The Thieving Magpie (Chandos Opera in English)

Track Listings
Disc: 1

1. Overture: Maestoso marziale

2. Allegro

3. Act I (scene 1 ): 'What a day of celebration'

4. 'Get moving - do something'

5. 'I can see my beloved Giannetto'

6. 'Oh, my heart is full of joy!'

7. 'Spring is returning'

8. 'Dearest Ninetta, today's a special day!'

9. 'Penknives and needles, leather patches'

10. 'I thought so, it's old Isacco'

See all 28 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2

1. Act II (scene 1): 'She's shut up in that dark and dismal dungeon'

2. 'Maybe one day you'll forgive me'

3. 'You'd better go, and quickly'

4. 'You're so lovely, your eyes are sparkling'

5. 'When you hear the sentence'

6. 'Mr Mayor, Mr Mayor - what are you up to?'

7. 'Just think that tomorrow, even today'

8. 'No, no, I beg you to take it'

9. 'Lest my darling should forget me'

10. 'By unanimous verdict - we find her guilty'

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This is a somewhat abridged English-language version of Rossini's 1817 La Gazza Ladra(about 35 minutes of uninteresting recitative and a couple of arias are eliminated, to no great loss--there are still 151 minutes of music here!). The recording is based on live performances which took place in England in 2002, and the singers, orchestra, chorus, and conductor cleary still have the feel of theater in their bones--there's great energy here. The work is a semi-seria opera, which is to say there are comic elements, and although it almost ends with the execution of an innocent girl, all is saved at the last moment. The opera contains some of Rossini's most impressive music, both orchestrally and vocally, and that's saying a great deal. Once you get past the fact that everyone is singing in English (some people don't like opera in anything but the original language, although Chandos has been releasing an extraordinary series of the classics in English), there's an enormous amount to enjoy: Majella Cullagh is lovely and believable as the wrongly-accused heroine, Ninetta, tenor Barry Banks seems to have no fear of fast or high music as her lover, Giannetto, Russell Smythe, as Ninetta's father, an army deserter for whom she's willing to risk her life, uses his handsome bass-baritone splendidly, and Christopher Purves's bass-baritone works well for the villainous town mayor. Everything goes right, and we have conductor David Parry to thank. Those who love Rossini or fine singing will have to own this, and the work is worth getting to know for all opera lovers. --Robert Levine

Album Description

Music can be both calming and relaxing, or invigorating and passionate...this phenomenal 20-CD set is definitely the latter. This amazing collection brings together for the first time the most passionate music of all time, from Ravel's Bolero, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Wagner's Magic Fire Music to Ravel's La Valse, Orff 's Carmina Burana and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. This is a must have collection for every passionate music lover.

Customer Reviews:

A good gift for novice.......2007-05-12

This was a good gift for somebody learning about Classical music in Japan.

Stanley Kubrick's Clockwork Orange (1971 Film)

Average customer rating:

Prisoner 6 double-five 3-2-1
Kubrick At His Best
Good soundtrack
Easier to experience than the movie!
Horrorshow Lomticks of Music to do the old Ultra-Violence By.

Stanley Kubrick's Clockwork Orange (1971 Film)
Various Artists , Ludwig van Beethoven , Edward Elgar , Terry Tucker , Erika Eigen , Nacio Herb Brown , and Gene Kelly
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

A Clockwork Orange: Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score
2001: A Space Odyssey - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1996 Reissue)
A Clockwork Orange
Switched-On Boxed Set
Switched-On Bach

ASIN: B000002KDU
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Title Music From A Clockwork Orange - Walter Carlos
The Thieving Magpie (Abridged) - A Clockwork Orange ST
Theme from A Clockwork Orange (Beethoviana) - Walter Carlos
Ninth Symphony, Second Movement (Abridged) - A Clockwork Orange ST D
March From A Clockwork Orange (Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement, Abridged) - Walter Carlos
William Tell Overture (Abridged) - Walter Carlos
Pomp and Circumstance March No.1 - Stanley Kubrick
Pomp And Circumstance March No.4 (Abridged) - Stanley Kubrick
Timesteps (Excerpt) - Walter Carlos
Overture To The Sun - Terry Tucker
I Want To Marry A Lighthouse Keeper - Ericka Eigen
William Tell Overture (Abridged) - A Clockwork Orange ST
Suicide Scherzo (Ninth Symphony, Second Movement, Abridged) - Walter Carlos
Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement (Abridged) - A Clockwork Orange ST
Singin' in the Rain - Gene Kelly

Amazon.com

Stanley Kubrick's demanding perfectionism in all aspects of the filmmaking process has led to some of the most memorable soundtracks of the modern era. Kubrick's taste for the classics led to his scrapping Alex North's original score for 2001: A Space Odyssey in lieu of the "temporary" tracks he had used for editing, turning Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra into an unlikely 20th-century pop icon. For his 1971 adaptation of Anthony Burgess's cautionary future-shocker, Kubrick once again turned to the classics. Malcolm McDowell's protagonist Droog Alex's taste for Beethoven is given a nice tweaking by Moog pioneer Walter (now Wendy) Carlos's synthesized take on the glorious Ninth Symphony. Some have complained that the now-primitive electronics involved give it a dated feel. Disturbingly--and effectively--other-worldly is more like it. Kubrick also imbues repertory standards by Rossini and Elgar with dark, frequently hilarious irony, and makes Gene Kelly's sunny reading of "Singin' In The Rain" the underscore to an all-too-accurate prediction of societal nightmares to come. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Prisoner 6 double-five 3-2-1.......2007-03-16

The soundtrack album of CLOCKWORK ORANGE, even with it's simple (and supposedly) outdated Wendy Carlos recordings, holds up far better than the actual film has over these 36 years. This story takes place in the 1990s, and we all know that today's world is nothing like Anthony Burgess' dismal and nightmarish vision . . . don't we?

Most of the CLOCKWORK ORANGE soundtrack's classical selections are by Herbert Von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. These spirited Beethoven and Rossini interpretations remain some of the very best ever recorded.

The excerpt of Wendy's "Timesteps" is the most compelling piece here. In the film, this stark aural collage is background to Alex's behavior modification. In order to shorten his prison sentence, the violent sociopath is made chemically ill while forced to view scenes of rapine and bloodshed. His sickness can only be arrested by replacing his natural criminal urges with passive thoughts.

It's hard to listen to "Overture To The Sun" without recalling the spotlighted naked girl who tempts an on-exhibit Alex into a state of unwellness that he likens to "wanting to snuff it." His freedom to choose brutality has been taken from him forcefully, through violent reprogramming. The subsequent events that precipitate Alex's restoration into a fully non-functional member of society beset him in a fashion ironically similar to the chaos he once left in his violent wake.

The stark images and perversities of this movie tend to stay with a person. Perhaps watching Kubrick's CLOCKWORK ORANGE has in some way "programmed" the viewer, too, by desensitizing us to the madness that is all around. Maybe this film holds up better than I thought. I must have a glass of choko moloko and reconsider . . .

Kubrick At His Best.......2007-01-11

This is a fantastic Kubrick movie. Based on a novel of equal respect, this movie details troubled youth, violence, and sex in a modern-yet-more-so world. The slang of the young men in the movie is a mixture of British and Russian slang terminology created by the book's author. A must-see for the Kubrick fan out there.

Good soundtrack.......2006-02-20

I own this on vinyl and yes an exellent soundtrack from an exellent movie

Easier to experience than the movie!.......2005-08-17

Having purchased this soundtrack along with its respective CD score (by Wendy Carlos), it is a wonderful installment to any soundtrack fan/buff. The awesome sound of classical music, contained in the CDs, in which director Stanley Kubrick chose for the picture, is so juxtaposing it is brilliant. Even if one does not know a lick of classical music, one can easily suggest this soundtrack as a useful introduction into the genre. Though the film may not be as easy to experience as the music contained inside, the soundtrack stands as a milestone for music in film perhaps only beaten by the director's previous work in '2001 A Space Odyssey'.

Horrorshow Lomticks of Music to do the old Ultra-Violence By. .......2005-07-28

Bolshi Yarblockos, my droggies. Viddy thou this incredible soundtrack from the film A Clockwork Orange. Cued from the novel by Anthony Burgess, the musical selections mainly focus on the Beethoven obsession of the main character Alex, however Carlos's deep knowledge of the classical repetoire and Kubrick's neurotic perfectionism combine to fill out this album. I love most of the tracks here, and have listened to them since 1972.

My personal favorite is the title music of the film, Henry Purcell's "Funeral Music for Queen Mary," a piece so appropriate to the film that Purcell must have been channelling the future when he wrote it in the late 17th century. Carlos's interpretation of this Purcell piece is astounding in its forboding textures and alientating timbres. Electronic tympani have never sounded better - and were never used like this before. Ring modualtions, filter sweeps, phased sawtooth angel trumpets and resonate devil trombones - oh bliss!

I also liked the strange music Kubrick chose - "I want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper," and "Anthem to the Sun," both obscure and perfect.

Carlos's avant-garde composition "Timesteps" appears in abbreviated form here, and for most listeners this abridgement is enough.

The concluding ironic use of "Singing in the Rain," is wonderful, and after an album (and film) full of electronics, classical music, and weirdness, a standard is shocking enough.

There is a new version of the soundtrack put out by Carlos herself, which includes only her work. Some tracks composed but not used in the film appear here, as do some track used, but not appearing on the OST as well. Timesteps in its 13:37 form is also on this album.

For those fans of Prog rock: Viddy the film when Alex visits a record store: Notice the Vertigo swirl above the main desk, also in the wrecked foyer of Alex's highrise, one of the figures on the vandalised mural has "Suck it and see" written on it, also the name of a Vertigo music sampler of the same era.

Average customer rating:

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

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

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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:

Ah Dov'e, Dov'e El Cimento
Che Ascolto!
Cessa Di Piu Resistere
Vieni Fra Queste Braccia
Concedi, Amor Pietoso
Terra Amica
Oh Fiamma Soave
Si, Ritrovarla Io Giuro

Amazon.com

This disc by the rising young Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez is a winner. He has a light lyric tenor of quality, stunning coloratura technique, and a real feeling for the Rossini style. He shines in these bravura arias, scattering high Cs and Ds with abandon. There aren't many tenors these days who can fearlessly negotiate the perils of arias like "Cessa di piu resistere" from The Barber of Seville with such aplomb. Nor are there many who can capture both the pathos and the fevered intensity of "Oh fiamma souave" from La donna del lago. Even those who might wish for a warmer, sweeter sound in the bel canto repertory than Flórez's brighter, more brilliant tones should welcome this auspicious solo debut. He's helped by the sure hand of Riccardo Chailly at the helm, ensuring stylistically sympathetic performances. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

What an incredible disc.......2006-03-04

This was my first Juan Diego Florez CD and I was just amazed for what I heard the very first time. Such an elegance while singing, bright and powerfull performance and above all a full respect for what rossini wrote. This is a masterpice and every single collector should have it. Juan Diego Florez sing as no one can: he is the number one. These selection of Rossini arias are among the most difficul ones for the tenor voice and Florez is able to sort them with no apparent effort. By the way if you have not yet bought his last disc, and if you have some affection for Latin America, go for it. That disc, "Sentimiento Latino" is full of the most representative songs from Latin America and Florez manages to master them all as no one has done before. What a great artist.

Rossini tenors.......2005-08-26

At last a real Rossini tenor, as rare as hens teeth! Mr Florez has all the right vocal technique and a stunnning head tone to produce the high, light tenor sound needed for these impossible to sing Rossini arias. I hope he continues to sing roles suited for his fabulous voice and avoids the heavy Verdi and Puccini roles. Juan Diego Florez is the real deal.

Exceptional Tenor!.......2005-01-30

Theo made a very good point when describing Juan Diego Florez. He indeed is all the talents of these legendary tenors combined, along with the exemplary skills of the old school of Italian music. Sure, he doesn't possess the warmth of a Domingo or a Gigli, but what would you expect of a Rossinian tenor? Heavy voice that goes up up up? That is quite uncommon for such a beautiful voice of this timbre. Now if there were indeed a tenor with a dark voice who could tackle such material and do just about anything that the operatic repertoire requires of him, yet maintain a limber quality about his voice when tackling the challenging bel canto repertoire, then we would have Callas reincarnated in the tenor voice (LOL!!). But truly, this is a gem of a recital. No other tenor nowadays can perform such challenging material without resorting to unconventional means of singing. He truly revived the real bel canto voice--fresh, light, yet invigorating in drama. Drama, I say, is exemplified here not through the typical verismo style we are acquainted to nowadays. It is rather inflicted upon the soul in the traditional bel canto manner--through embellishments and dramatic singing without sobs or such and so. He does it with grace. His florid lines will astound, amaze, and astonish you. His high notes are chesty yet beautiful. Take my word for it, this is a tenor you will be very sorry to miss if you don't sample the many delicacies he has to offer.

Worth a listen .......2004-10-10

As you may have determined from the other reviews of this CD, Juan Diego Florez is a controversial artist. With a high tessitura, athletic vocal agility, and penetrating vibrato, Mr. Florez's voice might find more fans in Europe than in the US (where the dramatic arias of Verdi, Puccini and Wagner are more popular than the jaw-dropping vocal fireworks that made Rossini famous). For opera fans who were introduced to Rossini's difficult and now rarely-heard music in the 1980s through such great artists as the Mexican tenor Francisco Araiza (e.g., through the opera film 'La Cenerentola' by Jean Pierre Ponnelle), Florez may be a shock. Mr. Araiza's voice was deeper, darker, and more 'masculine' than Florez's voice yet possessed the same amazing agility and range. However, Juan Diego Florez is worthy of praise and recognition. He has an 'easy top' much like Pavarotti, and high notes that avoid the bone-grating 'slide' up to the high Cs and Db's that other tenors have used in Rossini operas. Being young (barely 30), Mr. Florez will have time to grow into his powerful voice. We should all hope that his talent will be recognized by a wider audience and lead to new, more authentic recordings of Rossini's rare and difficult operas such as Semiramide, Tancredi, and Ermione.

Impressed, but not moved..........2003-06-20

I am sorry, but I only feel I can give this cd three stars. Juan Diego Florez pulls off some very diffcult roulades. His voice is definitely more beautiful in some ways than many of the tenore di grazia's to come before him. However, every note of the arias seems to sound the same. Maybe it is only my personal preference, but I have always enjoyed a bit more text painting. Although he has a solid technique, I think this cd set leaves me completely unsatisfied emotionally and I must admit that I do not particularly care for the shrillness of the high notes. I am impressed, but not moved. I recommend buying this cd just to hear a tenor that may be the best of the young tenors that are out there today(technically). However, I like to be reeled in emotionally and really feel connected to the text due to the singer's interpretive skill. Florez does this for me at no point. The singing is not effortless by any stretch of the imagination, but seems to show that a great deal of hard work was put into attaining the high level of technical achievement. Hopefully, he will continue to improve and blow me away with his next album release.

Average customer rating:

King of overtures on display
Dynamic Rossini
High Excitement
Amuse-Bocuse for the Ears!
All the Rossini I need!

Rossini: Overtures (14)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Famous Overtures
William Tell & Other Favorite Overtures
Suppé: Famous Overtures
Suppe: Overtures
Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies; 7 Overtures

ASIN: B00000425N
Release Date: 1995-06-13

Tracks:

Overtures: Guillaume Tell - G. Rossini
Overtures: Il signor Bruschino - G. Rossini
Overtures: Il viaggio a Reims - G. Rossini
Overtures: La scala di seta - G. Rossini
Overtures: La gazza ladra - G. Rossini
Overtures: Il turco in Italia - G. Rossini
Overtures: L'Italiana in Algeri - G. Rossini

Tracks:

Overtures: Il barbiere di Siviglia - Gioacchino Rossini
Overtures: Torvaldo e Dorliska - Gioacchino Rossini
Overtures: La cambiale di matrimonio - Gioacchino Rossini
Overtures: Otello - Gioacchino Rossini
Overtures: Semiramide - Gioacchino Rossini
Overtures: La Siege de Corinthe - Gioacchino Rossini
Overtures: Tancredi - Gioacchino Rossini

Amazon.com essential recording

Rossini's Overtures are absolute jewels of the Classical period. He used them as his musical "calling cards," and with the exception of William Tell, there's absolutely no relationship between the overture and opera it introduces. The famous Barber of Seville overture, for example, was used previously for two tragic operas, including one called Elizabeth, Queen of England! All they were supposed to do was entertain the audience and let them know that the real business was about to begin. And that's just what they've been doing ever since. This comprehensive collection, at two discs for the price of one, will keep you in Rossini for a good, long time. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

King of overtures on display.......2007-03-07

This 2-disc set contains 14 overtures by the master of this musical form himself, G. Rossini. The music quality is good - standard for digital, the orchestration is clear, and each CD provides about 1 hour of good, lively music. The choice of music is also great, making this set a great buy.

