of Montreal

This is perhaps the best Of Montreal album to date. Fusing the pop-prowess of "Hissing Fauna..." with the schizophrenic-pastiche songwriting of "Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies..." and "The Bedside Drama," it truly is a perfect postmodern pop album. People have slammed this album pretty hard for being self-indulgent and all over the place sonically, but it is truly one of the most engaging albums of the year. It has the soul of Marvin Gaye, the funk of Prince, the glamour and pop sensibilities of David Bowie and the perfect mixture of frank sexuality and sardonic wit.

Best Pop Album of 2008

This cd is like taking an evening out at the circus. Each act, though uniformly different, blends together perfectly under the same tent, with aeralists and fire-breathers in one corner and clowns juggling knives in the other. In sum, there's a lot going on at once, and for the most part, the result is utter bliss if you're looking for an edge to your music. The first single, Id Engager, is a stellar party anthem, chock-full of hooks and distorted drums, while An Eluardian Instance is a horn-fueled clutter-bitch of alt-poppy goodness, turning on its heavenly heel at the end. That's the thing about Skeletal lamping, each song melts into another, and once you feel like you know where you're headed, you're flipped in an entirely new direction. What a great vibe this album has. A definite must for 2008.

"Skeletal Lamping" is a great record. Period.

Why is it so great? To me, it is a great record because it is challenging, but at the same time its approachable. It is a continuation of Of Montreal's experimentation with dance/ electronica that many had thought they perfected with "Hissing Fauna..." But their previous album was only the start. While experimental, there are some great, persona; lyrics, and complex wordplay therein for the listener. "I held your flag when nobody else did." Sometimes they're amusing... "you only like him 'cos he's sexually appealing, but I read his diary, it was quite revealing."

I'm not with the album right now, so I might be misqouting these. I read an interview with Kevin Barnes recently, where he spoke about really wanting to toy with song structure, and how it is perceived. While few songs have that verse-chorus-verse-bridge-etc easily identified within them, the movements of the songs on this album are seemless and make sense.

I still prefer earlier Of Montreal music, but if it weren't for the dance sensibilities of these more recent albums... I don't know. Of Montreal have turned me on to some new sounds, and if that doesn't make their music important, than I don't know what could.

I am quite torn on this album; I can't figure out if it's...
a.) A work of self-indulgence that has some great pop moments surrounded by filler. With lines like "I'm just a black she-male" and "We can do it softcore if you want, don't you know I do it both ways"; I'm not sure if Barnes is offering any insight on sexuality or if he's trying to stretch out his image as the eccentric, daring songwriter. At least the pure weirdness of 'Coquelicot...' could be seen as the product of 'lysergic bliss', if Barnes is bringing up the topic of sexuality/relationships, he ought to say something meaningful. You can't have it both ways (oh, I'm so clever).

b.) A work of eccentric genius. There are plenty of bands that have multiple parts in songs, but he's taking it to a new level. Instead of being able to judge each song on its own merits, the whole album is in flux. The album is more of an experience than a collection of distinct songs. While this experience would make your average person a tad uncomfortable, it is the weird/quirky/ambiguous nature of it all that makes it so thrilling.

This is an album that's going to take some time to pin down how I feel about it, but isn't that what art is supposed to do? Question our values/assumptions and make us think.

This is a tough one.

Whatever you want!!!
Open your mind and enjoy, because this album is SO WEIRD. Let's make clear, If there's one thing to be said about "Kevin Barnes a.k.a. / alter ego Georgie Fruit", it's that he has never been afraid to do exactly what he wants with his music and his art, perverting US indie for more than ten years, with his mix of electronic psychedelia and 1980's funk-pop. On his ninth album, he has shifted the focus back to his wicked side.
"Skeletal Lamping", the band's new album, in which he takes on bizarro personas tackling every facet of love and relationships, from the freaky stuff behind closed doors to just plain heartache. It's by far the densest, most rhythmic, most carnal and most epic release from Of Montreal yet.
Barnes has made it known that the album centers on his alter ego Georgie Fruit, who is in his late 40s, a black man who has been through multiple sex changes. He's been a man and a woman, and then back to a man. He's been to prison a couple of times.
Organized more as an all-night dance mix rather than by individual tracks, the songs feature tempos that quicken, then slow and take hairpin turns. Pseudo-singles "Nonpareil of Favor" and "Id Engager" bookend the collection, while the gooey center is a mishmash of fuzzy trip-hop and schizophrenic desires mostly plucked from the late '70s. Tempos and moods shift with jittery speed, echoing his altering mental states. The biggest surprise, however, comes early on when he drops the personas for his most honest song to date, Touched Something's Hollow.
On his blog, Barnes has talked about how lamping is a practice wherein hunters illuminate woodland in order to flush out game, and that Skeletal Lamping is an attempt to do the same with his personal demons. That would seem correct: this record is the filth and the scum, the hopes and the fears, the perversion and the innocence of one brilliant, dissolute mind, blasting forth like a natural disaster. Some people are going to think this is a masterpiece, the equal of Hissing Fauna. Others will call it a self indulgent mess that pushes indie-rock somewhere it really wasn't meant to go.
Personally, I LIKE A LOT.

I heard this CD on a PBS pledge drive (it was a premium) and found myself loving every cut on it! I was in my car and just wanted to keep on driving and listening. This is by far my most-played CD - I've had to make it a weekend only listen to prevent getting burned out on it. HIGHLY recommend it. Even if you are unfamiliar with some of the pieces, you will quickly learn to love them. . . . I must end this review - I'm off to listen to the "flower duet" for the 100th time. . .

I'm new to opera, but this CD has really beautiful music. I use it in my CD clock radio (Timex, that I purchased here also) to go to sleep to.

21 Dec, 2007
The movements in this collection move Me as much as My very bowel. Hence, it might work for your too. Try it, you'll like it if you want to be moved to your very "soul".

Am just discoving the glory of opera. Not all opera, but the arias that make your heart soar. My husband turned away from opera because he was "overdosed" at an early age and it really spoiled his pleasure for life. He's gone now, and I'm discovering what I've missed. This is a wonderful CD and well worth having.

If one was wanting to introduce a friend to the wonderful world of opera, this would be a great cd to buy them. Also at this time when many of us are worrying about Luciano and his health , it is great to hear him featured on many of the selections. A great buy and wonderful collection.

I can't tell how good of a place this is to start listening to Of Montreal. It was a very highly acclaimed album, but was written and recorded almost entirely by Kevin Barnes without the band's help, and is a bit of a departure thematically. In any case, it's a damn good album. It's a bit hard to describe the sound, sort of indie pop with a lot of electronic and psychedelic elements. Barnes' high voice and the catchy choruses belie the dark lyrics, written during a bad time in his life. He's better now, but you can see how it must have affected him. I appreciate that aspect of the album's creation, but the main reason I like it is the music is entertaining to listen to. Yet more proof that I'm turning into an indie dork that will like anything if it's unique.

Being a story of his separation from his wife and descent into depression, there's a clear arc to the album, as it builds towards something and gets more chaotic and surprising later on. Early tracks like "Suffer for Fashion", "Cato as a Pun", and "A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger" feature poppy refrains, nice synth melodies, and some more traditional rock sensibilities. The album climaxes about halfway through with the nearly twelve minute long epic "The Past is a Grotesque Animal", driving constantly forward with a nice bassline and creepy vocal hook as Barnes examines what's happening to him. The song really hit me the first time I heard it on the way home; besides the quality of the song, you can really feel the despair. The rest of the album doesn't seem that different musically, but you get sort of a different vibe as it's more out in the open with the subject matter. There are more frequent moments of odd musical choices, but it seems natural and gives the whole a record a consistent artistic feel. Really something I wish I heard before I chose last year's best albums.

This record strikes the perfect balance between hooky, melodic pop and post-post-modern rock n' roll that it is terrifying. Kevin Barnes has written a wonderfully personal album that transcends any sort of 'user-review summary.' Listen to the record if you like pop, rock, funk, soul, dance, or being alive in the early 21st Century. A truly amazing record.

I heard a few songs from this album on XM radio that were getting some decent airplay. Out of a whim, I saw that Of Montreal was coming to town, so I purchased tickets. After picking up this album, I realized what a smart decision that was. The album is simply amazing!!! At first listen, the songs sound completely strange. There are a lot of harmonics sung, strange instrumentals, and complete 180's in the movement of the music. For instance, one song can be moving along really fast and melodic, and then just screech on the brakes into a harmonious vocals that cut into a different key. I love it! I never tire of listening to the album. (I fear the day that I wear out my husband on this album, but he hasn't complained yet!) The music is really neat, and requires many repeated listenings. I HIGHLY recommend this album to a first time Of Montreal fan. Also, I can't wait for the concert - I heard they are phenomenal live!! And I"m seeing them on Halloween :)

While there's no way this album could ever compete with the incredible Sunlandic Twins, there's still plenty of great pop music here that features that unusual, tricky and ultra melodic way to write a song that gives Of Montreal their distinct sound. While I'm a bit disappointed more people don't know about this band, this album wouldn't be a bad place to start. I can't really think of any Of Montreal songs that AREN'T good!

This is the first Of Montreal record I've heard, and since then I've seen them live twice (definitely worth doing, even if you do not like live music). This album is my personal favorite for 2007, but I think it' will still sound like the great album it is in 20 years. It's all over the place, it's a divorce album that's also a party album, it's looking back to funk, & full of forward-thinking neopop. Our generation's Ziggy has arrived in Georgie Fruit, don't miss out.

I find Maurice Ravel's music among the most unique and wonderful of the twentieth century. It marks the sublime marriage of pensive impressionism with--and many music scholars might disagree with me on this matter--a vibrant late-romanticism. There are few collections that highlight this grandness with as much clarity as this album.

The vividness of Ravel's orchestral coloring and the complexity of his polyphony can make the performance of any of his works a sizeable challenge for the finest of orchestras--the slightest miscalculation in dynamic, timing, or articulation can result in entire voices being lost in a mass of sound, but the Montreal Symphony do a flawless job. Also, Maestro Dutoit's interpretations are well-measured, reserved, and insightful, yet they do not strangle moments of Ravel's greatest sincerity. In other words, the recordings are, at times, passionate, luscious, and jubilant without being effusively so and can reach levels of deep introspection and even darkness without being morose or excessively brooding.

I don't think I've ever been as pleased with a collection of an artist's work. This would serve as a fantastic introduction to Ravel, although, admittedly, one is likely to judge all subsequent performances of any of the pieces contained herein based on it (i.e., the "nowhere to go but down" mentality). Still, one can always hope...

And frankly, at this price, one would be silly not buy it. :)

The value of this music is well known. It is a magic experience to hear a lot of Ravel's compositions played in orchestral form, by such a good orchestra and distinctive conductor. The music hears more charming, atmospheric and sometimes it takes you in another world! A travel in senses...

If you are a music buff like myself ( and I do like all kinds of music ), than what's not to like about The Boléro, by Ravel? And I don't buy into that hog-wash of a story that Ravel wrote this piece in the beginning of dementia...gimmie a break and give that man credit where credit is due.....The Boléro is a master piece! Ok...my review: It was a pleasure to shop for this Cd on Amazon ( after a disappointing search in a main music store )I found what I was looking for, ordered it and anxiously waited it's delivery, which was only about 5 days. The Cd was delivered in tip-top shape and I have enjoyed repeated plays of The Boléro! ( if it were an LP, the grooves would have been worn down by now! ) Today...it's back to classic rock for me. I would surely order from Amazon again!

Have listened to this over the years from a teen who couldn't understand why anyone would write something so slow and repetitive, to a young married who now understood a vehicle for passion in a world filled with disraction, to a person who hears the joy and passion and struggles of a composer and appreciates the pain as a growth process for humans. Tenderly,hot,good stuff.More please.

To heck with arguments about Elvis, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, etc. Ravel's Bolero was the first ever piece of rock music, so there. This version by Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony totally nails it, always been my favorite version. The trick is to not let things get over the top as the intensity heightens. Flawless readings of the Rapsodie Espagnole and La Valse to boot makes this an essential disc. This is all the evidence you need that Charles Dutoit is the greatest living Ravel interpreter.

I bought this blind. Had read a few reviews, and the title had come up on a few lists of past favorites... This is like finding a chunk of gold when you hit on a piece of music like this. After 3 or 4 listens. you will need a pair of pliers to get this out of your player.
A mash of hooks, melodies, and strange movements that will stay in your collection forever. A quality recording.

I love Of Montreal! This is a great CD. I can't wait for Hissing Fauna...!!

This CD is amazing. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who loves the Beatles or british sounding artists. The lyrics are very abstract but when combined with the music they are brilliant and very soothing. My 2 favorite tracks are ''Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games'' and ''I Was A Landscape in Your Dream'', but all of them are very good. There is also a bonus disc included with 4 or 5 tracks on it including ''Everyday Feels Like Sunday''.

I would absolutely reccomend such a brilliant masterpiece of an album. The first of the band's albums I've listened to all the way through and fell in love with. To this day it is still my favorite album. It mixes the pshychadelic feel of the 60's with the feel good dance beats in the 70's and incorporates many 80's new wave synths in such a brilliant way all wrapped in a very modern hip innovative sound. All aspects are wonderful. The lyrics are so catchy and thoughtful and just a joy to hear. I would strongly urge you to buy this album now! Disregard the reviews on here putting the album down because THE ALBUM ROCKS.

No more explaining and reading reviews go and purchase it and see for yourself...you will fall in love!

I believe Of Montreal is one of the best bands out there today, and this album further proves how good they are at writing interesting, colorful vocal melodies.

Every vocal melody is exciting, but the thing that makes the Sunlandic Twins so great is how the band knows exactly when to toss in some kind of extremely unusual and satisfying musical instrument in the background. It's really well done.

The bonus disc is only 12 minutes long, but just as good as the regular album.

um.. i dont realy know what to say sense i purchased this for my girl friend all i know is that she is pretty happy really likes!

Of Montreal are still quirky here. Unlike future albums, there's still a lot of guitar here. However, songs like "Disconnect the Dots" would foreshadow what albums like "Hissing Fauna..." would bring.

This was my introduction to Of Montreal, and I haven't turned back. This album was perfect because it was fun (often morbidly so), eccentric, bizarre, beautiful, and stimulating. Of Montreal ahs created so many new sounds and its almost as if "Satanic Panic" is a sampler of their flavours.

Awesome record. My favourite songs are "Ladder", "Rapture Rapes the Muses", "Vegan in Furs", and, of course, that opening riff to "Disconnect the Dots."

I'm so grateful I found this band. This CD will be a wonderful and welcome listen for people who, like me, have gotten sick of how homogenous everything sounds. I don't know if I'm just old, or if I don't do enough listening or concert attending, but everything I do hear sounds kind of the same. This CD is a tremendous breath of fresh air. The writing, the musicianship, the humor, the originality, its just one of the most inspiring and overall delicious albums my ears have ever tasted. I'll probably go about acquiring their entire catalog now! If the music you hear is starting to bore you, BUY THIS NOW!

Unfortunately, I just recently got into this band. They are effing incredible; every song on this particular album is SO GOOD. There isn't one track that really lags behind.

Oh, and the singer does a LOT of drugs. I think every song has some sort of acid reference. For all of you psychedelics fans, you'll find these songs to be really funny at times :)

I listen to an insane amount of new music each week, and this band is putting me behind because there simply aren't enough hours in the day to hear anybody else!

This is most defanitely one of my all-time favorite albums to ever meet the presence of my ears. Although more of a Kevin Barnes solo album this cd will always be a favorite pick in my cd collection. Every single song is great. Every single song is fun. Every single song is PERFECT! No joke, this album is absolutely amazing. I have been listening to it non stop for about the last 5 months and it still hasn't gotten old. This even has what may be my favorite of Montreal song which is of course "Lysergic Bliss." This song can make you happy no matter what mood you're in! There's just something in this song that gives you such a happy feeling and as if nothing else in the world matters at the moment you are listening to the song. Perhaps that's where it got it's song title... I love the line though, "Wonder how I'm managing to smile oh when I can't even pay my rent," as it too just adds even more to the happy, carefree feeling this song presents. But this song is in no shape or form the only happy song. Many of the songs on the album too will make you happy! Many or just fun little story type things ("Chrissy Kiss The Corpse") and most will make you laugh for no reason at all and dance! But there are other's which are kind of sad such as "Ero's Entropic Tundra." But all the songs are really pretty upbeat except for the exception of "City Bird," but this song too is really amazing and makes you think. The accoustic guitar and flute really add to the feeling of this track. But anyways, if you ever want to listen to a fun album to pass the time away then of Montreal's Satanic Panic in The Attic will always be a good choice. This album has really changed my life and made me look at life in a different way.

