Bolcom & Adler: Music for Piano & Flute

1. Piano Concerto 1. Andante spianato; Allegro
Composed by William Bolcom
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with William Bolcom

2. Piano Concerto 2. Regrets 3. Finale
Composed by William Bolcom
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with William Bolcom

3. Dance Portraits (3) The Dead Moth Tango
Composed by William Bolcom
with Barry Snyder

4. Dance Portraits (3) Knock-Stuck
Composed by William Bolcom
with Barry Snyder

5. Dance Portraits (3) Abbacadabra
Composed by William Bolcom
with Barry Snyder

6. Flute Concerto 1. Slowly and Lyrically
Composed by Samuel Adler
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with Bonita Boyd
Conducted by David Effron

7. Flute Concerto 2. Fast, Light and Humorous
Composed by Samuel Adler
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with Bonita Boyd
Conducted by David Effron

8. Flute Concerto Cadenza - Introduction to the Third Movement
Composed by Samuel Adler
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with Bonita Boyd
Conducted by David Effron

9. Flute Concerto 3. Fast and Very Forceful
Composed by Samuel Adler
Performed by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra with Bonita Boyd
Conducted by David Effron

10. Sonata for Unaccompanied Flute 1. Fast but Very Gently Flowing
Composed by Samuel Adler
with Bonita Boyd

11. Sonata for Unaccompanied Flute 2. Slowly but With Great Intensity
Composed by Samuel Adler
with Bonita Boyd

12. Sonata for Unaccompanied Flute 3. Variations on "Brian Boru's March"
Composed by Samuel Adler
with Bonita Boyd

Bolcom & Adler: Music for Piano & Flute,Samuel Adler,William Bolcom,David Effron,Sydney Phillip Hodkinson,Bonita Boyd,Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra,Barry Snyder,William Bolcom,Vox (Classical),Chamber,Classical,Classical Composers,Classical Music,Concerto,Flute Concerto,Flute Solo/Sonata,Piano Concerto,Solo Woodwind or Single Woodwind with Keyboard/Continuo

Average customer rating: View from the Bridge A great modern opera Maybe the view was better from somewhere else. A solid modern opera Powerful Theatrically, but not Operatically

Bolcom - A View from the Bridge / Josephson, Malfitano, Turay, Lyric Opera of Chicago, D. Russell Davies Manufacturer: New World Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Bolcom, William | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Little Women: An Opera in Two Acts Floyd: Of Mice and Men Handel - Tamerlano / Jonathan Miller, Trevor Pinnock - Bacelli, Randle, Pushee, Norberg-Schulz, Bonitatibus, Abete - Händelfestspiele Halle 2001 Cold Sassy Tree Previn - A Streetcar Named Desire / Fleming, Futral, Gilfry, Griffey, SF Opera, Previn ASIN: B00005M998 Release Date: 2001-06-26

Tracks:

1. Act I: Orchestral Intro - Orch Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Dennis Russell Davies
2. Act I, Scene 1: Red Hook - Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo/Timothy Nolen/Ronald Watkins
3. Act I, Scene 1: Hey, Eddie! - Dale Travis/Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo/Jeffrey Picon/Kim Josephson/Juliana Rambaldi
4. Act I, Scene 2: Where You Goin' All Dressed Up? - Kim Josephson/Juliana Rambaldi
5. Act I, Scene 2: Beatrice! Hurry Up - Juliana Rambaldi/Kim Josephson/Catherine Malfitano
6. Act I, Scene 2: Get Used To It, Eddie - Catherine Malfitano/Kim Josephson/Juliana Rambaldi
7. Act I, Scene 2: But When You're Gone - Kim Josephson/Catherine Malfitano
8. Act I, Scene 2: Now Listen, Both A Yiz - Kim Josephson
9. Act I, Scene 3: Remember Vinnie Bolzano - Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo/Kim Josephson/Dale Travis/Jeffrey Picon/Sheryl Veal...
10. Act I, Scene 3: Eddie Was A Man - Timothy Nolen/Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo
11. Act I, Scene 4: You're On Your Own Now - Marlin Miller/Gregory Turay/Mark McCrory
12. Act I, Scene 5: Marco! Rodolpho! - Catherine Malfitano/Mark McCrory/Kim Josephson/Juliana Rambaldi/Gregory Turay
13. Act I, Scene 5: Then When I Am Rich - Gregory Turay/Mark McCrory
14. Act I, Scene 5: Rodolpho, Are You Married, Too - Juliana Rambaldi/Gregory Turay/Kim Josephson/Mark McCrory
15. Act I, Scene 5: I Sing Jazz, Too - Gregory Turay/Juliana Rambaldi/Kim Josephson
16. Act I, Scene 5: Eduardo, If You Let Us Sleep Here - Mark McCrory/Catherine Malfitano/Kim Josephson/Gregory Turay/Juliana Rambaldi
17. Act I, Scene 6: Now There Was A Future He Must Face - Timothy Nolen
18. Act I, Scene 6: It's After Eight O'Clock - Kim Josephson/Catherine Malfitano
19. Act I, Scene 6: Eddie, When Am I Gonna Be A Wife Again? - Catherine Malfitano/Kim Josephson
20. Act I, Scene 7: Eddie Never Knew He Had A Destiny - Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo
21. Act I, Scene 7: Hey Eddie! Wanna Go Bowling Tonight? - Jeffrey Picon/Dale Travis/Kim Josephson
22. Act I, Scene 7: Where'd You Go? - Kim Josephson/Juliana Rambaldi/Gregory Turay
23. Act I, Scene 7. Aria: I Love The Beauty Of The View At Home - Gregory Turay
24. Act I, Scene 7: Rodolpho, I Thought I Told You To Go In - Kim Josephson/Gregory Turay/Juliana Rambaldi
25. Act I, Scene 7. Arietta: He's A Hit-And-Run Guy! - Kim Josephson/Juliana Rambaldi/Catherine Malfitano
26. Act I, Scene 7. Aria: Was There Ever Any Fella That He Liked For You? - Catherine Malfitano
27. Act I, Scene 8: There's Nothing Illegal About It - Timothy Nolen/Kim Josephson/Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo/Gwendolyn Brown
28. Act I, Scene 9: You Know Where The Two Of Them Went? - Juliana Rambaldi/Kim Josephson/Catherine Malfitano/Mark McCrory/Gregory Turay
29. Act I, Scene 9: Whaddya Say, Marco - Kim Josephson/Gregory Turay/Mark McCrory/Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo...
30. Act I, Scene 9: Eddie, You're Pretty Strong - Mark McCrory/Kim Josephson/Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo

Tracks:

1. Act II: Orchestral Intro - Orch Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Dennis Russell Davies
2. Act II, Scene 1: Hey Guys! It's Whisky! - Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo/Marlin Miller/Jeffey Picon/Kim Josephson/Dale Travis
3. Act II, Scene 2: Rodolpho! Didn't They Hire You? - Juliana Rambaldi/Gregory Turay
4. Act II, Scene 2: It's True - Gregory Turay/Juliana Rambaldi
5. Act II, Scene 2. Aria: But You Do Not Know This Man - Juliana Rambaldi/Gregory Turay
6. Act II, Scene 2: Somehow, Somehow - Kim Josephson/Juliana Rambaldi/Gregory Turay/Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo
7. Act II, Scene 3. Aria: On December Twenty-Seventh I Saw Him Next - Timothy Nolen
8. Act II, Scene 3: He Won't Leave! - Kim Josephson/Timothy Nolen/Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo/Dale Travis/Jeffrey Picon
9. Act II, Scene 4: Where Are They? - Kim Josephson/Catherine Malfitano
10. Act II, Scene 4: Eddie Has Something To Say, Katie - Catherine Malfitano/Juliana Rambaldi/Kim Josephson
11. Act II, Scene 4: Bea, Could I Take Two Pillows Up? - Juliana Rambaldi/Kim Josephson/Catherine Malfitano/Galen Scott BowerMichael Sommese
12. Act II, Scene 4: That Man! I Accuse That Man! - Mark McCrory/Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo/Kim Josephson/Galen Scott Bower...
13. Act II, Scene 5. Aria: To America I Sailed On A Ship Called Hunger - Mark McCrory
14. Act II, Scene 5: Orchestral Interlude - Orch Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Dennis Russell Davies
15. Act II, Scene 6: For The Sake Of My Sister - Catherine Malfitano/Kim Josephson/Juliana Rambaldi
16. Act II, Scene 6: Marco's Coming, Eddie - Gregory Turay/Catherine Malfitano/Kim Josephson/Juliana Rambaldi/Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago...
17. Act II, Scene 6: Come, Catherine - Gregory Turay/Kim Josephson/Catherine Malfitano/Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo
18. Act II, Scene 6: Eddie, Listen To Me! - Catherine Malfitano/Juliana Rambaldi/Kim Josephson/Mark McCrory/Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago...
19. Act II, Scene 6: Eddie Carbone! - Mark McCrory/Kim Josephson/Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo/Gregory Turay...
20. Act II, Scene 6: Eyes Like Tunnels - Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo/Timothy Nolen
21. Act II, Scene 6: When The Tide Is Right - Chor Of Lyric Opr Of Chicago/Donald Palumbo/Timothy Nolen

Album Description

This is the world-premiere recording of William Bolcom's tragic opera, unanimously acclaimed as one of the most significant additions to the American opera repertory in recent times. View is based on Miller's powerful play depicting the fall from grace of a longshoreman, Eddie Carbone, whose barely repressed desire for his now-grown niece, Catherine, leads to the betrayal of his community and disastrous personal consequences. Bolcom's beautifully crafted and richly varied score embellishes but never overwhelms Miller's dark drama.

Bolcom is an important composer in his prime, who writes confidently in an eclectic style that is musically sophisticated but always accessible. The material has been craftily adapted by the composer's longtime collaborator, Arnold Weinstein, who retains the drama's taut structure while still allowing ample opportunity for lyrical expansion. The Lyric Opera's production could not be more effectively mounted or splendidly cast. Dennis Russell Davies encourages the orchestra to savor the score's purely musical beauties without compromising the drama's swift pacing. Working as a honed ensemble, the cast never strikes a false note.

Customer Reviews:

View from the Bridge.......2007-01-17

Good singing nice orchestral playing. Great CD to Learn about this opera from.

A great modern opera.......2004-06-02

I would like to put in a few good words for this opera, which has received some negative and lukewarm reviews on here on Amazon.com. This is a tense psychological drama set to brilliantly crafted music. Bolcom's music is a cornucopia of American styles and also takes into account the Italian operatic tradition. It is edgy and modern, but very accessible. Some might complain that the opera is more like continuous arioso than lyrical writing. So are most of the operas of Wagner, and I'm sure, many 20th-century operas! As a matter of fact, there is a great deal of lyricism in BRIDGE, and there are instances when the endless melody (or endless recitative, depending on your view) flowers into a genuine aria - such as in Rodolpho's show-stopper, "I love the beauty of the view at home" (also known as "New York Lights"). As for the performers, suffice to say that they are all superb, but that baritone Kim Josephson stands out in the role of the tormented Eddie Carbone. His voice-type is perfect for the role, and he sings with expressive warmth, beauty of tone, and dramatic power. I would urge any opera lover to check BRIDGE out. It is a valuable contribution to the operatic repertoire.

Maybe the view was better from somewhere else........2003-05-07

I'm sure this is a fine CD. It's the opera that is a real disappointment to me, and I just don't want to spend any more time with it.

I've loved the play for years. When I heard that an opera was being created, it seemed like a perfect idea. But I sure don't like the result.

I've heard the opera twice: broadcast from Lyric Opera and broadcast from the Met. The libretto is fine. It's the music that's a problem for me. Nothing flows smoothly. Nothing soars. The phrasing is so painfully artificial that I get the feeling that Bolcom was composing for a different language, which has been awkwardly translated into English.

Reading the praises heaped on Bolcom and his score I wonder what people are hearing that I miss. I wonder what interests the artists involved enough to spend time with this project. I wonder why, after comissioning the project, anybody bothered to produce it.

Bring back THE VOYAGE. Bring back THE GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES. Stage L'MORE DEI TRE RE. But let this BRIDGE collapse, sink, and be forgotten.

A solid modern opera.......2002-10-04

Generally hailed as one of the best recent American operas, Bolcolm's take on Arthur Miller's play has all the ingredients of a traditional opera -- tragically flawed characters, soaring melodies, even a revenge aria -- and yet strikes a thoroughly modern chord, its dynamic score underlining themes of family dysfunction and incest. Drawing from a eclectic palette that serves to support the characters rather than bury them, Bolcolm's music moves deftly through an emotional and stylistic landscape, from jazz to lyricism to dissonance. Although the beginning of the opera is a bit talky, the arrival of Rodolpho brings a wonderful Italian tenor into the mix, his spirited voice soaring above the Brooklyn dockworkers and pulling the opera along to its tragic conclusion.

Powerful Theatrically, but not Operatically.......2002-07-15

I suspect that this opera works better in the theater than on disc. The Arthur Miller play works like Greek tragedy, even in it's original version. The problem is that the Bolcom music just doesn't seem to add all that much to the procedings. There is little that is memorable in the musical moments. Much of the vocal writing resembles extended arioso rather than true melodic writing. This is certainly a popular way for modern opera to be written, but in the hands of all but the greatest masters (Debussy, Berg, Janacek, Britten) it never really works as opera. A play is better as a play. Unless the music really elucidates something that can't be found in the words, it renders itself superfluous.

No fault can be found with the performances. They are definitive. This is probably an opera that composers and fans of modern opera should hear at least once. Bolcom is an important composer and derserves exposure. But most will probably not find themselves drawn to a re-hearing.

Average customer rating: A supremely moving work of art Enjoyable? Remarkable performance Thankyou... An Excellent Example of Modern American Composition

William Bolcom - Songs of Innocence and of Experience (William Blake) / Slatkin, University of Michigan School of Music Ilana Davidson , Nathan Lee Graham , Leonard Slatkin , Joan Morris , Carmen Pelton , and Nmon Ford Manufacturer: Naxos American ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Bolcom, William | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: On the Transmigration of Souls Osvaldo Golijov: Ayre William Bolcom: Songs Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets / Emerson String Quartet William Bolcom: Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 3; Seatlle Slew Orchestral Suite ASIN: B000641YZK Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

1. Introduction - Thomas Young
2. The Ecchoing Green - Combined Choruses
3. The Lamb - Measha Brueggergosman
4. The Shepherd - Peter 'Madcat' Ruth
5. Infant Joy - Marietta Simpson
6. The Little Black Boy - Nathan Lee Graham
7. Laughing Song - U-M Chamber Choir
8. Spring - Thomas Young
9. A Cradle Song - Linda Hohenfeld
10. Nurse's Song - Joan Morris
11. Holy Thursday - Combined Choruses
12. The Blossom - Measha Brueggergosman
13. Interlude - Orchestra
14. The Chimney Sweeper - Nathan Lee Graham
15. The Divine Image - Joan Morris
16. Nocturne - Orchestra
17. Night - Thomas Young
18. A Dream - Ilana Davidson
19. On Another's Sorrow - Combined Choruses
20. The Little Boy Lost - Carmen Pelton
21. The Little Boy Found - Nathan Lee Graham
22. Coda - Orchestra

Tracks:

1. Introduction - Orchestra
2. Hear The Voice Of The Bard - Nmon Ford
3. Interlude - Orchestra
4. Earth's Answer - Christine Brewer
5. Nurse's Song - Joan Morris
6. The Fly - MSU Children's Choir
7. The Tyger - Combined Choruses
8. The Little Girl Lost - Nmon Ford
9. In The Southern Clime - U-M Chamber Choir
10. The Little Girl Found - Combined Choruses
11. The Clod And The Pebble - Thomas Young
12. The Little Vagabond - Joan Morris
13. Holy Thursday - Carmen Pelton
14. A Poisin Tree - Nathan Lee Graham
15. The Angel - Ilana Davidson
16. The Sick Rose - Marietta Simpson
17. To Tirzah - Combined Choruses

Tracks:

1. The Voice Of The Ancient Bard - Nmon Ford
2. My Pretty Rose Tree - Chorus Men
3. Ah! Sun-Flower - U-M Chamber Choir
4. The Lilly - Thomas Young
5. Introduction To Part V - Orchestra
6. The Garden Of Love - Thomas Young
7. A Little Boy Lost - Carmen Pelton
8. A Little Girl Lost - Christine Brewer
9. Infant Sorrow - U-M Chamber Choir Soloists
10. Vocalise - Combined Choruses
11. London - Nathan Lee Graham
12. The School Boy - Linda Hohenfeld
13. The Chimney Sweeper - U-M Chamber Choir
14. The Human Abstract - Nmon Ford
15. Interlude: Voces Clamandae - Orchestra
16. A Divine Image - Soloists

Amazon.com

Bolcom's dream of setting Blake's poems to music began when he fell under their spell as a teenager; he worked on the composition of Songs of Innocence and of Experience on and off for 25 years, completing it in 1982. This live recording celebrates the 20th anniversary of the work's American premiere. Following an early edition of the poems that assigns them a different order from the customary one, he created nine movements to form "a series of arches." Blake's own principle of "contraries" and his use of many poetic traditions is a perfect counterfoil for Bolcom's eclecticism, which encompasses styles ranging from solemn chorales, lush romanticism, abrasive, dissonant modernism, to jazz, folk, country, and rock. His interpretation of the poems, which he calls "A Musical Illumination," is sometimes startling, but always interesting, highly personal, and unquestionably sincere. Some of the settings enhance and heighten the poems, entering deeply into their spirit and mood. Others seem at variance with them: "The Lilly," a peaceful, serene poem, set to crashing, aggressive music, is an extreme example, and some stratospheric, jagged soprano lines seem to add nothing to the text. For some of the most arresting, convincing settings, Bolcom uses his well-known and beloved cabaret style, sung to perfection by his wife and partner, mezzo-soprano Joan Morris. Indeed, the entire performance is beyond praise. The work calls for a whole army of participants: several choruses, including a children's choir, a dozen vocal soloists, a speaker, a harmonica player, a fiddler, and a huge symphony orchestra augmented by electronic instruments and extra brass and percussion. The last produce a large number of terrifying explosions, both between and within the songs, as well as fascinating sound effects, like imitations of running water, delicate tinkles, and ominous roars and rumbles. The singers are superb; the women contribute incredible coloratura leaps, melting lyricism, caressing warmth, while the men include a heroic tenor, a commanding baritone, and sometimes sung, sometimes spoken scatting. Leonard Slatkin holds his enormous forces together with total control and authority. --Edith Eisler

Album Description

William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience date from the turbulent period in English and American history when the United States was in its infancy. Occupying 25 years of William Bolcom's compositional life, his "musical illuminations," inspired by Blake's own wide panoply of poetic styles in the cycle, travel thrillingly from intense dissonance to folk, rock, and reggae to encompass the breadth of the Blakean spiritual universe.

Customer Reviews:

A supremely moving work of art.......2007-02-26

I am writing this not as a music critic but as someone who has enjoyed William Blake's poetry for most of my life. I bought this CD because of Blake's poetry. I realized that of late I had not been reading poetry or enjoying it as much as when I was younger. I became hooked right away and I have been playing this CD over and over again for more than a month. I can't listen to any other piece of music. Some of the pieces are better than others, but everything sung by Nathan Lee Graham is moving beyond words (at least any words I know). So I think anyone who enjoys poetry, the English language, history, ideas or the human voice will enjoy listening to this CD over and over again. This music has touched me like no other piece of music ever. I think the artists, particularly Nathan Lee Graham, should all become rich and famous. I was even thinking that A Divine Image should be released as a single. I think it would go to #1, with a bullet.

Enjoyable?.......2006-06-20

By what measure should we judge a piece of music? Should it be by its level of complexity? by its technicality? by the level of emotion it conveys, or does not? Or should a piece of music be judged solely upon whether or not we, as listeners, enjoy it?

Like it or not, music has almost always been judged by whether or not we, as listeners, enjoy it - but what gets factored into our personal enjoyment of a piece of music is many things, including, but not limited to, whether or not we appreciate its complexity, technicality, and how effective it is at conveying its purpose. When most people discuss music, when they talk about what they like or what they don't like, they often mention qualities of the music which suited them or which rubbed them the wrong way.

Bolcom's Songs of Innocence... is one such piece of music that I, as a listener, am confused over. I'm not sure if I like it, but I'm quite positive that I don't dislike or even hate it. As a whole, I find that I'm fairly displeased with the overall result, yet, on a closer inspection, I find that I am quite pleased with each of its parts; therefore, it's a bit of a paradox to find that I enjoy each and every part but not the summation its parts. The truth is, when looking at this piece of music as a whole, it utterly boggles the mind because it is, in truth, so large and it covers so much ground musically and lyrically that it's quite impossible to absorb it all in one sitting, in one listening. To just say that Songs of Innocence opens with a fairly standard aria surrounded by orchestral accompaniment and ends, over 2 hours later, with a reggae-sounding song is not enough because in between the beginning and end, Bolcom includes other genres ranging from rock, country, jazz, and soul...and of course, "classical."

This piece of music has been described as representing all of the 20th century's achievements in music in one fell swoop. But just because it does so, does that insinuate that it deserves to win a Grammy, as it did in 2006, and does it deserve the laud and praise it is receiving? A serious part of me wishes to say 'no' because I feel I've heard better pieces of music from the 20th century. Sure, Mahler's 9th Symphony does not capture the whole of the 20th century within its 1 1/2 hour grasp, neither does any of Shostakovich's or Robert Simpson's symphonies. And so, I'm forced to resign myself to the fact that Bolcom has created an astonishing achievement with this work.

