Evening Songs

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
This disc contains 19 works (total time of 73:30) written or transcribed for English horn and organ – a varied repertoire of pieces by ten different composers. The album unites two of the most important instrumentalists in France today: Jean Yves Gicquel, principal English horn with the Orchestre de Bordeaux, and Dominique Joubert, organist at Valence Cathedral and professor at the National School of Music in Valence. A unique recording concept, with repertoire solely for English horn and organ, the disc contains six world premiere recordings and is the first-ever recording on the organ in Saint John the Baptist Church, Valence, France.

Tracks:

Fugue From Violin Sonata No. 1, BWV 1001 - J S Bach
Estudio brillante
Etude No. 1 In E Minor
Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Leyenda
Romance
Rumores de la Caleta
Capricho Arabe
Cantata 147: Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude No. 1
Well-Tempered Clavier: Prelude No. 6
Cantata 140: Sleepers Awake
Prelude, Fugue, And Allegro: Allegro
Cantata 208: Sheep May Safely Graze
Les Barricades mysterieuses
Preambulo & Allegro vivo: Preambulo And Allegro vivo
Passacaglia
The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
Gymnopedie No. 1
Empress Of The Pagodas
Afro-Cuban Lullaby

Tracks:

Fourth Lute Suite: Praludium
Fairest Lord Jesus
Praise Ye The Lord, K. 339
Simple Gifts
Hymn Of Christian Joy
Cantata 29: We Thank Thee, Lord
Cantata 156: Arioso
Cantata 99: What God Hath Done
Canon
Dolly Suite: Berceuse
La Vida breve: Spanish Dance No. 1
Terezinha De Jesus
Prelude (In The Baroque Style)
Goyescas: Intermezzo
Prelude & Fugue No. 4 In E: Fugue
Evening Dance
Variations On A Theme Of Mozart
Canarlos
La Maja de Goya
El Noi de la Mare
Concierto de Aranjuez: Adagio - J. Rodrigo

Customer Reviews:

Excellent recording.......2007-05-12

If you are a fan of classical guitar than this is a must own set. I enjoy every moment.

Highly Recommended!.......2006-12-23

I would recommend this CD to anyone who loves music--period! Christopher Parkening is unquestionably one of the greatest classical guitarists of all-time. He embodies personal excellence like no other and is a brilliant artist. This CD is a must-have for any classical enthusiast. My favorite pieces include: Tárrega's "Recuerdos de la Alhambra," "Romance," Bach's "Prelude No. 6," and Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez." There are other versions of these pieces as well, but I always prefer Parkening's renditions, as they are oh so extraordinary--especially the recording of Aranjuez!! Other guitarists never seem to capture the essence of Rodrigo's musical masterpiece (e.g., Göran Söllescher in "Mad About Guitars"). But Parkening did! And the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was a perfect accompaniment.

This CD is definitely worth buying. Included is a CD booklet, which illustrates the history of Parkening's illustrious career, interesting tidbits about all 25 recorded pieces, and several photos of his early life to his "breathtaking performance" at Rodrigo's 90th birthday celebration at the Royal Festival Hall in London, 1992.

Amazing.......2006-05-08

I am not going to go into great detail. I am working on a degree in classical guitar and I can say this is something to strive for. His musical interpretation of the peices represented here are some of the best I've heard. His tone,color, and phrasing is incredible.

A gentleman musical agreement! .......2006-03-16

In guitar ` s playing there have been many renowned performers, gifted of exuberant technique. But curiously the Apollonian playing is not by itself strictly enough. The guitar is the instrument which is closer to heart as any other one. It demands from you passion and sentiment. There have been three well known guitarists, one of them from England and the other one from Spain and the third one from Japan whose sensibility was totally absent in their performances.

But fortunately for us, there have been notable interpreters that have been maintained a desired balance and contrast between brain and heart, achieving great distinction and total acknowledgement around the world. I would name seven primordial names along the instrument `s story. First of all: the mythic soloist Andres Segovia, Regino Sainz de la Maza, John Williams, Alirio Diaz, Manuel Berrueco, Siegfried Behrend and Christopher Parkening, among the most representative ones of a great list.

Christopher Parkening `s career has made a brilliant colorist, an impeccable and sensitive interpreter of this well reduced repertoire. His profound artistic conviction and convincing phrasing has been a perpetual motive of constant invitations and presentations around the world.

Extreme virtuosity.......2005-09-25

CP has become my chief inspiration to improve as a classical guitarist. His performances here are, without exception, phenomenal. He makes the most difficult pieces sound effortless. I prefer CP over John Williams because, while Williams is also unquestionably a master, he sounds a bit robotic to me at times. CP, on the other hand, never sacrifices musicality to precision. He sublimely maintains both.

Average customer rating:

Wanting to hear the sound of a balalaika!
From Russia, with Strings
Spectacular
Nothing beats this for exuberance

Balalaika Favorites

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Balalaika: Russia's Most Beautiful Songs
Music of Russia
Best of Russian Folk Songs
Russian Favourites
Russian Cossack Music from the Urals

ASIN: B0000057KI
Release Date: 1990-09-12

Tracks:

Fantasy on Two Folk Songs
At Sunrise
The Linden Tree
Kamarinskaya
Fantasy on Volga Melodies
In the Moonlight
Midnight in Moscow
Under the Apple Tree
Dance of the Comedians
The Living Room
Evening Bells
My Dear Friend, Please Visit Me
Waltz of the Faun
Flight of the Bumble - Bee

Customer Reviews:

Wanting to hear the sound of a balalaika!.......2005-10-18

I have not received my cd yet, but I was expecting to receive one with balalaika only, so I am already disappointed. In the samples, the orchestra is so predominate I cannot tell which is the balalaika. Thanks, Violet

From Russia, with Strings.......2004-08-09

The Osipov Russian Folk Orchestra made this fine recording some four decades ago, when the U.S. and the Soviet Union were barely on speaking terms. I imagine that some of the people who bought this record found themselves on FBI or CIA observation lists. Still, it would have been worth it, for the sheer exuberance of the music alone. The performances are bold and exciting, tinged with a hint of danger, and the listener is carried away on a crest of winter sleigh rides through places like Moscow and Vladivostock. Sure, the orchestra was capitalizing on the popularity of Dr. Zhivago, but at least they were able to find an audience. There's a little bit of hiss, given the antiquated recording instruments of the time, but it isn't enough to distract from the music. In fact, it's barely audible. I understand that they have since released a remastered version of the disc, but I'm always suspicious of perfection. One other thing: the cover leads you to believe that this is solely a balalaika show, but that isn't quite the case. There is, in fact, a whole orchestra here, but it is used quite smartly. Those other instruments give the music the air of authenticity, and create a kind of old world mood, but it's the balalaikas that carry the day.

