Classical Music

This isn't the rendition I prefered, which can't find on CD. But this is good stuff for the convenience of CD. This is Respighi's best. One of my top ten all time favorite Symphonic/classical works of music.

Neville Marriner puts the finishing touch on these brilliantly simple folk melodies orchestrated by Respighi. Find out how enjoyable simple but by no means simplistic melodies can be.

New to this composer, this is much different from his Pines of Rome, Birds and Church Windows.

This is musical antiuquity taken and dressed up 17th&18th Century works. Scored magnificently as Respighi is prone to do, they literally shimmer and dance on the ears so delightfully.

The harpsichord, strings and winds of the LA Chamber Orchestra led by Marriner play exceptionally strong and bold here.

Brilliant in taking such simple melodious dance lines and blending them with his exquisity orchestration.

Really becoming a Respighi fan! This is good stuff!

This is Respighi's retro phase--the music is peaceful, relaxing, and beautiful--everywhere simple and harmonious. The dotted-rythm cadences are especially pleasant. They are written for a small chamber ensemble, and are a delight to perform. All in all, these are some of the most underappreciated suites in all classical music.

A master orchestrator who learned his craft from another master orchestrator (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov), Ottorino Respighi was extremely well known in the early third of the last century for reviving old styles of music and making them into modern masterworks (e.g., he orchestrated a few of Bach's organ works). And perhaps the best example of Respighi paying homage to the distant past lies in the three orchestral suites, composed respectively in 1917, 1924, and 1932, that he titled "Ancient Airs And Dances For The Lute."

Based on dances composed by obscure Italian composers of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, the Ancient Airs And Dances received perhaps their best recording here on this 1976 EMI release by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and their then-Music Director Sir Neville Marriner, who served from the time of the orchestra's birth in 1969 up to 1978. Both Marriner and the L.A.C.O. navigate around Respighi's orchestral colorings quite well, especially with the uses of harp and harpsichord in all three suites, full string orchestra in the third suite, and the use of trombones and timpani in the coda to the "Bergamasca" that concludes the second suite.

A fine example of a modern 20th century orchestrator bringing back forms from three to four centuries past, the Ancient Airs And Dances are never anything less than interesting, and the same can certainly be said for this recording, even if it was made three decades ago.

Those who love and detest these unique renderings are both, in a sense, correct. Just because an interpretation deviates from what we expect it to sound like doesn't make it wrong. Necessarily. Sure, excessive interpretive freedom can wreck the enjoyment of an otherwise fine piece of music. Witness Ivo Pogorelich's nonsensically detached, self-indulgent performances of Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto that he toured with a few years ago. Ultimately, though, either it "works" or doesn't, a purely subjective determination. Robert de Leuw's rendering (or rending, as the case may be) can be experienced either as pure bliss or torture. I err on the side of the former, but appreciate the contrary view.

The poetry, subtle energy and elasticity of Satie's music is entirely lost in De Leeuw's interpretations. The pieces are drawn out to an extent where each note becomes a fragment that does not add up to a whole. The music of Satie thus becomes as unengaging as elevator music.

Eric Satie was a restless and discontented innovator who barely had finished with one musical style until he moved on to the next. This tireless energy can be found in other recordings of Satie's music - most notably by Anne Queffelec - where even the most famous of Satie's composition, the slow Gymnopedies 1-3, reflect Satie's dynamic persona.

In order to profoundly understand music and see it from the inside, it is necessary for the interpretor to understand its composer. This is not the case with De Leeuw.

Satie's beautifully melancholic piano music is made sooooo dull by Mr Leeuw's elephantine playing, and this lethargic speed completely ruins my enjoyment of it. There is nothing in the music to warrant such a gross miscalculation of tempo. I'd recommend other recordings of Satie's music which more faithfully adhere to his intentions (Roge etc.)

The interpretation of Gnossiennes is worth the price of this CD. The slow, soulful rendition of that piece is the best anywhere. However, I agree with a previous reviewer that the downtempo approach does not work for other Satie favorites. The slow motion, low energy rendition of other pieces can be maddening.