But, as monolithic as it may be in size and in scope, there are moments when it does not feel entirely cohesive, and there are moments, during the latter half, when I honestly wanted the disc to hurry up and finish for no other reason than I felt like I was being presented the same material and the same concepts over and over and over again. However, in terms of technicality and complexity, Bolcom has taken a series of poems and created something wholly other and enjoyable out of them. He even does a fantastic job of conveying the emotion of each unique poem by arranging music around it that fits like a glove. Is it enjoyable to listen to? It is, for the most part, but, as I've already said, it can seem to run a bit long at times. On the whole, though, I do recommend this disc to anyone interested. If Bolcom is remembered for nothing else in 50-100 years, it will be this piece of music.

Remarkable performance.......2006-04-17

As a graduate of the University of Michigan (some time ago) who attended every single performance of both student orchestras while a student, I was eager to hear how the kids played in this Grammy performance. In short, the performance is simply magnificant.

This is not easy music to listen to or play and it is unlike any of the Bolcom music I had heard before. It has a multitude of styles, colors, tonalities, etc. With each listening, however, I hear and appreciate more of this complex piece.

The (professional) soloists are generally excellent with occassional poor diction. The chorus is outstanding, but the orchestra and music steal the show.

Thankyou..........2006-03-26

...to J. Scott Morrison, Grady Harp et al whose glowing reviews prompted me to buy this work by a composer I only otherwise knew by reputation. As I only purchased it today, I know it will be a CD that will require many further listenings. It's a veritable "crazy-quilt" of a work that traverses many styles and idioms. I was a bit reticent about buying a disc performed by music school students (I myself was one once) - not that I thought they wouldn't be talented, just maybe not quite good enough. I have put this (unwarranted) prejudice aside, however, as the performances are excellent. The vocalists in particular (all of them) are outstanding.
Altogether a thoroughly interesting and original piece of music.

An Excellent Example of Modern American Composition.......2006-02-17

I had the double pleasure of hearing a performance of this live in Ann Arbor AND purchasing the CD for subsequent enjoyment.

Bolcolm's composition, though somewhat dated (in the notes above you can see that this was actually written some time back) is still very fresh in 2006.

The use of seeming disparate forms of music (check out the raggae ending juxtaposed against some fairly depressing wording) has a "World Music" feel.

The University of Michigan Choirs, in spite of numbering over 400 on stage and on the CD still manage to produce a clear sound. A strong testimony to the quality of the directors of those choirs.

BRAVO- This truly deserved the recent Grammy recognition.

Average customer rating: Halloween Violin Puzzling choices, and not all that devilish Watch Out Where You Play This CD ... the best music ever recorded! Pretty good

Devil's Dance Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Bolcom, William | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Korngold, Erich Wolfgang | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Paganini, Niccolò | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sarasate | Sarasate, Pablo de | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tartini | Tartini, Giuseppe | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Korngold, Erich Wolfgang | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Shaham, Gil | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Instrument of the Devil Violin Romances Tartini: The Devil's Sonata / Andrew Manze Wieniawski: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Sibelius/Tchaikovsky: Violinkonzerte ASIN: B00004XRY7 Release Date: 2000-09-12

Tracks:

1. The Witches Of Eastwick: Devil's Dance
2. Young Frankenstein: A Transylvanian Lullaby
3. Puck
4. Danse Macabre
5. Caprice Fantastique
6. Walpurgisnacht
7. Hexenlied
8. La Ronde Des Lutins
9. Graceful Ghost
10. Concert Fantasy On Gounod's Faust
11. Caprice No. 13
12. Sonata In G Minor 'Devil's Trill'
13. Solo Sonata No. 2: Obsession

Amazon.com

Though it's haunted by goblins, ghosts, and monsters, it is hard to find anything very satanic in much of this music, except its fiendishly difficult pyrotechnics. Its sole purpose is to display Gil Shaham's devilishly dazzling virtuosity, glorious tone, elegance, humor, and bewitching charm. The only substantial piece is Tartini's "Devil's Trill Sonata," in Kreisler's edition complete with his long, diabolically strenuous cadenza; Shaham plays it very beautifully, with genuine, moving expressiveness. Elsewhere, his tongue is never far from his cheek, whether he is tossing off Bazzini's "Rondo de Lutins" perfectly at top speed, or having fun with the fireworks of Korngold's "Caprice fantastique," Sarasate's "Faust Fantasie," Grieg's "Puck" arranged by Joseph Achron, Paganini's Caprice No. 13, with a piano part by Robert Schumann, and Saint-Saëns' "Dance macabre," in which the pianist doubles for a whole orchestra. There are also transcriptions of passionately romantic pieces by Brahms and Mendelssohn, and excursions into different styles: William Bolcom's "Graceful Ghost" rag; "Transylvanian Lullaby" from John Morris's soundtrack for "Young Frankenstein" transcribed by Shaham's pianist, Jonathan Feldman; and the title piece, "Devil's Dance" arranged by John Williams from his soundtrack for "The Witches of Eastwick." You can safely invite this devil of a violinist into your home--he is excellent company. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Halloween Violin.......2005-10-17

While not always frightening as much as classical music with a Halloween theme, this is a fine recording to play at parties if the guests fancy this kind of music. The title refers to the Devil's Dance, for violin & piano from the film Witches of Eastwick, a work composed by John Williams. It is followed by A Transylvanian Rhapsody from the comic film Young Frankeinstein. The most famous piece of all "Danse Macabre" was Saint Saens' ghoulish work that nearly caused his mother a heart attack at the premire. Using stage effects like smoke and mist, Saint Saens had dancing skeletons waltzing on stage. The Devil Trill Sonata by Tartini has a frightening story behind it. It was rumored that the composer dreamt that the Devil gave him the score to this violin piece. It is played at an impossible speed and is one of the most difficult violin pieces ever composed. Only few violinists take on this piece. The music on this album is however not as scary as some other classical Halloween CD's out there but violin afficionados will be quite delighted.

Puzzling choices, and not all that devilish.......2004-10-21

I'll say right off that Shaham's technique is top-notch, which is what one expects from such an album. And this is fine playing, with the violin and piano generally blending well.

But while this was clearly intended to be a "concept album," the artists/producers made several puzzling (and frustrating) choices that left me wondering just what the concept was supposed to be. The music is "devilishly difficult" at some times (the Tartini, for example), "creepy and eerie" at others (the "Danse macabre", others). However, several of the pieces are neither dazzingly difficult nor all that creepy - the Brahms and the Mendelssohn, for example, fail both definitions and, frankly, just don't seem to fit on this album. And then, there's the Paganini B-flat caprice - a solo violin piece transcribed for violin and piano, weakening the focus on violin virtuosity - while the Ysaye is left as a solo piece . . . well, a **piece** of a piece - we're given only a part of one movement of a four-movement work that is both very difficult AND built around that ultimate "creepy" theme, the "Dies Irae." Why only part of a single movement?

The net effect of all this is an album that doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. It's almost as if someone committed to an album concept without making sure there was enough material to fill the album. Further quibbles: the violin is placed somewhat too far back, for my taste; on a virtuoso album, I want to be "up close" to catch all the nuances of the performance. And the balance between violin and piano is less than ideal at times, at least to my ear.

As I said, the playing is fine; it's the concept execution that falls short of "as advertised."

Watch Out Where You Play This CD.......2002-05-17

As everyone says this is an extremely enjoyable disc. While it played fine in my ordinary CD player, the one in my computer couldn't handle it. Not only wouldn't it play, but it crashed the whole machine. Real deviltry at work!

... the best music ever recorded!.......2002-05-07

Sometimes I forget to breathe-this CD is so mind-blowing! This is the type of CD that you can't help but wave your hands around pretending to conduct the song!........ Ok.... Deep breathes.......o-o...I have to calm down! Now this CD features not just the best musicians but the best composers. They are John Williams (simply the best), Camille Saint-Saens (who composed one of the most famous "spooky" songs: Danse macabre!) ,and John Morris, you know.... Composed the music for YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the funniest movie EVER! And guess what the theme song is on the CD!.. The charming yet spooky.........'Young Frankenstein': A Transylvania Lullaby. Hexenlied, one of my favorites, is by MR. Felix Mendelssohn (no he's not Felix the cat!)..........So...many....good.....songs....so.....Little--t-t-time. OK. It's time to wrap things up.....BUY THIS CD, YOU WON'T REGRET IT! :)

Pretty good.......2002-01-23

This CD has pretty interesting selection. My only qualm about it is sometimes it seems that the piano is competing for volume with the soloist, especially in Dans Macabre. This rendition is definitely not my favourite version. But some other gems make up for this, like Devils Dance, and La Ronde des Lutins. Devils dance is really well arranged and performed, and thats my favourite track on this album.

Average customer rating: "Salon" (not "Saloon") Ragtime Bolcom - Piano Rags Comprehensive collection of modern Americana Still Raggin'

Bolcom - Piano Rags Manufacturer: Albany Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Bolcom, William | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Complete Rags for Piano: Piano Solo World's Greatest Piano Rags William Bolcom: Music for Two Pianos Works by Bolcom and Wolpe: Twelve New Etudes/Battle Piece William Bolcom - Songs of Innocence and of Experience (William Blake) / Slatkin, University of Michigan School of Music ASIN: B00000IMH2 Release Date: 1999-04-20

Tracks:

1. Eubie's Lucky Day (Rag Obsession)
2. Three Ghost Rags: Graceful Ghost Rag
3. Three Ghost Rags: The Poltergeist (Rag Fantasy)
4. Three Ghost Rags: Dream Shadows
5. Raggin' Rudi
6. The Gardenia (Slow Drag)
7. Tabby Cat Walk (Slow Two-step)
8. California Porcupine Rag
9. Rag-Tango
10. Last Rag

Tracks:

1. Knight Hubert
2. Three Classic Rags - Glad Rag
3. - Eiptaph for Louis Chauvin (Slow Rag)
4. - Incineratorag
5. Seabiscuits (from three popular rags)
6. Fields of Flowers
7. The Garden of Eden - Old Adam (Two Step)
8. - The Eternal Feminine (Slow Drag)
9. - The Serpent's Kiss (Rag Fantasy)
10. - Through Eden's Gate (Cakewalk)
11. Lost Lady Rag
12. Epithalamium

Customer Reviews:

"Salon" (not "Saloon") Ragtime.......2007-06-06

It's a matter of taste whether one likes ragtime in its "saloon" or "salon" form. Personally I prefer the former, because ragtime was originally performed in saloons and brothels in two of the main centers of early 20th Century popular music -- New Orleans and Sedalia, Missouri. In other words, it was popular entertainment for a popular audience. Admittedly, Scott Joplin, James Scott, and Joseph Lamb (among others) had higher aspirations --- nevertheless, the music's main appeal was the sheer, high-energy "charge" of the music. That's what I find largely missing in more classically-oriented pianists like John Murphy, who, like Joshua Rifkin and John Arpin before him, seem intent on turning the music into something appropriate for a staid Carnegie Hall audience. Not that there aren't fine rags here that occasionally capture the flavor of raw Bohemianism --- pieces like "Eubie's Lucky Day," "Raggin' Rudi," "California Porcupine Rag," and "The Serpent's Kiss" all have their moments. But even on these, the dead weight of Murphy's genteel hand takes a lot of the "dance" out of the music. The concert-hall "echo" effect contributes even more to the annoyingly sanitized quality. Paradoxically, from my point of view, the best piece on the entire set is the slow drag called "The Eternal Feminine," since it's a deliberately laid-back composition to begin with, much like the famous "Heliotrope Bouquet" of Louis Chauvin. For those, however, who want Rags to Really Dance To, I'd recommend Richard Zimmerman's Complete Joplin Rags, some of "Perfessor" Bill Edwards's solo ragtime discs, or, best of all, almost any of the piano rag discs performed by Scott Kirby or David Thomas Roberts. Best single "saloon" disc ever? Track down Roberts's compilation of "The Collected Brun Campbell." Now THERE'S real ragtime!!!"

Bolcom - Piano Rags.......2005-09-02

Better to buy the sheet music to go along with this to realize how complicated these are to play. Murphy has that special 'bent' to play the details - there are no shortcuts in this set..

Comprehensive collection of modern Americana.......2001-10-13

William Bolcom is undoubtedly one of America's most important living composers and musicians. Without sacrificing one iota of his stylistic integrity or musical personality, he has done much to bridge the gap between so-called serious music and the popular idioms that most people think of when the phrase "American music" is uttered: ragtime, jazz and music-hall styles. His albums of popular music from the turn of the 20th century with his wife, mezzo-soprano Joan Morris, remain classics of their kind.

John Murphy, who plays all of Bolcom's piano rags on this collection, is a personal friend of the composer and presumably has his seal of approval. It's good to have all of this enjoyable music in one place; still, I can't muster as much enthusiasm for this album as I would like. Murphy's technique, though serviceable, seems taxed by the more demanding moments in these frequently virtuosic pieces, and the resulting lack of rhythmic precision, in particular, frequently robs the music of its full effect. He also applies the pedal more liberally than I personally like. Nevertheless, the chances of anyone else recording all of Bolcom's 29 rags (including seven unpublished pieces) in the near future is remote, so this is an album fans of this composer ought to have.

Still Raggin'.......2000-04-13

Despite the origins of ragtime being a century ago, ragtime still thrives today. It is considered a legitimate classical music form. It is even more delightful to have contemporary rags get published and performed - especially when the performance captures the nuance of the composer's intentions. William Bolcom's finely crafted rags come to life under pianist John Murphy's hands. From the delicate, thoughtful Ghost Rags to the slammin' variations in the Garden of Eden, Bolcom combines the energy of turn-of-the-century ragtime with refined classical sensibility. This CD set should be a part of any and every ragtime anthology - from casual listeners to classroom teachers.

Average customer rating: Peculiar Gershwin Never Sounded Better!

Gershwin: Piano Music Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Impromptus | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: After The Ball plus Highlights from Vaudeville Moonlight Bay: Songs as Is Songs as Was The Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Vol. 2 Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls Fascinating Rhythm: The Complete Music for Solo Piano by George Gershwin ASIN: B000005IY8 Release Date: 1992-04-09

Tracks:

1. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Swanee
2. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Nobody But You
3. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise
4. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Do It Again
5. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Fascinating Rhythm
6. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Oh, Lady Be Good
7. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Somebody Loves Me
8. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Sweet And Low Down
9. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): That Certain Feeling
10. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): The Man I Love
11. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Clap Yo' Hands
12. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Do Do Do
13. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): My One And Only
14. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): 'S Wonderful
15. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Strike Up The Band
16. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Liza
17. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): I Got Rhythm
18. George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Who Cares?
19. Other Piano Pieces: Rialto Ripples
20. Other Piano Pieces: Three Preludes-Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
21. Other Piano Pieces: Three Preludes - Andante con moto e poco rubato
22. Other Piano Pieces: Three Preludes - Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
23. Other Piano Pieces: Impromptu In Two Keys
24. Other Piano Pieces: Three-Quarter Blues
25. Other Piano Pieces: Merry Andrew
26. Other Piano Pieces: Piano Playin' Jazzbo Brown (Jasbo Brown Blues)
27. Other Piano Pieces: Promenade
28. Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise
29. Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: How Long Has This Been Going On?
30. Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: By Strauss
31. Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: Someone to Watch over Me
32. Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: Nice Work If You Can Get It
33. Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: The Man I Love
34. Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: Just Another Rhumba
35. Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: Isn't It A Pity?
36. Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: They All Laughed
37. Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: Love Is Here To Stay

Amazon.com

William Bolcom is my kind of musician. He writes music that is sometimes adventurous but always based in a recognizable American idiom. And he's a terrific ragtime pianist, the best Joplin player I've heard. With these credentials, of course he's a wonderful Gershwin player. These are the best piano performances of Gershwin I know. After you hear those, Bolcom joins his wife Joan Morris for very flavorful versions of 10 George and Ira Gershwin songs. The whole disc is a delight, and the original analog recordings still sound fine. Highly recommended to all Gershwin lovers. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Peculiar.......2005-01-26

I can see how someone might enjoy this album. William Bolcom is a top-flight pianist and the idea of playing the tunes as George Gershwin played them at parties is intriguing.

Because my ear is used to it, I guess, I would like to have heard longer performances of fewer songs. Each one sounded to me like a snippet -- over too soon. Because of that, plus the fact that I'm not a fan of Joan Morris' showy voice, I give the album one thumb up.

Gershwin Never Sounded Better!.......2002-06-25

This is a fantastic CD! Back in the 70's, pianist William Bolcom and his singer wife Joan Morris made a delightful series of albums on the Nonesuch label of old songs from the first half of the twentieth century - just glorious voice backed by brilliant piano. As Ira Gershwin might say - who could ask for anything more? The music is not only beautifully performed, you can hear the joy of the performance in every note. And Bolcom and Morris were never better than when doing Gershwin.

A combination of two albums, the first part of this CD is all piano. The Gershwin Songbook consists of brief (some under a minute) versions of some of his more popular songs in the way that Gershwin himself famously played them at parties. They demonstrate that Gershwin was as gifted a pianist as he was a composer. The other instrumental tracks are some of Gershwin's solo piano pieces, including the wonderful Rialto Ripples, a rag written when he was just seventeen. For me, the pinnacle of both Gershwin's and William Bolcom's artistry is reached on the second of the three preludes - a classic study of a bluesy mood.

Just when you think things can't get any better, Joan Morris arrives. She effortlessly sings and swings her way through ten of Gershwin's best songs from the cheeky comedy of By Strauss to the smoky moodiness of Someone To Watch Over Me. Maybe I'm just an incurable old romantic, but the ballads are the best of all.

No Gershwin collection can be complete without this CD. Now if only I could find a copy of that Bolcom/Morris song about Humphrey Bogart...

Average customer rating: Benita Valente is an amazing singer If you're looking for good performances, look elsewhere.

Bolcom: Briefly it Enters; Let Evening Come Manufacturer: Centaur ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Bolcom, William | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Cabaret Songs (Complete) Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs ASIN: B00005BI2Z Release Date: 2001-04-24

Tracks:

1. Let Evening Come: Ailey, Baldwin, Floyd, Killens And Mayfield
2. Let Evening Come: 'Tis Not That Dying Hurts Us So
3. Let Evening Come: Interlude
4. Let Evening Come: Let Evening Come
5. Briefly It Enters: Who
6. Briefly It Enters: The Clearing
7. Briefly It Enters: Otherwise
8. Briefly It Enters: February: Thinking Of Flowers
9. Briefly It Enters: Twilight: After Haying
10. Briefly It Enters: Man Eating
11. Briefly It Enters: The Sick Wife
12. Briefly It Enters: Peonies At Dusk
13. Briefly It Enters: Briefly It Enters, And Briefly Speaks
14. Cabaret Songs Volume 3: The Total Stranger In The Garden
15. Cabaret Songs Volume 3: Love In The Thirties
16. Cabaret Songs Volume 3: Thius King Of Orf
17. Cabaret Songs Volume 3: Miracle Song
18. Cabaret Songs Volume 3: Satisfaction
19. Cabaret Songs Volume 3: Radical Sally
20. Cabaret Songs Volume 4: Angels Are The Highest Form Of Virtue
21. Cabaret Songs Volume 4: Poet Pal Of Mine
22. Cabaret Songs Volume 4: Can't Sleep
23. Cabaret Songs Volume 4: At The Last Lousy Moments Of Love
24. Cabaret Songs Volume 4: Lady Luck
25. Cabaret Songs Volume 4: Blue

Customer Reviews:

Benita Valente is an amazing singer.......2004-10-12

Even though I have only been studying voice for a short time I can appreciate what an outstanding singer and performer Benita Valente is. I am in awe of her ability to create a dramatic yet sensitive vocal line. My favorite recording of her is Libby Larson's Songs From Letters. She is the wonderful thing about this CD!! I know that often one thinks of Dawn Upshaw, Kiri Te Kanawa, Renee Fleming, etc. as leaders of today's classical vocal recordings. After hearing Ms. Valente on any recordng she will be added to your list without hesitation.

If you're looking for good performances, look elsewhere........2004-10-11

William Bolcom is an intriguing composer, and for years I have enjoyed listening to and performing certain of his vocal works. I recently discovered this recording on Amazon.com and was quite excited about hearing not only cycles with which I was unfamiliar, but the composer and his wife's performance of Vols. III and IV of Bolcom's Cabaret Songs.

"Briefly it Enters" is a work of genius, given a beautifully satisfying performance by Benita Valente. The songs are wonderful, and Valente's voice is in top form. She is complemented perfectly by Cynthia Raim, a pianist of the highest sensitivity.

I wish I could be as complimentary for the other two cycles contained on this disc. "Let Evening Come" is merely okay. The performers give it their all, but the songs are simply not up to snuff. The insertion of the solo viola in place of the second voice, however poignant it might be for the composer, is merely annoying.

The true disaster on this recording, however, is the Bolcom/Morris performance of the Cabaret Songs. Joan Morris has been a few years past her prime for several years now, and it seems that no one has the heart to tell her. She squeaks and squawks her way through these delightful songs, rendering them nearly unlistenable. Bolcom's piano playing has, over the past few years, become a distortion of what it once was. He seems to find it difficult to maintain a steady tempo, and pounds away at the instrument as if out for revenge. These are wonderful songs, songs that deserve to be heard and deserve much better performances than these.

The only other recording on the market of the Cabaret Songs is "Blue: The Complete Cabaret Songs by William Bolcom and Arnold Weinstein" by Soprano Michelle Murray and pianist David Murray, available on Amazon.com. Theirs is a truly musical, collaborative, and emotional performance of all 24 of the Cabaret Songs. I give their recording 5 stars. As of this writing, there are no other recordings of "Let Evening Come" or "Briefly it Enters," but that is probably for the best. Valente's recording of "Briefly it Enters" can stand on its own, and no one who ever hears "Let Evening Come" will ever want to hear it again.

Average customer rating:

Dirty Little Secret Manufacturer: Endeavour Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Adams | Adams, John | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Bolcom, William | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Morton Gould | Gould, Morton | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Kernis | Kernis, Aaron Jay | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Ligeti, György | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: John Adams: Complete Piano Music Janaki String Trio Debut Chamber Music Haydn: Piano Sonatas Larkin Gifford's Harmonica ASIN: B000NA279E Release Date: 2007-03-13

Tracks:

1. The Body Of Your Dreams - Jacob Ter Veldhuis
2. Beat - Gerard Beljon
3. Carnaval Noir - Derek Bermel
4. A Dirty Little Secret - Daniel Felsenfeld
5. Maple Leaf Rag - Scott Joplin
6. Boogie Woogie Etude - Morton Gould
7. China Gates - John Adams
8. Fanfares - Gyorgy Ligeti
9. Poltergeist Rag - William Bolcom
10. Jaunt - Derek Bermel
11. Lullaby - Derek Bermel
12. Me Bu-to-so - Amonte Parsons
13. Medieval Induction - Marc Mellits
14. Superstar Etude No.1 - Aaron Jay Kernis

Album Description

2007 Grammy nominee Andrew Russo rides his supercharged piano into the twenty-first century with fourteen dirty little secrets packed with verve and humor, crankiness and delight, sweat and sarcasm, attitude and acrobatics, power and peril, joy and turbulence, punch and grace-fourteen short masterworks by twelve of today's most relevant composers!

A number of classical albums feature recitals of short 'encore' piano pieces, mostly nienteenth-century trifles. Dirty Little Secret has a similar structure-that is, it is a piano album with many short tracks. However, it reflects both a repertoire and attitude that belong to this century of sound bites, downloads, and the cynical sarcasm of Generation X.

A versatile, prolific artist both onstage and in the recording studio, American pianist Andrew Russo has made a name for himself through his work with many of today's leading composers in the US and Europe. As a recitalist, Russo's programs frequently feature premieres. Trained classically at the Juilliard School and the Hochschule fur Music and Theater Mendelssohn in Leipzig, he pursued further specialized training in Paris with Frederic Chiu. In addition to his extensive solo activities, Russo is a member of the piano/cello/percussion trio Real Quiet, a group much involved in commissioning new music.

"A pianist who knows no limits" -- London Times "Andrew Russo is by no means just `another pianist.'" -- Gramophone

A number of records feature recitals of short `encore' piano pieces, mostly nineteenth-century trifles. Dirty Little Secret is a record with a similar structure--that is, a piano album with many short tracks. However, it reflects both a repertoire and attitude that belong to this century of sound bites, downloads, and the cynical sarcasm of Generation X. A versatile, prolific artist both on and offstage and in the recording studio, American pianist Andrew Russo has made a name for himself through his work with many of today's leading composers in the United States and Europe. Trained classically at the Juilliard School and the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Mendelssohn in Leipzig, Russo pursued further specialized training in Paris with Frederic Chiu. It was during those years that Russo began developing relationships with many important American and European composers, began working with electro-acoustic music, and explored an ongoing interest for the hybrid world of live musical performance and theater. As a recitalist, Russo's programs frequently feature premieres. In addition to his activities as a performer and event organizer, he dedicates time to the direction and development of Music Journeys INC, a non-profit foundation he founded in 2001.

Average customer rating: It doesn't get better than this. starting over starting over excellence Cornet Favorites

Cornet Favorites Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Thomson | Thomson, Virgil | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Trumpet | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Turn-of-the-Century Cornet Favorites Herbert L. Clarke: Original Recordings 1907-21 Carnaval The Legendary Trumpet Virtuosity of Rafael Mendez The American Brass Band Journal ASIN: B000005IYD Release Date: 1992-05-27

Tracks:

1. From The Shores Of The Mighty Pacific: Rondo Caprice
2. Sounds From The Hudson: Valse Brillante
3. Willow Echoes
4. The Carnival Of Venice: Fantaisie And Variations
5. At The Beach: Concert Waltz
6. The Debutante: Caprice Brillante
7. Slavische Fantasie
8. The Bride Of The Waves: Polka Brillante
9. Cousins
10. Exposition Echoes: Polka
11. The Maid Of The Mist: Polka
12. Trombone Family: A) Shoutin' Liza Trombone - One Step (Mose Tombone's Ah-finity) B) Teddy Trombone - A Brother To Miss Trombone (Trombone Solo)
13. The Cascades: Polka Brilliant

Customer Reviews:

It doesn't get better than this........2001-08-01

I first bought this recording on vinyl back in 1975. Gerard Schwartz has since moved on to a career in conducting, but as this recording shows, he's a true Master of his craft. I'm a trumpet player and I know what a good sound is. This guy's got it!

More than technical perfection, the tunes are delivered with delicacy, grace and power.

starting over.......2001-07-03

This is a very good cd for a trumpet player. Many songs of Herbert L. Clarke and Jean Babtiste Arban are there in their familiar versions. If you get this cd, you ought to get Cornet Favorites also. The solos on both cd's stick to the versions found in Arban's Complete Conservatory Method and Clarke's 24 Charateristic Studies, so you can follow them note for note. Carnaval has wind symphony accompaniment and Cornet Favorites has piano accompaniment.

starting over.......2001-07-03

If you have the Arban Complete Conservatory Method and Herbert Clarke's 24 Characteristic Studies, then you have the versions of the solos that are played on this cd, and can benefit from hearing them played. All songs use piano accompaniment so you will have no trouble hearing the cornet. Carnaval (Winton Marsalis) has some of the same songs, but the cornet is harder to hear because of the wind symphony accompniment.

excellence.......2000-05-30

This is the best verison of Carnival I have heard. Classic Wynton also provides a fantastic interpretation on the most difficult trumpet solo of all time. But Schwarz shows amazing control, fantastic percision, and baffling dexterity. The Debutante and the Bride, etc. are also impressive. Its a shame Schwarz gave up trumpet to conduct. Having played these songs myself, I definitely recommend it to any classical trumpet enthusiast/student

Cornet Favorites.......1999-12-28

I enjoyed the cd because of the literature being performed. However, Schwarz's performance is mediocre and lacks luster. The sound is dull and uninviteing.The tempos were unusal and it felt there was no ensemble with the trumpet and piano performance.
I felt there was not a musical product produced in this recording.

Average customer rating: After the Ball Edwardian Songs presented in a beautiful way Oh, Miss Dall'Armi wasn't the first! A triumph! The Gilded Age Album of Albums

After The Ball plus Highlights from Vaudeville Joan Morris & William Bolcom Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Moonlight Bay: Songs as Is Songs as Was On the Level, You're a Little Devil--Songs of Vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley Gershwin: Piano Music Sing Gus Kahn Knockout Drops ASIN: B000005IY5 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. After The Ball
2. Good Bye, My Lady Love
3. A Bird In A Gilded Cage
4. Under The Bamboo Tree
5. On The Banks Of The Wabash, Far Away
6. Those Wedding Bells Shall Not Ring Out
7. I've Got Rings On My Fingers
8. Come Down Ma Evenin' Star
9. I Don't Want To Play In Your Yard
10. Will You Love Me In December As You Do In May?
11. Meet Me In Saint Louis, Louis
12. Love's Old Sweet Song
13. Waltz Me Around Again Willie
14. Wait 'Till The Sun Shines, Nellie
15. Vaudeville: I Don't Care
16. Vaudeville: Shine On, Harvest Moon
17. Vaudeville: Yip - I - Addy - I - A!
18. Vaudeville: Let The Rest Of The World Go By
19. Vaudeville: May Irwin's
20. Vaudeville: I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

Customer Reviews:

After the Ball.......2007-05-24

This Cd was very enjoyable. Joan Morris' voice was clear and flexible, William Bolcom's piano was crisp .
I enjoyed the musical choices- a good montage of the era.

Edwardian Songs presented in a beautiful way.......2005-07-09

A most excellent CD with a beautiful singer and brilliant pianist
presenting an unsual collection of lovely songs. I was unable to
purchase in the UK and thank Amazon for making it possible.

Oh, Miss Dall'Armi wasn't the first!.......2005-02-03

Great to hear a singer able (and willing) to perform this kind of music: it make the songs I knew from music sheets come alive. This performance has (with a slightly different repertoire, and a different backing) been equalled recently by Jody Dall'Armi, with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra (CD "On the Level, You're a Little Devil")

A triumph!.......2003-03-30

Thirty years after this wonderful collection appeared, it still warms hearts and wets eyes across generations. This classic recording is likely to be around forever, and it certainly deserves to be. Joan Morris provides full emotional commitment along with smart style and a beautiful voice. William Bolcom is an ideal accompanist: he's obviously of a heart with Morris but never intrudes.

One overlooked asset of this recording is the superb sonics. Listen through state-of-the-art speakers and subwoofer, and the space in the room is recreated extraordinarily well. You will seldom hear piano and voice recorded this well.

You may not admit it to your friends, but you'll listen to this masterpiece over and over. It goes straight to the Hall of Fame.

The Gilded Age Album of Albums.......2001-03-21

I first bought this album as a record in the early 1970's, and enjoyed it over and over. I tried to buy another copy but couldn't find it and gave up years ago. Suddenly I find... it and I can hardly wait to get it once more.... and with bonus tracks, too. Great! The best thing about this recording was how authentic it sounded... not "updated" in style or rendition, but with the genuine music hall ambiance that one would imagine these catchy tunes must have sounded like at the time. I guarantee if the CD is half as good as the record, this is a real treasure! There are 2 songs that were recreated for Judy Garland in "Meet Me in Saint Louis", and the originals as Joan Morris sings them will give you visions of the old Vaudeville theatre, complete with peanut gallery.

Average customer rating: A thing of beauty, a joy forever Great interpretations but... They won me over - this is fabulous! Excellent recording by David and Michelle! An utter mastpiece! Simply inimitable!

Blue - The Complete Cabaret Songs of William Bolcom and Arnold Weinstein Michelle Murray , and David Murray Manufacturer: Summit(Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: William Bolcom: Songs Cabaret Songs (Complete) Cabaret Songs - Volumes 3 and 4: Voice and Piano Cabaret Songs - Volumes 1 and 2: Voice and Piano Contemporary Cabaret: 31 Songs in Today's Repertoire Sung by Major Artists ASIN: B00009MGOP Release Date: 2003-06-03

Tracks:

1. Over The Piano
2. Fur(Murray The Furrier)
3. He Tipped The Waiter
4. Waitin
5. Song Of Black Max
6. Amor
7. Places To Live
8. Toothbrush Time
9. Surprise!
10. The Actor
11. Oh Close The Curtain
12. George
13. The Total Stranger In The Garden
14. Love In The Thirties
15. Thius King Of Orf
16. Miracle Song
17. Satisfaction
18. Radical Sally
19. Angels Are The Highest Form Of Virtue
20. Poet Pal Of Mine
21. Can't Sleep
22. At The Last Lousy Moments Of Love
23. Lady Luck
24. Blue

Customer Reviews:

A thing of beauty, a joy forever.......2005-10-15

I agree with the previous reviewer - the interpretations of the Cabaret Songs by Michelle and David Murray are priceless, and show what someone who knows what they are doing can do with these tired old songs. For that reason alone, this recording is worth more than three stars. I disagree, however, with her quibbling over the performance. Too often, jazz and cabaret are stereotyped as genres in which only a low, husky, almost male-sounding female voice can do the music justice, and this is simply not true. My advice to anyone who thinks that this performer does not sing these songs well is -- OPEN YOUR EARS and get off your high-horse.

Great interpretations but..........2005-10-10

She's clearly a soprano and these pieces are too low for her. And on sustained notes, she sings sharp. I prefer hearing these sung by a lower and richer voice. Still and all, glad to have them on a recording, so thanks for that.

They won me over - this is fabulous!.......2004-09-03

I am not a student of cabaret songs, but I had heard of the genre and this recording seemed a good place to start. Honestly, the first time I listened to it, I wasn't very impressed. However, I attributed that to my lack of familiarity with the composer and the style of the music, and kept listening. After letting the music sink in for a while, I began to notice how well the Murrays interpret and perform these pieces. Michelle does not sound like a performer singing a song, she IS the character of the song, telling her story. You can hear her disgust and pain in "At the last lousy moments of love", her combined amusement, gruff love, and desire to teach street smarts to the child in "Love in the thirties". The pianist is amazingly expressive. The accompaniment as provided by David, rather than being part of the background to the singer, is an integral part of the story. At times the accompaniment sets the scene, at others it reacts to the vocalist, at times they go back and forth in a tight interplay that is reminiscent of a couple who finish each other's sentences as they chat. Replace either David or Michelle, and these songs would all fall flat. Together, they form a team that compels one to listen. Their performances made me like this music whether I wanted to or not. I had hoped this CD could provide background music at work. It fails miserably in that regard, because I get so drawn in to the pieces. I always end up with my hands frozen over my computer keyboard, my mind eavesdropping on a father and son on the street, squirming away from someone I shouldn't have brought home the night before, communing with someone I love. Get this CD - you'll be glad you did.

Excellent recording by David and Michelle!.......2004-08-25

As a former piano student of David, I do have a bias, but it is completely understandable. These two work together so well, and make music like no other! Some of my favorite tracks are Amor, Toothbrush Time, Oh Close the Curtain, George, Love in the Thirties, Song of Black Max and Fur. All of the songs are excellent! David's piano skills are off the chart, completely amazing. Michelle's vocals are absolutely wonderful. I would urge you to buy this recording, as any cd collection is incomplete without it.

An utter mastpiece! Simply inimitable!.......2003-07-21

Upon listening to Blue, it is very clear how passionate David & Michelle are about the music they are performing. Michelle's rich soprano flows very nicely from track to track with David's eloquent piano playing. On numbers like "Song of Black Max" & "At The Last Lousy Moments of Love", you can just picture the performance - graceful & gorgeous. Songs like "Amor" & "Toothbrush Time" will bring a smile to your face with their humor. "Waitin'" will give you goosebumps & "Radical Sally" will most definitely make you want to get up and dance. Michelle's voice is full of life - not wispy at all and it is clear on each track and David's piano playing is the perfect compliment to it. They make a very wonderful pairing both on stage and off. I highly recommend this CD to anyone!

Music Review:

1. Boughton: String Quartet in F, et al
2. Christmas Around the World
3. Dido & Aeneas
4. Dvorák/Brahms: New World Symphony/Academic Festival Overture
5. Flagello: Concerto for piano No2; Concerto for piano No3
6. Franz Hawlata
7. Franz Liszt: The Complete Music for Solo Piano, Volume 29
8. G.F. Handel: Oratorio Belshazzar
9. Giuseppe Di Stefano: Historical Recordings 1952 - 1963
10. Glazunov: The Complete Solo Piano Music

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