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Sibelius - Complete Symphonies

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > General
from: RCA Red Seal

March 15, 2004
I only really came to appreciate Sibelius in the last couple of years, travelling through time from Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms; I'm glad to have taken the trouble.

Although I find something a little sterile about some aspects of the performances of some parts of this bargain box, I guess that Sir Colin Davis is allowed to relax a little on this umpteenth traversal of Sibelius's orchestral music.

The RCA sound quality is just fine and I agree with the other reviewers that this set would make a great choice for Sibelius beginners; it certainly proved to be so for me!

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Mozart: Clarinet Concerto / Clarinet Quintet

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > General
from: Universal Classics

February 12, 1996
These performances date from the early 1970s (if I remember correctly), so I, for one, am willing to overlook the inevitable background hiss from the master tapes. As for the quality of the re-mastering, the hiss could have been reduced further, but only at the expense of the purity of the recorded music - you never get something for nothing in this life. Jack Brymer's clarinet tone had a liquid, velvety quality like nobody else's I've ever heard and for me it is more important to preserve that in this recording than to reduce the tape hiss. Brymer was one of the finest clarinetists of the 20th century and his performance of these works is characterised by a calm maturity that I find absolutely spellbinding. These are legendary performances ... Read More:

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Snowflakes are dancing

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > General
by: Tomita

February 07, 2000
Everyone who has reviewed this album so far remembers where they first heard it, which says a lot for it's impact. My own awakening to Tomita's extraordinary interpretation was at Vancouver Planetarium in 1977. Some of the tracks accompanied a wonderful show, and I was so impressed that I asked the operator to tell me the name of the artist. I bought the vinyl edition in Vancouver and still have it. I am delighted to find a remastered CD available. Debussy's music is normally delicate and sparkling with sunlight. Tomita gave the themes operatic depth which, to me, swell the richer colours while preserving Debussy's magical qualities. As a frustrated film-maker i'd love to use these versions as a background to romantic scenes.

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Spanish Guitar Recital

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > General
from: Classical Navigator

October 08, 1994
This album showcases Julian Bream's supreme ability to interpret the spanish classical repertoire as no-one else can. His extraordinary musical sensitivity and stunning technique allow him to bring this music alive, and to evoke the land and culture from which it came in vivid colour. The tonal range he coaxes from the instrument is incredible, and the quality of these recordings is particularly high.

The pieces attempted here are a varied and rewarding selection. A highlight for me is Granados' wonderful "Danzas Españolas Op.37 No.4". The introduction is sparse and lightly phrased, with a dancing melody and chimed counter-rhythms that build into a rolling, powerful theme, and Bream plays it superbly. Albeniz's well-known "Suite española ... Read More:

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Once in a Red Moon

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > General
by: Secret Garden

April 22, 2002
"Once in a red moon" is a symphony for instruments and voice, echoing hebraic and medieval, celtic and spanish musicalities. The elegiac theme in "Awakening" is resumed and varied all along the album, finally ending with dramatic tones of requiem in "Elegie". Two other compositions stand out from the instrumental part: the energetic "Invitation", a record of joyous sonority and beating effect, and "Fairytale", a musical ballad with trobadoric rhythm. The vocal part is dominated by "You raise me up", where Irish voices of Belfast singer Brian Kennedy and Anúna choir are called to illuminate the spirituality of the lyric, and "Gates of dawn", where the powerful, Gaelic melodiosity of Scottish singer Karen Matheson is transposed in a solo performance in English ... Read More:

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The Music Man - Original Broadway Cast

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > General
from: Hmv

April 05, 1993
"Once in a red moon" is a symphony for instruments and voice, echoing hebraic and medieval, celtic and spanish musicalities. The elegiac theme in "Awakening" is resumed and varied all along the album, finally ending with dramatic tones of requiem in "Elegie". Two other compositions stand out from the instrumental part: the energetic "Invitation", a record of joyous sonority and beating effect, and "Fairytale", a musical ballad with trobadoric rhythm. The vocal part is dominated by "You raise me up", where Irish voices of Belfast singer Brian Kennedy and Anúna choir are called to illuminate the spirituality of the lyric, and "Gates of dawn", where the powerful, Gaelic melodiosity of Scottish singer Karen Matheson is transposed in a solo performance in English ... Read More:

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Regimental Marches, Vol.2

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > General
by: Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards

October 01, 1999
This, and the sister CD are the finest recordings of the type I have heard.

Just like playing in the longest playoff ever.

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The World's Greatest Mozart Album

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > General
from: Decca

May 08, 2000

Putting a title like `Worlds Greatest' on the front of a CD is obviously a bold claim, and one which many people have become so familiar with that they tend to take it with a pinch of salt. There are so many ways of trying to catch the buyers interest that very few titles like these really jump out at the buyer.

This one did jump out at me, though not so much for the choice of tracks, more for the quality of artists who perform them. Considering this is only a 2CD set, far too short for any Mozart compilation, the list of performers reads like a roll call for the best `Last Night of the Proms' ever staged.

A simple list of some of the orchestras, conductors, singers and soloists sums up this gem of an album:

Orchestras: ... Read More:

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Vaughan Williams: Vocal Works

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > General
from: Hyperion

July 01, 1994
This is a splendid disc! The Serenade to Music is performed in its original version for soloists which is quite different (better?) than the subsequent choral version. The soloists present a marvellous account and the orchestral textures provide a ravishing counterpoint. Of particular note is the violin solo at the beginning which ably sets the scene for this account.
The Mystical Songs (text by George Herbert) are wonderfully sung by Thomas Allen and yet again are accompanied with great sensitivity and skill. The orchestral texture in Love bade me welcome is particularly fine as is Allen's performance which captures the tentative steps of the narrator into relationship with the Divine with an understated passion.
Nabuko Imai's Viola Solo at the beginning of ... Read More:

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Music for Weddings

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > General
from: Classic FM

February 20, 2006

Weddings often bring out the best in music, and this `Classic FM Music For Weddings' certainly reflects the type of music being played at today's happy occasions.

It has though been superseded by the 2CD Classic FM `Weddings 2008' which not only gives a little more choice but more importantly divides the music into two categories - religious weddings and church weddings, for it is easy to forget that sacred music (loosely termed as that which was written for the church or a religious occasion) is not allowed to be played at civic weddings while the registrar is present.

With that in mind, this is still a good album of lovely music, and although suitable for all church services, you should check with the registrar before playing it at civil ... Read More: