Modern Portrait

On this CD:

1. Das Marienleben, song cycle for soprano & piano, Op. 27
Composed by Paul Hindemith
Performed by Lahti Symphony Orchestra with Karita Mattila
Conducted by Ulf Soderblom

2. Dream Songs (4)
Composed by Aulis Sallinen
Performed by Lahti Symphony Orchestra with Karita Mattila
Conducted by Ulf Soderblom

3. Vuelo de Alambre
Composed by Mikko Heinio
Performed by Lahti Symphony Orchestra with Karita Mattila

Modern Portrait, Music, Mattila, Hindemith, Sallinen, Heinio, Classical
Moondog 1 & 2
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • This needs a more articulate review...
  • happy music
 Moondog 1 & 2
Moondog
Manufacturer: Beat Goes On
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Minimal TechnoMinimal Techno | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Moondog
  2. More Moondog/The Story of Moondog
  3. The German Years 1977-1999
  4. Viking of Sixth Avenue
  5. Rare Material

ASIN: B00004YU0K
Release Date: 2000-11-06

Tracks:

  1. Theme
  2. Stamping Ground
  3. Symphonique No. 3 (Ode to Venus)
  4. Symphonique No. 6 (Good for Goodie)
  5. Minisym No. 1
  6. Lament, No. 1
  7. Witch of Endor
  8. Symphonique No. 1 (Portrait of a Monarch)
  9. Bells Are Ringing
  10. Voices of Spring
  11. What's the Most Exciting Thing
  12. All Is Loneliness
  13. My Tiny Butterfly
  14. Why Spend a Dark Night With Me
  15. Coffee Beans
  16. Down Is Up
  17. Be a Hobo
  18. Remember
  19. I Love You
  20. Nero's Expedition
  21. No, The Wheel Was Never Invented
  22. With My Wealth
  23. This Student of Life
  24. Some Trust All
  25. Wine, Women and Song
  26. Sadness
  27. Maybe
  28. Each Today Is Yesterday's Tomorrow
  29. Imagine
  30. You the Vandal
  31. Trees Against the Sky
  32. Behold
  33. Sparrow
  34. Pastoral

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars This needs a more articulate review..........2005-12-10

To tell the truth, the only reason I even listened to this disc in the store is because I spotted the cover, and wondered what the hell a guy who looked like that could sound like. I had a gushing smile on my face as I realized there was real talent and expression behind Moondog's odd facade. The first album on this disc (there are two herein) is made up of more "orchestral" material like none you've ever heard before (one of these tracks "stamping Grounds" is in "The Big Lebowski". The second album is made up of a series of short "rounds"; cyclical songs with naturally repetitive compositions (think row row row your boat, or three blind mice). Due to the familiar nature of such song forms, and the unique compositions employed by Moondog, the second album is quite buoyant and joyful. This is an all around great and very familiar listening experience, and quite a timeless set of albums. Get it while you still can!

5 out of 5 stars happy music.......2002-12-28

Moodog is a realy composer of all time. Is create a new conception of street music and universal sound
Paris, 27/12/02 France
Moondog
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • 35 unmistakable tracks
  • Wonderful
  • The Different Drummer We Once Were
  • For those who love the music
  • Moondog
 Moondog

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
Traditional FolkTraditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Traditional Jazz GeneralTraditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music
Vocal Jazz GeneralVocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
MadrigalsMadrigals | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Minimal TechnoMinimal Techno | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | New Age General | New Age | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | New Age General | New Age | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
Classical MusicClassical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Opera & VocalOpera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
MusicalsMusicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000026QJ
Release Date: 1989-07-20

Tracks:

  1. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 12-Nero's Expedition
  2. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 13-No, The Wheel Was Never Invented
  3. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 14-With My Wealth
  4. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 15-This Student Of Life
  5. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 16-Some Trust All
  6. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 17-Wine, Woman And Song
  7. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 18-Sadness
  8. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 19-Maybe
  9. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 20-Each Today Is Yesterday's Tomorrow
  10. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 21-Imagine
  11. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 22-You The Vandal
  12. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 23-Trees Against The Sky
  13. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 24-Behold
  14. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 25-Sparrow
  15. Madrigals: Rounds And Canons: No. 26-Pastoral

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars 35 unmistakable tracks.......2005-02-24

You don't need to buy the double-disc "Moondog 1 & 2" to hear the two albums - all that music can also be heard on this (75 minute) single disc.
Even though the only cover art of this edition is the original front cover of the 1969 "Moondog" (no original back-cover thereof nor any art from the 1971 "Moondog II",) all 35 tracks are nicely crammed in here.
What's listed under "Listen to samples" on the amazon page are only the last 20 tracks of this CD and all titles are linked to the wrong tracks.

"Moondog I" (tracks 1-9) opens with "Theme" and "Stomping Ground" - two somewhat coherent pieces which a few years ago were made quite famous through the soundtrack of Coen Brothers' wonderful movie "The Big Lebowski." The album features a 50+ piece orchestra, which, among other greats, includes jazz veterans Don Butterfield (tuba) and Ron Carter (double bass.) In the list of personnel, Moondog is not credited for playing percussion, but the bass, which I assume is a misprint.
The beautiful Charlie Parker homage "Lament I: Bird's Lament" is here performed in its original form, but can also be found on the 1994 Moondog recording "Sax Pax For a Sax" on only saxes and percussion.
The orchestral performances on "Moondog I" aren't flawless, but should not be judged harshly because of the very personal, highly individual, and wonderfully eccentric form of compositions that they are. Budget, which is a very common issue when it comes to orchestral recordings, is another element that probably has not allowed much rehersing or many (if any) re-takes.

Before ordering this disc I knew that I'd love "Moondog I" since I'd heard most of it previously, but I was skeptical towards "Moondog II" because of some reviews I'd read of it. I was however curious, and listening to it when it had arrived was a very nice surprise.
Aside from performances by Louis "Moondog" Hardin (percussion, piano, vocals) and his daughter June (vocals,) "Moondog II" features 6 other musicians who, at different points throughout the album, play virginals, recorders, harpsichords, ancient organs, guitars, schom, viola de gamba, and troubadour harp. These instruments alone make a very individual sound, but the compositions (many of which are in 5/4 and 5/8) and the poetry make this the most wonderful group of rounds (short vocal canons) you've ever heard.

In my 700+ CD collection, this is among my favorites.

4 out of 5 stars Wonderful.......2004-01-26

Beautiful, quirky, fascinating. A combination of classical, jazz, and improv, this collection made me close my eyes and just feel the music. Interspersed with several of Hardin's two-line poems as punctuation, the musical pieces are truly a wonder.

5 out of 5 stars The Different Drummer We Once Were.......2004-01-05

I bought this album because of a memory, but the music stands up remarkably well to a more objective listening.

It was my first trip to New York City, and my father approached the wildly-dressed, tall and intiimidating figure standing on the corner of 56th St. and 7th Ave. They conversed in Norwegian long enough for me to draw nearer and realize the stranger represented no threat. In fact, I left with a book of hs canons, which remains in my collection of piano literature to this day.

I met Moondog once again--serendipitously, on Milwaukee's Wisconsin Avenue one day in the seventies. I have no idea how he got there or how he left, but this time I wanted to protect him from the insensitive pedestrians swirling around us and threatening our shared moment.

Moondog's music is as singular as he is, and offers a glimpse into his creative spirit. It begins with an idea and a form, not with an emotion or sentiment. Each piece is simple and brief, but not simplistic or fragmentary. He avoids any form of dissonance, even seventh chords and "blue" notes (flatted thirds). Music, like life, he seems to be saying, can be a straightforward, delighting adventure, providing one cherishes the quest itself above its so-called object and maintains a focused attention on the wonders of the present moment.

My only slight disappointment with this recording is that the madrigals, sung by Moondog and his daughter, are subjected to some studio effects that make them sound more artificial and commercial than they deserve to be.

5 out of 5 stars For those who love the music.......2003-11-29

It is simple, it is clear, it is wonderful! I don`t know what style is this. Some people call it `jazz`, but second disc is strongly attached to european madrigal canons. I think, if we listen really good music, we never asked about styles. I heard familiar tunes from Tchaikovsky to Resident`s Duck Stab. You must have this if you`re music lover. If you`re musician (who plays music, dont `have a job`) you must have it too. Listen once or twise, if you don`t like it, simply put it on the shelf. Properly time will come.
P.S. My favorite `I love you` and `Nero`s Expedition`

5 out of 5 stars Moondog.......2002-05-16

I was in the St. Thomas Boys Choir in the early 70's. We would walk to church for rehearsal, and pass Moondog, standing on the corner, usually by the ABC building. A couple of us would talk to him in our free time...he knew our names by our voices. We would listen to his poetry, and he seemed intigued by our choir, although he never heard us, I think. I got his album around this time, and have had it ever since. Fascinating pieces, very intricate, but also with "a hook"...that you find yourself humming along with. I heard he moved to Germany, where he wrote a nine hour canon. Overall, an amazing life story, and an incredible talent.
Arvo Pärt: A Portrait
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Not the best performances, but still a pretty good collection
  • A Written and Sound Portrait of One of Our Most Important Composers
 Arvo Pärt: A Portrait

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by PartAll Works by Part | Part, Arvo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
ConcertinosConcertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
OboeOboe | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
CelloCello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
ViolinViolin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
MagnificatsMagnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
PassionsPassions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Arvo Pärt - A Tribute
  2. Lamentate
  3. Alina - Arvo Part
  4. Arvo Pärt: Passio
  5. Arvo Part: 24 Preludes for a Fugue

ASIN: B00093O6OY
Release Date: 2005-06-21

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Not the best performances, but still a pretty good collection.......2007-04-20

Naxos has never provided the best performances of the music of Arvo Part--the long line of ECM recordings were made under the composer's supervision and thus may be seen as definitive--but the collection ARVO PART: A PORTRAIT is a nice effort indeed. Issued in 2005, the year of the Estonian composer's 70th birthday, this package features selections from nearly his entire career over two discs, in recordings drawn from the Naxos, BIS, and Nimbus labels, and also contains a 78-page booklet with Nick Kimberley's essay "Arvo Part: A Musical Journey".

Arvo Part came to worldwide attention through the minimalistic and overtly spiritual music he began composing in the mid-1970s, but ARVO PART: A Portrait features some music from his early career as well. Part was something of an enfant terrible in the Soviet music world, and in the 1960s he infuriated the socialist realist musical establishment by producing dodecaphonic and collage works through the 1960s. From this era we get the second movement of the Symphony No. 1, the "Collage ueber B-A-C-H", and the cello concerto "Pro et Contra". One does regret, however, that his important piece "Credo", discussed at some length in Kimberley's piece, is not featured here, but perhaps Naxos could not find a recording that could be licensed for inclusion here.

The bulk of the collection, however, is dedicated to Part's "holy minimalism" output, a style which he calls "tintinnabuli" for its bell-like tones. Two selections from his hour-long masterpiece "Passio" are included here, one begin four minutes long and the other twelve. Of the "Berliner Messe" we have the Kyrie and Credo, and the other late pieces here are included full-length.

"Fur Alina", the exceedingly simple piano piece he wrote in 1976, breaking a silence of nearly a decade, is featured here in its scored form in performance by Alexei Lubimov. The ECM recording of this piece is a much longer improvisation by Alexander Malter, so this Naxos collection (or the BIS disc the selection was drawn from) is a good way to hear the piece at its most simple.

Over the last decade or so, Part has began reconciling his tintinnabuli style to the more fiery spirit of his youth. However, none of those pieces, such as "Como cieva sedienta" are represented here, which is regrettable.

While the Naxos performances of Part's music are not the best available, only the Naxos recording of "Tabula Rasa" by the Ulster Orchestra and Takuo Yuasa is outright unlistenable. The rest are acceptable, and this collection makes a more more economical introduction to Part's career than the many full-price ECM discs. And for established Part fans, the included essay by Nick Kimberley is interesting reading, especially when the only other major English-language coverage of Part, Paul Hillier's Arvo Part (Oxford Studies of Composers), is difficult to find.

