Thanks to Pat (Team Shadow), I got the #6 Focal disc ......... now I could answer my own question. Trk#1 is One Evening by Feist, and Trk# 14 is You look good to me by Oscar Peterson Trio.

 

Try: I Mother Earth, One More Astronaut

 

Man, I miss Keith's music posts and where the heck has mugen1 been anyway??

I feel like going out and buying a CD just so there can be a decent music review on here again -- Keith, come back.............

 

^ i believe Mugen1 is "password lost" now.

 

The Fry Street Quartet- Voices of Modernism and the String Quartet: shut up and buy it, if they were the only string quartet in your collection you would have the best. SACD and CD

T minus 5- PURITY: a collection of very good acapella and accompanied music that does a lot. Some religious some secular music with THE BEST version of Shenandoah I have ever heard. SACD and CD

X- Live at the Whisky a go-go on the fabulous sunset strip- Many of their 'hits' in a recording that puts you in the crowd. Not as subtle, and doesn't show off their studio skills but great stuff
X at that time was Exene Cervenka, John Doe, DJ Bonebrake and Tony Gilkyson (Billy Zoom was taking a break at this point) CD only

 

CD Title: Saint-Saens, Piano Concertos
Label: Decca (475 8764)
Pianist: Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Ensemble: L'Orchestre de la Suisee Romande
Conductor: Charles Dutoit

Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921), born in France, was born a child prodigy. At the age of two, he had started to play the piano at a prolific level. By the time he was three, he was already composing complete symphonic scores. At the age of seven, he was fluent in Latin, and between the ages of five to ten he had deeply studied the piano concertos of Mozart and Beethoven. Not only was he a brilliant musician, he also excelled in philosophy, botany, geology, astronomy and mathematics.

This cd hilites Saint-Saens' piano concertos 2 and 5, played with technical brilliance and emotional content by Thibaudet. The Swiss orchestra was upto par with the pianist and thus complemeted his virtuosity. The conductor, Charles Dutoit, was legendary when he was the conductor and music director of L'Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal through the 1980's and 1990's.

All in all, a wonderful cd.

I find that classical music has a very powerful emotional energy which I cannot seem to find in most other styles of music. The only other style of music that I find emotionally powerful is jazz.

 

CD Title: Liszt Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Label: Sony Classical (SK 94746)
Pianist: Emanuel Ax
Ensemble: The Philharmonia Orchestra
Conductor: Esa-Pekka Salonen

German born, Franz Liszt (1811-1886), was one of the greatest pianists of all time. (Other master pianists include Chopin, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninov).

Listening to this cd, I can't even imagine how difficult it must be for Emanuel Ax to move his hands and fingers across the keyboard so quickly and still maintain accuracy and produce virtuosic sounds. Ofcourse, the excellence of The Philharmonia Orchestra with their conductor, Esa-Peka Salonen, adds to the colors of these incredible piano concertos.

 

Welcome back Keith

 

CD Title: Sibelius, Mendelssohn, Violin Concertos
Label: EMI Classics
Violinist: Sarah Chang
Ensemble: Berliner Philharmoniker
Conductor: Mariss Jansons

The beautiful Sarah Chang, plays with full emotional and technical prowess, the violin concertos of Felix Mendelssohn (violin concerto in E minor) and Jean Sibelius (violin concerto in D minor). Along with Sarah Chang, the legendary orchestra, the Berliner Philharmoniker, along with the exceptional music director, Mariss Janons, do full justice to these two virtuosic masterpieces.

 

CD Title: The Beethoven Symphonies
Label: Hyperion
Ensembles: Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra
Conductor: Sir Charles Mackerras

Hyperion has put out a 5 cd compilation which includes all of Beethoven's symphonies (symphonies 1 - 9). This is a live recording which took place at the Edinburgh Festival during September 2006. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra recored symphonies 1 -8 while the Philharmonia Orchestra recorded symphony 9. From the 9 symphonies which Beethoven wrote, my personal favorites are symphonies 5,6,7,8, and 9, with the 9th being my most favorite.
The 5th symphony is one which everyone should recognize...once you hear it you'll know it. The 5th starts with..... da da da da....I can't really do it justice with English letters.
The 9th, his last symphony, was written as worldly message of hope and brotherhood and kinship of the human race. The 9th consists of a powerful choral section which adds to the emotional raw power of this 61 minute masterwork.