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| The Well-Tempered Synthesizer | 
 enlarge | Artist: Wendy Carlos
Label: East Side Digital
Category: Music
List Price: $16.98
Buy New: $12.59
You Save: $4.39 (26%)
Buy New/Used from $11.07
Avg. Customer Rating:  (12 reviews)
Sales Rank: 36097
Format: Enhanced, Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 618161
UPC: 021561816121
EAN: 0021561816121
ASIN: B00005OKS2
Release Date: October 2, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Monteverdi: Orfeo Suite | | • | Scarlatti: Sonata In G Major | | • | Scarlatti: Sonata In D Major | | • | Handel: Water Music: Bourree | | • | Handel: Water Music: Air | | • | Handel: Water Music: Allegro Deciso | | • | Scarlatti: Sonata In E Major | | • | Scarlatti: Sonata In D Major | | • | Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: Allegro | | • | Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: Andante | | • | Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: Presto | | • | Monteverdi: Domine Ad Adjuvandum | | • | Stereo Alignment Tones | | • | Well-Tempered Experiments |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Kudo's for Wendy Carlos January 16, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Wendy Carlos does an excellent job of updating all of the Classical pieces on this CD, as well as on all of her other CDs. I originally had this on Open Reel Tape, and am really happy that she has ported it over to the CD format! All of the selections on this CD can only be termed as "stirring" and it is enjoyable to hear each time it is played.
Difficulty in placing an order January 4, 2007
0 out of 10 found this review helpful
Because I had difficulty navigating through the purchase process, I ended up receivibg two and I only wanted one. I gave one away. You need to review the purchase process and have a "done" or something to indicate that Amazon has received the purchase request and will act upon it. Or else I will find someone else with whom to do business!!!!
 interesting concept, skillful interpretation, but sounds very dated now December 26, 2006
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
As a performance, the music here is fantastic, and considering the challenges of monophonic sythesizers it is very impressively and skillfully performed. That said, if like me you were born after electronic music became commonplace, this will sound incredibly dated. The problem is that the sound programming abilities of the first moogs were limited, so the sounds are not very fitting to the music, creating a slightly comical kitschy mock-futuristic effect. Part of this effect is the womp womp womp beep beep beep sounds that now sound corny. While interesting, it sounds very anachronistic and less evocative than real instruments. I think I'll go back to orchestral performances of classical music. I'll keep this in case I ever want to make a campy future film spoof. Wow, I sure said "sound " a lot. Well, this really is all about the sounds.
 Great Album, but. . . August 8, 2006
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I have always enjoyed this album and Switched on Bach ever since they came out in LP form when I was young.
The thing that ruins the CD for me is the very last track on both albums, where Wendy discusses the making of the album, called Well-tempered experiments.
I think that is fun to listen to the first time you play it, but then it is obnoxious when you are playing it as you work around the house. Your home is filled with music, then suddenly, there is talking and some obnoxious noises. It just shouldn't be there.
And to do this to both albums is very disappointing. It is hard to ignore, as it is a 9 minute track!
I solved this by burning both albums onto another CD and eliminating the experiment tracks. But I would rather have the original CD's and eliminate those tracks.
As good as I remembered it! March 3, 2006
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I heard "The Well-Tempered Synthesizer" when it was first issued; like many people I was stunned by the strange, beautiful sound created by a "machine". Then I read about the difficulty of making the recordings, which took tremendous time and thoughtfulness, and this made me appreciate the human element more than the technology.
Imagine someone who, to cook breakfast, designs a henhouse, raises chickens, gathers the eggs, grinds wheat to make bread, picks fresh strawberries...all for a breakfast that could be made more easily using traditional sources or methods. Pardon the clumsy metaphor, but this is what Carlos had done: giving me Bach, by creating a new kind of chicken to get to the egg.
The sounds one hears in this recording are not as sophisticated as more modern synthetic voices, but they are still pristine and haunting. There is a sort of lonely, cosmic emptiness to the sound, but this is not discomforting; in fact, the music triumphs over the strangeness that no human hand or throat moved during the process, except at the keyboard and the 747-cockpit looking control panel of the Moog synthesizer.
Having a CD of this music is a joy, and the music delights.
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