Edition 1

1. Arise, Red Sun, song, Op 10/1
Composed by Michael Slonov
with Feodor Chaliapin

2. Ruslan and Lyudmila, "magic" opera in 5 acts, G. xiv Act II: O say, ye fields
Composed by Mikhail Glinka
with Feodor Chaliapin

3. Lakmé, opera Act II: Lakmé, ton doux regard se voile
Composed by Leo Delibes
with Feodor Chaliapin

4. Oi, ou louzi!
Composed by Anonymous
with Feodor Chaliapin

5. Iz pod douba, iz pod
Composed by Anonymous
with Feodor Chaliapin

6. Né osenni melki dojditchek
Composed by Anonymous
with Feodor Chaliapin

7. Loutchinouchka
Composed by Anonymous
with Feodor Chaliapin

8. Solntsé vshodit i zahodit
Composed by Anonymous
with Feodor Chaliapin

9. Zachouméla razgoulialas
Composed by Nikolay Alexandrovich Sokolov
with Feodor Chaliapin

10. Boris Godunov, opera (Rimsky-Korsakov edition, 2 versions) Act I: Once in the town of Kazan
Composed by Modest Mussorgsky
with Feodor Chaliapin

11. Boris Godunov, opera (Rimsky-Korsakov edition, 2 versions) Act IV: One day at the hour of vespers
Composed by Modest Mussorgsky
with Feodor Chaliapin

12. The Demon, opera Act II: Do not weep, my child
Composed by Anton Rubinstein
with Feodor Chaliapin

13. The Demon, opera Act II: on the airy ocean
Composed by Anton Rubinstein
with Feodor Chaliapin

14. Bacchic Song, for voice & piano, Op. 27/1
Composed by Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov
with Feodor Chaliapin

15. La Marseillaise (National Anthem, France)
Composed by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle
with Feodor Chaliapin

16. Faust, opera Act III: O nuit, étends sur eux ton ombre
Composed by Charles Gounod
with Feodor Chaliapin

17. Faust, opera Act IV: Seigneur daignez permettre
Composed by Charles Gounod
with Feodor Chaliapin

18. Don Carlo, opera Act IV: Dormirò sol nel manto mio regal, Revised in 1884
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Feodor Chaliapin

19. Ernani, opera Act I: Infelice e tuo credevi
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Feodor Chaliapin

20. Norma, opera Act I: Ite sul colle o Druidi
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
with Feodor Chaliapin

21. Lucrezia Borgia, opera Act I: Vieni la mia vendetta
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
with Feodor Chaliapin

Edition 1,Feodor Chaliapin,Enterprise,Classical,Classical Music

Average customer rating: Inevitable Cds The best...EVER Excellent !! ORAL FIXATION 1&2 Shakira has become a master at her craft.

Oral Fixation Volumes 1 & 2 [SPECIAL EDITION w/Bonus DVD] Shakira Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Colombia | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music Colombia | South & Central America | Compilations | International | Styles | Music General | Latin Music | Styles | Music Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Laundry Service Shakira - MTV Unplugged Live & Off the Record (CD & DVD) Shakira: Live & Off The Record Hips Don't Lie ASIN: B000BUE5BY Release Date: 2006-12-05

Tracks:

1. En Tus Pupilas
2. La Pared
3. La Tortura
4. Obtener Un Si
5. Dia Especial (Artista Invitado Gustavo Cerati)
6. Escondite Ingles
7. No (Artista Invitado Gustavo Cerati)
8. Las de la Intuición
9. Dia de Enero
10. Lo Imprescindible
11. La Pared
12. La Tortura

Tracks:

1. How Do You Do
2. Illegal (featuring Carlos Santana)
3. Hips Don't Lie (featuring Wyclef Jean)
4. Animal City
5. Don't Bother
6. The Day and the Time (featuring Gustavo Cerati)
7. Dreams for Plans
8. Hey You
9. Your Embrace
10. Costume Makes the Clown
11. Something
12. Timor
13. La Tortura

Tracks:

1. La Tortura (video)
2. Don't Bother (video)
3. No (video)
4. Hips Dont Lie (video)
5. Dia De Enero (video)
6. Hey You(MTV 5 Star Live Performance)
7. Illegal (MTV 5 Star Live Performance)
8. La Tortura (MTV 5 Star Live Performance)

Album Description

Bonus DVD Content includes: Videos: La Tortura Dont Bother No Hips Dont Lie Dia De Enero

MTV 5 Star Live Performance: Hey You Illegal La Tortura

Customer Reviews:

Inevitable Cds.......2007-04-13

Each Cd had great songs, but there were a few songs that were just Ok. Pero por lo menos puedo escuchar los dos Cds sin tener que cambiar ninguna canción.

Mejores canciones de Fijacion Oral vol.1:
En Tus Pupilas
La Pared
La Tortura
Dia Especial
No
Las De La Intuicion
Lo Imprescindible

Best songs of Oral Fixation vol.2:
How Do You Do
Illegal (featuring Carlos Santana)
Animal City
Dreams for Plans
Your Embrace
Costume Makes the Clown
Timor

For having waited 5 years for a CD to come out I think she did a good job, but nothing really blew my mind other than La Tortura, No, and Hips Don't Lie. I'm glad que yo espere antes de comprar los dos Cds individualmente because the deluxe edition comes with all the songs plus a bonus DVD with all the videos for the two albums except La Pared and Illegal.

The best...EVER.......2007-03-27

If your reading this then you are obviously contemplating whether or not to buy this Item.. DO IT. It has both of her great CD's and I'm sure everyone else that wrote a review talks about the music..

SO I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THE DVD. The DVD is a must have for Shaki fans, It has so many great videos and for real fans... they gotta get it. It sucks watching your old VHS recordings off of fuse doesn't it? NOW you can have it DVD quality.. IT's the greatest. VERY GOOD DVD... The La tortura video is great kicks off the DVD.. FROM THERE ON IT's just amazing until the end! Her live performances are the best she has ever done.

I'm done with my bad review lol.

Excellent !!.......2007-03-26

It's an excellent edition !!! The quality of the DVD is very good....

ORAL FIXATION 1&2.......2007-03-22

SHAKIRA IS GREAT. WE HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO HER AND ENJOYING HER SONGS SINCE SHE WAS 15. WE LIKE BOTH THE SPANISH AND ENGLISH CDs. AND IT WAS A GREAT PRICE. THE VIDEOS WERE A NICE BONUS.

Shakira has become a master at her craft........2007-02-21

This beautiful lady has done it again. With her talent and her voice, she has my vote. With the exception of only two songs, I love every song she wrote, and this is unusual for me to like that many on two albums. Of course the DVD brings out her mastery in the art of the visual. To see her is to love her!

Average customer rating: Gould's Most Errant Interpretation THE VERY SOUL OF MUSIC Worth getting for Contrapunctus XIV, but for full performance look elsewhere The Best Bach Interpreter of the Century Excellent Rendition of the Art of the Fugue

Art of the Fugue - 70th Anniversary Edition Glenn Gould , and Bach Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981) French Suites - 70th Anniversary Edition The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II Partitas 1 2 & 3 - 70th Anniversary Edition ASIN: B00006FI8C Release Date: 2002-09-03

Customer Reviews:

Gould's Most Errant Interpretation.......2007-02-13

Mr. Khekoyan, who reviews this disk below, is quite correct that it is errant in tempi and in percussive interpretation. I'm not in agreement with him about Glenn Gould's stature as the foremost interpreter of Bach of the century. I'd suggest listening to the performance of Menno van Delft, which is included in the Bach Edition complete works produced by Brilliant Classics. There are any number of people who might nominate Gustav Leonhardt, Trevor Pinnock, or Bob van Asperen as more insightful interpreters of Bach than Glenn Gould. Don't let Gould's curious cult status mislead you; his performances are more quirky than competent.
Or, if you are attracted to the Art of Fugue rather than the Artist, you might listen to the performance of the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet, also available on CD. Though there is no historical justification for playing Bach's harpsichord music on recorders, the LSQ makes fine and insightful music on their wooden flutes, large and small. At times they sound more organistic than Mr. Gould on his modern behemoth.

THE VERY SOUL OF MUSIC.......2006-09-08

What you will find on this disc is A) contrapunctus I-IX played on two different organs in 1962; B) contrapunctus I II & IV from a1981 TV broadcast; C) contrapunctus IX XI & XIII in mono from a radio broadcast in 1967; D) the unfinished contrapunctus XIV from what may or may not be the same TV broadcast as B); and as a final filler E) a prelude and fugue on the name BACH from a studio recording in 1980. Items B)-E) are given on the piano.

Gould's organ renderings ran into critical flak at the time, and whether for that reason or because organ-playing aggravated a shoulder condition that the maestro suffered from he never completed the project. The sound of the piano is a little below standard in C), with some background hiss and a slightly emaciated tone, but even it is not really bad, B) and D) are better, and E) better still sound-wise. The sound of the organs has been criticised, but I do not criticise it and indeed it suits me very well. Nothing in the sound-quality from start to finish interferes in any way with my appreciation of Gould's wonderful, visionary and unique Bach-playing.

This disc does not offer you the complete Art of Fugue, so anyone who wants what's here is going to want it for something special in the performance. Gould is always special I guess, but not special in ways that suit everyone. My feeling is that if you are of the school that wants the Art of Fugue played `expressively' you can probably leave this offering alone. Once Gould sets a tempo he sticks to it unflinchingly without rubato, and except for some build-up in the tone as D) progresses there is a very restricted range of dynamics within each piece, although the individual pieces are strongly contrasted in respect of both volume-level and pace. Interestingly, in those numbers which he gives in two different performances, he takes a markedly different approach each time. Conrapunctus II IV and IX are very much faster in the piano version than on the organ, but contrapunctus I on the piano is taken very slowly indeed, lasting nearly twice as long as in the organ account. It is a matter of one's own concept of the work basically. For me, the Art of Fugue is the ultimate in abstract `absolute' music. It is a monument of remote sublimity like pure mathematics or like the stars in the sky, and it is just there for us to wonder at and does not reach out to us or `express' anything. The player's task is to convey its grandeur, and for me Gould does that as no other version, (on any instruments whatsoever - Bach specifies none) has ever done for me, and I feel this most acutely in his much-criticised organ renderings. The organs he uses are not giants, and there is only limited use of the pedals. He uses mainly a detached fingering, although embracing a more legato style in contrapunctus VI. However it stands to reason that the parts in long sustained notes do not admit of the detached treatment, and I love Gould's selection of strongly contrasted stops to assist clarity further. These are the means he adopts. What these means are in furtherance of is an impression of utter grandeur in the sublime march of Bach's polyphony. It is even a privilege to be shown how this grandeur can be viewed from startlingly different angles in his alternative interpretations of 4 of the fugues.

The last fugue from the Art, the unfinished contrapunctus XIV, is taken at a very slow pace and ends abruptly where the dying composer left it. In the normal way of things I detest this procedure - whatever Bach intended it wasn't that, and in a composition that is the ne plus ultra of method many competent musicians have supplied conclusions that must, in the very nature of the case, approximate to what Bach himself would have done. However this was a television performance, and I gather that the camera was made to freeze at this point with Gould's right hand poised dramatically in mid-air. Gould, who kicked Ravel's piano transcription of La Valse into touch and wrote his own, is having none of that when it comes to Bach, and under the circumstances I stifle my own normal reaction to this abrupt hiatus.

One of the most extraordinary things about Bach is how popular he manages to be for all his seeming severity. The Art of Fugue is innocent of the lyricism that was also part of Bach's infinite musical gift, it makes no compromises with us, but I would say to newcomers to the work that Gould's accounts, partial as they are, would be the best place to start to know this unique and towering masterpiece. It is not any indivisible entity in any case. Better, to start with, to hear some of it presented like this than the entire set in many another, perhaps indeed in any other, version.

Worth getting for Contrapunctus XIV, but for full performance look elsewhere.......2005-08-07

This is a partial performance on organ paired with a partial performance on piano. I didn't care too much for the organ (although Gould's very "un-organistic" articulation does work with these pieces, I miss the unique expression of his piano playing). Some of the piano recordings sound like somebody surreptitiously taped them on a concealed tape recorder.

If you want a complete Art of Fugue on piano that's as close to Gould as it gets, go with Tatiana Nikolayeva's stellar 2 CD-recording on Hyperion (CDA66631/2). I have 9 AoF performances in my collection (piano, organ, string quartet, Hermann Scherchen's orchestral arrangement), and Nikolayeva's set is my favorite by far. (It also includes the two Ricercars from The Musical Offering BWV1079 and the four Duets BWV 802-805, originally for organ.)

However, if you're as much of a Bach nut as I am, the Gould CD is worth getting just for Gould's incredible performance of Contrapunctus XIV (the final unfinished fugue).

The Best Bach Interpreter of the Century.......2003-11-29

I absolutely love all the works played by Glenn Gould. Why 3 stars then? For a long time I have loved every work that Gould brought to life and I still absolutely love them. However, "The Art of the Fugue" really made me see some of Glenn's dark side. The flaw is that his high speeds have absolutely no excuse on this marvelous piece of creation. It is true that Gould is the best pianist when it comes to playing Bach, but to understand what I mean, go and listen to Contrapunctus IV by some other performer who plays it much slower than Glenn. I personally recommend especially the trumpet version. It will blow your mind and convince you that Gould's performance of this piece was really hiding its magnificent beauty and drama. It is simply not possible to express something so breathtakingly dramatic by playing it staccato and also too fast. Have you ever seen someone who had a great loss crying by short stops and very fast? I don't suppose so. And the comparison is very fair because all the instruments, especially the piano, were created to resemble the human voice. `Art of the Fugue' is nothing like the Goldberg Variations where Gould's touch made the music beautiful, especially the first slow movement (which he actually plays very slowly and hence compensates for the staccato). It is much more dramatic and the performer's first goal must be to convey the drama to the listener.

Who am I to judge Glenn? I just have had the privilege to listen closely to titans like S. Richter, E. Gilels, A. Rubinstein, A.Schnabel, S. Rachmaninoff, V. Horowitz, and many others. Not to mention that so far I have listened to the complete works of over 40 composers. Again, Glenn Gould plays beautifully, especially Bach's faster pieces, where even Emil Gilels and Sviatoslav Richter can't do such a precise and concise interpretation. But we must remember that Glenn is a great pianist, but a pianist that can't even match with the Genius of Johann Sebastian Bach (I have heard Glenn's compositions). It is ironic that listeners give so much credit to Gould that they absolutely forget that the only reason that he is able to play such beautiful pieces is because Bach has created them in the first place! With this in mind, we still can accept new ways of interpretation of Bach, BUT NOT TO THE POINT THAT IT DECREASES THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF BACH'S COMPOSITIONS. Glenn does not do this often, but it is shocking that he chose to show his over-interpretation on a work that is considered to be the most important one in the entire classical repertoire. If Glenn was made to play these pieces by his contractors then the flaws can be partially forgiven.

It all comes down to this: this work should by no means put Gould's abilities in question, since he is indeed the best Bach interpreter of this century. However, one must not be blinded and be focused on any singular performer for the interpretation of all the pieces in the classical repertoire - Gould might outdo Horowitz in performing the `Emperor Concerto' (Beethoven) and Gilels in playing Bach's `French Suites', but when it comes to pieces like Beethoven's "The Tempest," his staccato is not in its right medium and becomes a cat's play compared to the powerful fingers of Richter.
(I have heard over one hundred pieces by Gould and could barely notice his humming. Why? Because I hum with him! So please do not complain since a real classical listener should not even notice the humming. Imagine listening to someone talking and at the same time listening to Bach. As far as I am concerned, you shouldn't even be able to notice that that person even exists)

Excellent Rendition of the Art of the Fugue.......2003-03-08

This is my first Glenn Gould CD. At first, I was surprised by his staccato organ playing, but I soon began to really enjoy the CD. Some may find Mr. Gould's humming annoying, but I found it amusing (it doesn't bother me much). I only heard the humming on the tracks with piano and found that Gould was really into Bach. I have heard Glenn Gould's playing on the radio and must say that he is truly a master of Bach's keyboard music. The sound quality is good and the jewel case is very nice. I highly recommend this item if you like Bach, Gould, or both.

Average customer rating: So many insights realy, really fast Controversial, yet unsurpassed Worth Owning Excellent!

