Romantic Music & Miniatures

On this CD:

1. Sonata for violin & piano No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 45
Composed by Edvard Grieg
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

2. Myths, 3 poems for violin & piano, Op. 30, M29
Composed by Karol Szymanowski
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

3. Paganini Caprices (3), for violin & piano, Op. 40, M42
Composed by Karol Szymanowski
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

4. Paganini Caprices (3), for violin & piano, Op. 40, M42
Composed by Karol Szymanowski
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

5. Paganini Caprices (3), for violin & piano, Op. 40, M42
Composed by Karol Szymanowski
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

6. Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré, for violin & piano
Composed by Maurice Ravel
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

7. Caprice Viennois for violin & piano/orchestra, Op.2
Composed by Fritz Kreisler
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

8. Syncopation for violin & piano
Composed by Fritz Kreisler
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

9. Recitativo e arioso, for violin & piano
Composed by Witold Lutoslawski
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

10. Bucolics, 5 pieces for viola & cello (originally for piano solo)
Composed by Witold Lutoslawski
Performed by Natalia Gutman, Oleg Kagan

11. The Age of Gold, suite from the ballet, Op. 22a Polka
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

12. Jocul cu bâta, Romanian Folk Dances for piano No. 1 (Stick Dance), Sz. 56/1, BB 68 1
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

13. Brâul, Romanian Folk Dances for piano No. 2 (Sash Dance), Sz. 56/2, BB 68 2
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

14. Pe Loc (In One Spot), Romanian Folk Dances for piano No. 3, Sz. 56/3, BB 68/3
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

15. Buciumeana, Romainian Folk Dances for piano No. 4 (Dance of Buchum), Sz. 56/4, BB 68/4
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

16. Poarga Româneasca, Romanian Folk Dances for piano No. 5 (Romanian Polka), Sz. 56/5, BB 68/5
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

17. Romanian Folk Dances (6), for piano (Román népi táncok), Sz. 56, BB 68
Composed by Bela Bartok
Performed by Oleg Kagan, Vladimir Skanavi

Tracks:

Don't Know Why
Seven Years
Cold Cold Heart
Feelin' The Same Way
Come Away With Me
Shoot The Moon
Turn Me On
Lonestar
I've Got To See You Again
Painter Song
One Flight Down
Nightingale
The Long Day Is Over
The Nearness Of You

Amazon.com

It is not just the timbre of Norah Jones's voice that is mature beyond her 22 years. Her assured phrasing and precise time are more often found in older singers as well. She is instantly recognizable, blending shades of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone without sounding like anyone but herself. Any way you slice it, she is a singer to be reckoned with. Her readings of the Hank Williams classic "Cold Cold Heart" and Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You" alone are worth the price of the CD. Jones's own material, while not bad, pales a bit next to such masterpieces. They might have fared better had she and producer Arif Mardin opted for some livelier arrangements, taking better advantage of brilliant sidemen such as Bill Frisell, Kevin Breit, and Brian Blade; or if the tunes had simply been given less laconic performances. Jones has all the tools; what will come with experience and some careful listening to artists like J.J. Cale and Shirley Horn is the knack of remaining low-key without sounding sleepy--sometimes less is not, in fact, more. --Michael Ross

Amazon.com

Norah Jones Photos (by Danny Clinch)

More from Norah Jones

Not Too Late
Feels Like Home
The Little Willies

Customer Reviews:

one of the best CDs I own.......2007-07-25

Other reviewers have gone into a lot of depth about this CD already, so I'll keep my endorsement short and to the point. The CD is fantastic and is one of the best that I own. You will never get tired of listening to this one.

Simply addictive!.......2007-07-12

This is her best album!
Her voice is unbelievable, the delivery is amazing and the lyrics are stunning!

Haunting sounds.......2007-07-06

For 3 months, my Norah Jones CDs have taken over my car stereo. This woman is very talented!

The phenom Ms Jones.......2007-06-27

This is such an outstanding production, so much better than the later(I think) CD. Miss Jones should be careful which guitar players back her up. She should stick to Bill Frizell or maybe she should try Mark Knoffler, if she can get him away from Emmy Lou.

Glad i bought it ( Part II )...!.......2007-06-20

I knew that Nora Jones was good music but i had no idea just how good...My sister-in-law bought me this CD for Father's Day...i have listened to it 3 times today. The way i would describe her lyrics and delivery is equal to "Musical Rose Petals". So smooth and so inviting is her voice. I really love the Piano work also. Her birth name being "Geethali",Nora Jones along with the likes of Michael Buble have added a nice,new,fresh selection of music to today's currently enemic sound. This album made her only the second artist ever to sweep the "Big Four" being Album,Song,Record,& Artist of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 2003. Standouts for me include: "Come Away With Me","Don't Know Why", and i really like her rendition of Hank Williams SR.'s "Cold,Cold Heart". With her throw back to Billie Holiday/Roberta Flack days voice coupled with a very welcomed piano based style, Nora Jones can take me away anytime! If you've waited to give her a listen ,as did I, do yourself a favor and don't wait any longer.

Average customer rating:

Lame
Sounds like a cheap plastic toy
would make you sleepy..
Kid's Music
Not soothing

Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics

Manufacturer: Buena Vista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Baby Mozart
Baby Beethoven
Baby Neptune
Baby Einstein: Playtime Music Box
Baby Einstein: Traveling Melodies

ASIN: B0001IXTU4
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Tracks:

Variations (Twinkle, Twinkle), K265/300e
Minuet In G From Anna Magdalena
Piano Sonata In C, K 545, 2nd Movement
Spring Song
Piano Sonata In D, K 576, 3rd Movement
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring, BWV 147
Canon
The Moldau
Preludes Book II, Clair De Lune
Sonata No.14 (Moonlight), 2nd Movement, Op.27
Symphony No.9, New World
Fur Elise, WoO 59
The Four Seasons, Winter, RV267, 2nd Movement
Orchestral Suite No.3 In D, Air, BWV 1068
Sonata No.8 (Pathetique), 2nd Movement, Op.13
Kinderscene, Op.15
Waltz No.15, Lullaby

Product Description

The Lullaby Classics A Concert for Little Ears music CD is a 17-track, 35-minute concert featuring a collection of soothing classical melodies perfect to calm little ones as they wind down for nap time, bedtime or a bit of quiet time. Each piece, re-orchestrated for little ears by the Baby Einstein Music Box Orchestra, was specially selected to lull babies into sweet, blissful dreams. Lullaby Classics opens with ?Ç£Twinkle, Twinkle?Ç¥ variations by Mozart and includes calming and delightful melodies from composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Dvorak and Debussy. It ends with Brahms' ?Ç£Lullaby?Ç¥ tucking baby in for a cozy, restful sleep.Musical Selections:1. Variations (Twinkle, Twinkle), K265/300e, Mozart2. Minuet In G From Anna Magdalena, Bach3. Piano Sonata In C, K 545, 2nd Movement, Mozart4. Spring Song, Mendelssohn5. Piano Sonata In D, K 576, 3rd Movement, Mozart6. Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring, BWV 147, Bach7. Canon, Pachelbel8. The Moldau, Smetana9. Preludes Book II, Clair De Lune, Debussy10. Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight), 2nd Movement, Op. 27, Beethoven11. Symphony No. 9, New World , Dvorak12. Fur Elise, WoO 59, Beethoven13. The Four Seasons, Winter, RV297, 2nd Movement, Vivaldi14. Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D, Air, BWV 1068, Bach15. Sonata No. 8 (Pathetique), 2nd Movement, Op. 13, Beethoven16. Kinderscene Op.15, Schumann17. Waltz No 15, Lullaby, Brahms Age: birth +Awards:* Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award (2005)* National Parenting Center Seal of Approval (2004)* National Parenting Publications Awards (2004)

Customer Reviews:

Lame.......2007-07-22

I was really disappointed in this CD. I was expecting a toned-down version of real classical music, but it sounds really fake and tinkley and weird. Not soothing at all.

Sounds like a cheap plastic toy.......2007-06-20

I have these DVD's and I can tell you that they will not be a huge part of my baby's development. I received them as a gift from someone that thinks that all you need to do is plunk your child in front of a TV all day without giving the baby any attention. You can see why these DVD's are popular at Day Care Centers or what I like to call, "Concentration camps for baby's with lazy parents", because they know that they can sit their kid/baby in front of the TV and let them turn into a thoughtless zombie while they listen to Baby Einstein totally ruin classics by Bach and DeBussy by playing the music with very cheap midi keyboards. I can get better quality music by whistling Dixie with a mouth-full of saltine crackers.

Also, it has been proven that classical music has nothing to do with the cognitive development of young people. Now, teach them how to play piano or violin and you have yourself an actual YOUNG EINSTEIN, but listening to this kind of music does nothing for the development of the brain. It is just for lazy parents that can't sit down with their kids and play with them or read them a book.

would make you sleepy.........2007-06-15

its a good product with very fine music and my toddler realizes that it is sleep time, if I play it. he goes to bed and sleeps after a couple songs. I have trouble in some songs are some months.. dont know why.

Kid's Music.......2007-06-08

I bought this CD for my grandniece, but after listening to it, I determined that no one would ever play this for her except me. I would have kept it for myself but I have the grown-up versions of each of the classical masterpieces on this CD. So, I ended up returning it for a full refund. If you want your kids to be exposed to classicl music, it's a great buy. But if you don't think they will get to listen to it, don't waste your time.

Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics

Not soothing.......2007-06-07

These synthesizer versions of classical songs get really old, really fast. Worse yet, the songs are sometimes not soothing at all, especially the very first song. The song seems to get particularly loud and uptempo, which is precisely what you don't expect in a lullaby. Please listen to the sample of the first song at least before you buy.

Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...

Average customer rating:

The End of the Big Voice?
Fla Gator Lady
20 Great Tenor Arias
Plesantly surprised...
Absolutely Agree About Corelli

Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Paul Potts [United Kingdom]: One Chance
The Most Famous Opera Duets
The Most Famous Opera Arias
The #1 Opera Album
The Best of Italian Opera

ASIN: B000007OTX
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

La Boheme: Che gelida manina
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
Carmen Bizet: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Flower Song)
Luisa Miller: O! fede negar potessi .. Quando le sere al placido
La Traviata: Lunge da lei ... De' miei bollenti spiriti
Martha: M'appari
Giordano: Amor ti vieta
L'Africaine: Mi batte il cuor .. O paradiso
La Favorita: Favorita del re . . . Spirto gentil
Werther: 'Pourquoi me reveiller'
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: 'Morgenlich leuchtend in rosigem Schein'
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: O Dieu! De quelle ivresse
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
Pagliacci: Recitar! ... Vesti la giubba
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira
Aida: Se quel guerrier .. Celeste Aida
TOSCA: Recondita armonia
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar!
Turandot: Nessun dorma

Customer Reviews:

The End of the Big Voice?.......2007-04-16

This CD, which is truly fine overall, reminds me of Marilyn Horne's lament that we have probably seen the end of the big voice and it makes me sad. I agree with the reviewer who refers to "microphonies". And more justice could be done to Bjorling's voice with a better transfer. But at some point, music becomes a matter of taste and I prefers singers who have the instrument and the support and the training, whether formal or not, to just let fly and take a chance on making a mistake. Domingo can be wonderful and so can his musicianship but he tends to be so stiff. I have to wonder at the virulence and asperity with which some people go after Pavarotti. It's true that late in his career he made some questionable recordings but the answer to that is simple: don't buy them. At his best, he belongs for all time in the top echelon of tenors. I love this CD and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys great (big) voices.

Fla Gator Lady.......2007-01-12

Highly recommend this CD with these beloved arias of the greatest tenors in opera. I have owned this CD for a couple of years and purchased another for a friend who always requests that I play it ... perfect for listening in the car, dinner, bridge games, relaxation ... just so perfect. You won't be disappointed in this one.

20 Great Tenor Arias.......2007-01-09

A great disc,combination of the greatest tenors of the 20th century and some of the most beautiful music ever written in any century,a must addition to any opera lovers collection.

Plesantly surprised..........2006-01-14

I don't remember how I found this CD the other day surfing through the "Amazon" such as it is, but I did. I listened to a few clips provided & on the strength of that, I purchased this CD.

First it is a great buy. A booklet with pictures of each tenor, a small bio, the year recorded and TRANSLATIONS of each aria are provided. This is really nice. It seems more & more that translations are being left out. Being a former opera singer, I may know most of the words, but sometimes it's just nice to read along (sometimes it's just nice to listen too).

Being on the Decca label, there is admittedly quite a few Pavarotti selections. Out of 20 selections, he has 6 of them. But I love Pavarotti, so this is no problem for me. These are all early recordings & his voice is magnificent! Being a singer, I still marvel at his ability to sing "All'armi!" on a high D and still say the 2nd syllable "mi" on such a note! WOW. There is also of course his very sweet, impassioned and lyrical turn as Rodolfo in "La Boheme" as well as the lesser known (although I still have it on casette) "La Favorita" which has a particularly high tessitura.

Also featured are a young Plácido Domingo singing a VERY nice "Flower song/ La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" from Carmen. He usually sounds too pushed for me on the top notes (as one might expect from a Pavarotti fan, I like free top notes) but in this recording he is pretty darn fabulous. He also sings an aria from "Tales of Hoffman/Les Contes d'Hoffman" and I have always felt that he, like Neil Schicoff, were well suited to this role.

Lamentably there are only one selection each from Carreras, Correlli, Monaco, Aragall & Kollo. Especial kudos to the young recording they feature for Aragall. He had a very free and nice high tenor well suited to Verdi. Of course as his career went forward with the natural darkening of his voice and the "heavier" roles, he did start to develop a wobble. But this recording is before that. His top, his phrasing are all beautifully done in his featured aria from "La Traviata."
Mario del Monaco's "E lucevan le stelle" is hauntingly beautiful and has such a wonderful pianissimo in it that it makes you just want to gasp for beauty's sake. I now know every tenor I've heard sing this aria was trying to emulate what he did.

This is a great CD because it does bring together on one CD some of the greatest singers of the 20th/21st century. Bergonzi, di Stefano, Björling, in addition to the previously mentioned artists is quite an impressive collection. I'm sure there's only one of each for Carreras, Aragall (I believe they are formerly EMI/Angel artists) and perhaps some of the others because they are "imported" from another label. There's so much Pavarotti on this CD because he IS a Decca artist.

A highly recommended CD, affordable, not the usually obscure and unpolished artists that are sometimes found on compilations. Plus acutal linear notes and translations. Nicely done, Decca!!!

Absolutely Agree About Corelli.......2005-05-27

Franco Corelli's "Nessun Dorma" is still the best of them all - clear, passionate, and exciting. (And those final two notes...! Gives me chills just to think of it.) I was fortunate enough to see him live in both "Turandot" and "Romeo and Juliet" a year before his retirement, and he was still a Calaf and a Romeo to die for... as, of course, Liu and Juliet did! As it is, I tend to buy compilations depending on how much Corelli they include - though Bjorling is a strong second, and I have happy memories of Domingo. Long live the Golden Age of Operatic Tenors!

Average customer rating:

Here's what the fuss was all about!
Beverly Sills - The Best
Beverly Sills' highs are breathtaking!
THE 2005 OPERA CD OF THE YEAR
EMI Does It Again: Beverly Sills - A Tribute

The Very Best of Beverly Sills

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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The Great Recordings
Beverly Sills: Made in America
Art of Beverly
Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation)
Verdi: La Traviata / Sills, Gedda, Panerai; Ceccato

ASIN: B0006VYELE
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Una Voce Poco Fa - Sherrill Milnes
Dunque Io Son - Sherrill Milnes
Contro Un Cor - Sherrill Milnes
Ah, Qual Colpo Inaspetatto! - Sherrill Milnes
E Il Sol Dell'anima... Addio! Speranza Ed Anima - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Gualtier Malde... Caro Nome - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Tutte Le Feste Al Tempio... Compiuto Pur Quanto... Si, Vendetta - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
V'ho Ingannato... Lassu In Cielo - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Quel Guardo Il Cavaliere... So Anch'io La Virtu Magica - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Pronta Io Son... Vado, Corro - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Via, Caro Sposino - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Tornami A Dir Che M'ami - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
La Morale In Tutto Questo - Ambrosian Opera Chorus

Tracks:

Vilia - Beverly Sills
Ah! Je Suis Seule... Dis-Moi Que Je Suis Belle - Beverly Sills
Cielo! Che Diverro?... Si, ferite... Dal Soggiorno... Ah! Che Spiegar - Beverly Sills
Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici - John Alldis Choir
Un Di Felice, Eterea - John Alldis Choir
E Strano... Ah, Fors'e Lui... Follie! Follie!... Sempre Libera - John Alldis Choir
Pura Siccome Un Angelo... Ah! Dite Alla Giovine - John Alldis Choir
Che Fai? - John Alldis Choir
Addio Del Passato - John Alldis Choir
Parigi, O Cara - John Alldis Choir

Amazon.com

Beverly Sills hardly needs an introduction. She sang on the radio as a child and on the operatic stage as a teenager; her meteoric international career was launched by appearances in several virtually unknown bel canto operas at the New York City Opera. This compilation of arias and ensembles from some of her signature roles, recorded in the 1970s, with splendid partners like Nicolai Gedda, Alfredo Kraus, and Sherrill Milnes, displays her unique vocal and dramatic artistry at its peak. Her voice, effortlessly produced over an enormous range, is bright, pure, infinitely variable in color, inflection and intensity. Her intonation is impeccable even in huge leaps, and her breath is endless. The coloratura roulades are like strings of perfect, luminous pearls, clearly articulated in seamless legato. But this stunning technique (whose only flaw is a sometimes wide, wobbly vibrato) is never used for show; every note has life and expression, serving the music and the dramatic situation. Indeed, her characters are flesh-and-blood human beings, whose thoughts, emotions and interactions, from inwardness to ecstasy, from lamentation to overflowing joy, she projects with riveting concentration. Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville is a charming, mischievous minx who succumbs to delighted tenderness; Pamira's great scene from his Siege of Corinth shows clearly why her Metropolitan Opera debut in that role was a sensation. In Verdi's Rigoletto, Gilda's hopeful innocence turns into hopeless despair: she dies, palpably, on a floating, celestial pianissimo. In his La traviata, Violetta's initial cool, hesitant restraint gradually melts as she opens herself (and her voice) to Alfredo's ardor and the bliss of love. The vocal balance in their final duet is uncanny; its tremulous tenderness in the shadow of death breaks the heart, as does her duet with Germont. Massenet's Thais is sensuous; Donizetti's Don Pasquale and Lehár's The Merry Widow provide comic relief. --Edith Eisler

Album Description

Details TBA. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Here's what the fuss was all about!.......2007-07-17

It would have been even better if they had included at least one Cleopatra aria and something from Baby Doe, but it doesn't really matter, because this collection will allow younger listeners especially to hear what the fuss was all about! There are moments listening to Sills, especially from Traviata or Manon, that are so beautifully sung and so genuine that they are heartbreaking. I feel so fortunate to have heard her Queen of the Night, Manon, Violetta, and Baby Doe. She was so generous as a performer and as a humanitarian, and she really brought opera into the American mainstream.

Beverly Sills - The Best.......2007-04-01

What a voice. No coloratura can compare, and she makes it seem so easy.

Beverly Sills' highs are breathtaking!.......2006-09-18

Adio del Passato is incredible! Beverly's high, floating coloratura is no less than ethereal which takes you to another world. Her voice has given me so much joy that it is hard to say one recording is better than another because I love her Mozart album equally with her Bellini/Donizetti. It is so wonderful to have these recordings captured on CD! Enjoy!

THE 2005 OPERA CD OF THE YEAR.......2006-08-19

THIS CD WAS THE BEST OPERA CD ISSUED LAST YEAR, AND HAS CAUGHT THE WORLD'S EAR IN NO TIME. I WAS BUSY WRITING IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL, WHILE THE STATEOWNED FM RADIOSTATION, DEDICATED TO CULTURE, WAS SOFTLY PLAYING OPERA ARIAS IN THE BACKGROUND. SUDDENLY I HEARD THE MOST FANTASTIC RENDERING OF "SEMPRE LIBERA" FROM "LA TRAVIATA". I GOT UP, SAT BY THE RADIO AND WAITED TO KNOW WHO WAS SINGING... THEN GOT BACK TO THE COMPUTER TO ORDER THIS CD FROM AMAZON! INCREDIBLE: ONLY 17 BUCKS FOR THIS, WHILE QUITE A BIT OF TRASH IS SOLD FOR 30.40 AND MORE...
A LADY FRIEND ONCE TOLD ME SHE COULD NOT LISTEN TO THE DUET IN "MADAMA BUTTERFLY" WITH MIRELLA FRENI AND LUCIANO PAVAROTTI (RECORDED IN 1974, BY VON KARAJAN) WITHOUT CRYING. WELL, YOU CANNOT LISTEN TO SILLS IN "LA TRAVIATA" DRY-EYED, NO MATTER WHO THE TENOR IS. SHE PROJECTS THE SAME DRAMATIC FEELING OF "LA DIVINA" CALLAS WITHOUT THOSE SHRIEKED HIGHNOTES; SHE OFFERS THE SAME COLORATURA VOCAL GYMNASTICS AS "LA STUPENDA" SUTHERLAND BUT WITH WARMTH... WHEN BEVERLY SANG, AS IN EVERYTHING ELSE SHE DID, SHE ALWAYS GAVE HER UTMOST. SHE WAS "LA GENEROSA" TO BE SURE.
DON'T JUST SIT THERE READING WHAT OTHERS THINK.
ORDER THIS CD NOW AND MARVEL AT HOW THIS GREAT AMERICAN LADY, IN SO MANY OTHER WAYS, ALSO COULD SING!

EMI Does It Again: Beverly Sills - A Tribute.......2005-07-22

EMI's "Very Best Of" series are perfect introductions to operatic singers of the 20th century. Once you hear these artist tribute albums (much like The Singers series) you will get hooked on the singer and seek out their full-length studio recordings. Beverly Sills was the first truly famous American opera star. One may argue that she was not, that she was merely a continued tradition of American divas such as Mary Garden and Lily Pons and which still continues today with Renee Fleming, Elizabeth Futral and Susan Graham. Beverly was raised in New York City, which is still her home, and which is the home of the New York City Opera and the Met, opera houses which rocketed her to fame. Her first success (not featured in this recording...UH WHY ?) was Cleopatra of Handel's Julius Caesar, a performance she sang opposite the illustrious baritone Norman Treigle. Those performances were legendary because coincidentally at the same time the Met was opening its new theatre and season with what became a disastrous Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra starring Leontyne Price in an overblown, big-budget, epic fiasco. The great roles that followed the 1965 Cleopatra were Manon, Queen Elizabeth I in Roberto Deveraux, Maria Stuarda and Anna Bolena in the Donizetti Tudor Queen operas, Pamira in The Siege of Corinth (which were Sill's La Scala and belated Met debut. None of the Queens are featured in this recording, though its supposedly the Very Best Of. An aria from Rossini's Siege of Corinth is featured here however. What we are treated to however are fine lyric roles- Beverly Sills shone brightly and acted convincingly as Gilda in Rigoletto (the final scene is featured here) as Violetta in La Traviata, Thais, The Merry Widow (the beautiful Vilja is featured here)and the ingenue role of Norina in Don Pasquale is also showcased here. To each of these roles, Beverly Sills delivered an authenticity and dramatic interpretation, not ot mention beautiful, sweet tone. I love her pianissimos, her high notes, her chest register. It was the voice of Beverly Sills who first hooked me into opera. For a recording that should showcase her best work, Manon is not featured nor any of her prized French heroines- Marie in The Daughter of the Regiment and the heroines in Tales of Hoffman. Also not in here is the role that was her first success- the Broadway opera Ballad of Baby Doe. Even as such, the arias here are gorgeous. The Barber of Seville is in here and as Rosina she is playful and charming. Sills was a modern singer, with a voice that was beautiful but willing to sacrifice beauty for the sake of dramatic content. When Sills was once asked what she thought of the supposed rivalry with Joan Sutherland (which was never real and only gossip from partisan fans) Beverly said something to this effect -Joan and I are apples and oranges in our take on opera, we are Picasso and Monet. She would do anything for the effect of beauty and tone, I'd sacrifice beauty for the sake of dramatic text. Even as such, I see no ugliness to any of the roles here. All of them are beautiful to hear, full of rich floating celestial tones. It would have been nice to hear the roles that did call for Sills to step up the tense drama - Norma, will her recording ever be reissued by EMI ? Also, few people know that Beverly Sills sung role most would consider dangerous for her voice (though she sang them long before her career even took off)- Aida and Carmen!!

Average customer rating:

Duran Duran leave a strong legacy
not too good...
Slick sounds by guys in white suits
Get your Duran Duran Fix
GREAT CD

Greatest
Duran Duran
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Discography: The Complete Singles Collection

ASIN: B00000DG1R
Release Date: 1998-11-03

Tracks:

Is There Something I Should Know?
The Reflex
A View To A Kill
Ordinary World (Single Version)
Save A Prayer (US Single Version)
Rio (US Edit)
Hungry Like A Wolf
Girls On Film
Planet Earth (Single Version)
Union Of The Snake
New Moon On Monday
Wild Boys
Notorious
I Don't Want Your Love (Shep Pettibone 7-in Mix)
All She Wants Is (45 Mix)
Electric Barbarella (Edit)
Serious (Edit)
Skin Trade (Radio Cut)
Come Undone (Edit)

Amazon.com

While English pop monarchs Duran Duran have remained active for two decades, it's clear that the indomitable ensemble was at its peak during those mercurial '80s. This greatest-hits collection documents the band's ambitious beginnings as a funky glam-rock outfit and follows its gradual transformation into a high-tech pop band with loads of commercial appeal. Featuring now-classic tunes like "Girls on Film," "Rio," and "Planet Earth" as well as more recent songs like "Ordinary World," Greatest focuses on Duran Duran's unending string of hit singles. Although the young quintet that performs "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "A View to a Kill" has little in common with the posh, aging trio featured on 1997's "Electric Barbarella," vocalist Simon Le Bon provides some impressive continuity to these proceedings. --Mitch Myers

Customer Reviews:

Duran Duran leave a strong legacy.......2007-07-16

One great song after another on this disc. Duran Duran took the 80s by storm but the later part of the decade there was a backlash against them. Maybe it was the big hair and pretty boy attitude among other things. Grunge and Nirvana hit the scene and it became uncool to like Duran Duran, Hair Metal, and other things 80s. Overshadowed by all this is that Duran Duran are great musicians and songwriters and had a unique sound that has never been matched. Simon Le Bon wrote interesting lyrics with striking imagery and sung with a force and conviction that brought the songs to another level. Under appreciated bassist John Taylor drove these songs with cool, funky basslines (a good example is "Rio".)

These songs have stood the test of time and still sound good. Proof is that most of their work is still in print and selling over 20 years later. Here are some highlights:

1) Is There Something I Should Know? --A good opening and one of my favorites. Catchy as hell and a prime example of Simon Le Bon's talent for giving a song energy and urgency with intense singing and lyrics. "People stare and cross the road from me/And jungle drums they all clear the way for me/Can you read my mind, can you see in the snow/And fiery demons all dance when you walk through that door" --How many pop song's today have fiery demons in them? None.

2) The Reflex --One of their biggest hits and it was overplayed on the radio, but you can't deny the originality of this song. It goes in all kinds of unexpected directions and we'll never hear a pop song like this again. Some of Le Bon's most obscure lyrics.

3) A View to Kill --One of the best Bond themes and I think what makes this song is the pounding drums and the Bond-like horns.

4) Ordinary World --A later hit for them and one of their most beautiful. Highlights are the guitar solo and soaring vocals at the end.

5) Save a Prayer --Very close to Ordinary World as one of their best ballads. The magical keyboards by Nick Rhodes grab you immediately and "You saw me standing by the wall/Corner of a main street/And the lights are flashing on your window sill" --draws you in.

6) Rio --A defining song for them that everyone knows. John Taylor drives this song with killer bass, Nick Rhodes with great keyboards, Roger Taylor with excellent drumming, and Andy Taylor completes a band in top form. Even though this is the edited version the memorable sax solo is there. I bought this cd so I felt justified downloading the full version from the net which is about 5:37.

7) Hungry Like the Wolf --One of the most famous uses of "do do do do do, do do." The song that made them famous in America because of the video. Has that signature sort of tribal, jungle Duran Duran sound. A classic.

10) Union of the Snake --Another one of my favorites. Unorthodox verses and choruses make this song unique.

11) New Moon on Monday --Once again Simon Le Bon brings a song to great heights with an excellent vocal performance and "I light my torch and wave it for the/New moon on monday/And a firedance through the night/I stayed the cold day with a lonely satellite". You ponder those words during the song and interesting images are put in your mind and that's what good lyrics do.

12) Wild Boys --This song might be a bit over-the-top for some but it's power can't be denied. Simon sings the hell out of this one.

13) Notorious --Does it ever end? Yet another ridiculously catchy song.

14) I Don't Want Your Love (Shep Pettibone Mix) --A solid dance song that has aged well. Can't be resisted.

19) Come Undone --The sister hit to Ordinary World. Dreamy underwater sound with the backing beat made famous previously by Erik B. & Rakim.
Pretty female backing vocals and nice lyrics: "Words, playing me deja vu, like a radio tune I swear I've heard before/Chill, is it something real, or the magic Im feeding off your fingers."

And the other songs I didn't mention are good too. I bought "Astronaut", their latest cd as of this writing, and it's pretty good I like it. It doesn't match these songs though and I don't fault them. They were at their peak of creativity during this period and these songs are too good to be topped. Fortunately the 80s backlash is long over and it seems Duran Duran are finally getting the recognition they deserve, especially after people see them live in person or on TV (Live Earth for example). It's about time!

not too good..........2007-07-09

Geesh, I remember them being better than this. Perhaps it was because I was 10 years old back then. Mea culpa, sentimentality trumped by reality.

Slick sounds by guys in white suits.......2007-05-26

Few bands during the 1980s churned out as many recognizable pop hits as Duran Duran, and this "Greatest" CD captures them all. The guys in Duran Duran (no matter the band lineup) always had an ear for melody, great vocals and exotic sounds. Plus, they carried on as a true band, with everybody writing and contributing. If you like the band's radio hits, then this CD is a must-have; songs one through 13 have been played on the radio for eons. What drew me to this disc, however, was the tunes that aren't as well known.

Besides just catchy, synth-laden pop, Duran Duran were capable of adding soul to their sound ("I Don't Want Your Love"), a cold but sexy club-music vibe ("All She Wants Is") and real emotion and exoticism ("Come Undone"). Songs from the first three Duran Duran records are well represented here, and nice offerings from the same era such as "A View to a Kill" and "Wild Boys" are also present.

Duran Duran also had a nice, somewhat reinvented run in the 1990s, especially the early `90s. The songs "Serious," "Ordinary World," "Come Undone" and "Electric Barbarella" (from Medazzaland) prove that. "Serious," from 1990, sounds like a wonderful `80s leftover, updated in an organic fashion for the new decade, while "Skin Trade," a tune released in 1986, has a slick, catchy sound, but also displays some real soul and great vocal work by Simon LeBon. Though they barely received any radio airplay, each of these tunes could lay claim to being two of the strongest tracks on "Greatest," a CD that is chock full of classics. My only complaint is that "Too Much Information" from Duran Duran 2 (The Wedding Album) was left off, but beggars can't be choosers. Many non-hits by the band have been great, but if you're looking for your fix of the most popular Duran Duran music over the years, this CD is the way to go.

Get your Duran Duran Fix.......2007-05-16

If you're considering this CD, I probably don't have to introduce you to Duran Duran--but just in case you somehow got amnesia (or were born after 1985), I'll give you the quick synopsis. If you were to put all the eighties, mainstream, cheesy yet still a little bit artsy bands into some sort of battle of the bands competition, Duran Duran would finish in the top 3 (along with Depeche Mode and the Pet Shop Boys), edging out other favorites like Billy Idol, Tears for Fears, and the Human League. Without a doubt they were a pop band--not to be confused with artists like the Talking Heads or Blondie--but they were an EXCELLENT pop band who put together 3 (maybe even 4) really good albums and an impressive string of great, sing-a-long singles. And that's a resume with which few can compete.

As for this collection, it's all the Duran Duran a person needs--and maybe even then some. Every single one of hits are here--including their James Bond song, "A View to a Kill," and early nineties hits like "Come Undone." You might have some gripes about which versions they use (for example, why the US edit for "Rio?"), but you can't argue with the track list as a whole. You've got all the smash hits (Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf, Girls on Film), as well as the popular tracks that aren't as well known (All She Wants Is, New Moon on Monday, The Reflex). This is a great collection for anyone who's a fan of eighties music or a Duran Duran lover.

GREAT CD.......2007-04-04

I LOVE THIS CD. ALTHOUGH IM ONLY 21 I THINK DURAN DURAN IS ONE OF THE MOST COOLEST BANDS. THIS HOLE CD IS UPBEAT, AND IT BRINGS BACK MEMORIES OF THE 80'S. MY FAVORITE SONG ON THIS CD IS COME UNDONE. THERES JUST SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SONG THAT'S CATCHY AND THE VIDEO IS EVEN BETTER. I DEFINITLEY RECOMMEND THIS CD.

Average customer rating:

The beautiful gift of opera...
Pretty darn good
The Opera #1 Opera Album
Excellent assortment
Great Selections

The #1 Opera Album
Giacomo Puccini , Giuseppe Verdi , Léo Delibes , Georges Bizet , Umberto Giordano , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Richard Wagner , Gioachino Rossini , Alfredo Catalani , Jacques Offenbach , Ruggiero Leoncavallo , Charles Gounod , Gaetano Donizetti , Pietro Mascagni , Antonin Dvorak , Richard Bonynge , Herbert von Karajan , Alberto Erede , Lamberto Gardelli , Giuseppe Patane , John Mauceri , Zubin Mehta , Charles Dutoit , Gyorgy Fischer , Riccardo Chailly , Istvan Kertesz , Leone Magiera , Evelino Pido , Gianandrea Gavazzeni , Renée Fleming , Cecilia Bartoli , Luciano Pavarotti , Jussi Bjorling , and Renata Tebaldi
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...

ASIN: B000059RXO
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

Carmen: Act 1: Prld - LPO/Sir Georg Solti
La Traviata: Brindisi: Libiamo, Ne'lieti Calici - Luciano Pavarotti/Joan Sutherland/London Opr Chor/Terry Edwards
La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina - Luciano Pavarotti
Lakme: Flower Duet: Dome Epais Le Jasmin - Joan Sutherland/Jane Berbie
Fedora: Amor Ti Vieta - Jussi Bjorling
Carmen: Habanera: L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle - Tatiana Troyanos/John Alldis Chor/John Alldis
Nabucco: Chor Of The Hebrew Slaves: Va Pensiero - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hills
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Dove Sono - Kiri Te Kanawa
Rigoletto: La Donna E Mobile - Luciano Pavarotti
Lohengrin: Bridal Chor: Treulich Gefuhrt Ziehet Dahin - Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor/Walter Hagen-Groll
Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro - Renata Tebaldi
Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Largo Al Factotum - Leo Nucci
La Wally: Ebben?... Ne Andro Lontana - Angela Gheorghiu
Madama Butterfly: Humming Chor - Wiener Staatsopernchor/Norbert Balatsch
Carmen: Flower Song: La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee - Placido Domingo
Les Contes D'Hoffmann: Barcarolle: Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'Amour - Joan Sutherland/Huguette Tourangeau/Chor De La Radio Suisse Romande, Pro Arte De Lausanne Et Du...
Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle - Placido Domingo
Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di - Mirella Freni
Les Pecheurs De Perles: C'est Toi... Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Gregory Cross/Gino Quilico

Tracks:

Die Walkure: The Ride Of The Valkyries - Wiener Phil/Solti
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete - Cecilia Bartoli
Pagliacci: Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba - Luciano Pavarotti
La Boheme: O Soave Fanciulla - Mirella Freni/Luciano Pavarotti/Roland Panerai
Il Trovatore: Anvil Chor: Vedi! Le Fosche - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis
Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai - Jose Carreras
Don Giovanni: La Ci Darem La Mano - Lucia Popp/Tom Krause
Mattinata - Andrea Bocelli
Faust: Soldiers' Chor - Ambrosian Opr Chor/John McCarthy
L'elisir D'amore: Una Furtiva Lagrima - Roberto Alagna
Turandot: Signore, Ascolta! - Montserrat Caballe
Don Giovanni: Champagne Aria: Finch'han Dal Vino - Bryn Terfel
Cosi Fan Tutte: Trio: Soave Sia Il Vento - Renee Fleming/Anne Sofie Von Otter/Michele Pertusi
Il Trovatore: Di Quella Pira - Luciano Pavarotti/Joan Sutherland/London Opr Chor/Terry Edwards
Tosca: Vissi D'arte - Kiri Te Kanawa
Carmen: Toreador Song - Jose Van Dam/Tatiana Troyanos/Norma Burrowes/Jane Berbie/Thomas Allen/Pierre Thau/John Alldis...
Madama Butterfly: Love Duet: Vogliatemi Bene - Mirella Freni/Luciano Pavarotti
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo - Nat PO/Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Rusalka: O Silver Moon - Renee Fleming
La Boheme: Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi - Angela Gheorghiu
Turandot: Nessun Dorma - Luciano Pavarotti/John Alldis Chor/John Alldis

Amazon.com

The labels that are now gathered under the Universal Classics umbrella have a pretty impressive scorecard in the area of classical compilations. We've seen The Greatest Opera Show on Earth, The Yellow Guide: Classical Music, Best of the Millennium, and now there's The No. 1 Opera Album. But that's no surprise, since Universal has some of the finest interpreters in its catalogue to draw from. This two-CD set (at the price of one), for example, brings together the likes of Cecilia Bartoli, Renée Fleming, Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Georg Solti, Herbert von Karajan, and many more. Yet the other key to a successful compilation is canny anthologizing, and here again, you have a nice selection to give you a smattering of opera's heavyweights from the Italian, German, and French repertory (there's even a step outside the standard framework with an aria from Dvorák's lovely Rusalka). Ranging from 1959 to 1997, the choices from back catalogue will doubtless be the entry ticket for many into this grandest of the arts. --Sarah Chin

Customer Reviews:

The beautiful gift of opera..........2007-07-17

This 2-CD set is absolutely wonderful! You can close your eyes and feel like you're actually at the opera, listening to those beautiful voices bringing tears to your eyes. Nessun Dorma still stirs up emotions in me, no matter how many times I hear it. Great examples of opera to give someone wanting to get interested in this style of music.

Pretty darn good.......2007-07-04

This CD set has a lot of familiar music on it, so if you're a newbie, you might want to try starting with this. There are some great pieces on the first CD. I usually don't even make it to the second.

The Opera #1 Opera Album.......2007-06-07

The music is wonderful. The production is terrible!! The sound fades in and out and is very scratchy in some places.

Excellent assortment.......2007-05-12

I'm not a big opera fan but I wanted to expose an assorted selection for my kids. This was perfect since it included several recognizable selections.

Great Selections.......2007-03-31

This Cd, has the very best of Opera
covering mainly from the classcal
to the to the romantic periods, a most
memorable selection here is Leo Nucci
in a lagendary performance of Rossini's
"Largo al Factotum" from "Il Barbiere di Seviglia"
also Andrea Bocelli in his performance of Leoncavallo's
memorable "Matinatta" here in an orchestrated version.
Indeed some of opera's most loved arias are in this recording
various conductors, orchestras, and soloists. All in their
very best. Indeed a five-star recording...

Average customer rating:

Disappointing
Great!
A Piece Of Heaven On Earth
A Pure Joy..........
Celtic Treasure - Hayley Westenra

Celtic Treasure

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Celtic Woman - A New Journey: Live at Slane Castle, Ireland
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Lisa
A New Journey

ASIN: B000MTDRJA
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Tracks:

Let Me Lie
Scarborough Fair
Shenandoah
Summer Fly
Whispering Hope
Danny Boy
Summer Rain
The Last Rose of Summer
One Fine Day
Sonny
The Water Is Wide
Melancholy Interlude
Abide With Me

Amazon.com

Having sung before royalty and performed with the Irish super-group Celtic Woman, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, and Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel, the very young and remarkably beautiful singer is back with a tribute to her Celtic ancestry. As with her previous Platinum-selling releases (she is already a huge star in her native New Zealand, Japan, Australia, and the UK), the orchestrations are lush, with sighing phalanxes of strings and woodwinds. But in keeping with the avowed theme, there are also soft touches of soulful, wavering tin whistles and vaguely fiddle-like violin vamps. The program is more varied than the album's title might lead one to expect, encompassing everything from "The Last Rose Of Summer" and "Danny Boy" to "Shenandoah," "Scarborough Fair," "Abide With Me," and even a couple of more pop-oriented songs penned by Westenra herself. However, brief sideways winks toward Nashville or the Great White Way do not adulterate the album's overall mood of ethereal, remote bliss. The one misstep is an English-language cover of "Un Bel Di" ("One Fine Day") from Puccini's Madama Butterfly: an aria unsuited to the artist's fragile, bell-like soprano and placid temperament. This aside, established classical crossover/theatrical divas like Sarah Brightman would be wise to begin looking to their laurels. --Christina Roden

Album Description

Hayley's third solo album is a very personal collection of classical arias, Irish and Maori folk songs - representing treasured people and places on her remarkable musical journey. Recorded in Dublin, Ireland, Hayley's third solo album is a very personal collection of classical arias, Irish and Maori folk songs - representing treasured people and places in her remarkable musical journey. For the first time the album also includes several original tracks written by Hayley herself. Celtic Treasure is a celebration of Hayley's family roots, and her grandparent's journey across the World on the first boat that left Ireland for New Zealand in the 1880s - taking with them a rich musical heritage. Her grandmother - a singer, and her grandfather, who played the accordion, were to be important influences on Hayley's musical development. Hayley grew up hearing her grandmother singing Italian opera arias in English. Hayley has continued this tradition by recording the well-known aria One Fine Day... ('Un bel di) from Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Hayley's grandmother also sang Irish folk tunes, and Hayley includes one of them - Danny Boy on the album as a tribute to her. Another Irish folk tune Sonny, is the first recording in which Hayley accompanies herself on the piano. In the same vein as Hayley's signature song Pokarekare Ana from her debut album Pure, Hayley's deep sense of pride as a New Zealander, and the simple beauty of her voice come together in E Para Ra - a Maori lovesong reflecting her own love of her homeland. Hayley's first recordings of her own songs bring together all these musical influences. They include her compositions Let Me Lie and Summer Rain and her lyrics to a haunting lute song by the Elizabethan English composer John Dowland, called simply Melancholy Interlude.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2007-07-13

We first encountered Westenra as a member of the Celtic Woman group. She was great -- as were all the girls. Based on that, I selected this CD after reading the reviews on Amazon. This one seemed to get the best overall reviews.

This CD is pretty uninspired and Westenra's voice sounds just average on several of the tracks. There are a few impressive spots but generally I thought the CD was less than expected.

Great!.......2007-07-13

Hayley does a great job with this cd. Its relaxing and interesting, instead of boring like some opera kind of vocalists can be. I recommend her cd, Pure, as well. She will definitely impress and soothe you!

A Piece Of Heaven On Earth.......2007-07-13

If you could hear the angels singing this is exactly what they would sound like. Please do yourself a favor and get the dvd too. They are both beyond amazing.

A Pure Joy.................2007-06-20

This album of Celtic standards is truly one of the most beautiful I've heard in a long time. For a girl of 19 to have this kind of vocal maturity is amazing... she gets better with each new recording.

Hayley has a clear, and pure voice that makes these familiar songs sound brand new. Though the whole album is a treat, the two hymns are inspiring. Others have done this repitoire, and done it well; none has done it better.

Hayley has a new recording of "West Side Story" due out soon; I can't wait. In the meantime, do not fail to grab this one.

Celtic Treasure - Hayley Westenra.......2007-06-20

Love the beautiful voice that I have come to expect from the Celtic Women lasses and the eclectic choice of songs really accentuates her range and flexibility to sing classic and contemporary. She shines with every choice. I await her next CD.

Average customer rating:

Romance of the Violin
End of the Day
Wonderful!
Over and over and over....
Non-standard CD format

Romance of the Violin
Claude Debussy , Fryderyk Chopin , Camille Saint-Saens , Franz Schubert , Vincenzo Bellini , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Alexander Borodin , Antonin Dvorak , Claudio Monteverdi , Jules Massenet , Robert Schumann , Michael Stern , Craig Ogden , Gregory Knowles , John Constable , Jacob Heringman , and Stephen Orton
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000DG06L
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Tracks:

O mio babbino caro (from 'Gianni Schicchi')
The Girl With Flaxen Hair (from Preludes, Book I; La fille aux cheveux delin: Prelude for Piano L 117/8)
Nocturne in C sharp minor (Op Post)
The Swan (from Carnival of the Animals)
Serenade (from 'Schwanengesang' song cycle for voice and piano, D 957
Casta Diva (from 'Norma')
Andante from Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major K. 467
Nocturne from Quartet for Strings No. 2 in D Major: 3rd movement
Dance of the Blessed Spirits (from 'Orfeo ed Euridice')
Songs My Mother Taught Me, song for voice and piano B104/4 Op 55/4
Pur ti Miro (from 'L'incoronazione di Poppea')
Elegie (Elegie 'O doux printemps d'autrefois' for voice and piano)
Traumerei ('Kinderszenen' for piano, Op 15, No. 7 'Dreaming')

Amazon.com

Every track on this CD contains a beautiful melody, many of them easily recognizable, all of them exuding tranquility. "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi opens the disc, with Bell delicately accompanied by a harp and spinning the long melody with great sensitivity. Bellini's "Casta diva" from Norma lives up to its reputation as the epitome of bel canto in Bell's hands; his violin sings. The middle movement of Mozart's 21st Piano Concerto takes well to the violin, and Debussy's "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair" is played with great warmth and sensuality. It would be easy to turn a recital like this into treacle, but Bell is wise enough to realize that the music is already sweet enough and he plays with great reserve and a minimum of sentimental slides. The light accompaniments always support, with woodwinds prominent but used with grace. This CD, in short, is a beauty: a fine gift, a lovely mood setter. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Romance of the Violin.......2007-07-16

While it's not my very favorite Joshua Bell CD, this is a pleasure to listen to!

End of the Day.......2007-06-08

I am a Joshua Bell fan, and this album is the one that I enjoy with my dessert, it calms me at the end of the day, and makes me think of my 6 year old granddaughter's visit. She has to have music on during meals at her home. Usually it is some kid stuff, but I do not have anything like she has at home, so I chose to play Joshua Bell during our dinner. When I placed the dessert before her, she looked up at me and said: "This music is so beautiful, I want to play the violin just like that". What more could I say.
He is inspiring, and she is right. This album is beautiful.

Wonderful!.......2007-05-30

I play this for my grandson to nap by. It is so relaxing and wonderful!

Over and over and over...........2007-05-17

That's how I want to play this CD! It's a wonderful line-up of rich, mellow, captivating compositions played with a warmth and vibrancy that is seldom heard. Joshua at his very best. You won't be disappointed.

Non-standard CD format.......2007-04-22

The music on this CD deserves five stars, but the CD itself is a non-standard format that doesn't work on all players. There's a tiny warning on the back of the CD. You won't notice the warning until you discover that the CD doesn't work on your player. My Macintosh computer wouldn't read the non-standard format so there was no way for me to listen in my office or put the music on my iPod.

A friend's PC was able to read the CD and make a copy in standard format that can be read on any player, including my Mac. The story had a happy ending, but I can not comprehend why the publisher chose the oddball CD specification.

The music is excellent and worth the trouble of making a copy, but the publisher really shouldn't make you go to that effort just to listen to a CD that you paid for.

Average customer rating:

wonderful
Another GREAT CD
Pure 80's
A great 80s CD
pure 80s series is hit after hit after hit

Pure 80's
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Utv Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

More Pure 80's
Pure 80's Hits
'80s Pop Hits
Pure 80's Love: The #1 Hits
Pure 80's Dance

ASIN: B00000JWN0
Release Date: 1999-08-10

Tracks:

Video Killed The Radio Star - The Buggles
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - Eurythmics
Everybody Have Fun Tonight - Wang Chung
One Thing Leads To Another - The Fixx
Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran
Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
Something About You - Level 42
Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Obsession - Animotion
Higher Love - Steve Winwood
Addicted To Love - Robert Palmer
Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
Rock This Town - Stray Cats
Centerfold - J. Geils Band
Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
Our House - Madness
Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins
Tempted - Squeeze

Customer Reviews:

wonderful.......2007-01-19

I like the 80's music. I had one of these same cds but something happened and it wouldn't work anymore. I was happy to see that you had it. Very happy. I am very satisfied - I love listening to it. Thanks!

Another GREAT CD.......2007-01-12

I LOVE 80's music, this is another excellent cd and you will not be sorry for buying it.

Pure 80's.......2007-01-10

This cd has 20 terrific songs from the 80's. Some from 1 hit wonders so it was fantastic to get them on one cd rather than having to buy multiple cds. Also, great to have a cd where I like all 20 songs.

A great 80s CD.......2006-07-12

i am a huge fan of 80s pop and rock and i think that anyone who loves 80s music would love this.

pure 80s series is hit after hit after hit.......2006-01-15

its hard to have a personal favorite song. i would have preferred a DVD of matching vidios.

Average customer rating:

Great for kids!
Mediocre Sound Quality
I was pleased
The Most Famous Opera Arias
Okay But.... - a review of "The Most Famous Opera Arias"

The Most Famous Opera Arias

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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