Russian Voices

1. All our sacred hymns we offer/With the voices of the archangels
Composed by Russian Orthodox Chant

2. When the Israelites
Composed by Anonymous

3. Short Ectene
Composed by Anonymous
with Moscow Academy Choir

4. Hail, Virgin Mother of God
Composed by Anonymous

5. Praise of the Mother of God
Composed by Anonymous

6. Thou art the joy of all who are troubled
Composed by Russian Orthodox Chant
with Moscow Academy Choir

7. Glory To God in the Highest
Composed by Anonymous

8. Today is born of the Virgin
Composed by Anonymous

9. Praise the Lord, Oh My Soul
Composed by Russian Orthodox Chant

10. Lord now lettest thou
Composed by Russian Orthodox Chant

11. Praise the name of the Lord, Russian Orthodox hymn
Composed by Anonymous

12. Lord, save thy people, Russian Orthodox hymn
Composed by Anonymous

13. First verses of the canon of St. Andrew of Crete
Composed by Anonymous

14. To thy mystic feast
Composed by Anonymous

15. Thou who are clothed with light as with garment
Composed by Russian Orthodox Chant

16. Convention of Angels
Composed by Anonymous

17. Resurrection
Composed by Anonymous

18. Sacred Pieces (9) for mixed chorus
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky

19. Work(s) Epiclesis/Hymn to the Mother of God
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky

20. Our Father (No. 3 of "6 Church Songs"), for chorus or chorus & piano The Lord's Prayer/Elevation/Communion Hymn
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky

21. Holy God
Composed by Russian Orthodox Chant

22. Truly all is vanity
Composed by Anonymous

23. O Lord grant peace
Composed by Anonymous

24. O Christ, let the soul of your servant rest with the saints
Composed by Anonymous

25. You alone are immortal
Composed by Anonymous

26. Thrice Holy, Doxologie
Composed by Anonymous

27. Eternal remembrance/Blessed are they whom you have chosen
Composed by Anonymous

28. Blessed is the man
Composed by Pavel Grigor'yevich Chesnokov

29. Glory be to God on high (Great Doxology)
Composed by Alexander Andreyevich Arkhangel'sky

30. Deliver O God Thy People
Composed by Pavel Grigor'yevich Chesnokov

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

Dies Irae
Tuba Mirum
Pie Jesu
O Fortuna
Dies Irae
Rex Tremendae
Confutatis
Lacrimosa
Polovtsian Dances
Missa: Kyrie Eleison
Hallelujah Chorus
The Shepherd's Farewell
Sanctus
The Heavens Are Telling
'Va, pensiero' (Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves)
Nyne Otpushchayeshi (Now Let Thy Servant Depart)
Dies Irae

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful choir music CD.......2007-07-12

I just enjoy in it very much. The best of the choir music in very good performance.

Best of American Choral Singing!.......2003-02-08

This CD could be the cornerstone of your choral music library! Wonderful performances of all of the essential choral pieces give a wonderful introduction to choral music for someone new to it, and also give a nice sampler of the best pieces for someone already familiar with the music. Listening to each excerpt may inspire you to purchase the entire work!

As you would expect of performances by Robert Shaw's groups, these performances are really extraordinary and show the best of American choral singing.

A good album, but--.......2001-12-28

The three stars I have given this album are not for the performances, which are all tremendous and deserve five stars or more, but for the idea of releasing this sort of compilation. Every single one of these selections is part of a larger Shaw-recorded work already released by Telarc, and you are far better off seeking the complete recordings that all these pieces are from, than just buying a mere "sampler". (Shaw, however, never did get around to recording the complete " L' Enfance du Christ".) Of course, that can be very expensive for some people, and if one cannot afford all those recordings, I suppose this is the next best thing. One can't shake off the feeling, however, that because Shaw is no longer with us, Telarc is desperately trying to give the impression that "new" Shaw recordings are constantly being released by them, when the truth is that nearly all the new ones are mere recyclings. (The last complete Robert Shaw album released by Telarc was Dvorak's "Stabat Mater", a CD well worth buying.)

Awesome.......2000-04-04

This album is so up-lifting. As the music soars, so do your spirits.

The Best Choral Album in the World...Ever!

Average customer rating:

I love it and I give it as a gift
MarMSED
Diverse range but the songs are butchered...

The Best Choral Album in the World...Ever!

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Te Deum | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The #1 Choral Album
Choral Masterpieces
The Only Choral CD You'll Ever Need
Gloria: Music of Praise & Inspiration
The Power & The Majesty: Essential Choral Classics

ASIN: B00002ZZH6
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Tracks:

Gloria In Excelsis Deo - Academy And Chorus Of St Martin In The Fields
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Zadok The Priest - Ambrosian Singers
Miserere Mei, Deus - Gerald Finley
Veni Creator Spiritus - Choir Of The Monks Of The Benedictine Monastery Of Santo Domingo De Silos
Lacrimosa - London Philharmonic Choir
For Unto Us A Child Is Born - Ambrosian Singers
The Heavens Are Telling - John Shirley-Quirk
Panis Angelicus - Halle Choir
Ave Maria - Groupe Vocal De France
Ode To Joy - The Westminster Choir
Va, Pensiero - Chorus Of the Royal Opera House
Chorus Of Slave Girls - Chorus Of The National Theatre Of Sophia
Coro De Romanticos - Coro Cantores De Madrid
In Paradisum - Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge
Totus Tuus - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Song For Athene - Winchester Cathedral Choir
Celebration - London Symphony Chorus
Jerusalem - Royal Choral Society

Tracks:

Zion Hort Die Wachter - South German Madrigal Choir
Pleni Sunt Coeli Et Terra - Charles Brett
Hallelujah Chorus - Ambrosian Singers
Thou Knowest, Lord - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Veni Sancte Spiritus - Choir Of The Monks Of The Benedictine Monastery Of Santo Domingo De Silos
Awake The Harp - City Of Birmingham Symphony Chorus
And Then Shall Your Light Break Forth - New Philharmonia Chorus
L'Adieu Des Bergers - Choeurs Rene Duclos
Agnus Dei - Peter Barley
Cantique De Jean Racine - MONKS AND CHOIRBOYS OF DOWNSIDE ABBEY
Ave Verum Corpus - Schutz Consort
Begluckt Darf Nun Dich, O Heimat - Bavarian State Opera Chorus, Munich
Vedi! Le Fosche Notturne Spoglie - Chorus Of the Royal Opera House
Laudamus Te - Radio France Chorus
Chichester Psalms - Rachel Masters
The Lamb - Vasari Singers
Agnus Dei - Winchester Cathedral Choir
Requiem Aeternam - Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge
Dies Irae - Philharmonia Chorus
O Fortuna - London Philharmonic Choir
Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1 (Land Of Hope Glory) - Royal Choral Society

Customer Reviews:

I love it and I give it as a gift.......2006-12-11

This is the first collection of choral music that I've purchased and I love it. I own copies of operas and requiems and masses, but if you attend choral concerts, as I have been recently, you learn there is a huge colletion of choral music appart from the forms I've been listening to. I appreciate the producers selecting "Song for Athene" by Tavener and "Celebration (Standing Stone)" by McCartney. They are new to me and I love them. Disk 1 ends with "Jerusalem" and Disk 2 ends with "Land of Hope and Glory." As an American I rarely hear these and I am so glad they were included. I believe this album was intended to help popularize choral music and I believe the selections do fine job towards that end.

I know snobs rage against popularizing classical music, but everyone deserves exposure to the beauty of song. I will also mention here "The East Village Opera Company" because they work to popularize opera by setting it to a rock beat. They do a fine job but also get criticized for attempting to popularize classical music.

"The Best Choral Album in the World...Ever" was so popular with my teen-age daughter that it was hard to get it back from her. I give the album as a gift to nephews and nieces.

MarMSED.......2005-08-27

The music selections are extraordinary. The only problem has to do with the balance of sound. There are some parts that are very loud, and some that are so very soft. You have to continually adjust the volume.

Diverse range but the songs are butchered..........2005-07-24

Well, this CD isn't horrible by any stretch, but it is irritating to someone who's more than a casual listener of choral music. I'm by no means as musically "literate" as many reviewers out there, but I have a collection of probably twenty-five or thirty choral CD's and this is one that will probably be gathering dust in the back of the CD book.

The peices are well-performed for the most part, but they are hopelessly edited. Beethoven's Ode to Joy is somewhere around twenty four minutes, but this CD only includes an arrangement of about five minutes. The beautiful Miserere is, uncut, almost eleven minutes but is cut down to five and a half minutes here.

Looking back, I should have realized the major editing that would be involved, just by the sheer number of peices on it. I'm familiar with a great many of them and I know they're too long to fit onto a seventy minute disc without some major cutting going on. I just didn't reason that out before I shelled out the money for it.

Bottom line. This CD has decent singing, but is nothing special. If you're a newcomer to this genre, you might get this as a quick overview of the different types of choral music out there, but if you're any kind of an avid listener, this CD will drive you insane with the severity of the cuts. Beginners, if you're looking for a great collection CD, you'd do better to look at "Choral Moods". It doesn't have the diversity in styles of this one, but it will introduce you to incredibly talented composers. To the old hats out there, steer clear of this one and look to CD's by your preferred individual composers themselves. It's more money, but much less frustration in the long run. The old sayings are sometimes the best: You get what you pay for.

Average customer rating:

Into the Light

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

Tracks:

Con Amores, La Mi Madre
Canon
Part 1
Part 2
No.1 In E Minor
No.3 In A Minor
No.2 In E Major
No.4 In E Minor
No.5 In D Major
A Negrito De Cucurumbe
Bachiana Brasiliera No.5
Recuerdos De La Alhambra
No.3: Procesion
No.4: Paso
No.5: Saeta
God Grant We Grace (Canon)
Part 1
Part 2
Canco Del Lladre
Polovtsian Dance

Average customer rating:

An Inspirational CD for an Inspirational Movie!
Awesome CD!
notwithstanding
Outstanding!
Wonderful!

Shine: The Complete Classics

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Shine: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Shine
Vivaldi - Gloria · Nulla in mundo pax sincera · Nisi Dominus · Cantatas / Kirkby · Bott · Nelson · Watkinson · Bowman · Preston · AAM · Hogwood
David Helfgott Plays Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3; Four Preludes; Sonata No. 2
David Helfgott: Brilliantissimo

ASIN: B0000041NI
Release Date: 1997-05-13

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor: 1. Allegro ma non tanto
Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor: 2. Intermezzo. Adagio
Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor: 3. Finale. Alla breve
Polonaise No. 6 In A Flat, Op. 53 (Heroic)
Kinderszenen, Op. 15: No. 10 Fast zu ernst
Prelude In D Flat, Op. 28 No. 15 (Raindrop)
6 Etudes d'execution transcendante d'apres Paganini: No. 3 La campanella
Gloria In D, RV 589: Gloria In excelsis Deo - Allegro

Tracks:

19 Hungarian Rhapsodies: No. 2 In C Sharp Minor
Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op.3 No.2
Suite From 'The Tale Of Tsar Saltan': The Flight Of The Bumble-bee
Symphony No.9 In D Minor, Op. 125 (Choral): Presto - Allegro assai (Ode To Joy)
3 Etudes de concert, S. 144: No. 3 Un sospiro
Nulla In mundo pax, RV 630

Customer Reviews:

An Inspirational CD for an Inspirational Movie!.......2000-08-16

The movie for this CD actually played a large part in my decision to become a serious pianist! The CD itself portrays all the pieces used in the movie wonderfully with the top recordings by the most talented artists. The Rachmaninov piano concerto no.3 is extremely exciting to listen to. If you enjoy exciting and romantic classical music, then this is the CD for you!

Awesome CD!.......2000-08-09

When I first saw the movie "Shine", I knew I had to get the soundtrack right away. When I got to the store, I was hoping that the soundtrack will include the complete list of all the songS. Many times, I get disapointed when I buy soundtracks (espeically classical music) because they tend to include only the part that they used in the movie. But when I saw this CD, I knew this was IT!!! And when I listened to it, it was even better than I expected. I love classical music and a lot of times, I am very disappointed by the presentation of the music in many CDs. It seems as if they hired someone who barely understand the piece to play the song. But from the first song you hear, you know this CD isn't that case. You can "feel" every song. Every time I listen to this CD, I get emotional. If you love classical music, I guarantee that you will love this CD. MUST HAVE!!

notwithstanding.......2000-02-01

This is a wonderful collection of classical music. Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Chopin pieces are featured with such an artistic interpretation. Notwithstanding the cut made in movement 3, Rafael Orozco's version of Rach3 touches your soul. And this is coming from a Vladimir Horowitz fan, and a pianist!

Outstanding!.......1999-04-09

Just a grand selection of classical music, very fitting and complementary to this this marvelous film. The Rach III is exceptional; it really allows you to appreciate the struggle Helfgott endured as a child, as well as a young adult. A very complete collection compared to the actul movie soundtrack. Well worth buying!

Wonderful!.......1999-01-07

The full version of everything you heard in "Shine." The pieces are played very beautifully, and I listen to the CD all the time. You'll like it!

Average customer rating:

Best of the best
Funniest thing I have ever heard!
An Archive of Tuvan Melodies
Ethereal.
One of the first Tuvan CDs available, but one of the weakest

Tuva: Voices From the Center of Asia
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Folkways
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Russia | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music

Tuva | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music

General | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Far East & Asia | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Smithsonian Folkways Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Genghis Blues
Tuva, Among The Spirits: Sound, Music And Nature In Sakha And Tuva
Back Tuva Future
Genghis Blues
Tuva or Bust! Richard Feynman's Last Journey

ASIN: B000001DGS
Release Date: 1992-07-13

Tracks:

Steppe kargiraa - Fedor Tau
Sigit - Mergen Mongush
Sigit 'Alash' - Mergen Mongush
Sigit With Igil - Anatolii Kuular
khoomei - Fedor Tau
Khoomei - Sundukai Mongush
Tespeng khoomei - Sundukai Mongush
kozhamik/khoomei/Sigit/kargira - Tumat kora-ool
kargirraa duet 'Artii-Sayir' - Tumat kara-ool/Andrei Chuldun-ool
Khomuz Melodies, - Anchimaa S. /Anchimaa k./Achyimaa T./Chamdanmaa T
Borbannadir - Mikhail Dopchun
Borbannadir - Tumat kara-ool
Borbannadir With Fingers Strokes Across The lips - Tumat kara-ool
Barbannadir - Anatolii Kuular
Ezengileer - marzhimal Ondar
Sigit with Khomuz - Oleg Kuular
Medley Of Various Throat-Singing Styles - Gennadi Chash/Evgenii Oyun/Mergen Mongush
kargiraa 'Artii-Sayir' - Vasili Chazir
Melody On The Amirge - Vasilii Khuurak
Imitation Of The Roe Deer - Vasilii Khuurak
Domestication Of Sheep To Lamb - Doluma Lopsanchap
Domestication Of Sheep To lamb - Doluma Lopsanchap
Domestication Of Cow To Calf - Khuren Oorzhak
Domesticaton Of Camel To Calf - Shimet Soyan
Excerpt From Shamanic Healing Ritual - Alexander davakai
Funeral Lament - Tatyana Sat
Lullaby - Tatyana Sat
Wooden Jew's Harp - Balgan Kuzhuget
Lullaby With Khoomei - Bilchit-Maa Davaa
'Don't Frighten The Crane' - Sundukai Mongush
'When I Graze my Bautiful Sheep' - Khuren Oorzhak
Kozhamiktar - Antiphonal Quatrains
'Hymn To The Mountains' - kazak Sandak

Album Description

These highly acclaimed recordings, made in Tuva in 1987, reveal a remarkable and beautiful tradition of bi- and multi-phonal "throat singing". These traditional songs capture the style and role of music among the scattered herding communities in Tuva, a territory lying to the northwest of Mongolia, where music is part of the relationship of humans with the natural and supernatural worlds.

Customer Reviews:

Best of the best.......2007-07-21

This CD presents different styles of Xoomei, or throat singing, from an ethnomusicologist's perspective. It features some of the most incredible sounds on this Planet. It has been recorded in situ, so don't expect studio quality on each and every track. To my taste it's a great listening. Nonetheless, whoever is looking for "easy"-listening music featuring Xoomei, might find it a little dry, and may want to look for some records by Huun Huur Tu, Egschiglen or the like.

Funniest thing I have ever heard!.......2006-05-16

This disc is hilarious! It's probably the funniest thing that I have ever heard!

An Archive of Tuvan Melodies.......2003-05-29

This CD was one of the first to feature the unique musical tradition of Tuva. This CD was recorded in the yurts and natural areas of Tuva, so sometimes the sound quality isn't top notch. This is also more like a sampler. None of the tracks are very long and it moves through the different styles of throatsinging and melodies very fast. It does feature some of the revered masters of the styles though. I think this would be a good introductory disc to throatsinging, so a person can find what they like.

Ethereal........2003-02-27

Very traditional Tuvan throatsinging. A MUST have for anyone interested in xoomei. Pretty Amazing stuff, but this CD has more ethnomusicological content, so you'd be safer getting a Huun Huur Tu CD (their Live #2, for instance, is phenomenal) if you're just looking for something good to listen to.

However, if you are truly interested in throatsinging, this is a must have.

One of the first Tuvan CDs available, but one of the weakest.......2002-06-08

Tuva is a remote area smack in the center of Asia, nestled in the mountains between Siberia and Mongolia. Traditional Tuvan throat-singing is an amazing thing--the singer produces two notes AT THE SAME TIME, a low drone and a higher melody. This Smithsonian/Folkways CD was probably the first Tuvan CD available in the US; it was around when CD co-producer Ted Levin first brought three Tuvan throat-singers on an American tour. Unfortunately, the CD is primarily of ethnomusicological interest. There are brief examples of the various styles of khoomei (the general Tuvan name for throat-singing), but there are few tracks that can really be considered songs, and all but a few of the vocal tracks are a cappella. Only three of the 33 tracks on the CD are more than two minutes long. There is also plenty of jaw harp, animal imitations, a solo for hunting horn, and herders' calls to their flocks. If you're interested in hearing Tuvan MUSIC, you're better off with "Tuva: Voices from the Land of the Eagles", Ellipsis Arts' CD/book "Deep in the Heart of Tuva", or any CD by Huun-Huur-Tu.

Average customer rating:

Amazing! The reason I decided to become a music major!
Utterly Necessary

Class Brass - On The Edge

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Class Brass
Empire Brass: Greatest Hits
Class Brass: Firedance
The World Sings: An Empire Brass Christmas
King's Court and Celtic Fair

ASIN: B000003CYH
Release Date: 1993-02-23

Tracks:

Sabre Dance
Danse Bacchanale
Farandole
Festive Overture
Aragonaise
Procession Of The Sardar
Pie Jesu
Romanian Rhapsody
March
Allegretto
Russian Sailors' Dance
Berceuse
Overture To Candide
Saturday Night Waltz
Cancan

Customer Reviews:

Amazing! The reason I decided to become a music major!.......2002-11-18

This is one of the most inspirational CD's I have ever listened to. Not only is the playing perfect, the choice in music for the CD is perfect. It provides the listener with several different styles, and yet many similar styles. The group plays the traditional Russian pieces with flair and great musicianship, such as the Stravinsky and the Shostakovich. The main reason that I enjoy this CD is that each player is performing their best for this album. Each player sounds even more amazing than they usually do. I especially enjoy when Sam takes the tuba solo from Russian Sailors' Dance down an octave. Each performer from this group is one of the best in the world on their respective instruments. In conclusion, all I can say is that this CD is amazing.

Utterly Necessary.......2000-10-24

This was the first brass quintet cd I ever purchased, and it has been by far the best. This group's sound is seriously unparalleled by any other quintet, including Canadian Brass. The blend and unity of style is so perfect that one is encompassed by the music, hearing each part individually and as part of the whole at the same time. Playing arrangements of excellent orchestral music, the Empire Brass Quintet truly demonstrates its virtuosity.

Glinka: Symphony; Spanish Overture; Music from Prince Kholmsky

Average customer rating:

Svetlanov does the best Glinka

Glinka: Symphony; Spanish Overture; Music from Prince Kholmsky

Manufacturer: Moscow Studio
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Glinka-Orchestral Music From the Operas
Balakirev-Symphony 2 / Overture on 3 Russian Songs / In Bohemia
Glazunov: The Kremlin, From the Middle Ages, etc.
Glazunov: The Sea; Oriental Rhapsody; Ballade; Cortège Solonnel
Glinka: Life for the Tsar

ASIN: B00079W8O0
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

Symphony On Two Russian Themes In D Minor (Incomplete)
Capriccio Brillante On The Aragonesa
Souvenirs Of A Summer Night In Madrid
Valse Fantaisie In B Minor
Overture
Entr'Acte To Act II
Entr'Acte To Act III
Entr'Acte To Act IV
Entr'Acte To Act V
Premiere Polka

Customer Reviews:

Svetlanov does the best Glinka.......2005-03-24

This CD is great. It has common Glinka pieces like the 2 Spanish Overtures and Valse Fantaisie, and hard to find works like his incomplete symphony, orchestral music from Prince Kholmsky and the Premier Polka.

If you have any of these pieces already, then this CD is still worth the $10 because Svetlanov does the best Glinka. These recordings will blow away your older Glinka recordings. The clarity in the Spanish Overtures brings out the timpani instruments better than any other recording that I have.

If you are a fan of Borodin's Steppes of Central Asia, then listen carefully to the Glinka Incomplete Symphony on this CD, which uses the same theme. Guess it was a old Russian theme. The final piece on the CD, the Premiere Polka, is quite jolly, but leaves you wishing for more music. Why didn't you write more music Mr. Glinka?

Average customer rating:

The Complete Caruso

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | 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

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Ladino | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

General | Soundtracks | Styles | 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

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Classical 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:

The Complete Recordings, 1902-1920 (Box Set)
Sibelius: The 7 Symphonies; Finlandia; Kullervo; etc.
Rachmaninov: His Complete Recordings
Beethoven - Fidelio
Wagner - Lohengrin

ASIN: B0001TSWQO
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Average customer rating:

A winter"s night
horrible
Lovely indeed
Uplifting

Mnemosyne / Garbarek, Hilliard Ensemble

Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

Officium
In Praise of Dreams
Witchi-Tai-To
Officium - Jan Gabarek & The Hilliard Ensemble
I Took Up the Runes

ASIN: B00000K2AC
Release Date: 1999-10-05

Tracks:

Quechuna Song - Anonymus
O Lord In Thee Is All My Trust
Estonian Lullaby
Remember Me My Dear - Anonymus
Gloria
Fayrfax Africanus
Agnus Dei
Novus novus - Anonymus
Se je fayz dueil
O ignis spiritus

Tracks:

Alleluia nativitatis - Anonymus
Delphic Paean
Strophe and Counter-Strophe
Mascarades - Anonymus
Loiterando
Estonian Lullaby
Russian Psalm - Anonymus
Eagle Dance
When Jesus Wept
Hymn To The Sun

Amazon.com

It's been six years since these same performers got together to create one of the decade's more unusual experiments in musical alchemy. Beginning with the raw materials of early music and modern jazz, the four male voices of the Hilliard Ensemble joined with jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek to see what would happen when the proper measure of old music and new style were combined, shaped by the performers' considerable experience and collective aesthetic vision. The success of that recording, titled Officium, and subsequent concert performances paved the way for this second effort, continuing the performers' search for artistically meaningful, musically satisfying combinations of written music and improvisatory elements. The odd title of the new recording comes from a mystical poem by Friedrich Hölderlin, quoted in the liner notes and accompanied by pictures from Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal. Officium aficionados will notice that Mnemosyne is even more adventurous in its explorations, which range farther and farther from the printed page. Musical fragments and a general outline are the starting points for several pieces. Improvisation is more frequently and freely employed, but always adheres to an agreed stylistic framework. Alongside a Tallis hymn or a chant by Hildegard, we hear Iroquois and Peruvian song fragments, an ancient Greek tune, and a beautiful lullaby by Veljo Tormis. Garbarek's tasteful improvisations are appropriate additions, inspired commentaries. The Hilliards are even better than on Officium; their awareness and sensitivity brings everything together into a truly unified expression that shows the timelessness of music and reminds us that where rhythm, melody, and musical imagination join, different styles, centuries, and genres are not necessarily obstacles to compatibility. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

A winter"s night.......2005-07-23

Though I am not much of an expert in music as to write a good review, I have enjoyed Jan Garbarek's saxo for many years now, and most recently his previous work with the Hilliard Ensemble, "Officium".
What else can I say?
Just imagine a cold winter's night (and nights are cold these day in the Southern Hemisphere), cudled inside your home, by the fireplace, with the company of a good book, smoking your pipe, sipping some good french brandy and listening this marvelous music.
What else can compare to such an experience?
Tomás Linn

horrible.......2005-01-13

Cheesy saxophone and Gregorian chants do not go together, or if they do, they'll end up sounding like this. The Hilliard Ensemble is wonderful and I love to listen to it, but not with a bunch of tacky and unnecessary smooth jazz lines over top.

Lovely indeed.......2002-02-25

I was fortunate enough to see Garbarek and the Hillard Ensemble perform pieces from this disc in Tokyo; one of the true surprises and delights of the evening (which I haven't found on the CD yet) was Garbarek's decision to quote from Albert Ayler's "Ghosts" on one piece. You might wonder with a classical vocal group who focus on early music and modern avant-garde choral composition have to do with Albert Ayler -- it seems a difficult gap to bridge. Hearing this two disc set will do much to make it clear. There is something genuinely spiritually uplifting in this music; it never approaches the New Agey wallpaper of Garbarek's weakest disc, VISIBLE WORLD, however -- it's not a tritened, mass-consumable spirituality at work here. There is grief, suffering, sorrow, pain, and fear acknowledged and embraced in this music; and yet it is still life affirming and inspiring (and beautiful to dream to). The spiritual aspect of Ayler's music, of free jazz itself, deserved the acknowledgement; Ayler was one of the most spiritually uplifting jazzmen of the movement, which often spoke in the idiom of the spiritual -- it would have been just as well (though far less moving, somehow, and far less musically appropriate) to quote "A Love Supreme"). Don't be worried by the unusual combination of jazz and classical elements; as another reviewer notes, Garbarek's voice blends in perfectly with the rest of the group, sounds a part of the whole. You'll forget that choral music usually doesn't include a soprano sax in a surprisingly short time. (Note - Garbarek brought a tenor to do the Ayler bit; I really don't know if it's on these discs, as I haven't listened to them in completion yet, but he does play tenor sax on them, so we can hope). Highly recommended stuff. The art for the booklet, by the way, is taken from Ingmar Bergman's SEVENTH SEAL, which is very, very appropriate. People who like and admire Meredith Monk's music (particularly BOOK OF DAYS, her finest work, by me) will appreciate this greatly, too. And vice-versa.

Uplifting.......2000-02-21

A fantastic journey through time and space, ranging from ancient Greece to present-day compositions by Garbarek. No less spirited than Officium, but much more varied. Whereas Officium was very much the Hilliards with Garbarek adding (at times rather exhibitionist) comments, here they play together almost as a band - and what a band! With beautiful packaging and stunning production, this is immensely enjoyable and uplifting.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

When Will You Be Mine

Circa 1980

Christmas With Perry Como

Music: Children's Party Favourites

Elton John [Import]

Early Soul

Christmas Story

Dvorak Octet-Serenade

Chains on the Wind

Bestial Sonido De [Import]

Ball of Design

Circle

Cheer Trax Volume 13

Noel at the Monastery

Something Beautiful