Song for All Seasons

Product Description
Originally released in 1978, this is the U.S. CD debut with the original album cover artwork. 8 tracks including, 'Opening Out', 'Closer Than Yesterday' and 'She Is Love'. Standardjewel case. 2001 release.

Song for All Seasons,Renaissance,Wounded Bird Records,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop

---

Song for All Seasons

Average customer rating: pure genius Another great Yo-Yo Disc first disc great- second a flop Encore The Versatile Yo-Yo Ma

The Essential Yo-Yo Ma Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Kreisler | Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Piazzolla, Astor | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Porter | Porter, Cole | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Villa-Lobos, Heitor | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by O'Connor | O'Connor, Mark | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Villa-Lobos, Heitor | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Ma, Yo-Yo | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music New York Philharmonic Orchestra | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Appassionato Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone Vivaldi's Cello Classic Yo-Yo Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon ASIN: B000A7Q29G Release Date: 2005-08-16

Tracks:

1. Prde from Suite No. 1 in G Major for Cello, BWV 1007
2. II. Largo from "Winter", Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 from the Four Seasons
3. Jesus, bleibet meine Freude (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring), BWV 147
4. Schafe kn sicher weiden (Sheep May Safely Graze), BWV 208
5. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake), BWV 645
6. The Swan from Carnival of the Animals (Chamber Version)
7. Havanaise, Op. 83
8. Mtation from Tha
9. Liebesfreud Instrumental
10. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso from Three Preludes
11. Vocalise Vocal
12. IV. Allegro from Sonata in D minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 40
13. Andante Cantabile for Cello Solo and String Orchestra, Op. posth.
14. IV. Rondo alla Zingarese. Presto from Quartet No. 1 in G minor for Piano and Strings, Op. 25
15. III. Finale. Allegro moderato from Concerto in B minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 104

Tracks:

1. Cristal
2. A lenda do caboclo
3. Chega de Saudade Live
4. Wapango Live
5. Libertango
6. Appalachia Waltz Solo Cello Version
7. Butterfly's Day Out
8. 1B
9. Pickin' from Three Pieces for Solo Cello
10. Simple Gifts
11. The Mission
12. Gabriel's Oboe
13. The Falls Album Version
14. The Eternal Vow from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
15. The Cellist of Sarajevo - A Lament in Rondo Form for Solo 'Cello, Op. 12
16. Chi passa per'sta strada
17. Mido Mountain (Chinese Traditional)
18. Mohini (Enchantment)
19. Baroque in Rhythm from Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio
20. Anything Goes Instrumental
21. I Could Have Danced All Night Extended version

Amazon.com

Here are three dozen pieces of music, all played by Yo-Yo Ma, culled from his extensive discography. Aside from the technical mastery and beautiful tone that are absolutes in all of his playing, one is dazzled by his curiosity and ability to adapt to so many forms and types of music. His Bach and Vivaldi are pellucid and played with non-sentimental crispness, his tango music gritty and rhythmically pungent, his jazz seemingly spontaneous, the "Meditation" from Thais simply ravishing, "Anything Goes" a romp, and the Appalachian music performed with both respect and a great twang, while the traditional Chinese music is fascinating. It's really a matter of how much Ma loves whatever he plays here, how entirely he becomes involved in it, and what a fine partner he invariably is to other musicians. This collection is a doozy--it is truly "essential." --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

pure genius.......2007-05-21

No instrument asks more from the soul of an artist as the cello does.
Yo Yo Ma shows to be master of the instrument and his interpretations en technique are pure genius. Everyone should have this album in his (or hers of course) basic classical collection

Another great Yo-Yo Disc.......2007-05-15

The set-up with the classical pieces on the first disc and the other on the second is excellent.

first disc great- second a flop.......2007-04-12

the first disc is awesome. the second disc is weird and boring.

Encore.......2007-03-31

Incredible. My young cellist (son) loves it. Beautiful music. The album is well organized and each song transitions nicely.

