Pole

Product Description
2003 album from Pole aka Stefan Betke who is an active remixer, label owner, musician, DJ etc. With this album Pole has gone back to his roots from hip-hop to techno and back again. And for the first time, a voice has been allowed to enter the mix, that of Ohio-based rapper Fat Joe. 9 tracks in a paper sleeve inside a paper slipcover. Mute.

Pole,Pole,Mute U.S.,Dance Music,Electronic,Experimental Dub,Pop,Underground Rap

Average customer rating: JUST PERFECTION!! Hvorostovsky...........again, magic hvorostovsky does it again

Moscow Nights Manufacturer: Delos Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Hvorostovsky, Dmitri | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Where Are You, My Brothers? Kalinka: Russian Folk Songs Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Russian Songs of the War Years I Met You, My Love Dmitri Hvorostovsky in Concert 1998 ASIN: B0007SL1M6 Release Date: 2005-03-08

Tracks:

1. Kak molody my byli (How young we were)
2. Podmoskovnye vechera (Moscow nights)
3. Shum berioz (The whisper of birches)
4. Ne speshi (Do not hurry)
5. Nezhnost (Tenderness)
6. Zhdi menia (Wait for me)
7. Tri goda (Three years)
8. Vechernay pesnya (Evening song)
9. Ty moya melodiya (You are my melody)
10. Moskovskie okna (Moscow windows)
11. Kak mnogo devushek horoshih (There are so many girls)
12. Blagodariu tebia (I'm grateful to you)
13. Ia liubliu tebia, zhizn' (I love you, life)
14. Vecher na reide (Evening in the harbor)
15. S chego nachinaestia Rodina (Where does Motherland come from?)
16. Russkoe pole (Russian field)
17. Special Bonus Track: Rodina slyshit (Motherland hears)

Customer Reviews:

JUST PERFECTION!!.......2006-04-08

I have all of Dmitri's recordings and this is my favorite due to the quality of the songs, Dmitri's mastery of all of them and the really lush orchestrations. All of the songs are just gorgeous and his voice so beautiful that I listen to this all day at work on my portable CD player. I recently saw him in concert and purchased the DVD of the "War Songs" which were featured in the second half of his concert. Of course, I recommend the CD and the DVD as really stunning. However, if I could only listen to one of his CD's, this is my favorite. As a former singer who trained for 15 years, I can tell you that Dmitri's vocal technique is perfect, just perfect! The voice comes from heaven! Don't wait to get this one!

Hvorostovsky...........again, magic.......2006-02-14

Moscow Nights - This collection is emotionally draining, sad; the minor keys, the great poets and composers, an era unexpressed to Americans. It is a revelation, tended by one of the most beautiful of Russian voices. Listen to it in pieces, in a quiet space, and ponder. Dmitri commands an opera stage - two visits to Queen of Spades at the Met- can lead to no other conclusion. However, it is his quiet recollections of Russian folk music, Russian sacred music, and Soviet music that arouses his greatest talents. This is a recording to be treasured.

hvorostovsky does it again.......2005-05-01

This is the latest installment of the succesfull Hvorostosky/Orbelian collaboration. In "I met you my love" the spotlight was on the socalled Russian Romances, russian art songs of the 19e century. Then came " Where are you my brothers" a collection of Russian war songs. This title contains a collection of the best post war(50s&60s) songs. If you love melodious songs in minor key this is it.The selection is quiet varied and everybody will have his or her own favourites. For me there was'nt a redundant song. The singing is as always faultless and inspired, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra plays topnotch and the arrangments by Evgeny Stesyuk are as always beautifull. But be warned this cd can have a depressing effect because besides being beautifull this music is also mostly very moving. Buy if you love russian music and good musicianship you can't go wrong with this one.

Average customer rating: The Beauty of the Male Voice

The Male Choir of St. Petersburg Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | 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 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Basso Profondo From Old Russia Russian Medieval Chant Ancient Echoes Best of the Red Army Choir Music of Russia ASIN: B00000IWWB Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

1. The Tula Accordion
2. Like A Nightingale In Flight
3. The Twelve Brigands
4. Brewing Song
5. O My Field
6. In A Dark Wood
7. Shchedrick
8. Along Peterskaya Street
9. The Evening Bell
10. See What Misfortune Has Come Upon Us
11. Steppe, Endless Steppe
12. Cherubic Hymn
13. Eternal Counsel
14. The Nicene Creed
15. The Repentant Thief
16. Let My Prayer Arise
17. God Is With Us
18. From My Youth
19. We Praise Thee, We Bless Thee
20. Do Not Reject Me In My Old Age

Customer Reviews:

The Beauty of the Male Voice.......2006-05-04

I was fortunate to hear The Male Choir of St. Petersburg perform at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, and was stunned by the power and beauty of their song. The director, aware that the deep, resonate voices struck a chord within each member of the audience, held the final note of each song until it echoed from the rafters. The songs are usually traditional Russian songs, but are not religious chants, as many people seem to expect - one song, called "O My Field" is an ode to a farmer's plot of ground. I recommend this album, a great opportunity to revel in the beauty of the male voice.

Average customer rating:

Pole Tuner Manufacturer: Unsung Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Fear of a Blank Planet ASIN: B000PHW2L8 Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

1. White Cake Sky
2. Black Well Monotony
3. 11-11
4. Pole
5. Gate 9
6. Stalker
7. So High
8. Dig
9. Down Below
10. Repulsive And Delicious
11. Creatures
12. Pencilhead
13. Arson Dandy
14. URIM

Average customer rating: Steingarten

Steingarten Pole Manufacturer: Scape Germany ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music IDM | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: From Here We Go Sublime Chromophobia And Their Refinement of the Decline Person Pitch Sound of Silver ASIN: B000MEYFBO Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

1. Warum
2. Winkelstreben
3. Sylvenstein
4. Sch Land
5. Mhen
6. Achterbahn
7. Dorf
8. Jungs
9. Pferd

Customer Reviews:

Steingarten.......2007-06-07

Berlin producer Stefan Betke took his nom de plume from a busted Waldorf 4-pole filter that lent his most characteristic work a little crackle and hiss, but I couldn't help hearing his early electronic experiments as the aural equivalent of an actual pole: cold, metallic, not very interesting and utterly devoid of emotion, personality and authorship. Have you ever fallen in love with a pole? Me neither. For three straight albums (called 1, 2 and 3, natch), Pole's music consisted mostly of muted dub basslines, clicks, and crackles, which changed absurdly little during that time. I bought 1, 2 and 3 with my own money, but don't think that I'm entirely okay with that.

When Pole hit a dead-end on 3, he had no choice but to turn a corner, and so he did. Unfortunately, what resulted was a misguided, lackluster foray into hip-hop (the creatively titled Pole), with C-list rapper Fat Jon sleep-talking over a few of the flaccid arrangements. The Pole fans who believed that any move would be a good one just by switching directions were given a hearty helping of disappointment. By contrast, Steingarten represents Pole's first "good move" away from his patented sound without abandoning the oblong melodies that would poke their heads out from time to time. In fact, it's hard not to view Steingarten as Pole accepting blame for how embarrassingly awful his eponymous record turned out, apologizing, and attempting to right himself again. It's okay, Betke; we forgive you.

Steingarten's cover is the first indication that we're in for something new. Album artwork has lost some importance in the mp3 era, but in Pole's case it speaks volumes: 1, 2 and 3 were monochromatic blue, red and yellow respectively, and Pole's street scene was clouded by an opaque bluish-gray tint. Steingarten, on the other hand, features a vividly rendered graphic of one of King Ludwig II's absurdly magical castles (Schloss Neuschwanstein, which still exists) nestled within pine trees and snow-capped mountains, and the song titles--"Winkelstreben," "Sylvenstein," "Schöner Land"--read like fairy tale places in a fraulein's dream. But while Steingarten may not be the radical departure that its cover suggests, it's distinct enough from Pole's previous work that nobody is going to mistake this for a retread. Give it enough listens and it actually starts to adopt the illusion of a warped Disneyland or a highly mechanized German fantasy world.

Like Pole, all the damaged crackling from the 4-pole filter has been scrubbed away; Betke's smart enough not to pull that trick again. Unlike Pole, Steingarten suggests hip-hop without stating it explicitly, and makes sly references to upbeat electro; strangely funky songs like "Achterbahn" and "Winkelstreben" beg me to release my inner nerd and dance. The impossibly clean production is a plus where it used to be a hindrance, since there are a lot of interesting things going on and because Pole doesn't hesitate to strategically clutter his tracks with all sorts of oddball detritus. "Warum," for example, begins with an operating-room rhythm and a cyborg handclap, then adds cleanly plucked bass, a skittering squeak, processed electric guitar and clanking noises that remind me of a brick hitting a bathtub. Little of this is very melodic, but somehow the atonality of these compositions is sort of tonal (for a contemporary parallel, see Oval's Systemisch), and Steingarten's peculiar musicality reveals itself when we accept Pole on his own terms.

Though Betke was once an engineer for Basic Channel (the label that virtually created glitch electronica in the `90s), the word "futuristic" doesn't spring to mind when I hear this, and it's actually somewhat retro in the way it hobbles along like a defective wind-up toy. Percussive elements in "Mädchen" and "Sylvenstein" lag slightly behind the meter; skewed melodies bulge and throb like they're being played on something outmoded and not working quite the way it should. Balancing out the obtuseness is a sense of spontaneity not previously heard on any Pole record ever. He'll throw things into the pot only to yank them back out again, as on "Schöner Land," when he lets fly with a gorgeous swab of ambience for about 25 seconds before a blast of noise snuffs it out. There's easily more dynamism here than on 1, 2, 3 and Pole combined, which is how he escapes the "heard one, heard them all" curse that plagued everything he churned out until now.

My chief issue with Steingarten is one that's been leveled at Pole (and Basic Channel) so many times it has become cliché: it's still too cold and distant for the casual listener to embrace. Immediate as it is, you simply can't inhabit this stuff, just like we wouldn't be able to live in Schloss Neuschwanstein if we tried (and neither, apparently, could King Ludwig; in 1886, a State Commission declared him officially insane). While Jan Jelinek and pretty much the entire Kompakt roster create minimal techno that's soothing and comfortable, Pole sometimes comes off like another placeholder in Chain Reaction's graying catalog or a casualty of Mille Plateaux's unceremonious demise. Also, "Pferd" is a little too morose to fit with the rest of the proceedings, but that's nitpicking; this is arguably Pole's best record and undoubtedly a big, big step in the right direction. We should keep encouraging him, so that one day he might truly astound us.

Average customer rating: Amazing!!! Buy this album! PURE GOLD Often jaw-droppingly beautiful with only a few truly flawed tracks A lush, atmospheric, well produced album.

Zero Gold Pole Folder Manufacturer: Bedrock / Hyper ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music House | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Meta-Message OS_0.3 Layered Sounds, Vol. 2 Balance 007 Balance 005 ASIN: B0007NMK12 Release Date: 2005-05-10

Tracks:

1. Abrasion feat. Shelley Harland
2. Waterfalls Of Love feat. Sandra Ferretti
3. Salvation On Slavery Sins
4. Scared To Lose feat. Sandra Ferretti
5. Inner Turmoil
6. London
7. Fall In Violet. feat. Shelley Harland
8. Morning Crow
9. Faith In Me. feat. Kirsty Hawkshaw
10. Before It All Changes

Product Description

1. Abrasion feat. Shelley Harland
2. Waterfalls Of Love feat. Sandra Ferretti
3. Salvation On Slavery Sins
4. Scared To Lose feat. Sandra Ferretti
5. Inner Turmoil
6. London
7. Fall In Violet. feat. Shelley Harland
8. Morning Crow
9. Faith In Me. feat. Kirsty Hawkshaw
10. Before It All Changes


Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Amazing!!!.......2007-07-13

It was on a Nip/Tuck episode that I was lucky enough to hear a fragment of "Faith In Me", (song #9 on CD) and was immediatly taken away by both the music and the lush voice of ethereal vocalist, Shelley Harland. Scared to loose is one of the best songs on the CD, definitely worth the price.

This is one of those Cd's that are fully enjoyable over a glass of wine and a quiet athmosphere.

Buy this album!.......2006-01-10

If you are like me and are very picky about what you would call electronica, then this is the album for you. Pole Folder strikes a home run with this awesome release on the Bedrock label. From the enchanting vocals on 'Abrasion' to the dark undertones of 'Fall In Violet' and everything in between this album just floored me. I haven't played an entire electronica album, or any album for that matter, in years until I heard (and promptly purchased) this one. I know its a weird way to put this, but think Pink Floyd for the electronic age and that's about the best description for this album. Just when you think truly good progressive is dead, Pole Folder's Zero Gold album reminds you that old styles never die, they just go faster! Seriously a two thumbs up on this one and worth its weight in gold ;)

PURE GOLD.......2005-12-14

I don't think I gave this a full review yet. I'm a big fan of artist albums as opposed to DJ mixes, since they portray the 'creative' side of an entity (DJ, group, DJ/producer, etc...) in their entirety. Take Way Out West's Intensify and later, Don't Look Now...Nuclear Ramjet's Music for Spaceports, or Bonobo's Animal Magic, or Sasha's Airdrawndagger, or Tilt's Explorer (all must-have masterpieces, btw).

John Digweed's Bedrock label has been bringing us quality electronica for a while now, and has released some ace compliations featuring unmixed creations by affiliated artists, but never has it released an artist album with all the tracks created by one artist/group. Enter Benoit Franquet, also known as the Pole Folder - best known before this release for his and CP's Apollo Vibes...a track that opened Digweed's epic GU: LA set.

I always figured he was dark from the few tracks (originals and remixes of others) he's done, but I never suspected he'd be this this dark. Add to that a decent drop in BPM (compared to his normal stuff) for some of the songs, and it's even darker. Lucky for us, he cared enough to call upon gifted sirens such as Kirsty Hawkshaw to lend their vocals.

I'm rambling, so let me get to the point. This album is PURE GOLD. 25 karat...yeah, I said 25. Don't expect it to be the dance-anthem laden outing of the year, because you'll be sorely disappointed. I hate the coin 'IDM' as much as any other e-music head, but if we have to use it, this definitely applies. Intelligent dance music...even though a lot of it isn't exactly danceable.

I'm not very good at describing people (I'd be stuck if someone robbed me or something...and I needed to give a description). Similarly, I'm not very good at describing songs. Instead, see what I mean for yourself when you hear "Salvation on Slavery Sins"

This has now become my favorite song on the album. I was planning on opening up my next recorded mix with it, but Hernan Cattaneo beat me to it. Hey, but I feel good a prominent DJ such as he would think alike there :wink:

Check it out, and become addicted. Buy it...

This is THE album of 2005, overall

Often jaw-droppingly beautiful with only a few truly flawed tracks.......2005-12-03

Anyone who followed progressive house in its glory days of 1999-2002 knows something of Belgian artist Benoit Franquet a.k.a. Pole Folder. His premier track "Apollo Vibes" opened John Digweed's Los Angeles retrospective in the GlobalUnderground series, and his follow-up "Dust" was a stand-out on Digweed's later effort MMII effort. The world in which these tracks shot to fame has disappeared forever, but luckily Pole Folder himself has not. He remains committed to this kind of brilliant forward-thinking dance music, and after years of preparation has unveiled his artist album, ZERO GOLD.

The opening "Abrasion" feat. Shelley Harland deserves to go down as one of the best tracks ever made in the house tradition. Incredibly lush pads, ingeniously altered vocals, luxury-class atmospherics makes this six minutes that will not fail to move you deeply. In many places on ZERO GOLD Pole Folder uses this same winning combination, but always keeping it fresh with new elements. Take, for example, "Inner Turmoil", where he manages to combine his focus on groove with a long-time love of Pink Floyd: over a sly yet relentless beat wild guitar effects wash over the listener like a sea of sound. In "Fall In Violet" featuring again Harland, mixes a Swayzak-ish faux-German vocal line with a whompy bass line like nothing I've heard before and great synths. The last track on the album, "Before It All Changes", recalls some of the menacing ambience of Hybrid's work, yet has even greater aural dimensions.

With so much of this album being phenomenal, it's all the more a pity that there is some unequivocably poor material here. "Scared To Lose" feat. Sandra Ferretti has some uninspiringly rough material coupled with risible lyrics. "Faith In Me", a ballad of sorts, feels out of place with its idiosyncratic percussion. And as one who never enjoyed the "electro" phase, I find "Salvation on Slavery Sins" nearly unlistenable (yet, it's ironically one of the most successful songs on the album among the current dance scene's afficiandos).

Yet, a couple of off tracks should not stop you from picking up this album post-haste. I've played this for several other fans of progressive dance music, and none has been less than awed. Listening to this album, one is simultaneous sad at the sudden shifts in progressive dance music in 2002 that lost a lot of long-time fans, myself included, and yet happy that Pole Folder continues in this rich style. Ironically, some of the finest progressive music has appeared several years after everyone thought it was dead for good.

A lush, atmospheric, well produced album........2005-08-14

I was a huge fan of Pole Folder's "Apollo Vibe" track, so when Zero Gold came out, I knew this would be scooped up pretty quickly. ... and rightfully so! Zero Gold is an excellent album that should appeal to a pretty wide range of electronic music lovers. The whole vibe of the record is a really cool blend of techno, house, trip-hop, downtempo and ethereal-type styles. I could definitely see fans of John Digweed and Paul Oakenfold's music as well as fans of Delerium and Conjure One getting into this. Nice production and a moody, ambient atmosphere throughout. Definitely a record to listen to all the way through. No filler tracks, just good music.

Average customer rating:

North Pole DarkRoom Familia Manufacturer: Darkroom Studios ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Latin Rap | Latin Music | Styles | Music Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Addicted to the Hustle Darkroom Familia: Northern Cali's Finest ASIN: B000NVLA4Q Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

1. Los Darkroom Del Norte - Duke
2. Go-Artist - Fat Steve
3. Nor Cal Boss - Venomous
4. In the Northside - Tito B
5. Infamy - Kasper
6. Suckaz Need To Chill - Big Oso Loco
7. Is It True? - Lil Coner
8. Quit Hatin' - Emasculate
9. The Departed - Duke
10. Get My Boots Laced - P.B.C.
11. My Blunt Keeps Burnin' - Unknown
12. City Of Sin 2 - Young D
13. We Ride Slow - Droopy Lector
14. Welcome To the North Pole - Duke
15. Fuck 'Em All - Maloso
16. City 2 City - Chubb G

Average customer rating: A great singer sings of his homeland. You have to hear this - it is simply stunning!!! lots of Russian soul Singing so good the songs can't get out of one's head.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Dark Eyes: Russian Folk Songs Nikolai Osipov , Vasily Andreyev , Russian Traditional , Anonymous , Nikolai Kalinin , and Dmitri Hvorostovsky Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Hvorostovsky, Dmitri | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Kalinka: Russian Folk Songs Where Are You, My Brothers? Moscow Nights Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Tchaikovsky & Verdi Arias I Met You, My Love ASIN: B000004146 Release Date: 1992-09-15

Tracks:

1. The Pedlars: Oh, The little box is full
2. A snowstorm blows
3. Masha: Masha Has Been Told
4. Farewell, happiness
5. Kamarinskaya
6. Ah, little darling
7. The Meeting: At the time when the stars
8. I walk out onto the path alone
9. Dance
10. Elegy: When, my soul, you wanted
11. Oh, if only words could convey
12. Dark eyes
13. The Lime Tree
14. Not just one path
15. Night: Oh, sweet night
16. Coachman: How dismal and misty

Customer Reviews:

A great singer sings of his homeland. .......2005-04-03

Although I have listened to singers for more than sixty years, I have rarely heard a more exciting or beautiful voice than that of Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Listening to him makes me regret that sound is something that comes and goes, something that cannot be photographed or hung on the wall to view permanently. Some singers would give an arm and a leg to have some of Hvorostsovsky' s notes in their register. All his notes, from top to bottom of his register and whether delivered softly or loudly, are sublimely beautiful.

Early in the 1990s he combined with the famed Ossipov Russian Folk Orchestra to record a batch of Russian folksongs, found on this Philips 56 minute CD. Some, including the title piece "Dark Eyes" are known everywhere. Others are certainly new to me. Hvorostovsky, born in Siberia, sings unaccompanied in two of the tracks and the orchestra have three tracks to themselves.

I especially like the second track, "A Snowstorm Blows". Full texts and translations are provided in the booklet, as well as a fine introductory article by Hvorostovsky himself.

You have to hear this - it is simply stunning!!!.......2002-01-09

This is my most favorite recording of Hvorostovsky and I would highly recommend it to everybody who wants to hear a deeply touching performance of the best Russian folk songs, by the best Russian singer.
For those who know and love Russian folk, Hvorostovsky's performance was a huge news some years ago. A young Siberean boy dared to compete with the most famous Russian legends of the past, such as Shaliapin and Lemeshev, by singing their number one favourites. And won! And, not by way of copying anybody, but simply by being himself!
For those who is not familiar with Russian folk at all - this is the best place to start. Even for the spoiled modern youth, like myself, listenning to this recording was and still is a shocking experience. It is true, it is modern, and it is deeply passionate. Many performers attempt to revitalize old crafts by converting them into modern shapes. Hvorostovsky does nothing like that. He just sings and he also lives in his each and every song. And because his rage and passion are so real and modern, and his voice is so strong and beautiful, it makes you completely forget about sometimes odd wording. Moreover, it makes you like it. He makes you feel the voice of the great nation, coming from the depth of his heart. And it is so moving, sometimes you can hardly hold your tears. Yet, he never changes a word of the original text or the appropriate music or even the intonations. He is very careful and tactful with the originals, but he brings up the best this music has inside. Since making this recording, Hvorovstovsky, of course, has made huge steps ahead. Today he sings in the best theatres of the world, he participates in the best, the most famous performances. Yet, this old recording is very dear to me. Not just because it is my first recording of Hvorostovsky. But because it is so powerful and strong that once listenning to it, you will never forget it. And it is also so deeply Russian, so unique and unforgettable, that nobody in the World can ever repeat it. And noone will.

lots of Russian soul.......2001-12-17

This is a great collection of folk songs, sung with passion and beauty by one of the most celebrated voices of our era...it also includes 3 instrumentals, tracks # 5 and # 9, which are fast dance numbers in the "dueling balalaikas" tradition, and # 13, which is an exquisite slow piece, with a flute that sounds like a bird song.

Tracks # 4 and # 15 are sung a cappella, as Hvorostovsky says, "...in honor of Chaliapin, but in my own way". He also says: "The songs I selected I feel are truly Russian - many are melancholy, most are bittersweet, with the kind of irony which counterbalances sentimentality".

Perhaps the most familiar to Western ears is "Ochi chornyje" ("Dark Eyes"), but other melodic favorites for me are also # 7 "Svidan'je", and # 10 "Elegia".
Recorded in '91, this is very different from the the CD of folk songs Hvorostovsky released in '98 titled "Kalinka", with the St. Petersburg Chamber Choir, which has more of a "classical" feel to it, while this has more of a "rustic" feel...but both CDs are terrific in their own distinctive ways.

The booklet contains the lyrics to the 13 songs, in English and transliterated Russian, and Nikolai Kalinin's Ossipov Russian Folk Orchestra is superb, with its traditional sound and performance marvelous paired with Dmitri's grand and glorious voice.

Singing so good the songs can't get out of one's head........1999-06-06

For a few days after I first heard 'The Meeting', snatches of the melody lingered and made me wish I could sing in Russian. Then another song on this CD had the same effect, and another still. Hvorostovsky's philosophy of doing justice to the repertoire of his native place has produced a wonderful result. A delightful contrast to the later 'Kalinka'.

Average customer rating: Top of the line - incredible! Long-awaited follow-up to "Dark Eyes" ANOTHER WONDERFUL ALBUM FROM DMITRI Dmitri at his best Hvorostovsky in his Milieu

I Met You, My Love Hvorostovsky , Orbelian , and Moscow Chamber Orchestra Manufacturer: Delos Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Moscow Nights Kalinka: Russian Folk Songs Where Are You, My Brothers? Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Passione di Napoli Dmitri Hvorostovsky in Concert 1998 ASIN: B00006DU10 Release Date: 2002-07-30

Tracks:

1. I Met You, My Love
2. No, It's Not You I Love So Fervently
3. Only Once
4. Bright Is The Night
5. I Remember The Charming Sound Of The Waltz
6. O, If Only I Could Express In Sounds
7. Do Not Awaken Memories
8. The Coachman's Song
9. In The Wide Open Field
10. The Lonely Coach Bell Rings
11. Misty Morning
12. But I Love You, Nevertheless
13. The Troika Speeds, The Troika Gallops
14. The Autumn Wind Moans Mournfully
15. At The Fateful Hour
16. I Loved You
17. The Weeping Willows Slumber
18. You Cannot Understand
19. Shine, Shine, My Star

Customer Reviews:

Top of the line - incredible!.......2007-05-13

If I could give this 100 stars I would do it. Since my trip to Russia in 2006 I "discovered" Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and have since purchased much of his music on CDs and DVDs. All tracks on this particular CD are incredibly beautiful - beyond imagination. Mr. Hvorostovsky was rightfully chosen the "Best Singer of the World" when he was a young man. His lush, full baratone voice is, as the young generation says, "to die for". He has an impressive range, and one can tell he feels music deeply by the nuances in his singing. This CD is one of my favorites of his singing.

Long-awaited follow-up to "Dark Eyes".......2003-01-04

Ever since "Dark Eyes", one of the first albums of Dmitri Hvorostovsky, came out, I've been wishing for the baritone to record more Russian romances. Looks like Delos is more committed to preserving this magnificent voice on record more than Philips did. After all, "Dark Eyes" had a lot of orchestral music, though wonderfully performed by Ossipov orchestra, it effectively reduced the sang material by some about 15 minutes or so. This is certainly not the case here. Well oven an hour of excellent singing is recorded (close-miked) with no interruptions. The songs themselves are the ones most often performed as encored by Russian singers. While baritones or basses have the strongest claim to them, most likely stemming from a long Russian tradidion of low male voice solo, tenors and even mezzo-sopranos have performed some of those to great acclaim.

The absolute hardest thing about performing these songs is not to make them sound sappy, vulgar, or over-done. Of all Russian singers who dealt with this material, I most often think of bass Boris Shtokolov, who sang them with utmost care. Dmitri does just that here. His care for the texts is what strikes me first while listening to "I Met You", a reflective serenade to love long lost. While all songs are spectacularly presented, I would like to mention "Misty Morning" and "I loved you". Like the title song, they are both filled with gentle melancholy, and sang with great tenderness and feeling. Some high-energy items, such as "Troika" seem just a little out of place, but the voice is a sheer pleasure to listen to. In "Oh, Could I in Song Tell My Sorrow", there's a strange change from traditional "your heart would break" to "my heart would break". I am not sure as to why this was done, particularly since the Cyrillic texts are absent.

In liner notes, Hvorostovsky explains the dedication of this album to his father, a chemical engineer, who managed to convey his love for the classical music and Russian romances to his son. I think all fathers need to learn from this man. Wondrous results stem from right upbringing!
The only minor quibble I have is the cover picture. It seems like the producers wanted to target exclusively the female part of the audience by using lots of shades of red color and lots of subdued candlelight. Well, I am sure there are lots of Dmitri's fans among men, particularly those of us who study voice, so I wish Delos would not make the cover so extravagant.
The engineering of this album, though, is very appropriate. The voice is placed well above orchestra (conducted with perfection by Constantine Orbelian) and each word is clearly heard. Together with Verdi Arias recording this shows that Delos engineers are fully capable of capturing the voice of this size and beauty well on record, something I doubted when listening to an otherwise lovely album of Neapolitan Songs.
I am sure non-Russian speakers will enjoy this CD just as much as Russians. After all, we all feel the same, and Dmitri's exceptional talent just makes it easier to communicate across cultural barriers.

ANOTHER WONDERFUL ALBUM FROM DMITRI.......2002-10-11

Once again, Dmitri Hvorostovsky has done another beautiful album. I'm completely thrilled with his last three releases on the Delos lable--the Verdi Album, the Passione di Napoli album and this new Russian love song album. As I have previously indicated on my review of his Passione di Napoli album, I've been a fan of his since his very beginnings in opera, and I do feel that he is truly in his vocal prime.
This album is for the "romantic at heart". The songs are beautiful as is the singing. All I can say of this endeavor is Bravo!!
I'm truly grateful that Hvorostovky's recording career was extended by the Delos lable!!

