His Great Recordings

On this CD:

1. Il barbière di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), opera Largo al factotum
Composed by Gioachino Rossini
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

2. L' Africaine, grand opera in 5 acts All'erta marinar...Adamastor
Composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

3. Damnation de Faust, La, for mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, bass, chorus and orchestra, ("légende dramatique") H. 111 (Op. 24) C'era una volta
Composed by Hector Berlioz
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

4. Damnation de Faust, La, for mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, bass, chorus and orchestra, ("légende dramatique") H. 111 (Op. 24) Su queste rose
Composed by Hector Berlioz
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

5. Hamlet, opera in 5 acts Come il romito fior
Composed by Ambroise Thomas
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

6. Nabucco, opera (Nabucodonosor) Chi mi toglie il regio scettro?
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

7. Rigoletto, opera Cortigiani, vil razza dannata
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

8. Un ballo in maschera, opera Alla vita che t'arride
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

9. Un ballo in maschera, opera Eri tu che macchiavi
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

10. Otello, opera Innaffia l'ugola!
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

11. Otello, opera Era la notte, Cassio dormìa
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

12. Faust, opera Dio possente
Composed by Charles Gounod
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

13. Le Roi de Lahore, opera O casto fior
Composed by Jules Massenet
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

14. Tosca, opera Tre sbirri...Una carrozza
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

15. Tosca, opera Ella verrà
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

16. Zazà, opera Buona Zazà
Composed by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

17. Zazà, opera Zazà, piccola zingara
Composed by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Performed by Riccardo Stracciari

Tracks:

Dance Of The Tumblers
Intermezzo e Humoreske
Rocky Point Holiday
The Firebird - Berceuse And Finale
The Firebird - Berceuse And Finale
Piano Concerto No. 21 - Andante
Symphony No. 1 - Allegretto Con Grazia
Symphony No. 9 - Scherzo
Concerto In F, RV 569 - Allegro
The Padstow Lifeboat
Escales - Anime (Valencia)
The Times Of Day - Der Morgen
The Makropulos Case
E.C.F., From Presque Isle
Pictures At An Exhibition: Baba Yaga; Great Gate At Kiev
Pictures At An Exhibition: Baba Yaga; Great Gate At Kiev

Customer Reviews:

Tutti.......2000-05-06

Although a compilation of various pieces, this CD has the drama and sonic impact which will test the limits of your system. The orchestral presentations are first class. The sound stage presentations with the left to right width and the front to back depth give the listener an outstanding three dimensional impression of the actual orchestra instrument placement in the recording hall as well as the hall's ambient sound.

I have from time to time heard the expression 'sound windows' when discussing Speakers in an audio system. This CD will give you an excellent opportunity to check the clarity and precision of your system....in particular the bottom end capabilities of both the ampifier and the speakers.

I stronly recommend using this CD as a true Reference CD Rrecording when evaluating enhancements or upgrades to your system. Bring this CD to your dealer and listen carefully.

Get to know what your system is capable of and what it is not capable of delivering before and after listening tests for your new component.

Good Luck

WONDERFUL SAMPLER CD!.......2000-02-26

It does the trick. It literally samples the entire recent Reference Recordings catalogue, with varied excerpts from all kinds of music, a rare and exciting compilation wel worth the price. I reccommend it highly.

Tutti - Orchestral Sampler.......2000-02-02

This sampler is not your typical classical sampler. As seen from the track listing, it contains a diverse, but incongrous, selection of orchestral pieces, mixing Mozart, Vivaldi and Rimsky-Korsakov with more contemporary composers such as Bruckner, Arnold, and Paray. Although the list of selections is tempting and attractive to those who want to expand their musical knowledge, the combination just doesn't work. The jump from Mozart to Paray to Arnold to Vivaldi is unsettling to the ear, although it may be suited to a music education class. If, however, you seek less traditional (less soothing), less harmonic (more tempestuous), orchestral music, this may be the collection for you. The conducting and performances are very good. It certainly will never be background music for dinner!

Average customer rating:

Steve Turner...singer/songwriter?
blues, folk, garage rock...and amazing songwriting

And His Bad Ideas
Steve Turner
Manufacturer: Roslyn Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Searching for Melody
New Wave Punk Asshole

ASIN: B0002QO418
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Tracks:

Grand Introduction
Zero on the Scale
Beautiful Winter
I-5 Corridor
I Want You in My Arms
Dimebag Blues (Note to an Ex)
Painting a Picture (Note from an Ex)
Chalkie's on a Bummer [Guitar Mix]
I Love the Sound of My Guitar When It Sings
Greenback Dollar
Things to Give Away
Someday Baby
Move Ahead

Album Description

This is the second solo album from Mudhoney guitarist Steve Turner. His debut received nearly unanimous critical acclaim - and this is an even more confident and fully realized affair. Features two duets with indie chanteuse Holly Golightly (who did a duet with Jack White on the last White Stripes album.) And His Bad Ideas was recorded in Seattle and London, using various different studios (Toe Rag, Litho, Flora, Avast) and producers/engineers (Liam Watson, who engineered the last White Stripes album; Tucker Martine, best known for his work with Modest Mouse and Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter; and Johnny Sangster.) Additional musicians include members of Mudhoney, Young Fresh Fellows, Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter - and Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam rocking a mean hi-hat and cymbal on "Painting A Picture."

Customer Reviews:

Steve Turner...singer/songwriter?.......2005-07-20

I came to be aware of Steve Turner after hearing his great guitar work with the last quarter-century's most underrated band, Mudhoney. He plays great lead guitar in Mudhoney, but hardly ever sings -- only backup and "Paperback Life" -- and on a few tracks with side-project band The Sad and Lonely[s]. But it was his debut solo 7" 'Nothin' But The Blues' that turned me on to his guitar-driven, soulful, solo-stylings. This, his third release (after Searching For Melody, and A Beautiful Winter [EP]), takes it up a notch. A few songs from the last album are redone as duets with Holly Gollightly (?spellling). Stand-out tracks are "Greenback Dollar" a great cover of the old song, "I Love The Sound of my Guitar When it Sings" and basically the rest of the CD has some meaningful sentiment, including my fav "Dimebag Bag Blues", a song about long-gone girlfriends and the like. No song is sub-par -- great CD which slipped under the radar last fall. If you like Mudhoney, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt or any "real" music or musicians it is hard not to like this album.

blues, folk, garage rock...and amazing songwriting.......2004-12-21

I was expecting this to be a nice diversion; a half-hour's worth of folky songs done by a collection of grunge-rock pals goofing around and "that chick who duets on all of the garage-rock records". What I got instead was a stunning collection of songs touching on blues, folk and rock that is easily one of the year's best. Turner has the perfect voice to accompany these tales of ex-girlfriends, hard times and the joy of playing music. The fact that he writes about the same types of characters and the same geographic reigon as Isaac Brock could draw some comparisons to early Modest Mouse, but Turner invests the songs with great empathy instead of Brock's self-conscious bluster. And the first duet with Holly Golightly, "A Beautiful Winter", is about as perfect a tale of longing over a missed opportunity as you're going to find on an album this year. Lastly, with Turner's mix of folk-rock, acoustic slide, and messy blues guitar styles, fans of Uncle Tupelo's first two albums will find a lot to like here.

Average customer rating:

Jerry Goldsmith: His Last Recordings

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End
W.C. Fields Comedy Collection, Vol. 2 (The Man on the Flying Trapeze / Never Give A Sucker An Even Break / You're Telling Me! / The Old Fashioned Way / Poppy)
Charlotte's Web, Music from the Motion Picture
Lady in the Water
Amazing Grace (Original Score)

ASIN: B000MGVC2C
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Tracks:

Remus
The Box
My Right Arm
Odds and Ends
Repairs
The Knife
Ideals
The Mirror
The Scorpion
Lateral Run
Engage
Final Flight
A New Friend
A New Ending

Tracks:

The Dig
Cornflakes
No Pain
To Castlegard
Find Marek
The Rooftop
A Hole In The Wall
Move On
Setting Up
Be Careful
Ambushed
Greek Fire / Light the Arrows
Prepare for Battle / Victory For Us
To My Friends

Tracks:

Life Story
What's Up?
Another Take
Dead Duck Walking
Out of the Bag
Blue Monkey
In Style
The Bad Guys
Car Trouble
Thin Air
Area 52
Hot Pursuit
We've Got Company
I'll Take That
Paris Street
Free Fall
Tasmanian Devil
Jungle Scene
Pressed Duck
Re-Assembled
Merry Go Round Broke Down

Average customer rating:

To be sipped and savored with exquisite pleasure
Vocal Perfection
really good
It made me cringe, and got my head wet.
Wonderful Voice

Some of My Best Friends Are Songs
Colm Wilkinson
Manufacturer: Original Cast Record
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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Stage Heroes
Highlights from Jekyll and Hyde (1990 Concept Cast)
Music
Seasons of Love
Michael Ball Christmas

ASIN: B0001CNR8Y
Release Date: 2004-02-16

Tracks:

Funny How Time Slips Away
Song for You
Suzanne
Red Sails in the Sunset
Fathre and Son
We Are One
If I Knew Then
M.L.K./I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Last to Know
You Don't Know Me
Home Thoughts from Abroad
I Cannot Stay

Album Description

Full title - Some Of My Best Friends Are Songs. Colm Wilkinson, the original star of the musical 'Les Miserables' & creator of the role The Phantom in 'The Phantom of the Opera', returns to his roots with a fantastic CD full of great songs, 'Suzanne', 'Father & Son', 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For', 'You Don't Know Me', 'A Song For You', & many more. 12 tracks packaged in a digipak. EMI. 2004.

Album Details

The Longtime Star of the Theatre Stage Presents a Collection of his Favorite Songs that He Would Perhaps Not Be Able to Do in his Chosen Oeuvre. His Choice of Material Spans the Generations and Various Styles, Like Cat Steven's "Father and Son", U2's Mlk/I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne", Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away" and Many More.

Customer Reviews:

To be sipped and savored with exquisite pleasure.......2005-07-02

One thing that needs to be made clear from the start - Jean Valjean is not singing on this album. That heroic persona is only a role (OK THE role he was born to play), but it's only one facet of this extremely talented singer. If you only want the grand theatrical style, then check out Stage Heroes. On this album, his voice is as rich, smooth and mellow as the finest Irish whisky, to be sipped and savored with exquisite pleasure while it warms a path right to your heart.

The range of musical styles covered is amazing, but Colm makes them all his own - blues, country, rock and folk/pop. What unifies them all is the tremendous heart he puts into singing that allows him to make such an emotional connection with the listener. I can (and do) listen to this CD everyday. It hasn't chased my other Wilkinson CDs out of my player, but it definitely makes them share. My personal favorites are the rock n' roll standard "Red Sails In the Sunset" and 2 original tracks, "We are One" and "I Cannot Stay". The covers of " Father and Son" and "MLK/I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" are also exceptional.

So, if you like them slow, sad, soulful and romantic, buy this album. If your lady does, then buy it for her. (And don't complain or you'll be wearing your cereal too!)

Vocal Perfection.......2005-05-15

Having been a long time fan of Colm Wilkinson's theatrical music, this CD displays his versatile range of blues, rock, folk, and country genres amazingly well. Think a` la Van Morrison, Ray Charles, Aaron Neville in style with not just an accomplished vocal capacity but a voice that is truly an instrument. The emotion, passion, and soul integrated in every note he sings is powerful. Amongst my favorite cuts are U2's MLK/I Still Haven't Found and the original compositons written by Colm himself. The surprise about this long awaited album is that he is an unknown in the mainstream culture. Why this enormously gifted gem is not a household name and megastar is a mystery to me!

really good.......2004-07-19

This cd is really nice as Colm Wilkinson is so good singing Irish
songs and he is in his element . He has souch a rich powerful yet gentle voice. He has one of the greatest broadway stage voices and also one of the best voices ever in my opinion. This a a great cd , that is wel worth getting for anyone who likes Colm's voice or Irish celtic music and ballads.

It made me cringe, and got my head wet........2004-06-03

Well this odd little album led to a food fight at my house. My partner enraptured by the music expected me to share her feelings. Unfortunately, I could not hide the fact that Colm Wilkinson's style of singing always has me running for the stop button. My grimace led to a bowl of Grape Nuts being dumped over my head... ah well. Sorry all you fans, but to my mind, Wilkinson is vastly overated. His exaggerated, affected style is strained, irritating and dripping with fake sincerity. His modulations and phrasings are all formulaeic and dished out in overcooked mounds of soggy sentimentality. Blah. Nothing new is heard in any of these songs and the whole album has a hurried feel about it, especially Suzanne which is run through with cursory interpretation. Great photo on the front though.

Wonderful Voice.......2004-03-24

First, I have to mention that I am a huge fan of Colm Wilkinson. I have several Broadway albums from a variety of shows that he has appeared in or made recordings for. I was excited when I got this CD. I mainly bought it because there was a recording of that song, "Father & Son" which I heard him sing with his son in his concert that aired on PBS. I listened to the entire album, and was somewhat disappointed with the other songs, at first. It was difficult for me to listen to this guy sing something other than showtunes. I had to listen to this album several times before it could stick with me...The songs are kinda catchy now that I've gotten used to them. Needless to say, the songs weren't bad, since I could sit through this whole album more than once. This album is a must have for any of you Colm Wilkinson fans out there. It shows the range in musical styles he has. And it shows that he is a really good songwriter as well, he wrote a few songs in this album. Go out and buy this, you won't regret it...I guess my only complaint about this CD is that there are only 12 songs on it...at a cost over over $20, there should be more music on this disc (that's why I'm giving this album only 4 stars).

Average customer rating:

SILENT YEARS no more!!!!

Beloved Rogue

Manufacturer: Premier Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000205R
Release Date: 1995-01-19

Tracks:

The Gold Rush: The Silent Years Theme 'Georgia'
The General
The Mark Of Zorro
The Beloved Rogue
The Gold Rush
Orphans Of The Storm
Blood And Sand
The Silent Years Closing Theme

Customer Reviews:

SILENT YEARS no more!!!!.......2007-07-17

William Perry's wonderful music from THE SILENT YEARS (films from the Paul Killiam collection) charmed me instantly when the series ran on PBS back in 1971. At the time I was fiendishly practicing my classical guitar morning, noon and night and almost nothing could entice me to set the thing down, but the first few notes of the series theme, "Georgia" from the Chaplin film THE GOLD RUSH, did it every time. I looked forward to the films just to hear the wonderful musical scores. Knowing the main themes of LIMELIGHT and MODERN TIMES to be Chaplin's own, I thought for years that Chaplin himself had composed the GOLD RUSH (and series) theme and even at one time ventured to the Library of Congress Music Reading Room to implore the folks there to help me find it. Unsuccessful there (one of the few times I ever was), I did my own arrangement by ear and toyed with it for a few years for fun.

This music is everything one could wish silent film music to be. It's unabashedly romantic, bold and dramatic, warm, engaging and tuneful. It doesn't sound at all dated and has not a hint of the cliche Keystone Cop sound. My favorites are the suites from the THE GOLD RUSH, Barrymore's THE BELOVED ROGUE (a great, great historical romantic adventure film, incidentally) and Valentino's BLOOD AND SAND. Two of the ROGUE themes - the one introduced after Villon's (Barrymore's) father is burned at the stake, which represents the father's spirit, and the love theme - regularly move me literally to tears. Perry is an agile and sensitive pianist and a remarkable composer. He's a brilliant melodist and his feel for dramatic construction is so strong that one is simply swept along breathless. I'm reminded of Schubert's "Wanderer Fantasy" and the characteristic pieces of Albeniz, "Suite Espanola" in particular.

I'm not certain that I saw every one of the 12-15 films in the series (I think I missed INTOLERANCE), but I remember quite well that of all the films I saw, only one, SALLY OF THE SAWDUST, an early W.C. Fields film, had an organ score rather than piano. So, there's at least the possibility that a few more Perry piano score suites could see a CD release someday. Here's hoping for SON OF THE SHEIK and BROKEN BLOSSOMS!!!!

Stracciari-His Great Operatic Recordings, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

Stracciari-His Great Operatic Recordings, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Enterprise
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000067RA
Release Date: 1998-03-17

Tracks:

Don Giovanni - 'La ci darem la mano'
Il barbiere di Siviglia - 'Largo al factotum'
Dinorah - 'Sei vendicata assai'
La Favorita - 'A tanto amo'
Lucia di Lammermoor - 'Cruda funesta smania'
Nabucco - 'Dio di Guida'
Ernani - 'Gran Dio!...O de' verd'anni miei'
Rigoletto - 'No! vecchio t'inganni...Si, vendetta'
La Traviata - 'Di Provenza il mar, il suol'
Il Trovatore - 'Il balen del suo sorriso'
La forza del destino - 'Solenne in quest'ora'
Otello - 'Credo in un Dio crudel'
Tannhauser - 'O tu bell'astro incantator'
Pagliacci - 'Si puo?'
La Wally - 'T'amo ben io'
Tosca - 'Gia mi dicon venal'
Andrea Chenier - 'Son sessan'anni'

Average customer rating:

a magnificent telling of the first half of a love affair
tuc@sprintmail.com

This Time It's Love

Manufacturer: Reference Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Sings Rodgers & Hart
It's Over
Sings Torch Songs

ASIN: B00000158R
Release Date: 1993-12-17

Tracks:

Easy To Love
The More I See You
My Foolish Heart
What Is There To Say?
The Nearness Of You
More Than You Know
Put Your Dreams Away
Alone Together
My Romance
A Game For Two
Love Dance
The Music That Makes Me Dance
Everything I Love

Customer Reviews:

a magnificent telling of the first half of a love affair.......2000-02-03

which is to say, the fun part...

this album MUST be listened to in conjunction with farrell's "it's over", maybe the best history of a romance gone wrong ever put down on record.

no need to go into the singer's career here; if you're bothering to look at this page, you probably already know the details. suffice to say that ef was the only classically trained singer who was as great a performer of broadway-style tunes as she was in her main field.

of all the recordings she made a few years back, this one is essential to any fan of pop music. and her version of "the music that makes me dance" leaves ms. streisand in the dust!

thank god she augmented her few earlier pop albums with this series of recordings. and can this woman really have been in her 70s?

tuc@sprintmail.com.......1998-10-13

Here is a grand opera star who in her 70's now sings popular music like a 40 year old. Her voice was always a marvel to listen to when she sang at the Met or with Toscanni. But she saved her voice and now she sings pop music that is incredible for a singer of her age. Her recordings are becoming very less frequent. To listen to these romantic ballads can bring the youth and romance back into your life. A super lady that will never grow old.

Average customer rating:

Nirman
Purbayan Chatterjee
Manufacturer: Sense World Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

India | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music

General | India & Pakistan | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0001XQFNM
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Tracks:

Raga Behag: Alap
Raga Behag: Bandish in Teentaal (16 Beats)
Raga Misra Khamaj: Alap
Raga Misra Khamaj: Gat in Sitarkhani
Raga Misra Khamaj: Laggi
Raga Misra Khamaj: Raga Pahadi

Average customer rating:

The Cat
Tony Maserati
Manufacturer: Poverty Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CAF6IE
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

Look out Miss James
Four Tired Car
Only a Fool Like Me
I Can't Wait
Hot Rodders Dream
But I'm Not
Too Hot to Handle
All I Can Do Is Cry
Servant of Love
Keepin' All My Lovin'
Girl of My Best Friend
Only a Fool Like Me
Cat
Tom the Boogie Woogie Tom Cat
Twelve Year Old Boy
Goodbye Baby
Long Blonde Hair
200 Miles
Let's Rock Tonite

Great Studio Recordings of his Central Park Program

Average customer rating:

Great Studio Recordings of his Central Park Program
Luciano Pavarotti
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E58P
Release Date: 1993-11-09

Music Review: