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The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe: TV soundtrack [SOUNDTRACK]

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
by: Original Soundtrack

October 01, 1999
I bought this album after a search as basically I could not get the theme music out of my head after 40 plus years.

The haunting themes remain one of the great TV programme soundtracks. They were never obtrusive but added to the atmosphere to a stupendous series.

Much recommended to all 40 somethings and makes this reviewer wish for the simpler life and entertainment we had in those halcyon days of the 60's and 70's

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Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
by: Various Artists, Richard Wagner

May 25, 1998
This is a two-CD collection of some of the finest orchestral moments in Wagner's operatic repertoire. It is in many respects the perfect introduction to the power of his music.

The first CD focuses on "music of power, conflict and death" (as the blurb states), whilst the second concentrates on "music of love, ecstasy and redemption". We can all take this with a pinch of salt, of course, but that is not to deny the power of the music.

The extracts are from the Deutsche Grammophon and Decca catalogues, featuring top orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and the Philharmonia, conducted by the likes of Karajan, Bohm and Sinopoli.

It's not a perfect collection. For example, many of the tracks ... Read More:

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Classic FM Music for Driving

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
from: Classic FM.(Export

July 12, 2004

The `Classic FM Music For' series of CDs, released during 2004 to 2005, aims to provide classical music to suit a variety of moods and occasions, including music for Babies, Bath time, Christmas, Dinner Parties, Driving, Fitness, Romance, Mums, Studying and Weddings.

This collection of well chosen short pieces, intended to be played while driving, is more of a cross section of classical music's most popular hits (they will be familiar to most non-classical fans) than a good listening accompaniment for driving - musical taste will surely dictate the most suitable music for that.

Some of the albums in the series are appropriate for the occasion, but this one is simply a very good selection of classical music suitable for listening ... Read More:

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A New Journey

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
by: Celtic Woman

June 04, 2007
So there I was browsing books at my favorite Barnes and Noble book store. While looking at all the new arrivals I heard the most beautiful music begin to play. At first I hummed along and continued to browse the books. My mood was uplifted almost immediately. When Caledonia began to play I made my way back to the music department to see what was playing. It was this CD. I purchased a copy of the CD right then and there. Now I've had the CD home for a little over two weeks and I've listened to it already countless times. It has the power to make the commute to work happier, housework less tiresome, writing more productive.

This excellent CD is populated with excellent orchestral music accompanied by the most crystal clear angelic voices you'll ever ... Read More:

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Alison Balsom - Caprice: Trumpet Transcriptions

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
by: Various Composers

September 04, 2006
Alison Balsom, Caprice

This is the third CD from Alison Balsom, released September 2006, again on the EMI Classics label and has since been awarded the title of 'Solo CD of the Year 2006' by Brass Band World magazine. Named after Paganini's `Caprice No. 24 (the fifth track on the album), this is a collection of widely varied pieces of work, only one of which was originally written for the trumpet. Almost the entire disc represents transcriptions of works for other solo instruments and orchestrations.

Starting with Mozart's familiar `Rondo alla turca' is a safe introduction to ease the listener into this sometimes uneasy collection. Opinions will be mixed, for Mozart's original version (piano sonata in A major K331) for piano/harpsichord is ... Read More:

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Wild Swans

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
from: ABC Classics

July 03, 2006
This album is absolutely fantastic and you actually feel what is happening in the fairy tale.

The problem is that people do not know that Elena Kats-Chernin composed this music for a ballet "The Wild Swans" and every piece of music relates to something in the fairy tale. Eliza Aria (the music on the Lloyds advert is the piece composed about the Princess) who was turned mute after a spell was cast upon her by her wicked Stepmother.

In a faraway kingdom, there lives a King with his twelve children: eleven princes and one princess. One day, he decides to remarry. He marries a wicked Queen who is actually a witch. Out of spite, the queen turns her eleven stepsons into swans and forces them to fly away. They carry their fifteen year old sister Elisa ... Read More:

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Miss Saigon [Original London Cast]

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
from: Geffen

November 26, 1990
Having seen the original show with Jonathan Pryce and Lea Salonga, I also saw it a year later when the understudy was playing Kim and was not disappointed. All those years ago I brought my 5 year old up with the soundtrack and always promised her that if it came back to the stage I would take her. Now she is 15 and I was able to keep my promise at the Milton Keynes venue of the current tour and she was absolutely blown away. Jonathan Pryce was fab as the engineer in the original show, and I'm glad I saw him in that part, but the current cast, although doing a variation of the original is certainly not a disappointment. My daughter Hannah is desperate to see it again, with her friends, and the only down side is it is realistically not close enough to go again. If you ... Read More:

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Oliver (1994 London Cast)

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
from: First Night Records

March 21, 1995
This is the revived version of the classic 'Oliver' musical that was based on 'Oliver Twist' by Dickens. It is a triumph! I absolutely love it! With music that lifts you up and stirs the emotions. We are invited to follow Oliver, a small timid orphan, on his journey in search of love. Along the way we meet such wonderful characters as Fagan (played by Jonathan Price), the artful dodger, Nancy(played by Sally Dexter) and the terrifying Bill Sykes (played by the wonderful Miles Anderson). It is truley a heart warming story that is told so beautifully as only music could! It is like one of those films that you can watch over and over again - each time you listn to it you find something new and wonderful! Don't let faffy school productions put you off such a beautiful musical! ... Read More:

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Mozart - Don Giovanni

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
by: Eberhard Wächter, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Piero Cappuccilli, Gottlob Frick, Luigi Alva, Carlo Maria Giulini

September 02, 2002
Don Giovanni is perhaps the greatest opera of all and has been very lucky on disc with many fine recordings. This one, however, just about tops the lot. It has Guilini and the Philamonia at the top of their game, a simply wonderful cast with Wachter as the most demonic Don on record, and Legge's superb production. The recording still sounds well though not quite up to the latest digital standards, of course. But it is one of Legge's best. Just listen to the climax with chords thundering and Frick's sepulchral bass summoning Giovanni to hell. If the hairs don't rise on your neck then you can demand your money back!
For a refreshing alternative try Jacobs (HM) but all round this one is the tops.

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Film 100

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical Music
by: London Philharmonic Orchestra

October 02, 2006
If you're looking for any CD's with movie music, this would be my first, and only, stop. There's something for everyone, and although stuff like the Indiana Jones theme is missing, and the opera CD (Disc 5) is a little week, the likes of "Ride of the Valkiryies" and "Ode to Joy" is just timeles, and best of all, immortalised by the films they're featured in, the compliment of all compliments to these films. It's very cheap to, I would highly recommend this.