Phantom Orchestra

Track Listings
1. Bouquet of a Phantom Orchestra    
2. Human Vapor    
3. Superstrings and Curved Space    
4. Bottom Wash    
5. Top Hat on a Locomotive    
6. Loaded Shark    

Editorial Reviews
Label Comments
More than a narrowly focused or 'hyphenate'composer performer, writing exclusively for her own instrument, LeBaron has produced a substantial body of compositions, many of them haunted by the subject of Orpheus. . . On Phantom Orchestra, she's heard closely paired with the excellent Davey Williams, one of the best guitar improvisers around, and with two bright and buoyant wind players who give the group sound its humanized, breathing elements. 'Superstrings and Curved Space' indicates her interest in scientific ideas, a concern that runs all through her work, a tightly woven, structurally anomalous piece that shouldn't make sense, but somehow does. 'Bouquet for a Phantom Orchestra' is more impressionistic. 'Top Hat on a Locomotive' confirms the element of humour in LeBaron's own conception of things. Richard Cook and Brian Morton The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP, and Cassette

Album Description
Quintet of brass, amplified harp with live electronics, electric guitar, and percussion. Music composed by Anne LeBaron, with major improvisatory contributions made by all musicians involved.

"A dynamic mixture of liberated noises---perc clatter, harp fragments,horn bleats and mesmerizing melodic lines . . .The result is more Beefheart than Beatles. Great tuba skronking, too." Jeff Bagato, Mole

Phantom Orchestra, Music, Anne LeBaron, Marcus Rojas , Davey Williams , Gregg Bendian , Anne LeBaron Frank London , The Anne LeBaron Quintet
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • The Andrew Lloyd Weber Collection
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber
  • The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection
  • The Best You'll See from Sarah
  • The Angel of Music
 The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000I0XW
Release Date: 1999-06-01

Tracks:

  1. The Phantom Of The Opera: The Phantom Of The Opera
  2. Song & Dance: Unexpected Song
  3. Aspects Of Love: Chanson D'enfance
  4. The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You
  5. Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina
  6. Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall
  7. Aspects Of Love: Love Changes Everything
  8. Friends For Life
  9. Cats: Memory
  10. Cats: Gus: The Theatre Cat
  11. Aspects Of Love: Anything But Lonely
  12. Cats: Macavity: The Mystery Cat
  13. Tell Me On A Sunday/Song & Dance: Tell Me On A Sunday
  14. The Phantom Of The Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
  15. Requiem: Pie Jesu
  16. The Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night

Amazon.com essential recording

Sarah Brightman's career was launched by her success in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, so it's no surprise to hear the soprano paying homage to the composer on this disc. Really a Brightman best-of, the album includes the Phantom theme (a duet with Michael Crawford), the light-opera fare of "Chanson D'enfance" from Aspects of Love, "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" from Evita, and numerous other Lloyd Webber classics. Throughout, Brightman's diminutive voice lends a fragility to these musical theater tunes that you'll either love or despise. On Evita's "Another Suitcase, Another Hall" and Cats' "Memory," she literally chirps through the vocal lines. No matter. The growing legion of Brightman fans wouldn't have it any other way. --Jason Verlinde

Album Details

Another Compilation of Stage Favourites - Some Tracks Are Hard to Find Elsewhere.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The Andrew Lloyd Weber Collection.......2007-05-12

Sarah Brightman sings in good form classic songs and does a great job!!

5 out of 5 stars Andrew Lloyd Webber .......2007-02-12

Excellent Broadway music--a true master. Sing along or just listen. First heard her on PBS.

5 out of 5 stars The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection.......2007-01-05

Sarah Brightman has always been a favorite of mine, and this CD is outstanding. The duet with Jose Carreras (Friends for Life) is especially good--worth buying the CD for that song alone.

5 out of 5 stars The Best You'll See from Sarah.......2006-09-09

This CD is - wow! I have so much to say about it and so little time! This album features three pieces from "The Phantom of the Opera" - Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, The Music of the Night, and The Phantom of the Opera theme. They're all beautiful. The second piece on the album is "Unexpected Song". It has beautiful octaves and orchastrations. Chanson d'Efance is an amazing French piece with vibrato - and then some. I forgot to mention that there is another piece from The Phantom of the Opera - All I Ask of You - except that the song is not sung by the original cast from the musical. The next few pieces are fairly decent, until you get to Memory from Cats. WOW - is it spectacular! Then we get to two other pieces from Cats - Gus: The Theater Cat and Macavity: The Mystery Cat. Gus is a song that just tells about a cat and his history. A man speaks the lines that Gus would say in the actual musical - and it makes the song interesting. Macavity is AWESOME! I know that I said that I didn't prefer this song for Brightman on her album "Surrender". I finally listened to it more carefully, and found that it's really interesting to listen to! My favorite song on the whole entire album - however - has to be "Tell Me on a Sunday". Beautiful lyrics, orchestrations, and overall spectacular voice talent ties the whole song together. Pie Jesu is a fairly nice piece from both Brightman and Paul Miles-Kingston - the 16 year old boy soprano. His voice is pure and straight with minimal vibrato. However, Brightman's voice shows a little bit TOO much vibrato! Overally, it's a good piece from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requium. THIS CD IS AMAZING! If you love Sarah from the Phantom of the Opera, then this collection of Lloyd Webber's work is just for you.

I also recommend Charlotte Church - (in her earlier career) - including Voice of an Angel and her self-titled album. I also recommend Love Changes Everything - The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection Vol.2 - just another grouping of Webber's classics. I also recommend Andrea Boucelli - he's awesome!

5 out of 5 stars The Angel of Music.......2006-03-13

This is the third copy of this I've purchased. I wear them out listening to them. Awesome, Awesome music. Sarah's range and depth is so powerful!
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V)
  • Not one of his bests, but very close
  • John Williams' finest work
  • A Great Conclusion to the Prequel Trilogy
  • Williams is slumming it
 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000850IS6
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Tracks:

  1. Star Wars and The Revenge Of The Sith
  2. Anakin's Dream
  3. Battle Of The Heroes
  4. Anakin's Betrayal
  5. General Grievous
  6. Palpatine's Teachings
  7. Grievous and the Droids
  8. Padme's Ruminations
  9. Anakin vs. Obi-Wan
  10. Anakin's Dark Deeds
  11. Enter Lord Vader
  12. The Immolation Scene
  13. Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious
  14. The Birth Of The Twins and Padme's Destiny
  15. A New Hope and End Credits

Amazon.com

John Williams' lovely and moving score for the sixth Star Wars film brings thirty years of collaborating on George Lucas' beyond-popular intergalactic franchise to a close. (Is this really the end of Star Wars? Can't Lucas and Williams work together on a prequel to these prequels? Let us hope so, and that Jar Jar Binks is nowhere near it.) As this music accompanies the most exciting Star Wars film in many a moon, the soundtrack itself is more fun, more evil, more nasty and bumpy. Many of the heroic, anthemic themes woven throughout Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith will necessarily be familiar to any fan of the series, from the "Imperial March" to the main theme. It's remarkable how stirring the latter can be, no matter how many times you've heard it, and even for those who do not have all their money invested in S.W. memorabilia. There is a lot of new music here, and the lush, extensive range of both Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra is on display, most notably in the menacing, percolating "General Grievous" and the rousing "New Hope" end theme. --Mike McGonigal

The Force Is Also with:


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Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V).......2007-06-21

product: Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005) (V), included as bonus disc in Episode III soundtrack.

The bonus dvd with this soundtrack was the reason I purchased. I enjoy film soundtracks, and science fiction, but this dvd was a real highlight for me. I got the soundtrack cd out of the local library. The cd was missing from the case, but I found this wonderful dvd instead that I went out to purchase later.

With optional segments of dialog from Ian McDiarmid, this film is a stunning visual and musical overview of the full epic story of episodes I-VI of Star Wars. For those of us who felt that eps. IV-VI fell short of our expectations, this film presents them well as parts of the whole story. The Musical Journey also stands as a summary of the entire SW opus for someone who is not familiar with the Star Wars characters and plot. Highly recommended.

Options: no subtitles or other options.

4 out of 5 stars Not one of his bests, but very close.......2007-05-21

The Episode III soundtrack is very good. Not great, but very, very good. You can tell that Williams is getting old, but he still manages to weave together a very memorable score.

My favorite tracks are "Battle of the Heroes," "Anakin's Betrayal," Palpatine's teachings, "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan," and the "Immolation Scene."
The others are very good as well, but these are especially nice. "Battle of the Heroes" is Dual of the Fates for Revenge of the Sith. "Anakin's Betrayal" is a very sad track that is, in my opinion, one of William's most powerful pieces. "Palpatine's Teachings" is really, really neat. It's very dark and moody, a perfect piece for the evil emperor. The only weird thing is the end. "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan" is the action piece that plays during the battles of Anakin and Obi-Wan, and Yoda and the Emperor. Finally, "The Immolation Scene" is another sad piece, even more so than "Anakin's Betrayal."

Although I really like this CD, there are some things that are missing (as usual). First, the whole sequence where the droids are looking for Obi-Wan after he was shot. You see Obi-Wan in his ship with Senator Organa on the Hologram (or whatever it is), and Obi-Wan says that his clones turned on him. That was some pretty awesome music that OF COURSE was left out of the CD. Then there was Dual of the Fates in the movie, but completely absent from the CD. And probably the most annoying was that whole piece of music before Obi-Wan and Anakin fight. It was so touching and sad and I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY LEFT IT OUT! Absolutely amazing. Also, did anyone notice that some little bits were cut out? For example, in Anakin vs. Obi Wan, they cut out about a second or two of choir. What?! What the heck is with that? It's when Anakin is running on the long thing and jumps on the droid on the lava. Also, there was some pretty cool drumming when you see Yoda and the Emperor fighting, and you can see the whole stadium (the big room). There's also drumming in "Enter Lord Vader" that is muted in the soundtrack.

Oh well...if I'm going to collect movie scores, I'm going to have to get used to the fact that in almost all cases there's not going to be every bit of music. I've experienced this in both Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park I (there was very little left out on this score), and almost everything else. At the moment, I'm just waiting for the 22nd, for the Pirates of the Caribbean 3 soundtrack. It's gonna be amazing.

See Yu

5 out of 5 stars John Williams' finest work.......2007-04-20

There is little more I can say that hasn't already been said about the soundtrack to Episode 3, especially what Amazon contributor Dan Mohr wrote in his review of the soundtrack on 2/2/2006. His review captured almost all the thoughts, feelings, and emotions I had when I first listened to the soundtrack, and was, IMO, the best review of John Williams' greatest masterpiece.

Having said that, I will say that few soundtracks have ever so perfectly captured the underlying emotional currents of their respective movie; in the case of ROTS, the contemporaneous tragedies of Anakin's fall to the Dark Side, the extermination of the Jedi, and the rise of the oppressive Empire. The listener is confronted with the depth and totality of the evil that has beset the entire galaxy to a degree that the film could not reach in only 2 hours.

Bravo, Dan Mohr, and BRAVO John Williams!

5 out of 5 stars A Great Conclusion to the Prequel Trilogy.......2007-04-07

This is a great work of art. I rank it 4th among Star Wars soundtracks after A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and The Phantom Menace. I had a hard deciding which I thought was better, The Phantom Meance or Revenge of the Sith, but I decided that The Phantom Menace lays the foundation for so much that is in this soundtrack and is thus the more masterful work. But that doesn't mean that this score still isn't great. Every piece is a thrill to listen to and pace never lets up. "Battle of the Hereos" is an amazing piece and the rendition of the "Funeral Theme" from Episoded I captures the film's tragety magnificently. Also I do not think John Williams could have portrayed the Jedi's extinction more perfectly than he did in "Anakin's Betrayal". This is without a doubt the best score of 2005 and one of the best of the decade.

2 out of 5 stars Williams is slumming it.......2007-04-01

Williams's score for Revenge of the Sith is almost entirely overbearing, lacking any emotional subtlety. The music is overcomplicated and even a bit confusing, especially in the tracks that correspond to action sequences in the movie. His overuse of choral tracks and vocals is too bombastic and irritating to be listened to without the explosions and laser blasts of the soundtrack to soften them. (Yes, this music is actually softened by the sounds of warfare.) Worst of all, much of the music has simply been lifted from earlier scores. At times his self-imitation was so blatant that I actually wondered whether the editor who had complied this score had made a mistake and I was listening to The Empire Strikes Back or A New Hope. Also suffers from not including the entire score, in some cases cutting out musical segues in obvious and awkward ways.
Greatest Hits: Broadway
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great to Hear All those great Voices from the Past
  • A Good One!
 Greatest Hits: Broadway

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000029PM
Release Date: 1996-10-29

Tracks:

  1. Oklahoma!: Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - John Raitt/Franz Allers
  2. On The Town: New York, New York - Michael Kermoyan/Adolph Green/John Reardon/Cris Alexander & Chorus/Leonard Bernstein
  3. Annie Get Your Gun: I Got The Sun In The Morning - Doris Day/Franz Allers
  4. Fiddler On The Roof: If I Were A Rich Man - Topol/Gareth Davies
  5. West Side Story: Tonight - Larry Kert/Carol Lawrence/Max Goberman
  6. The Sound Of Music: The Sound Of Music - Mary Martin/Frederick Dvonch
  7. My Fair Lady: On The Street Where You Live - Jerry Lanning/Theodore Saidenberg
  8. Annie: Tomorrow - Andrea McArdle/Peter Howard
  9. The Music Man: Seventy-Six Trombones - The Boston Pops Orchestra/John Williams
  10. Anything Goes: You're The Top - Eileen Rodgers/Hal Linden/Julian Stein
  11. Bye Bye Birdie: Put On A Happy Face - Dick Van Dyke/Elliot Lawrence
  12. Mame: Open A New Window - Angela Lansbury & Cast/Don Pippin
  13. Strike Up The Band: Strike Up The Band - The Chestnut Brass Co.
  14. Sweet Charity: Hey, Big Spender - Helen Gallagher/Thelma Oliver/Fan-Dango Girls/Fred Werner
  15. Bells Are Ringing: Just In Time - Judy Holliday/Sydney Chaplin/Milton Rosenstock
  16. Gypst: Together, Wherever We Go - Ethel Merman/Jack Klugman/Sandra Church/Milton Rosenstock
  17. Cabaret: Cabaret - Jill Haworth/Harold Hastings
  18. Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night - The Boston Pops Orchestra/John Williams
  19. Show Boat: Ol' Man River - William Warfield/Franz Allers
  20. A Chorus Line: What I Did For Love - Priscilla Lopez & Cast/Don Pippin
  21. A Little Night Music: Send In The Clowns - Glynis Johns/Harold Hastings

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great to Hear All those great Voices from the Past.......2007-07-05

I just wanted to confirm what the first reviewer had to say about this CD. To hear Ethyl Merman, Mary Martin, Andrea McCardle etc. singing their trademark songs brought a lot of memories from the mid-centry musical theater back again. The last song by Glynis Johns is especially poignant.
You certainly can't beat the price!

5 out of 5 stars A Good One!.......2006-11-10

This is a very good CD, mostly because it's the original artists. I've had some that were re-recorded by no name artists that were ghastly. This one is a really good one--including the sound quality. If I had one wish, I would wish it were longer!
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • One of the Best Star War Scores
  • Good sound track
  • STAR WARS? - NOT without John Williams
  • A good thing to have, but...
  • The reason to see Episode I in the first place
 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  5. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

ASIN: B00000IQMT
Release Date: 1999-05-04

Tracks:

  1. Star Wars Main Title and the Arrival at Naboo
  2. Duel of the Fates
  3. Anakin's Theme
  4. Jar Jar's Introduction and the Swim to Otoh Gunga
  5. The Sith Spacecraft and the Droid Battle
  6. The Trip to the Naboo Temple and the Audience with Boss Nass
  7. The Arrival at Tatooine and the Flag Parade
  8. He is the Chosen One
  9. Anakin Defeats Sebulba
  10. Passage Through the Planet Core
  11. Watto's Deal and Kids at Play
  12. Panaka and the Queen's Protectors
  13. Queen Amidala and the Naboo Palace
  14. The Droid Invasion and The Appearance of Darth Maul
  15. Qui-Gon's Noble End
  16. The High Council Meeting and Qui-Gon's Funeral
  17. Augie's Municipal Band and End Credits

Amazon.com

The Star Wars cycle, George Lucas's stellar pop parable cum merchandising blitzkrieg, has long since made history as an unparalleled cinematic-cultural-marketing phenomena; somewhere Billy Jack should be in one envious, ass-kickin' mood. Phantom Menace, easily the most eagerly anticipated film of the '90s, returns to the saga's roots and allows Lucas to flesh out the history of some of the fable's core characters and conjure up a dazzling new cast of cohorts, antagonists, and alien realms for them to interact with and in. Thus, all composer John Williams had to do was essentially reinvent the world's most popular wheel. The film-scoring legend has admirably risen to that daunting challenge, delivering an inventive score whose dynamics should surprise and delight even the most ardent SW fanatic. The Main Title and a few oh-so-sparing bars of a familiar Jedi theme are all that remains from the original trilogy's lexicon, Williams having evolved the saga's musical language, stylistic reach, and orchestral palette with masterful subtlety. The composer's most ambitious surprise is the welcome addition of strong choral elements, which he uses in ways both majestic ("Duel of the Fates") and menacing ("Passage Through the Planet's Core"). And though the film revolves around a young boy (Anakin Skywalker, who will grow to be both corrupted and redeemed as Darth Vader), the only flirtation with cloying sentimentality comes with the innocently loping "Jar Jar's Introduction." In the tradition of the Cantina and Max Rebo's Band of the previous trilogy, Williams and Lucas close out this musical installment with "Augie's Municipal Band," a Carnivale-esque romp that segues grandly into the composer's swelling title music. Williams may be the master of a grand scoring tradition, but Phantom Menace is gratifying evidence that he seldom plays it safe--even when the Force is with him. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars One of the Best Star War Scores.......2007-04-07

In my opinion this one ranks 3rd after A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. It is truely a masterful work. It contains some of John Williams best compositions of his later life. A must for any music fan.

4 out of 5 stars Good sound track.......2007-03-20

The music is good, but I prefer the music from other Star Wars films.

5 out of 5 stars STAR WARS? - NOT without John Williams.......2007-01-18

Probably the greatest living contemporary American composer, John Williams brings life and emotion to all movie soundtracks. I believe George Lucas animates Williams' scores, instead of the other way around; otherwise, Star Wars would just be another science fiction series.

4 out of 5 stars A good thing to have, but..........2007-01-09

If you are a Star Wars fan, you really do need to have this in your collection. If you're not, well, I'd buy this mainly for Duel of the Fates and Anakin's Theme. There are a few tracks that kind of drag, but you can skip them. Still, compared to the cookie-cutter compositions for the average movie (not Star Wars, mind you) this is of superlative quality. Compared to the other Star Wars music, the overall CD falls somewhat short of Star Wars greatness. But I like it. It's not one of my favorites, but it's not like it's a disappointment. I would recommend it.

4 out of 5 stars The reason to see Episode I in the first place.......2006-12-30

"Duel of the Fates"! There are a few tedious tracks, such as "Passage Through the Planet Core", but these are easily skipped. "Anakin's Theme" was sadly not explored in later movies, as it is a wonderful foreshadowing of what Anakin is to become (see the end of the phrase, which is a callback to "The Imperial March"). "Jar Jar's Theme" is, well, appropriate. It is also the kind of theme that makes me hang my head in shame for playing an oboe. But where this score surpasses expectation is in the fight music. Much different from the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, Williams has found a formula for cohesive battle music. It makes sense, it builds, and it's damn exciting--my favourite is "The Flag Parade". The other highlight from the score apart from "Duel of the Fates", which I really needn't say any more about, is "The Droid Invasion", a theme that is repeated and developed in later movies (it becomes "The Arena", in 'Episode II').
The 3 Tenors in Concert 1994
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Un gran concierto
  • Give em a 3.5
  • The Most Enjoyable Evening IN !!!!!!!!!!!
  • Hmmmm....
  • Last Encore of songs missing off C.D.
 The 3 Tenors in Concert 1994

Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Carreras · Domingo · Pavarotti ~ the three tenors in concert / Mehta
  2. The Best of the Three Tenors
  3. Paris 1998
  4. The Three Tenors Christmas
  5. The 3 Tenors in Concert 1994 / William Cosel

ASIN: B000002IZE
Release Date: 1994-08-30

Tracks:

  1. Le Cid: O Souverain, O Juge, O Pere
  2. Maravilla: Amor, Vida De Mi Vida
  3. Werther: Pourquoi Me Reveiller
  4. Spring Is Here: With a Song In My Heart
  5. Granada
  6. Non Ti Scordar Di Me
  7. 'A Tribute to Hollywood': My Way
  8. Tribute To Hollywood: Moon River
  9. Tribute To Hollywood: Because
  10. 'A Tribute to Hollywood': Singin' In the Rain
  11. Tu, Ca Nun Chiagne
  12. Pagliacci: Vesti la Giubba
  13. Turondat: Nessun Dorma!
  14. 'Around the World': America
  15. 'Around the World': All I Ask Of You
  16. 'Around the World': Funiculi, Funicula
  17. 'Around the World': Sous Les Ponts De Paris
  18. 'Around the World': Brazil
  19. 'Around the World': Be My Love
  20. 'Around the World': Marechiare
  21. 'Around the World': Lippen Schweigen
  22. 'Around the World': Santa Lucia Luntana
  23. 'Around the World': Those Were the Days
  24. 'Around the World': Te Quiero Dijiste
  25. 'Around the World': Torna A Surriento
  26. Encores: La Donna E Mobile
  27. Encores: Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici

Amazon.com

It's not opera; it's not a pop concert; it's not Broadway. It's all of these and none of them. Once you accept the fact that this sequel to the original blockbuster concert recording is less about music and more about entertainment and the power of musical personalities, you can appreciate what you're hearing as an event--phenomenal and bizarre, momentous and frivolous. This is an occasion to celebrate the voices and egos of three huge superstars, and to have fun listening as Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras interact, bouncing lines off each other and playing to the overwhelmingly enthusiastic audience. Much of the fun and flavor of the concert is dependent on seeing the action, though, and without the visuals you notice flaws in the singing much more. Domingo comes off as the more solid performer, and his voice is in far better shape than the other two. But if you crave big, high, and loud--and you don't take your opera too seriously--you'll love this disc. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Un gran concierto.......2005-07-19

Yo tenia el Cd de este concierto, pero sin duda el DVD presenta la realidad, lo sublime de este evento, porque ademas de ver las interpretaciones, trae varios puntos y canciones extras. Carreras creo que esta bien, saca la tarea. Placido Domingo en Amor vida de mi vida, logra llevar el concierto a su punto mas alto en ese momento, punto superado unicamente por Pavarotti en Nessum Dorma. Pavarotti como siempre sublime como dije en Nessum Dorma, Ave maria y en los popurris. La calidad del DVD es genial, con full screen y sonido digital. Otro punto buenisimo es la aparicion de Frank Sinatra en la cancion My way y de otras luminarias del cine y la política. Espero que este comentario sirva de ayuda para aquellos que quieran este DVD.

3 out of 5 stars Give em a 3.5.......2004-01-25

The Three Tenors has/have become a cottage industry, churning out one CD after another for every imaginable event and in every combination. This does not mean that the results are necessarily inferior but it does imply a commercial, layman's approach. And maybe this is better - spreading the joys of fine music to the masses. After all, where besides figure skating and cartoons do most people have a chance to even hear opera?

This event, like the first one in Rome, has a magnificent setting but, like Rome, the show was marketed mainly to the American audience. They still include the dreadful "Maria" with the hilarious pronunciation and even added "With a Song In My Heart" (or, as Carreras is wont to sing, "Weeth a Soeeng een My Haht"). Though some may deride the choice of encores, they were almost perfect. The Three Tenors, despite their prior celebrity, are creations of our culture of entertainment in ways that Caruso could only dream about.

Synopsis: Carreras stands out, Domingo substitutes volume for quality and Pavarotti soars when he doesn't have to.

5 out of 5 stars The Most Enjoyable Evening IN !!!!!!!!!!!.......2003-05-01

I am not a regular Opera fan, hoever these THREE are the Best. their songs they sing together are SUPER!!! And the range of NOTES REACHED ARE REMARKABLE. tHE MIXTURE of songs is a treat for all, even if you are not an OPERA FAN!!!! Great show!!!!!!

3 out of 5 stars Hmmmm...........2002-04-21

Not what I thought it was going to be. I like only about 4 of the 20+ tracks on this CD. I shoudl have just bought the DVD instead and actually watched them perform. Much, much more entertaining.

5 out of 5 stars Last Encore of songs missing off C.D........2002-02-06

The Three Tenors are my absolute favourite singers. The 1994 Concert was undoubtedly their best in my view. I taped this live concert from the television, and have played and played and played it!! I also taped it on a cassette, however, when I bought the C.D. I was really disappointed that they did not include the last set of encore songs, which included O Sole a Mio (don't know if I've spelt that correctly), where Placido and Jose try and outdo Luciano!! It received such a fantastic reception from the crowd, (one of the many standing ovations), and really showed how much the Three Tenors seemed to enjoy performing the concert. How come this was not included? I don't know if it was on the Video because I play my own.

Many thanks for your time,

With kind regards,
Pam Sargeant.
Gold: The Definitive Hits Collection
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Andrew LLoyd Webber - Gold Hits
  • The Gold By Andrew
  • The best of Webber
  • THE BEST OF LLOYD WEBBER MADE FOR THE AMERICAN AUDIENCES
  • Super good CD
 Gold: The Definitive Hits Collection
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. The Very Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection
  2. The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection
  3. Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now & Forever
  4. Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber: Original Soundtracks
  5. Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Premiere Collection Encore

ASIN: B0000657XY
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Tracks:

  1. Superstar - Murray Head w/ the Trinidad Singers (Jesus Christ Superstar)
  2. As If We Never Said Goodbye - Barbra Streisand (Sunset Boulevard)
  3. The Phantom Of The Opera - Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford (The Phantom Of The Opera)
  4. You Must Love Me - Madonna (Evita)
  5. Any Dream Will Do-Donny Osmond (Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
  6. Memory - Betty Buckley (Cats)
  7. Pie Jesus - Charlotte Church (Requiem)
  8. The Music Of The Night - Michael Crawford (The Phantom Of The Opera)
  9. I Don't Know How To Love Him - Yvonne Elliman (Jesus Christ Superstar)
  10. Don't Cry For Me Argentina -Patti Lupone (Evita)
  11. Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball (Aspects Of Love)
  12. All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman (The Phantom Of The Opera)
  13. The Perfect Year - Glenn Close & Alan Campbell (Sunset Boulevard)
  14. The Vaults Of Heaven - Tom Jones & Sounds Of Blackness (Whistle Down The Wind)
  15. No Matter What - Boyzone (Whistle Down The Wind)
  16. Oh What A Circus - Mandy Patinkin (Evita)
  17. Whistle Down The Wind - Sarah Brightman (Whistle Down The Wind)
  18. Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life) - Sarah Brightman & Jose Carrerras (1992 Olympics Theme)

Amazon.com

The critical debate over Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical legacy will no doubt rage for decades. Is he the shrewd populist composer who almost single-handedly revived the moribund stage musical--or a crass, Barnum-esque showman (who almost single-handedly revived the moribund stage musical)? This 18-track anthology chronicles the high points of Sir Andrew's enduring songcraft and the irrefutable impact it's made across a remarkably disparate swath of tastes and genres, from Broadway to Top 40 radio and even the classical repertoire.

If some have accused Lloyd Webber's songs--like "The Music of the Night" (from Phantom of the Opera) and the title tune from Whistle Down the Wind, included here--of having all the melodic and lyrical sophistication of a children's lullaby, that's likely the very element that's made them so appealing to a mass audience. If nothing else, it's a compelling argument for that old notion about it being "the singer, not the song." Indeed, there are few contemporary composers whose music could entice divas from Streisand ("As If We'd Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Blvd.) to Madonna (Evita's "You Must Love Me") and Charlotte Church ("Pie Jesu" from Requiem) to cover it, let alone forge the very careers of artists like Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. And if there's any substance to that other criticism of Lloyd Webber lifting the melodic ideas of composers from Verdi to John Williams (we swear that's the theme to Jurassic Park bubbling up in Tom Jones's camped-up take on Whistle's "The Vaults of Heaven"), at least, like virtually every major composer, he's stolen--er, borrowed--from the best. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Andrew LLoyd Webber - Gold Hits.......2007-07-13

I sent this CD to my parents and they love it! It is nice to preview the songs on-line instead of with greasy headphones in a music store! The shipping is always speedy and makes sending gifts across the country so much easier.

5 out of 5 stars The Gold By Andrew.......2007-04-23

This cd is a must have for any Webber fan. It has many great songs from his most sucsessful musicals. But something I don't like about this cd is that some of the singer how sings some of the songs arn't the onse that sings the originals. Like "The Phantom Of The Opera" and "Love Changes Everything". Witch is so sad. Couse the original songs are so much better.
But besides that this cd is very good. With manye nice and difficult songs (I've sung some of the myself in siningclass).
So if you like Andrew's music this most sertanly is a most have.

4 out of 5 stars The best of Webber.......2005-09-12

Although I like Andrew Llloyd Webber and his music very much, this collection earns only 4 stars and it's not because of the quality of the music but the level of performers. If a best of collection is made it should contain the best version ever done and this time it's not true. I could write the same review for the European edition (labeled import here) because the blend of the two would be a perfect best of.

Some examples: this version contains Memory sung by Betty Buckley while the Elaine Page version is light years better. Then it contains Patti Lupone's version of Don't Cry For Me Argentina. Even though Madonna wasn't the best Evita, she definitely sung Argentina in a way no-one could before or will ever. Whistle Down The Wind is represented with 3 songs - the place of the Tom Jones song is not here (the same could be said of Tina Arena's song o the European edition). Instead of the TJ song they could have included Take That Look Off Your Face by Marti Webb - one of the best songs by Webber. Pie Jesu from the Requiem is much better sung by Sarah Brightman. These are the faults.

What about the rest? Pure joy and material worth of 6 stars. Superstar, Phantom Of The Opera, Music Of The Night, I Don't Know How To Love Him, All I Ask Of You, No Matter What, Oh What A Circus - wonderful songs and wonderful performers. My all-time favorite from Webber will always be Music Of The Night and the version included here is the mesmerizing adaptation of Michael Crawford.

I don't advise anyone not to buy this album - it's good material, however it's far from being perfect.

4 out of 5 stars THE BEST OF LLOYD WEBBER MADE FOR THE AMERICAN AUDIENCES.......2005-01-31

There are numerous compilations out on the market full of Andrew Lloyd Webber's music. As most people know, Lloyd Webber is the most successful musical composer of all time and many of his songs became standards not only in the theatre history, but also as tops on the charts. Even though he's British, his influence on the shape of the modern musical theatre expanded over the West End boundaries long ago and has thus made an enormous impact on Broadway. Two of his shows ("Cats" and "The phantom of the opera") hold the record as two the longest running shows in the history of Broadway. He has also been the only composer to have three of his shows running at Broadway concurrently. This compilation captures some of the best songs he has ever written, he personally supervised it and it is the best thing to have if you can't afford his five-CD compilation called "Now and forever", which was selected and supervised by him as well. You should bear in mind, however, that there are two compilations called Gold out there: The one made for the European and the British market, and this one, made for the American buyers. Some of the songs on both of them are the same, the others are performed by different artists and some can be found only in one of the two. This one here was issued later and it is digitally remastered. Therefore you should check your favourites and buy accordingly, or, if you can, buy them both, since both of them contain interesting songs and performers.

So here are my thoughts about the tracks in this one:

1. "Superstar" and "I don't know how to love him" are both from the concept album of "Jesus Christ Superstar". They sound wonderful as ever, although the orchestrations may seem a bit dated by now.

2. "Sunset Boulevard" is marked here with two songs. Barbra Streisand's powerful voice shines all the way through in "As if we never said goodbye"; it's a shame she never played Norma Desmond on Broadway, since Patti LuPone wasn't allowed to take her Norma to New York, and Glenn Close butchered the role. Her limited vocal abilities were hardly suited for the material, as it is shown by the second Sunset song, "The perfect year", performed by Close and Alan Campbell. They both lack a decent singing voice, so this is the one song I skip regularly. The song itself sounds much better in its single version with pops orchestration, as can be heard on the European version of this compilation, where it is performed by Dina Carroll. This version here can hardly be considered a gold one.

3. "The Phantom of the Opera" is represented by three songs. Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman performance in the song of the same title is amazing. They were both born to play their roles in this show and their voices fit together perfectly. Sarah can hit the high notes in the end like no other Christine. Cliff Richard and Sarah sing the lovely ballad "All I ask of you" with passion, and Cliff has a wonderful warmth in his voice. Finally, Michael Crawford gives his unique and mesmerising interpretation in "The music of the night".

4. The 1996 movie version of "Evita" is Madonna's best role to date and it brought an Academy Award for Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, who wrote "You must love me" especially for the big screen. This is another wonderful ballad with the haunting cello and piano solo. It just proves that Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were the best collaborators. They really should do another musical together.

5. "The Joseph and his amazing Technicolor dreamcoat" was Webber's first musical and the signature song "Any dream will do" is performed here by Donny Osmond, who also appeared in the video version. I find his rendition even better than London's Jason Donovan, since Donny isn't strictly bound by the notes and so sings it more casually. A wonderful pop piece.

6."Memory" from "Cats" is probably the most famous of all Webber's songs, recorded by numerous artists. This version is sung by Betty Buckley, who was Broadway's Grizabella. Although Betty's performance can't be considered bad, I prefer Elaine Paige, who sung the song first, in the London production. Elaine has a note of sorrow in her at times husky voice, which I found very intriguing. Her performance can be considered definite, as heard on "Cats" DVD or in her latest two-disc compilation, "Centre stage: The very best of Elaine Paige", issued in May 2004. Still, those who prefer Ms. Buckley or who saw her on stage in this role won't be disappointed.

7. "Pie Jesu" is the best known song from Webber's "Requiem", written in 1985 to commemorate the death of his father. I'm not too keen on the version included here, performed by Charlotte Church, because her voice isn't as pretty as Sarah Brightman's on the original recording and the tempo is somewhat faster here.

8. "Don't cry for me Argentina" is among my all-time Lloyd Webber's favourites. I like all the ladies who performed "Evita" on the stage and on the screen (Julie Covington, Elaine Paige, Patti LuPone and Madonna), but on this disc is the version I am most satisfied with, since it is sung by Patti LuPone. Ms. LuPone has a very powerful voice with an amazing range and she deserved her Tony Award for this role. She was able to sound both vulnerable and decisive while singing this, whereas the other leading ladies emphasized one or the other in their interpretation. Mandy Patinkin's "Oh what a circus" is not the best, the orchestration is a little bit weak and his voice sounds thin to me. David Essex on the London cast recording is more suitable.

9. "Aspects of love" boast here with its top song, "Love changes everything", performed wonderfully by Michael Ball. It was his #1 hit and is probably one of the most beautiful love anthems ever written.

10. Three songs come from "Whistle down the wind". The studio release of the same title is one of the reasons I bought this compilation, although I already have the European one. It is performed by Sarah Brightman with Lloyd Webber playing the piano and a symphonic orchestra who nicely takes the lead of the main melody. Sarah voice is angelic; she sings it like a little bird. Very charming. Boyzone's "No matter what" was a huge pop hit in the charts. Again, we have a song with the suitable orchestrations and vocals. And lastly, Tom Jones' deep voice in combination with the back vocals of "The Sounds of Blackness" gives a rocking rendition of the church hymn "The vaults of heaven". It can't be found on the European version and Tom's voice shows it hasn't aged. Way to go.

11. For the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Webber wrote, together with his long-time lyricist Don Black, this last song, "Amigos para siempre or Friends for life". It's a nice duet between Sarah Brightman and Jose Carreras, their voices sore when bound together. The melody itself is neat, especially when the orchestra takes the lead.

Besides the fact that some of the performers here were not the best for my taste, there is also the fact that some of Lloyd Webber's shows are omitted in this version, most notably, "Tell me on a Sunday". Also, unlike its European counterpart, this compilation isn't aligned chronologically, so we have 1970 Superstar being the first song, 1993 Sunset Blvd comes the second, followed by The Phantom from 1986 and so on. None the less, this CD is excellent as an introduction to Lloyd Webber's music and one can continue with his cast recordings from there. It's also very handy as a single disc compilation for the American fans.

5 out of 5 stars Super good CD.......2004-12-31

The songs on this CD are great. If you also play piano, the book of the same title goes perfectly with the CD. You can following along with the music and learn the songs on the piano.
The Premiere Collection: The Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Original Cast Compilation)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Musical Pleasure
  • The Premiere Collection
  • beautiful
  • Fair Album with 1 starlight and 0 aspects
  • Superb collection
 The Premiere Collection: The Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Original Cast Compilation)

Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Gold: The Definitive Hits Collection
  2. The Very Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection
  3. Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Premiere Collection Encore
  4. Michael Crawford Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber
  5. The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection

ASIN: B000002O5W
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Phantom Of The Opera
  2. Take That Look Off Your Face
  3. All I Ask Of You
  4. Don't Cry For Me Argentina
  5. Magical Mr. Mistoffeles
  6. Variations 1-4
  7. Superstar
  8. Memory
  9. Starlight Express
  10. Tell Me On A Sunday
  11. The Music Of The Night
  12. Another Suitcase In Another Hall
  13. I Don't Know How To Love Him
  14. Pie Jesu

Amazon.com essential recording

There are many, many Andrew Lloyd Webber albums out there, including cut-and-paste compilations and songbooks from individual artists, most notably Sarah Brightman, Michael Crawford, and even Jose Carreras. The Premiere Collection is probably as authentic as you can get in a hits album, however. In addition to the most popular selections from the original casts of Evita, Cats, and Jesus Christ Superstar, the 57-minute album includes two selections from Tell Me on a Sunday (also recorded by Bernadette Peters as Song and Dance), the title tune from Starlight Express, the "Pie Jesu" from the Requiem, and a snippet from the Paganini Variations, thereby allowing you to hear the good stuff without having to spring for the complete albums. Note that the three selections from Phantom of the Opera are the 1986 pop singles instead of the cast recordings, meaning Steve Harley rather than Crawford sings with Brightman on the title tune and Cliff Richard subs for Steve Barton on "All I Ask of You." (Crawford does sing "The Music of the Night," of course.) This 1989 compilation was too early for Aspects of Love or Sunset Boulevard, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is ignored, but these omissions are rectified in the follow-up album The Premiere Collection Encore, and the American-slanted version, The Very Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Musical Pleasure.......2007-07-03

I enjoy all of this music, listening frequently. Some not original cast members, so less than 5 star. Product exactly as advertised.

5 out of 5 stars The Premiere Collection.......2007-01-17

My sister had this and it got destroyed. She wanted an other, This was the only place I have found it!! Very hard to find! I have been to every music store in my area. She loved it!! And was so happy to have it again. Anyone who loves Andrew Lloyd Webber will love this. As it has many songs from some of his most famous plays with the original cast. Great item.

5 out of 5 stars beautiful.......2006-12-21

This CD is a great compilation of some of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hits. If you are just looking for a "quick fix" for your Broadway craving, this is a great value.

5 out of 5 stars Fair Album with 1 starlight and 0 aspects.......2004-07-09

I think this album is F-A-I-R because it has one starlight express song and zero aspects of love songs. This is why i liked the album The reason i said that this is a fair album is that I like Starlight Express better. Song i like are "The Phantom of the Opera", "Take That Look off Your Face", All I Ask of You", "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", "Mr. Mistofflees," "Superstar," "Memory", "Starlight Express", "Tell Me On A Sunday", "Music of the Night", "Another Suitcase in Another Hall", and "I Don't Know How To Love Him". I dislike the following songs:" Track 6" and the last one because the last one was hard to understand and track 6 is instrumental.

5 out of 5 stars Superb collection.......2003-08-11

... It is a collection of the best of ALW's creative efforts, and a collection of great performances. Anyone who loves "Broadway" should have this disk in their collection.
Renee and Bryn: Under the Stars
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Delightful
  • A Master Class in Singing
  • Bryn is swell, but the bombast is annoying
  • Surprisingly Fine Crossover from Fleming and Terfel
  • BREATHTAKING VOCAL MAGNIFICENCE~BRAVO!!!
 Renee and Bryn: Under the Stars
John Harold Kander , Andrew Lloyd Webber , Claude-Michel Schoenberg , Richard Rodgers , Gerard Presgurvic , Jason Robert Brown , Meredith Willson , Lucy Simon , Cole Porter , Stephen Flaherty , Ralph Salmins , and David Hartley
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Bryn Terfel - Something Wonderful (Bryn Terfel sings Rodgers & Hammerstein)
  2. Bryn Terfel - Simple Gifts
  3. Bryn Terfel - If Ever I Would Leave You (Songs from My Fair Lady, On a Clear Day, Camelot, The Little Prince, Brigadoon)
  4. Bryn Terfel Sings Favorites
  5. Bryn Terfel - Opera Arias / MET, Levine

ASIN: B000088E7D
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Tracks:

  1. "Not While I'm Around" (from Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim)
  2. "Moonfall" (from The Mystery of Edwin Drood by R. Holmes)
  3. "I Don't Remember You The Happy Tim" and "Sometimes a Day Goes By" (from Woman of the Year by Kander & Ebb)
  4. "All the Love I Have" (from The Beautiful Game by Ben Elton & Andrew Lloyd Webber)
  5. "I Wish I Could Forget You / Loving You" (from Passion by Stephen Sondheim)
  6. "Stars" (from Les Misirables by Boublil & Schvnberg)
  7. "All I Ask of You" (from The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber)
  8. "Hello, Young Lovers" (from The King and I by Rodgers & Hammerstein)
  9. "Pretty Women" (from Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim)
  10. "Aimer" (from Romio et Juliette by Presgurvic)
  11. "All the Wasted Time" (from Parade by J. Brown)
  12. "Seventy-Six Trombones" (from The Music Man by Willson)
  13. "How Could I Ever Know" (from The Secret Garden by Simon and Norman)
  14. "So In Love" (from Kiss Me Kate by Cole Porter)
  15. "Wheels Of a Dream" (from Ragtime by Ahrens & Flaherty)

Amazon.com

In these days of the crossover, it is hardly surprising to find two great opera singers making a foray into numbers from Broadway musicals by such composers as Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. What's remarkable is that they seem completely at home in this music. Both say they grew up listening to it, and indeed they approach these songs with no less care and seriousness than they'd give the most demanding operatic arias, and without a trace of condescension. However, their vocal, expressive, and interpretive styles are very different, both in the solos and the duets. Terfel projects assertive manliness, tender, intimate affection, and rollicking humor without external effects, using only his incomparably sonorous voice and powerful personality. His diction is impeccably clear, and though he has sometimes let his theatrical flair spill over into Schubert songs, he is the soul of simplicity here. This is in stark contrast to Fleming's tendency to exaggerate colors and dynamics and to turn sentiment into sentimentality. Moreover, though she claims a background as a jazz singer, her "crooning" sounds artificial and unnatural. However, her top notes, culminating in a triumphant high C at the end of the final number, ring gloriously. Her voice glows and shimmers with irresistible luster, soaring from seductive whispers to thrilling climaxes. The program features a great variety of love songs, and includes an antiwar protest (from Beautiful Game), a celebration of the American dream (from Ragtime), and a rousing fun piece (from The Music Man). Unfortunately, even the best songs are marred by thoroughly corny arrangements. Listeners will find their own favorites, but the real "stars" on this record are the two singers. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Delightful .......2006-07-24

I truly enjoy Terfel's vocal talent and found it to be well suited for this genre. Fleming's impeccable soprano voice is a bit overpowering for this style of music. (I own this CD)

5 out of 5 stars A Master Class in Singing.......2006-06-20

This CD is a must-have for any person interested in the singing art. Ms. Fleming and Mr. Terfel gives new light to these Musical Theatre classics. Their fine vocalism in the musical theatre genre coupled with the depth of musicality and dramatic phrasing in each of the selections is truly a breath of fresh air. This recording is indeed a Master Class!

4 out of 5 stars Bryn is swell, but the bombast is annoying.......2006-05-03

Love Bryn Terfel, the finest bass-baritone in Opera. Love Renee Fleming's luscious soprano. But the arrangements! Kettle drums and bombast and bang, bang, bang! Once Renee starts swooping, things go downhill, with little redemption.

It starts out beautifully. "Not While I'm Around" has never sounded more intimate to me than Terfel's caressing pianissimo. Fleming's "Moonglow" is stunningly good. Terfel makes a medley out of "I Don't Remember You and Sometimes a Day Goes By" that makes you want to cheer, and Fleming does a lovely Sondheim medley as well. Bryn sings "Stars" and makes me long for him in Les Mis. And then...things tend to go downhill. The bombast takes over and gets to you - it overwhelms two of the biggest voices now recording. Then Fleming begins to swoop and scoop, over-coloring and often coming off as simply self-indulgent, reminding one of a kid who makes a point of putting his face in a camera shot.

I don't mind Bryn as Prof. Harold Hill - I frankly think the Welsh accent is kinda cute - and it doesn't bother me on "Wheels of Dream," either, but Fleming seems to have lost her mind on that great song, and rather than indulging her, it would have simply been better left off the album. Ditto "All that Wasted Time" which is pretty much unlistenable. Ms. Fleming needs to stop thinking she is a jazz singer.

The four stars are because this album does contain some truly GLORIOUS moments, particularly in the duets, and in Terfel's solo's which are warm and memorable. Without him, the kettle drums and Fleming's self-indulgence would have made the whole endeavor unbearable.

5 out of 5 stars Surprisingly Fine Crossover from Fleming and Terfel.......2006-04-18

Bryn Terfel and Renee Fleming are two of the most acclaimed opera singers of our day. But the musical theatre fan who puts on their Broadway CD, RENEE AND BRYN: UNDER THE STARS, expecting to hear a carelessly compiled hodgepodge of songs sung by voices ill-suited to them is in for a big surprise, beginning with the first phrases of the duo's warmly sung "Not While I'm Around" from SWEENEY TODD. True, these singers' beautiful voices have greater power and range than even the best of the Broadway stars', but this is an asset in these songs, most of which are either semi-operatic in nature or call (like THE MUSIC MAN's "Seventy-Six Trombones") for such an outsize personality as Terfel's. Fleming's sensuous and tonally gorgeous rendition of "Moonfall" from THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD can be placed among her very finest recordings, operatic and otherwise. And Terfel is ideally suited to both "Pretty Women" from SWEENEY TODD and "Stars" from LES MISERABLES; few if any Broadway Javerts could match the impact of his "This I swear by the stars!" Kander and Ebb's "I Don't Remember You" and "Sometimes a Day Goes By" make a perfect medley here, as do Sondheim's "I Wish I Could Forget You" and "Loving You" from PASSION. And though I don't care for the Andrew Lloyd Webber selections (ersatz Puccini) or the Jason Robert Brown one (which sounds too much like a pop song), Terfel and Fleming's singing of them is beyond reproach. The program ends with a bang: a rendition of "Wheels of a Dream" worthy to stand beside the now-classic one by Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald on the original cast album of RAGTIME. Welshman Terfel's natural accent is noticeable here; but if one imagines him as, say, an Irish immigrant married to an African-American woman (as Fleming here sounds uncannily like McDonald or like Leontyne Price) his accent is appropriate and his voicing of the "bridge" section ("Oh Sarah, it's more than promises/Sarah, it must be true...") especially moving. Fleming's ecstatic final high note makes one want to applaud and cheer, both for the song and for the successful "crossover" effort.








5 out of 5 stars BREATHTAKING VOCAL MAGNIFICENCE~BRAVO!!!.......2004-10-11

So captivating are these incredible singers in the glorious live concert "Under The Stars" creating an unforgettable musical masterpiece of epic proportions that is so moving and great to watch that I ran out and purchased this studio recorded Compact Disc the next day!! The brilliance of the live broadcast carried over into the recording studio capturing Renee and Bryn at the peak of their incredible powers emotionally and vocally making them the most effective crossover artists since the great Barbara Cook who like Miss Cook sing with emotion that is accurate for this type of material which is usually not the case with classical voices. Renee Fleming sings with genuine passion and stirring emotions and her timing is absolutely flawless and this lady has alot of soul and the Torrie Zito arranged "Moonfall" is a stunning masterpiece that clearly illustrates this. A dazzling medley each show both singers in glorious peak form with Bryn splendid in the enchanting "I Don't Remember You/Sometimes A Day Goes By" and Renee spellbinding and haunting in the gorgeous "I Wish I Could Forget You/Loving You" which will make anyone who loves a great voice fall in love with this amazingly gifted singer. "Stars" features a commanding performance from Bryn that raises the roof and this is so refreshing and inspired in these musically tired times!!! This superb showcase is full of wonderfully exciting performances which are capable of making people feel again and this is what is sorely needed in music today and BRAVO to Bryn Terfel and the gorgeous Renee Fleming for achieving this with complete artistic brilliance. Captivating duets fill this wonderous collection and never have classics such as "Not While I'm Around" or "All I Ask Of You" been sung more brilliantly than here. Renee is magical with "Hello, Young Lovers" while Bryn is commanding and winning with "Pretty Women". Renee's stunning "All The Wasted Time" is a vocal and emotional tour-de-force that is like a wild roller-coaster ride that you won't want to end as this is one of the most riveting songs that I have ever heard from a Broadway score and this certainly must be the definitive performance of this great song. This lady can really really sing and this is some deeply serious singing~WOW!!! Gorgeous together again in the beautiful "How Could I Ever Know" which is hair-raising and wonderfully soulful and sophisicated together in Cole Porter's "So In Love". A grand finale by these two awesome vocal wonders lives up to expectations being a complete blowout vocal festival and they definitely do not disappoint here!!! "Wheels Of A Dream" is mesmerizing and soars to magnificent heights with Bryn and Renee in peak form singing to the skies and hitting notes that I swear I have never heard before~BRAVO!!!!!!! You are both magically inspired and simply put as good as it gets!!!! Highly recommended if you love two awesome vocal wonders at their absolute peak in a magnificent beautifully orchestrated setting!!! Thank you Bryn & Renee...
Pavarotti & Friends 2
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Artifice not art
  • Live Audience, Variety=Enjoyable Listening Experience
  • Fun
  • Excellent live album
  • torture
 Pavarotti & Friends 2

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Pavarotti & Friends
  2. Pavarotti & Friends: For Cambodia and Tibet
  3. Pavarotti & Friends For Guatemala And Kosovo
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  5. Together for the Children of Bosnia

ASIN: B000004272
Release Date: 1995-06-06

Tracks:

  1. Chitarrra romana
  2. Moon River
  3. All I Ask Of You
  4. Mattinata
  5. Santa Lucia luntana
  6. Night Fire Dance
  7. Verranno a te
  8. Please Forgive Me
  9. Who Wants To Live Forever
  10. Notte 'e piscatore
  11. O Silver Moon
  12. 'O Sole mio
  13. Ave maria, dolce Maria
  14. All For Love
  15. Brindisi

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Artifice not art.......2005-04-20

This album is a big tub of artifice not art. Brian Adams is awful and simply has no voice and probably has nodes on his vocal cords. Pavarotti obviously stands out because he chose the other singers and despite the enormity of his talent (benefit charity or not) offers up shlock. Gustafson has a nice voice, but shouldn't sing Moon River until she learns the words - her voice serves the classical genre better. As for Boceli; I would rather eat worms than listen to another of his tremulous renditions. Sorry, this is pure junk for the ears, regardless of its attempts to raise funds. It does not raise artistic standards!

5 out of 5 stars Live Audience, Variety=Enjoyable Listening Experience.......2002-09-12

O.k., I admit it, I bought this CD because I'm a die hard Andrea Bocelli fan, but I discovered I really love the variety of singers and the spontaneity and excitement of the live performance at the Parco Novi Sad in Modena. Particular favorites--Bryan Adam's "Please Forgive Me," Pavarotti and Giorgia's "Santa Lucia Luntana," and the ensemble singing of "Brindisi." The combination of voices and styles, the live
audience, and the knowledge that the event was performed for charity, all add up to a very enjoyable listening experience.

5 out of 5 stars Fun.......2002-02-07

This is a fun CD with many great singers and a good one. Of Course Pavarotti is one of the greatest voices ever; and along with Bocelli, Nancy Gustafson and Giorgia this CD is filled with great singing and Brian Adams is a good singer. Its just fun to hear Adams singing O Sola Mio with Pavarotti; and its Fun to Hear Pavarotti sing Moon River All for Love, etc.,. Highlights are Santa Lucia Luntana with Pav and Gustafson, Who Wants To Live Forever with Giorgia, Notte 'e Piscatore with Pav and Bocelli, and the two encores with everyone singing (All For Love and Brindisi). The Production of the CD is excelent as well.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent live album.......2001-11-08

This is the 2nd in the 'Pavarotti and Friends' series of benefit concerts. Although there are not the large amount of "superstars" on this cd as later 'Friends' albums were to have, this is an excellent live recording, and I could and have listened to it many times. I don't understand the previous reviewers, but to each his own! This album also introduced me to the beautiful voice of Nancy Gustafson, and I definately want to check out her other work now. And who can resist the wonderful pairing of Pavarotti and Bryan Adams on "O Sole Mio". Worth the price in itself. One thing though .. I know this album and concert was done for charity, but nowhere in the booklet or cd cover does it say which charity is benefitting. The booklet includes lots of photos from the night. Recommended.

1 out of 5 stars torture.......2001-09-25

i would rather ingest shards of glass than listen to this schlock again. whoever thought up the idea of having the phenomenal pavarotti sing with such morons as bryan adams should be forced to stand in the corner and then go to bed without supper. i don't care if this was for a good cause. big deal. give to the red cross or something. but don't make me listen to this horrific CD ever again. it's painful.
Phantasia
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Not very interesting.
  • Beautiful, Haunting, and Inspiring
  • 5 stars for the use of sarah chang as violinist
  • Beautiful and haunting, but sometimes unrecognizable
  • Andrew Lloyd Weber has never sounded better
 Phantasia

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. The Woman in White (2004 Original London Cast)
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  3. Julian Lloyd Webber plays Andrew Lloyd Webber
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  5. The Trap-Door Maker: A Prequel to the Phantom of the Opera, Book 2

ASIN: B0009K2Z2M
Release Date: 2005-07-19

Tracks:

  1. Phantasia - Julian Lloyd Webber
  2. The Woman In White Suite - Simon Lee

Amazon.com

The arrangers of these Andrew Lloyd Webber works aspire to carry on the operatic tradition of Mozart, Verdi, and Wagner by transforming his vocal compositions into independent instrumental pieces. But the music's origin in theater and film is unmistakable, and the transitions between the tunes and sections are pretty bumpy. Phantasia combines material from both the stage and movie versions of The Phantom of the Opera in a double concerto which showcases a virtuoso violinist and cellist with brilliant cadenzas, runs, and soaring stratospheric flights. It also casts them as the play's protagonists in ardently passionate love duets. Although the cello part was written for the composer's brother, who plays it very well, Sarah Chang easily steals the show, especially in this technically and tonally stunning, all-out performance. The two soloists play with and off each other, projecting an infectious sense of sheer exuberant enjoyment. The Woman in White Suite conveys the spooky as well as the pastoral and passionate elements of Collins's gothic mystery story and features dances in various styles: straight and parodistic waltzes and tangos and jazzy rhythms. The composer's orchestrations are lush, veering between whispers and crashes, so keep a finger on the volume control. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars Not very interesting........2007-04-02

This music is pleasant enough for background listening, but I did not perceive much substance.

5 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Haunting, and Inspiring.......2006-11-11

If you think this CD is identical to the movie soundtrack or the show's cast recording, except without lyrics, think again! It is a unique arrangement, organized in a way to be harmonious for what it is -- a violin and cello adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera".

The first time you listen, you might be confused at the order in which the songs are presented, but you'll get used to it quickly. There are no separate tracks, it's a single long piece. (The second track on the CD is a similar arrangement of music for ALW's "The Woman in White".)

This music is haunting at times, inspiring at times, and always, always beautiful! The violin and cellos weave around each other, telling the story of Christine and her Angel of Music -- a story of love, betrayal, and courage. It's perfect to listen to while you drive, or cook, or sew, or draw, or relax in bed. Even while you're reading Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera"!

Whether you're a lover of violin and cello music, or a PotO fan, you'll enjoy this CD.

5 out of 5 stars 5 stars for the use of sarah chang as violinist.......2006-07-18

the use of sarah chang as the violin soloist was perfect. her innocent, sweet, feminine tone epitomizes christine daae's character. however, in fiery/virtuosic passages, she goes all out. her intensity is unrestrained and unwavering throughout the entire piece.

3 out of 5 stars Beautiful and haunting, but sometimes unrecognizable.......2006-06-08

I love this album and hate it. The violins and cellos sound very beautiful, but sometimes I don't even recognize the music. They'll play parts of songs, and that will sound really nice, but then when they transition in between songs, it'll just be random screeching and random music being played where it shouldn't be. It gets me really lost. I was keeping up with all the songs from the begining but then I'll get lost for about three minutes until the tune is familiar again. All in all, not so bad but not so good either.

5 out of 5 stars Andrew Lloyd Weber has never sounded better.......2006-05-18

Andrew Lloyd Weber's musicals have never sounded better than here with a full orchestra and his brother Julian on Cello joining Sarah Chang on Violin for a suite arranged from the music of Phantom. With the two soloists playing the parts of Christine and the Phantom, the beauty of Lloyd's writing (and Geoffrey Alexander's arrangement) is brought forth more clearly than the staged theater productions. While Julian's playing is merely adequate, Chang shines brilliantly as she so often does.

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