Mozart Variations: A Windham Hill Collection

Be the first to write a review

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - James Manheim
Originally released in 1999, this album consists of performances by various artists from the stable of the Windham Hill label. They were recorded in different places and are entirely different in style, but the album was apparently an original release, not a compilation of selections from other albums. If your experience with Windham Hill is restricted to the label's 1980s new age piano albums (a category Windham Hill performers now strenuously reject), you may be surprised by the variety here, although the contribution by pianist Liz Story evokes that era. You may also feel that the program is a bit of a grab bag, but the album isn't dull. Despite the presence of vocal ...
See more details below
CD
$14.26
BN.com price
(Save 16%)$16.99 List Price
Other sellers (CD)
  • All (8) from $2.33   
  • New (7) from $9.97   
  • Used (1) from $2.33   

More About This Product

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - James Manheim
Originally released in 1999, this album consists of performances by various artists from the stable of the Windham Hill label. They were recorded in different places and are entirely different in style, but the album was apparently an original release, not a compilation of selections from other albums. If your experience with Windham Hill is restricted to the label's 1980s new age piano albums (a category Windham Hill performers now strenuously reject), you may be surprised by the variety here, although the contribution by pianist Liz Story evokes that era. You may also feel that the program is a bit of a grab bag, but the album isn't dull. Despite the presence of vocal melodies, all the music is instrumental. Some of the selections, such as the mandolin group led by bluegrass mandolinist Mike Marshall on "Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525," present Mozart's music straightforwardly, whereas in the smooth jazz treatment of the Incarnatus from the "Mass in C minor, K. 427," you might be hard pressed to pick it out if you didn't already know it was coming. That's one of several tracks using a small vocalise choir, an extremely odd effect. The solo guitar selections, such as the unidentified Adagio (it is the "Adagio in B minor for piano, K. 540") on track 9, are of a kind familiar from many guitar recitals, while the chamber arrangement of the "Symphony No. 40 in G minor" opening movement, accompanied with a djembe (track 3), arranged by guitarist William Coulter, is entirely novel. Most of the music has the characteristic mellow flavor associated with Windham Hill, but the texture curveballs keep on coming, and the sheer simple originality of some of the pieces will break through to even the skeptical listener. Try not to smile at the flute-and-panpipe arrangement of "Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja" from "Die Zauberflöte" (track 10). It's all an odd mixture, but one that may appeal to an audience beyond the label's existing circle of fans.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • Release Date: 2/23/2010
  • Label: Valley
  • UPC: 618322101222
  • Catalog Number: 21012
  • Sales rank: 118,634

Album Credits

Performance Credits
Barbara Higbie Piano
Michael Manring Bass, Piano
Liz Story Piano
Andrew York Soloist
Jeff Linsky Guitar
Turtle Island String Quartet String Quartet
William Coulter Guitar
Benjamin Verdery Guitar
Steve Cardenas Steel String
Ruth Davies Bass
Lars Johannesson Flute
Mike Marshall Guitar, Mandolin
Paul McCandless English Horn, Keyboards
Irene Sazer Violin
Danny Seidenberg Viola
Kaila Flexer Violin
Dennis Murphy Bass
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet Ensemble
Todd Denman uillean pipes
John Lee Sanders Piano, Keyboards, Saxophone
Rick Walker Djembe
Michael Schiefel Voices
Robert Ward French Horn
Flute Force Inc. Ensemble
Alexandra Goodell Bass
Irina Michailova Vocals
Free Klassik Ensemble
Daryl Silbermann Violin
Technical Credits
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composer, Original Material
Michael Manring Composer
Liz Story Arranger
Andrew York Composer
William Coulter Arranger, Engineering
Benjamin Verdery Composer
Wolfgang Loos Arranger, Producer, Engineering
Cookie Marenco Engineering
Mike Marshall Arranger, Mandolin Arrangement, Engineering
Paul McCandless Arranger
Sonny Mediana Art Direction
Tony Mills Engineering
Danny Seidenberg Arranger
John Strother Engineering
Justin Mayer Engineering
Rie Schmidt Arranger
Todd Denman Arranger, Whistle
Bruce Tambling Engineering
Adam Blackburn Recording Assistant
John Lee Sanders Arranger
Erich Kory Arranger
Paul Verna Engineering
Lane Gibson Engineer
Charles Eller Engineer
Michael Schiefel Arranger
Neal Harris Digital Editing
Ryan Leveille Arranger
Bruc Kapan Engineering
Carl Cedar Creative Inspiration
Yury Bajgrowicz Recording Assistant
Kent Clark Engineering
Jeff Salzman Engineer
Daryl Silbermann Arranger
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously