The Legend of Xishi

This double-CD set presents a real conundrum, on a lot of levels. For starters, on its face, 55 songs may well seem like overkill to the casual fan who only knows or remembers (or thinks they only remember) five or six big hits by Paul Revere & the Raiders. And there are more modest single-CD collections to be found on this band that seem less daunting. But as it turns out - for those who give this set a try - Paul Revere & the Raiders did have just enough hits, when coupled with a sufficient number of respected album tracks and B-sides, to sustain a double-CD set. And that goes double for anyone who likes plain old rock & roll - even when this band got ambitious and a little bit progressive and serious, they never lost sight of the value of a great beat and carefully placed vocal and instrumental hooks, and they were always fun…

The crowning glory of this collection rests in Frans Brüggen’s marvelous set of the 12 “London” Symphonies. These, along with some of the lesser-known late works, such as Symphonies Nos. 86 and 90 (with its thrilling horn writing), alone justify purchase of this inexpensive 13-disc collection–but really it’s all pretty fine. One of the more anachronistic aspects of the “authentic-instrument” movement has been that works written to be performed without conductor at all (or in collaboration between concertmaster and players) receive the loving ministrations of “specialists” such as Brüggen (and Harnoncourt, for example) whose inclinations in terms of tempo manipulation and expressive phrasing could make a Stokowski blush. And so we find a finale of Symphony No. 88 that’s even slower than Karl Böhm’s, and when you come right down to it, it’s none the worse for the experience: it makes up in charm what it lacks in sheer energy.

Arakne Mediterranea - The Legend of the Italian Tarantella (2014) {ARC Music ‎EUCD 2521}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 392 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 135 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 29 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2014 ARC Music ‎| EUCD 2521
World Music / Folk / Italian Music / Western European Traditions

The tarantella is an Italian folk dance, characterised by a fast and lively 6/8 rhythm, often accompanied by tambourines. This album presents thethree remaining forms of this ancient musical form: Pizzica-Taranta, Pizzica de core and Pizzica-scherma. Instruments: organetto (small accordion), chitarra battente (guitar), tambourine, violin, vocals. As the package notes ably explain, the tarantella has a long, centuries-old history that includes mass ecstatic trance dancing, originally to dispel the poison of a spider's bite. Eventually, these fast 6/8 meter dances of hysteria from Taranto spread and developed into set folk dances of which three forms remain. One of the ensembles dedicated to keep the tradition is the eight-member Arakne Mediterranea. Instrumentation are a small accordion, organetto, an Italian guitar citarra battente, a violin, and a tambourine.

With five number one singles, 14 Top 40 hits, and four number one albums, the Eagles were among the most successful recording artists of the 1970s…

Re-imagining the fabled tale of a folklore favourite has been the latest creative challenge for Chris de Burgh. The compelling result breathes music and lyrical life into a centuries-old and much-loved classic. The Legend of Robin Hood finds Chris at his imaginative best, re-telling the story with cinematic vision coupled seamlessly to music of emotional depth and power. The concept for the 27th studio album by Chris emerged from his involvement in 'Robin Hood', a stage musical about the infamous Sherwood Forest nobleman and his band of outlaws. Chris was invited to contribute storylines and melodies to the musical, which will be produced later in the year."Since I was writing songs for this," he explains, "I thought 'Why not expand the story and put an album out, too?'"