Helena [CD-single] [Import]

Product Description
Second single from the 'Three Cheers For Sweet' album.Title track backed by the live version of 'I'm Not OK [I Promise]'. Warner. 2005.

Helena,My Chemical Romance,Wea International,5"CD Singles,Pop,Rock

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Helena [CD-single] [Import]

Average customer rating: Great movie, better soundtrack great collection of unusual music Supurb Amazing! excellent

Mirrormask Iain Ballamy , Stuart Hall , Martin Sharp , Matthew Sharp , Burt Bacharach , Dave McKean , Martin France , John Parricelli , Neil Percy , Iain Bellamy , Ashley Slater , Arve Henriksen , Chris Batchelor , David Powell , Josefine Cronholm , and Neil Gaiman Manufacturer: La-La Land Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Mirrormask The Alchemy of MirrorMask MirrorMask: The Illustrated Film Script of the Motion Picture from the Jim Henson Company Where's Neil When You Need Him? Mr. Punch ASIN: B0007RTARU Release Date: 2005-09-20

Tracks:

1. Sock Puppets / Flyover
2. Circus Overture
3. Spanish Web
4. Gorillas!
5. Running For The Bus
6. Abandoned Hall
7. Leaving The City
8. Arresting Helena
9. The White Queen Sleeps / The White Palace
10. Rabbit Band
11. The Library
12. The Myth Of Creation
13. Fish Street
14. Looking Through The Window
15. Giants Orbiting
16. Outside Bagwell's
17. Mrs. Bagwell's Rhumba
18. Meeting The Sphinx
19. Monkeybirds
20. Dream Park / Meeting In A Dream
21. Conjuring A Dome
22. In The Dark Forest
23. Betrayed!
24. Close To You
25. A New Life
26. A Rather Tense Dinner Party
27. Butterfingers
28. Discoveries / Fight Or Flight? / Goodbye Evil Helena
29. My Waltz For Newk
30. If I Apologised

Customer Reviews:

Great movie, better soundtrack.......2007-05-19

I just recently saw this movie and the only thing I could think about afterwards was that I had to get this soundtrack. I'm not usually a big fan of movie soundtracks, but this cd is unlike any other out there, soundtrack or not. The use of strings and carnaval type instruments is completely unique and makes this a must by for any fan of music.

great collection of unusual music.......2007-05-07

Rented the movie on reccomendation from Netflix, it was pretty good. But the music was the star of the show. The soundtrack follows the course of the movie pretty closely, it's kind of like listening to the movie. Each track brings to mind a specific scene in the movie. One of the highlights is the ecclectic treatment of Burt Bacharach's "Close to You". Most will remember the super-sweet Carpenter's version, but this interpretation was the main reason I bought the music. Unusual augmented chord progressions and almost minimalist format (complete with the mechanical background sounds made by the female jack-in-the-box-like, life-sized, mostly metal toy dressers) make the tune as captivating as in the movie when they 'convert' the trapped Helena into the black princess. Great music to play while relaxing, too.

Supurb.......2007-03-08

This soundtrack is truly a delight to listen to. It ranges from quirky circus music to deep and melodic mysterious tunes. It is a great CD to relax to and to use as background music for most any relaxing time hanging out with friends.

Amazing!.......2007-02-24

This is a very good soundtrack to a very good movie. The music is amazingly composed and is nice to listen to.

excellent.......2007-01-17

This CD is excellent! All the music from the movie in its entirety, all the songs are complete songs, and the songs are all top notch compositions.

Average customer rating: One of Savall's finest Nearly every night for 6 months! Diáspora sefardí / Hespèrion XXI

Diáspora Sefardí Manufacturer: Alia Vox Spain ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Orient - Occident Villancicos y Danzas Criollas Lux Feminae Isabel I: Reina de Castilla El Cant de la Sibil-la, Mallorca & València, 1400-1560 ASIN: B00004RBWV Release Date: 2000-03-14

Tracks:

1. El Moro De Antequera
2. Levantose El Conde Nino
3. El Rey De Francia
4. Por Alli Paso Un Cavallero
5. Por Que Llorax Blanca Nina
6. La Guirnalda De Rosas
7. Nani Nani
8. El Rey Que Tanto Madruga

Tracks:

1. Las Estrellas De Los Cielos
2. En La Santa Helena
3. A La Una Yo Naci
4. Improvisacion
5. Paxarico Tu Te Llamas
6. Yo Era Nina De Casa Alta
7. Longe De Mi Tu Estaras
8. Hermoza Muchachica
9. Axerico De Quinze Anos
10. Improvisacion Sobre 'Axerico'

Amazon.com essential recording

The Sephardic Jews, scattered through the world after their expulsion from Spain in 1492, kept alive for centuries not only their language, Ladino, but an extraordinary repertory of "folk" songs, many of them quite sophisticated. As Ladino culture began to slowly fade away over the course of the 20th century, musicologists collected and transcribed these melodies from Ladino-speaking communities in Sarajevo, Sofia, Salonika, Smyrna, Jerusalem, and other cities. Beginning in the 1970s, these extraordinary songs were revived (to considerable excitement) for concert audiences--a revival sparked in large part by a 1976 recording by Hesperion XX. This now-legendary early music ensemble, renamed Hesperion XXI for the new century, has returned to the music of the Sephardic Diaspora with this beautifully produced and packaged release. Disc 1 contains eight songs performed lovingly by the magnetic Montserrat Figueras (who sings with an appropriately unstudied tone). The second disc includes eight more melodies performed instrumentally; the choice of instruments reflects the influence of the Muslim-ruled areas where the Sephardim settled with the oud, rebab, and qanun (Middle Eastern equivalents of the lute, fiddle, and dulcimer) performing alongside harps, lutes, flutes, and frame drums. (Inexplicably, however, the final track of this second CD--an improvisation for the sarod and tabla--sounds nice but feels completely foreign to the theme of this release.) It may have been more effective programming to mingle the vocal and instrumental tracks across the two CDs rather than segregating them. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

One of Savall's finest.......2004-05-19

Hespérion XXI (formerly Hespérion XX, but renamed to honour the new century) is one of the most accomplished ensembles specialising in the early music of the Iberian peninsula. It is one of the ongoing collectives led by the formidable Jordi Savall, renowned for his interpretations on the viol da gamba. The members are always changing, which makes the ensemble simply a name for a grouping of artists and interpreters of this immensely rich musical heritage, yet always under Savall's masterful direction. Diaspora Sefardi is a double-CD of music of the Sephardic Jews, a diverse culture originating in Spain and later settling in countries around the Mediterranean after their expulsion from most of Spain in 1492. Never losing sight of their basic identity as Jews or their awareness of their Spanish origins, the Sephardic culture gradually incorporated numerous influences from the peoples among whom it evolved: from the Arab culture of north Africa, from the Turks, Greeks, Bulgarians, Rumanians, Serbocroats, etc. In short, Sephardic music is an amazing blend of all these influences, immediately recognisable for its unique manifestation of this diversity.

Led by the impeccable soprano Montserrat Figueras, a generous collection of sephardic romances resides on disc one, and ten instrumental pieces are found on disc two. Savall (performing on lira, viola and rebab) is joined by some virtuoso players here: Pedro Estevan on percussions, Yair Dalal on oud, Andrew Lawrence-King on arpa doppia, Pedro Memelsdorff on flutes, and a handful of others on psaltry, qanun, laud, sarod and medieval harp. This recording differs in kind from other interpretations (by Savall or by countless other interpreters of this music) in that it employs a more diverse instrumentation that lies beyond the standard western European grouping of percussion, viol, flutes and harps, and rather embraces the instrumentations of eastern influences of this music (oud, qanun, sarod, etc.).

Disc one, subtitled "Por que llorax blanca nina" (Why do you weep fair child?) is a selection of beautiful songs, mostly from 16th and 17th century documents, though all of them look back much earlier to a very old tradition of songs. Montserrat Figueras is full of vitality, her breathtaking voice and accomplished techniques show her complete mastery of this challenging material.

Disc two, "Las estrellas de los cielos" (The stars in the sky), is a diverse collection of instrumental pieces, interpreted and performed to perfection by this ensemble. This second disc is the real jewel here. Even in the complexity of rhythms, fostered by Pedro Estevan's challenging techniques, the rhythms are extremely accessible, allowing the listener to move around within the multifaceted and subtle instrumentations. Some are traditional dance pieces, while others more meditative reflections and variations on the music of the popular romances.

Listening to this music is always a rewarding enterprise. Full of surprises, it never provokes the same response twice. This release comes highly recommended for the curious listener. It comes beautifully packaged with lyrics and an informative essay by Paloma Diaz-Mas.

Nearly every night for 6 months!.......2003-05-01

After owning this CD for about 4 years, when my newborn daughter needed bedtime soothing I grabbed this (the 2nd CD). We listen to it nearly every night and I am never bored with it. It only bothers me a little when I find it getting stuck in my head during the day. I still enjoy sitting in the dark listening to it after 6 months. Beautiful moving music.

Diáspora sefardí / Hespèrion XXI.......2000-11-13

En este disco Jordi Savall y su grupo retoman el trabajo que emprendieron en discos anteriores sobre la música de origen judío ("Secular music from christian and jewish Spain" y los dedicados a la Sibila). El primer disco está compuesto por obras vocales que pertenecen a distintas expresiones de la diáspora judía a través de Europa, pero todas en ladino (lengua de los sefarditas o judíos españoles), interpretadas con una gran variedad de instrumentos (percusiones, flauta dulce, salterio, arpa, laúdes, etc.) sobre las que se alza la voz de Monserrat Figueras, que maneja bastante bien el estilo y el dramatismo requeridos, a pesar de que a mi juicio su interpretación es poco variada, y no se distingue tanto de sus versiones de música barroca italiana, por ej. El segundo disco trae sólo obras instrumentales, en las que se da un mayor espacio a la improvisación y la ornamentación, lo que considero bastante pertinente pare este tipo de música, y que realmente está muy bien lograda en este caso, permitiendo trabajar toda suerte de matices (el uso del aire por parte del flautista Pedro Memmelsdorff, por ejemplo). En todo caso, es necesario señalar que éste es un disco muy fresco, donde realmente se percibe un compromiso emotivo de los músicos con las obras, que pertenecen a un repertorio bastante poco trabajado en el campo de la música antigua, y sobre el cual todavía debe quedar mucho por investigar.

Average customer rating: Not my cup of tea Brilliant Medieval and modern bash heads beautifully ... The best alternative to Jochum Simply the best Carmina

Orff: Carmina Burana Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Orff | Orff, Carl | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Levine, James | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Carl Orff: Carmina Burana Carl Orff: Carmina Burana Orff - Carmina Burana: Battle, Allen, Lopardo, Ozawa, Berlin / Beethoven - Symphony No. 9: Schwanewilms, Groves, Dever, Hawlata, Ozawa, Saito Kinen Orchestra Orff: Carmina Burana Carmina Burana: Vocal Score ASIN: B000001G5X Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna
2. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: Fortune plango vulnera
3. I Primo Vere: Veris leta facies
4. I Primo Vere: Omnia Sol temperat
5. I Primo Vere: Ecce gratum
6. Uf dem Anger: Tanz
7. Uf dem Anger: Floret silva
8. Uf dem Anger: Chramer, gip die varwe mir
9. Uf dem Anger: Reie Swaz hie gat umbe Chume, chum, geselle min! Swaz hie gat umbe
10. Uf dem Anger: Were diu werlt alle min
11. II In Taberna: Estuans interius
12. II In Taberna: Olim lacus colueram
13. II In Taberna: Ego sum abbas
14. II In Taberna: In taberna quando sumus
15. III Cour d'amours: Amor volat undique
16. III Cour d'amours: Dies, nox et omnia
17. III Cour d'amours: Stetit puella
18. III Cour d'amours: Circa mea pectora
19. III Cour d'amours: Si puer cum puellula
20. III Cour d'amours: Veni, veni, venias
21. III Cour d'amours: In trutina
22. III Cour d'amours: Tempus est iocundum
23. III Cour d'amours: Dulcissime
24. Blanziflor et Helena: Ave formosissima
25. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna

Customer Reviews:

Not my cup of tea.......2007-02-18

Maybe I am not ready to appreciate this, but for the moment, this cd is just awful to my ears. Sorry for the die hard fans.

Brilliant.......2007-01-12

Joseph's Levine's production of Carmina Burana is brilliant. Although most everyone will recognize O Fortuna from "Excalibur" or other Hollywood fare, there is a tremendous depth and power in all of this masterpiece.

Medieval and modern bash heads beautifully ..........2006-01-09

Carl Orff may not have attained "household name" status, but the dazzling "Carmina Burana" has become a staple in the modern classical music repertory. The work has appeared in so many concert halls, recordings, movies, television spots, rock concerts, and presentations that it may rank as one of the twentieth century's most famous classical pieces. And this CD presents a great recording of Orff's most famous work.

But "Carmina Burana" doesn't always sound like twentieth century music. "O Fortuna", the blaring ominous opener, sounds like a blend of classical, medieval, and modern. And the themes of fortune, Spring, Love (and lust), and drinking sound anything but modern. The latin text doubtless lends a large part of the medieval flavor, but German also appears throughout the song cycle.

The text comes from a now famous 11th-13th century collection of some 1,000 poems and songs. Historians believe that the "goliards" (wandering freethinking poets) composed these poems, which laid undiscovered until 1803. In the 1930s these secular and sometimes bawdy songs caught the attention of the very Roman Catholic Orff. "Carmina Burana" premiered in Nazi Germany in 1937 to great acclaim (though some found it "degenerate"). Initially written as accompaniment for elaborate theater stagings, the work usually gets performed in concert halls without the visuals. The music definitely warrants such a performance. It stands completely on its own; ranging from the inexorably powerful to the delicate and lovely. Orff pulled out all the stops when he composed this incredible music.

"O Fortuna" remains justifiably famous with its riveting rhythms and staccato chorus. This tune bookends the entire song collection, suggesting that the work as a whole deals with the ineffable viscissitudes of life. Next, Spring arrives and brings with it dancing (track 6 will get any feet moving), drinking, and the pursuit of sensual pleasures. Though some gain from this happiness, some wallow in misery. "Olim lacus colueram" ("Once I Lived On Lakes") tells a ghastly story from the point of view of a swan roasting on a spit. The tenor solo sings with the perfect amount of agony as the music provides appropriately horrifying accompaniment. "Floret silva nobilis" ("The Noble Woods are Burgeoning") finds a lover bemoaning the parting of her lover. The music punctuates her woe with horse hoof beats fading into the distance. Woes of Fortune and the changes brought with springtime provide the thematic structure for the songs. In the end, the refrain of "O Fortuna" provides a reminder that our pleasures and our misery remain fleeting and subject to the wiles of fortune. Thematically, the piece is timeless.

James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra pull off quite a performance on this CD. Anyone looking for a solid straight through recording of this famous work will find it here. The CD booklet doesn't give much information on Orff or on the work, but it does contain all of the lyrics in Latin/German and English. Regardless, the music prevails and this recording will not disappoint.

The best alternative to Jochum.......2005-08-08

While Eugen Jochum's definitive recording of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana concentrated on a rustic, unrefined presentation of the miraculous choral hodgepodge, James Levine's modern, Grammy Award-winning 1984 recording gives the hypnotic work a smooth, meticulous treatment. Levine, a notoriously "glossy" conductor, is in excellent form here, taking the twenty-five mini-masterpieces that comprise the work somewhat slower than Jochum with three of the best soloists ever to be recorded.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus are in terrific order. The choral selections (the primitive "Fortune plango vulnera," the jovial "Ecce gratum," the appropriately flowery "Floret silva," and, of course, the calamitous "O Fortuna!") are presented with almost perfect accuracy and calculation. The pacing is only occasionally disappointing; the Tanz, which contains excellently elaborate percussive sections, is taken too quickly and most of the rich subtleties are lost.

Philip Creech's rendition of the song of the roasting swan, "Olim lacus colueram," is a hilarious and slightly disturbing instance of petrified and bizarre caterwauling. Bernd Weikl, a rather rough-hewn baritone-bass, is a somewhat unsteady but altogether satisfying choice for the baritone soloist. "Ego sum abbas" is definitely his best moment; it is presented accusingly and voraciously, easily juxtaposed to the supercilious ravings and fire-and-brimstone-preaching of a Biblical prophet. June Anderson is simply a treasure as the soprano soloist. Gundula Janowitz, the Jochum soprano, has a less dense, more ethereal voice, which was more fitting for the orgiastic "Stetit puella." However, due to one of Levine's more inspired (and slow) moments, Anderson is able to uncover some of the solo's most invigorating and atmospheric subtleties. She also survives "Dulcissime," a brief but extraordinarily tiring piece that causes most sopranos to languish.

Simply the best Carmina .......2005-05-03

When I bought this CD, I expected a beautiful, powerful, austere, haunting, loud piece all rolled into one CD. The CSO, bless their hearts, obliged me here. The brass, as usual are painstakingly precise( as is the chorus when the score calls for staccato passages such as the pianissiomo section on the first track)as seen in tracks such as track 10, the last part of Uf dem Anger. Of course I cannot diminish the other parts of the orchestra but my mind often freezes up when doing these reviews because I have so much I want to say and don't want you to think I'm a babbling idiot. Anyway, really, the only detraction to this recording is the tenor, Creech I believe it is. I find his sqawking irritating( I am speaking specifically of the Roasted Swan Song). I cannot attest to whether that's what Orff actually wanted as another critic here suggests. If that is what Orff wanted, then shame on him. Regardless of that minor flaw, the disc is a proud testament to what happens when Levine meets the CSO.

Average customer rating: Not the fiery performance I'd hoped for... Stunning sound thrilling, high-energy performance An original but narrow view of Beethoven the hype for this cd is true..

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 [Hybrid SACD] Manufacturer: Bis ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Beethoven: Symphony Nos. 3 & 8 [Hybrid SACD] Beethoven Symphonies 4 & 5 Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in c minor [Hybrid SACD] Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (Hybr) Le Sacre du Printemps [Hybrid SACD] ASIN: B000IZJ1O8 Release Date: 2006-10-24

Customer Reviews:

Not the fiery performance I'd hoped for..........2007-04-06

This is not the Ninth you want if you believe, as I do, that the essence of the work should instill the emotions of joy and passion in the listener. Browning wrote, "Man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" and the chorale finale here should echo that very sense of élan that Schiller's Ode To Joy promises. But it doesn't -- at least not for me.

Vanska chooses the contemporary view of increasing tempo throughout this performance, and it is, in several ways, conducted much like David Zinman's spirited performance with the Tonhalle players. And like Zinman, Vanska bases this on the mildly controversial Bärenreiter Urtext editions that employ the composer's revisions. But Vanska's isn't quite so convincing, especially when he arrives at the finale. Here, the choice of soloists, too, appears a bit lightweight, leaving the listener just a little unimpressed. Sound quality is excellent, revealing the engineers' thoughtful regard for the improvement one has from the SACD layer. The conventional CD layer is also quite good.

I haven't yet found the perfect Ninth on record, but my ideal would offer more intensity than here. Not recommended as one's introduction to this work.

Stunning sound.......2007-04-02

Perhaps not the ultimate in style, but drop dead stunning sound. Kudos to the recording eng. at BIS! This series far makes up for a non Karajan approach with super detailed sound. This is SACD demo quality!

thrilling, high-energy performance.......2007-03-25

Osmo Vanska's new 9th Symphony with the Minnesota Orchestra is taut and full of electricity from beginning to end. True, its effect is not as grand as Furtwangler's in 1951 at Bayreuth (see my review). But it doesn't aspire to that standard and fail, it aims for something different. And succeeds, marvelously!

For me, the 1996 Abbado/BPO performance (remastered in 2004 -- see my review) is a good point of comparison. Abbado's "Molte vivace - Presto" has a swinging dance rhythm, while Vanska's faster pace has a march tempo, very German. Vanska takes the slow movement slightly slower than Abbado. It is the final choral movement where Vanska really makes his mark -- what energy! This is the most exciting finale I've heard since Furtwangler 1951. The vocals are clipped, but reach up to the skies with a very German-sounding sort of ecstasy. Fantastic!

See my QUINTESSENTIAL BEETHOVEN SYMPHONIES list for more recommendations and reviews.

An original but narrow view of Beethoven.......2007-02-25

When Osmo Vanska marches into New York on tour with his Minnesota Orch., the critics act as if Napoleon, or at the very least the ghost of Furtwangler, had arrived. His conquest of Beethoven is hailed as uncompromising, radical, and intense. If only this CD of the Ninth bore any of that out. Finding greater depth in masterpieces is what performance should be about. But what I hear is updated Gardiner-Norrington-Harnoncourt--which is to say, brisk, clipped, emotionally truncated musicmaking that forgoes Beethoven's nobility in favor of crisp clarity.

Crispness and clarity are vitues, but so is nobility. In trying to be original, Vanska has lost a lot. The first movement here isn't unduly fast (Simon Rattle and Claudio Abbado, in their re-thinking of Beethoven adopt this faster tempo, too), and there's a degree of tension, if not mystery. But the Minnesota Orch. isns'st within miles of sounding like the Berlin and Vienna forces that Rattle and Abbado lead.

The Scherzo is successful but sounds like the same bouncy, one-beat-to-the-bar reading we tend to get nowadays, with the requisite hard mallets on the punchy timpani (refer to the Zinam cycle on Arte Nova for a more bracing rendition). I anaticipated that Vanska would ignore Beethoven's Molto Adagio in the slow movement in favor of a flowing Andante, and so he does, in line with a dozen period-performance advocates. It's a defensible choice, and he goes to the trouble of putting tenderness and feeling into the melodic line.

I expected the finale to go hell-for-leather, with punchy accents and almost no rubato for expression. And so it does, Vanska winning the speed race in the opening section, which whirls by. To me it's an absurd waste of great music, but his musicians stay right on point. The bass soloist is dry-voiced and hard pressed to sing his part, resorting in the end to short breaths and punching out his words. But Vanska must want this, becasue the chorus sings in bursts and clips, also, a distressing travesty when you consider the soaring idealism of Schiller's poem. The poor tenor must race through his solo and can't make it quite. The finale marches stiff-necked to the very end.

Well, I guess this is radicalism of a sort.

the hype for this cd is true.........2007-02-19

very fluid and detailed performance. Extremely well conducted-he "uncovers" notes and phrases that you didn't think existed. One of the best I've heard.

Average customer rating: San Francisco is great, but not here... Life In The Middle Ages Was Hardly Dull!!! My overall favorite "Carmina" One of the best Very Disappointing

Orff: Carmina Burana Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Orff | Orff, Carl | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music San Francisco Symphony Orchestra | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Carmina Burana: Vocal Score Orff - Carmina Burana / Oelze, Keenlyside, Keubler; Thielemann Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem Nielsen: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6 Symphony No. 9 / Overture in C ASIN: B0000041YC Release Date: 1991-10-11

Tracks:

1. Carmina Burana: Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna
2. Carmina Burana: Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: Fortune plango vulnera
3. Carmina Burana: I. Primo Vere: Veris leta facies
4. Carmina Burana: I. Primo Vere: Omnia Sol temperat
5. Carmina Burana: I. Primo Vere: Ecce gratum
6. Carmina Burana: Uf Dem Anger: Tanz
7. Carmina Burana: Uf Dem Anger: Floret silva nobilis
8. Carmina Burana: Uf Dem Anger: Chramer, gip die varwe mir
9. Carmina Burana: Uf Dem Anger: Reie - Swaz hie gat umbe - Chume, chume, geselle min - Swaz hie gat umbe
10. Carmina Burana: Uf Dem Anger: Were diu werlt alle min
11. Carmina Burana: II. In Taberna: Estuans interius
12. Carmina Burana: II. In Taberna: Olim lacus colueram
13. Carmina Burana: II. In Taberna: Ego sum abbas
14. Carmina Burana: II. In Taberna: In taberna quando sumus
15. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Amor volat undique
16. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Dies, nox et omnia
17. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Stetit puella
18. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Circa mea pectora
19. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Si puer cum puellula
20. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Veni, veni, venias
21. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: In trutina
22. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Tempus est jocundum
23. Carmina Burana: III. Cours D'Amour: Dulcissime
24. Carmina Burana: Blanziflor et Helena: Ave formosissima
25. Carmina Burana: Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna

Amazon.com

This Grammy-winning recording of Orff's perennially popular selection of Latin lyrics is quite good. What makes the performance so successful is Herbert Blomstedt's determination to focus on beautiful singing of the tunes, rather than merely pounding out the rhythm and letting the chips fall where they may. The result is uncommonly colorful and musically satisfying. Orff was probably the least original composer that ever lived, and it was all downhill from here. If you like this piece (and who doesn't?) and want something more, you must turn to Orff's source of inspiration. Try Stravinsky's Les Noces (The Wedding) or the Symphony of Psalms. After all, if Orff could do it, so can you. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

San Francisco is great, but not here..........2005-07-07

Generally San Francisco recordings are among my favorites. The Richard Strauss recordings under Blomstedt are rich and clean, and powerfully convey colors and character. However, this recording of Carmina is hardly up to speed with any of that. The performance is dull and lacks character, though the soloist do quite well throughout. I recommend the Philharmonia recording under Ricardo Muti, or the Carl Orff approved recording with the Berlin Opera under the direction of Eugene Jochum. The SFS recording is a nice addition to the Orff colection, if for nothing else than variety.

Life In The Middle Ages Was Hardly Dull!!!.......2003-10-26

I am a religious person by nature, and enjoy classical religious music. The first time I heard CARMINA BURANA, it was on the radio. The announcer said the original texts set to music by Carl Orff were mediaeval poems. That was about it. I recall hearing a baritone sing O, O, O, then a few Latin words, and then the word "virginali" I assumed the song must be about the Virgin Mary, or at least virtue. I figured the music was powerful, and since it was medieval poetry, most likely religious, and I was sure I would enjoy it. Well, when I got home, and read the words, I realized that most of the poems shed a different light on this period of time. Many of the poems dealt with people burning with lust and all sorts of carnal desires. As I read the text, I realized that life in the middle ages was not so boring after all. While tame by today's standards, the words are rather risqué. I even recall seeing a parental advisory label on one recoding on the work. That would be going a bit too far.

The poems themselves celebrate bawdy love, but they are humorous, and Carl Orff's music is addictive. There is a right mix of music so that a chorus and orchestra can both create a spectacular sound. The work begins and concludes with the famous chorus O Fortuna. Some of the poems celebrate spring, festivities on a common and in a tavern, and the songs of love. The poems show us an interesting slice of life in the middle ages as well as a different perspective on humanity. Orff's music is modern, but it employs unique sounds that catch the attention of the listener. Most of the music is fast paced and fits the words being sung rather well.

Herbert Blomsted and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and Chorus do a decent job in this recording. The orchestra is strong and the play the music lavishly. The chorus has some powerful moments, but the performance in somewhat uneven. The three soloists are good, but not exceptional. My favorite recording of this work was an old Boston Symphony Orchestra recording that is no longer available. Sherrill Milnes and Eileen Farrell are two of the soloists and Erich Leinsdorf is the conductor. Just about any recording of this world would suffer from comparison.

My overall favorite "Carmina".......2003-01-17

This much-recorded chestnut has rarely sounded as powerful as it does on this recording. Blomstedt whips up a huge amount of excitement with overall tempi on the brisk side, but still allows delicate sections to breathe, such as "In Trutina" (with the excellent soprano Lynne Dawson, who sounds clear and focused both here and throughout the recording).

The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is terrific, playing with sparkling precision, and the superb chorus not only sings beautifully in tune but enunciates the Latin text so that every word can be understood. Soloists John Daniecki and Kevin McMillan are also quite fine, and Decca's sound quality is ultra-clear, which only underlines Blomstedt's crisp interpretation.

Among fairly recent recordings of this piece, Muti and Dutoit are other favorites. Some listeners may admire versions with specific soloists, such as Jochum's with Gundula Janowitz or Levine's with June Anderson. But this one is hard to beat as an overall, highly satisfying choice - and reminds us of why this piece became a chestnut in the first place.

One of the best.......2002-06-17

This is an incredibly refined performance.

Those who have had the privilege of listening to Maestro Blomstedt's live performances will understand his grasp of clarity and balance. In this rendition of Orff's masterpiece, he gives us a performance so clear that the listener believes himself to be reading the score.

The percussion, emphasized in some recordings to achieve a superficially brilliant effect, is brought into balance with the rest of the ensemble, yet still provides the necessary aural spice. The Maestro shows us that this is well written and beautiful music, and allows the ingredients to speak for themselves.

Nevertheless, the work as presented still contains the erotic power and drive of Orff's conception. This is amazing since Maestro Blomstedt is a Seventh Day Adventist, and the expressions in this music, and in particular in "In Taberna" must be anathema to his personal beliefs.

I do not know who troubled to write the pans that appear elsewhere on this page, but they must have listened to far too many trite performances of this major work. And as far as characterizing Orff as unoriginal is concerned, he may not be another Mozart, but he is still a pretty good Orff.

Very Disappointing.......2002-04-30

I heard this CD when it first came out and I am as disappointed by it now as I was then. I don't question Mr. Blomstedt's ability or talent in conducting, but I do have a profound dislike for the style that he used. To state it simply, his approach is much too light and soft for my tastes. For example, listen to the sound file of his Fortuna Imperiatrix Mundi here, and then compare it to the versions done by DeBurgos (my favorite) and Muti. Both DeBurgos' and Muti's version have a touch of shrillness that make your hair stand on end. In my opinion, Blomstedt's version lacks this quality. It's too pleasant--lacking the brashness that I want to hear from a Carmina Burana. The only part where I think that he really succeeds is in the part where the roasted swan sings. There, I hear a dark humor that I find appropriate and engaging.

This is not a bad album--the performance and sound are absolutely flawless--it's just wholly uninteresting to me. I prefer other interpretations of this work.

Average customer rating: A musical, appealing Figaro, but not lovable or wise enough Spirit, fun and life Sorry, Cherubino's great! A very lively Figaro. Best Figaro

Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro / Terfel, Gardiner, The English Baroque Soloists Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , John Eliot Gardiner , Bryn Terfel , Alison Hagley , Hillevi Martinpelto , Rodney Gilfry , Pamela Helena Stephen , Susan McCulloch , Carlos Feller , Constanze Backes , Julian Clarkson , and Francis Egerton Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Mozart: Così fan tutte / Roocroft, Mannion, E. James, Gilfry, Trost, Feller, Gardiner Mozart - Die Zauberflöte / Oelze, Schade, Sieden, Finley, Peeters, English Baroque Soloists, Gardiner Mozart - Don Giovanni / Gilfry, Orgonasova, Margiono, James, Prégardien, D'Arcangelo, Gardiner Mozart - Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) / Jean-Louis Thamin · John Eliot Gardiner · Bryn Terfel · Rodney Gilfry · Théâtre du Chatelet Mozart - Die Entführung aus dem Serail / Orgonasova, Sieden, Olsen, Peper, Hauptmann, Minetti; Gardiner ASIN: B0000057EL Release Date: 1994-10-11

Tracks:

1. Le nozze di Figaro: Sinfonia
2. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - 1 Duettino: 'Cinqe..dieci...venti...trenta'
3. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - Recitativo: 'Cosa stai misurando'
4. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - 2. Duettino: 'Se a caso Madama la notte ti chiama'
5. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - Recitativo: 'Or bene, ascolta, e taci'
6. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - Recitativo: 'Bravo, Signor padrone!'
7. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - 3. Cavatina: 'Se vuol ballare, signor Contino'
8. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - Recitativo: 'Ed aspettaste il giorno'
9. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - 4. Aria: 'La vendetta, oh, la vendetta'
10. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - Recitativo: 'Tutto ancor non ho perso'
11. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - 5. Duettino: 'Via, resti servita'
12. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - Recitativo: 'Va lvecchia pedante'
13. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - 6. Aria: 'Non so pi cosa son, cosa faccio'
14. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - Recitativo: 'Ah, son perduto!'
15. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - 7. Terzetto: 'Cosa sento! tosto andate'
16. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - Recitativo: 'Basilio, in traccia tosto di Figaro'
17. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - 8. Coro: 'Giovani liete, fiori spargete'
18. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - Recitativo: 'Cos'uesta commedia'
19. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - 9. Coro: 'Giovani liete, fiore spargete'
20. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - Recitativo: 'Evviva!... E voi non applaudite?'
21. Le nozze di Figaro: Act One - 10. Aria: 'Non piu andrai, farfallone amoroso'
22. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - 11. Cavatina: 'Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro'
23. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - Recitativo: 'Vieni, cara Susanna'
24. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - Recitativo: 'Quanto duolmi, Susanna'
25. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - 12. Arietta: 'Voi che sapete che cosa e amor'
26. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - Recitativo: 'Bravo! che bella voce!'
27. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - 13. Aria: 'Venite... inginocchiatevi...'
28. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - Recitativo: 'Quante buffonerie!'
29. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - 'Che novitnon fu mai vostra usanza'
30. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - 14. Terzetto: 'Susanna, or via, sortite'
31. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - Recitativo: 'Dunque, voi non aprite?'
32. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - 15. Duettino: 'Aprite, presto, aprite'
33. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - Recitativo: 'O guarda il demonietto!'

Tracks:

1. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - 'Tutto come io lasciai'
2. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - 16. Finale: 'Esci, omai, garzon malnato'
3. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - 'Signore! Cos'e quel stupore?'
4. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - Recitativo: 'Susanna, son morta'
5. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - 'Signori, di fuori son gi i suonatori'
6. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - Recitativo: 'Conoscete, signor Figaro'
7. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - 'Ah! signore... signore' - 'Cosa stato?'
8. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - Recitativo: 'Vostre dunque saran queste carte'
9. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Two - 'Voi signor, che giusto siete'
10. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - Recitativo: 'Che imbarazzo e mai questo!'
11. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - 17. Duettino: 'Crudel! Perche finora farmi languir cosi?'
12. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - Recitativo: 'E perch fosti meco stamattina s austera?'
13. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - 18. Recitativo ed Aria: Recitativo: 'Hai gi vinta la causa!'
14. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - Aria: 'Verd mentr'io sospiro'
15. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - 'Andiamo, andiam, bel paggio'
16. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - 20. Recitativo ed Aria: Recitativo: 'E Susanna non vien'
17. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - Aria: 'Dove sono i bei momenti'
18. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - Recitativo: 'e decisa la lite'
19. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - 19. Sestetto: 'Riconosci in questo amplesso'
20. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - 'Eccovi, o caro amico'
21. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - Recitativo: 'Io vi dico, signor'
22. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - 21. Duettino: 'Sull'aria...' - 'Che soave zeffiretto'
23. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - Recitativo: 'Piegato e il foglio'
24. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - 22. Coro: 'Ricevete, o padroncina'
25. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - Recitativo: 'Queste sono, Madama, le ragazze del loco'
26. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - 23. Finale: 'Ecco la marcia... andiamo'
27. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - Allegretto - 'Amanti costanti'
28. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - Andante - 'Eh gia, solita usanza'
29. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Three - Recitativo: 'Andate, amici'

Tracks:

1. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - 24. Cavatina: 'L'ho perduta... me meschina!'
2. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - Recitativo: 'Barbarina, cos'hai?'
3. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - 25. Aria: 'Il capro e la capretta'
4. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - Recitativo: 'Nel padiglione a manca'
5. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - 26. Aria: 'In quegli anni in cui val poco'
6. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - 27. Recitativo: 'Tutto e disposto'
7. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - Recitativo: 'Signora, ella mi disse'
8. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - 28. Recitativo ed Aria: Recitativo: 'Giunse alfin il momento'
9. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - Aria: 'Deh vieni, non tardar, o gioia bella'
10. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - 'Oh Susanna, Susanna, quanta pena mi costi!'
11. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - (27.) Aria: 'Aprite un po' quegli occhi'
12. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - Recitativo: 'La, la, la'
13. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - 29. Finale: 'Pian pianin le andro piu presso'
14. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - 'Ecco qui la mia Susanna'
15. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - 'Tutto e tranquillo e placido'
16. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - 'Pace, pace, mio dolce tesoro'
17. Le nozze di Figaro: Act Four - 'Gente, gente, all'armi, all'armi'
18. Le nozze di Figaro: Appendix - 27. Recitativo ed Aria (traditional version): Recitativo: 'Tutto e disposto'
19. Le nozze di Figaro: Appendix - Aria: 'Aprite un po' quegli occhi'
20. Le nozze di Figaro: Appendix - Act IV scene 11: complete recitative: 'Perfida! e in questa forma meco mentia?'

Customer Reviews:

A musical, appealing Figaro, but not lovable or wise enough.......2006-03-10

For some reason Figaro's essence hasn't been caught on recordings very often. It is meant to be a comedy of manenrs in which the downstairs characters, Susanna and Figaro, are clever, witty, and lovable. They are pitted against a pair of forlorn aristocrats who need to learn to love again. Mozart sees all sides of this quartet with humor, pathos, and wisdom. When all these ingredients are balanced, the result is a miracle of tears and smiles. Naturally, it's extremely hard to achieve this ideal, especially given the musical demands that must also be met.

Gardiner's staged version possesses about half the necessary spirit. It's lively and alert, and one believes in Figaro and Susanna as a pair of clever characters. Musically we get a lot of inventive recitatives and brisk conducting of the various famous set pieces. I only mis the humanity and the fun. Everyone is being too dutiful to Mozart's reputation, and in addiiton Gardiner's pet singers who occupy the principal roles aren't great Mozarteans. Without Bryn Terfel to dominate the proceedings, and an excellent Count from Gilfry, we are left with a pretty average Susanna and Countess, and a Cherubino who exhibits many vocal flaws in her two big arias. The orchestra is quite polished, supporting the persuasive stage work. For all those vitures I'd rate this a very good Marriage of Figaro that falls short of the eights (and depths) of the score.

Spirit, fun and life.......2005-06-22

I was looking for Karajan's 1953 recording and wasn't really satisfied with any else, when I tried this one in the record shop. There it was, the same spirit, fun and life, with much better sound. This is my favourite Mozart opera now, along with Giulini's Don Giovanni.

Sorry, Cherubino's great!.......2004-09-30

Everyone, for some reason, seems to complain about Pamela Helen Stephen's Cherubino in this recording. For me, she is the best thing about this production! Her heart-rending reading of "Voi che sapete" in the second act is perfectly evocative of the young boy's amorous inclinations. John Eliot's quick tempo is just what is needed to keep the aria from "wallowing." The rest of the cast is also quite fine, although I find that the Countess is not quite on par with the fine, historically-informed singing of the others in her expressive arias (such as the somewhat swoopy "Porgi amor"). Of course, John Eliot Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists are at the top of their form. This is, for my money, the best overal Figaro on the market.

A very lively Figaro........2004-01-29

Bryn Terfel and Alison Hagley absolutely shine in this production of the Mozart classic. An even better treat is the dvd of the same production where we get to see the beautiful Alison Hagley hold her own playing Susanna to Bryn's Figaro. Considering this is a recording from a live performance, a little stage noise is to be expected and doesn't take anything away from the experience.
I did have a problem with the overly campy rendition of Voi Che Sapete (What were you thinking, Sir John???) but that is a minor complaint.

Best Figaro.......2003-02-13

Despite some flaws this is the best Figaro in the catalogue. Lots of humour and very realistic "noises" makes the opera real, you can almost see the play/acting. When the Count nocks on Susanna's door I get fooled every time and run to my own front-door to see who's there. :-)

Average customer rating: Terrific CD - a MUST have

Azul Helena Manufacturer: Sunny Side ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Bossa Nova | Latin Music | Styles | Music Similar Items: Cibelle Garota Moderna São Paulo Confessions Natural Equilibria ASIN: B00008ZL6P Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

1. Morrer Nos Sues Bracos
2. Ile Amoureuse
3. Vida Nunca Tera Fim
4. Baby Butterfly
5. Esse Lugar
6. Mon Bel Andalou
7. Ceu Azulou
8. Vai Meu Amor
9. M'en Aller
10. Vem Aqui
11. Tout Commence
12. Adieu Paris
13. Deshabillez-moi
14. M'en Aller - Montmartre Remix By Flush

Customer Reviews:

Terrific CD - a MUST have.......2003-12-09

Outstanding, melancholic, soothing release here. And I must say that if you're a Bebel Gilberto fan, I'm pretty sure you'll want to get your hands on this. Likewise, if you're into Thievery Corporation's Eighteenth Street Lounge - and dig Isabela Antenna's vocals, this is for you. Helena is perhaps most popular in France or Japan - her full name is Helena Noguerra and before this, the most popular song she released was "Bikini".

The vocals on this cd are amazing. She's so smooth, and she never takes her voice far out of range. You don't have shreiking or attempts to stray out of range, Helena just lets the music come to her - her style is soft and the accompaniment is true to this "genre". But - this is a rarity because I can put this on in the background and literally play the cd through to the end. Even the more upbeat tracks - like "M'en aller" and "Vem Aqui" never take away from the general feel of the cd.

Fans may have heard her tracks if they collected Nueva Bossa Nova or Brazilectro 4 or Paris Lounge 2. Those comps. had a remix of Morrer Nos Seus Bracos and Paris Lounge had a remix of M'en Aller. While I for one honestly enjoyed the remix more than the original here on this cd (of Morrer Nos Seus Bracos), the remix isn't so so far off from the original - and the original you can tell blends more into the feature cd.

Be warned though - this CD may not be for everyone. It definitely has a trippy, chillout feel - not what you want to put in if you're trying to "snap out of it" and get pumped up. But to me, put it in the car on the way into the cd for a romantic feel - it's perfect. This is offered as an Import too on Amazon however the import is twice as expensive.

Average customer rating: this is the Philip Glassish version A Surprising Find Mediocre

Carmina Burana Manufacturer: A&M ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music All Works by Orff | Orff, Carl | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Golden Scarab The Whole Thing Started With Rock & Roll Now It's out of Control Love Her Madly Atonal Head Orff: Carmina Burana ASIN: B0000071WR Release Date: 1998-04-13

Tracks:

1. The Wheel Of Fortune (O Fortuna)
2. The Wounds Of Fate (Fortune Plango)
3. The Face Of Spring (Veris Leta Facies)
4. Sunrise (Omnia Sol Temperat)
5. Welcome (Ecce Gratum)
6. The Dance (Tanz)
7. Sweetest Boy (Dulcissime)
8. If The Whole World Was Mine (Were Diu Werlt)
9. Boiling Rage (Estuans Interius)
10. The Roasted Swan (Olim Lacus)
11. In The Tavern (In Taberna)
12. Loves Flies Everywhere (Amor Volat)
13. A Young Girl
14. Come My Beauty (Veni Veni Venias)
15. The Lovers (Blanziflor Et Helena)
16. The Wheel Of Fortune (O Fortuna) -

Album Description

1983 solo album from The Doors keyboardist. Produced by Philip Glass and Kurt Munkacsi. Deleted in the US.

Customer Reviews:

this is the Philip Glassish version.......2006-09-13

One must realize members of the Philip Glass Emsemble are performimg here. True it has somewhat a disco feel at times. It is colorfull and upbeat. It has repetative framework that I think works well here. Because it follows closely to the original piece the Glass minimalism is incorporated within the music instead of controling it. I wished it had a bit darker and brooding soundscape and had say Fripplike guitar for example.( King Crimson- The Construction Of Light - to me that track sounds like Fripp meets Glass )Anyways, I managed to find this a few years ago on import after extensive searching. Now I see it is much more easily available. This was one of those albums I had that I was not happy till I found a cd version. Personally I love this.

A Surprising Find.......2006-07-02

I came across this album while browsing absent-mindedly through the public library selection. I had not recognized the name "Carmina Burana", but upon listening, realized that I had heard the piece many times, from many conductors, before. I am a lover of the medieval period, church music, and 80's synthesized music, amongst many other genres. I was astounded to find such a synchronically composed piece that brought together such diverse theories.

