วันอาทิตย์ที่ 29 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2552

John Rutter: Music for Christmas

John Rutter: Music for Christmas

John Rutter: Music for Christmas

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #101098 in Music
  • Released on: 2001-11-13
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Format: Import



  • Customer Reviews

    John Rutter: Music for Christmas5
    Excellent Christmas CD. I especially liked the "Angles Carol" track!
    Would recommend this CD to one and all.

    "Mr. Choral Christmas's Finest"5
    Anyone who truly loves the choral and carol traditions of Christmas cannot miss Mr. Rutter's work. He is truly possessed of extraordinary talent and this fine recording puts it on proper display. The collection here houses the best of Mr. Rutter's original/edited works for the Christmas season, and one can sense the composer's affinity for the spirit of the holidays of which he has written so prolifically and well.

    At the Top of My Christmas Playing List!5
    This is just an outstanding collection of choral, Christian selections. The majority are composed by Rutter, who it turns out was led into this field for which he is so well known and loved when in school, he was motivated by a fellow student who was composing a Christimas carol to do the same. Thanks be to God for that motivation!

    Rutter's work simply in this humble reviewer has no other contemporary peer. He is reverent, fresh and excellent theology to boot! This collection has his best, including my favorites: "Shepherd's Pipe Carol, What Sweeter Music, The very best time of year, Angels' Carol."

    To his compositions, added is Kirkpatrick's "Away In a Manger" and of course, Gruber's "Silent Night", both skillfully arranged and performed. Bonus selections of traditional pieces such as "I Wonder as I wonder."

    The City of London Sinfonia conducted by Stephen Layton provides the orchestra background marvelously for Polyphany, the outstanding choir on this work.

    You will be delighted to add this CD to your collection, and it will rise in most collections to near the top.
    Well worth

    Price: $23.98 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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    วันเสาร์ที่ 28 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2552

    Mozart for Massage: Music with a Soft, Gentle Touch

    Mozart for Massage: Music with a Soft, Gentle Touch

    Mozart for Massage: Music with a Soft, Gentle Touch

    Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #18989 in Music
  • Released on: 1997-08-12
  • Number of discs: 1



  • Customer Reviews

    soothing for the mind and body5
    I love this CD. It's everything I was hoping for. I actually use it to sleep to and its perfect. A great length, such soothing music that I fall asleep in no time! There's nothing like relaxing to the classics! Highly recommended!

    They really know how to choose music!!!5
    I bought this CD and put it in a digital photo frame i bought for my grandparents' 50's anniversary. They really loved it!!! They said the music were great too. The music were relaxing. I also put it in my MP3 players and in my cars and I listen to them everyday. It's great when you are tired or stressed. Great value, don't hesitate and buy it!!!
    I'd give it ten stars if possible!!!

    Very relaxing and therapeutic!5
    I'm a professional massage therapist, and I use this disc in many of my sessions. My clients love it! It lets me concentrate with no unwelcome interruptions, and my clients can relax and focus on their bodies without any surprises (or wierd nature-y new-age noises). Length-wise, it's perfect for an hour-long session. I have other discs from this series as well, and they're all great!

    Price: $6.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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    Terry Riley: The Cusp of Magic

    Terry Riley: The Cusp of Magic

    Terry Riley: The Cusp of Magic

    Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #35308 in Music
  • Released on: 2008-02-05
  • Number of discs: 1



  • Customer Reviews

    Atmospheric and hypnotic.4
    "This project by pipa player Wu Man and the untiringly eclectic string quartet Kronos continues a collaboration that began more than a decade ago, when they recorded Ghost Opera.."(The Guardian).
    Once again the Kronos, the hippest string quartet on the planet, has teamed up with its favourite composer, Terry Riley, the man who brought '60s hippieness into classical music. The original minimalists are now old men.
    Riley, turned 70 in 2005 and to mark the occasion the Kronos Quartet commissioned a new work from him.
    In this six-movement "mid-summer rite", there's a prominent solo role for the jangling Chinese lute, or pipa, played by the wonderful Wu Man - who also sings Chinese lullabies - against the astringent, urgent ensemble sound that Kronos applies to everything from Africa to India.
    Alongside Wu Man we hear Riley's beloved Indian melodies, a Russian cartoon bear's song, and a Cuban dance, not to mention the odd snatch of Tchaikovsky.
    "Extra drums, synths and vocals appear from time to time, and the somewhat creepy fifth movement, Emily and Alice, incorporates musical toys.
    Yet it is the straightforward partnership of pipa and string quartet that is most arresting and satisfying" (The Guardian).
    The inspiration for the work came from the toy collection of Kronos violinist David Harrington's granddaughter, the assorted sounds of which Riley integrated into the work (played by the quartet) along with the quirky addition of Chinese vocalist and pipa player Wu Man.
    There's a lot of fun in this music, a mood that lends itself readily to the minimalist style. But there is nostalgia, too, which shines through poignantly.
    Riley has a subtle musical mind, and what emerges is surprisingly delicate and witty, with a genuine power to move.
    The Cusp of Magic's easeful hypnotic flow is laced with a playfulness and Orientalism that are both refreshing and reflective.

    Gentle Serious Fun5
    Having been in the audience (which included Terry Riley himself) of a performance of this work, I waited in anticipation for the release of the CD. And I am not disappointed. It is wonderful in every possible way, although it, of course, cannot provide the visual delight of David Harrington playing the variety of musical toy instruments from around the world, including a small toy fiddle. A further joy is Wu Man, brilliant artist of the pipa, who does magic in her own right; moreover, her sweet voice singing her lullaby was a pleasant surprise. The various subsets of composition, a magical journey of phrases and idioms, hints of many lands, closes the work seen as a peyote prayer circle taking us from the dark, reflective nocturnes of children to a rhythmic and bright dawn. Riley the experimenter, the magician, the musical guru takes us through the rite. And we are better for it.

    Bliss from Terry Riley, Kronos and Wu Man5
    Almost all comparisons, said the man, are odious. Comparing this piece to Requiem for Adam or Salome Dances or Cadenza on the night plain[to name a few Riley/Kronos partnerships] is purely academic. This piece stands on its own, and is simply beautiful. The pipa master Wu Man[the pipa is a lute like instrument I was told] adds her distinctive sound and vocals . The 6 movements form a circle of sorts,beginning with the title piece, bringing with it the dispaate elements that Mr. riley has accrued thoughout his magnificent musical journey. Elements of raga, Chinese, native american and blues work their way throughout, adding layers not dissonance.When we finally end in prayer circle, we have indeed come aways.As always,The kronos quartet are impeccable,Ms. Man 's tender voice and gentle pipa are added dimensions to a marvelous work. this is a work ,soaring spiritual beauty. I cannot recommend it higher! I am grateful for Terry Riley and the kronos quartet , and now to wu Man

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    วันศุกร์ที่ 27 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2552

    Philippe Jaroussky - Beata Vergine

    Philippe Jaroussky - Beata Vergine

    Philippe Jaroussky - Beata Vergine

    Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #22386 in Music
  • Released on: 2006-05-15
  • Number of discs: 1



  • Customer Reviews

    Self Explanatory5
    Mr. Joroussky is already a dazzling star in the firmament and anything he does probably sells itself. The voice is particularly beautiful and exquisite in it's abilities. So if you are unfamiliar with him and this period of music, this cd is a pretty good place to start. He doesn't sound like a counter tenor and I suppose male soprano is a better designation. He certainly is perfect for the time period.

    Love Songs to the Queen of Heaven5
    Philippe Jaroussky teams up with Ensemble Artaserse to produce a jewel of an album of Italian Baroque motets to the Virgin Mary. Each one of these tracks is music rarely performed today. Listening is like finding a coin unexpectedly. Whether you think a certain piece is a penny, a nickel, a quarter or a golden doubloon may depend on ones mood, but it's nice to think that all these coins from the 17th century have been gathered up and kept safe for future ages. Few things are lovelier than a good countertenor voice floating over the violins. Philippe Jaroussky may be one of the great ones; he sounds like a fine boy soprano, but with the control and fire of an adult. If I said he sounded like crystal it wouldn't convey the tenderness of rose petals. The fine contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux is heard on a couple of tracks. I'm sure this isn't perfect. Let me play a few hundred more times and I'll tell you then...

    Another Jaroussky Album of High Distinction5
    I love this album's selection. Solely devoted to sacred songs to the Blessed Virgin, and sung with such soul and beauty by one of today's most gifted singers, nothing less than a baroque specialist of true colour.
    Jaroussky studied and specialised in baroque and medieval music, so his resume goes, before he ventured into vocal training. So even if he had not been trained as a vocalist for many years (3 years at conservatory), his musicality had already been well-developed during his pre-vocal studies (of the violin).
    This accounts for the reason of his being able to pull off disc after disc of baroque and renaissance works with such distinction. The previous hard work pays well off.
    I find nothing to fault the cover design of this disc. It is very sentimental, and highly artistic. A wonderful token to the Blessed Virgin.
    Unreservedly recommended, Catholic or non-religious listeners alike.

    Price: $14.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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    วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 26 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2552

    Bach at Bedtime: Lullabies for the Still of the Night

    Bach at Bedtime: Lullabies for the Still of the Night

    Bach at Bedtime: Lullabies for the Still of the Night

    Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #32270 in Music
  • Released on: 1995-10-17
  • Number of discs: 1



  • Customer Reviews

    This series is awesome!5
    I just have o have them all. This is wonderful. Happy addition to my collection.

    Bach At Bedtime5
    Love this!! Beautiful relaxing classical music. Originally got one of these as a gift and needed another. Don't hesitate to purchase it is truly relaxing.

    Great CD5
    Great music, soothing, calming and perfect for bedtime quality time.

    Price: $6.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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    Royal Dreams: The Best of Live in Concert

    Royal Dreams: The Best of Live in Concert

    Royal Dreams: The Best of Live in Concert

    A stirring compilation of Andre Rieu's best performances at The Royal Albert Hall and the Berlin Waldbuhne.

    1. Dein ist mein ganzes Herz
    2. Wiener Blut
    3. Hava Nagila
    4. Tea For Two
    5. Lara's Theme
    6. Pollushko Polie
    7. Kalinka
    8. Funiculi Funicula
    9. La Vie es belle (videoclip)
    10. Salome
    11. An der schonen blauen Donau
    12. Radetzky Marsch
    13. Bolero
    14. The Second Waltz
    15. Sirtaki
    16. Amazing Grace
    17. Auld Lang Syne

    Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #20267 in DVD
  • Released on: 2008-11-11
  • Rating: NR (Not Rated)
  • Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
  • Formats: Classical, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Running time: 120 minutes



  • Customer Reviews

    Royal dreams: certainly a dream!5
    André Rieu and his orchestra keeps amazing! Royal dreams? One certainly experiences a royal dream listening and watching (!) this DVD. A lust for the ears, a lust for the eyes! It looks like Johann Strauss himself returned, but Rieu also plays and shows music from various composers. Look back into the beautiful romantic times and "Listen To The Music"!

    Rieu DVD3
    Seemed to me the coloring in this DVD was not very good.Having nearly all of Andre Rieu DVD's,I felt the music on this DVD was not the best from his concerts.It is still great Rieu music.

    Price: $18.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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    วันพุธที่ 25 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2552

    Itzhak Perlman - Brahms: Violin Concerto / Barenboim

    Itzhak Perlman - Brahms: Violin Concerto / Barenboim

    Itzhak Perlman - Brahms: Violin Concerto / Barenboim

    Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #38861 in Music
  • Released on: 1992-11-17
  • Number of discs: 1



  • Customer Reviews

    AMAZING5
    the clarity and accuracy of Heifetz, the energy of Stern. This recording is by far my favorite of the Brahms violin concerto that i've heard.

    Perlman's remake of the Brahms concerto could use more life3
    Usually famous musicians get raves here at Amazon even for lessthan stellar work, but this Brahms Violin Concerto with Perlman and Barenboim (a remake for EMI of his famous recording with Giulini) deserves some serious criticism. The Gramophone has often pciekd Perlman's earlier effort as their first-choice, but here his playing is far too cautious. Barenboim, typical in his late phase, gives us slow tempos with little inner tension. Brahms is a composer of struggle and dramatic conflict, but you wouldn't know that listening to this expert, mellifluous performances.

    The first movement proceeds very slowly (22+ min. compared to Reiner's 18+ min. with Heifetz on RCA), and although Perlman is note-perfect, barenboim doesn't give him a foundation to shine. The slow movement goes at the normal tempo, and here Perlman's sweet melodic line and the refined playing of the Berlin Phil. help make up for the lack of inner life. The finale comes off as more or less a good night at the concert hall, with excellent ecexution by soloist and orchestra. It oculd be a little more rambunctious, but obviously making waves was the last thing Perlman and Barenbim had in mind.

    Superb5
    Beethoven is my favorite composer, but I have to say that Brahms topped him for the greatest violin concerto ever written and this is a great performance of it.

    Perlman's playing is beautiful, much warmer to my ears than Heifetz (with Reiner), which I also own. The orchestral accompaniment and solos from the Berlin Philharmonic are as perfect as you would expect. Tempos are somewhat broad but not sluggish; Barenboim gives the music enough room to breathe without being indulgent. The sound is excellent; it is a live performance, but other than some shuffling in the audience between the first and second movement and brief applause at the end you won't notice it.

    I'd rarely recommend a disc with a 38 minute playing time, but when it's a piece and a performance like this (or Brahms' 4th symphony with Kleiber and Vienna), who could complain?

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    Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas / Daniel Barenboim

    Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas / Daniel Barenboim

    Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas / Daniel Barenboim

    Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #5198 in Music
  • Released on: 1998-10-20
  • Number of discs: 10
  • Format: Box set



  • Customer Reviews

    The Hammerklavier3
    There is one reason to buy this cycle and that is the Hammerklavier. I rate Barenboim's performance of this sonata, the Op 106, as one of the major achievements in the history of piano playing. Especially the third movement, the adagio, is performed in such a manner that it beggars belief, the sheer beauty of it, the intensity of it, the tragedy of it... it is all brought out by Barenboim in masterly fashion. Here, in the adagio, is where Barenboim's slow playing connects perfectly with the score. The rest of this cycle is not anything I ever listen to anymore.

    Epic collection with one major flaw4
    What flaw you're wondering? The slow moments are just too slow. It's not that I'm against slow music if that's what you're wondering, but Beethoven surely didn't mean for this music to be played at such tortoise paced speeds. I have heard at least 2or 3 renditions by other pianists of the slow movements and they are all faster. Barenboim surely meant to play these at his own peculiar tempo. Whether to be "iconoclastic" or not I think he misses the mark. Listening to the Waldesntein finale is excrutiatingly frustrating. Playing it more slowly does not add to the emotional impact at all, quite the opposite as you spend more time subconsciously urging on the dozy pianist closer to Beethovens intended vision.

    Other than that, this set is great. Although recorded in the late 60s, the (stereo) sound is clear and crisp. The microphone sounds like it's placed at an ideal position not so far away as to sound distant and cold, not too near to near get that "can't see the wood for the trees" effect similar to viewing a painting too close up.

    As for the music itself, Beethoven was one of the first composers to fully explore the *dynamic* possibilities of the instrument, rather the "alternative harpsichord" attitude that had prevailed before. So rather than relying on an endless run of pleasant little ditties he's not afraid to throw in some fortissimo chords in, which might wake you up with a bang if you have this of for "relaxation". The piano was arguably Beethovens instrument of choice for his deepest personal expression,so expect a wide range of moods contained herein. There is as you may expect the typical minor key excurions into almost mystical melancholy and fear, but he wasn't averse to a bit of playfulness here and there. It's quite a rollercoaster ride for the emotions.

    The box itself is quite spartan in presentation. 10 CDs in individual cardboard sleeves showing a detail of Barenboim at the piano. One booklet with liner notes explaining the history of most of the famous sonatas.

    So overall,good for the price. However, for the slow movements you may want to look elsewhere for more satisfying performances.

    Extraordinary music5
    I've owned many Beethoven sonatas, but never before a complete set - the good price won me. I have no way of judging whether this now elderly set cuts the mustard with newer sets or versions by other great pianists. All I know is this; this is extraordinary music, of great depth and expression. It is typical Beethoven, meaty, rock-solid stuff that knows exactly where it's going and gets there. That Daniel Barenboim gets across this message means (to me anyway) that it must be good.

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    วันอังคารที่ 24 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2552

    Chopin: Greatest Hits

    Chopin: Greatest Hits

    Chopin: Greatest Hits

    Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #30087 in Music
  • Released on: 1994-08-09
  • Number of discs: 1



  • Customer Reviews

    Not to happy2
    Chopin is okay, but his pian music doens't appeal to me that much. I prefer Mozart's piano music. Chopin's wasn't mood suiting because to me most it is flat.

