Birtwistle, Harrison

Discover Music of the 20th Century
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • excellent overview of contemporaneous classic music
  • For the price you can't lose
 Discover Music of the 20th Century

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Discover Music of the Classical Era
  2. Discover: Music of the Romantic Era
  3. Discover Music of the Baroque Era
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  5. A History of Musical Style

ASIN: B000B6N6B8
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Tracks:

  1. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'un Faune - Alexander Rahbari
  2. Walzer - Peter Hill
  3. I. Andante-Scherzo - Rebecca Hirsch
  4. Sehr Ruhig Und Zart - Ulster Orchestra
  5. Lebhaft Und Zart Bewegt - Ulster Orchestra
  6. Sehr Langsam Und Ausserst Zart - Ulster Orchestra
  7. Fliessend, Ausserst Zart - Ulster Orchestra
  8. Sehr Fliessend - Ulster Orchestra
  9. Forlane: Allegretto - Klara Kormendi
  10. First Tableau: The Shrove-Tide Fair - Philharmonia Orchestra
  11. The Mountebank - Philharmonia Orchestra
  12. Vivo - Bournemouth Sinfonietta
  13. III. Moderato Pesante - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
  14. Hymn To St. Cecilia - Choir Of St. John's College, Cambridge
  15. IV. Allegretto - Ondrej Lenard
  16. Introduzione: Andante Non Troppo-Allegro Vivace - Alexander Rahbari

Tracks:

  1. Romance - Czecho-Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Kosice)
  2. II. Allegro - Ladislav Slovak
  3. III. Allegro Agitato - Stephen Gunzenhauser
  4. Main Theme From Schindler's List - Paul Bateman
  5. The Unanswered Question - Northern Sinfonia
  6. Second Electonic Interpolation (Conclusion) - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
  7. Third Electronic Interpolation (Beginning) - Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
  8. I. Liturgie De Cristal - Amici Ensemble
  9. IV. Commentaire - Idil Biret
  10. Warming Up, Leading To Model 1, Bass - Gregory Rose
  11. 'Gott Nochmal' Sun God - Gregory Rose
  12. 'Vishnu' God Of Storms - Gregory Rose
  13. God Of The Earth - Gregory Rose
  14. First Interlude - Boris Berman
  15. I. - Roger Heaton
  16. Short Ride In A Fast Machine - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
  17. The Lord's Prayer - Choir Of St. John's College, Cambridge
  18. II. Lento E Largo-Tranquillissimo - Zofia Kilanowicz
  19. Lullaby - Philharmonia Orchestra
  20. Vision Of The Hunt I - Philharmonia Orchestra
  21. Voice For Solo Flute - Robert Aitken

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars excellent overview of contemporaneous classic music.......2007-03-22

excellent overview of contemporaneous classic music.

Should be continued, plenty more 20th-century composers to be discovered.

5 out of 5 stars For the price you can't lose.......2007-02-21

This 2 cd set consists of, as the title indicates, various 20c pieces or movements from the Naxos catalog. Sound quality is uniformly high, although for some such as Stockhausen's it's not clear if that's good or bad. What is excellent is the variety of the collection--some familiar (Debussy), others not, some pretty, others intentionally weird. Few will find every piece to his or her taste, but many listeners who do not spend much time on 20c music will find something to like. Overall, a great introduction to a period of much off-putting, yes, but also much compelling music.
On Christmas Day: New Carols from King's Choir of King's College, Cambridge
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Latest from the King's College Choir
  • This may not be appropriate easy listening for trimming the tree, but it is definitely a fine recording.
  • Flawless performance of unusual (though not always good) music
 On Christmas Day: New Carols from King's Choir of King's College, Cambridge
Edward Grint , Thomas Ades , Richard Rodney Bennett , Sir Lennox Berkeley , Judith Bingham , Sir Harrison Birtwistle , Diana Burrell , John Casken , Robert Chilcott , Sir Peter Maxwell Davies , Jonathan Dove , Alexander Goehr , Jonathan Harvey , Robin Greville Holloway , James MacMillan , Nicholas Maw , Arvo Part , Stephen Harrison Paulus , John Rutter , Peter Sculthorpe , Giles Swayne , Judith Weir , John Woolrich , Stephen Cleobury , Philippa Davies , and Cambridge King's College
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. One Star, At Last: A Selection of Carols of Our Time
  2. O Come All Ye Faithful: Christmas Carols at King's College, Cambridge
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  4. Essential Carols: The Very Best of King's College Choir, Cambridge
  5. A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

ASIN: B000B66PO8
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

  1. The Sheperd's Carol
  2. On Christmas Day To My Heart
  3. God Would Be Born In Thee
  4. Bogoroditse Dyevo
  5. The Angels
  6. In Wintertime
  7. Christmas Carol
  8. The Three Kings
  9. What Sweeter Music
  10. A Gathering
  11. Illuminare, Jerusalem
  12. One Star, At Last
  13. Carol For St. Steven
  14. The Birthday Of Thy King
  15. Winter Solstice Carol

Tracks:

  1. Seinte Mari Moder Milde
  2. The Gleam
  3. Christo Paremus Cantica
  4. Spring In Winter
  5. Fayrfax Carol
  6. Swete Jesu
  7. Pilgrim Jesus

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Latest from the King's College Choir.......2006-12-21

I am immensely fond of the various Christmas albums put out by the Choir of King's College at the University of Cambridge. They represent the English tradition at its finest. I especially like the variants of the 9 Lessons and Carols in which biblical lessons are interspersed with the choral renditions. This tradition relates back to 1918 and has been broadcast(and telecast) worldwide since 1928, so I am not alone in my appreciation. This album presents an entirely new body of music in that it contains newer and unfamiliar compositions, some of which have been commissioned in past years for this program. There are 15 selections on the first disk and 7 on the second disk. Like any selection, some of the cuts are better than others, but all are quite beautiful. Whether any will become classics of the caliber of the more established material remains to be seen. But with Stephen Cleobury in charge, as he has been since 1982, long-time fans of the Choir know that a solid and quite enjoyable musical package awaits--especially at this holiday time of year.

4 out of 5 stars This may not be appropriate easy listening for trimming the tree, but it is definitely a fine recording. .......2005-12-29

This is definitely not a CD of traditional Christmas Carols, but I feel it's a little harsh to claim that only two pieces on the entire recording are "melodic". Frankly, I don't even know what that means. To my ears all of the compositions here have what can be called a melody. Personally, I adore the "Fayrfax Carol" by Thomas Ades and cannot see how it would fail to fall under even the most close-minded definition of the word "melodic".

I agree with the previous reviewer that many of the pieces are harmonically abstract but, honestly, what do you expect from a CD of music written by contemporary composers for one of the finest choirs in the world? I would hope there would be no arrangements of "I Saw Three Ships".

If you're looking for a CD of traditional carols, there is no shortage of recordings. However, if you're looking for well-crafted, forward-thinking, modern compositions performed by a group on the cutting edge of choral music, look no further.

4 out of 5 stars Flawless performance of unusual (though not always good) music.......2005-12-04

The Choir of Kings College is one of the best in the world--so of course the recording will sound excellent. In fact, I own several recordings by Kings College and they perform their best on this one. The purity of the sound and superb diction are just unsurpassed. But the music is just not that good. It's often too harmonically strange, overdramatic, and, frankly, too modern.

That's not to say there is not good music--actually, some of the best pieces of music are on this recording. Highlights include: Chilcott's haunting "The Shepherd's Carol" (which is one of the only two melodic pieces on the entire recording), Part's energetic "Bogoroditse Dyevo", Dove's dramatic "The Three Kings", Rutter's typical, but comparatively good "What sweeter music" (the other melodic piece), Weir's majestic "Illumniare Jerusalem" and Woolrich's sublime "Spring in Winter". There are a few honorable mentions--Berkeley's "In Wintertime" & Goehr's "Carol for St. Stephen"--but the other half of the recording is pretty much awful. The choir & Stephen Cleobury sound good trying--but the composers haven't given them much of value to work with.

An interesting addition to a music lover's collection, but I can't imagine it being enjoyable to someone looking for Christmas carols.
Harrison Birtwistle: The Triumph of Time; Ritual Fragment; Gawain's Journey
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Harrison Birtwistle: The Triumph of Time; Ritual Fragment; Gawain's Journey

    Manufacturer: Nmc Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
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    1. Elliot Carter: String Quartets 1-4; Elegy

    ASIN: B0006BGXH2
    Release Date: 2004-11-30
    Pulse Shadows
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Interesting Concept
    • Brilliant
    		 Pulse Shadows
    Sir Harrison Birtwistle
    Manufacturer: Teldec
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Harrison Birtwistle: The Axe Manual
    2. Birtwistle: Music for Wind and Percussion
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    4. Kafka-Fragmente Op. 24
    5. The Mask of Orpheus

    ASIN: B000050KFO
    Release Date: 2001-11-13

    Tracks:

    1. Fantasia 1
    2. Thread suns Fadensonnen
    3. Frieze 1
    4. White and Light
    5. Fantasia 2
    6. Psalm
    7. Fantasia 3
    8. With Letter and Clock
    9. Frieze 2
    10. An Eye, open
    11. Fantasia
    12. Todtnauberg
    13. frieze 3
    14. Tenebrae
    15. Fantasia 5
    16. Night
    17. Todesfuge-Frieze 4
    18. Give the Word

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Interesting Concept.......2003-02-02

    If you are looking for something different, This is the cd to get. Birtwistle idea of combining songs and quartet movements it's an interesting concept indeed. These Songs and quartet-movements can be performed as separate cycles, either complete or in part. All or some of the songs and quartets can also be interleaved. And both strands of music are sharing something in common at the same time. Which is the shadow? Which is the image?. I think his style is somewhere between John Dowland and Anton Webern. Anyway, you find out where?

    5 out of 5 stars Brilliant.......2002-11-19

    A wonderful CD and well recorded. This is the first recording of Birtwistle's that I've heard and I am well pleased with it. It ranks up there with the best of Ligetti, Carter, et alia. No wonder it won the Gramophone mag. "contemporary" award last year. I've already played it many times and it improves with every listen. It will not disappoint.
    Harrison Birtwistle: The Axe Manual
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Piano music big and small
    		 Harrison Birtwistle: The Axe Manual

    Manufacturer: Metronome
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
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    5. Kaija Saariaho: Du Cristal...À la Fumée; Sept Papillons, Nymphéa

    ASIN: B0006BAUK8
    Release Date: 2005-03-08

    Tracks:

    1. The Axe Manual
    2. Oockooing Bird
    3. Sad Song
    4. Berceuse De Jeanne
    5. Precis
    6. Hector's Dawn
    7. Ostinato With Melody
    8. Betty Freeman: Her Tango
    9. Saraband: The Kings Farewell
    10. I
    11. II
    12. III
    13. IV
    14. V

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Piano music big and small.......2005-08-23

    A curious mixture, this disc. Half this collection is what, in the Nineteenth Century, would probably have been called Album Pieces, dating from Birtwistle's teenage years (Ookooing Bird) almost up to the present. These are slight pieces, all interesting, all reflecting the composer's uncompromising style, but not enough to delay the listener much longer than the time it takes to play them. And then there are two major works - Harrison's Clocks and The Axe Manual.

    Both these pieces' titles are typical Birtwistle puns. The first refers to the famous horologist who created timepieces that allowed mariners to accurately fix their longitude as much as to its composer's christian name. It is a series of explorations of the kind of musical clockwork mechanisms that Birtwistle often uses to drive his material (cf. Silbury Air, Carmen Arcadiae, Pulse Sampler, large sections of Yan Tan Tethera etc.). Fiendishly difficult to play, one suspects, with their complex overlayering of rhythms, but hugely satisfying to listen to.

    The Axe Manual was originally written for Emanuel Ax (hence the pun) and Evelyn Glennie. It is a thrilling piece in which the percussionist gradually works their way round a semi circle of instruments from drums through marimba to wood blocks, etc. and back again, conjuring a huge array of colours and textures as well as rhythms.

    All the performances on this disc are impeccable. Nicolas Hodges is a pianist who specialises in modern music and has had many works written specifically for him. He has that rare ability with new and unfamiliar pieces not only to get his fingers round the notes (tough enough in many of these works), but also to communicate with true musicality. He makes Harrison's Clocks even more approachable and exciting than Joanne McGregor did on her pioneering recording. For the Axe Manual he is joined by the Australian percussionist, Claire Edwardes, and the two of them provide a performance every bit as mesmeric and thrilling as in their live UK premiere performance. A highly recommendable disc.
    Harrison Birtwistle: Secret Theatre; Ritual Fragment
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Harrison Birtwistle: Secret Theatre; Ritual Fragment

      Manufacturer: Cpo Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B000001S0H
      Release Date: 1996-01-23

      Tracks:

      1. Secret Theatre - Musicfabrik NRW/Lohannes Kalitzke
      2. Nenia: The Death Of Orpheus - Rosemary Hardy
      3. Ritual Fragment - Musicfabrik NRW/Lohannes Kalitzke
      The Mask of Orpheus
      Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
      • Tough Nut - Tasty Kernel
      • Mask(s) of Orpheus
      • Excellent Modern Opera
      • Astonishing, Amazing - a Masterpiece
      • Birtwistle's Underworld
      		 The Mask of Orpheus

      Manufacturer: Nmc Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      ClassicalClassical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
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      1. Pulse Shadows

      ASIN: B000009NNP
      Release Date: 1999-01-25

      Tracks:

      1. Act 1: Parados - BBC SO/Andrew Davis
      2. Act 1, Scene 1: First Poem Of Reminiscence - Jon Garrison/Peter Bronder
      3. Act 1, Scene 1: First Act Of Love/First Duet Of Love - Jon Garrison/Jean Rigby
      4. Act 1, Scene 1: First Passing Cloud - Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephen Allen/NIcholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson/Juliet Booth
      5. Act 1, Scene 1: First Structure Of Decision - BBC SO/Andrew Davis
      6. Act 1, Scene 1: First Ceremony - Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephen Allen/NIcholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson/Juliet Booth
      7. Act 1, Scene 1: First Love Duet - Stephen Allen/Joe Garrison/Jean Rigby
      8. Act 1, Scene 1: First Song Of Magic - Arwel Huw Morgan
      9. Act 1, Scene 1: First Immortal Dance - Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephen Allen/NIcholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson/Juliet Booth
      10. Act 1, Scene 2: First Cry Of Memory - Jean Rigby/Anne-Marie Owens
      11. Act 1, Scene 2: Second Passing Cloud - Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephen Allen/NIcholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson/Juliet Booth
      12. Act 1, Scene 2: Second Act Of Love - Anne-Marie Owens
      13. Act 1, Scene 2: First Allegorical Flower Of Reason - Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephen Allen/NIcholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson/Juliet Booth
      14. Act 1, Scene 2: First Look Of Loneliness (Aristaeus) - Alan Opie
      15. Act 1, Scene 3: First Time Shift/First Human Lie - Alan Opie/Omar Ebrahim
      16. Act 1, Scene 3: First Whisper Of Change (A) - Alan Opie/Joe Garrison
      17. Act 1, Scene 3: Second Ceremony/First Exchange - Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephen Allen/NIcholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson/Juliet Booth
      18. Act 1, Scene 3: First Song Of Failure - Stephen Allen/Nicholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson/Arwel Huw Morgan/Jon Garrison/Jean Rigby...
      19. Act 1, Scene 3: Second Immortal Dance - Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephen Allen/NIcholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson/Juliet Booth
      20. Act 1, Scene 3: First Hysterical Aria (A) - Jon Garrison
      21. Act 1, Scene 3: Second Statement Of Reason - Jon Garrison
      22. Act 1, Scene 3: First Hysterical Aria (B) - Jon Garrison
      23. Act 1, Scene 3: First Magic Formula - Jon Garrison
      24. Act 1, Scene 3: First Hysterical Aria (C) - Jon Garrison
      25. Act 1, Scene 3: First Shout Of Gratitude - Jon Garrison

      Tracks:

      1. Act 2, Scene 1: Second Time Shift/Second Love Duet - Peter Bronder/Anne-Marie Owns
      2. Act 2, Scene 1: First Whisper Of Change (B) - Peter Bronder/Anne-Marie Owens
      3. Act 2, Scene 1: 1st Arch - Jon Garrison/Omar Ebrahim
      4. Act 2, Scene 1: 2nd Arch - Omar Ebrahim/Juliet Booth/Philippa Dames-Longworth/Elizabeth McCormack
      5. Act 2, Scene 1: 3rd Arch - Jon Garrison/Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephan Allen/Nicholas Folwell/Stephen RIchardson/Juliet Booth...
      6. Act 2, Scene 1: 4th Arch - Jon Garrison/Jean Rigby/Anne-Marie Owens
      7. Act 2, Scene 1: 5th Arch - Jon Garrison/Peter Bronder/Anne-Marie Owens
      8. Act 2, Scene 1: 6th Arch - Jon Garrison
      9. Act 2, Scene 1: 7th Arch - Jon Garrison/Marie Angel
      10. Act 2, Scene 1: 8th Arch - Jon Garrison/Anne-Marie Owens
      11. Act 2, Scene 1: 9th Arch - Jon Garrison/Peter Bronder/Anne-Marie Owens
      12. Act 2, Scene 2: 10th Arch - Jon Garrison
      13. Act 2, Scene 2: 11th Arch - Jon Garrison
      14. Act 2, Scene 2: 12th Arch - Jon Garrison/Peter Bronder/Marie Angel/Anne-Marie Owens
      15. Act 2, Scene 2: 13th Arch - Jon Garrison/Juliet Booth/Philippa Dames-Longworth/Elizabeth McCormack/Stephen Allen...
      16. Act 2, Scene 2: 14th Arch - Jon Garrison/Jean Rigby/BBC Singers/Simon Joly
      17. Act 2, Scene 2: 15th Arch - Jon Garrison/BBC Singers/Simon Joly
      18. Act 2, Scene 3: 16th Arch - Peter Bronder/Anne-Marie Owens/Joe Garrison/Jean Rigby/Juliet Booth/Philippa Dames-Longworth
      19. Act 2, Scene 3: 17th Arch - Peter Bronder/Joe Garrison/Anne-Marie Owens
      20. Act 2, Scene 3: Second Allegorical Flower Of Reason - Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephen Allen/NIcholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson/Juliet Booth
      21. Act 3, Scene 1: First Terrible Death/Second Whisper Of Change - Peter Bronder

      Tracks:

      1. Act 3, Scene 1: Third Time Shift - Peter Bronder/Alan Opie/Omar Ebrahim/Marie Angel/Arwel Huw Morgan
      2. Act 3, Scene 1: Third Whisper Of Change - BBC SO/Andrew Davis
      3. Act 3, Scene 2: Third Dream - Jon Garrison
      4. Act 3, Scene 2: Third Allegorical Flower Of Reason - Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephen Allen/NIcholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson/Juliet Booth
      5. Act 3, Scene 2: Third Song Of Magic (A) - Jon Garrison
      6. Act 3, Scene 2: Euridice Puppet/Euridice Singer - Jean Rigby/Anne-Marie Ownes
      7. Act 2, Scene 3: Third Song Of Magic (B) - Jon Garrison
      8. Act 3, Scene 3: Third Spoken Argument - Jon Garrison
      9. Act 3, Scene 3: Third Song Of Magic (C) - Jon Garrison
      10. Act 3, Scene 3: Third Sentence Of Teaching - Omar Ebrahim
      11. Act 3, Scene 3: Third Terrible Death - Jon Garrison
      12. Act 3, Scene 3: Third Song Of Magic (D) - Jon Garrison
      13. Act 3, Scene 3: Third Ceremony - BBC Singers/Simon Joly/Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephen Allen/Nicholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson...
      14. Act 3, Scene 3: Third Song Of Magic (E) - Jon Garrison
      15. Act 3, Scene 3: Third Love Duet - Jon Garrison/Jean Rigby
      16. Act 3, Scene 3: Third Song Of Magic (F) - Jon Garrison
      17. Act 3, Scene 3: Third Hysterical Aria - Marie Angel
      18. Act 3, Scene 3: Third Passing Cloud - Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephen Allen/NIcholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson/Juliet Booth
      19. Act 3, Scene 3: Third Immortal Dance - Arwel Huw Morgan/Stephen Allen/NIcholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson/Juliet Booth
      20. Exodus - Joe Garrison/Peter Bronder/Stephen Allen/Nicholas Folwell/Stephen Richardson

      Amazon.com

      This imposing score, from British composer Sir Harrison Birtwistle, mixes electronic effects with traditional instruments and voices in a retelling of the Orpheus and Euridice legend. Birtwistle achieves greater dramatic breadth than the Monteverdi and Gluck versions--but it is highly splintered storytelling. Up to three different singers play a single character in a fearsomely complex libretto by Peter Zinovieff, printed here with eye-crossing diagrams of the opera's structure. Onstage, the piece may communicate on some intuitive level like Einstein on the Beach, but when heard and not seen, Orpheus can be as bewildering as blueprints to a hydrogen bomb. The music is unusually expansive for Birtwistle with long-breathed electronic bass lines. Momentous plot turns have an almost Wagnerian monumentality. But much else sounds like obscure noodling, and there's little theatrical heat, demanding far more of its listeners than it gives. --David Patrick Stearns

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Tough Nut - Tasty Kernel.......2005-08-23

      OK. So Harry Birtwistle is tough, I know. But perseverance, especially in this piece, reaps copious rewards.

      This is a huge opera - not particularly in length or even in the forces demanded, but in ambition. It starts with the very birth of language and song, a musical creation myth as potent as the beginning of Rheingold, and takes us through a dramatic narrative that deals in the nature and meaning of myth and memory while telling the story of Orpheus and Euridice. Or, rather, the stories. For the Mask of Orpheus continually takes different views of the myth, different versions of the story as handed down by the folk traditions, and sets them against each other to reflect on one another.

      Cold and intellectual, then? Not at all. I have never sat through the end of the second Act - either in the theatre or listening at home - without a tear or two. Act 1 includes an aria with flute obbligato as ravishing and purely beautiful as anything in Birtwistle's output (at least before The Second Mrs. Kong). That Act ends with the terrifying ululations of the Oracle of the Dead - truly scary. The dramatic impact of the second Act as Orpheus moves from arch to arch across to the Land of the Dead (what a curiously inexplicable but potent image those arches are) reaches a towering and thrilling climax. The musical tides of the third Act move inexorably in and out, gathering power and emotional coherence as they evolve.

      As for the electronic music, that is wonderfully integrated into the fabric of the piece. The Voice of the god Apollo is, as it should be, imposing and mesmeric. The interludes (representing other mythological stories that reflect on and elaborate the main narrative and which are mimed/danced in the theatre), these grow organically and seamlessly out of the main musical fabric. And they are music, pure and satisfying, not distortions of other things or mere sound-collages. It's just that they were created on the machines at IRCAM and not on the machines we know as conventional musical instruments.

      Does the performance live up to the piece, then? Certainly does! Maybe no-one will bring quite the intensity to Orpheus 1 that Philip Langridge did in the premiere performances - but, then, that's true of most of his work. This is a recording of a live semi-staged concert performance at the Royal Festival Hall - maybe not the kindest acoustic for this piece, especially for the singers - but all the performers acquit themselves heroically and show real dedication to what is, I believe, one of the great operas of the second half of the last century.

      Try it. Then try it again. You could get hooked on 'difficult' music.

      4 out of 5 stars Mask(s) of Orpheus.......2002-04-07

      I am a huge fan of Birtwistle and an opera buff in general, which means I'd like to give a whole-heartedly positive response to this work, but I do have some qualms. First off, the libretto is simply too austere for its own good. It is always fun to incorporate archetypal imagery into a new approach to mythic topics, but when EVERYTHING represents something else, it's impossible to get one's head around it. That is especially true of the 17 arches, and the ordering of 100+ set pieces in threes. The opera world has known works of incredible formal construction (Berg's operas, and Birtwistle's own Punch and Judy, for example) that did not require one's study to comprehend the work at hand. Berg even wished that the structures of Wozzeck and Lulu would be ignored. My only other qualm is that some of the electro-acoustic music drones to some length without any relief. (I have the same complaint about what little I have heard of Stockhausen's Licht. Luckily, this work does not suffer from the main conceit of Licht: an egocentric mythologizing of the composer's own autobiography. On the other hand, this work is certainly tremendously unique. If mind-bending post-modern music drama sounds delicious to you, this should provide hours of amusement and consternation. And perhaps I will stumble upon the key to this ambitious but frustrating opera. The performances and sound quality are first-rate, and the libretti and notes, while giving Finnegans Wake a run for its money in terms of comprehensibility, are certainly in great abundance. Happy listening.

      5 out of 5 stars Excellent Modern Opera.......2001-08-21

      The Mask of Orpheus is one of the best examples of modern opera. In libretto and score, this work stands with Wozzeck, an ideal example of the music and aesthetics of its time. It rewards repeated listenings and is generally profound. In retelling the old tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, `Mask...' fragments the tale into various accounts. There are parallel versions of the story that run simultaneously. Characters are represented by more than one actor or actress. In fact, Orpheus dies thrice over the course of the opera, as the opera examines his possible fictitious or factual fates. The fragmentation of the storyline is very discerning in examining the modern person's view of the past; in a time of so much historical revisionism (what philosophers have called a `disruption of the Western metanarrative'), the fragmented story shows us our own flawed view of the past and our anxiety in attempting to discern truth. Ultimately, one of modern music's central themes is almost always the discernment of truth and its importance. The music in the Mask of Orpheus is craftsmanly and durable. The third act presents us with some absolutely stunning moments. As the lives of the characters fragment with our perception of them, the musical ideas converge and disintegrate. The anxiety and mystery in this music is something that I have returned to as a guide in my own compositions periodically. Some of the timbres that Birtwistle has created are utterly novel. The electronic sounds, such as the voice of Apollo and the `auras,' are extremely arresting. Much of the percussion writing is of the highest caliber. I would recommend this opera to anyone interested in modern music or modern opera.

      5 out of 5 stars Astonishing, Amazing - a Masterpiece.......2000-04-23

      Quite simply put, The Mask of Orpheus is not only one of the truly great operas of the twentieth century, but also one of the truly great masterpieces in 20th century music. At times gentle, at others violent, Mask is always lush.

      Every note is amazing music. True, a little is lost since we're not able to actually see the opera - but the libretto is very extensive and those with any imagination whatsoever will be able to realize the piece in their own minds.

      Birtwistle is on familiar territory here for those of you familiar with his other work: rituals, labyrinths, questions, quests, repetition, changes, examination, minute detail.

      And for those of you not familiar with his music, this piece will take you on a totally remarkable ride. With each listen it astonishes me more and more.

      As an aside, I bought this over a year ago but was going out of town, but I brought it along, first hearing it in the desert, in the middle of nowhere and was totally overwhelmed by what I heard - the love affair hasn't ended. Very much modern music, but as I said, always lush and astonishingly beautiful.

      Do not under any circumstances miss out on this piece - I'm listening to the last act now and few operas have affected me in the same way, Wagner's Parsifal, Berg's Lulu and Luigi Nono's Prometeo being the others. Few operas work 100% - The Mask of Orpheus does. Birtwistle hooks you completely within the first 3 minutes of the piece, the end of the first track. Within a minute of the second track, he grabs you and doesn't let go. It is in every sense, a remarkable journey from a remarkable composer.

      4 out of 5 stars Birtwistle's Underworld.......1998-12-01

      The Mask of Orpheus -- like HB's masterpiece The Triumph of Time -- is obsessed with ideas of procession and precession; the listener moves through a musical landscape that is itself in motion, constantly revealing different angles of its terrain -- usually with great vividness. In Orpheus, we add a dramatic dimension, treated in similar fashion. The myth is continually shattered and reassembled around us, recited and sung, mimed, finally collapsing into another, wholly invented language in the third act. What gives this opera its peculiar power is the immensity, and to some extent the insanity, of its design. As drama it can be overlong and not entirely involving (especially without a visual element), but as landscape it creates a singular experience -- interludes for synthesizers evoke the presence of ancient times and Otherness (and are alone worth the price of the CD); the second act, with its metaphorical/literal depiction of the arches of the Underworld, becomes an echo chamber of myth, and a dwelling place; while the third act, with its invented language, is less opera than drug trip, reminiscent of Russell Hoban's novel Riddley Walker.
      Birtwistle: Music for Wind and Percussion
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Birtwistle: Music for Wind and Percussion

