Isabella

Isabella

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Cosmicity explores the band's minimal synthpop style on this album, mixing crisp electronic pulses and beats with very melodic, personal songs. This album is considered a classic in the synthpop underground of the 90's and should find itself on the shelf on any melodic synthpop fan.

Tracks:

Moment Musical In E Mino Op. 12 No. 4
Prelude In G Op.32 No.5
Etude-Tableau In D Op.39 No.9
Prelude in D Flat Op.17 No.3
Prelude In E Flat Minor Op.16 No.4
Prelude In G Op.13 No.3
Etude in C Sharp Minor Op.42 No.5
La Vida Breve: First Spanish Dance - Manuel De Falla
Goyescas: Quejas O La Maya Y El Ruisenor
Danza Del Viejo Boyero
Danza De La Moza Donosa
Danza Del Gaucho Matrero
Nocturne In D Flat Op.27 No.2
Fantaisie-Impromptu In C Sharp Minor Op.66
Mephisto Waltz No.1

Tracks:

On Rachmaniov: Vocalise
On The Theme From Bach 'Goldberg Variations'
On Chopin: Nocturne In D Flat
On Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2
Inspired By Scriabin
On Duermete Mi Nino
In The Style Of Tango
On Granados: 'Quejas O La Maya El Ruisenor'
In The Style Of Bach
On Chopin: Prelude In A
'Improvisation in Blue (Gabriela Montero)'
'Song for Natalia and Isabella (Gabriela Montero)'

Customer Reviews:

Gabriela Montero CDs.......2007-06-12

Excellent service -- speedy, just as described, well-packaged. I'd definitely buy from this seller again.

Non-professional Review.......2007-03-27

Okay, I listen almost exclusively to classical music, but I do so simply for the pleasure and nothing more. I cannot tell you about Gabriela Montero's technique, and, when she improvises, I have no ability to judge the music's intrinsic value, authenticity, or whatever. I can only tell you this: while I own many dozens of albums, running the full spectrum of the classical genre, I value none of them above Montero's Bach and Beyond and her Piano Recital. Pure listening joy!

Absolutely Magnificent!.......2007-03-09

I first saw Gabriela Montero on 60 Minutes a few months ago and was taken by her playing ability as well as her ability to improvise on the classics. Ms. Montero's fingers fly over the keyboard, playing Rachmaninoff more dramatically and key-perfect than I've heard in a long time. I decided to purchase this CD and have not been disappointed.

Improvisations Unbelievable!.......2007-01-26

Gabriela Montero is a tremendous talent, both in standard classical repertoire, and improvisation. I have know her since she was a young girl, and she was by far the best pianist around, even then. She is an undersung pianist of our age, and should rise to the top very soon!

A beautiful breath of fresh air!.......2007-01-20

What a sheer delight hearing her play. I've never heard anyone quite like her. A phenomenally gifted player, and it's a rare treat to hear someone who defies pigeonholing. I had heard her on the radio, and knew I was onto something when her improvisation on a very simple theme gave me the chills. I love both CD's in this collection.

It's interesting hearing the negative response coming from some classical musicians and fans. At times it can seem to roughly follow the stages of grief as proposed by Kubler-Ross. I'm a professional guitarist, and it's funny because it's almost identical to how guitarists react to hearing another guitarist, but with an big class-conscious overlay (all very civilized, of course). Think of the "guitarist screwing in a lightbulb" joke. To paraphrase and extrapolate on what someone might say upon hearing her improvisation:

1. Shock: Wow, he's good. Oh, and it's a woman!? And you say it's improvisation??

2. Denial: That can't possibly be improvisation. Classical musicians don't engage in that untidy process. What she's playing must be written out, and I can tell! Don't ask, I just know it.

3. Anger: This stuff is no good. Only permanent music is of value through the ages, and that's why classical music (and only the European kind) is better than any other music. Besides, I can't improvise, so I reject it - and only THOSE people engage in improvisation.

4. Depression: She can play all the classical music, and seemingly can improvise, or at least pass her stuff off as such. Not only that, she's getting attention and money, and we're not. Why is the world unfair?

5. Acceptance: (sort of) Well, I guess she's selling CD's, and is becoming successful. She is, I hate to admit it, a great player. Even if she is a faker. Of course, they're begging my Muffy to become artist-in-residence in Spoleto....

The other reviewer has a point when he says that she may be viewed as a curiosity. Because she's crossing genres, people may not know what to make of it, and this often causes reflexive hostility. As an improvisor, I would agree that it's hard to say that something is 100% improvised - players tend to have pet phrases and favorite general ideas they return to. But to me, Gabriela's playing is at the highest level of skill, beauty, and feeling, whether improvising or playing written pieces.

Average customer rating:

Nice music but...
Great CD
A Noble and Festive Christmas
Meat and Potatoes
Totally Awesome

A Festival of Carols in Brass

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Christmas Festival
Joy to the World - Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra
A Festival Of Carols / Robert Shaw Chorale
Songs of Angels - Christmas Hymns and Carols
O Come All Ye Faithful: Christmas Carols at King's College, Cambridge

ASIN: B0000024Q6
Release Date: 1991-07-16

Tracks:

Deck The Halls With Broughs Of Holly
Lo, How A Rose E're Blooming
Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
The First Nowell
Angels We Have Hard On High
We Three Kings Of Oreint Are
O Come, All Ye Faithful
O Sanctissima
O Tannenbaum
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Good King Weceslas
Silent Night, Holy Night
Joy To the World
The Twelve Days Of Christmas
Conventry Carol
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
Good Christian Men Rejoice
O Holy Night
What Child Is This?
Wassial Song
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Away In A Manger
We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Customer Reviews:

Nice music but..........2007-03-08

I liked the music and the performances a lot, but there is no booklet to depict the performers, nor analyse the music or the arrangements, which are superb

Great CD.......2007-02-16

This is a great holiday CD. We used it for several holiday dinners this year.

A Noble and Festive Christmas.......2007-01-21

This is the best Christmas album you could ever get. It is the most stable as you do not have to think about it. This is the album you really sing along to. Brass makes everything festive, grand and noble; so will your Christmas! A gem for every year!

Meat and Potatoes.......2007-01-18

Since the release of this fine recording in 1967 there have been many fine
brass groups:The Canadian Brass, the Empire Brass, just to name a few.
Whereas these latter groups have all resorted to "gimmicks" such as unique arrangements to sell their albums this group of brass players from the Philadelphia Orchestra give us an album of good old "meat and potatoes" playing spiced with fine tone,good ensemble playing, and good tempos.

Totally Awesome.......2007-01-12

I love listening to this cd at christmas. The brass is so crisp, almost like being right there. You have to add this to your holiday collection, and for those of you who like brass, you will love it. I play the french horn and I esp. love hearing the french horn in it.

A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle

Average customer rating:

A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle
One of the most beautiful Christmas albums
A Christmas Collection For The Ages
Kathleen Battle, My Madam Christmas
Pure Joy

A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle
Kathleen Battle , traditional/various , Leonard Slatkin , and Orchestra of St. Luke's with New York Choral Artists & Harlem Boys' Choir
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002ROL
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

O Come All Ye Faithful
O Holy Night
Bring A Torch, Jeannette Isabelle
Fum, Fum, Fum!
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
Ave Maria
Gesu Bambino
Medley: I Saw Three Ships; The First Nowell; The Holly And The Ivy
Away In A Manger
Silent Night
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Mary's Cradle Song
Zither Carol
I Wonder As I Wander
Mary Had A Baby
Rise Up, Shepherd
What Child Is This?
Ave Maria
Finale and Reprise: Veni, Veni, Emmanuel; It Came Upon A Midnight Clear; O Little Town Of Bethlehem; Silent Night; O Come All Ye Faithful

Customer Reviews:

A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle.......2007-01-19

what can i say about the best of the best? As always, Miss Battle makes me wonder how anyone else would dare to sing this music after her rendition. A beautiful CD

One of the most beautiful Christmas albums .......2005-11-22

I love Kathleen Battle's voice, and to get such a great collection of beautiful sacred music, it was like a dream come true. She sings many traditional carols like Holy Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night, which is possibly my favorite here, you may think you have heard this song so many times, but Kathleen's voice really shines in it. Her English diction is so incredible, you can understand every word, which is not something many opera singers can achieve. Her singing is always so natural and lovely. Many other songs are oustanding on this album, I love the two version of Ave Maria and the Italian song Gesu Bambino. If you are looking for a really beautiful collection of Christmas music, this album is a great choice.

A Christmas Collection For The Ages.......2005-11-13

If there is one performer I miss hearing on a regular basis, it is Kathleen Battle. Anytime I knew that she'd be in a Metropolitan Opera radio broadcast, I knew it would be a performance to remember and more often than not, I was correct. She has a light voice that reaches the upper reregisters with ease and has as a gorgeous sound. She not a regular at many opera houses these days, and in likelihood, if she still did perform on the world's opera stages, we'd be hearing critics say her voice was not what it once was, but thanks to her recorded legacy, her voice will, always have that youthful, energetic sound.

Overall I believe that Ms. Battle performs better in complete opera recordings than recital albums, but most of her recital recordings are of at least good quality and this Christmas collection is outstanding. She handles all of the works with apparent similar ease, but since the recording is so varied, this is a compliment to her skill as a performer. She begins and ends with "O Come All Ye Faithful" where she does a few vocal acrobatics but it's never overdone. Each time I think of what the bets part of the collection is, my mind changes. She brings her skills from the operatic stage in her renditions of "O Holy Night," "Gesu Bambino" (only Pavarotti sings this better, but it's a very close second), and "The Zither Carol" which sounds so much like something that could come from the mouths of Oscar from UN BALLO or Zurbinetta from ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, two of her signature roles. The music from the African American Spirituals tradition and American background are well done and the accompaniment of the Harlem Boys Choir, used to great advantage here adds so much.

With so many Christmas collections from the world of opera available, choosing one can be difficult, but this is one collection that has proven to be a joy for almost fifteen years and will continue to give holiday pleasure for years to come.

Kathleen Battle, My Madam Christmas.......2004-12-28

I probably have 50 Christmas albums. I love many of them. This is my favorite. Leaves me astounded and breathless every time I enjoy it.

Pure Joy.......2003-12-07

In a world where disturbing things are all too common, Christian scripture guides us to dwell on that which is lovely. Kathleen Battle's blessed voice is most certainly one of those lovely things.

I bought this CD in the early 1990's, and I am here to buy it again because I have worn out the original with scratches, etc. I only listen to it during the Christmas season, but I enjoy it enough to hear it all year.

The 'Christmas Celebration' CD should be enough to convince you to also purchase Kathleen's 'A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert'. Ms. Battle's wonderful soprano voice is joined by that of the mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, and the blending is more than memorable. There are a couple of songs which are on both CD's, but you'll want to hear both. In fact, the video of the PBS special is also available, and I recommend buying all three. You won't regret it.

Some of my favorite selections from 'Christmas Celebration' include 'Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabelle' and 'Fum, Fum, Fum', both of which are from a culture different from my own. I found such glimpses into unfamiliar favorites to enhance my own enjoyment of the Christmas season, as long as all of my traditional American favorites were included. They were. "I Wonder As I Wander" and "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful" are there among the other favorites.

Tracks:

Medley: Good Christian Men - Rejoice - Silent Night - Patapan - O Come - All Ye Faithful
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Shepherd's Carol
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
Medley: O Sanctissima - Joy To The World - Away In A Manger - Fum, Fum, Fum - March Of The Kings
I Wonder As I Wander
We Three Kings
My Dancing Day
Medley: What Child Is This? - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Bring A Torch - Jeanette - Isabella - Angels We Have Heard On High
Coventry Carol
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
Carol Of The Bells
Medley: Break Forth - O Beauteous Heavenly Light - The First Nowell - O Little Town Of Bethlehem - I Saw Three Ships - Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly

Customer Reviews:

Traditional Christmas Music .......2007-01-24

If you love traditional Christmas music, done in traditional style (i.e., no rock or jazz influence), this CD is for you. The Robert Shaw Chorale, the "gold standard" of quality choral music, sings much loved carols, with some lesser-known pieces as well. Some are a cappella; some include a full orchestral accompaniment. My favorites on this CD are "We Three Kings," "Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella," and "I Saw Three Ships."

The quintessential Christmas recording.......2005-12-09

This recording seems to elicit universal and heartfelt praise. Who am I to dispute that? The performance is terrific, just as described by the other Amazon reviewers, no doubt about it.

However, I do have one bone to pick with this recording. There just isn't enough of it. With material as good as this, that is a real loss!

A Top List Christmas CD.......2004-12-28

I bought this cd long ago, and have enjoyed it immensely each year. It is the perfect blend of celebration and meditation. Orchestra and choir combine in four distinct groupings, and a capella arrangements complete the masterful collection. The orchestral arrangements will make the hairs on your neck stand up, and your stomach quiver with all the excitement you ever felt as a child at Christmas. Adeste Fidelis is performed as few other ensembles have ever come close. The a capella arrangements will all, without exception, be on your yearly list of must-hear holiday arrangements. Truly a top list Christmas CD, essential for every family who celebrates this feast.

