Afternoon

Amazon.com
Though Eleni Mandell has drawn comparisons to P.J. Harvey, Rickie Lee Jones, and Tom Waits (whose pal, longtime Hollywood club fixture Chuck E. Weiss, helped mentor her career), the young L.A. chanteuse has cut her own distinctive musical swath. After several forays into emotive cabaret, Mandell abruptly turned to traditional country for inspiration in 2003, winning accolades as the LA Weekly's "songwriter of the year" in the bargain. Though more of the same might have been expected in the wake of that success, the singer instead boldly strips her often blues-inspired music down to its compelling, roots-bare core here. The potent combo of Mandell's dusky voice and producer/lead sideman Joshua Grange's guitar impart a rare, intimate presence to the singer's stirring romantic quests and imbroglios. It's less-as-more, boldly up close and personal. Mandell's voice simmers seductively through standouts like the lament "Can't You See I'm Soulful" and the daydream "Suns Always Shining" before boiling over with Chrissie Hynde sass on "Easy On Your Way Out" and the sexually playful "Dangerous." Powered by timeless romantic themes and a lean evocation of American country and blues, it's an Afternoon well spent. --Jerry McCulley

Afternoon,Eleni Mandell,Zedtone,Alternative Pop/Rock,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop,Singer/Songwriter

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Afternoon

Average customer rating: the most relaxing classical music in the university Relaxing Classical Music Stress-freedom Greatly enjoy! the most relaxing classical music in the universe

The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe Johann Sebastian Bach , Ralph Vaughan Williams , George Frideric Handel , Gustav Holst , Samuel Barber , Edvard Grieg , Jean Sibelius , Antonin Dvorak , Franz Liszt , Charles Gounod , Fryderyk Chopin , Alexander Borodin , Maurice Ravel , Antonio Vivaldi , Satie, Erik , and Various Artists Manufacturer: Denon Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Pavanes | 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. 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The Most Relaxing Piano Album in the World...Ever! More Of The Most Relaxing Classical Music In The Universe Mozart for Relaxation ASIN: B00008RH16 Release Date: 2003-04-08

Tracks:

1. Canon - Pachelbel
2. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik-Andante - Mozart
3. Fur Elise - Beethoven
4. String Quartet #1 - Tchaikovsky
5. Clair De Lune - Debussy
6. Idyl for Strings - Adagio - Janacek
7. Adagio in G Mnor - Albinoni
8. The Girl with the Flaxen Hair - Debussy
9. Air on a G String - Bach
10. Greensleeves - Vaughn Williams
11. Largo from Xerxes - Handel
12. Prelude in C - Bach
13. The Planets - Venus - Holst
14. Goldberg Variations - Aria - Bach
15. Adagio for Strings - Barber

Tracks:

1. Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun - Debussy
2. Fur Elise - Beethoven
3. Holberg Suite - Sarabande - Grieg
4. Valse Triste - Sibelius
5. Concerto in F Minor - Largo - Bach
6. Serenade for String - Moderato - Dvorak
7. Liebestraume - Liszt
8. Ave Maria - Bach/Bounod
9. Etude in E Major - Chopin
10. String Quartet No 2 - Nocturne - Borodin
11. Arabesque - Debussy
12. Pavane for Dead Princess - Ravel
13. The Four Seasons - Largo - Vivaldi
14. Gymno0pedie 1 - Satie
15. Moonlight Sonata - Adagio - Beethoven
16. Piano Concerto No 21 - Andante - Mozart "Elvira Madigan"

Customer Reviews:

the most relaxing classical music in the university.......2007-05-12

All my favorites. I can start the CD player, which is wired to speakers in every room of my house, and just let it play, along with "The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the World" and "The Most Relaxing Classical Guitar in the World." I enjoy an awareness of familiar and beautiful strains of my favorites all day long and never get tired of it.

My brother visited me recently and noticed it right away. That will be another order for this fabulour music.

Relaxing Classical Music.......2007-01-08

I was not really a classical music fan but I am now. I purchased this cd for my 14 year old grand-daughter, not knowing we would both enjoy the music so much. She has always enjoyed classical music along with all of the other teen music, rap, rock, country, etc.
Also, it really helped being able to listen to parts of the music before purchasing.

Stress-freedom.......2006-03-14

Perfect music to end the work day. After listening to this I can face the evening. If the morning is hard, a little at lunch time gets me through the afternoon.

Greatly enjoy!.......2006-02-23

I first developed a taste for this music a number of years ago when my daughter started playing in the orchestra. The reason I made this purchase however, was because I have a great deal of difficulty with anxiety and I was looking for ways to find help. I love these CDs. It helps so much to sit and close my eyes and enjoy the music. The CDs are full of beautiful music.

the most relaxing classical music in the universe.......2005-09-21

it's the best next to the first one...

Average customer rating: Life Is But A Dream... Beautiful, dreamy Fabulous collection ! An excellent introduction to Debussy and French music Dream and Classical music are magic

Debussy for Daydreaming: Music to Caress Your Innermost Thoughts Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Flute | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Detroit Symphony Orchestra | ( D ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: Mozart for Meditation Beethoven at Bedtime: A Gentle Prelude to Sleep Tchaikovsky At Tea Time: A Refreshing Blend For Body And Spirit Chopin and Champagne: Set Your Mood for Romance Baroque at Bathtime: A Relaxing Serenade to Wash Your Cares Away ASIN: B0000041CL Release Date: 1995-04-11

Tracks:

1. Syrinx
2. Maid With The Flaxen Hair
3. Clair de lune
4. Petit Suite - En Bateau
5. Reverie
6. La plue que lente (Valse)
7. Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun
8. String Quartet In G minor: Andantino doucement expressif
9. Sonata For Flute, Viola And Harp: Interlude
10. Arabesque No. 1
11. Valse romantique
12. Images For Orchestra: Perfumes Of The Night

Customer Reviews:

Life Is But A Dream..........2006-08-30

This CD is just pure magic. I know that is such a cliche' thing to say, but it really is. Of course, it really won't appeal to those people who are into EXTREME LIVING...whatever the hell that means, because to me, extreme living is living close to the soul, close to the spirit, close to the Invisible Source that makes and creates all things in and out of Itself.

Debussy was a composer who lived very close to this Invisible Stream. His music reflects a gentleness and yet a strength that flows throughout each composistion. The arrangements are dreamy and mystical and allows one to go into their "inner chamber" and pray in secret to the One who knows their heart as well as their soul.

As much as I love this CD, I tend not to listen to it in the car. I once listened to it while making a routine drive to Santa Monica. The CD stopped and I had somehow missed all of my exits and ended up in Ventura...talk about being in dreamland!

It's a great CD to put in your walkman and go to an outdoor cafe' where you can sip a cafe latte and write poems to an unknown lover whose face you cannot remember, but whose gentle breath is the scent of lavendar...oh, I wax poetic...so sorry...

If you are into quiet and stillness, get this CD...it's truly a breath of fresh air in this noisy, crowded, extreme world we have to be in but not necessarily of...

Peace & Blessings

Beautiful, dreamy.......2006-07-17

This music evokes both emotions and images of life waking up in spring, even being in a magical forest where anything can happen, or floating on clouds. You can just enjoy the music and let your imagination soar or the music can take you into that trance-like state where you can access creative ideas and creative solutions to any problems - and maybe they just dissolve of their own accord.

Fabulous collection !.......2005-09-13

If you like Debussy - whom I have heard called one of the progenitors of ambient music - you will love having his most inspiring and beautiful works together on one cd. These works are tranquil and serene, and yet they don't fade into the background - no matter what you are doing - because they are true art. When this cd is playing you can't help but listen and sigh. My cats love this cd, too.

An excellent introduction to Debussy and French music.......2005-06-30

Compilation CD's like this are an excellent first CD to purchase when first exploring a new composer or style of music ("Expressionism" in Debussy's case). And this Philip's "Set your Life to Music" collection is usually a sure and safe way to do that given their well thought-out selections, themes and quality recordings. This CD here contains many of the most popular, lyrical and enchanting works of the 19th-century French composer, Claude Debussy. The range of selections are diverse and satisfying: from his major solo piano works through his top chamber music (for 2-5 instruments) to the full-blown orchestral selections of great imagery and dreaminess that can transport one into another world of great serenity. (But, there are enough sudden changes in loudness and rhythm to upset any notions of perfect bliss and keep the daydreamer from falling asleep - hence the title, "for Daydreams" and not "for Bedtime" like in other offerings in this Philips' series) Regardless, this CD is an excellent introduction to Claude Debussy as well as being overall relaxing music to enrich one's life.

One interesting music history tidbit on Debussy that might interest the new listener: Even though Debussy did not like the label, his music was labeled "Expressionism" for the similarities to what the French artists like Monet were doing at the same time. In Debussy's case, his intent was to create "emotional impressions" with music that evoked specific moods and images in the mind - not unlike what the "impressionistic painters" were trying to do on canvas using pure color and form to evoke the fleeting, emotional moment of a landscape scene. "Prelude of the Afternoon of the Fawn" is a good example of this dreamy, lingering, emotive style of music.

Dream and Classical music are magic.......2005-02-16

This CD is one of the best among its classical collections. (bach for breakfast is my one of them) It puts me to any place I dream of whenever I listen to this cd. It usually brings me into outer space, or sometimes go to the sky or under the sea. You can also just sit back and relax while listening to the music. In addition, once I get mad or not calm enough, I just put this cd on and it cures my anger.
Classical music is magic.

Average customer rating: GREAT WEDDING MUSIC! Good Music A very complete selection of ceremony music! Comprehensive Classical Selection Just one note...

A Bride's Guide to Wedding Music Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. 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A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Pachelbel | Pachelbel, Johann | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( 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 Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Telemann, Georg Philipp | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Walton | Walton, Sir William | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | 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 Concerto Grossi | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | 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 General | Telemann, Georg Philipp | Composers | 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 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 Trumpet | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Flute | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Oboe | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | 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Tracks:

1. Bach: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
2. Vivaldi: Largo Winter
3. Bach: Air On A G String
4. Torelli: Trumpet Concerto
5. Bach: Sheep May Safely Graze
6. Handel: Let The Bright Seraphim
7. Handel: Pastoral Symphony
8. Boccherini: String Quintet, Minuet
9. Mendelssohn: On Wings Of Song
10. Liszt: Dream Of Love
11. Rachmaninov: Vocalise
12. Debussy: Claire De Lune
13. Satie: Gymnopedie No.1
14. Gluck: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits
15. Debussy: Arabesque
16. Bizet: Intermezzo
17. Elgar: Salut D'amour
18. Debussy: Prelude A L'apres - Midi D'un Faun

Tracks:

1. Wagner: Bridal Chorus
2. Clarke: Trumpet Voluntary
3. Handel: Royal Fireworks Music, Overture
4. Gabrieli: Canzon V
5. Charpentier: Te Deum
6. Purcell: Trumpet Tune
7. Mussorgsky: Promenade
8. Pachebel: Canon In D
9. Handel: Larghetto
10. Vivaldi: Guitar Concerto In D Major, Largo
11. Handel: Water Music, Air
12. Macdowell: To A Wild Rose
13. Beethoven: Pathetique Sonata, Adagio
14. Melchior: Adagio
15. Gounod: Ave Maria
16. Schubert: Ave Maria
17. Franck: Panis Angelicus
18. Faure: Pie Jesu
19. Rachmaninov: Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini
20. Schumann: Romance For Violin And Piano
21. Massenet: Meditation

Tracks:

1. Mendelssohn: Wedding March
2. Vivaldi: Concerto For Two Trumpets In B, Allegro
3. Telemann: Trumpet Concerto In D, Allegro
4. Vivaldi: Spring, Allegro
5. Telemann: Trumpet Concerto In B, Allegro
6. Handel: Concerto Grosso, Hornpipe
7. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No.4, Allegro
8. Handel: Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
9. Schumann: Piano Quintet In E Flat Major
10. Widor: Toccata
11. Dubois: Toccata
12. Walton: Crown Imperial
13. Bach: Cantata No.51. 'Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen.' Alleluia
14. Mozart: Exsultate Jubilate, Alleluia
15. Handel: Water Music, Hornpipe
16. Chopin; Variations On A Theme From 'La Cenerentola'
17. Faure: Sicilienne
18. Offenbach: Barcarolle
19. Faure: Berceuse
20. Saint-Saens: The Swan
21. Brahms: Waltz In A Flat
22. Grieg: Wedding Day At Troldhaugen

Album Description

The process of choosing music for a wedding day can certainly be a daunting process for any couple. There are many choices and the questions can be endless. Traditional music or something off the beaten path? Will your Mom cry (and not in a good way) if you do not come down the aisle to the traditional Wedding March from Wagner, or are you eager to try something new? This collection is designed to give the bridal couple some key pointers to navigate the world of classical music for their wedding day. The package includes over 3 1/2 hours of music on 3 CDs for all portions of the wedding service, all from the Naxos classical label (known for high-quality recordings at inexpensive prices). Wedding day favorites are there, along with new discoveries and tunes you may have never considered for a wedding. All pieces are hand selected by professional wedding musicians and consultants. As a bonus, the 20 page booklet will lead you through the process of choosing music, from hiring musicians to sample programs. Everything you need to create your own unique personal wedding soundtrack.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT WEDDING MUSIC!.......2007-01-24

I used these CD's for my wedding, and I was so happy I did. You need to buy this CD if you like having a traditional wedding! :)

Good Music.......2006-07-05

I bought these CDs for my wedding, in ceremony and reception. Also, when I created my own wedding video, I used it as background music.

A very complete selection of ceremony music!.......2005-02-02

I am getting married in several months and we couldn't decide what music we wanted at our wedding ceremony. This three disk compilation reminded us of all the great ones- including new options we hadn't thought about. I really enjoyed hearing the organ and strings versions of the songs. If you're someone who hears a classical or baroque piece of music, but can't remember the name or the precise tune, this is a must-have to jog your memory and trigger the tear ducts!

Comprehensive Classical Selection.......2004-04-15

I searched all over for a CD set that had a somewhat comprehensive list of classical selections that are traditionally played at weddings. When I found this 3 CD set, I was very pleased. It contains 61 works from almost as many composers. This set might not contain the "best recording ever" of each of the selections, however it is very well done and the quality is very good. I used it primarily to choose the pieces that I wanted to have played by the church organist, and so the actual recordings were more for my consumption rather than for use in the ceremony/reception itself. However, I would not have hestitated to use the CD's in the wedding itself if needed. The book inside includes a list of suggested songs for various wedding styles (formal, outside, morning, etc.). From the classical neophyte to the seasoned classical music expert, this CD set will meet if not exceed expectations.

Just one note..........2003-06-07

I have not heard this album, so I cannot rate it as a whole. (The form made me include a rating, but disregard that.) However, I want to point out that track 36, the Pie Jesu from Gabriel Faure's Requiem is - well, from a requiem, a mass for the dead. The Pie Jesu is a lovely, gentle movement, and it has a beautiful and pure sound that does seem to fit the mood of a wedding. The Latin words, however, mean "Merciful Lord Jesus, grant them everlasting rest," where "them" refers to the dead.

Beautiful, but perhaps not so suitable for a wedding.

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

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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: A good gift for novice

Passion - Most Famous Orchestral Spectaculars [20 CD Set] Manufacturer: Delta ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( 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 Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chabrier | Chabrier, Alexis Emanuel | ( 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, 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Album Description

Music can be both calming and relaxing, or invigorating and passionate...this phenomenal 20-CD set is definitely the latter. This amazing collection brings together for the first time the most passionate music of all time, from Ravel's Bolero, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Wagner's Magic Fire Music to Ravel's La Valse, Orff 's Carmina Burana and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. This is a must have collection for every passionate music lover.

Customer Reviews:

A good gift for novice.......2007-05-12

This was a good gift for somebody learning about Classical music in Japan.

Average customer rating: Another great electronic adaptation of classical music by Isao Tomita A classic! clair de lune again Synthesizers are Dancing A seminal work that stands the test of time

Debussy: Snowflakes Are Dancing, Prelude, etc / Tomita Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Computer | Electronic | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Electronic | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Tomita Planets Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition Tomita's Greatest Hits CD Kosmos Different Dimensions: Anthology ASIN: B00003OP6X Release Date: 2000-01-10

Tracks:

1. Children's Corner, No.4: Snowflakes Are Dancing
2. Reverie
3. Estampes, No.3: Gardens In The Rain
4. Suite bergamasque, No.3: Clair De Lune
5. Arabesque No. 1
6. Preludes, Book I, No.10: The Engulfed Cathedral
7. Suite bergamasque, No.4: Passepied
8. Preludes, Book I, No.8: The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
9. Children's Corner, No.6: Golliwog's Cakewalk
10. Preludes, Book I, No.6: Footprints In The Snow
11. Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun

Amazon.com

Back in the '70s, the rapid development of synthesizers and electronic keyboards had a huge impact on popular music, with Isao Tomita among the leading exponents of multimedia, surround-sound events associated in Western Europe with such very different musicians as Rick Wakeman and Jean-Michel Jarre. The present disc has less grandiose aims, being a well-balanced selection of, to quote the original liner notes, "Virtuoso electronic performances of Debussy's beautiful tone paintings." It's easy to scoff at the concept behind Tomita's approach--take some of the most poetic music around and give it the consistency of aural cotton wool--yet there's no denying the skill with which he translates Debussy's soundworld, preserving the harmonic interest of the piano originals and bringing out many subtleties of texture. Inevitably the slower numbers come off best--"Clair de Lune" or "Reverie" could easily become chill-out favorites. "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun," however, is not so much a travesty as a vaporization of the orchestral masterpiece. A mixed bag, but with enough musical interest to make Tomita's "sound clouds" of more than just curiosity value. --Richard Whitehouse

Customer Reviews:

Another great electronic adaptation of classical music by Isao Tomita.......2007-06-02

Released in 1974, this all electronic adaptation of works by Claude Debussy is really quite good and showcases Isao Tomita and his flair for synthesizer wizardry. I think that Isao more or less captures the dreamy and haunting mood of Debussy's compositions and also adds a bit of his own (humorous) flair here and there with some "light-hearted" synth sounds.

The music on this album was recorded entirely with a moog synthesizer although the sweeping and majestic sound of a mellotron with string setting pokes through the mix on occasion. As a big synthesizer fan, I thought it was interesting that the various settings on the moog were listed as "equipment" including things like oscillators and lowpass filters etc. This particular synthesizer was pretty versatile and a virtually infinite number of sounds could be generated, as is amply demonstrated by Isao on this album.

In addition to the works originally included on Snowflakes are Dancing, the last track was taken from his Firebird album (1976) and is another work composed largely on the moog synthesizer although other keyboards were used including a Fender electric piano and a Hohner Clavinet C.

The sound of this high performance CD is excellent and trust me, the changes in dynamics virtually leap out at you.

All in all, this is an excellent recording of electronic music by an excellent electronic composer. Highly recommended along with his 1976 adaptation of The Planets (by Gustav Holst).

A classic!.......2007-05-12

This was one of my favorites for years. Tomita has a way of presenting classical music that will captivate every sense.

clair de lune again.......2007-05-07

I owned this in cassette form many years ago and wanted it in undated mode. I bought this strictly for the rendition of Clair De Lune

Synthesizers are Dancing.......2007-03-28

During the seventies, the prog music of Yes, (early) Genesis, Renaissance, and especially Emerson, Lake & Palmer cast a hypnotic spell over legions of high school nurds such as myself. Much of what held it together was a fascination with the sounds eminating from the still somewhat new Moog Synthesizer. It wasn't long before my high school art room pals & myself began looking for anything Moog, and found quite a bit outside the rock music pantheon, most notably the 'Switched On Bach' recordings of Walter/Wendy Carlos. They were interesting, but nothing quite prepared us for the release of Tomita's 'Snowflakes Are Dancing'. Perhaps it was because the timing coincided with a 'high' point in our collective psyhedelic experimentations.... Debussy's music is already an alternative, ethereal experience in the classical world, and Tomita's choice of sounds & production techniques put this recording in a class by itself (umm... especially with a pair of good headphones). I am happy to report that, upon listening to this well produced CD release with nothing more than a cup of herbal tea, I was happily transported once again. It is one delightfully Bizarre recording. 'Highly' recommended.

A seminal work that stands the test of time.......2006-08-03

Tomita was one of the early pioneers of electronic music. This CD, originally released in the 70's, was at the time a masterpiece. That was in the days of patch cords and laborious manual over dubbing, so not every cut is up to today's standars. Still, the finer pieces on this CD stand with anything ever done in the genre: luminous, melodic, and even entrancing. At its best, a magical CD highly recommended not only for the connoisseur, but for anyone who enjoys synthesized music.

Average customer rating: Provocative and evocative. Brilliant. Sublime. The sultry jazz stylings of the the incomparable Ms. Regina Belle Regina: a showstopper with star power ! This is a monster line-up CD !! Regina loves company !!!!

Lazy Afternoon Regina Belle Manufacturer: Peak Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary R&B | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Baby Come to Me: The Best of Regina Belle Outrun the Sky Love Songs This Is Regina Forever, for Always, for Luther ASIN: B0002A2W9K Release Date: 2004-07-13

Tracks:

1. Lazy Afternoon
2. Fly Me To The Moon
3. What Are You Afraid Of
4. If I Ruled The World
5. Corcovado
6. There's A Love
7. Why Do People Fall In Love
8. For The Love Of You
9. If I Should Lose You
10. Moanin'
11. The Man I Love
12. Try A Little Tenderness

Customer Reviews:

Provocative and evocative. Brilliant........2007-07-21

One of the most versatile and artistically daring singers and musicians to emerge in recent decades, Regina Belle has always kept her admirers on their toes, never giving them a hint of what to expect next.
"Lazy Afternoon" is no different in that respect: it's full of surprises, both in its luxuriant, floral arrangements and production and its singular conceptual focus on songs that ask why so much in our world has gone just plain wrong, when it would be so simple to flip it over and make it all right.
To get her point across, Belle has chosen a number of Broadway songs and jazz classics taking on the uneasy task to re-invent them and make them sound totally new and absolutely gorgeous.
Regina also contributed material, and in choosing pianist /keyboardist maestro Gorge Duke, one of the country's most visionary record-makers of the day, to produce, she ensured that her ideas would be taken to fruition with a maximum of creative juices flowing on all sides.
Duke and Belle work closely together to complement the singer's alternately graceful and robust, ever sensual, remarkably flexible jazz-like phrasing with equally bright, sonically rich accompaniments. Bringing in a number of different arrangements and a roomful of extraordinairy guests ), Regina has succeeded in making a poignant statement without resorting to proselytizing.
With hits such as "Baby, Come to Me" and "Make It Like It Was" from Stay with Me and "If I Could" from Passion, Regina Belle has always been categorized as an R&B singer, though one never needed to dig too deep to discover the jazz inflections and influences in her music (check this To Grover, With Love out) .
Still, it's taken nearly two decades for her to release what the singer calls her first "in-your-face" jazz record.
"I always wanted to do a jazz record, but the thing for me was making sure I hooked up with the right people," says Belle about her latest offering.
"I have a special feeling for jazz, and I don't want to disrespect anybody because it requires a different type of study, a different type of focus.
"At the same time, I wanted to make sure that what I was doing was Regina Belle, not Ella Fitzgerald or Nancy Wilson as much as I love them. I needed to make sure that what I did had my signature on it.
Although she's performed such jazz songs as "You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)" and "If I Should Lose You" in concert, whenever the Grammy winner broached the topic of making a jazz album, record label officials had a hard time believing.
"They wanted an R&B vocalist, and I could do that, so I did that", she says. "It's a rare occasion when you get an opportunity to do what you want to do".
That opportunity came when Belle, 40somehing now, signed to Peak Records, which also released her Grammy-nominated R&B album, This Is Regina in 2001.
Still, with Belle's versatile, supple voice, Andi Howard, president of the contemporary jazz label, encouraged her to finally make a jazz CD.
"We said, 'Let's do something different, let's do something that shows a side of you maybe your concert-going audience has seen, but maybe your record-buying audience has not heard," Howard says. "At a time when everybody is talking about doing these standards records and jazz records, this is perfect for her".
"Lazy Afternoon" is an album of standards, but unlike similar collections by such diverse artists as Diana Krall, Rod Stewart, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler or Carly Simon, Belle doesn't hesitate to radically reinterpret American classics -- such as turning Frank Sinatra's finger-snapping "Fly Me to the Moon," into an elegant ballad.
"I needed to put on a new dress on these songs, some 'Regina-bling,' and that made the difference," says Belle, who lives in suburban Atlanta.
"Trying to sing these songs the same old way they've been sung over the past 50 years wasn't going to work for me, and getting to do my own renditions of songs I've loved for so many years was a real honor."
For "Moanin'", which has been recorded by such artists as Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Ray Charles, and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross (Jon Hendricks wrote the words for Bobby Timmons's original composition), Belle recorded the song as gospel-tinged blues.
"That's the way I used to do it in college with these guys I used to work with," she says. "We did it in a gospel way, and for this I really wanted to do something different."
Helping Belle was an array of noted jazz musicians, including bassist Christian McBride, guitarist Ray Fuller, Everette Harp, Lenny Castro and the Perri Sisters.
"George is just a gifted individual," Belle says, who adds that Duke was her first choice to produce. "He's underrated. There's so much he's done, so much he's accomplished, and George made this album so easy for me."
Secure with the talents surrounding her, Belle even felt comfortable performing "Try a Little Tenderness", a song closely associated with Otis Redding.
The late soul great made the tune his own when he performed a staggering version at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, and it remains one of his signature songs.
Still, Regina was not reticent in giving it her own spin.
"You can't keep his version out of your head," Belle says. "My challenge was making sure I gave the song some justice without going in there and trying to do an Otis Redding.
"I needed to be the best Regina I could be, and hopefully make him smile down on me."
Regina is at the forefront of a new generation of jazz singers. With one of the most distinctive voices in music, the singer - and now also songwriter, check it out on the latest Paul Taylor's Ladies' Choice - pushes the boundaries of conventional jazz performers and expands the jazz repertory creating modern jazz standards.
"Lazy Afternoon" is ultimately, in purely musical terms, a hopeful, sunny, simply wonderful record.

Sublime........2007-07-09

I've had this recording for 2-3 weeks now, and I can't seem to get enough of it. On first listening, from the first few notes breathed from Regina Belle's voice, I knew I was in for something magical.
Even though Regina's sound is recognizable immediately, no one should mistake that statement as characterizing her as standing still musically - her art is continuously evolving and growing. Since the issue of her first albums , I've been following the creativity of her music, and I've never been disappointed.
Regina's music expecting it to be limited to R&B - that would be a big mistake. When asked if her music should be called 'Soul', Regina wisely says `Time spent trying to define the music is time taken away from playing it. I always simply say, "I sing"....
At the peak of her maturity and her most subdued, as its title indicates, the CD sees the singer in full-on ballad mode, tenderly wrapping her burnished pipes around a cherry-picked collection of standards that range from achingly sad to romantically moody.
How good is she?
She manages to put her stamp on songs as well covered as the title tune, which has already been done by the likes of Barbra Streisand, Sarah Vaughn, Patti Austin...
This is a perfect album that will delight both afficionados of the American Songbook and those who just want music to sigh to...
Does the music touch you or not? This is what matters.
I've always felt that the mark of a master vocalist is the impression left with the listener that the voice is an extension of the performer's very soul - a window to their inner being, through which everything that makes them the person they are can be "seen" in the form of music.
This recording delivers on that rare level - and it soars even higher on repeated listenings.
It's a treasure in the fullest sense of the word.
It could be accused of being almost too sophisticated and tasteful at times, and you can certainly see all those people looking for dinner party music rushing to buy it. Yet that shouldn't detract from the fact that Regina Belle is a wonderful singer and this collection of songs is her best yet.

"If I Shoul Lose You" and ""Why Do Peple Fall In Love" perfectly capture the originals' heartbreaking poignancy quite beautifully.
Although maybe 'cover version' isn't really the right word - Ms. Belle is really a reinterpreter of songs, putting her own spin on most of the numbers here and often making them her own. They're split between standards that most people will recognise and some rather more obscure material.
It won't change your mood, or alter your emotional state, but when it's listened to in a certain frame of mind it soars. I listened to it first on a Sunday afternoon, with a cup of iced tea : it's that kind of music, a warm, slowly engulfing hug of an album that puts Regina's glowing vocals at the forefront.
Ignored by mainstream press and radio, LAZY AFTERNOON is the latest example of an artist - and an album - bypassing the traditional publicity routes and finding success by word of mouth on the internet.

The sultry jazz stylings of the the incomparable Ms. Regina Belle.......2007-06-29

American vocalist supreme Regina Belle is plenty more than the easy-listening artist it's easy to typecast her as, though this album - mixing originals and classics - may be one of the first ones of hers to prove it beyond doubt.
Her engaging,wonderful tones are complemented by George Duke's piano sound and deft contributions from soloists including saxman Everette Harp, percussionist Lenny Castro, bassist Christian McBride, just to name a few.
The tracks are short and the solos are brief but the restrained instrumentation gives Regina's voice plenty of space to charm.
Passionate and emotional it may be, but there's no theatrical wailing and gnashing of teeth here.
Regina Belle has the knack of sounding natural and even offhand when she sings - as if she's talking with a friend.
Regina Belle is elegance personified, putting her sultry stamp on the most popular jazz standards. In fact, she's a rather elegant time-machine, turning back the clock to a time, warmer than this, when music was still for dancing; proverbially, cheek-to-cheek. When all's said and done, she's a torch singer; and, in this respect, and many others, few can hold a candle to her. Her music is the stuff of which memories are made.
On her self-penned "There's A Love", she shows how powerful a word, a whisper can be.
Her liquid gold voice takes on a dark edginess, and on Nina Simone's "If I Should Lose You", a heartbreaking interpretation with piano by Duke and Regina's voice only. A masterpiece of a song, worth alone the price of the album.
It's clear that these songs have been chosen for their lyrics.
The one-time pop goddess has taken a leaf out of Diana Krall's book with this new CD.
The emphasis is firmly on love songs and Regina' lived-in voice is ideal for such jazz ballads as the Gershwins' "The Man I Love" and the splendid Tony Bennett's "Why Do People Fall In Love".
Listen to it, please!

Regina: a showstopper with star power !.......2007-06-19

When Regina Belle sings, she's like a historian. In her phrasings one can hear the struggles of generations of black singers who used the sheer, powerful force of vocal styling to tell their stories.
Compared with other contemporary singers, her voice reveals real strength of character. She may not have the biggest voice or hold the longest notes, but her sound really resonates in a room. It calls up the spirits of black musicianship. And when Regina gets the spirit, the spirit gets you. Or,as she admits, people believe her.
We all know this Lady from her numerous hits and especially the Grammy aw