Improvisations for Christmas

1. Toccata on "Jingle Bells"
Composed by Jean Guillou
with Jean Guillou

2. Rondo on "The First Noël"
Composed by Jean Guillou
with Jean Guillou

3. Scherzo on "Wassail Song"
Composed by Jean Guillou
with Jean Guillou

4. Cavatina on "Angels We have Heard on High"
Composed by Jean Guillou
with Jean Guillou

5. Invention on "Rejoice, Rejoice This Happy Morn"
Composed by Jean Guillou
with Jean Guillou

6. Fantasy and Fugue on Christmas carols
Composed by Jean Guillou
with Jean Guillou

7. Litanie on "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"
Composed by Jean Guillou
with Jean Guillou

8. Capriccio on "O Christmas Tree"
Composed by Jean Guillou
with Jean Guillou

9. Divertimento on "Joy to the World"
Composed by Jean Guillou
with Jean Guillou

10. Variations on "Of the Father's Love Begotten"
Composed by Jean Guillou
with Jean Guillou

11. Pastorale on "The Holly and the Ivy"
Composed by Jean Guillou
with Jean Guillou

12. Postlude on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
Composed by Jean Guillou
with Jean Guillou

Amazon.com

Sàndor, still active at 90 as this reissue appears, was a student of Bartók and a preferred interpreter of his music. Since this set appeared on nine LPs in the early 1960s, it has been the standard for Bartók's piano music; in this fine-sounding reissue, it still is. Sàndor can hit hard enough for such virtuoso pieces as the Piano Sonata and "Out of Doors," but he also retains the romantic element heard in the composer's own playing which tempers the harsher qualities of the music. While this collection isn't quite as complete as advertised (some early, insignificant piano music by Bartók is omitted), it includes all of Bartók's significant piano music, including such relatively obscure gems as the Bagatelles, eight Improvisations, and many delectable folk arrangements which will appeal even to listeners who think Bartók is too challenging for them. Vox's recorded sound, superbly remastered, resists obsolescence as effectively as Sàndor's performances. Even with the inclusion of the early books of "Mikrokosmos," which will appeal mostly to piano students, this set is worth several times the asking price. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Microcosmos.......2007-03-08

Sándor was a champion not only of Bartók's music but also of Bartók's style of playing. He often complained that people were too quick to see Bartók as ultra-modern, and to fail to appreciate the rich seam of lyricism that also runs through his music.

The piano music is dominated by short pieces, many of them written for piano students, notably the collections "Microcosmos" and "For Children". These, together with suites of folk dance arrangements, make up the bulk of the solo piano output.

Sandór plays these short, and often simple pieces, with neither too much nor too little art. As a gifted teacher, he knew unerringly how much music each of these small vessels held. The result is beguiling - but be warned: no-one can listen to the 153 short pieces of Microcosmos end-to-end. This is an anthology to be dipped into, not swallowed whole.

The remastering is pretty successful (fortunately - some of Vox's CD reissues are plagued by severe deterioration of the original tapes). And it's for half nothing-what's not to like?

Great value with a few flaws.......2006-07-28

I am not a Bartok expert by any scale, but I do like the way these pieces, without exception, are played. There are, however, a couple of other problems.

As mentioned by an earlier reviewer, very few of the works are split into tracks - Mikrokosmos is divided into 7 for each of its six volumes, and to accomodate for a full CD. In these seven tracks there are 121 songs. I would have much preferred if the songs had been split into tracks. Almost the entire CD set is this way - Fifteen Hungarian Songs is one track, Fourteen Bagatelles, etc. It is very annoying when one wants to hear a particular song in those tracks and not the others.

Another detriment to the collection is the recording quality. It is decent most of the time, but in loud sections the piano buzzes. One might be able to ignore it, but I think that it detracts from the passion of the forte quite a bit.

Overall, for $18 it is pretty decent, but if you are like me and like to keep your music library neatly organized (and aren't extremely cheap), I would not recommend this set.

eeh, I guess I don't like Bartok that much.......2006-07-25

I like the fact that Bartok is into the folk tradition and all, but he just tends to forget the fact that melody has to be SOMEWHERE in the music. I'm all for creative expression when you're sitting alone at the piano, but abstract music should be reserved for performance art. I like playing some of your stuff Bela, but I just don't want to listen to you.

Best classical value out there.......2005-10-05

To put this set in perspective, for months I would go to my local Tower Records fishing for worthwhile classical CDs at least once a week. One of the discs that sat in the bins the longest was a single CD of Bartok piano music, played by Zoltan Kocsis. It was Volume 7 of a complete series. This CD listed for $17.99, and as long as I went to that Tower Records, it did not budge an inch, nor was its price amended.

Now, Kocsis is one of the greatest pianists alive, and if anyone is worthy of commanding a premium, it is him. And to be fair, that CD is going to be re-released on October 11 as part of a Collector's Edition - eight CDs, $63.97 MSRP. But it's already going up against this little gem, which contains five CDs with all of the truly great solo-piano works by an internationally recognized Bartok specialist for $21 - not much more than the cost of one CD from the other set. This kind of value is not to be taken lightly.

I came to this set with my impression of Sandor informed by his complete Prokofiev - ultra-hard, sometimes rhythmically slack, always melodically lacking in some way or another. But he held a very special feeling for Bartok, and saved his best playing for the great Hungarian. In passages like the first of the Three Csik Dances, the opening of the Improvisations Op. 20, or in the Ten Easy Pieces, there is a simplicity, charm and wistful homesickness that is quite touching. In pieces like the Out of Doors suite, the Sonata, or the Burlesques, there is a vicious, impulsive energy, a wicked sense of humor and an overabundance of overtones. It is never mindless, inappropriate or even overly harsh - it's just very, very loud.

In this set I like best the endless landscape of the Sonatina, the unusual colors and fragrances in the Etudes, the brilliantly conceived Bear Dance (the last of the Ten Easy Pieces), and the multifaceted, complex, gorgeous Improvisations. Any fan of Bartok should hear these.

5 Stars for the music and performance.......2005-04-04

This is a fantastic deal, but the problem with this Collection stems from the fact that the pieces are often not separated by tracks. This is especially annoying for the Children's Pieces and Mikrokosmos. There are so many pieces, one wears out the fast forward button and still may miss the particular piece one is looking for. The booklet is fairly insightful, and the performer is widely hailed as the supreme interpreter of Bartok's piano music. So aside from this slightly annoying at times and ridiculously annoying at other times flaw, this is one of the best deals in Classical music. Don't hesitate. Add it to the cart.

Average customer rating:

Masterful interpretation of Bartok's piano works

Zoltán Kocsis plays Bartók

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Improvisation | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Debussy: Solo Piano Music; Fantaisie; Ravel: Piano Concertos
Works for Solo Piano
Liszt: Works for Piano and Orchestra
Historic Russian Archives Emil Gilels Edition [Box Set]
Plays Schubert

ASIN: B0009A41VA
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Customer Reviews:

Masterful interpretation of Bartok's piano works.......2005-10-21

Without a doubt Bartok is one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. Combining a deep understanding of the possibilities of eastern European folk music - particularly Hungarian and Romanian - with an extremely advanced harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary, Bartok composed some of the greatest works of the last century.

Although Bartok wrote some sublime orchestral music (The Music for strings, percussion and celeste comes instantly to mind), it is in the realms of string quartet and solo piano music that Bartok reigns supreme among 20th century composers in the humble opinion of this reviewer.

So. Here is an 8 CD set of all of Bartok's solo piano music by (argueably) the pre-eminent interpreter of his piano music. These are insightful, passionate performances beautifully recorded.

I for one am thrilled to have this set - particularly since many of these CDs were unavailable up till now. The box is also very reasonably priced compared to the separate CDs.

Highly recommended - modern music begins here.

Average customer rating:

Bartók: Piano Music, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Bartok: Piano Music, Vol. 1
Bartók: Out of Doors
Bartók for Children
Murray Perahia Performs Béla Bartók

ASIN: B00005UO8I
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Tracks:

I. Moderato
II. Allegro Molto
III. Allegro Vivace
IV. Molto Tranquillo
V. Comodo
Finale: Allegro
Slovakian Dance
I. Molto Moderato
II. Molto Capriccioso
III. Lento, Rubato
IV. Allegretto Scherzando
V. Allegro Molto
VI. Allegro Moderato, Molto Capriccioso
VII. Sostenuto, Rubato
VIII. Allegro
Slow Tune
Wallachian Dance
Whirling Dance
Quasi Pizzicato
Ruthenian Dance
Bagpipes
1. Bot Tanc/Jocul Cu Bata
2. Braul
3. Topogo/Pe Loc
4. Bucsumi Tanc/Buciumeana
5. Roman Polka/Poarga Romaneasca
6. Aprozo/Maruntel
Bagpipers: Molto Moderato
Bear Dance: Moderato
Finale: Allegro Vivace
I. Series
II. Series

Amazon.com

Zoltan Kocsis on Philips is still the gold standard in Bartók's piano works, but Jenö Jandó's ongoing series for Naxos is an attractive proposition for anyone who wants to become familiar with the music through idiomatic performances at budget prices. In this second volume of the series, dance and dance-derived works are center stage, and Jandó plays with rhythmic drive, though he never allows the music's melodic charms to get lost in folk-based floor-stomping. His tone is never hard, and he captures the hushed stillness at the heart of the fourth movement of the Dance Suite, a wonderful work better known in its orchestral version. Bartók's genius transformed simple folk melodies into sophisticated art without losing their essence. A major breakthrough work in that regard is the Improvisations, whose eight movements are small miracles of adventurous keyboard writing. But then, everything on this disc is worth exploring. --Dan Davis

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Queen of the King of Instruments.
Fire and Passion
Excellent Recording
A Soul Stirring Performance on the King of Instruments

Romantic French & German Organ Music

Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
ASIN: B000001SD5
Release Date: 1995-01-25

Tracks:

Toccata
Trois Impressions, Op.72: Harmonies du Soir
Trois Impressions, Op.72: Claire de Lune
Variations sur un Noel, Op.20
Pieces de Fantasie, Op.55: Naiades
Triptyque, Op.58, No.3: Stele pour un Enfant defunt
Pieces de Fantasie, Op.54: Carillon de Westminister
Trois Improvisations: Meditation
Toccata and Fugue in d, Op.59
Resurrection

Customer Reviews:

Queen of the King of Instruments........2004-07-13

Dr. Marsha Long has traveled the world playing the great pipe organs of in some of the greatest cathedrals and concert halls.
(see www.marshalong.com) In this recording she shows the power of the pipe organ at St. John the Divine in NYC. Unfortunately this remarkable instrument was damaged in a fire a few years after this recording was made. This CD has the added historical value of showing the marvelous instrument at its peak. In listening to this CD I found myself enraptured by the music and transported in my imagination to that great Cathedral which I often visit on my trips to New York. The music is haunting and demonstrates why the pipe organ has held such a pre-eminent place in Christian worship. It is little wonder that this artist has such a loyal fan following.

Fire and Passion.......2004-07-12

Dr. Long is one of the few organists in this country that really understands this music. Kock or somebody should put this back in print.

Excellent Recording.......2004-01-10

Dr. Long plays superbly in the grand acoustics of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. This recording showcases to great effect the power and majesty of the organ. It also contrasts the dynamic range possible from the instrument -- especially from in the Dupre "Resurrection" -- which starts out very softly and builds to full organ with the famous State Trumpets added at the end.

A Soul Stirring Performance on the King of Instruments.......2000-02-03

Dr. Long's CD desplays dazzling virtuosity and a profound understanding of the music. Dr. Long's talent matches the power and complexity of St. John the Divine's Skinner/Harrison organ. The Joseph Jongen complex Toccata begins the CD and is played cleanly and exhuberantly. Every succeeding piece on the CD reveals a different facet of the organ's capability and the artistry of Dr. Long. Sigfrid Karg-Elert's Harmonics du Soir and Claire du Lune are tranquil and reverently performed. Vierne's Stele pour en Enfant Defunt, the tombstone of a dead child, was the last piece the Vierne ever performed. It is a fitting piece of music for all the children of the world who have died young. Vierne's joyous Carillon of Westminister immediately follows and demonstrates that this CD is about life and faith. Max Reger's Toccata and Fugue in d. Minor and Marcel Dupre's Resurrection bring the CD to a stirring conclusion. Listening to such music so flawlessly performed should make the listener proud to be human. In a world filled with ugliness, the beauty here helps restore our faith in humanity and perhaps can even stir in the listener a longing for God. The atmosphere of the great Cathedral of St. John the Divine is meant to do just that and this CD captures that spirit perfectly. Also, audio-files will have their sub-woffers and woffers fully tested as the great bass sounds rumble from the great organ.

