As a Yank and a lover of all things brit, I found this cd overwhelming. Play it at full blast and all the neighbors will join you in singing both the British version and American version of these wonderful, familiar, and sacred songs. What an experience!!!
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This is a good collection of music by Johann Sebastian Bach. Half of the album consists of his cello suites, being transcribed by Segovia for guitarist John Williams (not to be confused with John Williams the American composer of film music), and the remainder is an assortment of transcriptions, again by Segovia, from other instruments including the violin partitas (spelt incorrectly as `paritia' on the track list) and lute suites.
All the works are lively and happy pieces - the terms such as allemande, courante, sarabande, minuetto, gigue, bouree, gavotte and chaconne have Italian and French origins and are used to describe the rhythm of dance orientated music themes.
This as hands down one of the most astonishing recordings I have ever heard. I bought it knowing a bit about tango, and a bit about Piazzolla, but regardless of that, this is incredible music. The music itself is gorgeous - dark, beautiful, ominous, brooding and deeply passionate. The playing is beyond compare - laser precise and yet at the same time gritty and rough. This is very much a band effort, and what a band - they swing, caress and whip up thunder.
Apparently this angered the tango purists in Argentina, as did much of Piazzollas output, and I can see why - this is modern, vital music, with clear influences from jazz, classical music and even the rush of punk. I must emphasise that you do not need to know much about ... Read More:
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I am not musically literate, i.e i dont know a crotchet from a quaver but i know what i like, is it an exagerration to say that if we had to show one example of the greatness and potential of human culture, to say some visiting aliens, would it be reasonable to play them these recordings?
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This marvellous suite is the very embodiment of the Henrik Ibsen's unparalelled work of fantasy. The music is more than an accompaniment to the play, it is essential to a successful performance, enabling both the actors and the audience alike to become completely absorbed by Ibsen's stunning world.
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This marvellous suite is the very embodiment of the Henrik Ibsen's unparalelled work of fantasy. The music is more than an accompaniment to the play, it is essential to a successful performance, enabling both the actors and the audience alike to become completely absorbed by Ibsen's stunning world.
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If you're looking for any CD's with movie music, this would be my first, and only, stop. There's something for everyone, and although stuff like the Indiana Jones theme is missing, and the opera CD (Disc 5) is a little week, the likes of "Ride of the Valkiryies" and "Ode to Joy" is just timeles, and best of all, immortalised by the films they're featured in, the compliment of all compliments to these films. It's very cheap to, I would highly recommend this.
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Ralph Vaughn Williams music is centred in the very heart of the English character. If you can experience the presents of England in the works then you have felt your home. And known the love for its great past without regreting its loss of greatness.
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Rattle's Mahler is really for people with open minds: people who don't hold on to Karajan and Barbirolli like comfort blankets! It's a great set, with the awarding winning second head and shoulders above anything else on the market (and yes, I've heard them all). The eighth (I was actually at the concert) is as perfect as you will hear anywhere too. And remember, several of these, including 1, 5, 7 & 8 are live recordings, really getting across the excitement and musicality not only of great events, but great Mahler.
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