Britten, Bridge & Holst: Selected Works

On this CD:

1. The Building of the House, overture for chorus & orchestra, Op. 79
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by English Chamber Orchestra
Conducted by Benjamin Britten

2. The Sea, suite for orchestra
Composed by Frank Bridge
Performed by English Chamber Orchestra
Conducted by Benjamin Britten

3. A Fugal Concerto, for flute, oboe & string orchestra, Op 40/2, H. 152
Composed by Gustav Holst
Performed by English Chamber Orchestra with Richard Adeney, Peter Graeme
Conducted by Imogen Holst

4. Egdon Heath (Homage to Hardy), for orchestra, Op. 47, H. 172
Composed by Gustav Holst
Performed by London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Benjamin Britten

5. Enter Spring, rhapsody for orchestra
Composed by Frank Bridge
Performed by New Philharmonia and Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Conducted by Benjamin Britten

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:

The Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Op.34
Simple Symphony, Op.4: I. Boisterous Bourree - Allegro ritmico
Simple Symphony, Op.4: II. Playful Pizzicato - Presto Possibile pozzicato sempre
Simple Symphony, Op.4: III. Sentimental Saraband - Poco lento e pesante
Simple Symphony, Op.4: IV. Frolicsome Finale - Prestissimo con fuoco
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Introduction And Theme
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Adagio
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: March
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Romance
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Aria Italiana
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Bourree Classique
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Wiener Walzer
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Moto Perpetuo
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Funeral March
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Chant
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Fugue And Finale

Amazon.com essential recording

In this century, few composers have been as well-equipped to perform their own works as Benjamin Britten. An accomplished pianist and conductor, he was used to working in front of the microphone and was able to record most of his own works, some more than once. Despite the continuing popularity of these scores with other conductors, the composer's own versions have held up very well. Britten's account of the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, recorded in 1963 with the London Symphony, shows a masterly touch. Many of the subtler details of the writing emerge in this performance, which, for all the felicities of expression and nuance it achieves, moves along rather smartly. It's a spirited treatment, quite modern-sounding in places, with the LSO clearly having great fun. The recording, made in Kingsway Hall, is very bright and exhibits a touch of brittleness at the high end. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Great for kids.......2007-05-13

I love this symphony. Our 3-year-old daughter also loves the "Carnegie Hall Listening Adventures" game based on this, at [...]
We do "local game" and "practice round," which gets you right into the game. They've done a fantastic job with it--kids from three (with a lot of help) to probably much older can enjoy learning more about the different instruments in a fun way. Some of the games are like simple video games, but a lot of them teach about tone, how the instruments work, and what they sound like. Thanks so much to them for putting such a great resource on the web!

Young Person's Guide without the talk.......2007-03-22

Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra can be performed with or without narration. I prefer without since the music speaks for itself so eloquently. The theme is by Henry Purcell and it is gorgeous. After each section plays the theme for a few seconds, variations begin with the woodwinds, strings, brass and finally percussion. The work ends with a fugue and final proclamation of the glorius theme. It is a thrilling work that all ages can enjoy. The rest of the music is also wonderful and the composer directed performances are superior in every way. Although the sound is from the analog era, it is just perfect. Amazon says the CD is essential. I totally agree.

Britten conducts Britten.......2006-05-19

British composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was a master composer AND a master conductor. Not only did he make numerous recordings conducting his own compositions, he also conducted very competent performances of other composers, including J.S. Bach and Robert Schumann. He was an exclusive London/Decca artist throughout his life and the recordings in this compilation were originally released on LPs on that label. They have now been superbly remastered for really high fidelity sound on compact disc.

The CD features a wonderful color photograph of Britten on the cover. He was a musician's musician, who challenged both singers and instrumentalists to strive harder. In an interview, Britten admitted that his music was often difficult to perform correctly. That became apparent when this writer had the opportunity to sing some of Britten's choral music, including "Ceremony of Carols," "Rejoice in the Lamb," and "War Requiem." His choral music IS singable, despite the great challenges, and not as "impossible" to sing as portions of Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis," which I have also sung.

The 1963 recording of "A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" is a benchmark performance by the fabulous London Symphony Orchestra, truly one of the greatest of all orchestras. The individual performers, as well as the sections, all get a chance to "shine" as Britten uses a theme by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) to present a series of variations highlighting all of the sections and some of the individual instruments in the orchestra. Some recordings included narration; this performance simply presents the music in topnotch performances with great virtuosity throughout. The sound is exceptionally clear, too, making it possible to thoroughly enjoy this inspiring performance.

The compilation also includes Britten's delightful "Simple Symphony," one of his earliest and most popular works. Using the excellent string section of the English Chamber Orchestra, Britten was able to give a performance that again can set the standards for all future performances of this charming, sometimes very moving, music. The second movement is noted for its pizzicato playing; this extremely delicate and intricate music is performed with great precision by the British musicians. The third movement is, by far, the longest and most intense part of the symphony; Britten took a rather simple but profound melody and built upon it, until it reached an almost agonizing intensity.

There are also outstanding moments throughout Britten's "Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge." Again using a theme and variations approach, Britten's recording with the English Chamber Orchestra not only showcases the outstanding performers but shows his incredible variety as he utilized numerous musical forms. Some of this music is enchanting and delightful. There are also sections which are very dramatic and even agonizing in their intensity. Frank Bridge, who died in 1941, was Britten's teacher and mentor; remarkably, the student has eclipsed the teacher in fame and popularity, but there's no question the student remained deeply devoted to his teacher, even after Bridge was no longer living.

For those unfamiliar with Britten's music, this compilation is a very good introduction to the wonderfully tonal but imagination music he produced during his all-too-short life. One should also listen to a recording of the four orchestral interludes from the opera "Peter Grimes," and then go on to listening to the complete opera (perhaps the greatest opera every written in English), followed by "War Requiem" and some of the other choral music he composed.

By definition...definitive.......2003-12-07

Unlike most listeners, I bought this for the 'Frank Bridge' work; I originally had it on LP, from over 20 years ago. The variations are, I think, one of the masterpieces of 20th century music. It was his first commission to receive widesprad attention and for good reason: his mastery of string instrumentation and sonics is truly astonishing. It is a piece I constantly return to.

The 'Young Person's Guide' is totally satisfying as well. Britten's interpretation is much more 'baroque' than the full orchestral sound we are used to; but it is much more convincing, particarly as the theme is by Purcell. And the 'Simple Symphony' is as charming as others have noted. All are recorded with excellent sound.

Britten as interpreted by Britten has to be considered definitive!

Wonderful recording.......2001-06-10

This is the absolute best recording of Simple Symphony I can find. Var. on Frank Bridge is nice and Young Person's Guide is also excellent.

Arleen Auger - Love Songs / Dalton Baldwin

Average customer rating:

Arleen Auger and Dalton Baldwin-Love Songs
Voice of experience
Auger at her best
Hidden Treasure
Gorgeous, sensitive music

Arleen Auger - Love Songs / Dalton Baldwin
Frank Bridge , Benjamin Britten , Pietro Cimara , Aaron Copland , Sir Noel Coward , Stefano Donaudy , Stephen Foster , Charles Gounod , Eduoard Lippe , Frederick Loewe , Gustav Mahler , Joseph Marx , Fernando J. Obradors , Jaime Ovalle , Francis Poulenc , Roger Quilter , Franz Schubert , Robert Schumann , Oscar Straus , Richard Strauss , Joaquin Turina , Dalton Baldwin , and Arleen Auger
Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

American Soprano
Arleen Auger - Handel · Bach Arias / The Mostly Mozart Orchestra · Gerard Schwarz
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben - Four Last Songs / Auger, Previn
Stefano Donaudy: Amor mi fa cantare
Haydn - Arias & Cantatas / Auger · H&H · Hogwood

ASIN: B0000006VP
Release Date: 1992-05-22

Tracks:

Love Songs: Pastorale
Love Songs: Del Cabello mas sutil
Love Songs: Azulao
Love Songs: Standchen
Love Songs: Selige Nacht
Love Songs: Fleurs
Love Songs: Stornello
Love Songs: Music, When Soft Voice Die
Love Songs: Je t'aime
Love Songs: Love's Philosophy
Love Songs: Widmung
Love Songs: Du bist wie eine Blume
Love Songs: Das Rosenband
Love Songs: Liebst du um Schonheit
Love Songs: Cantares
Love Songs: How Do I Love Thee?
Love Songs: I'll Follow My Secret Heart
Love Songs: Serenade
Love Songs: Liebe Schwarmt auf allen Wegen
Love Songs: Love Went A-Riding
Love Songs: Why, No One to Love
Love Songs: O del mio amato ben
Love Songs: The Salley Gardens
Love Songs: Heart, We Will Forget Him
Love Songs: Before I Gaze at You Again

Customer Reviews:

Arleen Auger and Dalton Baldwin-Love Songs.......2007-01-29

A lovely collection -very varied. Arleen Auger has a beautiful voice and Baldwin's accompaniment is wonderful. The 3rd track, by Jayme Ovalle, is, as it says in the accompanying notes, bewitching, and is actually the reason I bought the CD.

Voice of experience.......2006-01-28

There isn't much I can add to the praise bestowed on this album by earlier reviewers. I do think though that a special poignancy is undeniable since Auger's voice, while still beautiful, clearly is not that of a young singer. Her maturity makes her interpretations of these love songs all the more touching. I've probably played this CD a dozen times through the years, far more than any other in my collection. It remains consistently and deeply satisfying.

Auger at her best.......2005-04-26

This is a disc that I recommend to my graduating seniors/graduate students who are pursuing a graduate degree or career options in Vocal Performance.
From the standpoint of technique, Auger is practically flawless---"harsh" is not a word I equate with Ms. Auger's singing. She and Dalton Baldwin are impeccable performers on this disc. All the material was wisely chosen and presented, including one of the slowest "O del mio amato ben's" and one of the slowest "Salley Gardens", indicative of the beautiful breath control this artist had. I have to take exception to one of the comments made by one reviewer, of the "lack of sesitivity to the music that most classical singers possess". This is plain ignorant. This reviewer clearly does not understand the great artistic endeavor that classical singers have to have with Song literature---only a non-singer could have said this. Our finest classical singers of memory have all been outstanding musicians. They also have texts to interpret in many languages. I, as a singer-performer-teacher take great umbrage at comments like this which serve only to degrade the richness of so much repertoire.
I too hated the untimely passing of this fabulous singer. She is one of four famous women singers who all died at the age of 53. I think this disc was recorded not to long before she passed away and does reflect her "goodbye" to her audience. However the disc will remain as timely as the repertoire in it.
Marcia M.Baldwin, Gig Harbor, WA.
Professor Emeritus, Eastman School of Music, Rochester,NY

Hidden Treasure.......2003-11-04

This recording is possibly one of the best examples of beautiful singing one will ever find. The repertoire, the artfulness, the line and the sheer beauty of Miss Auger's voice is a rare find. I've just recently purchased another copy as I loaned mine to a friend who begged to keep it! One note on the cover - this new cover art seems to imply this CD is some light version of 1970's Montovani romance music. Nothing could be further from the truth. Though the previous jacket (a photo of Miss Auger on pale pink) did look dated, I hope the next pressing of this (& I'm sure they'll be many more to come!) will give this collection the class packaging it deserves. This is a collector's item. Enjoy!!

Gorgeous, sensitive music.......2001-06-15

So first of all, ignore the cheesy cover art and album title. This is a beautiful collection of songs, beautifully performed. Since I concur with the other reviews that laud Auger's performance (though don't forget the accompanist Dalton Baldwin, who is also outstanding), I'll add only the comment that there is a certain melancholy surrounding a lot of the songs and performances that (a) I find haunting and appealing, and (b) you would never know simply from looking at the album.

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In A Minor, BWV 1041, Andante
Concerto For 2 Violins In D Minor, BWV 1043, Largo Ma Non Tanto
Sinfonia Decima A 7 For 2 Trumpets and Strings, Op. 3, Adagio, Grave, Adagio
Cello Concerto In C, Adagio
Cello Concerto In D, Op. 101, Adagio
String Symphony No. 4, Andante
Capriol Suite Pieds-En-Lair
Violin Concerto No. 4 In D, K. 218 Andante Cantabile
Concerto In F Major, F VII 2, RV. 455, Grave
Concerto In A Minor, F VII 5, RV. 461 Larghetto
Symphony No. 6 In F Major Op. 68, 'Pastoral' Szene Am Bach/Scene By The Brook, Andante Molto Mosso

Tracks:

Concerto In D For 2 Trumpets, Strings, And Continuo
Sonata In D For 2 Trumpets, Strings, And Continuo
Violin Concerto In A Minor, BWV 104 First Movement
Cello Concerto In C, Moderato
Oboe Concerto In B-Flat, Op. 7, No. 6 Allegros I & II
Oboe Concerto In D Major, Op. 7, No. 6 Allegros I & II
Oboe Concerto In D Major, F VII 10 RV. 453 Allegro, Largo, Allegro
Symphony No. 40 In G Minor, K. 550 Andante
Basset Clarinet Concerto In A, K. 622 Allegro

Tracks:

The Planets Suite: Venus, Bringer Of Peace
The Planets Suite, Neptune, The Mystic
Adagio For Strings
Adagio In G Minor
Symphony No. 4 In C Minor, Andante
Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, Andante
Violin Concerto In E Minor, Andante
Lady Radnor's Suite, Slow Minuet
Sospiri, Op. 70
Suite For String Orchestra, Nocturne
Marche Funevre, Lento, Excerpt
Calm Sea & Prosperous Voyage Op. 27

Tracks:

Fantasia On A Theme By Tomas Tallis
Lark Ascending
Eclogue For Piano And Strings
Clair De Lune
Clarinet Concerto, Adagio
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op. 10, Adagio
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op. 10, Chant

Album Description

BRAINWAVE SYMPHONY combines carefully selected music from the baroque, classical, romantic, impressionistic, and twentieth-century eras with breakthrough audio technology to give you the best of classical wisdom and modern science.

We all experience many states of consciousness, from ordinary waking and sleeping states to extraordinary states in which we are more at peace, particularly aware, or unusually creative. Each state has a unique pattern of brainwaves that can be mapped and measured. Brainwave Symphony uses of inaudible pulses of sound, based on these brain maps, to trigger your brain to produce the state you want to experience.

Combining this powerful new recording process with carefully selected works of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Bach, and other masters offers a beautiful and unique listening experience as well as a powerful tool for personal transformation.

Orchestrate Your State of Mind

CD1 Alpha Relax & Let Go Alert Meditation, Tranquillity, and Active Relaxation. Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Warlock, Vivaldi, Bononcini, and Beethoven

CD2 Beta Energize & Focus Heightened Focus, Enhanced Energy, and Peak Performance. Mozart, Bach, Alberti, Haydn, Albinoni, and Vivaldi

CD3 Delta Unwind & Sleep Deep Relaxation, Rejuvenation, and Restful Sleep Holst, Barber, Albinoni, Parry, Elgar, Bridge, Mendelssohn, and Chopin

CD4 Theta Meditate & Create Deep Meditation, Heightened Intuition and Enhanced Creativity.

Williams, Finzi, Debussy and Britten

All brainwave frequencies were scored by Dr. Jeffrey Thompson whose innovative work, based on over 20 years of clinical research, is used by healthcare professionals in 26 countries. Dr. Thompson is currently on the faculty of, and has research and clinical offices at, the California Institute for Human Science.

Music was selected and sequenced by Pat Moffitt Cook, M.M., Ph.Dc., AMI Fellow, a pioneer in the use of music in health care. Pat is the founder and director of the Open Ear Center for Music in Healthcare and Education, where she trains professionals, musicians, and laypeople in the use of healing music.

Customer Reviews:

Took a nap during labor.......2007-01-16

I used the first CD in this collection (Alpha) to assist me during the labor and delivery of our daughter. I put it on our ipod and listened to it over and over during the labor process. I actually managed a light nap during active labor and had very little pain throughout the process. It that doesn't tell you that it keeps you relaxed and able to meditate, I don't know whatelse might convince you. The recording is great, the music lovely, and it does what it claims to do. I highly recommend it!

Awesome!.......2006-03-17

These really work! Ever wonder why listening to classical music may make you more up-tight than relaxing you? Here's the reason...

Induces great relaxation, pair with noise-cancelling headphones and sleep on plane........2005-12-30

So far I have only really used the relaxation CD, which works amazingly well. I have been flying more red-eyes lately in part because I know I can sleep on the plane from as soon as I get on. However, I have always slept pretty well on airplanes!

I keep forgetting to try out the rest of the CD collection.

Recommended for first rate relaxation and sleep!.......2005-06-06

These cds sound like simple classical music, but they do indeed assist you to enter different states of mind. For best effect, wear stereo headphones. But even without, you will find it easier to relax, sleep and meditate. If you don't like classical, the Brainwaves Suite has a new age/environmental sound.

Worth the listen.......2004-10-17

My curiousity was well rewarded when I first listened to these four CDs. The symphonic music is seamlessly recorded, accented with tone notations that are easy on the ear and peaceful on the mind. This set is at the office, on the iPod and the home computer, and loaned to others on a regular basis. They have flavored prayer services and supported pastoral conversations. Make good presents, too. Worried about subliminal suggestion? Well, if clearer thinking and thoughtful reflection is subliminal thinking, then you will get the message each time you listen to these recordings. Other recordings by Dr. Thompson deliver just as these do.

Handley Conducts Bax, Bridge, Britten & Stanford

Average customer rating:

Handley Conducts Bax, Bridge, Britten & Stanford

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music
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General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00000JCAX
Release Date: 1999-06-15

Tracks:

Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Intro And Theme - Roger Best
Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Adagio - Roger Best
Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: March - Roger Best
Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Romance - Roger Best
Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Aria Italiana - Roger Best
Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Bourree Classique - Roger Best
Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Wiener Walzer - Roger Best
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Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Funeral March - Roger Best
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Vars On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op.10: Fugue And Finale - Roger Best
Simple Sym, Op.4: Boisterous Bourree - Roger Best
Simple Sym, Op.4: Playful Pizzicato - Roger Best
Simple Sym, Op.4: Sentimental Saraband - Roger Best
Simple Sym, Op.4: Frolicsome Finale - Roger Best
Lachrymae-Reflections On A Song Of Dowland: Lento-Allegretto, Andante Molto-Animato-Tranquillo... - Roger Best
Plrd And Fugue, Op.29: Prld: Grave - Roger Best
Plrd And Fugue, Op.29: Fugue: Allegro Energico - Roger Best

Tracks:

Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op.33a: I. Dawn - Michael Bochmann
Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op.33a: II. Sunday Morning - Michael Bochmann
Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op.33a: III. Moonlight - Michael Bochmann
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Ste On English Folk Tunes 'A Time There Was...', Op.90: I. Cakes And Ale - Michael Bochmann
Ste On English Folk Tunes 'A Time There Was...', Op.90: II. Bitter Withy - Michael Bochmann
Ste On English Folk Tunes 'A Time There Was...', Op.90: III. Hankin Booby - Michael Bochmann
Ste On English Folk Tunes 'A Time There Was...', Op.90: IV. Hunt The Squirrel - Michael Bochmann
Ste On English Folk Tunes 'A Time There Was...', Op.90: V. Lord Melbourne - Michael Bochmann
Gloriana: The Courtly Dances, Op.53a - Michael Bochmann
The Young Person's Guide To The Orch, Op.34: Vars And Fugue On A Theme Of Purcell - Michael Bochmann

Tracks:

Les Illuminations, Op.18: Fanfare - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
Les Illuminations, Op.18: Villes - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
Les Illuminations, Op.18: Phrase - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
Les Illuminations, Op.18: Antique - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
Les Illuminations, Op.18: Royaute - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
Les Illuminations, Op.18: Marine - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
Les Illuminations, Op.18: Interlude - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
Les Illuminations, Op.18: Being Beauteous - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
Les Illuminations, Op.18: Parade - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
Les Illuminations, Op.18: Depart - Jerry Hadley/Anthony Halstead
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Sunday Morning Classics

Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Peer Gynt-Suite No. 1 Op. 46: The Morning - SUNDAY MORNING CLASSICS
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Britten: Four Sea Interludes/Passacaglia/Bridge: Suite The Sea/Bax: On The Sea-Shore

Average customer rating:

This has been reissued at a cheaper price.
All beautiful,all the time
Three English masterpieces in one CD
The Bridge is a Sleeper and a Teaser!

Britten: Four Sea Interludes/Passacaglia/Bridge: Suite The Sea/Bax: On The Sea-Shore

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Bernstein Century - Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, etc / Bernstein, New York PO

ASIN: B000000AEQ
Release Date: 1992-10-28

Tracks:

Four Sea Interludes, Op. 33a: I Dawn
Four Sea Interludes, Op. 33a: II Sunday Morning
Four Sea Interludes, Op. 33a: III Moonlight
Four Sea Interludes, Op. 33a: IV Storm
2 Passacaglia, Op. 33b
Suite, 'The Sea': I - Seascape
Suite, 'The Sea': II Sea-foam
Suite, 'The Sea': III Moonlight
Suite, 'The Sea': IV Storm
On the Sea-Shore

Amazon.com

No one seems to handle this kind of music better than Vernon Handley and the Ulster Orchestra. The theme here is the sea, and the most famous of the works here are the "Four Sea Interludes" and "Passacaglia" taken from Britten's opera Peter Grimes. They hardly speak of the sea in an impressionistic sense. Instead, we get the sea's utter power and its unfathomable mystery. Frank Bridge's Suite "The Sea" and Arnold Bax's tone poem "On the Sea-Shore" are also infused with an odd melancholy, a dolorous sense of isolation. A multi-faceted portrayal of the sea. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

This has been reissued at a cheaper price........2007-04-17

A few months ago, Chandos reissued this at a cheaper price with additional music (from Charles Villers Stanford)

Handley Conducts Bax, Bridge, Britten & Stanford

All beautiful,all the time.......2004-12-30

It's difficult to describe this music because it is music that is felt,not thought about and dissected.
As an example:The "Moonlight" interlude is so beautiful,you are overcome by the feelings it evokes.
The rest of the compositions on this CD(my favorite compilation)are equally stunning.
Please..if you love British composers,you will love this CD.I realize my review isn't very clinical,but this music defies description.Listen to"Moonlight," then pick yourself up off the floor and order this CD.

Three English masterpieces in one CD.......2002-05-25

Sea has always been a great source of inspiration by both painters and musicians. Very usually, the result of this inspiration is a masterpiece. Here we have three "seas" masterpieces, full of colour and craftsmanship, by three distinguished British composers. Both storms are very different but both splendid.
Particularly, Bridges'Suite is really impressive, from the first bar to the end. His mastery in orchestral handling is that of a genius. The cyclic theme of the first movement, which reappears at the end, unifies perfectly the whole work. In fact, and not by chance, Bridge was an exact contemporary of Respighi (I love impressionistic music).Moonlight is wonderfully evocative.
Baxs'work is splendid too, full of mystery and melancholy, with an imponent climax of irresistible tension.
The performance is excellent and exemplary, as always in Vernon Handley and the orchestras he conducts.
This is another one of my favourite CD'S, and I do have a lot...

The Bridge is a Sleeper and a Teaser!.......2000-05-20

For Americans (well, at least for me), Chandos for the last fifteen years or so has served the purpose of introducing a wide range of 20th century British music, much as the Westminster and Musical Heritage Society transfers of Lyrita LP's did at an earlier time. Overall, recorded quality is excellent to outstanding, and repertoire is wide-ranging. Conductors such as Vernon Handley (here) and Bryden Thompson and Richard Hickox (elsewhere) have brought several heretofore provincial British orchestras to very high levels of performance standards.

This Chandos recording has fabulous execution and sound. If you are looking for an excellent, well-recorded performance of Britten's well-known incidental music for Peter Grimes, in an offbeat coupling, look no further. The "Four Sea Interludes" and "Passacaglia" are given vigorous, virtuosic play here.

Bax's "On The Sea-Shore" is also excellent, but perhaps not at the top level of other of his tone poems such as "Tintagel," "Roscatha" or "In The Faery Hills," or, perhaps his most famous, "The Garden of Fand." Nonetheless, it is a perfect companion piece in this concept album of 20th-century British music evoking the sea.

The sleeper/teaser of the album is Bridge's "The Sea." Written a scant six years after Debussy's "La Mer" (1911 vs. 1905), Bridge's vision of the sea is as equally evocative and considerably more bracing than Debussy's. It is full of inspiration and craft, and some remarkable harmonies for its time. (It in a way looks forward to Gershwin a decade or more hence, in that there are a few subtle bluesy chords that surprise and delight.) The piece never sags or runs out of inspiration, even in the quieter and more meditative sections. At the end of the final section ("Storm"), a grand theme from the opening movement ("Seascape") is recalled, leading to a socko ending for which, had I been there for the premiere, I'd be up on my feet. (The booklet notes point out that the 10-year-old Britten had attended a 1924 performance conducted by Bridge and had been "knocked sideways" by the piece. The rest, as they say, is history: Bridge was Britten's teacher, and Britten in turn memorialized Bridge in his string-orchestra "Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge.")

"The Sea" would appear to be a neglected masterpiece, and in this respect represents a true "find." It will definitely lead me to investigate Bridge's other works.

Bob Zeidler

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