5 out of 5 stars A Written and Sound Portrait of One of Our Most Important Composers.......2005-07-13

"Contemporary classical music which genuinely touches people is rare, but the rapt, contemplative music of Arvo Pärt communicates readily, and without pandering to the demands of a mass audience." -- Nick Kimberley

"It is enough when a single note is beautifully played." -- Arvo Pärt

These two comments shed light on Arvo Pärt, both the music and the man. An intensely private man who came of age in repressive Stalinist Soviet Estonia but who always maintained his stalwart religious beliefs, against all fashion, and who, though he started out as an avant-gardist, became the prophet of what has been called 'the new simplicity,' Arvo Pärt is perhaps the most beloved composer of classical music in the world. His music is known by people who have almost no interest otherwise in classical music, largely because of the effect it has on even the casual listener, as reflected in Nick Kimberley's comment above. It also has devoted followers among the musical cognoscenti. His piece 'Fratres,' in its myriad forms, is his most widely performed work, but it is probably his ecstatic 'Passio' that has created the most devoted following, particularly following its first recording by the Hilliard Ensemble on the ECM label.

This release has two CDs chockfull of unfailingly beautiful performances of Pärt's music, generally in complete movements taken from releases by Naxos and other labels. Such disparate works as his spare piano piece, 'Für Alina,' movements of his Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3, the 'Berliner Messe,' the 'Magnificat,' 'Collage über B-A-C-H,' 'Spiegel im Spiegel,' and 'Triodion,' are represented here. Two versions of 'Fratres' are included, one for cello and piano, the other for percussion and strings. His cello and orchestra work, 'Pro et Contra,' is performed by Frans Helmerson and the Bamberg Symphony under Neeme Järvi. Excerpts from 'Passio' ('Passion According to the Gospel of St. John') from the recording by Antony Pitts, Pärt expert and a composer in his own right, and his choral group Tonus Peregrinus are particularly haunting. Celebrated organist Kevin Bowyer is heard playing Pärt's 'Annum per annum.'

The illuminating accompanying essay, 70 pages long, is by Nick Kimberley, a noted British arts critic. All of this is in a glossy booklet enclosed in a cardboard box, typical of Naxos's classy presentation of both recorded music and booklet notes.

This release is for all those who are already devotees of Pärt's music and for those who are just coming to admire his music. The budget price makes it all the more attractive.

2 CDs TT=164mins

Scott Morrison
A Portrait of Charles Ives
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Seventy-five dollars!?!!?
 A Portrait of Charles Ives

Manufacturer: EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ives, CharlesIves, Charles | ( I ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
MarchesMarches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Ives, Charles | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General ContemporaryGeneral Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ChorusesChoruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
PartsongsPartsongs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
MarchesMarches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DNRD
Release Date: 1993-01-19

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Seventy-five dollars!?!!?.......2005-12-16

This is a great album, and it's too bad it was allowed to go out-of-print, but asking $75 as one seller does is mind-blowing. Reminds me of the controversy in 1993 when it was almost pulled off the market through a lawsuit because no one "official" knew who this guy "David G. Porter" was and that as far as they knew he has no authorization to do any work whatsoever on Ives's music. EMI had the spine to keep it on the market but it looks like someone decided it wasn't selling well enough to reprint. My advice is to find a friend's copy and burn a boot of it, and scan the booklet for my program notes in your favorite language. Truly a great CD but that's too much to ask.
Piano Dance: A 20th-Century Portrait
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Fun to listen to!
  • An interesting concept not quite realized
 Piano Dance: A 20th-Century Portrait

