Strawberry Fields
Editorial Reviews
Album Description
"A master orchestrator whose shimmering timbral palette makes him the Ravel of his generation." - NEW YORK TIMES "The clear audience favorite." - TIME
"A moving work - at the opening performance, tears in the audience flowed nearly as plentiful as on a good Madame Butterfly night." - NEW YORK NEWSDAY
While still a compostion student at Yale, Michael Torke practically defined post-minimalism, a music in which eclectic young composers utilize the repetitive structures of a previous generation to incorporate musical techniques from both the classical tradition and the contemporary pop world. Michael Torke's 1999 one-act opera Strawberry Fields had its premiere performance at Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, New York. Four months later it was given at Lincoln Center, and the following year it was telecast in WNET's Great Performances series. A.R. Gurney's libretto is a gently comic story of a confused old lady who imagines she is in the front seat at the opera while sitting on a bench in Central Park. Strawberry Fields is the second part of a commissioned trilogy called Central Park: Act I, The Festival of Regrets, is by Deborah Drattell and Wendy Wasserstein; Act III, The Food of Love, is by Robert Beaser and Terrance McNally. First performed in Troy, New York in March, 2005, Pentecost is one of Michael Torke's most recent productions. Pentecost was originally commissioned in 1998 by Fr. Dan Pakenham as a piece for organ, strings and soprano. In 2004 it was augmented by winds and brass to create a companion piece for Strawberry Fields. Pentecost is the Christian holiday commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, and the text for the work is taken fom the Book of Acts of the Apostles.
Michael Torke: Strawberry Fields, Music, John Hancock, Keith Kibler, Michael Torke, David Allen Miller, Joyce Castle, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Heather Gardner, Margaret Lloyd, Aaron Estes, Jeffrey Lentz, Classical, Classical Composers, Concerto, Opera, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio
Average customer rating:
- Music makes life worth doing.
- Breathtaking - BUY this one!
- Torke expands his vocal (and emotional) palette
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Michael Torke: Strawberry Fields
Manufacturer: Ecstatic Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
All Works by Torke
| Torke, Michael
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ASIN: B000BO0L22
Release Date: 2005-11-08 |
Tracks:
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- Straberry Fields
- And It Shall Come To Pass
- And It Will Show Wonders
- Whosoever Shall Call
Album Description
"A master orchestrator whose shimmering timbral palette makes him the Ravel of his generation." - NEW YORK TIMES
"The clear audience favorite." - TIME
"A moving work - at the opening performance, tears in the audience flowed nearly as plentiful as on a good Madame Butterfly night." - NEW YORK NEWSDAY
While still a compostion student at Yale, Michael Torke practically defined post-minimalism, a music in which eclectic young composers utilize the repetitive structures of a previous generation to incorporate musical techniques from both the classical tradition and the contemporary pop world. Michael Torke's 1999 one-act opera Strawberry Fields had its premiere performance at Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, New York. Four months later it was given at Lincoln Center, and the following year it was telecast in WNET's Great Performances series. A.R. Gurney's libretto is a gently comic story of a confused old lady who imagines she is in the front seat at the opera while sitting on a bench in Central Park. Strawberry Fields is the second part of a commissioned trilogy called Central Park: Act I, The Festival of Regrets, is by Deborah Drattell and Wendy Wasserstein; Act III, The Food of Love, is by Robert Beaser and Terrance McNally. First performed in Troy, New York in March, 2005, Pentecost is one of Michael Torke's most recent productions. Pentecost was originally commissioned in 1998 by Fr. Dan Pakenham as a piece for organ, strings and soprano. In 2004 it was augmented by winds and brass to create a companion piece for Strawberry Fields. Pentecost is the Christian holiday commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, and the text for the work is taken fom the Book of Acts of the Apostles.
Customer Reviews:
Music makes life worth doing. .......2006-12-08
As a listener, one stands towards Torke's "Strawberry Fields" the way the Lady in "Strawberry Fields" stands toward opera; that is completely- body and soul- engaged. And, while one wants to brightly flare over the work's sensuous aspects such as the vocal quartet that marks cue 13 on the CD or the masterful use of orchestral color to, for example, define character and relationships, one also wants to draw attention to the work's thoughtful aspects.
Opera as lauded in the Lady's lyrics and demonstrated in her actions made her life. "My family has subscribed to this seat for 50 years," she says, and she loves those special moments before curtain rise. Later she says, "I've missed...important things. Music. Feelings. Life," and "I need music in my life. Without it I'll wither away," and "We were lovers, Verdi and I," and "A world without music is a world without love." The Lady, alas confused and ailing, befriends a Student and together they create upon the people that enter the Strawberry Fields section of Central Park a spontaneous opera, an opera that the Lady ultimately conducts and stars in, and an opera that embraces the music as well as the ideas of freedom and liberation celebrated by John Lennon. With her, however, the opera closes. Silence. Yet in the farewell sung by the Son, Daughter, Student, and Chorus one senses that the Lady's opera has shown to all the nonsense of the idea that music, indeed all of art is separate from life.
Breathtaking - BUY this one!.......2006-12-03
Michael Torke is one of several composers whose work I have been following for nearly a decade. I own most of his recordings in my collection, though this particular recording was one of three I just acquired. Much of the time, Torke's music has a cheery, jaunty, post-minimalist character (much repetition of little figures, but it does go somewhere - I'm no fan of John Adams, Steve Reich, or Phillip Glass), and after just a few seconds, you can often identify many of his pieces as being Torke works. The two pieces on this CD, especially Strawberry Fields, are a whole different story!
Another reviewer in this string did a nice job of synopsizing the plot. The emotional impact of the music, the text, and the performances are impressive. You just can't help but love the old lady, and the kind-hearted college student! No wonder it is a tear-jerker in live performance! I would LOVE to see this staged, and hope that opportunity comes some day.
The quartet near the end is superb, and not only unique in Torke's music, but unique in general. I haven't heard anything else quite like it. When I got this CD, I found myself listening to Strawberry Fields over and over and over. It's very addictive! I would like to point out three other passages that are particular favorites with me: Early on, the lady is singing "This is the Time" (about the excitement of an opera about to begin), and in an A-prime return, the horn plays her initial melody as she sings a soaring, absolutely gorgeous counter-melody. The tender exchange between the lady and the student after she begins pretending that he is her (long-dead) husband is also wonderfully touching. Finally, an emotionally charged exchange between the lady, her daughter and son, and the student ("Oh Mother, What Now") is a lively but beautiful passage as well. The deft and lovely counterpoint throughout the work shows that besides being a very appealing composer, Michael Torke is very much a master of his craft. The orchestration is colorful and facile, again obviously the work of somebody completely at home writing for large forces. Take a chance on this one, even if you aren't necessarily a Michael Torke fan! A great treat is in store for you!
Pentecost is lovely also, though of course not as emotionally involved as "Strawberry Fields." Just wonderful stuff!!
Torke expands his vocal (and emotional) palette.......2005-12-06
Color me a Torke completionist: I try to acquire every recording of this fascinating composer's work. This album includes two works: the mini-opera "Strawberry Fields," and "Pentecost," Torke's setting of passages from Acts 2 (which are actually citations of the prophecy of Joel, meaning Torke still gravitates toward Old Testament texts even when he's setting a New Testament text to music).
Strawberry Fields focuses on an elderly lady who, under the influence of some form of senile dementia, believes she's at an opera house when, in fact, she's in the part of New York's Central Park where the John Lennon memorial is located. There is poignancy and humor in the situation: she receives moral support from a university student cutting class (whom she later comes to think is her late husband). Her son, and later her daughter, enter the scene intent upon transporting her to a new managed care facility: to them, she is a loose cannon that needs to be sedated and hauled off in a wheelchair to her "nice new home." The student's advocacy for the old woman gives her children some pause, blooming into a wonderful vocal quartet where the protagonists open up their hearts to themselves. (Don't recall encountering anything like this passage in Torke's recorded output -- it is singular in this regard.)
The humor is good-natured. E.g., the old lady asks a construction worker if she could borrow his "opera program." The gruff New Yorker hands her the Racing Form he was reading, advising her of his recommended pick. When she hands it back, he's curious about what it said about the "opera." She notes only that the opera definitely had a complicated plot.
A fascinating musical/emotional subtext is the references to Verdi (championed by the old lady) and John Lennon (extolled by the student). The two even sing about how the world mourned over the respective deaths of these composers, who wrote about freedom (Lennon) and liberation (Verdi). Touchingly, in a wry reversal, she concludes, "I love Lennon," while the student sings back, "I love Verdi."