    More like Three and a Half Stars3
    When I think of the piano, the first composer that comes to my mind is Chopin. Chopin was a composer who excelled in small form writing for the piano. He wrote beautiful melodies with complex accompaniment that was both challenging for the performer and enlightening for the listener. Chopin did not write many multi-movement pieces and what he did write is generally not as good as his solo piano pieces anyway (this is my opinion, not a fact).
    When buying recordings of Chopin's music, there are basically two options. You can either go with a "Greatest Hits" type collection, which works very well with Chopin, or you can buy collections that assemble all he wrote for a certain form (preludes, nocturnes, etudes, etc...). If you are new to Chopin, I suggest buying a "Greatest Hits" collection, though not necessarily this one, even though this is the CD in my car right now. The playing is okay but it's nothing really that special. Considering all the masterful Chopin interpreters out there, such as Rubinstein, Ashkenazy, Argerich, Pollini, and Perahia, it seems silly not to start with a pianist that you really love, since almost every great pianist has recorded works by Chopin. Having said that, this collection contains almost all my favorite works by Chopin, my only complaint being I wish it had more than one nocturne. Thus it serves as a good introduction to Chopin's music. I would recommend the Favorite Chopin collection by Ashkenazy over this collection because not only is he an amazing pianist and a masterful interpreter of Chopin, but it's two discs for the price of one.

    Good, not Great4
    Revolutionary Etude and many other performers are good. However, Fanastie Impromptu I've heard performed much better. Raindrop Prelude is played okay, but the song is so low in volume that I can hardly hear it. Good deal though.

    Price: $9.98 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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    Messiaen: Turangalîla - Symphonie / Nagano, Aimard, Kim

    Messiaen: Turangalîla - Symphonie / Nagano, Aimard, Kim

    Messiaen: Turangalîla - Symphonie / Nagano, Aimard, Kim

    Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #89482 in Music
  • Released on: 2001-03-20
  • Number of discs: 1



  • Editorial Reviews

    Amazon.com
    This symphony, commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky and written between 1946 and 1948, is surely one of the 20th century's most gigantic works. It's cast in 10 movements, and its grandeur of scope and concept, variety and sheer mass of sound are virtually unequalled. Scored for an enormous orchestra with multiple wind and percussion sections, the work includes substantial solo parts for piano and ondes martenot, an electronic keyboard instrument invented by Maurice Martenot that can produce all kinds of sound effects in a wide range of dynamics. The title is derived from two Sanskrit words of manifold meanings, but the composer insisted that he chose it only for its "sonority and melodious qualities." The piece centers on the idea of love, symbolized by the legend of Tristan and Isolde, but though its movements bear elaborate titles, it is not to be considered program music.

    Messiaen has become something of a cult figure in recent years; for the uninitiated, his music requires some getting used to. The Symphony's most immediately striking characteristic is the orchestration: from gossamer delicacy of single and double lines, through sonorous brass chorales and thunderous percussion, to the literally overwhelming, often chaotic effect of every instrument on stage playing every note in the scale simultaneously. Its most problematic aspects are its length, repetitiousness, and static quality: the slow movements feel as if time had truly come to a standstill. Obviously, it requires great skill, concentration, and dauntless courage to bring such a work to life, and the performers on this disc succeed brilliantly. Aimard, who studied the piano part with Yvonne Loriod, the wife of the composer and primary exponent of his music, is terrific, and the orchestra sounds ravishing in a score undoubtedly far removed from its tradition. --Edith Eisler


    Customer Reviews

    A thousand brilliant minute touches create a whole that is often overly sweet3
    In the mid-1940s Olivier Messiaen, the composer of a wide variety of Roman Catholic pious works, took a peculiar turn towards the subject of romantic love. A 1945 commission from the Boston Symphony Orchestra gave him carte blanche for a work of whatever proportions he desired. The "Turangalila-Symphony" (1946-1948), supposedly inspired by the legend of Tristan and Isolde, was the result.

    The symphony is unconventional in structure, eschewing sonata form and comprising ten movements. It is a massive work both in length, well over an hour, and in the instrumental forces it requires. The orchestra is augmented with a larger percussion section, and there are prominent solo parts for ondes martenot, the early electronic instrument, and for piano. In fact, the symphony, whose fifth movement contains an elaborate piano cadenza, has been called a piano concerto as well. "Turangalila" is a showcase of all the elaborate concepts Western and non-Western that Messiaen had learned to date, especially Hindu rhythms (including Messiaen's favourite "non-retrogradable" ones) and gamelan-like colour. So, the work is inventive, but does it sound good? I have to say that yes, but only in moderation. Listening to it once in a great while can be a pleasant experience, but too much exposure reveals the work's syrupy, mushy overtones. No wonder that Boulez called it "brothel music". Messiaen the Christian mystic was one of the greatest composers of the 20th century--works like "Eclairs sur l'au dela" and "Quatuor pour la fin du temps" consistenly dazzle the listener--but as for Messiaen the lover, well, thank goodness this was just a temporary aside.

    This Teldec recording sounds wonderful, with bright colours and sharp tones. The Berliner Philharmoniker lead by Kent Nagano by Messiaen's 1990 revision of the symphony, which as score samples in the liner notes show, was substantial. One can be thankful that Nagano's pacing is expert enough to get the symphony onto a single compact disc without coming across as overly quick. Pierre-Laurent Aimard, friend of the composer and one of the world's finest pianists of contemporary repertoire, gives a dazzling performance. Dominique Kim appears on ondes martenot solo.

    Staged/mechanical2
    Not sure how else to say it, but this is chopped into sections, more than is called for. Messiaen wrote in a peculiar manner, phrasing is somewhat in blocks. Nagano takes things too methodically, there's not the right amount of blending.
    This Nagano/Berlin does not compare favorable with my first choice Ricardo Chailly/Concertgebouw, which I gladly give 5 Stars.
    Concerning the above reviews, which frankly I've NOT bothered to read, is very typical of amazon reviews. Too amny give away too many stars.
    Which frankly is not just and fair to alot better recordings.
    NOTE: Buyer beware.
    Sorry 2 stars.

    I have now become dis-enchanted with Messiaen as of last week. READ Wilbod's review of the opera St Francsis/Nagano.
    I have to agree with him.
    Messiaen was OK for about 3 months after which I lost interest..

    So brilliant it makes me love the piece5
    I think it was T.S. Eliot who said that a great artist must create the audience by which he is appreciated. That's certainly true of Messiaen and his seminal Turangalila (premiered in America by Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood--if only he had recorded it!) Just as much as Le Scare, Turangalila is a shocking, cosmic work. It is raucous and primitive, but with a bizarre flavor at times of the slithery cabaret harmonies beloved by Poulenc and Milhaud. Stravinsky was much more disciplined and had more structural clarity than Messiaen; I imagine he would have also been appaled by the banality of the musical seeds that grow into luxuriant jungle here. Turangalila sprawls and uncoils its immense length like an engorged python.

    Messiaen would go further in his obsession with exotic cultures, gamelan, bird calls, and storming the cosmos. His output is a bulging suitcase of noises I don't like opening, but here Nagano does so brilliantly I couldn't help but be won over. The virtuosity and sheer ease of the Berlin Phil. make you realize that at long last orchestras can toss off Turangalila without strain--something one cannot say about ealire recordings. I must say that at this level of committment, Nagano made a convert of me. I even went to a concert of Turangalila with Eschenbach and the Philadelphia Orch. in Carnegie Hall, an event greeted with cheers at the end. Messiaen has won--he created his audience after all.

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    วันเสาร์ที่ 14 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2552

    Fennell: Suites 1 & 2 / Folk Song Suite / Toccata Marziale

    Fennell: Suites 1 & 2 / Folk Song Suite / Toccata Marziale

    Fennell: Suites 1 & 2 / Folk Song Suite / Toccata Marziale

    Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #77031 in Music
  • Released on: 1999-04-13
  • Number of discs: 1



  • Customer Reviews

    Disappointed1
    The Eastman Wind Ensemble is a respectable group with a history of being among the best bands that record marches and other band music. When I opened the CD, I was in disbelief that it had been recorded in mono instead of stereo. Who records with one microphone in the 20th century?

    The quality was less than desirable. Some of the tracks display the distinct Eastman Ensemble trademark. However, listening to "La Fiesta Mexicana" was a huge disappointment. Horns were out of tune. The tempo was entirely too fast. All in all, this recording is a complete disaster.

    Fennell Interpretation5
    For Band Conductors / Teachers, there is no better conducting interpretation than those of Frederick Fennell. Tho these recordings are not new recordings, they are still viable interpretations. Glad to see them still available.

    Keystone Does Canzona and La Fiesta Better3
    The Songs of Abelard Disc has the definitive Canzona on it. The recently-released H. Owen Reed disc has a much better La Fiesta on it as well.

    Price: $11.98 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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    Seven: A Suite for Orchestra

    Seven: A Suite for Orchestra

    Seven: A Suite for Orchestra

    Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #56858 in Music
  • Released on: 2004-04-20
  • Number of discs: 1



  • Editorial Reviews

    Album Description
    Famous for his role as keyboard player in the progressive rock band Genesis, Tony Banks has always been fascinated by the idea of writing orchestral music. Five of the seven pieces in this orchestral suite were written specifically for the Seven project; the remaining two were older pieces. Throughout the seven movements Banks creates intense orchestral sound pictures. The calm serenity which characterizes the main themes of the separate movements is often contrasted with uncomfortable stormy turbulence, the overall result being a scenic overview of orchestral colours and timbres.


    Customer Reviews

    Amorphous noodling from a pretentious prog rocker1
    I loved Genesis back in the day. I heard one of the pieces from this cd tonight on the local classical station. Earthlight. At first I thought, this is okay, kind of lightweight, but okay. Then it began to shift in tone, melody: Vaughn Williams one minute, Claude Debussy the next ... no development, no reason for things to change ... kind of the worst aspect of new age music repeated over and over. I have no idea what Tony Banks involvement with the cd is ... but this music is just a bunch of pretty wanking ...

    A promising start4
    It was inevitable that Tony Banks would 'go classic' one day. After all, he had had some classical training before turning into a rock musician, and his keyboard work for Genesis always had a slightly classical flavour. 'Seven' is his first real effort in this direction, and it works well, although it's not totally convincing. The problem with rock musicians composing 'classical' music is always that they tend to integrate the rock idiom in the music, which makes them sound either as adepts of the modern classic composers like Copland or Bernstein or as film composers like Ennio Morricone. Banks avoids these traps pretty well. The music has pastoral shades and is reminiscent of English composers like Vaugh Williams. It's all well done, but not very surprising. When you are a fan of Tony Banks, you will miss the typical Banks chord changes and melodrama. 'Seven' is a bit too neat. But a promising start; I'm sure Tony will come up with some amazing new Suite someday.

    Tony Banks...Symphonic Beauty5
    Tony Banks is a master of prog rock orchestration and on this lovely CD proves that his mastery of composition extends to the symphonic form. While he had help with the orchestration, it is very clear that his ideas are extremely well thought out. Each of the seven pieces are complete and polished. Whether you are a classical music fan or a fan of Mr. Banks' previous work, this is very well thought out. Several interviews that are available on line detail some of the composers that the Banks' music calls to mind. In my view, while there are some slight echoes of other composers, Banks' ideas are fresh and lovely. The words lush and pastoral come to mind. This CD is a sleeper but just well may become one of your favorites. The recording quality is excellent.Turn it up, get a cup of tea, close your eyes and enjoy!

    Price: $8.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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    วันศุกร์ที่ 13 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2552

    Songs of Free Men/ A Paul Robeson Recital

    Songs of Free Men/ A Paul Robeson Recital

    Songs of Free Men/ A Paul Robeson Recital

    Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #78059 in Music
  • Released on: 1997-12-09
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Formats: Live, Original recording remastered



  • Editorial Reviews

    Amazon.com
    There was nothing like the Robeson sound, ever. To describe his deep, rich, perfectly equalized instrument is futile. Go instead to "Balm in Gilead," the opening track, and see if you can listen to the last pianissimo phrase without falling to pieces. Robeson was at his best when the music was slow and the words contained spiritual or social messages. Faster, lighter fare like Kern's "I Still Suits Me" or Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" find the serious-minded singer out of his element, lacking irony and swing. "Old Man River," though, gets a simple, dignified treatment. It's Songs of Free Men, though, that will just keep Robeson's artistry rolling along, especially in Sony's astonishing transfers. --Jed Distler


    Customer Reviews

    Pleased5
    Really enjoyable set of songs. I never tire of hearing Robeson sing. These songs are my constant delight while on the road.

    Robeson on wax4
    I found this album in a thrift store last week, for a couple of dollars. It's the original pressing on four 78 RPM records, in a gatefold format. It's in pristine condition. I really bought it for the incredible cover art, although I hope to be able to listen to it in this format at some point.

    The voice, the sound quality and the interpretation5
    Put this on your stereo and if it is good enough the depth and richness of Robeson's voice will make your fillings rattle and your chest rumble. The power of his voice is awesome. This CD is superbly recorded with no audible noise at normal listening levels.

    Price: $11.98 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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