Classical Music Nursery Rhymes

Track Listings
1. London Bridge    
2. Baa Baa Black Sheep    
3. Humpty Dumpty    
4. Frere Jacques    
5. Hush a Bye Baby    
6. Hey Diddle Diddle    
7. Mary had a Little Lamb    
8. Old MacDonald    
9. This Old Man    
10. Old King Cole    
11. Sing a Song of Sixpence    
12. Three Blind Mice    
13. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star    
14. Yankee Doodle    
15. O Dear What Can the Matter Be    
16. Oranges and Lemons    
17. Girls and Boys Come Out to Play    
18. Pop Goes the Weasel    
19. Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush    
20. Sur Le Pont D’Avignon    

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
The Majors for Minors Classical Music Series is based on sceintific research demonstrating the indisputable ositice effect of classical music on the development of "foetus", babies, toddlers and young children. Classical Music Nursery Rhymes is the perfect way to introduce babies and children to the benefits of active music stimulation. It is ideal to use as background music during play. By using popular and universal nursery rhymes, Majors for Minors combines the benefit of classical music with familiar tunes that your child will grow up to know.

Classical Music Nursery Rhymes, Music, Anonymous, Traditional, American Traditional, English Traditional, French Traditional, Childrens, Classical, Classical Music Nursery Rhymes is the perfect way to introduce babies and children to the benefits of active music stimulation. It is ideal to use as background music during play., Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous Music, Miscellaneous Vocal Music, Vocal, Vocal Music
Baby Einstein: Playdate Fun
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Great for long car rides
  • Who Changed the Lyrics?
Baby Einstein: Playdate Fun
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Buena Vista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Children's Music | Styles | Music
EducationalEducational | Children's Music | Styles | Music
Sing-A-LongsSing-A-Longs | Children's Music | Styles | Music
4-for-3 Pop4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 All Music4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Baby Einstein: Playtime Music Box
  2. Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics
  3. Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics, Vol. 2
  4. Baby Einstein: Baby Noah
  5. Baby Einstein: Traveling Melodies

ASIN: B000I2IQA6
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Tracks:

  1. Baby Einstein Theme
  2. The Itsy-Bitsy Spider
  3. Where Is Thumbkin?
  4. Did You Ever See A Lassie?
  5. Contradance No.1
  6. The Wheels On The Bus
  7. If You're Happy And You Know It
  8. The Easy Winners Rag
  9. B-I-N-G-O
  10. Here We Go Loopty-Loo
  11. Pop Goes The Weasel
  12. Yummy Yum, Snack Time!
  13. Pineapple Rag
  14. Do Your Ears Hang Low?
  15. This Old Man
  16. Baa Baa Black Sheep
  17. Wellington's Victory, Medley, 'Fanfare'
  18. Willington's Victory, 'France'
  19. She'll Be Comin' 'Round The Mountain
  20. Contradance No.8
  21. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great for long car rides.......2007-07-16

This CD is fantastic. We received it as a gift when my son was a year old and every time we start it in the car, he's immediately engaged (read: quiet and attentive). He's always loved when we sing to him, so this is great. You can sing along or let the kids on the CD handle the vocals when yours are worn out. The lyrics are a little different in some cases, but still fun. I'll warn you- "Yay, it's snack time/Yummy yummy snack time" gets stuck in my head every time, but there are worse things, I guess. If you need a way to distract a child on a long car ride, this has been useful for us, maybe for you too.

3 out of 5 stars Who Changed the Lyrics?.......2006-11-03

Conceptually, this is a great product: a CD to help you teach your child typical childhood songs. CDs like this are particularly valuable if you are musically challenged like me. ("She couldn't carry a tune in a bucket." "She should sing solo -- 'solo' that no one can hear her." You get the idea.) You should recognize the melodies on this CD. UNFORTUNATELY, you might not recognize all the lyrics, which in some instances have been slightly or dramatically altered from the versions I learned. This is not horrible, except that these altered lyrics cannot always be clearly heard on this CD ... and there's no lyric sheet accompanying this CD ... and there's no easy-to-find place online with the Baby Einstein version of the lyrics. (So far, no website at all seems to have the Baby Einstein version of "Do Your Ears Hang Low?") The result: you won't have an entirely smooth or fun experience singing along with the CD as your child watches and tries to get it. Instead, your child will watch as you periodically stop singing and display a puzzled expression. There may be a learning experience in this incongruity, but I was not planning to teach this lesson for a couple more years.
Classical Music Nursery Rhymes
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Majors for Minors - Classical Music Nursery Rhymes
  • Majors for Minors- classical music nursery rhymes
  • Classical Music Nursery Rhymes
  • AVOID THIS CD
Classical Music Nursery Rhymes

Manufacturer: Consumervision
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Children's Music | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Playtime and Bedtime with Bach
  2. Old English Nursery Rhymes

ASIN: B00005YTF2
Release Date: 2002-01-15

Tracks:

  1. London Bridge
  2. Baa Baa Black Sheep
  3. Humpty Dumpty
  4. Frere Jacques
  5. Hush a Bye Baby
  6. Hey Diddle Diddle
  7. Mary had a Little Lamb
  8. Old MacDonald
  9. This Old Man
  10. Old King Cole
  11. Sing a Song of Sixpence
  12. Three Blind Mice
  13. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
  14. Yankee Doodle
  15. O Dear What Can the Matter Be
  16. Oranges and Lemons
  17. Girls and Boys Come Out to Play
  18. Pop Goes the Weasel
  19. Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush
  20. Sur Le Pont DAvignon

Album Description

The Majors for Minors Classical Music Series is based on sceintific research demonstrating the indisputable ositice effect of classical music on the development of "foetus", babies, toddlers and young children. Classical Music Nursery Rhymes is the perfect way to introduce babies and children to the benefits of active music stimulation. It is ideal to use as background music during play. By using popular and universal nursery rhymes, Majors for Minors combines the benefit of classical music with familiar tunes that your child will grow up to know.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Majors for Minors - Classical Music Nursery Rhymes.......2002-04-27

I come from a classical music background and wish to congratulate the producers of this CD. For the first time ever, to my knowledge, here is a CD that's incredibly straightforward and extremely simple - perfect material for babies and young children. By no means a classical music masterpiece but the entire easiness and simplicity is perfect to ease any child into a positive state of mind as it does with my baby and toddler. For the Bambino's, I say this is a cut above Mozart. ( Give 4 stars)

5 out of 5 stars Majors for Minors- classical music nursery rhymes.......2002-04-25

...My wife and I have used the Majors for Minors series for the last three years, we have two small children and can only praise the positive results our children have had from these CD'S.

I can only assume that G Spanos is a music academic and authority on classical music, however from what I know of the research that went into this series the mucis is purely a classical interpretation and the success is actually created by sound frequencies and specfic patterns which the producers have used.

The fact that the product uses digital instruments as opposed to authentic instruments from what I understand has no bearing on how this product works.

I admit as a lover of classical music myself that there is far supeior available, however as a product designed to calm and assist with active and passive situations during a childs daily life - there is nothing better in the market (from what we know of) and we have used many other products designed for this purpose wthout success!

My knowldege of Majors for Minors workings is probably better than most average person, due to the fact that when I was in the UK on business, I read an article in a London newspaper which gave detail on how the produsers of this product went about their research and they admitted that their compilations such as the nursery rhymes and the lullabies would sound rather monotonous to the average adult, however the effect on children under three is excellent.

We challenge G Spanos or any parent with young children to use this product and not experience the incredible benefits to their children as my wife and I have found. In fact we would go as far as saying that the principles of this product should try and do alot more to make Majors for Minors more known to the rest of the world.

4 out of 5 stars Classical Music Nursery Rhymes.......2002-04-19

I bought this CD for my 5th child, who has special needs when he was 5yrs old. I had struggled with 5yrs of disturbed nights; frequently up for 2hr stretches. I would play it in the sitting room whilst cuddling/rocking my son. I would concentrate my mind on the music, rocking patting, walking in time with the beat, until he slept. Because my son frequently needs attention during the night he sleeps in our room, and for the last year or so whenever he wakes at night I play this music softly, it does not disturb my husband and it gives me a focus on which to concentrate instead of mulling over the day ahead or worrying about matters. It has been our nightly friend and companion. Please send us your comments about Majors for Minors.