        Manufacturer: Etcetera
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        QuintetsQuintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
        PercussionPercussion | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
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        ASIN: B0000000PG
        Release Date: 1995-03-21

        Tracks:

        1. Verses For Ensembles
        2. Refrains And Choruses
        3. For O, For O, The Hobby-Horse Is Forgot
        Birtwistle - Gawain / Le Roux · Tomlinson · Angel · ROH Covent Garden · Howarth
        Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
        • A modern masterpiece
        • An operatic retelling of Gawain and the Green Knight
        		 Birtwistle - Gawain / Le Roux · Tomlinson · Angel · ROH Covent Garden · Howarth
        Harrison Birtwistle , Elgar Howarth , François Le Roux , Marie Angel , and Alan Ewing
        Manufacturer: Collins Classics
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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        ASIN: B000003W1P
        Release Date: 1996-04-09

        Tracks:

        1. Act 1: Ov - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        2. Act 1: The Story Begins 'Night after night' - Marie Angel
        3. Act 1: The Court 'They tire me.' - Richard Greager
        4. Act 1: Three Riddles 'There was a man.' - Omar Ebrahim
        5. Act 1: Arthur's Response 'How can I eat?' - Richard Greager
        6. Act 1: Door Knock, Prophesies and Threats 'This is the hour of legacy or loss.' - Marie Angel/Anne Howells
        7. Act 1: Mystery of the Open Door - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        8. Act 1: Another Riddle 'Something stranger than charity' - Omar Ebrahim
        9. Act 1: Door Knock, Prophesies and Threats 'Now is the hour of legacy or loss' - Marie Angel/Anne Howells
        10. Act 1: Entrance of the Green Knight 'Now I shall test his strength - Marie Angel
        11. Act 1: The Green Knight Rides into the Court - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        12. Act 1: The Green Knight's Challenge 'Which of you is king?' - John Tomlinson
        13. Act 1: The Court's Reaction, Gawain Accepts the Challenge 'God's Name' - Kevin Smith
        14. Act 1:The Raising of the Axe - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        15. Act 1: Time Frozen (Reprise; Prophesies; Riddles; Door Knock) 'This is the moment...' - Marie Angel/Anne Howells
        16. Act 1: Gawain Decapitates The Green Knight 'God's Name!' - Penelope Walmsley-Clark/Kevin Smith/Richard Greager/John Marsden/Omar Ebrahim/Alan Ewing
        17. Act 1: The Severed Head Instructs Gawain 'My Title is Knight of the Green Chapel.' - John Tomlinson
        18. Act 1: The Green Knight Rides Off - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        19. Act 1: The Court's Reaction 'It's nothing.' - Richard Greager
        20. Act 1: Duet: Prophesies and Threats 'Now that you've seen its face.' - Marie Angel/Anne Howells
        21. Tableaux of the Turning of the Seasons and Gawain's Preparation...: Tableau I: Winter: Day - The Royal Opera (Women's) Chor
        22. Tableaux of the Turning of the Seasons and Gawain's Preparation...: Tableau I: Winter:Night... - The Royal Opera (Men's) Chor/John Marsden
        23. Tableaux of the Turning of the Seasons and Gawain's Preparation...: Tableau II: Spring: Day - The Royal Opera (Women's) Chor
        24. Tableaux of the Turning of the Seasons and Gawain's Preparation...: Tableau II: Spring: Night... - The Royal Opera (Men's) Chor/John Marsden
        25. Tableaux of the Turning of the Seasons and Gawain's Preparation...: Tableau III: Summer: Day - The Royal Opera (Women's) Chor
        26. Tableaux of the Turning of the Seasons and Gawain's Preparation...: Tableau III: Summer: Night... - The Royal Opera (Men's) Chor/John Marsden
        27. Tableaux of the Turning of the Seasons and Gawain's Preparation...: Tableau IV: Autumn: Day - The Royal Opera (Women's) Chor
        28. Tableaux of the Turning of the Seasons and Gawain's Preparation...: Tableau IV: Autumn: Night... - The Royal Opera (Men's) Chor/John Marsden
        29. Tableaux of the Turning of the Seasons and Gawain's Preparation...: Tableau V: Winter: Day - The Royal Opera (Women's) Chor
        30. Tableaux of the Turning of the Seasons and Gawain's Preparation...: Tableau V: Winter: Night... - The Royal Opera (Men's) Chor/John Marsden
        31. Tableaux of the Turning of the Seasons and Gawain's Preparation...: Tableau V: Coda... - Marie Angel

        Tracks:

        1. Act 2: Morgan Le Fay's Prediction 'Now with a single step.' - Marie Angel
        2. Act 2: The Journey - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        3. Act 2: Glimpse 'Soon...what you most love.' - John Tomlinson
        4. Act 2: The Journey Continues - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        5. Act 2: A Glimpse of the Future 'Soon...what you want, you'll have.' - Anne Howells
        6. Act 2: The Journey Continues - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        7. Act 2: A Glimpse of the Future 'Soon you'll see its face.' - Anne Howells
        8. Act 2: The Journey Continues - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        9. Act 2: A Glimpse of the Future 'This is the hour of vanity or choice.' - Anne Howells
        10. Act 2: The Journey Continues - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        11. Act 2: Castle de Hautdesert 'Welcome,welcome, welcome.' - John Tomlinson
        12. Act 2: Dance Aria 'Now we shall learn.' - Anne Howells
        13. Act 2: Bertilak de Hautdesert's Welcome and Gawain's Foreboding 'This house is yours.' - John Tomlinson
        14. Act 2: The First Lullaby 'Lie down without fear of the dark.' - Marie Angel
        15. Act 2: The First Hunt and Temptation - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        16. Act 2: An Aside from Morgan Le Fay (1) 'A gift he must not refuse.' - Marie Angel
        17. Act 2: Bertilak de Hautdesert's Return (1) - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        18. Act 2: The Second Lullaby 'Lie down without fear of the dark' - Marie Angel
        19. Act 2: The Second Hunt and Temptation - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        20. Act 2: An Aside From Morgan Le Fay (2) - Marie Angel
        21. Act 2: Bertilak de Hautdesert's Return (2) 'Here's your trophy.' - John Tomlinson
        22. Act 2: The Third Lullaby 'Lie down without fear of the dark.' - Marie Angel
        23. Act 2: The Third Hunt and Temptation - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        24. Act 2: An Aside From Morgan Le Fay (3) - Marie Angel
        25. Act 2: Bertilak de Hautdesert's Return (3) 'I hunted all day.' - John Tomlinson
        26. Act 2: Prophesies and Threats - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        27. Act 2: The Green Chapel 'Fear of Death.' - Francois Le Roux
        28. Act 2: Gawain Faces Death 'Now I acquit myself.' - Francois Le Roux
        29. Act 2: Gawain's Reprieve 'The first blow.' - John Tomlinson
        30. Act 2: The Journey Back Begins - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        31. Act 2: The Court (Riddles and Prophesies) 'Arthur-join us.' - Penelope Walmsley-Clark
        32. Act 2: Gawain's Return - The Orch of the ROH/Elgar Howarth
        33. Act 2: Gawain's Epilogue 'I left this place.' - Francois Le Roux
        34. Act 2: Coda 'Now at the year's dead end.' - Marie Angel

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars A modern masterpiece.......2005-07-15

        This is a work of extraordinary power and impact. I think in due course it will be accepted as a genuine modern masterpiece by a composer who is as good as England has ever produced since William Byrd. The music is - as always from Birtwistle - granity and arcane, yet powerful and visionary in the cognnet cohesiveness of the musical argument from start to finish. I found this music to be utterly captivating from the first note to last in a way I rarely find with any operatic work.

        The indebtednes to Wagner for the Arthurian setting is something that really captured my attention - I was thinking mostly of Tristan. So in which case Birtwistle is not the first composer to marry ultra-modernity (Wagner was the avant-garde of his age) with an ancient subject. What is particularly striking is the sheer primodiality of Birtwistle's musical language that despite its immense complexity, just hypnotises from the first note and simply engrosses the attention refusing to let go until the very last note is played. The unity of music and text, the way the tale unfolds in a fashion mysterious to the point of being almost surrealistic is all touched with genius - the pace of the story-telling reminded me somewhat of Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle.

        This is one of my favourite works of the late 20th century and possibly the most rewarding recording of music by Birtwistle that I recall hearing to date.

        Essential listening for all lovers of contemporary music.

        4 out of 5 stars An operatic retelling of Gawain and the Green Knight.......2002-05-04

        Sir Harrison Birtwistle's two act opera "Gawain" premiered in 1991 and has been revived by the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in a slightly revised and reduced form. The story is based on the poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," which tells of how a knight clad in green arrived at the Christmas feast at King Arthur's court and challenged any of the knights to strike him a blow with an ax on the condition that in a year and a day the blow will be returned by the Green Knight. Only Gawain takes up the challenge. However, the Green Knight survives and rides off to return a year hence while Gawain prepares to embark on a quest. In Act II the opera picks up twelve months later when he seeks shelter at the castle of Sir Bertilak de Hautdesert, where he is tempted three times by Bertilak's wife as his appointed meeting with the Green Knight draws nigh.

        The libretto by David Harsent who restructures the tale to serve the needs of character motivation, especially of the sorceress Morgan La Fey, who has taken an unhealthy interest in Gawain. Dramatically the opera offers up some fascinating parallels and dramatic irony: Gawain's arrival at Sir Bertilak's castle is a mirror of the arrival of the Green Knight at the court of Arthur, with the pure knight arriving at the evil place of Morgan's spells instead of the pagan knight entering a Christian feast gathering.

        This is one of those pieces where divorcing the music from the actual performance is less than satisfying, so familiarizing yourself with the libretto in terms of both story and lyrics becomes important (I have read that the original production involved a mechanical head that blinked after Gawain decapitates the Green Knight). The music is passionate and intense, with unconventional melodies and harmonies, thereby creating feelings of unease and suspense, not to mention evil and foreboding. In fact, there is always music in the background, driving the audience's emotions as well as the character's actions, and there are points where the music becomes almost oppressive in its complexity. Birtwistle employs recurring themes to recall former action without really developing them into full blown leitmotifs. Ultimately, we have the supreme irony of modern approaches to music being used to tell one of the oldest of English legends. "Gawain" should be of interest both to students of Arthurian legends (my prime excuse) and 20th/21st century opera.
        The British Music Collection: Harrison Birtwistle
        Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
        • Ranges from dull to fairly entertaining, but never really stands out above the crowd of modernists
        • 2-disc set of the British serialist
        • The Phenomenal Birtwistle.
        		 The British Music Collection: Harrison Birtwistle
        Sir Harrison Birtwistle
        Manufacturer: Decca
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

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        ASIN: B00005IA6D
        Release Date: 2004-03-09

        Tracks:

        1. Trageodia: Prologue
        2. Trageodia: Parados
        3. Trageodia: Episodion: Strophe I - Anapaest I
        4. Trageodia: Antistrophe I
        5. Trageodia: Stasimon
        6. Trageodia: Episodion: Strophe II - Anapaest II
        7. Trageodia: Antistrophe II
        8. Trageodia: Exodos
        9. Five Distances
        10. Three Settings Of Celan: White And Light - Christine Whittlesey
        11. Three Settings Of Celan: Night - Christine Whittlesey
        12. Three Settings Of Celan: Tenebrae - Christine Whittlesey
        13. Secret Theatre

        Tracks:

        1. Endless Parade - Hakan Hardenberger/Paul Patrick
        2. Panic - John Harle/Paul Clarvis
        3. Earth Dances - The Cleveland Orch/Christoph Von Dohnanyi

        Customer Reviews:

        3 out of 5 stars Ranges from dull to fairly entertaining, but never really stands out above the crowd of modernists.......2007-02-07

        Harrison Birtwistle, one of England's few overtly modernistic figures, is one of the most unlikely composers to appear on a Decca recording, but here he is thanks to the "British Music Collection" series.

        The first disc contains four pieces performed by the Ensemble Intercontemporain and Pierre Boulez, a reissue of material which originally appeared on Deutsche Grammophon in 1996. The early "Tragoedia" (1965) is the most interesting of them. A reference to Greek ceremonies connected to Pan (being literally a goat, trag- song, -oedia), the eight movements of the work follow classical nomenclature, write strophes, anapests, and antistrophes. It moves from soundworld to soundworld along its twenty-minute span, from simple Romanticism to a minimalistic ostinato reminescent of some Reich, to the sort of smooth modernistic textures of later composers like Lindberg. Yet, it's still remarkably coherent.

        I wish I such much positive about the other pieces on the disc. "Five Distances" for five instruments (1992), a wind quintet, has nothing especially upsetting, but lacks direction and resembles the generic modernism of Lieberson, or Eotvos as his worst. The "Three Settings of Celan" for ensemble and soprano, here Christine Whittlesey, are taken from a total set of nine such pieces composed between 1989 and 1996, manage to make a poet as intriguing and bizarre as Celan dull and forgettable. Finally, "Secret Theatre" (1984) promises to finally escape this "serialist assembly-line" as a fellow reviewer has called it, and seems to build at something with the low instruments, but never manages.

        The second disc contains more entertaining material, beginning with two concertante works. "Endless Parade" for piano, vibraphone, and strings (1986-87) is performed here by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Elgar Howarth, with Hakan Hardenberger as soloist. Based on a visit Birtwistle made to Lucca during a time of festival, the piece could be seen to portray a man, here the trumpet, walking through a procession and examining the action from various angles. It's fairly entertaining, with a mood much like Peter Eotvos' similarly-inspired trumpet concerto "Jet Stream".

        The following "Panic" for saxophone, drum-kit and orchestra (1995) is perhaps Birtwistle's most notorious piece. Performed at the last night of the 1995 Proms, a time usually reserved for populist and patriotic traditional English music, it provoked an uproar among the conservative audience. It's no surprise why when the piece veers between sounding like an explosition in a jazz club and orchestral attempts to get a word in edgewise. The same musicians who premiered it, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Andrew Davis with saxophonist John Harle, record it here.

        "Earth Dances" for orchestra (1986) tames the savagery of the preceding piece somewhat, containing a clear line through, but portrays a world of orchestral forces never entirely reconciled to each other. The Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi give a competent performance, and I found the music enjoyable, but rather forgettable after it ends.

        All in all, I could only give this all three stars. Birtwistle's only real crime is the dullness that pervades much of his work--he's certainly less guilty than the truly bad composers I might venture to name--but I can't recommend too highly his work when others have engaged modernism to produce truly exciting music.

        3 out of 5 stars 2-disc set of the British serialist.......2004-07-09

        This 2-disc collection of Birtwistle is now available in the U.S. 3 years after it was originally released in the U.K. (My copy was obtained through amazon.co.uk in 2002.) The first disc contains 4 pieces conducted by Boulez and performed by his Ensemble Intercontemporain. (This disc is still available from DG, under the title "Secret Theatre.") The best of these is "Trageodia" from 1965, which established Birtwistle's characteristic sound and reputation. The other 3, from the mid-'80s to early-'90s, sound like products of a Serialist Assembly line, and are painfully dull.

        The second disc is much better. "Panic" with saxophone was apparently a scandal at the Proms a few years back, though you'd think the scandal would be playing the same 19th century stuff over and over and over again! The highlight is the 37-minute "Earth Dances," written in 1986 and performed by Cleveland with Christoph von Dohnanyi conducting. It is powerful, dissonant and forbidding.

        A new recording of "Earth Dances" was released in 2004 in the DG 20/21 series, with Boulez conducting the Ensemble Intercontemporain, but for some reason it hasn't been released in the U.S., which is hard to understand since all the rest of the DG 20/21 series has been distributed here. You can order it from amazon.co.uk, but with the exchange rate, it'll cost you double the price. Maybe it'll be released in three years...

        Based on this disc, I'm not overly impressed with Birtwistle. However, his reputation in the U.K. is largely based on operatic works, and I have yet to hear any of these. The electro-acoustic "Mask of Orpheus" is at the top of my list for further listening.

        5 out of 5 stars The Phenomenal Birtwistle........2004-04-21

        The music of Harrison Birtwistle is suprisingly hard to get on record in America. As one of the most important British composers of the 20th century after Britten it would seem that access to his music would be easy and yet it is incredibly difficult. I am not sure if this is a problem of American distribution/interest or if he is just a rarely recorded artist.
        Either way this amazing recording makes amends. Six large, crucial works are represented here performed by world class artists producing what can only be considered definative performances. Especially nice about this collection is that works from the composer's entire (and long) career are presented, offering the listener a chanceto hear where the composer came fromand where he's going.
        Names like Ligeti, Maxwell-Davies and Feldman come to mind. The music is huge in scope and emotional power and leaves the listener drained. "Birtwistle's music sounds like planets colliding, even if he's only using five instruments."
        If you enjoy this CD listen to AGM which can be found on a wonderful collection of works conducted by Boulez.

        Music Composers:

        1. Bishop, Henry Rowley
        2. Bizet, Georges
        3. Blacher, Boris
        4. Bloch, Ernest
        5. Blow, John
        6. Blumenfeld, Felix Mikhailovich
        7. Boccherini, Luigi
        8. Boeck, August De
        9. Léon Ernest Boëllmann
        10. Boieldieu, François-Adrien

        Music Composers

        Music Composers