There are some pieces of music that need to be played fast and flashy, and others which must be played slow and compelling. These are of the second nature. And De Leeuw captures the essence of this music. Early Fusion - dreams of Hashish and Opium and the Desert - melancholy - wistful - mysterious - meandering - wandering -- full of the fine textured Algerian and Turkish colored patterns that overlay all visions, views and vistas which we might conjure of our world. An exceptional rendering - an artist who resonates to what must have been the true intent of the composer - slow, forceful, pulling, compelling mystery of Mystery. I am glad I read, and believed, the other reviews - much more elegant than this - and which, each and every one, pointed out the true genius of this performance. Those reviews simply reflect the truth that few words can hold. Perhaps, those truths might be further mirrored in these long remembered words:

Wandering, Dreaming --
Dreaming that Dreams
Forever Wander
-- Basho --

Guys, Help me understand please, this is called Drum Medicine, but the most distinct sounds in this CD are FLUTEs, guitars and bird sound samples, i THOUGHT I WAS LISTENING TO SANTANA. NOT ENOUGH drums IN THE CD. too many electric instruments.
i WAS SO EXCITED TO BUY THE cd BUT DID NOT HEAR ANY NATIVE CEREMONIAL , GIMBE, TALKING; POW WOW, OR SACRED-KULTRUN DRUMS. I think you strayed from the concept of the CD. Drum Medicine should not have so much other instruments, it should be more of a distinct/highly pronounced DRUM cd. Guys, when you do the other drum medicine cd and you use 99% drums, reach me i will get it. what's with the water and bird samples --come on guys, we need more drum rhythms.

The Gordon brothers will not disappoint you. These guys are known for Native inspired music and I think the admiration is well deserved. The drumming is wonderful and the rhythms are great for any dance session. I also highly recommend Sacred Earth Drums or Shaman's Vision Journey.

This album is a gift to drumming lovers everywhere. The Gordon Brothers are so very highly skilled at created rich and soulful tracks from ancient rhythms. Truly beautiful and as someone said, full of respect. Also listen to the tracks on Shaman's Vision Journey, another great from them.

I am so glad to see so many others enjoying this awesome album. The beats and blend of sounds are done beautifully and I think the union of cultures here is long overdue. Done respectfully and admiringly, this is a great album. Highly recommended. Also check out Sacred Earth Drums & Sacred Spirit Drums, two other greats.

Outstanding work by these guys. No wonder they are known for this kind of music. The album is a mix of different textures, all earthy and moving. If I had rhythm, I think this is the kind of stuff I would want to put out!

I like the music and variety of selections. I wish it had more selections.

I am a music teach for young children and I don't believe simply listening to music will make children smarter. However, this is wonderful music that relaxes my children and seems to help them concentrate. If they can concentrate better, they probably will learn better in the end.

This is a pretty run of the mill clasical music CD. The first track sounded a little rough to me (sounded like harmonica and recorder -- I was not overly impressed) but the other tracks seem more par for the course.

Children will I am sure like the simplified rhythms and cute arrangements, especially the Cambridge Buskers playing Nachtmusik on a penny whistle. However, the producers apparently dubbed the CD from poor quality recordings (phonograph records?)with pops and clicks, without editing out the feeps and farps. So the audio quality is less than you'd get from a ... remainder rack.

I recently became interested in Corelli's music after seeing a dance performance by Alonzo King's Lines Ballet, "Dust and Light", that utilized music by Corelli and Poulenc. I was quite impressed by the Corelli pieces. Not having any Corelli in my collection. this set seemed like a very good deal. I find the set interesting because it seems to track Corelli's development as a composer. The beginning sonatas gradually evolve into what later become concertos. Apparently, Corelli was an innovator of violin performance and repertoire. There is a definite mood and similarity to much of the music and many of the melodies sound familiar. I believe much of what is written here ended up in compositions of later Baroque composers. I recently read a bit where Corelli and his counterparts were referred to as "ice cream composers". That is slightly derogatory maybe, but the music is soothing, flowing and melodic, not demanding. It can be listened to with focus or played in the background. I find the performances to be well done, balance is even, slight edge to the strings at times in my audio system. Good soundstage. The church space acoustic and the period instruments provide a nice ambience. Great music for a sunny, Sunday morning breakfast or a night cap to unwind before sleep! Packaging is adequate, liner notes informative. Wish they had credited the artists on the individual disc sleeves. Excellent Value!

Corelli wrote (or published) very little music compared to many other Baroque composers but he had tremendous influence throughout early 18th century Europe. This is the first complete compilation of the published (and some unpublished) works on CD, in very nice performances using authentic instruments and tuning. In addition to the concerti and the violin sonatas all of the trio sonatas are here. Great music well performed, and some not readily available elsewhere.

This is by far the best recording of Corelli I have ever heard, especially the Concerti Grossi. Clear, rich, and sparkling, the recording quality perfectly matches the lush playing. Good price for a set of 10 CDs of this quality; my only quibble is the cheap cardboard sleeves the disks come in. But don't let this be a deterrent--buy them now and enjoy hours of terrific music. Highly recommended.

I call him Corelli, the infallible, because he's never written anything I don't like. This is a great recording of the most consistently flawless composser of all time. Maybe he wasn't the innovator others were, but he never seemed to write anything that wasn't tastefull, inspired and profound. I consider him the best because of this. There is simply Mozart, Bach and Beethoven I don't particularly like. There is not Corelli I don't like. He could do no wrong as far as I am concerned. Corelli was a profound musical genius. That is simply a matter of fact. Why he is not better known, I can't say.

This is a wonderful collection of all of Corelli's chamber music. I already owned most of it, but the warmth and richness of these recordings make this group easy to listen to. This is excellent value for your money. It is a quick way to gather together all of his recordings. The performers are excellent and play in many internationally known orchestras and smaller ensembles. There are times when I wish the tempo was a little faster but these are enjoyable nonetheless. You may also want to try his violin sonatas, op5 by the Locatelli trio. The Purcell Quartet is also excellent.

Bach played by Hilary Hahn is indeed one of the finest interpretations of a great composer. Her sound transmits music maturity. This is a good choice if you enjoy Bach and graceful interpretation.

I purchased this cd after watching a re-run of Children of A Lesser God, where William Hurt's character, James Leeds, tries in frustration to demonstrate track five, the sublime Concerto for 2 Violins, Strings, and Continuo in D minor, truly God's own music. Heartfelt, like listening to children laugh in the next room, or stepping into a stream on a hot humid day. Cheesy allusions, but pleasant none the less.

I will say that even though this disk is short, it will not disappoint, if for nothing else than the sense of wonder you will have at Hahn's astonishing achievement of youthful perfection.

Buy it already.

Tasteless, dry, anti musical performance by Hahn. The people who enjoy this CD are probably the one who like to masturbate looking at CD's cover... or they are robots who like electronic music.
Any other recording of Bach Concertos would be better... I actually saw better show by a street violinist in Berlin, maybe Deutsche Gramophon should consider that... And I haven't start talking about her vibrato in the slow movements yet - High School Grade!
Terrible!
And why is she so much in a hurry? Maybe because she doesn't know how to enjoy Bach, or maybe if she slows down she can find that there is a lot more music that she can't understand...
I guess with performances like this, the classical music is really going to its end...

Hilary Hahn comes not only as genius, she's a kind of scholar of the violin; precocious and impeccably able. The sound of her fiddle is indeed something worth pursuing. The instrument she uses here is made by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, Paris 1864. Sumptuous sound, and a performance choice made with characteristic elan. I agree with the reviewers who've noted well the atmospherics of this violin. That said, the Bach is fast and scarcely shapely. It's interesting to me that while Hahn is young enough to dare to drive the dance out of Bach, she remains at the same time abundantly musical in all things but tempi. That draws me up short, enough so I'm willing to cede her a true praise and respect even for a recording this unnecessarily tempermental. The protean energy of Bach lies deep within the comely shape of his music; artifice of tempo can neither disguise that forming energy nor supplant it. I long for Hahn to completely find this inner truth of music. But - I'm 57 and if I know music well, perhaps too well sometimes. It's enough to hear wondrous playing like this even in the face of perhaps some musical diminishment, and I say only perhaps. Hahn brings a quite sophisticated joy to music making, and youth and courage, and not a little scholarship - it's a marvel. What's to criticize? I'll listen many times to this Bach, and pray the inordinate sheen never wears away. An extra star for that incredible Vuillaume brings it to 4stars!

Maybe I'll catch something if I try to listen to it again. But, do I want to? Great intonation, sound and articulation, though.

Here's a mystery. One Amazon reviewer finds this performance of the Franck Violin Sonata powerful and extroverted, while the other calls it intimate, deliate, and sensitive. (I admire Amazon for giving this job to the deaf.) To anyone at all familiar with the music, this recording from 1977 by Kyung-Wha Chung and Radu Lupu is so refined and elegant as to drain Franck's idiom of its passion. I much prefer the recent account by Sergey Khachatryan, who soars with unabashed romantic fervor. Skillful as they are, Chung and Lupu fall into the trap of making this sound like salon music.

The pairing is Debussy's late Violin Sonata, written while he was slowly dying of cancer. The piece has been criticized as a drastic falling off into simpleness by a sick man, and there's no doubt that the harmonies are basic by Debussy's standards. The form is cyclical, with the opening theme returning in various guises from beginning to end (Debussy used the familiar image of a snake biting its tail). Here, the refinement of Chung and Lupu enhances the music. Light melody, quavering tremolo, and floating arpeggios are the stuff of Debussy's sonata, and these performers convey the atmosphere very well. The recorded sound is quite good, with no hint of digital glare in the transfer.

A second recording, from 1962, has been added to make a fairly generous (67 min.) CD. Osian Ellis was Britain's leading harpist in those years, and I remember being delighted by his version of both the melancholy Debussy sonata and the suave Raval Introduction and Allegro, which the composer tossed off in eight days as a commission from a harp-making firm before he sailed off on a cruise. Chamber works featuring the harp are rare, and these two pieces have become staples. Debussy planned to write six sonatas in his last phase, for varying combinations of instruments. He died before he oculd finish the project, but it's the link that joins this work for flute, viola, and harp and the violin sonata.

The old recording holds up beautifully; clsoe miking doesn't lead to distortion (perhaps just a bit during loud tutti passages). The vocabulary is simmple and melodic, but if that seems like a falling off to critics, there's still much pleasure for the listener. Debussy certainly hadn't lost his touch for haunting timbres; he makes special use of muted viola and flute playing in close harmony against ethereal harp scales and arpeggios. Ellis takes care not to sound too ethereal -- his touch can turn sharp and pointed, a nice relief from too much sweetness.

The Ravel expands by adding a clarinet and three more strings to Debussy's spare trio. One gets a sense of restrained lushness. We are also in a different emotional world, closer to the sensual languor of Daphnis and Chloe. The liner notes say of Ravel that he substitutes emotions for passion (whatever that means). Here, the lightly rippling surface of a pond glints with sunlight, and that seems to be enough. The harp and flute are thought of as especially Frnech, but even in these English performances the Gallic temperament comes through.

A good solid recording, but not as exquisite as Anne-Sophie Mutter's or as warm as Josh Bell's.

Possibly my favorite classical music CD. I have listened to this more times than I could count, and I still love it.

Tom Hanks won't have a regret on what CDs he should have brought to the island in the movie "Cast Away", only if he had this Chung & Lupu sonata!

This group of works of French Impressionism is enjoyable from begining to end and can be highly recommended. The sound quality given its vintage is excellent. I have competing versions of the Ravel and Debussy and this version more than holds its own. The Franck is one of those works any fan of western art music should not be without. I purchased this after reading about it in the NPR guide which also recommended it highly.

LEO BROUWER IS A GREAT COMPOSER BUT THIS IS NOT SOME OF HIS BEST WORK. MOST OF THE SONGS WERE NOT VERY GOOD. OVERALL IT WAS KIND OF BORING.

It is a very good recording of the most famous cuban composer in the area of the classical guitar.
I recommend this issue very much.

I can't believe that I am only now discovering the music of Leo Brouwer. His music is sophisticated, yet highly accessible. He manages to mix virtuosity with lyricism in equal parts. The performer Ricardo Cabo is also a real find. He is amazing. Lastly since this is a CD put out by Naxos the quality is high and the price low.

It's a real pleasure for me to give a reference on this remarkable album. It's really an excellent music - at once modern and classical, and an excellent performance - full of both virtuosity and taste!

Cobo plays the hell out of these amazing Brouwer pieces. The classical guitar has never sounded better. Brouwer's work is so distinctive and memorable. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to discover a truly genius composer. And Ricardo Cobo's virtuosity is on full display here; his musicianship is astounding!

A great revelation of Bach and the Baroque that I first discovered in 1999 on the old Napster. I'm still downloading MP3s but now they are not the broken and damaged ones! Fantastic music. You friends will want to know more about this and find it fascinating as you will. It lasts really well. Enjoy!

The title, "For Thy Pleasure" is very apt. I had to pass it along to our pastor and his wife, they also have been delighted with this CD.

LAGQ is the best.

A gorgeous collection of guitar works and arrangements, fluently performed - and with real panache. So good, my own private wedding-video is accompanied by them!

Phenomenal classical guitar with just a touch of the modern. Absolutely wonderful recording and a favorite of the LAGQ catalog. A must have even if only for the playful Pachelbel variations.

What can I say about Bach played by LAGQ but The Perfect Combination. The only thing reprochable is that some tracks like the "Loose" Cannon by Pachelbel ends in fade out instead of a real ending. I wish this was a two CD set.

Two world class guitarists, great compositions, fantastic arrangements and brilliant sound recording. What a CONCEPT! This is a wonderful CD for any music lovers, not just guitarists.

Après le disque "baroque" et le disque "piazzolla", les Frères Assad ont encore frappé un grand coup dans l'univers de la musique pour guitare,... et de la musique tout court ! Il est peu probable que Debussy ou Gershwin aient pu imaginer un jour leur musique transcrite pour deux guitares, et pourtant les Frères l'ont fait, et avec quel brio ! La transcription de la "Suite Bergamasque" en particulier est une véritable prouesse musicale, car on en oublie très vite son origine pianistique, et son interprétation, qui se compare aux plus belles interprétations traditionnelles au piano, constitue un morceau d'anthologie de cet album. Dommage peut-être que les pièces de la suite ait été séparées sur le disque ; de sorte que la Suite n'est plus... une suite !! Les frères Gershwin ont composé Rhapsody in Blue ; il était naturel que les frères Assad la jouent à merveille ! Et la transcription pour deux guitares est de toute beauté. Les pièces de Jobim sont plus connues, mais on prend un immense plaisir à les écouter dans cette interprétation pour deux guitares... brésiliennes. Une mention toute particulière doit être faite pour la musique, très personnelle, de Clarice Assad (pianiste !...). Mais on ne peut pas parler de ce disque sans évoquer la musique écrite par Sergio Assad lui-même : Tahhia Li Ossoulina, une pièce de musique arabe absolument étonnante, jouée de manière époustouflante, et qui constitue la "cerise sur le gâteau" de ce disque en tout point admirable.

The music in this CD is pleasant and the guitar playing is good but the whole CD felt more like elevator music than serious music which brings out the individuality of these artists. Not much of the music stuck in my head or had me marveling at the beauty of a tune or the virtuosity of the artists.

The Assad's are the best guitar duo on this planet! There have been many attempts to imitate their talent,
but these guys define musical and instrumental virtuosity. No one else comes close to these guys and this record is full of some amazing/wonderful transcriptions and arrangements only possible with their gifts
and artistry. "Jardim Abandonado" is a legendary recording! Their arrangement and interpretation of
Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" is magical and effective. They also offer novel and exciting renditions
of works by Debussy, Jobim, and Sergio's original. Also, a brilliant new work by Clarice Assad featured
on the CD as well. This is ANOTHER favorite in my collection of Assad CD's. A must have recording from
this Brazilian superduo! Thanks for making such wonderful music!

Once again the Assad Duo display their mastery over a wide range of stylistic music from the rhythms of their homeland Brazil to the jazz influence of the US with visits to Europe's impressionism and the modality of the mid-east. The recording is full of pure beauty and exhilaration. This is a must own CD - not just for guitarists!