The best.......2004-01-02

I own approximately 35 Christmas choral CDs - including choirs and groups such as the Cambridge Singers and the King Singers. I also own two Christmas albums with Robert Shaw and the Atlantic symphony. This performance with the Robert Shaw Chorale is old but it is still my favorite. The arrangements are magnificent, the sound is brilliant, and the choir and orchestra are precise with wonderful volume control. Buy and enjoy!

How do you describe perfection?.......2003-12-14

This is my favorite Christmas CD. Nothing comes close. I thoroughly enjoyed learning much of the music in high school choir over 30 years ago. The music has never left me. The four medleys are the arrangements of Robert Russell Bennett titled "The Many Moods of Christmas". The arrangements seem to have a freshness about them even after listening numerous times.

Interspersed with the medleys are a cappella carols.

All of this music is wonderfully performed by the Robert Shaw Chorale, the a cappella selections recorded in 1957 and the medleys in 1963.

Four decades have proven that this is the standard in choral music. The clarity of text, the richness of tone, the beauty of harmony combine to present the message of Christmas in the manner that only music can do.

Tracks:

God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
Angels We Have Heard On High
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
How Unto Bethlehem?
The Boar's Head Carol
O Tannenbaum
Masters In This Hall
My Dancing Day
Away In A Manger
Good Christian Men, Rejoice
The Holly And The Ivy
Good King Wenceslas
Wassail Song
Bring A Torch, Jeannette, Isabella
Fum, Fum, Fum
Mary Had A Baby
Hacia Belen Va Un Borrico
Christ Was Born On Christmas Day
March Of The Kings
Coventry Carol
Deck The Halls
The Cherry Tree Carol
We Three Kings Of Orient Are
Toruo-Louro-Louro!
So Blest A Sight
I Saw Three Ships
What Child Is This?
Susanni
In The Bleak Midwinter

Customer Reviews:

Much Anticipated.......2007-01-26

I have been looking for this CD for years!! Our family had a Shaw Chorale LP which contained almost all the songs on this CD. We had a number of excellent holiday albums and played all of them often, but we wore the Shaw Chorale album out! Not only are the musical renditions excellent and very similar to earlier Shaw recordings, the nostalgia evoked for this listener is incomparable!

A Taste of Heaven.......2007-01-18

I received this recording on cassette from a choral teacher, and played it so often that I wore it out! I especially appreciate the purity of sound and the arrangements in this recording. Lovers of choral music will feel as though "Songs of Angels" brings them a taste of heaven!

The Energizer Bunny.......2007-01-18

Alas that Robert Shaw is no longer with us. Throughout his long and varied career he gave us choral music with exactness,good pacing,and proper execution though not all musicologists would chose his renditions.
In "Songs of Angels" recorded in 1994 he shows us that even in later years he just kept going and going. Giving us stellar performances of masterpieces such as "Elijah","The Creation" and other large choral works. Yet in this album he shows the same attention to detail and
enraptures us with that special beauty of tone and ensemble which was
was to be Shaw's watermark on his life's offering.

Great Seasonal Album.......2006-01-16

This is one of the most impressive period albums I own. Wonderful for the holiday season. Will miss it during the rest of the year.

The Most Beautiful Sounds I Have Ever Heard.......2003-02-04

A fluid and seamless piece of heaven that transcends all classical and holiday music. This is an OUTSTANDING non-traditional Holiday CD!!! Many voices come together as one in these enchanting verses sung in languages other than English. It is just enough language mix to appease and intrigue the soul but not too much so that the listener does not understand the lyrics. For example, the English verse is sung then a verse in German and then back to English. Emmanuel is written this way. Other languages include French (Angels we Have Heard on High) and even Catalan which is a dialect of Spain.

Several of the songs were not traditional Holiday songs (at least for my generation), yet they were intriguing to learn and now I feel I know them just like the traditional ones. This CD offers a healthy mix of traditional and non-traditional songs on this CD.

If you can picture the most beautiful sounds you have ever heard you can come close to the joy this CD will bring you. It is February and I can't stop listening to it. You will not regret purchasing it&the only regret you may have is not buying all of Robert Shaw's holiday CDs.

Tracks:

Chominciamento di gioia - Saltarello No. 4
Lamento di Tristano - La Rotta
Bellicha
Tre fontane
Parlamento
Principio di virtu
Saltarello No.1
Trotto
Saltarello n.2
Isabella
Ghaetta
Saltarello No.3
In pro
La Manfredina - La Rotta

Customer Reviews:

Inventive, enjoyable interpretations by Ensemble Unicorn!.......2002-11-29

These wonderful Italian dances are from the British Library's 14th century manuscript #29987. Though melodically and structurally complex, they are monophonic--only one line of music. The challenge for groups of instrumentalists is to find appropriate ways for all their members to contribute. The European musicians of Ensemble Unicorn certainly rise to the challenge, and in a creative and rousing manner. Director and recorder player Michael Posch, fiddler and shawm player Marco Ambrosini, lutenist Thomas Wimmer, percussionist Wolfgang Reithofer, and hurdy-gurdy/harp/bagpipe player Riccardo Delfino have a spirited, good time romping through the up-tempo numbers, while reflecting meditatively on the gentler ones. The quality of this and the many other Ensemble Unicorn releases for Naxos is superb without qualification, but even moreso considering that the purchase prices are less than half of what most other CDs cost. I bought every Ensemble Unicorn recording I could get my hands on, and enjoy them all--varying styles of medieval and early Renaissance music from different ages and regions, but all very well done by this talented and innovative group! Look them up by searching for "Ensemble Unicorn"--the titles are too long and numerous to cite here. If you like this particular recording and these 14th century Italian dances, you might also want to check out "Istanpitta!: A Medieval Dance Band" and "Istanpitta II: Medieval Dances" by New York's Ensemble for Early Music.

EARLY work for this ensemble.......2001-08-11

With later releases -- especially Codex Faenza and The Black Madonna -- Unicorn proves itself the no-holds-barred best instrumental ensemble in medieval music. This is their first mass-market CD, and their musicianship is...iffy. For instance, the later-incomparable Thomas Wimmer saws monotonously through Lamento di Tristano, and the later-virtuosic Marco Ambrosini is just plain jittery. Even Michael Posch, later the only medieval musician who approaches the level of the Indian masters, is at this stage unformed. Their performance style here is very mannered, opting often for "weird" or unusual effects and approaches.

Plays to the strengths of this band.......2001-02-23

The choice of the material again plays to the strengths of Ensemble Unicorn, and makes for a very enjoyable presentation of this mostly familiar material.

These monophonic mediaeval dance and instrumental compositions are chestnuts of early music performances. There just wasn't that much of this very early secular dance music preserved, so you have a choice of performances. Unicorn's take on them gives a good variety of instrumentation, and the extensive improvisation needed to make a whole record's worth of this familiar stuff interesting.

It's worth comparing this record to another set of recordings covering similar territory, the also enjoyable -Istanpitta- and Istanpitta II- collections. By contrast, Unicorn does not resort so much to the thundering shawms, bagpipes, and percussion that certain -Istanpitta- tracks resort to. By contrast, though, their reading of the -Tre Fontane- estampie is upbeat, recalling the classic performance by David Munrow on -The Art of Courtly Love-, as compared to -Istanpitta's- somewhat too mellow take on that number. You don't get the big swings between loud and soft here that you do from -Istanpitta-, which makes it somewhat easier to listen to.

Some of the instrumental combinations seem to evidence a sense of humour here. This record is not quite as good as -The Black Madonna- or -Songs of the Troubadors-, but it is an excellent introduction to these mediaeval dances.

Cant find better.......1999-12-25

If you've made it this far, I assume that you are famioliar with the beauty, joy and rhythmic variety of early music. I've have discs from many renowned groups and this one is as good as any and better than most. Fresh, inventive presentations--bringing out the spirit and beauty of this music.

Average customer rating:

Very good interpretation
"Let the dance begin!"
Medieval music for the rest of us
Nice performances, but hard to listen to
Joyous, reflective, rousing

Istanpitta - Vol. 1
Christa Patton , Wayne Hankin , Anonymous , Italian Anonymous , New York's Ensemble for Early Music , Paul Shipper , Frederick Renz , Thomas Zajac , and Glen Velez
Manufacturer: Lyrichord Discs Inc.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
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Istanpitta II
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On the Way to Bethlehem (Music of the Medieval Pilgrim)

ASIN: B0000022BA
Release Date: 1995-07-18

Tracks:

Salterello And Trotto
Parlamento
Salterello (IV)
Chominciamento Di Gioia
La Manfredina - La Rotta
Tre Fontane
Salterello (I)
Isabella
Lamento Di Tristano - La Rotta
In Pro
Salterello (III)

Customer Reviews:

Very good interpretation.......2003-05-30

The phrase "Earthy but Informed" applies here.... I've heard most of these pieces elsewhere but there is an energy and enthusiasm on this CD which must be experienced. There is a sense of vitality and freshness which belies the medieval origins of these pieces. One would think that the New York Ensemble for Early Music played command performance Medieval dances and not recitals.

