Variations

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto Op35; Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Op77
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Capriccio Espagnol; Russian Easter Overture
Symphonie Fantastique
Bach: Brandenburg Concertos No. 1-4; Neville Marriner; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Chopin: Preludes & Nocturnes

ASIN: B000000UVS
Release Date: 1995-10-17

Tracks:

Enigma Variations, Op. 36: Theme
Enigma Variations, Op. 36: I. C.A.E. (Caroline Alice Elgar, The Composer's Wife)
Enigma Variations, Op. 36: II. H.D.S.-P. (Hew Daivd Steuart-Powell)
Enigma Variations, Op. 36: III. R.B.T. (Richard Baxtet Townshend)
Enigma Variations, Op. 36: IV. W.M.B. (William Beath Baker)
Enigma Variations, Op.36: V. R.P.A. ( Richard Penrose Arnold)
Enigma Variations, Op.36: VI. Ysobel (Isabel Fitton)
Enigma Variations, Op.36: VII. Troyte (Troyte Griffith)
Enigma Variations, Op.36: VIII. W.N. (Winifred Norbury)
Enigma Variations, Op.36: IX. Nimrod (A. J. Jaeger)
Enigma Variations, Op.36: X. Intermezzo: Dorabella (Dora Penny)
Enigma Variations, Op.36: XI. G.R.S. (George Robertson Sinclair)
Enigma Variations, Op.36: XII. B.G.N. (Basil G. Nevinson)
Enigma Variations, Op.36: XIII. Romanza: (Lady Mary Lygon)
Enigma Variations, Op.36: XIV. Finale: E.D.U. (The Composer)
Pomp & Circumstance Marches, Op.39: No.1 in D
Pomp & Circumstance Marches, Op.39: No.2 In A Minor
Pomp & Circumstance Marches, Op.39: No.3 In C Minor
Pomp & Circumstance Marches, Op.39: No.4 In G
Pomp & Circumstance Marches, Op.39: No.5 In C
Cockaigne (In London Town) - Concert Overture, Op.40

Customer Reviews:

Great recording, great price. Buy this without question!!!!!.......2007-07-08

I stumbled across this little gem for the low price of about $3.00. I almost kept going assuming that the price was an indication of the quality. Glad I looked twice.

This is a wonderful album with respectful treatments and excellent sound quality, performed by the some of the greatest musicians in the world from the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonica Orchestra.

The Enigma Variations, a Theme and 15 short orchestrations that Sir Edward then named after his friends and family based on personality traits, are a wonderful, uncelebrated Opus. I love these pieces. They truly showcase the power of Elgar's compositional style and flair. They certainly rival his more famous Pomp and Circumstance, in my humble opinion. The recording is sharp, well mixed, with no perceivable noise.

As for the Pomp and Circumstance recordings, well done throughout. All 5 pieces are played wonderfully and recorded beautifully with excellent sound mixing and very little, if any, background noise.

Cockaigne Overture is, once again, perfect. Marvelous treatment, wonderful musicianship, excellent sound and quality.

THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE GREATEST MUSICAL VALUE ON THE SHELVES RIGHT NOW. I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE I ONLY PAID $3.00 FOR THIS RECORDING. I WOULD HAVE GLADLY SHELLED OUT THE OBLIGATORY $15.00 - $20.00 CONSIDERING THE QUALITY OF THIS CD.

IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU MUST BUY RIGHT NOW, BEFORE THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES AND RAISE THE PRICE!

CLASSICAL MASTERS.......2007-05-12

I BOUGHT THE CD FOR POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE BUT QUICKLY FELL IN LOVE WITH THE ENTIRE PIECE. IT IS WONDERFUL!

Noble Elgar, unbelievable price.......2007-05-05

This is not some schlock budget disc, which the price might suggest. Boult was one of the great Elgar interpretors (Barbirolli too) and these performances, especially the inspired Enigma Variations, bring out the very soul of Elgar. Sound quality, by the way, is excellent--warm and rich analog glow.

Great for High School Graduations!.......2007-03-12

I am the Principal of a small private boarding school that opened just last year. We do not have a school orchestra, so when the time came for us to plan our graduation ceremony, I searched all over the web for the traditional music. I heard some awful, piano versions of Pomp and Circumstance #4, and some other lackluster symphonic versions. Seraphim's CD of Elgar's works is by far the best. It is warm, heartfelt, inspiring, rich and incredibly well produced. Perhaps having the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra was the best choice, as they are playing the works of a fellow countryman. Several people came up to me after the ceremony to comment on the music, saying they were extremely moved by the music. Not bad for just playing it over a boombox!

By the way, if you are planning on using this for a graduation, know that you will have to edit out the long introductory passage and figure out how to loop the most famous "graduation" section over enough times to get through your ceremony!

Elgar's Greatest Hits at a Rock Bottom Price!.......2006-09-28

You just can't go wrong with this compilation of Elgar works and this super-cheap price. The performances are full-priced quality. This is a great introduction to Elgar CD. The Enigma Variations will bring tears to your eyes!

The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever!

Average customer rating:

Lives Up To The Title, Fine Variety Of Genre's.
Good for relaxing pregnant women
Too much opera
Does what it set out to do, very well
TRULY The most relaxing and beautiful music ever written.

The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever!
Johann Sebastian Bach , Léo Delibes , Gabriel Fauré , Erik Satie , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Edvard Grieg , Johann Pachelbel , Claude Debussy , Felix Mendelssohn , Camille Saint-Saens , Henryk Gorecki , Antonio Vivaldi , Edward Elgar , Jocelyn Pook , Sergey Rachmaninov , Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni , Luigi Boccherini , Jules Massenet , Ludwig van Beethoven , Jacques Offenbach , Pietro Mascagni , Antonin Dvorak , Giacomo Puccini , Ralph Vaughan Williams , Alexander Borodin , Joaquin Rodrigo , and Samuel Barber
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Ever, Volume II
The Most Relaxing Piano Album in the World...Ever!
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe
25 Classical Favorites
Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits

ASIN: B00000I93Z
Release Date: 1999-03-30

Tracks:

Air 'On the G String' - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Morning - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Canon In D - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Gymnopedie No.1 - City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
II. Andante - Stephen Hough
Viens, Mallika - Mady Mesple
In Paradisum - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Clair De Lune - Dame Moura Lympany
II. Andate - Yehudi Menuhin
The Swan - Osian Ellis
II. Lento E Largo - Tranquillissimo - Zofia Kilanowicz
II. Andantino - James Galway
II. Largo - Yehudi Menuhin
Nimrod - London Symphony Orchestra
Blow the Wind - Pie Jesu - Jocelyn Pook
Variation 18 - Cecile Ousset
Pavane Op.50 - Gareth Morris

Tracks:

Zion Hort Die Wachter Singen - South German Madrigal Choir
Adagio In G Minor - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
Minuet - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
II. Largo - Andrei Gavrilov
Meditation - Hans Kalafusz
I. Adagio Sostenuto - Dame Moura Lympany
Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'amour (Barcarolle) - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
II. Andante - Nigel North
II. Adagio - Jack Brymer
Intermezzo - Philharmonia Orchestra
I. Moderato - London Chamber Orchestra
O Mio Babbino Caro - Montserrat Caballe
Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - Sinfonia Of London
II. Adagio Sostenuto (Opening) - Cecile Ousset
Nocturne - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields
II. Adagio (Opening) - Julian Bream
Adagio For Strings Op.11a - The Philadelphia Orchestra
Entr'acte To Act III - Orchestre National De France

Amazon.com

You want relaxing classical music that'll soothe your soul but won't lull you into sleep? Here's a double CD for you. The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World ... Ever! does its best to cover both well-worn classical favorites (Bach's "Air on the G String," Pachelbel's "Cannon," Debussy's "Clair de Lune") and some eclectic left-field choices (an excerpt from Górecki's Symphony No. 3, Jocelyn Pook's "Blow the Wind," and Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. The performances of most of these excerpts are top-notch--artists include Sir Neville Marriner, James Galway, Jacqueline du Pré and the Philadelphia Orchestra--and there's enough variety here for everyone. --Edward Garabedian

Customer Reviews:

Lives Up To The Title, Fine Variety Of Genre's........2007-02-04

This CD is a great way to enjoy a large variety of Classical Composers & many of their best known pieces. Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," is an all time favorite. There are vocals, Piano pieces, & some fine Violins. I found the latter the most enjoyable. Here you can find Rodrigo & Pachelbell. Samuel Barber's haunting Adagio will make your skin tingle. This may not be to everyones taste, but if you wish to relax? Give this a couple of listens.

Good for relaxing pregnant women.......2007-01-17

I stumbled onto this album whilst searching bit torrent websites for classical music. I don't normally listen to classical music but thought it might be relaxing for my pregnant wife. After hearing the quality of the performances, the arrangement, and the recording I decided to buy the album from amazon. All the songs you would expect from a "best album in the world" are there and they are not boring to listen to like a lot of other classical albums. I now play this album in the car constantly and the wife requested it be played at the hospital during the birth.

Too much opera.......2007-01-10

If it wasn't for the opera this would be a great CD.

Does what it set out to do, very well.......2006-11-15

So i'm a classical music veteran, someone who prefers to collect a complete work, rather than classical compilations. I probably would not have listened to this album at all if my dad didnt buy it for me as a gift. By now, i own the complete works that over half of the excepts on this disc come from. I am a purist if ever there was one.

That said, i totally adore this set because i have learned to take it on its own terms. These discs weren't meant for expert classical listeners, so a review from that sort of mindset is useless. This set was meant for pure, easy listening, and for a basic starters kit for classical newbies. Most of all, it was just meant to do what the title says, to relax the average human being. classical expert or not.

Yes, some of these pieces have been altered or shortened, like Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto Andantino, but they have been edited for a good enough reason: the full versions would have been too long to flow with the rest of the album. And also, the full versions contain so much development that they don't become easy listening anymore. The shortened versions work in the context of the album. Most essentially, the shortened versions on the discs still convey the main flavor the composers were going for. The melodies and themes remain unchanged.

To sum up, it is true that when i want to actually listen deeply to classical music, this album would never be a choice. I would want to hear the complete works like the composers intended. But at certain times when i simply don't mind about that stuff, when i just need to loosen up and free my mind of stress with some nice melodies, this set does the job well enough.

Last but not least: being a purist and a classical buff, i am very particular about performance quality. I was very glad to find that EMI did not get lazy about this. All the artists are world-class, and all the performances are at least exceptional. Some performances are even quite excellent, like the Clair De Lune, which is one of the best i've heard. (Credit to Dame Lympany, the pianist.)

So once again, recommended for its stated purpose, to relax. I am a purist, a classical buff, and i still enjoy this disc. That says something.

TRULY The most relaxing and beautiful music ever written........2006-11-10

This album along with Volume 2 are now the two most valued albums in my music collection. I have all of the songs contained on these two albums but they are scattered through at least a dozen different albums and several are not performed by artists such as those that recorded this album and Volume 2.
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!

David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"

Average customer rating:

Great telling of a classic story as a classical music introduction
Excellent for kids and adults
Dont have this CD but have the vinyl
My son's discovery of classical music
David Bowie tells us a fearful story

David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003F6R
Release Date: 1992-02-11

Tracks:

Peter And The Wolf: Introduction
Peter And The Wolf: The Story Begins
Peter And The Wolf: The Bird
Peter And The Wolf: The Duck, Dialogue With The Bird, Attack Of The Cat
Peter And The Wolf: Grandfather
Peter And The Wolf: The Wolf
Peter And The Wolf: The Duck Is Caught
Peter And The Wolf: The Wolf Stalks The Bird And The Cat
Peter And The Wolf: Peter Prepares To Catch The Wolf
Peter And The Wolf: The Bird Diverts The Wolf
Peter And The Wolf: Peter Catches The Wolf
Peter And The Wolf: The Hunters Arrive
Peter And The Wolf: The Procession To the Zoo
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Theme: Full Orchestra
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Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Theme: Full Orchestra
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation I: Flute, Piccolo (Presto)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation II: Oboes (Lento)
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Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation IV: Bassoons (Allegro alla marcia)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation V: Violins (Brilliante alla pollaca)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation VI: Violas (Meno mosso)
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation VII: Cellos
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Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra: Variation IX: Harp (Maestoso)
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Customer Reviews:

Great telling of a classic story as a classical music introduction.......2007-01-04

I remember being introduced to the idea of classical music telling a story with Peter and the Wolf many, many years ago. As each character in the story appears, its theme (and the instrument playing it) is introduced. Then the story takes over and builds to its climax and resolution with just the right amount of fright and humor for 2-4 year-olds.

Peter is clearly presented as a child who is disobedient and mildly punished for it, but then he is also brave and resourceful in fixing the situation he has caused. Finally is also merciful to the wolf (although he does put the wolf in a zoo, if that really bothers you). So the story has some subtle hints at morality without it being too oppressive.

In this CD version, the narration is clear and the pacing seems very adequate for even 2 year-old's attention. They often ask to hear it again, and they love the picture book I bought to go with it - see another review. They know all the instruments names, and can identify the characters just from hearing the music.

Excellent for kids and adults.......2006-11-04

A very good version of the original. Bowie's voice is just right and the orchestra is right on. Excellent to demonstrate to kids the different instruments in a orchestra and a good story as well. I listened to it when I was young and also now when I am old. It still is great to listen to the music and the story telling.

Dont have this CD but have the vinyl.......2004-05-26

I admit I do not have this CD, but I do have the vinyl version of this album. It contains just the first two pieces, Peter and Britten's Young Person's Guide... It was released by Columnbia on green translucent vinyl! Combine that with the Red Label that Columbia used and it is quite the colorful Album... I remember that I bought the album for the Britten, big Britten fan here, and partially the novelty of Bowie narrating Peter. The Britten is great, and Peter is very good with the beauty of the Philly strings, which has always been Philly's strong point. If I were looking to replace my vinyl copy, which I am not, I would not hesitate to get this disk.

My son's discovery of classical music.......2003-05-17

My son's growing obsession with this story has truly sprouted since the purchase of this album.
Oddly enough, I never really knew this story or I don't remember it from my childhood, but once my dear sweet boy discovered it's haunting and charging sound, it's become a staple in my vehicle.

A perfect way to introduce classical music to any child -- tell them a story and have all the parts of the story be different instruments from an orchestra. Beautiful, just beautiful..

David Bowie tells us a fearful story.......2002-08-09

Prokofiev here produces a rare and fresh musical story for children. A young boy decides one day to push the gate at the bottom of the garden and move into the big wild world and its dangers, a wolf and a cat. The boy is followed by his friend the duck and meets his other friend the bird who is saved by a split-hair chance from the teeth of the cat by Peter's cry of alarm. All dangers in the world are not from the deep forest. But a far worse danger comes from there : the wolf. If Peter is saved by his grandfather who takes him home, the duck is less lucky and ends up in the wolf's stomach. But Peter is looking after things with the help of the bird and they catch the wolf that is then taken to the zoo by the hunters. We are not always saved from dangers by big strong armed men, but mostly by our courage and inventive imagination. And the music tells us to be creative.

This tale is perfectly served by David Bowie's both deep and volatile voice that finds here a brand new field of artistic achievement and multiplies the music's real dramatic dimension, like a confidential story told to the listeners in their deepest ears as if he were an elfish fairy any kid would believe to be true and safe, in a word friendly.

Tracks:

Vivaldi: Concerto in D Major, "Largo" -- Sharon Isbin
Ravel: Piano Cto. in G Major, "Adagio Assai" -- Anne Queffelec
Vaughan Williams: Greensleeves -- Davis/BBC Symphony Orchestra
Satie: Gymnopedie No. 1 & 3 -- Sado/Orchestre Des Concerts Lamoureux
Beethoven: Piano Cto. No. 5, "Adagio Un Poco Mosso" -- Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Ravel: Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte -- Nagano/lyon National Opera Ochestra
Puccini: Chrysamthemums -- Helsinki Strings
Mozart: Adagio for Violin and Orchestra in E Major -- Thomas Zehetmair
Chopin: Piano Cto. No. 2, "Larghetto" -- Maria-Joao Pires
Resighi: Villanella -- Scimone/I Solisti Veneti
Faure: In Paradisum -- Corboz/Berne Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, "Aria" -- Jill Crossland
Tchaikovsky: Andante Cantabile -- Alexander Kniazev
Debussy: The Girl With The Flaxan Hair -- Lily Laskine
Mozart: Piano Cto. No. 21, "Andante" -- Karl Engel
Chopin: Nocturne In E flat Major -- Elisabeth Leonskaja
J.S. Bach: Harpsichord Cto. In F Minor, "Adagio" -- Sharon Isbin
Mozart: Clarinet Quintet, "Larghetto" -- Karl Leister
Saint-Saens: The Swan -- Gennadi Rojdestvenski
Albinoni/Giazotto: "Adagio" -- Sharon Isbin
Faure: Pavane Pour Orchestre -- Jordan/Orchestre De Chambre De Lausanne
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14, Moonlight "Adagio Sostenuto" -- Nikolai Lugansky