All the 80's [Box set] [Import]

all the 80's [box set] [import]

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Theme from "Greatest American Hero" (Believe It or Not) - Joey Scarbury

2. Brass in Pocket - The Pretenders

3. Drive - The Cars

4. Glory Road - Richard Clapton

5. How Do I Make You Feel - Linda Ronstadt

6. Bamba

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. You Can't Hurry Love - Phil Collins

2. Whip It - Devo

3. This Charming Man - The Smiths

4. Shake It Up - The Cars

5. Gimme Head

6. Solid Rock - Goanna

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Kokomo - The Beach Boys

2. Mr. Sandman - Emmylou Harris

3. Lawyers in Love - Jackson Browne

4. Rose - Bette Midler

5. Boy from New York City - Manhattan Transfer

6. California Girls - David Lee Roth

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 1
1. Theme from "Greatest American Hero" (Believe It or Not) - Joey Scarbury
2. Brass in Pocket - The Pretenders
3. Drive - The Cars
4. Glory Road - Richard Clapton
5. How Do I Make You Feel - Linda Ronstadt
6. Bamba
See all 15 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. You Can't Hurry Love - Phil Collins
2. Whip It - Devo
3. This Charming Man - The Smiths
4. Shake It Up - The Cars
5. Gimme Head
6. Solid Rock - Goanna
See all 15 tracks on this disc
Disc: 3
1. Kokomo - The Beach Boys
2. Mr. Sandman - Emmylou Harris
3. Lawyers in Love - Jackson Browne
4. Rose - Bette Midler
5. Boy from New York City - Manhattan Transfer
6. California Girls - David Lee Roth
See all 15 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Aussie exclusive compilation loaded with 45 hits of the 80s from the likes of Joey Scarbury, The Pretenders, The Cars, Phil Collins, Devo, The Smiths, Beach Boys, Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Bette Midler, & many more. Three standard jewel cases housed in a slipcase. WSM. 2003.

All the 80's,Various Artists,Import [Generic],Adult Contemporary,Album Rock,College Rock,Folk-Rock,Hard Rock,New Wave,Pop,Pop/Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop Collections,Singer/Songwriter,Soft Rock,V/A Compilations

All the 80's [Box set] [Import]

Average customer rating:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
Beginner or Expert
Very Informative and Enjoyable
Frank's view
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
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.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
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...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
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
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
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.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
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.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
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.
Capriccio Di Bravura
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)
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....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
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...
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)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
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).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
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
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
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.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
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.
Gymnopedie No.2
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...
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)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
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.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
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.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
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
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

Customer Reviews:

Uneven quality but great value.......2007-04-30

Brilliant Classics has found a niche with their extremely low-price multi-disc collections of the work of a single composer or performer. The Bach, Mozart and Chopin Complete Editions are legitimately considered to be artistic and economical triumphs. But the Masterworks series are more uneven. Currently available from Amazon France at about a buck per CD, they're still a bargain for those interested in quickly building a music library. But it's worth keeping a few things in mind. Unlike the Bach and Mozart Editions, these are not always historically informed performances. In this Mendelssohn set, the Hanover Band puts in a cameo (in Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage), but most of the ensembles use modern instruments, techniques and proportions. This doesn't always work out, as in the case of the ponderously heavy recordings of the String Symphonies by an apparently full complement of Gewandhausorchester Leipzig strings (Mendelssohn likely wrote these early works for a much smaller group). The caliber of the performances varies too, ranging from good to poor, and from marquis musicians such as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to a few Dutch who-dats. The chamber musicians generally acquit themselves well (though the Octet recording is marred by an engineering flaw in the last movement, distortion, at least on my copy). But the symphonies suffer from some substandard performances, such as the Italian Symphony's live recording with not only audience noise but also ensemble flaws such as a distracting clarinet squeak in the first movement's recapitulation. Another strike is the lack of program notes. Brilliant's Complete Editions provide a booklet or CD-ROM with program notes, but here you'll need to do your own research.

Despite these shortcomings, this set is still good value (at least at Amazon France's current price of 31 Euros). And it's a fine way to become acquainted with Mendelssohn's music.

A superb collection of Mendelssohn.......2007-03-24

Let me preface this by saying that most of these works were not new to me - I own many other Mendelssohn CDs and have enjoyed his compositions for some time now. Also, this set is available much cheaper elsewhere, particularly from European retailers.
The symphonies are well-performed. 'Reformation' is an inspired live recording. The 12 string symphonies, written in Mendelssohn's youth, are also included. The concertos are exceptional - the violin concerto is as good as you'll find anywhere. The oratorios Elijah and Paulus are included, as well as the complete chamber works and a diverse assortment of choral works. The last few discs include the Lied ohne worte, the epic organ sonatas, and excellent renditions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Fingal's Cave. While there are a few sketchy performances in the choral and chamber works, the performances and recordings are generally very solid, and the body of work couldn't be better.

Average customer rating:

Best of and Rarities
Randy & The Wolfpack
Manufacturer: Justesen Inc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CAGAXO
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Tracks:

One More Lie
Into the Clouds
Smile
Bring Back the Magic
Hello Sunny Day
This Time
Don't Think I Care
Hesitation
It Is Your World
Destiny
Moment
All Alone
Don't Cry
Send Me a Letter
Open Toed Shoes
In Your Heart
Oh How Nice
Ain't No Good
Waitin' on a Friend
Waiting Around (New Song)
Don't Ever Leave (Disc Two - Early 80's)
Long Long Time
Piano 3
I Don't Like Your Face
Puppy Love
Can't No More
Dreams Behind
Let It Show
Don't Waste Your Time
I Wanna Know for Sure
Without You
Taking It from the Heart
Grow
Lady
Highest Plateau
Memories of Love
But Tonight
Somebody Loves Her
I'm a Balloon
Take Me Back Now
Mayonaise
Your Love
March
Don't Bring Me Down (Disc 3 - Mid '80s)
Last Summer
Sherrie
Jane
Barbara Anne
Love Is Not Life
Tear Down
Loves Gone
Only You
Talkin' 'bout Luv
Life Goes On
About You
Shades of Gray
Ooh Yeah
To Be Free
Singapore Sling
Happy Birthday
Just as You Are
We Were Never Bored
4 Leaf Clover
Schnapps on the Rocks
Do You Believe in Love (Disc 4 - Early '90s)
Salt into Pepper
Blinded by a Lover
Lucky Guy
Stay Now
My Car
Church
Good Life
Happy Just to Be Your Friend
Live My Life with You
Gamblin' Man
High Flyer
Day by Day
Is It Over
Thunder Bay
I Don't Care
Little Blake Lake Blues
Paradise

Average customer rating:

Best of the best!

Classics for All Seasons (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Tracks:

Almand from Elizabethian Dance Suite
Allegro con brio from Symphony No. 1 in D major
Finale: Allegro from Concerto in E-flat major
allegro from Spring
Menuet
Andante from Symphony in F major
allegro molto e vivace from Symphony No. 1 in C major
Canon in d major
Presto from Piano Quintent in A major Trout
Allegro from Symphony No. 31 in D major, Hornsignal
Rujero y Paradetas from Suite Espangnole
Presto from Piano Sonata No. 6, Op. 10l, No. 2
Carmina Burana, Dance from On the Lawn
Allegro from Mandolin Concerto in A major
Allegro from Water Music, Suite in F major
Finale: Presto from Serenade No. 9 in D major, Posthorn

Tracks:

Allegro ma non troppo, Symphony No. 6 in F major
Andante, Concerto No. 21 in C major
Assiz vif, Quartet in F major
Prelude a lapres-midi dun faune
Gymnopedie No. 3
Praeludium
Malaguena
Pavane, Op. 50
First Arabesque
Bolero

Tracks:

Danses Sacree Et Profane
Adagio from Symp. No.2 in E mnr
Vltava (The Modau from Ma Vlast)
Fantasia on a Theme
Allegretto from Symphony in D minor
Adagio for Strings

Tracks:

Ancient Airs And Dances Ste No.2: Bergamasca
Fant On 'Greensleeves'
Pelleas Et Melisande, Op.80: Fileuse
Lauda Jerusalem
Sym No.14 in A, K.114: Allegro Moderato
Vespers: Glory To God In The Highest
12 Danzas Espanolas, Op.5: Oriental
Pno Con No.23 in A, K.488: Adagio
Con Grosso in D, Op.6, No.5: Allegro
The Four Seasons, 'Winter': Largo
In Dulci Jubilo, BWV 751
The Snowman: Walking In The Air
Four Motets For Christmas: Videntes Stellam
The Nutcracker: Waltz Of The Snowflakes

Customer Reviews:

Best of the best!.......2000-06-17

I first purchased "Classics for All Seasons: Winter" as a personal Christmas gift. If a CD could be worn out, I would have done so. Not only are these excellent performances of favorites, the variety of the selections saves the listener from a monotony of only choral/instumental pieces. I was delighted to find the complete BOX SET to add Spring, Summer, and Autumn to my CD carousel. The musical selections effortlessly follow the progression of mood through the year: the sparkling sunny disposition of Spring; the color and sultry warmth of Summer; the melancholy of Autumn; and finally, a refreshing mixture of the secular and religious themes of Winter. This is a great gift for everyone on your list, especially you!

The Complete Psalms of David (Limited Edition) (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

The Complete Psalms of David (Limited Edition) (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Priory Records UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Holiday Music | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Holiday Music | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Box Sets | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
ASIN: B000003WJ3
Release Date: 1996-10-15

The Good Life: The Greatest Overtures and Symphonies (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

The Good Life: The Greatest Overtures and Symphonies (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0007NMKN0
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Bach 2000: The Complete Bach Edition (Includes Commemorative Book) (Box Set)

Average customer rating:

Bach is priceless
Buy the works you like....
Poor Bach
A Treasure Trove
147 out of 153 ain't bad!

Bach 2000: The Complete Bach Edition (Includes Commemorative Book) (Box Set)
Nikolaus Harnoncourt , Robin Gritton , Giovanni Antonini , Gustav Leonhardt , Ton Koopman , Alice Harnoncourt , and Zehetmair, Thomas
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Canons | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Inventions | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00001IV8B
Release Date: 1999-09-14

Tracks:

Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern
Du Wahrer Gottes und Marien Sohn
Erfuellet, ihr himmlischen goettlichen Flammen
Ein irdscher Glanz, wein leiblich Licht
Unser Mund und Ton der Saiten
Wie Schon Leuchtet Der Morgenstern, BWV 1: Chor: 'Wie Bin Ich Doch So Herzlich Froh' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Chor: 'Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Recitativo: 'Sie Lehren Eitel Falsche List' - Kurt Equiluz
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Aria: 'Tilg, O Gott, Die Lehren' - Paul Esswood
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Recitativo: 'Die Armen Sind Verstort' - Max Van Egmond
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Aria: 'Durchs Feuer Wird Das Silber Rein' - Kurt Equiluz
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Chor: 'Das Wollst Du, Gott, Bewahren Rein' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Chor: 'Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Choral Recitativo: 'Wie Schwerlich Lasst Sich Fleisch Und... - Wiener Sangerknaben/Hans Gillesberger/Paul Esswood/Kurt Equiluz/Max Van Egmond...
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Aria: 'Empfind Ich Hollenangst Und Pein' - Max Van Egmond
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Recitativo: 'Es Mag Mir Leib Und Geist Verschmachten' - Kurt Equiluz
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Aria: 'Wenn Sorgen Auf Mich Dringen' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Hans Gillesberger/Paul Esswood
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Chor: 'Erhalt Mein Herz Im Glauben Rein' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger

Tracks:

Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erloesen
O Schmerz, o Elend, so mich trifft
Solls ja so sein
Ach lege das Sodom der suendlichen Glieder
Hier aber tut des Heilands Hand
Ich Elender Mensch, Wer Wird Mich Erlosen, BWV 48: Aria: 'Vergibt Mir Jesus Meine Sunden' - Kurt Equiluz
Ich Elender Mensch, Wer Wird Mich Erlosen, BWV 48: Chor: 'Herr Jesu Christ, Einiger Trost' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Sinf - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Aria: 'Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen' - Ruud Van Der Meer
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Recitativo Ed Arioso: 'Mein Mahl Ist Zubereit'' - Ruud Van Der Meer/Peter Jelosits
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Aria: 'Ich Bin Herrlich, Ich Bin Schon' - Peter Jelosits
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Recitativo: 'Mein Glaube Hat Mich Selbst So Angezogen' - Peter Jelosits/Ruud Van Der Meer
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Aria (Duetto): 'Dich Hab Ich Je Und Je Geliebet' - Peter Jelosits/Ruud Van Der Meer
Nun Ist Das Heil Und Die Kraft, BWV 50: Chor: 'Nun Ist Das Heil Und Die Kraft' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Aria: 'Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen!' - Marianne Kweksilber
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Recitativo: 'Wir Beten Zu Dem Tempel An' - Marianne Kweksilber
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Aria: 'Hochster, Mache Deine Gute' - Marianne Kweksilber
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Chor: 'Sei Lob Und Preis Mit Ehren' - Marianne Kweksilber
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Aria: 'Alleluja!' - Marianne Kweksilber

Tracks:

(Caro) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
(Alto, Tenore) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
(Soprano) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
(Basso) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
(Alto) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
Was Gott Tut, Das Ist Wohlgetan, BWV 100: Chor: 'Was Gott Tut, Das Ist Wohlgetan' - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale, Gent/Philippe Herreweghe
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Chor: 'Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott' - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Aria: 'Handle Nicht Nach Deinen Rechten' - Kurt Equiluz
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Recitativo-Chor: 'Ach! Herr Gott, Durch Die Treue Dein' - Wilhelm Wiedl
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Aria: 'Warum Willst Du So Zornig Sein?' - Philippe Huttenlocher
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Recitativo-Chor: 'Die Sund Hat Uns Verderbet Sehr' - Kurt Equiluz
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Aria (Duetto): 'Gedenk An Jesu Bittern Tod!' - Wilhelm Wiedl/Paul Esswood
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Chor: 'Leit Uns Mit Deiner Rechten Hand' - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Prima Parte: Chor: 'Herr, Deine Augen Sehen... - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Prima Parte: Recitativo: 'Wo Ist Das Ebenbild' - Philippe Huttenlocher
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Prima Parte: Aria: 'Weh Der Seele' - Paul Esswood
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Prima Parte: Arioso: 'Verachtest Du Den... - Philippe Huttenlocher
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Seconda Parte: Aria: 'Erschrecke Doch, Du... - Kurt Equiluz
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Seconda Parte: Recitativo: 'Beim Warten Ist... - Paul Esswood
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Seconda Parte: Chor: Heut Lebst Du, Heut... - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden

Tracks:

Sinfonia
Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich
Doch bin und bleibe ich vergnuegt
Leite mich in deiner Wahrheit
Zedern muessen von den Winden
Nach Dir, Herr, Verlanget Mich, BWV 150: Chor: 'Meine Augen Sehen Stets Zu Dem Herrn' - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale, Gent/Philippe Herreweghe
Nach Dir, Herr, Verlanget Mich, BWV 150: Chor: 'Meine Tage In Dem Leide' - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale, Gent/Philippe Herreweghe
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Aria: 'Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt' - Sebastian Hennig
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Recitativo: 'Erfreue Dich, Mein Herz' - Max Van Egmond
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Aria: 'In Jesu Demut Kann Ich Trost' - Paul Esswood
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Recitativo: 'Du Teurer Gottessohn' - Kurt Equiluz
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Chor: 'Heut Schleusst Er Wieder Auf Die Tur' - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale, Gent/Philippe Herreweghe
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Con - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Aria: 'Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn' - Thomas Hampson
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Recitativo: 'Der Heiland Ist Gesetzt' - Thomas Hampson
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Aria: 'Stein, Der Uber Alle Schatze' - Christoph Wegmann
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Recitativo: 'Es Argre Sich Die Kluge Welt' - Thomas Hampson
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Duetto: 'Wie Soll Ich Dich, Liebster Der Seelen, Umfassen?' - Christoph Wegmann/Thomas Hampson
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Chor: 'Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind' - Tolzer Knabenchor//Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Recitativo: 'Mein Liebster Gott' - Stefan Rampf
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Aria: 'Furchte Dich Nicht, Ich Bin Mit Dir' - Thomas Hampson
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Recitativo: 'Du Sprichst Zwar, Lieber Gott' - Kurt Equiluz
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Chor: 'Und Ob Gleich Alle Teufel - Tolzer Knabenchor//Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Aria: 'Sturmt Nur, Sturmt, Ihr Trubsalswetter' - Kurt Equiluz
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Recitativo: 'Getrost! Mein Herz, Erdulde Deinen... - Thomas Hampson
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Aria: 'Soll Ich Meinen Lebeslauf' - Stefan Rampf
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Chor: 'Drum Will Ich, Weil Ich Lebe Noch' - Tolzer Knabenchor//Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden

Tracks:

Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht
Auf, Sterbliche, lasset ein Jauchzen ertoenen
So bald, als dir die Sternen hold
Es streiten, es siegen die kuenftigen Zeiten
Bedenke nur, begluecktes Land
Die Zeit, Die Tag Und Jahre Macht, BWV 134A: Aria: 'Der Zeiten Herr Hat Viel Vergnugte Stunden' - Michael Chance
Die Zeit, Die Tag Und Jahre Macht, BWV 134A: Recitativo: 'Hilf, Hochster, Hilf' - Michael Chance/Paul Agnew
Die Zeit, Die Tag Und Jahre Macht, BWV 134A: Chor: 'Ergetzet Auf Erden' - The Amsterdam Baroque Chor/Ton Koopman
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Recitativo: 'Durchlauchtster Leopold' - Lisa Larsson
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'Guldner Sonnen Frohe Stunden' - Lisa Larsson
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'Leopolds Vortrefflichkeiten' - Klaus Mertens
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'Unter Seinem Purpursaum' - Lisa Larsson/Klaus Mertens
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Recitativo: 'Durchlauchtigster, Den Anhalt Vater Nennt' - Lisa Larsson/Klaus Mertens
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'So Schau Des Holden Tages Licht' - Lisa Larsson
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'Dein Name Gleich Der Sonnen Geh' - Klaus Mertens
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Chor: 'Nimm Auch, Grosser Furst, Uns Auf' - Lisa Larsson/Klaus Mertens

Tracks:

Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Laudamus te
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Gratias Agimus Tibi - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Domine Deus - Angela Maria Blasi/Kurt Equiluz
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Qui Tollis - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Qui Sedes - Jadwiga Rappe
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Quoniam To Solus - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Cum Sancto Spiritu - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner

Tracks:

Singet dem Herrn ein neres Lied
Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf
Komm, Jesu, komm
Jesu, meine Freude
Fuerchte dich nicht, ich bin bei dir
Lobet Den Herrn, Alle Heiden, BWV 230 - Stockholm Bach Chor/Anders Ohrwall

Tracks:

Fantasia et Fuga in g BWV 542
Fuga in g BWV 578
Canzona in d BWV 588
Praeludium et Fuga in h BWV 544
Praeludium et Fuga in a BWV 543
Fant in c, BWV 562 - Ton Koopman
Prld Et Fuga in C, BWV 531 - Ton Koopman
Fant in G, BWV 572 - Ton Koopman
Fant in C, BWV 570 - Ton Koopman
Passacaglia in c, BWV 582 - Ton Koopman

Tracks:

Inventio 1 BWV 772
Inventio 2 BWV 773
Inventio 3 BWV 774
Inventio 4 BWV 775
Inventio 5 BWV 776
Inventio 6 in E, BWV 777 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 7 in e, BWV 778 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 8 in F, BWV 779 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 9 in f, BWV 780 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 10 in G, BWV 781 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 11 in g, BWV 782 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 12 in A, BWV 783 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 13 in a, BWV 784 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 14 in B flat, BWV 785 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 15 in b, BWV 786 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 1 in C, BWV 787 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 2 in c, BWV 788 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 3 in D, BWV 789 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 4 in d, BWV 790 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 5 in E flat, BWV 791 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 6 in E, BWV 792 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 7 in e, BWV 793 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 8 in F, BWV 794 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 9 in f, BWV 795 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 10 in G, BWV 796 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 11 in g, BWV 797 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 12 in A, BWV 798 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 13 in a, BWV 799 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 14 in B flat, BWV 800 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 15 in b, BWV 801 - Zuzana Ruzickova

Tracks:

Prelude and Fugue in A minor: Praeludium
Prelude and Fugue in A minor: Fuga
Prelude and Fughetta in E minor: Praeludium
Prelude and Fughetta in E minor: Fuga
Prelude in G major BWV 902a
Fant And Fugue in a, BWV 904: Fant - Zuzana Ruzickova
Fant And Fugue in a, BWV 904: Fuga - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in C, BWV 924 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in D, BWV 925 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in d, BWV 926 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in F, BWV 927 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in F, BWV 928 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in g, BWV 930 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in a, BWV 931 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Prld in E, BWV 937 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Prld in C, BWV 939 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Prld in d, BWV 940 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Applicatio in C, BWV 994 - Zuzana Ruzickova

Tracks:

Suite in G minor BWV 995: Prelude
Suite in G minor BWV 995: Allemande
Suite in G minor BWV 995: Courante
Suite in G minor BWV 995: Sarabande
Suite in G minor BWV 995: Gavotte I - Gavotte II en Rondeau
Ste in g, BWV 995: Gigue - Luca Pianca
Ste in e, BWV 996: Prld (Passagio-Presto) - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Allemande - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Courante - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Sarabande - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Bourree - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Gigue - Michele Barchi
Ste in c, BWV 997: Prld - Michele Barchi/Luca Pianca
Ste in c, BWV 997: Fuga - Michele Barchi/Luca Pianca
Ste in c, BWV 997: Sarabande - Michele Barchi/Luca Pianca
Ste in c, BWV 997: Gigue-Double - Michele Barchi/Luca Pianca

Tracks:

Concerto for two violins BWV 1043: Vivace
Concerto for two violins BWV 1043: Largo, ma non tanto
Concerto for two violins BWV 1043: Allegro
Concerto BWV 1042: Allegro
Concerto BWV 1042: Adagio
Con in E, BWV 1042: Allegro Assai - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in a, BWV 1041: Allegro - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in a, BWV 1041: Andante - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in a, BWV 1041: Allegro Assai - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1056R: (Allegro) - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1056R: Largo - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1056R: Presto - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1060R: Allegro - Jurg Schaeftlein/Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1060R: Adagio - Jurg Schaeftlein/Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1060R: Allegro - Jurg Schaeftlein/Alice Harnoncourt

Amazon.com

The Bach renaissance--which began in earnest in the early 19th century thanks to the efforts of Felix Mendelssohn and others--inspired an endeavor of far-reaching significance. It led to the founding of the Bach Society in 1850, with the goal of gathering and publishing the composer's complete works, and thus set into motion one of the great projects of musical scholarship. That effort has continued and been refined throughout the 20th century, ultimately influencing not only our perception of how to perform early music but fundamental ideas of musical history, evolution, and reception as well.

Teldec's mammoth Bach 2000 box set represents a kind of culmination of that original attempt to come to terms with Johann Sebastian Bach's unparalleled legacy. This set brings together performances recorded over the last several decades--a small percentage of the recordings are previously unreleased--of all the extant works determined by modern scholarship to be authentic. There are also some pieces the authorship of which is still in question and a few now deemed "inauthentic" but familiarly associated with the composer. Bach was a prodigious reviser of his compositions, and alternate versions of a particular work have been included "where the changes seemed sufficiently important," such as the glorious Magnificat. No doubt manuscripts will continue to be unearthed here and there in various archives (Bach 2000 contains, for example, the "Neumeister chorales," which were rediscovered in 1984), but the set does not represent the many fragments of music that consist of just a few bars; however, there are some reconstructions of lost concertos (such as one for three violins reconstructed by Christopher Hogwood from an extant concerto for harpsichords).

Of course a truly comprehensive recorded edition of every note Bach wrote remains a utopian impossibility--about one-third of his cantatas, for example, have not survived. Even so, the dimensions of Bach 2000 are staggering. With its 12 boxes comprising 153 CDs, the set can be compressed into fewer boxes to save shelf space yet is still about ten times as long as the Ring cycle. (It should be noted that the packaging--using thin cardboard sleeves for the CDs--is distinctively unattractive.) That adds up to just under 160 hours of music--but a lifetime of discovery. Each box (grouped according to genre) contains a booklet with excellent notes on individual works and--for all the choral works--texts and translations. Tracking indexes are useful and thorough. Also included is a profusely illustrated hardbound volume of 24 Inventions, in which journalist Wolfgang Sandberger uses the composer's biography as a peg for some enigmatic and fascinating musings on the meaning of Bach today.

The presiding philosophy behind this project and its approach to musical interpretation can be largely ascribed to Nikolaus Harnoncourt, a true musical pioneer and galvanizing force of the "period performance" movement. Harnoncourt's epoch-making recordings of the sacred cantatas (using, for instance, boy sopranos and choristers according to the practice in Bach's time) with the Concentus musicus Wien and colleague Gustav Leonhardt comprise the first four volumes here (those who already own them can turn to the Bach 2000 Light edition, which contains everything sans the cantatas). These recordings--which were not remastered for this set--have long been controversial and are notably uneven, embracing some magnificent accounts as well as others that lack fire and seem clearly underrehearsed. But Harnoncourt is one of the most fascinating conductors of our era, and his interpretations amply bear out his assertion: "I have never felt that Bach worked in a routine manner, that he repeated himself in his works." Harnoncourt--who has articulated many of his ideas in his book The Musical Dialogue--displays his gifts as a cellist in a remarkably probing performance of the Cello Suites (originally recorded in 1965) and in his concertizing for a number of chamber works. For the St. Matthew Passion, you get Harnoncourt's groundbreaking earlier account from 1970, while his 1986 recording of the sublime B Minor Mass is also represented here (the St. John Passion included is Harnoncourt's 1995 acount).

Other artists included are colleague Gustav Leonhardt, whose thoughtful if occasionally dry harpsichord artistry is heard in the Goldberg Variations as well as in the concertos and chamber music. The harpsichord is in fact used throughout in preference to piano for the keyboard works. Ton Koopman (himself the conductor of an ongoing complete cantata series and of the Easter Oratorio included here) performs the organ works, including some newly recorded offerings, while Il Giardino Armonico's well-known high-energy account represents the Brandenburg Concertos. Violinist Thomas Zehetmair is exceptionally compelling in the unaccompanied sonatas and partitas, and the Concentus musicus Wien--again under Harnoncourt--perform a superb Musical Offering that richly repays frequent listening.

The result of Bach 2000 as a whole is an aptly encyclopedic grappling with the infinite legacy of this most compendious of composers, whose works are on one level a summation of all the styles available to him. Bach was once thought to represent a "terminal point" (to use Albert Schweitzer's famous formulation), the end of an era; today he is at least equally recognized as a fertile source of inspiration for composers since. To be sure, individual recordings of particular works will be found to be preferable, and it would be misguided to consider Bach 2000 any kind of "final" or "definitive" word. Instead, it's an indispensable starting point that represents a monumental achievement for our own contemporary understanding of Bach. --Thomas May

Album Description

Volume 1, 15 Discs
Sacred Cantatas Nos. 1-14, 16-47; 15 CDs; Harnoncourt/Leonhardt

Volume 2, 15 Discs
Sacred Cantatas Nos. 48-52, 54-69, 69A, 70-99; 15 CDs; Harnoncourt/Leonhardt

Volume 3, 15 Discs
Sacred Cantatas Nos. 100-117, 119-140,143-149; 15 CDs; Harnoncourt/Leonhardt

Volume 4, 15 Discs
Sacred Cantatas BWV 150-159, 161-188, 192, 194-199; 15 CDs; Harnoncourt/Leonhardt

Volume 5, 11 Discs
Secular Cantatas App. Sacred Cantatas; 11 CDs; Koopman, Harnoncourt, Koopman, Goebel and others

Volume 6, 14 Discs
The Sacred Vocal Works Masses,Magnificat, Passions, Oratorios; 14 CDs; Harnoncourt, Koopman, Corboz and others

Volume 7
, 7 Discs
The Motets, Chorales & Songs Kirnberger Chorales,Schemelli Songs, Quodlibet

Volume 8, 16 Discs
The Organ Works; 16 CDs; Ton Koopman

Volume 9, 11 Discs
The Keyboard Works (I) The Well-Tempered Clavier, English & French Suites, Partitas etc; 11 CDs; Curtis, Ross, Wilson, Ruzickova

Volume 10, 11 Discs
The Keyboard Works (II) Goldberg Variations, Toccatas, Fugues, Italian Concerto, etc; 11 CDs; Staier, Barchi, Leonhardt, von Asperen, Baumont, and others

Volume 11, 13 Discs
The Chamber Music Violin Sonatas & Partitas, Flute Sonatas, Works for Lute, Art of Fugue, Musical Offering, etc; 13 CDs; Harnoncourt, Pianca, Tachezi, Brggen, Zehetmair, and others

Volume 12, 10 Discs
The Orchestral Works The Concertos & Orchestral Suite; 10 CDs; Il Giardino Armonico, Harnoncourt, Leonhardt

Customer Reviews:

Bach is priceless.......2006-11-10

I believe, as another reviewer has stated, Bach's music may be the best ever written. Also, I think the cantatas are not where Bach placed his heart and soul. He was, after all, employed as a canter and in a position he did not wish for, but was forced to take to feed his large family. (I recommend "Bach and the High Baroque" lecture series by TTC.) What really stands out on this collection are all works in volumes 8 and above. Some of these works are hard to find and having them all in this collection and preformed on original instruments is great. Bach is priceless and so then is this collection.

Buy the works you like...........2006-01-11

If you love Bach, which you must if you are looking at this particular item, you probably own a couple of his works already. Perhaps some of them are on the Teldec label. There is nothing wrong with Teldec if you are just getting into "classical" music. You will probably enjoy the music thoroughly. I know I did, as one of the first "classical" releases I bought was on Teldec, and it was Bach. I was amazed how great Bach was. Then my brother showed me the same recording, performed by another group, on another label. It had a lot more passion, and the instrumentalists were obviously of a higher level. Pardon my rambling, but what I'm trying to say is, the recordings found in this boxset are not the "cream of the crop." They are perfectly acceptable, easily listenable renditions of what many consider the greatest music...EVER. Take it from me, someone who has leapt into boxset land one too many times: Save your money, buy the individual albums. Take your time, talk to record store clerks (read Amazon reviews), do your research. If you are lucky enough to have a decent record store around, listen to multiple versions of the same work. No one said you had to buy it all at once. It can take a lifetime to fully realize the potency of this music, so enjoy the discovery as long as possible.

Poor Bach.......2005-11-26

In Antony & Cleopatra, Shakespeare wrote: "I shall see some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness...."

I am 99% in favor of original instrument performances, but there are limits. Just imagine if we had the same sort of thing going on with Shakespeare's plays -- men and boys playing all of the women's parts. And if we *really* wanted to be original, they would be squeaking boys "I' th' posture of a whore" (Shakespeare's words). Such performances would knock Monty Python
right out of business.

The Cantatas, which are the lion's share of this collection, are sung by boys, boys, boys. If you want to ruin boy choirs for yourself, then go for it. It might still be a novelty by the fifth CD but by the fiftieth, you will want to throw your &*%$ wig at the squeaking speakers, just as the exasperated Bach famously did with his own wig and his own boy choir. (For which he was reprimanded.)

Does Harnoncourt really, honestly think that Bach would have picked a boy choir if he could have had women? Does anyone seriously believe that Shakespeare would have preferred his parts played by boys instead of women?

If you buy this set, don't buy it for the Cantatas, unless (unlike Bach) you can tolerate immature voices with "wig-tossingly" inconsistent intonation. Hold out for Suzuki or Koopman. Stay away from the Rifkin perfomances, mostly because the recording quality is second and third rate by today's standards. Not that historical performances should be shunned, but you might want to think twice about 60 odd CDs worth of second rate sound.

A Treasure Trove.......2004-03-07

This set is the culmination of several decades of work on the part of the West German record label Teldec (formerly known as Telefunken-Decca). With their early-music subdivision Das Alte Werk (similar to DG's Archiv or Decca's L'Oiseau-Lyre), Teldec have been in the forefront of exploring the world of period instruments and authentic performance practice, with special emphasis on the works of J.S.Bach. The lion's share of recordings here was originally made for Das Alte Werk, with the odd exception here and there licensed from other labels in order to fill in the gaps. The centerpiece of the set is the famous recording of the 199 church cantatas by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt. If you're not familiar with the cantatas, there's a whole world of drama, color and expression right here waiting for you. You'll also be surprised to learn how many of the "tunes" you know from popular arrangements, like "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Sleepers Awake" are actually movements from cantatas. The names of Harnoncourt and Leonhardt pop up again and again; they were both mainstays of the Teldec roster. Leonhardt gives us his 1965 Goldberg Variations on a Dulcken harpsichord whose every tone is like a bell, and Harnoncourt's "home" recording of the Cello Suites (never intended for general release) shows the ferment of a great musical mind. Ton Koopman gives us his provocative and controversial re-thinkings of the organ works, and Thomas Zehetmair's performances of the unaccompanied violin sonatas and partitas are like dramatic scenes spoken by a solo violin. Here are the uniquely bizarre Brandenburg Concertos by Il Giardino Armonico; the rhetorical and transparent performance of the motets conducted by Harnoncourt (perhaps his best-ever recording); Leonhardt's relaxed and smiling versions of the harpsichord concertos; Alice Harnoncourt's tawny, leonine performances of the sonatas for violin and harpsichord; Harnoncourt's chiaroscuro-filled performance of the Christmas Oratorio, and so on. This set is one of the most worthwhile CD buys you could make. You will never be bored with this to dip into over the years.

147 out of 153 ain't bad!.......2001-04-29

Having listened to the complete set, I can confidently recommend it, if you would use a complete set of Bach's works.

If you really like Bach, it is well worth getting. You will read disparaging reviews which will tell you that there are better performances of individual works. But this is a great opportunity for a Bach lover to get very good versions of his entire oeuvre.

In the set of 60 CDs of sacred cantatas, there are about 6 duds, which feature out of tune boy sopranos! If you are not crazy about sacred cantatas, you can buy a set which omits them, which may be advised!

I love the version of the Mass in B minor, though it is very different from our set by Munchinger [which we really enjoy].

The Brandenburgs are great. THe first movement of the first concerto is a knock out! Very brassy and bombastic: quite different from the 3 or 4 other versions I have previously enjoyed.

We are a piano family and have many CDs of Bach keyboard works played on piano [though we also have the Well Tempered Clavier on harpsichord and clavichord] The keyboard performances in the set are all on harpsichord and are lively and very enjoyable.

It takes some getting used to the authentic Baroque flute performances: especially occasional out-of-tuneness. But these are also interesting and musically played.

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