Henry Purcell & His Time

1. Broken Consort, The, for chamber ensemble Suite No 4
Composed by Matthew Locke
Performed by Scaramouche
2. Consort Suite No 7
Composed by William Lawes
Performed by Scaramouche
3. Work(s) Fantasy
Composed by John Jenkins
Performed by Scaramouche
4. Divisions
Composed by Christopher Simpson
Performed by Scaramouche
5. Broken Consort, The, for chamber ensemble Suite No 3
Composed by Matthew Locke
Performed by Scaramouche
6. Consort Suite No 7
Composed by William Lawes
Performed by Scaramouche
7. John, Come Kiss
Composed by Research Composer
Performed by Scaramouche
8. Work(s) Pavan a4
Composed by Henry Purcell
Performed by Scaramouche
9. Work(s) Pavan a3
Composed by Henry Purcell
Performed by Scaramouche
10. Fantasia upon a ground, for 3 violins (or recorders) & continuo in D/F, Z. 731
Composed by Henry Purcell
Performed by Scaramouche

Henry Purcell & His Time,John Jenkins,William Lawes,Matthew Locke,Henry Purcell,Research Composer,Christopher Simpson,Scaramouche,Channel Classics,Chamber,Chamber Music,Classical,Classical Music,Miscellaneous,Miscellaneous Music,Quartet for Keyboard and Three String Instruments

Average customer rating: This is a great album Great CD Hooked Not bad, vocals are severely lacking however EAST VILLAGE OPERA CO.

The East Village Opera Company Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: The Opera Band Defined Beyond Imagination Opera Band La Donna ASIN: B000AMJE3W Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

1. Overture (Redux)
2. Nessun Dorma (Redux)
3. Flower Duet (Redux)
4. La Donna E Mobile (Redux)
5. Un Bel Di (Redux)
6. Au Fond Du Temple Saint (Redux)
7. O Mio Babbino Caro (Redux)
8. Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana (Redux)
9. Che Gelida Manina (Redux)
10. Habanera (Redux)
11. When I Am Laid Earth (Redux)
12. E Lucevan Le Stelle (Redux)

Customer Reviews:

This is a great album.......2007-04-26

I never liked opera before. I guess it's all about how the music is presented. The performances are top-notch, and taken from real operatic classics, but the way it is done makes it very nice to listen too. If you can only get one album of this genre, this is the one to get!!!!

Great CD.......2007-03-16

I enjoy this different kind of opera music. Very nice and still giving you the feeling of the opera it self but in more modern way.

Hooked.......2007-03-15

I love this CD. I have it in my car, and now know practically all of the Italian words by heart. Infectious and uplifting. Good tears and fun listening.

Not bad, vocals are severely lacking however.......2007-02-28

I love music. I especially love classical music. When I find musicians who have taken classical music and presented it in a new way, I'm always excited. EVOC has done exactly that with these tried-and-true opera classics. The orchestrations are wonderful and the musicians obviously very talented. The vocalists, however, sometimes really don't deliver. All in all, it's a fun CD and I will certainly enjoy listening to it again and again.

EAST VILLAGE OPERA CO........2007-02-13

I SAW THEM ON T.V. AND HAD TO HAVE IT - JUST A REFRESHING TREATMENT POF OPERA

Average customer rating: A blast of brass Old school Wynton fabulous Amazing talent

Wynton Marsalis - Baroque Music for Trumpet Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Trumpet | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Marsalis, Wynton | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Odes | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Marsalis, Wynton | ( M ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | 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 Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Classic Wynton Wynton Marsalis: In Gabriel's Garden Kathleen Battle · Wynton Marsalis ~ Baroque Duet / Anthony Newman · Orch St. Luke's · Nelson Baroque Trumpet Concertos Trumpet Concertos ASIN: B0000025XP Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Trumpet Concerto In D Major - 1. Allegro
2. Trumpet Concerto In D Major - 2. Largo
3. Trumpet Concerto In D Major - 3. Allegro (moderato)
4. 'Let the Bright Seraphim' From Samson
5. Sonata A 5 For Trumpet & Strings, T.V. 3
6. 'Sound the Trumpet' from Come Ye Sons Of Art
7. 'Chaconne' from Come Ye Sons Of Art
8. 'Entrada' from The Indian Queen
9. 'Trumpet Air' from The Indian Queen
10. 'Trumpet Tune' from King Arthur
11. 'Trumpet Overture' from The Indian Queen
12. Sonata A 5 For Trumpet & Strings, T.V. 7
13. 'Eternal Source Of Light Divine'
14. For Solo Trumpet And Strings, Concert No. 2 - 1. Allegro
15. 2. Adagio
16. For Solo Trumpet And Strings, Concert No. 2 - 3. Allegro

Customer Reviews:

A blast of brass.......2005-08-18

I first encountered this on cassette, quite by accident. It later became the background for my work at morning at the easel painting watercolours. But this is no wallpaper music. The technical genius of matching separate recordings of different trumpet parts is surpassed only by Marsalis's bright and lively technique. The masters would be pleased. As for the watercolours, I can now stand before them and see the music's influence on paper. Well worth the listening...

Old school Wynton.......2005-08-12

This cd features a lot of Wynton's earlier piccolo playing, which, while perhaps not as brilliant as you'd hear on his Gabriel's Garden album, is slightly more refined and appropriate to the repertoire. That isn't to say he doesn't embellish; The Fasch concerto has some tastefully inserted ornaments. "Let the Bright Seraphim" is as well played with soprano Edita Gruberova as it is in Wynton's later recording with Kathleen Battle. The Purcell selections on the album are probably the best examples of good piccolo playing I've found, particularly the trills. One only need listen to the "Entrada" to see how delicate and refined the playing on the whole album is.

fabulous.......2003-09-28

Marsalis' prodigious talent coupled with the greatest of Baroque brass composers is a combination that cannot be beat! Of course, Anthony Newman takes everything (less the slow stuff, of course) at his characteristic "lively" pace, but Marsalis keeps up. His execution of the ornamentation is awesome! Gotta have this one!

Amazing talent.......2001-04-22

Without doubt, the birthday ode to Queen Anne (Eternal Source of Light Divine) is one of the loveliest pieces ever. Couple that with two of the most accomplished talents in the world, you have a near spiritual moment. Even those with even a passing interest in the classics will find this a stirring expierence. this is true candy for the ear and food for the soul.

Average customer rating: poor sound quality SUPERB In this case: I'm baroque Come to laugh and stay to cry Great Introduction to Beautiful Music

25 Baroque Favorites Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Charpentier | Charpentier, Marc-Antoine | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Corelli | Corelli, Arcangelo | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Pachelbel | Pachelbel, Johann | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gio Battista Sammartini | Sammartini, Gio Battista | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Giuseppe Sammartini | Sammartini, Giuseppe | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stradella | Stradella, Alessandro | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Telemann, Georg Philipp | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Alessandro Marcello | Marcello, Alessandro | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Concerto Grossi | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Telemann, Georg Philipp | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Trumpet | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Oboe | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: 25 Vivaldi Favorites 25 Bach Favorites 25 Mozart Favorites 25 Handel Favorites 25 Classical Favorites ASIN: B0000058I7 Release Date: 1996-08-20

Tracks:

1. Canon
2. Concerto In D Minor For 2 Oboes & Strings, Op. 42, No. 2: I. Largo
3. Water Music: VI. Minuet
4. Trumpet Concerto In D: II. Adagio
5. Sarabande
6. Oboe Concerto In D Minor: II. Adagio
7. Concerto In D For Trumpet & Strings: III. Grave
8. Air On The G String
9. Adagio For Strings In G Minor
10. The Four Seasons: Spring, II. Largo
11. Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, BWV 1049: II. Andante
12. Concerto In D For 2 Trumpets & Strings: II. Largo
13. Concerto Grosso In D Minor, Op.3 No. 11: I. Allegro
14. Concerto In D For 6 Trumpets & Strings: II. Adagio
15. Ombra mai fu: Handel's Largo
16. Trumpet Sonata No. 1 In F: II. Grave
17. Suite In F Major For Horn, 2 Oboes & Strings: III. Der Alster Echo
18. Concerto In C For Viola Pomposa & Strings: II. Andante
19. Concerto In D For Trumpet, 2 Violins, Viola, Basso & Continuo: I. Allegro
20. Hapsichord Concerto In G Minor, BWV 1058: First Mvt.
21. Sonata For Trumpet & Strings: I. Allegro
22. Concerto Grosso No. 5 In D, Op. 6: I. Larghetto
23. Concerto in D for Trumpet, 2 Oboes, Strings & Continuo: I. Allegro
24. Concerto grosso In G Minor, Op. 6 No. 8: II. Allegro
25. Trumpet Voluntary

Customer Reviews:

poor sound quality.......2004-09-29

a great selection of baroque favorites, but the sound quality, especially on the pachelbel canon, not great at all. for that reason, i cannot recommend getting it. what do you expect for five dollars, right !>? i would suggest spending a little more money and getting something that you can't bear to part with, for continued listening enjoyment.

SUPERB.......2004-02-19

An introduction to the best baroque music by famous composers.
Great sound on this CD. There are over 10 CD's in this Farorites collection, and this by far is one of the best ones.

If you like the classical sounds of music, then you will like this. Check out the samples on this page that they provide, that's the best way to review.

In this case: I'm baroque.......2004-02-07

I'm not usually a classical listener kind of gal. The only reason I stumbled onto this cd is because my favorite tune from a movie is on it. Sarabande is also played on the movie Persuasion (author: Jane Austen). I wanted to have that tune. Followed the links and landed on the Baroque cd. Ordered it. Sarabande is my favorite, followed by Canon, four seasons: spring, etc. I love this cd! It feels happy and light. For me, as a writer and an animator, it adds extra emotional impact when creating as well as influencing my imagination more. I recommend this cd when people want to feel like spring.

Come to laugh and stay to cry.......2003-11-26

Circumspect at first about buying any CD with a "best of" title, this one really exceeds expectations. Also bought the Vivaldi disc in this series which is likewise exceptional. With the caveat that "Ombra mai fu" is repeated in various of the "25 favorites" collections, I recommend these recordings wholeheartedly, especially in terms of cost per track.

"Canon" is the flagship piece on this CD, a lush arrangement that will move a strong man to tears. Almost as powerful are Bach's "Air on the G String" and of course, Handel's "Ombra mai fu". The disc ends on an up note with "Trumpet Voluntaire".

At this price, you can send "Baroque favorites" to every Classical music lover you know. I would recommend sending this CD even to people who don't like Classical...you might just change their minds.

Great Introduction to Beautiful Music.......2000-07-08

The Baroque period (1600-1750) was one of the most important in the history of music because many of our modern musical forms come from this time. The baroque style is diverse, including such elements as contrast and a deep emotionalism. Although orchestras perform the songs, many individual instruments are highlighted. The baroque composers especially loved strings, the trumpet, and the oboe. The songs range from the vibrant and the lively to the slow and the sad. I have found this CD is excellent as background music for studying, reading, or driving in rush hour traffic, mainly because the music is calming and relaxing. Baroque masters such as Bach and Handel are still popular today and their songs are loved by many. Fans of popular music will recognize a few of the songs on this CD. "Air on the G String" (Bach) was used by Procol Harum in their song "A Whiter Shade of Pale." "Canon," one of the most popular baroque songs today, is often performed at weddings and has been incorporated into pop songs by artists such as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Vitamin C, and Rod McKuen.

This CD is considered an introduction to baroque music. It includes some of the most famous composers and their best songs. For example, Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi each have three songs on this disc. The liner notes are sparse, but a brief history of baroque music is included. Because of the inexpensive price and the huge amount of music (25 songs, 74 minutes of music), I highly recommend this for anyone who already loves the baroque style or wants an excellent introduction to this beautiful music.

Average customer rating: Mad about Baroque The beauty of the songs brings tears to my eyes Brilliant Be Welcome then, great Sirs (and Mesdames). Brilliant Purcell Disc

Essential Purcell Henry Purcell , New College Choir Oxford , King's Consort , Robert King , Roy Goodman , Charles Daniels , John Mark Ainsley , James Bowman , Peter Buckoke , Jane Coe , Rogers Covey-Crump , Gillian Fisher , Michael George , Miles Golding , Jane Norman , Barbara Bonney , Mark Caudle , William Carter , King's Consort Choir , Helen Gough , Paul Nicholson , Angela East , Barry Guy , Tessa Bonner , Jerome Finnis , Rupert Bawden , Lucy Howard , Richard Campbell , Susan Addison , James O'Donnell , and Stephen Saunders Manufacturer: Hyperion UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Odes | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Bonney, Barbara | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Choruses | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Choruses | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Operas | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Operas | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bonney, Barbara | ( B ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Purcell: Odes for St. Cecilia's Day - Music for Queen Mary / Taverner Consort Purcell: The Fairy Queen Purcell: Songs & Airs / Argenta, North, Boothby, Nicholson, Toll Purcell: Dido and Aeneas / James, Lewis, Baker, Herincx Purcell: Full Anthems & Organ Music ASIN: B000002ZDU Release Date: 1995-04-10

Tracks:

1. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol. 5: Welcome, Welcome Glorious Morn. Symphony And Opening Chorus
2. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol. 3: Be Welcome Then, Great Sir
3. Complete Secular Solo Songs Vol.1: Oh, Fair Cedaria
4. The Choir Of The King's Consort: Hear My Prayer, O Lord
5. Great Baroque Arias: When I Am Laid In Earth ('Dido's Lament')
6. Complete Anthems And Services Vol.1: Let Mine Eyes Run Down With Tears (Part 1)
7. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol.4: The Sparrow And The Gentle Dove
8. Complete Secular Solo Songs Vol.1: If Music Be The Food Of Love (First Setting)
9. Complete Anthems And Services Vol.5: Rejoice In The Lord Always ('The Bell Anthem')
10. Complete Anthems And Services Vol.3: Hosanna To The Highest
11. Complete Anthems And Services Vol.7: Thou Knowest, Lord, The Secrets Of Our Hearts
12. Mr. Henry Purcell's Most Admirable Composures: Fairest Isle, All Isles Excelling
13. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol.6: Mark, How Readily Each Pliant String
14. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol.8: Sound The Trumpet
15. Complete Secular Solo Songs Vol.3: She Loves And She Confesses Too
16. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol.8: O How Blest Is The Isle
17. Complete Anthems And Services Vol.3: Remember Not, Lord, Our Offences
18. Complete Anthems And Services Vol. 11: An Evening Hymn
19. Complete Church Music Vol.2: Vouchsafe, O Lord, To Keep Us This Day
20. Complete Odes And Welcome Songs Vol.2: With Rapture Of Delight... Hail Bright Cecilia

Amazon.com essential recording

The "Essential" Purcell? Well, you could get a bunch of critics to argue about that for a few days, but in the meantime, here is a sampler of highlights from the King's Consort's three admirable Purcell series: the Complete Odes and Welcome Songs, Complete Anthems and Services, and Complete Secular Solo Songs. There are, of course, some of Purcell's most-performed pieces (which probably are "essential"): Dido's Lament from Dido and Aeneas, "Sound the trumpet" from Come, ye sons of Art, Rejoice in the Lord alway (the "Bell Anthem," named for the string figure at the opening that sounds like pealing bells), the gently patriotic "Fairest isle, all isles excelling" (sung by a miscast James Bowman), and a selection from the funeral music for Queen Mary. There are also some delightful surprises--particularly among the little-known secular songs and church music. The plaintive "O fair Cedaria" gets a lovely performance by Barbara Bonney (a singer not usually associated with Purcell); tenor Rogers Covey-Crump (possibly the ideal high tenor for Purcell) sings the enchanting "If music be the food of love"; the church anthems "Let mine eyes run down with tears" and "Remember not, O Lord, our offences" have some startling harmonies as daring as any Monteverdi ever wrote. If you're unfamiliar with Purcell, this reasonably priced disc is a good place to start exploring without a big initial investment. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Mad about Baroque.......2007-02-12

This is a terrific CD. The music is breathtaking. Just buy IT !!!!!

The beauty of the songs brings tears to my eyes.......2002-08-21

Absolutely beautiful baroque music! The arrangament, singing and instrumentation is superb. It is too bad that Henry Purcell is not as widely known as Bach, because he should be recognized equally well."The Sparrow and the Gentle dove" is alone worth the price of the album! I can not stop playing it!

Brilliant.......2001-10-31

Like in his renditions of Handel's oratorios, Robert King manages to bring a freshness and strenght to Purcell's music that I had seldom heard before. This CD also features some of the best performers of early music in the world. My favourite tracks are Oh, Fair Cedaria, sung by the multi-talented Barbara Bonney; Dido's Lament from Dido and Aeneas, sung by Gillian Fisher; She Loves and she Confesses too, sung by the wonderful Susan Gritton; and Welcome, Welcome Glorious Morn, sung by Rogers Covey-Crump. The only track I didn't find absolutely wonderful is Fairest Isle, sung here by James Bowman. Don't get me wrong, I generally love Mr Bowman, I think that his performance in Mr Purcell's Most Admirable Composures (also conducted by Robert King) makes it another essential Purcell recording; but I find that Fairest Isle was much better done elsewhere, particularly by Christopher Hogwood and Barbara Bonney.

These songs aren't only beautiful, they're also poignant, sweet and unpretentious. I think that it will be very clear to anyone who listens to this recording that Mr Purcell was one of the finest composers that ever lived.

Be Welcome then, great Sirs (and Mesdames)........2001-10-20

If anyone has benefitted from the reversion in the last three or so decades to period instruments and historical reconstruction, it is Henry Purcell. Before, he was merely great, the peerless word-setter in the English language, a virtuoso of boundless range, a professional composer whose offical commissions were always imbued with personality and invention. But period instrumentation has added to this a greater depth, an other-worldly texture of sound. With his intricate, multi-part vocal writing, his preference for low, rumbling instruments such as the bass viol and the strange and remarkable theorbo, as well as his often sombre and low-key subject matter and treatment, Purcell creates a round, glowing, humming sound as pregnantly full as dub reggae.

This has an extraordinary effect on the listener. Whereas Bach, with his mathematical abstractions, sounds universal and timeless, Purcell's music takes the listener back 300 years, back to different ways of thinking about, feeling about and addressing things we still think etc. about today - death, love, friendship. The emotion is timeless, but the music's beauty is alien, THEIRS, hence its preciousness.

A lot of intelligence has gone into the unity of this compilation, beginning with two Welcomes (to the dawn and to the listener, in this case a King), and ending with thoughts of evening, death and a Baroque 'Thank you for the music'. These are bright, fanfare-like works, but the predominant mood is slow, ruminative, quiet. The selection covers the wide range of Purcell's oeuvre, from opera and funeral marches to secular songs and odes, and includes his most famous vocal works - Dido's Lament from Dido and Aeneas, sung by Gillian Fisher, and never more evocative of pagan loss and death; the massive 'Bell Anthem', with its ingenious opening symphony and joyful antiphon; and a miraculously serene 'Evening Hymn', Dido's opposite, death indicating hope, the treble voice swirling over the heavy ground bass like the soul released from the inert body.

it might seem quixotic to choose highlights from an exemplary collection of highlights, but the entry of the strings washing over the serene repetition of 'Be Welcome then, great Sir' always makes my heart stop still, while the musical picture of 'Bold Honour', the 'noisy Nothing, stalking shade', blocking the poet's amorous intentions in 'She loves and confesses too', adds a chilling hint of life's transience to a bouyantly bawdy song.

Brilliant Purcell Disc .......2000-11-30

With this album director and Purcell expert Robert King provides the listener with an excellent introduction to the composer's vocal works. The pieces presented here were taken from Mr. King's recordings of 'The Complete Odes and Welcome Songs', 'The Complete Anthems and Services', 'The Complete Secular Solo Songs' and diverse anthology discs. King, his wonderful soloists and musicians do the brilliance of Purcell's music fully justice. Whether he was commissioned by royalty, the church or theatre, Purcell shone in all areas. This disc certainly demonstrates the variety and originality of his craft, not to speak of his uncanny ability of setting words to music.

An outstanding Purcell offering. With a beautiful perfomance by Barbara Bonney of 'Oh, fair Cedaria'. Susan Gritton is equally captivating in 'She loves and she confesses too'. Gillian Fisher's rendition of the famous 'Dido's Lament' is haunting and poignant. Further an intelligent and brilliant 'Hosanna to the highest' by Michael George. James Bowman and Michael Chance sparkle in the countertenor duet 'Sound the trumpet' (from 'Come Ye sons of Art away'). And I should not forget to mention the joyous, luminous performance of the beautiful 'Bell Anthem'. To name but a few favourites, only James Bowman's 'Fairest Isle' was a disappointment.

Those who are familiar with Purcell's music will get an excellent disc with some of his most beloved works. If you are new to Purcell, this is, as already said a great introduction. Which might be the incentive to further explorations of Purcell.

by stardustraven

Average customer rating: What is all the hype about? great cd My girls listen to this every night I would give it more than 5 stars.... Great CD: soothing music by best performers. Worth every penny.

Baby Sleep Manufacturer: Erato ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Guitar | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $7.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Sweet Dreams Build Your Baby's Brain Baby's First Mozart Parents: The Lullaby Album UltraSound - Music for the Unborn Child ASIN: B000005E5H Release Date: 1997-04-22

Tracks:

1. Scenes Form Childhood: Foreign Lands And People
2. Scenes Form Childhood: Dreaming
3. Scenes Form Childhood: Child Falling Asleep
4. Dream Of Children: Andante
5. Dream Of Children: Allegretto Piacevole
6. Sicilienne
7. Study No. 5: Moderato
8. The Nutcracker Suite Op. 71a: Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy - Tchaikovsky
9. Notebooks Of Anna Magdalena Bach: Minuets 4 and 5
10. The Indian Queen: Adagio
11. Album Leaves: Lullaby
12. Album Leaves: Cradlesong
13. Prelude In C Major - Bach
14. The Carnival Of Animals: The Swan
15. Gymnopedie I
16. Gymnopedie III
17. Album for the Young: Morning Prayer - Tchaikovsky
18. Album for the Young: My Dear Little Mother - Tchaikovsky
19. Album for the Young: Sweet Reveries - Tchaikovsky
20. A Midsummer Night's Dream: Nocturne No. 7 - Mendelssohn
21. Contes D'Hoffmann: Barcarolle
22. Piano Concerto No. 26 In D Major: Larghetto
23. Melody
24. Lullaby

Amazon.com

I think this music is intended for adults, though the photo on the cover is of a sleeping baby. In any event, Schumann's work, Scenes From Childhood, Op. 15, featured here is more likely to bolt you out of bed than put you to sleep, as the mike is far too close to the piano being played by Cyprien Katsaris. Purcell's Adagio from The Indian Queen is magnificent, performed by John Elliott Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists. The Weird Award goes to triple harpist Tim Hobrough and lutenist Stephen Barber for their bizarre, spiky rendition of Minuets Nos. 4 and 5 from the Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach. I would like to meet Bill Holland, producer of all these Atlantic Records classical compilations. He's programmed Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1 on three different CDs, billed alternately as sensuous, romantic, and now here: good for a long snooze. --Gwendolyn Freed

Customer Reviews:

What is all the hype about?.......2007-07-09

I purchased this CD on the basis of the reviews written on Amazon. I have to say I am terribly disappointed. My son hates the CD, I listened to it and I am not all that impressed either. It is ok but nothing like described by other users.

great cd.......2007-06-26

We play this cd every night at bedtime. It not only helps my baby stay asleep, but helps me fall asleep. The only issue I have is that one of the tracks near the end of the cd is a little louder than the tracks before it, so I just make sure I keep it on very quiet and it's wonderful.

My girls listen to this every night.......2006-11-10

My girls (ages 3 & 5) have a hard time winding down at night. We have a regular bedtime routine (bath, snack, teeth brushing, books, hugs), but they still take forever to settle down and sleep. Adding this CD to the bedtime routine has really helped.

I would give it more than 5 stars...........2005-11-18

I had this CD when my daughter was born 5 years ago, and it gave us such a soothing environment in which to bond during quiet times. We also put it on shortly before we'd put her down to sleep, and by 6 weeks she was sleeping through the night in her own crib. I think it was her sanctuary, and the music helped her feel comforted. We've since then completely worn out the CD (she listened to it through her 3rd year), and will have to buy a new one for our next little addition (coming soon!). I found it on this site and just listened to the samples from each track. Aahhh... very soothing for Mommy, too!
I also plan to get it as a baby gift for a friend. :)

Great CD: soothing music by best performers. Worth every penny........2005-08-05

I listened to this CD countless times ever since I first bought it from BMG music service back in 1997. Compositions of this CD are popular classical hits. That is, you will likely recognize at least some of them if you listen to the sampler.

What sets this CD apart is supreme music performance. Every composition is performed flawlessly, with real feeling and passion. There is a good reason why this CD that was released in 1997 is still around and costs over ten dollars. This reason is called quality.

Average customer rating: Prisoner 6 double-five 3-2-1 Kubrick At His Best Good soundtrack Easier to experience than the movie! Horrorshow Lomticks of Music to do the old Ultra-Violence By.

Stanley Kubrick's Clockwork Orange (1971 Film) Various Artists , Ludwig van Beethoven , Edward Elgar , Terry Tucker , Erika Eigen , Nacio Herb Brown , and Gene Kelly Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music 1970s | By Decade | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: A Clockwork Orange: Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score 2001: A Space Odyssey - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1996 Reissue) A Clockwork Orange Switched-On Boxed Set Switched-On Bach ASIN: B000002KDU Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Title Music From A Clockwork Orange - Walter Carlos
2. The Thieving Magpie (Abridged) - A Clockwork Orange ST
3. Theme from A Clockwork Orange (Beethoviana) - Walter Carlos
4. Ninth Symphony, Second Movement (Abridged) - A Clockwork Orange ST D
5. March From A Clockwork Orange (Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement, Abridged) - Walter Carlos
6. William Tell Overture (Abridged) - Walter Carlos
7. Pomp and Circumstance March No.1 - Stanley Kubrick
8. Pomp And Circumstance March No.4 (Abridged) - Stanley Kubrick
9. Timesteps (Excerpt) - Walter Carlos
10. Overture To The Sun - Terry Tucker
11. I Want To Marry A Lighthouse Keeper - Ericka Eigen
12. William Tell Overture (Abridged) - A Clockwork Orange ST
13. Suicide Scherzo (Ninth Symphony, Second Movement, Abridged) - Walter Carlos
14. Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement (Abridged) - A Clockwork Orange ST
15. Singin' in the Rain - Gene Kelly

Amazon.com

Stanley Kubrick's demanding perfectionism in all aspects of the filmmaking process has led to some of the most memorable soundtracks of the modern era. Kubrick's taste for the classics led to his scrapping Alex North's original score for 2001: A Space Odyssey in lieu of the "temporary" tracks he had used for editing, turning Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra into an unlikely 20th-century pop icon. For his 1971 adaptation of Anthony Burgess's cautionary future-shocker, Kubrick once again turned to the classics. Malcolm McDowell's protagonist Droog Alex's taste for Beethoven is given a nice tweaking by Moog pioneer Walter (now Wendy) Carlos's synthesized take on the glorious Ninth Symphony. Some have complained that the now-primitive electronics involved give it a dated feel. Disturbingly--and effectively--other-worldly is more like it. Kubrick also imbues repertory standards by Rossini and Elgar with dark, frequently hilarious irony, and makes Gene Kelly's sunny reading of "Singin' In The Rain" the underscore to an all-too-accurate prediction of societal nightmares to come. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Prisoner 6 double-five 3-2-1.......2007-03-16

The soundtrack album of CLOCKWORK ORANGE, even with it's simple (and supposedly) outdated Wendy Carlos recordings, holds up far better than the actual film has over these 36 years. This story takes place in the 1990s, and we all know that today's world is nothing like Anthony Burgess' dismal and nightmarish vision . . . don't we?

Most of the CLOCKWORK ORANGE soundtrack's classical selections are by Herbert Von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. These spirited Beethoven and Rossini interpretations remain some of the very best ever recorded.

The excerpt of Wendy's "Timesteps" is the most compelling piece here. In the film, this stark aural collage is background to Alex's behavior modification. In order to shorten his prison sentence, the violent sociopath is made chemically ill while forced to view scenes of rapine and bloodshed. His sickness can only be arrested by replacing his natural criminal urges with passive thoughts.

It's hard to listen to "Overture To The Sun" without recalling the spotlighted naked girl who tempts an on-exhibit Alex into a state of unwellness that he likens to "wanting to snuff it." His freedom to choose brutality has been taken from him forcefully, through violent reprogramming. The subsequent events that precipitate Alex's restoration into a fully non-functional member of society beset him in a fashion ironically similar to the chaos he once left in his violent wake.

The stark images and perversities of this movie tend to stay with a person. Perhaps watching Kubrick's CLOCKWORK ORANGE has in some way "programmed" the viewer, too, by desensitizing us to the madness that is all around. Maybe this film holds up better than I thought. I must have a glass of choko moloko and reconsider . . .

Kubrick At His Best.......2007-01-11

This is a fantastic Kubrick movie. Based on a novel of equal respect, this movie details troubled youth, violence, and sex in a modern-yet-more-so world. The slang of the young men in the movie is a mixture of British and Russian slang terminology created by the book's author. A must-see for the Kubrick fan out there.

Good soundtrack.......2006-02-20

I own this on vinyl and yes an exellent soundtrack from an exellent movie

Easier to experience than the movie!.......2005-08-17

Having purchased this soundtrack along with its respective CD score (by Wendy Carlos), it is a wonderful installment to any soundtrack fan/buff. The awesome sound of classical music, contained in the CDs, in which director Stanley Kubrick chose for the picture, is so juxtaposing it is brilliant. Even if one does not know a lick of classical music, one can easily suggest this soundtrack as a useful introduction into the genre. Though the film may not be as easy to experience as the music contained inside, the soundtrack stands as a milestone for music in film perhaps only beaten by the director's previous work in '2001 A Space Odyssey'.

Horrorshow Lomticks of Music to do the old Ultra-Violence By. .......2005-07-28

Bolshi Yarblockos, my droggies. Viddy thou this incredible soundtrack from the film A Clockwork Orange. Cued from the novel by Anthony Burgess, the musical selections mainly focus on the Beethoven obsession of the main character Alex, however Carlos's deep knowledge of the classical repetoire and Kubrick's neurotic perfectionism combine to fill out this album. I love most of the tracks here, and have listened to them since 1972.

My personal favorite is the title music of the film, Henry Purcell's "Funeral Music for Queen Mary," a piece so appropriate to the film that Purcell must have been channelling the future when he wrote it in the late 17th century. Carlos's interpretation of this Purcell piece is astounding in its forboding textures and alientating timbres. Electronic tympani have never sounded better - and were never used like this before. Ring modualtions, filter sweeps, phased sawtooth angel trumpets and resonate devil trombones - oh bliss!

I also liked the strange music Kubrick chose - "I want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper," and "Anthem to the Sun," both obscure and perfect.

Carlos's avant-garde composition "Timesteps" appears in abbreviated form here, and for most listeners this abridgement is enough.

The concluding ironic use of "Singing in the Rain," is wonderful, and after an album (and film) full of electronics, classical music, and weirdness, a standard is shocking enough.

There is a new version of the soundtrack put out by Carlos herself, which includes only her work. Some tracks composed but not used in the film appear here, as do some track used, but not appearing on the OST as well. Timesteps in its 13:37 form is also on this album.

For those fans of Prog rock: Viddy the film when Alex visits a record store: Notice the Vertigo swirl above the main desk, also in the wrecked foyer of Alex's highrise, one of the figures on the vandalised mural has "Suck it and see" written on it, also the name of a Vertigo music sampler of the same era.

Average customer rating: GORGEOUS! Wonderful intro To MEHDl ... great The Complete Wedding Album Almost the compete wedding album

The Complete Wedding Album Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Charpentier | Charpentier, Marc-Antoine | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Pachelbel | Pachelbel, Johann | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Rota, Nino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Trumpet | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Atlanta Symphony Orchestra | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music St. Louis Symphony Orchestra | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Classical Wedding 25 Wedding Favorites Bride's Guide to Wedding Music A Day to Remember - Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day The Knot Collection of Ceremony and Wedding Music Selected by the Knot's Carley Roney ASIN: B000006ONZ Release Date: 1998-04-28

Tracks:

1. Rigaudon - Empire Brass
2. Sinfonia - Michael Murray
3. Toccata - Michael Murray
4. Wedding March - Michael Murray
5. The Prince Of Denmark's March - Michael Murray
6. Trumpet Tune In D Major - Michael Murray
7. Te Deum - Michael Murray
8. Ave Maria - Michael Murray
9. Canon In D Major - Yolanda Kondonassis
10. Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Yolanda Kondonassis
11. Prelude No. 1 In C Major - Yolanda Kondonassis
12. Entrance Of The Queen Of Sheba - Keith Clark
13. Air - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
14. Hornpipe - Orchestra Of St. Luke's
15. Rondeau - Empire Brass
16. Unchained Melody - Erich Kunzel
17. Through The Eyes Of Love - William Tritt
18. Love Theme From Romeo And Juliet - William Tritt
19. The Wedding Song (There Is Love - Danny Donnelly
20. Dodi Li - Shira Kammen

Tracks:

1. Rondeau - Michael Murray
2. Sheep May Safely Graze - Michael Murray
3. Ave Maria - Michael Murray
4. Gymnopedie No. 1 - Michael Chertock
5. Clair De Lune - Michael Chertock
6. Adagio Sostenuto - Michael Chertock
7. Largo - Angel Romero
8. Largo - Larry Cooperman
9. Largo - Keith Clark
10. Allegro - Boston Symphony Orchestra
11. Adagio In G Minor For Strings - Keith Clark
12. Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - Leonard Slatkin
13. Adagio For Strings - Erich Kunzel
14. 'Treulich Gefuart,' Bridal Chorus - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra And Chorus
15. Wedding March - Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

GORGEOUS!.......2007-06-13

I wish this CD had been around when I was planning my wedding as it would have been great for helping the bride to select music! Still, it's wonderful to listen to now.

Wonderful intro To MEHDl ..........2006-06-08

I've always enjoyed Great Wedding music and this album is no exception, but while reading some of the customer recommendations posted on this site I discovered a group by the name of MEHDl (pronounced medie). After an online search I found their site (S00THINGMUSIC,C0M) and listened to the samples...
I was instantly blown away by the quality of this music and so I gave it a try and now that I have listened to these CDs several times I really must say that although I'm still a Tomaso Albinoni fan of, I find MEHDl to be a great addition to this CD. I had them both in my multi-disc CD player during the wedding and love the way they compliment each other. I highly recommend that you give this artist a try or atleast just go listen to the samples, I have a feeling you'll be glad you did.

great.......2006-02-19

Highly recommended. Even has suggestions for pre-ceremony, processional, ceremony, and recessional inside. 2 different versions of Midsummer Night's Dream march included - one with trumpet and organ and one with a full orchestra. Lots of great selections, well recorded.

The Complete Wedding Album.......2005-08-05

This album has a lot of great wedding music. It had all of the songs I was looking for. There also is great background music for the ceremony. Glad I purchased it

Almost the compete wedding album.......2004-05-07

I used this cd to help me plan which songs I wanted to use for each part of the wedding. This cd helps you suggest the placement for the prelude, processional, ceremony and recessional. The cd mainly has classical songs, but it does have a few of "today's" songs. There could have been a few more songs they could have added. But overall, its a good cd.

Average customer rating: Gorgeous performance, richly reproduced After the Puritans England rediscovers music, singing and drama What the hell A Performance Resonating With Emotional Intensity INFANDUM, REGINA, IUBES RENOVARE DOLOREM (Aeneid 2/3)

Purcell: Dido and Aeneas / James, Lewis, Baker, Herincx Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Essential Purcell Monteverdi - L'Orfeo / Rolfe Johnson, Dawson, von Otter, Argenta, M. Nichols, Tomlinson, Chance, Baird; Gardiner Purcell: The Fairy Queen Purcell: Dido and Aeneas Purcell: Songs & Airs / Argenta, North, Boothby, Nicholson, Toll ASIN: B00004C8TE Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

1. Dido and Aeneas: Overture
2. Dido and Aeneas: Act One: Shake The Cloud From Off Your Brow
3. Dido and Aeneas: Act One: Ah! Belinda, I Am Prest With Torment
4. Dido and Aeneas: Act One: Whence Could So Much Virtue Spring?
5. Dido and Aeneas: Act One: Fear No Danger To Ensue
6. Dido and Aeneas: Act One: See, Your Royal Guest Appears
7. Dido and Aeneas: Act Two: Prelude For The Witches - Wayward Sisters
8. Dido and Aeneas: Act Two: Ruin'd Ere The Set Of Sun?
9. Dido and Aeneas: Act Two: Ritornelle - thanks To these Lonesome Vales
10. Dido and Aeneas: Act Two: Oft She Visits This Lone Mountain
11. Dido and Aeneas: Act Two: Behold, Upon My Bending Spear
12. Dido and Aeneas: Act Two: Stay, Prince, And Hear Great Jove's Command
13. Dido and Aeneas: Act Three: Prelude - Come Away, Fellow Sailors
14. Dido and Aeneas: Act Three: See The Flags And Streamers Curling
15. Dido and Aeneas: Act Three: Your Counsel All Is Urg'd In Vain
16. Dido and Aeneas: Act Three: But Death, Alas! ... When I Am Laid In Earth
17. Dido and Aeneas: Act Three: With Drooping Wings Ye Cupids Come

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous performance, richly reproduced.......2007-05-13

The piece is a treasure; the singers, legends; and the recording is exquisite in recreating this hallmark performance. Alive with a depth of feelings...love's vulnerability and worries, evil's powerful delusions, the pain of parting and death..,

Simple and profound, this remarkable recording plucks the strings of our sweetest humaness.

After the Puritans England rediscovers music, singing and drama.......2006-12-20

England is finally getting out of her puritan revolution, her puritan sixty or eighty years and the Stuarts are back for a short while and finally the Glorious Revolution brings freedom in 1688, a freedom the English haven't had for a long time, especially after the plague had desertified London in 1665 and then the Great Fire had cleaned up the dirty plate that looked more like a trashcan or a giant hearse in 1666. Life can finally come back and be enjoyed. So they reopen the theatres and they start looking for new shows. They sure are pushed towards the French style of the Great Century of the Sun King by the Stuarts coming back from their golden exile in Paris. But that is not enough to give these new generations of artists an inspiration, or even a style. They go back to Marlowe and Shakespeare and they rediscover Dido and Aeneas, Venus and Adonis, and so many other Midsummer Night Dream that they may call the Fairy Queen. They also need a new form, a new genre to celebrate this newly reacquired liberty and they invent the semi-opera. Dido and Aeneas is one of the best in this line. The story comes from Ancient times and Vergil. Dido was also a heroin in Ovid's poetry and in a tragedy by Marlowe. Perfect indeed, and Purcell reinvents the Queen of Carthage. We can only have the music on this CD and these songs, arias and choruses are nothing but intermezzos in a big play intersperced with ballet pieces, operatic songs and other interludes. That is a semi-opera. Today we have more or less forgotten that there was a tragedy behind and that this genre was the invention of the opera in England, since England had never had operas. Purcell was the pioneer and Handel will be the great master after him who will finally reach the full form of the opera and give it a completely new dimension. Purcell is of course at his best in this music. Very clear voices constrasting and complementing one another marvellously though he has not yet understood what he could do with contraltos and countertenors. The female contralto is the sorceress and the male countertenor is some spirit and false messenger, in other words both are secondary characters. We will have to wait for Handel who will make the countertenor, or male alto the main hero in some of his operas like Saul for instance. Moreover the instruments are light, very light and splendidly full of genius and great art, the best mention having to be addressed to the archlute that is fingerpicked as if it were prefiguring the yet to come guitars, thus contrasting with the traditional use of the other strings with a bow. Purcell is a great composer that can bring together many instruments who remain, each one of them, perfectly free and particular, never getting merged into some kind of mash. This art is supposed to serve the drama, the tragedy. The escaping Aeneas arrives shipwrecked in Carthage. He accepts and uses Dido's love for him to reconstruct his fleet and try to fly away. Dido is naive and does not count on the sorceress's hatred for her and these infamous witches are going to plan Aeneas departure. And yet Dido will grant Aeneas his leave just before flinging herself into a pyre and dying in the flames. We can imagine the feelings at the time. The Puritans were finally forgotten and rejected and we could celebrate love affairs, ancient pagan fables, suicides, witches and sorceresses, spirits and other supernatural beings. And what's more we could enjoy it, dance and get thrilled with this story. Dances are even punctuating the tragedy, furies, sailors and witches don't hesitate to spin a couple of measures for our pleasure. And Dido as a mezzosoprano reminds us of the dramatic and tragic plot that lurks behind the beautiful front with a deep and grave lamenting coloration of her words and her voice contrasts so well with the egoistic and vain tenor that Aeneas is. Purcell managed to stage the revival of English music and drama with the saddest of all love drama. Irony of the artist in times of woe and joy at the same time. We must not forget how Queen Mary only reigned six years, ravaged and killed by some disease, uncurable in those days. Dido first produced at the very time of the Glorious Revolution will be reproduced some six years or so after Queen Mary's death, conveying thus some mourning, some dirge in remembrance of this deeply loved Queen.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

What the hell.......2006-05-25

Look at the prices on the Used section. It is ridiculous. This is a great recording. Get it quick.

A Performance Resonating With Emotional Intensity.......2005-11-26

Janet Baker's performance of Dido's Lament is absolutely stunning in its emotional intensity and would be enough to make this performance unforgettable. But there is more to commend this recording. Baker's vocal clarity, and of all of the other characters, is another outstanding feature of this CD. The chorus is first-rate throughout this recording, especially at the end, as they sing, "With drooping wings ye Cupids come, and scatter roses on her tomb . . . " Although another reviewer has commented that he finds Raimund Herincx's voice as Aeneas too gruff, I find powerful, moving, and thoroughly convincing, as when he lowers his voice and sings in a voice that is anything but gruff, "but with more ease could die."

It's true, as one of the other reviewers comments, that there is something about Monica Sinclair's voice and enunciation as the Sorceress that reminds one a bit of the Wicked Witch of the West and gives her performance an air of contrived theatricality, making her supposed malevolence less than convincing. But the other aspects of this performance are so outstanding that this one reservation is not enough to lower my rating below a 5.

The performance of the English Chamber Orchestra and of Thurston Dart on harpsichord are also of the highest quality.

The quality of the sound from this analog recording made in 1961 is outstanding; the sound engineers who have made this 24-bit digital remastering are truly to be commended.

The CD booklet contains photos of Janet Baker and Raimund Herincx, the entire libretto, and two well-written and informative essays, the first by Alan Blyth on Janet Baker, with an analysis of her singing, and the second by one of the original performers on this recording, Thurston Dart (harpsichord), on the story and music of this beautiful opera.
Very highly recommended.

INFANDUM, REGINA, IUBES RENOVARE DOLOREM (Aeneid 2/3).......2001-10-03

I can't recommend this strongly enough to music-lovers who, like me, are not very well up in 17th century composers.

First, this opera has a good strong, clear libretto. The story moves fast, the characters and situations are strongly delineated and contrasted, the sense of developing tragedy is powerful and moving. Purcell's Dido has has the stature of Virgil's
--- regina graui iamdudum saucia cura ---
--- the queen long since wounded with a heavy care
a queen and a strong woman driven to suicide by a betrayed love, the part grandly realised by Baker. Herincx has the right idea of Aeneas too, big and 'heroic' despite needing only token prompting from the powers above to abandon Dido and anything she might have meant to him. Virgil's malevolent Juno is replaced by a stagy cast of witches and whatnot, and rightly so for greater theatricality. (I'm OK by staginess and exaggeration here.)

For those like myself whose idea of opera starts with Handel and gets going properly with Gluck, this piece is not easy listening to begin with.It has been an education to learn how the musical resources of the 17th century can be equal to a story as powerful as this. I do not comment on details of the performance as it is still unfamiliar ground to me, but I do not expect ever to find it anything except magnificent.

Average customer rating: Tasteful and elegant. The Most Beautiful Piano CD You Can Buy! The best wedding album! I Have Several Originals of this CD Beautiful music for a beautiful wedding!

The Ultimate Wedding Collection Manufacturer: Moulin D'or ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Pachelbel | Pachelbel, Johann | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Trumpet | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Wedding Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music Solo Instrumental | New Age | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Wedding Music | Miscellaneous | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Adult Contemporary | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Classical Wedding Do You Live Do You Love Soul Mates An Intimate Christmas Remembering Christmas ASIN: B0000011ZX Release Date: 1997-06-03

Tracks:

1. Air on the G Str
2. Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
3. Lasia Ch'Io Pianga
4. Ave Maria
5. Water Music: Air
6. Water Music: Minuet
7. Water Music: Trio
8. Water Music: Hornpipe
9. Water Music: Alla Danza
10. Water Music: Coro
11. Aria
12. The Lord's Prayer
13. Arioso
14. Sheep May Safely Graze
15. Ave Maria
16. Canon in D
17. Bridal Chorus
18. Trumpet Voluntary
19. Trumpet Tune and Air
20. Wedding March

Customer Reviews:

Tasteful and elegant........2004-09-27

I am a DJ and ordered this CD when a couple asked me to play music for the wedding ceremony as well. Since it was an intimate setting, I thought a simple piano arrangement of the traditional "Bridal Chorus" and "Wedding March" would work better than full orchestra versions. This CD worked beautifully.

The Most Beautiful Piano CD You Can Buy!.......2004-01-29

After searching all over Palm Beach County for a suitable CD for my daughter's wedding I came upon this one and really did not hold out much hope, but ordered it strictly because of the reviews. It is beautiful for the person who is looking for a more pure piano sound, free of all the other "stuff". Very well done, something for everyone. Worth the price and then some.

The best wedding album!.......2003-11-16

My husband and I used this CD when our church pianist moved a week before our wedding. It was beautiful, and we got many compliments on it. It's much more reliable than live music, and just as nice. I would highly recommend it.

I Have Several Originals of this CD.......2002-11-14

I am a professional dj owner and heard his music. I assist 100+ brides on their music choices and this CD is absolutely the best for a bride that needs piano solo music for the guests entering the ceremony (prelude) through the ceremony ending. It is a must have. Also in combination with this CD, is his piano versions of love songs "HONEYMOON SUITE" (My Heart Will Go On - Is The First Track). It is classic, clean and used over & over.

Beautiful music for a beautiful wedding!.......2002-02-25

When my husband and I were planning our wedding, we wanted beautiful piano music, so we bought "The Ultimate Wedding Collection." It really made the wedding even more romantic, and now I listen to the CD at work and at home. On our anniversary, we often play the CD while we enjoy a quiet candlelight dinner at home. Now my father-in-law is getting remarried, and they are going to use the same CD! It's great for all brides, young and not-so-young.

Average customer rating: Interesting and Lovely Music If you like Monteverdi, you will love Purcell

Purcell: The Fairy Queen Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Essential Purcell Purcell: Songs & Airs / Argenta, North, Boothby, Nicholson, Toll Purcell: Odes for St. Cecilia's Day - Music for Queen Mary / Taverner Consort Purcell: Dido and Aeneas Purcell: Dido and Aeneas / James, Lewis, Baker, Herincx ASIN: B00005IA24 Release Date: 2002-04-09

Tracks:

1. First Music: Prelude - David Wilson-Johnson
2. First Music: Hornpipe - David Wilson-Johnson
3. Second Music: Air - David Wilson-Johnson
4. Second Music: Rondeau - David Wilson-Johnson
5. Overture - David Wilson-Johnson
6. Act One: Song In Two Parts: Come, Let Us Leave The Town - Richard Wistreich
7. Act One: Scene Of The Drunken Poet - David Wilson-Johnson
8. Act One: First Act Tune: Jig - Roger Norrington
9. Act Two: Song: Come All Ye Songsters - Howard Crook
10. Act Two: Prelude - Roger Norrington
11. Act Two: Trio: May The God Of Wit Inspire - David Wilson-Johnson
12. Act Two: Echo - Howard Crook
13. Act Two: Chorus: Now Joyn Your Warbling Voices - Schutz Choir Of London
14. Act Two: Song And Chorus: Sing While We Trip It - Schutz Choir Of London
15. Act Two: Song: See, Even Night Herself Is Here - Susan Bickley
16. Act Two: Song: I Am Come To Lock All Fast - Lorraine Hunt
17. Act Two: Song: One Charming Night - Mark Padmore
18. Act Two: Song And Chorus: Hush, No More - Schutz Choir Of London
19. Act Two: Dance For The Followers Of Night - Roger Norrington
20. Act Two: Second Act Tune: Air - Roger Norrington
21. Act Three: Song In Two Parts And Chorus: If Love's A Sweet Passion - Schutz Choir Of London
22. Act Three: Overture: Symphony While The Swans Come Forward - Roger Norrington
23. Act Three: Dance For The Fairies - Roger Norrington
24. Act Three: Dance For The Green Men - Roger Norrington
25. Act Three: Song: Ye Gentle Spirits Of The Air - Lorraine Hunt
26. Act Three: Dialogue Between Coridon And Mopsa - Mark Padmore
27. Act Three: Dance For The Haymakers - Roger Norrington
28. Act Three: Song: When I Have Often Heard - Catherine Pierard
29. Act Three: Song And Chorus: A Thousand, Thousand Ways - Howard Crook
30. Act Three: Third Act Tune: Hornpipe - Roger Norrington

Tracks:

1. Act Four: Symphony - Roger Norrington
2. Act Four: Solo And Chorus: Now The Night - Catherine Pierard
3. Act Four: Duet: Let The Fifes, And The Clarions - Howard Crook
4. Act Four: Entry Of Phoebus - Roger Norrington
5. Act Four: Song: When A Cruel Long Winter - Mark Padmore
6. Act Four: Chorus: Hail! Great Parent - Schutz Choir Of London
7. Act Four: Song: Thus The Ever Grateful Spring - Lorraine Hunt
8. Act Four: Song: Here's The Summer - Howard Crook
9. Act Four: Song: See, See My Many Colour'd Fields - Mark Padmore
10. Act Four: Song: Now Winter Comes Slowly - David Wilson-Johnson
11. Act Four: Chorus: Hail! Great Parent - Schutz Choir Of London
12. Act Four: Fourth Tune Act: Air - Roger Norrington
13. Act Five: Prelude - Roger Norrington
14. Act Five: Epithalamium: Thrice Happy Lovers - Susan Bickley
15. Act Five: Song: The Plaint - O Let Me Weep - Lorraine Hunt
16. Act Five: Entry Dance - Roger Norrington
17. Act Five: Symphony Dance - Roger Norrington
18. Act Five: Song: Thus The Gloomy world - Mark Padmore
19. Act Five: Solo And Chorus: Thus Happy And Free - Catherine Pierard
20. Act Five: Song: Yes, Daphne - Howard Crook
21. Act Five: Monkey's Dance - Roger Norrington
22. Act Five: Song: Hark, How All Things - Susan Bickley
23. Act Five: Song And Chorus: Hark, How The Echoing Air - Lorraine Hunt
24. Act Five: Solos And Chorus: Sure The Dull God - Susan Bickley
25. Act Five: Prelude - Roger Norrington
26. Act Five: Solo: See, See, I Obey - David Wilson-Johnson
27. Act Five: Duet: Turn Then Thine Eyes - Susan Bickley
28. Act Five: Solo: My Torch, Indeed - David Wilson-Johnson
29. Act Five: Trio And Chorus: They Shall Be As Happy - David Wilson-Johnson
30. Act Five: Chaconne: Dance For Chinese Man And Woman - Roger Norrington

Amazon.com

Purcell worked immensely hard on his score for The Fairy Queen, but the original was lost. The version on which this performance is based arrived at London's Royal Academy of Music by devious routes a century and a half later. But in Roger Norrington's hands, it emerges in its pristine beauty: you could not wish for a better introduction to Purcell's greatest stage work. Only a "semi-opera," maybe, but one studded with exquisite songs and majestic choruses. The anonymous libretto is loosely based on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, but its inexhaustible melodic invention is imbued with Shakespearean magic. Some songs have become concert favorites, notably "O let me weep," but the joy of this double CD is that you discover dozens more, and of comparable quality. Purcell's music breathes in perfect tandem with the words and Norrington creates out of this a riveting symbiosis. The singing is pure Baroque-instrumental clarity of tone, unsullied by any vibrato, and the playing is immaculate. Comedy and pathos are both here in spades; vast space is evoked through the pairing of flutes and the echoing of trumpets. And so are all the colors of nature: Purcell's music foreshadows Vivaldi. --Michael Church

Customer Reviews:

Interesting and Lovely Music.......2004-02-06

This 'semi-opera' is one of the last works of Henry Purcell, the greatest English Baroque composer. Essentially a series of scenes with linking music, The Fairy Queen, like other semi-operas, lacks the integrity of plot and action of real opera. In performance, I suspect this work would be somewhat static, sort of a serious music variety show. The music, however, is lovely. The Fairy Queen contains some of Purcell's best vocal and instrumental work with some components that became part of the concert repertoire. Hearing all the music together is a fine experience, though the semi-opera format tends to work against the dramatic and musical cohesion which can be found in even merely good operas. The vocalists are splendid, particularly Lorraine (as she was then spelling her name) Hunt. The orchestral playing is just as good.

If you like Monteverdi, you will love Purcell.......2002-08-21

Absolutely beautifull baroque opera! The arrangament, singing and instrumentation is superb. If you liked Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea, it is a must to have this baroque masterpiece! It is too bad that Henry Purcell is not as widely known as Bach, because he should be recognized equally well.

Track Listings:

1. Hugh Wood: Piano Concerto, Op. 31 - Joanna MacGregor
2. In Celebration Of Christmas
3. Italian Song V3
4. Job
5. K!L!A!V! - Music for Keyboard Instruments
6. Le Jeune France
7. Maximum Max
8. Maxwell Davies: Symphony No. 5; Chat Moss; Cross Lane Fair; Five Klee Pictures
9. Maxwell Davies: Symphony No. 6; Time and the Raven
10. Michael Tippett: The String Quartets (Nos. 1-4) - The Britten Quartet

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Lucid

Purcell: Te Deum & Jubilate; Funeral Music; Anthems

Paroled

Music: A Drug Against War [CD-single]

Raging Slab [Import]

Private Room [Enhanced]

Powered Up!

Ripening / Asrael Symphony

Party for Two, Pt. 1 [CD-single] [Import]

Me Amarás

Red River Crossing

Prayer + Pretend

Not Correct [Enhanced] [Import]

Beethoven: Sonatas for piano No32; Schumann: Symphonic Etudes Op13

Evita: Music From The Motion Picture