Four Seasons - Spring

Track Listings

1. Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F Major “Spring” Op. 24, Allegro

2. Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F Major “Spring” Op. 24, Adagio molto espressivo

3. Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F Major “Spring” Op. 24, Scherzo: Allegro molto

4. Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F Major “Spring” Op. 24, Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo5. Quintet for Piano in A Major “Trout” Op. 114 D667, Tema con variazioni: Andantino-Allegretto

5. Concerto No. 1 in E Major, Op. 8, 1 “Spring”, Allegro

6. Concerto No. 1 in E Major, Op. 8, 1 “Spring”, Largo e pianissimo sempre

7. Concerto No. 1 in E Major, Op. 8, 1 “Spring”, Danza postorale: Allegro

8. Waltz Op. 410 “Frühlingsstimmen” (Voices of Spring)

9. Symphony No. 1 in B flat Major “Spring” Op. 38, Allegro animato e grazioso

10. To the Spring & Erotic from “Lyrical Pieces” Op. 43 (5, 6)

11. Quartet for Strings No. 14 “Haydn Quartet No. 1” in G Major KV 387 “Spring”, Allegro vivace assai

Four Seasons - Spring, Music, Four Seasons-Winter, Classical Collections-Composer Desc.

A Day to Remember - Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day
Average customer rating:

A Beautiful Wedding

Wonderful!

Good CD for Wedding

A Day To Remember--Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day, O'Neill Brothers

great choice!

A Day to Remember - Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day
O'Neill Brothers
Manufacturer: O'Neill Brothers
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Day to Remember vol II

Classical Wedding

25 Wedding Favorites

Heart Beats: Now & Forever - Timeless Wedding Songs

I Will Be Here: 25 of Today's Best Wedding & Love Songs

ASIN: B000066RG3
Release Date: 2002-04-25

Tracks:

Falling in Love - Tim and Ryan O'Neill
Wachet Auf - J.S. Bach
Air on a G String - J.S. Bach
Air (from Water Music) - Handel
Reminiscent Joy - Tim and Ryan O'Neill
Canon in D - Pachelbel
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - J.S. Bach
The Wedding Song (There is Love) - Stookey
Ave Maria - Schubert
I Will Be Here - Steven Curtis Chapman
The Gift of Love (Water is Wide melody)
Spring (from The Four Seasons) - Vivaldi
Ode to Joy - Beethoven
From This Moment On - Shania Twain
The Way You Look Tonight - Kern
Forever in Love - Kenny G

Album Description

After performing at more than 200 weddings, Tim and Ryan O'Neill recorded this beautiful CD of favorite wedding songs. It features a full hour of instrumental piano, string quartet, flute, and guitar music that can be played at your ceremony or reception.

It also gives suggestions for music at your wedding, including a special bridal website!
*Over 1,000 song titles listed
*Listen to samples of songs
*More ideas for each part of your ceremony, reception, and dance

Customer Reviews:

A Beautiful Wedding.......2007-07-10

This CD made all the difference in our wedding celebration. The songs were simply beautiful. The CD was delivered promptly. I would definitely buy from this vendor again.

Wonderful!.......2007-03-23

This is exactly what I was looking for for my wedding day. It's a beautiful cd, absolutely perfect.

Good CD for Wedding.......2007-03-21

All great music for weddings. It really does have all the music I want to use!

A Day To Remember--Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day, O'Neill Brothers.......2007-02-07

The music was just perfect for our wedding--not too formal, not too simple.

great choice!.......2007-01-10

There are so many different songs to choose from on this cd and it's a great buy. whether you want to play it while eating dinner at the wedding, to walking down the isle, it's wonderful!!!!

Beethoven's Wig, Vol. 2: More Sing-Along Symphonies

Average customer rating:

Greatest baby gift ever
Great for the whole family
More Great Fun
One is better but this is still awesome!! Gotta have it!
Absolute joy, and endless fun!

Beethoven's Wig, Vol. 2: More Sing-Along Symphonies

Manufacturer: Rounder / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Symphonies
Beethoven's Wig 3: Many More Sing-Along Symphonies
Mozart's Magnificent Voyage
Mr. Bach Comes To Call
World's Very Best Opera for Kids... in English!

ASIN: B0001I2C8O
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Tracks:

Stuck In The Saddle Again (Light Cavalry March, Suppe)
Sing Verdi Very Loud (La donna e mobile, from Rigoletto, Verdi)
Its The Same Every Verse (In The Hall of The Mountain King, from Peer Gynt Suite, Grieg)
Musical Bs (Hungarian Dance #5, Brahms)
Dont Play That Violin (Violin Concerto #2, Paganini)
Schuberts Trout (Trout Quintet, Schubert)
Dvorak The Czechoslovak (Humoresque #7, Dvorak)
A Fan of Chopin (Prelude 7, Op. 28, Chopin)
Please Do Not Tease The Viennese (Blue Danube Waltz, Strauss)
Its Spring! (Spring, from The Four Seasons, Vivaldi)
Wow What a Wedding Cake (Wedding March, from A Midsummer Nights Dream,. Mendelssohn)
Instrumental Performances:
Light Cavalry March, Suppe
La donna e mobile, from Rigoletto, Verdi (with vocals)
In The Hall of The Mountain King, from Peer Gynt Suite, Grieg
Hungarian Dance #5, Brahms
Violin Concerto #2, Paganini
Trout Quintet, Schubert
Humoresque #7, Dvorak
Prelude 7, Op. 28, Chopin
Blue Danube Waltz, Strauss
Spring, from The Four Seasons, Vivaldi

Amazon.com

From a pure-pleasure standpoint, the first Beethoven's Wig was nothing to flip over, and the second disc in the series follows suit. However, that is not to say that this is not a valuable and possibly ingenious record. Those unfamiliar with the premise will quickly get the picture: Producer/writer/lead singer/chief clever guy Richard Perlmutter gathers a bundle of important classical works (Paganini's "Violin Concerto #2," Strauss' "Blue Danube Waltz") and makes up silly, catchy lyrics to lay over them, informing the listener about the piece or its composer. Standing out for their offbeat brilliance this time are "Dvorak the Czechoslovak" ("Humoresque #7," Dvorak) and "Wow What a Wedding Cake" (Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mendelssohn). Few stabs at mixing education with entertainment succeed so well. As a bonus, the second half of the CD repeats the symphonies straight up, presenting a neat opportunity to quiz kids 5-12 on what and who they've just heard. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Greatest baby gift ever.......2007-03-15

Both of my grandchildren (and their parents and grandparents) are hooked on this CD and all of the silliness and beauty it brings into our lives. We sing to it, dance to it, and find ourselves thinking about it at odd times. Who can't love singing Verdi VERY LOUD? I've now started giving this as a simple baby gift, especially to those with older siblings. They are already equipped with clothing and nursery gear, and Beethoven's Wig invites the whole family to gather round...even if it is just on short car rides.