Dmitri at his best.......2002-10-09

What a treat this CD is. I've been waiting years for the great Hvorostovsky to record another album of Russian folk music, and this is arguably his best collection of that genre to date. Recorded in August, 2001, Hvorostovsky has never sounded better, and the sound quality admirably complements his rich, velvety baritone. Unlike his earlier collection of Neapolitan songs for the same label (DELOS), the recording balance between singer and orchestra will please everyone this time. Furthermore, the CD benefits from stylishly idiomatic arrangements, some fine conducting from Constantine Orbelian, and the sympathetic support of both the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and the Russian folk music performers, the Style of Five.

The 19 songs on the CD are described as "Old Russian Romances", or in professional music terminology as "Russian Domestic (Household) Romances". These are passionate songs of love, "often against the background of vast, empty Russian landscapes with long roads under foggy, gray skies", as the liner notes tell us. Hvorostovsky's dark, expressive baritone is ideally suited to such music, and Dmitri aficionados will no doubt recognise two songs from his earlier CDs of this genre, the haunting title track and the wistful "O, If Only I Could Express In Sounds". The latter was featured on his best-selling 1991 "Russian Romances" CD for Philips, but here - if anything - his singing is even more poetic than in earlier days. Comparing the two versions, one is immediately aware of how much freer Hvorostovsky's top notes are on the latest CD, with his upper register showing none of the slightly constricted quality that occasionally marred the earlier CD. This is the voice of a mature artist, and it is rare indeed to hear such committed singing from the soul.

As if the above wasn't enough, the CD comes with translations, generous liner notes, and an alluring cover photo of the handsome Siberian.

Hvorostovsky in his Milieu.......2002-08-31

This is Hvorostovsky at his finest. His magnificent rich creamy baritone is not taxed. He makes you sigh at beauty of his high
mezzo-voce notes, held endlessly, and trailing off to nothingness. The songs themselves are lovely-sad ballads of lost love for the most part, with a few catchy little ditties thrown in for a change of pace.

As crossover discs go, this one is one of the best. A fabulous singer at his prime, singing the songs of his childhood memories.

Bravo Hvorostovsky!

Average customer rating: Interesting and Unique Dub-a-licious! Better than 1, I suppose This is New--Hiss 'N Bass grooooooooooovy

2 Pole Manufacturer: Matador Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music IDM | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Germany | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music IDM | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: 3 Pole R Martes Submers ASIN: B00000I3U4 Release Date: 1999-02-23

Tracks:

1. Fahren
2. Stadt
3. Streit
4. Huckepack
5. Hafen
6. Weit

Customer Reviews:

Interesting and Unique.......2003-11-11

Ive never really heard music like this before. At first it didnt even seem like it was music. But it is pretty interesting. So it could be a good album just to add to a collection.

Dub-a-licious!.......2002-07-10

This album, er, EP, gets 5 stars for those who know what dub, minimal techno, or whatever you want to call it is all about.
If you've never heard of this odd craze, this CD is certainly a GREAT one for starters... heck, it was MY first one, and although I have collected a few more of Pole's CDs as well as a few other artists like Basic Channel or Autechre, this little red CD will always have a special place in my heart.

Now let's talk about the music. An average Joe who's never heard of this style wouldn't even CALL it music. Most likely it would be called a bad radio signal, electronic noise, rubbish. Sure... for the SIMPLE-MINDED. Once you take a moment to open your mind, suddenly you realize that there is rhythm in the static clicks... there's a melody to the bass that can only be found if you have a powerful subwoofer or crank the bass on whatever system you have, and then the next thing you know, your soul is captured by the ambient reverberations caused by the echoing pops tickling your brain. Boy, if only this was mastered in 5.1 Surround!

Don't let an EP scare you away, Pole's "2" is worth an album price, it's the best Pole in my opinion.

Better than 1, I suppose.......2000-05-03

This second release (more of an EP, really) by Stefan Betke as Pole sees a lot more reliance on a dub-bass underpinning than on the first Pole release. And even though much of what's above that sticks to the crackly-sputter-pop aesthetic of the first CD, the dubbier approach seems to ground these tracks a lot better than before. Although, again, while this crosses Basic Channel's turf according to some, Basic Channel it ain't. This is a good bit more abrasive than 90+% of those tracks. Plus, it gets tiring after a few listenings, as you really hope for Betke to wrench some different sorts of sounds out of that Waldorf 4-Pole he's so enamored of. I give it four stars here, but a barely-qualified four stars, teetering on 3 1/2 if I could go there. Again, the Basic Channel sampler, Monolake, and Various Artists' "Decay Product" are your better bets for this sort of thing, I think.

This is New--Hiss 'N Bass.......1999-07-12

Crackles, sparks, pops, hisses, and static farts generally provide the percussion throughout this truly interesting album. Definitely background music, Pole 2 pulls its influences (barely) from dub and at times ragga (to even lesser extent). It's surprisingly minimalist and sparce but still manages to create an dense aesthetic.

grooooooooooovy.......1999-06-06

it's dubbier than Pole's first album, but still sounds beautifully weightless and dislocated. Recommended for an out of body experience.

