Elysium

1. Sartre Ringo

2. Penicillin (It Doesn't Mean Much)

3. Captive Audience

4. Chimera Obscurant

5. Poor Celine

6. Forlorn

7. We Were Bound (To Bend the Rules)

Elysium,The Velvet Teen,Slowdance Records,Adult Alternative Pop/Rock,Indie Rock,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Elysium

Average customer rating:

Mystical journey into the desert
World music - folk rock from the middle east
Pure and captivating.
Wonderful
Mystic, Mesmerizing, and Beautiful

Elysium for the Brave
Azam Ali
Manufacturer: Six Degrees
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Portals of Grace
Niyaz
Feast of Silence
In the Garden of Souls
Sunyata

ASIN: B000FTBK9G
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Tracks:

Endless Reverie
Spring Arrives
In Other Worlds
Abode
Forty One Ways
The Tryst
From Heaven To Dust
I Am A Stranger In This World
In This Divide

Amazon.com

For this, her second solo album, Azam Ali, lead vocalist of Vas and Niyaz, takes her patented polycultural blend of ancient and contemporary influences even farther beyond the stratosphere. That she is now a veteran of numerous film scores, including Children of Dune, Earthsea, and Matrix Revolutions, perhaps explains her present more cinematic direction. Born in Iran, reared in India and the US, and gifted with a voice of improbable tonal breadth, flexibility, and beauty, she is backed by collaborators like Trey Gunn (King Crimson), Chris Venna (Nine Inch Nails), Turkish DJ/composer Mercan Dede, the Japanese ensemble Kodo, and Grateful Dead drummer/world percussion enthusiast Mickey Hart. One of the more interesting conundrums inherent in Ali's work is that no matter how much electronic technology she employs, her immersion in her heritage unfailingly comes across loud and clear. Whether she is singing in English, which predominates on these sessions, Farsi, or another language, a prayerful sensuality informs every note. It's as though a sexy Tanagra temple figurine or silk-clad court lady from an antique parchment were to suddenly turn her lovely head and step daintily into the modern world, unfurling precisely the kind of voice one expected but never could have imagined. --Christina Roden

Album Description

"Elysium For The Brave", Azam's second solo album, signals a new turn in her musical evolution. The album, her most ambitious work to date, brings together musicians from varied musical backgrounds performing in diverse permutations. The result is a highly coherent body of work that seamlessly weaves together all of Azam's cultural and musical influences into a haunting tapestry of atmospheric rock, electronic, and global sounds. Singing predominantly in English for the first time, the songs are based on lyrics written by Azam herself and reveal a poetic lyricism heard only in glimpses in her previous work.

Customer Reviews:

Mystical journey into the desert.......2007-06-07

Azam Ali is an amazing New Age diva. She's more soulful than Enya, and her lyrics show a depth and mysticism not often found in relaxing New Age music. It's also not surprising that Azam Ali contributed the electrifying "Inama Nushif" to the "Children of Dune" soundtrack.

The opening track,"Endless Reverie",evokes vast desert spaces. It seduces the listener into a spiritual journey. "Spring Arrives" is a musical oasis. "Abode" sounds ancient and modern at once,in which Azam Ali sings of longing for her homeland of Iran. "Forty One Ways" has an urgency driving it forward, with its haunting opening "forty one ways to die,one strong will to live. " "The Tryst" is at once spiritual and erotic; Azam Ali sings of her own sin&being unworthy to enter her lover's garden (which almost sounds like Christian rock-yet it's not)."I am a stranger in this world" is unearthly,expressing desire for union with the eternal.

Azam Ali's spirituality shines in her songs. She does not resort to hoary,sappy cliches. It's as if Teresa of Avila's "The Interior Castle" or John of the Cross' "Ascent of Mount Carmel" were given sonic life. Azam Ali has had an amazing career so far;she headed Vas,now she fronts Niyaz.The best is yet to come.

World music - folk rock from the middle east.......2007-05-12

If you are looking for music similar to "Dead can dance" with real words this album is it, but the more traditional instrumented tracks are more moving.

Pure and captivating........2007-04-24

Azam Ali was born in Iran, raised in India, and currently resides in the USA and she blends her polycultural influences beyond what the human mind can imagine. Known for her collaborations with a vast array of musicians, including members from Nine Inch Nails, the guitar virtuoso Buckethead, the Turkish world music composer Mercan Dede, and the Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, she also fronts two amazing bands: Vas and Niyaz. Elysium for the Brave is her second solo statement, which she has co-produced with Carmen Rizzo (Niyaz) and sees her taking her already amazing style several steps further.

This time around, she is supported by King Crimson's Pat Mastelotto whose amazing percussion work on the opening song "Endless Reverie", blended with Ali's impossibly beautiful vocals, is like the perfect combination of tribal beats and electronics, something we've never heard from Ali before. Another Crimson member, Trey Gunn, also appears on the album, and even co-wrote the mood-intensive piece "The Tryst", employing minimal guitar effects that underlie Ali's vocal lament. Her velvet vocals convey sensuality and heartfelt emotion, and are carefully placed atop an ethereal guitar theme. It is amazing to hear Ali sing in English -- her older fans know how moving she can get when she sings in Persian and Indian, but to see that she is actually capable of applying her talents to more "straightforward" pieces is nothing short of astounding. Unlike her works with Vas and Niyaz, there are a few non-Eastern songs on this album, such as the album opener and this one, where you'll get lost in the beauty of forlornly ringing guitar notes and dark mysticism.

That said, while the titles are in English, not all of them are sung in this language. Ali still uses lots of Persian and Indian lyrics in her songs. Her artistic strength mostly lies in crafting unique Middle Eastern pieces highlighting her vocals and it is hard to capture the intensity without using the region's language and instruments (as on the Indian dirge "Abode"). Her voice is so vulnerable and beautiful I don't even know how to describe it. Having discovered her on Mercan Dede's Breath album where she does her unique Persian-styled vocal melodies mostly going for wordless harmonies, I felt compelled to seek everything she participated in and was absolutely thrilled she experiments with the same style on songs like "I Am a Stranger in This World", which she co-wrote with Loga Roman Torkian, her partner in Niyaz; and the mesmerizing "From Heaven to Dust", an atmospheric elegy drenched in western beats and Indian percussion. "In Other Worlds" is one of the darkest songs on the CD -- it contains strummed acoustic guitars that slowly disappear under a wall-of-sound keyboards that blanket everything but Ali's wonderful voice. Though there is a vague Persian sadness incorporated into the song, this is yet another attempt to branch out and explore new territories.

The production and sonic quality of the album are mindblowing. An incredible amount of nuance and coherent body of work serve to heighten the unmatched emotional power of Ali's voice and compositional skills to a higher level. She has now proved that she is so much more than just a singer with a great voice; her understanding of melody, rhythm, and vocal arrangement leaves me speechless. Check this disc out even if you're remotely interested in world music that is unafraid to infuse electronics and minimalism into its tapestry.

Wonderful.......2007-03-14

This is like listening to a movie soundtrack, only you get to make the movie up in your own mind. If you like Natacha Atlas, world music, middle eastern music, heck, if you just like music, get this albumn.

Mystic, Mesmerizing, and Beautiful.......2007-03-11

If you are a fan of last year's "Niyaz" album, then you'll swear that "Elysium for the Brave" sounds like its sequel. It's no surprise since "Niyaz" musicians Logan Ramin Torkian and Carmen Rizzo accompany Azam Ali for the second time on this new album. "Elysium for the Brave" features a diverse cast of artists to give the album a very global and diverse sound. Classical Persian violinist Kiavash Nourai makes an appearance to add rich ethnic depth, while film composers Tyler Bates and Jeff Rona contribute to create atmospheric and cinematic soundscapes. As mentioned on Azam Ali's website, it's very interesting to learn that Jeff Rona is well known for his collaborations with Dead Can Dance.

What makes "Elysium from the Brave" stand out from Azam Ali's previous work is that she sings 6 out of 9 tracks in English (the remaining three are in Farsi). The mystical lyricism, which was written by Azam Ali herself, is hauntingly beautiful and reminds us about our personal quests for Elysium. Some of the lyrics however, are difficult to make out, but this didn't bother me at all because it's not so much about digging up words, but LISTENING and EXPERIENCING the MUSIC. Those who are familiar with the band "Cocteau Twins" (one of my favorite bands) and the lead singer, Elizabeth Fraiser, shouldn't be bothered by not being able to hear the lyrics since the "Cocteau Twins" are known for their indecipherable lyrics.

Everyone wants to escape their sorrows and hardships, everyone wants to feel Loved, everyone wants to be happy; these universally shared human longings are what unite us as a species. Unlike the hoards of hip-hop and pop music out there that exploit our animalistic nature, Azam Ali's voice is cry for a return to the human spirit. It would not be inaccurate to say that many humans are out of touch with their spiritual nature, and I am not sure who the blame goes to, but I believe attracting the population through an appealing form of art, such as music, is a powerful way to help promote and encourage spirituality. "Elysium for the Brave" features powerful and thought-provoking lyrics voiced by a divinely gifted woman who sings over stimulating modern day beats and rhythms, which make this album a unique blend of the ancient and the new.

My favorite tracks are:

1. Endless Reverie, 3. In Other Worlds, 5. Forty One Ways, 7. From Heaven to Dust (a nice BASS track) 8. I am a Stranger in this World, 9. In This Divide (the instrumentation is amazing)

Average customer rating:

A Beautiful, Relaxing Project
It just cannot be the end for Charlotte's classical career! :(
Charlotte Church
Somewhat decent but still mediocre
R&B For Charlotte

Prelude: The Best of Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Enchantment
Voice of an Angel
Charlotte Church
Tissues and Issues
Dream a Dream

ASIN: B00006LFGG
Release Date: 2002-11-26

Tracks:

Pie Jesu from Requiem
My Lagan Love
In Trutina (from Carmina Burana)
Panis Angelicus
Amazing Grace
Just Wave Hello
La Pastorella (The Little Shepherdess)
She Moved Through The Fair
Ave Maria
Dream A Dream (w/ Billy Gilman)
The Flower Duet
Haba
The Prayer (w/ Josh Groban)
All Love Can Be
It's The Heart That Matters Most
Tantum Ergo
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Sancta Maria

Amazon.com

Need more evidence of the record industry's obsession with youth? Consider that budding Welsh diva Charlotte Church was a ripe, old 16 when this, her first greatest-hits anthology was released. Spanning her first four releases, as well as some outside collaborations and unreleased material, this 18-track collection underscores the soprano's seemingly boundless potential--as well as some potential career obstacles ahead. Her crystalline, still-maturing voice is best showcased on classically oriented works like Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Pie Jesu," Franck's "Panis Angelicus," and her now-ubiquitous rendering of Delibes' "Flower Duet." She also excels on folk traditionals such as "She Moved Through the Fair" and "My Langan Love." But overwrought productions like the already-dated "Dream a Dream" and "Habanera," a faux-flamenco take on Bizet, nearly get the best of her. Still, her promising duet with fellow young phenom Josh Groban on "The Prayer" and her mature, dreamy reading of A Beautiful Mind's "All Love Can Be," as well as strong performances on the previously unreleased "It's the Heart That Matters Most" and "Bridge over Troubled Waters," are ample evidence of her potential for rewarding pop crossover--if she doesn't retire by 21. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

A Beautiful, Relaxing Project.......2007-06-15

My only other experience with Charlotte Church was seeing part of a PBS special on her, where she sang songs like "Some Enchanted Evening". I actually enjoy her voice on this style of music.

I love her rendition of "Amazing Grace". She also did good on covering "Bridge Over Troubled Water", though I was disappointed she didn't try the high note on the verses as Garfunkel did. My favorite on the project was "It's the Heart That Matters Most".

If I want some beautiful sounding music to relax to while I'm working, this would be a very good project for that.

It just cannot be the end for Charlotte's classical career! :(.......2006-08-20

I'm just shocked that Charlotte has decided to end her classical career with this mediocre assortment of her most loved pieces from her other albums! I wish that she had re-sung all of the pieces to make them sound better than ever with her mature voice! To me, it seems disgusting that anyone would want to end their career with a last album that sounds the way this album does!

Her beginning pieces (Pie Jesu, My Lagan Love, In Trutina, Panis Angelicus, and Amazing Grace) were sung at the beginning of her classical career, and you can hear her flat vowels and shaky low notes. You can also hear it in "She Moved Thru the Fair". It's really annoying!

La Pastorella is a beautiful song to sing, and Church masters it beautifully! Just Wave Hello - the Ford Anthem, is also a beautiful piece, with amazing work from the orchestra.

Ave Maria is a complete annoyance! Church lays on the high notes too much, putting too much emphasis on them, and it's an annoyance! Her vowels are also flat on the high notes - I just hate it!

Dream a Dream is a very nice piece, leaning more towards the pop scene. Church still seems to make it work, and I would listen to it all day!

The Flower Duet is a beautiful song, but Church's vocals are strained, which makes it hard to listen to with a smile on your face! It's still beautiful!

The Prayer (w/ Josh Groban) is a very nice piece, originally sung by Celine Dion. She's still a little bit flat here!

All That Love can Be is sung beautifully, completely smooth and connected. The vocals are flawless and have a mezmerizing effect.

It's the Heart that Knows is a pop piece that Church sings with strong vocals. It's just showing us that she's ending her career as a classical superstar!

Tantum Ergo, Bridge Over Troubled Water, and Sancta Maria, are all beautiful pieces!

I am a Charlotte Chruch fan, no doubt, but I really didn't like this album! I still wish that she would stay with opera, but I guess dreams don't come true! I wouldn't advise you to buy this CD - but as long as you have Voice of an Angel, Charlotte Church (the Self Titled Album) and Enchantment, there's no need for this CD!

Sorry Charlotte!

Charlotte Church.......2006-07-29

Love that voice!! This is a great CD and any one who had not heard this young lady sing should buy it and prepare for some musical enjoyment.

Somewhat decent but still mediocre.......2006-06-07

I am well aware of Charlotte's age. However, I am also aware of her amazing vocals and powerful range. But these things don't make you a good singer. Charlotte chose to stick to opera in most of her songs. And face it, not just anyone can do opera.

Charlotte's voice is very well trained - maybe too trained. From a very young age she's been hitting the same notes as Sarah Brightman. But I feel that Charlotte's over-worked and not to mention overdone voice has been declining tremendously.

But I guess none of this really matters now because I haven't heard her do anything classical for a while. If you want to listen to Charlotte now, go find the song 'Crazy Chick.'

If you want to listen to other angel voiced sopranos, I'd go with Sarah Brightman or Renee' Fleming.

R&B For Charlotte .......2006-05-07

If a bird can be annoying as in a Rooster Crowing in the morning, some people will like it. A dog can bark in the nights we sleep, some People will like it. A human voice so light, so vibrated within their own dimensions, people will like it, but not I. I never really saw the beauty of opera, agitating to the ears, just like a Rooster calling on it's hens. With that said, Charlotte needs to turn to Blues Rock or R&B. Yes, Boogie style Blues Rock, she has the voice for it. No matter how many here perceive Opera or know what should sound good, no opera singer could ever sing Blues without a voice and a heart for it. Not One! So why should a girl with soulful music embedded in her, do the same? I say, "it's time to really Rock Charlotte!"

Average customer rating:

Dream a dream
This girl has Potential (I wish the press would back off)!!!!!!
This girl has Potential (I wish the press would back off)!!!!!!
A must-have for Christmas music lovers
Gorgeous!

Dream a Dream

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Our Favorite Things

ASIN: B00004ZDPO
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Tracks:

Dream A Dream (Elysium)
O Come, All Ye Faithful
The Little Drummer Boy
Mary's Boy Child
Ding Dong! Merrily On High
Winterwonderland
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
The Coventry Carol (Lully Lullay)
Joy To The World
When A Child Is Born
What Child Is This?
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Draw Tua Bethlehem/Far Over Bethlehem
Ave Maria
Gabriel's Message
O Holy Night
Lo! How A Rose E'er Blooming
Silent Night

Amazon.com

Everybody's favorite precocious sprite of a soprano comes out with her third album in Dream a Dream. It's only been two years since Charlotte Church's smash debut, Voice of an Angel, but that's a big chunk of the Welsh singer's life span so far. This latest is basically a Christmas album, so full of festive cheer you'd never guess it was recorded in the summer. Even the glummest of moods will disappear when you hear Charlotte's infectious take on chestnuts such as "Winter Wonderland" and "Little Drummer Boy" (and having the London Symphony Orchestra as your backup band doesn't hurt either). And on top of that is a really special treat: the title song (borrowing an unforgettable classical melody) which blends Church's soaring vocals with the tender voice of young country prodigy Billy Gilman. --Sarah Chin

Customer Reviews:

Dream a dream.......2007-04-03

I bought this CD after watching the music video of the same name. Their performance of "dream a dream" is exquisite. The fact that they wrote the lyrics just adds icing to an already magnificent cake!

This girl has Potential (I wish the press would back off)!!!!!!.......2007-03-01

You know charlotte church has received so much harsh critismn about her,I find that people were jeolous of her voice, and of how a young girl can sing, she is definetly my dream ome true, (So back off johnathan flanders),this girl in the past has done some wonderful music which is inspirational and she is a wonderful person, I dont care whether she has changed, anyway her rock albumn has given me a lease on life and has given me potential in my singing,I love your voice very much, and this reviewer hasnt been written by a kid at all,if charlotte church is reading this,good on yeah girl,you definetly my dream come true,and I hope I will see you one day. your best friend JJCox

This girl has Potential (I wish the press would back off)!!!!!!.......2007-03-01

A must-have for Christmas music lovers.......2006-12-07

this cd is pure magic...almost 20 great christmas songs on one cd sung by the voice of an angel herself..there may be a few mixed reviews by some people who must be opera voice teachers because there is nothing wrong with this cd...it is flawless....charlotte's soaring vocals, the beautiful orchestra and background singers, the whole cd has the christmas feel to it..."o come all ye faithfull" has to be heard to be believed...it is breathtaking...i love charlottes take on "winter wonderland" and "ding dong merrily on high" ..made me want to go dance in the snow or something.....she hits every note beautifully..buy this cd...i bought it back in 2000 and have listened to it at every Christmastime since or Christmas doesnt feel the same.

Gorgeous! .......2005-12-07

Charlotte Church has done it again! She is extremely talented. Even if she was 25 when she put this out, she'd be amazing. But she was only 14-15 years old when she recorded this! Beautiful. This album has great choral accompaniments and fabulous orchestra arrangements. It is a little on the high side in certain songs, but it still sounds amazing. I love her voice.

Average customer rating:

A Major Document of an Incredible Oeuvre...

Schubert: Lieder

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Schubert: The Piano Sonatas
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ASIN: B000AYQCIK
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Customer Reviews:

A Major Document of an Incredible Oeuvre..........2007-03-12

.
Of over 600 songs, Fischer-Dieskau and Gerald Moore realized over three-quarters: these are those. Gerald Moore was of course as important to this project as Fischer-Dieskau.

DGG's sound is excellent.

This set is a remarkable document of art.
.

Average customer rating:

Prententious? No. Thom Yorke Ripoff? Absolutely Not. Beautiful, Brave Album? Yes.
Aches with beauty
Believe it.
Overrated and cheesy.
Pretentious? Yes. Good? Incredible.

Elysium
The Velvet Teen
Manufacturer: Slowdance Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Out of the Fierce Parade
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Gyzmkid
Enter

ASIN: B0002IQO28
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Tracks:

Sartre Ringo
Penicillin (It Doesn't Mean Much)
Captive Audience
Chimera Obscurant
Poor Celine
Forlorn
We Were Bound (To Bend the Rules)

Customer Reviews:

Prententious? No. Thom Yorke Ripoff? Absolutely Not. Beautiful, Brave Album? Yes........2006-07-24

An awful lot of these reviews keep coming back to the point that this album is pretentious. Honeslty, I could not disagree more. Losing guitar in place of piano is not pretentious, its a brave move. Judah Nagler, a guitar player, wanted to make an album without guitar. Welcome to The Velvet Teen. In regard to the stickers on the front of the album, maybe slowdance records wrote about The Velvet Teen in glowing terms because they are close friends and TVT is their flagship band. Why anyone would criticize him for that is beyond me. As far as Thom Yorke similarities go, Thom and Judah have similar voices, Judah is inspired by Radiohead. Saying that Judah "rips-off" Yorke is rediculous. Lastly, in regard to poor lyrics all i have to say is when was the last time you wrote something better then this?

