Mass for 4 Voices

On this CD:

1. Mass for 4 voices da cappella, for 4 voices & organ (from Mass for 4 voices & Psalms), SV 190
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Gastone Sarti, Vera Luccini, Mariella Sorelli, Polifonia Complesso Vocale

2. Salve Regina (II), for 2 voices (from Selva morale e spirituale), SV 284
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Gastone Sarti, Vera Luccini, Mariella Sorelli, Polifonia Complesso Vocale

3. Laetaniae della Beata Vergine, motet for 6 voices (from Messa a quatro voci, et Salmi), SV 204
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Gastone Sarti, Vera Luccini, Mariella Sorelli, Polifonia Complesso Vocale

Tracks:

Toccata In D Minor For Organ
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 In F: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 In G: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 In D: II. Affetuoso
Concerto For 2 Violins In D Minor: I. Vivace
Concerto For 2 Violins In D Minor: II. Adagio
Violin Concerto No. 1 In A Minor: I. Allegro
Violin Concerto No. 2 In E: I. Allegro
Magnificat In D: Magnificat
Magnificat In D: Deposuit potentes
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude 1
Concerto For 3 Harpsichords In C: II. Adagio
Concerto For 2 Harpsichords In C Minor: II. Adagio
Concerto For 4 Harpsichords In A Minor: First Movement
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Toccata, Adagio & Fugue In C: II. Adagio
Partita No. 3 For Solo Violin: Prelude
2-Part Invention: No. 8 In F
Wachet Auf: Sleepers Awake
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 In G: III. Presto
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 In F: III. Allegro assai
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 In D: III. Allegro
Orchestral Suite No. 2 In B Minor: VII. Badinerie
Mass In B Minor: Gloria
Mass In B Minor: Dona Nobis Pacem

Customer Reviews:

Just what you would expect.......2007-05-19

I was looking for a CD of exclusively Bach music, not necessarily played by a famous artist or orchestra. This had a lot of his well-known pieces and was exactly what I was looking for.

Wonderful collection and price!.......2007-05-11

I found this to be a nice collection of favorites, especially to keep in the car and listen to. It is a variety of well known compilations. Although not encompassing, it is perfect as a review for driving, relaxing, and enjoyment. Plus, the price is right!

Like Floating On A Cloud.......2006-09-20

My first real appreciation of this sound was from watching the film "Slaughterhouse Five" in the theater, back in the '70s. That soundtrack was just a taste of what you get with this recording. My family pops this CD in the car stereo on long trips, and glide down the highway to some original smooth grooves. Helps the miles pass swiftly. Music for the soul.

Bach.......2006-08-27

Surely you don't need me to review the guy. You know who he is, you've heard his music, and I hope you own some. So let me turn the podium over to a cat named Picasso, and you can read into that whatever you wish. She's in a chair, near the CD player. She has entered the room specifically for the music. Her eyes are squinted, almost but not quite shut, little face concentrating on just how contented those sounds make her feel. Nobody can say why they move her so, any more than we can say why they move us so. If we knew the answer to that one, we'd copy the guy. But anyway, she loves the music, and don't you dare make a sound such as squeaking your computer chair. If you do, her golden orbs will open, fix upon your face, and shame you. Yes they will. But if you are quiet long enough, you can watch a little calico sleep, with the very same sweet kitten face that drew you to her five years ago. Bach is gooooood.

Good CD, especially for novices.......2005-10-12

I was looking for a recommended Bach CD - certain music by a certain orchestra - and stumbled on this. It is an excellent choice for a new library. I think when there was more than one movement to a piece, it would have made more sense to go ahead and keep the movements together instead of separating them, but a novice listener would not notice. A great way to become exposed to a great composer.

Average customer rating:

so amazing
Essential Bach is OK
Excellent collection of mostly recognizeable music
Exquisite Essential Bach
Good

Essential Bach

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces
Essential Beethoven
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ASIN: B00004SPLF
Release Date: 2000-06-13

Tracks:

Toccata And Fugue In D Minor: Toccata in D minor
Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D Major: Air
Prelude in C major
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 In G Major: Allegro
Goldberg Variations: Aria
Sleepers Awake: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
Violin Concerto No.1 In A Minor: I Allegro moderato
Jesu, joy of man's desiring
Keyboard Concerto No.4: Allegro: I Allegro
Cello Suite No.3: Bourees I & II: Bourrees I And II
Concerto for Oboe & Violin In C Minor: Adagio
Mass In B minor: Crucifixus
Cello Suite No.1 in G Major: Praeludium
French Suite No.5 in G major: Gigue
Prelude in D Minor
Brandenburg Concerto No.5 In D Major: III Allegro
Matthaus-Passion: St Matthew Passion

Tracks:

Brandenberg Concerto No.2 In F Major: I Allegro
Concerto For 2 Violins In D Minor: II Largo, ma non tanto
Lute Suite In E Major: Prelude
Cantata: Sheep may safely graze
Cello Sonata In G Minor: II Adagio (excerpt)
Italian Concerto In F Major: II Allegro
Weihnachtsoratorium: Pastoral sinfonia
Violin Concerto No.1 In A Minor: II Andante
Partita No.1 In B Flat Major: Gigue
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor: Menuet
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor: Badinerie
Oboe Concerto In F Major: Siciliano
Brandenberg Concerto No.3 In G Major: I Allegro
Violin Partita No.2 In D Minor: Allemande
Violin Partita No.2 In D Minor: Gigue
Keyboard Concerto No.2 In E Major: I Allegro (excerpt)
Cantata: Sanctify us by thy goodness
Keyboard Concerto No.5 In F Minor: II Largo
Concerto In A Minor: I Allegro

Amazon.com

It is not possible to fit 36 Bach masterpieces on two CDs, so what Essential Bach does is present individual movements from across a range of the composer's work. The anthology is clearly aimed at the newcomer, and the absence of booklet notes to put the music in context is disappointing. We are only given titles, performers, and what films the extracts have been featured in, from Rollerball to The English Patient.

On the plus side, most if not all of the music is instantly recognizable, by melody if not by name. Everything from the Brandenburg Concertos to "Air on a G String" to the B Minor Mass and St. Matthew Passion is represented. Performances range from 1960 to 1993, encompassing both early instrument and modern orchestra interpretations by a wide variety of forces, including Sir Neville Marriner with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Raymond Leppard leading the English Chamber Orchestra. Given such diversity the result is unavoidably a patchwork, albeit one made from the finest materials, and as such is perhaps best treated as a sampler to aid exploration of the vast legacy of one of the very greatest composers who ever lived. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk

Customer Reviews:

so amazing .......2006-06-14

I love this kind of playing. this is my favorite classical cd.

Essential Bach is OK.......2005-09-29

This is a good basic primer. A true Bach lover might find a better selection/orchestra.

Excellent collection of mostly recognizeable music.......2005-03-18

LOVE LOVE LOVE this 2-CD set. I bought I a awhile back and have enjoyed it very much. My toddler likes it too. I think it's a great value for the money and may have to get another copy if this one wears out.

Exquisite Essential Bach.......2005-02-01

Value and exquisite sampler of Bach on two CD's at an affordable price. Recorded by the likes primarily of Academy of the St. Martin-in-the-fields, Chicago Sympony, Boston Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra and with virtuoso performers as William Bennett, Heinz Hollinger, Pepe Romero, and Wolfgang Rubsam, one gets treated to wonderful Bach exerpts of all his fantastic breath and depth of chamber, symphony and choral works.

One will have to go to other places to find background on these marvelous compositions as the liner notes only list perfomer and date recorded.

Good.......2004-07-13

This is a good album but for information on real choral music visit www.freewebs.com/bachster67/

Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli, Missa Aeterna

Average customer rating:

Something familiar, something new
Palestrina's a giant in renaissance counterpoint
Outstanding - music of the spheres.
Palestrina's Masses...I love them all...
Not just a bargain disc...

Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli, Missa Aeterna

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000013U7
Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus
Agnus Dei
Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus
Agnus Dei

Amazon.com

There's a wonderful legend, retold by (among others) Pfitzner's opera Palestrina, attached to the "Pope Marcellus" Mass: the Council of Trent, ground zero of the Counter Reformation, was about to ban all music but chant from the liturgy when Palestrina submitted this Mass, thereby changing the prelates' minds and saving church music. The writing is beautiful enough to deserve such a story: cheerful yet devout, comprehensible but not simplistic, without the complexity and secular borrowings (very prevalent in the preceding decades) that so perturbed the Council. The Missa Papae Marcelli has been recorded by choirs from Westminster Abbey to the Tallis Scholars, yet the Oxford Camerata does itself proud: Jeremy Summerly's reading of the music is reverently sweet, yet he's not afraid to make a joyful noise when appropriate--and the various voices are unusually clear. The equally radiant Missa Aeterna Christi Munera gets a similarly pleasing performance. Amidst serious competition, Summerly's readings of these Masses are among the best available--and, at Naxos's superbudget price, definitely the best value. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Something familiar, something new.......2005-10-19

--Palestrina--
Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina is sometimes called the greatest composer of the Roman Catholic church. Born in 1525 near Rome, he spent the better part of his career in service to the church as a choir member, choir master, conductor, composer and school master. He was sought after by many churches, and sometimes his popularity and skill got him into trouble both with his clerical patrons and with fellow musicians. He was offered prestigious positions in Rome and Vienna which were ultimately withdrawn because Palestrina's salary and conditions requirements were too high. He had some influence on the Council of Trent's musical decisions for reform of the Catholic worship practices, and was involved intimately with revising the Gradual and produced a harmonised version of the Latin Hymnal in 1589. He died in 1594.

--Masses--
The first mass presented here is Missa Papae Marcelli. Written in the 1550s, it wasn't published until the next decade. Pope Marcellus was only pope for a few weeks, but managed to endear himself to composers and conductors by insisting upon clarity as the highest of virtues for choristers. There is a joy to this, as Palestrina is definitely in the mode of celebrating the life of Pope Marcellus. This is one of Palestrina's most recorded works.

The second mass, Missa Aeterna Christi Munera is likewise a strong composition, although it is much less known than the first. Palestrina wrote over 100 masses in his lifetime (in addition to a wide range of other pieces), so it is not surprising that there might be some relatively overlooked. This particular mass has a more solemn tone to it, but still soars magnificently, and has no real flaws in composition.

--Oxford Camerata and Jeremy Summerly--
The performance of both of these pieces is superb. Perhaps the better performance belongs to the second mass; the Camerata has twelve singers, who double on the six-voice Missa Papae Marcelli, but are able to triple on the four-voice Missa Aeterna Christi Munera. They play with tempo and expression in new ways. The Oxford Camerata was formed in the early 1990s under the direction of Jeremy Summerly - this disc is their second recording. (Legend has it there was a cement mixer just outside the Dorchester Abbey, and that the recording engineers missed the first session for recording due to car trouble.)

Summerly's direction and selection of material and interpretation is such that it bears watching in the future.

Palestrina's a giant in renaissance counterpoint.......2005-10-14

Beautifully performed CD of 2 beautiful Masses written by G. Palestrina. Worth listening to and adding to album collection. Palestrina definitely is unsurpassed in Renaissance Counterpoint and is rightfully called the Prince of Music.

Outstanding - music of the spheres........2005-10-12

I've sung much renaissance polyphony, especially Palestrina, and this is about as good as recording gets. The musicality of the entire album, the perfect blend of voices (as well as a the utterly exquisite quality of that of the second tenor) and the perfection of the composition are all factors which contribute to something nonetheless mysteriously holy and beautiful about this recording; maybe what the music was really meant to be.

Palestrina's Masses...I love them all..........2004-11-18

I don't think is a good idea to compare composers
from three different musical periods; because of
their different mentalities, different cultures,
and different resources at their disposal...The
Missa Papae Marcelli is of interest because is
one of the earliest works to challange the regulations
in music of the Counter-Reformation; but yet in
other aspects it stays very close to what was expected
of Palestrina...Of special interest of the
Missa Papae Marcelli is the Mass'Gloria....
The Missa Aeterna...is a work that is based
on a motet a procedure that at the time
was a "BIG NO, NO" to the Counter-Reformation
movement...As all of the Palestrina Masses these
works are all full of beauty and serenity...
Oxford Camerata does a wonderful job....

Not just a bargain disc..........2001-03-12

This disc might actually make a good Palestrina sampler, of sorts - at least a good sampler of his masses. The Pope Marcellus Mass is probably his best known mass, and both this mass and the Missa Aeterna Christi Munera are models of elegance and serenity. The latter piece is not recorded very often, so you would be advised to pick up this disc, which contains both of these splendid pieces.