A terrific album by a great singer. This album represents the considerable territory that Kiri Te Kanawa covers in here repertoire. She moves easily from Handel to Puccini to Jerome Kern. The insertion of classic show tunes as a part of this CD is a nice little plus. Some opera stars absolutely kill popular music by overwhelming it with operatic technique (listen to Richard Tucker singing "What now my love"; this is a pleasant little tune, but it can't stand up to Tucker's voice of steel, using all the power at his command). Te Kanawa sings these songs, for the most part, nicely and does not overpower them with operatic conventions.

She does a wonderful job on Handel's "Let the bright seraphim," displaying good coloratura technique, as a matter of fact. This cut nicely illustrates the clean sound of her voice. Her version of "Dove sono" (from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro) is a reflective rendering of this aria. The smoothness of her vocal line is wonderful to hear. Her version of "Vissi d'arte" (from Puccini's Tosca) also illustrates the art of Dame Kiri.

The popular tunes that follow are very interesting. She and Jose Carreras, at the outset, begin to overwhelm "Tonight" (from "West Side Story," with--by the way--Leonard Bernstein himself conducting this cut), making it appear that this might be one of those dismal pieces where opera singers wreck songs. However, shortly thereafter, the song becomes more Broadway than Metropolitan Opera, and that is to the good. Better still are Te Kanawa's versions of classic songs such as "Summertime" (from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess), where singing in a higher register works nicely and where she treats the song on its own terms; just so, Jerome Kern's "Smoke gets in your eyes" is sung so well. It is a poignant version of this song.

All in all, for those who are curious about Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, this is one interesting entrée. Well worth acquiring and listening to.

I admit straightout to know nothing of opera - the cd is my first of its kind. Knowledge, however, is not required to enjoy this cd, only the ability to listen and feel.

Hearing her voice used as an instrument so beautifully I cannot but fall a little in love with her whenever listening to it.

The selection of tracks is varied; I probably prefer the classical tracks, but all are well performed in my opinion.

She looks and sounds so beautiful. The first time I ever heard the inimitable voice of Kiri Te Kanawa was on a recording of Salaambo's aria from CITIZEN KANE for the RCA film classics series on vinyl. It was one of the most haunting and beautiful pieces of music ever composed by Bernard Herrmann. It was Kiri Te Kanawa performance of this piece that was so incredible. I had seen the film several times, but to hear a high fidelity recording of Kiri Te Kanawa on this particular piece really demonstrated not only the raw talent but also a depth of intuitive emotion that she brought to Herrmann's composition. Anyone that could interpret the inner struggle behind Herrmann's music so precisely demonstrated an uncommon ability to become one with the music. Her performance of "Ave Maria" on this CD is referent and exquisite. I love Leonard Bernstein's piece from WEST SIDE STORY that Kiri performs so vibrantly with Jose Carreras. I still can't pronounce her entire name correctly but Kiri Te Kanawa is the epitome of a well-honed talent. The selections on this CD are appreciably diverse demonstrating her phenomenal range and abilities. Kiri Te Kanawa has been and still is a gift to us all. This CD is wonderful.

Earlier this evening, I had a unique privilege in seeing Dame Kiri Te Kanawa live here in Edinburgh at Usher Hall and truly it was a captivating experience, I booked the ticket six months ealier for I know it would be sold out.

Dame Kiri has always been my favourite soprano (and of course Renee Fleming), and the moment she sang her first note, it was electrifying. Even the moment she walked on stage with pianist Julian Reynolds, her beauty took my breath away. She has beauty, stage presence and a captivating voice.

I admire Dame Kiri that she has chosen songs/arias which is suitable to her voice which has darkened (but still beautiful) because of age. She's 59 but can still hold an audience with her special brand of kiri magic. i just love her.

This cd is a good introduction to non-opera connoseurs and even to opera purist this will have a wide appeal. From her Handel's Let the Bright Seraphim which catapulted her to legendary status, Puccini's Vissi d' Arte and of course, her hugely successful song from Chants d' Auvergne, Canteloub's Bailero.This cd is worth having.

Her Puccini's O mio babbino caro is something she made her own that when she sang it earlier as the final encore the audience stood up in rapturous applause (I am actually the first one who had the courage to stand up!)

Dame Kiri is perhaps one of the top three greatest female voices that ever lived and I hope she continues to ignite her magical voice to audiences world wide. Rarely would we see a performer who has grace, class, serenity and vocal beauty like Dame Kiri.

Brava Dame Kiri, Brava!!!

Kiri Te Kanawa has one of the most beautiful lyric voices and a solid technique to support her charming instrument. Furthermore she is a gorgeous woman and it is always a pleasure to see her performing on stage.

This CD is not the most representative of her career but everything heard here is truly enjoyable. The Dove Sono stands out as one of the most beautiful readings of this aria. Speaking of Mozart, they should have included arias from operas like Don Giovanni or Cosi fan Tutte as well. Her Strauss heroines are also not here,pity. Kiri is at her best in Mozart and Strauss. She admits that her voice lacks the power Puccini operas require and that she had to push her voice during stage performances to become audible. Indeed, one has to listen to a spinto soprano like Renata Tebaldi to feel the glory of Puccini in arias like Vissi D'arte or In quelle trine. Not that Kiri doesn't sing these well but they sound more like Mozart than verisimo. Her Violetta is acceptable but even better is her portrait of Amelia (Simon Boccanegra) unfortunately not on this CD. I loved all the modern songs. She proves that opera singers can sing modern music superbly if they want to. Many pop stars could learn a thing or two from opera singers about breathing and sound production!

Although I would have wanted more Mozart and a bit Strauss on this CD, it is nevertheless highly recommendable. Bravo Kiri!

I actually played my five different-orchestra copies of this CD and this one out-shone all the rest. Two of the others include these renderings:

Holst: The Planets

Gustav Holst: The Planets

They are very good, but not up to Dutoit's art.

This was Holst's Magnum opus and what a wonderful slate of music it is! I think I like it especially BECAUSE it's easy to compare one orchestra against another with this music.

I won't be so foolish as to try to describe, in a blow-by-blow detail, this spectacular, mostly beautiful music via mere words, other than to say that this is "modern" (not "contemporary") classical music. But it may be helpful if you know this: If you like the following pieces/CDs, you'll clearly love "The Planets," and especially Dutoit's rendition.

Elgar: Violin Concerto / Lark Ascending

Dvorák: Symphony No. 9 'From the New World'; Slavonic Dances (Second Movement of "New World" Symphony)

Respighi: Pini di Roma; Fontane de Roma; Feste Romane

Hovhaness: Symphonies Nos. 4, 20 & 53; The Prayer of St. Gregory

For a quick check, (against other renditions), go directly to Track 4 and listen to that very moving late, middle-portion 2 minutes of "Jupiter" (up until they hit that Major 9th chord). That magnificent segment seals the deal on them all!

Don't pass this great CD by -- brilliantly conveyed.

To get the full effect and ferocity of Mars, it may be better to go with a more recent recording of Holst. The audio of this time just doesn't get there and is a little disappointing in a cd. I may order the John Williams version just to get an upgrade in the audio quality.

Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was an English composer and music teacher of Swedish heritage, he composed his most famous piece of music, the orchestral suite "The Planets" which was completed in 1916. Generally I don't like classical music (I like classic and indie rock) I find a lot of it abstruse and pompous but occasionally I have to make an exception such as with The Planets or for Igor Stravinsky's: The Rite of Spring with its frenzied primitivism. I'd have to say that The Planets is my favorite composition of orchestral music by a long shot. I generally like the composers of the early 20th century with their thoroughly modernist sensibilities and their experimentation with new musical forms that has resulted in some truly beautiful music.

Mr. Holst composed a lot more music than The Planets alone and I think he would be rather peeved that most of his oeuvre is overshadowed by his major orchestral accomplishment... but it can't be helped. The various movements of the music (Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) flow into one another slowly building into an exhilarating and glorious crescendo. The first movement rises up in a spirit of jubilation and triumphalism then the music slowly winds down again almost to a heartbeat. And the last movement is slow and melodic with a haunting orchestral choir singing in the background; it completes the suite on a gentle note. The Planets was inspired by Gustav Holst's interests in astronomy and astrology influenced by his long time friend Clifford Bax, he was also a student of ancient Hindu literature and language. If you are just getting interested in classical music The Planets is a good place to start, it is highly romantic yet thoroughly modern and relatively easy on the ears. Hopefully it will sweep your imagination away and move you emotionally, as it does with me.

Most reviews I have read of this disc seem pretty pleased with both performance and recording. On the other hand I am just slightly influenced by some thoughtful comment I have seen that expresses a few reservations regarding the balance -- to me reviews are 'useful' if they show independent judgment, not if they support my preconceptions which are quite strong enough not to need reinforcing. What this account definitely is is vivid. The orchestral detail is very clear, but if I ask myself whether this is quite how The Planets sounds in the concert hall, then I'm not so sure. I like it this way, but this is not a piece where I am hard to please the way I am about performances of the Viennese classics or Ravel or Sibelius or Elgar or Walton. In general this is a very effective reading of The Planets. The tempi sound about right to me, no doubt because they are much what I am used to, and the playing and orchestral discipline are superb. This is the only disc of The Planets that I own or plan to own because it's not a work I'm fussy about, but connoisseurs may want to consider whether the effectiveness has been slightly overmanipulated by the recording technicians.

I get goosebumps just THINKING about this CD! I bought it almost 15 years ago, only interested in "Mars - The Bringer of War." At the time it was the only piece I was familiar with. At the time, I had also recently rediscovered the album, "Emerson, Lake and Powell" who did a rock version of "Mars...".

As I am so fond of saying in my reviews, the whole CD blew me away. There were such a wide range of moods included in these pieces from the power of "Mars..." to the sadness of "Saturn..." to the "Uranus..." which makes me feel I'm walking through a foggy wood, these songs still make me smile today.

There's something for every Tchaikovsky lover on this disc. From Swan Lake to Onegin, many of Tchaikovsky's most-known melodies are on this disc. I'd have preferred more than an excerpt of the first movement of Piano Concerto No. 1, but this disc is a great introduction to Tchaikovsky's works.

An excellent compilation of folk tunes and violin concerto adagios, played masterfully by some of the world's most revered musicians. Features modern pieces (Korngold, Barber), which are a personal favorite of mine.

My daughter is a violin student of 7 years and she has played 3 or 4 of these pieces for recitals. I bought the CD's so she could become familiar with the pieces as she was learning to play them. Now I find myself listening to the CD's almost every night when I go for my end of the day drive to relax. My favorites are the Mozart Concerto in G, the Mendelssohn Concerto in E minor and Beethoven's Romance in F on disc 2, but all the songs are exquisitely beautiful. I highly recommend it.

These CDs have the most incredible selections of music on them. Listening to the violins has enabled me to complete papers for my doctoral level classes without the usual neck aches. This is soothing, exquistie music for the soul! Lovely!!

Before buying this 2 CD set,I've read Reviews by Chicagodreamer,
who rated it as "Highly, highly recommended." His laudatory recommentation, I must say, is found "well justified."

"Over 2 l/2 hours of the world's most beautiful music." These words on the cover are very close to true. What an incredible value this collection is!! So many of these compilations of this sort are cheaply produced, and those "greatest hits" collections are one trite piece after another -- after a while one runs screaming to the stereo to shut it off. However, this collection is top-notch, and the performers they chose are masterful musicians at the top of their game. Every selection is lovely, each one unfolding after the other in a sublime slide show of exquisite compositions performed by legends. This is TWO CDs of sparkling performances composed and performed by masters. There is not a bad selection or a piece of inferior quality in the entire lot.

The violin is an extraordinary instrument that, when played correctly, can pluck the heartstrings and stir the soul. It is played perfectly by each puppetmaster on each one of these wonderful pieces, and the experience of listening to this collection is an exquisite journey for the heart and spirit. Looking for a fantastic collection of exquisite pieces written and performed by genius? It's here. Highly, highly recommended!!