| 1. Radio Edit |
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| 4. Sebastien Leger Remix |
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Editorial Reviews
Product Description
In Anticipation of ‘nympho’, his First Artist Album for Five Years, Armand Van Helden Drops Another Killer Cut. ‘into Your Eyes’ Has Hooks Aplenty and Lashings of Van Helden Attitude.
She does a wonderful job on Handel's "Let the bright seraphim," displaying good coloratura technique, as a matter of fact. This cut nicely illustrates the clean sound of her voice. Her version of "Dove sono" (from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro) is a reflective rendering of this aria. The smoothness of her vocal line is wonderful to hear. Her version of "Vissi d'arte" (from Puccini's Tosca) also illustrates the art of Dame Kiri.
The popular tunes that follow are very interesting. She and Jose Carreras, at the outset, begin to overwhelm "Tonight" (from "West Side Story," with--by the way--Leonard Bernstein himself conducting this cut), making it appear that this might be one of those dismal pieces where opera singers wreck songs. However, shortly thereafter, the song becomes more Broadway than Metropolitan Opera, and that is to the good. Better still are Te Kanawa's versions of classic songs such as "Summertime" (from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess), where singing in a higher register works nicely and where she treats the song on its own terms; just so, Jerome Kern's "Smoke gets in your eyes" is sung so well. It is a poignant version of this song.
All in all, for those who are curious about Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, this is one interesting entrée. Well worth acquiring and listening to.
Hearing her voice used as an instrument so beautifully I cannot but fall a little in love with her whenever listening to it.
The selection of tracks is varied; I probably prefer the classical tracks, but all are well performed in my opinion.
what's cute about a little cutie?
it's her beauty, not brains
old father time will never harm you
if your charm still remains...
keep young and beautiful
it's your duty to be beautiful
keep young and beautiful
if you want to be loved
does anyone feel a little bit uncomfortable with these lyrics? i know it was written awhile ago, but not so long ago that these kind of messages were readily accepted... i hope. i personally can't say i loved the show when i went to see it two years ago. the plot was unconnvincing and the themes personally bothered me. i'll admit that there are some winning songs in the album. some of my favorites being 'you're getting to be a habit with me' 'i only have eyes for you' and the title song, but my disliking for the actual show makes me regard the soundtrack in a negative light. if you will buy a cd for a handful of good songs amid many other, well, not so good, then buy it. first read up on the plot though. compared with the good, moving broadway plays, this one just doesn't measure up. it's all fluff. if you enjoy fluff, by all means get the cd.
This performance has been debated for 40 years as to whether it is musically adept, musically correct, an exemplar of the English choral tradition, or just a big old batch of fun at Handel's expense. I first owned this during a time when I also owned a recording Handel's "Royal Fireworks Music" featuring 40 woodwinds. The two made roughly an equal amount of noise.
There isn't much question this performance is completely out of step with the way Handel is performed in most venues today. Check out the wonderful Jon Vickers' highly operatic opening aria, "Comfort ye", then compare that to any leaned-out period group you've heard. You'll get another idea of the dimension of Beecham's project.
While not on the agenda of the Flat Earth Society, the only real interest in a performance like this -- especially having to endure it on three CDs when just about everyone else puts it on two -- is nostalgia or history, whichever happens to be the case for you.
My personal favorite version is in the 4-CD box of "Messiah" and "Israel In Egypt" where Andrew Parrott leads his Taverner Choir & Players and some of the best early music singers including Emma Kirkby, Emily van Evera, Margaret Cable, David Thomas, and Joseph Cornwall. HIs Messiah isn't perfect -- it uses a countertenor for a bass in one aria -- but it is more moderate than most PPP recordings and has a wonderful romantic edge to most of the score. It comes with a top notch recording of "Israel in Egypt" and still costs less than the Beehcham.
Beecham goes all out with an orchestration, while attributed to Sir Eugene Goosens is also probably some of Beecham's own inimitable tinkering, that adds instruments not only in numbers but also in color and depth of sound. Winds double strings, percussion includes the full battery instead of just tympani, the big cello and viola sound stand equally with the big violin sound, etc. The chorus is huge, and while this allows the big dramatic moments to be intense, the fine diction Beecham demanded remains solidly intact.
The soloists are in an operatic class of their own. Jennifer Vyvyan and Monica Sinclair were major singers when this recording was made and their singing is big and well ornamented. Jon Vickers and Giorgio Tozzi bring Verdi into the room and he is a welcome visitor to Beecham's vision of this work.
For this listener, who prefers the 'correct, authentic' performance, this recording and others even older that celebrate the BIG Messiah are a delight. And that just proves that performance standards, no matter the interpretation of the conductor, are paramount: Beecham gives a solid, convincing interpretation to the operatic Messiah. It is lush, and huge, and absolutely wonderful to hear again! Grady Harp, December 06
In the forty some recordings I own (and the many performances I've attended) there's no best and no definitive. This is one I respect but don't care to hear very often.
I'm just ending up with "Thanks to Jon!"
But most of the credit has to go to the music, the singers, and the recording as such. I believe that this (originally analogue) remastered recording has one of the best recorded sounds and acoustics of any Ring, studio or 'live'. It is wonderfully clear but warm, kind of velvety (very unlike Solti), with beautifully natural balaces between voices and orchestra. Audience noises can be heard (including a delightful little ripple of laughter) but never really obtrusively so, thankfully. And I love the thunderclap-sound effect when Donner strikes his hammer against the rocks - very tastefully done, and lending extra power to the scene.
All the time one reads in reviews everywhere of the very slow speads at which the music is conducted by Sir Reginald Goodall. Well, that may be so, but I, for one, am certainly endeared to Sir Reginald Goodalls 'caressing' of the music, as a result of which wich the Leitmotifs come out more clearly than ever. The slow - but nonetheless very concentrated, and always involved - playing has, to me, an almost mesmerizing effect. Certainly, compared to many other recordings, the music may sound stretched almost beyond breaking point. But in the end, I think it is really just that: a matter of speed, no more. The concentration never falters and the dramatic arc never saggs. There is live 'music magic' going on here, I feel, even if the English National Opera Orchestra may not be (as precise or as diciplined as) a Wiener Philharmoniker or a Bayreuther Festspielorchester. Certainly, Sir Reginald Goodall must have loved this music and these opera's: one feels a slowly beating but constant loving pulse that energizes the drama and the music.
But we also have the singers. And what a great singers! While the best may be yet to come (with Alberto Remedios as Siegmund and Siegfried, and Rita Hunter as Brunnhilde), we here, in The Rhinegold, already have one of the most commanding of Wotans (Norman Bailey, with wonderful burnished timbre). Also, Emile Belcourt stands out as a wonderfully sleek but full-voiced Loge. Derek Hammond-Stroud's Alberich may not be as black as Gunther von Kannen's (for Barenboim), for example, but there is enough anguish, frustration and anger to lend his character a convincing reality and depth. And the giants too, are a winning pair. Especially Fafner (Clifford Grant) is as imposing and powerful as one may ever wish.
With all the rave reviews, here and elsewhere I can't wait to hear The Valkyrie, (especially) Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods. This certainly is a winning 'Ring', to be kept alongside any other 'great' recorded 'Ring' out there, IMHO. To me, it can hold its own alongside any other favorite recordings.
Please, sample this Ring (try for example the Chandos website for fragments of all of the music) and decide for yourself. Highly recommended.
TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Boulez's Ring: 13 hours, 40 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Haitink's Ring: 14 hours, 10 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.
Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.
Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.
Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: nothing is faster than andante. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.
Boulez: Here it is, folks - the controversial Centennial Ring. To fit the Ring Cycle in the industrial age, Boulez gives it a very Schoenbergian, Bartokian atmosphere. Much of his tempi are very quick, very Bohm-like, though they're still not as fast as Bohm. Keep in mind, though, this live Ring works only if you hear AND see it (the DVD's work best).
Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".
Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.
Haitink: This might be seen as a disappointment. If you want great conducting, then this is for you. If you want a persuasive array of singers, look somewhere else. Haitink's conducting saves this work from being a total flop. There is nothing quite like his Rheingold & Gotterdammerung ("Siegfried's Rhine Journey" is a bit forced, but magnificent nonetheless).
Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.
ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.
Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.
Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.
Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act Two Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.
Boulez's Bayreuth Festival: While it doesn't really pack the same punches as Bohm's Bayreuth, it still delivers a stunning performance. Orchestral interaction between characters (Ex. Siegfried's motifs mixed in with Mime's motifs) fares better than Berlin's and English National's. Rhine maiden motifs are given more wit, while the Dragon motifs are played with less eeriness. Beauty makes up for the irritatingly quick "Wotan's Farewell".
Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Boulez's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are heard clear in this Ring. The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.
Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.
Haitink's Bavarian Radio Symphony: This may very well be like Metropolitan, only this sounds much more poignant. The strings sound better and the percussion sound clearer. The leitmotivs are almost never screwed up. First scene of Rheingold will take one's breath away.
Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.
SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).
Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.
Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".
Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.
Boulez: If you watch Donald McIntyre on the Centennial Ring production, then you can tell that he's a fine "industrial" Wotan. If you just hear him on CD, then you'll be disappointed. His diction is weak, his emotions are forced, and his voice sounds robotic. The DVD's will do.
Levine and Haitink: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's and Haitink's Ring.
Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.
-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.
Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).
Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."
Boulez: How can anyone not be impressed by the Brunnhilde of Gwyneth Jones? One can almost feel her excitement during Siegfried Act Three, and her fear in Walkure Act Three. Her weakest point is probably during her Gotterdammerung Prologue (a bit too stressed).
Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.
Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).
Haitink: Hmph. I was hoping that Eva Marton would do well here. I was seriously let down by her strained singing. She does okay in "Annunciation of Death", but she is at her worst in "Immolation".
-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm, Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Peter Hoffman for Boulez, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, Reiner Goldberg for Haitink, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jeanine Altmeyer for Boulez, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, Cheryl Studer for Haitink, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Three exceptions, though: Goldberg and Schunk don't sound heroic enough, and Norman for Levine doesn't sound young and innocent enough.
-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.
Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.
Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.
Boulez: Is Manfred Jung a good tenor? Yes. Is he a good Heldentenor? NO. He doesn't have that heroic voice like Windgassen and Remedios. Again, the DVD's are your safest bet.
Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.
Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. Levine should've chose Kollo or Jerusalem when he recorded his studio Ring.
Haitink: Have you ever seen Siegfried Jerusalem on the Levine/Metropolitan DVD? Well, here he is again, and this time, he sings with more valor and enthusiasm. Bravo!
-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").
Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.
Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.
Boulez: What we have here is the weak Alberich of Hermann Becht. When he's in Nibelheim, the authority isn't there. When he's in the Neid-Hohle forest, the creepiness isn't there. And when he's near the Gibich house, the misery isn't there. Even on DVD he's unsatisfactory.
Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.
Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.
Haitink: No offense, but Theo Adam as Alberich? Come on . . .
-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.
Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.
Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.
Boulez and Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent Mime, VERY fun to listen to. There is much humor and eccentricity in his voice, and that's what makes his dwarf much more compelling than Dempsey's dwarf. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.
Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. He is equal to Zednik when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.
Haitink: Peter Haage sounds like he's entertaining young kids. His version of Mime is a bit childish, and the dark humor that the dwarf brings out sounds-over-the-top here. Nonetheless, he is still entertaining to listen to ("Wer halfe mir?" has never sounded better).
Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.
-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on during the Trilogy.
Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Again, another Loge that's marred by lack of cunning.
Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. He has the wit, the craftiness, and the untrustworthiness that the character deserves. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.
Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.
Boulez and Haitink: I can summon Heinz Zednik's performance in just three words: Brilliant Beyond Belief!
Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt and Zednik depend only on vengeance and deviousness, Stolze only imagination and deviousness, Windgassen and Svanholm only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.
Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.
Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Zednik. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.
-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings. Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). Anja Silja is the most memorable Freia (Bohm), while Kurt Moll makes the most fabulous Hunding yet (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm, Goodall, and Boulez. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.
CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation, Neuhold's Badische version, and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss, etc.), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the industrialized Boulez, the truthful Janowski, the unhurried Levine, the abnormal Haitink, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.
The Box Set: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Valkyrie (Part 2): Wagner: The Valkyrie
-Siegfried (Part 3): Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
As often with Handel, there is no fully official version of the score, and this particular score may not even be fully complete from any point of view. The libretto seems to have been the work of someone in the frivolously named association of big literary figures called the Scriblerus Club, perhaps Dr John Arbuthnot, dedicatee of Pope's great poetic Epistle, but Pope himself may have had a hand in it too. As we have it here, the work breaks into two very asymmetrical parts. Scenes 1 and 2 start with a recitative lasting only seconds from Habdonah followed by a longer one in which Haman announces his onslaught on the Israelites, and from there on feature only anonymous participants. Esther herself and the other named characters make their appearance first in scene 4, but the change of tone occurs in scene 3. At this point the music gains gravity first in the chorus Ye sons of Israel with its extraordinary modulations and then in the striking aria O Jordan, Jordan. I myself feel that this weightier tone is maintained to the end, whether or not the writer of the liner note is correct in saying that the long final chorus with solos is out of proportion to its context.
Throughout - in the first part as well as in scenes 3-6 - the instrumental writing is vivid and varied, with an extraordinary pizzicato accompaniment to Tune your harps and then an even more extraordinary obbligato from the harp itself at Praise the Lord. The harpist is no less than Jan Walters, but sometime I would like to see the score and check out what seem some odd rhythmic interactions here between her and the soloist Nancy Argenta. There are no fewer than ten vocal soloists in a work lasting a little over an hour and a quarter, and a very distinguished bunch they are. I was particularly pleased to find Michael Chance in the countertenor role of the Priest of the Israelites as I admire the strength of his tone, but there is no real weakness among them, unless Lynda Russell as Esther has a couple of very slightly awkward high notes in Flatt'ring tongue, which must be a little nerve-wracking to sing as she has to find her note for herself unaccompanied at the start and later at the reprise. You will see some big names among the instrumentalists too, with Crispian Steele-Perkins on the trumpet making a predictably fine contribution towards the end, and of course with Jan Walters in that marvellous harp part early on. The chorus gets some wonderful work to do, and rises to it fully. I really am unable to worry about the proportionateness of the final chorus when I hear that incomparable Handelian build of tone, sung by 18 singers and sounding as if there were 100.
There is a good liner note by Graydon Beeks Jr, not perhaps the last word in lucidity (neither is the plot of the libretto come to that) but worth re-reading. Harry Christophers himself contributes a short foreword largely concerned with the recording process and highlighting the contributions of Mark Brown and Mike Hatch, his long-time technical collaborators. I was interested to see also the name of Geoff Miles in a role described as `editor'. What responsibilities this involved is not stated and perhaps I ought to know without being told, but I know the work of Geoff Miles as recording engineer from elsewhere and it gave me confidence just to see that he is involved in the proceedings, and the technical work is predictably excellent.
My collection of Handel oratorios is now almost complete, and what a wonderful musical experience they are. Each is unique in its own way, but Esther is unique in some very special ways, and I suggest that you do not wait until you are my age to get to know it.
This is a "small" contribution compared to many of Handel's other works. However, it is not "small" in a musical sense. There is much creativity on the part of Handel as to orchestral scoring; he exploits his small orchestra and chorus in surprising ways, introducing new vocal and instrumental colours throughout the score, adding and subtracting instruments and voices in many and varied ways. This is a listening surprise as it moves along. And what a great performance on the part of the Christophers as well as some outstanding vocal soloists. Mark Padmore's (Mordecai) aria "Tune Your Harps to Cheerful Strains" was superb as was the Duet between Lynda Russell (Esther) and Tom Randle (Ahasuerus).But the aria that really drew me into the entire drama was sung by Michael Chance (Priest) "O Jordan, Jordan, sacred Tide." It was perfection itself!!!!The Chorus was extremely good and dictionally perfect. It is a great listening experience.
In Anticipation of ‘nympho’, his First Artist Album for Five Years, Armand Van Helden Drops Another Killer Cut. ‘into Your Eyes’ Has Hooks Aplenty and Lashings of Van Helden Attitude.
Into Your Eyes,Armand Van Helden,Southern Fried,5"CD Singles,Dance
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Kiri
Kiri Te Kanawa , Giacomo Puccini , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , George Frideric Handel , George Gershwin , Giuseppe Verdi , Paul McCartney , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Marie-Joseph Canteloube , and Gustave Charpentier Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  All Works by Bernstein
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ASIN: B00005O83O Release Date: 2001-11-20 |
Tracks:
- Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim - Kiri Te Kanawa/Crispian Steele-Perkins
- Le Nozze Di Figaro: Dove Sono
- Vesperae Solennes De Confessore, K.339: Laudate Dominum - Kiri Te Kanawa/Chor Of St Paul's Cathedral
- Ave Maria
- La Traviata: Attendo, Attendo... Addio Del Passato
- Tosca: Vissi D'arte
- Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro
- Adriana Lecouvreur: Ecco: Respiro Appena. Lo Son L'umile Ancella
- La Rondine: Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta
- Louise: Depuis Le Jour
- Requiem: Pie Jesu
- Chants D'Auvergne: Bailero
- West Side Story: Tonight - Kiri Te Kanawa/Jose Carreras
- Porgy And Bess: Summertime - Kiri Te Kanawa/New York Choral Artists
- Oh, Kay!: Someone To Watch Over Me
- Roberta: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
- Follow The Fleet: Let's Face The Music And Dance
- High Society: True Love - Kiri Te Kanawa/Jim Hughes
- Liverpool Oratorio: The World You're Coming Into
- World In Union
Customer Reviews:
Great representation of music from a great singer.......2007-01-07
She does a wonderful job on Handel's "Let the bright seraphim," displaying good coloratura technique, as a matter of fact. This cut nicely illustrates the clean sound of her voice. Her version of "Dove sono" (from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro) is a reflective rendering of this aria. The smoothness of her vocal line is wonderful to hear. Her version of "Vissi d'arte" (from Puccini's Tosca) also illustrates the art of Dame Kiri.
The popular tunes that follow are very interesting. She and Jose Carreras, at the outset, begin to overwhelm "Tonight" (from "West Side Story," with--by the way--Leonard Bernstein himself conducting this cut), making it appear that this might be one of those dismal pieces where opera singers wreck songs. However, shortly thereafter, the song becomes more Broadway than Metropolitan Opera, and that is to the good. Better still are Te Kanawa's versions of classic songs such as "Summertime" (from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess), where singing in a higher register works nicely and where she treats the song on its own terms; just so, Jerome Kern's "Smoke gets in your eyes" is sung so well. It is a poignant version of this song.
All in all, for those who are curious about Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, this is one interesting entrée. Well worth acquiring and listening to.
Beautiful voice, great collection.......2005-11-21
Magnificent.......2005-02-20
Hearing her voice used as an instrument so beautifully I cannot but fall a little in love with her whenever listening to it.
The selection of tracks is varied; I probably prefer the classical tracks, but all are well performed in my opinion.
Kiri Te Kanawa Is Peerless.......2004-07-11
I stood up also!!.......2003-07-31
Do catch her & the wonderful Julian Reynolds with a similar program at the Royal Festival Hall on november 24th. If you have any money left buy this album from amazon.com. Great cover!
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42nd Street (2001 Revival Broadway Cast)
Al Dubin , and Michael Cumpsty Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B00005K9KC Release Date: 2001-06-12 |
Tracks:
- Act 1: Overture
- Act 1: Audition
- Act 1: Young And Healthy
- Act 1: Shadow Waltz
- Act 1: Go Into Your Dance
- Act 1: You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
- Act 1: Getting Out Of Town
- Act 1: Dames
- Act 1: Keep Young And Beautiful
- Act 1: Dames (Continued)
- Act 1: I Only Have Eyes For You
- Act 1: We're In The Money
- Act 1: Act One Finale
- Act 2: Entr'acte
- Act 2: Sunny Side To Every Situation
- Act 2: Lullaby Of Broadway
- Act 2: About A Quarter To Nine
- Act 2: Overture For 'Pretty Lady' / With Plenty Of Money And You
- Act 2: Shuffle Off To Buffalo
- Act 2: 42nd Street
- Act 2: 42nd Street (Reprise)
- Act 2: Finale Ultimo
Amazon.com
Mounting a revival of 42nd Street seemed a bit premature--after all, the show had closed in 1989 after nearly nine years on Broadway. But as a giddy love letter to the musical theater, it can't be beat, so we're not going to complain. Inspired by Busby Berkeley's movie, the show includes one great Warren-Dubin number after another, making it a feast of titanium-plated hits that include "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me," "Dames," "We're in the Money," "Lullaby of Broadway," and, of course, the title song. The leads are on the bland side, but the rest of the cast--most notably Mary Testa, Jonathan Freeman, and 2001 Tony-winner Christine Ebersole--has more than enough spunk to fuel this revival. This is one of the most joyous albums you're likely to hear in a while. Just close your eyes and prepare to be swept into a wondrous world of sassy dames and high-kickin' chorus girls. --Elisabeth VincentelliCustomer Reviews:
What's The Big Deal?.......2006-08-02
it's just fluff, not a lot of impressive substance.......2005-04-13
what's cute about a little cutie?
it's her beauty, not brains
old father time will never harm you
if your charm still remains...
keep young and beautiful
it's your duty to be beautiful
keep young and beautiful
if you want to be loved
does anyone feel a little bit uncomfortable with these lyrics? i know it was written awhile ago, but not so long ago that these kind of messages were readily accepted... i hope. i personally can't say i loved the show when i went to see it two years ago. the plot was unconnvincing and the themes personally bothered me. i'll admit that there are some winning songs in the album. some of my favorites being 'you're getting to be a habit with me' 'i only have eyes for you' and the title song, but my disliking for the actual show makes me regard the soundtrack in a negative light. if you will buy a cd for a handful of good songs amid many other, well, not so good, then buy it. first read up on the plot though. compared with the good, moving broadway plays, this one just doesn't measure up. it's all fluff. if you enjoy fluff, by all means get the cd.
Not the greatest, but good........2004-04-03
The Big Parade.......2003-08-23
Truly the musical for those who love Broadway musicals.......2003-08-23
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Send in the Clowns: The Ballads of Stephen Sondheim
Manufacturer: RCA Victor ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks
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ASIN: B00006LSQJ Release Date: 2002-10-22 |
Tracks:
- Send In The Clowns (From 'A Little Night Music') - Cleo Laine
- Losing My Mind (From 'Follies') - Barbara Cook
- I Remember (From 'Evening Primrose') - David Korman
- Liasons (From 'A Little Night Music') - Hermione Gingold
- With So Little To Be Sure Of (From 'Anyone Can Whistle') - Jerry Hadley
- Not A Day Goes By (From 'Merrily We Roll Along') - Bernadette Peters
- Pretty Women (From 'Sweeney Todd') - Michael Rupert
- In Buddy's Eyes (From 'Follies') - Barbara Cook
- No One Is Alone (From 'Into The Woods') - Cleo Laine
- Johanna (From 'Sweeney Todd') - Victor Garber
- So Many People (From 'Saturday Night') - Suzanne Henry
- Sorry-Grateful (From 'Company') - Stephen Collins
- Too Many Mornings (From 'Follies) - Barbara Cook
- Finishing The Hat (From 'Sunday In The Park With George') - Mandy Patinkin
- Not While I'm Around (From 'Sweeney Todd') - Angela Lansbury
- Like It Was (From 'Merrily We Roll Along') - Julie Andrews
- Unworthy Of Your Love (From 'Assassins') - Annie Golden
- Anyone Can Whistle (From 'Anyone Can Whistle') - Cleo Laine
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful songs.......2003-02-07
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100 Favorite Patriotic Songs
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ASIN: B0000A1HT8 Release Date: 2003-08-12 |
Tracks:
- America the Beautiful
- All Quiet on the Potomac Tonight
- Ballad of the Green Berets
- On Top of Old Smokey
- Coyote Warrior
- Semper Fidelis
- Breeze from Alabama
- Onward Christian Soldiers
- Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming
- Patriot
- Sweet Betsy from Pike
- Marines' Hymn
- America Is
- When Johnny Comes Marchin' Home
- Happy the Soldier
- American Trilogy
- Home Sweet Home
- Washington Post March
- Enraptured I Gaze
- Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair
- Yellow Rose of Texas
- Over There
- Simple Gifts
- Liberty Bell
- Star Spangled Banner
Tracks:
- God Bless the USA
- Yankee Doodle Dandy
- Katy Cruel
- I Vow to Thee My Country
- King Cotton
- Beautiful Dreamer
- America
- American Patrol
- Mine Eyes Have Seen the Beauty
- Mohican Dream
- Red, White and Blue
- Some Folks
- Liberty Song
- Pomp and Circumstance
- Hail to the Chief
- Bennington Rifles
- Peace on the Battlefield
- I've Been Working on the Railroad
- Under the Double Eagle
- Red River Valley
- My Country 'Tis of Thee
- Camptown Races
- Wild Blue Yonder
- Hands Across the Sea
- Fanfare for the Common Man
Tracks:
- Stars and Stripes Forever
- Living in America
- Home on the Range
- Old Colony Times
- Clementine
- Invincible Eagle
- Ring Ring de Banjo
- Yankee Doodle
- Largo from "The New World"
- To a Wild Rose
- Hail Columbia
- Alexander's Ragtime Band
- Gettysburg
- Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
- Capitan
- Prairie Daughter
- Little Brown Jug
- Marching Through Georgia
- Entertainer
- Steamboat Around the Bend
- Revolutionary Tea
- Cassions Keep Rollin' Along
- Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier
- Amazing Grace
- Grand Old Flag
Tracks:
- God Bless America
- National Emblem
- Soldier, Soldier Won't You Marry Me
- Anchors Away
- Oh, Susannah
- Tramp, Tramp, Tramp
- Toast
- Dixie
- St. Louis Blues
- Appalachian Spring
- Bonnie Blue Flag
- Old Hundreth
- Swanee River
- Battle Cry of Freedom
- U. S Field Artillery
- Sidewalks of New York
- Chester
- Auld Lang Syne
- Kingdom Come
- My Old Kentucky Home
- Hail to the Spirit of Liberty
- Battle Hymn of the Republic
- Shenandoah
- Abraham's Daughter
- This Land Is Your Land
Customer Reviews:
not to great.......2007-04-04
Not so bad, 100 tunes for 4$.......2005-06-22
You get what you pay for........2004-07-04
Now I know why there were no song samples to listen to ..........2004-07-04
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Broadway Sings the Blues: Party's Over
Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Bernstein
| Bernstein, Leonard
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ASIN: B000002921 Release Date: 1993-09-21 |
Tracks:
- Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered (Mono) - Vivienne Segal
- Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (Mono) - Joan Roberts
- I Never Know When - Elaine Stritch
- Lonely Town - John Reardon
- Where Am I Going? - Gwen Verdon
- If He Walked Into My Life - Angela Lansbury
- Anyone Can Whistle - Lee Remick
- This Nearly Was Mine - Giorgio Tozzi
- My Own Morning - Leslie Uggams
- Send In The Clowns - Glynis Johns
- Be On Your Own - Karen Akers
- Being Alive - Dean Jones
- Fifty Percent - Dorothy Loudon
- What I Did For Love - Priscilla Lopez/Company
- Bill - Anita Darian
- The Party's Over - Judy Holliday
Average customer rating:
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Handel - Messiah / Vyvyan · Sinclair · Vickers · Tozzi · Royal PO · Beecham
George Frideric Handel , Sir Thomas Beecham , Jennifer Vyvyan , Monica Sinclair , Royal Philharmonic Orchestra , Jon Vickers , and Giorgio Tozzi Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Handel
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ASIN: B000003FB8 Release Date: 1992-07-14 |
Tracks:
- Messiah: Overture - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Messiah: Recit: Comfort Ye, My People (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
- Messiah: Air: Every Valley Shall Be Exalted (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
- Messiah: Chorus: And The Glory Of The Lord - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Recit: Thus Saith The Lord Of Hosts (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
- Messiah: Air: But Who May Abide (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
- Messiah: Chorus: And He Shall Purify - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Recit: Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive (Contralto) - Monica Sinclair
- Messiah: Air & Chorus: O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings (Contralto) - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Recit: For, Behold, Darkness Shall Cover (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
- Messiah: Air: The People That Walked In Darkness (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
- Messiah: Chorus: For Unto Us A Child Is Born - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Pastoral Symphony - Royal Philharmonic Chorus
- Messiah: Recit: There Were Shepherds Abiding (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
- Messiah: Recit: And The Angel Said Unto Them (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
- Messiah: Recit: And Suddenly There Was (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
- Messiah: Chorus: Glory To God In The Highest - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Air: Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
- Messiah: Recit: Then Shall The Eyes (Contralto) - Monica Sinclair
- Messiah: Air: He Shall Feed His Flock; Come Unto Him (Contralto & Soprano) - Monica Sinclair
- Messiah: Chorus: His Yoke Is Easy - John McCarthy
Tracks:
- Messiah: Chorus: Behold The Lamb Of God - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Air: He Was Despised (Contralto) - Monica Sinclair
- Messiah: Chorus: Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Chorus: And With His Stripes We Are Healed - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Chorus: All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Recit: All They That See Him (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
- Messiah: Chorus: He Trusted In God - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Recit: Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
- Messiah: Air: Behold, And See If There Be (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
- Messiah: Recit: He Was Cut Off Out Of The Land (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
- Messiah: Air: But Thou Didst Not Leave (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
- Messiah: Chorus: Lift Up Your Heads - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Air: How Beautiful Are The Feet (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
- Messiah: Chorus: Their Sound Is Gone Out Into All Lands - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Air: Why Do The Nations So Furious Rage (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
- Messiah: Chorus: Lets Us Break Their Bonds Asunder - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Recit: He That Dwelleth In Heaven (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
- Messiah: Air: Thou Shalt Break Them (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
- Messiah: Chorus: Hallelujah! - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Part III - Air: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
- Messiah: Chorus: Since By Man Came Death - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Recit: Behold, I Tell You A Mystery (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
- Messiah: Air: The Trumpet Shall Sound (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
- Messiah: Chorus: Worthy Is The Lamb - John McCarthy
Tracks:
- Messiah: Recit: Unto Which Of The Angels (Tenor) - Jon Vickers
- Messiah: Chorus: Let All The Angels Of God Worship Him - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Air: Thou Art Gone Up On High (Bass) - Giorgio Tozzi
- Messiah: Chorus: The Lord Gave The Word - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Recit: Then Shall Be Brought To Pass (Contralto) - Monica Sinclair
- Messiah: Duet: O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? (Contralto & Tenor) - Monica Sinclair
- Messiah: Chorus: But Thanks Be To God - John McCarthy
- Messiah: Air: If God Be For Us (Soprano) - Jennifer Vyvyan
Amazon.com essential recording
Sir Thomas Beecham's Messiah has become notorious among baroque purists (like this writer) for embodying the worst excesses of pre-1960 Handel performance: ponderous tempos, stentorian opera singers, huge lumbering choruses and orchestras, crashing cymbals, clanging triangles.... Well, we'll need a new straw man: this performance is WONDERFUL. Jon Vickers and Giorgio Tozzi negotiate Handel's writing surprisingly well; Jennifer Vyvyan takes to it naturally. The chorus and orchestra (yes, including trombones, tuba, triangle, and cymbals) may obscure the part-writing, but they fill the music with power, grandeur, and faith. If Mozart could re-orchestrate Messiah, why not Beecham? This may not be Handel's Messiah as such, it may even be a period piece itself--but it's magnificent. --Matthew WestphalCustomer Reviews:
Beecham's noisy Messiah.......2006-12-23
This performance has been debated for 40 years as to whether it is musically adept, musically correct, an exemplar of the English choral tradition, or just a big old batch of fun at Handel's expense. I first owned this during a time when I also owned a recording Handel's "Royal Fireworks Music" featuring 40 woodwinds. The two made roughly an equal amount of noise.
There isn't much question this performance is completely out of step with the way Handel is performed in most venues today. Check out the wonderful Jon Vickers' highly operatic opening aria, "Comfort ye", then compare that to any leaned-out period group you've heard. You'll get another idea of the dimension of Beecham's project.
While not on the agenda of the Flat Earth Society, the only real interest in a performance like this -- especially having to endure it on three CDs when just about everyone else puts it on two -- is nostalgia or history, whichever happens to be the case for you.
My personal favorite version is in the 4-CD box of "Messiah" and "Israel In Egypt" where Andrew Parrott leads his Taverner Choir & Players and some of the best early music singers including Emma Kirkby, Emily van Evera, Margaret Cable, David Thomas, and Joseph Cornwall. HIs Messiah isn't perfect -- it uses a countertenor for a bass in one aria -- but it is more moderate than most PPP recordings and has a wonderful romantic edge to most of the score. It comes with a top notch recording of "Israel in Egypt" and still costs less than the Beehcham.
The Big Victorian Handel 'Messiah': Indulge Yourself!.......2006-12-16
Beecham goes all out with an orchestration, while attributed to Sir Eugene Goosens is also probably some of Beecham's own inimitable tinkering, that adds instruments not only in numbers but also in color and depth of sound. Winds double strings, percussion includes the full battery instead of just tympani, the big cello and viola sound stand equally with the big violin sound, etc. The chorus is huge, and while this allows the big dramatic moments to be intense, the fine diction Beecham demanded remains solidly intact.
The soloists are in an operatic class of their own. Jennifer Vyvyan and Monica Sinclair were major singers when this recording was made and their singing is big and well ornamented. Jon Vickers and Giorgio Tozzi bring Verdi into the room and he is a welcome visitor to Beecham's vision of this work.
For this listener, who prefers the 'correct, authentic' performance, this recording and others even older that celebrate the BIG Messiah are a delight. And that just proves that performance standards, no matter the interpretation of the conductor, are paramount: Beecham gives a solid, convincing interpretation to the operatic Messiah. It is lush, and huge, and absolutely wonderful to hear again! Grady Harp, December 06
Comfort Ye!.......2006-10-30
Familiarity hasn't bred much affection.......2005-11-02
In the forty some recordings I own (and the many performances I've attended) there's no best and no definitive. This is one I respect but don't care to hear very often.
Thanks to Jon!.......2005-03-08
I'm just ending up with "Thanks to Jon!"