Spectacular.......2004-07-15

This album is not only one of the finest technically, but also musically. It was recorded back in the early sixties with the finest equipment and the finest audio technique ever devised. This has to be one of the most enjoyable listening experiences the listener will ever experience, as is all of the Mercury Living Presence series. We are privilaged to have these great recordings re-made on CD, and this particular one has to be at the top of the list. It will challenge any other recording technique, and it will lift your spirits every time you listen to it!

Nothing beats this for exuberance.......2000-02-06

The sound of massed balalaikas is a real treat, especially when recorded with as much vividness and realism as on this disc. The Osipov Folk Orchestra also consists of bass balalaikas, accordions, flutes, Vladimir Shepherd's Horns, and percussion and they produce quite a kaleidoscope of sound! I particularly enjoy the comedic Vladimir Shepherd's Horns, heard to their most humorous effect in the Tchaikovsky piece, which is guaranteed to make you smile. This recording uncannily conveys the impression of a live event. Of course, the performers deserve most of the credit for this. Their unanimity of attack and sheer exuberance are heartstopping. Even if you think you don't like Russian folk music, give this a try!

Average customer rating:

You'll be disappointed
Pretty good musical mix

Greatest Songs from the Musicals
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Soho
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Very Best Of Broadway Musicals
Ultimate Broadway
Only Broadway CD You'll Ever Need
Greatest Hits: Broadway
Ultimate Broadway II: The Very Best of Broadway Now

ASIN: B000077JS0
Release Date: 2002-10-21

Tracks:

Aquarius [From Hair] - Steve Brooker, NSO Ensemble, , Caroline O'Connor
If I Can't Love Her [From Beauty and the Beast] - Ethan Freeman, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
I Could Have Danced All Night [From My Fair Lady] - Katrina Murphy, National Symphony Orchestra
Can You Feel the Love Tonight? [From The Lion King] - John Barrowman, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
What I Did for Love [from a Chorus Line] - National Symphony Orchestra, Catherine Porter, Martin Yates
This Is the Moment [From Jekyll and Hyde] - Gary Mauer, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
All That Jazz [From Chicago] - Paulette Ivory, Julian Kelly, Katrina Murphy, National Symphony Orchestra, Sally Ann Triplett
Impossible Dream [From Man of La Mancha] - Ethan Freeman, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
America [From West Side Story] - National Symphony Orchestra
Written in the Stars [From Aida] - Simon Bowman, NSO Ensemble, Sally Ann Triplett, Martin Yates
Mame [From Mame] - Jerry Lanning, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
Some Enchanted Evening [From South Pacific] - Thomas Allen, John Owen Edwards, Philharmonic Orchestra
I Am What I Am [From LA Cage aux Follies] - Janet Glazener, Leslie Uggams
One Song Glory [From Rent] - Sean McDermott, Martin Yates

Tracks:

Phantom of the Opera [From The Phantom of the Opera] - Ethan Freeman, Claire Moore, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
I Dreamed a Dream [From Les Miserables] - National Symphony Orchestra, Jacqui Scott, Martin Yates
Bui Doi [From Miss Saigon] - Ethan Freeman, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
As Long as He Needs Me [From Oliver!] - National Symphony Orchestra,
Time Warp [From the Rocky Horror Picture Show] - Anita Dobson, NSO Ensemble, Martin Yates,
Memory [From Cats] - Kim Criswell, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
Why God Why [From Miss Saigon] - Graham Bickley, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
I Know Him So Well [From Chess] - Katrina Murphy, NSO Ensemble, Sally Ann Triplett, Martin Yates
One Day More [From Les Miserables] - National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
Peggy Sue [From Buddy Holly Story] - Dominic Curtis
Empty Charis at Empty Tables [From Les Miserables] - Graham Bickley, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
Dancing Queen [From Mamma Mia!] - Julian Kelly, NSO Ensemble, , Caroline O'Connor
All I Ask of You [From The Phantom of the Opera] - Andrew Halliday, , National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
We Will Rock You [From We Will Rock You] - Martin Yates

Tracks:

It's a Grand Night for Singing [From State Fair] - National Symphony Orchestra
If I Were a Rich Man [From Fiddler on the Roof] - Jerry Lanning, National Symphony Orchestra
I Talk to the Trees [From Paint Your Wagon] - Ethan Freeman, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
Over the Rainbow [From The Wizard of Oz] - Gillian Bevan, , John Owen Edwards, , Royal Shakespeare Company
Bless Yore Beautiful Hide [From Seven Brides for Seven Brothers] - Hal Fowler, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
Grease [From Grease] - John Barrowman, NSO Ensemble, Martin Yates
Woman in Love [From Guys and Dolls] - Gregg Edelman, , Emily Loesser, National Symphony Orchestra
Secret Love [From Calamity Jane] - Debbie Gravitte, National Symphony Orchestra
Quintet [From West Side Story] - National Symphony Orchestra
I Will Always Love You [From the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas] - Salena Jones, John Pearce
Money, Money [From "Caberet"] - Maria Friedman, National Symphony Orchestra, Jonathan Pryce
If My Friends Could See Me Now (Sweet Charity) - Jacqueline Dankworth, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
Thank Heaven for Little Girls [From Gigi] - Ron Moody, National Symphony Orchestra, Martin Yates
Singin' in the Rain [From Singin' in the Rain] - Craig Barna, National Symphony Orchestra, Paul Robinson

Customer Reviews:

You'll be disappointed.......2006-09-02

Not the original artists. Very weak versions of beloved songs by marginal to downright bad vocalists.

Pretty good musical mix.......2006-03-10

Lots of great and clear vocals. I was looking for a musical mix and this has a nice sampling of many major songs but also some more recent stuff. I haven't purchased an import before but I would do it again if the opportunity presented itself. It is somewhat annoying to have three cds when I think it could have fit onto two. Still, more than I have complaints, I have compliments about it.

Average customer rating:

excellent entertainment
The Christmas I Love
A Christmas Collection That Is Just Plain Fun
Wonderful; marvellous
ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL

The Christmas I Love
Andre Rieu , and Johann Strauss Orchestra
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Tuscany
At The Movies
The Homecoming
The Vienna I Love, Waltzes From My Heart
Romantic Moments

ASIN: B0000041OB
Release Date: 1997-10-21

Tracks:

O Daughter Of Zion
White Christmas
Sleigh Ride
From Heaven High I Come To You: Tomorrow's The Day Children/Gloria In Excelsis Deo...
Ave Maria
Transeamus
Softly Falls The Snow: Ring Out Little Bell/O Come Al Ye Faithful
Evening Prayer (From Hansel & Gretel)
Jingle Bells
Lullaby: O Sweet Child Jesus/Let Us Be Happy And Jolly
Mille Cherubini In Coro (Lullaby)
Christmas Rose
The Four Seasons: Winter: Largo
O Christmas Tree: The Little Drummer Boy/Lullaby
Every Year A New: Oh, How Joyfully/Never Have The Bells Sung More Sweetly
Dearest Believe Me
Come Little Children
The Christmas Concert: Pastorale
The Holy City
Silent Night

Customer Reviews:

excellent entertainment.......2007-01-20

I thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas DVD . I want to buy more of Andre Rieu.

The Christmas I Love.......2007-01-10

I was very pleased with the CD and would recommend it to everyone.

All of Andre Rieu's music is very enjoyable to listen to.

A Christmas Collection That Is Just Plain Fun.......2005-11-19

Sometimes I think the only person who is happy that Public television is financially challenged, other that certain legislators who believe that it is too liberal and the culmination of all that is evil, is Andre Rieu. Now don't get me wrong, this happy Dutch musician who models himself after Johan Straus is not a cruel or vindictive person. At least from what I can tell he's not, but let's face it. If PBS did not have financial woes, Andre Rieu, one of its favorite stars, would not have received the exposure he has, and his sales in the United States would probably be next to nothing. Of course for anyone who has ever seen one of his extravaganzas, we would be missing something enjoyable. He's musically sound and he knows how to entertain, and quiet frankly, though some classical purists may cringe at his name, I don't believe the composers whose music he uses are rolling in their graves because it's become popular once again.

Of all his concerts and CDs, I enjoy THE CHRISTMAS I LOVE the most. The jitterbug version of "Jingle Bells" shows that an old tune can produce new tricks. His arrangement of "The Holy City" (a.k.a. "Jerusalem") is almost as moving as when it is performed with a vocalist. The recording has a number of medleys that include favorites from all over Europe show how Christmas has such an international flair. For me, however, this album provides true variety. Many of the carols are not familiar to Americans, so we hear something different yet also authentic to the holiday season.

I'm surprised that there have not been other Rieu Christmas discs. He's an original musician and a consummate showman, so I'm sure there's more he could do with holiday music, but maybe he knows he has a classic with this collection and it will stand the test of time.

Wonderful; marvellous.......2000-09-30

Andre Rieu proves again he is the best of the best! I bought this CD in october 1997, a few weeks before Andre's concert In Quebec city. In this CD, you'll find all the classics of Christmas. They are well played because Andre and his orchestra know how to bring us the atmosphere of Christmas. The desing of the CD is well done. If you,re looking for good music, please try this CD You'll enjoy it. If you have the occasion to see his Christmas concert on TV, watch it. It's very beautiful.

This his not the first CD made by Andre. In 1992, he released "Spielt Die Schonten Weihnachtslieder".

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.......1999-08-18

Another wonderful Andre Rieu CD. All the Rieu recordings and videos are a breath of fresh air - a joy to the soul.

Average customer rating:

For Fans of Broadway (Sondheim, Hamlisch & Bernstein e.g.):
The songs that didn't get away
Songs that showcase Sarah's theatrical gifts
Good, for Sarah Brightman
Pleasant, but not up to standard

The Songs That Got Away

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dive
Surrender
The Trees They Grow So High
Fly
Love Changes Everything: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, Vol. 2

ASIN: B000005S0R
Release Date: 1999-11-16

Tracks:

Meadowlark
I Am Going To Like It Here
I Remember
Mr. Monotony
Dreamers
Silent Heart
Lud's Wedding
Three-Cornered Tune
If I Ever Fall In Love Again - Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman
What Makes Me Love Him?
Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta
Away From You
If Love Were All
Half A Moment - Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman

Amazon.com

For those Sarah Brightman fans who didn't spring for The Songs That Got Away when it was a pricey import, this domestic release will be a must-buy. Originally recorded in 1989 shortly after she achieved international fame in The Phantom of the Opera, the album spotlights obscure American and British musical theater songs that either were removed from shows or were "lost" when the shows themselves slipped out of the repertoire. (Of course, some of the songs aren't nearly as obscure as they were in 1989--the opening track, Stephen Schwartz's soaring "Meadowlark," has since been claimed by Liz Callaway, Patti LuPone, and Betty Buckley, while Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember"--well suited to Brightman's glasslike tones--is now recognized as one of his most gorgeous and haunting compositions.) Brightman performs well on this diverse collection of entertaining and often lovely songs, including an early draft of Frank Loesser's "Fugue for Tinhorns," here sung as a triple-tracked, lilting waltz, and the Puccini aria "Chi il bel sogno di doretta," which foreshadows her later, more ambitious crossover projects. There's also a tune from Jeeves by then-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber, who produced this album not long before he and Brightman divorced in 1990. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

For Fans of Broadway (Sondheim, Hamlisch & Bernstein e.g.):.......2007-02-24

This is an interesting and surprising production that showcases the vocal prowess of Sara Brightman. It is not however, representative of the new and highly overproduced vocal productions that constitute her newer recordings. Although this production really allows the listener to hear a very melodic and unencumbered vocal performance, as it is pleasing in it's simplicity, yet meant for the more discriminating listener. Fans of Irving Berlin, Andrew Lloyd Weber, and Richard Rodgers will feel right at home here. For those seeking another major sonic production as in Eden, La Luna, Dive, or The Harem Tour this is not it! My criticism is not of her vocal prowess or production values but the apparently endless array of previously released material offered as a new and different recording. But I suppose that this is rather due to the greedy objectives of of A&M Records just trying to go to the bank, often and laden heavy with dollars. Nothing that any label wouldn't try to do. My advice with Sara Brightman is "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) check the disc carefully for redundancy of tracks within her discography. If you're a fan of this genre of music, you will probably respond quite well to this recording.

The songs that didn't get away.......2004-02-12

This is one of my favorite albums by Sarah. She surprised me with her ability to go from light opera to jazz. Here we don't find the over-produced albums such as Harem, just a superbly trained voice. No little girl breathy tunes here, just solid performances. This is the Sarah Brightman that I like to remember and enjoy. If you see this album and you're a Sarah Brightman fan, pick it up and treasure it. I'd like to see her do more of thisgenre, where she showcases her voice. Who ever thinks that Sarah has a small voice will be convinced otherwise by this album.

Songs that showcase Sarah's theatrical gifts.......2003-12-11

Before experimental albums like Dive and Fly, as well as the ones where her classically-trained voice enchanted millions, Sarah Brightman did a collection of musical and theatrical songs originally released in 1989, but reissued when she made it big with Time To Say Goodbye. Her vocal style leans towards the theatrical Broadway side, but more mellowed. But on songs like the strings-laden mid-tempo "Meadowlark" from Stephen Schwartz's The Baker's Wife, the way she would later do splendidly interpret Lloyd Webber's songs is in the making. Here are other highlights, including those that were reissued on Sarah's Encore album (2002).

Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember" is a sad ballad told from the POV of a window mannequin remembering the sights it has experienced throughout the seasons, but the memories are now hazy and at the end, it sings, "At times I think/I would gladly die/for a day of sky."

Some songs like "Lud's Wedding" from Bernstein's failed bicentennial musical, only seem to work due to Sarah's voice. Ditto for the simple "Three-Cornered Tune." Consisting of three verses, each repeated twice. However, Irving Berlin's "Mr. Monotony", a tune understandably cut from Easter Parade, is not a particularly inspiring song.

Marvin Hamlisch's "Dreamers" is one of my favourites here, as I have affinity to it, and I'm sure Sarah is one at heart as well. "Only dreamers have wings with which to fly far away", as in their own fantasies, but unfortunately, "sometimes dreamers are forced to leave their dreams far away", i.e. the harshness of reality. However, it paints them in a positive light and states that everyone needs to have some sort of dream "to take time to find treasures and mountains we can climb."

"Silent Heart" really showcases Sarah's voices, on how some things the heart is best left silent, as in things that really thrill it. "If I Ever Fall In Love Again" is taken from The Crooked Mile and is a nice love song Sarah really wraps herself in.

"Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta" from Puccini's La Rondine is a great showcase of the operatic voice that would come into full bloom on Time To Say Goodbye. This song would be reissued on Encore.

"Away From You" by Richard Rodgers, and taken from a musical biog of Henry VIII (!!!). "The clocks are frozen and time's a traveler who's lost his way" is one of the sentiments Sarah conveys effectively. Also reissued on Encore.

"If love were all, I should be lonely" sings Sarah from Noel Coward's Bittersweet, "If Love Were All" was the one song that stood out for me when I first heard this CD. The ability of a talent to amuse is seen as a solid standing for mental security. A definite standout here.

From Lloyd Webber's Jeeves, the lush strings of "Half A Moment" features the vocal stylings familiar enough to those who have Sarah's Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection. It focuses on how important the capture of a moment to bright up a future rainy day is. Also reissued on Encore.

Initially, I dismissed this as the songs that should've stayed away. Although they lack the magical punch of Time To Say Goodbye or La Luna, it's still a worthwhile collection, because Sarah's clear birdlike theatrical/musicals voice makes it all worthwhile.

Good, for Sarah Brightman.......2003-08-25

Some people just love Sarah's voice, but I don't see what's so special about it. She sings in two sorts of ways, the first one is lovely, simple, forgetable, and the other sounds like Stitch with a high voice. This CD does her justice, though. A lot of the tunes are catchy and nice (how she sings them could be better) but the one I really like is "Three cornered tune." Now that's a good song! She does not have a particularly bad voice, but nothing interesting - that's for sure. And when she tries to act in her music she sounds even worse! But that's alright. After all, everyone has a different style. A highlight of this CD includes "Mr. Monotony," which, unfortunatly, did not come with lyrics in the CD case. Too bad, because its a great song. At the end of this record, though, she writes about these songs and - wow! It is amazing how many shows that song was taken out of! At one point it said it had Judy Garland singing it, and when I try to imagine her doing it I know that must have been awesome. I really want to hear Judy Garland singing this song sometime. Maybe I'll find it here on Amazon... But anyway, back to Sarah Brightman. The only other thing I can think of to say at the moment is that from what I've heard of her records, this is as good as it gets. And also, the track titled "Dreamers" is nice. I like the tune and she doesn't sing it too bad, either. It would be a good song to be played at a graduation. Only after a while the sound of it gets a little creepy and annoying. And its sticky, too. "Silent heart" is a classic, though she shouldn't sing it twice. For you see, she sings it, and then you think, "Ah, that's a sweet song. Wonderful words, soft tune," and the music gets at a great stoping point and then comes back for an encore (as one of Sarah's other records is titled). And then we have to listen to it all over again - and its not as good the second time. So overall is it good? Yes, it is. Though perhaps not good enough.

Pleasant, but not up to standard.......2003-06-22

I love Sarah Brightman's singing and her musical style as presented on Eden and La Luna. This CD is completely different in style from those two. I find it enjoyable, but it is not my favorite. Her singing is nothing special on this CD, it doesn't display her vocal range or talent in the way that her other CDs do, especially her CD "Surrender", her vocals are absolutely stunning on that CD.

György Ligeti Edition 2: A Cappella Choral Works - London Sinfonietta Voices

Average customer rating:

Surprising Variety in Modern A Capepella Choral works
Mostly unlistenable....
a handful of great Ligeti works.
brilliant choral music
Exquisite use of the voice

György Ligeti Edition 2: A Cappella Choral Works - London Sinfonietta Voices

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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György Ligeti Edition 4: Vocal Works (Madrigals, Mysteries, Aventures, Songs) - The King's Singers / Philharmonia Orchestra / Esa-Pekka Salonen
György Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets - Arditti String Quartet
György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard
György Ligeti Edition 6: Keyboard Works (Piano, Harpsichord, Organ) - Irina Kataeva / Pierre-Laurent Aimard / Elisabeth Chojnacka / Zsigmond Szathmáry
Ligeti: Mechanical Music

ASIN: B0000029OX
Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks:

A Cappella Choral Works: Night
A Cappella Choral Works: Morning
A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 1
A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 2
A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 3
A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 4
A Cappella Choral Works: Solitude
A Cappella Choral Works: Two Canons 1
A Cappella Choral Works: Two Canons 2
A Cappella Choral Works: Kings of Bethlehem
A Cappella Choral Works: The Fugitive
A Cappella Choral Works: Lux aeterna
A Cappella Choral Works: Wedding Song
A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 1
A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 2
A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 3
A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 4
A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 1
A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 2
A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 3
A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 4
A Cappella Choral Works: Widow Papai
A Cappella Choral Works: Three phantasies after Hrlin 1
A Cappella Choral Works: Three phantasies after Hrlin 2
A Cappella Choral Works: Three phantasies after Hrlin 3
A Cappella Choral Works: Hungarian Etudes 1
A Cappella Choral Works: Hungarian Etudes 2
A Cappella Choral Works: Hungarian Etudes 3
A Cappella Choral Works: Heigh, Youth! 1
A Cappella Choral Works: Heigh, Youth! 2
A Cappella Choral Works: Easter
A Cappella Choral Works: Hortobagy 1
A Cappella Choral Works: Hortobagy 2
A Cappella Choral Works: Hortobagy 3
A Cappella Choral Works: From a high mountain rock
A Cappella Choral Works: Double-Dance from Kallo 1
A Cappella Choral Works: Double-Dance from Kallo 2

Amazon.com essential recording

A vast audience received its first exposure to the music of György Ligeti through Stanley Kubrick's use of his haunting "Lux Aeterna" (despite the composer's lack of consent) in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. This collection--part of Sony's invaluable Ligeti edition--places "Lux aeterna" in the context of Ligeti's other a cappella choral works, which together provide an overview of the evolving phases of one of the 20th century's most intriguing composers. In his booklet notes to the disc, Ligeti recalls the influence of Bartók and Kodály on his early folkloric compositions, from arrangements of traditional material to free, polyrhythmically inflected inventions on Hungarian folk texts, a format that allowed him some degree of experimental freedom from the strictures of "socialist realism" before he fled the Hungarian Communist regime. The breakthrough "Lux aeterna" is a classic example of Ligeti's trademark technique of "micropolyphony," enveloping the listener in mesmerizingly dense textures of cloudlike harmonies. From Ligeti's late period comes a triptych of "Hölderlin Phantasies." Their 16-voice polyphony transcends the simplistic distinction between tonality and atonality to explore "new kinds of half diatonic, half chromatic harmonies." The resulting sound world of fragmentary, dislocated epiphanies mirrors the unfathomable richness of the great visionary poet to uncanny effect. Throughout, the acoustical balance and conviction of the London Sinfonietta Voices give vivid shape to Ligeti's genius. -Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Surprising Variety in Modern A Capepella Choral works.......2006-08-24

This 'A Cappella Choral Works', the second volume in a collection of Gyorgy Ligeti compositions contains one of the pieces of music which contributed to making '2001, A Space Odyessy' such a profoundly interesting film. This piece, 'Lux aeterna' which is the textbook example of 'SciFi' music, is very different from many of the other pieces on this recording. In fact, one is really impressed by the wide variety of styles, where you have some peasant songs which sound a lot like sea chantys and other pieces which are definitely liturgical. One can certainly thank Stanley Kubrick for bringing Ligeti to our attention.

Mostly unlistenable...........2006-08-23

Not even good for background music/noise as the voices get really loud in certain parts and almost silent.

I bought this CD and am returning it. It's just more & more of the sameness throughout the whole CD.

I realize that Ligeti is avant garde but I heard that if you like Gregorian chant (which I do) this CD is similar. I don't think it is. It's very disquieting and full of tension (great, if that's the mood you're looking for).

a handful of great Ligeti works........2004-09-06

As a compilation, musically speaking, Edition 2 is probably my least favorite of the Sony Ligeti Edition collection. Many of the pieces come from traditional Hungarian sources, conceived while Ligeti was still in his early years. They are pretty, but also pretty straightforward and conventional, and other than their simple pleasantness and occasionally yummy dissonances, they aren't really mindblowing like the best Ligeti. They are often very beautiful though. However, Edition 2 DOES feature one of the most harrowing, apocalyptic compositions of 20th century Western music, _Lux aeterna_. The profound tension in the quiet web of micropolyphonic voices is just devastating. Also great are the other later pieces, _Drei Phantasien nach Friedrich Holderlin_, three wild polyphony pieces from German literature, and _Magyar Etudok_, three very complex Hungarian etudes for 16 voices. Those pieces are all outstanding but honestly I think everything I've heard by Ligeti is worth hearing. Check out Ligeti edition 4 for more vocal works, some of which are the best of Ligeti's works.

brilliant choral music.......2003-07-21

This cd is beautiful to listen to.From Ejszaka to Kallai Ketto
is brilliant. Ligeti choral works is the first cd have got choral music on it and i love it.Now im going to get the other two cds in the ligeti edition.
(the vocal works & le grand marabre)

Exquisite use of the voice.......2002-07-11

Bringing Ligeti's works to a wider public was one of the great services Stanley Kubrick performed for the world when Lux aeterna was included in the soundtrack for 2001: a Space Odyssey.

This album is a collection of a cappella choral works and which highlights Ligeti's great talent and skill in the use of the voice as a musical instrument. He, together with Yoko Ono, have excelled in this field though from different, sometimes conflicting directions.

When I listen to this I revel in it's glory. The sounds are ethereal and atmospheric, ghostly and angelic in a way that no-one but the composer can make them sound. I never want those sounds to end and in a way it is like having a sort of dependence.

I could go on and on and on about this but I had better stop. This is one essentila component of anyone's classical music collection yet it really defies categorisation. This is timeless, awesome music, not just for a generation but for a world. Lest Zeus strike me with a thunderbolt, these voices are sweeter and more angelic than the voices of the angels themselves.

Tracks:

'Aria' - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
'Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring' - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Prelude No.1 In C Major, BWV 846 - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Minuet In G Major From Anna Magdalena Notebook - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Prelude No.22 In B-Flat Minor, BWV 891 - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
'Siciliano' - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
III. 'Rondo Alla Turca' - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
I. Allegro - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Fantasy In D Minor - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
II. Adagio Cantabile - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
I. Adagio Sostenuto - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Fur Elise - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
II. Minuet - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Impromptu Op.90 No.3 In G-Flat Major - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Moment Musicaux No.3 In F Minor - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Fruhlingslied (Spring Song) - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Venetian Gondola - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics

Tracks:

Waltz Op.64 No.1 In D-Flat Major Minute Waltz - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Prelude Op.28 No.15 Raindrop Prelude In D-Flat Major - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Nocturne Op.9 No.1 In B-Flat Minor - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Etude Op.10 No.12 Revolutionary - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Nocturne Op.27 No.2 In D-Flat Major - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
GRand Valse Brilliante Op.18 In E-Flat Major - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Nocturne Op.9 No.2 In E-Flat Major - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Etude Op.10 No.3 In E Major - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Prelude Op.28 No.20 In C Minor - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Prelude Op.28 No.4 In E Minor - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Waltz Op.69 No.1 In A-Flat Major Farewell Waltz - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Kindererszenen (Scenes From Childhood) Op.15 No.7: Traumerei (Dreaming) - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Fantasiestucke (Fantasy Pieces) Op.12 No.1: Des Abends (In The Evening) - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Widmung (Dedication) - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Consolation No.3 In D-Flat Major - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics
Aria - 50 Most Loved Piano Classics

Tracks:

Hungarian Dance No.5 In F-Sharp Minor - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
Intermezzo Op.118 No.2 In A Major - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
Waltz Op.39 No.15 In A-Flat Major - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
June - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
Berceuse - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
Tango - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
Granada - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
To A Wild Rose - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
Clair DE Lune - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
The Girl With The Flaxen Hair - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
Golliwogg's Cake Walk - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
Arabesque No.I - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
Gymnopedie No.I - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
The Maiden And The Nightengale - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
Prelude Op.3 No.2 In C-Sharp Minor - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
Prelude Op.23 No.5 Ini G Minor - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs
I. Pavane - 50 Most Loved Piano Songs

Customer Reviews:

Not the best recording.......2007-07-15

The songs were played flawlessly, however, it's really quiet. When you turn up the volume, you will hear hissing in the background.

Stunning Goldberg Aria.......2006-02-21

Who is the performer of that amazing recording of the Goldberg Aria??!?! It must be Gould.

Great CD.......2006-01-29

Nice set of songs. I enjoyed it a lot, I see no reason why anyone wouldn't like this CD set.

Piano Perfection!.......2005-10-16

Saw it on TV and thought the music was beautiful, but forgot to write the information down... but managed to buy it online (now I see it frequently at the music stores)and I absolutely love this album -- all my favorite pieces! (I'm not big on writing comments or reviews, but was compelled by the artistry and passion I heard throughout this CD!)

A Classic in Every Sense!.......2005-10-12

I overheard some people at the record store talking about this album - one guy was actually a piano teacher and couldn't stop raving about it. I bought the album on his recommendation and couldn't be happier - it's stunningly beautiful. Beethoven's "Moonlight" sonata is haunting and Chopin's "Minute Waltz" is spectacular in its precision and speed! This will make a great stocking stuffer at Christmas for my friends (... I'm getting them now cause I've gone to a couple places and they're out of stock). If you're into piano, this is truly a classic!

Average customer rating:

JUST PERFECTION!!
Hvorostovsky...........again, magic
hvorostovsky does it again

Moscow Nights

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Where Are You, My Brothers?
Kalinka: Russian Folk Songs
Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Russian Songs of the War Years
I Met You, My Love
Dmitri Hvorostovsky in Concert 1998

ASIN: B0007SL1M6
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Tracks:

Kak molody my byli (How young we were)
Podmoskovnye vechera (Moscow nights)
Shum berioz (The whisper of birches)
Ne speshi (Do not hurry)
Nezhnost (Tenderness)
Zhdi menia (Wait for me)
Tri goda (Three years)
Vechernay pesnya (Evening song)
Ty moya melodiya (You are my melody)
Moskovskie okna (Moscow windows)
Kak mnogo devushek horoshih (There are so many girls)
Blagodariu tebia (I'm grateful to you)
Ia liubliu tebia, zhizn' (I love you, life)
Vecher na reide (Evening in the harbor)
S chego nachinaestia Rodina (Where does Motherland come from?)
Russkoe pole (Russian field)
Special Bonus Track: Rodina slyshit (Motherland hears)

Customer Reviews:

JUST PERFECTION!!.......2006-04-08

I have all of Dmitri's recordings and this is my favorite due to the quality of the songs, Dmitri's mastery of all of them and the really lush orchestrations. All of the songs are just gorgeous and his voice so beautiful that I listen to this all day at work on my portable CD player. I recently saw him in concert and purchased the DVD of the "War Songs" which were featured in the second half of his concert. Of course, I recommend the CD and the DVD as really stunning. However, if I could only listen to one of his CD's, this is my favorite. As a former singer who trained for 15 years, I can tell you that Dmitri's vocal technique is perfect, just perfect! The voice comes from heaven! Don't wait to get this one!

Hvorostovsky...........again, magic.......2006-02-14

Moscow Nights - This collection is emotionally draining, sad; the minor keys, the great poets and composers, an era unexpressed to Americans. It is a revelation, tended by one of the most beautiful of Russian voices. Listen to it in pieces, in a quiet space, and ponder. Dmitri commands an opera stage - two visits to Queen of Spades at the Met- can lead to no other conclusion. However, it is his quiet recollections of Russian folk music, Russian sacred music, and Soviet music that arouses his greatest talents. This is a recording to be treasured.

hvorostovsky does it again.......2005-05-01

This is the latest installment of the succesfull Hvorostosky/Orbelian collaboration. In "I met you my love" the spotlight was on the socalled Russian Romances, russian art songs of the 19e century. Then came " Where are you my brothers" a collection of Russian war songs. This title contains a collection of the best post war(50s&60s) songs. If you love melodious songs in minor key this is it.The selection is quiet varied and everybody will have his or her own favourites. For me there was'nt a redundant song. The singing is as always faultless and inspired, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra plays topnotch and the arrangments by Evgeny Stesyuk are as always beautifull. But be warned this cd can have a depressing effect because besides being beautifull this music is also mostly very moving. Buy if you love russian music and good musicianship you can't go wrong with this one.

Holst: The Cloud Messenger; A Choral Fantasia; Part-Songs

Average customer rating:

More than just choral works
Get This For the Hymn of Jesus
An important record of lesser known choral works . . .

Holst: The Cloud Messenger; A Choral Fantasia; Part-Songs

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

A Cappella | Folk | Styles | Music
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Holst: Orchestral Works
Holst: St. Paul's Suite
Holst: St. Paul's and Brook Green Suites; A Fugal Concerto; A Somerset Rhapsody
Vaughan Williams: Over hill, over dale
Holst: Hammersmith / Moorside Suite / Suite No. 1 in E flat / Suite No. 2 in F

ASIN: B00000IYN5
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

The Cloud Messenger, H111: 'O Thou, Who Com'st From Heaven's King' - G. HOLST
The Cloud Messenger, H111: 'Tarry Not, O Cloud, Tarry Not. Rushing Northward ...' - - G. HOLST
The Cloud Messenger, H111: 'Tarry Not, O Cloud, Tarry Not.' - G. HOLST
The Cloud Messenger, H111: 'Tarry Not, O Cloud. Bow Thy Head' - - G. HOLST
The Cloud Messenger, H111: 'When The Dancers Are Weary ...' - G. HOLST
The Hymn Of Jesus, H140: Prelude - - G. HOLST
The Hymn Of Jesus, H140: The Hymn - G. HOLST
Ave Maria, H49 - G. HOLST
The Evening-watch, H159 - G. HOLST

Tracks:

Seven Part-Songs, H162: Say Who Is This? - Gustav Holst
Seven Part-Songs, H162: O Love, I Complain - Gustav Holst
Seven Part-Songs, H162: Angel Spirits Of Sleep - Gustav Holst
Seven Part-Songs, H162: When First We Met - Gustav Holst
Seven Part-Songs, H162: Sorrow And Joy - Gustav Holst
Seven Part-Songs, H162: Love On My Heart From Heaven Fell - Gustav Holst
Seven Part-Songs, H162: Assemble, All Ye Maidens - Gustav Holst
A Choral Fantasia, H177 - Gustav Holst
City Of London Sinfonia: A Dirge For Two Veterans, H121 - Gustav Holst
Ode to Death, H144 - Gustav Holst
This Have I Done For My True Love, H128 - Gustav Holst
Four Part-Songs: O Lady, Leave That Silken Thread - Gustav Holst
Four Part-Songs: Soft And Gently - Gustav Holst
Four Part-Songs: The Autumn Is Old - Gustav Holst
Four Part-Songs: Winter And The Birds - Gustav Holst

Customer Reviews:

More than just choral works.......2006-04-20

These choral works from Gustav Holst are as striking as the Planets. They are like two dozen angels singing with heavenly glory. A Choral Fantasia, The Cloud Messenger and The Hymn of Jesus are excellent; superb playing from the London Symphony, breathtaking and articulate singing from the Chorus. Ode to Death & A Dirge for Two Veterans are absolutely haunting. The Part-songs are worth the listen, and the Ave Maria and the Motets sound fresh and fabulous.

If you are a fan of Holst's Planets, then you'll be an immediate fan of his choral works once you start listening to The Cloud Messenger.

Get This For the Hymn of Jesus.......2002-09-07

How many of you are sick of the Planets! I know I am, as marvelous as I find that work. Holst was a much more varied and talented composer than that work reveals. On this disc you can hear a wide variety of Holst's choral music and judge for yourself.

I can only comment on half this disc, as I own the Cloud Messanger and the Hymn of Jesus only in an earlier incarnation. The Cloud Messanger is a massive work based on an Hindu text. It is of variable quality...Holst himself flet that it was not wholy a success and supressed further performances of it in his lifetime. But the passages that are good are stunning indeed, and Hickox and crew make a strong case for the work.

The reason to get this CD is for the Hymn of Jesus. This is the best performance of the best work that Holst composed. The Hymn of Jesus is based on Holst's own translation of a passage from the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas ( some sources claim the Acts of John as the origin of this text, but I'm pretty sure I have it in my copy of the Gospel of Thomas, which had recently been discovered at the time.)These Gnostic texts so intrigued Holst that he studied Greek just to be able to read it in the original. The work begins with a beautiful, atmospheric prelude based on two Sarum chants, Panea Lingua and a resplendant Vexilla Regis in the boy choir. Then there is a massive choral invocation to God and the Hymn is sung. This text is also known as the Round Dance of Jesus, and Holst goes for the dance in the piece, with a splendid section in 5/4 which must have frightened the Edwardian audience at the work's premiere. Tightly organized and stunning in it's choral effects, this version of the work surpasses even the fine old recording by Sir Charles Grove.

I can't comment on the performances of the other works on the second disc, but know that the Ode to Death is haunting and the Choral Fantasia is a major work worth hearing. But the reason to buy this album is for the Hymn. It's a stunning and neglected masterpiece in the English choral tradition.

An important record of lesser known choral works . . ........2000-08-08

. . . but I wish they'd used a large choral force.

My primary interest in this CD was the recording of the relatively recently re-discovered (1984) major choral work "The Cloud Messenger." From Holst's "India" period, this is a stunningly beautiful "painting" of the Khalidasa 6th Century A.D. lyric poem, "Meghaduta" ("Cloud Messenger"), the lament of an exiled yaksa who is pining for his beloved on a lonely mountain peak. When, at the beginning of the monsoon, a cloud perches on the peak, he asks it to deliver a message to his love in the Himalayan city of Alaka. Most of the poem consists of a description of the landmarks, cities, and terrain on the cloud's route to Alaka, interspersed with admonishments to the cloud to "Tarry not!" It is only at the end that we are finally aware of the message itself -- one intended to comfort the yaksa's wife in her loneliness.

I had the privilege of singing the U.S. premiere of this work in 1996 with Masterworks Chorale in San Mateo, CA, a chorus of about 150 auditioned singers. This work needs such a large choral force, and a conductor who can deal with the inherent drama in the text. We had both, and the performance was a stunning success. (It was the final work on a program that opened with Debussy's "La damoiselle Elue" for women's voices and mezzo-soprano and soprano soloists; and Brahms' "Alto Rhapsody" for men's voices and mezzo-soprano soloist. "The Cloud Messenger" also includes a mezzo-soprano soloist.)

My biggest complaint with this recording is the dynamics. The entire work seems to be performed at about mf+, occasionally venturing into f and mp. Unfortunately, this doesn't do justice to the drama. The opening, for example, needs to grow from the first ppp gentle raindrops, building as the cloud builds in strength, to a glorious ff choral introduction of the main character, the cloud: "O Thou, who com'st from heaven's king! scion of a noble race! who wearest wondrous forms at will!"

There are parts of this work that beg for a lush warm sound; what we hear on this recording is the British "boy choir" sound in the treble range, while the men have a warmer (albeit somewhat watered down) tone. This is a highly sensuous work, full of luscious ripe sensual imagery: "Where e'er thou goest, lonely wives, who pine in solitude with close-bound hair, will arise and go along the road. Thou bringest home their absent husbands, who will loosen their tresses and fill their hearts with joy!" The "flat" sound of pre-pubescent boys just doesn't do this music, or mature text, justice.

That said, however, this is an important recording of a little-known work. You'll get the feeling of the piece, a sense of the promise. Let's hope that a large chorus paired with a sensitive conductor will have an opportunity at another recording of this in the not-too-distant future (Atlanta? Chicago?).

Contrast this with "The Hymn of Jesus" -- Hickox fares much better with this material, playing up the dance rhythms (Holst knew what he was doing -- at the climax of the piece, the words are: "Ye who dance not, know not what we are knowing.") It really is a first-rate performance of this work.

Other works deserving special mention are "Dirge for Two Veterans," in which one can hear hints of "Mars" from "The Planets"; "Ode to Death," a setting of Walt Whitman's "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd," which contains allusions to "Saturn." The Four Partsongs on the second disk are among Holst's earliest works, written in 1894, when he was barely 20 yrs old and in his second year at the Royal College of Music; and the Choral Fantasia is among his later choral works, written in 1931.

Tracks:

Sonnet [Bynner]
Clouds [Goodman]
Early In The Morning [Hillyer]
The Serpent [Roethke]
Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal [Tennyson]
Opus 101 [Bynner]
I Strolled Across An Open Field [Roethke]
To A Young Girl [Yeats]
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair [after Foster]
Ode [de Ronsard]
For Poulenc [O'Hara]
Littlle elegy [Wylie]
Alleluia
Look Down, Fair Moon [Whitman]
O You Whom I Often And Silently Come [Whitman]
I Will Always Love You [O'Hara]
The Tulip Tree [Goodman]
The Wintry Mind [Bynner]
I Am Rose [Stein]
The Lordly Hudson [Goodman]
O Do Not Love Too Long [Goodman]
Far - Far - Away [Tennyson]
For Susan [Goodman]
A Journey [Glaze]
Sometimes With One I Love [Goodman]
Love [Lodge]
Orchids [Roethke]
Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening [Frost]
Do I Love You More Than A Day [Larson]
Ferry Me Across The Water [Rossetti]
The Sowers [Bynner]
That Shadow, My Likeness [Whitman]

Amazon.com

Contemporary composer Ned Rorem is typically likened to an American Schubert (living in Paris) for the fecundity, emotional range, and quality of his songs (though this represents only one facet of a prolific career). And Rorem's masterful 1998 cycle Evidence of Things Not Seen would seem to justify that reputation, as does this marvelous anthology from the Rorem songbook of the past half-century. The composer is fond of dividing musicians into the "German" and the "French," clearly identifying himself with the latter for the elusive sparkle and subtle play of shadows that characterize his art. What other kind of sensibility could "through-compose" Gertrude Stein's "I Am Rose" in a deftly perfect 27 seconds? Fortunately, American lyric mezzo Susan Graham intuitively understands this expressive aspect, as does pianist-partner Malcolm Martineau. Graham is constantly attentive to the marriage of music and text in the 32 songs here and phrases their little worlds into being with grace and wit. She can shade to a sweet vanishing point or allow her voice to blossom, orchidlike, into a dazzling profusion of colors. Few of these songs, which draw on the poetry of Walt Whitman, Theodore Roethke, Frank O'Hara, and many others, last more than two minutes. But their resonance lingers, whether in the haunting "Opus 101"--with its lean but potent string trio scoring--or the enigmatic "That Shadow, My Likeness" from Whitman. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

One last touch of Paris (but oversold by the critics).......2005-10-11

Ned Rorem is the last survivor, since the death of Virgil Thompson, of the long reach that Paris exerted over a generation of American expatriate composers, many of whom drifted overseas between the wars to study with the legendary Nadia Boulanger. Rorem's songs sometimes have American folk roots, but mostly he writes chansons, and like their French counterparts, his are crystalline, spare, sophisticated, and precisely defined emotionally.

If he were more tlaneted he might have wirtten masterpieces, but mostly this sounds like Samuel Barber on skim milk. Rorem often sets minor, if not trivial poetry. His lyrical gift is modest. But there's no doubt that he has been neglected, largely because of his stubbornly tonal conservatism, and now that tonality is repsectable again, he is being accorded last-minute honors. I'm glad for him, and his best work, which consists of his multi-volume memoirs, has added much to American culture. But even when skillfully sung by an artist of the caliber of Susan Graham, a hour's worth of Rorem's tiny jewel-like chansons is about twice too much at one sitting.

wonderful perforance of excellent songs.......2005-01-20

I'm a neophyte to Ned Rorem's work. To be honest I purchased this CD because I really enjoy listening to Susan Graham. Although I really love hearing Ms. Graham's opera performances, I find it refreshing to hear her singing something in English. I also appreciate how she's taken time to perform something other than opera. Susan Graham's performance of Ned Rorem's songs has me seeking out other performances of his work.

Classic Rorem Songs!.......2004-05-18

Susan Graham has a remarkable mezzo voice and sings Rorem as though she really is a sounding board for the composer. Kudos to her and this CD comes highly recommended to newbies to Rorem songs and those many die-hard fans!

Come To Pop, Baby!.......2004-03-12

Recently, I heard Susan Graham on Garrison Keillor's "Prarie Home Companion" show. Wow! I didn't know who she was, but she had so much humour, verve and style while singing some show tunes, and that incredible voice. I rushed to amazon but all the English language songs I could find seemed to be on this album of Ned Rorem music. Well, whatever the weight lieder songs carry for the Germans, it seems that art songs in English mean songs you can't snap your fingers to, can't slap out a beat to and would never, ever, sing with your friends. I know, I know, I'm a Philistine, but please, Ms. Graham, give us an album of American popular classics, show tunes and the like. When I listened to you on Mr. Keillor's show, if I had been a bell, I'd have been ringing too! You are simply great. Don't let the classical music fans have all the fun. Throw a little our way too. Pretty please.

Worthy indeed - a gem.......2002-08-27

I cannot disagree with "A Music Fan"'s panning of this CD. Having first purchased the Hearing CD which he/she references, I reached the conclusion that Rorem's music was too knotty and "20th century" for repeated listenings and enjoyment. This CD with Susan Graham completely reversed my opinion. The songs are indeed chosen to be accessible, but they are much more than that. They are, simply stated, lovely. This is a disc I will play again and again, and has caused me to investigate many other Rorem CDs. I just came on line to buy it as a gift for a friend. Rorem deserves his due, and this disc gives it to him.

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