Bassoon Brillantissimo

Advantages: Useful for helping to teach yung children about musical instruments
Disadvantages: The story is a little bit grown up for some of the younger audiences.

...Sergei Prokofiev is a fantastic composer and this is one of his best works. Peter and the Wolf is a story about how a child disobeys his gandfathers advice, and has a rather scary encounter with a wolf. He is saved by some huntsmen and the story ends happily. Each of the characters has its own representative instrument from the orchestra. Peter, a young boy is represented by the strings, who have lots of tunes with excellent harmonies. Peter's grandfather, whom Peter ignores, is played by the bassoons, a personal favourite of mine as i myself play one. I think that the bassoon has been chosen to play the grand father because it has a sense of age, and, being a bass instrument, has a sense of authority and towards the end sternness for the disobedience of Peter. Throughout the tale there are animals. The cat is played by the clarinets... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Good example of early 20th century French/European music. Cheap price
Disadvantages: Not distinct or ground-breaking enough

...halls and circus bands also played heavily in influencing him. From this he became part of the 'Les Six' a group of young French composers who shocked the music establishment with their avant-garde style. Later on in life he developed his music skills and co-operated with other composers of the time. --- MUSIC --- Poulenc himself said "Above all do not analyse my music- love it!". So in the words of the man himself I have tried not to spoil the delight of hearing fresh music for the first time, but have given a rough guideline to what style of music he has created. Some of his most popular pieces were from his chamber music scores. Here he utilised the piano and various wind instruments including Horn, Oboe, Bassoon, Flute, Recorder, Clarinet and pipe. One of my favourite set of songs is his sextet for Piano, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet... Read review

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Advantages: A masterclass in arranging and playing
Disadvantages: None

...Gil Evans was at a creative peak when this was recorded in 1960. Having completed a trio of classic albums with Miles Davis (Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain), he was now bringing classical influences into his own work - with amazing results. Often these were in quite small but important details: the delicate use of woodwinds (the barely noticeable bassoon on "La Nevada", the flute on John Benson Brooks' attractive "Where Flamingos Fly"); the inclusion of Harry Partch-style homemade percussion on George Russell's "Stratusphunk"; and more evidently in the choice of material (in this case, Kurt Weill's "Bilbao Song" - arranged so that, perhaps unexpectedly, it's Ron Carter's bass that takes the identifying vocal line from the song's chorus). It's Evans' own piano that introduces the album, on his own composition... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful