Virgins & Philistines

Product Description
Japanese reissue of the 1985 debut album by the new wave group formed by Terry Hall of Fun Boy Three & Specials fame. Contains the 10 songs that first appeared on it, plus 10bonus tracks, 'Colourfield', 'Windmills Of Your Mind', 'Pushing Up Daisies', 'Thi

Virgins & Philistines,Colourfield,EMI,Dance,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating: Simply awe inspiring and amazing Ecstatic Music, Ecstatically Performed. canticles of Ecstay Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstacy Devine Music For Tranquil Hearts

Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Hildegard of Bingen | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Hildegard of Bingen | ( H ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Feather on the Breath of God Hildegard von Bingen: Voice of the Blood Vision: The Music of Hildegard von Bingen Luminous Spirit Hildegard von Bingen: Heavenly Revelations ASIN: B000001TYF Release Date: 1994-12-13

Tracks:

1. O vis aeternitatis - Sequentia
2. Nunc aperuit nobis
3. Quia ergo femina mortem instruxit
4. Cum processit factura digiti Dei
5. Alma Redemptoris Mater
6. Ave Maria, O auctrix vite
7. Spiritus Sanctus vivificans vite
8. O ignis spiritus Paracliti
9. Caritas habundat in omnia
10. O virgia mediatrix
11. O virdissima virga, Ave
12. Instrumental
13. O Pastor Animarum
14. O tu suavissima virga
15. O choruscans stellarum
16. O nobilissima viriditas

Amazon.com

Although Hildegard von Bingen's music has been around for 900 years--and recordings of her music for decades--it seems that only now, as we approach the turn of another millennium, the time is right for the world to pay attention. In this first-rate traversal of her music--the most popular of several volumes released by the early-music ensemble Sequentia--we hear music that resulted from Hildegard's legendary visions, which often included song texts that she subsequently collected and dispensed to her religious community of women. As rendered here by the voices and instruments of Sequentia, her music invokes an unobscured sense of mystery, conforming to Hildegard's belief that music was our bridge to the harmonies of the heavens. Whether or not we're experiencing that "heavenly harmony" here, the simple, direct, beautifully turned melodies, sung by pure, finely tuned, warm-colored women's voices, often eerily accompanied by an instrumental drone, is heavenly enough. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Simply awe inspiring and amazing.......2007-05-20

One would have to listen to this music to understand the power it will hold over you. Ethereal and almost eery, yet full of power, grace and triumph, this will be a mainstay in your collection. The only thing resembling it that the mass public would be aware of is Gregorian Chant, although this is it's own beast and so much more. It's not expensive, buy it and see for yourself.

Ecstatic Music, Ecstatically Performed........2007-05-13

I had first heard this performance of St. Hildegard of Bingen's "Canticles of Ecstasy" on sound cassette and loved it.

The music is sublime. The female voices are heavenly, without a hint of sentimentality.

When you listen to "Canticles of Ecstasy" you will know how this medieval nun and composer felt about things.

Caution. They could make a believer of you.

canticles of Ecstay.......2007-03-23

This is a very good CD I highly recomend it if you love chant. I am glad to have it in my collection.

Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstacy.......2006-07-25

This CD will transport you to another space and truly put you in touch with the sublime! If you are a massage therapist,I recommend it for use during your sessions. Anyone can use it as part of his or her meditative spiritual practice regardless of your particular faith.

Devine Music For Tranquil Hearts.......2006-02-23

I have searched through many composers, performers and albums... in search of this one sound. It only existed in my heart and mind until Hildegard von Bingen's work was recorded by this talented group. This music makes you feel like you are floating on your back - in the ocean - staring at the moon.

Average customer rating: Highest Quality Hildegard Absolutely divine.

Hildegard von Bingen: Voice of the Blood Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Hildegard of Bingen | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy Feather on the Breath of God Hildegard von Bingen: Heavenly Revelations Luminous Spirit Hildegard von Bingen: Symphoniae (Spiritual Songs) - Sequentia ASIN: B000001TZ1 Release Date: 1995-12-05

Tracks:

1. O rubor sanguinis
2. Favus distillans
3. Laus Trinitati
4. In Maututnis Laudbus
5. O Ecclesia
6. Instrumental Piece
7. O Aeterne Deus
8. O dulcissme amator
9. Rex nostoer promptus est
10. O Cruor Sanguinis
11. Cum Vox Sanguinis
12. Instrumental Piece
13. O Virgo Ecclesia Instrumental Piece
14. Nunc Guadeant Materna
15. O Orzchis Ecclesia

Customer Reviews:

Highest Quality Hildegard.......2005-09-28

Sequentia's entire series of Hildegard recordings is inspired, but there is a rather inarticulable quality to this cd that somehow soars even higher. It is apparently a result of the centrality of the Ursula stories, here musically illustrated, to Hildegard's entire conception of herself as a pledged virgin and artisan, and the freedom she found within that role to allow her gifts to fly as high as they could for the glory of God. Nor, in our terms, was it any sort of solo act: Hildegard stood quite consciously at the pinnacle of a vast supporting structure of devotion, prayer, sacred order and art.

Absolutely divine........1999-10-26

"My husband and I first encountered this CD in our local library. It's one of those encounters that transformed our life. Listening to it almost daily, while we're getting ready for the day, while we're working on our computers, or while doing the dishes, has helped us have an experience of the divine no matter where we are or what we're doing. Ever since we were introduced to the work of St. Hildegard of Bingen, we have read quite a bit about her and her works and are truly grateful to this great soul for what she has given our world. This CD is a great introduction to the world of Hildegard, together with another fine CD, Feather on the Breath of God."

Average customer rating: Still: Symphony Nº 1 Good, Good, Good African-American Composers In The Spotlight Great music, underplayed performance Bought it for the Ellington; play it now for the Still!

Still: Symphony No. 1; Ellington: Suite from "The River" Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Ellington | Ellington, Edward Duke | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Still | Still, William Grant | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Detroit Symphony Orchestra | ( D ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Still/Dawson/Ellington: Symphony No. 2/Negro Folk Symphony/Harlem William Grant Still: Afro-American Symphony; In Memoriam; Africa (Symphonic Poem) Nielsen: Aladdin Suite; Pan and Syrinx; Saga Deam; Maskarade Overture; Helios Overture Works By William Grant Still Schnittke: Cello Concerto No.2; In Memoriam ASIN: B000000ARJ Release Date: 1993-12-30

Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American): I Moderato Assai
2. Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American): II Adagio
3. Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American): III Animato
4. Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American): IV Lento, con risoluzione
5. Suite From 'The River': 1 Spring
6. Suite From 'The River': 2 Meander
7. Suite From 'The River': 3 Giggling Rapids
8. Suite From 'The River': 4 Lake
9. Suite From 'The River': 5 Vortex
10. Suite From 'The River': 6 Riba
11. Suite From 'The River': 7 Village Virgins

Amazon.com

William Grant Still composed a large body of excellent music that deserves the widest possible circulation. He merged his mastery of the jazz vernacular with classical forms learned at Wilberforce and Oberlin. Even while studying later with an iconoclast like Edgar Varese, Still sought to extend the historical focus of the Harlem Renaissance into his compositions, injecting the "Afro-American" symphony especially with folk-inspired touches of impressionism and neo-Romanticism. The work seeks a broad sweep and bears resemblances to Gershwin and Ellington in the mix of pop and swing elements into the symphonic language. The coupling is a fitting one, in part because Ellington struggled for years to create a large-scale work that could indeed be considered rightfully "orchestral" outside his own big band's works. The Suite from the River is an ideal revelation, taking Ellington's sectionally orchestral thinking (where the orchestra was a conglomerate of different sections playing off each other) to levels that reach Still's well-schooled use of the symphony orchestra as a vehicle. Neeme Järvi does a fine job leading the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in rendering these two unlikely but deserving works. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Still: Symphony Nº 1.......2005-10-17

This is a masterpiece of the black folclor in a wonderfull interpretation. When I heard for first time I felt me inside of the soul of the ancient black people. The composer and the interpretation knew in themselves the happiness and the sadness at same time from them

Good, Good, Good.......2005-06-20

Since these two composers must be considered in the same field as Beethoven and Brahms (it's strange to think of Ellington writing in that setting), I must rate the music itself only 4 stars because these two are not quite Big B (either one) when it comes to knowing the orchestra. I do like this music very much, and I give this performance 5 stars for the DSO's willingness to put it out at all: they have rectified a great dishonor held against both composers. However, while the playing is good, I can imagine more passion in these pieces, and I wonder why Bernstein never touched them, being somewhat of a jazzman himself.

Here's a musing: the CD box seems to indicate that the segments from The River were not arranged by Duke himself. I don't know why this would be, but if it's true then the music probably could have been twice as good, because if you've ever listened to any of Duke's big band music at all, you'll know that Duke was incapable of producing an arrangement with inappropriate part-writing. But this oddity aside, I enjoyed this disc fully and I heard some new sounds to boot. If you haven't heard this, get it. You will enjoy a solid performance of worthy music.

African-American Composers In The Spotlight.......2004-07-18

Two great African-American composers of the 20th century--William Grant Still (1895-1978) and the legendary "Sir" Duke Ellington (1899-1974)--have one work each spotlighted on this fine Chandos recording.

Still's "Afro-American" symphony--the Symphony No. 1--has the distinction of being perhaps the first symphony by an African-American ever to be performed by a major symphony orchestra (composer and conductor Howard Hanson led the work's world premiere in 1931 with the Rochester Philharmonic). It is a work that is very much a part of the composer's background, with its roots in jazz and the blues, and is every bit as American as the great works of Copland and Gershwin, though its symphonic structure is also very much along the lines of Brahms and Beethoven.

Duke Ellington, meanwhile, gets onto this recording via his 1970 ballet music for "The River", which was commissioned by Alvin Ailey's dance company. Though known as one of the premiere American jazz geniuses of all times, Ellington could also compose for symphonic orchestra (his total number of works is at least 2,000); and this work, which depicts the natural course of a river, is a wonderful and energetic piece.

Both Still's and Ellington's works are not all that well known, but are given first rate performances by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Neeme Jarvi. As they had done with the music of French composers under Paul Paray in the 1950s/early 1960s, and with 20th century music from composers like Copland and Richard Strauss under Antal Dorati in the late 70s/early 80s, the orchestra during Jarvi's tenure has been a strong advocate of African-American composers and their works, and this is a prime example of that. Well worth looking for and listening to.

Great music, underplayed performance.......2004-05-08

This is a good performance of a great work. One writer below describes the symphony as being in "the Gershwin style". Nothing could be further from the truth. A common source informs the work of Still & Gershwin, yet Still's purpose was to present a serious black perspective in a symphonic idiom, whereas Gershwin used the Blues as a technique to color and enliven his essentially American-Eurocentric view of a popular idiom. The genesis of the Scherzo of Still's symphony (which contains what is wrongly thought of as an "I Got Rhythm" quotation) is complex, fascinating, and full of coded messages. If you're truly interested in its meaning, and the difference in Gershwin and Still's treatment of the material, see Catherine Smith's "William Grant Still: A Study in Contradictions".

All that said, Still is an American original, and it is shameful and craven on the part of boards and producers that we have yet to hear more of his many orchestral works, or any of his 8 operas in stagings by major American companies. You can find tapes of rather poor performances of three of his operas, if you look hard. Come on MET, DG, NY Opera, BMG, Seattle Opera, Naxos, Chicago Opera, CPO, Boston Lyric Opera, Chandos, Cleveland Opera! Please spare us another Rigoletto and give us one, just one Still opera! We'll buy it! Till then, I'm even grateful for this.

Bought it for the Ellington; play it now for the Still!.......2003-07-20

When I bought this CD, it was for The River, an excellent minor classical piece by Duke Ellington. Once I heard the Grant Still symphony, I was hooked. This is great music, in the Gershwin style, but written contemporaneously. The recording is superb, Neemi Jarvi is excellent (as always), and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, often underrated, is in top form.

Average customer rating: Great Medieval Plainsong. Not all from Hildegard Approaching perfection... beautiful, meditative music Glorious Music There's something about this one.

11,000 Virgins: Chants for the Feast of St. Ursula Anonymous , Hildegard of Bingen , Gregorian Chant , Italian Anonymous , and Anonymous 4 Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Hildegard of Bingen | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems Anonymous 4 | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Origin of Fire: Music and Visions of Hildegard von Bingen 1000: A Mass for the End of Time / Anonymous 4 La Bele Marie: Songs to the Virgin from 13th-Century France The Lily and the Lamb: Chant and Polyphony from Medieval England An English Ladymass: Medieval Chant and Polyphony ASIN: B0000007FU Release Date: 1997-09-09

Tracks:

1. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Antiphon - Auctori vite psalmis - Invitatory - Venite exsultemus domino
2. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Symphonia virginum - O dulcissime amator
3. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Hymn - Jesu corona virginum
4. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Responsory - Spiritui sancto
5. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Versicle - Specie tua
6. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Responsory -Favus distillans
7. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Benedicamus domino
8. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Antiphon - Studium divinitatis
9. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Psalm 92 - Dominus regnavit - Studium divinitatis
10. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Sequence - O Ecclesia
11. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Benedicamus domino
12. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Chapter - Domine deus meus
13. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Brief responsory - Mirabilis deus
14. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Hymn - Cum vox sanguinis
15. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Antiphon - O rubor sanguinis
16. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Canticle - Magnificat anima mea - O rubor sanguinis
17. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Hymn - Te lucis ante terminum
18. 11,000 Virgins - Chants For The Feast Of St. Ursula: Benidicamus domino

Amazon.com essential recording

All the world loves Hildegard--and the four women of Anonymous 4 may be the best interpreters of her music since the 12th century. St. Ursula was the legendary daughter of a British king who, with her army of virgin companions, was martyred in Cologne, perhaps in the fifth century; Hildegard wrote these Chants for the Feast of St. Ursula for use in a highly solemn celebration along with other liturgical chants. It is in this context that Anonymous 4 presents this program, interspersing chants and psalmody with Hildegard's compositions, sometimes employing drones and polyphonic embellishment. The musical effect is a mixture of awesome reverence and earthly sensuousness. The combination of four different women's voices in perfect unison creates a richly colored sound that can lull or console or uplift. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Great Medieval Plainsong. Not all from Hildegard.......2005-11-04

'11,000 Virgins - Chants for the Feast of St. Ursula' performed by the vocal quartet, Anonymous 4' is 72 minutes of music at least as good as any of their other albums. But, over half of the pieces on this record are by medieval composers OTHER than Fraulein Hildegard. So, the emphasis of the album is much more on 'Chants for the Feast of St. Ursula' than on Hildegard.

This does not disappoint, as the performances are superb, regardless of the composer. My only regret is that the notes did not tell more of the story of the 11,000 virgins. When I was visiting the Rhineland, this was a big local story, even though it happened over a 1,000 years ago, even before Hildegard's time.

But that's minor grousing. This is great music. Buy it if you like Medieval liturgical music!

Approaching perfection..........2005-10-13

The music on this CD comes from the great Hildegard of Bingen, one of the towering female figures from the Middle Ages. Hildegard is not only one of the few women whose name has come down to us from the Middle Ages, but one of the few composers of any sort whose name survives together with his or her compositions. Hildegard was a sort of Renaissance woman before the Renaissance, whose fame spread in her lifetime such that she was advisor of monarchs and popes, as well as a significant creative and mystical figure.

Between 1150 and 1160, she composed and collected poetry and musical works under the title 'Symphony of the Harmony of Celestial Revelations'. Much of her music was monophonic in nature, and tied to the liturgy. The Anonymous 4 in their performance sometimes add polyphonic embellishments and vocal drones to chants and psalmody.

Hildegard's abbey possessed relics of St. Ursula, and Hildegard wrote many pieces in honour of the saint to be performed by the women of her abbey. This particular recording of women's voices doing these pieces is therefore quite natural and back to the original intent of Hildegard's compositions.

Hildegard's style is unique, as are the vocal talents of the Anonymous 4 - the combination here is something that approaches perfection.

-- Liner Notes --
This text accompaniment to this disc is very full, so much so that the booklet is not contained within the jewel case, but rather within a slipcover in which both the CD/jewel case and the booklet reside. The liner notes include a description of the work, a brief piece about the quartet, and the lyrics of the songs both in original language and in translation - all repeated in English, German, and French sections.

-- Anonymous 4 --
Contrary to the implication of their name, the Anonymous 4 are not anonymous. This is a vocal quartet made up of Ruth Cunningham, Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, and Johanna Rose at the time of this recording (Ruth Cunningham will later go on to a solo career early, and another member will join - Jacqueline Horner). They came together as a formal group in 1986, and have been ensemble-in-residence at St. Michael's Church in New York City, giving concert series in New York as well as throughout North America. They have been featured a number of times on national media in North America as well as Germany. They then went on to yet more success, eventually performing more that 1000 concerts worldwide.

Their specialty is working with chant, monophonic and polyphonic music, and working with medieval texts. According to one source, 'The group takes its name from an anonymous music theorist of the late 13th century, Anonymous IV, who is the principal source on the two famous composers of the Notre Dame school, Léonin and Pérotin.'

The group ended a touring career of nearly two decades in 2004.

beautiful, meditative music.......2001-10-28

This is beautiful music. The four women's voices are so soothing. This is an ideal CD to listen to if for relaxation, meditation, or prayer. I listen to it while I practice yoga. The music is also very important historically, as Hildegard von Bingen is one of the few women composers in the history of Western music. Many of these insipiring tracks were written by her.

Glorious Music.......2000-11-30

Another superb CD by "Annonymous 4", these women are some of the best at creating music for the soul. Quite meditative in nature it is truly amazing that this music was written so long ago and continues to inspire. The accompanying booklet gives you plenty of background information on Hildegard von Bingen and why these songs were written. The included artwork is an additional bonus if you're inclined to like the works of Hildegard von Bingen. The music is just sheer beauty, angelic voices in a world of chaos. The music is relaxing and perfect for creative and contemplative moods. The perfect reading music or for that matter anytime the pace needs to be slowed down . It is best listened to to free one's mind of all earthly concerns and to focus on more spiritual matters. An excellent choice for those moments of connecting to the meaning and purpose of our existences.

There's something about this one........2000-03-31

Meditative, haunting, stirring- an archetypical mastery of the female voice in Christian chant. 73 minutes.

Average customer rating: Mixed results Like driving a Ferrari in a school zone. Stellar Soprano Applies Her Considerable Talent to a Lightning-Quick, All-American Repertoire May have a heart but what good is it if the artistic results are a void? Great new context for Voigt

All My Heart: Deborah Voigt Sings American Songs Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beach | Beach, Amy Marcy Cheney | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Griffes | Griffes, Charles T. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ives, Charles | ( I ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Ives, Charles | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Obsessions (Wagner & Strauss: Arias and Scenes) Sacred Songs Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski Plácido Domingo & Deborah Voigt - Wagner Love Duets ~ Tristan und Isolde, Siegfried My Name is Barbara ASIN: B000AQACM0 Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

1. The Side Show
2. Two Little Flowers
3. Down East
4. The Circus Band
5. Berceuse
6. At The River
7. The Children's Hour
8. Piccola Serenata
9. Greeting
10. So Pretty
11. In The Dark Pine-Wood
12. The Ivy-Wife
13. The Cloak, The Boat, And The Shoes
14. I Am In Need Of Music
15. To The Virgins To Make Much Of Time
16. This Heart That Flutters
17. Darkling, I Listen
18. Bright Cap And Streamers
19. The Half-Ring Moon
20. Pierrot
21. Cleopatra To The Asp
22. Evening Song
23. Ah, Love, But A Day
24. I Send My Heart Up To Thee
25. The Year's At The Spring

Amazon.com

This collection of American songs spanning 150 years shows Deborah Voigt, one of the world's leading sopranos, in a new light. She successfully achieves the transition from the larger-than-life operatic stage to the intimate world of song, especially in the more outgoing, dramatic pieces. Voigt enters into each composer's style with complete empathy. Charles Ives was an irrepressible maverick and a stylistic chameleon. Voigt captures the songs' hymn-like simplicity and irreverent rambunctiousness, though her voice is a bit too heavy for them. Leonard Bernstein's jazzy irony also needs more lightness, but the slow love songs are done beautifully. Voigt really comes into her own in Charles Griffes's lush impressionism, evoking the sultriness of Cleopatra and the rhythms of a Spanish dance, and Amy Beach's unabashed effusive romanticism. Composer Ben Moore is a child of our own time, born in 1960. He moves between many styles with natural ease. Set to great English and American poetry, some of his songs were written for Voigt, and she sings them to perfection. The splendid pianist Brian Zeger provides both leadership and support. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Mixed results.......2006-02-22

This is an interesting collection of American songs, but I don't feel that Ms Voigt sold these selections to me. She still sounds like an opera singer trying to squeeze a very powerful and large voice into smaller setting for these songs, with mixed success. She is much, much better than many of her fellow sopranos that tried such repertoire, but I feel that she only gets it right in Amy Beach and Griffes songs. And even there, she does not have a sound that would make every song recital fan happy.
And what's with the title of this album? I think she is a classy artist and deserves better than such silly title, her label probably came up with that.
Nice try overall, but I hope Ms Voigt will do more Strauss and Wagner from now on, not more songs like these.

Like driving a Ferrari in a school zone........2006-02-02

Like a lot of big operatic voices, Voigt is hard to capture on CD; her recordings of Wagner and Strauss excerpts are good, but they can't convey the experience of hearing her live in an opera house. And singing with only piano accompaniment, as here, she simply can't use most of the power in her voice. As sensitive as her performances are I can't help feeling that she's having to hold back. For American song sung with more delicacy and grace I would suggest Barbara Bonney or Dawn Upshaw (I can't agree with previous reviewers' suggestion of Cheryl Studer's Barber, though Hampson is wonderful on that set).

Stellar Soprano Applies Her Considerable Talent to a Lightning-Quick, All-American Repertoire.......2005-11-08

It's a shame that soprano Deborah Voigt hit her greatest notoriety last year for being fired by the Royal Opera House for being too fat for the title role of "Ariadne aux Naxos" by Richard Strauss. She subsequently lost eighty pounds but luckily none of her vocal prowess as can be heard to great effect on this intriguing collection of American songs, 25 in all and averaging a little over two minutes each. It would have seemed like a mismatch to apply her powerful voice - famous for her big Wagnerian roles - to sometimes delicate tunes. Voigt, however, confounds expectations with a surprisingly nuanced performance that showcases her interpretative skills on a diverse set of musical styles.

Similar to what countertenor David Daniels did with his 2003 disc with guitarist Craig Ogden, "A Quiet Thing", Voigt and pianist Brian Zeger have created a wide-ranging lyrical repertoire that encompasses significant vocal demands while remaining intimate in setting. In fact, both Daniels and Voigt cover Leonard Bernstein's anti-war lullaby, "So Pretty", with haunting aplomb. She also manages to dance effectively over the "Da-ga-da-ga-dums" of Bernstein's challenging "Piccola serenata". Voigt does wonders with the opening Charles Ives selections by not overplaying the innate sentiment of the tunes, in particular, soaring with the highly dramatic "The Children's Hour" by Longfellow and even covering the churchy warhorse, "At the River", with conviction.

There are eight highly individualistic songs by Ben Moore that stretch Voigt with bountiful results. The standouts of the Moore set are the English sea chantey-like "The Ivy-Wife" by Thomas Hardy, the lushly romantic "I Am in Need of Music" by Elizabeth Bishop; the sweeping "Darkling, I Listen" by John Keats; and the discordant waltz, "Bright Cap and Streamers", by James Joyce. For me, the highpoints of the recording are the last two sets by Charles Tomlinson Griffes and Amy Beach, both of whom tap impressively into Voigt's natural theatricality proven especially by her performances of Griffes's lush "Cleopatra to the Asp" and Bishop's rolling "I Send My Heart Up to Thee".

The one shortcoming of the recording overall is that the briefness of the songs does not really capitalize on Voigt's impressive dramatic capabilities in showcasing changes in characters she would have been allowed in her opera roles. For all the limitations it represents, this is a genuine recital album, and truly transcendent moments are fleeting at best especially given the variety of moods that need to be expressed in lightning-flash strokes. However, taken for the genre it represents, this is a stellar recording to appreciate a singer who is able to do more than Wagner and lose weight.

May have a heart but what good is it if the artistic results are a void?.......2005-10-31

The header says it all. Thumbs down all the way. Get instead the Samuel Barber double set with Cheryl Studer and Thomas Hampson if you wish to experience true heartrending Americana. As another reviewer put it, you get no gimmicks and no camp from these two distinguished artists.

Great new context for Voigt.......2005-09-30

It is great to hear Voigt in an American lieder recital. She is a top vocalist in her vocal prime. I think this is a lovely disc, and it really takes off especially with the songs of Ben Moore who has written many works just for Voigt. She tones down the volume of her sound and reins in the dramatic aspect of her soprano to give these songs a proper context and remains in service of them throughout the recital. Give this one a try! EMI - Release her Marshallin from Der Rosenkavalier, I think it would be wonderful. I know she just took on that role this summer.

Average customer rating: Mera-by-numbers He has the voice of an angel. Spellbound! Handel would have cried A Stunning Countertenor

Romance Manufacturer: Bis ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Satie | Satie, Erik | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Baroque Arias Baroque Arias Vol. 2 Precious: Christmas Music with Yoshikazu Mera Nightingale: Japanese Art Songs Mother's Songs - Japanese Popular Songs ASIN: B00000DDLN Release Date: 1998-11-01

Tracks:

1. On Wings Of Song
2. Let Me Lament
3. Never Was Shade
4. Morning
5. All Souls
6. Romance
7. Dance Of The Trojan Virgins
8. Ave Maria
9. I Want You
10. Songs My Mother Taught Me
11. Solveig's Song
12. Vocalise
13. Greensleeves

Customer Reviews:

Mera-by-numbers.......2006-04-20

Whilst it can be safely said that Mera has never put out a bad disc, he has however put out a number which verge on blandness. This, sadly is one of those discs. Whilst the production is excellent (as always) and Mera is once more captured at a level of mastery few singers could ever hope to attain; the disc is rather forulaic and a shade uninspiring. It should be understod that this does not infer any fault on the part of the artist, rather on the part of his mentor or manager. Mera does Bach, Baroque, Classical, Motzart... homogenous 'classic-by-numbers' is no way to spread the net wide and catch a wider audience. By simply repeating the same staid songs the artist loses some of his edge and begins to fade into the wallpaper.
On the plus side, this CD is GREAT relaxing music, music to work to or wash the dishes to. Why? well because the tracks are all but the same and so it plays seamlessly - then so does elevator music...
Of course it's a Mera CD, so the serious fan HAS to own it, but for the newcomer? I'd recomend you dig a little harder and seek out his better - more varied works

He has the voice of an angel........2005-04-23

This is one of the few cd:s that I can listen without skipping a track. All the songs that Yoshikazu sings are so beautiful! I also like the arrangements, especially the violin solos. "Auf Flugeln des Gesanges" is sung by hundreds of singers and I have never before liked this song but after hearing Yoshikazu's version, it became one of my favourite songs. "Lascia ch'io pianga" is usually sung by a woman but Yoshikazu sings better than any man or woman. His coloraturas are crystal clear but yet his voice doesn't shake at all. "Ombra mai fu" almost makes me cry. It's fantastic! No one else could sing it better. I love Masayuki Kino's violin solo in "Morgen". Though the song is very slow, it isn't boring. I usually skip the song if it is sung by any other singer but this version is absolutely worth listening. Yoshikazu's "Allerseelen" is also listenable though it is not very good. "Romance" from Faust is so pure! Again, the violin solo in makes the song even more beautiful. "La dans des Troyennes virginales" was well played by the orchestra, especially the harpist. Bach-Gounod's "Ave Maria" is sung by every singer but somehow, Yoshikazu's version is totally different. The range is good; not too high. The backing by harp is also beautiful as it doesn't cover Yoshikazu's voice at all. "Je te veux" is my favourite song on this cd. I listen to it again and again; it makes me happy! "Kdyz mne stará matka zpívat" is, like all the other songs, sung in the right language. Nobody else can make so beautiful coloraturas. Yoshikazu has also good dynamics. His version of "Solveigs sang" beats even Karita Mattila's version. He has no trouble with pronouncing Norwegian language. I enjoy to listen the high coloratura parts. It is also nice to hear Rachmaninoff's vocalise sung by a singer with low voice; this song is, like "Ave Maria" usually too high. It fits well for the countertenor voice. "Greensleeves" shows that Yoshikazu can sing traditional music too. The arrangement in the first verse was a little bit boring but listenable. The other verses are fantastic, especially the "God I pray..." part.

Wow! What a voice! And how many languages! German, Italian, Latin, Czech, Norwegian, French, English. I have played this cd to many of my friends and Yoshikazu Mera got a lot of new fans. I have never liked tenors but now I absolutely love countertenors and especially Yoshikazu Mera.

Spellbound!.......2004-04-19

I divide my music listening experience now in ¨before Mera¨and
¨After Mera¨: Being a fan of barock vocal music I've being listening to some of the best countertenors for quite a while,
their voices being specially suited for many Handelian arias
that were originally written for famous ¨castrati¨ as Senesino
or Nicolini. And then I happened to listen ¨Laschia chío pianga¨
sang by Yoshikazu Mera, I was in awe! I run out of my house to
get whatever CD I could get right away from this otherwordly,
perfect Voice and got ¨Romance¨.Every single piece of this CD is
transcendentally beautiful! The Voice of Mera will leave you
spellbound! I have no words to describe it, you listen and you
soar to a world of Bliss and Beauty!. Today I took it with me to
the birthday party of a friend...before the second aria had finished totally, I was surrounded by an eager group of people
asking me: Who on earth was that?! where can I get it?! all with
pen and papers to write the names of album and singer. It is amazing to observe the expressions of my friends when they
listen to this CD! They can not bring themselves to believe their ears! As for me this is my best pick EVER!

Handel would have cried.......2004-02-22

to hear his own _Ombra mai fu_ and _Lascia ch'io piangia_ rendered the way Mr. Mera has done here.

I single these two songs out since they are so well known and loved -- and lord knows, I do too, but never have I heard them sound this beautiful. Go ahead, compare these with other renditions yourself.

Paradoxically, here you hear the songs, not the singer. In other words, you don't get distracted listening to the brilliant technical prowess of the singer: Mr. Mera's singing fills the universe between your ears with grace and leaves you no room for you to pedantically admire his mastery while you are listening -- not any more than you can see light as it lights up the face of your beloved.

Angelic, ethereal, haunting...these adjectives are trite but what other words do we have?

I can only think of Andreas Scholl for a fair comparison. And as much as I love Gerard Lesne's voice also, Mera's is of another order: he casts sorcery over Handel's pieces and lets you hear and become aware of the thalassic mystery of sadness inherent in the ephemerality of all manner of beauty......destined to fade away into the silent void of space.

Every track mesmerizes. (I never knew so many famous composers were actually so...good!)

Here is music -- minus the physiology of singing. Thus you end up listening with your soul. Listen to this presentation of music, and let it touch you: you will rediscover and be humbled by your own humanity.

A Stunning Countertenor.......2002-09-10

I bought this CD to hear Yoshikazu Mera's version of Rachmininov's "Vocalise" (I also recommend Natalie Dassay's version of this piece). I was far from disappointed. Mera's voice is lush, pure, and haunting. His voice is hard-wired to the soul and to the heart. This CD will soothe you, calm you, uplift your spirit, and inspire you. I realize that may sound like heavy hyperbole, but I assure you, you will be stunned and amazed.

Average customer rating: Unfinished Music No.1 A First For John & Yoko Lennon's nadir--"Two Virgins" Just Like I Told You? oh yoko

Unfinished Music, No. 1: Two Virgins John Lennon & Yoko Ono Manufacturer: Rykodisc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Singer-Songwriters | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Unfinished Music #2: Life With The Lions Wedding Album Milk and Honey Mind Games Double Fantasy ASIN: B0000009RE Release Date: 1997-06-03

Tracks:

1. Two Virgins Side One
2. Two Virgins Side Two
3. Remember Love [*]

Amazon.com

Two Virgins is still best known for its notorious cover photo of John and Yoko posing naked and unashamed. It's also remembered as a historical artifact: it was recorded overnight in Lennon's mansion, before the couple consummated their relationship. But few have heard the record and fewer still have played it twice. Essentially, it's the White Album's "Revolution 9" stretched into a whole record of white noise, tape effects, discord, and screaming. The follow up, Life with the Lions, was more interesting musically, but Two Virgins is the sound that first made the world say: "What?" --Taylor Parkes

Customer Reviews:

Unfinished Music No.1.......2007-05-22

The first in a series of anti-popstar releases designed to, and largely successful in, knocking John Lennon off the pedestal his fans had erected for him. With his new avant-garde wife at his side -- and enough money in the bank to last a lifetime -- Lennon set about ruining his bank value so he could return to being a 'private citizen.' All three albums -- Two Virgins, Life With The Lions & Wedding Album -- are potent reminders of a simpler time when artists could experiment wildly (or just be very silly) and still get released and distributed (erm, somewhat). Rykodisc nicely duplicates the original packaging (except for an odd anachronistic sense of prudishness) and the remastered sound quality is, for 1967, pretty darn good.

Of course you can't actually LISTEN to this stuff....

A First For John & Yoko.......2007-04-17

Well, unless you are a hardcore collector like myself (had it originally on vinyl all those years ago), stay clear of this album. If you want to hear noise that you & your wife/girlfriend/boyfriend could do yourself, then forget this album & make your own noise. The best track on the album is the bonus track. That tells you that this album has nothing to do with Beatles music. I give it one star for being terrible & one star for the packaging ;-). Search Judemac Forever" on msn.

Lennon's nadir--"Two Virgins" .......2007-04-15

"Two Virgins" lives up to its title--it sounds like it was created by someone with absolutely no musical experience at all. While I'm a big fan of Lennon's Beatles and post-Beatles solo albums (even the weakest Lennon album "Sometime in New York City" has its minor moments), I found this completely unlistenable and a waste of 30 minutes of my time.

Is "Two Virgins" misunderstood? If it is it's because it's in an incomphrensible musical langauge. The cover was the only thing this album was notable for--a nude portrait of a couple who had found love. It created controversy (EMI didn't want to distribute it). As avant-garde its too simplistic as music it's a disaster. Avoid unless you must have everything (including every fart, belch and toe nail trimming) from Lennon.

Just Like I Told You?.......2007-03-01

This recording seems to be not a lot more than a recording of these two celebs tripping their brains out. Anyone who thinks this stuff is anywhere as good as "Revolution #9" is missing some point somewhere. Yes, they are connected and Yoko's influence was important on that piece, but here it's like a couple of steps too far removed.

Yoko carries on like a mental patient who wants her rattle and can't find it. John seems preoccupied with all of the gadgetry and noise you hear (and only he seems to know how to reproduce) when you are tripping your brains out. If this is avant-garde, then I'll have the pastrami on rye with mustard and, don't mind me, I'm going to turn the volume down a little. If Yoko would just shut up, then maybe John could develop some of the "fluctuating" sounds INTO A SONG OR SOMETHING, but then maybe not. No, Yoko is very much needed because this is about a relationship, not music. How it got past George "I'll Have the Pigs in a Blanket" Martin, is beyond me. Maybe Yoko temporarily immobilized him with some of her Teriyaki Chicken with Mescalin. Lennon's humor is so dry you have to pry it out of the microwave.

Who else came out with anything this raw? McCartney probably barracaded himself in his room after he heard it. Captures the 60's notion that group insanity could work out as a lifestyle as long as you didn't lose your tambourine - that there would be infinite trips like this one. But, no, there was only one really, and when you hear this recording, you're kind of glad it's over. What's interesting is that Lennon's genius seems to have been predicated on a level of neurosis that would have made Freud consider becoming a farmer. If this is supposed to be the cooing of two love birds, then I just hope the snake gets to the eggs before they hatch. It's more like the chatter of parrots. But, John has a thing for the tripped-out sounds made by appliances and, for a minute there, I thought that something major had gone wrong with my refrigerator. He has been quoted as saying that all sounds were music to him and that is probably the most interesting thing about "Two Virgins." You have to look at this stuff in the greater context of what else Lennon, and to a lesser extent, Yoko Ono have contributed to music and spirituality. Their chain-smoking, neurotic excesses have to be accepted as part of the brew.

What really tickles me is that individual tracks are referred to in the credits - like 3, 4, 5, and 6 were published by ...you know, like I care. You'd have to be tripping your brains out to separate them though. Also, the idea of Lennon editing this stuff after the dope wore off. What would he do? Speed it up? Slow it down? Call up Neil Diamond? Add a drum track? No, it's really just FINE as it is - f*** up, insecure, neurotic and emotional. "Now, let's do it like I told you..." That's the underlying joke here: the charts be damned. Here Paul, put this one on your motorized lazy Susan, smoke a bowl, and give it a spin.

oh yoko.......2007-01-14

This album has sentimental value because it was the first album my boyfriend and I bought together! I am a big fan of Yoko Ono and do not understand why people dislike her so much. Really, she is my role model. I collect her records and put the sleeves on my wall. Did you know she donated an ice cream machine to Sarah Lawrence College?

I don't see why the experimental tracks get so much flack. I think they are really interesting and beautiful. A lot of modern indie artists use sound recorders and make experimental music, which I like too. It is a slice of someone else's experience and everything.

Remember Love is also a very sweet song. The vocals are so cute. !! ! ! Is that all I can really say about a song!

Average customer rating: Insane or a Saint? Peaceful, soothing, one of the best.

Celestial Light: Music Of Hildegard von Bingen & Robert Kyr Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Hildegard of Bingen | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy Unseen Rain: Music by Robert Kyr Vision: The Music of Hildegard von Bingen Secrets of God: Writings of Hildegard of Bingen ASIN: B000003D2I Release Date: 1997-09-23

Tracks:

1. O Lucidissima
2. Novi Sideris Lumen Respenduit
3. O Cruor Sanguinis
4. Deus Misertus Hominis
5. O Tu Illustrata
6. Flos Ut Rosa Floruit
7. O Viridissima Virga
8. I. Song To The Creator
9. II. Song Of The Virgin To Her Son
10. III. Song To The Virgin
11. Nunc Gaudeant
12. O Eterne Deus
13. Ave Maris Stella
14. O Nobilissima Viriditas

Customer Reviews:

Insane or a Saint?.......2000-11-03

I first became of aware of the controversial seeress and prophetess Hildegard von Bingen a few years back and was fascinated and further explored her life. Critisized by many as nothing more than a mentally and physically tortured soul who suffered from hallucinations and hailed by many as a medieval saint whose visions, life and writings were inspired by divine intervention. Take a listen to this CD, which is based on her "Symphony of the Harmony of Celestial Revelation" and there can be no doubt. Take a listen and you be the judge. The theme of this music is light and the sound is sheer beauty. The music is vocalized by a group of women called "Tapestry" and they weave magic with their voices. The harmonizing and solo performances are extraordinary and inspirational. Upon listening you wil forget that you are listening to four voices, the music makes you forget all as the "light' fills your mind and you transend worldly distractions. The fact that you are listening to voices only is astounding alone because the voice captures your attention and has you so focused that you do not notice the absence of musical accompanyment. Our modern ears are used to hearing musical accompanyment with vocals so it is very refreshing to hear this musical bliss. This is medieval chant that is performed with ecstatic intensity. Like much of the medieval music that uses unmeasured chants, Hildegard's music displays unique and wonderful expressions of pacing and expression. A special cycle of motets are written for "Tapestry" to perform on this CD entitled"Circling Wheel" with text by Hildegard, in Latin as she never set them to music. The hour long medieval experience is unique and an experience that is quite heavenly. As intended, "Celestial Light" fills you with light. File this under otherworldly and inspirational, music that is good for your soul.

Peaceful, soothing, one of the best........1999-06-19

An excellent way to begin sampling Hildegarde von Bingen. This is a simply luscious CD--not so soothing as to be downright bland, but serene and intricate at the same time.

Average customer rating: Shaken *and* stirred And then there were four... A beautiful album Shaker Music -- misunderstood? Some new old ideas

Simple Gifts: Shaker Chants and Spirituals Ann Lee , Shaker Traditional , Jane Sutton , Paulina Springer , Joseph Brackett , Robert Dobson , Arthur Rawding , Mary Ann Valaitis , Joel Cohen and the Boston Camerata , Schola Cantorum , and Shakers of Sabbathday Lake Manufacturer: Erato ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music | General Christmas | Today's Deals | Box Sets | Children's Music | Classical Instrumental | Halloween | Hanukkah | Kwanzaa | Opera & Vocal | Pop Instrumental & Easy Listening | Pop Vocal Similar Items: Gentle Words: Shaker Songs Simple Gifts Early Shaker Spirituals The Golden Harvest Tree of Life ASIN: B000005EDQ Release Date: 1995-09-05

Tracks:

1. Come Life, Shaker Life
2. In Yonder Valley
3. Virgins Clothed In A Clean White Garment
4. Mother
5. Father James' Song
6. Followers Of The Lamb
7. Mother Ann's Song
8. I Have A Soul To Be Saved Or Lost
9. Heavenly Comfort
10. A Companion To Stiff
11. Pinch'd Up, Nip'd Up
12. I Will Fight And Never Slack
13. Celestial Choir
14. Holy Angel
15. The Lark
16. Nightingale's Song
17. Holy Order Song
18. Learned Of Angel
19. Laughing John's Interrogatory
20. I'll Beat My Drum As I March Along
21. Mother's Warning
22. The Solemn Bell
23. Mother's Cup of Tribulation
24. Sad Days
25. Encouragement
26. Verdant Valley
27. In Yonder Valley (Reprise)
28. Solemn Song
29. Turn To The Right
30. O Will You Sing Another Song
31. The Spiritual Sailor
32. Mother Has Come
33. Holy Mother's Protecting Chain
34. Simple Gifts

Amazon.com

Joel Cohen spent countless days in the library at the Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, transcribing dozens of tunes from among thousands of archived chants and spirituals. Many more of these wonderful tunes were recalled from memory by the community's few resident Shakers--and Cohen and his ensemble, joined by several Shaker singers, made this recording, which deserves to be heard by everyone who loves songs and singing. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Shaken *and* stirred.......2007-04-28

My interest in seeking Shaker music was professional - I wanted something to use for my church choir's next big performance. What I found in this collection of Shaker music was that, but much more.

Without their music, the Shakers can seem quaint and faintly silly - the odd maiden aunts and uncles with peculiar hobbies (making chairs and living without modern conveniences) and -- nutty bears, indeed! -- living in celibate, and therefore non-regenerative communities.

But their music is something else --earnest, longing, full of commitment and a sense of their own story. And tuneful! You don't have to be a Shaker to appreciate the visual poetry of "Virgins cloth'd in a clean white garment," or hear the deep commitment to resist sin in "I will fight, fight, and never slack until I overcome the enemy," or the desperate longing for eternal life evoked by "In yonder valley there flows sweet union." These are songs written for and performed by people who lived a most austere form of spirituality.

There are those who criticize Joel Cohen for having embellished some pieces by adding, for instance, a drone that is not attested in the literature. By I certainly praise Cohen and the Boston Camarata for having brought these wonderful pieces to my attention. It is icing on the cake that a few of the remaining Shakers of the Sabbathday Lake, Maine community chose to join their voices to this effort. To sing is to pray twice, and this CD certainly delivers on that promise, plus providing insights into an obscure but enduring corner of the American religious landscape.

And then there were four..........2006-10-25

Only four Shakers remain and Sabbathday Lake in Maine houses them all. They range in age from 43 to 80. Given this, without fresh converts the Shakers face extinction. Barred by law from adopting orphans (since 1960, religious groups cannot adopt, only individuals or couples can), the twentieth century saw a steep decline in their numbers. Thanks to religious revivals, back in the nineteenth century their numbers swelled to over 5,000. But by 1920 a mere dozen remained. Though the small community hopes, and continually prays, for new recruits - which must come in the form of consenting adults - their values clash with modern America. Which was, of course, the original point. The largest hurdle for membership: total celibacy. No procreation, nothing. And, as we all know, twenty-first century American culture is anything but celibate.

Shakers remain not only celibate, but ascetic. Though not to the level of the Amish or the Luddites. Sabbathday Lake has a website, a car, telephones, and internet connections. They also don't hermit themselves from society. They play an active role in it. So throw away any notions of Puritanical witch hunters. Shakers laugh, socialize, read, dance, and, as this CD aptly demonstrates, they sing their ascetic hearts out.