"half-full loses weight once you taste it / so for now my empty glass must mean i've chased it / but i'm not wasted and i'll not waste it / the dealer laced it with a new decree of our separation / how many have you taken? / and i could run off at the mouth / for hours on end, like i'd gone senseless / but i'm just speechless / rendered me defenseless / barred from your presence, my name from present-tenses "

This album is a beautiful deviation from the norm in this genre. The Velvet Teen proves through Elysium that they are a well rounded group who are capable of anything. This album is one of my top 5 albums of all time. I recommend it HIGHLY to anyone who enjoys good music.

Aches with beauty.......2005-06-10

This album will make you cry out from sheer emotive ecstasy, and I am not exaggerating. When Judah Nagler's voice soars towards the end of Poor Celine, you heart rises along with it; when he croons "you're not meant for me" at the end of Forlorn, the effect is dramatic, conveying a sense of, well, forlornness. The harmonious vocal arrangements and resplendent musical production make this a true sonic "elysium" you'll want to revisit again and again...and again.

Believe it........2005-03-25

This album is a revelation. Words do not do it justice. Decide for yourself.

Overrated and cheesy. .......2005-03-17

My friends told me to buy this cd, and that it was overwhelmingly wonderful. I think its the silliest music I've heard in a while. There is almost nothing here worth mentioning of any quality at all. The album itself sounds quite good. Some of the string arrangements, which I understand the band didn't write, are pretty good. but none of the songs seem grounded in anything particularly genuine, none of the melodies are very moving, I just don't see what the big deal is about this band.

Pretentious? Yes. Good? Incredible. .......2005-01-26

My first thoughts upon hearing Elysium (rather, before I even took the plastic wrap off the case) I thought, "God, how pretentious can you get?" My reaction was probably due to the sticker on the front which stated, as I remember it, anyway "BEHOLD: The 2nd Album from The Velvet Teen! No Guitars! For Reals!" Any band that introduces their cd with "Behold" must seriously be full of it I though, but having been a fan of their previous material, I decided to let that slide.

After listening to the CD, my opinion of their pretention remained the same, however the sheer beauty of some of the tracks is breathtaking. I admit, at points Jonah isn't exactly the greatest lyricist in the world, but at other points his words and his voice shine. I wouldn't compare his voice to Thom Yorke (we can save that for the guy from Muse), but I'd compare it closer to that of the late, great, Jeff Buckley.

Some of the tracks are kind of hefty to get through, notably the 13 minute aural adventure of Chimera Obscurant stuck right in the middle of the CD (just a heads-up, that song could probably win the award for most lyrics packed into a song in the history of man). Forlorn and A Captive Audience are some of my favorite tracks on the cd; the piano licks on both songs are very catchy, (and pretty fun to play, might I add).

Anyway, if you have a problem with pretention, then sure, go away and buy something else, but if you do decide to get this CD... Prepare yourself. Its a fantastic ride.

Average customer rating:

Wagner Takes the "A" Train
Valerie Capers
Manufacturer: Elysium Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Come on Home

ASIN: B00000IGTF
Release Date: 1999-04-01

Tracks:

Wagner Takes The 'A' Train
'Round Midnight
Nature Boy
Moanin'
Always You
The Can't Take That Away From Me
Mood Indigo
My One And Only Love
Organum
Winter's Love
Confirmation

Average customer rating:

Exploring the Schubert Songs -- Schiller-Lieder Vol. 1

Schubert: Schiller-Lieder, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Schiller-Lieder 2
Schubert: Goethe Lieder, Vol. 1

ASIN: B00005COXP
Release Date: 2001-06-19

Tracks:

Der Taucher (2. Fassung), D 111
Punschlied, D 253
Der Alpenjager, D 588
Der Jungling Am Bache (3. Beartbeitung), D 638
Elysium, D 584
Der Fluchtling, D 402
Laura Am Clavier, D 388
Der Kampf, D 594
Die Entzuckung An Laura, D 390
Dithyrambe, D 801

Customer Reviews:

Exploring the Schubert Songs -- Schiller-Lieder Vol. 1.......2005-09-19

Franz Schubert wrote over 600 songs, but only a small number are frequently performed in recitals or available in CD compilations. In their unabashed lyricism, warmth, and romanticism many of the songs richly reward a hearing. The songs were recorded in their entirety on the full-priced Hyperion label, and now the budget-priced Naxos label is duplicating that achievement in a series featuring young German singers under the supervision of pianist Ulrich Eisenlohr. It presents an outstanding opportunity to get to know the Schubert songs in depth. The Naxos series is organized under the poets that Schubert set.

Schubert set more texts by the great German poet and dramatist Frederich Schiller (1759 -- 1805) than any other writer with the exception of Goethe. In this CD baritone Martin Bruns performs ten Schiller songs accompanied by Ulrich Eisenlohr. This is first rate, expressive singing with Bruns particularly impressive on the ballads in the collection.

The CD includes only ten songs because the first of the songs,"The Diver", D. 111, runs almost 25 minutes, the longest song Schubert composed. Schubert set a ballad which became classic in Germany that tells how a young squire dived into a whirlpool at the challenge of the king to retrieve a goblet. The poem includes a description of the terrors of the deep and of the hero's miraculous escape. The king persuades the hero to try his luck again, with the hand of his daughter promised for success. Foolishy, the squire dives in and this time, alas, does not return. The young Schubert's setting captures the passion of this poem, with impressive piano writing highlighting the terrors of the ocean depth and of the whirlpool. The song is worth its 25 minute length.

The remaining nine songs are shorter and present Schubert in a variety of moods. I enjoyed the two songs Schubert set to Schiller's love poems to "Laura" (a poetic figure based on Petrarch.) The first, "Laura at the Piano" D. 388, is a love poem which praises its subject's ability to play beautiful music. It opens with a stunning piano passage of Schubert's own, followed by singing in both recitive and broadly lyrical styles. The second poem, "Enthralled by Laura" D. 390, is flowing and melodious throughout as both Schubert and Schiller celebrate love for a beautiful woman.

The CD includes three exhuberant songs which on one level celebrate the power of drink but on another level speak of human victory and hope. Schubert set each song at a different stage of his life. The song are the early "Drinking Song" D. 253, a simple strophic song, the much more complex, thorough-composed "Elysium" D.584, and the late, ecstatic song "Dithyrambe" D. 801.

The remaining songs on this collection include "The Alpine Hunter" D. 588, a ballade featuring a dialogue between an impetuous, callow young man and his mother, the thorough-composed "The Fugitive" D. 402, another ballade-like song which describes the appeal of nature and solitude to the romantic imagination, "The Struggle" D. 594, with a theme similar to the more famous "Doppelganger" as a young man struggles to free himself from a passion he cannot consummate, and "The Youth by the Stream" D. 638, a melancholy, lyrical song of unfulfilled love.

The CD includes informative liner notes and, as is becoming too rare, full texts and translations of the songs.

There are worlds of inspiration in the Schubert songs. This CD will allow the listener with basic familiary with Schubert to get to know the Schiller settings.

Robin Friedman

A Celebration of Defining Moments in Recording History

Average customer rating:

Interesting, and so cheap!
Not that great

A Celebration of Defining Moments in Recording History

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Bachianas Brasileiras - Heitor Villa-Lobos
Die Zauberflote - Herbert Von Karajan
Preludes II - Walter Gieseking
Symphonie Fantastique - Sir Thomas Beecham
Il Trovatore - Maria Callas
String Quartet - Alban Berg Quartett
Wesendonck-Lieder - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
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Fidelio - Otto Klemperer
Piano Concerto In G - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Kindertotenlieder - Bruno Walter
Dialogues Des Carmelites - Pierre Dervaux
Violin Concerto - Yehudi Menuhin
Salome - Herbert Von Karajan
Tout Un Monde Lointain... - Mstislav Rostropovich
Il Barbiere Di Siviglia - Vittorio Gui
Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - Sir John Barbirolli
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Customer Reviews:

Interesting, and so cheap!.......2005-03-17

In response to the reviewer below, yes, some of the recordings do not have the best sound quality. But that's not what this is about, it's about great recordings of the century.
There are two discs, each with about 18 tracks, averaging about 4 minutes each, of excerpts and individual movements of the some of the most famous of the 150 "GROCs."

In the booklet it has a few interesting (sometimes not that interesting) facts about each of the 150 performances.

If you don't mind excerpts of pieces or isolated movements, this would be a worthwhile purchase, especially for the bizarrely reasonable price.

Not that great.......2004-11-19

If this is supposed to be an album of "the greatest" -- I wasn't too impressed. The quality didn't seem that good and the selections, well, not all that popular to my mind.