This Mystery

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Don't look for the patented sophomore slump on This Mystery, Nichole Nordeman's second studio release, because the bright young songwriter builds on the momentum she established with her pleasing 1998 debut, Wide Eyed. Mystery contains a basketful of midtempo, self-reflective songs, painting the portrait of a young artist struggling with faith. At times the lines of both are blurred, and Nordeman deals with this frankly in tunes such as "Fool for You" and the title track. The moving, contemplative "Small Enough" is one of the release's finest songwriting moments, while the uptempo "Home" also shines brightly. Like her Heaven & Earth colleagues Michelle Tumes and Jennifer Knapp, Nordeman is part of a growing group of female songwriters in contemporary Christian music who have a lot to say and know just how to say it. --Michael Lyttle

Tracks:

This Mystery
Tremble
Fool For You
Help Me Believe
Small Enough
Lookin' At You (Lookin' At Me)
As
Home
Please Come
Every Season
Why (Live Recording)

Amazon.com

Don't look for the patented sophomore slump on This Mystery, Nichole Nordeman's second studio release, because the bright young songwriter builds on the momentum she established with her pleasing 1998 debut, Wide Eyed. Mystery contains a basketful of midtempo, self-reflective songs, painting the portrait of a young artist struggling with faith. At times the lines of both are blurred, and Nordeman deals with this frankly in tunes such as "Fool for You" and the title track. The moving, contemplative "Small Enough" is one of the release's finest songwriting moments, while the uptempo "Home" also shines brightly. Like her Heaven & Earth colleagues Michelle Tumes and Jennifer Knapp, Nordeman is part of a growing group of female songwriters in contemporary Christian music who have a lot to say and know just how to say it. --Michael Lyttle

Customer Reviews:

No mystery - the holy spirit writes the songs!.......2005-08-26

Beautiful lyrics, performed beautifully also. I wore out my first CD so I ordered another one!

Great soothing vocals with insightful, poetic, dense lyrics.......2005-03-25

Nichole is probably my favorite Christian female artist.
She does remind me of a sarah maclachlan vocally, albeit with a lighter and more delicate tone. And of course the organic piano playing sounds similar.

Nichole's lyrics and writing skills are what set her apart from most of her peers. you really do have to take the time to listen to her songs. none of the songs have heavy overhanded production so that words always come through clearly. She writes about personal struggles, from a humanist point of view.

This CD, along with Wide Eyed and Woven and Spun are purchases that you won't regret, whether you are a Christian or not.

Beautiful CD!.......2005-02-05

This Cd is so amazing! It is one CD I can play the whole way through! My fave-"Every Season" Why is too special to me my fave. "Why" will probably make you cry. Nichole soooooo gifted! I love piano music, and if you do then check this out!

This Mystery-Good but not that great
Tremble-It ryhmes a bit too much but its good.
Fool for You-picks the tempo up a bit.
Help me believe-The chorus isn't too catchy, but its fine
Small Enough-Super. Some people don't like it qwhen she says 'Be smal enough to hear me now" becuase God can't be made smaller But Nichole knows that, it's just creativity. Fernando Oretega is on this song, but not too much.
Lookin' at You, lookin at me-A good lip-syncing to song.
As-Written by Stevie Wonder. Keeps the tempo up.
Home-I don't listen to it much, It's good, I just don't listen to it that often.
Please come-Great. I hope it teaches people too not think they are too bad to be loved by God and I also hope it teaches them to accept all people.
Every Season_Beautifully composed. One of my fave songs ever, along with "Atmosphere (remix) by tobyMac. It is super-brilliant! Lovely. Beautiful. Amazing.
Why-Wonderfully done. It is a LIVE bonus track. It will touch you and make you teary-eyed. About Jesus' death on the cross for us, from the inocent eyes of a child.

Overall, its soo cool. If you don't lke much piano, try something else. But you definitly should listen to the clips. Nichole, you are amazing! Whether you're Christian or not, as long as you lvoe mellow pop piano-driven music I advise you check it out. Non-Christians, try some Chistian music becuase it rocks and will encourage you!

Nichole Nordeman is incredible!.......2004-12-27

If I could give this cd or any of Nichole's music more than 5 stars I would. I've never listened to such annointed music. I am 24 and there are so many of her songs that have deeply ministered to me and my church family. Highly recommended!

Nichole and Genie are my dream singers.......2004-04-06

I have always loved Nichole and her colleague Genie, who has branched off more into the independent radio world, but I love them both. I hope everyone gets a chance to hear Nichole and Genie- their voices are so amazing.

Average customer rating:

This is what Choir and Organ magazine had to say
The best Russian choral CD of the season
Astonishing Recording!

Russian Medieval Chant

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Russian Divine Liturgy
Basso Profondo From Old Russia
Orthodox Chants from Russia
Russian Chant for Vespers
Ancient Echoes

ASIN: B00005QF3J
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Customer Reviews:

This is what Choir and Organ magazine had to say.......2002-12-08

A perfect portal into the sound world of medieval Russia, this selection of liturgical material, drawn from a tradition harking back to the 11th century, includes unadorned monophonic chant as well as ceremonial pieces in polyphonic styles developed in the 16th and 17th centuries, the sonorities of the former occasionally creating enjoyably spooky, ringing overtones in the generous acoustic. The men of Deisus sing with an almost visceral depth of commitment and, as might be expected, the low basses are profoundly in a class of their own.

The best Russian choral CD of the season.......2002-02-09

This disk is a must for every lover of male Russian choirs! Don't get confused by the name of the choir (I assume it is based on Greek deisis `prayer') or the commercial design of the booklet: this is simply the very best of Russian choral chant that has been published this season. The fourteen singers of the choir perform ancient chants, that have partly been deciphered here for the first time, and so are absolutely unique. Because of the high quality of singing and the choice of repertoire, Deisus can be compared with leading choirs such as the famous Patriarchate Choir of Mr.Grindenko. The chants performed on this splendid disk, all in honour of the Virgin Mary, are either homophonic or polyphonic, in a pleasant alternation. They share the quality of monastic austerity that makes them absolutely captivating: the listener is transposed to another world, a world of quiet and piece. Warmly recommended!

Astonishing Recording!.......2002-02-05

Anyone who hasn't heard Russian chants performed by deep voices has a real delight ahead and a profound musical experience. This recording captivates from beginning to end. The voices of the Deisus Choir, singing heretofore unpublished chants, took this listener onto a soundscape he didn't know existed. The choir emerges like the breath of God and rolls on in a vibrant acoustic that's perfectly suited to the voices, which resonate as much in the solar plexus as in the ear. I've collected a good number of recordings of chants (including the best-selling disc of the Spanish monks that came out some years ago), but the present recording by the Deisus Choir is now at the top of my list.

Average customer rating:

A mixed bag of romantic offerings
The best tenor ever
The greatest singer of all time!

Be My Love

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

You'll Never Walk Alone
Lanza: Greatest Hits
Mario Lanza Sings Songs From The Student Prince & The Desert Song / Romberg
Christmas with Mario Lanza
The MARIO LANZA Collection

ASIN: B000003F3C
Release Date: 1991-01-18

Tracks:

Be My Love (The Toast Of New Orleans)
Serenade (The Student Prince)
Temptation (Going Hollywood)
Wanting You (The New Moon)
I'll Be Seeing You (The Royal Palm Revue)
With A Song In My Heart (Spring Is Here)
Without A Song (Great Day)
Danny Boy (Londonderry Air)
My Wild Irish Rose
And This Is My Beloved (Kismet)
Because
Only A Rose (The Vagabond King)
Funiculi, Funicula
Come Back To Sorrento
Maria Mari'
O Sole Mio
Neapolitan Love Song
Arriverderci, Roma
Ah! Sweet Mystery Of Life (Naughty Marietta)
Look For The Silver Lining (Sally)
Memories
The Song Is You (Music In The Air)
Ave Maria
You'll Never Walk Alone (Carousel)

Customer Reviews:

A mixed bag of romantic offerings.......2001-12-17

BMG's Lanza collections are usually a mixed bag, and this album of love songs is no exception. Interspersed with some magnificent performances are an assortment of the good, the bad, and the mediocre. Part of the problem, I suspect, is that BMG simply doesn't appreciate what treasures it has buried in its recording vaults. It's enough to bring back Lanza from the grave, swearing in High C (as Time Magazine once tut-tutted) at the injustice of it all.

Lanza, in fairness to BMG, was an inconsistent performer. In the earlier part of his brief career, he had a tendency to sing sharp, and at times his approach to various arias and songs lacked sensitivity. That's not to say he couldn't get it right. At his best he was extraordinary, combining one of the most powerful voices on record with just the right degree of melting mezza voce and a dazzling array of vocal colours. His sense of phrasing was, as Enrico Caruso Jr noted, "instinctively right", and his ability to get into the heart of a song was unquestionable. Even at his roughest, his singing was usually compelling, and one could never label any of his performances "boring".

The bad recordings generally fall into three periods of his life: the Coca-Cola Radio shows of 1951-52, the disastrous Lanza on Broadway album of 1956, and the illness-affected stereo remakes of his Christmas Carols and Student Prince albums, both recorded in 1959, the year of his death. The present CD includes material from the first two periods.

The "Coke" shows, as I've opined in a number of other reviews, produced some amazing performances of both arias and love songs. Unfortunately, however, lack of rehearsal time coupled with poor arrangements often led to the kind of wild, unrestrained singing that Lanza's detractors love to attack (while at the same time overlooking his great performances). On this CD, a number of Coke recordings were released for the first time: Danny Boy; My Wild Irish Rose; Neapolitan Love Song; and Torna a Surriento. The first two are lovely, notwithstanding a poor ending on Danny Boy and some uncertain moments in the tenor's lower register in this song. Victor Herbert's Neapolitan Song contains some piercingly sharp singing, a rough ending and some agreeable mezza voce. Torna a Surriento is too fast, too unpolished and not a patch on the piano accompaniment-only version that Lanza recorded three years later for the movie Serenade.

Among the other Coke selections is the sublime Memories, and the alternately touching and thrilling I'll Be Seeing You, with a B Flat climax that will knock your socks off. Wanting You is rough and exciting in equal measure - ditto the powerhouse Ah Sweet Mystery of Life with its ridiculously fast tempo.

Two songs from the ill-fated Lanza on Broadway album have been inexplicably included, though it must be said that at least these represent the better moments from this dreadful session. You'll Never Walk Alone contains more sharp singing, uneven rhythm and a certain bleariness, while the Borodin-adapted And This Is My Beloved is alternately belted and seductive. Incidentally, Lanza recorded a superior version of You'll Never Walk Alone for his Coke Shows; this is featured on the CD of the same name.

The real highlights for me are the immortal Serenade from The Student Prince; a thrilling Only a Rose (recorded three months after the Lanza on Broadway session and featuring a completely different voice); the aforementioned My Wild Irish Rose & I'll Be Seeing You and a mature rendition of Schubert's Ave Maria. Fans will also enjoy Arrivederci, Roma, and the ubiquitous Be My Love.

All in all an enjoyable hour, but if only more thought had been put into some of the selections...

The best tenor ever.......2001-03-01

Mario Lanza is indeed my favourite of all tenors either living or not. I must have almost everything he ever recorded. This album has a whopping 24 tracks including 5 previously unreleased recordings, which make this a must for any true fan of Lanza. This album has some of his most romantic songs, mostly from stage and film. You won't find any opera here, which is fine, there's plenty of his other albums that have that. These are songs that are guaranteed to stir your heart and soul while Mario's voice will melt them. This is a must-have and at this price there's no reason not to have it.

The greatest singer of all time!.......2000-06-29

This is one of the greatest compilations of Tenor Mario Lanza, The Voice of the Century, ever made. Mario Lanza had such a broad, well focused voice and he is represented to good measure here on songs like "Wanting You", "Neapolitan Love Song", and "Without a Song". On these selections one hears how the Lanza voice had a largeness, depth, and warmth from the bottom all the way to the very top. One will never hear songs like "O Danny Boy", "My Wild Irish Rose", "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Torna Surriento", "O Solo Mio", and "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" sung any better or with more feeling. My favorite on this CD, "And this is my Beloved" from Kismet displays the full Lanza Range. This, in my opinion, is one of the greatest single recordings ever made. Here Mario sings the most melting pianissimo and builds to an exciting, full bodied, heart stopping fortissimo High B flat. What passion! The particular recording of "Only a Rose" on this album has been regrettably absent from the catalogs for quite some time. It is a shame too, because Lanza makes this Vagabond King selection sound free and effortless like only Mario Lanza could. Lanza takes the listener through a guided tour, so speak, of truly the greatest singing the world has ever heard. After hearing the final selection, "You'll Never Walk Alone", there won't be a dry eye in the house. This, along with the "Don't Forget Me" Lanza CD, is one of the greatest single CD collections ever put together of Mario, or anyone else for that matter. Lanza was the greatest singer of all time and this is a must have album. The sooner you own this one, the better.