Dynamic Rossini.......2005-04-26

For Rossini lovers, this album gives you a sample of Rossini at his best. The dynamic range of the composer, his verve and vitality delivered in the most popular overtures ever written.
The quality of the recordings is very good, and should satify any and all Rossini fans. I love to kick back, with a set of ear phones and absorb the incredible sound and muscularity of Rossini. Well worth the price of admission.

High Excitement.......2005-03-02

I originally bought the LP versions way back before CDs were introduced. High excitement is the best way I can describe the performances. I have heard nothing since to equal Chailly's energetic read. I haven't gotten this CD version yet, but the first volume one did have better quality miking then the second volume. The price makes it worth just buying the CD instead of trying to digitize my LPs.

Amuse-Bocuse for the Ears!.......2004-09-10

Just as amuse-boche is meant to entertain and tempt the tastebuds for the coming courses in a gourmet meal, so does the overture function in the operatic banquet.

Rossini is one of the greatest overture composers, and here is collection of fourteen of his best!

They are soaring and delightful. Especially captivated by some that were new to me, causing one to want to followup with the opera-- a brilliant way to cause interest in operatic world. These included the likes of Otell, Semiramide and Le Siege de Corinthe.

Amazing and vibrant double CD collection!

All the Rossini I need!.......2003-06-30

As far as I'm concerned, I don't need to search the field for any other Rossini overture CDs--this 2-CD set has it covered. Chailly's interpretations of these pieces are wonderfully exuberant, and the National Philharmonic plays with precision and flair. These CDs have become the standard I use to judge other recordings of Rossini overtures. Granted, they're not perfect: As another reviewer pointed out, Chailly takes some passages differently than we're used to hearing them (the end of the Barber of Seville overture is faster than usual, for example). However, the orchestra is so competent and the conductor so assured that these small, occasional differences are refreshing rather than annoying. As well, there are (very) occasional moments where the orchestra slips a little out of synch, but only because they're having so much fun playing the music. This is Rossini the way it was meant to sound--playful, melodious and energetic to the end.

Average customer rating:

Excellent performance and recording
Very Nice
Sparkling Performances

Rossini: Complete Overtures

Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00009KV0W
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Customer Reviews:

Excellent performance and recording.......2007-02-02

If you like Rossini, this is an a must-have recording. Sure, he tended to write the same pieces over and over again, but they are utterly delightful. These performances by Neville Marriner and his personal orchestra are precise, and the fun inherent in many of these works does not get lost in the shuffle. The orchestra is blessed with excellent woodwind players; just listen to the oboe on some of the really fast passages.

Nice recorded sound. I really don't have anything bad to say about this entire package. It's almost a desert island recording for times where Mahler or Beethoven might be a little (or a lot) heavy.

Very Nice.......2005-03-17

Yes, these overtures may be cliched, but every classical collector should probably have them. Marriner, as usual, gives great performances, and the sound quality is very good.

Sparkling Performances.......2003-09-15

I only have glowing things to say about this set of Rossini overtures. First of all, Rossini's overtures are brilliant gems. They are light, fun and full of life!! Secondly, Marriner's conducting is marvellous. The performance sparkle like precious diamonds. Everything is very enjoyable, there's not a single boring number, unlike many other discs you purchase. And to top it off, it comes at a terrific bargain price. 3 very full CDs - 75 mins, 30 mins and 65 mins - of top notch music at seven dollars a piece is incredible.

Average customer rating:

you can't beat it for the price
BEAUTIFUL AND ENCHANTING MUSIC
Best CD Ever....
20 Classical Favorites
Great CD

20 Classical Favorites

Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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25 Classical Favorites
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ASIN: B000000K6T
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

Nutcraker-Suite: Dance Of The Reed Flutes
Moonlight Sonata In C- Sharp Minor, Op.27 - 2: Adagio Sostenuto
Fantasy In D-Minor K. 397
Minute Waltz In D Flat Major, Op. 64 No.1
Thus Spoke Zoroaster
Prelude No.1, BWV 846
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Les Toreadors: Carmen
The Four Seasons: Winter
The Messiah: Halelujah
Turkish March - W.A. Mozart
For Elise
Swanlake: Czardas - Tchaikovsky
Slavonic Dance No. 1
Ave Maria
Fireworks Music: Allegro
Menuetto K.525 - W.A. Mozart
The Barber Of Sevilla: Overture
Canon In D-major For String Orchestra
Lohengrin: Prelude III Act

Customer Reviews:

you can't beat it for the price.......2001-12-10

I can't remember why I bought this cd but I can't be happier that I did. What a pleasant surprise. A disk of 20 songs for about [price]. Very nicely arranged and perfect for relaxing, driving, or work.

BEAUTIFUL AND ENCHANTING MUSIC.......2000-06-14

You won't regret purchasing this amazing classical cd, with many well known tunes played on instruments such as the violin and piano. Pachelbel's Canon and Vivaldi's Winter from The Four Seasons are, in my opinion, the two best songs on the cd.

Best CD Ever...........2000-04-19

This CD was excellent. I just received it today and so far its one of the best CD's in my collection. I recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys a wide variety of classical music.

20 Classical Favorites.......2000-03-23

This is a really nice collection. It is like a sampler of some of the best classical works. Well conducted and played. A terrific value for money. I highly recomend it to anyone from beginner to seasoned listener.

Great CD.......1999-09-05

This CD is definitely one of my favorites. It has all of the great composers and a great selection of their works. Every recording is very good quality. I have to give it an A++

Average customer rating:

Rossini as he was meant to be heard!

Rossini: Overtures

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Tchaikovsky & Mendelssohn Violin Concertos

ASIN: B0001HAHDC
Release Date: 2004-03-23

Tracks:

La Scala Di Seta
Il Signor Bruschino
Tancredi
L'Italiana In Algeri
Il Barbiere Di Siviglia
La Cenerentola
La Gazza Ladra
Semiramide
Guillaume Tell

Customer Reviews:

Rossini as he was meant to be heard!.......2004-03-27

The Carla Maria Giulini versions of Rossini's overtures have long been one of my all-time favorite classical recordings. I currently own both the old LP versions and the 1986 Angel CD. This new re-mastered version is an improvement over the 1986 issue for two reasons: The first is the sound quality. The sonics are greatly improved, with a punchier sound and much less tape hiss (although a tiny bit still sneaks through, one must remember that these are 1961 and 1965 analog recordings). The second is the inclusion of the "Tancredi" overture, which appeared on the original LP, but was inexplicably left off the 1986 digital version. As for the music, it is hard to say enough about it. It is nearly perfect in terms of orchestral balance and clarity. You can hear every subtle nuance of this delightful music, with Rossini's classic crescendo in full force! The instrumentalists are wonderful, the reeds in particular, giving tight, crisp performances that never sound stiff or rigid, but flow with the spirit that the composer no doubt intended. The music is wonderfully executed and captures the full Italian spirit and wit of Rossini beautifully! If you're looking for one CD of Rossini overtures with consistently vibrant performances from beginning to end, this is it. Viva Rossini! Viva Giulini!

Average customer rating:

A great gift for the first hour fans
Marillion worthy
A Great Buy
Marillion at their BEST!
Truly, a great album and a great concert experience...

The Thieving Magpie (La Gazza Ladra)
Marillion
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Misplaced Childhood
Clutching at Straws
Script for a Jester's Tear
B-Sides Themselves
Marillion: Live From Loreley

ASIN: B000005RTU
Release Date: 1994-09-09

Tracks:

Intro: La Gazza Ladra
Slainte Mhath
He Knows You Know
Chelsea Monday
Freaks
Jigsaw
Punch and Judy
Sugar Mice
Fugazi
Script for a Jester's Tear
Incommunicado
White Russian
Misplaced Childhood, Pt. 1: Pseudo Silk Kimono
Misplaced Childhood, Pt. 1: Kayleigh
Misplaced Childhood, Pt. 1: Lavender
Misplaced Childhood, Pt. 1: Bitter Suite
Misplaced Childhood, Pt. 1: Heart of Lothian
Misplaced Childhood, Pt. 2: Waterhole (Expresso Bongo)
Misplaced Childhood, Pt. 2: Lords of the Backstage
Misplaced Childhood, Pt. 2: Blind Curve
Misplaced Childhood, Pt. 2: Childhood's End?
Misplaced Childhood, Pt. 2: White Feather

Tracks:

Pseudo Silk Kimono
Kayleigh
Lavender
Bitter Suite
Heart of Lothian
Waterhole (Expresso Bongo)
Lords of the Backstage
Blind Curve
Childhoods End?
White Feather

Customer Reviews:

A great gift for the first hour fans.......2007-07-05

I remember those days very well, no one could hypnotised an audience as Fish. Amazing energy was cleary felt at a Marillion concert. Everybody knew the lyrics even if the latest album was out since a few weeks only.
This double cd is a pure joy to listen to, some songs are missing, but if you own "Real to reel" and "Brief encounter", I think we can say that you have all you need from the Fish era and Marillion. It is a great idea to included "Misplaced Childhood", this is one of the best album of all time for its intensity. This double cd is a must have for any Marillion fan.

Marillion worthy.......2005-12-29

Ok, the cover art is silly, but the live double album is a must have. The lilting introduction of La Gaza Ladra transports you into the concert hall and takes you on a journey trhought the highlights of Marillions' Fish years. A truly great retrospective of their years together as one of the all-time great prog-rock bands.

A Great Buy.......2005-11-12

I been mulling over buying this live double cd for a long time. It is a little on the expensive side and even though I love Misplaced Childhood and the Fish Era of Marillion, I wasn't sure. If you are reading this review and have similar thoughts running through your head BUY THIS CD. It is amazing!!! Misplaced Childhood live by itself pays for the cost of the cd, but that is not all. CD 1 has some amazing live songs like Slainte Mhath, Jigsaw, and my favorite live song from both cds Incommunicado!

Marillion at their BEST!.......2004-08-05

If you could only have 1 Marillion CD, this is the one. The songs on the CD are their best and are performed with more intensity and better sound quality than they are on the studio work. Beginning to end ... perfect. 'Nuff said.

Truly, a great album and a great concert experience..........2004-04-21

As a farewell present for fans, the double CD live collection of The Thieving Magpie is perhaps the closest to a Fish-era Marillion concert you'll ever be. This is the band during their heyday (at least in their peak album selling years) just as Fish was about to leave (or be dismissed, depending on who you ask). Here's a band known for its proximity to fans back when they performed to packed arenas. It is, without a doubt, a testament to a great band who, after releasing this album, went in two different directions with two very different results.

The two CDs are divided into a full live version of Misplaced Childhood (the band's greates achievement) and a collection of tracks from their three other albums. The results can also be divided into two groups: awesome and lacking.

Being able to enjoy Misplaced Childhood in its enterity is a true gift that the lads gave to us fans. This is one of those classic albums that transcends time and taste, and that should be around forever. It is also proof of the band's musical talents, both as composers and as performers. This is a 42+ minute track if you think about it!

The first disc starts off with an intro of Rossini's 'La Gazza Ladra' that segues into one of the bands best loved tracks, Slainte Mhath and then visits a varied collection of hits that are taken from different concerts. This disc could have been somewhat better, not because of the quality of the tracks presented, but because of the tracks missing from it. Granted, the band had already released Real to Reel and Brief Encounter, so a few of the better known pieces of Marillion's music was already out in live versions, but still, a better way to say goodbye and thanks to the fans would have been to include Forgotten sons, Assassing, Garden Party and/or Market Square Heroes.

1. Overture: Maestoso marziale
2. Allegro
3. Act I (scene 1 ): 'What a day of celebration'
4. 'Get moving - do something'
5. 'I can see my beloved Giannetto'
6. 'Oh, my heart is full of joy!'
7. 'Spring is returning'
8. 'Dearest Ninetta, today's a special day!'
9. 'Penknives and needles, leather patches'
10. 'I thought so, it's old Isacco'

1. Act II (scene 1): 'She's shut up in that dark and dismal dungeon'
2. 'Maybe one day you'll forgive me'
3. 'You'd better go, and quickly'
4. 'You're so lovely, your eyes are sparkling'
5. 'When you hear the sentence'
6. 'Mr Mayor, Mr Mayor - what are you up to?'
7. 'Just think that tomorrow, even today'
8. 'No, no, I beg you to take it'
9. 'Lest my darling should forget me'
10. 'By unanimous verdict - we find her guilty'