French Suites - 70th Anniversary Edition Glenn Gould , and Bach Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Art of the Fugue - 70th Anniversary Edition English Suites 1 2 & 3 - 70th Anniversary Edition A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981) Partitas 1 2 & 3 - 70th Anniversary Edition Partitas 4 5 & 6 - 70th Anniversary Edition ASIN: B00006FI81 Release Date: 2002-09-03

Customer Reviews:

So many insights.......2007-07-11

Of all the many French Suite recordings I've heard, in spite of its eccentricities, this is the recording I return to, because every time I hear it, I hear something new and fresh. It has everything - and no other recorded-performer comes anywhere near such understanding, enthusiasm and dancing-qualities.

realy, really fast.......2007-02-09

Glenn Gould bach is really irregular. I love the three goldbergs (1954, 1981, an live recording in Salzburg), but these French suites are really, very fast, in the first minutes the music sound lively, and pretty, but almost an hour of staccato fast music, It's really like a ta ta ta ta ta ta ta sound.

I much more prefer gould playing bach's fugues, he use to be more slow

Controversial, yet unsurpassed.......2006-08-03

Gould was a character, in every sense of the word. Reading his numerous articles, one is inspired and challenged by his complex and elegant thought... His music, especially his Bach interpretations, have been criticized and praised alike, by people who know eons more about Music Theory than I do.

I can, however, share with you my intense appreciation of these suites. This is absolutely the work of a genius. His rendering of Bach's music for keyboard is utterly original, superbly balanced, deliciously nuanced, and stand alone as an untouched benchmark.

Listen carefully to his wise melancholy in the First Suite, especially the 2 menuettos. This is an interpretation which would astonish Bach himself, I am sure. No other performer will give you what you will hear in (at least) these specific two movements: such living beauty, such exquisite heartbreak... vibrant and fragile, an absolute joy.

Worth Owning.......2005-11-15

I listen to this CD all the time. There is a simplicity and clarity to it that just puts my mind at ease. At times a bit frenetic, but always precise and of an even temper. Very much recommended.

Excellent!.......2005-05-18

I am becoming a huge Glenn Gould fan. I first heard him about 15 years ago from a recording from my father. Listening to the Bach "French Suites" is an amazing experience. It is interesting to do some googling to learn more about Gould the man as well.

Average customer rating: Great easy listenening Help trying to figure out the title of a song omitted song Where's Van Morrison?! The Royal Tenenbaums Soundtrack

The Royal Tenenbaums (Collector's Edition) Various Artists Manufacturer: Hollywood Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou The Royal Tenenbaums (The Criterion Collection) The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions Rushmore Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ASIN: B000068TNT Release Date: 2002-07-02

Tracks:

1. 111 Archer Avenue - Mark Mothersbaugh
2. These Days - Nico
3. String Quartet In F Major - Ysaye Quartet
4. Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard - Paul Simon
5. Sonata For Cello And Piano In F Minor - The Mutato Muzika Orchestra
6. Wigwam - Bob Dylan
7. Look At That Old Grizzly Bear - Mark Mothersbaugh
8. Look At Me - John Lennon
9. Lullaby - Emitt Rhodes
10. Mothersbaugh Canon - Mark Mothersbaugh
11. Police & Thieves - The Clash
12. Scrapping And Yelling - Mark Mothersbaugh
13. Judy Is A Punk - Ramones
14. Pagoda's Theme - Mark Mothersbaugh
15. Needle In The Hay - Elliott Smith
16. Fly - Nick Drake
17. I Always Wanted To Be A Tenenbaum - Mark Mothersbaugh
18. Christmas Time Is Here - Vince Guaraldi Trio
19. Stephanie Says - The Velvet Underground
20. Rachel Evans Tenenbaum (1965-2000) - Mark Mothersbaugh
21. Sparkplug Minuet - Mark Mothersbaugh
22. The Fairest Of The Seasons - Nico
23. Hey Jude - The Mutato Muzika Orchestra

Amazon.com

The magical triad behind Rushmore's spunky, starry-eyed soundtrack--music supervisor Randall Poster, composer Mark Mothersbaugh, and director Wes Anderson--leaps forward a decade from that beloved soundtrack's '60s gems, in the process adopting a more pensive feel for The Royal Tenenbaums' musical backdrop. It may lack the euphoric sing-along feel of, say, Creation's "Makin' Time," but the rock and folk tracks here perfectly match the film's crumbling characters and their dilapidated relationships. The Ramones' "Judy Is a Punk" is a burst of nostalgic rebellion but surely causes a sad twinge in light of Joey Ramone's untimely death in 2001; gloom-folker Nick Drake's "Fly" and Elliott Smith's excellently depressing "Needle in the Hay"--which is used to chilling effect during a wrist-slashing scene--further deepen the dark thread running through Tenenbaums. But those who prefer the sunny disposition of Rushmore will be thrilled by the calming concoctions of Mothersbaugh, who heralds the coming of a new scene with graceful woodwind/string parts ("Scrapping and Yelling") and playful sitar pieces ("Pagoda's Theme"). Throw in the Clash's squalling "Police & Thieves" and the Velvet Underground's petal-soft "Stephanie Says" and you've got another winning soundtrack from the film biz's most in-tune music lovers. Tenenbaum or not, you can go home again. --Kristy Martin

Customer Reviews:

Great easy listenening .......2007-02-02

I like this soundtrack because its very laid back. Enjoyable songs that help you relax.

Help trying to figure out the title of a song.......2006-04-17

Hey, maybe you guys can help me, does anyone know the title of the song playing on a radio while owen wilson is getting high (or preparing to do so) with his friends and his dad and brother step in and tell him they want to help him. I really love that song and i have no idea what the title is

omitted song.......2006-02-01

For anyone interested, one song which was omitted from the soundtract which has not been mentioned is:

Emitt Rhodes - Lullabye

A beautiful track played in the scence where Royal is lying in his bed sucking down a shake and reading a book when Chas say "lights out old man" and switchs off the light. One of my fav songs in the movie along side the rolling stones - she smiled sweetly. sadly both songs were omitted but still a beautiful soundtrack.

Where's Van Morrison?!.......2005-03-16

This is a near-perfect collection of 60's and 70's pop and folk. The sad but hopeful vibe of the songs fits the movie's tone perfectly and you can't really agrue with songs like "Stephanie Says." it's also nice to hear the two Nico cuts since Nico's solo work really doesn't get the acclaim it deserves these days. My problem with this album is that it favors symphonic songs from the film instead of pop songs also used in it such as "Ruby Tuesday" and Van Morrison's "Everyone." I'm really bummed about the exclusion of "Everyone" because i thought it closed the movie so well. They should have released the score and the soundtrack separately so all these great songs could be included.

The Royal Tenenbaums Soundtrack.......2005-03-14

The Collector's Edition Soundtrack leaves out two great Rolling Stones' tunes She Smiled Sweetly & Ruby Tuesday. Also left to the winds is John Lennon's Look at Me, the Clash's Rock the Kazbah. The First Edition leaves a few tunes off too but it is a far better Soundtrack. Puckstar

Average customer rating: Worth every Penny ! Over all very good, in places great smoothed out edges Solid live performances, great sound, but a little identity crisis? This latest Beethoven Symphonies cycle is not that great

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9 [Special Edition] [Hybrid SACD] Manufacturer: Lso Live UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (Hybr) Le Sacre du Printemps [Hybrid SACD] Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 [Hybrid SACD] Mahler: Symphony No. 5 [Hybrid SACD] Mahler: Symphony No. 6; Piano Quartet [Hybrid SACD] ASIN: B000GUJYRE Release Date: 2006-09-12

Tracks:

1. Allegro Con Brio
2. Marcia Funebre: Adagio Assi
3. Scherzo And Trio: Allegro Vivace
4. Finale: Allegro Molto
5. Leonore Overture No.2

Tracks:

1. Adagio-Allegro Vivace
2. Adagio
3. Allegro Vivace
4. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
5. Allegro Vivace E Con Brio
6. Allegretto Scherzando
7. Tempo Di Menuetto
8. Allegro Vivace

Tracks:

1. Allegro Con Brio
2. Andante Con Moto
3. Allegro
4. Allegro
5. Adagio Molto-Allegro Con Brio
6. Anadante Cantabile Con Moto
7. Menuetto & Trio: Allegro Molto E Vivace
8. Adagio-Allegro Molto E Vivace

Tracks:

1. Erwachen Heiterer Gefuhle Bei Der Ankunft Auf Dem Lande (Allegro Ma Non Troppo)
2. Szene Am Bach (Andante Molto Mosso)
3. Lustiges Zusammensein Der Landleute (Allegro)
4. Gewitter, Sturm (Allegro)
5. Hirtengesang-Frohe, Dankbare Gefuhle Nach Sem Sturm (Allegretto)
6. Adagio Molto-Allegro Con Brio
7. Larghetto
8. Scherzo & Trio: Allegro
9. Allegro Molto - Tim Hugh

Tracks:

1. Poco Sostenuto-Vivace
2. Allegretto
3. Presto
4. Allegro Con Brio
5. Allegro - Tim Hugh
6. Largo - Tim Hugh
7. Rondo Alla Polacca - Tim Hugh

Tracks:

1. Allegro Ma Non Troppo, Un Poco Maestoso - London Symphony Chorus
2. Scherzo: Molto Vivace - London Symphony Chorus
3. Adagio Molto E Cantabile - London Symphony Chorus
4. Presto-Allegro Ma Non Troppo-Vivace-Adagio Cantabile - London Symphony Chorus

Amazon.com

Haitink's integral set of Beethoven Symphonies with the London Symphony has none of the stodginess that sometimes afflicted his earlier recordings with the Concertgebouw. His restudy of the works, and the presence of concert audiences translate into faster tempos, sharper accents, wider dynamic range and an overall sense of energy that imbue these nine masterpieces. Here, the Classic style is wed to Romantic expressivity but not to Romantic excess, Competition is abundant, ranging from Toscanini, Furtwängler, and the 1963 von Karajan to recent sets from the sometimes hyperkinetic Vanska, the more traditional Abbado, and the insightful Barenboim. But this new Haitink set, available in hybrid SACD/CD, is a solid contender.

The early First and Second symphonies benefit from Haitink's leaner, more vivacious approach. The Eroica also sounds fresher. Its slow movement is still a funeral march, but moves a hair faster this time, just enough to be the difference between a pace that drags and a pace that flows and retains interest. In the outer movements, there's a new spring to the rhythms and clarity in orchestral balances, and this Eroica has the cumulative intensity to make its full effect. Haitink's Fourth is in a grander mold than we usually hear. While never overblown, it has some of the wider scope and heroism of the odd-numbered symphonies. Like the Eroica, it is rhythmically vigorous and the prominent tympani and brass make an impact that sweeps the listener along. The Fifth can suffer from over-exposure but here it has a variety of tonal colors, tempos, and dynamics that make it seem newly minted while no less grand. The propulsive finale, with its pounding tympani and expertly played journey to transcendence, is especially memorable.

The Sixth, the Pastorale, has that same feeling, its flowing tempos and skillful interpretive choices make this one of the best Sixths since Böhm's, with plenty of excitement in the Storm and warmth in the final movement. The Seventh gets a buoyant reading, predominately lyrical without neglecting its powerful rhythms. The driven final movement is exhilarating without being hectic. The Eighth is often considered the slightest of the Nine but Haitink's brisk tempos make it dance and swagger; the lyrical sections played with engaging warmth. As for the Ninth, it is miles ahead of Haitink's earlier versions. The harmonic mist that opens the work is well delineated, the contrasts within movements carefully marked, the Scherzo bursting with energy, the incomparable Adagio sings at a more fluid tempo, the choral final movement as good as any in the catalogue, its structure crystal clear under Haitink's baton. The major filler in the set is the often scorned Triple Concerto, which gets a performance of warm lyricism that can only elevate its status.

The playing of the London Symphony is phenomenal, especially since these are live recordings. The violins' tone glows with radiance, their precise articulation helps make the rhythms energetic, the winds are uniformly excellent, the brass sleekly powerful, the potent percussion authoritative in climaxes. If a criticism can be made it would be that bass lines are sometimes weaker than desirable, perhaps a function of engineering that varies in clarity from disc to disc but is never less than good. In sum, a major addition to the Beethoven Symphony discography. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Worth every Penny !.......2007-06-25

I finally listened to every symphony after 2 weeks. I have to say, every performance sounded quite prestine. I especially enjoyed the 6th and the 9th.
I agree with one reviewer in that the first movement of the 5th seemed a tad fast. Honestly thats the only complaint I have of this collection. If you enjoy classical music and appreciate high fidelity music, this is a must have !

Over all very good, in places great.......2007-04-10

These recordings have outstanding sound quality, as other reviewers have said. None of them are less than worthwhile, and I think the rendition of the Eroica is sensational, the best I've heard. The 9th is also among the best. The 5th, though, is not in the same class. Another reviewer has commented on the tempo of the first movement, which I agree is too fast; unfortunately, so is much of the rest of the piece. (Bernstein's 1990 recording with the Vienna Philharmonic is much better.) Still, no one could fault the LSO's playing, or the sound. Worth the money for the Eroica and the 9th alone.

smoothed out edges.......2007-03-03

Unlike some other recordings of Beethoven's work, this compilation permeates the composer's will and presents a series of golden renditions. The assembly of London musicians is in top form (which is usual for them) and they seem motivated to convey all nuances throughout. For those who long to use these compositions for peace of mind, feel assured that that peace will indeed come.

Solid live performances, great sound, but a little identity crisis?.......2007-02-27

[This review refers to non-Hydrid SACD versions of these performances]

When I first listened through this cycle I was impressed and rated it 5-stars. I remain impressed, but something about these performances bothers me, a sort of unevenness that is overcome on first listen by the excitement. So I am re-reviewing with a 4-star rating.

I do not think, as some have suggested, that these are per se "historically informed performances" (what performance isn't historically informed, after all?). I would describe them as having (on balance) an updated traditional approach which benefits from generally well-balanced orchestral forces, brisk tempi, modest levels of conductor-induced drama and nuance, and remarkable sound quality that lets all the facets of the music shine through (the tympani occasionally jump out a bit too far for my tastes, as if they're perched on the conductor's podium). However, Haitink's cadences in these live recordings seems a little uneven to me, distracting ever so slightly from the natural momentum.

I found myself thinking that the the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and the 5th (at least in places) sound a bit like HIP performances, but the others (notably the 4th, which has a surprisingly big sound and broad, sweeping lines) sound like relatively brisk "big-band" treatments. Maybe that is simply Beethoven's music changing and not Haitink's interpretations, but I doubt it. I can't decide whether the legendary conductor is 1) pandering to HIP enthusiasts with a little extra speed here and there, 2) just can't decide how Beethoven in general ought to be played, or 3) is simply giving each symphony it's own identity (as he sees it). Those who love Haitink will presume the latter, and they might be right.

The Zinman cycle with Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich is currently my favorite -- I love the lean, wiry energy and brisk but controlled tempi Zinman delivers on modern instruments with a small orchestra -- and at this point I find myself judging everything against it. I am also very fond of the late Gunter Wand's forthright readings with the NDR. At present, despite my newfound reservations, this Haitink cycle would probably be my third choice, a step or two ahead of Harnoncourt/COE. I also think this cycle would work out well for anyone who finds merit in both HIP and traditional approaches and just can't decide. This is a big orchestra sound energetically delivered with small orchestra transparency.

If you don't need SACD, this collection can be purchased as a set from a leading download site for less than a single SACD disc. Getting sleepy?

This latest Beethoven Symphonies cycle is not that great .......2007-02-13

I already have 2 sets of Beethoven symphonies cycle, Karajan, released 12/6/2005, and Gardiner, released September 20, 1994, and many other individuals. Then I pruchased this set because of reviews in Amazon here and nomination of Grammy 2007. After listening to some of them(No,3,5,9), I would say they are not that fantastic. The No.5 sounds strange in paticular comparing others. It seemed played in different pace from others. Then the overall recording quality is rather poor. "SACD" in here is somewhat misleading. The live recording is more challanging than in studio. But SFS still could achieve well balanced and refined recording in live. Its Mahler NO.7 won Grammy classical award this year. However, I dont know it was recorded in live or studio.

I like Beethoven No.9 very much, not this one though. Try Osmo Vanska, released 10/24/2006. Its excellent performance and SACD recording even surpasses the Karajan.

Average customer rating: Important, but not as interesting as the vocal works. Not really my style... String works, includes his must-have glorious Second Quartet Great Recordings of Modern String Quartets you must listen to Ligeti.

György Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets - Arditti String Quartet Gyorgy Ligeti , David Alberman , Irvine Arditti , Garth Knox , Rohan deSaram , and Arditti String Quartet Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard György Ligeti Edition 2: A Cappella Choral Works - London Sinfonietta Voices Ligeti: Mechanical Music György Ligeti Edition 6: Keyboard Works (Piano, Harpsichord, Organ) - Irina Kataeva / Pierre-Laurent Aimard / Elisabeth Chojnacka / Zsigmond Szathmáry György Ligeti Edition 4: Vocal Works (Madrigals, Mysteries, Aventures, Songs) - The King's Singers / Philharmonia Orchestra / Esa-Pekka Salonen ASIN: B0000029OY Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks:

1. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Allegro Grazioso
2. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Vivace, Capriccioso
3. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Adagio, Mesto
4. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Presto
5. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Andante Tranquillo
6. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Tempo Di Valse, Moderato, Con Eleganza, Un Poco Capriccioso
7. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Allegretto, Un Poco Gioviale
8. String Quartet No. 1 'Metamorphoses Nocturnes': Prestissimo
9. String Quartet No. 2: Allegro Nervoso
10. String Quartet No. 2: Sostenuto, Molto Calmo
11. String Quartet No. 2: Come Un Meccanismo Di Precisione
12. String Quartet No. 2: Presto Furioso, Brutale, Tumultuoso
13. String Quartet No. 2: Allegro Con Delicatezza
14. Hommage A Hilding Rosenberg
15. Balada Si Joc: Balada Andante
16. Balada Si Joc: Allegro Vivace
17. Andante And Allegretto: Andante Cantabile
18. Andante And Allegretto: Allegretto Poco Capriccioso

Amazon.com essential recording

This is a fine collection of moving, muscular performances by this seminal postwar composer. Surely the best known of the works on this disc is the Second String Quartet, one of the masterpieces of 20th-century music--although you might not know it's a masterpiece until the heartbreaking last movement. But the First String Quartet, written before Ligeti emigrated from Hungary to the West, is fascinating: it shows Ligeti working through the influence of Bartók, particularly Bartók's Third and Fourth Quartets--music Ligeti knew only silently, from the score, since performances of Bartók's music were banned by the Hungarian communist regime. This excellent recording provides a complete overview of Ligeti's compositional career through the medium of string chamber music, from homages to Bartók to the achievement of Ligeti's own groundbreaking style. --Joshua Cody

Customer Reviews:

Important, but not as interesting as the vocal works........2006-08-30

Sony's "Gyorgy Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duos" is the first in this series of, I believe, complete works by Ligeti, but it is always the third or fourth disk I go to whenever I get around to listening to Ligeti once again, about once every year.

To me, the average amateur 'classical music' consumer, it is interesting, imaginative, and certainly 'new' when compared to 19th and early 20th century music, but it just doesn't seem to have the same cachet as the vocal works. While I would sooner listen to Ligeti's vocal works than most other modern music, I actually prefer Bartok, Berg, and Schoenberg for their instrumental works.

I agree with the top reviewer that the String Quartet No. 2 is the hit of the disk, but it doesn't blow me away in the same way that 'Lux Aeterna' does. That may be just the '2001' factor at work, but there you have it.

Still excellent and still evocative of other modernists, not the least of whom is Frank Zappa.

Not really my style..........2006-08-23

This is a little too avant garde for me. I like my classical music to be just that: classical.

I bought the CD but I am returning it. Ligeti is very talented but his music (to me) is only tolerable in short bursts. I couldn't see myself listening to the whole CD time and again.

String works, includes his must-have glorious Second Quartet.......2004-12-07

Sony's "Gyorgy Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duos" is the first disc of the 13-volume series--continued after the 8th installment by Teldec's "The Ligeti Project"---of Gyorgy Ligeti's collected works in performances overseen by the composer itself. It collects his impressive two strings quartets, a brief birthday greeting to another composer, a work inspired by an ethnomusical stint in Romania, and another early work. The works are performed by the Arditti Quartet, who have done so much to provide satisfying and lasting performances of modern string repetoire.

String Quartet No. 1 ("Metamorphoses nocturnes") was written between 1953 and 1954, as the composer was struggling to express himself creatively in Stalinist Hungary. The work shows clear inspiration from Bartok's third and fourth quartets, which Ligeti knew only from their score as they had been suppressed. Similarly, Ligeti had no hope his own work would be performed, and it was written essentially "for his desk drawer". Ironically, when Ligeti submitted the piece to a Western competition, it was deemed too traditional for recognition. This first string quartet is a study in the juxtaposition of unlike sections; under a thin verneer of normality, the music is heterogenous. I think this is a fine work, and it is one of the composer's few pre-emigration pieces that do not sound like juvenalia in comparison with his later works.

String Quartet No. 2 (1968) was composed long after Ligeti's move to the West and so is entirely avant-garde, linked with the techniques of his other works of the 1960's. Ligeti was quite proud of this piece, claiming it as his favourite of his works of the time, and feeling that he had made a permanent contribution to the string quartet tradition. The work is indeed a part of his micropolyphonic style of the 1960's, but there is a great deal more here. It is a twitching, paranoid, nervous, neurotic piece with a grimy, constantly shifting texture, like the soundtrack to a Kafka story. It really must be heard to be believed, and this second quartet is the high point of this disc.

"Hommage a Hilding Rosenburg" for violin and cello (1982) is a short birthday greeting to that Swedish composer. It is the least important work on the disc and is really nothing more than something of a fanfare.

"Balada si joc" for two violins (Romanian "Ballad and dance", 1950) is a short string duet inspired by Ligeti's time spent in Romania collecting folk music during his music studies. The result uses no actual folk material, but is an authentic imitation of the music Ligeti encountered both in his boyhood and in his return to Transylvania at this later time. When it was later expanded to use an orchestra, it became the first two movements of his "Concert Romanesc" (found on "The Ligeti Project II"). The string duet, however, manages to create with but two instruments nearly the same moving passion as the later orchestration. The following "Andante and Allegretto" for string quartet (1950) is another early work, again inspired by folk music. It is not as successful as "Balada si joc", indeed even forgettable.

While there are other recordings of these works available, such as the recent recordings reissued in Deutsche Grammaphon's "Echo 20/21" series, this performance by the Arditti Quartet can certainly be seen as definitive. It takes a lot of talent to please Ligeti, one of the most demanding composers, especially in a crushingly difficult work like the second string quartet.

While I think "Gyorgy Ligeti Edition 3: Piano Works" or "The Ligeti Project IV" are better places to begin on this series of Ligeti's collected works, this set of string works should be one of the first Ligeti works you buy, especially for the String Quartet No. 2.

Great Recordings of Modern String Quartets.......2004-08-07

For those of you who haven't experienced Ligeti, this is the CD to purchase, especially if you like string quartets. If you're not accustomed to 20th century music, keep an opened mind and I promise you'll really enjoy his music.

The recording of the 2nd quartet is, as usual with the Arditti Quartet, phenomenal, but what makes this recording is their production of his 1st quartet. The performance is very clean and precise, yet still very musical. Most impressive of all, Arditti stays true to Ligeti's tempi, including the blistering tempo of the end!

As an added bonus, there are two very delightful duets for violins, which are very tonal and based on Hungarian folk tunes (these were written as part of graduation from the Budapest Academy of Music).

you must listen to Ligeti........2004-03-06

Listening to Ligeti has been invaluable, for his music has brought me to a higher level of musical understanding. Just listen to these string quartets, for example. The aggressive, chromatic Bartokian first string quartet is incredible by itself. But then the ever-transforming second quartet is ever better, musically enlightening and original and yet still a work of passion. Ligeti describes the piece's nature as something where "there is no longer any motivic writing in this music, no contours, only sound textures, which are sometimes frayed and almost fluid (as in the first and last movements) and at other times grainy and machine-like (as in the middle pizzicato movement)." The performances and recording are mind-blowing. "Add to cart."

Average customer rating: One of the greatest albums of all time interesting idea falls short Spectacular spellbinding Donkey Ride

The Sermon On Exposition Blvd. [Deluxe Limited Edition --- includes 5.1 SACD version and 40 minute DVD of making the record] Rickie Lee Jones Manufacturer: New West Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Similar Items: West Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD) My Name Is Buddy Twelve A Tribute To Joni Mitchell ASIN: B000L211NW Release Date: 2007-02-06

Tracks:

1. Nobody Knows My Name
2. Gethsemane
3. Falling Up
4. Lamp Of My Body
5. It Hurts
6. Where I Like It Best
7. Tried To Be A Man
8. Circle In The Sand
9. Donkey Ride
10. 7th Day
11. Elvis Cadillac
12. Road To Emmaus
13. I Was There

Tracks:

1. How It All Began
2. Turn It Down
3. Late Night Song
4. Threat Of The Bomb
5. Tried To Be A Man
6. The Mystery Box
7. It Hurts
8. I Have Another Day
9. Caught Me In It's Ray
10. Haven't Had Anything To Eat Today
11. I Was There
12. CreditsBonus MP3s for download to MP3 player

Amazon.com

Fans of Rickie Lee Jones and Jesus Christ can decide whether this devotional music is rapturously spiritual or deliriously strange. It sounds like nothing Jones has previously released, or anything characterizable as contemporary Christian. Instead, her voice soars and wobbles through repetitive, stream-of-consciousness incantations over rhythmic throbs and pulses. On "Where I Like It Best," Jones testifies to the power of private prayer (while seeming to cast churchgoers as hypocrites). The feral distortions of "Tried to Be a Man" recall some of the textures (if not the themes) of her former boyfriend Tom Waits, while the acoustic setting of "Donkey Ride" features guitar tunings that might make Sonic Youth wince and "Elvis Cadillac" conjures a singular vision of heaven. At close to eight and a half minutes, the closing "I Was There" seems to follow Van Morrison into the mystic. Some of this music is oddly affecting; much of it is merely odd. --Don McLeese

Album Description

THE SERMON ON EXPOSITION BOULEVARD, the new album by Rickie Lee Jones and her first for New West Records, is a beauty--soul-satisfying and sonically unique. RICKIE LEE sounds completely tapped in, alive and vital, heading down some mighty interesting roads and discovering new magical essences. Lots of creative sparks here--plenty of them. She sounds like she's going through a transformation throughout the album in a way that's reminiscent of Van Morrison's performances on his classic album Astral Weeks.

This is the Special Edition of Rickie Lee Jones' new CD, Sermon On Exposition Boulevard. It contains an SACD version of the CD, with both a High Resolution Stereo and 5.1 Surround Mix. It includes a bonus DVD with 40 minutes of behind the scenes footage. Also included in this Special Edition are High Resolution MP3s of the entire CD to download to your favorite MP3 player, as well as an expanded booklet with extra photos, artwork and liner notes.

Customer Reviews:

One of the greatest albums of all time.......2007-07-06

This is one of the greatest albums of all time. With the wide range of feel, there should be a starting point for everyone. Then listen to the whole thing. Amazing!

interesting idea falls short.......2007-06-27

I felt the "Sermon" was a great idea.. the Gospel according to Rickie Lee. The lyrics are compelling and filled with that wonderful poignant, poetic Rickie Lee touch, but the music seemed like an afterthought. It just didn't interest me very much, and did not stay with me. the DVD was so boring, I couldn't get through the whole thing.
Maybe that was her idea, to just set a story to music, but I much prefer her other albums with songs that are memorable and singable.

Spectacular.......2007-06-24

I have been listening to this album since January and I must say I am as entranced by it now as I was on the first listen. This album is raw, passionate, thought-provoking and inspiring- like great music should be.
I am not religious or spiritual but this album speaks to me like no other release this year.
Rickie Lee Jones fans should love it and I only hope that people not previously exposed to this extraordinary musician will take a chance on this CD. You will not be disappointed.

spellbinding.......2007-05-23

If the number of plays on my iPod is a sign, this is my favorite RLJ CD in many years. I've bought and liked everything she's put out, but this one...well, it's not the type of CD you can immediately and easily figure out. It's musically and lyrically different than anything she's done in the past. But it's the type of CD that compels you to play it often to investigate the mystery. It draws you in. I keep going back to it. It reminds me of David Bowie's Low or Neil Young or Lou Reed, a complex work done out of the comfort zone, not done with great commercial expectations that turns out to be a mighty work of art. I really can't explain much about it lyrically and don't know exactly what she's aiming for, but I am thrilled and moved trying to figure it out. Also, the computer sound files are of great quality that puts iTunes to shame.

Donkey Ride.......2007-05-19

When this CD was released, I ran out & bought it as soon as it hit the store shelves in our town. I read a glowing review that told me Rickie Lee was exploring spiritual themes on a very different disc. I opted for the DVD 2-disc version. First, I watched the DVD. I think this DVD would be good for musicians looking to see how a seasoned veteran works in the studio. We see Rickie in very informal attire looking like a working musician. It's not particularly entertaining, however. Perhaps watching her in concert performing this set would have had more polish. It is neat to see Rickie in her home office where she obviously works, but the song takes are not entrancing. The material on the disc has grown on me. I think I would describe the material more as "religious" rather than "spiritual." There isn't a lot here about values or lessons. This is more like a Jesus biography. On one of the more accessible tracks, "Elvis Cadillac," Rickie Lee free associates with her strumming putting a smile on your face, "Standing in the doorway, I'm happy living here. Everyone tries so hard to sing a song no one can hear." "Circle in the Sand" is probably the best song that stands alone on its own with its driving beat and Rickie's expressive vocals, "When an angel picked me up, she called my name; There is charity, but says power, money & fame." Much of the rest of the disc is enjoyable, but rather formless. "It Hurts" & "Donkey Ride" do hurt to listen to. While I enjoy Rickie Lee's thematic exploration, the music just doesn't work very well. Rickie Lee is a terrific singer. I'm glad to have this chapter of her work, but it won't be the one that goes into the changer frequently. The DVD may never be seen again. Taxi.

Average customer rating: Superb relaxation What a recording FANTASTIC!! Please ignore the other review on this product! It sounds like all the other chant cd's out there

Chant: The Anniversary Edition Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Sacred & Religious | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Chant II Chant Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants, Vol. 1 Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants The Mystery Of Santo Domingo De Silos Gregorian Chant From Spain ASIN: B0001XAP1A Release Date: 2004-05-04

Tracks:

1. Alleluia Beatus Vir Qui Suffert (Modo I)
2. Mandatum Novum Do Vobis
3. Media Vita In Morte Sumus
4. Laetatus Sum
5. Veni Creator Spiritus
6. Genuit Puerpera Regem
7. Kyrie Fons Bonitatis
8. Nos Autem
9. Super Flumina
10. Qui Manducat
11. Salve Regina
12. Salve, Festa Dies
13. Rorate Saeli De Super
14. Jacta Cogitatum Tuum
15. Jucundare
16. Veni Sancte Spiritus
17. Respice, Domine
18. Alleluia, Oportebat

Tracks:

1. Christus Factus Est Pro Nobis
2. Puer Natus Est Nobis
3. Ave Mundi Specs Maria
4. Spiritus Domini
5. Os Iusti
6. A Solis Ortus Cardine
7. Oculi Omnium
8. Alleluia, Dies Santificatus
9. Viderunt Omnes
10. Puer Natus In Bethlehem
11. Verbum Caro
12. Tui Sunt
13. Pueri Herbraeorum Portantes
14. Improperium
15. Tristis Est
16. Una Hora
17. Traditor Autem-Benedictus
18. Ubi Caritas

Amazon.com

This set contains the two CDs that, it must be acknowledged, just about started the Chant craze in 1994. The music was actually recorded in the 1970s and 1980s (this new set has been remastered and sounds better than the 1994-95 releases did) and was on sale in Spain and offered at the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos for some time before it became "hot." Since then, hundreds of CDs of chant and similar music have appeared, many more polished then these, but perhaps these were so special because they weren't performances: they caught actual Monks in the act of praying, and the meditative quality is undeniably real. Whatever the case, this is music for reflection, calming down, re-fueling and getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life--which may be even more needed now than they were 10 years ago. Texts are not supplied and you won't need them; it's all about reverence and mood. Doing nothing but listening to this in 25-minute chunks will allow your breathing to slow and re-energize you. Each 55-minute CD will probably put you to sleep--and this isn't meant as a criticism. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Superb relaxation.......2007-04-01

This is a wonderful compilation. I greatly enjoy listening to it when I'm working on painting or another activity where lower blood pressure is a must. Having two albums in one makes the deal even sweeter. If you alreaddy own Chant I and II, then there's no real value added, but with mine lost in a move, it was a great return of music I enjoy.