I'd love to have seen this staged -- I seriously doubt a recording can do justice to the dynamics of this as a stage work.
Pentecost is both effective and affective, and it bears a strong relation to the composer's "Book of Proverbs," excepting that a soprano alone interacts with the orchestra. "Book" was longer and therefore seems more substantial than "Pentecost," but the question is, does "Pentecost" properly illuminate its Biblical text? Answer: certainly as well as "Book" evoked its selection of Proverbs. I prefer the first of the three movements for its moto perpetuo energy levels, but the second movement reminds us that Torke has penned some compelling slow movements of late, often hidden between remarkably kinetic allegro passages (see his excellent ballet, "The Contract," to see this beautifully realized in a purely orchestral setting).
The recording is warm and clear, very dynamic when necessary, and allows one to hear the individual vocal lines entwining over the purposive orchestral textures Torke summons to the fore. This becomes all-important at the end of Strawberry Fields, where it becomes clear that the old lady has actually passed away while others were bickering over her disposition: in Torke's sensitive hands, these ultimate moments become revelatory, reaching to the heart. A suffusive sense of loss is broadcast with the simplest means. If that constitutes an act of genius, one is inclined to think that Torke has touched its face here.
Average customer rating:
- Cheap ploy to capitalize on real artists
- Hypnotic divas
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Bob Belden Presents: Strawberry Fields
Bob Belden
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
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ASIN: B000005H7F
Release Date: 1996-11-12 |
Tracks:
- Come Together - Dianne Reeves, Cassandra Wilson
- Strawberry Fields Forever - Cassandra Wilson
- Tomorrow Never Knows - Dianne Reeves
- I'm Only Sleeping - Holly Cole
- Get Back - Junko Onishi
- Fool on the Hill - Javon Jackson, Dianne Reeves
- I've Just Seen a Face - Holly Cole
- Hey Jude - Greg Osby
- Lady Madonna - Penny Ford
- Let It Be - Sylvia Shemwell
Customer Reviews:
Cheap ploy to capitalize on real artists.......1999-06-08
As with most of Belden's music, his formula has been to pick up on real artists' innovations, Sting, Prince and rework the music into varying sizes of big band ensembles. True, most of the jazz up through the 50's was based on preexisting songs, that is indisputable. But those songs lived on their own without lyrics, so instrumentalists could play them and make them live. Most of the musical part of pop music today, let's face it, is a life support system for the lyrics. Without them, the music is one-dimensional and uninteresting. Belden has skill, to be sure, but his well-worn formula of parading out current stars' music so that he can try to popularize himself is just another example of me-ism of the 60's and 70's culture.
Hypnotic divas.......1998-12-30
I bought this CD because of Cassandra Wilson's participation on the first two tracks. Her solo on "Strawberry Fields Forever" and duet with Dianne Reeves on "Come Together" are worth the price of the album. The rest of the CD's tracks just add icing to the cake. Beldon's arrangements are rich and bring out elements in Lennon and McCartney's music that will remind you why they are two of the greatest songwriters in history. From "Tomorrow Never Knows" with its massive Shankar-inspired percussion groove to Holly Cole's heart-melting solo on "I've Just Seen a Face," every track is a success.
Average customer rating:
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Strawberry Fields
Candy Flip
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
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ASIN: B00000DDV4
Release Date: 1990-06-28 |
Customer Reviews:
Sweet........2005-10-03
I've never heard anything else from these guys, but their cover of "Strawberry Fields" is pretty good. It roughly keeps the vibe of the original, but puts an electronica spin on it. Nothing mind-blowing, but nice to hear this song in another way, while still being mid-tempo and a bit psychedelic. Pick it up if it's your favorite Beatles song, or if you find it used.
Average customer rating:
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Colouring Book
Manufacturer: El Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Goodwin, Ron
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All Works by Porter
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King's Singers
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ASIN: B000A6AB7Q
Release Date: 2005-09-26 |
Tracks:
- She's Leaving Home
- Game
- I Love You Samantha
- Windmills of Your Mind
- After the Goldrush
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- Ask Yourself Why
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- Taste of Honey
- Strawberry Fields Forever
Album Description
From quintessentially English mid-sixties origins as select choral scholars at King's College, Cambridge the King's Singers are today one of the most influential and enduring vocal groups in the world. Colouring Book features 18 tracks. EL. 2005.
Album Details
The King's Singers were the First to Apply Choral Technique to Popular Material and 'colouring Book' Concentrates on their Unforgettable Arrangements of International Hits of the Sixties and Early Seventies. No Less Than Seven Selections Are Drawn from their Important 1972 George Martin Produced Album Including the Remarkable 'she's Leaving Home'. Their Success with Compositions of Lennon and Mccartney Culminated in One of their Most Popular Titles 'the Beatles Connection' which is Well Represented Here Alongside Songs Written by the Other Giants of Contemporary Pop; Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, David Bowie and Neil Young. To These Diverse Writers, the King's Singers Bring their Beautiful Tone, Balance and Synchronisation with Equally Marvellous Effect.
Average customer rating:
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Beatles for Harp
Manufacturer: Centaur
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
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ASIN: B0007WQGT0
Release Date: 2005-03-29 |
Tracks:
- Got to Get You into My Life
- It's Only Love
- Blackbird
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- For No One
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- Strawberry Fields Forever
- You Won't See Me
Average customer rating:
- horrible
- The best ever symphonic collection of the Fab Four ever!
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Symphony for the Stars: The Beatles
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
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ASIN: B000000KZV
Release Date: 1995-09-01 |
Tracks:
- All You Need Is Love
- Hey Jude
- Here Comes The Sun
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- Strawberry Fields Forever
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Customer Reviews:
horrible.......1999-05-23
The beatles are bad enough on their own, they dont need an orchestra to make them worse.
The best ever symphonic collection of the Fab Four ever!.......1999-03-21
The fact you are reading this probably means you are a fan of the Beatles. If you sometimes wish for a collection of orchestral Beatles songs but are unsure of some of the cheap numbers you have heard, well! This set is amazing, the music is rich and full of feeling, a best buy without a doubt. If it were possible I would give it six stars!
Average customer rating:
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3 Speed
Sugarboom
Manufacturer: Strawberry Fields
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
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ASIN: B000005IQ5
Release Date: 1997-10-21 |
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Customer Reviews:
overlooked classic........2004-01-29
For some of you, the 90's went by way too fast. All of a sudden you're stuck here mourning Carissa's Weird or Neutral Milk Hotel. But you never gave this album a chance, because you saw that they were on Tim Kerr and theres no big accolade for them so you figure just another pop-punk band. Of course you're so completely wrong, (something I delight more and more on each day) and this album proves it. These guys did shoegaze (ALOT) on this album. Dusky bus-riding cellos churn against school daze saxaphone and it's so positve, and so bright...ender "Wish I" is a perfect distillation of youth. Don't wait to grab it in a bargain bin, grab this album now and hide it under something--keep it safe. The true collector knows endless quality. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars are because someones going to punch me for putting it on the same level as Loveless. If you gave CW or NMH a 5 tho, this is a 5 for you. Come on. Your standards are all out of whack.
Product Description
VOL.1
1.strawberry fields forever.2.and i love her.3.ticket to ride.4.norwegian wood.5.wanna hold your hand.6.paperback writer.7.can't buy me love.8.hey jude.9.she loves you.10.yellow submarine.11.yesterday.12.hard day's night
VOL.2
1.eleanor rigby.2.eight a week.3.get back.4.blackbird.5.with a little help from my friends.6.hello goodbye.7.if i fell.8.help.9.love me do.10.penny lane.11.we can work it out.12.let it be
Average customer rating:
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Nothing is Real...: Music by Alvin Lucier
Manufacturer: Wergo Germany
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Chamber Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical (c.1770-1830)
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Electronic
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ASIN: B0000TI3I2
Release Date: 2005-07-12 |
Average customer rating:
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Nothing Is Real
Manufacturer: Col Legno
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Cage, John
| ( C )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
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Character Pieces
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Electronic
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Experimental Music
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ASIN: B00009XBX6
Release Date: 2003-01-01 |
Tracks:
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- Pour Piano
- Music for Piano With Amplified Sonorous Vessels
- Hommage Ligeti for Two Pianos, Tuned a Quarter-Tone Apart
- Nothing Is Real (Strawberry Fields Forever)
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