Hat Box

Track Listings
1. Hat Box: Top Hat Quadrille    
2. Hat Box: Breton Beret (Valse Mèlancolique)    
3. Hat Box: Mexican Hat Dance    
4. Hat Box: Smokey Stetson Shuffle (...After the Shoot-Out...)    
5. Hat Box: Deerstalker's Jig    
6. Hat Box: Baseball Cap Stomp    
7. Hat Box: Best Bonnet Waltz    
8. Hat Box: Cloth Cap Galop    
9. Arioso    
10. Greensleeves to a Ground    
11. Chadkirk Idyll    
12. Fred's Blue Ginger Staircase Music, Op. 72: Waltz in Green Chiffon    
13. Fred's Blue Ginger Staircase Music, Op. 72: Steps in Blue    
14. Fred's Blue Ginger Staircase Music, Op. 72: Escalation in Red    
15. Variations on Dowland's Comagin    
16. New World Dances, Op. 62: Ragtime    
17. New World Dances, Op. 62: Blues    
18. New World Dances, Op. 62: Bossa Nova    
19. Three Pieces from " 'T Uitnement Kabinet": Brande Yrlandt    
20. Three Pieces from " 'T Uitnement Kabinet": Courante Monsieur    
See all 31 tracks on this disc

Hat Box, Music, Anonymous, Dutch Anonymous, Alan Bullard, John W. Duarte, David [composer] Ellis, Jacob van Eyck, John Golland, Peter [composer] Hope, Stepan Rak, Ernest Tomlinson, Pieter de Vois, Chamber, Chamber Music, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Artists, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous Music
Somewhere over the Rainbow: The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • They were right--there is NO business like the show business they did way back when !!!
  • One of the best cds I ever bought.
  • Never Sounded Better
  • Somewhere Over The Rainbow
  • "Hollywood Musicals of the Golden Age are still among us"
Somewhere over the Rainbow: The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000066RO5
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Tracks:

  1. Singin In The Rain - Gene Kelly
  2. Theres No Business Like Show Business - Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Keenan Wynn & Louis Calhern
  3. 'S Wonderful - Gene Kelly & Georges Guetary
  4. Thats Entertainment! - Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray & Oscar Levant
  5. Stranger In Paradise - Ann Blyth & Vic Damone
  6. Easter Parade - Judy Garland & Fred Astaire
  7. Lullaby Of Broadway - Winifred Shaw, Dick Powell & Chorus
  8. Get Happy - Judy Garland
  9. Night And Day - Fred Astaire
  10. True Love - Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly
  11. Honeysuckle Rose - Lena Horne w/ Benny Carter & His Orchestra
  12. They Cant Take That Away From Me - Fred Astaire
  13. Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet - Nancy Walker & The M-G-M Studio Chorus w/ Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra
  14. Baby, Its Cold Outside - Esther Williams & Ricardo Montalban
  15. For Me And My Gal - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland
  16. Puttin On The Ritz - Clark Gable & Co.
  17. Hallelujah! - Tony Martin, Vic Damone, Kay Armen, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, Clark Burroughs & Co.
  18. Bless Yore Beautiful Hide - Howard Keel
  19. Taking A Chance On Love - Ethel Waters & Eddie "Rochester" Anderson
  20. As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson w/ Elliot Carpenter (Bonus Track)
  21. Laras Theme (Main Title) - The M-G-M Studio Orchestra (Bonus Track)

Tracks:

  1. Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland
  2. Its A Most Unusual Day - Jane Powell
  3. Wunderbar - Kathryn Grayson & Howard Keel
  4. Cant Help Lovin Dat Man - Ava Gardner
  5. Going Hollywood - Bing Crosby
  6. The Trolley Song - Judy Garland, The M-G-M Studio Chorus
  7. Gigi - Louis Jourdan
  8. I Got Rhythm - Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney & Co.
  9. Aba Daba Honeymoon - Debbie Reynolds, Carleton Carpenter & M-G-M Studio Chorus
  10. The Lady Is A Tramp - Lena Horne
  11. The Best Things In Life Are Free - June Allyson & Peter Lawford
  12. Cheek To Cheek - Fred Astaire
  13. A Kiss To Build A Dream On - Louis Armstrong
  14. Put 'Em In A Box - Doris Day & The Page Cavanaugh Trio
  15. If Swing Goes, I Go Too - Fred Astaire
  16. Almost Like Being In Love - Gene Kelly
  17. Lets Face The Music And Dance - Fred Astaire
  18. Be A Clown - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland
  19. Embraceable You - Connie Francis
  20. On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe - Judy Garland & Co.
  21. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) - Fred Astaire

Amazon.com

The "Golden Age" referred to here spans The Jazz Singer and the advent of the talkies to the death throes of the old studio system in the 1960s. So vast was the era's musical landscape that even this 42-track, double-disc anthology can't encompass all its peaks. Not surprisingly, the bulk of this collection originated with the Tiffany's of the screen musical, M-G-M, a body of work whose riches here encompass both pop-cultural bedrock ("Over the Rainbow," "Singin' in the Rain," "There's No Business Like Show Business," etc.) and some less familiar, if equally delightful star turns: Clark Gable gamely "Puttin' On the Ritz"; the sassy, 1948 original of "The Lady Is a Tramp" by Lena Horne; and a loopy duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban. Fred Astaire's elegant, epochal reign at RKO and M-G-M is represented by "Night and Day," "Let's Face the Music and Dance," and three others, while Metro mainstays Gene Kelly and Judy Garland share equal time and billing. It's not perfect--Cagney's "Yankee Doodle Boy" and/or some Sinatra seem more logical choices than the odd "bonus" duet of Casablanca's "As Time Goes By" and "Lara's Theme" from Dr. Zhivago that close out disc one--but it's a stunning, surprisingly comprehensive primer on the Hollywood film musical nonetheless. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars They were right--there is NO business like the show business they did way back when !!!.......2006-11-18

Everything that happens in life
Can happen in a show
You can make 'em laugh
You can make 'em cry
Anything
Anything can go....

The clown with his pants falling down
Or the dance that's a dream of romance
Or the scene where the villain is mean
That's entertainment!

The lights on the lady in tights
Or the bride with the guy on the side
Or the ball where she gives him her all
That's entertainment!

The plot and the hot simply teeming with $ex
A gay divorcee who is after her ex
It could be Oedipus Rex
Where a chap kills his father
And causes a lot of bother

The clerk who is thrown out of work
By the boss who is thrown for a loss
By the skirt who is doing him dirt

The world is a stage,
The stage is a world of entertainment!

This two CD set amply proves that the musical melodies and lyrics from the golden age of the Hollywood musical remain unsurpassed to this day. This generous two CD set offers 42 incredible songs from Hollywood classic musicals. Most of these fine numbers are indeed from MGM, as Amazon correctly notes; but there are some RKO numbers and even a little from Warner Brothers. Thank goodness, though, that most of these songs came from MGM movies; MGM was the only studio that could boast that it truly had "more stars than there are in the heavens."

I love so many songs on these two CDs. Of course, there's the unforgettable classic "Over The Rainbow" sung by Judy Garland; she also performs "Easter Parade" and "Get Happy" on this two CD set and she carries most of the tune for "I Got Rhythm" even though Mickey Rooney helps her a little. I love "Baby, It's Cold Outside" for its' romantic overtones; and Lena Horne's "The Lady Is A Tramp" is flawless! We also get a rare chance to hear Clark Gable sing in "Puttin' On The Ritz;" and Bing Crosby's "Going Hollywood" may be brief but it's a fun song anyway.

There are two "bonus" tracks on the first CD: "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca and "Lara's Theme" from Doctor Zhivago. "As Time Goes By" is a good choice; it is another unsurpassed classic song that brings back memories and touches even the hardest of hearts. "Lara's Theme," however, is from the mid 1960s and I don't consider this period to be part of the "golden age" of Hollywood musicals.

The liner notes are excellent and they offer wonderful photos of the stars as well. The cover art is well done and the reverse cover art tells which movie each song is from and who is performing each song. Moreover, the quality of the sound is excellent especially when you consider that these numbers were recorded quite a few decades ago.

In short, this superlative two CD highlights the glory of the Hollywood musical when a certain type of sophistication dominated professional movie production. I highly recommend this CD for fans of Hollywood musicals, classic pop vocals and fans of the artists and actors who perform on this two CD set.

5 out of 5 stars One of the best cds I ever bought. .......2006-06-07

What an amazon collection of songs! This is bar none my favorite cd just because of the variety and the quality of songs on it. I love music from this era, and this cd is the perfect companion to my life. Love it! Buy it, you won't regret it for a moment!

1 out of 5 stars Never Sounded Better.......2006-03-16

Apart from the great selection of soundtracks, what really makes this compilation top value is the quality of the sound processing. Executed with finesse, these tracks sound better than when first issued and many are unedited, fuller versions: like "Singing In The Rain", for example. Throw in the great price, and this double disc set is a "must have" for all lovers of classic movie music.

5 out of 5 stars Somewhere Over The Rainbow.......2006-02-24

A Sensational CD with Lots of Showtunes that Keep You Happy and makes You Want To Sing Along With!!!

5 out of 5 stars "Hollywood Musicals of the Golden Age are still among us".......2005-07-13

Rhino Records and Turner Classic Movies Music present - "SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW: THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD MUSICALS", some of the long ago musicals and stars that will never be forgotten...a 2-CD-Set covering several decades from 1935-1965 with many of the show stoppers of that time...some rare moments from entertainers that you haven't heard or thought of in sometime.

The lineup is fantastic and gives the listener a variety of what musicals were all about in the "Golden Age of the Hollywood Musicals"
June Allyson, Kay Armen, Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Ann Blyth, Jack Buchanan, Louis Calhern, Bing Crosby, Vic Damone, Doris Day, Nanette Fabray, Connie Francis, Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, Kathyrn Grayson, Georges Guetary, Lena Horne, Betty Hutton, Louis Jourdan, Howard Keel, Gene Kelly, Grace Kelly, Peter Lawford, Oscar Levant, Ann Miller, Ricardo Montalban, Page Cavanaugh Trio, Debbie Reynolds, Winifred Shaw, Nancy Walker, Ethel Waters, Esther Williams, Dooley Williams and Keenan Wynn.

On Disc One 21 Classic Songs from great musicals with songs in alphabetical order:
AS TIME GOES BY - Dooley Wilson with Elliot Carpenter, pianist (1942)
BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE - Esther Williams & Ricardo Montalban (1949)
BLESS, YORE BEAUTIFUL HIDE - Howard Keel (1954)
EASTER PARADE - Fred Astaire & Judy Garland (1948)
FOR ME AND MY GAL - Gene Kelly & Judy Garland (1942)
GET HAPPY - Judy Garland (1950)
HALLELUJAH! - Tony Martin, Vic Damone, Kay Armen, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, Clark Burroughs (for Russ Tamblyn) (1955)
HONEYSUCKLE ROSE - Lena Horne with Benny Carter & His Orchestra (1943)
LARA'S THEME (MAIN TITLE) - M-G-M Studio Orchestra (1965)
LULLABY OF BROADWAY - Winifred Shaw & Dick Powell (1935)
MILKMAN, KEEP THOSE BOTTLES QUIET - Nancy Walker with Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra (1944)
NIGHT AND DAY - Fred Astaire (1934)
PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ - Clark Gable & Company (1939)
'S WONDERFUL - Gene Kelly & Georges Guetary (1951)
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN - Gene Kelly (1951)
STRANGER IN PARADISE - Ann Blyth & Vic Damone (1955)
TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE - Ethel Waters & Eddie "Rochester" Anderson (1943)
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT - Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray & Oscar Levant (1953)
THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS - Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Keenan Wynn & Louis Calhern (1950)
THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME - Fred Astaire (1949)
TRUE LOVE - Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly (1956)

On Disc Two more memorable performances from the Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals:
A KISS TO BUILD A DREAM ON - Louis Armstrong (1951)
ABA DABA HONEYMOON - Debbie Reynolds & Carleton Carpenter (1950)
ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE - Gene Kelly (1954)
BE A CLOWN - Judy Garland & Gene Kelly (1948)
BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE - June Allyson & Peter Lawford (1947)
CAN'T HELP LOVIN' DAT MAN - Ava Gardner (beautiful woman, who my youngest grandaughter is named after...Avalon) (1951)
CHEEK TO CHEEK - Fred Astaire (1935)
EMBRACEABLE YOU - Connie Francis (1965)
GIGI - Louis Jourdan (1958)
GOING HOLLYWOOD - Bing Crosby (1933)
I GOT RHYTHM - Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney (1943)
IF SWING GOES, I GO TOO - Fred Astaire (1946)
IT'S A MOST UNUSUAL DAY - Jane Powell (1948)
LADY IS A TRAMP - Lena Horne (1948)
LET'S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE - Fred Astaire (1936)
ON THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND THE SANTA FE - Judy Garland & Company (1946)
ONE FOR MY BABY (AND ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD) - Fred Astaire (1943)
OVER THE RAINBOW - Judy Garland (became her theme song for the rest of her life) (1939)
PUT 'EM IN A BOX - Doris Day & the Page Cavanaugh Trio (1948)
THE TROLLEY SONG - Judy Garland & MGM Studio Chorus (1944)
WUNDERBAR - Kathryn Grayson & Howard Keel (two of MGM's favorite singing duos) (1953)

It was once said by the songwriters of that era - "There are two artists you want perform your songs on the big screen, they are Fred Astaire and Judy Garland they sing it just the way we wrote it, for which you will have a guaranteed hit on your hands"...well, this collections certainly has some merit to that statement...because with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire performing seven songs each, there must be something to it.

This collection of musicals still has the magic that we remember from those bygone years...but as long as we have the labels and networks who play and show these wonderful films of yesteryear, they will never be forgotten...hats off to Rhino Records, George Feltenstein (producer) and Doug Schwartz (engineer) and Turner Classic Movies for sharing those 42 selections from 42 films...celebrating decades of the tunes and artists that gave it their all...from what it commonly called "The Hollywood Dream Factory"...The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals is still among us...gotta love it!

Total Time: 2-CD-Set ~ Rhino Records 78323 ~ (6/02/2002)
Instruments of the Orchestra
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 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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ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

  1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
  2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
  3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
  4. Hungarian Dance No.7
  5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
  6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
  7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
  8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
  9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
  10. Csardas Music
  11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
  12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
  13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
  14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
  15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
  16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
  17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
  18. Tzigane
  19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
  20. Caprice No.24
  21. 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.
  22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
  23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
  24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
  25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
  26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
  27. The Violin Muted
  28. Clair De Lune
  29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
  30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
  31. The Pizzicato Violin
  32. Pizzicato Polka
  33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
  34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
  35. 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...
  36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
  37. 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
  38. Hungarian Dance No.4
  39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
  40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
  41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
  42. Bolero
  43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
  44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
  45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
  46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
  47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
  48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
  49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
  50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
  51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
  52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
  53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
  54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
  55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
  56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
  57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
  58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
  59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
  60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
  61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
  62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
  63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
  64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
  65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
  66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
  67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

  1. Introduction To The Viola
  2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
  3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
  4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
  5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
  6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
  7. 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.
  8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
  9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
  10. Cypresses (No.9)
  11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
  12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
  13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
  14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
  15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
  16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
  17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
  18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
  19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
  20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
  21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
  22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
  23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
  24. Elfentanz, Op.39
  25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
  26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
  27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
  28. Flamenco
  29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
  30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
  31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
  32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
  33. 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.
  34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
  35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
  36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
  37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
  38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
  39. 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.
  40. Capriccio Di Bravura
  41. 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)
  42. 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....
  43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

  1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
  2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
  3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
  4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
  5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
  6. Sa'Dawi
  7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
  8. Chamber Music No.II
  9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
  10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
  11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
  12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
  13. A Variety Of Techniques
  14. Chamber Music No.II
  15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
  16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
  17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
  18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
  19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
  20. Naelden, Naelden
  21. The Bachian Oboe
  22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
  23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
  24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
  25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
  26. The Swan Of Tuonela
  27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
  28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
  29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
  30. Bolero
  31. 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...
  32. 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)
  33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
  34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
  35. 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).
  36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
  37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
  38. ...And Quite Low.
  39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
  40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
  41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
  42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
  43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
  44. Introduction To The Saxophone
  45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
  46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
  47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
  48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
  49. Bolero
  50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
  51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
  52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
  53. Sax-O-Phun
  54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
  55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
  56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
  57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
  58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
  59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
  60. Bolero
  61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
  62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
  63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
  64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
  65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
  66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
  67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
  68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
  69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
  70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
  71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
  72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
  73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
  74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
  75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
  76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

  1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
  2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
  3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
  4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
  5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
  6. Fanfare For The Common Man
  7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
  8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
  9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
  10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
  11. 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
  12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
  13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
  14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
  15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
  16. Billy The Kid
  17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
  18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
  19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
  20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
  21. The Birth Of The Trombone
  22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
  23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
  24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
  25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
  26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
  27. 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.
  28. Hosannah
  29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
  30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
  31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
  32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
  33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
  34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
  35. The Horn And The Hunt
  36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
  37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
  38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
  39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
  40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
  41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
  42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
  43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
  44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
  45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
  46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
  47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
  48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
  49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
  50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
  51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

  1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
  2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
  3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
  4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
  5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
  6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
  7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
  8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
  9. Den Hoboecken Dans
  10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
  11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
  12. 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.
  13. Gymnopedie No.2
  14. 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...
  15. 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)
  16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
  17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
  18. 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.
  19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
  20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
  21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
  22. The Birth Of The Bongo
  23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
  24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
  25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
  26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
  27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
  28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
  29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
  30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
  31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
  32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
  33. 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.
  34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
  35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
  36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
  37. Ravel And The Xylophone
  38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
  39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
  40. Introducing The Vibraphone
  41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
  42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
  43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
  44. Folk Dances
  45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
  46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
  47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
  48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
  49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
  50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
  51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
  52. Introducing The Celeste
  53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
  54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
  55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
  56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
  57. 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
  58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
  59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
  60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
  61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
  62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
  63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

3 out of 5 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.
Brahms: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • The "Clinker" of the bunch
Brahms: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

QuartetsQuartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
QuintetsQuintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
SextetsSextets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
TriosTrios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by BrahmsAll Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
BalladsBallads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
ConcertinosConcertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
FantasiesFantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
SonatinasSonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
RomanticRomantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
IntermezzosIntermezzos | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
VariationsVariations | Variations | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
PianoPiano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
ClarinetClarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
CelloCello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
ViolinViolin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
Berlin Philharmonic OrchestraBerlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ChorusesChoruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Folk SongsFolk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
MassesMasses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
MotetsMotets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set]
  2. Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
  3. Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)
  4. Beethoven: The Masterworks (Box Set)
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ASIN: B00062FLIS
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars The "Clinker" of the bunch.......2006-12-19

Having collected the entire "The Masterworks" series (including the Bach and Mozart Complete Works) this set is the 'clinker' of the bunch. First off... 6 CD's of Lieder 'historic' (pre-historic) recordings. No Overtures, No Orchestral Seranades, No Haydn Variations?? The performances of the Symphonies and the Concertos are shakey and not very well recorded. Brilliant Classics, who has done such a wonderful job with the Hadyn Complete Symphonies (licensed from Nimbus), the Mozart and Bach Complete sets, has stumbled a bit with this release.
Haydn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Haydn: The Masterworks [Box Set]

    Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    TriosTrios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by Franz Joseph HaydnAll Works by Franz Joseph Haydn | Haydn, Franz Joseph | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    SonatinasSonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    TrumpetTrumpet | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
    CelloCello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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    1. Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
    2. Handel: The Masterworks (Box Set)
    3. Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set]
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    5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Complete Works (170 CD Box Set)

    ASIN: B00062FLJM
    Release Date: 2004-11-30
    Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Uneven quality but great value
    • A superb collection of Mendelssohn
    Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]

    Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    5. Schubert: The Masterworks [Box Set]

    ASIN: B00062FLJ2
    Release Date: 2004-11-30

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Uneven quality but great value.......2007-04-30

    Brilliant Classics has found a niche with their extremely low-price multi-disc collections of the work of a single composer or performer. The Bach, Mozart and Chopin Complete Editions are legitimately considered to be artistic and economical triumphs. But the Masterworks series are more uneven. Currently available from Amazon France at about a buck per CD, they're still a bargain for those interested in quickly building a music library. But it's worth keeping a few things in mind. Unlike the Bach and Mozart Editions, these are not always historically informed performances. In this Mendelssohn set, the Hanover Band puts in a cameo (in Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage), but most of the ensembles use modern instruments, techniques and proportions. This doesn't always work out, as in the case of the ponderously heavy recordings of the String Symphonies by an apparently full complement of Gewandhausorchester Leipzig strings (Mendelssohn likely wrote these early works for a much smaller group). The caliber of the performances varies too, ranging from good to poor, and from marquis musicians such as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to a few Dutch who-dats. The chamber musicians generally acquit themselves well (though the Octet recording is marred by an engineering flaw in the last movement, distortion, at least on my copy). But the symphonies suffer from some substandard performances, such as the Italian Symphony's live recording with not only audience noise but also ensemble flaws such as a distracting clarinet squeak in the first movement's recapitulation. Another strike is the lack of program notes. Brilliant's Complete Editions provide a booklet or CD-ROM with program notes, but here you'll need to do your own research.

    Despite these shortcomings, this set is still good value (at least at Amazon France's current price of 31 Euros). And it's a fine way to become acquainted with Mendelssohn's music.

    5 out of 5 stars A superb collection of Mendelssohn.......2007-03-24

    Let me preface this by saying that most of these works were not new to me - I own many other Mendelssohn CDs and have enjoyed his compositions for some time now. Also, this set is available much cheaper elsewhere, particularly from European retailers.
    The symphonies are well-performed. 'Reformation' is an inspired live recording. The 12 string symphonies, written in Mendelssohn's youth, are also included. The concertos are exceptional - the violin concerto is as good as you'll find anywhere. The oratorios Elijah and Paulus are included, as well as the complete chamber works and a diverse assortment of choral works. The last few discs include the Lied ohne worte, the epic organ sonatas, and excellent renditions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Fingal's Cave. While there are a few sketchy performances in the choral and chamber works, the performances and recordings are generally very solid, and the body of work couldn't be better.
    Schubert: Lieder
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • A Major Document of an Incredible Oeuvre...
    Schubert: Lieder

    Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B000AYQCIK
    Release Date: 2005-12-13

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars A Major Document of an Incredible Oeuvre..........2007-03-12

    .
    Of over 600 songs, Fischer-Dieskau and Gerald Moore realized over three-quarters: these are those. Gerald Moore was of course as important to this project as Fischer-Dieskau.

    DGG's sound is excellent.

    This set is a remarkable document of art.
    .
    Beethoven: Chamber Music for Winds (box Set)
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Beethoven's complete music for wind ensemble
    • Best available
    Beethoven: Chamber Music for Winds (box Set)

    Manufacturer: Cpo Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B00000JMZ0
    Release Date: 1999-07-20

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Beethoven's complete music for wind ensemble.......2006-01-13

    It might be hard to believe that the same composer who wrote such monumental and daunting works as the Fifth Symphony, the Hammerklavier piano sonata or the late string quartets also wrote such light and airy tunes like the duet for two flutes (WoO 26) featured in this 4-CD collection. Indeed, such light, galante music was written early in Beethoven's career in Bonn or his early years in Vienna (1794-1800) where he established himself as a serious new composer to watch. In fact, the wind Octet (Op. 103) was composed as "pleasant dinner music" for the Elector of Bonn who had a prized wind ensemble (high opus number but early work). But, after composing many of these delightful pieces, Beethoven never returned to them and focused on more substantial compositions for symphony, string trio and quartet and, of course, the latest, most fashionable instrument to arrive in Vienna - the pianoforte. The rest is history.

    The influence of Mozart is clearly evident in these works for wind ensemble with their charm and untroubled qualities. Yet, with these well-crafted works, even the great Beethoven could not quite achieve the wonderous sonorities, transcendent sublimity and luminescent beauty of Mozart's wind serenades (such as #10 'Grand Partita'). But, Beethoven's early wind compositions clearly reveal a talented, young composer who could easily model the style and form of his peers (Haydn and Mozart) and produce music of universal appeal.

    If you are looking for a complete set of Beethoven's early (divertimento) music for wind ensemble (wind only, no strings), then this is a fine set and reasonably priced. Both Penguin and Third Ear guides gave high ratings to this recommended set. Highlights would include the Sextet Op. 71 and the Octet Op. 103 along with Beethoven's most famous work of the era - the Septet Op. 20 (but here transcribed for wind ensemble). Other "fillers" include lovely duos and trios for bassoon, horn, oboe, clarinet or flute which are played with much love and care by the German Consortium Classicum. Not so special perhaps are the transcriptions to winds of the opera, Fidelio. Regardless, all of which make for ideal, non-intrusive music for quiet moments like dinner, entertaining or late night reading. After all, the purpose of such divertimento music was "pleasant background music." Overall, the playing is rich and attractively musical while the sound quality full and clear. While the box set is comprised of four, individual CD cases in one large, outer box (not space saving), one very nice bonus are the wonderfully detailed notes with each CD, covering the history and musical form - along with chronological timelines of each work's composition in the overall scheme. This set can be heartliy recommended for collectors wanting a complete set of Beethoven's wind music. 4.5 stars.

    5 out of 5 stars Best available.......2001-07-26

    Klocker and his fine team give us a refreshing rendition of these negleted gems. Recommended without reservation.
    The Hugo Wolf Society - The Complete Edition 1931-1938
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • The Hugo Wolf Society Recordings
    • "Even little things can delight us."
    • "Even little things can delight us."
    • Wolf sung by various Lieder singers
    The Hugo Wolf Society - The Complete Edition 1931-1938

    Manufacturer: Angel Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    4. Mussorgsky: Kovanshchina - Abbado
    5. Great Recordings Of The Century - Schubert: Winterreise / Hotter, Moore

    ASIN: B000009OQC
    Release Date: 2002-11-05

    Tracks:

    1. Moerike-Lieder: 8. Begegnung
    2. Moerike-Lieder: 38. Lied vom Winde
    3. Moerike-Lieder: 15. Auf einer Wanderung
    4. Moerike-Lieder: 41. Rat einer Alten
    5. Spanisches Liederbuch: 12. In dem Schatten meiner Locken
    6. Moerike-Lieder: 37. Heimweh (Anders wird die Welt)
    7. Spanisches Liederbuch: 4. Die ihr schwebet um diese Palmen
    8. Spanisches Liederbuch: 6. Ach, des Knaben Augen
    9. Spanisches Liederbuch: Nun wandre, Maria
    10. Moerike-Lieder: 46. Gesang Weylas
    11. Spanisches Liederbuch: 9. Herr, was traegt der Boden hier
    12. Italiensches Liederbuch: 1. Auch kleine Dinge
    13. Moerike-Lieder: 7. Das verlassene Maegdlein
    14. Eichendorff-Lieder: 4. Das Staendchen
    15. Spanisches Liederbuch: Wenn du zu den Blumen gehst
    16. Italiensches Liederbuch: 34. Und steht Ihr frueh am Morgen auf
    17. Italiensches Liederbuch: 16. Ihr jungen Leute
    18. Italiensches Liederbuch: 10. Du denkst mit einem Faedchen
    19. Italiensches Liederbuch: 12. Nein, junger Herr
    20. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 1: Wer sich der Einsamkeit ergibt
    21. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 2: An die Tueren will ich schleichen
    22. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 3: Wer nie sein Brot
    23. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 29. Anakreons Grab
    24. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 15. Cophtisches Lied 2 (Geh! Gehorche)
    25. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 21. Genialisch Treiben
    26. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 11. Der Rattenfenger
    27. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 19. Epiphanias
    28. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 26. Die Sproede
    29. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 27. Die Bekehrte
    30. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 24. Blumengruss
    31. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 25. Gleich und gleich
    32. Goethe-Lieder: 1-3 Drei Harfenspieler: 28. Fruehling uebers Jahr

    Tracks:

    1. Goethe-Lieder: 49. Prometheus
    2. Goethe-Lieder: 50. Ganymed
    3. Goethe-Lieder: 18. Beherzigung
    4. 1-3 Drei Gedichte von Michelangelo: 1: Wohl denk' ich oft
    5. 1-3 Drei Gedichte von Michelangelo: 2: Alles endet, was entstehet
    6. 1-3 Drei Gedichte von Michelangelo: 3: Fuehlt meine Seele
    7. Moerike-Lieder: 19. Um Mitternacht
    8. Moerike-Lieder: 42. Erstes Liebeslied eines Maedchens
    9. Moerike-Lieder: 45. Nixe Binsefuss
    10. Spanisches Liederbuch: Moegen alle boesen Zungen
    11. Spanisches Liederbuch: 24. Koepfchen, Koepfchen, nicht gewimmert
    12. Spanisches Liederbuch: 11. Klinge, klinge, mein Pandero
    13. Spanisches Liederbuch: 26. Bitt ihn, o Mutter
    14. Italiensches Liederbuch: 6. Wer rief dich denn?
    15. Italiensches Liederbuch: 25. Mein Liebster hat zu Tische mich geladen
    16. Italiensches Liederbuch: 43. Schweig einmal still
    17. Italiensches Liederbuch: 35. Benedeit die sel'ge Mutter
    18. Italiensches Liederbuch: 7. Der Mond hat eine schwere Klag' erhoben
    19. Italiensches Liederbuch: 27. Schon streckt' ich aus im Bett die mueden Glieder
    20. Goethe-Lieder: 51. Grenzen der Menschheit
    21. Italiensches Liederbuch: 32. Was soll der Zorn, mein Schatz
    22. Italiensches Liederbuch: 24. Ich esse nun mein Brot nicht trocken mehr
    23. Italiensches Liederbuch: 31. Wie soll ich froehlich sein
    24. Italiensches Liederbuch: 11. Wie lange schon war immer mein Verlangen
    25. Italiensches Liederbuch: 28. Du sagst mir, dass ich keine Fuerstin sei
    26. Italiensches Liederbuch: 26. Ich liess mir sagen
    27. Italiensches Liederbuch: 29. Wohl kenn' ich Euren Stand
    28. Italiensches Liederbuch: 21. Man sagt mir, deine Mutter woll' es nicht
    29. Italiensches Liederbuch: 36. Wenn du, mein Liebster, steigst zum Himmel auf

    Tracks:

    1. Italiensches Liederbuch: 20. Mein Liebster singt am Haus im Mondenscheine
    2. Italiensches Liederbuch: 40. O waer' dein Haus durchsichtig wie ein Glas
    3. Italiensches Liederbuch: 39. Gesegnet sei das Gruen
    4. Italiensches Liederbuch: 2. Mir ward gesagt, du reisest in die Ferne
    5. Italiensches Liederbuch: 15. Mein Liebster ist so klein
    6. Italiensches Liederbuch: 46. Ich hab' in Penna einen Liebster wohnen
    7. Italiensches Liederbuch: 4. Gesegnet sei, durch den die Welt entstund
    8. Italiensches Liederbuch: 3. Ihr seid die Allerschoenste
    9. Italiensches Liederbuch: 13. Hoffaertig seid Ihr, schoenes Kind
    10. Italiensches Liederbuch: 9. Dass doch gemalt all deine Reize waeren
    11. Italiensches Liederbuch: 17. Und willst du deinen Liebsten sterben sehen
    12. Italiensches Liederbuch: 38. Wenn du mich mit den Augen streifst
    13. Italiensches Liederbuch: 41. Heut Nacht erhob ich mich, um Mitternacht
    14. Italiensches Liederbuch: 22. Ein Staendchen Euch zu bringen
    15. Italiensches Liederbuch: 8. Nun lass uns Frieden schliessen
    16. Italiensches Liederbuch: 19. Wir haben beide lange Zeit geschwiegen
    17. Italiensches Liederbuch: 14. Geselle, woll'n wir uns in Kutten huellen
    18. Italiensches Liederbuch: 18. Heb auf dein blondes Haupt
    19. Italiensches Liederbuch: 33. Sterb' ich, so huellt in Blumen meine Glieder
    20. Italiensches Liederbuch: 37. Wie viele Zeit verlor ich
    21. Italiensches Liederbuch: 23. Was fuer ein Lied soll dir gesungen werden
    22. Spanisches Liederbuch: 7. Muehvoll komm' ich und beladen
    23. Spanisches Liederbuch: 15. Auf dem gruenen Balkon
    24. Spanisches Liederbuch: 14. Treibe nur mit Lieben Spott
    25. Spanisches Liederbuch: 29. Trau nicht der Liebe
    26. Spanisches Liederbuch: 38. Sie blasen zum Abmarsch
    27. Sechs Gedichte: 3. Biterolf (Im Lager von Akkon 1190)
    28. Moerike-Lieder: 22. Seufzer
    29. Moerike-Lieder: 28. Gebet
    30. Moerike-Lieder: 23. Auf ein altes Bild
    31. Moerike-Lieder: 32. An die Geliebte
    32. Moerike-Lieder: 12. Verborgenheit
    33. Moerike-Lieder: 39. Denk es, o Seele!
    34. Moerike-Lieder: 51. Bei einer Trauung
    35. 3. Ein Stuendlein wohl vor Tag
    36. Moerike-Lieder: 16. Elfenlied

    Tracks:

    1. Sechs Alte Weisen: 6. Wie glaenzt der helle Mond
    2. Goethe-Lieder: 14. Cophtisches Lied 1
    3. Eichendorff-Lieder: 2. Der Musikant
    4. Eichendorff-Lieder: 5. Der Soldat
    5. Eichendorff-Lieder: 9. Der Schreckenberger
    6. Moerike-Lieder: 44. Der Feuerreiter
    7. Drei Gedichte von Robert Reinick: 1. Gesellenlied (Kein Meister faellt)
    8. Goethe-Lieder: 5. Mignon 1 (Heiss mich nicht reden)
    9. Goethe-Lieder: 7. Mignon 3 (So lasst mich scheinen)
    10. Moerike-Lieder: 29. An den Schlaf
    11. Moerike-Lieder: 36. Liebe wohl
    12. Spanisches Liederbuch: 30. Ach, im Maien war's
    13. Spanisches Liederbuch: 21. Herz, verzage nicht geschwind
    14. Moerike-Lieder: 30. Neue Liebe
    15. Moerike-Lieder: 48. Storchenbotschaft
    16. Spanisches Liederbuch: 32. Dereinst, dereinst, Gedanke mein
    17. Spanisches Liederbuch: 31. Alle gingen, Herz, zur Ruh
    18. Spanisches Liederbuch: 33. Tief im Herzen trag' ich Pein
    19. Sechs Gedichte: 6. Zur Ruh, zur Ruh
    20. Spanisches Liederbuch: 34. Komm, o Tod, von Nacht umgeben
    21. Sechs Lieder fuer eine Frauenstimme: 4. Wiegenlied (Im Sommer)
    22. Sechs Lieder fuer eine Frauenstimme: 5. Wiegenlied (Im Winter)
    23. Moerike-Lieder: 20. Auf eine Christblume I (Tochter des Walds)
    24. Moerike-Lieder: 24. In der Fruehe
    25. Moerike-Lieder: 25. Schlafendes Jesuskind

    Tracks:

    1. Goethe-Lieder: 20. Sankt Nepomuks Vorabend
    2. Goethe-Lieder: 12. Ritter Kurts Brautfahrt
    3. Moerike-Lieder: 47. Die Geister am Mummelsee
    4. Moerike-Lieder: 10. Fussreise
    5. Moerike-Lieder: 43. Lied eines Verliebten
    6. Moerike-Lieder: 25. Schlafendes Jesuskind
    7. Moerike-Lieder: 4. Jaegerlied
    8. Moerike-Lieder: 17. Der Gaertner
    9. Moerike-Lieder: 50. Auftrag
    10. Moerike-Lieder: 9. Nimmersatte Liebe
    11. Spanisches Liederbuch: 44. Geh, Geliebter, geh jetzt!
    12. Goethe-Lieder: 10. Der Saenger
    13. Eichendorff-Lieder: 13. Der Scholar
    14. Eichendorff-Lieder: 14. Der verzweifelte Liebhaber
    15. Eichendorff-Lieder: 15. Unfall
    16. Vier Gedichte: 1. Wo wird einst (Heine)
    17. Vier Gedichte: 3. Sonne der Schlummerlosen
    18. Vier Gedichte: 4. Keine gleicht von allen Schoenen
    19. Eichendorff-Lieder: 1. Der Freund
    20. Eichendorff-Lieder: 2. Der Musikant
    21. Sechs Gedichte: 1. Waechterlied auf der Wartburg
    22. Moerike-Lieder: 40. Der Jaeger
    23. Goethe-Lieder: 32. Phaenomen
    24. Eichendorff-Lieder: 3. Verschwiegene Liebe
    25. Vier Gedichte: 1. Wo wird einst (Heine)
    26. Ueber Nacht (Sturm)

    Amazon.com

    EMI's "society" subscription editions in the 1930s yielded a wealth of recordings long considered gramophone classics, such as the present collection of roughly half of Hugo Wolf's lieder output. Each song occupies its own specific world, due to Wolf's resourceful word setting and his avoidance of anything generic. In turn, the performers illuminate each song's felicities with effortless authority, and they avoid overpointing or enacting. Full texts and translations are included. Ernest Newman's penetrating annotations for the original 78 albums, reprinted in EMI's 1981 LP reissue, are absent. --Jed Distler

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars The Hugo Wolf Society Recordings.......2005-12-28

    The songs of Hugo Wolf (1860 -- 1903)combine great attention to textual detail with closely intertwined writing for the voice and the piano. In this small form, Wolf was a master and took song in a different direction from that of Schubert, Schumann and Brahms. He wrote most of his songs in bursts of activity in five large collections, devoted to the poetry of Morike, Eichendorff, Goethe, and to collections of Spanish and Italian texts. He also composed a number of songs in shorter sets.

    In the early 1930s, a young Walter Legge began a project of recording Wolf songs on a subscribtion basis to be limited to 500 sets. The recording industry was relatively new, and Wolf, then as now, too little appreciated. The result was an extensive series of recordings of issued between 1931 and 1938 consisting of 145 songs, about one-half Wolf's output, performed by fourteen singers. The Hugo Wolf Society recordings remain a high moment in the recording of song. They were remastered on LPs and, in 1998, in this 5 CD collection which includes previously unreleased selections.

    The Wolf Society collection offers an unparalleled opportunity to get to know Wolf's songs performed by artists of the past that might otherwise be unfamiliar to many listeners. The performers include mezzo-soprano Elena Gerhardt, who recorded the initial volume for the society, baritones Herbert Janssen, Gerhard Husch, tenors John McCormack, Karl Erb, and Helge Roswaenge, the basses Alexander Kipnis, Frederich Schorr, and Ludwig Weber, and sopranos Alexandra Trianti, Elizabeth Rethberg, Ria Ginster, Marta Fuchs, and Tiana Lemnitz. The pianists include Conrad Bos, Gerald Moore, Michael Raucheisen, Hans Udo Muller, and Ernest Victor Wolff.

    The singers perform in a variety of styles from the highly operatic to the quietly lyrical. There is a Wagnerian performance of Goethe's "Prometheus" by Friedrich Schorr with the London Symphony Orchestra -- the only track using an orchestral accompaniment. The Irish tenor John McCormack shows a more lyrical approach in his renowned performance of Goethe's poem "Ganymed". The sopranos, Alexandra Trianti, Ria Ginster, and Tiana Lemitz have light, clear, bell-like voices. I find the singers on this compilation take a much more individualized, idiosyncratic, and romantic approach to song than do their modern counterparts, who sometimes seem restrained and chaste by comparison.

    Each of Wolf's great collections of songs is well-represented. Elena Gerhardt performs songs from each of Wolf's five books, with the exception of the Goethe songs. The young Alexander Kipnis gives a powerful reading of Wolf's three songs from Michaelangelo. The third CD in this collection features many songs from the Italian songbook performed by soprano Ginster, baritone Husch, and bass Kipnis together with recordings from the Spanish songbook by sopranos Rethberg and Ginster and baritone Husch. There are lovely performances by soprano Tiana Lemnitz in the previously uncollected supplementary material, which also includes several Eichendorff songs and a performance of the Goethe-song "Phanomen" by Alexander Kipnis.

    There is a great amount of material in this collection, with each of the 5 CDs including in excess of 70 minutes of music. Most of Wolf's songs are highly concentrated and intense. They may prove difficult to the listener coming to them knowing only the lyricism of Schubert. I would not recommend trying to rush through this set at one or two hearings. It is best to take this music in small sections and to listen with text in hand. The compilation includes texts and translations for each of the songs together with good notes about the Wolf Society recording project. There is little discussion about Wolf or about the songs themselves.

    This is an essential collection for those who love song, historical recordings, and the music of Hugo Wolf.

    Robin Friedman

    5 out of 5 stars "Even little things can delight us.".......2003-06-02

    If these six words give an approximate translation of the song "Auch kleine Dinge", then they might also describe a music lover's reaction as he makes a journey of exploration through the hundreds of little songs composed by Hugo Wolf.

    Walter Legge, a very young EMI record producer in the 1930s, first made such a journey possible when he pioneered the Hugo Wolf Society and began releasing the volumes now reissued in this boxed set. Many singers were invited to participate. Legge's choice of singers was sometimes idiosyncratic. You might wonder how an Irish tenor, a Ukrainian bass and a Greek soprano were admitted to the roster. The results, however, especially in the case of the contributions of John McCormack and Alexander Kipnis, prove the sureness of his instincts.

    About half Wolf's songs were made available in the original issue, between 1931 and 1938. With this reissue comes unused and hitherto unissued recordings, many by Tiana Lemnitz and Herbert Jannsen. So there is now more to discover and exploration is made easier for us in 2003 than it was in the 1930s. The remastering has improved the sound, Legge's widow Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is able to provide a perceptive introduction in an accompanying booklet, and the texts of the songs are now provided in German and English.

    5 out of 5 stars "Even little things can delight us.".......2003-06-02

    If these six words give an approximate translation of the song titled "Auch kleine Dinge", then they might also describe a music lover's reaction as he makes a journey of exploration through the hundreds of little songs composed by Hugo Wolf.

    Walter Legge, a very young EMI record producer in the 1930s, first made such a journey possible when he pioneered the Hugo Wolf Society and began releasing the volumes now reissued in this boxed set. Many singers were invited to participate. Legge's choice of singers was sometimes idiosyncratic. You might wonder how an Irish tenor, a Ukrainian bass and a Greek soprano were admitted to the roster. The results, however, especially in the case of the contributions of John McCormack and Alexander Kipnis, prove the sureness of his instincts.

    About half Wolf's songs were made available in the original issue, between 1931 and 1938. With this reissue comes unused and hitherto unissued recordings, many by Tiana Lemnitz and Herbert Jannsen. So there is now more to discover and exploration is made easier for us in 2003 than it was in the 1930s. The remastering has improved the sound, Legge's widow Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is able to provide a perceptive introduction in an accompanying booklet, and the texts of the songs are now provided in German and English.

    5 out of 5 stars Wolf sung by various Lieder singers.......2000-08-15

    This is an extraordinary collection of Wolf songs. It is frustrating that the project was not completed, as the quality of what was recorded is so extraordinarily revelatory. My personal favourites are the Michelangelo settings sung by the bass Alexander Kipnis, although he uncharacteristically makes some textual errors. The contributions of Hüsch are numerous and thoughtfully sung, and Karl Erb, Herbert Janssen, Ludwig Weber, Rita Ginster and Marta Fuchs are all caught on extraordinary form, with accompanists of admittedly variable quality, ranging from the sublime Gerald Moore to some very interesting contributions from some accompanists who did not really capture the true essence of Lieder accompanying, which surely cannot permit the piano to be subservient to the voice!

    These precious recordings offer us so much. They are a document of a golden age of Lieder singing, and they are superb recitals, sung by a variety of voices, never allowing the listener to tire of listening to a single voice for too long. They are also, of course, examples of some of the most wonderful Lieder writing of any time. These 5 cds are a must for a Lieder specialist, and can open new doors to the novice. Buy them, and never regret having this treasure trove which will give you pleasure all your life.
    Fischer-Dieskau Edition (Box Set)
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • The Mastersinger
    Fischer-Dieskau Edition (Box Set)

    Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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