Average customer rating:

Handel: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Brilliant Classics | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Haydn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Schubert: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set]

ASIN: B00062FLI8
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Average customer rating:

Haunting_Beauty
Modern Meets Ancient

Peru: A Musical Journey
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Inside Sounds
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Peru | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music

General | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Flute, Guitar & Harp of the Andes
Music of the Andes
Flute Music of the Andes

ASIN: B00000IKO0
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Tracks:

Viaje A La Montana
Andariego
Cholita Tania
Matices
Rio Amazonas
Kullakita
San Juanitos
El Condor Pasa
Jantu De Charajani
Mi Cambio

Album Description

Produced in conjunction with the 'Empires of Mystery' Cultural exhibition, this CD represents an exotic, mystical journey through the Andes. These songs are timeless and beautiful and begin with birdsong and the whistle of the wind in the trees...

Customer Reviews:

Haunting_Beauty.......2005-02-08

Andean Music is, to the American Apple-Pie rock-N-roll ear, an awakening. Much of it is played on what seems to be a guitar with a special sound--except that it is the Charango---and the Charanguista(s) on this album are highly talented. Our familiarity with guitar solos draws us to this alternative "guitar"--and opens us up to a whole new musical world.

No Andean music is complete without the Zamponia and the Kena---pan-pipe and end-blown flute respectively--and there is some superb playing on this album. These istruments, in my opinion, when well played, rival the expression of the best wooden flutes of Europe.

And a bonus is the fiddle playing and singing--so that while not a comprehensive anthology of traditional Andean sound, it is a cross-section which, at the bargain CD price, makes it an absolute must-have.

Modern Meets Ancient.......2004-11-17

Not a true representation of Peru's many musical styles, perhaps; but a beautiful recording by a very talented group of musicians, with touches of the modern meeting the ancient - especially noticeable in the lovely song 'Mi Cambio' composed by Cesar Villalobos.

Léhar: The Land of Smiles; The Merry Widow; The Count of Luxembourg (Highlights)

Average customer rating:

Arguably "The Best" English "Merry Widow "

Léhar: The Land of Smiles; The Merry Widow; The Count of Luxembourg (Highlights)

Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Johann Strauss II: Die Fledermaus; The Gypsy Baron (Highlights)
Offenbach: La Belle Hélène; Orpheus in the Underworld; La Vie Parisienne (Highlights)
Music of Sigmund Romberg
Offenbach: Orpheus in the Underworld / Burgess, Watson, etc (Highlights)
The Best of Operetta, Vol. 3

ASIN: B00009KHY2
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Customer Reviews:

Arguably "The Best" English "Merry Widow ".......2006-09-12

This is the "Merry Widow" with English translation by Christopher Hassel sung by June Bronhill. I loved this rendition ever since I first heard it in about 1960. What's to love? First the translation is the best I've heard. The language doesn't sound "stilted" as some others. And, you can understand almost every word sung. Plus, the famous song, "Vilja" has some wording that moves me every time I hear it: The soprano sings, "Love me and I'll DIE for you!" with the word "die" somewhat emphasized. I don't know, there's just something "powerful" about someone saying they'd "die" for love! AND, at the end of "Vilja" the chorus and soprano raise to a crescendo hitting a high note together. In many renditions the chorus is heard but not the soprano on the final high note. In THIS version, the soprano, June Bronhill, can be heard rising to the final high note with an incressing crescendo and fortissimo louder than the chorus and holding the final high note---which gives a very thrilling effect as she holds that final note, I assure you!

The "problem" is that this June Bronhill, Reid, and Hassel version is hard to find on CD. For example, this CD is made in Holland and "there is one left" so it says on Amazon. But, if you can find it, I think it would be very much worth a listen. Then, after hearing it, if you think there's a "better" Merry Widow, please let ME know! Thanks. Email:boland7214@aol.

Average customer rating:

Webber: The Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Compendia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Broadway & Vocalists | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000J83O
Release Date: 1999-06-08

Tracks:

Phantom Of The Opera: The Phantom Of The Opera
Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You
Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night
Phantom Of The Opera: Masquerade
Evita: Don't Cry For Me, Argentina
Evita: High Flying, Adored
Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall
Evita: On This NIght Of A Thousand Stars
Evita: Buenos Aires
Evita: Oh What A Circus
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Any Dream Will Do
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Close Every Door
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Go, Go, Go, Joseph
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Song Of The King
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Benjamin Calypso
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: One More Angel In Heaven

Tracks:

Cats: The Rum Tum Tugger
Cats: Mr. Mistoffelees
Cats: Memory
Cats: Mungojerrie & Rumpelteazer
Cats: Macavity: The Mystery Cat
Cats: Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat
Starlight Express: Pumping Iron
Starlight Express: Rolling Stock
Starlight Express: Starlight Express
Starlight Express: Next Time You Fall In Love
Starlight Express: Uncoupled
Starlight Express: Make Up My Heart
Starlight Express: One Rock n' Roll Too Many
Jesus Christ Superstar: Everything's All Right
Jesus Christ Superstar: I Don't Know How To Love Him
Jesus Christ Superstar: King Herod's Song
Jesus Christ Superstar: Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar: Heaven On Their Minds
Jesus Christ Superstar: Hosanna

The John Adams Earbox: A 10-CD Retrospective

Average customer rating:

Moved to tears
Nonesuch delivers.Again
harmonia in excelsis
Our greatest living composer
Wonderful CD

The John Adams Earbox: A 10-CD Retrospective

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Minimal Techno | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Box Sets | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Steve Reich 1965-1995
Naive & Sentimental Music
John Adams: The Dharma at Big Sur/My Father Knew Charles Ives
25 Years: Retrospective
Century Rolls

ASIN: B00001SID1
Release Date: 1999-10-19

Tracks:

Lollapalooza
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Judah To Ocean
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Toot Nipple
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Dogjam
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Pavane: She's So Fine
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Rag The Bone
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Habanera
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Stubble Crotchet
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Hammer & Chisel
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Alligator Escalator
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Standchen: The Little Serenade
John's Book Of Alleged Dances: Judah To Ocean (Reprise)
Slonimsky's Earbox

Tracks:

Two Fanfares For Orchestra - Tromba Lontana
Two Fanfares For Orchestra - Short Ride In A Fast Machine
Common Tones In Simple Time
El Dorado - Part I. A Dream Of Gold
El Dorado - Part II. Soledades

Tracks:

Harmonielehre - Part I
Harmonielehre - Part II The Anfortas Wound
Harmonielehre - Part III Meister Eckhardt And Quackie
Violin Concerto - Part I
Violin Concerto - Part II Chaconne:
Violin Concerto - Part III Toccare

Tracks:

Chamber Sympony - Mongel Airs
Chamber Sympony - Aria With Walking Bass
Chamber Sympony
Hoodo Zephyr - Tundra
Hoodo Zephyr - Dissappointment Lake
Hoodo Zephyr - Hoodo Zephyr
Gnarly Buttons - The Perilous Shore
Gnarly Buttons - Hoe-Down (Mad Cow)
Gnarly Buttons - Put Your Loving Arms Around Me

Tracks:

Ensemble - I Was Looking At The Ceiling And Then I Saw The Sky
A Sermon On Romance
Consuelo's Dream
Mike's Song About Arresting A Particular Individual
Tiffany's Solo
Song About The On-Site Altercation
Song About The Bad Boys And The News
Your Honor My Client He's A Young Black Man
Leila's Song; Alone (Again Or At Last)
Three Weeks And Still I'm Outta My Mind
Crushed By The Rock I Been Standing On
Dewain's Song Of Liberation And Surprise
!Este Pais! / This Country
One Last Look At The Angel In Your Eyes
Finale

Tracks:

Lollapalooza
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Judah To Ocean
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Toot Nipple
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Dogjam
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Pavane: She's So Fine
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Rag The Bone
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Habenera
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Stubble Crotchet
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Hammer & Chisel
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Alligator Escalator
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Standchen: The Little Serenade
John's Book Of Alleged Dances - Judah To Ocean (Reprise)
Slonimsky's Earbox

Tracks:

Harmonium - Negative Love
Harmonium - Becuase I Could Not Stop For Death
Harmonium - Wild Nights
Shaker Loops - Shaking and Trambling
Shaker Loops - Hymning Slews
Shaker Loops - Loops and Verses
Shaker Loops - A Final Shaking

Tracks:

The Chairman Dances - Foxtrot For Orchestra
Grand Pianola Music - First Movement
Grand Pianola Music - Second Movement
Grand Pianola Music - Third Movement: On The Dominant Divide
Fearful Symmetries

Tracks:

Nixon In China - Opening
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China - Landing Of The Spirit Of '76
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China - Cheers
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China - Opening
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -
Nixon In China -

Tracks:

The Wound-Dresser
Christian Zeal And Activity
Five Songs - Thoreau
Five Songs - Down East
Five Songs - Cradle Song
Five Songs - At The River
Five Songs - Serenity
Eros Piano

Amazon.com

Having earned his composing stripes after the 1960s, John Adams had the pioneering work of Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Terry Riley close at hand as he ventured into his trade. And, while minimalism's historical continuum helps place Adams, he used Reich, Glass, and Riley (among others) only as a starting point. And here's proof: a 10-CD retrospective of nearly all Adams's recorded compositions on Nonesuch Records, the label that also issued Steve Reich 1965-1995 and Kronos Quartet: 25 Years. Adams's Harmonium, a choral work of startling energy and effervescence, appears here in a new recording, as do distillations of both The Death of Klinghoffer and Nixon in China, two path-clearing operas. Over the span of a career covered by Earbox, Adams has returned minimalism to traditional instrumental ensembles as well as to projects that at once advanced a political commentary and took that commentary back to orchestral audiences. And so, in far less time than his predecessors, Adams created works that now play like standard repertoire pieces: The Wound Dresser and Shaker Loops and the Violin Concerto--all of them are here. What these works demonstrate is a fierce creativity on the one hand and perhaps a hunger for commercial advances on the other. Adams may at times be a bustling free thinker, but he sounds ever conscious of what audiences are listening to. As for the works themselves, they remain every bit as daunting as when written.

Some may object to particular selections. I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky, for example, hardly ranks with Adams's best work. But this box isn't a mere best-of; it's an almost-all-of. At times terrifically American--especially in the news-aware operas and their narrative pragmatism--Adams well deserves a major box set, and its coverage is appropriate to his varied, stylistically diverse output. As with any large-scale retrospective, Earbox--which fairly bristles with Adams's new composition, Slonimsky's Earbox--has spots where fans might balk at the quality of the composer's writing. But it's got a fantastic accompanying booklet along with its many hours of inarguably modern and thoroughly listener-friendly music. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Moved to tears.......2004-03-18

Never before in my life was i moved so intensely and directly by classical music. I put the first cd in my player and a few minutes later tears are flowing. I find myself dancing and moving to a rythm i already seem to know. Wow, i just have to share that.

Nonesuch delivers.Again.......2002-11-27

John adams is one of the most popular living composers of"modern" classical music[I believe the cutoff point, though arbitrary is usually WWII}.I came to him late, through my husband. Modersn classical music , I said? What the hell is that?My husband kept playing bits and pieces of adams for me, and more and more i found myself amazed. and swayed. His operas have been groundbreaking{Nixon in China} controversial{Death Of klinghoffer},his compostions sublimely beautiful{shaker Loops or harmonium].HIS STATURE IS WORTHY THEN OF SUCH A MONUMENTAL CAREER SPANNING BOX SET.This 10 disc set[great value, again from NONESUCH}encompasses Adams' entire career,and though there are some misses here{I was looking at the ceiling and then i saw the sky doesnt quite fit},it is still magnificent. the Highlights are ,{for me} the Wound Dresser, Chamber symphony,Violin Concerto, of course, Shaker Loops and Harmonuim are wonderful. The true jewels here are Nixon in China,the Chairman dances and the Death of Klinghoffer,which is simply a masterpiece. The set comes with a wonderful book, which contains essay's by Robert Hurwitz {An Uncommon Man}renaud Machart[John adams as seen from europe} and Essays before an earbox by Adams himself.A Chronology and dicography are included. A wonderful study of an American original,worth the investment, Highly highly recommended

harmonia in excelsis.......2001-11-12

I must agree with Mr. Bartlett, particularly with regard to "Ceiling." It may well be because his Violin Concerto and Harmonielehre are so powerful. 4.5 stars.
Interesting, and likely intentional, is that two names in the extensive liner book fail to mention two great and glaringly obvious precursors: Carl Orff and Raymond Scott. Without "Carmina Burana," there would be no "Harmonium." Orff has his mark all over Adams's gifted and epic compositions. Similarly, though there are glib references to "cartoon music," the polymath engineer/musician Scott is a seminal figure in American music, and casts a large shadow over the witty juxtapositions and sense of play one loves in Adams's work. In all, an excellent career overview.

Our greatest living composer.......2001-07-22

As a composer, I'm staggered that anyone could fail to be gripped by this music.

That anyone can use the words "spoiled, overrated" amazes me. I emphatically disagree with "A music fan"'s review.

I don't think it's "mind-numbing"; I think it's spiritual and exciting. To me it's the most substantial music being created in our times.

I'm really sorry that anyone could fail to enjoy it, and really recommend others to listen for themselves.