The instruments of the orchestra : Lower Strings / Jeremy Siepmann, written and narrated [grabación sonora]

Instruments of the Orchestra, Siepmann, Jeremy

1. Introduction to the viola
2. Telemann: Viola Concerto: I. Largo
3. Khachaturian gets a very different sound from it: fuller, fruitier, more exotic.
4. Khachaturian: Gayane Suite No. 1: III. Armen's Solo
5. Very nearly the whole of the violin's upper register is also available to the viola.
6. Britten: Peter Grimes: Passacaglia, Op. 33b
7. Strauss: Don Quixote
8. Berlioz: Harold in Italy: IV. Orgy of Brigands
9. The muted viola: intimate, gentle, poignant in Dvorak
10. Dvorak: Cypresses: IX. Thou Only Dear One
11. The massed violas of the modern symphony orchestra in Mahler
12. Mahler: Symphony No. 4: III. Ruhevoll, poco adagio
13. The "period" viola in Bach
14. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 6: III. Allegro
15. The cello: a voice of unique nobility
16. Bach: Suite No. 1 for unaccompanied cello: I. Prelude
17. Brahms and the "soul" of the cello
18. Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major: III. Andante
19. Most orchestral composers tend to emphasise the cello's lower register.
20. Bach: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Aria: Bereite dir, Jesu
21. In the time of Beethoven the cello remained as fundamental as ever.
22. Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 "Eroica": IV. Finale
23. But the cello is not condemned to spend its life in the basement.
24. Popper: Elfentanz, Op. 39
25. Not only in recital showpieces like that is the cello used in its highest register.
26. Tavener: The Protecting Veil: opening
27. A cello with an identity - crisis: the pizzicato Flamencan
28. Tagell: Flamenco
29. Double - stopping in the lower reaches of the cello's range
30. Cassado: Solo Suite for Cello and Piano: Sardana
31. It's in its middle register that the cello really comes into its own. 00:00:21
32. Rachmaninov: Oriental Dance, Op. 2, No. 2
33. Beethoven: Symphony No. 5: II. Andante con moto
34. Beethoven: Symphony No. 9: IV. Finale 00:00:54
35. Introduction to the double - bass
36. Saint - Saens: The Carnival of the Animals: The Elephant
37. But the double - bass can be intensely expressive and graceful.
38. Bottesini: Elegy No. 1 in D major
39. Bottesini: Allegro di concerto, "Alla Mendelssohn"
40. Bottesini: Capriccio di bravura
41. Mahler: Symphony No. 1, "Titan": III. Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen / Mahler: Symphony No. 3: I. Kraftig
42. Prokofiev: Lieutenant Kije Suite: III. Kije's Wedding / Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet: Act III
43. Beethoven: Symphony No. 5: III. Allegro

Instruments of the orchestra, yes. But not just instruments in the orchestra. This is a set of portraits in depth, featuring individual instruments in many contexts (orchestral, chamber, folk, solo, operatic, cinematic, even jazz and avant-garde music) and in pieces from the Middle Ages to the present. Joining regular orchestra members are such exotic visitors as the eerie ondes martenot, the wind machine, banjos, bagpipes, coconuts, typewriters, six-shooters, taxi horns, and migrating swans - and the hundreds of examples range from illustrative snippets to entire movements. The first CD is devoted entirely to the violin, and the last to the greatest instrument of all, the orchestra itself.

This intoxicating, energetic, and remarkably informative survey of musical instruments is unprecedented in its scope and achievement. All the lively descriptions are followed by striking musical examples, of which there are over 200, spanning all eras, styles, and genres. As well as a full transcript of the text, the comprehensive booklet contains clear illustrations and background historical information on each instrument.