Great for the whole family.......2007-01-04

My husband, 18 month old daughter and I all love this CD. It's a staple in the car. One caveat- these lyrics will get stuck in your head and I now find myself singing the "words" to these songs when I hear them in a store or commercial! I'm hoping this means my daughter will recognize these songs as she gets older.

More Great Fun.......2006-03-13

Like the first volume, this CD encourages young children to enjoy classical music. The silly lyrics sometimes impart factual information on the composer or the piece. There are 11 sing-along symphonies and then the 11 symphonies are replayed without the lyrics--total of 22 tracks. Booklet with lyrics and trivia is included. All our children (aged 2-12) enjoy this CD, as do we.

One is better but this is still awesome!! Gotta have it!.......2006-01-10

My children loved Beethovens Wig 1. I checked this one out at the library. Then, we decided we had to have this one too.
Yes, one is the best but 2 is still wonderful.
Save yourself the shipping and order both at the same time.
We all thoroughly enjoy it. My 4 yr old can name these classicals when he hears them elsewhere and he can hum these beautiful songs. Much better than kiddie rhymes and Disney jingles. Culture your children the funniest way!!

Absolute joy, and endless fun!.......2005-11-15

The tunes and word stay with you and before you know it, you are signing them along. My two kids (ages 9 and 7) ask me to put the CD on as soon as we get into the car. What a wonderful and fun way to get them to love classical music!

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:

Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD)
The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD)
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:

'La Primavera' - Concerto In E Major, Op. 8 No. 1: Allegro
'La Primavera' - Concerto In E Major, Op. 8 No. 1: Largo
'La Primavera' - Concerto In E Major, Op. 8 No. 1: Allegro
Verano Porteno: Summer In Buenos Aires
'L'Estate' - Concerto In G Minor, Op. 8 No. 2: Allegro Non Molto
'L'Estate' - Concerto In G Minor, Op. 8 No. 2: Adagio
'L'Estate' - Concerto In G Minor, Op. 8 No. 2: Presto
Otono Porteno: Autumn In Buenos Aires
'L'Autunno' - Concerto In F Major, Op. 8 No. 3: Allegro
'L'Autunno' - Concerto In F Major, Op. 8 No. 3: Adagio Molto
'L'Autunno' - Concerto In F Major, Op. 8 No. 3: Allegro
Invierno Porteno: Winter In Buenos Aires
'L'Invierno' - Concerto In F Minor, Op. 8 No. 4: Allegro Non Molto
'L'Invierno' - Concerto In F Minor, Op. 8 No. 4: Largo
'L'Invierno' - Concerto In F Minor, Op. 8 No. 4: Allegro
Primavera Portena: Spring In Buenos Aires

Amazon.com

Despite global warming, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons is more popular than ever. But it still seems strange that Gidon Kremer and his Kremerata Baltica ensemble--a group that continues to stun us with riveting performances of lesser-heard works--would tackle the tried-and-true baroque masterpiece. Luckily, Kremer inventively separates each Vivaldi season with a corresponding composition from Astor Piazzolla's Four Seasons Suite, making for fascinating comparisons. Kremer's performances of the Vivaldi are remarkable, sounding solid and fresh. And like an infectious Broadway musical, Piazzolla's seasons always seem on the verge of a giddy dance number. Kremer really gets to show off on these tango-inspired pieces, but he's charming throughout. The programming probably won't make this your reference Four Seasons, but for those who love their Vivaldi in small doses or fans of Kremer's Tango Ballet disc, this is a must-have. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Music ALIVE!.......2006-03-12

I really know hardly anything about Argentinan music or Kremer, but I bought this album after I became enraptured with the spring and summer suites at a ballet. My local company created a piece inspired by the works of expatriate artist Amaranth Ehrenhalt and set to alternating Vivaldi and Piazzola selections. I was amazed by how Vivaldi's Seasons took on new life. Everything was vivid and fluid and meshed perfectly with the dance. I recommend this--you can truely feel the seasons alive in all of their glory.
BTW: Rio de la Plata means River of Silver.

Full Circle With Kremer's Eight Seasons.......2005-10-19

Gidon Kremer has been building himself quite the reputation as an interpreter of the music of the late and great Argentine musical polymath, Astor Piazzolla. Here he takes the very well-known Four Seasons of Vivaldi and stands them up to the Four Seasons of Piazzolla and the result is an aural delight.
Most who are reading this are probably curious about this CD for one of two reasons: either they are Vivaldi fans, or they are Piazzolla fans. But who says that being a fan of one has to exclude the other? After you listen to this, you are likely to become a fan of the music of both composers and of Gidon Kremer as well if you were not already.
Being a huge Piazzolla fan,I never tire of hearing different interpretations of one of his most important works. The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires may be born of tango, but it is much more than that. It is a masterful marriage of classical elements with those of tango. Piazzolla could do many things with music and what he has created with his Four Seasons is an electrifying blend that will stand the test of time.
And so here is Gidon Kremer with yet another skillful and faithful interpretation of the both the spirit and the letter of Astor Piazzolla's music, cleverly juxtaposed with that of one of the Old Masters. Kremer brings us full circle with his presentation of the Four Seasons sequences of both composers, beginning with Vivaldi's La Primavera (Spring) and after a musical journey through the year, ending with Primavera Portena (Buenos Aires Spring) so that we finish where we began.
Kremer and his Kremerata Baltica do a virtuoso job throughout. Though I am a partisan of the music of Piazzolla, I enjoy Kremer's interpretation of Vivaldi as well. If you know and love this music as I do, then Eight Seasons merits an esteemed slot in your CD collection.

Rapturous.......2004-07-21

Parts of this recording are so beautiful that when I listen while working, I have to pause what I am doing and close my eyes. I don't remember how I ended up buying this CD (it certainly wasn't planned), but I am so grateful.

My rabbit hates it though. When I listen to it at home, he stamps his feet. So I can only listen to it at work. :(

"Eight wonders".......2003-02-24

Gidon Kremer's musical explorations were very famous from the beginning and during the last few years he is gaining almost a "classical superstar" status. I was a little suspicious about those beautifully packaged CDs with sort of "trendy" and almost too interesting sounding titles for serious classical achievements. BUT!! I couldn't be more wrong. "After Mozart" or "Eight Seasons" seem to be some of the most inspiring recordings I've heard. While listening to "Eight Seasons" at "concert" levels in a privacy of my room, I felt "goose bumps" for several times and I had to laugh out of pleasure, thinking: this is SOOO good. Gidon Kremer and his "baltic fresh" Kremerata Baltica are pursuing and tacking the pure essence of music. Programming the mix of Piazzola and Vivaldi doesn't seem extraordinary anymore. It is pure music, pure joy. Technical bravura and excellent sound are only side things. Tango nuevo - widely popularized music form and one of the most (ab)used baroque masterpieces join as one in a fresh and artistically meaningful entity. What more can we wish for ?
Piazzola sounds energetic and powerful and Vivaldi the freshest out of numerous interpretetions. Mixed in an interesting sequence they form a new "Opus".

I also strongly recommend "After Mozart" with its mixture of contemporary music and timeless, for many "godlike" Mozart. A recording that makes him human and even more divine at the same time.

From the River Plate (Rio de la Plata)........2002-11-10

The River Plate, an akward translation from the spanish "Rio de la Plata", is the widest river on the world. It both separates and bonds Buenos Aires with Montevideo, capitals cities of Argentina and Uruguay respectively. If I could ask Billy Joel how would he name this river, I think that much alike his excellent album "River of Dreams", he would call it "River of Tango".
Yesterday night I attended Mr. Kremer and the Baltic Kamerata's performance, where in addition to Mahler's 10th Adaggio, they played these "eight seasons". I think that for Mr. Kremer and his ensemble, coming to play to South America and precisely to the birthplace of tango, could be a "tour the force".
Well, he & the Kamerata were magnificient, classy. He kept us on our feet, applauding, for more than fifteen minutes.
This CD has capture the thrilling of his live performances.It is the kind of recording that becomes a milestone in our "audio memory", as Mr. Karajan liked to say. Enjoy it.

Average customer rating:

LETTER PERFECT CLASS(ICAL) ACT!
Great Tracks -- Great Value -- Great Book, Who Can Complain?
At this price, how can one complain?

A to Z of Classical Music

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

$9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

A - Z of Opera (includes 762 page booklet)
The Arts: World Themes
Walden and Other Writings (Modern Library Classics)
Twentieth-Century World History
Leisure The Basis Of Culture

ASIN: B00004YYRT
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Tracks:

De Profundis - Nova Schola Gregoriana
Alleluia - O Virga Mediatrix - Oxford Camerata
Gloria - Oxford Camerata
Pavane - Red Byrd
Canon - Capella Istropolitana
Vivace - Grave - Capella Istropolitana
Prelude - Laurence Cummings
Allegro - Takako Nishizaki
Adagio - Miroslav Kejmar
Air On The G String - Capella Istropolitana
Hallelujah Chorus - Scholars Baroque Ensemble
Menuetto: Allegretto - Capella Istropolitana
Andante - Failoni Orchestra
Allegro - Capella Istropolitana
Adagio - Jeno Jando
Andante - Ernst Ottensamer
Quis Est Homo - Hungarian State Opera Chorus

Tracks:

Ave Maria - Ingrid Kertesi
Un Bal - Pinchas Steinberg
Wedding March - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Minute Waltz - Idil Biret
Larghetto - Alexander Rahbari
Ride Of The Valkyries - Uwe Mund
Prelude - Alexander Rahbari
Hungarian Dance No.3 - Budapest Symphony
Scene - Ondrej Lenard
Slavonic Dance No.1 - Balazs Szokolay
Nimrod - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Clair De Lune - Keith Clark
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Opening) - Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Prelude In C Sharp Minor - Idil Biret
Fountain Of The Villa Medici At Sunset - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Overture - Bournemouth Sinfonietta
O Fortuna - Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
Playful Pizzicato - Bournemouth Sinfonietta
Violin Concerto - Adele Anthony

Amazon.com

Is it a two-CD set with a particularly thick booklet, or a 562-page book with a compilation album attached? Either way, the unpretentious text by Keith Anderson offers an introduction to the lives and works of dozens of composers, together with recommended recordings from the Naxos and Marco Polo catalogs. Anderson includes a useful 59-page glossary of musical terms and an extensive listing of classical pieces used in films. The odd thing about the 36 extracts and complete pieces on the CDs is that they do not form an A-to-Z at all. Rather, they are arranged chronologically, from 1,000-year-old Gregorian chant to the opening movement of contemporary composer Philip Glass's Violin Concerto. Between these two points is the early music of Palestrina and Byrd; the Baroque glories of Vivaldi and Bach; the 19th-century Romantic masters, from Beethoven to Tchaikovsky; and such 20th-century greats as Rachmaninov and Stravinsky. Opera, song, and chamber music are barely represented, but only so much can fit into 151 minutes. Essentially a deluxe sampler of the vast Naxos catalogue, the discs offer a good introduction to some of the most famous and melodic music ever composed, while the book will be very useful to newcomers to the potentially confusing world of classical music. --Gary S. Dalkin

Album Description

A-Z of Classical Music is a remarkable 562-page, illustrated bok, detailing the lives of all the great composers as well as many less known, but equally fascinating, musical masters. Like the Naxos range of recording itself, A-Z of Classical Music is a rich source of inspiration for anyone either just embarking on a lifetime of musical enjoyment or for whom classical music has long been a way of life. Included within is an extensive glossary of musical terms plus a unique guide to classical music used in acclaimed films. Two-and-a-half hours of the finest music from across the centuries are contained in the accompanying CDs.

Customer Reviews:

LETTER PERFECT CLASS(ICAL) ACT!.......2003-01-19

It's only natural we sometimes hit the high seas....make that Cs. This is one box set about which we sing praises. This set features more than two hours of the finest music from across the centuries by such composers as Schubert, Chopin, Mozart, Handel, Stravinsky and Glass. The set also comes with a 562-page illustrated book, detailing the lives of hundreds of composers, a
glossary of musical terms and a unique guide to the classical music used in 360 top films.

Great Tracks -- Great Value -- Great Book, Who Can Complain?.......2002-08-30

Naxos is a fabulous label -- you will not get samples of the best classical music through the ages at no better price. These tracks are as good as any of the over-priced major orchestras and in some cases better. This is a great starter set for a beginner or anyone who just wants to "taste" the classics. If you prefer Opera I would suggest the A to Z of Opera -- most of the tracks on A to Z Classical are orchestral. I was so impressed with this collection that I purchased the Discover the Classics Vol's 1-3 which will give you a more detailed look at the great classics. Take a look at the Naxos web site at NAXOSUSA.COM -- what you will see will blow your mind -- there are literally thousands of pieces that you could listen too!

At this price, how can one complain?.......2001-09-30

This is pretty much a CD version of a mini-Naxos and Marco Polo catalog. All the pieces and extracts are ordered chronologically on the 2 CDs and are of very acceptable quality, but don't expect excellence in every track. Personally, I was particularly disappointed with one of my favourite Pachelbel pieces. The Naxos Canon & Gigue lacks all the emotion of my favourite versions.

Still, any possible weaker performances are of little importance after you get your hands on the fat booklet with over 500 pages. The booklet offers a short intro about the great composers, a glossary of musical terms, a list of works used in films and dozens of illustrations of several composers.

Overall, at this price, this is a must-have pack for any beginner, and might be useful for the occasion "quick check" of the work of many composers. Do not expect many detail, nor references to all the works of some composers; I often got frustrated with the lack of detail in some cases, but in general, the booklet is very effective for a quick reference.
You will need more titles that offer more complete information, and you won't truly learn to love classical music just by reading it, but it is small and compact.

It really puzzles me why Naxos did not include a full index of composers, a serious omission. To find a particular composer you will have to look for it yourself in over 500 pages. Also, the separation of the text is not so good, making the search even a bit slower. The lack of the index is truly annoying and I am sure it will be corrected in future editions.

Even with a few weaker pieces and the lack of the index, at this price, there isn't much to argue about. This is truly a bargain that you should not miss. I would also recommend the A-Z of Opera, which offers a bigger booklet with over 700 pages, focusing on opera works and mentioning several composers that are absent from the A-Z of Classical. That other booklet has a very complete index, and much clearer text layout and separation, that's the way both booklets should have been designed.

Tracks:

Brandenbutg Concerto No.3 In G First Movement
Overture No.3 In D Second Movement
Violin Concerto In E First Movement
Prelude In C minor
Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude (Chorus From Cantata No.147)
Overture No.2 In B minor Minuet And Badinerie
Oboe Concerto In D minor Second Movement
Brandenburg Concerto No.4 In G Third Movement
Musical Offering - Fuga canonica
Easter Oratorio - Overture
Minuet In D minor
Kommst Du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel herunter(From Choral Prelude BWV 650
Brandenburg Concerto No.1 In F Second Movement
Art Of The Fugue - Contrapunctus 9
Concerto For Flute, Violin, Harpsichord And Strings. Triple Concerto - Third Movement
Overture No.4 In D - Réjouissance
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Water Music - Alla Hornpipe
Xerxes - Ombra Mai Fu (Largo)
Messiah - And The Glory Of The Lord
Concerto Grosso In A Minor, Op. 6, No. 4 - Larghetto Affettuoso
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 4 Allegro
Water Music - Air
Messiah - For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Concerto Grosso In B flat, Op. 3, No. 2 - Largo
Salomon - Sinfonia, Act 3
The Choice Of Hercules - While For Thy Arms
Water Music - Allegro (Suite No. 1)
Suite No. 5 In E - Air With Variations
Jephtha - How Dark, O Lord
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 5 Alla Siciliana - Presto
Mi Palpita Il Cor (Solo Cantata) S'un Di M'adora
Water Music - Andante Allegro Da Capo
Concerto for Trumpet & Orchestra in E-flat: First Movement
Symphony No. 94 in G: Surprise Symphony-second movement
Concerto for Violin No. 2 in D: Third Movement
Flute Trio No. 31 in G: Second Movement
Symphony No. 31 in D: Hornsignal-First Movement
String Quartet No. 17 in F, Op. 3, no. 5: Serenade Quartet-Second Movement
Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat for Violin, Cello, Oboe, Bassoon and Orchestra-Third Movement
Concerto for 2 Horns & Orchestra in E-flat: Second Movement
Symphony No. 88 in G: Fourth Movement
String Quartet No. 77 in C: Kaiser Quartet-Poco adagio cantabile
Notturno No. 1 in C: Second Movement
Symphony No. 98 in B: Londoner No. 4-Fourth Movement
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - first movement
Piano Concerto in A - second movement
Flute Concerto in D - Rondeau
Serenade - Minuet
Violin Concerto - first movement
Symphony No. 40 in G minor - first movement
Clarinet Concerto - second movement
Turkish March
Divertimento - Minuet
Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat - first movement
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67-First Movement
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27, no. 2: Moonlight Sonata-First Movement
Overture
O welche Lust (Prisoners' Chorus)
Ha, welch ein Augenblick (Pizarros's Aria)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37: Second Movement
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 61: Third Movement
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13: Pathétique-Second Movement
Sympony No. 6 in F, Op. 68: Pastorale-First Movement
Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra in C minor, Op. 80: Choral Fantasy - Finale
German Dance No. 1 In C
Impromptu Op. 90, No. 3 In G-Flat
Heidenroslein
Ave Maria
Der Lindenbaum
Quintet In A 'Trout Quintet' - Andante
Mass No. 6 In E-Flat - Kyrie
Die Schone Mullerin Des Mullers Blumen
German Dance No. 2 In G
Piano Sonata In B-Flat
Nachtgesang Im Walde
Winterreise - No. 15: Die Krahe
German Mass - Zum Sanctus (Heilit, Heilig Ist Der Herr)
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor 'Unfinished' - Second Movement
Waltz No. 1 in E-flat, Op. 18 Grande Valse brillante
Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 9, no. 2
Etude in G-flat, Op. 10, no. 5
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21-Second Movement
Mazurka in D minor, Op. 33, no. 2
Prelude in D-flat, Op. 28, no. 15 Raindrop
Etude in C, Op. 10, no. 1
Nocturne in D-flat, Op. 27, no. 2
Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 66 Fantasy Impromptu
Scherzo in B minor, Op. 20
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35-Third Movement
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor - first movement 113.String Seranade - Waltz
Violin Concerto - second movement
The Sleeping Beauty - Waltz
Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
Swan Lake - Waltz
Eugene Onegin - Polonaise
The Nutcracker - Waltz of the Flowers
Orchestral Suite No. 4 - Mozartiana - Third Movement
Swan Lake - Dance of the Swans
Symphony No. 6 in B minor - Pathétique - Third Movement
Hungarian Dance No.5
Lullaby
Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op. 68 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in E-flat, Op.117, no. 1
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 77 - Third Movement
Waltz, Op. 39, no. 15
Concert for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 83 - Second Movement
String Quintet in G, Op. 111 - Second Movement
Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op. 98 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in A minor, Op. 76, no. 7
Hungarian Dance No.1 in G minor
German Requiem Selig sind die Toten (Final Chorus)
Die Fledermaus - Overture
Kaiser Waltz, Op.437
Thunder And Lightning Polka, Op. 324
Roses From The South Waltz, Op. 388
AnnenPolka, Op. 117
Vienna Blood Waltz, Op. 354
Eljen A Magyar Polka, Op. 332
Wine, Women and Song Waltz, Op. 333
On The Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 134
Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg - Overture
Tannhauser - Die Pilger sind's (Pilgims' Chorus)
Tannhauser - O du mein holder Abendstern (Wolfram's Aria)
Lohengrin - Act 3 Prelude and Bridal Chorus
The Flying Dutchman - Jo-ho-he Traft ihr das Schiff (Senta's Ballad)
The Flying Dutchman - Steuermann, lass die Wacht (Sailors' Chorus)
Die Walkure - Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond (Siegmund's Aria)
Die Walkure - Ride of the Valkyries
Siegfried Hoho! Hoho! Hohei! Schmiede mein Hammer (Siegfried's Forging Song)
Tristan und Isolde - Liebestod
Thus sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (excerpt)
Don Juan, Op. 20
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64, I.Nacht
Don Quixote, Op.35, first movement: Introduction
Salome, Op. 54, Dance Of The Seven Veils
Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, Finale: Hab' mir's gelobt ihn lieb zu haben
Piano Concerto 2 In C minor, Op. 18 - First Movement
Vocalise, Op.34, No. 14
Prelude In G Sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 12
Piano Concerto No. 4 In G minor, Op. 40 - Third Movement
Symphony No. 2 In E minor, Op. 27 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 In F sharp minor, Op. 1 - Second Movement
Rhapsody, Op. 43 On A Theme By Paganini
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
Liebestraum No.3 in A-flat
Piano Concerto No.1 in E-flat - third movement
Angelus
Mephisto Waltz No.1 (Dance in a Village Tavern)
Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H
Dante Symphony - Finale. - Purgatorio - Magnificat
Les Préludes
Boléro
Daphnis et Chloé first movement: Nocturne
Rhapsodie Espagnole
Shéhérazade - first movement: Asie
Ma Mère l'Oye - fourth movement: La Belle et la Bête
Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet
La Valse
Slavic Dance No. 1 in C, Op. 46, no.1
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World' - second movement
Humoresque, Op. 101
Slavic Dance No. 8 in G minor, Op. 46, no. 8
Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 22 - second movement
Romance for Violin and Orchestra In F minor, Op. 11
Symphony No. 7 in D minor - third movement
Melodie (Songs My Mother Taught Me)
Carneval Overture, Op. 92
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104 - third movement
Symphony No.4 In A, Op. 90. Italian - First Movement
Frühlingslied In A, Op. 62, No. 6
Wedding March (From A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61)
Duetto In F, Op.30, No.6 (From Songs Without Words)
String Symphony No.9 In C. Schweitzer Symphony - Third Movement
Concerto For Violin, Piano And String Orchestra No. 1 In D minor - Second Movement
Symphony No.3 In A minor, Op.56 Scottish - Third Movement"
Notturno (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Rondo Capriccioso, Op.14
String Symphony No. 12 In G minor - First Movement
Venetian Gondola Song In F Sharp minor, Op.30, No.6
Scherzo (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Violin Concerto In E minor, Op.64 - Third Movement
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op. 46 - Morgenstimmung
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - I. Prelude. Allegro vivace
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - IV. Air. Andante religioso
Arietta, Op. 12, no. 1
Homage March from Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op. 56
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Solveig's Song
Wedding Day at Troldhauen, Op. 65, no. 6
The Last Spring, Op. 34, no. 2
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op 46 - Anitra's Dance
Nordic Melody Op. 63
Notturno, Op. 54, no. 4
Elegie, Op. 47, no. 5
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Arabic Dance
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 - Allegro
Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 97 - Rhenish - first movement
Traumerai (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)
Mondnacht (from Eichendorff-Liederkreis, Op. 39)
Aufschwung (from Fantasietucke, Op. 12)
Triolett, Op. 114, no. 2
Tanzlied (No. 1 from Duets, Op. 78)
Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120 - second movement
Frühlingsgruss
Abschied (from Waldszenen Op. 82)
Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - Im wunderschonen Monat Mai
Manfred Overture, Op. 115
Romance in F sharp, Op. 28, no. 2
Die Rose stand im Tau
Liebesgarten (from Four Duets, Op. 34)
Warum? (from Fantasiestucke, Op. 12)
Kennst du das Land, Op.79, no. 29 (from Lieder der Mignon, Op. 98a)
Von fremden Landern und Menschen (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)

Album Description

An extraordinary 20-CD collection of great works by Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, J. Strauss, R. Strauss, Schumann, Wagner, Dvorak, Grieg and Liszt. It also features worldrenowned artists such as Sir Neville Marriner, Martha Argerich, Ivo Pogorelich, Hermann Prey, Reiner Goldberg, Sylvia Sass, Jochen Kowalski, Peter Schreler and many more. This exquisite, copper metallic, deluxe boxed set is the perfect gift for the classical music neophyte.

Customer Reviews:

Mill. Classical review.......2007-05-13

This is a great set of recordings for the money, the only problem was I've had to clean some of the CD's before they played correctly.

classical music for the unitiated.......2007-04-01

This set is a good way to start listening to classical music. It's very well produced and easy to listen to. I purchased it to use as part of my world history high school class. It would have been nice to have some bio information on the composers. However, the product is exactly as advertised and good value for the money. The students were intrigued by how many of the excerpts they had heard before.

