A Classical Touch

Track Listings

1. Allemande

2. Sarabande

3. The Harmonious Blacksmith

4. Fur Elise

5. Sonata in C Major, K. 545

6. Prelude in A Major

7. Prelude in E Minor

8. Waltz in A-flat Major

9. Nocturne in E-flat Major

10. Liebestraume (Love Dreams)

11. Clair de lune (Moonlight)

12. Mouvt. De Menuet

13. Romance

14. Rhapsody in Blue (Main Theme)

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
A Classical Touch is a collection of many classical favorites, including Fur Elise, Liebestraume, Clair de lune and Rhapsody in Blue. Kathy Keane brings elegance and passion to the timeless periods of classical music.

Tracks:

Let Yourself Go
If
How Long Has This Been Going On?
My Funny Valentine
Hanging Around with You (with Jason Alexander)
The Girl in 14G
I'll Tell the Man in the Street
I'm a Stranger Here Myself
Nobody Else But Me
Nobody's Heart Belongs to Me/Why Can't I?
Should I Be Sweet?
He's Just an Ordinary Guy
Going to the Dance with You
On a Turquoise Cloud
You'll Never Know
Daddy

Amazon.com

Kristin Chenoweth won a Tony for the supporting role of Sally Brown in the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, made a memorably vampy Lily in the 1999 television film of Annie, and had an NBC sitcom created for her, Kristin! Now she grabs the spotlight in Let Yourself Go, her first solo recording. She mixes torchy standards ("My Funny Valentine," "How Long Has This Been Going On?") with Faith Prince-style sauciness ("If"), gets to show off her operatic and scat chops in the miniplay "The Girl in 14G," and shares a light duet with Jason Alexander (reviving his musical theater career post-Seinfeld). Perhaps her "Stranger Here Myself" isn't the weightiest you've ever heard, but this is an enjoyable album with a good deal of old-fashioned class, expertly accompanied by Rob Fisher and the Coffee Club Orchestra. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

One of the best ever!.......2007-04-24

Do I mean the best album or the best singer? You are correct if you said both! I saw Kristin Chenoweth on a PBS show "Broadway's Best at the Pops," (though it was not the first time I had heard her) and decided to check out the offerings here. This is a collection of the kind of music and performances I love. She has a great range, a precise pitch, and a great style that is at the same time true to the music and to herself. In an era when singers try to outdo each other re-interpreting the composer's original work, not usually with great success, she is a blessing!

Kristen Chenowith.......2007-02-26

I bought this CD for the Girl in 14G. Yes, it's that good...

Has its moments.......2007-02-19

After watching Candide endlessly and going to see Ms. Chenoweth in The Apple Tree, I was hungry for something more portable to listen to. At times this fits the bill, but what surprised me the most is how thin her voice comes across on this recording. Perhaps it was the joy of seeing her live that has ruined this listener; perhaps I need to upgrade my aging music system. Then again, maybe the recording is just not as good as Ms. C singing Bernstein or as good as staring at Ms. C command a Broadway stage.

Great CD!.......2007-01-19

I truly enjoy listening to this CD. Kristin Chenoweth's vocal style and abilities are very well-matched to the songs selected for this album. If you enjoy classic, older-style Broadway/popular tunes, I would highly recommend this CD. Ms. Chenoweth has a bright, expressive voice and does a fantastic job with this material.

As with any full-length CD, there are a couple of songs I am not as crazy about, but that has to do with the songs themselves, not Ms. Chenoweth's vocal performance. Overall, I love this album and have listened to it several times now, since receiving it as a Christmas gift last month.

This woman has what it takes, and then some..........2007-01-12

Kristin Chenoweth brings new life to some timeless Broadways tunes while introducing a few wonderful new ones. This high pitched vocal goddess effortlessly provides for a nearly flawless and easy listening experience. I definitly recommend this CD for anyone who enjoys jazz vocals, showtunes, or just a new spin on some old classics.

Average customer rating:

NEVER RECEIVED THIS ITEM!!
Perlman, Williams reunite in wonderful Serenade sequel
Some of the most beautiful music you'll ever hear
Don't compare it to Cinema Serenade 1
I can't stop listening to this CD....

Cinema Serenade II: The Golden Age

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Cinema Serenade
Itzhak Perlman's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
Itzhak Perlman's Greatest Hits
Classic Perlman: Rhapsody
Itzhak Perlman - Greatest Hits ~ "Carmen" Fantasy · Havanaise · Poème · and more

ASIN: B00000JQG0
Release Date: 1999-07-27

Tracks:

Laura
Now, Voyager
Modern Times
Lost Weekend
The Quiet Man
The Adventures Of Robin Hood
Casablanca
Henry V
The Uninvited: 'Stella By Starlight'
My, Foolish Heart
Gone With The Wind
Wuthering Heights

Amazon.com

Cinema Serenade 2: The Golden Age is the sequel to Itzhak Perlman's popular album of movie themes performed with soundtrack composer John Williams. Unlike its predecessor, this disc focuses on classic cinema themes and features the Boston Pops Orchestra, not the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The Laura theme, as well as Max Steiner's Now Voyager and Miklós Rózsa's Lost Weekend themes, sound lush and romantic in Perlman's lyrical hands. The traditional Irish jig "The Quiet Man" is the disc's most upbeat moment, while the unforgettable Gone with the Wind theme is its most memorable. These are timeless, dreamy compositions, though not necessarily the most uplifting. If you're looking for something cinematic to get your heart racing, check out Ricardo Chailly's recording of Shostakovich's film scores or even Leopold Stokowski's classic work on Fantasia. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

NEVER RECEIVED THIS ITEM!!.......2007-03-17

I cannot review the product which I know is great , as I was billed for it, but never received it.

Perlman, Williams reunite in wonderful Serenade sequel.......2003-12-04

With the success of Cinema Serenade, conductor John Williams and violinist Itzhak Perlman reunited to record another collection of classic movie themes. Performed this time by the Boston Pops Orchestra, the music of Cinema Serenade 2: The Golden Age harkens back to the days of stars such as Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Ray Milland and Clark Gable.

The 12 selections include themes by Hollywood legends Max Steiner, Miklos Rozsa and Erich Wolfgang Korngold (whose son George would later produce several of composer/conductor Williams' scores for Varese Sarabande Records). Cinema Serenade 2 presents beautiful arrangements of Steiner's themes for Now, Voyager and Gone With The Wind, Korngold's love theme from The Adventures of Robin Hood, Charlie Chaplin's lovely Modern Times and "St Patrick's Day," a traditional Irish song from the John Wayne classic The Quiet Man.

Since I consider myself to be a charter member of The Rick Blaine Society of Rank Sentimentalists, I'd have to say my favorite tracks on this album are Herman Hupfeld's timeless "As Time Goes By" from 1942's Casablanca and Victor Young's "My Foolish Heart" (from the 1949 film of the same title). It was while I was listening to the radio (on the late WTMI 93.1 FM classical station) that the DJ played "As Time Goes By" and I discovered this recording of mostly lyrical themes; I listened to Perlman's haunting violin solos and the Boston Pops' bravura performance and nearly wept. I, of course, bought this CD the next day and it's now one of my favorites.

For fans of Itzhak Perlman, John Williams or film music in general, both of the Cinema Serenade CDs are a treasure trove of beautiful and memory-stirring themes.

Some of the most beautiful music you'll ever hear.......2001-06-15

This is one of the most beautiful CDs I've ever heard. The selections are musically much richer than Cinema Serenade I. In particular, Sir William Walton's music from Henry V, Korngold's music from Robin Hood, and Newman's music from Wuthering Heights are standouts. The Korngold is my favorite, with several themes from the picture packed into a short love scene lifted straight from the movie. The arrangements on this album are stunningly lush, especially those by Williams. His opening chords from The Uninvited are terrific harmonically.

Don't compare it to Cinema Serenade 1.......2000-01-24

Itzhak Perlman is still considered by me the best violinist alive today. His techiniques are so impressable and heartouching and nobody can contest that. The idea of this CD was wonderful, although the selections of the musics aren't so good than in Cinema Serenade 1. But anyway, if you want to listen musics that worldwide the people emotioned with, buy this CD, but don't fall in the temptation to compare it to the first one.

I can't stop listening to this CD...........1999-10-03

All of those lush movie themes are greatly compiled on this CD. I especially liked Laura and Stella by Starlight. After listening to this, you will want to go out and buy/rent these great old movies!

September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill

Average customer rating:

some brilliant renditions, but can't quite all mix together
Cool and Camp
September Song Music of Kurt Weill
It's a long time between January and December
Ain't we Hip?!!?

September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000029WM
Release Date: 1997-08-19

Tracks:

Mack The Knife - Nick Cave
Ballad Of The Soldier's Wife - P.J. Harvey
Alabama Song - David Johansen
Youkali Tango - Teresa Stratas
Lost In The Stars - Elvis Costello
Pirate Jenny - Lotte Lenya
Speak Low - Charlie Haden
Oh, Heavenly Salvation - The Persuations
Lonely House - Betty Carter
Surabaya- Johnny - Teresa Stratas
Furchte Dich Nicht - Mary Margaret O'Hara
September Song - Lou Reed
Mack The Knife - Bertolt Brecht
What Keeps Mankind Alive? - William S. Burroughs

Customer Reviews:

some brilliant renditions, but can't quite all mix together.......2006-10-19

I like the spirit of this album, which is to let the music of Kurt Weill attach itself to the many worlds it came from. This was classical music that also used elements of popular music at the time, all with a very dark and almost mechanical tone. So it would seem fitting to have exquisite voices like Teresa Stratas rub elbows with darker elements like Nick Cave in this collection. There are also the jazz influences developed by Charlie Haden and Betty Carter.

In all, there are some brilliant interpretations of Weill here. I am a fan of Cave's "Mack the Knife" and David Johansen's "Alabama Song," and how can someone NOT like Lotte Lenya herself on "Pirate Jenny" and the drolling of the immortal William S. Burroughs talking through "What Keeps Mankind Alive?"

But other tracks feel to be just too short of brilliance. I love that Lou Reed tries to turn "September Song" into a kind of rock ballad, almost a VU "It Was a Pretty Good Year," but the rendition seems a little short of energy and falls flat after a while. Elvis Costello, though magnificent as an overall artist, just doesn't bring new life to "Lost in the Stars."

Perhaps the problem in the end that the choices were a little too much of the Top 40 Weill (if there really can be such a term). These are songs that have for a long time been regarded as the best of Weill, and it might have furthered the purpose of his music to find new gems and bring them into the sunlight.

Cool and Camp.......2006-08-24

This is a very biased review- I originally had much of Weill's work on cassette tape- way back in the olden days- before CD's- so I am already very partial to many of the tracks on this CD- I would recommend it not only to Kurt Weill fans, and the fans of the various artists featured, but I would also strongly recommend this to anyone who likes artsy, camp, fun burlesque, Bohemian European stuff. The record, even though performed by contemporary artists still retains much of it's zeitgeist, it evokes the era in which Weill was writing and it rounds out any great eclectic record collection. It's a great musical discovery for fans of all sorts of genres, and EVERYONE should own at least one recorded arrangement of "Mack The Knife". (You know, for parties and stuff!)

September Song Music of Kurt Weill.......2006-08-22

Songs from the film-documentary done by various artists. Excellent choice if you like Mr Weill's music. I saw the film and always wanted the CD. Now I have and I recommend it highly.

It's a long time between January and December.......2004-06-11

Kurt Weill is one of those composers who juggles Jewish angst with Catholic guilt: and possibly vice versa. As a collection, it is nonpareil. Each interpretation becomes a definitive reading of the "song". Lord, it is one of the best assemblies of contemporary artists going. Lou couldn't be better; Ms O'Hara, in fine form, performs her deranged puppet-dance to the X. OK. An unknown. Roping-in, such a postmodern figure as, well, you-know-who, to orate Weill's lyrics is never less than exceptional. An amazing collection. Is there a DVD?

Paul

Ain't we Hip?!!?.......2003-07-23

This is the avant version of these songs, everything done with that Downtown fingers-across-the-blackboard screech. They even got Johanson doing it, which is no less than amazing. The sole exception is the Persuasions' "O Heavenly Salvation", but one song does not an album make.

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:

Henry V: Canzonetta
Schindler's List: Theme From Schindler's List
Concerto In D Major For Violin, Piano And String Quartet, Op.21: Sicilienne - Juilliard String Quartet
Humoresque No.7 In G-Flat Major, Op.101
Violin Sonata No.3 In D Minor, Op.108: Adagio - Daniel Barenboim
Now, Voyager: Theme From Now, Voyager
Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse: Theme Four Hoursemen Of The Apocalypse
Slavonic Dance No.2 In E Minor, Op.72
Cantabile For Violin And Guitar - John Williams
Cinema Paradiso: Love Theme
Romance In F Minor For Violin And Orchestra, Op.11
Henry V: Touch Her Soft Lips And Part

Amazon.com

This compilation of selections from recordings made between 1975 and 1998, including one previously unreleased to create a framework, is a curious mix. All the pieces are slow, and this being the age of the soundbite, none is longer than five minutes except the Romance by Dvorák, who is also represented by two other popular pieces, specifically arranged to include a cello part for Yo-Yo Ma. Half the program consists of "themes" from movie soundtracks, and the comparison between them is interesting. John Williams, André Previn, and Max Steiner are film composers whose juicy melodies and swooping orchestrations are appropriate to the medium, while William Walton was a "serious" composer whose style retained its austerity in his film music. Two single slow movements, from Chausson's Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet, and from Brahms's Third Violin Sonata, make one yearn for more. The latter is the only piece on the disc that can reasonably be called "classical;" as for the "rhapsodic" part of the title, it is certainly justified by the performances. Perlman plays everything, whether by Brahms or John Williams, with the same concentration, commitment, and emotional intensity. His expressiveness is always noble and so genuine that there is never a moment of sentimentality or condescension. The program gives him little chance to display his virtuosity, but shows off his glorious tone in all its variety, warmth, and radiance; the climaxes soar with rapturous ecstasy. His partners and accompanying orchestras could not be better. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

The Greatest .......2007-06-11

Once in a very great while, God creates a musician who even He is in awe of. Itzhak Perlman is simply the greatest violinist who has ever lived. His Violin Concerto (Beethoven) is perhaps the greatest ever recorded, while here his violin expresses the joys and horrors of Cinema Paradiso and Shindler's List, themes not to be missed by anyone.

Enchanting, moving, Perlman is magic!.......2005-04-21

I played the violin growing up and could never imagine it could be played as
beautifully as Perlman can play it. He is unequalled as far as I'm concerned,
but anyone would enjoy this album as it has wonderfully memorable show
tunes like Cinema Paradiso and Schindler's List and the most beautiful
rendition ever of Michel Legrand's If It takes forever, I will wait for you
from UMBRELLAS of CHERBOURG.
It stays in my car CD player where I enjoy it over and over!

Average customer rating:

Crossover at Its Best
If Dawn Upshaw had made only one album...
Great songs by a better than average singer. Buy It.
A must album for all musical theatre lovers.
Timeless recording

I Wish It So
soprano Dawn Upshaw , Marc Blitzstein , Eric Stern , Stephen Sondheim , Kurt Weill , Leslie Stifelman , Leonard Bernstein , and Matthias Naegele
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000005J2V
Release Date: 1994-08-02

Tracks:

I Wish It So
There Won't Be Trumpets - Sondheim
What More Do I Need? - Sondheim
That's Him
The Girls Of Summer - Sondheim
The Saga Of Jenny
Like It Was
Stay Well
I Feel Pretty
Glitter And Be Gay
My Ship
In The Clear
Never Get Lost - Take Me To The World
My New Friends - Bernstein

Amazon.com essential recording

With a spirit of innocence and excitement, no audible breaks of register, and perfect diction, Dawn Upshaw graces us with a satisfying crossover recording in which each song is a fully realized musical monologue. The eclectic and infrequently performed repertoire, from Bernstein, Blitzstein, Sondheim, and Weill, compliments her charm and interpretive acuity. There's her humorous "Saga of Jenny," her adorable "That's Him," her poignant "Like It Was," and her freshly vibrant "I Feel Pretty." Conductor Eric Stern is divine in his arrangements and accompaniment. This is one of the best musical theater albums available. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

Crossover at Its Best.......2006-11-15

"I Wish It So" is the CD that first introduced the exceptional "crossover" talents of soprano Dawn Upshaw. The album, which comprises (mostly) little-heard songs by Kurt Weill, Marc Blitzstein, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim, opens with the title number, a lyrical gem from Blitzstein's JUNO, and continues with Sondheim's vibrant "There Won't Be Trumpets," in which Upshaw, rather than belting, lets her voice ring. She then slam-dunks Sondheim's "What More Do I Need," a truly raucous number. Other highlights include the two songs from Weill's LADY IN THE DARK: the haunting ballad "My Ship" and the witty "The Saga of Jenny," presented here in a superb jazz arrangement. The sound of Upshaw's lower middle voice in this number is thrilling. Her combining of Blizstein's "Never Get Lost" and Sondheim's soaring, life-affirming "Take Me to the World" is perfect, as is her musical yet emotional rendition of "Like It Was" from Sondheim's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. The album climaxes with the mock-coloratura aria "Glitter and Be Gay" from Bernstein's CANDIDE, in which Upshaw scales the heights with consistently pure and beautiful tone. In a day when many great opera singers attempt, unsuccessfully, to sing "popular" song, "I Wish It So" is an example of crossover at its very best. It is a CD that no one who loves both opera and musicals should miss.

If Dawn Upshaw had made only one album..........2006-08-24

I have a weak spot for crossover albums by opera stars, which can often be train wrecks or embarrissing self-parodies. There's not a cringe-worthy note in this one, however. Dawn Upshaw has never been as vibrant on disc, and her style in pop music (albeit serious pop music) surpasses expectations. She is a master at touching vulnerability and stars-in-her-eyes vulnerability. There's no current Broadway star who can match her in any of these songs form Sondheim, Weill, and Bernstein, certainly not for sheer beauty of voice and charm. Upshaw went on to make an excellent album of Rodgers and Hart songs, but nothing else quite matches this first effort.

Great songs by a better than average singer. Buy It........2006-04-24

'I Wish It So' sung by popular / classical switch hitter, Dawn Upshaw is a very, very good interpretation of classical American musical theatre pieces by four masters of the genre, Leonard Bernstein (music), Marc Blitzstein (lyrics), Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) and Kurt Weill (music). As I am most familiar with female interpretations of Kurt Weill's songs, especially by the likes of his widow, Lotte Lenya and Weill interpreter extraordinare, Ute Lemper, I have to say that while Upshaw does them justice, she does ont outshine the very best Weill interpretations. Primarily, I believe she suffers from never actually performing the works on stage, as Lenya has.

And, since Ute Lemper did an album with a similar collection of songs (Illusions) from Sondheim and others, I thing Lemper still has the edge on interpreting other composers as well.

On the positive side, I find Upshaw's interpretation as good or better than almost everyone else who makes a career out of these songs, such as, dare I say it, Barbra Streisand. This is a good thing, because I believe Upshaw is not up to the very best mezzos who share her classical works. She can't hold a candle, for example, to Renee Fleming or Anne Sofie von Otter, although her interpretations of Weill are as good as von Otter, just not as good as Lenya and Lemper.

A very, very nice album if you like female vocalists.

A must album for all musical theatre lovers........2005-04-21

Dawn Upshaw once again disproves the adage that opera singers can't sing showtunes properly. Her diction, her ability to act out the lyrics and her crystal clear angel-like voice are just heavenly. Miss Upshaw could teach quite a few Broadway and Cabaret singers a thing or two about interpretation and she would have her hands full teaching opera singers like Te Kanawa or Fleming how to put over a showtune properly. Simply divine!

Timeless recording.......2004-07-20

This is an endlessly rewarding album by an operatic soprano who demonstrates an expressiveness and range rare in crossover albums of this sort. Upshaw modifies her classical technique without compromising it, narrating with a conversational tone and youthful ebullience well-suited to musical theater. She continues her tradition of championing obscure American art songs with three gorgeous Blitzstein pieces, and wisely avoids the standard, overdone Sondheim showpieces in favor of several gorgeous lesser-known songs. "I Feel Pretty" is given a refreshing makeover, while "Glitter and Be Gay" demonstrates both her impressive vocal control and comedic prowess. Despite the odd choice of "There Won't Be Trumpets", which demands a belter to properly execute the climax, this album is a well-conceived and cohesive collection that becomes more enjoyable on each subsequent listen.

Average customer rating:

LOVE THIS CD !!!

CBS Dinner Classics: Romance

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Dinner Classics: The Italian Album
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ASIN: B0000027XF
Release Date: 1992-04-07

Tracks:

Crisantemi
Carmen: Micaela's Aria
Serendae For Strings In E Major, Op.22: II - Tempo Di Valse
KINDERSZENEN, OP.15: Traumerei: No.7
Two Elegiac Melodies, Op.34: II - The Last Spring
Hassan: Serenade
Fantasia On 'Greensleves'
Londonderry Air
Elegie
Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op.42: Melodie In E-Flat Major, No. 3
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo
I Love You
Woodland Sketches, Op.51: To A Wild Rose, No. 1
Henry V: Touch Her Soft Lips And Part: No.2
Pavane For A Dead Princess
Prelude To Irmelin
Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini, Op.43: Variation XVIII: Andante Cantabile

Customer Reviews:

LOVE THIS CD !!!.......2007-03-11

I was looking for a recording of Londonderry Air performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandandy. After listening to several sample clips on this CD, I ordered it. The entire CD is beautiful and relaxing. It's become one of my favorites.

Mozart for Massage: Music with a Soft, Gentle Touch

Average customer rating:

Very relaxing and therapeutic!
Not bad, but REALLY light.
Absolutly the most pleasent CD
Absolutly the most pleasent CD
Relaxing!

Mozart for Massage: Music with a Soft, Gentle Touch

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Beethoven at Bedtime: A Gentle Prelude to Sleep
Mozart for Meditation
Baroque at Bathtime: A Relaxing Serenade to Wash Your Cares Away
Detaching the World Vol. 1 - Ambient Music for Massage/Relaxation/Meditation
Bach at Bedtime: Lullabies for the Still of the Night

ASIN: B0000041NR
Release Date: 1997-08-12

Tracks:

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Romance (Andante)
Divertimento In D, K. 136: Andante
String Quartet No. 21 In D: Andante
String Quartet No. 22 In B-flat: Larghetto
String Quartet No. 4 In C Minor: Andante
S tring Quartet No. 6 In E-flat: Andante
Divertimento In F , K. 138: Andante
Duo For Violin And Viola B-flat: Andante cantabile
String Quartet No. 16 In E-flat: Andante con moto
String Quartet No. 2 In C: Andante
String Quartet No. 17 In B-flat: Adagio

Customer Reviews:

Very relaxing and therapeutic!.......2000-10-31

I'm a professional massage therapist, and I use this disc in many of my sessions. My clients love it! It lets me concentrate with no unwelcome interruptions, and my clients can relax and focus on their bodies without any surprises (or wierd nature-y new-age noises). Length-wise, it's perfect for an hour-long session. I have other discs from this series as well, and they're all great!

Not bad, but REALLY light........1999-09-17

This music is so light, I forget that it's on. It's not a bad compilation of Mozart, but definately not one of his best. However, just right for a quiet time in the evening.

Absolutly the most pleasent CD.......1999-09-13

My clients love it! I need not say more.... Julius Daniels, LM

Absolutly the most pleasent CD.......1999-09-13

My clients love it! I need not say more.... Julius Daniels, LM

Relaxing!.......1999-03-23

If you would like a CD to relax to (I use it for Biofeedback), this is delightful! I highly recommend it to those who give Massages and are in need of background music to soothe your clients. If you're stressed and are just looking for something to help calm you down and you know nothing about classical music, this is an excellent choice - the pieces will not jump out at you. Enjoy!!

Average customer rating:

Someone should have caught this...
Constance Demby is back.
Constance Demby: Sanctum Sanctuorum
A Musical Stairway To The Stars!
Peace and Tranquility

Sanctum Sanctuorum
Constance Demby
Manufacturer: Sound Currents
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

Healing | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Faces of the Christ
Attunement
Skies Above Skies
An Ancient Muse
Light of this World

ASIN: B0000TG9MO
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Tracks:

Alleluiah
Invocation
Formless Presence
Gateway
Haven of Peace
Sanctuary

Album Description

"SOME ALBUMS WARN LISTENERS "do not operate heavy machinery while listening to this music." I'd take the "warning" beyond that. Do not sit upright nor stand because this music will dissolve you. "Indescribable" only starts to describe it .... It folds over itself, exudes, and disappears. But none of that put together adds up to the sublime mystery of what makes me go wherever it is that is beyond language, beyond memory, beyond explanation. Perhaps she's found the way to make time reverse. She has given us a remarkable gift: the carpet of sound to the "all-or-nothing." -Carol Wright, music writer for New Age Voice, BN.com

"THE OPENING MINUTES OF THIS ALBUM HERALD A QUALITY THE LIKES OF WHICH YOU WILL RARELY HEAR ON A SYNTH ALBUM. The first piece stops you in your tracks with its sheer, almost overwhelming beauty… for this is the sound of heaven - like never before. It really is almost overwhelming, one of the most beautiful musical experiences I think I've ever heard in this genre... There is a lot of music out there to be lived, but few that truly touch the soul - this is one of the few." - CD Services

"ALTERNATE AWARENESS - This deep space music is intended for meditation and introspection. The soundscapes just reach out and grab listeners. It becomes an alternate awareness that allows listeners to enter a trance-like state of being. Within that state, deep listeners see more clearly. The journey leads to increased spiritual and emotional well-being. Essential for new age and space music fans." ~ All Music Guide

"EXPANSIVE, tender, and passionately spiritual, Demby's music is designed for stress relief, contemplation, and serenity. Given Demby's multidimensional talents, it's no wonder her music is listened to all around the world." - New Age Retailer

Customer Reviews:

Someone should have caught this..........2007-01-30

Anyone who knew Latin or bothered to check would know that the second word of the title has to be "sanctorum," NOT "sanctuorum"!!

Constance Demby is back........2004-06-26

It is wonderful to have Ms. Demby move away from the atonal and morbid sounds of Attunement and Spirit Trance to the uplifting sounds she gave us in Novus Magnificat and Set Free. This is definitely one of her best works.

Constance Demby: Sanctum Sanctuorum.......2003-03-13

Constance Demby continues her trademark melodious symphonic space-music in this calming album. This time, she has infused chants and solo choir to give it a definite Christian flavour.

It becomes a struggle to stay stressed out while listening to this inspiring album and I've tried.

A Musical Stairway To The Stars!.......2002-04-29

With this recording, Constance Demby, the undisputed founder of sacred symphonic space music, has created a musical stairway to the stars. In a word, 'Sanctum Sanctuorum' is remarkable. Not only musically sophisticated and gorgeously produced, the piece as a whole is a deepening of Demby's important work to new heights. At least initially, we could not help but to be reminded of the well-known Requiems by Faure and Durufle. But 'Sanctum' sets the standard for sacred symphonic space music for the new millennium reaching realms not possible prior to this work. Finally, electronic music technology has caught up with Demby's compositional genius to produce a benchmark that transcends the genre.

Peace and Tranquility.......2002-02-05

"Sanctum touches the inner peace we so often dare not to take time for during our schedules of work and obligations. The beautiful tones and colours are as deep and penetrating as the cover on the CD. Our world needs more of this positive, soothing music. A real must buy!"

Average customer rating:

Touch the Sound

Manufacturer: Normal Germany
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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Shadow Behind the Iron Sun
Touch the Sound - A Sound Journey With Evelyn Glennie
Her Greatest Hits

ASIN: B0006O9MCM
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

It Ain't Me Babe [Import]

Mikhail Chekalin: Last Seasons / Black Square

New Mansions in Sound

Eastern Rebellion, Vol. 1

Caged Heat [Live]

One Summer Night [Import]

No Strings (With Strings) (Orchestral Music from the Richard Rodgers Broadway Hit)

Mozart: Bassoon Concerto; Symphony No. 25; Rondo for Violin & Orchestra No. 1

Lullabies to Paralyze [Import]

Leos Janacek: Vec Makropulos (The Makropulos Case) / Lachian Dances [Box set]

Live at the 51 Club: 1960 [Live]

1. Allemande
2. Sarabande
3. The Harmonious Blacksmith
4. Fur Elise
5. Sonata in C Major, K. 545
6. Prelude in A Major
7. Prelude in E Minor
8. Waltz in A-flat Major
9. Nocturne in E-flat Major
10. Liebestraume (Love Dreams)
11. Clair de lune (Moonlight)
12. Mouvt. De Menuet
13. Romance
14. Rhapsody in Blue (Main Theme)