Slow, smooth Baroque
Review of Albinoni's Adagios by
MAFARRIMOND
Advantages: Relaxing, serene, dreamy
Disadvantages: The first track is not actual Albinoni
...to the rest of the music – actual Albinoni.
Many of the tracks are concertos for solo violins against the typical larger string orchestra of violin, viola, cello and continuo (tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20). The continuo instrument, usually being a harpsichord or organ. The baroque era is dominated by the use of strings and here they can be appreciated for their outstanding qualities. The adagios are slow, smooth and serene decorated with trills and turns.
Albinoni was also credited for being the first Italian composer of Oboe concertos. A number of the tracks on the album feature solo oboes against the larger string orchestra (tracks 4, 7, 10, 13). Albinoni's uses the oboe almost like a singer creating a lyrical and pleasant melody to the accompanying strings.
Also on the album are three sonatas (tracks 21, 22...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
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very helpful
 07.06.2004
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The War was Hell, but the Music was Great
Review of Platoon: Original Soundtrack by
ThePolarOne
Advantages: Great sixties classics.
Disadvantages: Too varied to play as an album.
...Platoon Soundtrack (1987)
Track List:
1. Adagio for Strings “The Village”: The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
2. Tracks of my Tears: Smokey Robinson
3. Okie from Muskogee: Merle Haggard
4. Hello, I Love You: The Doors
5. White Rabbit: Jefferson Airplane
6. Barnes Shoots Elias: The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
7. Respect: Aretha Franklin
8. (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay: Otis Redding
9. When a Man Loves a Woman: Percy Sledge
10. Groovin’: The Rascals
11. Adagio for Strings: The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
The album opens with the now extremely famous Adagio for strings, a haunting and emotional classical piece. It has been used in adverts, TV shows (Spaced) and remixed and released on many popular ‘chill out’ and classical albums. Here it is heard as in the film with the faint sounds of warfare upon a village in the background. What...
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helpful
 28.06.2004
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Karajan's more beautiful than bold
Review of Brahms: Complete Symphonies by
cynicalconsumer
Advantages: Subtle, Expressive, Beautiful Performances
Disadvantages: Pricey but worth the cost
...Every classical music fan will probably have a collection of Brahm's four symphonies around somewhere, but for tonal clarity, poetic beauty and the milking of every orchestral and melodic subtlety I have heard no better than Karajan's rendition with the BPO.
The first is clear and bright, with a truly haunting adagio and nice pace to the finale. There are other performances of the 2nd that I prefer, but this gave me new insights into the form, Karajan paying particular attention to crisply defined structure rather than over-Romanticising Brahms' score. The highlight, however, has to be the tumultuously powerful 4th symphony, in which both form and drama fuse marvellously, especially at the culminating final moments of the first and fourth movements.
Forget the lower rate orchestral versions around the web, this is worth every penny...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
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somewhat helpful
 14.04.2005
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