My Favorite Things

About the Artist
Mike Strickland was born to a musical family in Jackson, Mississippi in 1953, and has been creating his own music since he was a young child. In Mike's words, (He) simply always liked it. It was easy and natural, never difficult. Formal lessons as a youngster were followed by studies at the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston and California State University at Northridge.

Mike's professional career originated while he was at college with the discovery that instead of studying for his business degree he was composing and playing music five to six hours a day. He began performing whenever and wherever he could. Venues were as varied as formats. Over the next twenty years Mike played with piano trios, country, rock and jazz bands, and backed up opera performances. He delighted audiences in places as diverse as Rocky Mt. ski resorts and Caribbean cruise ships. He considers versatility his strength as an entertainer and draws on his wealth of musical experience for his recordings. BAND_MEMBERS: Mike Strickland, Richard Warner, Steve Hill, Tony Gable, Michael Eads, Michael Powers, Paul Gabrielson, Doug Miller, Gary Gibson, Hon Goforth, Jay Thomas, Nancy Rumbel

Product Description
After performing in hotels, clubs and cruise ships for over 25 years, I wanted to record my favorite and most well-received songs, thus the title: My Favorite Things. This recording contains a collection of great music by some wonderful composers. Some of the songs are solo piano while for others I invited some wonderful musician friends into the studio. I'm very pleased and proud to present to you some of my favorite musical things. Enjoy the music!

My Favorite Things,Mike Strickland,MSP Records,Mike adds a magical touch to these beautiful contemporary melodies. A number of the selections feature Mike's solo piano while others are supported by some wonderful musicians.

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Average customer rating: My Favorite Things.. This Is One Of My Favorite Things John Coltrane: simply beautiful Sax A Timeless Masterpiece!!! His best lyrical work

My Favorite Things John Coltrane Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Innovators | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music Similar Items: A Love Supreme Giant Steps Kind of Blue Blue Train Birth of the Cool ASIN: B000002I53 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. My Favorite Things
2. Everytime We Say Goodbye
3. Summertime
4. But Not For Me

Amazon.com essential recording

This 1960 recording was a landmark album in John Coltrane's career, the first to introduce his quartet with pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones and the first release on which he played soprano saxophone. It also provided him with a signature hit, as his new group conception came together wonderfully on the title track. It's an extended modal reworking in 6/4 time that brought the hypnotic pulsating quality of Indian music into jazz for the first time, with Coltrane's soprano wailing over the oscillating piano chords and pulsing drums. The unusual up-tempo version of Gershwin's "Summertime" is a heated example of Coltrane's "sheets of sound" approach to conventional changes, while "But Not for Me" receives a radical harmonic makeover. This is an excellent introduction to Coltrane's work. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

My Favorite Things.........2007-06-02

It's John Coltrane - what more do I have to say? Five stars!

This Is One Of My Favorite Things.......2007-03-22

The Liner Notes written by Bill Coss indicate that John Coltrane, one of the giants in the jazz scene, draw his inspiration from other jazz icons such as Lester Young, who was his first real influence and whom he learned "simplicity," John Hodges, who filled his musical experience and became his first main influence on alto, Thelonious Monk, who answered dozens of his musical questions and the first one to show him how to make two or three notes at one time on tenor, Earl Bostic, who showed him a lot of things on his horn, Jimmy Heath, who shared his musical appetite, their friendship and practice together added a great deal to his musical development. Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie were also his greatest influences.

John Coltrane is surrounded by a gifted crew that includes McCoy Tyner (piano), Steve Davis (bass), Elvin Jones (drums). Together they present four notable jazz tunes starting off with my favorite song from the "Sound of Music," Rodgers & Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things," Cole Porter's "Everytime We Say Goodbye," George & Ira Gershwin's "Summertime" and "But Not For Me."

Let your ears feast on the some of the most recognizable sounds of jazz music from one of the greatest jazz artists of all-time, John Coltrane. This is one of the best albums ever made and it's one of "My Favorite Things."

A classic of an album worthy to any jazz lover's collection.

John Coltrane: simply beautiful Sax.......2007-03-11

This album has always been a favorite since I first heard it in 1966. I mourned the loss of the album, but was glad to finally find it here.

Imagine, a jazz great, with a band of stellar performers, playing Rogers & Hammerstiens music, that Julie Andrews sang in "The Sound of Music"!

I think it very simply shows that a great muscian can do justice to any form of music. [Another example is Taj Mahal and the many styles he has played.]
If you can still get it, "My Favorite Things" is worth owning.
Will

A Timeless Masterpiece!!!.......2007-02-18

This is genuine music that soothes the soul. The album consists of 4 songs (all of which are beautiful). My favorite tracks are "Summertime" and "My Favorite Things," but the entire album sends a feeling of achieving a sort of soul- filled nirvana. Great album.

His best lyrical work.......2007-01-05

Sometimes Coltraine can get too carried away with his virtuosity at the expense of asthetics, his notes muddling together into cacophany and chaos. "My Favorite Things" represents the best of Coltraine showcasing his innovation, his masterful control of tone, and a lyrical ear that transforms this Broadway song into a monument of jazz.

Average customer rating:

My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport John Coltrane Manufacturer: Impulse Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: Cornell 1964 Pilgrimage Change Sacred Ground Charles Mingus in Paris: The Complete America Recordings ASIN: B000QFAG2Q Release Date: 2007-07-03

Tracks:

1. I Want to Talk About You
2. My Favorite Things
3. Impressions [#]
4. Introduction by Father Norman O'Connor
5. One Down, One Up
6. My Favorite Things

Average customer rating: Some interesting choices, indeed Great CD Great selections, but bad transfers Yes this is Some of the Best of Broadway! The music of Broadway comes alive

The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series) Manufacturer: Decca Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Porter | Porter, Cole | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Very Best Of Broadway Musicals Only Broadway CD You'll Ever Need Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series) The Best Of Broadway (Cast Recording Anthology) Ultimate Broadway ASIN: B0002W4T9E Release Date: 2004-10-05

Tracks:

1. There's No Business Like Show Business
2. Swanee
3. Ol' Man River
4. You're The Top
5. Oklahoma
6. Luck Be A Lady
7. I Could Have Danced All Night
8. America
9. My Favorite Things
10. People
11. If I Were A Rich Man
12. The Impossible Dream
13. Cabaret
14. Let The Sunshine In
15. Send In The Clowns
16. One
17. Tomorrow
18. Memory
19. The Music Of The Night
20. Good Morning Baltimore
21. Defying Gravity

