powerful piece for smaller ensembles
356762
"Hello Herman" , which I saw staged a few years back in Santa Monica with an astonishingly powerful Sawyer Spielberg in the lead role, is an affecting and beautifully written drama. It's especially suited for smaller theater companies who want to showcase the skills of their actors, as well as for theater companies looking for a piece that works to take to educational venues. Although the subject seems chilling- a school shooter enters a symbiotic friendship with an unethical, ambitious journalist who is only a few years older--it's done from an unusual perspective, and the dialogue is very, very well written indeed.
Dark but inspires meaningful dialogue. Highly recommended.
3888350
This is supposed to be the smallest instrument in regular production, and I believe it. It's a tiny thing, 1 3/8" long, small enough to accidentally inhale if you're not paying attention!

The quality is excellent. It's made in Germany, and comes with everything you would expect from Hohner: pearwood comb, engraved brass reed plates, quality brass reeds, and chromed covers. It's almost like a Marine Band in miniature, and weighs next to nothing. There are only four holes and eight reeds, giving you one complete octave from C to C. The gaps between the holes are wide enough that blowing into a single hole is not difficult.

In spite of it's tiny size, the sound is unbelievably good, and the reeds are very responsive and smooth. Fitting it's diminutive size, the Little Lady doesn't require as much air as a full-size harmonica, making it easy to play. The range may not sound like much, but it's amazing how many songs you can play with just one octave.

It comes with a small hard case that fits it really well, but not perfectly, so that it rattles around a very little bit.

High quality, great sound, incredibly portable convenience. The Little Lady is a great harmonica for anyone who wants one they can literally take anywhere at any time. It costs more than all the other mini harps I've seen, but you do pay for quality. The price is well worth it.
3965757
This is a beautiful little instrument. Lots of overtones when you strike it, then they fall away and the sound resolves into a beautiful, clear, sustained single tone that holds and almost seems to get louder. And only a few bucks. I love it!
4378889
This is an unusual score for James Horner, smaller in scale than is usual for him, and owing more to the folkish pastoral composers like Vaughan-Williams than the large-scale Romantics he usually takes inspiration from. The 9 unnamed movements are stitched together by Joshua Bell's silvery, almost skittish violin, which soars above clouds of gentle orchestral motion. If more contemporary classical music had the effortless melodic ism and charm of Iris, perhaps the concert halls would have more people in the seats. A standing "O" for Horner and a heartfelt Bravo! for Mr. Bell.
3459521
Two things stand out in this absolutely excellent release from La Petite Bande and their leader Sigiswald Kuijken: the sound and the gusto.

La Petite Bande just sounds great.  Although theres plenty of differentiation of timbres and contrasts of different instruments and sections, what their overall sound partakes of the best of both early performance practice crispness  - the wooden flutes, punchy bass and fluent string sections  and the fullness and impact of modern orchestra sound.  Theres nothing anemic here.  In fact, the disc concludes with a strident and dramatic climax at the end of the 95th symphony, all of the instruments joining in to make a very loud and full sound over a C held through several pages.  The brash drone like sound Kuijken and the Bande create in the final variation from the Surprise Symphonys Andante is another instance where they grab the chance to create new sounds.

And the gusto is apparent throughout.  The recording opens with the very fine 93rd symphony, which strikes me as one of Haydn best, though relatively unrecognized as it is sandwiched un-nicknamed and forelorn between the justly-famous Oxford (#92) and Surprise (#94).  The performance of the 93rd is great in my opinion.  Exceptional technical execution joined to enthusiasm and musicality.  It starts off very well and just gets better as the finale just sizzles.  This performance of the 93rd alone would set this release apart, because its so alive and even exuberant.

The only weak rendition on this disc is the opening Allegro of the 95th Symphony in C minor, the only one of Haydns last 20 symphonies written in a minor key.  This Allegro sounds uncomfortable and doesnt match the performance level elsewhere.  Fortunately, La Petite Bande gets back into the swing of things with the very well done Andante, again a set of variations.  The finale is terrific and the build to the dramatic climax capping the 95th I mention above is dramatic and exciting.

This 1992 recording is given a superior audio engineering by the label, fortunate as Kuijken makes the most of his sonic opportunities.  I have maybe thirty recordings of Haydns symphonies; this has to rank as one of the best, with the 93rd being a high point.  Warmly recommended.
4323478
Don't let the review by dissonance scare you away from this set.  If you are looking for a more "classical" rendering, a la Vienna Octet, then this might not be for you.  But if you are looking for a more propulsive, exciting performance of the quintets, this one fits the bill. Also, the Suk Trio's performance in the Piano Quartets is especially appealing - both fiery and lyrical where it needs to be.  While there are many excellent performances of the more well-known pieces, most listeners will not be disappointed with this collection of these beautiful chamber works.  I do note that the Amazon prime price ($31) is not really competitive; you can obtain this 4CD box set for $24 or less shipped from many other vendors.
4273563
This a well made instrument with a pleasing sound. The strings are close together, as is necessary for the small (descant) size. The lute is probably better suited for people with smaller hands, but I would definitely recommend it.
3933913
as the other reviews have said, this is a remarkable performance. the ensemble playing is crisp without being rigid, and the players are recorded with the clarity of a chamber orchestra: all the instrumental soloists are distinguished and the balance with the soloist is perfect. richter creates a subtle range of moods within the overall perspective of each movement -- hard to do in a concerto role, as the orchestra must contribute to the effect -- though his dynamic contrasts are not as extreme as typical. the cumulative effect is apollonian, magisterial, and timeless. the solo pieces are marvelous technical and interpretive displays as well.
2005061
For its size and price, it is difficult to imagine anything sounding better.  I was, frankly, a bit disappointed by the small physical size of this when it arrived, as I had never seen it in person until I opened the box.  I assumed there would be no way this could possibly produce room filling sound with a satisfyingly full low end.

It really outperforms its physical dimensions, offering very good sound reproduction right up to full volume.  Full range music with a decent amount of solid, tight sounding bass results in this small brick moving a seemingly impossible amount of air from its rear-facing passive radiators.  It's ridiculous to feel the kick from this thing if you pick it up while playing at a high volume.  It owes some of its sonic prowess to magnets that are uncommonly large for this size device.

I would have expected the splash-proof design to come with sonic tradeoffs, but it doesn't.  That makes this ideal for listening to music outdoors by the pool.

While I would still be open to something physically larger, louder, and with more bass--understanding that I would be trading off portability, convenient (since most larger products require 8 D batteries, and price)--this is a sonic marvel for its size and price point.  It is that much more of a sleeper product, given that I have never thought of owning anything with a TDK brand since pre-compact disc days of audio cassettes.

The audio quality and volume is such that it would make a very convenient way to add audio to presentations made on the go.

I have not yet tested the microphone that works for speakerphone or audio conference use, so no comment on that.
2963992
Opus 2 Numbers 4 and 6 might be historically important like all Haydn Quartets before Opus 9 but that does not mean they should command much air-time nowadays in their own right. The one reason to purchase this disc is Opus 42 in D Minor, written in the 1780s in reponse to a mysterious commission from Spain. It is a succinct little masterpiece whose thematic material, once heard, is indelible. It is exceptionally well played by the Kodaly Quartet.
1572137
A really great, portable way to make some music. While it's not a totally intuitive interface, with a little practice, switching sounds and patterns will be second nature. I love the audio quality and it's hard to express how much fun they squeezed into such a tiny device!
3671755
This disc is a mixed recital of minimalist compositions featuring works by Adams, Glass, Reich, and Heath (a new composer for me).  The pieces are beautifully played by the London Chamber Orchestra under Christopher Warren-Green.  This music is worth exploring, but be forewarned that not all of these pieces are immediately appealing.
3146872
This piece definitely earns its 4+ difficulty rating! While there isn't necessarily a lot in the way of techniques outside of shakes, mallets, and chime vibrato, the true challenge lies in the shifting time meter. The majority of the A section is 6/8:3/4, shifting back and forth every measure from 1-2-3, 1-2-3 to 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, with a few 4/4 measures here and there. This makes the bass line especially interesting for ringers who aren't as rhythmically gifted. In the B section, you add in 5/8 to the alternating 6/8:3/4 which can be tricky as well, largely for the malleted treble, but things straighten out into more standard patterns in the chime section before returning to 6/8:3/4 in the reprise of the A section.

That said, this piece is gorgeous, especially with the flute part above the bells. Interesting meter seems to be Jason Krug's signature, as anyone who has played either "Exultate" or "Escape Velocity" can testify. "Down the River" does a wonderful job of depicting a playful river, rapids, and the excitement of finally reaching the ocean. If your choir can handle the rhythmic challenges, it is certainly worth the effort.
4954804
Thought you'd heard Piazzolla ?  Not yet.  From Paraba comes this incredible quintet,  with an attack and a swing which is ferocious.  They get at the meat of the music with elegance,  sadness,  beauty,  and bite.

It's tough to play Piazzola:  so much of the sound comes from the accents,  from the feeling of the rhythm.  This group of virtuosos has not only the technique to play beautifully but also the sensibility to hear the music as it should be.

Outstanding.

(Paraba must be the most musical place on earth,  if you look at the nearly innumerable quantity of extraordinarily fine musicians and composers which have come from this small region . . .)
3108056
I have my MM-1 speakers hooked up to an Audioengine D1 to output sound from my MacBook Pro, and they are terrific, particularly given their small stature. I feel that the MSRP is too high, but any speakers this small that reproduce audio so well will not come cheaply. The remote is handy because the on-speaker buttons are awkward to use. I love not needing a separate amplifier, which would take up precious desktop real estate. The sound is detailed and smooth and the bass is solid with good impact even at low and middle volumes. The speakers get loud quickly when turning up the volume, easily filling small to medium sized rooms. The speaker housing the amplifier does get very warm, but not too hot, so it's not an issue. These speakers are surprisingly detailed and powerful, but might not satisfy someone looking for full-spectrum sound that will rattle windows and shake walls. Probably these speakers are best suited to TV and movie watching (dialogue is especially clear) and listening to classical, jazz, and any vocal-based music.
1004455
This is certainly not the definitive collection of classical music.  But it is a nice, large collection of well executed movements from many recognizable and a few rarer pieces.  For the very low price, grabbing this album is much easier and nicer that scouring the web to build your own light classical playlist.
4243977
Maria Tipo and Armin Jordan recorded these concerti with a reduced Orchestre de Paris for EMI.  The sound is mostly good with excellent prominent wind sometimes -too recessed at others. The flute/bassoon duet in 22/2 is superb for example (the bassoon sound/playing is superb throughout), but elsewhere in it I would sometimes like more volume from the clarinets. And also sometimes the winds play with excessive legato. The #21 fares a bit better-good tempi throughout and no lulls in the outer movements.  Tipo plays verve and customary poetic feeling,esoecially in the second movement, including rubati which I do not  find overdone.  She also adds mini-cadenzas/flourishes whenever possible which are less intrusive than in #22. The cadenzas are longish, new to me, and tolerable  I have not heard her #s 20 and 21 with Riccardo Chailly, but they played #s 8 and 9 beautifully with the LPO.

In #22 there are similar virtues but I find the interpolations a bit more intrusive. And the Finale would benefit from a quicker tempo  (ca. one minute).  On the other hand, she plays the second movement with proper gravity, missing none of its anguish-especially at its end. Overall, I prefer the 22s of Brendel/Marriner (not Mackerras), Haebler/Davis, Larrocha/Segal (not Davis) and Frankl/Szell (You Tube only alas)

Peers in #21: Larroocha/Davis, Annie Fischer/Lukacs, Serkin/Schneider/Sony, Vasary/Vasary, Pollini/Pollini, Monique Haas/Rosbaud,
Erdi/Vasary, Tipo/Perlea, Haebler/Rowicki