The Flonzaley Quartet Play Romantic Masterpieces

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Two of the greatest pianists of the Golden Age join the greatest string quartet of its time in this aptly named collection of "Romantic masterpieces." These musicians began their careers when Brahms was still alive, and while there are certainly other good ways to play the music, theirs is authentic and moving. Ossip Gabrilowitsch made even fewer recordings than Harold Bauer, so his presence is especially welcome. His gently romantic Schumann is an interesting contrast with Bauer's heroic Brahms. There isn't a note in this set that's less than compelling, and the antique recordings, expertly transferred, don't sound bad at all. --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

Canon In D
'Brandenburg' Concerto No. 3: Allegro
The Four Seasons - The Winter: Largo And Allegro
Fanfare ('Masterpiece Theatre' Theme)
Camerata Romana: Air For The 'G' String
'Eine kleine Nachtmusik': Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 21 ('Elvira Madigan' Theme): Andante
Introduction To Symphony No. 5
'William Tell' Overture: Finale
'Aida': Triumphal March
On The Beautiful, Blue Danube Waltz
'The Nutcracker': Waltz Of The Flowers
'1812' Overture: Finale

Tracks:

Sabre Dance
'Light Cavalry' Overture: Finale
Carmen: The Toreadors
' Midsummer Night's Dream': Wedding March
Radetzky March
Symphony No. 9, 'Choral': Finale
'Prince Igor': Polovstian Dance No. 17
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Peer Gynt: Solveig's Song
Sleepers, Wake
Water Music: Hornpipe
Symphony No. 9, 'From The New World': Largo
Emperor Waltz
'Emperor' Quartet: St. Anthony's Chorale
'The Tales Of Hoffman': Barcarolle
L'Arlesienne: Farandole
'The Nutcracker': Dance Of The Mirlitons
'The Nutcracker': Dance Of The Sugar-Plum Fairy
'Rhapsody In Blue': Highlight
'Orpheus In The Underworld': Can-Can

Tracks:

Introduction To 'Also sprach Zarathustra'
Symphony No. 4, 'Italian': Saltarello: Presto
Piano Concerto No. 20: Romance
'The Valkyrie': Ride Of The Valkyries
'The Four Seasons' - The Spring: Allegro
Toccata and Fugue
Trumpet Voluntary
'Royal Fireworks Music': la rejouissance: Allegro
'Moonlight' Sonata: Adagio Sostenuto
London Festival Orchestra: Overture To 'The Barber Of Seville'
Piano Concerto No. 2: Adagio Sostenuto

Tracks:

Carmina Burana: Introduction To 'Carmina Burana'
Peer Gynt: Dawn From 'Peer Gynt'
Lohengrin: Prelude To 'Lohengrin'
'Lieutenant Kije': Troika From 'Lieutenant Kije'
Adiago For Strings
'Carmen': Habanera From 'Carmen'
'Double' Concerto: Allegro From 'Double' Concerto
The Marriage Of Figaro: Overture To 'The Marriage Of Figaro'
(Rondo) Alla Turca
Xerxes: Largo From 'Xerxes'
Symphony No. 5: Allegro vivace From Symphony No. 5
'Swan Lake': Scene: Enchanted Lake From 'Swan Lake'
Clair De Lune
Bolero

Customer Reviews:

CD set is misnamed.......2007-06-08

They should have titled this "classical music for people who love classical music" because most of the selections are typical classical music. The title suggests it would be lively selections of "light classical" music that is more upbeat, i.e. Sabre Dance, etc. I really don't hate classical music at all and have many classical CDs in my collection but I really wanted to hear more exciting selections. I won't be purchasing any more of this set but if you like traditional classical music these are good one.

Do not Buy.......2007-02-21

I do know it says classical music for people who hate it, but serioulsly you would have better luck never listening to classical music again. The recordings are awfull and do not do justice to any of the composers. Buy something else.

Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music.......2007-01-30

We love this set of CD's. I just got a new copy because my kids keeping taking our first copy with them so that they can listen at work or in their bedrooms but then I can never find them.

Seek better versions.......2006-12-09

If you are fairly new to classical purchases then compilation CD's can be useful for deciding what to buy next. Sometimes you only need a small taste of a piece to inspire you to buy a release with the whole performance on. The problem with this compilation however is that most of the versions are poor in performance or recording quality (or both) when compared to the best versions and the fact that the conductors aren't even credited on the track listing made me suspect that this would be the case. One of my favorite classical pieces is Tchaikovsky's 1812 festival overture but if the first CD version I had heard had been the finale excerpt that is on this compilation I may not have gone on to buy the whole thing. Luckily I heard Adrian Leaper's version first and Adrian's version is rather good.
My classical CD buying experience is limited to only a couple of dozen discs but I have found that the Naxos and Deutshe Grammophon releases are fairly safe. Avoid any release which does not name the conductors on the track listing or sleeve notes.

It Is What It Is.......2006-10-27

It's fitting that this page is fraught with the same kind of silly snobbery that turns people off from classical music (and necessitates collections like this) in the first place.

Any criticism of this compilation, which focuses on the quality of the performances or the fact that many tracks are excerpts, misses the point. This is not a collection for people who consider such things, nor does it purport to be. The idea is to package as many ultra-famous classical melodies as possible in one affordable collection and market it to people who have never purchased a classical recording. As such, top-tier performances are likely too expensive to be sold so cheaply and are unnecessary anyway. Those of us who already know and love a piece or two can forgive the compilers the inclusion of sub-par recordings, when we are exposed to so many other beautiful pieces for the first time.

It probably comes as a shock for some to hear that most people are not familiar with these classics. We may hear snippets on TV or movies, but are left with no idea as to the composer or historical context. With that in mind, it is extremely intimidating to begin buying classical. I suppose those among us, who so thoroughly dismissed the very notion of a boxed set like this, would have us begin by buying full albums by reputable interpreters. Surprisingly enough though, the majority of people would consider that a tad cost-prohibitive.

To conclude, this is a STARTER collection. It will either affirm a listener's feelings about classical music or lead to an interest in purchasing better recordings. Ideally, I suppose the interpretations would be better, but, for reasons mentioned above, that just isn't in the cards for a collection of this nature. If you're familiar with 50 different recordings of "The Ring" series, or have season tickets to the New York Philharmonic, then this probably isn't for you. For us cretins with limited foreknowledge of classical music though, it serves as a succinct introduction with little to complain about.

Average customer rating:

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

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

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ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Tracks:

Carousel in the Park - Jeanette MacDonald
It Doesn't Cost You Anything to Dream - Jeanette MacDonald
Close as Pages in a Book - Jeanette MacDonald, Robert Merrill
Fireman's Bride - Jeanette MacDonald, Robert Merrill
Big Back Yard - Robert Merrill
When You Walk in the Room - Robert Merrill
Isnt' It Romantic? - Jeanette MacDonald, Paramount Studio Orchestra
Love Me Tonight - Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald
Golden Days - Nelson Eddy
Drinking Song
Deep in My Heart, Dear - Nelson Eddy, Rise Stevens
Serenade - Rise Stevens
Just We Two - Rise Stevens
Come Boys - Nelson Eddy
One More Mile to Go
Raindrops on a Drum - Nelson Eddy
Love Is the Time - Nelson Eddy
Nearer and Dearer - Nelson Eddy
Tell Me With Your Eyes - Nelson Eddy
Russian Easter Hymn - Nelson Eddy
Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met: Three Blind Mice/Short'nin Bread - Nelson Eddy
Why Do I Love You? [From Show Boat] - Nelson Eddy, Jane Powell
Beyond the Blue Horizon [From Monte Carlo][*] - Jeanette MacDonald

Customer Reviews:

extremely poor re-mastering.......2004-12-21

I listen to many (re-mastered) historical recordings. Jeanette MacDonald is certainly one of my most favorite sopranos. For some reason, I haven't been able to find a decent, or even acceptable, re-mastering of her recordings.

While this one certainly contains many valuable tracks, the re-mastering is horrid. The songs sound stripped yet still maintain a great deal of distracting noise. I conjecture that the re-mastering was done simply by increasing the bass and decreasing the treble.

An excellent CD!.......2004-03-29

This is an excellent collection of the Screen Sweethearts of the 30's, Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, *not* singing together, in the 40's (except for a few of Jeanette's songs).

For Jeanette, it has numbers from Up In Central Park: Carousel in the Park, It Doesn't Cost You Anything to Dream, Close as Pages in a Book, Fireman's Bride, The Big Back Yard, When You Walk in the Room. She and Robert Merrill sing these together and on their own, and very charmingly, too. There are also Love Me Tonight, Isn't It Romantic, and Beyond the Blue Horizon.

For Nelson, he sings music from The Student Prince with Rise Stevens: Golden Days, Drinking Song, Deep in my Heart Dear, Serenade (which is BEAUTIFUL!), Just We Two, and Come Boys. He also sings all the songs from Northwest Outpost - thankfully, without Ilona Massey! Also, the Willie the Whale segment from Make Mine Music is on this CD - just as it is in the movie, with the narration and everything - it's great! (The Tristan und Isolde part is not included, however - not sure what the reasoning is behind that.) He also sings a duet with Jane Powell - Why Do I Love You? from Show Boat.

I say this is a must for fans of Nelson and/or Jeanette, not to mention Rise Stevens!

I particularly enjoy "When You Walk in the Room". It's a charming little tune, with ridiculous but adorable lyrics! "Fireman's Bride" is very funny also - Jeanette barely sounds like herself!

I hope this will help others to choose this CD - it's a pity there's not a list of the titles here!

Nelson Eddy on CD - always a pleasure.......1998-08-30

It's always a pleasure to find Nelson Eddy's wonderful voice on CD and this one has some of the harder-to-find pieces in it, including collaborations with Jane Powell and the wonderful mezzo Rise Stevens. The recording of "The Whale Who Sang at the Met" is a must for any collector as are the excellent recordings (better than on the movie) for "Northwest Outpost". The baritone singing opposite Jeanette MacDonald also has an excellent voice (though his name temporarily escapes me)

The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Decent Quality, But a Little Rushed
Decent, but not exciting
Decent, but not exciting
Sounds good to me.
Wonderful Selection

The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series

ASIN: B000001VUG
Release Date: 1994-07-14

Tracks:

Toccata In D Minor: Toccata In D Minor (1709) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Canon In D: Canon in D (1698) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, 1st Movement: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, 1st Movement (1721) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Water Music, Suite No. 2 In D: 4.1 1st Movement - 4.2 Alla Hornpipe - 4.3 Minuet - 4.4 Lentement - 4.5 Bourree - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Trumpet Tune And Air: Trumpet Tune And Air (1685) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D: Air - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
The Four Seasons - Spring: The Four Seasons - Spring (1725): 7.1 Allegro - 7.2 Largo e painissimo - 7.3 Allegro Bela Banfalvi - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Adagio: Adagio (1730) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Mandoline Concerto In C, RV 425: 9.1 Allegro - 9.2 Largo - 9.3 Allegro - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor: Minuet and Badinerie (1721) : - 10.1 Minuet - 10.2 Badinerie - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)

Tracks:

Messiah: 'Hallelujah' (1742)
'Orpheus and Eurydice': Dance Of The Blessed Spirits (1762)
'Christmas Oratorio': Sinfonia In G (1734)
Violin Concerto No.3 in G: Violin Concerto No.3 In G, 1st Movement (1775)
'Xerxes': Largo (1734)
Flute Concerto In G 'La Notte': VI. Allegro (1731)
'Solomon': Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba (1749)
Oboe Concerto In D Minor: Oboe Concerto In D Minor, 2nd Movement (1731)
Concerto grosso In A Minor Op.6 No.4: 9.1 Larghetto affettuoso - 9.2 Allegro - 9.3 Largo Piano - 9.4 Allegro
Violin Concerto No.5 In A, 2nd Movement: Violin Concerto No.5 In A, 2nd Movement (1775)

Tracks:

Eine kleine Nachtmusik: 1st movement (1787)
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C: 2nd Movement (Elvira Madigan)
The Marriage Of Figaro: Overture (1786)
Flute Concerto No. 2 In D: 2nd Movement (1778)
Piano Sonata In A (1778): Rondo Alla Turca
Don Giovanni: Overture (1787)
Horn Concerto No. 3 In E Flat: 2nd Movement
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A: 1st Movement (1786)
The Marriage Of Figaro: March (1786)
Serenata Notturna: 10.1 Marcia. Maestoso - 10.2 Menuetto - 10.3 Rondeau. Allegretto

Tracks:

Symphony No. 40: 1st Movement (1788) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
'Moonlight' Sonata: 1st Movement (1801) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
Symphony No. 94: 'Surprise' ,2nd Movement (1791) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
The Magic Flute: Overture (1791) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
Fur Elise: Fur Elise (1810) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
String Quartet In C: Emporor's Hymn - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
Symphony No. 5: 1st Movement (1808) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
Clarinet Concerto In A: 2nd Movement (1791) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
Minuet In G: Minuet in G (1796) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
Trumpet Concerto In E Flat: 3rd Movement - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)

Tracks:

The Barber Of Seville: Overture (1821)
Symphiny No.8 In B Minor: 'Unfinished' 2nd Movement (1822)
Spring Song: Spring Song (1841)
Polonaise In A, Op.40 No.3: 'Military'
Rosamunde: Ballet Music In G
Der Freischutz: Overture (1820)
Ave Maria: Ave Maria (1825)
Symphony No.4 In A: 'Italian', 1st Movement (1833)
Traumerei: Traumerei (1838)
German Dance No. 1: German Dance No. 1 (1811)

Tracks:

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March (1843) - 100 Masterpieces
Liebestraum No. 3 In A flat: Liebestraum No. 3 In A Flat (1847) - 100 Masterpieces
Nabucco: Overture (1842) - 100 Masterpieces
The Merry Peasant: The Merry Peasant (1848) - 100 Masterpieces
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (1847) - 100 Masterpieces
Lohengin: Prelude to Act 3 (1850) - 100 Masterpieces
La Traviata: Prelude to Act 1(1853) - 100 Masterpieces
Tannhauser: Arrival Of The Guests At Wartburg (1845) - 100 Masterpieces
Violin Concerto In E Minor: Violin Concerto In E Minor, 2nd Movement (1845) - 100 Masterpieces
Poet And Peasant: Overture (1846) - 100 Masterpieces

Tracks:

Orpheus In The Underworld: Overture (1858)
Melody In F: Melody In F (1858)
Les Preludes: Les Preludes (1854)
Waltz In A Flat: Waltz In A Flat (1865)
The Force Of Destiny: Overture (1862)
I Love You: I Love You (1864)
The Bartered Bride: Overture (1866)
The Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle (1864)
Tritsch Tratsch Polka: Tritsch Tratsch Polka (1858)
Light Cavalry: Overture (1866)

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 In B Flat Minor: 1st Movement (excerpt) (1875) - 100 Masterpieces
Cradle Song: Cradle Song (1868) - 100 Masterpieces
The Moldau: The Moldau (1875) - 100 Masterpieces
The Valkyrie: Ride Of The Valkyries (1870) - 100 Masterpieces
Peer Gynt: Morning (1876) - 100 Masterpieces
Carmen: Les Toreadors (1875) - 100 Masterpieces
Coppelia: Notturno (1870) - 100 Masterpieces
Marche Slave, Op. 31: Marche Slave, Op. 31 (1876) - 100 Masterpieces
L'Arlesienne: Intermezzo (1872) - 100 Masterpieces
The Blue Danube: Waltz (1867) - 100 Masterpieces

Tracks:

Eugene Onegin: Polonaise (1878) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
Symphony No.9 'From The New World': 2nd Movement (1893) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
The Nutcracker: Waltz of the Flowers (1892) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
Capriccio espagnol: Alborado (1887) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
The Last Spring - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
Slavonic Dance No. 2: Slavonic Dance No. 2 (1886) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
The Sleeping Beauty: Introduction (1889) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfred's Death And Funeral March (1877) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
Songs My Mother Taught Me: Songs My Mother Taught Me (1880) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
Emperor Waltz - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9

Tracks:

Also sprach Zarathustra: Fanfare (1896)
Symphony No.5: Adagietto (1902)
Finlandia: Finlandia (1899)
Dance Of The Bumble Bee: Dance Of The Bumble Bee (1900)
'Thais': Meditation
Pomp amd Circumstance: March No.1 (1901)
Humoresque: Humoresque (1894)
Valse Triste: Valse Triste (1903)
Vienna Blood: Vienna Blood - Waltz (1899)
Bolero: Bolero (1928)

Customer Reviews:

Decent Quality, But a Little Rushed.......2002-09-20

I have to agree that this is a good collection of music for the money, especially if you are a novice at the Classics like me. Each disc covers a 40 year period with an hour of music and a little bit of history in the cover slip. However, there were some oddities that made me question the quality of this product. First, a few of the songs seemed like the conductor was hurrying them along so the songs on a disc would add up to exactly one hour -- where's the love? I know I'm a novice, but there are just some songs that are so famous that you can pretty easily tell when they are being butchered or compressed. Second, the quality of the product was suspect. Some of the discs looked like they were manufactured in 1990 and some in 1994. The older ones just had the titles on the discs and the newer ones had a screen-printed color change with no information. They couldn't even use the same type of Jewel Case throughout the collection. In total, it's good for beginners and the money, but not much else.

Decent, but not exciting.......2002-09-01

Not bad, but not a perfect as well. The music selection is very questionable for my taste. The performers are not always very suitable for specific masterpieces. It is inherently, just because such mix of names cannot be bad ;). If I will compose such set a lot of forgotten things should take their place.

Decent, but not exciting.......2002-09-01

Sounds good to me........2002-07-25

Bought this CD to calm and relax myself after a hard days work. CD seems like a great collection to me. It's got a lot of songs that I recognize and some that I don't. It does sooth me a bit after the the many stresses of everyday life.

I'm not really a classical music nut like "Frasier Crane" so I'm not sure how much merit I can bring to the table with this review. But I think it's great..!!!

Wonderful Selection.......2001-05-13

Some of the world's truly finest musicians perform some of the all time greatest and most loved musical masterpieces. The CD makes for easy and peaceful listening of an evening.

Average customer rating:

Good Music

Ave Maria

Manufacturer: Camerata
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Ave Maria
Arioso
Minuet in G
Ser
Sicilienne
Gavotte
Traumerei
Melody in F
Salut D'Amour
Rumores De La Caleta
Song Of The Birds
Menuet De L'Arlesienne
Le Cygne
Gymnopedie No.1
Clair De Lune
Berceuse
Sicilienne
Apres Un Reve
Entr'Acte
Ser And Caprice
Londonderry Air

Customer Reviews:

Good Music.......2005-04-27

The performances are true to the origional composer's intent. It never sounds like the music is being distorted to fit on a harmonica. Rather, it sounds the as if the music were written for harmonica.

Dream Melodies: Handel; Boccherini; Vivaldi & More

Average customer rating:

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

Dream Melodies: Handel; Boccherini; Vivaldi & More

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Tracks:

'Xerxes': Largo
Minuet
Concerto grosso, Op. 3 No. 2: Largo
The Four Seasons: 'Spring': Largo
'Christmas Oratorio': Sinfonia In G
Flute Concerto In C: Grave
'Water Music' - Suite No. 1: Air
Mandoline Concerto In C: Largo
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2: Andante
Concerto Grosso: Pastorale & Andante
Oboe Concerto In D Minor: Adagio
Aria
Concerto For Two Violins In D Minor: Largo ma non tanto
Trumpet Concerto In D: Adagio
Organ Concerto In D Minor: Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 In F: Adagio

Tracks:

Symphony No.40 In G Minor: Molto allegro
Symphony No.94 In G, 'Surprise': Andante
Symphony No.3 In E Flat, 'Eroica': Marcia funebre
Symphony No.35 In D, 'Haffner': Andante
Symphony No.7 In A: Allegretto
Symphony No.31 In D, 'Paris': Allegro
Symphony No.100 In G, 'Military': Allegretto

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No.21 In C, 'Elvira Madigan': Andante
Violin Concerto In D: Larghetto
Oboe Concerto In C: Rondo Allegretto
Clarinet Concerto In A: Adagio
Trumpet Concerto In E Flat: Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 3 In C Minor: Largo
Violin Concerto No. 5 In A: Adagio
Romance For Violin And Orchestra No. 1 In G
Horn Concerto No. 3 In E Flat: Romance Larghetto

Tracks:

Symphony No.8 In B Minor, 'Unfinished': Allegro moderato - Dream Melodies
Symphony No.9 In E Minor, 'From the New World': Largo - Dream Melodies
Symphony No. 5 In E Minor: Valse - Dream Melodies
Symphony No.4 In A, 'Italian': Allegro vivace - Dream Melodies
Symphony No.1: Third Movement - Dream Melodies
Symphony No.1 In G Minor, 'Winter Daydreams': Adagio cantabile - Dream Melodies
Symphony No.3 In A Minor, 'Scottish': Allegro maestoso - Dream Melodies

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 In B Flat Minor: Allegro non troppo
Andante
Piano Concerto In A Minor: Allegro molto
Oboe Concerto: Romance
Piano Concerto No. 2 In F Minor: Larghetto
Violin Concerto In D: Andante
Polonaise Brillante
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor: Adagio

Tracks:

'Moonlight' Sonata: Adagio sostenuto
'Kinderscenen': Traumerei
Liebestraum No.3
Fur Elise
Impromptu In A Flat, D 935 No.2
The Merry Peasant
Intermezzo In E flat
Nocturne In C Sharp Minor
Romance In F Sharp
Paganini Study No.3, 'La Campanella'
Clair de Lune
Waltz In A Flat
Sonetto 123 del Petrarca
Invitation To The Dance

Tracks:

Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Allegro
Serenade In C: Elegia
Serenade In E: Moderato
Wind Serenade In C Minor: Andante
Serenade In D: Aria. Andante
Serenade in D, 'Serenata Notturna': Rondeau. Allegretto
Serenade No.1 In D: Adagio non troppo
Serenade In C: Waltz
Serenade In E: Larghetto
Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Romance. Andante
Serenade From Op.3 No.5

Tracks:

'Swan Lake': Scene - Dream Melodies
'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Wedding March - Dream Melodies
'Nutcracker': Waltz Of The Flowers - Dream Melodies
'Peer Gynt': Anitra's Dance - Dream Melodies
'Rosamunde': Ballet Music In G - Dream Melodies
'Tsar And Carpenter': Clog Dance - Dream Melodies
'Coppelia': Czardas - Dream Melodies
'Eugene Onegin': Waltz - Dream Melodies
'L'Arlesienne': Farandole - Dream Melodies
'La Gioconda': Dance Of The Hours - Dream Melodies
'The Sleeping Beauty': Pas d'action. Adagio - Dream Melodies
'Sylvia': Cortege de Bacchus - Dream Melodies

Tracks:

Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo
The Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle
Thais: Meditation
Carmen: Intermezzo
Madame Butterfly: Humming Chorus
Prelude
The Valkyrie: Fire Magic
Eugene Onegin: Polonaise
The Marriage Of Figaro: Overture
Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
The Force Of Destiny: Overture
Lohengrin: Prelude

Tracks:

Humoresque
Melody In F
Ave Maria
Norwegian Dance No.2
Caro mio ben
Chanson triste
Spring Song
Nocturne In E Flat
German Dance No.1
Cradle Song
Zigeunerweisen
Minuet
Romance
Standchen
Waltz
Octet In E Flat: Scherzo

Customer Reviews:

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.......2000-07-24

10 CD's of beautiful pieces of classical music, digitally recorded for only 20 bucks sounds very good. I decided to buy this CD set because of very good price. But, what you will get for your money? Noting special, believe me! I was very disappointed with some performances, but sound quality of some tracks is even worst. Disc No. 6 is one of the most poorly recorded and engineered CD's I have ever heard. I can't believe that this CD is digitally recorded. So, forgot price and look somewhere else. I can recommend this CD box set to absolutely beginners only.

Average customer rating:

Romantic Music of Edward Joseph Collins

Manufacturer: Composers Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Tangos | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000009JN1
Release Date: 1994-06-13

Tracks:

Vars On An Irish Tune
Cowboy's Breakdown
Tango (In Form Of A Rondo)
Passacaglia
All God's Chillun' Got Wings
Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?
Lil' David Play On Yo' Harp
The Gospel Train
Valse Pensive, Op.18, No.5
Valse Eccentrique
Valse Romantique, Op.18, No.3
Valse Limpide, Op.18, No.4
Valse Heroique, Op.18, No.1
Allegro Piacevole - The Manhattan Str Qt

Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00008L42O
Release Date: 2003-02-13

Average customer rating:

Pavane

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00002MXSV
Release Date: 2001-09-01

Tracks:

Pavan - Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Chanson Triste - Peter Nagy
Adagio - Capella Istropolitana
Andante Cantabile - Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
Adagio - Ludovit Kanta
On Wings Of Song - Peter Nagy
L'Arlesienne - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Adagio - Capella Istropolitana
Adagio - Kodaly Quartet
Andante - Peter Lang
Pastorale - Capella Istropolitana
Andante Espressivo - Jeno Jando
Andante - Capella Istropolitana

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Morrissey: Under the Influence

Resurrection--Complete Opera

Start With the Soul

Lonely Spell [Import] [Original recording remastered]

Please Stand Up Pt.2 [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]

Sprung [Soundtrack]

Sugar N Spice [Import] [Original recording remastered]

Schubert/Beethoven: Streichquartette

Revenge [Import]

The Awakening [Original recording remastered]

Stereo Type A

Rompecabeza: The Puzzle

Queimada [Import]

Delta Hardware

The Great Depression: American Music in the '30s