Amazon.com

A companion to the fabulous PBS series, the 21-song, 77-minute The Best of "Broadway: The American Musical" provides about as good a single-disc compilation as anyone could hope for. (There's also a five-CD version.) What sets it apart from so many other "best of Broadway" collections is its breadth--because it had access to a variety of record-label vaults it doesn't have to try to disguise gaps by using revivals or solo recordings. Here you get all the authentic stuff, including: Paul Robeson singing "Ol' Man River" from the first modern American musical, Show Boat; Ethel Merman singing "You're the Top"; the title song from Oklahoma!; Julie Andrews singing "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady; West Side Story's "America"; Betty Buckley singing "Memory" from Cats; Hairspray's "Good Morning Baltimore"; and "Defying Gravity" from Wicked, the newest show discussed in the PBS series. And it's hard to argue with the songwriters represented: Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Frank Loesser, Lerner and Loewe, Leonard Bernstein, Bock and Harnick, Kander and Ebb, Stephen Sondheim, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, among others. Obviously, no single-disc compilation could ever please everyone (did we really need two ALW songs?), but as a sampler intended for people who watched the series and want to hear more of the Great White Way, The Best of "Broadway: The American Musical" can't be topped. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Some interesting choices, indeed.......2006-03-02

This is a pretty good compilation, but I have to wonder at some of the choices that went into it.
"Good Morning Baltimore" is almost the least impressive song from Hairspray. "You Can't Stop the Beat" was a much more anthemic song from that show.
I agree that it's too bad Les Mis didn't make it in. I would have traded that for anything Sondheim, although that's a personal preference :) .
Still, the opportunity to hear the original performers and orchestras perform these works, all in one place, is a great deal.

Great CD.......2005-11-01

This one plays in the car, on the ipod and in the house. When the kids were little they would ask if we could take them to "The Street". That is what they called Broadway (little did they know at that time how famous that street is). They still love it and we can not get enough of it. This CD covers the best and makes you want to go and see a live performance. You can not beat that.

Great selections, but bad transfers.......2005-07-27

This is a great taste of broadway. If you enjoyed the B'Way series at all, then you will probably enjoy this CD. My problem with it is that some of the songs sound like they were not remastered at all- the transfer to CD is terrible. The orchestrations in "You're the top" by Ethel Merman are muffled, and the song sounds like it was taken straight from an old record and slapped onto the CD without fixing it up. It doesn't sound very clear, which is a bit upsetting and annoying. Maybe this is just because that particular recording is older than some of the songs chosen to be on this CD. The more modern songs sound crisp and new and beautiful. "Swanee" is also very low quality as if it were just taken off of a record and put on the CD without any restoration. I just feel that these songs deserved better treatment and that we as customers deserve better treatment. Decca could have restored these songs and made them sound really good, but they decided just to slap them on the CD without touching them up.

I am surprised that nothing was chosen to be on this recording from Les Miserables since it had been on Broadway for 16 years and its tour is running until 2006. There were selections from Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Wicked, so I am not sure why nothing was chosen from Les Miserables.

Other than these few nit pickings, I think that this is a great introduction to musicals. It gives a little taste across the spectrum. Try getting the cast recordings of the songs that you really like on this collection. It's worth buying if you're a huge broadway fan.

Yes this is Some of the Best of Broadway!.......2005-04-08

This CD from Decca Broadway is a wonderful selection of some of

the "Greatest Hits" of the Broadway stage. Decca and Sony have

done an excellent job of remastering the various recordings, some

of which still show some of their age, but come across quite

well. Are there a lot of songs that I would have put on this

disc? Yes, but the ones on here are good choices. I may have to

get a copy of the Five disc set and the DVD's just to see if any

more of my favorites made it on the list. What this disc seems to

try to do is show the evolution of the Broadway song from it's

early days to the present. It succeeds quite well I think.

If you enjoy Broadway theater this CD is a must!

The music of Broadway comes alive.......2004-10-07

I loved listening to this CD. The music from Broadway's best loved musicals are on this album. I recogized most of these songs, even though I've only seen a few of them on the local stage. I have so many favorites on this CD. It is hard to pick one. I'm a big fan of Barbara Streisand. I loved her performance of People from Funny Girl. Memory is the hit song from the musical Cats. Betty Buckley's performance of this song is so emotional and sincere.

I loved the song Annie. It is a wonderfully optimistic song performed by the original Annie Andrea McArdle. Another highlight for me is the song One performed by the cast of a Chorus Line. Luck Be A Lady Tonight is another of my favorite broadway songs on this CD from Guys and Dolls. The music of the night is a beautiful song by Michael Crawford from Phantom of the Opera. Richard Kiley has such a strong and powerful voice. He sounds so inspirational singing The Impossible Dream from Man from La Mancha. My dream is to see some musicals on Broadway someday and listen to these songs performed live.

I'm surprised that there isn't any music from Miss Saigon or Jesus Christ Superstar included here. I think they are classic musicals with great songs Maybe they will appear on a future compilation from PBS.

Average customer rating: Fabulous for any Broadway-lover Top Shelf TERRIFIC CD'S Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs Great Compilation!

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series) Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Porter | Porter, Cole | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Weill | Weill, Kurt | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mancini | Mancini, Henry | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series) Broadway: The American Musical Broadway: The American Musical Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series) Somewhere over the Rainbow: The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals ASIN: B00064ADMK Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

1. Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
2. Swanee- Al Jolson
3. When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine- Bert Williams
4. A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
5. My Man- Fanny Brice
6. Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
7. If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
8. Someone To Watch Over Me- Gertrude Lawrence
9. Bill- 78 rpm Version Helen Morgan
10. Ol' Man River- Paul Robeson
11. Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
12. Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
13. Body And Soul- Libby Holman
14. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
15. Night And Day- Fred Astaire
16. Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
17. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
18. You're The Top- Ethel Merman
19. Summertime- Anne Brown
20. September Song- Walter Huston
21. My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
22. It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
23. Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
24. Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
25. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake

Tracks:

1. New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
2. If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
3. Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
4. There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
5. How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
6. Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
7. Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
8. Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
9. Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
10. Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
11. Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
12. Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
13. Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
14. Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
15. Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
16. Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
17. Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
18. I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
19. Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
20. The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
21. Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
22. Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

1. Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
2. I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
3. Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
4. My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
5. Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
6. Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
7. Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
8. Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
9. I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
10. The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
11. Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
12. What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
13. As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
14. Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
15. People- Barbra Streisand
16. Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
17. If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
18. Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
19. The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
20. If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
21. Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

1. Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
2. Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
3. I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
4. The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
5. Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
6. I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
7. I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
8. We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
9. Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
10. Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
11. Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
12. One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
13. All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
14. Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
15. Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
16. Come Follow The Band
17. Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
18. And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
19. The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

1. Memory- Betty Buckley
2. I Am What I Am- George Hearn
3. Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
4. Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
5. The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
6. You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
7. The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
8. Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
9. With One Look- Glenn Close
10. On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
11. Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
12. Seasons Of Love-
13. Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
14. I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
15. Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
16. Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
17. Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
18. I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
19. Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway

Average customer rating: Only half the songs of the original set!! Its all Christmas A Good Basic Collection cd reviews Poor Quality

