Rossille, Frederic

Voice of the Violin
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Beautiful!
  • Voice of the Violin
  • Disappointed
  • Voices of the Violin
  • Angelic music
 Voice of the Violin

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Romance of the Violin
  2. Joshua Bell - Gershwin Fantasy
  3. The Essential Joshua Bell
  4. Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto [Hybrid SACD]
  5. Romance Of The Violin (Live From New York In Concert)

ASIN: B000H7JD1I
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Tracks:

  1. Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14
  2. Ave Maria
  3. Pourquoi me riller from Werther
  4. Aprun r, Op. 7, No. 1
  5. Song to the Moon from Rusalka
  6. Laudate Dominum from Vesperae solennes de confessore for soloists, chorus & orchestra, K. 339
  7. None but the Lonely Heart, Op. 6/6
  8. Una furtiva lagrima from L'Elisir d'Amore
  9. In trutina from Carmina Burana
  10. May Breezes from Songs without Words, Op. 62, No. 1
  11. Beau soir
  12. Estrellita
  13. Nana (Bercuese) from Siete conciones populares Espanolas
  14. Je crois entendre encore from The Pearl Fishers
  15. Morgen! Op. 27, No. 4

Amazon.com

Constantly exhorted to "sing," string players naturally try to emulate that most beautiful musical instrument, the human voice; no wonder they literally want to get their fingers on the treasures of the vocal repertoire. Joshua Bell has appropriated some of its best-loved songs and operatic arias, from Mozart through the romantics to Orff. Slow, sustained, lovely and yes, singing, these beguiling melodies and wide emotional range are eminently well suited to the violin. Credit for most of the arrangements is given to J.A.C. Redford, a well-known film and television composer, and indeed the throbbing strings and jarring modulations typical of sound-tracks invade his orchestrations, in startling contrast to the composers' own. In Debussy's "Beau soir," pianist Frederic Chiu partners Bell so beautifully that one wishes he had supplanted the orchestra in all the songs with piano accompaniment. The violin transcriptions of the vocal line closely follow the originals, except for Redford's compulsive habit of adding octaves in the repeats and jumping from the lowest to the highest register. Of course, Bell is very good at all this, and it's the playing that's really the thing. His tone is ravishingly beautiful, warm on the G-string, radiant up high, and always deeply expressive. His love and innate feeling for the music---its inward simplicity, romantic yearning and passionate ardor---speak straight to the heart. In the only authentic violin part, the obbligato of Richard Strauss' "Morgen!" he is joined by the golden-voiced soprano Anna Netrebko; at first overly intense, she relaxes into a blissful, magical ending. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Beautiful!.......2007-06-14

I think the reason I love this cd is because the music was not primarily written for the violin. Joshua Bell makes the violin "sing" the pieces. I especially liked Tchaikovsky's "None but the Lonely Heart." I've loved it since we sang it many years ago in our High School chorus and it is not on any of my classical cds.

Good choice.

1 out of 5 stars Voice of the Violin.......2007-06-13

I was disappointed in Bell's popular music style. I love him playing Mozart with his verve and energy - as Mozart would have wanted his music played. This seemed slow and draggy.

2 out of 5 stars Disappointed.......2007-05-17

I had heard one of the tracks on the radio, so I bought the CD. It was too high-ended, a little screechy.

5 out of 5 stars Voices of the Violin.......2007-05-17

Voices is no only a great listen because of Joshua Bell, but it is relaxing and calming - for me that is a great way to let stress melt away.

Every song is well done. Of course Joshua Bell is a favorite.

4 out of 5 stars Angelic music.......2007-05-14

I heard about this artist on NPR, and am enchanted by the magnificent voice he gives to the violin. Well worth the purchase.
Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Martha Argerich CD
  • Fabulous recording
  • Excellent
  • A restored jewel in the Argerich catalog
  • Not Argerich at her best, but still very impressive.
 Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording
Martha Argerich
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Debut Recital / Martha Argerich
  2. Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 / Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23
  3. J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich
  4. Chopin, Liszt: Piano Concertos / Martha Argerich, London Symphony Orchestra
  5. Chopin: 26 Préludes, etc / Martha Argerich

ASIN: B00000IWVS
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

  1. Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: I. Allegro maetoso
  2. Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: II. Scherzo: Molto vivace
  3. Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: III. Largo
  4. Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: IV. Finale: Presto, non tanto
  5. Mazurka No.36 In A Minor, Op.59 No.1
  6. Mazurka No.37 In A-flat, Op.59 No.2
  7. Mazurka No.38 In F-sharp Minor, Op.59 No.3
  8. Nocturne No.4 In F, Op.15 No.1
  9. Scherzo No.3 In C-sharp Minor, Op.39
  10. Polonaise No.6 In A-flat, Op.53

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

Record-label politics prevented this awesome recording of Argentinean pianist Martha Argerich from being released for 34 years. The spitfire musician delivers a powerful set of Chopin's best-loved works that still sounds riveting today. Intense and gorgeous. --Jason Verlinde

Amazon.com essential recording

How can it be that a recording by one of today's indisputably unequaled pianists performing some of her prime repertory--made fresh within months of her triumph in the 1965 Warsaw International Chopin Competition--could languish for decades in the vaults before its official release? Chalk it up to the exclusivity clauses of rival recording companies and legal constraints from which not even Wotan with the help of Loge could extricate himself. Thankfully this belated EMI release--recorded in a few sessions at the Abbey Road studios--is finally available.

It's a significant complement to Argerich's other accounts of Chopin on disc. From the white-hot intensity of Argerich's way with the composer, you can easily extrapolate a sense of what had recently wowed the jury in Warsaw. The Argentinean pianist undertakes the Third Sonata as a vast, big-voiced, far-reaching statement that encompasses both molten power and moments of almost unbearably intimate lyricism (listen closely to her gestures of illumination in the Largo). With a characteristically unforced spontaneity, Argerich sounds the shattering chords that launch the finale (recorded in one take); her sense of flow in the Nocturne No. 4 is a perfect mesh for the illusion of improvising that is so central to Chopin. She commands the logic--both emotional and musical--of the composer's skittish turns in the Scherzo No. 3 and crafts three of the mazurkas into perfectly chiseled character pieces. The sheer force of Argerich's personality might seem overwhelming to those accustomed to a tamer Chopin--listen to how she dives into the A-flat Polonaise--but it's always at work dusting off tired clichés and uncovering the music's expressive wealth. For those who know about Argerich's artistry, this disc is indispensable; anyone who has yet to make that enviable discovery will find it (together with the Argerich anthology in Philips' Great Pianists series) a great place to begin. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Martha Argerich CD.......2007-06-12

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

5 out of 5 stars Fabulous recording.......2007-04-12

A most interesting history in the liner notes and a fabulous recording. One of the best for a piano CD collection.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent.......2007-04-12

Only one word: Excellent.
Though someone might have different feeling, I'm crazy on this 1965 recording.

5 out of 5 stars A restored jewel in the Argerich catalog.......2006-09-03

If I had to pick a single CD to win awed admiration for Martha Argerich, this Chopin recital would be it. Only 24 when she made these long-suppressed recordings, Argerich's musicality and dazzling technqiue defy belief. Every ounce of praise for her Third Sonata is deserved--it's spontaneous, flexible, intense, by turns tender and declamatory. The most blessed quality is that she doesn't bang or harangue us--not always the case in later years. Her sense of urgency doesn't become eckless; the bursts of excitment aren't oerly explosive.

My only caveat would be for audiophiles. Although an Abbey Road studio recording, you get the feeling somewhat that Argerich is performing in a boomy hall. Also, in the loudest fortes there's mircophone shatter. For many listeners these drawbacks won't matter a whit, not in the face of an undisputed keyboard genius.

4 out of 5 stars Not Argerich at her best, but still very impressive........2006-06-07

Argerich's playing is nothing short of miraculous. It's as if God's most precious gifts had been all bestowed upon her - she makes other pianists pale in comparison. This record is no exception, even though it's not Argerich at her best. At times her playing here is too straightforward, too agressive, yes, even too intimidating, and I don't know if she's really being faifhtul to Chopin's music. It sounds as if she's intent on shunning people away from playing the piano and effacing every other interpretation from the face of the earth. It just doesn't fit Chopin's music all that well, but it's still worth buying and listening to thousands of times.
The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Ever, Volume II
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Eveer, Volume II
  • Great music listein to while you read in bed
  • A must buy for the non-snobbish classical music fan.
  • A bliss of spirit.
  • Boring
 The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Ever, Volume II
Gabriel Faure , Frederic Chopin , Antonio Vivaldi , Gustav Mahler , Claude Debussy , Sir Neville Marriner , Maris Jansons , Lorin Maazel , Sir Adrian Boult , Miklos Rozsa , Riccardo Muti , Stephen Cleobury , Sir John Barbirolli , New Philharmonia Orchestra , Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus , Academy of St. Martin in the Fields , and Berlin Philharmonic
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  5. Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits

ASIN: B00002439O
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Tracks:

  1. Sheep May Safely Graze - Sir Neville Marriner
  2. Serenade In G 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' - Sir Neville Marriner
  3. Violin Concerto No.1 In G Minor, Op.26 - II. Adagio - Yedudi Menuhin
  4. Nocturne No.2 In E Flat Op.9 No.2 - John Ogdon
  5. Miserere Mei, Deus - Stephen Cleobury
  6. Schindler's List - Tasmin Little
  7. Traumerei - Dame Moura Lympany
  8. Dance Of The Sylphs - Sir Neville Marriner
  9. Water Music - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
  10. Symphony No.9: II. Largo - Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
  11. Jean De Florette - Toots Thielemans
  12. Concerto For Lute And Two Violins - II. Largo - Anthony Bailes
  13. Cello Concerto In E Minor Op.85 - III. Adagio - Jacqueline De Pre
  14. Waltz No.15 In A Flat - Dame Moura Lympany
  15. Romance - Piers Lane
  16. Pavane - Maurice Handford
  17. Woodbrook - Micheal O Suilleabhain
  18. Time To Say Goodbye - Orchestra

Tracks:

  1. The Four Seasons - Concerto No.1 In E 'Spring' - Yehundi Menuhin
  2. Dance Of The Blessed Spirits - New Philharmonia Orchestra
  3. Double Violin Concerto In D Minor - II. Largo Ma Non Tanto - Yehudi Menuhin
  4. Prelude No.7 In A Op.28 No.7 - Tzimon Barto
  5. Cantique De Jean Racine - MONKS AND CHOIRBOYS OF DOWNSIDE ABBEY
  6. The Lark Ascending - Hugh Bean
  7. 'Pathetique Sonata Op.13 - II. Adagio Cantabile - Leonard Pennario
  8. Pie Jesu - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
  9. Salut D'Amour - Richard Hickox
  10. La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin (The Girl With Flaxen Hair) - Dame Moura Lympany
  11. The Coventry Carol - Medeval Babes
  12. Pavane For A Dead Princess - New Philharmonia Orchestra
  13. Liebestraum No.3 In A Flat - John Ogdon
  14. Panis Angelicus - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
  15. Piano Concerto No.2 In F Op.102 - II. Andante - Dmitri Alexeev
  16. Agnus Dei - Peter Barley
  17. Symphony No.5 In C Sharp Minor - IV. Adagietto - New Philharmonia Orchestra
  18. My Heart Will Go On - Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Eveer, Volume II.......2006-08-28

Good selection of music, poorly performed and badly arranged. Good album for a tag sale. Same comment applies for Volume I.

5 out of 5 stars Great music listein to while you read in bed.......2005-08-21

I have listened to this CD for the last several years before going to sleep at night. I love classical music, and this is great music to help make my soul feel at peace and unwind after a taxing day.

5 out of 5 stars A must buy for the non-snobbish classical music fan........2004-10-22

I bought Vol. 1 of this series and was quite satisfied, but I have to say I'm more than satisfied with this one. If you can just mellow out and enjoy some great pieces, you'll love this CD. #15 on Disc 2 is almost worth the price alone!

5 out of 5 stars A bliss of spirit........2004-09-18

That's disc will open You a wonderful, beautiful world of sounds, their harmony & emotion : you'll feel your heart full of
Joy, Tears, Love.
Good LUCK!

2 out of 5 stars Boring.......2004-05-11

Yes this CD will put you to sleep in minutes. Its the most boring uninspiring classical music. The first CD was very good but this Vol. 2 is like most movie sequels....AWFUL !
The Pianist: Music from the Motion Picture
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Marvellous!
  • Absolutely beautiful
  • one word beautiful
  • Felt the movie,now feel the music that truly inspires..
  • A Too-Easily Dismissed Artist
 The Pianist: Music from the Motion Picture
Janusz Olejniczak , and Frederic Chopin
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
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  3. The Pianist
  4. Shine: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  5. The Piano

ASIN: B00007E8SQ
Release Date: 2002-11-26

Tracks:

  1. Nocturne in C-Sharp minor (1830)
  2. Nocturne in E minor, Op. 72, No. 1
  3. Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1
  4. Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38
  5. Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
  6. Waltz No. 3 in A minor, Op. 34, No. 2
  7. Prilude in E minor, Op. 28, No. 4
  8. Grande Polonaise for Piano and Orchestra (preceded by an Andante Spianato), Op. 22
  9. Andante spianato in G Major
  10. Grande Polonaise in E-flat Major
  11. Moving to the Ghetto Oct. 31, 1940
  12. Mazurka in A minor, Op. 17, No. 4

Amazon.com

Roman Polanski's telling of famed Polish composer-pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman's survival in the Nazi-controlled Warsaw ghetto can't help but be infused with the director's deepest passions: he himself escaped the Kraków ghetto as a boy of 7. The musician's status as a musical hero to the oppressed Polish Jews of World War II was surpassed only by that of Chopin, the composer who was at the core of Szpilman's repertoire. Thus this score revolves tightly around Chopin's music, with modern Polish pianist Janusz Olejniczak paying passionate homage to both his musical and national forebears, the haunting strains of the Nocturne in C-sharp Minor setting the film's historical and dramatic tone. The underscore of previous Polanski collaborator Wojciech Kilar (The Ninth Gate, Death and the Maiden) is represented here by the soulful "Moving to the Ghetto," a cue that helps anchor the soundtrack's troubling time and place with understated grace. The collection concludes with a rare, remastered performance of Chopin's Mazurka Op. 17, No.4 by Szpilman himself, recorded in Warsaw in 1948. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Marvellous!.......2006-02-11

While being very familiar with the Holocaust and F. Chopin's work, I have to admit I had no idea who Wladyslaw Szpilman was. After watching Polanski's masterpiece of a movie, I'm glad that I got to know the life of a man who went through hell and managed to survive thanks to the courage and strength given to him by Chopin's music that he constantly played in his head under surreal circumstances.

"The Pianist" music soundtrack is a wonderful collection of Chopin's piano works. Of course a few masterpieces of the polish great composer have been left out, but I think that's more than understable. After all, Polanski needed certain pieces that connected best with some of the images and scenes of his movie. And in the end we all agree that he certainly pulled it off.

Before watching the movie, I didn't know who Janusz Olejniczak was either. Now I do. His Chopin is really marvellous, especially the "Nocturne in C-sharp Minor", "La grande Polonaise brillante" and "Nocturne in E Minor Op. 72 No 1". Getting to know Olejniczak's Chopin is yet another reason to be thankful to Polanski.

5 out of 5 stars Absolutely beautiful.......2006-01-30

While not versed in the finer aspects of classical music or their composers as other reviewers on this page are, I like to think of myself as someone who appreciates classical music and the Pianist soundtrack is classical music at its best.

Being half-Polish, I heard of Frederic Chopin through the years but was never told of him or his beautiful - if somewhat sad - music (I learned much about Beethoven, my favorite composer, though). I was cheated but feel that I have caught up for lost time with this soundtrack.

My favorite track is "Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72, No. 1." It's four and a half minutes of pure bliss. Kudos to Janusz Olejniczak for playing beyond beautiful piano (he's not a concert pianist for no reason, eh?).

The Pianist is one of the best movie soundtracks of all time. The movie was powerful (unlike *other* directors who made Holocaust films, Roman actually lived through that black period in human history, making it a cut above the rest), the book was moving and the soundtrack is great relaxation.

5 out of 5 stars one word beautiful.......2005-11-08

Excellent and very beautiful. The Grand Polonaise in E flat major fantastic.

4 out of 5 stars Felt the movie,now feel the music that truly inspires.........2005-05-29

The Pianist is a great and "fantaztisch" movie itself! Note the great actors Adrien Brody and Thomas Kretschmann. Now, how would the movie be without the music itself that inspired and still inspiring thousands of people who listened to it.

All the piano works are classical and have a story of it's own.
From the Nocturnes; sad, moving and played on the first part of the movie (yes, the intro) and when the jews are fighting and facing their nightmares.
To Ballade 1 & 2, which was played by Spilzman (adrien brody) in that movie when he met up with the german officer Hosenfeld (thomas kretschmann)..

Just by listening to the soundtrack you could already see and feel the whole movie. Especially the Nocturnes... very touching.. recommending this album to those who fell in love to the piano works in the movie like i was, just by listening it for the first time! :)

5 out of 5 stars A Too-Easily Dismissed Artist.......2005-05-09

A previous reviewer considerately corrected others who are perhaps not as well versed as he is about classical music. That reviewer also quite cavalierly dismissed the playing of Janusz Olejniczak, chiefly it appears because this is a movie soundtrack.
A number of eminent pianists - Rubinstein, Bolet, Moravec, Ax, among many others - have recorded movie soundtracks. And, like them, Olejniczak has recorded a great deal more. For instance, his albums for the Opus 111 label, which also recorded Sokolov, should be sampled by all lovers of Chopin, if only because Olejniczak can be heard playing on one record an Erard piano from Chopin's time, and on another an even more remarkable Pleyel. It's fascinating to find the Erard really does have what Chopin called a "ready-made" tone; the Pleyel by comparison is a revelation.
But then so it the playing of Olejniczak. He was not discovered by Roman Polanski. Olejniczak was a prize-winner of the Warsaw Chopin competition at the age of 18. He is greatly respected in his native Poland and in Japan, which both know something about great Chopin playing.
Olejniczak is a forceful artist who nevertheless never pounds; one frequently is put in mind of how Chopin envied the powerful way Liszt played his etudes. Olejniczak's Polish "accent" is, of course, entirely appropriate for Chopin, as is his wonderful voicing of chords and sure but free rhythm. Olejniczak plays with a full-throated lyricism -- it is the Bellini of "Norma" rather than "Sonnambula" -- but the pianist can also be touchingly tender. Above all he is dramatic in the fullest sense, vividly characterizing each piece. It's easy to see why Polanski and other film directors have been drawn to him. Chopin clearly is Olejniczak's life blood.
That previous reviewer may sincerely prefer such very different musicians, one to the other, as Rachmaninoff, Rubinstein, Cortot and Argerich, but I hope no one will hold it against Olejniczak (who, by the way, I don't know personally -- no special pleading here!) simply because he is not as widely known as some other pianists. He is a genuine find, and Polanski should be thanked for sharing a superb talent with a wider public.
Schubert: The Collector's Edition
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Schubert: The Collector's Edition

    Manufacturer: EMI Classics
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B000LXH0Y0
    Release Date: 2007-04-02
    Alegria
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Au Dela Des Couleurs by Francesca Gagnon
    • Beauty, Passion and Madness
    • An Amazing Journey To A World Of Joy And Wonder
    • Superb!
    • Very disappointed!
    		 Alegria