Mediocre.......2005-12-09

Very Very Very 80s sounding. While that normally isn't a bad thing for me, it just makes this album very boring and cheesey. I'm a Manzarek fan, but he still plays at his best in the Doors.

Average customer rating: Strauss' Most Obscure Opera....for good reason! Great Score,Fine Singers,Reticent Conductor Fine live performance of Strauss' unfairly neglected opera Not impressive at all Good Voigt

R. Strauss: Die Ägyptische Helena Deborah Voigt , Leon Botstein , Jill Grove , Elizabeth Batton , and Christopher Robertson Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Strauss - Intermezzo / Popp, Fischer-Dieskau, Dallapozza, Fuchs, Finke, Moll, Raimund Grumbach, Hirte, Wilsing, Bayerischen Rundfunks, Sawallisch Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs Richard Strauss: Die ägyptische Helena Renée Fleming - Strauss: Daphne Richard Strauss - Capriccio / Schwarzkopf, Wächter, Gedda, Fischer-Dieskau, Hotter, Ludwig, Moffo, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sawallisch ASIN: B00009NHAA Release Date: 2003-06-24

Tracks:

1. Einleitung: Das Mahl Ist Gerichtet
2. Sause Hin, Sturm! Flieg Hin Wie Der Blitz!
3. Wo Bin Ich?
4. Bei Jener Nacht, Der Keuschen Einzig Einen
5. Ein Becher War SuBer Als Dieser
6. Ihr Grunen Augen
7. Ohne Zaudern
8. Wer Bist Du?
9. Ai!
10. O Engel, Fur Elfen
11. Das Notigste Nur

Tracks:

1. Zweite Braut Nacht!
2. Wo Ist Das Haus?
3. Aus Flirrender Stille
4. Eilig Zusammen Geraffte Gaben
5. Denn Es Ist Recht, DaB Wir Kampfen
6. Ich Werde Neben Dir Reiten!
7. So Schon Bedient
8. Aithra! Liebe Herrliche!
9. Habet Acht!
10. Hute Dich Furst
11. Mein Geliebter! Menelas!
12. Die Wir Zum Feste Dich Laden
13. Weib, Tritt Hinweg!
14. Bei Jener Nacht, Der Keuschen Einzig Einen
15. Tot-Lebendige!
16. Zu Mir Das Weib!
17. Vater, Wo Ist Meine Schone Mutter?
18. Gewogene Lufte, Fuhrt Uns Zuruck

Amazon.com

Strauss and librettist Hoffmannsthal planned a light opera on themes of marital relations and reconciliation. They imagined the rescued Helen of Troy traveling home with Menalaus, who now wants to kill her for her infidelity that led to the carnage of the Trojan War. Despite some comic writing early on, they failed to produce the requisite lightness, stuffing the libretto with clichéd symbolism including singing seashells, elves, magic potions, and more. But Strauss' score, if not wholly successful, does have some terrific moments, including Helen's spectacular big aria that opens Act Two. This again proves that even lesser Strauss operas shouldn't be missed. Deborah Voigt invests Helen with vocal radiance and power. She makes this recording a must-have. Her colleagues include mezzo Jill Grove's big-voiced Sea Shell and Celena Shafer's fine lyric soprano in the role of the enchantress Aithra, and tenor Carl Tanner who valiantly gets through the impossible part of Menaleus. All must contend with Leon Botstein's rough-and-ready conducting, but only Voigt effortlessly rides over the huge orchestral climaxes that sometimes bury the others. The fine orchestral playing gives Strauss' brilliant colors their full due. Telarc's engineering of this live concert performance is first class, helping to make this the preferred recorded version of the opera. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Strauss' Most Obscure Opera....for good reason!.......2007-04-07

As a diehard R. Strass fan, I eagerly looked forward to hearing this opera, having never heard it and also having to teach it to my opera class. I must admit that if I never hear this opera again, that's fine with me. The plot is totally nonsensical and very hard to comprehend. Musicologists claim the second act to be the stronger of the two, and they are correct, as at least there is some character development. The first act, to be honest, is simply stupid. Hoffmansthal and Strauss really slipped on this one.

The movement of the drama, therefore, must fall on the shoulders of the singers, and here they fall short. Debra Voight is in exquisite voice, but she has only two volumes: loud and louder. Her touches of nuance are few and far between, and this opera begs for a lot of them to give it any shape. She attacks the incredibly demanding range with a vengeance, but after a half hour her voice ceases to fall graciously on the ear.

The tenor, Carl Tanner, sounds totally out of his league, valiantly trying to sing his lines in a tessitura that simply is too high for him. His lower notes show warmth and a normal vibrato, but once above the staff (where much his part lies), the vibrato slows alarmingly and his tone becomes tight and forced, giving the impression that he's right at the limits of his vocal capacity.

As a through-composed opera (a nod to Wagner), there are precious few parts that can be removed as an aria per se. The most viable section is the famous Awakening Scene at the beginning of Act II. Here Debra Voight scales the taxing range with relative ease, but her delivery is pretty void of any emotion. [I suggest listening to Leontyne Price, or, better yet, Leonie Rysanek for a comparison.]

What really redeems this recording is the orchestra and conductor. The under-rated American Orchestra brings the music to life with clear and in-tune playing: a fabulous feat considering all the dissonances strewn with seeming abandon throughout. Conductor Leon Botstein is to be commended for maintaining a cohesive ensemble and keeping the opera moving, with careful attention to musical details and instilling a sweeping vivacity that keeps the opera alive.

If you can locate Leonie Rysanek's live 1956 performance, buy it! The sound is iffy at times, but she and her colleagues bring the weak libretto to life much more so than this recording.

Great Score,Fine Singers,Reticent Conductor.......2005-02-12

I felt some unfair judgements concerning this recording,by reading controversial rewiews below.First of all,"Helena" is an unquestionable fine score,a kind of a "Die Frau" opera twin,in spite of the overfanciful plot and its historical and ficticious mix characters.Mostly,the music is intricate just like the libreto,heavly orchestrated and singers have a really hard job to do,especially the tenor(Menelaus).Of course,if one expect an immaculate singing of this part,this listener must go to a studio recording because Menelaus must sing a couple of hours with very little breaks.This live "Helena" has an youth,brave Carl Tunner singing the deceived husband and his performance is a very respectable one.He was strength enough to his seductive partner,Deborah Voigt.If you don't know what is a truly straussian soprano voice,just hear Voigt's radiant and flexible tones.About those singers,I think all of they increase energy and brightness to this recording.I like a lot Christopher Robertson(Altair),a baritone I never heard before.But,this cd-set brings out a serious problem;a conductor that doesn't have affinities with music he's performing.Prologue and Act One(the singers,as well)suffer due to reticent,cowardly Botstein's conducting and I remember that moment when Helena says to her suitor,Da-ud;"-Boy,take care around the fire,or you'll melt like wax!".In my opinion,in despite of all that gorgeous singing,fine digital sound,fire was fairly I miss here.However,this set is an indispensable one to Strauss' opera lovers.

Fine live performance of Strauss' unfairly neglected opera.......2004-07-09

Since I never heard any other recordings of this opera before, I came to it unprejudiced, with a fresh mind
and ear. I was skeptical at first, the opera being rarely performed, if at all, and generally referred to as the composer's least successful work. Be it as it may, I found the score ravishingly beautiful, owing somewhat to that other mythological opera, Ariadne auf Naxos, and just as gorgeous, but without its commedia dell'arte silliness.
Here we have a stunning new recording, a live concert performance from New York's Avery Fischer Hall and there is an electricity and excitement about it that cannot usually be found in studio recordings. An all American cast of young singers, all in fine voices, adds enthusiasm to the proceedings and Deborah Voigt, perhaps today's greatest of Strauss sopranos , is finest in the performance , but the other singers
are also very satisfactory.The American Symphony Orchestra, founded by Leopold Stokowski, now led by Leon Botstein, plays very well indeed, creating many magical orchestral effects, colours and sonorities and coping well with the enormously rich,intricate score. The finales to acts one and two were superbly done and sent shivers up my spine. I am sure the audience felt the same way and went home satisfied and spiritually enriched.
Perhaps it is unfortunate that none of the singers are German and therefore the pronunciation suffers and the words tend to be blurred out.
TELARC here created a perfectly well balanced , natural and very dynamic sound , bringing out Strauss' magnificent orchestration. It will please the most critical listener and will leave all previous recordings behind as far as sound is concerned.
This may not be the finest recording of this opera, but let's face it, this is the 21st century and Solti, Keilberth and Krips are dead and so is Leonie Rysanek (fortunately their recordings are still available). One is free to choose of course, but I recommend this recording very highly . It comes in a handsome box-set , a full trilingual libretto and an exhaustive essay by Botstein, who is also a fine Strauss scholar.

Not impressive at all.......2004-06-14

This opera stands or falls with the soprano singing the title role, and I'm afraid Debbie Voigt isn't a good exponent of the part. Her voice sounds thin at the very top, and she sings without much feeling. One wonders how such a dull Helen can kick up all that fuss!

Good Voigt.......2004-04-23

In the interest of full disclosure I must state I have been a fan of Deborah Voigt ever since I first heard her in a semi-staged production of Verdi's "Un Ballo" in Palm Springs, CA. That must be close to twenty years ago. She was impossibly young and impossibly talented.

Vocally, she has seldom failed to impress ever since.

This recording is no exception, with one or two small caveats: Ms. Voigt is about voice, voice and more voice. A friend of mine used to refer, in awe, to Dame Joan Sutherland as producing "piles of sound". Much the same can be said of Voigt. She produces piles of sound that can simply leave one speechless. It can be a thrilling experience.

However, it can also be said she does not necessarily base her art on an exceptional ability to interpret her roles dramatically. That simply is not what she is all about.

Because of that, and because of what I find to be somewhat unconvincing conducting, I would say this recording is awfully good, but perhaps not great.

I wouldn't be without it, because I find those "piles of sound" impossible to resist.

However, I would strongly suggest one also give a listen to the contemporaneous recording by Korsten. He seems to have a better take on what Strauss is up to here and his soloists are pretty exciting stuff as well.

You may find it to be one of those recordings you like telling others you discovered. Don't worry, I won't tell on you.

Average customer rating: Cotrubas is Great, but what's the hurry? A great record

Verdi - La Traviata / Cotrubas, Domingo, Kleiber [highlights] Giuseppe Verdi , Munich Bavarian State Orchestra , Bavarian State Opera Chorus , Ileana Cotrubas , Placido Domingo , Giovanni Foiani , Alfredo Giacomotti , Bruno Grella , Walter Gullino , Hans-Ludwig Hirsch , and Helena Jungwirth Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Domingo, Placido | ( D ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Giacomotti, Alfredo | ( G ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Puccini - La Bohème / Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Berlin Phil., Karajan [Highlights] Verdi: Rigoletto (Highlights) / Sutherland, Pavarotti Mozart: The Magic Flute (Highlights) Puccini: Tosca (Highlights) / Freni, Pavarotti Puccini: Turandot (Highlights) / Karajan, Domingo ASIN: B000001GG4 Release Date: 1992-08-11

Tracks:

1. La Traviata: Preludio
2. La Traviata: 'Libiamo ne' lieti calici' (Brindisi)
3. La Traviata: 'Che e' cio?'' - 'Non gradireste ora le danze?'
4. La Traviata: 'Un di felice, eterea'
5. La Traviata: 'E' strano!'...'Ah, fors'e` lui'
6. La Traviata: 'Follie! Delirio vano e` questo!...Sempre libera'
7. La Traviata: 'Lunge da lei'
8. La Traviata: 'De` miei bollenti spiriti'
9. La Traviata: 'Annina, donde vieni?'
10. La Traviata: 'O mio rimorso!'
11. La Traviata: 'Dammi tu forza, o cielo!'
12. La Traviata: 'Di Provenza il mar, il suol'
13. La Traviata: 'Di Madride noi siam mattadori'
14. La Traviata: 'Invitato a qui seguirmi'
15. La Traviata: 'Ogni suo aver tal femmina'
16. La Traviata: 'Di sprezzo degno se stesso rende'
17. La Traviata: 'Teneste la promessa'...'Attendo, ne` a me giungon mai!'...'Addio del passato'
18. La Traviata: 'Signora' - 'Che t`accade?'
19. La Traviata: 'Parigi, o cara, noi lasceremo'
20. La Traviata: 'Ah, Violetta!' - 'Voi? Signor?'
21. La Traviata: 'Prendi, quest`e' l`immagine'

Customer Reviews:

Cotrubas is Great, but what's the hurry?.......2001-06-09

Cotrubas's performances are almost universally deemed "vulnerable" and no more so than here- her voice has a plaintive, sorrowful quality that really makes Violetta a tragic figure- not the fighter that is Callas, but very, very moving. Another reviewer has made a very telling comment calling Cotrubas's performance "Puccinian" meaning the frail heroine is doomed from the start- but I really think this is a major advantage here, so that even in the brightest parts of Act I, you hear desperation and fatalism in her voice (as opposed to other singers who make it so bubbly as to sound as flighty as The Merry Widow). I think the drawback here is Kleiber's speeds- yes, he creates a great deal of dramatic tension, and yes there are lots of places in Traviata for a singer to wallow self-indulgently, but I think his tempi are too fast and he never relaxes for a second: the wrenching preludio (both in Acts I and III) speeds by- the traditional rubato on the higher note at the end of the first phrase of "Addio del passato" is rushed over- "Parigi O cara" drives ahead without quarter... Perhaps Kleiber had been told to get the entire recording on the fewest number of discs possible; but did they have to cut the secord verse of "Addio del passato"?

In spite of this, I would still recommend at least the highlights disc (but be warned that Cotrubas and Milnes are wonderful in all parts in-between the arias and duets and you are really missing out of you don't hear them).

Interestingly- Deutsche Grammophon put out a highlights disc some time back which does have the same stuff listed on this disc- originally, they left out "Un di felice" in favor of much of the throw-away stuff from the very beginning of ActI -- what's up with that? The original also left off the big concertato at the end of Act II, one of the best Verdi ever wrote-- but it did have the Preludio for Act III as well as the heartbreaking and gorgeously sung arioso material at the start of Act III.

A great record.......2000-07-09

This record was my first contact with Opera and I have become a passionate amateur since. Ileana Cotrubas brings an outstanding Violetta: the sincerety and vulnerability that she puts into the charachter is truly moving. Also Sherril Milnes is impressive in his interpretation of Germont and it is pitty that this record does not include Violetta and Germont's duet 'pura siccome un angelo'. Whether you are a freshman to the world of opera or whether you have been an opera fan for a long time, this record will enchant you.

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