THE INSTRUMENTS OF THE ORCHESTRA

Originally intended as a single CD, this brilliant, insightful, and frequently humorous study of the orchestra eventually turned into a massive seven-CD set with a 200-page booklet. Writer and narrator Jeremy Siepmann spent a year finding the best musical excerpts to illustrate his richly informative text. The first CD concentrates on the violin alone, building up a compelling portrait by showing it in every conceivable situation, style, and tone. And Siepmann doesn't use classical music alone for his illustrations; he also dips into folk music, popular music, and gypsy music to show each instrument's scope--so each has its own biography. A constant delight for the ears, this should surely be a fixture in every musically curious household. H.M.J. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 02/ JAN 03]