Average customer rating:

CD review
A Charming Collection for Christmas

Hely-Hutchinson:Carol Symphony

Manufacturer: Naxos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
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A Festival of Carols in Brass
Wintersong

ASIN: B00006RHPV
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

Allegro (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)
Andante Non Troppo
Slowly (Past Three O' Clock)
Moderato (I Saw Three Ships)
Allegro (Ding Dong Merrily On High/Unto Us A Boy Is Born)
Allegro Energico (Adeste Fideles)
Scherzo: Allegro Molto Moderato (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)
Andante Quasi Lento E Cantabile (The Conventry Carol/The First Nowell)
Allegro Energico Come Prima (Here We Come A-Wassailing/Adeste Fideles)
Bethlehem Down (A Carol For Strings)
Vivace (Somerset Wassail)
Andantino (Yorkshire Wassail)
Vivace (Gloucestershire Wassail)
Vivace (Deck The Halls/Ding Dong Merrily On High/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)
Andante Tranquillo (Away In A Manger/Es Ist Ein Ros' Entsprungen)
Allegretto (Past Three O' Clock/Now The Holly And The Ivy)
Rondo Finale (On Christmas Night/I Saw Three Ships/Christmas Awake/We Wish You A Merry Christmas)

Customer Reviews:

CD review.......2007-01-19

A wonderful Christmas musical addition to your CD library. Excellent arrangements with full orchestra in classical style. Good stuff.

A Charming Collection for Christmas.......2006-12-21

This is a delightful holiday CD of music inspired by Christmas carols. The works recorded (all by British composers) here were the result of Christmas concerts that symphony orchestras began adding to their calendars in the 20th century as an alternative to the Messiah and Bach's Christmas Oratorio. The longest of the works recorded here is the Carol Symphony of Victor Hely-Hutchinson, composed in the mid-1920s. It is cast in four movements although the symphony is to be played without a pause. Each movement is based on a single carol but the second and last movements make use of a second carol theme. Improvisations on Christmas Carols by Bryan Kelly is set in five short movements with each based on a single carol and include God rest ye merry gentlemen, I saw three ships and Ding dong merrily on high. Bethlehem Down is a short piece by Peter Warlock, originally for voice, is arranged here a string orchestra by Philip Lane whose own Wassail Dances is included on this disc. The Dances are based on three drinking songs that are sung during the Christmas season in England. The final work is A Christmas Carol Symphony by Patric Standford that is also cast in four movements and makes use of several carols notably Deck the Halls, God rest ye merry gentlemen, Away in a manger, On Christmas Night and ends with We wish you a merry Christmas.

The music is very well played and recorded. The music is imaginatively orchestrated and is perfect as a supplement to hearing the ubiquitous renderings of the Halleluiah Chorus of Handel.

Tiszta forrás (Pure Springs): Hungarian Folk Tunes and Their Arrangements in Works by Bartók and Kodály

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Tiszta forrás (Pure Springs): Hungarian Folk Tunes and Their Arrangements in Works by Bartók and Kodály

Manufacturer: Hungaroton
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hungarian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Kodaly: Hungarian Folk Music; Bartok: Hungarian Folksongs Sz64
Csardas Hungarian Gypsy Music

ASIN: B00007138S
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Average customer rating:

Great Bach Visions
A classic CD
It's terrific!
Great musicians present great jazz based on Bach Chorales
If you love classical, and love jazz, you'll love this.

Bach Improvisations
Ira Stein
Manufacturer: Lost Time
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

General | International | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000I6VQ
Release Date: 1998-12-06

Tracks:

The Nine Chorales: Das Neugeborne Kindelein
The Nine Chorales: Nun Lieget Alles Unter Dir
The Nine Chorales: Es Woll' Uns Gott Gnadig Sein
The Nine Chorales: Hilf, Herr Jesu, Lass Gelingen
The Nine Chorales: Leibster Jesu, Wir Sind Hier
The Nine Chorales: O Mensch, Bewein' Dein' Sunde Gross
The Nine Chorales: Wir Glauben All' An Einen Gott, Schopfer
The Nine Chorales: Jesu, Mein Freude
The Nine Chorales: Komm, Gott Schopfer, Heiliger Geist

Album Description

"Bach Improvisations" is a live CD of improvisations on Bach Chorales, featuring the unique format of piano, cello, and soprano saxophone. The original and highly melodic arrangements of Bach bring his music up to date in an exciting new way.

Customer Reviews:

Great Bach Visions.......2006-09-26

Beautiful and colorful improvs on some Bach favorites, with the piano work of Ira Stein and the sax playing of Dann Zinn being the highlights. The energy and enthusiasm recorded during this session is powerful stuff. Moments of true exhilaration in here. Don't miss this one!

A classic CD.......1999-10-04

Ira Stein has been a creative and very individual musician since his first releases on Windham Hill. His work on Narada Records further matured his artistic vision and he is now taking a first step with this album, Bach Chorals, to continue his musical expression regardless of what the music industry might find acceptable at the moment. He comes from a musical tradition that many people may not be familiar with but that deserves recognition.The group Oregon (Ralph Towner, Paul McCandless, and others) lay an important foundation for Stein's musical discoveries and his latest explorations into the sacred world of Bach's Chorals shows that he is an artist that deserves to be watched and followed. He is a great musician, a free spirit and a very creative arranger. Keep an eye out for his music in the years to come...

It's terrific!.......1999-06-06

I am Ira Stein's niece, and I have listened to all of his C.D.'s and been to many of his concerts at Yoshi's in Oakland, CA. I think all of his recordings are very good. I really like his new C.D., BACH IMPROVISATIONS. I am 11 years old, and I have enjoyed his music all my life. He plays for me when I visit him in Oakland from my home of 2 years in Portland, OR. He has been playing piano for over 25 years. He is really an example that if you love something and try hard at it, you will succeed.

Great musicians present great jazz based on Bach Chorales.......1999-03-19

I had the privilege to be present at Yoshi's the night this album was recorded. Everyone there was held spellbound by this music--which is classic and yet modern. Each piece begins with the Bach chorale statement and then these excellent musicians take the melodies present in every level of Bach and make concert jazz. My favorite is number four on the album "Hilf, Herr Jesu, lass gelingen," but the listener cannot go wrong with any of the nine numbers. The instrument combination of piano, cello and soprano saxophone is unusual to me, and I think it would surprise Bach also; but I also believe this is an exceptional way to get an appreciation of the beauty of the classical line while enjoying the modern presentation. The music is decorous and sensual at the same time--a most intriguing mix.

If you love classical, and love jazz, you'll love this........1999-03-18

Last October (1998), when Ira and his group made this live CD at Yoshi's in Oakland, I was unfortunately hospitalized for emergency surgery, so I was unable to attend the concert. When the CD came out, my wife and I bought it, and I was entranced. Then, in March 1999, I was able to hear the group play some of the pieces at Borders in Emeryville. Absolutely top notch, even though Ira had to play a keyboard, and was on his feet the whole time.

These three first class musicians were all educated classically and in this album they not only return to their roots, but also expand the classical Chorales of Bach into what they have called "chamber jazz". Yes, it's jazz, but it's also got a bit of the "new age" about it.

Typically they play through a chorale pretty straight, and then the variations begin. Ira's piano craftsmanship is impeccable, and amazing. I hear Ira play two or three times a week (he's pianist at our church) and I never cease to be amazed at the skill and feeling that he brings to his playing. He improvises better than any pianist I have ever heard. Dann's saxophone is incredible--he is quite possibly the most accomplished saxophonist I have ever heard. Kenny G, eat your heart out. And Joe--he and his cello make love sounds together; it is as if they have become one, and are drawing sounds from the mind of God himself.

Tracks:

Hail, Gladdening Light
Sicut Cervus
Exultate Deo
Ave Maria
Ave Maria
Ave Maria
Haec Dies
When The Lord Turned Again
Dum Transisset Sabbatum
Laudate Dominum
Organ Improvisation By Dr. Gerre Hancock
Hear My Prayer, O Lord
Organ Improvisation By Dr. Gerre Hancock
Motet: Take Him, Earth, For Cherishing
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
Organ Improvisation By Dr. Gerre Hancock

Lieder zu Advent und Weihnachten: Improvisations for Organ by Kay Johannsen

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Lieder zu Advent und Weihnachten: Improvisations for Organ by Kay Johannsen

Manufacturer: Carus
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000GW8REI
Release Date: 2006-08-22