Normally in a review like this I would give some contextual/historical information about the pieces, but Palestrina and his Missa Papae Marcelli probably need little of this. It is often pointed out that this mass was written partly as model for textual intelligibility in polyphonic music; it is, though, even more than that: it is a model for perfection in Renaissance form.

I have three other recordings of the Marcellus Mass - two are by the Tallis scholars (one on the Palestrina 400 collection and the other on another separate recording) and one is by a German Baroque choir that I can't and won't take the time to remember (the recording isn't very good). Of the two T. Scholars recordings, the one on the 400 collection is preferable for its tempo, the other for the better acoustics of the recording venue. Both are fine recordings - typical Tallis Scholars. I haven't heard the Voices of Ascension or Westminster Choir recordings of this mass, but they are probably good.

I would recommend this present recording over the T. Scholars ones, though, for different reasons. First, the acoustics are preferable - there's more resonance in this one. The most importance difference is not really in interpretation (both groups render the music as flowing smoothly and slowly) but in the choral sound. Summerly's choir simply sounds fuller. For all their precision, the Tallis Scholars recordings sound thin - their sound lacks body, compared to the Oxford Camerata, although the former does seem to carry with it, as I said, the singular advantage of linear precision. In any case, the Oxford group sounds less pinched and more full-voiced.

Tracks:

Requiem: Introit et Kyrie
Requiem: Offertoire
Requiem: Sanctus
Requiem: Pie Jesu
Requiem: Agnus Dei
Requiem: Libera me
Requiem: In paradisum
Ave verum Corpus
Tantum ergo
Ave Maria
Maria, Mater gratiae
Cantique de Jean Racine
Messe basse: Kyrie eleison
Messe basse: Messe Basse - Sanctus
Messe basse: Messe Basse - Benedictus
Messe basse: Messe Basse - Agnus Dei

Amazon.com

John Rutter's groundbreaking research and subsequent performing edition of Fauré's beloved Requiem has enabled us to hear the work as the composer originally intended. His first version of the piece included only a chamber orchestra with lower strings, harp, timpani, and organ. Four years later, Fauré added two movements and slightly expanded the orchestration. This is the version that Rutter and his inimitable Cambridge Singers perform here-- and it's a glorious revelation, especially if the only Fauré Requiem you've heard is that for full orchestra, which the composer himself neither created nor approved. Rutter and his singers give us a wonderfully sumptuous yet detailed performance that benefits tremendously from the newly realized clarity of inner lines and from the richly colored orchestral textures. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

It's Beauty Revealed, At Last.......2007-01-11

This Collegium COLCD 109 is a later release of the Collegium COLCD 101 which I purchased circa 1985 after reading glowing reviews in Grammophone magazine. COLCD 101 is labeled Stereo/Digital. COLCD 109 is labeled Stereo/DDD. Is it a re-mastering? Liner notes don't say, but the new version provides noticeable improvements in vividness and clarity.

The release of COLCD 101 was a watershed event. John Rutter had questioned conventional performance versions of Faure's Requiem, those which used full symphony orchestras and Wagnerian-like soloists. Yes, it is a requiem, but Faure's ideas are very different than those found in, say, Verdi's Requiem. Instead of hellfire and damnation, Faure evokes serenity, peace and love. Rutter's historical research proved that Faure intended for his work to be performed in small, intimate settings where the orchestra and choir would be minimal and, maybe, use boy sopranos. Rutter's CD of the historical, 1893, version is like an expert restoration of an old painting where a century's grime is wiped away and the work is newly revealed in it's original beauty.

A 1990's CD of the 1893 version exists on Naxos 8.55076S by Jeremy Summerly and the Oxford Camerata. It, too, is beautiful and of similar performance quality, though conducted at a slightly slower tempo. I find Rutter's version more "right", but that's just personal preference.

OK, I'm a sucker for the 1893 version.......2006-01-17

John Rutter made substantial changes to the previously most-performed version of the Faure Requiem when he recorded this. He went back to the version of 1893 to do so, rather than using the more famous, more heavily orchestrated later version. One difference is that the violins in the Sanctus are transposed up an octave on this CD compared to the way in which they were played in the later Requiem. I find this recording to be beautiful and timeless, and definitely not over-orchestrated.

To me, Faure's great contribution with the Requiem was that he showed a firm refusal to judge other people as well as compassion in the face of death. This went against the beliefs of the Catholic church at the time, which emphasized hellfire and brimstone, and Faure was heavily criticized for putting as little mention in as he could get away with regarding the Day of Judgement. This compassion shows in his work and makes it comforting rather than frightening. It has been called a "lullaby of death."

I also enjoy the other vocal pieces, particularly the Ave Maria and the Cantique de Jean Racine, which is probably familiar to many people who are not really aware of Faure's career. These songs have a pure, clear sound which is not ruined through excessive orchestration.

In my opinion, John Rutter did a fantastic job with this material, and it's one of my favorite CDs.

Life has been engulfed in time.......2003-08-06

This requiem represents a complete shift in the general tone of the requiem as a genre. The vision of life and death is impregnated with a feminine light, the light of the ocean softly illuminated by the sunshine of Normandy, of the Graceful Coast. The figure that stands behind the music, that accompanies the dead person into the grave is no longer the masculine Germanic death that punishes man, nor even the furious feminine French death that challenges man, but the soft and comforting figure of the mother Mary, the universal comforter who takes the hand of each one of us, as if we were crying lost children, to make us pass the dangerous door that leads beyond life. This Holy Mary for whom Fauré has written so many Ave Marias, is promising us the end of time and our introduction into an everlasting stormless, painless and noiseless world that represents the very positive vision of a real world that is the negative vision of life. Photography is not far away. Everyday life becomes a life of strife, struggle, noise, violence, war, speed, work, exploitation and alienation, all elements seen as negative, and death is the negation of it all, is the positive virtuality that has to become our reality overthere. It is thus in perfect agreement with the vision the impressionists introduced to defy photography and bring art beyond the blaring image of reality a photographer brings up with his machine. The eye of the artist goes beyond those crude colors and forms to find light and life in the depth of his retina. Fauré is the impressionist painter of death as the real life beyond the surface we have to contemplate and suffer everyday. In other words virtual is beautiful and real is dreadful. Happiness has to be found in virtuality and not in reality. Fauré is bergsonian, who sees eternity beyond the flow of time. Fauré is proustian, who sees life beyond the loss of memory. This explains the erasing of the Dies Irae because there is no anger any more in the ascent to the eternal memory of what does not exist yet. This is a requiem of timelessness and nightlessness.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan

Requiem- a masterpiece........2002-04-21

This exquisite collection has so many gorgeous songs that move me to tears. In Sanctus, the violin is so pure, so beautiful, its wrings my heart. This is real music, real art, crafted with such care, that it is a true privilege to hear it, not to mention sing it (which I have done, and I loved it). It is an encredible CD, and I would encourage anyone to buy it.
Lilly

high quality but lacking emotion.......2001-09-01

One reviewer describes this as "no lack of sadness, bright, not gloomy, filled with sunshine"; another calls it "peaceful". I might go with peaceful. The quality is high and the recording is of interest for being more faithful to Faure's original, non-orchestral version, but I found the performance notably lacking in emotion. I would steer the reader toward the more deeply moving Naxos version (conductor: Jeremy Summerly), which is something of a gem at budget price.

Average customer rating:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
Beginner or Expert
Very Informative and Enjoyable
Frank's view
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

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What to Listen for in Music
Study of Orchestration, Third Edition

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

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:

Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 In G Major, S. 1049 (Allegro)
Gabrieli: In Decachordo Psalterio
Chorale Prelude: Wachet Auf (Sleepers, Awake), S. 645
Violin Concerto No. 2 In E Major, S. 1042 (Allegro)
Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, S. 565
Mass In B Minor, S. 232 (Et Resurrexit) (And He Has Risen)
Two-Part Invention No. 14 In B Flat Major, S. 785
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 In D Major, S. 1050 (Allegro)
Cantata No. 57, S. 57 (1740): Selig Ist Der Mann (Blessed Is The Man)
Italian Concerto In F Major, S. 971 (Allegro)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 In F Major, S. 1047 (Allegro Assai)
Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1, S. 846 (Prelude No. 1 In C Major)
St. Matthew Passion, S. 244 (Chorale)
Concerto For Two Violins In D Minor, S. 1043 (Allegro)
Passacaglia And Fugue In C Minor, S. 582
St. Matthew Passion, S. 244 (Chorale)
Cantata No. 211 (1732) 'Coffee Cantata' S. 211 (Baritone Solo)
St. John Passion, S. 245 (I Follow Thee Also, My Saviour, With Gladness)
Magnificat In D Major, S. 243 (Chorus)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 In G Major, S. 1048, (Allegro - Complete)
Vivace; Largo Ma Non Tanto: Allegro - Dieter Vorholz
Allegro - Dieter Vorholz
Adagio; Allegro Assai - Dieter Vorholz

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2006-07-01

We are using this series of CDs in our homeschool music program - they are fantastic! We especially love this one about Bach - what an awesome man! The story of his life is told in a way that is very interesting and holds the children's attention while also using various pieces of his music in the narration. It is done VERY well! My children are gaining a tremendous amount of knowlege and appreciation for music through this CD and so are my husband and I!

The Swingle Singers - Bach Hits Back ~ A Capella Amadeus

Average customer rating:

Flats and Sharps
Still new... and fantastic
A Swingle Singers Half Treasure -
A capella reigns
Best Swingles Ever

The Swingle Singers - Bach Hits Back ~ A Capella Amadeus
Johann Sebastian Bach , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , and The Swingle Singers
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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$7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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ASIN: B00000632P
Release Date: 1998-05-05

Tracks:

Ein' feste Burg - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Organ Fugue from Fantasia and fugue - Johann Sebastian Bach_
The Well -Tempered Clavier: Prelude XVIII - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Cantata No. 140: Chorale prelude from Cantata No. 140 'Wachet Auf' - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Wachet Auf: Chorale from 'Wachet Auf' - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier - Johann Sebastian Bach_
In Dulci Jubilo - Chorale Prelude - Johann Sebastian Bach_
In Dulci Jubilo - Chorale - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Andante fromSonata No. 2 for unaccompanied violin - Johann Sebastian Bach_
First movement from Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Cantata No. 208: Schafe konnen Sicher Weiden (Sheep May Safely Graze) from Cantata No. 208 - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Badinerie from Suite No. 2 - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Fugue VIII fromThe Well-Tempered Clavier - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Three - Part Invention - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Mass In B Minor: Et Resurrexit from Mass in B minor - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Bist Du Bei Mir - Johann Sebastian Bach_
St. Mathew Passion: Blute Nur, Du Liebes Herz - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Organ Fugue: Alla Gigue - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Suite No. 3: Air from Suite No. 3 (Air on a G String) - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Little Organ Fugue - Johann Sebastian Bach_
Cantata No. 60: Es Ist Genug from Cantata No. 60 - Johann Sebastian Bach_

Tracks:

Symphony No. 40: Die Zauberflote - Overture - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Symphony No. 40: I Molto Allegro - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Symphony No. 40: II Andante - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Symphony No. 40: III Minuetto: allegretto - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Symphony No. 40: IV Finale: Allegro assai - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Ave Verum Corpus - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
String Quartet In G Major: Finale from String Quartet in G major - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Cosi fan tutte: Un' Aura Amorosa from Cost fan tutte - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: Finale: Rondo from Eine kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Finale from Horn Concerto No. 4 - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Canzonetta from Don Giovanni - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Terzettino from Cosi Fan Tutte - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Gigue - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Piano Concerto No. 21: Andante from Piano Concerto No. 21 - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Hostias from Requiem - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Requiem: Quam Olim Abrahae from Requiem - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Piano Sonata In A Major: Finale: Alla Turca from Piano Sonata in A major - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Fantasia In F Minor And Major - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus

Customer Reviews:

Flats and Sharps.......2007-05-18

I enjoy the Swingle Singers very much but sadly, in this album they are flat on about half of the tracks. When they are on key, they are very, very good. When they are flat they are awful. Recommendation: buy a different Swingle Singers CD.

Still new... and fantastic.......2007-03-25

As time goes by, these recordings seem to become better and better. Fresh, perfect... fantastic CD.

A Swingle Singers Half Treasure -.......2007-03-10

If you love Bach and are a fan of the Swingle Singers, buy this CD. Fans of the Swingle Singers enjoy them for what they do to music - release it with air and bounce - and their style is perfectly suited for Bach. I couldn't enjoy it more. But the second Cd in this set is their treatment of Mozart, and, for me, it's inconsistent. This is due to the different styles of the two composers and I just think they match up better with Bach. But at this price, I shouldn't be complaining. The first CD alone is worth twice as much. Snatch it up!

A capella reigns.......2007-01-12

Another fine offering by this group. Fun for classical music buffs and novices.

Best Swingles Ever.......2006-02-16

If you know the Swingle Singers, you may expect jazzed-up Bach with a rhythm section. Now, don't get me wrong, i like that stuff, too, but that is just clean fun, while this is just Bach. No percussion, no jazzy rythym, just straight unaccompanied Bach. AND IT IS WONDERFUL.
Precise rhythm, clear vocal lines, everything you expect from the Swingles without the jazz. This is a really great album that should be bought by all Swingle lovers and all Bach lovers.
P.S. i bought this cd when it first came out,so I have never even heard the Mozart. With all due deference to fans of the worthy Wolfgang, i have always found the artful Amadeus rather a bore, so I will remain silent about that part of the album. No matter. The Bach alone is worth twice the price, so enjoy. And, hey, the Mozart is a nice bonus.

Average customer rating:

Agnus Dei music of Inner Harmony
Simply The Best
Wow!
Profound sublimity
Beautiful music

Agnus Dei: Music of Inner Harmony

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Agnus Dei II: Music to soothe the soul
O Magnum Mysterium
Choral Masterpieces
Barber's Adagio / Munch, Galway, Boston SO Strings
Gloria: Music of Praise & Inspiration

ASIN: B000005E4J
Release Date: 1997-02-18

Tracks:

Agnus Dei, op.11 - Barber
Cantique de Jean Racine, op.11 - Faure
Kyrie - Palestrina
Ave Verum Corpus K 618 - Mozart
Jesus bleibet meine Freude - Bach
Ave Maria, op.37 No.6 - Choir Of New College Oxford
Lux Aeterna - Choir Of New College Oxford
Totus Tuus - Choir Of New College Oxford
Hear my prayer - Mendelssohn
The Lamb - Tavener
In paradisum - Faure
Miserere mei, Deus - Choir Of New College Oxford

Amazon.com

Beyond this recording's new age packaging and title is a splendid sampling of some of the world's finest choral music, sung by one of the world's outstanding choirs. This "anthology of sacred choral music" spans 400 years and includes such masterpieces as Allegri's Miserere, Bach's "Jesu, joy of man's desiring," and Barber's exquisite Agnus Dei, which is the composer's choral setting of his famous Adagio for Strings. Along the way we also hear Mozart's sublime "Ave verum corpus," Elgar's "Lux aeterna," and the Kyrie from Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli. There has been a choir at England's New College, Oxford, since the year 1379, and this impressive line of experience shows in the intelligent, unfaltering, and finely polished performances by today's ensemble of 16 boys and 12 adults. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Agnus Dei music of Inner Harmony.......2007-05-14

Not really my thing but mother in law loved it.

Simply The Best.......2007-02-23

You'll love this music. This is music for all moments of your life

Wow!.......2006-07-08

I'm a long-time listener of all things rock-'n-roll, from Classic rock, to Alternative, and even a little Metal. I first heard this CD while having dinner at a friends house a long time ago, and I loved it. I've always been enchanted with choir music, so I bought this CD. Well, after years of listening to it to help me to unwind in the evening, I somehow misplaced it. So I came to Amazon to order both I and II. Of the two CD's, the first one is still the best, and it still helps me to relax after a long day. The choir show tremendous range in their singing, the assorted instruments are well-played, and I can almost imagine myself sitting in a centuries-old cathedral, enjoying the music and how it rings throughout the cathedral.

Buy it. You won't be disappointed.

Profound sublimity.......2006-02-27

This album offers music that is profoundly moving and sumbline. It takes the listener onto an inner journal of extraordinary emotional depths and heights

Beautiful music.......2006-01-18

The first song I've heard on this CD is "Miserere Mei..." and I loved it the first minute. I've heard it from a friend who likes classical, and I would've never bought this on my own.

All other versions of these songs I've heard since don't compare to the versions on this CD. Maybe because it was my first listen, maybe they're just good.

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

Average customer rating:

Mill. Classical review
classical music for the unitiated
Some little gems there that I had forgotten!
A very helpful collection
Excellent!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sonatas | Forms &