Average customer rating: music for working A surprise Pole 3 A Fresh perspective, but only one perspective. An obvious progression

3 Pole Manufacturer: Matador Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music IDM | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Germany | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music IDM | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Pole 45/45 R Martes Remembranza ASIN: B00004TD3G Release Date: 2000-06-20

Tracks:

1. Silberfisch
2. Taxi
3. Karussell
4. Uberfahrt
5. Rondell Zwei
6. Klettern
7. Strand
8. Fohlenfurz

Amazon.com

Stefan Betke knows dance music--he masters it all day long for Berlin's Basic Channel and Chain Reaction labels. But as Pole, the sounds he records are more suited to dancing in your head than on the floor. Betke works with extremely basic elements: bass, echo, and the omnipresent crackle of a Waldorf 4-pole filter (thus the name; FYI, filters are synthesizer components that filter out specified frequencies) that he dropped and broke. Samples of the cracked component's static emissions are the grainy irritants from which he creates lovely audio pearls. Betke's by no means the only electronic musician working with sonic glitches, but his knack for writing seductive, mysterious melodies makes him the most accessible one. Betke's tunes swirl in and out of deep, dubby rhythms like Augustus Pablo's melodica, and pan around the stereo spectrum like swallows on speed. --Bill Meyer

Customer Reviews:

music for working.......2003-07-28

I don't think I could have made it through the first year of my Ph.D. program without this CD. It's deceptively simple, but there's something hypnotic and mesmerizing about crackly loops underscored by rich dub basslines. Interesting, but not so much so that you can't get a lot of writing done.

A surprise.......2002-01-26

Pole is sometimes lumped in with "glitch" IDM, but with the 3 release at least, that's a mistake. It's better to think of Pole as minimalist dub inspired by glitch - almost a laid-back version of Monolake. At its best Pole is excellent chill music, catchy and even somewhat danceable. Certainly not what I was expecting when I first bought the album (Pole being a German musician, Stefan Betke).

In its less interesting moments though it can sound dull and repetitive, which is why I've given this album a four-star rating. Regardless I think the positives outweigh the negatives here, as long as you're open-minded about electronic music and willing to enjoy the background crackling and warbling - or put up with it, perhaps. Listen to samples and decide for yourself.

Pole 3.......2001-06-16

Hats off to Stefan Betke for Pole 3, the first CD I've heard in years that I had to listen to for days on end after I bought it. What I really like about this music is its warmth. It feels like sitting inside one's living room on a rainy Sunday morning with a fire in the fireplace and a book you can't put down.

This music is calming and intriguing at the same time. The use of scratches and pops is so on the mark. The overall tonality and the interesting bass lines contribute to the muted beauty of the work while the higher end sounds eliminate any chance of it becoming monotonous.

A Fresh perspective, but only one perspective........2000-11-08

Stefan Betke's latest dubbed-out offering of re-organised clicks and pops succeeds by challenging our notions of what constitutes "legitimate" musical source. The overall sound picture is even less tonal than conventional dub and the album makes up for this by means of its novel textures, which give rise to innovative interplay between rhythmic elements. However, the same cannot be said for the melodic and harmonic ends of the scale, and sitting through an entire album's worth of such a limited sonic perspective can be quite trying.

An obvious progression.......2000-07-05

Stefan Betke made quite a stir when his first Pole album (blue cover, titled "CD1") hit the streets. Suddenly every publication from The Wire to Spin was raving about his fresh approach to abstract electronic music. When examining all three of Pole's releases, there is an obvious progression from the first to the newest. Regardless of whether it is a result of being absorbed in his malfunctioning technology the first goround, or whether it was a reservation to allow his influences to run free, we're all glad that Betke began to incorporate the dub influence more obviously that he hinted at so quietly on the debut. 3 finds these influences cropping up even more often than on its predecessor. As an album, it offers little new other than this more immediate dub slant, as it continues the tradition of crackly, beatless experiments in audio. However, fans will not be disappointed, and for newcomers this is as good a place as any to begin.

Album Review:

1. Prescription [Import]
2. PRMX Turbo [Import]
3. Pulseprogramming
4. Raging Souls [Import]
5. Relight [Import]
6. Reverse Psychology [Import]
7. Singin in the Rain, Pt. 2 [CD-single] [Import]
8. Sound of Salsoul: Best of the Salsoul Orchestra [Import]
9. Sound of the Drum [CD-single]
10. Souvenir [Import]

Album Review

album review

Album Review

Power Latin Grooves 2002

Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sawallisch, Bayerischer Staatsoper [Box set] [Limited Edition]

Ultimate Opera Queen

Music CD: Fascinating Rhythm

Welcome to My Life [CD-single] [Import]

Use Your Illusion I

Top 25 Hymns [Enhanced]

You Got to Leave Ep

The Tabla Series, Vol. 2

Verdi: Messa solenne

Velvet Jazz V.3 [Import]

Un Ache Para Cuba [Import]

Wanna Get to Know You [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]

Blues Music blues-music-31

Surf Sensation