The Time-Life Treasury of Christmas Manufacturer: Time Life Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Herbert | Herbert, Victor | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Holiday Music | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Pop Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Pop Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Similar Items: Time-Life Music: Treasury of Christmas - Holiday Memories Ultimate Christmas A Christmas Festival Now That's What I Call Christmas! Now That's What I Call Christmas! The Signature Collection ASIN: B00005NOZH Release Date: 2001-09-11

Tracks:

1. Home For The Holidays - Perry Como
2. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
3. Jingle Bells - Ella Fitzgerald
4. Do You Hear What I Hear? - Andy Williams
5. Carol Of The Bells/Deck The Halls - The Robert Shaw Chorale
6. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day - Harry Belafonte
7. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
8. My Favorite Things - Eddie Fisher
9. Joy To The World - Julie Andrews
10. Here We Come A-Caroling - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
11. March Of The Toys - The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
12. O Holy Night - Luciano Pavarotti

Tracks:

1. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry
2. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Andy Williams
3. The Twelve Days Of Christmas - Roger Whittaker
4. Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy - The Boston Pops Orchestra
5. Mary's Boy Child - Harry Belafonte
6. I'll Be Home For Christmas - Elvis Presley
7. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
8. Sleigh Ride - Johnny Mathis
9. Tennessee Christmas - Alabama
10. Baby's First Christmas - Connie Francis
11. The Little Drummer Boy - Harry Simeone Chorale
12. Auld Lang Syne - Guy Lombardo

Customer Reviews:

Only half the songs of the original set!!.......2007-01-17

Although I love the CDs, I was disappointed that there were only about half of the songs I thought there would be. I bought the original double cassette set back in the early 90's and when I found the CDs with the same name and cover, I thought I was getting the same thing only on CD. But the Cassettes had twice as many songs, including Let it Snow,Have Yourself a merry Little Christmas,The First Noel, Jingle Bells by Jim Reeves, The Christmas song by the Carpenters and so many others!!

Its all Christmas.......2007-01-09

It reminded me of Christmas as a child. I played this all throughout the holidays.

A Good Basic Collection.......2006-02-11

This is a good, basic collection of Christmas Music. As a general rule, Time-Life has selected what is probably the definative artist/arangement of each song.

My only complaints are that there are only 24 songs on two disks and one or two of them are not ones that I would have picked (not my style).

Overall, it's a good set that I would recommend to anyone who wants to start a collection.

cd reviews.......2006-01-15

this cd was very good, much recommended

Poor Quality.......2005-12-05

The only good thing about this collection is the inclusion of so many Christmas standards. I was very disappointed in the quality of the recordings, they obviously need digital inhancement.

Average customer rating: Irresistible "Some Enchanted Evening" with Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Excellent! Great Arrangments

Rodgers & Hammerstein: Songbook for Orchestra (Orchestral Suites) Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: Lerner & Loewe Songbook for Orchestra Rodgers & Hammerstein - The Complete Overtures ~ Opening Night / Hollywood Bowl Orchestra · Mauceri Puttin' on the Ritz: The Great Hollywood Musicals The Sound Of Music (1987 Studio Cast) Classics of the Silver Screen ASIN: B000003CXQ Release Date: 1992-01-28

Tracks:

1. Oklahoma!
2. Carousel
3. State Fair
4. South Pacific
5. The King And I
6. Cinderella Waltz
7. Flower Drum Song
8. The Sound Of Music

Customer Reviews:

Irresistible.......2005-07-29

From beginning to end this CD is pure delight. A great recording has great music, a great performance, and great sound; this one scores on all three counts.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals dominated Broadway in the 1940s and 1950s, and American musical theater has produced no more consistently eloquent and durable voice than Richard Rodgers. From his fertile genius flowed a surprising number of memorable songs, many of which have passed into and become an accepted and beloved part of modern American culture.

This well-filled CD (77:36) features symphonic arrangements (all but two by Robert Russell Bennett) of the music from Oklahoma (1943), Carousel (1945), State Fair (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), Flower Drum Song (1958), and The Sound of Music (1959). All the great tunes are here in suites from each musical that average 10-12 minutes in length. The arrangements are expert: rich, varied, and colorful. The performances are polished, idiomatic, and irresistible; Kunzel and this orchestra are thorough masters of this kind of material. And Telarc's sound (recorded 1991) is state-of-the-art (engineer Michael Bishop deserves to take a bow).

In short, there's nothing here to cloud your listening pleasure (the only quibble I can imagine is that some of your favorites may not last long enough), so it's hard for me to envision anyone with ears and a taste for music who wouldn't enjoy this CD. Warmly recommended. Finally, if you like this one as much as I do, you might want to know that the same team has produced a companion volume, the Lerner & Lowe Songbook for Orchestra.

"Some Enchanted Evening" with Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops.......2003-12-26

Erich Kunzel's Rodgers and Hammerstein anthology with the Cincinatti Pops Orchestra is one of the best and most ravishing instrumental Rodgers and Hammerstein albums of all time. With sumptuous arrangements and warm, natural Telarc recording, this glorious 77-minute CD presents sweeping, melodic arrangements of over 60 Rodgers and Hammerstein selections, spanning eight scores, and Kunzel allows the Pops to play with a characterful and polished understanding of the Rodgers and Hammerstein idiom. The disc is enough to cheer you up on a dull day and make you smile, and it might even want to make you feel like a convert to Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals.

This CD has all the scores arranged chronologically. The OKLAHOMA! suite that opens this disc promises a feast for the senses, Kunzel ably evokes the territory's "bright, golden haze" in the way he conducts the various excerpts, until you feel the atmosphere of the country charm of the show, and the love-affair between Curly and Laurey. Then, in CAROUSEL, he ably evokes the pathos of this tragic R&H masterwork, especially in the truncated Waltz, but he leads a wonderfully melodic "June is Bustin' Out All Over" and a devotional "You'll Never Walk Alone." Although this suite does not include Billy's pivotal Soliloquy, it includes "If I Loved You" as an expression of his love for Julie, and within minutes you could be soaked in the ups and downs of the show's mood.

After a brief STATE FAIR suite, with sweeping renditions of "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing", we are brought into the disc's showstopping highlights. These highlights are the excerpts from SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. But yet Kunzel conducts the rest of the disc until the various suites amount to a series of showstoppers. These three suites present wonderfully-arranged versions of their many familiar classic songs, with well-played solos. The SOUTH PACIFIC suite presents the songs in chronological order, yet preserves the atmosphere of the show at the same time. Kunzel ably brings out the romance in "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Younger than Springtime," and contrasts it with the exotic and dreamlike "Bali Hai'i" and the comic "There is Nothing like a Dame" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair". Although the suite ends quietly with a reprise of "Dites-Moi" rather than the reprise of "Some Enchanted Evening," within minutes we are swept into the KING AND I suite. Kunzel ably brings out the Oriental pathos in this score, and he captures the warmth of Anna's rapport with the King's Siamese children in "Getting to Know You", and with the King himself in "Shall We Dance." There is also romance in the love ballads "I Have Dreamed" and "We Kiss in a Shadow." Similarly, in the selection from THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Kunzel conducts this until the orchestra soaks itself in the atmosphere of this Austrian R&H score. This SOUND OF MUSIC suite has more of a feel of the score compared to the bonus track on Sony's reissued version of the Broadway recording. You can almost feel as if you are following the progress of the Trapp family and how it lifts its spirits with the joy of music. Kunzel gives us a soaring version of the title song, and spirited versions of "Do-Re-Mi" and "My Favourite Things." He balances it with the open-air quality of "Edelweiss" and "The Lonely Goatherd." Although this suite could have included "Something Good," the love ballad written for the film, the three recollections of the songs that were cut from the movie only last for a while. And, the towering version of "Climb Every Mountain" crowns this portion of the disc, and this sumptuously-produced recording. But, I should also mention the infectuous FLOWER DRUM SONG medley, where Kunzel turns this underrated score into a work of art, until it convinces you to buy the cast recording. And, don't forget about the brief CINDERELLA WALTZ, too, when Kunzel conducts it magically, until you feel like you are in the company of Cinderella and the Prince. He is able to show how this R&H score marked a comeback for R&H after the failiures of Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream.

Overall, this glorious Rodgers and Hammerstein recording is guarunteed to make you want to pucker your lips out for a whistle or sing along (to paraphrase another revew for Kunzel's Disney Spectacular disc) - even if this recording is music only, and as long as you know the words to the songs (and you might know a large handful of them already.) There is always a certain magic in this fine CD that makes you feel like you're sitting in the theatre watching these musicals, until it makes you feel like it is truly, to borrow two R&H song titles, "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Something Wonderful" to be in Kunzel's company for this R&H offering. It would certainly be one recording that could make you feel willing to buy the complete cast recordings of the shows. And I guaruntee that it will make you feel willing to pull out your existing copies of the cast recordings to listen to them again. I also guaruntee that it will be a cornerstone in any Rodgers and Hammerstein collection, just as it is in mine. Recommended heartily to any Rodgers and Hammerstein enthusiast and to fans of Erich Kunzel's work. And, you can play it while reading the Richard Rodgers biography, Musical Stages, until Rodgers himself would count this as his favourite disc in the afterlife.

By the way, most of the arrangements for the suites on this CD were done by the veteran R&H orchestrator Robert Russell Bennett, and it surely adds to the appeal of this recording. This itself is enough to amount to the icing on the cake, since Kunzel conducts them well on here, and since this recording still allows the suites to have the original theatrical atmosphere. And, although this recording is like the Mauceri collection of the Rodgers & Hammerstein overtures in compiling orchestral suites of Rodgers & Hammerstein, I think that I like the Kunzel recording even more because Kunzel has more magic in his conducting of these suites.

Excellent!.......2003-04-08

This is one of the best Erich Kunzel/Cincinnati Pops collections we own! A must for Rodgers and Hammerstein fans, too.

Great Arrangments.......2001-09-02

This is a first rate album with great arrangments and orchestrations. If you're a Rodgers and Hammerstein fan, you can't afford to miss this specatacular album

Average customer rating: Great sopran sax by Coltrane. The greatest song ever recorded Same Name Different Album My version contains only three tracks. Rain down on me, ye sheets of sound, and cleanse me!

My Favorite Things [Deluxe Edition] John Coltrane Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: Giant Steps Coltrane's Sound Live at Birdland Mingus Ah Um Kind of Blue ASIN: B00000348A Release Date: 1998-03-03

Tracks:

1. My Favorite Things
2. Everytime We Say Goodbye
3. Summertime
4. But Not For Me
5. My Favorite Things, Part 1 (Single Version)
6. My Favorite Things, Part 2 (Single Version)

Customer Reviews:

Great sopran sax by Coltrane........2006-08-14

All I have to say there are the best sopran sax title from Johnny Hodges - Ellington small groups sessions. Great waltz My favorite things, but more graet titles too. One of the best albums from Coltrane's Atlantic period.

The greatest song ever recorded.......2005-04-07

I agree generally that this is not Coltrane's best record (that honor would go to either "Giant Steps" or "Love Supreme". But the 13:41 song here "My Favorite Things" is the closest to a religious experience I have ever had listening to music. The first time I ever listened to it I was 12 years old and I couldn't sleep, it was around 1 in the morning and I threw on my headphones and grabbed something that looked "relaxing". I listened to the song about 3 times in a row and was astounded. Never before has an artist reached into the depths of his soul and his life in such a beautiful and perfect way. The last 4 minutes of this song feel like they are musical waves reaching through your body and elevating your spirit. Trust me folks, I never talk in such florid language but there is no other way I can describe it. Close your eyes, turn the volume all the way up

Same Name Different Album.......2005-02-26

This "Jazz Hour" edition of "My Favorite Things", recorded in Holland, contains a different version of the title track and all the other tracks are different from those on the same-name album the above reviewers discuss. Amazon has mistakenly assigned these reviews to the wrong CD, and deprives buyers of the other CD of their opinions about it.

As for this album, the nearly 18 minute version of "My Favorite Things" is one of my favorite things. The other cuts are virtuoso work in a wilder fusion mode - also at length, a full jazz hour indeed - I won't go on at length since the album is apparently not available.

My version contains only three tracks........2004-08-07

The track listing for the version I purchased is:
1. My Favorite Things 17:52
2. Mr. P.C. 8:10
3. Tranening In 11:40

The first song should be familiar to those of you who
know Julie Andrews and The Sound of Music. It's basically
three jazzy instrumentals heavily influenced with saxophones,
piano and drums. I would recommend buying it if you're not
sure and are curious about Coltrane. This is supposed to
be one of his essential albums. I didn't realize when I
purchased this album that this was a condensed version
of the original album.

Rain down on me, ye sheets of sound, and cleanse me!.......2003-07-17

John Coltrane--the name conjures up one of the formative players in the hard-bop era, the long rapid-fire three notes on one chord line that blazed a path for jazz-yet-to-come. After my rock/jazz/blues class, Coltrane became the second name on my list of legendary jazz virtuosi to explore, the first of course being the incomparable Miles Davis.

The four tracks on the original 1961 release are all covers of well known tunes by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Heyward and Gershwin, and both Gershwin brothers. The familiarity of these tunes was clearly geared to those hesitant to dip their toes into the post-bop jazz that was making its way felt following cool jazz, plus for those who may have been taken aback by his earlier effort Giant Steps. The title track should be familiar to Julie Andrews fans. It's best heard in its original 13:41 glory, where McCoy Tyner has a great piano solo with alternating chord changes and Coltrane's extended glorious downpour of quick sax notes, that three-on-one chord approach as described in the original liner notes, that draws the listener into the music.

In fact, the two bonus tracks, labelled Part 1 and Part 2, are bite-sized single versions of the original, divided in half. Part 1 starts at the beginning, with Tyner's piano, with Coltrane coming in, while Part 2 starts with Coltrane starting out the melody instantly. I'd pick Part 2 as a sample for the uninitiated, but me, I'll take the complete version any day.

The slower and melodic arrangement of Cole Porter's "Everytime We Say Goodbye" is highlighted again by Coltrane's soprano sax and Tyner's piano. It's magical with the wistful ambience.

"Summertime" from Porgy And Bess is an upbeat jam with those sheets of sound pouring out like there's no tomorrow. I'm reminded of the original lyrics: "an de livin' is easy/fish are jumpin'." Well, there's nothing easy here, and the only thing jumpin' are those sax notes and Tyner's piano solo in the middle of this jam. That's followed by a solo by bassist Steve Davis. Face it, even a master like Coltrane be tuned out if there wasn't a pause, and Davis fulfills that here, as does drummer Elvin Jones. Coltrane finishes up the last minutes of this jam.

The final jam is Gershwin's swinging "But Not For Me" highlighted in great part another winning and extended Tyner piano solo and Coltrane rounding out the last two minutes.

This deluxe edition has a foldout with two sleeves. One has the CD-style booklet with commentary and a duplication of liner notes. The other sleeve has the actual CD in a miniature of the original LP, complete with liner notes on the back.

The sleeve commentary by Nat Hentoff says that John Coltrane "spoke of self-purging through music--by which he could learn more and more about himself and thereby make himself and his music part of the unity of all being. Accordingly, he considered music to be a healing art." That really makes him a true philosopher among musicians. It has applications to all of us regardless, self-purging and healing with whatever enlightens or fulfills us.

Average customer rating: Actually a great recording - The glass is half full on this project Rodgers - 5, Pops - 3 A Mixed Bag Boston Pops: A Richard Rodgers Celebration

My Favorite Things: A Richard Rodgers Celebration Jason Danieley , and Boston Pops Orchestra Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: A Splash of Pops Sleigh Ride Broadway's Greatest Hits That's Entertainment: Pops on Broadway Runnin' Wild ASIN: B0000640NM Release Date: 2002-04-23

Tracks:

1. Main Title (Oklahoma!)
2. "My Favorite Things" (The Sound of Music)
3. "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" (Oklahoma!)
4. Overture to Babes in Arms
5. "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" (On Your Toes)
6. "March of the Clowns" (Nursery Ballet)
7. "I Have Dreamed" (The King and I)
8. "Grant Avenue" (Flower Drum Song)
9. "D-Day" (Victory at Sea)
10. "The Sound of Music" (The Sound of Music)
11. "Mountain Greenery" (The Garrick Gaieties of 1926)
12. "The Carousel Waltz" (Carousel)
13. "Shall We Dance?" (The King and I)

Customer Reviews:

Actually a great recording -.......2003-10-12

The more I listened to this CD, the more I was blown away by some of the arrangements and orchestrations. Some of it I'd heard before i.e. the Oklahoma! overture based on the Robert Russell Bennet film arrangement; some of it I hadn't heard quite this way like the "Babes in Arms" overture or "Surrey with a Fringe on Top" in swing time. I especially liked the "My Favorite Things" arrangement which diverges from the original. I highly recommend it because most of the arrangements/orchestrations are very powerful in their own right and you may not have heard it all before. A few of the arrangements feature newer vocalists as the other reviews indicate. I reserve comment on this one because it is always difficult to compare an unfamiliar vocalist with Julie Andrews for example.
Also, I have taped two 1 hour Rodgers specials off PBS which feature some of these performances. I'd love for PBS to put these episodes on a DVD instead of the usual pledge drive DVD fare.

The glass is half full on this project.......2002-10-16

To do a celebration of Richard Rodgers music is simply grand. Without question he was the backbone of what we have come to know as "Broadway Magic".

For this occasion the Boston Pops did a good job of paying tribute to this master tunesmith. I think Richard would be more than proud to see his masterpieces performed in such a manner.
BRAVO to the B.P.O.!

If there were any shortcomings to this project it would have to be two things. First, I felt like they should have used better vocalists. Second, I felt like the repertoire was not as good as it could have been. Some of the tunes performed here I really disliked. I can think of a lot of songs I would have rather been listening to.

I think it would safe to recommend this cd to all the die hard Richard Rodgers fans.

Rodgers - 5, Pops - 3.......2002-09-15

Keith Lockart is certainly a solid heir to the Boston Pops of Arthur Fiedler. His performances are crisp, and lively. The Pops likes working with him, and it shows. And, I own every Keith Lockart/Boston Pops disc so far. But....although there were some interesting additions to this repertoire, especially the scenario of "Victory at Sea", I was really turned off by the so-so vocal renditions. They really detracted from the overall fun of the disc. Certainly the music of Richard Rodgers is timeless (not EVERTHING he wrote was delicious), but Lockhart missed the boat with this one. It's a neat album if you have a player that can pick and choose what you listen to, but after the first few tunes, I got a bit restless.

A Mixed Bag.......2002-07-18

The two most interesting items in this collection are "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" in an effective arrangement Broadway orchestrator/arranger Hans Spialek made for Paul Whiteman and "The March of the Clowns" from "Nursery Ballet," a number from a Whiteman commission recently discovered in the bandleader's archives. Patrick Hollenbeck arranged the march for the Pops and has the style right, so it's too bad the other two movements of the original suite weren't included in this release.

Otherwise, the most satisfying selections on the disc are the Main Title from the film version of "Oklahoma!" (the work of Robert Russell Bennett), the overture to "Babes in Arms" (Don Walker's orchestration captures the spirit of the Broadway original in full orchestra terms), "D-Day" (Lockhart paces it more as a jaunty march than an epic one), and the "Carousel Waltz."

I confess that I like big-orchestra arrangements of show music even though I know I'm not supposed to, but the remaining instrumental numbers are played in arrangements (by Sammy Nestico, Don Sebesky, and Alexander Courage) that I don't like. They are mostly fussy, heavy, lacking in fun, and tinged with elements from the Big Band era that sound out of place in these surroundings. It's too bad Hollenbeck didn't do these arrangements, too. Failing that, the Pops music library must still have arrangements Bennett, Leroy Anderson, and Richard Hayman did of Rodgers scores, and I don't understand why they weren't used here. They never wear out their welcome.

The singers are uniformly disasters. Martina McBride ("My Favorite Things"), Jason Danieley ("I Have Dreamed"), and Collin Raye ("The Sound of Music") are described on the label as "vocalists." The term tells you all you need to know about their lack of any sense of the appropriate style for their numbers. They are club, not theater, singers. Their vocalizings can't hurt Rodgers, but they are jarring to the listener in the context of the rest of this disc. Their voices, as voices, are mediocre, and the arrangements (each by a different person) of the pieces don't help. (Some comparably dubious items have been included in most recent Pops recordings. Each has some interesting, unusual things along with others that don't really belong. I wonder if they are the price Lockhart has to pay in order to record the interesting stuff.)

The Boston Symphony and Pops were the orchestras I grew up with, so it hurts to have to say that this disc is such a mixed bag.

(By the way, Nelson Riddle recorded an LP of his own splendid arrangements of the principal numbers from "Oklahoma!", and I wish Capitol would resurrect it from the vaults as a salute to Rodgers's memory in his centennial year.)

Boston Pops: A Richard Rodgers Celebration.......2002-05-08

What a wonderful celebration this recording is! The scope and beauty of Richard Rodgers' music has seldom been given a better airing than on this CD by the Boston Pops. An absolutely stunning recording in both performance and choice of selections. We are treated not only to fresh and memorable instrumental renditions of beloved standards such as "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top", "Where Or When" and "Shall We Dance", but also to a few of Richard Rodgers' less frequently heard compositions such as the jazzy "Grant Avenue", the stirring "D-Day Theme" from Victory At SEA, and a premier recording of a very delightful "March Of The Clowns", a piece originally commissioned by Paul Whiteman in the 1930s. The artists chosen to sing the three vocals on this CD are exceptional. In fact, this particular recording would be worth owning if for no other reason than to enjoy Jason Danieley's spine-tingling rendition of "I Have Dreamed". And after hearing Mr. Collin Raye's beautiful masculine rendition of "The Sound Of Music", one will never again think of that classic as being primarily suited only for a female vocalist. In short, this Boston Pops CD is a richly satisfying treat -- lush and nostalgic, as well as being upbeat and as contemporary as year 2002 -- a worthy tribute to the timelessness of Mr. Rodgers' musical genius.

Average customer rating: Unnecessary Vanessa-Mae as a Child Prodigy at 12 and 13 Vanessa-Mae as a Child Prodigy at 12 and 13 Great early recording

The Classical Collection, Part 1 / Vanessa-Mae (3 CD Box Set) (EMI Classics) Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Kabalevsky | Kabalevsky, Dmitri | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Kreisler | Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Paganini, Niccolò | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sarasate | Sarasate, Pablo de | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wieniawski | Wieniawski, Henri | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mancini | Mancini, Henry | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Vanessa-Mae | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Choreography The Classical Album 1 / Vanessa-Mae The Original Four Seasons And The Devil's Trill Sonata / Vanessa-Mae Subject to Change Classical Album, Vol. 2: China Girl ASIN: B00004W47H Release Date: 2000-11-07

Tracks:

1. Violin Concerto In C Op.48: I. Allegro
2. Violin Concerto In C Op.48: II. Andante
3. Violin Concerto In C Op.48: III. Vivace Giocoso
4. Russian Dance (Swan Lake)
5. Violin Concerto In D Op.35: I. Allegro Moderato
6. Violin Concerto In D Op.35: II. Canzonetta (Andante)
7. Violin Concerto In D Op.35: III. Finale (Allegro Vivacissimo)

Tracks:

1. Schon Rosmarin
2. Liebesleid
3. Liebesfreud
4. Violin Concerto In D 'Adelaide' (In The Style Of Mozart) KAnh.294a1: I. Allegro
5. Violin Concerto In D 'Adelaide' (In The Style Of Mozart) KAnh.294a1: II. Adagio
6. Violin Concerto In D 'Adelaide' (In The Style Of Mozart) KAnh.294a1: III. Allegro
7. Violin Concerto In D Op.61: I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
8. Violin Concerto In D Op.61: II. Larghetto
9. Violin Concerto In D Op.61: III. Rondo (Allegro)

Tracks:

1. ...Inspired By The Classics: Salut D'amour
2. ...Inspired By The Classics: Lullaby
3. ...Inspired By The Classics: Air On The G String
4. ...Inspired by Cinema: My Favourite Things
5. ...Inspired by Cinema: The Pink Panther
6. ...Inspired by Cinema: Les Parapluies De Cherbourg
7. ...Inspired By Pop Culture: One Moment In Time
8. ...Inspired By Pop Culture: Yellow Submarine
9. ...Inspired By Folk Culture: Frere Jacques
10. ...Inspired By Folk Culture: La Campanella
11. ...Inspired By Folk Culture: Chinese Folk Tune
12. ...Inspired By Folk Culture: Tambourin Chinois
13. ...Inspired By Opera: Figaro
14. ...Inspired By Opera: Summertime
15. ...Inspired By Opera: Concert Fantasy On 'Carmen' Op.25
16. ...Inspired By Opera: Fantaisie Brillante On Themes From Gounod's 'Faust' Op.20

Customer Reviews:

Unnecessary.......2001-04-18

While it would be, of course, somewhat unfair to rate this CD recording of some of the world's most famous pieces for virtuoso violin the same way one would for a mature, older artist's recordings, it is horrendous marketing strategy on the part of Sony Classical to release this three CD set on the premise that they are "brilliant," as stated on the back of the CD case. They are anything but, as a quick listen to any one of the three CDs will reveal to the discerning ear.

The first two CDs are mainly concerned with Mae playing the Kabalevsky, the Tchaikovsky Concerto in D, and the Beethoven Concerto in D -- all highly acclaimed pieces aimed at showing off not only the speed, strength, physical and mental endurance of the violinist, but also, certainly, the tone production and "fingers," as Sarah Chang would have liked to put it. Mae fails on almost all the above counts. While she professes to have a high degree of passion for the Tchaikovsky and the Beethoven (Mae gushes about learning them by heart long before her instructor had the chance to teach them to her), the pieces are a great disappointment. The first thing to jarr the ear is her tone (a scratchy, unconfident, and extremely tinny one, at that) and, rather surprising, her lack of capability at pulling off the cadenzas. It is beyond anyone's understanding how the then young Mae's speed and technical accuracy could be so highly acclaimed as they are by some quarters when she falters and stumbles along the notes, mainly in the higher registers. This is most apparent in the extremely poor playing of Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy, where she sometimes lags behind the entire orchestra by a few wrenching notes as she struggles to catch up and keep in tempo.

The pieces on the Virtuoso Album CD aren't worth much -- colourless, soulless renditions of miniatures that have been performed better by countless of other violinists, at every measure of age (Chang does a splendid job of the Carmen Fantasy, and she recorded it in the studios when she was only nine years old).

The only redeeming piece of the entire three CD set I can think of must be the Russian Dance from Swan Lake. Although her bowing is rarely, if ever, confident and full, her thin, wavering vibrato ever used effectively, she opens the piece with a vigour that isn't seen in any other of the pieces.