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Handel: Messiah
Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Handel
| Handel, George Frideric
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ASIN: B00002R16A Release Date: 1999-11-30 |
Tracks:
- Messiah: No. 1 Overture
- Messiah: No. 2 Arioso For Tenor
- Messiah: No. 3 Air For Tenor
- Messiah: No. 4 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 5 Recitative For Bass
- Messiah: No. 6 Air For Bass
- Messiah: No. 7 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 8 Recitative For Alto
- Messiah: No. 9 Air For Alto And Chorus
- Messiah: No. 10 Arioso For Bass
- Messiah: No. 11 Air For Bass
- Messiah: No. 12 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 13 Pifa (Pastoral Symphony)
- Messiah: No. 14a Recitative And No. 14b Arioso For Soprano
- Messiah: No. 15 Recitative For Soprano
- Messiah: No. 16 Arioso For Soprano
- Messiah: No. 17 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 18 Air For Soprano
- Messiah: No. 19 Recitative For Alto
- Messiah: No. 20 Air For Alto And Soprano
- Messiah: No. 21 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 22 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 23 Air For Alto
- Messiah: No. 24 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 25 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 26 Chorus
Tracks:
- Messiah: No. 27 Arioso For Tenor
- Messiah: No. 28 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 29 Recitative For Tenor
- Messiah: No. 30 Air For Tenor
- Messiah: No. 31 Recitative For Tenor
- Messiah: No. 32 Air For Tenor
- Messiah: No. 33 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 34 Recitative For Tenor
- Messiah: No. 35 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 36 Air For Alto
- Messiah: No. 37 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 38 Aria For Soprano
- Messiah: No. 39 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 40 Air For Bass
- Messiah: No. 41 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 42 Recitative For Tenor
- Messiah: No. 43 Air For Tenor
- Messiah: No. 44 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 45 Air For Soprano
- Messiah: No. 46 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 47 Recitative For Bass
- Messiah: No. 48 Air For Bass
- Messiah: No. 49 Recitative For Alto
- Messiah: No. 50 Duet For Alto And Tenor
- Messiah: No. 51 Chorus
- Messiah: No. 52 Air For Soprano
- Messiah: No. 53 Chorus
- Messiah: Amen
Customer Reviews:
Finally a Messiah with fervor!.......2005-10-20
Great recording!.......2003-09-22
Good and Bad.......2000-04-09
This is a great recording!.......2000-02-11
Anyhow, this is nothing more than a historic detail and would not count if this recording had not an outstanding first-rate ensemble of singers. Without doubt there is no definitive version of Messiah. Each one has its own distinctive touch and feeling and exploring it is always a pleasant journey through imagination.
As stated by the conductor: "we must concede that performing Messiah with twenty singers and an appropriately balanced instrumental ensemble represents, at best, an imperfect comprimise", it will be easy to understand that this recording does not stand among the greatest and will probably carry some imperfections. I will mention two that kind of disppointed me a little bit. The Overture and the Chorus Worthy is the Lamb, for some reason misses the habitual vigor and strenght. Everything else is great and this is definitely a worth buying.
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Wagner: The Rhinegold
English National Opera Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner
| Wagner, Richard
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ASIN: B00005B550 Release Date: 2001-05-22 |
Customer Reviews:
A Rose By Any Other Name..........2007-07-02
But most of the credit has to go to the music, the singers, and the recording as such. I believe that this (originally analogue) remastered recording has one of the best recorded sounds and acoustics of any Ring, studio or 'live'. It is wonderfully clear but warm, kind of velvety (very unlike Solti), with beautifully natural balaces between voices and orchestra. Audience noises can be heard (including a delightful little ripple of laughter) but never really obtrusively so, thankfully. And I love the thunderclap-sound effect when Donner strikes his hammer against the rocks - very tastefully done, and lending extra power to the scene.
All the time one reads in reviews everywhere of the very slow speads at which the music is conducted by Sir Reginald Goodall. Well, that may be so, but I, for one, am certainly endeared to Sir Reginald Goodalls 'caressing' of the music, as a result of which wich the Leitmotifs come out more clearly than ever. The slow - but nonetheless very concentrated, and always involved - playing has, to me, an almost mesmerizing effect. Certainly, compared to many other recordings, the music may sound stretched almost beyond breaking point. But in the end, I think it is really just that: a matter of speed, no more. The concentration never falters and the dramatic arc never saggs. There is live 'music magic' going on here, I feel, even if the English National Opera Orchestra may not be (as precise or as diciplined as) a Wiener Philharmoniker or a Bayreuther Festspielorchester. Certainly, Sir Reginald Goodall must have loved this music and these opera's: one feels a slowly beating but constant loving pulse that energizes the drama and the music.
But we also have the singers. And what a great singers! While the best may be yet to come (with Alberto Remedios as Siegmund and Siegfried, and Rita Hunter as Brunnhilde), we here, in The Rhinegold, already have one of the most commanding of Wotans (Norman Bailey, with wonderful burnished timbre). Also, Emile Belcourt stands out as a wonderfully sleek but full-voiced Loge. Derek Hammond-Stroud's Alberich may not be as black as Gunther von Kannen's (for Barenboim), for example, but there is enough anguish, frustration and anger to lend his character a convincing reality and depth. And the giants too, are a winning pair. Especially Fafner (Clifford Grant) is as imposing and powerful as one may ever wish.
With all the rave reviews, here and elsewhere I can't wait to hear The Valkyrie, (especially) Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods. This certainly is a winning 'Ring', to be kept alongside any other 'great' recorded 'Ring' out there, IMHO. To me, it can hold its own alongside any other favorite recordings.
Please, sample this Ring (try for example the Chandos website for fragments of all of the music) and decide for yourself. Highly recommended.
"Thus I salute the stronghold, safe from dread and dismay!.......2007-06-12
TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Boulez's Ring: 13 hours, 40 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Haitink's Ring: 14 hours, 10 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.
Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.
Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.
Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: nothing is faster than andante. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.
Boulez: Here it is, folks - the controversial Centennial Ring. To fit the Ring Cycle in the industrial age, Boulez gives it a very Schoenbergian, Bartokian atmosphere. Much of his tempi are very quick, very Bohm-like, though they're still not as fast as Bohm. Keep in mind, though, this live Ring works only if you hear AND see it (the DVD's work best).
Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".
Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.
Haitink: This might be seen as a disappointment. If you want great conducting, then this is for you. If you want a persuasive array of singers, look somewhere else. Haitink's conducting saves this work from being a total flop. There is nothing quite like his Rheingold & Gotterdammerung ("Siegfried's Rhine Journey" is a bit forced, but magnificent nonetheless).
Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.
ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.
Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.
Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.
Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act Two Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.
Boulez's Bayreuth Festival: While it doesn't really pack the same punches as Bohm's Bayreuth, it still delivers a stunning performance. Orchestral interaction between characters (Ex. Siegfried's motifs mixed in with Mime's motifs) fares better than Berlin's and English National's. Rhine maiden motifs are given more wit, while the Dragon motifs are played with less eeriness. Beauty makes up for the irritatingly quick "Wotan's Farewell".
Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Boulez's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are heard clear in this Ring. The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.
Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.
Haitink's Bavarian Radio Symphony: This may very well be like Metropolitan, only this sounds much more poignant. The strings sound better and the percussion sound clearer. The leitmotivs are almost never screwed up. First scene of Rheingold will take one's breath away.
Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.
SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).
Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.
Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".
Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.
Boulez: If you watch Donald McIntyre on the Centennial Ring production, then you can tell that he's a fine "industrial" Wotan. If you just hear him on CD, then you'll be disappointed. His diction is weak, his emotions are forced, and his voice sounds robotic. The DVD's will do.