Some little gems there that I had forgotten!.......2007-03-30

Although I studied classical music at school, I had all but forgotten it until I bought this set. I heard several tracks I haven't heard for over 30 years, and I had been humming Brahms's 'Hungarian Dance no. 5' for years without ever knowing what it was and it was on the disc, so that was nice.

I found it to be a very good selection overall, but I felt too much had already been heard on TV, which of course is what lots of newcomers to classical music might appreciate. I managed to find about 2 hours of tracks that I wanted to keep, which works out quite expensive per disc, but I did find some wonderful music I had completely forgotten about, so it was worth it. All in all, it represents good value, and I have only knocked one star off as so much of it had been used in adverts.

It is definitely a good introduction to classical music, and it has made me want to listen to more of it, so I don't regret this 'expensive' purchase one bit!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

A very helpful collection.......2007-03-24

I define this set as an excellent way to find out who you like, and who you don't, among 20 of the important composers. It opens the door to purchasing more complete pieces by composers you do like, and can save a lot of time and money in the process.
To criticize the set for not containing more composers, or more than just snippets of those who are in the set, is missing the point: it is a helpful introduction to finding your way in the huge maze of classical music. It succeeds admirably in this.
Sound quality is uniformly very good on an audiophile system.
Highly recommended.

Excellent!.......2007-03-08

A great way to start a classical music collection. It's nice to have a full CD of each composer. It makes it easy to keep track of selections/composers I already have and what composers I still need to puchase to complete my collection.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful
Thanks you Decca
Exquisite music for the soul
Indeed a joy forever!
Exquisite collection & performances, unbelievable value!!!

Violin Adagios

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Cello Adagios
Piano Adagios
Romantic Adagios
Guitar Adagios
Movie Adagios

ASIN: B000058BGY
Release Date: 2001-03-20

Tracks:

Thais: Meditation - Nigel Kennedy
Vn Con No.1 in g, Op.26: Adagio - Kyung Wha Chung
Con No.4 in f, RV 297 'Winter': Largo - Alan Loveday
Con in d, BWV 1043: Largo, Ma Non Tanto - Henryk Szeryng/Maurice Hasson
Adagio in E, K.261 - Henryk Szeryng
Vocalise, Op.34 No.14 - Akiko Suwanai/Philip Moll
Vn Con in D, Op.77: Adagio - Joshua Bell
Vn Con: Andante - Joshua Bell
Melodie - Arthur Grumiaux/Istvan Hajdu
Vn Son No.5 in F, Op.24 'Spring': Adagio Molto Espressivo - Itzhak Perlman/Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vn Con in D, Op.35: Canzonetta: Andante - Leila Josefowicz
Songs My Mother Taught Me, Op.55 No.4 - Arthur Grumiaux/Istvan Hajdu
None But The Lonely Heart - Josef Sakonov
The Gadfly: Romance - Alexander Kerr

Tracks:

Romance No.2 in F, Op.50 - Arthur Grumiaux
Vn Con in E, BWV 1042: Adagio - Midori
Salut D'amour - Kyung Wha Chung/Philip Moll
Ave Maria, D.839 - Arthur Grumiaux/Istvan Hajdu
Con in a, RV 522: Larghetto - Midori/Pinchas Zukerman
Son in D, Op.1 No.13: Larghetto - Iona Brown
Vn Con No.3 in G, K.216: Adagio - Arthur Grumiaux
Liebesleid - Joshua Bell/Paul Coker
Vn Con in e, Op.64: Andante - Kyung Wha Chung
Souvenir D'un Lieu Cher, Op.42: Melodie - Akiko Suwanai/Philip Moll
Vn Con in d, Op.47: Adagio Di Molto - Kyung Wha Chung
Vn Con in D, Op.35: Romance: Andante - Chantal Juillet
Standchen, D.957 No.4 - Arthur Grumiaux/Istvan Hajdu
Estrellita - Arthur Grumiaux/Istvan Hajdu
Orchestral Ste No.3 in D, BWV 1068: Air ('Air On A G String') - ASMF/Neville Marriner

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2005-11-07

An excellent compilation of folk tunes and violin concerto adagios, played masterfully by some of the world's most revered musicians. Features modern pieces (Korngold, Barber), which are a personal favorite of mine.

Thanks you Decca.......2005-01-23

My daughter is a violin student of 7 years and she has played 3 or 4 of these pieces for recitals. I bought the CD's so she could become familiar with the pieces as she was learning to play them. Now I find myself listening to the CD's almost every night when I go for my end of the day drive to relax. My favorites are the Mozart Concerto in G, the Mendelssohn Concerto in E minor and Beethoven's Romance in F on disc 2, but all the songs are exquisitely beautiful. I highly recommend it.

Exquisite music for the soul.......2004-06-14

These CDs have the most incredible selections of music on them. Listening to the violins has enabled me to complete papers for my doctoral level classes without the usual neck aches. This is soothing, exquistie music for the soul! Lovely!!

Indeed a joy forever!.......2003-05-22

Before buying this 2 CD set,I've read Reviews by Chicagodreamer,
who rated it as "Highly, highly recommended." His laudatory recommentation, I must say, is found "well justified."

Exquisite collection & performances, unbelievable value!!!.......2002-01-15

"Over 2 l/2 hours of the world's most beautiful music." These words on the cover are very close to true. What an incredible value this collection is!! So many of these compilations of this sort are cheaply produced, and those "greatest hits" collections are one trite piece after another -- after a while one runs screaming to the stereo to shut it off. However, this collection is top-notch, and the performers they chose are masterful musicians at the top of their game. Every selection is lovely, each one unfolding after the other in a sublime slide show of exquisite compositions performed by legends. This is TWO CDs of sparkling performances composed and performed by masters. There is not a bad selection or a piece of inferior quality in the entire lot.

Tracks:

I. Allegro - Vladimir Spivakov
II. Largo - Amsterdam Guitar Trio
III. Allegro - Michala Petri
I. Allegro Non Molto - Larry Coryell
II. Adagio/Presto - Tracy Scott Silverman
III. Presto - Gottfried Von Der Goltz
I. Allegro - James Galway
II. Adagio Molto - Larry Coryell
III. Allegro - Vladimir Spivakov
I. Allegro Non Molto - Ransom Wilson
II. Largo - Gottfried Von Der Goltz
III. Allegro - James Galway
I. Allegro (Alternate Version) - Michala Petri
III. Allegro (Alternate Version) - Gottfried Von Der Goltz
I. Allegro Non Molto (Alternate Version) - Gottfried Von Der Goltz
II. Adagio/Presto (Alternate Version) - James Galway
III. Presto (Alternate Version) - Larry Coryell
III. Allegro (Alternate Version) - Amsterdam Guitar Trio
I. Allegro Non Molto (Alternate Version) - Gottfried Von Der Goltz
I. Allegro Non Molto (Alternate Version) - James Galway
II. Largo (Alternate Version) - Vladimir Spivakov
II. Largo (Alternate Version) - Larry Coryell
III. Allegro (Alternate Version) - Gottfried Von Der Goltz

Customer Reviews:

Active or Passive Voice?.......2006-11-29

Part One: It must have been the wax.
------------------------------------
While it is essential for any artist to interpret the work of another before them, a regard for the original author must remain intact. This is an ambitious recording, however, we are rarely judged by our intent and far more often by our act. All too often in this recording we are listening to the artist playing an author's work rather than the author's work being played by an artist. Hubris abounds in this recording, from its conception to its release, and unfortunately suffers an all too predictable fate.

Part Two: I can see the numbers.
-------------------------------
However, even more disenchanting than the usurping of a masterwork is the lack of inspired performances, as if each is so out of context that within the confines of these "snippets" the artist never engages leaving the listener equally disengaged, akin to a polished paint-by-numbers canvas executed in water color by a haphazard collection of period icons. If this was the very first recording of this sterling composition, it may well have been the very last.

end

Four Seasons a Winner.......2005-07-21

This is the second copy of Vivaldi's Greatest Hit I have purchased. I liked it so much, I decided to buy another copy to give my 15-yr-old nephew, who is a violinist and lover of classical music. He loves it, too, so two thumbs up from this reviewer.

A New Twist for an Old Favorite!.......2004-05-28

I own two other renderings of "The Four Seasons" in addition to this one, and this disc is my favorite. Vivaldi intended for "The Four Seasons" to be a multimedia experience, incorporating music, image, and poetry. This collection truly captures that spirit of versatility by arranging the work for several different instruments (not just guitar, as the previous review would have you believe). In addition, the movements rendered with soloist Gottfried von der Goltz on the Baroque violin sound almost completely different from any previous recordings. His style is hard, almost violent, while his instrument sounds much darker and richer than a modern violin. It adds a depth to "The Four Seasons" lacking in many new studio recordings. The third movement from "Summer" in particular is stunning, with von der Goltz transforming it from a mere succession of rushing 16th notes into an exuberant, virtuosic portrait of a prairie thunderstorm. The guitar, flute, and electronic arrangements (only one electronic arrangement, however) are excellent, retaining the true spirit of the original while managing to add something new. The disc contains the entire cycle of the seasons twice, with various different instrumentations playing each movement. Lovers of "The Four Seasons," Baroque music, or classical music in general will find MUCH to appreciate here!

Not as much fun as it could be given the premise.......2003-04-16

This isn't a bad album. It's a perfectly nice run-through of Four Seasons, twice. But the premise is that there are many different performers in many different styles, and the actuality comes out less varied than one would hope.

The performers are certainly all-stars, and there's nothing wrong with any of the performances. It's just that, they're, well, the same performances those all-stars could give any time. There are no new interpretations of the work. There are very few adaptations to unusual instruments - except for the movements done mainly on guitar, everything else is essentially the basic original orchestration, with different soloists filling in instead of the violin - Michaela Petri on recorder, James Galway on flute, etc.

And I didn't feel that the choice of which soloists did which movements was as inspired as it could have been. In several movements, the soloists hardly came across as soloists at all. The order in which the performers appeared, appeared to have been chosen at random. That is, every movement was played in order, with some randomly chosen set of artists doing it. Then, the (nearly) whole thing was played again, this time with the artists chosen randomly a different way, so that Michaela Petri was doing a different movement from the first time through.

Many casual listeners to classical music aren't aware that each "Season" is actually made up of three sections. The recording switches performers with every section. I personally think this would have been more effective if one set of performers had done all three sections of a season, long enough for the listener to really get a feel for their sound, then switched to another performer only with the change of seasons. With 8 seasons to go through (four times two), that still would have allowed for plenty of variety, and left one much more able to appreciate that variety.

Tracks:

Orchestral Suite #3, 1/Minuet in G+/Gigue in G+ (French Suite #5) - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring/Chromatic Fantasy/Prelude in B - (WTC1) - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
Introducing the Orchestra/Organ: Chorale Preludes, "Allein Gott" - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
Brandenberg Concerto #5, MVT. 3 - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
Flute Sonata C+, MVT. 2/Organ; "Es Ist das Heil"/Orchestral Suite ... - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
Prelude in C (WTC1)/Orchestral Suite #2, MVT. 2 - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
Bist du Bei Mir - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
Orchestral Suite #2, Badinerie - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
Orchestrak Suite #3, Air for the G-String - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
Orchestral Suite #3, Gigue - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
"Adventure in Music" - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
Goldberg Variations/Art of Fugue - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
"Liebster Jesu"/Flute Sonata in C, MVT. 4 - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir
"We Hasten, " Cantata #78 - Studio Arts Orchestra, The Toronto Boys' Choir

Tracks:

Symphony #7, MVT. 2
Symphony #5, MVT. 1
Piano Sonata, Op 90, MVT. 2/Flute Serenade, Op 23, MVT. 3/Violin ...
Pathue Sonata, Op 13, MVT. 2/Contradanse #1 in Major
Symphony #5, MVT. 2/Piano Sonata, Op 14 #2, MVT. 2/Flute Serenade, ...
Polonaise/La Marmotte/Country Dance in a Major/Fse/Flutnuhr
Sonatina in G Major/Minuet in G Major/Violin "Spring" Sonata, MVT. 1
Moonlight Sonata, Op 27 #2, MVT. 1
Flute Serenade, MVT. 2
Symphony #6, Storm
Nel Cor Piu Variations
Piano Concerto #1, MVT. 1/Piano Concerto #5, MVT. 2
Bass Excerpts from Symphony #9/Violin"Spring Sonata"/Rage Over a ...
Symphony #9, MVT. 4
Sonata Opus 49 #2, MVT. 2
Symphony #6, Shepherd's Theme

Tracks:

Lost in the Opera House: Oh Help Me (Zu Hilfe) - Nils Brown, St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra
Papageno and the Birds: The Best Birdcatcher (Der Vogelfer) - Russell Braun, St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra
Queen of the Night: You Must Free My Daughter (O Zittre Nicht) - Marjorie Sparks, St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra
Pamina Arrives, Papageno's Magic Bells: A Girlfriend (Ein Mhen) - Russell Braun, St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra
Castle of Sarastro: O Endless Night (O Ew'ge Nacht) - Nils Brown, St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra
Magic Flute: O Listen (Wie Stark) - Nils Brown, St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra
Escape: Let Us Hurry (Schnelle FWhat Tinkles So Brightly ... - Russell Braun, St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra, Monica Whicher
Sarastro's Welcome: The Gods Above (O Isis) - Gordon McLeod, St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra
Attack of the Queen: The Powers of Night (Der H Rache)/This ... - Marjorie Sparks, St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra
Pamina's Lament: Oh, My Heart Is Broken (Ach, Ich F - St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra, Monica Whicher
In the Labrynth: Seekers of the Light (Der, Welcher ...) - Nils Brown, Gordon McLeod, Marjorie Sparks, St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra, Monica Whicher
Papageno and Papagena: Ring, O Bells (Klinget Glhen) - Adriana Braun, Russell Braun, St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra
Conclusion: Our Journey Is Over [Bei Mern] - St. Simon's Choir, Studio Arts Orchestra

Tracks:

Four Seasons, Spring, I, RV 269
Piccolo Concerto, II, RV 293
Arriving at the Pietour Seasons, Autumn, I RV 293/Guitar/Flute ...
Violin Concerto in a Minor, I, RV 356
Four Seasons, Winter, II, RV 297
Guitar Concerto, II, RV 93
Venice by Day/Guitar Concerto, III, RV 93/Four Seasons, Autumn, ...
Sonata for Two Violins, II, RV 50/"Farnace", RV 711, [Recording Premier
Violin Concerto in a Minor, II, RV 356
Venice by Night/La Notte, I, II, III, RV 439
Island of the Dead/Four Seasons, Autumn, II, RV 293
Gardellino, RV 90/Beatus Vir, RV 597/Alma del Core/Violin Sonata ...
Concert Preparations/Piccolo Concerto, I, RV 443/Guitar Concerto, III,
Conclusion/Double Orchestra Concerto, II, RV 585/Guitar Concerto, ...

Customer Reviews:

It stays with them..........2005-10-24

I enjoyed reading the reviews of parents whose kids have recently discovered "Classical Kids." I'm about to order the boxed set for my kids, ages 21, 19 and 16 because the nineteen-year-old, who has a college radio show and loves a wide variety of music, remembers this series (then only on cassette) with great affection and wants to hear them again. Those of you wondering whether it's worth it or not to try to introduce kids to classical music this way, be assured it works. We've turned one of Mr. Bach's lines into a family "saying:" "the more you study, the more you know; the more you know, the more you appreciate; the more you appreciate, the more you love." A great series!

It all started with Beethoven.......2004-02-03

Many years ago I purchased my first CD in this series, "Beethoven Lives Upstairs." My children and I were delighted with it. I then discovered that there were more and searched them all out, one by one. My children, now 11, 9 & 5, have listened to these stories as they fall asleep for years. They each have a favorite composer and have gone on to learn more about them. These stories are a great introduction to some of our greatest composers. Not to mention a good intro to history, too!

Imagine my delight that they are now in one boxed set! Now when asked, I suggest this set. What a great way to get it ALL! I truly believe that by surrounding our children with a variety of good music (including POP music) and information they will grow up with a greater appreciation for music and the arts.

Not What I expected.......2002-09-20

I love the idea, but I don't want to expose my children to the stories in these cd's. They contain children talking back to their parents, disrespectful language, sorcery, etc. If you don't like Harry Potter, you won't like these CD's.

Music, history, culture, & intriguing story -Amazing!.......2002-04-08

My 6 year old son loves music...and stories! Here is the prefect combo. Lovely music of the composer accomapnies a fictional story which weaves the composer's life, the culture of his homeland as well as history...in an intriguing and fun way! Now, my son can pick out pieces he hears on the classical radio station. He really enjoys the stories and can tell people @ carnival in Venice, Italy and tidbits @ Beetoven and the Magic Flute by Mozart! A must for any child with any of these interests! We also have enjoyed the CD's and have learned lots!
I only can wonder...what took whomever so long to broaden our horizons in such a way! BRAVO!

Great series, great collection.......2001-04-22

We've had the CDs in this boxed set for over a year now. The Classical Kids series has been wonderful. We have two boys (now 6 and 8) and this has been a great introduction to classical music. At first, the kids loved the stories which provide a sense of history and place and, ultimately, keep the kids interested in the entire CD. As they listened (time and time again), they started to pay more attention to the musical portions. Recently, we've been able to tell that they've picked up a sense of the music as we've listed to classical music on the car radio. Time and again, they perk up when listening to a piece of music and surprise us by saying "That's Beethoven". Sure enough - they've picked up something about the style of music that's characteristic of Beethoven. Sometimes it's the snippet of music from the CD and other times it's just the rhythms that are characteristic of that piece. As a family, we all recommend this.

Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Collectors Edition) (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Collectors Edition) (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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Release Date: 2003-02-13

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1. Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F Major “Spring” Op. 24, Allegro
2. Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F Major “Spring” Op. 24, Adagio molto espressivo
3. Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F Major “Spring” Op. 24, Scherzo: Allegro molto
4. Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F Major “Spring” Op. 24, Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo5. Quintet for Piano in A Major “Trout” Op. 114 D667, Tema con variazioni: Andantino-Allegretto
5. Concerto No. 1 in E Major, Op. 8, 1 “Spring”, Allegro
6. Concerto No. 1 in E Major, Op. 8, 1 “Spring”, Largo e pianissimo sempre
7. Concerto No. 1 in E Major, Op. 8, 1 “Spring”, Danza postorale: Allegro
8. Waltz Op. 410 “Frühlingsstimmen” (Voices of Spring)
9. Symphony No. 1 in B flat Major “Spring” Op. 38, Allegro animato e grazioso
10. To the Spring & Erotic from “Lyrical Pieces” Op. 43 (5, 6)
11. Quartet for Strings No. 14 “Haydn Quartet No. 1” in G Major KV 387 “Spring”, Allegro vivace assai