Could a live performance DVD be with dancers be in the future? I'd buy it.

For me personally it was a joy to listen to performances on such a diverse group of instruments, from the Shawm and Ciaramella to the hammer Dulcimer and the.. Organistrum. I especially enjoyed the double reed work on the first and tenth tracks, the "Saltarello i Trotto" and the "In pro". The shawms on this CD don't screech!

Some naysayers may feel that adding a "World Music" percussionist takes away from the "historical authenticity". I counter that Mr. Velez's presence informs the pieces with their Eastern Mediterranian inspiration and gives them a depth and liveliness. His presence gives the work balance, timeliness and a presence lacking in other performances of these works.

Don't hestitate to buy this CD.

"Let the dance begin!".......2002-11-28

An assortment of 14th century Italian dances both rowdy and genteel from the Visconti family manuscript of Milan. The eight members of New York's Ensemble for Early Music do a terrific and engaging job of varying the mood from piece to piece, from thoughtful reflection to joyful abandon. Between them, they play over sixteen different kinds of instruments, allowing for a wide variety of sound combinations. Guest drummer Glen Velez really goes to town on the up-tempo numbers, enhancing the dances with exotic and ever-varied beats. It's nice to hear so many of these selections together on the same CD! Most recordings only include one or two. If you like this release, you'll also enjoy the follow-up recording, "Istanpitta II: Medieval Dances", as well as Ensemble Unicorn's "Chominciamento di Gioia", which likewise features the dances from this manuscript.

Medieval music for the rest of us.......2001-03-19

Footstamping, hip swinging medieval music - a refreshing change from the ethereal, everpresent a capella choirs or the polite piping of recorder ensembles. The instruments are more raucous and the percussion section, often non-existant or reduced to merely a time-keeping device in other groups, rocks out! Since a lot of medieval music seems to invite more restrained participation, I had often wondered what the people who wanted clap along or bang their mugs on the table listented to. Here, Istanpitta has provided an answer. Be aware, however, like the "concert" versions of a rock band's most populr songs, some of the tracks can be a bit long. Perfect, no doubt for a medieval mosh pit, but tiring on the ears if a quiet "listen to" is what you're looking for.

Nice performances, but hard to listen to.......2001-03-09

This is a very rousing and well-performed version of these mediæval dance tunes. The arrangements are very free, and often new instrumental lines are improvised around the monophonic melodies preserved in the manuscripts. The performances upon bagpipes, bombards, and shawms are especially rousing, especially the -Saltarello I-.

But there is a problem. There is a substantially greater variance of recording level through these pieces than seems customary. I realize, of course, that bombards and bagpipes are loud and should sound loud, while recorders and plucked strings are soft. The range, though, makes this a hard record to listen to. After listening at a comfortable level to the first track with loud instruments, you will need to turn it way up to hear the soft tracks that follow; and if you don't catch it, you will be blown out of your seat when the bagpipes and bombards return.

Joyous, reflective, rousing.......1999-09-22

This music is infectious. Combining ancient wind and string instruments with the percussion genius of Glen Velez on frame drums, tambourines, and dumbecs, it really succeeds in shaking all you ever thought "classical" music could be. Even if you have had a taste of Renaissance music, you should jump into this album with a fresh mind --this music is substantially different in style and flavor, and sounds like nothing you have ever heard before. It is vibrant, folksy, thrilling, provocative, and at times quiet and meditative. I fell in love on first listen and immediately went out to purchase their second album, "Istanpitta II."

The first track snatches you out of your seat with its rousing rhythms and exotic melody. It literally made me leap up and dance; the joy and pure celebration of the New York's Ensemble for Early Music's rendition really bring life to the ancient music.

Unfortunately, it will have to remain a secret pleasure. I attempted to introduce it into a party I went to and many people (brain-washed by MTV) couldn't stand its "differentness." Oh well. Perhaps when they're older. Even though I've converted a few of my friends, I can't expect every Electronic Age teenager to fall for an estampie or two.

A Dance in the Garden of Mirth: Medieval Instrumental Music - The Dufay Collective
Average customer rating:

Very Disappointing Disk

Far more lighthearted, easy-listening than other albums from Dufay

A Wonderful Collection of Beautiful Songs

A Dance in the Garden of Mirth: Medieval Instrumental Music - The Dufay Collective
The Dufay Collective , Paul Bevan , Giles Lewin , William Lyons , Raphael Mizraki , Susanna Pell , and Peter Skuce
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Medieval Dance Music

The Dufay Collective:Miri It Is

Istanpitta II

Sinners & Saints: The Ultimate Medieval and Renaissance Music Collection

Music Of The Crusades

ASIN: B000000AVO
Release Date: 1994-11-29

Tracks:

Istanpitta 'Ghaetta'
(La prime estampie real)
La uitime estampie real
La seconde estampie royal
La tierche estampie roial
Danse
Retrove
Troto - Salterello
La quinte estampie real
Istanpitta 'Belicha'
Istanpitta 'Isabella'
Salterello

Customer Reviews:

Very Disappointing Disk.......2007-04-11

While it undoubtedly is genuine medieval music, it doesn't sound like what you might expect. It reminds me more of something you would hear in an Arab marketplace or bazzar. Alternating notes played on a recorder until it drives you crazy. Many of the songs are rather similar (i.e. bad) and in my opinion it's a big disappointment. I had hoped for something to play at our medieval feasts and SCA re-enactments, but this doesn't make the grade at all.

Far more lighthearted, easy-listening than other albums from Dufay.......2006-07-30

DuFay Collective are, in a word, brilliant, basically the Pink Martini of the music of the period. Their music never fails to transport you back in time. However, for the most past, medieval music isn't something you plug into the CD player on long drives between cities. This album is an exception. The focus is on medieval dance music of France, England and Italy, and the pieces are light-hearted and "catchy" enough to keep me entertained on replay for hours at a time. There are no vocals to speak of in any of these pieces, but the degree of excellence in each performer's command of their instrument is patently obvious. It's a highly recommended compilation that any medieval enthusiast should have in their CD case, as well as something any fan of "World Music" would wholeheartedly enjoy.

A Wonderful Collection of Beautiful Songs.......2000-07-10

A Dance in the Garden of Mirth takes us bace to medievil times. The songs express passion within the incredible musicality. This album is a must have!

Average customer rating:

Easy Does It
Isabella Antena
Manufacturer: Ltm / Boutique Nl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0007IP5KK
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

Nothing To Lose
Moonlight Dancer
A Rainbow (Can't Be Forever)
O Sapo
Sp Linha De Ser Com Voce
Omerla Bossa
Stars
Your One And Only
Easy Does It
Aguas Calmas
Fresh
Obrigado
La Pecheresse A La Ligne
Sweet Kiss

Tracks:

Nothing To Lose (Thievery Corporation Remix)
Omerla Bossa (Nicola Conte Version)
La Pecheresse A La Ligne (Buscemi Remix)
Easy Does It (La Malice Remix)
Fresh (Yukihiro Fukulomic Remix)
The Star System (Dr. Drak Mix)
Your One And Only (Musiq For Pleasure Remix)
Spiriluosi (Esle Samba) (Shape Version)

Average customer rating:

It's a gem!
Review: Isabel I: Reina de Castilla
Not always historically accurate, but fabulous performances

Isabel I: Reina de Castilla
Hesperion XXI , Daniele Carnovich , Canciero de Montecassino Anonymous , El Cancionero de Colombina Anonymous , Johannes Cornago , Guillaume Dufay , Juan del Encina , Pedro de Escobar , Luys de Narvaez , Pedro de Tordesillas , Francisco de la Torre , Arabic-Andalusian Traditional , Sephardic Traditional , Turkish Traditional , Carlos Verardi , Jordi Savall , Carlos Mena , Andrew Lawrence-King , Begona Olavide , Luca Guglielmi , Pedro Estevan , Arianna Savall , Montserrat Figueras , and Miguel Bernal
Manufacturer: Alia Vox Spain
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Carlos V
Music for the Spanish Kings
Villancicos y Danzas Criollas
Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quijote de la Mancha: Romances y Músicas [Hybrid SACD]
La Folia, 1490-1701

ASIN: B0006SSNO6
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Tracks:

Exultat Caelum Laudibus (Vesper's Hymn) - La Capella Reial De Catalunya
Marcha Turca - Various Artists
Toccata (CMC 68) - Various Artists
Dinos, Madre Del Donsel (Villancico) (CMC 90) - Various Artists
Je Ne Vis Oncques (CMM 46) - Andrew Lawrence-King
La Spagna: Danza Alta (Instrumental) (CMP 321) - Hesperion XXI
Muy Crueles Bozes Dan (Villancico) (CMC 6) - La Capella Reial De Catalunya
Pavana (Pues Que Jamas Olvidaros) (CMP 30) - Various Artists
Patres Nostri Peccaverunt (Hymn) (CMM 2) - La Capella Reial De Catalunya
Viva El Gran Re Don Fernando (Instrumental) - Various Artists
El Que Rige Y El Regido (Villancico) (CMP 275) - La Capella Reial De Catalunya
Paseabase El Rey Moro (Romance) - Various Artists
Levanta Pascual (Villancico) (CMP 184) - La Capella Reial De Catalunya
Lavava Y Suspirava (Romance) - Montserrat Figueras
Mappamundi - Various Artists
Franceses, Por Que Rrazon? (Villancico) (CMP 424) - La Capella Reial De Catalunya
Sanctus (CMC 47) - Various Artists
Triste Espana Sin Ventura (Romance) (CMP 83) - La Capella Reial De Catalunya
Cancion En Ritmo Quddan De La Nuba Gribt Al Hussein De Marruecos - B. Olavide
Requiem Aeternam (Gradual) - La Capella Reial De Catalunya

Customer Reviews:

It's a gem!.......2006-11-21

Interesting mix of styles at work here. Paseabase El Rey Moro is particularly pleasing. Montserrat lends true feeling to this piece as she sings the part of the Moorish king. Her recitation of the old man's 'Dutch uncling' is unexpected and equally passionate. All this is punctuated by a musical style that never loses its Moorish influence but changes, oh so subtly, into a more 'European' mode. In direct contrast, Begona's performance of Canció en ritmo Quddan de la Nuba Gribt: Al Hussein de Marruecos is equally compelling. The voices are married perfectly to the styles of the music. In short, if you like Iberian music of this period (circa 1492), get the album. You will not be disappointed.

Review: Isabel I: Reina de Castilla.......2005-07-27

This is a meticulously designed and recorded compilation that provides a delightful introduction to music of the late 15th and early 16th centuries . The CD includes both instrumental and vocal compositions that are performed with considerable expertise and verve. The package contains an illustrated booklet that includes an essay on the history of the period and full lyrics but, alas, is rather weak on details regarding the music other than to place it in historical context.

Not always historically accurate, but fabulous performances.......2005-05-23

This recording presents a selection of music from the time of Isabella of Castile (1451-1504), organised to present a hypothetical illustration in sound of the main events of her reign. Connoisseurs will be familiar with a number of these pieces, many from previous Savall recordings (Palacio, Encina, Colombina discs). Alongside the Spanish works (villancicos, romances, sacred music) are examples of Turkish and Sephardic music, and also a Dufay chanson.

As on many other recordings by this ensemble, historical accuracy is secondary to an overall aesthetic result, and it is perhaps not difficult to understand why Savall's approach has ruffled certain musicologists. Where most of the works recorded here would have probably been performed by a small group of musicians (often a cappella), in these performances there is a wide range of instruments used in addition to the voices (including shawm, cornett and sackbuts). Four tracks have 'composed' introductions [tracks 1, 4, 10, 13], whilst Narvaez's romance [track 12] is transformed from a standard example of the genre into a hybridised Hispanic-Moorish lament.

On the other hand, it is equally apparent why this group have been greeted with such unanimous international acclaim. There is, after all, a significant difference between a sound recording and a musicological article - something which is not always as obvious as it should be in some of the more "correct" renditions of this repertory. Furthermore, there are a number of tracks which are definitely plausible [tracks 5, 8, 17, 20], as well as some which frankly do not stretch extant evidence - direct and indirect - too much [tracks 4, 15, 18; a thorough and satisfactory investigation of the political villancicos and romances - tracks 7, 10, 13, 16, 18 - has yet to be undertaken...why and in what contexts would such works be performed only by small forces, given their obvious exaggerated political overtones? Would Ferdinand and Isabella really have heard, for example, Encina's lament to their dead son [18] performed by no more than four singers in the elite isolation of their private chambers...?]

But what undoubtedly sets this recording apart from so many others of this repertory is the phenomenally high standard of these performances - unsurprisingly given the personnel line-up [Begona Olavide, Montserrat Figueras, Carlos Mena, Jean-Pierre Canihac, Markus Tapio, Andrew Lawrence-King...etc]. Given that so many tracks could be singled out to support this observation - not to mention the musicians themselves - it perhaps only remains to be said that this is without doubt one of the most incredible recordings of Cancionero songs available.

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