Customer Reviews

Musical Evenings with the Captain, Vol. 2

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There was a young girl of Darjeeling
Who could dance with such exquisite feeling
There was never a sound
For miles around
Save of fly-buttons hitting the ceiling.

The music on this CD is along the same lines. Exquisite.

As with volume 1, this is not music that thunders or trumpets. No, it is relaxing, perfect for listening to whilst reading a book by Patrick O'Brian or for just contemplating the way of the world.

Or in my case, for background music at a dinner party. It does not intrude, but floats the mind on its currents, gently wafting thoughts and conversations along.

The liner notes are long, comprehensive, and a positive delight for afficionados of Aubrey and Maturin.

This is truly a musical evening with the captain, and I am listening to it now, imagining Jack and Stephen sawing away, Killick outside the keyhole waiting for the perfect moment to bring in the toasted cheese.

If you've read Patrick O'Brian's wonderful Aubery-Maturin series, you know that the officers and hands in Nelson's navy loved playing music. This second CD of music mentioned in the books is well worth having, but Volume I covered most of Jack and Stephen's favorites. The tunes for this one are a little more obscure, but if you like well-played chamber music, you will like this CD.

This is a wonderful CD that takes up where Volume One left off. The amazing thing about this music is the insight which it gives us into the world of Aubrey-Maturin. My only small complaint is that both volumes feel as if they were pasted together from exsisting recordings, although it is my understanding they were not. I would have liked to see the music scored as it is in the book for 1 violin, 1 cello. Of course that is a minor gripe.Buy the CDs...they are a great addition to any collection and the perfect backdrop to a winter's night, curled up in chair by the fire. Turn up the music, pour the claret, toast the cheese.

True fans of the Aubrey-Maturin series will enjoy this CD. It lets the listener complete the picture of what life was like on board Jack's ship. However, anyone who is not familiar with this series will still enjoy the CD for its taut, well paced performances of some highly distinguished, yet less often performed pieces.

Once more...
It is dead-on excellent. Perfectly in tune with the entire series and spirit of Patrick's work. A simply joy to listen to time after time. You grasp the character of the age in crisply performed versions of various collection.
Good good stuff. Come on Killick you might just learn to like it.

Well worth the money. Great stress relief.I would get the whole set. Wife and I have it the background while we work.

Featuring music by Mozart, JS Bach, Haydn, and the son JC Bach, this CD includes works that are either described or hinted at in Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels. You don't need to be a fan of the novels or a fan of the naval times of yesteryear to enjoy this music. The specific music on the CD includes Mozart's Oboe Quartet in F Major with oboe, violin, viola, and cello; JS Bach's Partita No. 2 in D Minor with violin; Haydn's Trio in G Major with violin, cello, and fortepiano; and JC Bach's Sonata in D Major Opus 16, No. 1 for Violin & Keyboard. The musicians are fantastic and completely on top of their games...the Partita is especially amazing since it is a half-hour violin solo. The recordings are clear and distinct and sound great through a good sound system or headphones. Yet they are still rough enough that you can hear the little imperfections in the background, such as the sound of the violin shaking in the Partita during the faster notes. The liner notes are very informative and were written by Richard Kapp, the fortepiano player on the disc (so called in its early days because of its unique ability to play both louder (forte) and softer (piano)). They describe the background of each piece in O'Brian's novels, where they are mentioned or, in the absence of a direct mention, where they are generally hinted at and how the musicians came to decide that O'Brian was hinting at that specific piece of music. On top of that, however, Kapp goes into extensive detail on the actual background of each piece, of its composer and of the history of the piece itself. A fantastic companion to the music on the disc!

Ultimately, if you are a fan of the Aubrey-Maturin novels, buy this CD, as it caters directly to you. If you are a fan of chamber music, buy this CD, as the musicians more than do justice to the compositions. If you are a fan of beauty, buy this CD, as that is what this music is.

I ordered this CD after watching movie. It's good music to eat to as its similar recordings are all baroque quartets. I've them all! (So far)

Great music and great series. This CD has some generally well known pieces on it but overall is worthy of a five star review.

A perfect complement for the books! Buy it and hear it while you read them!!!