The music, largely resembling English folk music, rhapsodizes about Shaker values, history, and vows. All songs but one get performed a capella. Some emphasize the lyrics with stomping and clapping. Permeating the set is the figure of "Mother," or Ann Lee. She helped found the Shakers in the eighteenth century and all faithful remain her spiritual heir (after Jesus Christ, of course). Early followers faced persecution, but found faith in Mother's actions and example. The song, titled appropriately, "Mother" retells the story of the "blessed fire" that spread from Manchester, England to America. Believers also reaffirm their faith and actions by singing songs in Meeting. An apt beginning, the CDs first song presents an ecstatic chant that reminds members of their ominous vow: "Come life, Shaker life, Come life eternal, Shake, shake out of me all that is carnal." "Followers of the Lamb" repeats the lines "I'm glad I am a Shaker" three times in celebration. Some songs don't have words and get half hummed half sung with mystical sounds. Shakers also express anger. "A companion stiff" fiercely pounds away individualistic thoughts in favor of community. The beautiful and upbeat "Encouragement" combines non-word singing with strongly contrasting fervent stomping and clapping. Somehow it encapsulates both meditative contemplation and heart-racing ecstasy in only two and a half minutes. Aptly bookending the CD is the most famous Shaker song, "Simple gifts." Instantly recognizable, Aaron Copland popularized this tune in his 1950 ballet "Appalachian Spring." Here it receives a sparse but inspired choral performance. As such, it aptly closes the CD with a message of faith and simplicity.

This CD, recorded at Sabbathday Lake, preserves a sampling of the thousands of Shaker songs known to exist. To this day these songs still fill the Shaker's 1794 Meeting House, the last one still in use. But how much longer? In the end, whether or not the Shakers can survive their current troubles, they will always remain an important piece of American and religious history. Not that that provides much consolation. Either way, this recording helps to preserve an important aspect of the Shaker's cultural contribution: their impressive music.

A beautiful album .......2005-09-17

This is a gorgeous album of melodies so strong and simple that you could build bridges on them.
The issue of the theology is irrelevent unless you believe that differences in the theology expressed--which may be different from yours--will interfere with your pleasure in the music. I can easily imagine topics that, no matter how beautifully expressed, I would be unable to listen to. It wasn't the case with this CD.

(You would also be upset if you believe that (a) listening to others express their beliefs, which are different form yours, is a sin, (b) your faith will be swayed by listening to gorgeous music from people who disagree with you, or (c) it's wrong for people with different beliefs to have their music recorded. I doubt very much that any of the people who have expressed theological concerns about this CD would feel that way but, hey, people who do feel that way should be given appropriate warning).

Shaker Music -- misunderstood?.......2005-01-27

I read the reviews of this CD and feel some people are not understanding the lyrics. One cautioned that Shakers refer to God as "she." At first, I thought the same thing; however, after carefully listening to the music many times, I truly believe that when they refer to "she", they are solely referring to Mother Ann, the founder of their religion, whom they obviously adored and admired. This music is haunting and well-performed and should NOT be a "turn-off" to any Christian who chooses to listen.

Some new old ideas.......2000-10-14

I am a big fan of early American music, and Joel Cohen and the Boston Camerata really know how to do it. I found this album musically refreshing as well as spiritually refreshing. As a minister of music, I appreciate the sensitivity the Camerata brings to its interpretation of these traditional Shaker hymns. I also love hearing music by singers (specifially the Shakers themselves) who are not afraid to limit their understanding of who God is -- infinite and varied in nature, not subject to human limitations such as gender. There is a great freedom in this music which some listeners who are tired of the rigid confines of modern theology will appreciate. My only ambivalence is with the pieces on which the Shaker community takes a leading role. On the one hand, I think this is brilliant and enriching. On a purely auditory level, though, their untrained sound is a little distracting. Decide for yourself when you purchase this delightful album!

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The Complete Hildegard von Bingen, Volume Three: O Nobilissima Viriditas Manufacturer: Celestial Harmonies ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Hildegard of Bingen | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Complete Hildegard von Bingen, Volume Two: Aurora The Complete Hildegard von Bingen, Volume One: Symphony of the Harmony of Celestial Revelations Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy Feather on the Breath of God Hildegard von Bingen: Voice of the Blood ASIN: B00005YFTT Release Date: 2004-03-30

Tracks:

1. O Beata Infantia
2. Columba Aspexit
3. O Nobilissima Viriditas
4. O Cohors Milicie Floris Virge
5. O Viridissima Virga Ave
6. Hodie Aperuit Nobis
7. O Euchari
8. O Successores Fortissimi Leonis
9. O Successores (Instrumental)
10. O Bonifaci
11. O Speculum Columbe
12. O Presul Vere Civitatis
13. O Mirum Admirandum
14. O Vos Felices Radices
15. Mathias Sanctus Per Electionem

Album Description

O nobilissima viriditas is the third volume of The Complete Hildegard von Bingen, following Symphony of the Harmony of Celestial Revelations and Aurora, released in 1996 and 1999 respectively.

Hildegard von Bingen was born in 1098 as the tenth and last child of a noble family. In 1106 at age eight she was entrusted to Jutta of Spondheim's convent which was attached to the Benedictine monastery of Disibodenberg on the mountain of St. Disibod. After Jutta's death in 1136, Hildegard became abbess and she subsequently established her own convent on the Rupertsberg near Bingen in the late 1140s.

Although she had had visions since childhood, it was only after 1141, following a divine call, that she dedicated herself to document her visions in the book Scivias. During her mature life she produced a prolific and varied range of writings, including two more books of visions, and she continued to compose the music and the poetry of her songs.

At a time when few women were accorded respect, she lived to become a highly respected writer, poet, composer and visionary, much sought-after for her counsel by popes, regents and bishops.

Viriditas was to inspire some of Hildegard's most imaginative and passionate song poetry and music. Her lyrics are all in Latin and they abound with images from nature, using leaves, branches and flowers to communicate overlapping themes of energy, vigour, blooming, manhood, virginity and virtue.

This recording is a musical response to the concept of viriditas - songs celebrating the greenness so fundamental to Hildegard's music as the vigour or source of life.

Album Review:

1. We Are Povo
2. Who Made Who [Explicit Lyrics]
3. Wikki Wikki [CD-single] [Import]
4. 10,000 Hz Legend/Moon Safari/Premier Symptomes
5. A Modo Mio [Import]
6. A State of Trance: The Collected 12" Mixes [Import]
7. Abstract Afro Journey
8. Animal Romp & Stomp
9. Anthology, Vol. 2 [Import]
10. Bargrooves: Black

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album review

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Technikart French Tour [Import] [Live]

Beethoven: String Quartet Nos. 15 & 16

Beethoven: The Late Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1

Music: Come Dentro Un Film [Import]

Armed & Legged

Archives and Artifacts [Box set] [Original recording remastered]

A New Day Dawning

Black Love

Ao Vivo [Live] [Import]

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 3, 4 & 5

1950-1957 Columbia Jazz [Import]

Abrigo Para Um Violeiro Andante [Import]

After the Climax I Love You [Import]

Wow.../Bound to Happen

Blue Sun