1 out of 5 stars AVOID THIS CD.......2002-03-11

DO NOT BUY THIS CD !! This cd purports to be Classical Music Nursery Rhymes. It is nursery rhyme melodies, but completely homogenized pablum. It is not classical, it is synthesizers - the worst kind of muzak versions, with the melodies practically hidden away in the synthesized "new age" (in the worst sense of the word) background/easy listening, mellow accompaniments. It might be ok for putting kids to sleep, but I can think of much better music to do that, that is real music. If you are looking for real versions of nursery rhyme melodies, this is NOT the cd to buy.
Old English Nursery Rhymes
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • An Authentic Delight for Both Young and Old
Old English Nursery Rhymes

Manufacturer: Saydisc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00000453X
Release Date: 1996-09-17

Tracks:

  1. Girls And Boys: Girls And Boys Come Out To Play
  2. Girls And Boys: Polly Put The Kettle On - Lucy Locket Lost Her Pocket
  3. Girls And Boys: Jack And Jill Went Up The Hill
  4. Girls And Boys: Tom, He Was A Piper's Son
  5. Girls And Boys: Little Boy Blue, Come Blow Your Horn
  6. Girls And Boys: Little Miss Muffet, She Sat On A Tuffet
  7. Girls And Boys: Oh Dear What Can The Matter Be?
  8. Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush (Games And Dances): Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush
  9. Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush (Games And Dances): Oranges And Lemons
  10. Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush (Games And Dances): Oats And Beans And Barley Grow
  11. Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush (Games And Dances): The Farmer's In His Den
  12. Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush (Games And Dances): Dance To Your Daddy
  13. Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush (Games And Dances): A Ring O' Roses
  14. Hey Diddle Diddle (Riddles And Nonsense): Hey Diddle Diddle, The Cat And The Fiddle - Humpty Dumpty Sat On A Wall
  15. Hey Diddle Diddle (Riddles And Nonsense): I Had Four Brothers Over The Sea
  16. Hey Diddle Diddle (Riddles And Nonsense): I Saw A Ship A-Sailing
  17. Hey Diddle Diddle (Riddles And Nonsense): There Was A Man Lived In The Moon
  18. Hey Diddle Diddle (Riddles And Nonsense): If All The World Were Paper
  19. The Lion And The Unicorn (The High And Mighty): Lavender's Blue
  20. The Lion And The Unicorn (The High And Mighty): Sing A Song Of Sixpence
  21. The Lion And The Unicorn (The High And Mighty): I Had A Little Nut Tree
  22. The Lion And The Unicorn (The High And Mighty): Oliver Cromwell Lay Buried And Dead
  23. The Lion And The Unicorn (The High And Mighty): Old King Cole Was A Merry Old Soul
  24. The Lion And The Unicorn (The High And Mighty): The Grand Old Duke Of York - The Lion And The Unicorn
  25. Ding Dong Bell (Cats And Mice): Ding Dong Bell, Pussy's In The Well
  26. Ding Dong Bell (Cats And Mice): Hickory Dickory Dock - Jeremy Barlow
  27. Ding Dong Bell (Cats And Mice): Three Blind Mice (Familiar Version Followed By Earliest Version Of The Round)
  28. Ding Dong Bell (Cats And Mice): There Were Three Little Kittens
  29. Ding Dong Bell (Cats And Mice): I Love Little Pussy
  30. Ding Dong Bell (Cats And Mice): Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat, Where Have You Been?
  31. Ding Dong Bell (Cats And Mice): Three Mice Went Into A Hole To Spin
  32. A Frog He Would A Wooing Go (Fortune And Fate): My Daddy I Dead, But I Can't Tell You How
  33. A Frog He Would A Wooing Go (Fortune And Fate): A Jolly Fat Frog Lived In The River
  34. A Frog He Would A Wooing Go (Fortune And Fate): The North Wind Doth Blow
  35. A Frog He Would A Wooing Go (Fortune And Fate): Who Killed Cock Robin?
  36. A Frog He Would A Wooing Go (Fortune And Fate): A Frog He Would A Wooing Go
  37. Little Bo Peep (Sheep): Mary Had A Little Lamb
  38. Little Bo Peep (Sheep): Baa Baa Black Sheep
  39. Little Bo Peep (Sheep): Little Bo Peep
  40. Hot Cross Buns (Food): Hot Cross Buns
  41. Hot Cross Buns (Food): Little Jack Horner
  42. Hot Cross Buns (Food): Dame Get Up And Bake Your Pies
  43. Hot Cross Buns (Food): Pat A Cake, Pat A Cake, Baker's Man
  44. Hot Cross Buns (Food): Oh, What Have You Got For Dinner Mrs Bond?
  45. Hush A Bye Baby (Bedtime): Hush A Bye Baby On The Tree Top
  46. Hush A Bye Baby (Bedtime): Dance A Baby Diddy
  47. Hush A Bye Baby (Bedtime): Hey Diddle Dumpling, My Son John
  48. Hush A Bye Baby (Bedtime): Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
  49. Hush A Bye Baby (Bedtime): Sleep, Baby Sleep
  50. Hush A Bye Baby (Bedtime): Boys And Girls To Play (Instrumental Version)

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars An Authentic Delight for Both Young and Old.......2000-01-11

It is amazing how Saydisc could put together 52 nursery rhymes in one CD. No detail has been overlooked. The selection strictly includes those nursery rhymes recognised by everyone as traditional. The pieces are organised according to some categories rather than to their age, which is in most cases uncertain. Nonetheless Mr. Barlow -director and arranger- has ensured that each piece is accompanied by the suitable instruments, according to their age. All this shows extensive research, which is also noticeable in the accompanying booklet, where the listener can take a look at the lyrics together with to-the-point information on both tunes and words. General information is also provided in the 'Introduction' where some reference books are mentioned which the reader is referred to for further information and analysis. The arrangements are lovely, keeping faithful to the original tunes. The fully digital recording technology is a plus and makes it a pleasure to listen to. Singers are superb. They show the full mood of the rhymes. I believe anyone who likes nursery rhymes will agree with me that there is no waste in this selction and that it perspires quality all through.
Janácek: Mládi; Rikadla; Concertino; etc.
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Spectacular!
Janácek: Mládi; Rikadla; Concertino; etc.

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

SextetsSextets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Janácek, LeosJanácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
PianoPiano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
PiccoloPiccolo | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000000AXP
Release Date: 1995-10-17

Tracks:

  1. Mladi - Youth - Jugend - Jeunesse for wind sextet
  2. Mladi - Youth - Jugend - Jeunesse for wind sextet
  3. Mladi - Youth - Jugend - Jeunesse for wind sextet
  4. Mladi - Youth - Jugend - Jeunesse for wind sextet
  5. Concertino for piano and chamber ensemble
  6. Concertino for piano left hand and chamber ensemble
  7. Concertino for piano and chamber ensemble
  8. Concertino for piano left hand and chamber ensemble
  9. Capriccio for piano left hand chamber ensemble
  10. Capriccio for piano left hand chamber ensemble
  11. Capriccio for piano left hand chamber ensemble
  12. Capriccio for piano left hand chamber ensemble
  13. Pochod modracku - March Of The Blue Boys
  14. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  15. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  16. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  17. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chmaber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  18. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  19. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  20. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  21. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  22. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  23. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  24. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  25. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  26. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  27. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  28. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  29. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  30. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  31. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble
  32. Rikadla - Nursery Rhymes For Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble

Amazon.com

When he turned 70, Janácek decided to give himself a little musical birthday present. The result was his wind sextet Mladi (Youth), a typically fresh and vital product of the composer's miraculous old age. He then produced the Concertino and Capriccio, both miniature piano concertos eccentrically scored for soloist and chamber ensemble. Rikadla (Nursery Rhymes) sets a series of nonsense poems for voices and a few instruments. All of this music is passionate and directly communicative, and it's excellently performed and recorded. Janácek was one of music's true originals, and anyone looking for an entertaining change of pace will enjoy this disc. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Spectacular!.......2007-05-20

Very seldom has a composer been able to write "humorous" instrumental music without lapsing into being corny. Janacek is the exception, the master of musical wit and novelty. Mladi and the two quasi-concertos for piano on this CD are jolly and outlandish, and yet full of musical subtilty and invention. Already nearly a century old, they are still fresh and full of surprises. The performance by the Netherlands Wind Ensemble is impeccable. Is every Dutch child born with a silver tuning fork in her/his mouth?
Janacek - From the House of the Dead / Mackerras
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Definitive performance of original score
  • Outstanding
  • Great Opera Recording of Authorative Edition
  • Una de las mejores Operas del Siglo XX
  • Please Put it in Production, Somebody
Janacek - From the House of the Dead / Mackerras

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

SextetsSextets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Janácek, LeosJanácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Leos Janacek: Vec Makropulos (The Makropulos Case) / Lachian Dances
  2. Leos Janácek: The Cunning Little Vixen - Lucia Popp / Eva Randová / Dalibor Jedlicka / Vienna Philharmonic / Vienna State Opera Chorus / Sir Charles Mackerras
  3. Janacek: The Diary of One Who Disappeared
  4. Janácek: Káta Kabanová
  5. Janacek: Jenufa / Mackerras, Soderstrom, et al

ASIN: B0000041XT
Release Date: 1991-09-12

Tracks:

  1. Prelude - Sir Charles Mackerras/Vienna PO
  2. Act One: Privedou dnes pana! - Vladimir Kredjick/Richard Novak/Beno Blachut
  3. Act One: Jak te nazyvaji? - Antonin Svorc
  4. Act One: Neuvidi oko jiz tech kraju - Vladimir Kredjick/Richard Novak/Beno Blachut
  5. Act One: Aljejo, podavej nitku! - Jiri Zahradnicek
  6. Act Two: A...a... - Zdenek Svehla
  7. Act Two: Alexandr Petrovic, bude prazdnik - Vladimir Kredjick/Richard Novak/Beno Blachut
  8. Act Two: Presel den, druhy, treti - Ivo Zidek
  9. Act Two: Dnes bude muj posledni den! - Jaroslav Sousek
  10. Act Two: Pantomime o Pekne mlynarce - Sir Charles Mackerras/Wiener Phil
  11. Act Two: Pekne hrali, co? - Jaroslava Janska

Tracks:

  1. Act Three: Scene 1: Isaj, prorok bozi - Jaroslava Janska
  2. Act Three: Scene 1: Ma detatka mila - Beno Blachut
  3. Act Three: Scene 1: A ja byl, bratricku, az do svatby zpit! - Vaclav Zitek
  4. Act Three: Scene 1: S Filkou jste se opet spratelili? - Zdenek Svehla
  5. Act Three: Scene 2: Petrovici! Ja jsem te urazil - Antonin Svorc
  6. Mladi: I. Andante - Sebastian Bell/Janet Craxton/Antony Pay/Michael Harris/Martin Gatt/Phillip Eastop
  7. Mladi: II. Moderato - Sebastian Bell/Janet Craxton/Antony Pay/Michael Harris/Martin Gatt/Phillip Eastop
  8. Mladi: III. Allegro - Sebastian Bell/Janet Craxton/Antony Pay/Michael Harris/Martin Gatt/Phillip Eastop
  9. Mladi: IV. Con moto - Sebastian Bell/Janet Craxton/Antony Pay/Michael Harris/Martin Gatt/Phillip Eastop
  10. Rikadla - London Sinfionetta Chor/Clive Wearing

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Definitive performance of original score.......2005-08-18

How do you make an uplifting opera out of a group of exhausted, demoralised, malnourished prisoners stuck in the Nineteenth Century equivalent of a Stalinist Gulag? Let Janacek show you how.

This is a piece where practically nothing happens. A new prisoner arrives, there's a bit of aimless brutality, the prisoners put on a ramshackle show, a caged eagle is given its (symbolic) freedom and...er...that's about it. The most interesting action happens in a series of long narratives, life-stories told by prisoners to while away the endless time spent in this hellhole.

Yet this is throughout edge-of-the-seat stuff. Janacek, in the last opera of his Indian Summer, uniquely captures that 'spark of humanity' to be found in even the most degenerate of men - both musically and emotionally. Just listen to the Prelude for a taste of what is to come - the chain-clanking drudge of prison life; the manic, soaring, screaming violin cadenza taken from an unfinished Violin Concerto; the brief brassy moments of uplifting hope and thoughts of freedom. And these harsh juxtapositions are clothed in a brutal, spare, blackboard-scraping instrumenation that seems to push Janacek's unique orchestration methods to its limits.

This is especially true in Mackerras's riveting performance, for he will accept none of the later attempts to smooth out Janacek's searing textures, made under the pretext that he left the work unfinished at his death. Mackerras, greatest of all Janacek conductors, presents us with the cruel unwavering truth of the composer's vision. He is abetted by a cast of top singers, Czech nationals all (including the wonderful veteran Beno Blachut), who bring the range of low-life characters vivdly to life.

This is an opera unlike any other in the repertoire and a masterpiece to boot. And Mackerras, wearing his copious research as lightly as ever, delivers a definitive performance of it.

5 out of 5 stars Outstanding.......2004-05-16

This is a superb recording of this rarely performed work. Janacek was never afraid of violating convention and this opera is no exception. Dramatized from Doestoevsky's novel, it lacks a conventional plot with a single dramatic action and clear primary characters. Instead, From The House of the Dead is a series of episodes treating the themes of crime, punishment, and expiation. The structure is mirrored in the structure of the music, which has sort of a theme and variations structure. The score has been reconstructed to approximate Janacek's original intentions, dropping accretions added after his death by some of his well intentioned disciples. The result is also atypical with orchestration featuring a relatively small orchestra and ensemble, as opposed to star-oriented, vocal parts. The result is certainly unconventional and features some of Janacek's most powerful music.

5 out of 5 stars Great Opera Recording of Authorative Edition.......2003-08-10

This is a very important and fine recording of Janacek's final and most remarkable opera. It is done in a very authorative edition based on the copied autograph score the way Janacek left it, undoing virtually all of the changes and additions to the orchestration his disciples Chlubna and Brekala made, which unfortunately softens the power of this opera.

This results in an edgier, harsher, rougher, chamber-like sound which is truer to Janacek's intentions. It also heightens the power of this work and shows the uniqueness of the composer's voice. Mackerras and John Tyrell must be commended for the tremendous amount of musicological work to restore the work to it's original intended glory.

The two chamber works also serve as wonderful complement to this great work.

5 out of 5 stars Una de las mejores Operas del Siglo XX.......2002-12-09

Sin duda, esta ópera es una de las más grandes que se hayan escrito en el Siglo XX. Esta grabación raya casi en lo perfecto: Sonido, balance, dirección orquestal, intérpretes, etc.
Sir Charles Mackerras es sin duda el mejor exponente de Janacek hoy día, logra captar a la perfección las sutilezas orquestales de Janacek y en todo momento mantiene la música con la tensión necesaria que se necesita para comentar situaciones de la vida diaria en una prisión. Los personajes crecen a lo largo de la obra y cada uno de ellos en sí vive su propio drama.
El sonido del preludio es glorioso, con sus tremendos agudos en las cuerdas y las ásperas disonancias, logra crear la atmósfera necesaria. Una joya, sin lugar a dudas. Recomiendo ampliamente ésta grabación, la que en mi opinión, tardará muchos años en ser igualada.

5 out of 5 stars Please Put it in Production, Somebody.......2002-06-13

This is a stunning piece of music, a rich symphony of voices, a pleasure to sit and listen to! Not all operas bear listening to, dare I say, without the support of staging. Janacek's late style is complex and bold, but comprehensible without reference to musical theory. "From the House of the Dead" is relatively short, for an opera; I for one feel that I couldn't ask for more of such acoustical and emotional intensity. The two chamber pieces that fill out the second disc are wonderfully eccentric and original.
My real question is, why doesn't some company seize the chance to produce this great opera? The audience IS ready!
Janácek: Chamber Music & Orchestral Works
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Janácek: Chamber Music & Orchestral Works

    Manufacturer: Decca
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    DancesDances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
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    SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    SinfoniaSinfonia | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    PianoPiano | Keyboard | Instruments | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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    Similar Items:
    1. Shostakovich: Concertos; Orchestral Suites; Chamber Symphonies
    2. Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
    3. Canteloube: Chants d'Auvergne
    4. Ludwig van Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies - Arturo Toscanini / NBC Symphony Orchestra
    5. The Conformist (Extended Edition)

    ASIN: B0001Y4JH0
    Release Date: 2004-10-12
    The Royal Philharmonic Collection: Nursery Rhymes Suite
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Delightful for adults and children both
    • Artist's own opinion
    The Royal Philharmonic Collection: Nursery Rhymes Suite

    Manufacturer: Intersound Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B00000DGX9
    Release Date: 1998-09-22

    Tracks:

    1. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
    2. Lavender's Blue
    3. Polly Put The Kettle On
    4. London Bridge
    5. Mary Had A Little Lamb
    6. Hey Diddle Diddle
    7. Humpty Dumpty
    8. Three Blind Mice
    9. The Owl And The Pussycat
    10. Sing A Song Of Sixpence
    11. Ride A Cock Horse
    12. Jack And Jill
    13. Girls And Boys
    14. Cockles And Mussels
    15. Oranges And Lemons
    16. When Johnny Comes Marching Home
    17. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
    18. Rock-A-Bye-Baby
    19. Tom, Tom The Piper's Son
    20. Pop Goes The Weasel

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Delightful for adults and children both.......2005-12-19

    I bought this CD because it looked good, but I found that I LOVE it! My daughters (2 and 5) ask to listen to it over and over. It is soothing, relaxing and fun to listen to. I keep it in the car and it has been great on long car trips. It sounds like a classical music CD, as it is, but the songs are all nursery rhymes. I highly recommend it. It would make a great baby shower gift!

    5 out of 5 stars Artist's own opinion.......2001-09-01

    As the professional music arranger involved in the production of this album, you would expect me to have a high opinion of it - and I have.

    However, having declared an interest, I would like to say that the performances of my arrangements by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the senior chorus and soloists from The Arts Educational School, Tring, are exceptionally good and exciting, and really bring my arrangements to life in every way.

    I was commissioned by the record company to write new arrangements of traditional Nursery Rhymes in ways which would serve as a kind of "Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra", and be entertaining first, and then if possible educational as well, and ideally to appeal to all age groups - not merely young children, but older children and adults too. I hope that I have managed to do this succesfully by approaching the task as if I were writing for an animated film in each case; to tell the story involved in the song as a musical picture. I grew up with the wonderful use of music in cartoons such as "Bugs Bunny" and "Tom and Jerry", so this kind of treatment of musical material is part of my heritage and seemed appropriate here. I tried to include some witty cross-cultural references to make them enjoyable at all levels - traditional tunes they are, "baby-ish" they're not!

    I hope people have a listen and enjoy what we have achieved with this album - and ideally, buy it!
    Pastoral: Emma Johnson plays British Clarinet Music
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Beautiful, rich sound, excellent CD
    Pastoral: Emma Johnson plays British Clarinet Music

    Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Vaughan Williams, RalphVaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    ClarinetClarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B0000030UP
    Release Date: 1994-05-31

    Tracks:

    1. Fant Son in E flat
    2. Six Studies In English Folk Song: Adagio
    3. Six Studies In English Folk Song: Andante Sostenuto
    4. Six Studies In English Folk Song: Larghetto
    5. Six Studies In English Folk Song: Lento
    6. Six Studies In English Folk Song: Andante Tranquillo
    7. Six Studies In English Folk Song: Allegro Vivace
    8. Son: First Movt: Molto Moderato
    9. Son: Second Movt: Vivace
    10. Three Vocalises: Prld: Moderato - Emma Johnson/Judith Howarth
    11. Three Vocalises: Scherzo: Allegro Moderato - Emma Johnson/Judith Howarth
    12. Three Vocalises: Quasi Menuetto: Moderato - Emma Johnson/Judith Howarth
    13. Pastoral (Posth.)
    14. Son, Op.129: First Movt: Allegro Moderato
    15. Son, Op.129: Second Movt: Caoine. Adagio (Quasi Fant)
    16. Son, Op.129: Third Movt: Allegretto Grazioso
    17. Two Nursery Rymes: The Ragwort - Judith Howarth
    18. Two Nursery Rymes: The Dandelion - Judith Howarth

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Beautiful, rich sound, excellent CD.......2007-07-18

    Emma Johnson produces a very rich and clear tone on the clarinet in these pieces. The works themselves are very good, and there are a couple of vocal pieces added towards the end.

    This is a CD full of music that is played wonderfully and should please anyone interested in the clarinet and in classical music in general.
    Ohguri: Violin Concerto; Fantasy on Osaka Folk Tunes
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Another unknown Japanese composer
    Ohguri: Violin Concerto; Fantasy on Osaka Folk Tunes

    Manufacturer: Naxos
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
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    1. Yasushi Akutagawa: Ellora Symphony; Trinita Sinfonica Rapsodia per Orchestra

    ASIN: B00008OP1N
    Release Date: 2003-05-20

    Tracks:

    1. Allegro
    2. Lento
    3. Allegro Vivace
    4. Fantasy On Osaka Folk Tunes
    5. Legend For Orchestra - After The Tale Of Ama-no-Iwayado
    6. Rhapsody On Osaka Nursery Rhymes

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Another unknown Japanese composer.......2003-06-22

    Naxos is bringing us, slowly, classical music by Japanese composers. Recently I was struck by a disc of music by Akio Yashiro (1929-1976). In this CD we have music by his slighter older compatriot, Hiroshi Ohguri (sometimes transliterated as Oguri) (1918-1982). He was in the first generation of Japanese composers writing Western-style music. Much has been written about the influence of Asian music on Western classical music, all the way back to the stereotyped use of pentatonic scales in 'The Mikado' to the burst of interest by composers like Debussy and Ravel after an Asian Exposition in Paris in 1888 on up to modern composers like Lou Harrison and Olivier Messaien. But little has been written in the West about the influence Western music had on Asian composers. Of course I am speaking here of Asian composers using Western orchestral instruments. A few symphony orchestras were founded there early in the century but native composers didn't really get a start until much later. Ohguri himself started out as a horn player in the Japan Philharmonic (now the NHK Symphony) but soon moved to the Osaka Philharmonic, the orchestra heard on this disc, and was a lifelong friend of its revered conductor, Takashi Asahina (1908-2001), surely the conductor with the record for the longest tenure at one orchestra, more than fifty years. Ohguri, trained entirely in Japan, had complete mastery of Western compositional techniques, and indeed the earliest (and longest) piece on this CD, the Violin Concerto, sounds as if it could have been written, except for some use of various pentatonic scales, by, say, an Eastern European composer. Indeed, it is somewhat faceless, a sort of Bartók-and-water composition that is more than competent but with little individuality. It is, however, played brilliantly by violinist Kazuhiro Takagi and the Osaka Philharmonic conducted by Tatsuya Shimono. And lest there be any doubt, the Osaka band is a world-class orchestra.

    It is in the other pieces recorded here, all of them later than the 1963 Concerto, that Ohguri's personality emerges. Perhaps it's because of my own unavoidable Western cultural bias, but I'm much charmed by the Japanese touches in 'The Fantasy on Osaka Folk Tunes,' 'Legend for Orchestra,' and 'Rhapsody on Osaka Nursery Rhymes.' Of course I am not familiar with the source material for these pieces, but there is plenty here that is identifiably Japanese - the large-interval appoggiaturas and slow tremolos, the bending of notes as is done on native string and wind instruments, modified pentatonic scales [and they are not all the simple CDFGA that we can all identify], elements of exuberant taiko drumming - mixed with more usual Western effects. There is rhythmic vitality abounding, and indeed in several spots in 'Legend' one would swear Ohguri was paying homage to the rhythms in, say, 'West Side Story.' It strikes me that the 13-minute 'Rhapsody' particularly is a successful mélange of Western - even American - and Japanese materials. Just listen to the opening fanfare - it could have come straight out of, say, a Max Steiner movie score - followed immediately by a charming tune, presumably one of the Osaka nursery rhymes. One has no sense of the one grafted onto the other; rather, they are integrated into a pleasing whole.

    I would urge this disc on anyone who is even the least bit interested in hearing music from Asia. I have a strong suspicion - without knowing for sure - that there is an as-yet-undiscovered treasure trove of similar music and one hopes that Naxos will continue bringing examples to us here in the West.

    Review by Scott Morrison
    Hear My Prayer
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Hear My Prayer

      Manufacturer: Pearl
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      All Works by BrahmsAll Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by HandelAll Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by SchubertAll Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      All Works by MendelssohnAll Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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      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 | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      OratoriosOratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      ChorusesChoruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      Folk SongsFolk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      HymnsHymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      OratoriosOratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B00005YUH6
      Release Date: 2002-05-21

      Tracks:

      1. Hear My Prayer...Oh For The Wings Of A Dove
      2. Hear Ye Israel
      3. Oh Come Everyone That Thirsteth
      4. I Waited For The Lord
      5. I Will Sing Of Thy Great Mercies
      6. I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
      7. O Filii Et Filiae
      8. King Of Glory
      9. Wesley: Praise The Lord, O My Soul
      10. Who Is Sylvia?
      11. Hark! Hark! The Lark
      12. Coronach
      13. Brahms: Come Away Death
      14. Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes
      15. Two Nursery Rhymes
      16. Hear Ye Israel
      17. Hear My Prayer...Oh For The Wings Of A Dove
      18. Oh For The Wings Of A Dove

      Track Listings:

      1. Dances for Two Pianos
      2. Dangerous Graces: Music by Cipriano de Rore and his pupils
      3. Dear Mother, I've Come Home to Die Quickstep & Other Favorites of the Band of the 19th Virginia Heavy Artillery
      4. Dupre: Works for organ
      5. Dvorák: Concerto pour violon et orchestra Op. 53, Trio Op. 65
      6. Dvorak - Stabat Mater / Zvetkova, Donose, Botha, Scandiuzzi; Sinopoli
      7. Dvorak: Works for String Quartets, Vol. 5
      8. English Songs of the Middle Ages - Sequentia
      9. Four Seasons
      10. Franco Corelli - Songs and Arias

      Track Listings

      track listings

      Track Listings

      So Rebellious a Lover [Extra tracks]

      Soundbridge

      Tragic Animal Stories

      Phil Woods and Carl Saunders Play Henry Mancini

      Care Taker [Import]

      This Is Gold [Import]

      The Phantom of the Opera [Cast Recording]

      Tenor Masterpieces, Vol. 2

      Take It Easy [CD-single] [Limited Edition] [Import]

      The Music of Elliott Carter, Volume Four

      The In Sound [Import] [Original recording remastered]

      Sierra Maestra [Import]

      The Best of Celia Cruz

      Da' Dip

      The Raven Speaks