It is rather unfortunate that Mae has never really progressed far, classically -- a look at her later recordings (the Classical Collection 2) and her live performance at the Royal Albert Hall (where the Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2, Moses Variation on a G String, and a few others were played) drives the point home painfully. I am a fan, of course, but not one of her classical side -- the techno-pop-fusion music masks her flaws well enough to allow one to forget that one is listening to a very mediocre violinist at work.

Vanessa-Mae as a Child Prodigy at 12 and 13.......2000-11-14

Vanessa-Mae: is the beautiful young Singaporean violinist with her flowing hair, gorgeous figure, pop star clothes, electric violin, laser and light shows, websites, and rock band just a media creation, or is she instead a modern-day Pagannini or Liszt, a true virtuoso with a flair for showmanship? In other words, can she play? This three CD set of her early recordings, made when she was only 12 and 13 years old, answers the question authoritatively. Although there are, of course, some flaws, the fact remains that even at this early age Vanessa-Mae was a stunning performer. At thirteen she played better than many profession musicians have at thirty, myself included. Listen, for example, to the stunning beginning of Sarasate's Concert Fantasy on `Carmen".

There is a certain tension between the interpretations of the soloist and the conductor occasionally, especially when Vanessa-Mae wants to play faster than the conductor will allow. This is in fact my biggest criticism of the recording; but these ego wars are not only the bloodiest but also the most common of musical slaughterhouses, and it is no surprise that such a young performer would get caught up in it. Otherwise, the performance is terrific--intonation is impeccable, interpretation confident. In particular, Vanessa-Mae has a commanding technique in the highest range, where her tone absolutely soars. Only very rarely, and then only at the very end of a rising run, does her intonation slip slightly. And she varies her style appropriately to suit the music--at the time of this recording she'd not yet gotten to playing Vivaldi with a rock band. In Fritz Kreisler's Schon Rosmarin, I can practically see her in a ball gown with her hair up in ringlets, performing this for the Viennese elite at a society soiree. It seems appropriately schmatzy to me, and it provides a link between the Classical and popular sides of Vanessa-Mae featured in this collection.

The set consists of three CDs, the first the Russian Album, the second, the Viennese Album, and the third, the Virtuoso Album. This last title is somewhat curious, as only two-thirds of the way through do the selections take a virtuoso turn. Otherwise, they are pops and light classics that are not at all demanding of the performer. This CD has a theme of inspiration from various sources, and the selections are categorized as "inspired by the classics, inspired by cinema, inspired by pop and folk culture, and inspired by opera" and include such things as arrangements of Brahms Lullaby, Mancini's theme to The Pink Panther, and Richard Rogers' My Favorite Things. Unfortunately, the Beatles also make an appearance--I love the Beatles, but Lennon and McCartney's Yellow Submarine is a testament to the perils of drug use. Whatever fondness society has for this piece--and I know they do, as my 10 year old daughter is learning it on recorder for her music class at school--this affection must come from our memories of youth, the fun of the 70's and the association of the imaginative animation by Peter Maxx of the movie, perhaps even the symbolism, arcane as it may be, of the text. Objectively, though, the tune is as trivial and banal as anything ever written, and here it gets turned into a sort of mini-violin concerto. Call the Blue Meanies and the Apple-Bonkers to put a stop to that!

But the other performances and pieces on this CD more than make up for this miscue. The first CD features Violin Concerti by Kabelevsky and Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven's violin concerto is featured on the second CD with a gorgeous performance. Vanessa-Mae clearly *can* play--she is much more than just a media creation. This collection, a portrait of the artist as a young woman, proves the point admirably.

Vanessa-Mae as a Child Prodigy at 12 and 13.......2000-11-14

Vanessa-Mae: is the beautiful young Singaporean violinist with her flowing hair, gorgeous figure, pop star clothes, electric violin, laser and light shows, websites, and rock band just a media creation, or is she instead a modern-day Pagannini or Liszt, a true virtuoso with a flair for showmanship? In other words, can she play? This three CD set of her early recordings, made when she was only 12 and 13 years old, answers the question authoritatively. Although there are, of course, some flaws, the fact remains that even at this early age Vanessa-Mae was a stunning performer. At thirteen she played better than many profession musicians have at thirty, myself included. Listen, for example, to the stunning beginning of Sarasate's Concert Fantasy on `Carmen".

There is a certain tension between the interpretations of the soloist and the conductor occasionally, especially when Vanessa-Mae wants to play faster than the conductor will allow. This is in fact my biggest criticism of the recording; but these ego wars are not only the bloodiest but also the most common of musical slaughterhouses, and it is no surprise that such a young performer would get caught up in it. Otherwise, the performance is terrific--intonation is impeccable, interpretation confident. In particular, Vanessa-Mae has a commanding technique in the highest range, where her tone absolutely soars. Only very rarely, and then only at the very end of a rising run, does her intonation slip slightly. And she varies her style appropriately to suit the music--at the time of this recording she'd not yet gotten to playing Vivaldi with a rock band. In Fritz Kreisler's Schon Rosmarin, I can practically see her in a ball gown with her hair up in ringlets, performing this for the Viennese elite at a society soiree. It seems appropriately schmatzy to me, and it provides a link between the Classical and popular sides of Vanessa-Mae featured in this collection.

The set consists of three CDs, the first the Russian Album, the second, the Viennese Album, and the third, the Virtuoso Album. This last title is somewhat curious, as only two-thirds of the way through do the selections take a virtuoso turn. Otherwise, they are pops and light classics that are not at all demanding of the performer. This CD has a theme of inspiration from various sources, and the selections are categorized as "inspired by the classics, inspired by cinema, inspired by pop and folk culture, and inspired by opera" and include such things as arrangements of Brahms Lullaby, Mancini's theme to The Pink Panther, and Richard Rogers' My Favorite Things. Unfortunately, the Beatles also make an appearance--I love the Beatles, but Lennon and McCartney's Yellow Submarine is a testament to the perils of drug use. Whatever fondness society has for this piece--and I know they do, as my 10 year old daughter is learning it on recorder for her music class at school--this affection must come from our memories of youth, the fun of the 70's and the association of the imaginative animation by Peter Maxx of the movie, perhaps even the symbolism, arcane as it may be, of the text. Objectively, though, the tune is as trivial and banal as anything ever written, and here it gets turned into a sort of mini-violin concerto. Call the Blue Meanies and the Apple-Bonkers to put a stop to that!

But the other performances and pieces on this CD more than make up for this miscue. The first CD features Violin Concerti by Kabelevsky and Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven's violin concerto is featured on the second CD with a gorgeous performance. Vanessa-Mae clearly *can* play--she is much more than just a media creation. This collection, a portrait of the artist as a young woman, proves the point admirably.

Great early recording.......2000-11-11

I should of course first disclose that I do not know very much about classical music, but as far as I can tell this is a fantastic recording.

This 3-cd set is a reissue of the early classical recordings that Vanessa-Mae made before crossing over into pop. It is a fantastic set because it offers a wide range of music: Tchaaikovsky, Kreisler, Beethoven, Paganini, Sarasate, Bach, Brahms and others. Vanessa-Mae's playing is fantastic throughout. I have always felt that she is a much stronger classical than pop player -- she really does not bring much uniqueness to pop music (just electronic supporting instruments) -- however, her remarkable classical mastery is easily evident even to an inexperienced person like me.

All-in-all, the recording is remarkably mature and holds up well in comparison to VM's later classical recordings. Most highly recommended!

Average customer rating: Good, not great. Incredible! overly rich nostalgic pieces and particles of the piano

The Piano Album Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Czerny | Czerny, Carl | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dohnányi, Ernö von | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Godowsky | Godowsky, Leopold | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by MacDowell | MacDowell, Edward | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rubinstein | Rubinstein, Anton | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Liebermann | Liebermann, Lowell | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Serenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music | Divertimentos Character Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Hough, Stephen | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Stephen Hough's New Piano Album Stephen Hough Piano Collection York Bowen: Piano Music Karl Czerny: The Art of Finger Dexterity, Op. 740 Stephen Hough's English Piano Album ASIN: B00000C2KC Release Date: 1998-10-20

Tracks:

1. Hexentanz
2. Chant Polonais No. 1 In G 'Maiden's Wish'
3. The Crimson Petal
4. The Fuchsia tree
5. Capriccio In F Minor, Op. 28 No. 6
6. Minuet In G, Op. 14 No. 4
7. Nocturne, In B Flat, Op. 16 No. 4
8. Etude In A-Flat Major, Op. 1 No. 2
9. Melodie In E
10. Caprice-Burlesque
11. My Favorite Things
12. Kashmiri Song
13. Music Box
14. The Swan
15. Papillons
16. The Gardens Of Buitenzorg- (From 'Java Suite', Book 3)
17. Waltz In A, Op. 2
18. En route, Op. 9
19. Sicilliano, Op. 42 No. 2
20. Caprice espagnol, Op. 37

Tracks:

1. Variations Brillantes Op. 14
2. The Enchanted Nymph
3. Der Kontrebandiste
4. Melody In F
5. Gargoyles, Op. 29: I. Presto
6. Gargoyles, Op. 29: II. Adagio semplice, ma con molto rubato
7. Gargoyles, Op. 29: III. Allegro moderato
8. Gargoyles, Op. 29: IV. Presto feroce
9. The Musical Snuffbox
10. The Musical Snuffbox
11. Etude de style, Op. 40 No. 1 'Agilite'
12. Till I Wake
13. Weep You No More
14. March Of The Siamese Children
15. Valse mignone
16. Serenata, Op. 15 No. 1
17. Bourree (From Violin Sonata No. 2)
18. Erinnerungen (Triakontameron No. 25)
19. Adagietto (From 'L'Arlesienne')
20. Ungarishe Zigeunerweisen

Customer Reviews:

Good, not great........2002-05-22

I got this double cd, since a fellow reviewer of Hamelin's Kaleidoscope said he couldn't fully endorse that disc, since this cd would be so much better. Wrong again, sewer boy!

Thanks to Arthur Schnabel complete recordings of Sonatas, Concertos and Variation Works have become the mainstay of the recorded piano repertoire. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine that this has not always been the case. Yet, just have a look at the complete Rachmaninov recordings on RCA to see that even this giant mostly recorded little trifles, since the record buyers of his time prefered snacks over meals.

This generous and economic double cd contains a compilation of mostly romantic smaller scale works, that Rachmaninov's clientele would have enjoyed. Some are obscure, others e.g. Ljadov's snuff box and Taussig's Gypsy tunes are pretty well known.

Hough-a man from the splendid 1961 vintage, just like Hamelin and your's truly- is a highly accomplished pianist. His playing is good, yet not up to the Hamelin standards. The repertoire, however, started to bore the hell out of me after a while. I admit, that there are true exceptions like the Liebermann Gargoyles, but for me this set was simply too much of a good thing.

The interpretations vary from decent to good. I used to own an lp of the French virtuoso Setrak, that contained both the Ljadov and Taussig mentioned above and believe you me those interpretations dwarfed what we get here.

In conclusion, a generous compilation of smaller scale pianoworks. Good clean piano playing and more than adequate recordings.

Incredible!.......2001-01-12

I am a pianophile and longtime record collector, and this is one of the most awe-inspiring recordings I have ever heard. Stephen Hough's pianism - and I don't mean to be hyperbolic - simply exhausts all adjectives one might try to use to describe it. This is the kind of album to listen to not so much for the music (though these are charming and now-rarely heard pieces) but for the artistry of the performer. For stunning virtuosity, listen to the final measures of the Moszowski piece or to the MacDowell; for rich tone and melting legato listen to Hough's own transcriptions of the two Roger Quilter songs. Out of hundreds of CDs I have heard, this is one of my absolute favorites - and a steal at the price. Stephen Hough is the modern day Cortot, Gieseking, Rachmaninoff, and Joseph Levine, for he has it all - drama, precision, color, intellect, raw strength, and yes - delicacy. I rarely make recommendations like this, but you absolutely must hear this recording.

overly rich nostalgic pieces and particles of the piano.......2001-01-06

This is music that seems to have lapsed into a forgotten time warp, like when you open that old wood truck in the attic to find odd bits and particles,objects,dolls and photographs that immediately transports you into another fantasia place. That's what this music does. Hough has selected for the most part fast filigreed,rapid cascades and ribbons of pieces. Each however has its own narrative,its own special tale to reveal, a special musical texture,an endearing melody. Needless to say most of the composers here are those you've never heard before,like Ignaz Friedman, whose "Music Box" is not what you think, yes it has that timbre of forever moving tickly tones,for a ballerina popping out of a ceramic box. But there is a large pallette of sophistication here as well with the unique timbre of the piano. Every piece does this admirably. The Hexentanz of MacDowell (arr.Liszt) is a helter-skelter piece never stopping,scaling the upper regions of the keyboard,and this would be an encore work. It keeps you on the edge of your upholstered chair.Leoplold Godowsky is not an unfamiliar name,he is a specialist in the art of the arragement trying to capture a timbre, and here in Camille Saint-Saens forever memorable "Swan"the final days of post-romantic Louis Napoleon the Third era is handled with just a few more ripples in the pond than before almost imperceptible.

When played in consecutive order all these works I found myself bored,this music inhabits such a rich timbral world that it's message overspends itself, overspills into the next work. A modernist voice of Lowell Lieberman is here, a postmodern specialist in this genre of the new tonality, or the past revisited. Proust taught us the rich chasms of remembering, and the process of reoccurence of time returning in differnt guises. Lieberman's "Gargoyles" has its own sardonic charm.,equally at home compliasant with his timbral brethren.

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4. Obvious Pt.2 [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]
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6. Piano Moon
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