitely touching in its wistfulness. Then there is the exquisite Scherzo, with its Spanish flavour - the perfect balance to the haunting Adagio which follows. The latter is Elgar at his most introspective, with the first theme displaying an inner restlessness and searching quality before finding its resolution in the memorable second theme. The Adagio ends on a stark note, however, and represents the final music that Elgar wrote. The sombre mood is quickly replaced by one of grandeur in the final movement Allegro, arguably the weakest part of the symphony but impressive nonetheless with its old-fashioned themes of chivalry and swagger. It only jars in the sense that it seems more conventional than the first and third movements. My own opinion is that Elgar would have improved the Allegro beyond the indication of the sketches, and it is significant that this was the movement in which Payne had to do the most guesswork. Under the circumstances, he has done extremely well. Faced without a clear indication of how the symphony was supposed to conclude, Payne's musical "question mark" provides the perfect ending to a great journey.

I was thoroughly familiar with the first recording of the symphony, conducted by Andrew Davis. Although a very fine performance, it lacks fire at times, a fault remedied in Paul Daniel's interpretation. The difference is immediately noticeable from the opening chords of the first movement, with Daniel's bold, intensely dramatic delivery. Other notable improvements are the much brisker tempi that Daniel employs in the Scherzo (surely what Elgar had intended, rather than the almost-salon music approach that Davis takes), and a much fierier interpretation of the concluding Allegro. Daniel makes a strong case for the latter, making it a much more cohesive movement than Davis had achieved. I will say, however, that I preferred Davis's interpretation of the Adagio. Slower, more "other-worldly" (to paraphrase Payne) than Daniel's version, I found myself more drawn into Elgar's mysterious inner world than under Daniel's straightforward approach. I would certainly recommend that Elgar aficionados immerse themselves in both versions for sheer contrast.

The sound is a mite warmer under Davis, with Daniel's version brassier and cleaner in its dynamics.

Far from being "Frankenstein musicology", this is a symphony that cries out to be heard, and music lovers everywhere should be grateful that it was Payne, and not a mere musical hack, who undertook the reconstruction of this work. While it is true that with the copyright on Elgar's sketches expiring in 2004, anyone will be free to tinker with this work, it is comforting to know that the Payne version has already established itself as the definitive elaboration.

Brilliant realization.......2002-04-27

To carp that this work isn't really Elgar's Third Symphony is completely to miss the point of what Anthony Payne was trying to achieve. He has insisted from the beginning that he was merely trying to provide a framework in which the listener might hear some of the last thoughts of (in my opinion) one of the greatest musical minds of the last 150 years, thoughts that give the lie to the oft-repeated maxim that Elgar was, by the time he had sketched the Third Symphony, "played out" as a composer. However, I believe Payne has achieved something much more than his rather humble protestations would indicate. I have returned to this piece time and again, and, as I do with those works that Elgar did complete, I marvel to discover something new in the music at every hearing. I, for one, am deeply grateful to Mr. Payne for what he has given us, and as far as I'm concerned, the Symphony No. 3 has entered the Elgar canon. As for this performance, it's very fine and a complement to what Andrew Davis achieved in his excellent premiere recording. I wouldn't do without either.

A different view, for different tastes.......2000-07-27

I was somewhat disappointed in this recording, having read the gushingly positive reviews in the press. In short, I disagree with little of what the other (positive) customer reviews here have to say, but I simply prefer the interpretative tone of the Davis disc. In general, I find his approach more subtle, more searching, and more attuned to the bitterseet undercurrent that for me, the best conductors are able to reveal in EE's music. In Davis I hear the language of the Cello Concerto--in Daniel, for me, what I hear (in interpretive tone) is more Crown of India (wonderful fun in its own way). In fairness, Davis might have done better with some more vigor in the outer movements. But Daniel strikes me as trying too hard by half when it comes to Elgarian ebbing and flowing. No complaints about the sonic impact or the coherence of the reading, though. Points to Naxos for getting it done. Maybe Leonard Slatkin will be inspired to put out a version for us now.

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Factual corrections...
In the tradition and style of Elgar.

Elgar: Sketches for Symphony No.3

Manufacturer: Nmc Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000009NNO
Release Date: 1999-03-31

Tracks:

Intro (Including Elgar's Orchestral Draft For The Opening) - Anthony Payne
I. Allegro Molto Maestoso
I. Exposition - Anthony Payne/Robert Gibbs/David Owen Norris
I. End Of Exposition - Anthony Payne
I. Vn Bowing - Anthony Payne/Robert Gibbs
I. End Of Exposition: 2nd Time - Anthony Payne
I. Development Fragment (I)
I. Development Fragments (II-IV)
I. Development Fragment (V)
I. Development Fragment (VI)
I. Development Fragment (VII)
I. Development - Anthony Payne
I. b flat Fragments
I. b flat Episode - Anthony Payne
I. Leading To Reprise
I. Recapitulation (Including Orchestral Fragment)
I. Near The End
I. Unused Fragments
II. Scherzo: Allegretto
II. Main Theme - Anthony Payne/Robert Gibbs/David Owen Norris
II. D Episode
II. Modulating Sequence
II. A Episode
II. First Movt Theme
II. Coda - Anthony Payne/Robert Gibbs/David Owen Norris
II. Unused Fragments
III. Adagio Solenne
III. Sequence
III. Opening Span
III. Chord Progression
III. Continuation Fragment
III. D Melody - Anthony Payne/Robert Gibbs/David Owen Norris
III. Cumulative Cresc
III. E flat Melody - Anthony Payne
III. Sequence W. Var
III. This Is The End
IV. Finale: Allegro
IV. Fanfare - Anthony Payne
IV. Fanfare & Possible Continuation
IV. Fanfare & Continuation Leading To First Subject Group - Anthony Payne/Robert Gibbs/David Owen Norris
IV. Codetta
IV. Second Subject Group (I)
IV. Second Subject Group (II)
IV. Second Subject Group (III)
IV. Second Subject Group (IV)
IV. Second Subject Group (V)
IV. g Theme
IV. First Subject Group Recapitulation (I)-a
IV. First Subject Group Recapitulation (II)-a flat
IV. Unused Fragments

Customer Reviews:

Factual corrections..........2002-10-02

Just for the record, in fact the proportion of the actual notes in the score of this music that were written by Elgar is quite small. Elgar wrote all but one of the main themes, but they occupy a relatively small proportion of the music. Most of the time is taken up with developing, repeating and "elaborating" the themes, and the great majority of this work is Payne's, not to mention most of the orchestration. Payne also imported some ideas that Elgar had used in a previous work.

As many people have noticed, it is extremely difficult when just listening to the "elaboration" to tell which is which, due to Payne's great skill as an imitator of Elgar's style of writing. On this CD, it is at least possible to sort out the two, since the sketches actually by Elgar are presented separately. It is easy to sit back and let the music wash over you, since the imitation is mostly so well-done that it is hard to believe that Elgar did not write it all out himself. But don't forget that Elgar's own ideas for completing the symphony were quite different and could not be deduced by analogy with his previous works...

In the tradition and style of Elgar........1999-06-17

A must for every fan and student of Elgar.

Anthony Payne finalized the draft by Elgar; but, the music and the underlying power of Symphony III is pure Elgar. There is a feeling of renewal and vigor that marks all of Elgar's works (even Sym II).

For those who came in late, Elgar died in 1933 leaving an almost complete set of notes for Sym III. Payne pulled these together while adding little, if any, color to the original score. While the final part takes an unexpected turn, this is also in keeping with music Elgar wrote in his last years. From there the performance by Davis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra interperts the work in a very straight forward manner.

I feel that any varriation that Payne may have introduced is far less than any conductor would introduce in scoring it for presentation.

In my view it is as strong and as vital a piece of music as the first two symphonies are. I thank Payne and Davis for allowing me to hear this remarkable piece of music after it was locked away for over 60 years.

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