What a recording.......2006-12-01

Mystic,eternal, and meditative is how I would
describe these chants, a most perfect gift
for Christmas. This reissue sounds even better
than the ones released in the mid 90's.
I would highly recommend this recording to anyone.
The only rule is sit down, or lay back and enjoy.

FANTASTIC!!.......2006-01-25

BUYERS BE WARNED - this set should not purchased in lieu of the two original Chant CDs but rather as a supplement to them. Because although both the Amazon.com editorial review and one of the two reviews available for the Anniversary Edition both indicate it is nothing more than a remastered version of the original two Chant releases from 1994, a thorough check of the track listings at Amazon.com (and at angelrecords.com) demonstrates that this is not the case. The sequence of tracks is completely different and there are numerous tracks that appear on one of the original Chant CDs but not on the Anniversary Edition and vice versa. The most complete is the first of the two original discs as all but two of its nineteen tracks appear on the Anniversary Edition. Chant II has less than half a dozen of its tracks appearing on the Anniversary Edition.

However, this complaint aside, I love the Anniversary Edition. Although the track sequence is different from the original Chant CD and I find myself expecting certain chants to follow others, I will in time get used to the differences.

Moving on, this is not complicated material. There is no polyphonic, raucous, symphonic accompaniment. There are no rowdy, raging guitar riffs from the likes of Pepper Keenan or Jeff Loomis. There are no ultra-funky looped drum beats, booming bass, or rapped socio-political venom from the likes of the Ice Cube or Public Enemy. There is neither a Cecilia Bartoli nor a BB King to sustain things by sheer virtuosity. There are only the exquisitely simple, melodic sounds of monks singing/chanting in Latin in a great, grand hall with nary a trace of echo to be heard. This is gorgeous, sublime, invigorating music to soothe the sores of the soul and heal the hardened heart. The raw honesty and utter conviction of the `performers' on these two discs drive these pieces home with a power that more practiced and polished performers dare not dream of. Even with no transcription or translation of the chants inside the booklet, this is music to be enjoyed by everyone.

My recommendation is to procure Chant: The Anniversary Edition immediately and be thankful that such simple and supremely powerful music exists to bring some light into our seemingly ever-darkening world.

Thanks for reading.

Please ignore the other review on this product!.......2005-07-21

The other reviewer obviously does not realize that this is a re-release of both Chant I and Chant II. They have also been remastered. I highly recommend purchasing this 2-CD set because the quality is better than the originals, and the price is usually better than buying the first two separately. I wouldn't be without this in my music collection. Please do no let the ignorance of others keep you from experiencing this beautiful, ethereal music.

It sounds like all the other chant cd's out there.......2005-03-16

There is nothing special about this CD - buy Chant 1, save 5 bucks, and call it good

Average customer rating: A nice mico-view of Ligeti's work Very Nice Piano Studies. Not the best Ligeti Perfect Ligeti. good cd Ligeti on cd, hooray

György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Aimard, Pierre-Laurent | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Aimard, Pierre-Laurent | ( A ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: György Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets - Arditti String Quartet György Ligeti Edition 2: A Cappella Choral Works - London Sinfonietta Voices György Ligeti Edition 6: Keyboard Works (Piano, Harpsichord, Organ) - Irina Kataeva / Pierre-Laurent Aimard / Elisabeth Chojnacka / Zsigmond Szathmáry Ligeti: Mechanical Music The Ligeti Project II: Lontano / Atmosphères / Apparitions / San Francisco Polyphony / Concert Românesc - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Jonathan Nott ASIN: B0000029P0 Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks:

1. Piano Etudes (Book One): I. De'sordre - Molto vivace, vigoroso, molto ritmico
2. Piano Etudes (Book One): II. Cordes a' vide - Andantino con moto, molto tenero
3. Piano Etudes (Book One): II. Touches bloque'es - Presto possibile, sempre molto ritmico
4. Piano Etudes (Book One): IV. Fanfares - Vivacissimo molto ritmico, con allegria e slancio
5. Piano Etudes (Book One): V. Arc-en-ciel - Andante molto rubato, con eleganza, with swing
6. Piano Etudes (Book One): VI. Automne a' Varsovie - Presto cantabile, molto ritmico e flessibile
7. Piano Etudes (Book Two): VII. Galamb borong - Vivacissimo luminoso, legato possibile
8. Piano Etudes (Book Two): VIII. Fe'm - Vivace risoluto, con vigore
9. Piano Etudes (Book Two): IX. Vertige - Prestissimo sempre molto legato, sehr gleichmassig
10. Piano Etudes (Book Two): X. Der Zauberlehrling - Prestissimo, staccatissimo, leggierissimo
11. Piano Etudes (Book Two): XI. En suspens - Andante con moto, (avec l`e'le'gance du swing)
12. Piano Etudes (Book Two): XII. Entrelacs - Vivacissimo molto ritmico, sempre legato, con delicatezza
13. Piano Etudes (Book Two): XIII. L'escalier du diable - Presto legato ma leggiero
14. Piano Etudes (Book Two): XIV. Coloana infinita' - Presto possibile, tempestoso con fuoco
15. Musica ricercata: I. Sosenuto - Misurato - Prestissimo
16. Musica ricercata: II. Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale
17. Musica ricercata: III. Allegro con spirito
18. Musica ricercata: IV. Tempo de Valse (poco vivace - a' l'orgue de Barbarie)
19. Musica ricercata: V. Rubato. Lamentoso
20. Musica ricercata: VI. Allegro molto capriccioso
21. Musica ricercata: VII. Cantabile, molto legato
22. Musica ricercata: VIII. Vivace. Energico
23. Musica ricercata: IX. Adagio. Mesto - Allegro maestoso
24. Musica ricercata: X. Vivace. Capriccioso
25. Musica ricercata: XI. Andante misurato e tranquillo
26. Piano Etudes (From Book Three): XV. White on White

Customer Reviews:

A nice mico-view of Ligeti's work.......2007-03-11

In the notes that accompany this CD, Ligeti explains that his piano compositions are the way he made up for his inadequacies as a player. It's hard to argue that he didn't reach his goal. These superbly-performed pieces provide a clear view of many aspects of Ligeti's work--his humor, his lyricism, his ear, and sometimes his little obsessions.

The most obvious technical requirement of this music is touch. In some of the etudes, complex voicings are required at very low dynamic levels. In others, the ability to bring out multiple voices is paramount. Aimard is perfect. His technique is so assured that we can easily get to the music and not be sidetracked by prowess.

Those who know Ligeti's music know how protean he could be. Like a good athlete, he was willing to take on enormous risks. Sometimes the result felt intellectualized and tiresome. But more often than not, the music soared. This is certainly true of the Etudes on this disk. They are studies in the truest sense of the word--one may focus on a particular set of intervals, another on a texture, yet another on a rhythm. Each one is fascinating and the collection holds together nicely. There are even hints of Nancarrow!

Ligeti himself felt ambiguously about the "Musica Ricercata", and it isn't hard to see why. The first piece is based on only two pitches (with octaves); the second on three and so on. It sort of proves a point, but what point? By the time you get to the fourth piece, it starts to get good, but the listener has to regain some flagging energy. The third piece is actually the basis of the opening of "6 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet".

So while I have little quibbles, I still recommend this disk strongly. It's great music, beautifully played.

Very Nice Piano Studies. Not the best Ligeti.......2006-09-02

Volume 3 of the Gyorgy Ligeti Edition on Sony has gotten a boatload of very positive reviews, above, from people who probably know a lot more about music, especially piano music, than I do, but I maintain, from my position as a rank amateur who just happens to like listening to a wide range of classical music, that this disc is neither the very best piano music nor the most interesting Ligeti.

Don't get me wrong. I think almost all of the studies on these tracks are good, maybe even almost as good as Chopin and Liszt, but I don't think so. We don't hum Ligeti etudes the way some people hum Chopin etudes or dances for piano. And, a few of the passages sound like the scene from 'Ghostbusters' where Bill Murray tickles the very high keys on Sigourny Weaver's piano as they enter her apartment to track down some particularly awesome apparitions of Zuel (sic) and Gozer (sic sic).

If you are looking to touch only the high points of Ligeti's music and don't have the compulsioin to own everything, you can pass on these and not be missing too much of the good stuff. Check out his choral and a capella works for the really hot stuff.

Perfect Ligeti........2005-10-19

The own György Ligeti was asked about who was the pianist more complete in his piano works; he talked about Pierre-Laurent Aimard, whose a close relation with the XXth Century music is very well known (Boulez, Messiaen, Berg, Schönberg, Carter...) all around the world. He talked too about Volker Banfield, who has recorded some of the Etudes for Wergo, but not so good as Aimard recordings, in my opinion.

What we find in this CD, 3rd of an outstanding series, is the technical perfection made piano playing, in the hands of Aimard, who plays absolutely all the notes full of perfection, sense and correction, from the dynamic to the tempo, from the correct attack to the prodigious use of the pedal. If you are used to a romantic piano you can feel this versions a little cold or dry, but this is because Aimard goes directly to the heart of the XXth Century style of piano playing, in the line that comes from Schönberg-Berg-Webern and that goes in a different way of playing than the century before, so you can be lost in some sense about the way he understand the use of the piano, the playing, the technique, the echoes, the silences...

You'll find in this CD the Musica Ricercata, a work from Ligeti's first period, very easy to understand for those who are not used to listen this kind of "modern" music. It has many folk motives, used in a way very close to Bartók's style. One of this pieces (Musica ricercata: II. Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale) was taken by Stanley Kubrick for his last film Eyes Wide Shut, with an outstanding presence in the film associated to the worries and pressure over the main character; Ligeti says about this piece that it was a knife against the stalinist regime because of this style of music, sinister, innovative and forgiven in the communist Europe. The film's version is slower than this by Aimard, more "cinematographic" but slower than the score asks. Aimard's version in this piece and in the full pieces are outstanding.

The rest of the CD it's based on the Etudes, books I & II, both of them complete. Those are pieces much more modern than the Musica Ricercata, some of them, in the words of Ligeti with some links and inspiration on Nancarrow's works. We are listening in this case some of the most complex works for piano written in the XXth Century, and many of them authentic jewels of the genre. The Aimard versions for Sony are the better I know from the French pianist, who have recorded some of them in other CDs, like his great recording from de Carnagie Hall (Warner), but not so good like this outstanding CD.

So, if you are looking for perfection in Ligeti's piano music performances don't doubt about this CD; if you want to discover the piano of the XXth Century this could be a great door to go into, because of the music, because of the performing and because of a perfect recording and booklet.

good cd.......2005-08-23

This is a great cd if you are interested in piano music. I personally enjoyed "Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale", which was most famously used in the Kubrick film, Eyes Wide Shut. The rest of the cd is very enjoyable as well.

Ligeti on cd, hooray.......2005-08-01

We all owe Stanley Kubrick a big debt of gratitude for exposing us to Ligeti who, with Cage and Stockhausen among others, influenced the evolution of popular music while maintaining a continuum to our classical past.

The recording quality in this series is outstanding, and it is a delight to see the breadth of this series. Having many works of Ligeti from the Wergo vinyl catalog of the 70's, I selected the piano works for the fun of discovery.

Those of you who enjoy this piano stuff should try to find Nina Deutsch's recording of Charles Ives: Solo Piano Music.

Average customer rating: Surprisingly tame Beethoven from a great conductor Just Super scratches easily Bernstein is gone, but thankfully, his music is not Bedrock stuff

Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies (Collectors Edition) Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Mozart: The Late Symphonies: Nos. 25, 29, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41 Leonard Bernstein Conducts Brahms (Collectors Edition) Mahler: The Complete Symphonies Beethoven: The Five Piano Concertos Schumann: The 4 Symphonies ASIN: B0001WGDX0 Release Date: 2004-05-11

Customer Reviews:

Surprisingly tame Beethoven from a great conductor.......2007-07-21

The tameness of this Beethoven cycle from Bernstein and the Vienna Phil. was deliberate, I suspect. The conductor had already made a massive-sounding cycle in New York with the Philharmonic, and he apparently wanted to hear these works slimmed down, fleet, and classically inclined in Vienna. Even understanding the rationale, there are moments when the readings come close to being either tepid or ordinary. The VPO sounds lovely, and DG has improved on the original thin sonics from the LP era. But I can't square these cautious performances with the free-wheeling and inspired Bernstein I love. If you play any single movement side by side with, say, Riccardo Muti's middle-of-the-raod cycle from Philadelphia on a bargain EMI line, it's hard to tell where Muti ends and Bernstein begins. (Joining Muti and Bernstein, another firebrand conductor, Solti, also tended toward tameness when it came to Beethoven.)

I see that the reviewers here are sharply divided between champsions and naysayers. I'm not completey disappointed. The smaller, more graceful symphonies (#1, #2, #4, #8) are the best in the cycle, largely thanks to the orchestra's elegant execution. Of the heroic symphonies, the Fifth is dull, the Eroica and Seventh are better but by no means inspired, and the Ninth comes the closest to making one sit up and take notice. LB made a specialty of this work, but his three official versions don't really capture the magic. This one comes closest, and I much prefer it to the emotional wallow that LB indulged in with his famous "Ode to Freedom" performance at the Berlin Wall after it fell in 1989.

As for the reviewers here who heap superlatives on this set, I can't come close to agreeing, and I am a Bernstein fan par excellence.

Just Super.......2007-06-10

This a great collection, and Bernstein displays all his usual expressiveness. I'm sorry, Eroica is not at all boring. It is fantastic!

scratches easily.......2007-05-31

I don't have a problem with the quality of the recordings but has anyone else noticed if the disks scratch easily? I have about three of them now that are scratched up pretty badly. Or maybe I don't take care of my CD's like I should.

Bernstein is gone, but thankfully, his music is not.......2007-05-15

Bernstein is one of my favorite conductors and this set is another reason why! For live recordings they really sparkle (like the ghost of Walt Disney was up in the sound booth). The cellos and bass with their gritty tone come thru loud and clear and it almost seems like they are in my living room, not coming out my speakers. The same for the flutes, even the low parts.

I thought the first symphony was a bit average and dragged a little, but still very enjoyable. Beethoven's 3rd and 7th were the two symphonies I was slow in warming up to. Now I wonder what was wrong with me! Bernstein really nails the 3rd symphony! WOW! The 2nd and 5th are paired on disc two. I have always liked this pairing since the 2nd reminds me so much of number 5. I had my musical moment during symphonies 3, 2, and 5. The last movement of number five, what JOY of life! The 6th is played serenely and very beautifully.

Some Beethoven symphony performances seem to bring out the majesty of the music while others the thunder and excitement. Bernstein nails both of these features, especially in symphyony 5 and the musicians play with such warmth and joy. Don't miss the JOY in Beethoven's music. Even with his loss of hearing, Beethoven did not loose hope, nor the joy of life and this comes through with great passion in these symphonies. "The last enemy to be destroyed will be death." "katepothe ha thanatos eis nikos" Death will be swallowed up in victory.

Bedrock stuff.......2007-02-21

I couldn't live without recordings of classical music, but please, somebody shoot me if I ever get as snobbish as some of the reviewers nitpicking this box set. The sound quality is excellent. (These symphonies were all recorded live in concert, so the performances truly breathe.) The interpretations are, to my ear, deeply considered and extremely moving, especially the second movement of the Seventh. And best of all, you can't beat the price (and this is Deutsche Grammaphone we're talking about, usually the most expensive pressings). So if you know some person, young or old, who wants to know where to start with building a classical collection, get them this set as a gift. How can you not like this music?

Track Listings:

1. Ezio Pinza-The Early Legendary Recordings (1923-1923)
2. Favorite Opera Choruses
3. Ferruccio Tagliavini: The Cetra Recordings 1940-1943
4. From Europe to the Usa
5. German Repertoire
6. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, etc.
7. Giuseppe De Luca on Stage
8. Great Singers of Bayreuth Festival
9. Italian School Pt.1 Book 2
10. Jussi Bjorling: The Rare Repertoire 1930-1945

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

C 21 [Import]

Guitar & Piano 20th Century Works

Dance

Allegresse

Great Brain Robbery [Import]

Gino the unfolding

Elmopalooza!

Gregorian Chants: First Sunday Of Lent/Holy Week

Flags Of Our Fathers: A Soldier's Story

Horn of Passion

Group Sex [Enhanced]

Grimstone

For Claire [CD-single]

Good Shepherd Productions Presents Kenneth Taylor

About Time! Definitive Mod-Pop Collection 1966-68