There's Power [Live]

Track Listings
1. Have Thine Own Way, Lord    
2. Fanfare and Overture    
3. Come Let Us Sing    
4. Sanctified Melody - Rev. Yvette Flunder,    
5. There's Power, Pt. 1    
6. There's Power, Pt. 2    
7. We Will Remember Tommy    
8. Victory Medley - Rev. Yvette Flunder, Norma Jean King, Kathi Rachea Mills, Allowyn Price    
9. Lord Send Your Power    
10. Spontaneous Praise    

There's Power, Music, Yvette Flunder, Gospel, Gospel/Christian Music, Pop
Instruments of the Orchestra
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Instruments of the Orchestra
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Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
  2. The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
  3. What to Listen for in Music
  4. Study of Orchestration, Third Edition
  5. The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

  1. Introduction To The Viola
  2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
  3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
  4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
  5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
  6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
  7. The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
  8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
  9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
  10. Cypresses (No.9)
  11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
  12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
  13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
  14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
  15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
  16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
  17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
  18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
  19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
  20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
  21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
  22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
  23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
  24. Elfentanz, Op.39
  25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
  26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
  27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
  28. Flamenco
  29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
  30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
  31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
  32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
  33. It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
  34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
  35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
  36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
  37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
  38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
  39. The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
  40. Capriccio Di Bravura
  41. Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
  42. The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
  43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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!

3 out of 5 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.
The Service of Venus And Mars: Music for the Knights of the Garter, 1340-1440 - Gothic Voices
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Breathtaking
The Service of Venus And Mars: Music for the Knights of the Garter, 1340-1440 - Gothic Voices
Philippe de Vitry , Pierre des Molins , Pycard , Christmas Traditional , Leonel Power , Franchois Lebertoul , John Pyamour , John Dunstable , Soursby , Richard Loqueville , and Andrew Lawrence-King
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

RondosRondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems
GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
OrganOrgan | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
MassesMasses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
OratoriosOratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ClassicalClassical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000002ZJN
Release Date: 1993-11-12

Tracks:

  1. Gratissima Virginis-Vos qui admiramini-Gaude Gloriosa-Contratenor
  2. Singularis Laudis Digna
  3. De ce que fol pense
  4. De ce que fol pense (After Pierre des Moulins)
  5. Lullay, Lullay
  6. Gloria
  7. Ther Is No Rose Of Swych Virtu
  8. Sanctus
  9. Las, que me demanderoye
  10. Le gay playsir
  11. Le grant pleyser
  12. Quam pulchra es
  13. Speciosa facta es
  14. Sanctus
  15. Je vous pri que j'aye un baysier
  16. The Agincourt Carol

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Breathtaking.......2000-06-06

This is one of my favorite Gothic Voices CDs; the Gloria by Pycard is possibly the most beautiful bits of musical harmony I've ever heard. The Agincourt carol is also stunning.
Wagner: The Valkyrie
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • "The death-doomed alone are destined to look on me."
  • Breathtaking, powerful, accessible, not just an alternative
  • Absolutely Breathtaking!
  • A powerful reading of the most moving opera in the Ring.
  • The power of Wagner's music drama is now fully accessible
Wagner: The Valkyrie

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by WagnerAll Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Romantic (c.1820-1910)Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GermanGerman | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
OperettasOperettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
  2. The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
  3. Wagner: The Rhinegold

ASIN: B00004YU6Z
Release Date: 2000-11-28

Tracks:

  1. Act I: Prld - English Nat Opr Orch/Reginald Goodall
  2. Act I, Scene 1: The Storm Drove Me Here - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
  3. Act I, Scene 1: This House And This Wife - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
  4. Act I, Scene 1: Evil Fortune's Never Far From Me - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
  5. Act I, Scene 2: There He Lay, Feeble And Faint - Margaret Curphey/Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios
  6. Act I, Scene 2: Through Field And Forest - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey
  7. Act I, Scene 2: Friedmund No One Could Call Me - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey
  8. Act I, Scene 2: The Neidings Raided Again - Alberto Remedios
  9. Act I, Scene 2: So The Norn Who Dealt You This Fate - Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
  10. Act I, Scene 2: I Know A Troublesome Race - Clifford Grant
  11. Act I, Scene 3: A Sword Was Pledged By My Father - Alberto Remedios
  12. Act I, Scene 3: Are You Awake? - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
  13. Act I, Scene 3: My Husband's Kinsmen - Margaret Curphey
  14. Act I, Scene 3: Yes, Loveliest Bride - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
  15. Act I, Scene 3: Winter Storms Have Vanished (Siegmund's Spring Song) - Alberto Remedios
  16. Act I, Scene 3: You Are The Spring - Margaret Curphey
  17. Act I, Scene 3: Oh Sweetest Enchantment - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
  18. Act I, Scene 3: The Stream Has Shown My Reflected Face - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
  19. Act I, Scene 3: Siegmund Call Me, And Siegmund Am I! - Alberto Remedios
  20. Act I, Scene 3: Siegmund, The Walsung, Here You See! - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey

Tracks:

  1. Act II, Scene 1: Go Bridle Your Horse, Warrior Maid! - Norman Bailey
  2. Act II, Scene 1: Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! (Brunnhilde's Battle Cry) - Rita Hunter
  3. Act II, Scene 1: The Usual Storm, The Usual Strife - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
  4. Act II, Scene 1: Pretend That You Don't Understand! - Ann Howard/Norman Bailey
  5. Act II, Scene 1: Now It's Come To Pass! - Norman Bailey
  6. Act II, Scene 1: So This Is The End Of The Gods And Their Glory - Ann Howard
  7. Act II, Scene 1: You Never Learn What I Would Teach You - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
  8. Act II, Scene 1: What Must I Do? - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
  9. Act II, Scene 1: Hiaha! Hiaha! Hoyotoho! - Rita Hunter/Ann Howard/Norman Bailey
  10. Act II, Scene 2: Fricka Has Won The Fight - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  11. Act II, Scene 2: When Youth's Delightful Pleasures Had Waned - Norman Bailey
  12. Act II, Scene 2: She Refused To Reveal More About It - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
  13. Act II, Scene 2: There's More To Tell - Norman Bailey
  14. Act II, Scene 2: Yet One Can Accomplish What I May Not - Norman Bailey
  15. Act II, Scene 2: But The Walsung, Siegmund - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  16. Act II, Scene 2: Then Siegmund Must Fall In His Fight? - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  17. Act II, Scene 2: I Give You My Blessing, Nibelung Son! - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
  18. Act II, Scene 2: No, Have Mercy - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey

Tracks:

  1. Act II, Scene 2: So I Obey His Command - Rita Hunter
  2. Act II, Scene 3: Rest Here For A While; Stay By My Side! - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
  3. Act II, Scene 3: Away! Away! - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
  4. Act II, Scene 3: Where Are You, Siegmund? - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
  5. Act II, Scene 4: Siegmund! Look At Me! (Announcement Of Death) - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios
  6. Act II, Scene 4: And If I Come - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
  7. Act II, Scene 4: Then Greet For Me Walhall - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
  8. Act II, Scene 4: Woe! Woe! Sister And Bride - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
  9. Act II, Scene 4: Two Lives Now Lie In Your Power - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
  10. Act II, Scene 5: Charms Of Sleep Are Sent To Still - Alberto Remedios
  11. Act II, Scene 5: I Hear Your Call - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
  12. Act II, Scene 5: Wehwalt! Wehwalt! - Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey

Tracks:

  1. Act III, Scene 1: Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! (Ride Of The Valkyries) - Katie Clark/Anne Evans/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Shelagh Squires/Anne Conoley
  2. Act III, Scene 1: Shield Me And Help - Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne Evans/Sarah Walker...
  3. Act III, Scene 1: Hear While I Tell You - Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne Evans/Sarah Walker...
  4. Act III, Scene 1: Pray Suffer No Sorrow For Me - Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne...
  5. Act III, Scene 1: Fly Him Swiftly, Away To The East! - Rita Hunter
  6. Act III, Scene 1: O Radiant Wonder! (Parting Salute) - Margaret Curphey
  7. Act III, Scene 1: Stay, Brunnhild! - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
  8. Act III, Scene 2: Where Is Brunnhild? - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
  9. Act III, Scene 2: Weak-Spirited, Womanish Brood! - Norman Bailey
  10. Act III, Scene 2: Here I Am, Father - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  11. Act III, Scene 2: No More Will You Ride From Walhall - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
  12. Act III, Scene 2: Did You Not Hear What I Decreed? - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
  13. Act III, Scene 3: Was It So Shameful - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  14. Act III, Scene 3: I Know So Little - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  15. Act III, Scene 3: You, Who This Love Into My Heart Revealed - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  16. Act III, Scene 3: You Indulged Your Love - Norman Bailey
  17. Act III, Scene 3: Unworthy Of You This Foolish Maid - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  18. Act III, Scene 3: You Fathered A Glorious Race - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
  19. Act III, Scene 3: In Long, Deep Sleep - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
  20. Act III, Scene 3: Farewell, My Valiant, Glorious Child! (Wotan's Farewell) - Norman Bailey
  21. Act III, Scene 3: These Eyes So Warm And So Bright - Norman Bailey
  22. Act III, Scene 3: Loge, Hear! Come At My Call! - Norman Bailey
  23. Act III, Scene 3: Magic Fire Music - Norman Bailey

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars "The death-doomed alone are destined to look on me.".......2007-06-12

Okay, so we have the Solti, Bohm, Karajan, Levine, Janowski, Goodall, and Sawallisch Rings on the market (I haven't listened to the other Ring recordings yet, sorry to say). And all of these leave me to one conclusion: the many differences lead me to believe that all of these ring sets have their own authenticities and setbacks. And here they are:

TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes

CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.

Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.

Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.

Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: everything is slower than adagio moderato. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.

Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".

Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.

Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.

ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.

Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.

Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.

Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act One Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.

Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Bohm's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are found in this Ring. I can hear harps in Flight of the Valkyries! The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.

Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.

Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.

SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).

Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.

Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".

Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.

Levine: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's Ring.

Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.

-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.

Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).

Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."

Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.

Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).

-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm. Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Two exceptions, though: Robert Schunk doesn't sound heroic enough, and Jessye Norman for Levine's Ring doesn't sound young and innocent enough.

-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.

Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.

Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.

Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.

Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. I don't know Levine should've chose Kollo when he recorded his Ring.

-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").

Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.

Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.

Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.

Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.

-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.

Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.

Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.

Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent mime. He is equal to Schreier when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.

Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.

-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on in the Ring.

Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Still, it's satisfactory, and his "Ihrem ende eilen sie zu" gives great foreshadowing.

Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.

Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt depends only on imagination and deviousness, Stolze only vengeance and deviousness, and Windgassen only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.

Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.

Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Schreier. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.

-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings (maybe not in Swarowsky's version). Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm and Goodall. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.

CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the calculated Janowski, the relaxed Levine, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.


Sir Georg Solti: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sir Georg Solti

Karl Bohm: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

Herbert von Karajan: Der Ring des Nibelungen / Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic

Goodall: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Rhinegold (Part 1): Wagner: The Rhinegold
-Siegfried (Part 3): Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

Marek Janowski: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

James Levine: Der Ring Des Nibelungen

Wolfgang Sawllisch: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sawallisch, Bayerischer Staatsoper

5 out of 5 stars Breathtaking, powerful, accessible, not just an alternative.......2005-05-03

This is one of three Walkure's in my collection: the very underrated Leinsdorf, the thrilling Boehm and this one with Goodall. I believe Goodall is right up there with the best of them. Remedios, Hunter and Bailey sing beautifully and with sufficient drama. I'll go out on a musical limb and say I believe Bailey is one of the finest Wotan's on disc. Many will disagree but I think he has the measure of the role, the power to pull it off and a burnished timber that never becomes coarse under powerful climaxes... Remedios may well be the star of the trilogy along with Hunter and Bailey. His Siegmund is beautifully sung and his Siegfried by the way, is no mean stint either. Would that we had tenors that could sing Siegfried without sounding stretched beyond their limits. I am continually puzzled by the bad reviews that the orchestra playing receives from ARG, Classics Today and a few others. The ENO is not a Concertgebouw or Vienna Philharmonic but I think they play beautifully, a few clinkers notwithstanding. For a live show, they do a pretty d..... good job. THe sound from both orchestra and singers is exceptionally fine. This set belong in your collection if you like Wagner and, Die Walkure, in particular. If I had been at the performance in the 1970's I would have come home very happy, satisfied and richer for the experience.

5 out of 5 stars Absolutely Breathtaking!.......2002-09-13

I had long cringed at the thought of this magnificant masterpiece recorded in English. Even after reading several rave reviews on this cylce that I've read by authoritive Wagnerites and critics, I was still skeptical. Finally, I decided to add Goodall's 'Ring' as my third complete cycle (after Solti & Bohm) for one reason: because it was in English and I felt it would enhance my understand of 'The Ring.' In fact, after achieving that "higher understanding" I was planning on selling this set on Ebay. That was, of course, before I heard this magnificant recording.

During the course of my research on 'The Goodall Ring' most of the praised seemed to heighten around 'Siegfried,' which is my absolute favorite of the cycle. That also helped to seal the deal. As the critics said, 'Siegfried' under Goodall is excellent, but not as monumental as Solti's reading, which IMHO is the greatest recording of 'Siegfried.'

The set that stands out, to me, in 'The Goodall Ring' is this recording; The Valkyrie. It is absolutely breathtaking. Not only is it my favorite of this set, it is my favorite Valkyrie recording period (I am very familiar with Boehm's, Solti's, Karajan's, Furthwanglers, Levines, and others). Alberto Remedios (Siegmund here and Siegfried in the last two operas) is truly magnificant. It is the best Siegmund I have heard on disc (and his Siegfried rivals Windgassen). Coupled with Margaret Curphey (Sieglinde), you get the most beautiful and moving duo I have heard on record. The duet in Act I is simply glorious. You also get the bonus of Norman Bailey's triumphant Wotan (and Wanderer too). He has such command and prescene. He sounds like a God. Throw in Rita Hunter, who holds her own as Brunnhilde, Goodall's miraculous conducting, and excellent playing by the orchestra and it all adds up to a stunning recording.

I can only say that in a way it's a shame this set is in English. Were it not, I believe Goodall's 'Ring' would be one of the most talked about, popular, and sought after complete recordings of the cycle. I can only say that I am so happy that I finally opened up to opera recorded in a different language than written.

I have fallen completely in love with Goodall's entire cycle. And, I have fallen in love with 'The Ring' all over again.

5 out of 5 stars A powerful reading of the most moving opera in the Ring........2001-08-30

This performance of *Die Valkure,* the second and most popular opera in Wagner's Ring Cycle, is musically splendid. Its special significance, however, is that it is sung in English. An English performance of the Ring is perhaps more important than that of any other opera(s), because Wagner's libretti are suffused with his ideas about society, fate, justice, and love. Even if (at times) you need to read along to understand what the singers are saying, *hearing* the lyrics in English is truly stirring in a way that performances in your non-native language cannot match.
A particular stand-out on this recording is the Wotan. His timbre, diction, and delivery perfectly embody the troubled god who tries desperately, and in vain, to keep the world under his control. His angst and wrath are utterly convincing.

5 out of 5 stars The power of Wagner's music drama is now fully accessible.......2001-01-30

I have never been a fan of opera in translation, but I must say that Andrew Porter's rendering of The Ring in English is amazing. He uses modern, not archaic, English, and the word choice is so very earthy and Germanic that the noble yet somewhat severe atmosphere of the Teutonic myths is conveyed perfectly. The sound, in other words, is an elegantly Germanic, and totally appropriate for the music and the Story it tells. It is not true that you can't understand the English anyway, because you can understand if you care to pay any attention at all. The translation is lucid, and so it the marvelous singing that conveys it.

Goodall's sense of music drama is lush, and takes some getting used to after the crash-and-burn Solti set, but after a time or two it seems just right. Goodall is not always slower than the rest, either; for example, the famous Ride of the Valkyries that begins Act III is quicker than Solti's surprisingly slow and heavy account. It is the most exciting that I have heard--and I have heard quite a few--but it is not so fast that the power is lost in favor of urgency.

This is not an urgent Die Walkure, and it is all the better for it. Goodall takes the time to actually tell the story, and is sensitive to the drama's needs over what could be called convention. For example, Wotan's Farewell doesn't thunder out after Brunnhilde's final declamation, like in so many recordings; rather, Goodall's interpretation is more dreamy, mysterious, and appropriately trance-like, in keeping with the action on stage.

I own the complete Solti Ring, but I must say I will be the first in line to get each new installment of this remarakable Ring as soon they hit the shelves. If you are new to Wagner, and are willing to make the plunge into a complete Ring, then start with this one and see if you want to continue. This recording is definitely one of the great Rings, and the superb translation will open up the work in ways that following the libretto just won't. I promise that you won't be able to put this one away easily. Get it!
The Service of Venus and Mars: Music for the Knights of the Garter (Special Limited Edition)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Music for the Knights of the Garter, 1340-1440
The Service of Venus and Mars: Music for the Knights of the Garter (Special Limited Edition)

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

RondosRondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems
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OrganOrgan | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0000CDVR8
Release Date: 2003-11-11

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Music for the Knights of the Garter, 1340-1440.......2005-01-30

Christopher Page directs Gothic Voices in a recording of music for the Knights of the Garter, 1340-1440.

"The music is fascinating. Readers interested in trying medieval repertoire could hardly do better than start here." (Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)

The works on this recording:

KING EDWARD III (1312-77), Founder of the Order of the Garter
1. Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361) Gratissima virginis/Vos qui admiramini/Gaude gloriosa/Contratenor
2. Anonymous: Singularis laudis digna
3. Pierre des Molins (fl.1190-220): De ce que fol pense
4. Anonymous: De ce fol pense (after Pierre des Molins)

JOHN OF GAUNT, DUKE OF LANCASTER (1340-99)
5. anonymous Lullay, lullay
6. Pycard (late 14th C-early 15th C) Gloria

THOMAS, DUKE OF CLARENCE (?1388-1421)
7. anonymous Ther is no rose of swych virtu
8. Leonel Power (c.1375-1445) Sanctus

KING HENRY V (1387-1422)
9. Franchois Lebertoul (fl.1409-28) Las, que me demanderoye
10. anonymous Le gay playsir
11. anonymous Le grant pleyser
12. John Pyamour (d1431) Quam pulchra es

HUMPHREY, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER (1391-1447)
AND JOHN, DUKE OF BEDFORD (1389-1435)
13. John Dunstable (c1390-1453) Speciosa facta es

RICHARD BEAUCHAMP, EARL OF WARWICK (1382-1439)
14. Soursby Sanctus

KING HENRY V (1387-1422)
15. Richard Loqueville (d1418) Je vous pri que j'aye un baysier
16. anonymous The Agincourt Carol

Grainger: Works for Chorus and Orchestra
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Very High Quality 'Easy Listening'
Grainger: Works for Chorus and Orchestra

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Grainger Edition Vol 13 - Works for Chamber Ensemble
  2. The Grainger Edition Vol. 18: Works For Unaccompanied Chorus
  3. Grainger Edition, Vol.6: Orchestral Works
  4. Grainger: Works for Wind Orchestra 2
  5. Grainger: Works for Chamber Ensemble 2

ASIN: B000000B09
Release Date: 1996-11-19

Tracks:

  1. Shallow Brown
  2. Marching Tune
  3. I'm Seventeen Come Sunday
  4. Two Sea Chanties: I Shenandoah
  5. Two Sea Chanties: II Stormy
  6. Molly On The Shore
  7. Brigg Fair
  8. Early One Morning
  9. After-word
  10. There Was A Pig Went Out To Dig
  11. The Lonely Desert-Man Sees The Tents Of The Happy Tribes
  12. Thou Gracious Power
  13. County Derry Air
  14. Handel In The Strand
  15. Six Dukes Went Afishin
  16. Anchor Song
  17. Ye Banks And Braes O' Bonnie Doon

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Very High Quality 'Easy Listening'.......2007-01-18

This is the second of Chandos 'The Grainger Edition' recordings I have reviewed and it is much closer to the heart of my tastes than the piano accompanied baritone solos of Volume 2 I previously reviewed. Just as I will value a cookbook if it has just one extraordinary recipe or a computer book if it has just one extraordinarily good programming idea, I wouldlove this album even if everything else but 'Scotch Strathspey and Reel' were junk. But, of course, all the other tracks on the album are not junk, they are very, very good. Just not as enjoyable as this superb rendition of the famous sea chanty, better known by its first line 'What do we do with a drunken sailor...' The 'Joyful Company of Singers' earns their name on this one. Next to Russian liturgical choral singing, sea chanties are my favorite, so I confess to being just a bit less than impartial on this one, but there you are. This one is simply lovely.
And Then There Was Silence
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Blind Guardian's Best Song, plus a non-album track
  • One of the Best Fantasy Interpreter
  • And then there was silence
  • hey!
  • No Silence Here!
And Then There Was Silence
Blind Guardian
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Past & Future Secret
  2. Fly
  3. Tokyo Tales
  4. Imaginations From the Other Side
  5. Nightfall in Middle-Earth

ASIN: B00005T7K0
Release Date: 2001-12-11

Tracks:

  1. And There Was Silence
  2. Harvest Of Sorrow

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Blind Guardian's Best Song, plus a non-album track.......2006-10-28

The CD single And Then There Was Silence was originally released in 2001 to give fans a preview of their (then) upcoming album A Night at the Opera. And what a preview it was! The mammoth 14-minute track And Then There Was Silence was easily Blind Guardian's most ambitious and epic track to date, and remains my all-time favorite BG song.

Half a decade later though, the only reason to check out this single is the second track, Harvest of Sorrow, which is the English language version of the song Mies del Dolor (also from a Night at the Opera). This semi-acoustic ballad is based on Tolkien's Silmarillion, and would have been right at home as a bonus track on the band's concept album Nightfall in Middle Earth. It's a nice song, but probably one that only die-hard Blind Guardian fans will be compelled to buy a CD single for. I'm of the opinion that every BG song is worth having, so if you're into the band, you'll want to add this disc to your collection.

5 out of 5 stars One of the Best Fantasy Interpreter.......2004-03-31

There's already been so much to say about the first song, And Then There Was Silence. I love it, too. However, the second song is more touching for me, Harvest of Sorrow, a song for Tolkien's The Silmarillion, for Turin and his sister Nienor. This is the English version of Mies Del Dolor in Night At the Opera. I cannot express my feeling in a precise way, but when I heard "She closed her eyes / And she called out my name / She was never ever seen again", it seemed that there was a flick of blade on my heart. I've never imagined the sorrow of Turin and Nienor could be illustrated so well. With my favorite BG album Nightfall in Middle-earth, I really want to say they are one of the best Tolkien interpreter in music.

5 out of 5 stars And then there was silence.......2004-02-17

This song is just the best. There is simply nothing else like it. Yes, it lasts for over 16 minutes, throughout it, it retells the story of the Illiad and fall of Troy. It recounts many of the main themes within it (including my favourite part where it says "Shes like the sunrise, precious like starlight," etc... describing Helen). If you enjoyed previous albums by blind guardian then this is a MUST. It manages to convey in the sheer sounds of the music going from softness to heavy drums and guitar solos, showing the moods in the story of sadness and triumph. The meaningful lyrics are a prime example of blind guardian's finest and Hansi's singing is again almost flawless. Just buy it! (the second track harvest of sorrow is also good, but doesn't match up to the main feature.) Also buy their new album A Night At the Opera (instead or as well?), the Jap import has harvest of sorrow as a bonus track, and the last song is and then there was silence.

5 out of 5 stars hey!.......2003-11-11

I know the dude that did the cover art!!!
go to anry.deviantart.com to see all his stuff! It's incredible!

Great album, too... mmmm

5 out of 5 stars No Silence Here!.......2003-09-10

AND THEN THERE WAS SILENCE
"Turn your head and see the fields of flames"

"He carries along
from a distant place
He`s on his way
he'll bring decay
(don't move along
cause things they will go wrong
the end is getting closer

Blind Guardian"

Everybody knows who Blind Guardian is, right? Well you should! If you don't, let's do something about that. They consist of four incredible musicians(you'd swear there was twenty); André Olbrich (guitar), Hansi Kürsch (vocals/bass), Marcus Siepen (guitar), Thomen Stauch (drums).

Blind Guardian play an astounding version of Melodious, Symphonic Metal whose music explodes at you and bombards you with multi-faceted ingenious melodies from all sides and here's the Kicker, they sound like QUEEN. Yes, I said QUEEN. No, it's not universally accepted but I know what I'm hearing. Hansi Kursch sounds enough like Freddie Mercury, that when you bring in the bands vocal backing in the quasi-inimitable Queenlike delivery it's spooky but it's also magnificent.

Now, don't get me wrong Blind Guardian is not the second coming of Queen, it is merely the second coming of Queen's harmony and their delivery. It's more like Queen decided to play a different kind of music and they were wonderful at it, too.

So, since I like Queen I'll like Blind Guardian, right?

Not necessarily! I really believe for many people, like myself, Blind Guardian is an acquired taste. Blind Guardian's music is so dense with layer upon layer of sound and with all those high pitched voices coming at you constantly from all over, that ones brain cannot absorb it all at one time. It needs time put everything in order, so that is why I recommend at least three or four plays to get used to their music.

But why bother?

Yes, really. Well I have a theory, if I may, which is being propagated by my own current musical inclinations.

When I was younger, popular music was quite basic. Some of it still is. I liked both catchy simple and complicated songs, but it seemed that I got tired of the simpler songs fast but the complicated songs satisfied me longer.

My point, obviously, is that some of the best and most worthwhile things are harder to achieve and of course they're certainly appreciated more. Blind Guardian is very worthwhile, so let's look at the best song (in my humble opinion) they have made to date.

"And Then There Was Silence"

Mere words cannot describe the majesty and grandeur of this fabulous creation. From the minute it starts you are treated to a preview of what is to come in this masterpiece. There is no let up no weak spots, this is total mind candy for the entire 14:07 and you will be crying for more. "And Then There Was Silence" was released as a single as well as being the finale in the exquisite album A Night at the Opera

This amazing song is an elevator ride from heavy, classical B.G. style to tranquil interludes combining broadly arranged orchestral elements, ubiquitous choirs and multiple styles and tempo for a melodious, musical sensation I have seldom experienced. "And Then There Was Silence" never loses sight of it's goal and delivers an inspiring, fourteen minute masterpiece that always remains accessible and dynamic and dramatically brilliant! And throughout the whole song you can't help but think of Queen, even though they have never done anything like this.(oh, maybe "Bohemian Rhapsody" a little bit) It's just that their timing, elevation, pitch, and delivery are so Queenish, I love it, I love it, I love it!
Now it doesn't say it anywhere but this monumental composition seems to be about the Trojan War.

There is a second track on this CD single called "Havest of Sorrow" which is a ballad and seems like an afterthought after listening to the emotionally draining "And Then There Was Silence"

Similar artists

You got to be Kidding. Queen

Vaguely Similar Artists

Therion, Rhapsody, Thy Majestie, Freedom Call, Mob Rules
Sights and Sounds from a Legendary Life: The James Dean Story
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Sights and Sounds from a Legendary Life: The James Dean Story

    Manufacturer: Blue Moon
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Film ScoresFilm Scores | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
    General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
    Vocal Jazz GeneralVocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B0007TF0Y0
    Release Date: 2005-04-26

    Tracks:

    1. Prelude
    2. Boyhood
    3. Who Am I?
    4. Thinking of Home
    5. Rebel at Work
    6. Finding His Power
    7. Hollywood
    8. Movie Star
    9. Lost Love
    10. Success and Then What? - Tommy Sands
    11. Testing the Limits of Life
    12. Return Home/Let Me Be Loved (End Title) - Jimmy Wakely

    Tracks:

    1. Main Title [From East of Eden]
    2. Cal's Dance [From East of Eden] - Jimmy Wakely
    3. Nocturne [From East of Eden] - Steve Allen
    4. Vindication of Cal [From East of Eden] - Dick Jacobs & His Orchestra
    5. Main Title [From Rebel Without a Cause]
    6. Jim's Ride to the Planetarium [From Rebel Without a Cause]
    7. End of the World [From Rebel Without a Cause]
    8. Knife Fight [From Rebel Without a Cause]
    9. Death of Plato/End Titles [From Rebel Without a Cause]
    10. Main Title [From Giant]
    11. There's Never Been Anyone Else But You [From Giant]
    12. His Name Was Dean
    13. We'll Never Forget You
    14. James Dean
    15. Remembering James Dean
    16. Theme [From East of Eden]

    Tracks:

    1. Bonus Material [DVD][*]
    Yrjö Kilpinen: Kanteletar
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Yrjö Kilpinen: Kanteletar

      Manufacturer: Cpo Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B00004HYNT
      Release Date: 2000-02-22

      Tracks:

      1. Shepherd's Song, No.1 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      2. Pretty Mary, My Berry, No.3 - Hans Lydman/Peter Stamm
      3. Come, O Come, No.4 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      4. Always I Sing, No.9 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      5. Boys And Girls, No.6 - Hans Lydman/Peter Stamm
      6. No, I Can't, No.12 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      7. The Bachelor, No.16 - Hans Lydman/Peter Stamm
      8. Long I Desired, No.11 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      9. Today Everything Is Dear, No.31 - Hans Lydman/Peter Stamm
      10. The Poor Man's Daughter, No.18 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      11. It Would Have Gone Better For Me, No.22 - Hans Lydman/Peter Stamm
      12. Outside The Ice Is Breaking, No.25 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      13. Oh What Does It Matter, No.36 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      14. Sing, My Pretty Maiden, No.40 - Hans Lydman/Peter Stamm
      15. All Alone, No.42 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      16. Many Maidens I Can Count, No.45 - Hans Lydman/Peter Stamm
      17. I'd Like To Call Like The Cuckoo, No.50 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      18. Oh, I Was A Fool, No.46 - Hans Lydman/Peter Stamm
      19. Oh You Pretty Home, No.38 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      20. Just Sleep, Just Sleep, No.51 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      21. Almighty, High Up There, No.56 - Hans Lydman/Peter Stamm
      22. My Beloved Sleeps In His Coffin, No.57 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      23. O How Wretched To Be A Servant, No.54 - Hans Lydman/Peter Stamm
      24. If I Could Get A Man, No.19 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      25. If I Had Power And Money, No.8 - Hans Lydman/Peter Stamm
      26. The Dance, No.15 - Camilla Nylund/Peter Stamm
      Organ Recital
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Organ Recital

        Manufacturer: Naxos
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        All Works by J.S. BachAll Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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        Reger, MaxReger, Max | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        All Works by SweelinckAll Works by Sweelinck | Sweelinck, JanPieterszoon | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
        PreludesPreludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
        PassacagliasPassacaglias | Variations | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
        ScherzoScherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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        ASIN: B0002B7PEG
        Release Date: 2004-07-20

        Tracks:

        1. Praeludium In E Minor
        2. Four Variations On Unter Der Linden Grune
        3. Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659
        4. A Secret Power
        5. The World Of Silence
        6. There Is A Spirit That Delights To Do No Evil
        7. Choral No.1 In E Major
        8. Scherzo Pour Orgue, Op.2
        9. Introduction And Passacaglia In D Minor
        10. Carmen
        Been There, Seen That, Done That
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Been There, Seen That, Done That
          Something Happens
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
          Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
          Power PopPower Pop | Rock | Styles | Music
          ASIN: B000026GL2
          Release Date: 2006-12-12

          Music Review:

          1. This Is the Day [Live]
          2. Timeless [Original recording remastered]
          3. Waiting for My Ride to Come
          4. We Are One
          5. We Need You Lord [Live]
          6. World's Best Praise & Worship: Praise & Worship, Vol. 4
          7. World's Best Praise & Worship: This Is the Day
          8. You Can't Stop God from Blessing Me
          9. 100 Hymns and Praise Classics
          10. 14 Traditional Hymns

          Music Review

          Music Review