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

DancesDances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
MazurkasMazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
TangosTangos | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
WaltzesWaltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Antheil, George | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by BarberAll Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by GinasteraAll Works by Ginastera | Ginastera, Alberto | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by GlassAll Works by Glass | Glass, Philip | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by HindemithAll Works by Hindemith | Hindemith, Paul | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by MartinuAll Works by Martinu | Martinu, Bohuslav | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by PoulencAll Works by Poulenc | Poulenc, Francis | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by ProkofievAll Works by Prokofiev | Prokofiev, Sergei | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Ravel, MauriceRavel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Scriabin, AlexanderScriabin, Alexander | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by StravinskyAll Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by DebussyAll Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
PreludesPreludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
ChaconnesChaconnes | Variations | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Scriabin, Alexander | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Piano Music of John Adams & Terry Riley

ASIN: B00004UEKB
Release Date: 2000-07-25

Tracks:

  1. Red Ribbon Dance
  2. Sleepwalker's Shuffle
  3. Golliwog's Cakewalk
  4. Like A Tarantelle
  5. Shimmy
  6. Polka
  7. Hungarian Rock
  8. Rumanian Dance
  9. Tango
  10. Hesitation-Tango
  11. A Tortoise's Tango
  12. Waltz
  13. Mazurka
  14. Valse-Improvisation Sur Le Nom De Bach
  15. Waltz IV
  16. Percussion Dance
  17. Modern Love Waltz
  18. Lilt of the Reel
  19. Rigaudon
  20. Cancion Y Danza
  21. Danzas Criollas
  22. Illicit Felicity
  23. Conga

Amazon.com

For sheer entertainment value, it's hard to find a classical CD that will beat this one. Gloria Cheng has chosen an astonishing variety of 20th-century piano music with nothing in common except brevity and dance origins. The disc is full of familiar pieces (Debussy, Scriabin, Ravel, Prokofiev) and entertaining novelties (Albright, Martinu, Poulenc, Ginastera). Donald R. Davis's exercise in creative plagiarism, "Illicit Felicity," rates a special mention for its ingenuity. But really, unless you're allergic to Philip Glass, there isn't a loser on the entire program. Cheng plays brilliantly, with appropriate special emphasis on the dance rhythms of the music, and Telarc's sound engineering is typically realistic. It ain't profound, but this is still a marvelous program. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Fun to listen to!.......2000-09-18

Listening to this CD is fun. The CD has a diverse selection of contemporary dances for solo piano, ranging from familiar favorites, such as Gollywog's Cakewalk by Debussy, to lesser known and unconventional but charming works, such as del Aguila's Conga. The dances are varied and well-interpreted by Ms. Cheng, who brings poignancy to each one while maintaining throughout the CD a fun and energetic mood.

Ms. Cheng's playing is phenomenal, and I also enjoy her earlier CD of works by John Adams and Terry Riley. Both CD's show off her rich tone and appealing style, but the dance collection is the most entertaining. If you buy this CD, you'll probably find yourself listening to it frequently.

4 out of 5 stars An interesting concept not quite realized.......2000-07-25

A very good concept. Take a noted pianist, in this case Gloria Cheng, and work with her on a program of 23 short works or short sections of larger works, all of which are one form or another of Dance--and you might come up with something good or possibly just a mixed bag. The Telarc release (CD-80549) is such a program. The playing is wonderful, the results what you might expect, alas: a mixed bag.

A very definite positive about this program is that almost every selection was new to me. After all, how many of us are familiar with works like Miguel del Aguila's "Conga," Philip Glass's "Modern Love Reel," or Paul Hindemith's "Shimmy"? I mean, really! So there is much Joy of Discovery afforded by this CD; but with all but one piece running under 5 minutes (and that one at 9:26), a certain cloying factor creeps in after a while, and perhaps I should recommend this be played in small sections.

But all in all, what a treasure-trove of little-known pieces.
Canadian Brass Plays Bernstein
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • A Beat for Work, A Beat for Play!
  • A great addition to your Canadian Brass collection
 Canadian Brass Plays Bernstein

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by BernsteinAll Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Canadian BrassCanadian Brass | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
Orchestral PopOrchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Classical MusicClassical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Opera & VocalOpera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
MusicalsMusicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Strike Up The Band
  2. Take the A Train: The Best of Duke Ellington
  3. Swingtime!
  4. Basin Street
  5. Brass on Broadway

ASIN: B000003G5V
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

  1. America
  2. Make Our Garden Grow
  3. Jet Song
  4. Maria
  5. Something's Coming
  6. A Simple Song
  7. Alleluia
  8. A Boy Like That - I Have A Love
  9. Best Of All Possible Worlds
  10. One Hand, One Heart
  11. Tonight
  12. I Feel Pretty
  13. Somewhere
  14. Bernstein Portrait
  15. Gee, Officer Krupke

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars A Beat for Work, A Beat for Play!.......2001-10-12

"The Canadian Brass Plays Bernstein" provides enjoyable listening for a wide range of listeners. Instrumental until the last piece, this CD makes pleasant background music for one working or reading. The lively beat and familiar tunes hold the interest of the listener who is ready for a more intense involvement in the music. All in all, this was a worthwhile purchase.

4 out of 5 stars A great addition to your Canadian Brass collection.......2000-07-18

This is one of my favorite Canadian Brass CDs. If you enjoy Bernstein's Candide and West Side Story, you'll find a fresh take on many of the most memorable tracks. My personal favorite on this CD is 'Make Our Garden Grow.' The soaring trumpeters always give me chills, and the climax is massive! Also, the final track on this CD gives you a chance to hear the VOICES of the Canadian Brass performers in a comical version of 'Gee, Officer Krumpke.' Overall, this CD has wide range of styles and definitely shows that the Canadian Brass is not just a group of stuffy musicians!
Lost Marbles
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Lost Marbles

    Manufacturer: Tzadik
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    ElectronicElectronic | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music | Computer
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
    Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    ElectronicaElectronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
    Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B0001C9YSG
    Release Date: 2004-03-23

    Tracks:

    1. Toto Angelica
    2. Music Is Not Music
    3. Maritime Rites-Wasserkorso
    4. For MG
    5. In Hora Mortis
    6. Endangered Species
    7. Pittura Fresca
    8. Inner Cities 2
    9. Erat Verbum John
    10. Romulus And Remus Make A Ruckus
    11. Return To Sender
    Greatest Hits
    Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
    • Although great music, the CD is very abbreviated.
    • Wonderful Collect
    		 Greatest Hits

    Manufacturer: Sony
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    BalletsBallets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by CoplandAll Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    ConcertinosConcertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    Incidental MusicIncidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    MarchesMarches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    Ballets & DancesBallets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    SymphoniesSymphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    Modern & 20th CenturyModern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    EnglishEnglish | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    MarchesMarches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
    Orchestral PopOrchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
    CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
    All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
    CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Operas | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
    All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Operas | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
    Classical MusicClassical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
    Opera & VocalOpera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Tchaikovsky: Greatest Hits
    2. Mozart: Greatest Hits
    3. Antonio Vivaldi: Greatest Hits
    4. Wagner: Greatest Hits
    5. Prokofiev: Greatest Hits

    ASIN: B000002A1R
    Release Date: 1994-08-09

    Tracks:

    1. Fanfare For The Common Man
    2. El Salco
    3. Appalachian Spring: 'Simple Gifts'
    4. Billy the Kid (Orchestral Suite) (Excerpts): Gun Battle
    5. Billy the Kid (Orchestral Suite) (Excerpts): Celebration (After Billy's Capture)
    6. Rodeo (Excerpts): Buckaroo Holiday
    7. Rodeo (Excerpts): Hoe-Down
    8. The Tender Land: 'The Promise Of Living'
    9. Music For The Theatre: Dance
    10. Quiet City
    11. The Red Pony: 'Morning On The Ranch'
    12. Lincoln Portrait

    Customer Reviews:

    2 out of 5 stars Although great music, the CD is very abbreviated........2000-10-22

    The musical selection of this CD is certainly what the cover says, however the cuts are very short. Typically 2 to 4 minutes in length. in my personal opinion I prefer a little more continuity of content.

    5 out of 5 stars Wonderful Collect.......2000-07-16

    This is a wondeful CD- Aaron Copland is a pure geniuos and every songs is so beautiful and perfectly crafted. I cherish this CD and listen to it all the time- none stop. I would urge anyone to buy it. It's worth it.
    Mental Strain at Dawn: A Modern Portrait of Louis Armstrong
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Mental Strain at Dawn: A Modern Portrait of Louis Armstrong
      David Murray , Doc Cheatham , and Loren Schoenberg
      Manufacturer: Stash Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
      ASIN: B000006KPC
      Release Date: 1993-09-01

      Tracks:

      1. Cucaracha
      2. Chinatown, My Chinatown
      3. Mamanita
      4. Mental Strain at Dawn
      5. Black and Blue
      6. Dream Sequence
      7. When Jack Ruby Met Joe Glaser
      8. Copyin' Louis
      9. Yodel Blues
      10. Dinah
      Moving Portrait
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Joni's standards
      		 Moving Portrait
      Dave Douglas
      Manufacturer: Diw Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      Avant Garde & Free JazzAvant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
      Bebop GeneralBebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
      Modern PostbebopModern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
      Bebop & Post-BopBebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
      Similar Items:
      1. In Our Lifetime

      ASIN: B000007N6Q
      Release Date: 1998-06-16

      Tracks:

      1. The Nine Cloud Dream
      2. Paradox
      3. Moving Portrait
      4. First Frost
      5. Roses Blue
      6. My Old Man
      7. The Same Situation
      8. Movement
      9. Romero - Dave Douglas

      Amazon.com

      For Moving Portrait, trumpeter Dave Douglas has recruited pianist Bill Carrothers (here joining James Genus on bass and Billy Hart on drums) to provide gentle counterpoint to his already achingly suggestive trumpet touches. The result is a CD of soft, glowing originals that approach a notion of pointillist jazz without seeming unconstructed or overly precious. Also interesting are the three Joni Mitchell covers ("Roses Blue," "My Old Man," and "The Same Situation") Douglas selects. His treatment of these songs, while respectful and dignified, never approaches pop territory. Instead the soft-focus lens that Douglas turns on melodic structure reflects exclusively on his controlled, cerebral playing. An intelligent, mature jazz release. --S. Duda

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Joni's standards.......2000-03-17

      Although not a document of a working band, this is clearly a record Dave Douglas wanted to make. Following in the tradition of his sextet in honouring the compositions of particular composers, he has drawn together the sympathetic talents of James Genus, Bill Carrothers and Billy Hart to pay tribute to Joni Mitchell. Hers is music he obviously loves, the reconstructions sounding like jazz standard song repertoire. The other music uses Joni Mitchell's ear for a great tune as a springboard for Dave's thoughtful, instantly appealing compositions. Beautifully recorded, this is a one-off; don't miss it.

      Music Review:

      1. Most Beloved Finnish Tunes
      2. Mozart: Complete Fortepiano Sonatas, Vol. 4
      3. Mozart: Concertos for Flute & Harp
      4. ~Mozart: Concertos for piano No23
      5. Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik/Haffner Serenade
      6. Mozart: Piano Concertos 21 & 27
      7. Mozart: Sonata in D major/Sonata in F major
      8. Nielsen: Symphony No4; Symphony No2
      9. Nighttime Classics
      10. Original Romantic Music for violin and guitar

      Music Review

      music review

      Music Review

      The 90's Decade of Pop [Import]

      Best of Dvorak: Orchestral Selections

      Beethoven: Chamber Music for Winds, Vol. 2

      Music: Uncollected [Enhanced]

      Blacula: Deadlier Than Dracula - Music From The Original Soundtrack [Soundtrack]

      British Invasion, Vol. 2 [Enhanced] [Karaoke]

      Ballad of

      Around the Sun

      Best of Germany

      Ascension Day

      Ballroom Orchestra V.1 [Import]

      Agustin Lara: Su Voz, Su Piano, Vol. 2

      As the World Turns [Explicit Lyrics]

      Piano Music of the Darmstadt School, Vol. 2

      Pop Music pop-music-21