Levine and Haitink: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's and Haitink's Ring.
Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.
-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.
Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).
Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."
Boulez: How can anyone not be impressed by the Brunnhilde of Gwyneth Jones? One can almost feel her excitement during Siegfried Act Three, and her fear in Walkure Act Three. Her weakest point is probably during her Gotterdammerung Prologue (a bit too stressed).
Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.
Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).
Haitink: Hmph. I was hoping that Eva Marton would do well here. I was seriously let down by her strained singing. She does okay in "Annunciation of Death", but she is at her worst in "Immolation".
-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm, Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Peter Hoffman for Boulez, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, Reiner Goldberg for Haitink, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jeanine Altmeyer for Boulez, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, Cheryl Studer for Haitink, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Three exceptions, though: Goldberg and Schunk don't sound heroic enough, and Norman for Levine doesn't sound young and innocent enough.
-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.
Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.
Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.
Boulez: Is Manfred Jung a good tenor? Yes. Is he a good Heldentenor? NO. He doesn't have that heroic voice like Windgassen and Remedios. Again, the DVD's are your safest bet.
Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.
Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. Levine should've chose Kollo or Jerusalem when he recorded his studio Ring.
Haitink: Have you ever seen Siegfried Jerusalem on the Levine/Metropolitan DVD? Well, here he is again, and this time, he sings with more valor and enthusiasm. Bravo!
-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").
Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.
Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.
Boulez: What we have here is the weak Alberich of Hermann Becht. When he's in Nibelheim, the authority isn't there. When he's in the Neid-Hohle forest, the creepiness isn't there. And when he's near the Gibich house, the misery isn't there. Even on DVD he's unsatisfactory.
Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.
Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.
Haitink: No offense, but Theo Adam as Alberich? Come on . . .
-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.
Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.
Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.
Boulez and Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent Mime, VERY fun to listen to. There is much humor and eccentricity in his voice, and that's what makes his dwarf much more compelling than Dempsey's dwarf. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.
Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. He is equal to Zednik when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.
Haitink: Peter Haage sounds like he's entertaining young kids. His version of Mime is a bit childish, and the dark humor that the dwarf brings out sounds-over-the-top here. Nonetheless, he is still entertaining to listen to ("Wer halfe mir?" has never sounded better).
Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.
-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on during the Trilogy.
Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Again, another Loge that's marred by lack of cunning.
Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. He has the wit, the craftiness, and the untrustworthiness that the character deserves. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.
Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.
Boulez and Haitink: I can summon Heinz Zednik's performance in just three words: Brilliant Beyond Belief!
Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt and Zednik depend only on vengeance and deviousness, Stolze only imagination and deviousness, Windgassen and Svanholm only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.
Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.
Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Zednik. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.
-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings. Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). Anja Silja is the most memorable Freia (Bohm), while Kurt Moll makes the most fabulous Hunding yet (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm, Goodall, and Boulez. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.
CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation, Neuhold's Badische version, and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss, etc.), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the industrialized Boulez, the truthful Janowski, the unhurried Levine, the abnormal Haitink, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.
The Box Set: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Valkyrie (Part 2): Wagner: The Valkyrie
-Siegfried (Part 3): Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
Free at last!.......2004-09-18
I Love This Recording.......2002-04-05
What's so good about it? Three things stand out for me: First, the slow tempi that were a litle rough at first actually allow, upon repeated listenings, a new discovery and understanding of Wagner's unfathomable genius. Every nuance is slowed down just enough to be fully accessible. Second, the modern English translation really does make this a different experience...my initial mistake was thinking that English lyrics could allow me to listen to this as background music, and that's not the case. However, if one devotes the same attention to this as a German recording, the time wil be richly rewarded. Finally, the smaller orchestra creates an almost chamber music-esque setting, which compliments the music in an undefinable way. Despite being in English, this is almost more Germanic than original-language recordings.
I still probably wouldn't get this as the first foray into Wagner's RING (I still think Solti or Levine are the choices for that). But for someone who already has some familiarity with the work, this will provide a lifetime's enjoyment. Cudos to Chandos for resurrecting these recordings!
The Goodall Ring - 1975 - Restored and Remastered.......2001-06-08
As to the experience of the drama in English, that too is remarkable, at least for someone like me whose home-tongue is English. The drama takes on an immediacy that I have never experienced before. This factor alone is why you should explore this Ring. I can't overemphasize the impact on me that this recording had on me because it was in English and because it was well-acted. Surely this is what Wagner meant, at least dramaturgically (obviously allowing that you can't actually see the action).
Overall, the singing is competent, and in some places, it's excellent. None of the cast really stands out musically. Norman Bailey's wobbly Wotan could have certainly benefitted from a deeper, richer tone. Still, and perhaps more importantly, he creates a god who is clearly unsure of where the moral highground is, even when he's standing on "an open space on a mountain summit." Everyone, for that matter, is dramatically convincing, especially Emile Belcourt (Loge) and Derek Hammond-Stroud (Alberich) and Robert Lloyd (Fasolt), all of whom, by the way, have excellent diction. And speaking of diction, I almost could have done without the libretto when the men were singing. Not so with the women, whose diction was uniformly wanting.
Goodall's pace is notoriously glacial. Still, it's interesting to hear it parsed in this way, and I never had the feeling that I was going to fall off the world. Which is to say that the tempos were deliberate, not affected. This was definitely a labor of love for RG and the English National Opera. The orchestra is a little thin sounding, and perhaps, not entirely up to the score. Occasionally a horn mis-blew and a cello creaked. This is unavoidable in live performances, I suppose. Still, there is a surprising sense of smallness to the ensemble, even though there's never a moment when the balance between singers and players is lost. As a result, the overall effect is a balance of clarity and urgency that is clearly the upside of Goodall's idiosyncratic "vision" of the score. Not a huge or "erotic" sound, but always committed, intelligent, and sometimes impassioned.
For all of its flaws, this is an astonishing and, for me, an indispensible recording because it made me listen to this opera with new ears. While it's not the most lyrically pleasing recording (Karajan) or musically authoritative (that would be Solti, IMHO), dramatically, this Rhinegold excells any recording I know of. I will definitely buy the rest of the set.
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Into Your Light
Leaves' Eyes Manufacturer: Napalm ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B0001WGELG Release Date: 2004-08-03 |
Tracks:
- Into Your Light
- Into Your Light (Radio Edit)
- Leaves Whisper
- Into Your Light (Accoustic Remix)
- Multimedia Section
Album Description
Leaves' Eyes is the latest band from vocalist Liv Kristine (ex-Theatre of Tragedy) and the musicians of Atrocity. The debut single, Into Your Light, shines with the charming voice of front lady Liv and the beautiful and melodic arrangements. A teaser before 2004's hard rock highlight, Lovelorn, due out August 17, 2004.
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George Frideric Handel: Esther
Manufacturer: CORO ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Handel
| Handel, George Frideric
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ASIN: B0001B0A94 Release Date: 2004-06-01 |
Tracks:
- Overture Andante - Larghetito - Allegro
- Recitative Habdonah/Haman: " 'Tis greater far to spare"
- Aria Haman: " Pluck root and branch from out the land"
- Recitative Persian Officer: "Our souls with ardour glow"
- Chorus: "Shall we the God of Israel fear?"
- Recitative First Israelite: " Now persecution shall lay by her iron rod"
- Aria: " Tune your harps to cheerfull strains"
- Chorus: " Shall we of servitude complain"
- Aria Israelite Woman: " Praise the Lord with cheerful noise"
- Recitative Israelite Woman: " 0 God, who from the suckling's mouth"
- Aria Second Israelite: " Sing songs of praise, bow down the knee"
- Chorus: " Shall we of servitude complain"
- Recitative Priest of the Israelites: " How have our sins provoked the Lord!"
- Chorus: "Ye sons of Israel mourn"
- Aria Priest ofc The Israelites: "0 Jordan, Jordan, sacred tide"
- Chorus: "Ye sons of Israel mourn"
- Andante
- Allegro
- Adagio
- Allegro
Tracks:
- Recitative Esther/Mordecai: " Why sits that sorrow on thy brow?"
- Aria Mordecai: " Dread not, righteous Queen, the danger"
- Recitative Esther: "I go before the King to stand"
- Aria Esther: " Tears assist me, pity moving"
- Chorus: " Save us, O Lord"
- Recitative Ahasuerus/Esther: "Who dares intrude into our presence"
- Duet Esther/Ahasuerus: " Who calls my parting soul from death?"
- Aria Ahasuerus: "0 beauteous Queen, unclose those eyes!"
- Recitative Esther: " If I find favour in thy sight"
- Aria Ahasuerus: " How can I stay when love invites?"
- Recitative Third Israelite/Fourth Israelite: " With inward joy his visage glows"
- Chorus: " Virtue, truth and innocence"
- Arioso Priest of the Israelites: " Jehovah, Crown'd with glory bright"
- Chorus: " He comes, he comes to end our woes"
- Recitative Ahasuerus/Esther: " Now, a Queen, thy suit declare"
- Arioso Haman: " Turn not, a Queen, thy face away"
- Aria Esther: " Flatt' ring tongue, no more I hear thee!"
- Recitative Ahasuerus: "Guards, seize the traitor, bear him hence!"
- Aria Haman: " How art thou fall'n from thy height!"
- Chorus: "The Lord Our enemy has slain"
Album Description
Handel's oratorios vary greatly in their presentation. In many ways, Esther is a rarity;it is by far the most intimate, not surprisingly as it was composed for the Duke of Chandos. The Duke's Palladian palace near the village ofEdgware had not been completed in time for the first performance so this may have taken place (as did Acis and Galatea) in the intimate surroundings of a small church, St Lawrence, Whitchurch.We decided, therefore, that we should attempt to convey that intimacy of performance on disc; so we performed in the round with microphones in the middle, the orchestra in front of me, the choir behind and the soloists alongside. The result is everything that chamber music should be where players and singers can enjoy every aspect of Handel's masterpiece.
"The 'sound' of Esther, superbly communicated in the recorded performance here, is pure enchantment... The choral singing has an exceptional grandure, and the instrumental playing a shimmering beauty. Among the soloists, none of whom is less than accomplished, Nancy Argenta and Michael Chance dominate... Both singers affirm a new golden age of Handel interpretation".
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THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME.......2007-01-26
As often with Handel, there is no fully official version of the score, and this particular score may not even be fully complete from any point of view. The libretto seems to have been the work of someone in the frivolously named association of big literary figures called the Scriblerus Club, perhaps Dr John Arbuthnot, dedicatee of Pope's great poetic Epistle, but Pope himself may have had a hand in it too. As we have it here, the work breaks into two very asymmetrical parts. Scenes 1 and 2 start with a recitative lasting only seconds from Habdonah followed by a longer one in which Haman announces his onslaught on the Israelites, and from there on feature only anonymous participants. Esther herself and the other named characters make their appearance first in scene 4, but the change of tone occurs in scene 3. At this point the music gains gravity first in the chorus Ye sons of Israel with its extraordinary modulations and then in the striking aria O Jordan, Jordan. I myself feel that this weightier tone is maintained to the end, whether or not the writer of the liner note is correct in saying that the long final chorus with solos is out of proportion to its context.
Throughout - in the first part as well as in scenes 3-6 - the instrumental writing is vivid and varied, with an extraordinary pizzicato accompaniment to Tune your harps and then an even more extraordinary obbligato from the harp itself at Praise the Lord. The harpist is no less than Jan Walters, but sometime I would like to see the score and check out what seem some odd rhythmic interactions here between her and the soloist Nancy Argenta. There are no fewer than ten vocal soloists in a work lasting a little over an hour and a quarter, and a very distinguished bunch they are. I was particularly pleased to find Michael Chance in the countertenor role of the Priest of the Israelites as I admire the strength of his tone, but there is no real weakness among them, unless Lynda Russell as Esther has a couple of very slightly awkward high notes in Flatt'ring tongue, which must be a little nerve-wracking to sing as she has to find her note for herself unaccompanied at the start and later at the reprise. You will see some big names among the instrumentalists too, with Crispian Steele-Perkins on the trumpet making a predictably fine contribution towards the end, and of course with Jan Walters in that marvellous harp part early on. The chorus gets some wonderful work to do, and rises to it fully. I really am unable to worry about the proportionateness of the final chorus when I hear that incomparable Handelian build of tone, sung by 18 singers and sounding as if there were 100.
There is a good liner note by Graydon Beeks Jr, not perhaps the last word in lucidity (neither is the plot of the libretto come to that) but worth re-reading. Harry Christophers himself contributes a short foreword largely concerned with the recording process and highlighting the contributions of Mark Brown and Mike Hatch, his long-time technical collaborators. I was interested to see also the name of Geoff Miles in a role described as `editor'. What responsibilities this involved is not stated and perhaps I ought to know without being told, but I know the work of Geoff Miles as recording engineer from elsewhere and it gave me confidence just to see that he is involved in the proceedings, and the technical work is predictably excellent.
My collection of Handel oratorios is now almost complete, and what a wonderful musical experience they are. Each is unique in its own way, but Esther is unique in some very special ways, and I suggest that you do not wait until you are my age to get to know it.
a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-04-04
This is a "small" contribution compared to many of Handel's other works. However, it is not "small" in a musical sense. There is much creativity on the part of Handel as to orchestral scoring; he exploits his small orchestra and chorus in surprising ways, introducing new vocal and instrumental colours throughout the score, adding and subtracting instruments and voices in many and varied ways. This is a listening surprise as it moves along. And what a great performance on the part of the Christophers as well as some outstanding vocal soloists. Mark Padmore's (Mordecai) aria "Tune Your Harps to Cheerful Strains" was superb as was the Duet between Lynda Russell (Esther) and Tom Randle (Ahasuerus).But the aria that really drew me into the entire drama was sung by Michael Chance (Priest) "O Jordan, Jordan, sacred Tide." It was perfection itself!!!!The Chorus was extremely good and dictionally perfect. It is a great listening experience.
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