    Manufacturer: Cirque Du Soleil
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    1. Cirque du Soleil - Alegria (Live in Sydney)
    2. Cirque Du Soleil: Journey of Man
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    5. Cirque du Soleil - Midnight Sun

    ASIN: B0002KQNUO
    Release Date: 2004-07-27

    Tracks:

    1. Alegria
    2. Vai Vedrai
    3. Kalandiro
    4. Querer
    5. Irna
    6. Taruka
    7. Jeux D'enfants
    8. Mirko
    9. Icare
    10. Ibis
    11. Valsapena
    12. Nocturne

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Au Dela Des Couleurs by Francesca Gagnon.......2007-05-16



    If you like Francesca Gagnon's haunting voice on this Cirque du Soleil soundtracks check out her other CD Au Dela Des Couleurs

    5 out of 5 stars Beauty, Passion and Madness.......2007-03-22

    This CD is a bacchanalia. It is ecstatic and blissful and alien and sad and insane. There are so many worlds contained in this music that it's hard to describe. I have to say I've loved this CD for more than a decade and it has been a source of constant agony and joy and ecstasy. It doesn't age. It is a classic. There are so many nuances in it, so much fantasy, madness, passion and creativity that it is truly one of a kind. Each song produces a peculiar state of mind. I don't know how else to describe this experience. I'd say my favorite experiences are Mirki, Vai Vedrai, Querer (awesome!) and Valsapena. Please buy it and take the time to listen ... REALLY listen to it and experience it.

    5 out of 5 stars An Amazing Journey To A World Of Joy And Wonder.......2005-07-09

    Alegria means happiness in Spanish, and that't exactly what this CD delivers, a good dose of happiness and a nice escape route from the pre-packaged wasteland of FM radio in the 21st Century. Having bought the CD several years ago, I could hardly wait to compare the listening experience to the live performance that I saw earlier today, and I must admit, the CD was an excellent primer for the show.


    The most likable characteristic was the way the vocals in the live show matched the vocals on the CD.


    Listening to Alegria makes you feel as if you've entered a fantasy land full of benign and carefree elves, goblins, and other wondrous mischievous misfit creatures whose only job is to take you to the edge of enjoyment and to let you define what your own limits are. And while the visual effects of the live show are mesmerizing, they would be useless without this powerful sound track, which is worth listening to on its own merits.


    The songs are all built on melancholy keys, with the arrangements designed to tug at your emotions and create a feeling of Bohemia and old Europe. And despite the expectations of anyone who has ever seen a Cirque show, they deliver just the right dosage of fantasy and escapism with enough versatility to favor a nice drive, a quiet evening at home, or background music for a good book or even working on a project.


    My favorite song on the CD is Vai Vedrai, which is a trademark Cirque song, with the haunting vocal adding to the sentimental gipsy lament that it seems to be broadcasting.


    Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good alternative listen, wants to share music with the entire family, or is interested in the Cirque du Soleil phenomenon. Also recommended is a visit to any live performance by this troop, as well as any other of their CD, or DVD/VHS products. They truly deliver the goods.

    5 out of 5 stars Superb!.......2005-06-09

    I saw "Alegria" when it came to my area, and the show took my breath away. I have seen both "O" and "Dralion," and heard samplings of other Cirque shows, but "Alegria" has perhaps the most upbeat songs on it. Favorites include the title track, 'Vai Vedrai,' and 'Querer.'

    Definitely worth your money, and it provides very ecclectic listening/mood music.

    3 out of 5 stars Very disappointed!.......2005-01-11

    Despite the interesting and colorful jacket, the music is very disappointing. Most of the music sounds the same. This would not be a CD that I would recommend to others.
    Dinu Lipatti: Besancon Recital
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • A Divine Revelation
    • Fantastic
    		 Dinu Lipatti: Besancon Recital
    Dinu Lipatti , Frederic Chopin , and Johann Sebastian Bach
    Manufacturer: EMI Classics
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    4. Chopin: Waltzes Nos. 1-14
    5. Piano Concertos

    ASIN: B0001HAHPA
    Release Date: 2004-03-23

    Tracks:

    1. I. Prelude
    2. II. Allemande
    3. III. Courante
    4. IV. Sarabande
    5. V. Menuet I & Menuet II
    6. VI. Gigue
    7. I. Allegro Maestoso
    8. II. Andante Cantabile Con Espressione
    9. III. Presto
    10. No.3 In G Flat
    11. No.2 In E Flat
    12. No.5 In A Flat Op.42
    13. No.6 In D Flat Op.64 No.1
    14. No.9 In A Flat Op.69 No.1
    15. No.7 In C Sharp Op.64 No.2
    16. No.11 In G Flat Op.70 No.1
    17. No.10 In B Minor Op.69 No.2
    18. No.14 In E Minor Op.Posth.
    19. No.3 In A Minor Op.34 No.2
    20. No.4 In F Op.34 No.3
    21. No.12 In F Minor Op.70 No.2
    22. No.13 In D Flat Op.70 No.3
    23. No.8 In A Flat Op.64 No.3
    24. No.1 In E Flat Op.18

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars A Divine Revelation.......2005-06-14

    Everyone who knows what they are talking about agrees: Dinu Lipatti was heaven sent. Cortot thought so, so did Walter Legge and countless others. This recording is nothing short of the last and greatest divine revelation Lipatti gave us. The Schubert G Flat Major impromptu is one of the most amazing performances around. If you are a pianist, you must listen to Lipatti to understand what piano playing means.

    5 out of 5 stars Fantastic.......2004-07-08

    One of the most classic recitals in music history, played by a GOD.
    Maria João Pires - Chopin · The Nocturnes
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • An absolute treasure by a masterful artist
    • Clear and Flowing, with Emotions Churning Just Beneath the Music
    • Deep - The Simple made Complex
    • Stunning interpretation!!!
    • Chopin's Nocturnes as Songs for the Gloaming
    		 Maria João Pires - Chopin · The Nocturnes
    Frédéric Chopin , and Maria João Pires
    Manufacturer: Decca
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    4. Chopin: Nocturnes
    5. Maria Joao Pires ~ Chopin - Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 2 (Op. 21), 24 Preludes (Op. 28)

    ASIN: B000001GPN
    Release Date: 1996-11-19

    Tracks:

    1. No. 1 In B Flat Minor, Op. 9 No. 1: Larghetto
    2. No. 2 In E Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2: Andante
    3. No. 3 In B Major, Op. 9 No. 3: Allegretto
    4. No. 4 In F Major, Op. 15 No. 1: Andante cantabile
    5. No. 5 In F Sharp Major, Op. 15 No. 2: Larghetto
    6. No. 6 In G Minor, Op. 15 No. 3: Lento
    7. No. 7 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 1: Larghetto
    8. No. 8 In D Flat Major, Op. 27 No. 2: Lento sostenuto
    9. No. 9 In B Major, Op. 32 No. 1: Andante sostenuto
    10. No. 10 In A Flat Major, Op. 32 No. 2: Lento

    Tracks:

    1. No. 11 In G Minor, Op. 37 No. 1: Andante sostenuto
    2. No. 12 In G Major, Op. 37 No. 2: Andantino
    3. No. 13 In C Minor, Op. 48 No. 1: Lento
    4. No. 14 In F Sharp Minor, Op. 48 No. 2: Andantino
    5. No. 15 In F Minor, Op. 55 No. 1: Andante
    6. No. 16 In E Flat Major, Op. 55 No. 2: Lento
    7. No. 17 In B Major, Op. 62 No. 1: Andante
    8. No. 18 In E Major, Op. 62 No. 2: Lento
    9. No. 19 In E Minor, Op. Post 72 No. 1: Andante
    10. No. 20 In C Sharp Minor, Op. Post: Lento con gran espressione
    11. No. 21 In C Minor, Op. Post.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars An absolute treasure by a masterful artist.......2006-11-05

    Pires's interpretations not only do justice to these nocturnes; they reveal most eloquently their depth, splendor, and beauty. Her technique is both graceful and powerful at once, truly a delight to the heart and soul of the listener.

    No two artists are the same; the customer who recommends "skipping" this CD in favor of Rubinstein's interpretation does a disservice to those who would potentially find great satisfaction and joy from these recordings. Pires merits the highest of accolodes due any musician of her calibre.

    5 out of 5 stars Clear and Flowing, with Emotions Churning Just Beneath the Music.......2006-09-29

    This is romantic Chopin. There is a dreaminess to these performances, which is fitting for "nocturnes." The music flows above an undercurrent of emotion, which sometimes surges to the surface but never overwhelms the listener. This music transports the listener beyond him or herself to deeper levels of feeling. Just lovely, and highly recommended.

    5 out of 5 stars Deep - The Simple made Complex.......2006-07-22

    First, like everyone else I love Chopin, no suprises there
    Second, these are very slow, and relatively easy to play as far as Chopin's music goes, which allows the "interpretation" or "reading" to take precedence over the technicality one is often bombarded with ala Horowitz (not knocking Horowitz, he and Argerich are my personal favorites), allowing not only Chopin's ideas to come through but also ones own, which is exactly what happened when the stars aligned and Pires sat down to bless prosperity with imo THE BEST complete set of Nocturnes, I can't eat just one, this disc is meant to be played through on repeat, a copy remains in my truck along with Rabin's Caprices, Argerich's 1965 recording, and a Horowitz hodgepodge CD of my own creation, those 3 CD's usually don't get the response a lover of piano and fiddle expects, as most people hear that stuff and call it noise, but this set will please ANY audience, providing they like music and have emotions, words cannot express this set, personal favorite is Opus 9 no.2 btw, but it'll be something diff next week :P
    PS: all the other guys you hear about like Moravec and Pollini are OK but seem "constrained" imo, especially Pollini, I really can't listen them knowing this CD exists, if not this I would suggest Rubenstein as my second pick for the set, but again a distant 2nd

    5 out of 5 stars Stunning interpretation!!!.......2005-11-07

    First of all, I will join in lambasting the fool below who claims there is only one way to interpret this music.

    Chopin's nocturnes are not technically difficult pieces. Artistic interpretation is everything here. Maria Joao Pires plays with depth and sensitivity which rings true and clear. The first time I heard the first track (B-flat minor nocturne) on this set, my breath was taken away. This is truly a first class recording.

    I own the interpretations by Artur Rubinstein, Daniel Barenboim, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Claudio Arrau, Idil Biret (Naxos), and Ivan Moravec. Moravec's version has been hailed as the best of this group, and until I heard Pires, I would have agreed. However, Pires's interpretation is every bit as valid AND the modern Deutsche Grammophon sound quality is superb (I noticed this album is now sold under the Decca label). [By the way, if you buy Moravec's version, get the overseas digitally remastered Ultima Nonesuch version from a European vendor so you don't get stuck with the US-licensed version]

    5 out of 5 stars Chopin's Nocturnes as Songs for the Gloaming.......2005-09-18

    Maria João Pires is a pianist of subtle gifts and finds her niche in this popular recording of the twenty-one Nocturnes by Frédéric Chopin. And if ever there were a definitive mood for the setting of these beautiful, varied pieces it surely is in the hands of Pires. Other pianists may search for and find alternative phrasings to please the ear of their followers, but as for a presentation of the entire set of Nocturnes few can compete with this elegant performance.

    Pires plays with full command of both hands: one hand does not accompany the other as in the playing of some other pianists. Pires produces a rich palette of timbre and nuance and that approach is particularly appropriate for this opus by Chopin the pianist. The pacing of each nocturne seems to assuredly glide into the one that follows and the spaciousness allowed by the 2 CD format allows all the suspense and relaxation before an after each number. This is a fine recording, one of the best of the entire set of Nocturnes, and Maria João Pires deserves the accolades garnered from this special album. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, September 05
    Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan
    • Pure delight
    • Delicious G&S samplings abound here.
    • Fine Intro to G&S
    		 Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury
    Nicholas Folwell , Arthur Sullivan , Marie McLaughlin , Rebecca Evans , Anthony Rolfe Johnson , John Mark Ainsley , Alwyn Mellor , Anne Howells , Barry Banks , Eric Garrett , Felicity Palmer , Gareth Rhys Davies , Janice Watson , Julie Gossage , Neill Archer , Pamela Helen Stephen , Peter Savidge , Richard Stuart , Richard Suart , Richard Van Allan , Sir Thomas Allen [baritone] , Sir Charles Mackerras , and Welsh National Opera
    Manufacturer: Telarc
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    All Works by SullivanAll Works by Sullivan | Sullivan, Arthur | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B000003D1Y
    Release Date: 1996-01-23

    Tracks:

    1. A Wandering Minstrel I
    2. Behold The Lord High Executioner!
    3. Three Little Maids From School Are We
    4. Braid The Raven Hair
    5. The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring
    6. On A Tree By A River, A Little Tom-tit Sang, 'Willow, Tit-willow'
    7. For He's Gone And Married Yum-Yum
    8. We Sail The Ocean Blue
    9. I'm Called Little Buttercup
    10. My Gallant Crew
    11. When I Was A Lad
    12. Things Are Seldom What They Seem
    13. Never Mind The Why And Wherefore
    14. Climbing Over Rocky Mountain
    15. Poor Wand'ring One
    16. How Beautifully Blue The Sky
    17. I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General
    18. When The Foeman Bares His Steel
    19. Ah, Leave Me Not To Pine
    20. With Cat-Like Tread
    21. Is Life A Boon?
    22. I Have A Song To Sing, O!
    23. Were I Thy Bride
    24. Oh, A Private Buffoon Is A Light-Hearted Loon
    25. When A Wooer Goes A-Wooing
    26. When I, Good Friends, Was Called To The Bar
    27. A Nice Dilemma We Have Here
    28. Oh, Joy Unbounded

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan.......2004-03-15

    At the end of the 19th century (1870's, 80's and 90's) the compatible duo of librettist and composer Gilbert and Sullivan popularized the pre-Broadway entertainment of Savoy opera. These were light operas or operettas whose content was satire and comedy, full of bouncy melodies and beautiful singing, highly entertaining theatrical works staged at London's Savoy theatre. Gilbert and Sullivan did not always get along and in fact there was a time when they ended their professional relationship because personal conflicts surfaced. But they managed to create the world's most beloved light operas, over 40 of them. Their most famous are what I call the Big Three- The H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates Of Penzance and The Mikado. Other works include their first hit Trial By Jury, The Yeomen Of The Guard, Princess Ida, The Gondoliers, Patience and several others. A standard signature of Gilbert and Sullivan was in the colorful cast- a comic actor with a special kind of baritone voice, a canary-like and sweet-voiced coloratura or lyric diva, a mezzo soprano with strong chest register and a lyric tenor as the romantic hero. On this album, English conductor Sir Charles Mackerras, a popular figure in the classical music scene and opera, guides the Chorus and Orchestra Of the Welsh National Opera in generally well-delivered performances of excerpts from the operas The Mikado, The H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates Of Penzance, Yeomen Of The Guard and Trial By Jury. Although I feel that the recordings made by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, with Isodore Godfrey conducting and starring the best cast of the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire- the singers of the 60's and 70's- tenor Phillip Potter, soprano Valerie Masterson, baritone John Reed, Donald Adams and mezzo soprano Christine Palmer. Their version of the Pirates Of Penzance and the Mikado far outshine the Welsh National Opera in technical mastery and vibrant tone color.

    But these are fine excerpts. Especially appealing is the famous and cheerful "Three Little Maids From School Are We", a trio that imitates Japanese style melody. Most of the Mikado does this, for it was inspired by Japanisme or the new fashion in Victorian England- everything Japanese, from prints to paintings to poetry. Gilbert and Sullivan simply "Japanized" their English operettas. The Finale "For He's Gone To Marry Yum Yum" is an ebullient and pleasant finale. Not featured here is the domineering and powerful Katisha, a figure who stands out in the Mikado.

    The H.M.S. Pinafore is Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular work. The sea chanty "We Sail The Ocean Blue" opens the opera with appropriate atmosphere and it seems to fit perfectly with the other scene in which the Captain greets his crew and they sing his praises "My Gallant Crew..I am the Captain Of The Pinafore". A beautiful melody that seems to come out of a romantic Offenbach tune is "I"m Called Little Buttercup". The finale, not featured here, is also very engaging "For He Is An Englishman" which can almost resemble a British national anthem. The Yeomen Of The Guard was Gilbert and Sullivan's "serious opera" eventhough it remains very Savoyard. The plot deals with Tudor England and takes place at the London Tower. "I have a song to sing" makes use of what can be taken for an English ballad of the Renaissance. Trial By Jury, about the eccentric and hilarious activity of a court trial, has a sextet that although different in composition, has the sextet "Che Mi Frena" from Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor in mind. All in all, an excellent recording sure to delight young and old.

    5 out of 5 stars Pure delight.......2003-08-02

    --Gilbert & Sullivan--
    William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan were a match made in heaven, yet on earth their pairing seems even with hindsight a most unlikely coupling. Both were destined for other things, Gilbert in fact for decidedly non-musical careers. Introduced by a mutual friend, Fred Clay, the fledgling lyricist Gilbert met the military-band-leader's son Sullivan and together continued to conspire to inspire the delights of audiences from high Victorian times down to the present, as their work in musical theatre comedy continues to provide merriment throughout the English-speaking world and beyond.

    --The Music--
    This collection includes highlights from five of the most popular Gilbert & Sullivan operettas: The Mikado, HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, The Yeoman of the Guard, and Trial by Jury. The arrangements and orchestrations are delightfully energetic and clear; the characterisation and vocal qualities of the leads are perfect for their roles. The haughty if misplaced Lord of the Admiralty has the perfect combination of insecurity and pompous officiousness. The Plaintiff and the Defendant in the Trial are perfectly cast. This is a collection of highlights - at least three but no more than seven songs each, but this gives a good flavour of the music. The recordings on this collection come from complete performances by Mackerras and the WNO.

    --Sir Charles Mackerras--
    Mackerras is one of the geniuses of the twentieth century musical scene. Having a conducting career that includes the Hamburg Opera, the English National Opera (formerly Sadlers Wells Opera), and the Welsh National Opera (the performers for this piece), he has also conducted major orchestras on the continent of Europe and in the United States. The holder of many major awards and honourary doctorates, he has devoted much time and energy to the preservation and performance of eighteenth and nineteenth century music, as well the restoration of historical musical venues, such as the Estates Theatre in Prague, scene of the original production of Don Giovanni (Mackerras conducted the opera there to commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Mozart).

    --Welsh National Opera Orchestra and Chorus--
    The seeds of the WNO were planted in Cardiff during World War II by music lovers; the first performances occurred a year after the war's end, with Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci on the bill, with Faust the next night. Popular appeal was so great that the WNO was established, later adding choruses in both Cardiff and Swansea. The professional chorus was established in 1973, with a strength that matches the orchestra. They continue an ambitious performance schedule for recording and live events; Mackerras remains the Conductor Emeritus, as the WNO continues under the direction of Carlo Rizzi. The list of awards the WNO has won over the years is staggering - they are a world class institution by any measure.

    --Other performers--
    Notable singers such as Richard Stuart, Rebecca Evans, Felicity Palmer, John Mark Ainsley and Anne Howells lead the chorus with stunning vocals and clever characterisations of the parts they play. Many (such as Stuart and Evans) play the leading roles across several of the pieces of the disc.

    --Liner Notes--
    The liner notes give a good introduction and biographical information about Gilbert and Sullivan, as well as synopses of the five pieces presented here. It does not, unfortunately, include any information about Mackerras, the WNO Orchestra and Chorus, or the other special performers. It also does not include the lyrics to the songs. Were the quality of the CD not so great, this might cost it a star in rating.

    --Overall Impressions--
    I play this CD in my car, in my home and in my office frequently. It is a great sing-along work and a great comedic relief from the stresses of the day. The music is bubbly and clear; the recording quality is excellent and crisp. I recommend this to any Gilbert & Sullivan lover, any fan of musical comedy, opera and operettas, and anyone who delights in good music.

    5 out of 5 stars Delicious G&S samplings abound here........2003-05-06

    The first thing I should be saying is "What an infectuous G&S CD." Indeed this is, with this fine sampling of the peppy and bright Mackerras series. I know I have praised its "Mercedes-Benz quality" elsewhere on these pages, but that doesn't stop me from saying that everyone is in fine voice. This generously filled CD may only focus on five operas, but at least you can savour a reasonable choice sampling of delights from each one. Of particular interest is Richard Suart's patter-baritone parts and the soaring lyric soprano of Rebecca Evans. The selection on this disc is filled with a mixture of familiar favourites and lesser-known gems such as the female choruses in Mikado and Pirates. Mackerras is a true G&S conductor, but one who always springs rhythms crisply, and adopts peppy tempo for the fast bits. The one drawback is that this selection is far too infectuous that you'll want to shell out money to buy the full 5-CD Mackerras cycle - an incredible bargain with most of the operas fitted onto one disc each. But still, this is at least a decent G&S sampling for beginners, capped with Steven Ledbetter's copious liner notes. It will leave you wanting to say "dammit I'm going to play it again."

    5 out of 5 stars Fine Intro to G&S.......2000-12-30

    This is the perfect CD for those who may not be familiar with G&S, or for the initiated who want a smattering but don't have the mother of all CD changers. The difficulty with any G&S Greatest Hits CD is determining which pieces to leave off; while one could easily point to any number equally good bits, it would be difficult to argue about the quality of the choices included. The only problem, such as it is, is that after listening to it I am usually induced to go back and listen to the whole opera anyway. The Mackerras recordings are uniformly excellent. I have read elsewhere the criticism that they are too 'operatic' for light opera. If by this it is meant that the singers are too good, then I leave it to the discretion of the listener when the singing becomes too good to be enjoyable.
    Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated!
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • politics and music or simply just music now?
    • Superb performance of a masterpiece
    • Hamelin and Rzewski are awesome United
    • Post-modern interpretation of a legendary work
    • Very cool variations
    		 Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated!

    Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    Similar Items:
    1. Rzewski Plays Rzewski: Piano Works 1975-1999
    2. Marc-Andre Hamelin: It's All About the Music
    3. Marc-André Hamelin Live at Wigmore Hall
    4. Medtner: Complete Piano Sonatas, Forgotten Melodies / Hamelin
    5. Godowsky: The Complete Studies on Chopin's Etudes

    ASIN: B00000IXWM
    Release Date: 1999-05-11

    Tracks:

    1. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Thema: With Determination
    2. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 1: Weaving; Delicate But Firm
    3. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 2: With Firmness
    4. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 3: Slightly Slower, With Expressive Nuances
    5. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 4: Marcato
    6. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 5: Dreamlike, Frozen
    7. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 6: Same Tempo As Beginning
    8. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 7: Tempo (Lightly, Impatiently)
    9. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 8: With Agility; Not Too Much Pedal; Crisp
    10. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 9: Evenly
    11. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 10: Comodo, Recklessly
    12. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 11: Temp I. Like Fragments Of An Absent Melody - In Strict Time
    13. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 12
    14. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 13: Tempo = 72
    15. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 14: A Bit Faster, Optimistically
    16. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 15: Flexible, Like An Improvisation
    17. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 16: Same Tempo As Preceding, With Fuctuations; Much Pedal
    18. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 17: LH Strictly - RH Freely, Roughly As In Space
    19. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 18
    20. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 19: With Energy
    21. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 20: Crisp, Precise
    22. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 21: Relentless, Uncompromising
    23. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 22
    24. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 23: As Fast As Possible With Some Rubato
    25. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 24
    26. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 25: With Tempo Fluctuations
    27. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 26: In A Militant Manner
    28. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 27: Tenderly, And With A Hopeful Expression
    29. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 28
    30. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 29
    31. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 30
    32. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 31
    33. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 32
    34. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 33
    35. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 34
    36. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 35
    37. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Variation 36
    38. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Cadenza (Optional Improvisation)
    39. The People United Will Never Be Defeated!: Thema: Tempo I
    40. Down by the Riverside
    41. Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues

    Amazon.com

    Frederic Rzewski's homage to Latin American liberation struggles is well represented, with stunning interpretations by such luminaries as Stephen Drury and Ursula Oppens prior to this version by Marc-André Hamelin. Drury's version might well be the high-water mark, in part because New Albion Records wisely included a rousing 1975 live version of the original Sergio Ortega liberation anthem with Quilapayun and thousands of singers to give the piano performance context.

    But comparing two versions of these 36 variations on the song's theme is fraught, given Rzewski's heavily improvisational performance instructions (e.g., to play variation 11 "like fragments of an absent melody--in strict time," variation 27 "Tenderly, and with a hopeful expression"). Hamelin takes the piece more strictly and in more clearly virtuosic terms than Drury, just as he's taken Scriabin and Medtner. He starts off stronger and paces himself differently, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, but always more deliberately. People is a work prone to radically different interpretations, and while it's easy to compare Hamelin and Drury, it's musically better to take each on its own. It's folksy, rootsy music that gets microtonal in fragments and deconstructs the melody so thoroughly that it'll be 36 times lovelier when you're done listening. The added bonus of Hamelin's version is the inclusion of the warm "Down by the Riverside" and "Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues," both given the theme-restatement-improvisation processing treatment that marks Rzewski's unparalleled work in traditional folk musics. --Andrew Bartlett

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars politics and music or simply just music now?.......2004-11-30

    I find it diffucult listening to this work. It certainly has entered the world piano repertoire, at least a dozen pianists play this work. Curious how I still prefer Rzewski himself. Perhaps it is his combustible energy and anarchistic tendencies,his innovative demaeanor sitting at the piano,where he can take off into a free improvisation at any moment. That's what makes his performance(s) special or compelling than the others. Oppens by comparison is rather timid and tenuous,even if overwhelmingly polished and correct as correct can be. Still politics is a dirty business, and music cannot be precious then or cloistered within some special aesthetic preserve. I think that is where we want it to be, for all of the pianists who play this work do so within bourgeois venues,with large ticket prices, hardly the place for working people, and hardly a place these various pianists would care to alter.( I don't see this work played at worker meetings,or fundraisers,or Socialist conventions) Pianists have careers you know,one devoted to making as much money as possible.

    When this work graced the globe in the late Seventies it was indeed incredibly necessary. I guess it still is a necessary work,given the change post 9/11 in paradigm,added to the virutalizations and digitalizations of culture now.
    Live music it seems and music played from sheet music in a public place, in and of itself is subversive within the neo-liberal order. What time does to music(if it wears it away or morphes its content) is curious to ponder. How much shelf-life is within any musical work irrespective of its content, context or affinity. I think Rzewski post-modern masterwork still has resonance within that context.

    Great that Hamelin chose this work when he could have easily simply chosen another Sorabji or Finnissy work for contemplation.

    5 out of 5 stars Superb performance of a masterpiece.......2004-09-07

    During the 1970s, the inspiring pianist Ursula Oppens commissioned Rzewski to write a set of variations that she would perform at Carnegie Hall together with Beethoven's Diabelli Variations. The result was a masterpiece of 20th century Romanticism, continuing the clear line from Beethoven through Brahms that faltered with the deaths of McDowell, Medtner, and Rachmaninov in the first half of the 20th century. Rzewski takes a catchy tune, a Chilean protest song, and pulls it apart in a multitude of ways, each subset of variations teasing the listener with increasingly remote references to the original melody. From time to time the effect verges on noise, only to be relieved by a lyrical or passionate return to harmony and tunefulness. As a set of variations, this piece deserves to be classed with the Diabelli Variations and Mendelssohn's equally outstanding Variations Serieuses.

    While Oppens's performance of Rzewski's "The People United Will Never Be Defeated" was a justifiably famous landmark, doing full justice to the formidable challenge of bringing coherence to a work of such complexity, Marc Andre Hamelin offers something very special in this recording --- a transcendental technique in the original sense of Liszt's term, namely the ability to play difficult passages with such limpid clarity and evenness that the listener's attention is not diverted from the music by an awareness of effort.

    The combination of Rzewski and Hamelin is irresistible and results in one of the most intense and rewarding listening experiences the piano aficionado can hope for. Hamelin's genius is that his technical virtuosity is never employed for empty display, always to thoughtfully package an insightful interpretation. Intellectually, he is as profound as Brendel, while physically having far greater resources at his disposal. He is a truly remarkable pianist, here playing a truly remarkable work. Having heard Oppens and Hamelin play these variations, each infusing the music with their distinctive personalities, there is only one other pianist whose treatment, were he ever to essay such, I would dearly like to hear --- Lang Lang, the Chinese pianist whose technique like Hamelin's is transcendental and whose innate musicality restrains youthful bravura so that delicacy and control become the features of his performances.

    5 out of 5 stars Hamelin and Rzewski are awesome United.......2003-08-04

    This is a work of the utmost technical difficulty and yet Hamelin sails through it as if it were no more imposing than Hanon Exercises - and that is by no means to suggest that the playing is mechanical - far from. Every variation is treated to its own unique shadings and nuances that stand on their own as well as successfully integrating everything played before. The work radiates and contemplates. This work is truly a masterpiece . Add Hamelin and it is a meeting of two masters. Highly recommended. *****

    5 out of 5 stars Post-modern interpretation of a legendary work.......2002-06-16

    Everything that can be said has be said about Rzewki's 36 Variations on "The People United Shall Never be Defeated!". It is an amazing work that hopefully, and should, stand the test of time and go down as one of the true benchmarks in the classical opus. It is a ravashing series of variations, which are only more amazing when one comes to understand the underlying structure that Rzewski used as his formal blueprint. It is a work of pure genious that must be heard, as words cannot describe it or even begin to do it justice. From the determined mood of the opening theme through the final cadenza and conclusion, the listener is treated to an array of styles an statements (ranging from the blues, to impressions of Stockhausen's 'Klavierstucke X', and many many others) all inevitably leading back to the final declaration, and NEVER losing the spirit of the tune throughout.

    This work provides American classical piano music with a companion book-end to Ives' Piano Sonata No. 2 "Concord, Mass 1840 - 1860" as truly great, and monumental (!!!), piano works which provide the classical community to the ultimate statements in music.

    Marc-Andre Hamelin is a pianist who ventures towards the gigantic of the piano repertoire. With that being said, it should come as no suprise that he chose to record this great work (since he has also recorded Alkan, Ives' "Concord" Sonata, and ALL of Godowsky's 53 Studies on Chopin's Etudes). With that being said, it is oh so interesting to hear his reading of "The People United". It is so vastly different from Rzewski's own performance as Hammelin performs it with the classical virtuoso's touch and feel. He is much more straight forward with his pace and use of rubato, but the end result is fantastic. A high degree of determination and invitability can be felt in Mr. Hamelin's performance, which is very fitting of the mood of the original song. Also, there is no mistaking the healthy vitality which resonates through every note. Combining all of these elements creates a performance which is truly special.

    Do not hesitate one second to purchase this album, as the combination of modern writing laced with classical sensibilities creates a truly unique musical experience that should not be missed.

    5 out of 5 stars Very cool variations.......2001-03-08

    This 'The people united will never be defeated!(El Pueblo Unido Jamas Sera Vencido!)' is not originally composed by Rzewski. This music is the song which was sung by Chileans who struggled to acquire liberty and right againt despotic Chilean government in 1960s. Rzewski borrowed this song and arrange it for the solo piano. You can listen to the theme of the song in 1st track, which is such a beautiful melody. He, then, made 36 variations with various techiques such as harmony, fugue, tonal way, atonal way, and so on. Even if you feel difficulties in some variations which are composed with atonal way, I'm sure, you would not abandon the disk which you listen to, because the variations are so beatiful and brilliant, and Hamelin's performance is so incredible! After 36th variation, you can listen to the main theme again, which is more solemn than first one. In conclusion, this music is orinally popular song leading listeners to a deep hollow which fascinate them with various classical composition techniques, and with Hamelin's wonderful performance. The people listen to it will never be disappointed!

    Music Composers:

    1. Rossini, Gioacchino Antonio
    2. Rouse, Christopher
    3. Roussel, Albert
    4. Ruders, Poul
    5. Rutter, John
    6. Frederic Rzewski
    7. Saariaho, Kaija
    8. Saint-Georges, Le Chevalier De
    9. Saint-Saëns, Camille
    10. Sainte Colombe

    Music Composers

    Music Composers