The Versatile Yo-Yo Ma.......2007-03-29

I've found this collection to be extremely delightful! It gives you a sense of the versatility of Yo-Yo Ma like no other, with one disc being dedicated more to his classical side, while the other explores jazz and world music venues. Not your typical "greatest hits" collection.

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 General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music 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:

1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
4. Hungarian Dance No.7
5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
10. Csardas Music
11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
18. Tzigane
19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
20. Caprice No.24
21. 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.
22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
27. The Violin Muted
28. Clair De Lune
29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
31. The Pizzicato Violin
32. Pizzicato Polka
33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
35. 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...
36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
37. 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
38. Hungarian Dance No.4
39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
42. Bolero
43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

1. Introduction To The Viola
2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
7. 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.
8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
10. Cypresses (No.9)
11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
24. Elfentanz, Op.39
25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
28. Flamenco
29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
33. 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.
34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
39. 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.
40. Capriccio Di Bravura
41. 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)
42. 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....
43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
6. Sa'Dawi
7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
8. Chamber Music No.II
9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
13. A Variety Of Techniques
14. Chamber Music No.II
15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
20. Naelden, Naelden
21. The Bachian Oboe
22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
26. The Swan Of Tuonela
27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
30. Bolero
31. 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...
32. 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)
33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
35. 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).
36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
38. ...And Quite Low.
39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
44. Introduction To The Saxophone
45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
49. Bolero
50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
53. Sax-O-Phun
54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
60. Bolero
61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
6. Fanfare For The Common Man
7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
11. 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
12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
16. Billy The Kid
17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
21. The Birth Of The Trombone
22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
27. 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.
28. Hosannah
29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
35. The Horn And The Hunt
36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
9. Den Hoboecken Dans
10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
12. 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.
13. Gymnopedie No.2
14. 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...
15. 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)
16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
18. 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.
19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
22. The Birth Of The Bongo
23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
33. 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.
34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
37. Ravel And The Xylophone
38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
40. Introducing The Vibraphone
41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
44. Folk Dances
45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
52. Introducing The Celeste
53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
57. 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
58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
42. Canzon 28
43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
51. Images (Gigues)
52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
58. 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.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Average customer rating: Fabulous for any Broadway-lover Top Shelf TERRIFIC CD'S Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs Great Compilation!

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series) Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Porter | Porter, Cole | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Weill | Weill, Kurt | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mancini | Mancini, Henry | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series) Broadway: The American Musical Broadway: The American Musical Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series) Somewhere over the Rainbow: The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals ASIN: B00064ADMK Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

1. Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
2. Swanee- Al Jolson
3. When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine- Bert Williams
4. A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
5. My Man- Fanny Brice
6. Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
7. If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
8. Someone To Watch Over Me- Gertrude Lawrence
9. Bill- 78 rpm Version Helen Morgan
10. Ol' Man River- Paul Robeson
11. Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
12. Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
13. Body And Soul- Libby Holman
14. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
15. Night And Day- Fred Astaire
16. Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
17. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
18. You're The Top- Ethel Merman
19. Summertime- Anne Brown
20. September Song- Walter Huston
21. My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
22. It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
23. Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
24. Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
25. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake

Tracks:

1. New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
2. If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
3. Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
4. There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
5. How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
6. Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
7. Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
8. Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
9. Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
10. Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
11. Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
12. Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
13. Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
14. Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
15. Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
16. Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
17. Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
18. I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
19. Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
20. The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
21. Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
22. Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

1. Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
2. I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
3. Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
4. My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
5. Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
6. Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
7. Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
8. Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
9. I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
10. The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
11. Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
12. What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
13. As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
14. Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
15. People- Barbra Streisand
16. Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
17. If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
18. Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
19. The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
20. If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
21. Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

1. Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
2. Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
3. I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
4. The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
5. Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
6. I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
7. I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
8. We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
9. Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
10. Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
11. Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
12. One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
13. All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
14. Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
15. Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
16. Come Follow The Band
17. Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
18. And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
19. The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

1. Memory- Betty Buckley
2. I Am What I Am- George Hearn
3. Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
4. Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
5. The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
6. You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
7. The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
8. Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
9. With One Look- Glenn Close
10. On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
11. Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
12. Seasons Of Love-
13. Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
14. I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
15. Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
16. Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
17. Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
18. I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
19. Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway

Average customer rating: not their best, but still decent Yuck - dull, uninspired Superb recording At best, an iffy transition album 2.5 stars Exceptionally beautiful pop album

Song for All Seasons Renaissance Manufacturer: Wounded Bird Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Novella Turn of the Cards Scheherazade & Other Stories Azure d'Or Ashes Are Burning ASIN: B00005A48J Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

1. Opening Out
2. Day Of The Dreamer
3. Closer Than Yesterday
4. Kindness (At The End)
5. Back Home Once Again
6. She Is Love
7. Northern Lights
8. A Song For All Seasons

Album Description

Originally released in 1978, this is the U.S. CD debut with the original album cover artwork. 8 tracks including, 'Opening Out', 'Closer Than Yesterday' and 'She Is Love'. Standardjewel case. 2001 release.

Customer Reviews:

not their best, but still decent.......2007-07-06

This is a step down from Renaissance's early work. Most of the songs are more pop-oriented. Still, a couple of songs stand out as good examples of the progressive genre, including the title track and the opening track. The best known track, "Northern Lights", is pure ear candy, but it is good listening just the same.

Yuck - dull, uninspired.......2007-06-15

Now I remember why I didn't fret when I lost the LP version of this disk. Renaissance has made terrific music, but this outing isn't among their better efforts. Everyone sounds out of energy and there's no overarching theme or unity of direction to tie things together. Check out the band's other fine disks.

Superb recording.......2006-11-25

Everything a Renaissance fan would expect. Annie Haslam couldn't be better and the excellent male vocals on "Kindness" and "She is Love" is an unexpected surprise. The title cut "Song for All Seasons" as well as "Day of the Dreamer" are Renaissance classics. This is an excellent recording, recommended for all. You don't have to be a Renaissance fan to enjoy this one.

At best, an iffy transition album 2.5 stars.......2004-07-21

With Novella, Renaissance were showing signs of wear. The old formula was still working well for them, but it was obvious that it wasn't working nearly as well as it had on the albums that preceded it, especially their high-water mark "Scheherezade And Other Stories." Sales were down, and something had to change, and fast.

It was becoming apparent that they weren't having a tremendous amount of commercial success, so they simplified their approach, used more synthesizers, and in what had to have been a crazed descision thinking that their fans would want a little variety and not hear Annie on a couple songs, they let Jon Camp sing a couple tunes.

For Renaissance, writing pop songs should not have been hard. The hearts of all of their epic pieces were basic, lovely pop songs with catchy, memorable vocal hooks. In short, songs that stick with you.

Unfortunately, part of the fat-trimming process of this album meant not only losing a lot of outside orchestration and instrumental complexity, but the memorable vocal melodies as well. Songs such as "Closer Than Yesterday" and "Back Home Once Again" have pleasant, enjoyable melodies. Despite this, they unfortunately go in one ear and out the other, lacking the coveted "hook" that will give you that magic hit. These are songs I've heard multiple times that I can't seem to remember much of as far as lyrics. "Kindness," the one tolerable Camp-sung tune on the album, once again has a nice structure musically but sticks with you like a small salad. Luckily, they hit it big time with "Northern Lights" which is without a doubt the best pop song the band ever wrote and coincidentally, gave them their first hit. Unlike the other songs on here, this one is near impossible to get out of your head once it's stuck there.

As far as the epics which bookend the album, the title track is one of their best. It has a great, driving instrumental opening and is one of their most bombastic and glorious tunes. I wish I could say the same for the "Opening Out/Day Of The Dreamer" suite, which are 2 tunes that should have been one. Neither one sounds like a fully developed song. Right when "Opening Out" sounds like it might take off somewhere, it totally dies on you. It hits you with a punch in the beginning and whimpily just kind of dies off. Melodies in this song are reprised generously in "Day Of The Dreamer" and I still can't figure out why. Maybe they couldn't come up with enough material to finish it? Who knows. Regardless, the first half of "Dreamer" is just fantastic, one of the most lighthearted, energetic, and euphoria-inducing sections of music in their catalog sure to send you into uncontrollable fits of joy. Unfortunately, this half of the suite suffers the same fate as the first half, and a little over halfway through you will be wishing it was over. Towards the end, they reprise the chorus of the first half of the song in a key that's way too low for Annie to deliver powerfully, which totaly kills any momentum the song was building up to that point (which wasn't much, but out of the dreary, slow middle section something really powerful would have been nice here.) In the end, it is just frustrating that they wasted so many marvelous sections of music on such a pointless, rambling mini-suite.

As far as "She Is Love," it is one of the ultimate low points of the Renaissance catalog and disgustingly sung by John Camp. It is almost as bad as the proceding Camp-sung track "Only Angels Have Wings" on Azure D'Or but not nearly as wretched as "Auto-Tech" from the Time Line album.

All in all, a lot of stuff on here is pleasant enough to listen to, yet it struggles to hold your attention and comes across as unfocused and messy. It doesn't hold well together as an album, the better individual songs would fare much better on a homemade compilation disc. They would get the pop songwriting down a lot better on the next album, Azure D'Or (which has a handful of my favorite Renaissance tracks) yet their abilities to create complex music would wane even further. The beginning of the end for one of the great 70's prog acts. A recovery was never made.

Exceptionally beautiful pop album.......2004-01-01

This is the first Renaissance album I have heard and I am amazed of the beauty of this album. I have heard lots of pop albums and I think this is defenetively one of the best, if the best of all! Annie's voice is exceptionally beautiful, "classical" and all songs except last prog song are very good songs. It is a pity that this band is not too familiar to larger public nowadays although at least this album is a pop classic. I highly recommend this album to all who like melodic pop music.

Average customer rating: excellent entertainment The Christmas I Love A Christmas Collection That Is Just Plain Fun Wonderful; marvellous ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL

The Christmas I Love Andre Rieu , and Johann Strauss Orchestra Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Classical | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Pop Instrumental & Easy Listening | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Pop Instrumental & Easy Listening | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Similar Items: Tuscany At The Movies The Homecoming The Vienna I Love, Waltzes From My Heart Romantic Moments ASIN: B0000041OB Release Date: 1997-10-21

Tracks:

1. O Daughter Of Zion
2. White Christmas
3. Sleigh Ride
4. From Heaven High I Come To You: Tomorrow's The Day Children/Gloria In Excelsis Deo...
5. Ave Maria
6. Transeamus
7. Softly Falls The Snow: Ring Out Little Bell/O Come Al Ye Faithful
8. Evening Prayer (From Hansel & Gretel)
9. Jingle Bells
10. Lullaby: O Sweet Child Jesus/Let Us Be Happy And Jolly
11. Mille Cherubini In Coro (Lullaby)
12. Christmas Rose
13. The Four Seasons: Winter: Largo
14. O Christmas Tree: The Little Drummer Boy/Lullaby
15. Every Year A New: Oh, How Joyfully/Never Have The Bells Sung More Sweetly
16. Dearest Believe Me
17. Come Little Children
18. The Christmas Concert: Pastorale
19. The Holy City
20. Silent Night

Customer Reviews:

excellent entertainment.......2007-01-20

I thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas DVD . I want to buy more of Andre Rieu.

The Christmas I Love.......2007-01-10

I was very pleased with the CD and would recommend it to everyone.

All of Andre Rieu's music is very enjoyable to listen to.

A Christmas Collection That Is Just Plain Fun.......2005-11-19

Sometimes I think the only person who is happy that Public television is financially challenged, other that certain legislators who believe that it is too liberal and the culmination of all that is evil, is Andre Rieu. Now don't get me wrong, this happy Dutch musician who models himself after Johan Straus is not a cruel or vindictive person. At least from what I can tell he's not, but let's face it. If PBS did not have financial woes, Andre Rieu, one of its favorite stars, would not have received the exposure he has, and his sales in the United States would probably be next to nothing. Of course for anyone who has ever seen one of his extravaganzas, we would be missing something enjoyable. He's musically sound and he knows how to entertain, and quiet frankly, though some classical purists may cringe at his name, I don't believe the composers whose music he uses are rolling in their graves because it's become popular once again.

Of all his concerts and CDs, I enjoy THE CHRISTMAS I LOVE the most. The jitterbug version of "Jingle Bells" shows that an old tune can produce new tricks. His arrangement of "The Holy City" (a.k.a. "Jerusalem") is almost as moving as when it is performed with a vocalist. The recording has a number of medleys that include favorites from all over Europe show how Christmas has such an international flair. For me, however, this album provides true variety. Many of the carols are not familiar to Americans, so we hear something different yet also authentic to the holiday season.

I'm surprised that there have not been other Rieu Christmas discs. He's an original musician and a consummate showman, so I'm sure there's more he could do with holiday music, but maybe he knows he has a classic with this collection and it will stand the test of time.

Wonderful; marvellous.......2000-09-30

Andre Rieu proves again he is the best of the best! I bought this CD in october 1997, a few weeks before Andre's concert In Quebec city. In this CD, you'll find all the classics of Christmas. They are well played because Andre and his orchestra know how to bring us the atmosphere of Christmas. The desing of the CD is well done. If you,re looking for good music, please try this CD You'll enjoy it. If you have the occasion to see his Christmas concert on TV, watch it. It's very beautiful.

This his not the first CD made by Andre. In 1992, he released "Spielt Die Schonten Weihnachtslieder".

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.......1999-08-18

Another wonderful Andre Rieu CD. All the Rieu recordings and videos are a breath of fresh air - a joy to the soul.

Average customer rating: christmas music Relaxing it is. Here's Your Chance to Hear the Masters and Masterpieces of Christmas Music in Superb Sound

The Ultimate Relaxation Christmas Album Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Ultimate Relaxation Christmas Album 2 Christmas Adagios A Christmas Festival A Festival of Carols in Brass Joy to the World - Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra ASIN: B00006LHWN Release Date: 2002-10-15

Tracks:

1. Christmas Bells - Mantovani & His Orchestra
2. O Holy Night - Mantovani & His Orchestra
3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Ronnie Aldrich And His Two Pianos
4. White Christmas - Mantovani & His Orchestra
5. The Christmas Waltz - Ronnie Aldrich And His Two Pianos
6. Winter Wonderland - Ronnie Aldrich And His Two Pianos
7. Mary's Boy Child - Mantovani & His Orchestra
8. The Christmas Song - Ronnie Aldrich And His Two Pianos
9. Adeste Fideles - Mantovani & His Orchetra
10. The Golden Carol (What Child Is This?) - Frank Chacksfield And His Orchestra
11. Coventry Carol - David Willcocks
12. Away In A Manger - Frank Chacksfield And His Orchestra
13. In Dulci Jubilo - David Willcocks
14. Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
15. Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen - Georg Ratzinger
16. Ave Maria - Arthur Grumiaux
17. O Tannenbaum - Vienna Boys' Choir
18. Winter (Largo From Concerto No.4 In F Minor, RV297 'The Four Seasons') - Sir Neville Marriner
19. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Mantovani & His Orchestra
20. I Saw Three Ships - Mantovani & His Orchestra
21. Sinfonia From Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 - Sir Neville Marriner
22. Silent Night, Holy Night - Mantovani & His Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

christmas music.......2007-01-14

this was a very nice cd for quiet listening, but it did not inspire any emotional feelings.

Relaxing it is........2007-01-09

This music could be played at any Dentist or Doctor's office just to take the edge off. It's not a masterpiece, but it is relaxing.

Here's Your Chance to Hear the Masters and Masterpieces of Christmas Music in Superb Sound.......2006-01-08

Decca has come out with the "Ultimate" Series of albums, ranging from Opera Divas to Tango, from Patriotic to Relaxing Classical. I ordered this album last fall from a high school student in my neighborhood going door to door raising funds for her hockey team. I had no idea what the Christmas music was, I just wanted something relaxing. When it arrived in the mail I was delighted to hear favorites from my youth - Annunzio P. Mantovani, Frank Chacksfield (remember him?), and Ronnie Aldrich - all remastered in terrific sound! The liner notes are fun to read, providing a story for each carol and song. This generous album of 22 tracks runs a total time of 63:25, providing holiday ambience from Thanksgiving through New Years Day.

Average customer rating: A gateway drug, nothing more, nothing less. Decent Selection, But... A must-have classical music set!

Best Classics 100 Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Allegri | Allegri, Gregorio | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Borodin | Borodin, Alexander | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bruch | Bruch, Max | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Canteloube, Joseph | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Franz Joseph Haydn | Haydn, Franz Joseph | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Holst | Holst, Gustav | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Khachaturian | Khachaturian, Aram | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Lehár, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mascagni | Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Pachelbel | Pachelbel, Johann | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Prokofiev | Prokofiev, Sergei | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sibelius | Sibelius, Jean | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Strauss Jr., Johann | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Johann Strauss Sr. | Strauss Sr., Johann | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Variations | Forms & Genres | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music French Horn | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Trumpet | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Organ | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Clarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Guitar | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Cleveland Orchestra | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Paris Symphony Orchestra | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Czech | Languages | 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 Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: 100 Best Opera Classics Best Classics 100 Volume 1 Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits Best Classics 100 Volume 2 The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe ASIN: B0001M65HE Release Date: 2004-08-10

Tracks:

1. Handel: The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
2. Vivaldi: Spring (The Four Seasons)
3. J.S. Bach: Toccata in D Minor
4. Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 4 in E Flat
5. Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
6. Tchaikovsky: '1812' Overture
7. Beethoven: Ode To Joy (Symphony #9)
8. Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor
9. Sibelius: Alla Marcia (Karelia Suite)
10. Holst: Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity
11. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1
12. Sibelius: Finlandia
13. Verdi: Gloria All'egitto (Aida)
14. Prokofiev: Montagues And Capulets (Romeo & Juliet)
15. J. Strauss I: Radetzky March
16. Elgar: Pomp And Circumstance March No.1
17. Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3
18. Saint-Saens: Symphony No. 3 'Organ'

Tracks:

1. J. S. Bach: Air 'On The G String'
2. Gluck: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits
3. Pachelbel: Canon
4. Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A
5. J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations
6. Albinoni: Adagio
7. Beethoven: Piano Sonata 'Moonlight'
8. Mozart: Flute & Harp Concerto in C
9. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor
10. Mozart: Piano Concerto 'Elivira Madigan'
11. Dvorak: Symphony No. 9
12. Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1
13. Elgar: Nimrod
14. Rodrigo: Concierto De Aranjuez
15. Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
16. Mahler: Symphony No. 5
17. Rachmaninov: Rhapsody On A Theme of Paganini

Tracks:

1. Bizet: Au fond du temple saint (Les Pjcheurs de perles)
2. Dvorak: Song to the Moon (Rusalka)
3. Delibes: Dtme Epais (Lakmi)
4. Bizet: La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetie (Carmen)
5. Gluck: Che Farr Senza Euridice? (Orfeo & Euridice)
6. Bellini: Casta Diva (Norma)
7. Puccini: Che Gelida Manina (La Bohhme)
8. Puccini: O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianno Schicchi)
9. Trad: Baolhro
10. Puccini: Vogliatemi Bene (Madama Butterfly)
11. Verdi: Va, Pensiero (Nabucco)
12. Lehar: Es Lebt' Eine Vilja (Die Lustige Witwe)
13. Handel: Ombra Mai Fy (Serse)
14. Schubert: Ave Maria
15. Adam: Minuit, Chritiens (O Holy Night)
16. Puccini: Nessun Dorma (Turandot)

Tracks:

1. Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro
2. J.S. Bach: Jesus bleibet meine Freud
3. Beethoven: Piano Concerto 'Emperor'
4. Clarke: Trumpet Voluntary
5. Gounod: Judex
6. Rossini: La scala di Seta
7. Handel: Sarabande
8. Tchaikovsky: Waltz of the Flowers
9. Prokofiev: Troika
10. Williams: Fantasia on 'Greensleeves'
11. Debussy: Clair de lune
12. Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
13. Myers: Cavatina
14. Chopin: Piano Concerto No.1
15. Horner: My Heart Will Go On
16. Quarantotto: Time to Say Goodbye
17. J. Strauss II: The Blue Danube

Tracks:

1. Mascagni: Intermezzo
2. Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2
3. Grieg: Morning (Peer Gynt)
4. Shostakovich: Romance
5. Barber: Adagio For Strings
6. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
7. Massenet: Miditation
8. Borodin: Polovtsian Dances
9. Khachaturian: Adagio Of Spartacus And Phrygia
10. Tchaikovsky: Romeo And Juliet Overture
11. Beethoven: Symphony No.7
12. J. S. Bach: Double Violin Concerto
13. Williams: Schindler's List Theme
14. Tchaikovsky: Dance Of The Reed Flutes
15. Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 'Pastoral'

Tracks:

1. Handel: Zadok The Priest
2. J. S. Bach: Zion Hvrt Die Wdchter
3. Allegri: Miserere Mei, Deus
4. Schubert: German Mass
5. Franck: Panis Angelicus
6. Berlioz: L'adieu Des Bergers
7. Gounod: St Cecilia Mass
8. Faure: In Paradisum
9. Mozart: Laudate Dominum
10. Faure: Cantique De Jean Racine
11. Verdi: Ingemisco
12. Mozart: Ave Verum Corpus
13. Handel: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
14. Haydn: The Heavens Are Telling
15. Faure: Pie Jesu
16. Mozart: Lacrimosa (Requiem)
17. Handel: Hallelujah Chorus

Customer Reviews:

A gateway drug, nothing more, nothing less. .......2007-03-11

To say that this album constitutes a necessity for the classical music enthusiast would be a great big unarguable lie. It has nothing innovative to offer you as a listener, except for maybe the labelling of melodies such as "My Heart Will Go On" (that god-awful Love Theme from the gruesome film Titanic) as a worthy member of "Best Classics 100". But than again, every collection of things that does not naturally belong together, is bound to have at least one outcast where the connection clearly isn't based on anything but cost and sale-ability.

This might sound like the beginning of a CD-slaughter, or a snobbish review where only the Deutche Grammophone's recordings are meting my standards, but although I am fairly picky when it comes to musical collections, best of albums, and such horrifying destructions of the universality of the works and the intentions of the artist behind it, I am willing to give this collection another chance, since classical music is somewhere between Arabic and wine in degree of unmanageability. It also helps that all the tunes are familiar to almost every one of us, and the fact that the artists' intentions probably got killed by the hundreds of different conductors trying to convey their personal interpretation of the works.

What I am saying is that this CD can be to classical music enthusiast what 'absolute rock' can be to a rock enthusiast, or to someone slightly interested, with no conceptual frames of where to start the search for knowledge. "Best Classics 100" offers nothing except a selection of melodies where there's bound to be one for every taste, but where the album feeling, the entirety or completeness intended by the composer, or conductor, or performer is completely lost in a trade-off made with variety.

The collection is attempted organised by giving each CD a different theme, supposedly to describe the mood of the music, and the labeller succeeds only to a limited extent as we move from themes such as 'uplifting' and 'relaxing' towards 'golden'. I wonder what that golden feeling constitutes. It apparently is to be found in, amongst others, "Jesus Bleibet Meine Freunde", and in "My Heart Will Go On"?

But no matter how I try to describe this CD it will sound worse than it actually is. This because to me it works as a great reference to which I can always turn with my classical music questions. Was it Schumann or Schubert who were the sad one? Of all the -inis, which where which again? Who composed "O Mio Babbino Caro"? The starting point for finding out if you belong to the romantic or the renascence wing, lies within this assemblage, if you look with your ears.

If you feel that classical music is something you like, and you'd like to learn more about it, this is a way to get started. If used together with a book on classical music, or wikipedia, it can be a gateway drug, leading you towards the great different experiences to be found within the different genres of classical music, and within the different periods ranging from the 12th century, maybe even earlier, towards yesterdays and tomorrows spectacular compositions of melodies that conveys a feeling, a state of mind with much more precision than any other musical genre. Expect a fairly alright collection of classical prunes, and you won't be disappointed.

Decent Selection, But..........2005-04-21

...The Audio Quality is really not great. I bought this CD because I am new to classical, and the price was great! 100 songs for 25 bucks, thats like 25 cents a song, most songs are 1 dollar or more. Now I know why it's cheaper. The audio quality isn't that good. I imported the entire collection to my computer using Apple Lossless, and it sounded fuzzy, not crisp, with background noise, and sounded like compressed music, cutting off the frequency response.
I then played the CD's through my home stereo, with the same results. I plugged in my SHURE E5c headphones and the sound was soft, uninviting, lacking punch, with significant backgound noise (not just from the headphones), which was especially distracting when the music would get softer. I have heard much of the music before, and it was much more dynamic, entertaining, this recording seems too flat.
The music selection is ok, but I was hoping for some more interesting selections from the vast classical genre.
Overall, not that great of a recording, but many might not notice the difference, so if you are new to classical or aren't like an audiophile, get this album because it's a great overview of pop-culture classical, and it's pretty inexpensive.

A must-have classical music set!.......2005-01-06

Classical music is, by far, my favorite type of music. It can make you happy or sad, it can make you laugh or cry, and it can make you want to fall asleep or get up and dance. This 6-disc set is a must-have for and classical music-lover! It has all the great composers like Handel, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Bach, and Pachelbel. Some great songs include: Canon In D(Pachelbel), Morning: Peergynt(Grieg), Adagio For Strings(Barber), Cavatina(Myers), and much, much more. Every classical song you can think of is on here and the sound quality is great. So if you're looking for a good classical music CD, this set is all you need. Be prepared to be blown away!

Average customer rating: Forget what they SAY Most Aggravating Album in the World! A fair introduction to Classical Music Great for Beginners Exellent compilation

The Best Classical Album in the World... Ever! Stanley Myers , Antonio Vivaldi , Gregorian Chant , John Williams , Edward Elgar , Giuseppe Verdi , Giacomo Puccini , Michael Nyman , Edvard Grieg , Ludwig van Beethoven , Umberto Giordano , Riccardo Muti , Fryderyk Chopin , Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni , Georges Bizet , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Johann Pachelbel , Antonin Dvorak , Carl Orff , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Léo Delibes , George Gershwin , Maurice Ravel , Charles Gounod , Erik Satie , Sergey Prokofiev , and Sergey Rachmaninov Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Górecki, Henryk Mikolaj | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Holst | Holst, Gustav | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Nyman | Nyman, Michael | ( N ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Orff | Orff, Carl | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Pachelbel | Pachelbel, Johann | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Prokofiev | Prokofiev, Sergei | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Divertimentos | Serenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music