Come 2 My House

Amazon.com
Come 2 My House arrives on the heels of Chaka Khan's heralded live collaboration with the Artist, and while it bears unmistakable marks of the deposed Prince's involvement, it's also more rough and ready than his own New Powersoul, which preceded it by a few months. Chaka sounds inviting--literally so on the title track, which finds her proffering "some really good beer or a glass of wine" in a manner even a teetotaler couldn't resist--but also like nobody's fool. "I'll never open my legs again," she asserts, "unless I'm really sure." With "Tell Me Something Good" and "I'm Every Woman," solid favorites of young fans of the old school, Chaka is back to let us know that the jam is still moving. --Rickey Wright

Vibe
...[O]n this certified masterpiece, Chaka finally manifests all the lyric, emotional, improvisational mastery we always knew she was capable of. Thirteen poems given flesh by the New Power Generation's voodoo conjurations, Come 2 My House is both a reaffirmation of faith and an artistic maturation.

Come 2 My House

Come 2 My House,Chaka Khan,Npg Records,Club/Dance,Funk,Pop,R&B,Soul,Soul/R & B,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues,Urban

---

Average customer rating:

Handel: The Masterworks (Box Set) Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concerto Grossi | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Trio Sonatas | Sonatas | 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 Flute | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Oboe | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Recorder | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Brilliant Classics | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set) Haydn: The Masterworks [Box Set] Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set] Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set] Schubert: The Masterworks [Box Set] ASIN: B00062FLI8 Release Date: 2004-11-30

Average customer rating: Love Chaka, but Very few Chaka worth the wait! The best invitation to an open house I've ever received For jazz and funk fans, Chaka's "House" is a home

Come 2 My House Chaka Khan Manufacturer: Npg Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Woman I Am C.K. GCS 2000 Life Is a Dance (The Remix Project) Chaka ASIN: B00000D9VU Release Date: 1998-09-29

Tracks:

1. Come 2 My House
2. (Intro)
3. This Crazy Life Of Time
4. Betcha I
5. Spoon
6. Pop My Clutch
7. Journey 2 The Center Of Your Heart
8. I'll Never B Another Fool
9. Democrazy
10. I Remember U
11. Reconsider (U Betta)
12. Don't Talk 2 Strangers
13. Hair
14. The Drama

Amazon.com

Come 2 My House arrives on the heels of Chaka Khan's heralded live collaboration with the Artist, and while it bears unmistakable marks of the deposed Prince's involvement, it's also more rough and ready than his own New Powersoul, which preceded it by a few months. Chaka sounds inviting--literally so on the title track, which finds her proffering "some really good beer or a glass of wine" in a manner even a teetotaler couldn't resist--but also like nobody's fool. "I'll never open my legs again," she asserts, "unless I'm really sure." With "Tell Me Something Good" and "I'm Every Woman," solid favorites of young fans of the old school, Chaka is back to let us know that the jam is still moving. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Love Chaka, but.......2006-08-31

I don't hear the real Chaka on this release, although the material is good. To me, she is more of a jazz singer than anything else. Her best moment on here is HAIR, a remake from Larry Graham and Graham Central Station.

Very few Chaka.......2005-09-28

Prince, by then AFKAP, is behind, but probably no in total control. Good moments, like in title track. Also low points--some Chaka own creations, the duo with Queen Latifha. In general, very few presence of Chaka as the fabulous singer that she is. If you want a better choice get Epifany.

worth the wait!.......2001-05-03

I've been trying to find this album for a couple of years, and now i finally own it. What I really enjoy about it is that Chaka's amazing voice gets a lot of room here. Instead of losing her voice in the beats and scratches like most R&B artists do lately, the background music takes a backseat to Chaka's powerful voice. There's a good combination of fun dance tunes and powerful ballads in here. If you want to listen to someone who can sing, without being too over the top, then you'd enjoy Chaka. There's no room for that whitney houston-esque warbling-around-at-the-end-of-a-sentence thing here.

The best invitation to an open house I've ever received.......2001-04-23

The first I heard from Ms. Chaka Khan was back when I was a little tyke, and I had that infectious intro "Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan...Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan" planted into my brain. Of course, that song turned out to be "I Feel For You", which was recorded in a somewhat ok version by its writer, Prince (back when he was still known as that). But Chaka's version totally blew his out of the water, showing that she had mastered yet another genre that was seemingly out of her league. Funk, jazz, soul, and now the distinctly Prince-like funk that helped define 1980s pop. However, it would be another 15 years or so before the Purple One and Chaka officially collaborated together (Prince had written a few more songs for Chaka's other projects, but COME 2 MY HOUSE is the first major collaboration for the two). That dream has finally come true with COME 2 MY HOUSE.

Many people have considered this album a comeback for Chaka, when in fact she never really left us. She was still a well-respected artist even when she wasn't conquering the charts. So COME 2 MY HOUSE is more like a reaffirmation of Chaka's considerable talents. And who better to help her out than that other fellow genius, Prince.

Naturally, his stamp is all over the album, helping write 9 of the 13 songs on here, even 2 of them solo. Those solo contributions fit into Chaka's personality very well, though. "Journey 2 The Center Of Your Heart" and "Don't Talk 2 Strangers" are still very Prince-ly while perfect for Chaka's voice, and are the standards by which all break-up songs and lullabies, respectively, should be judged. Other surprisingly successful ballads on here include "This Crazy Life Of Mine", "I Remember U", and "The Drama", which cut straight to the heart with their easily danceable (slow dance, that is) melodies and unique lyricism that puts them above the usual standards of typical love songs.

However, this HOUSE isn't one of total meditation. The funk quotient is unbelievably high with such smile-worthy numbers like "Spoon", "Pop My Clutch" (sounds like a double-entendre and it certainly is a wonderful one), "Betcha I" (gotta dig that hats-off to Bob Dylan), and a cover of Larry Graham's (who also makes a considerable contribution to the album) classic "Hair".

In the liner notes, Chaka says HOUSE is a different album for her because she helped write most of the songs on here. And like Emmylou Harris' recent RED DIRT GIRL album, songwriting is something Chaka may want to dabble in more often. She alternates between sensual welcoming on the title track, feminist rage with "I'll Never B Another Fool", social wisdom with "Democrazy", and apologizing for her mistakes with "Reconsider [U Betta]".

Chaka Khan has been one of soul music's (and pop in general) most talented artists for over 25 years. And although she's in her late 40s now, Chaka still hasn't changed much from when she kindly asked her lover to "tell her something good". COME 2 MY HOUSE shows that Chaka deserves to still be told many good things about her. And further kudos to his Purpleness, Prince, for giving Chaka a considerable say in the album, considering his past history of often making the artist a guest performer on their own album.

For jazz and funk fans, Chaka's "House" is a home.......2001-03-17

Let's face it; being produced by Prince can go either way. Sometimes his eccentricities pay off tenfold; sometimes he's so damn quirky you'd almost think he didn't want anyone to buy his music. Therefore, hearing that Chaka Khan collaborated with Prince for an entire album will either fill you with breathless anticipation (will Chaka elicit new shades of purple?) or pending doom (will she trust him too blindly in the interest of trying something new?). Luckily for all involved, "Come 2 My House" is a triumph all around: His Royal Badness shakes the production tendencies that made Sheila E. and Jill Jones sound like they were merely singing over Prince demos, and Chaka winds up with the most consistent and carefully-measured album of her career.

The listener gets a jolt right off the bat; rhythmically exhaling over bass-heavy beats, Chaka ushers in lush piano chords and a classy horn section to make the title track just as much straight jazz as it is pop, and it works as a most effective opener. When Chaka sweetly croons "come to my house/where we can play," it's enough to send you scrambling through the credits in hopes of finding an address. Another seamless blend of styles is offered on the exhilirating "Reconsider (U Betta)," where Chaka matches a jazzy horn line with her own formidable scats, all laid over a chunky street beat. "House" also provides shelter to some of Chaka's most mature ballads to date: "This Crazy Life of Mine" is a lovely, string-laden piece of autobiography; lines like "never will forget from whence I came/I have some regrets but I made myself a name" rings profoundly from a woman who clearly knows how to weigh the pros and cons of life. "I Remember You" is a sweet and wistful piece of pop that benefits from an intricate arrangement, and "Journey 2 the Center of Your Heart" tells the touching tale of a woman in love wearing down the resistance of a troubled soul.

But what truly warms the soul is the fact that Chaka hasn't served up a dose of funk this healthy since her days with Rufus. "Betcha I" has hooks and beats that are equally irresistible; "Spoon" soars with layered vocals and smile-worthy lyrics like "you are just like my favorite spoon/'cause you stir me up"; and Queen Latifah steps in to offer a helping hand (not that it was needed, but the more the merrier) on the funk-heavy, innuendo-laden "Pop My Clutch." Chaka even gets down and dirty on "Never B Another Fool," roughly laying her no-good lover out with lines like "I'll never open my legs again/to a man who's insecure." (You GO, girl!...equally chilling is the spoken line "if you think about callin...DON'T.") The funkiest cut is actually one of the slowest, however, as the horn section and bass line make "Hair" such an enticing cut that you may well find your head bobbing involuntarily.

Also pleasing are Chaka's vocals throughout the record; she seems to gain more control and power of her remarkable instrument as the years go by. And while Prince's production is detectable at times (a horn riff here, a guitar effect there), the easiest giveaway that this is a purple production is the spelling of the song titles. It's always nice to see an artist release a solid project later in their career, and it's just as satisfying to hear two formidable artists collaborate and bring out the best in each other; in both respects "Come 2 My House" is a masterpiece, as Prince and Chaka Khan marry elements of pop, jazz, and funk in coherent manner few others have attempted and even fewer have achieved. Thanks to Chaka's "House," the quality of living just went up in the neighborhood of soul.

Average customer rating:

Janet Baker Sings Haydn , Beethoven , Baker , Menuhin , and Malcom Manufacturer: Testament UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Arne | Arne, Thomas Augustin | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Very Best of Janet Baker ASIN: B000063WAR Release Date: 2002-09-10

Average customer rating: Impeccably Performed, Stunning Sound

Sing, My Soul: Choral Music of Ned Rorem Manufacturer: Albany Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00000FDBJ Release Date: 1998-11-24

Tracks:

1. 'Thee, God..'
2. Seven Motets For The Church Year: 'While All Things Were In Quiet Silence'
3. Seven Motets For The Church Year: 'Before The Morning Star Begotten'
4. Seven Motets For The Church Year: 'Lay Up For Yourselves'
5. Seven Motets For The Church Year: 'Praise Him Who Was Crucified'
6. Seven Motets For The Church Year: 'God Is Gone Up'
7. Seven Motets For The Church Year: 'Today The Holy Spirit Appeared'
8. Seven Motets For The Church Year: 'Rejoice We All In The Lord'
9. 'Phos Hilaron'
10. 'Canticle Of The Lamb'
11. 'Little Lamb, Who Made Thee?'
12. 'Come, Pure Hearts, In Sweetest Measure'
13. 'Mercy And Truth Are Met'
14. Love Alone: 'Here'
15. Little Prayers: Three Prayers: 'Creator Spirit, Who Dost Lightly Hover'
16. Little Prayers: Three Prayers: 'Father, Guide And Lead Me'
17. Little Prayers: Three Prayers: 'Creator Spirit, Please...'
18. What Is Pink?: 'What Is Pink?'
19. What Is Pink?: 'The Mysterious Cat'
20. What Is Pink?: 'Who Has Seen The Wind?'
21. What Is Pink?: 'A Pavane For The Nursery'
22. What Is Pink?: 'Counting-Out Rhyme'
23. What Is Pink?: 'The House On The Hill'
24. 'All Glorious God'
25. 'Breathe On Me, Breath Of God'
26. 'Lead, Kindly Light'
27. 'Love Divine, All Loves Excelling'
28. 'Sing, My Soul, His Wondrous Love'
29. 'Surge, Illuminare'

Customer Reviews:

Impeccably Performed, Stunning Sound.......1998-11-20

The beautifully captured reverberant sound of the acoustic space is matched by gorgeous choral balance, precise diction, and definitive interpretation. In spite of the contemporary style of the compositions - Rorem doesn't shy away from crunchy dissonances - this is a very enjoyable collection of Choral music with many beautfiul moments.

Average customer rating:

Come 2 My House Chaka Khan Manufacturer: Sony Legacy ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Funk | R&B | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Funk | R&B | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Soul General | Soul | R&B | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Soul General | Soul | R&B | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Dance & DJ | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 R&B | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: C.K. What Cha' Gonna Do for Me ASIN: B000A1JRS0 Release Date: 2005-05-10

Tracks:

1. Come 2 My House
2. (Intro)
3. This Crazy Life of Mine
4. Betcha
5. Spoon
6. Pop My Clutch
7. Journey 2 the Center of Your Heart
8. I'll Never B Another Fool
9. Democrazy
10. I Remember U
11. Reconsider (U Betta)
12. Don't Talk 2 Strangers
13. Hair
14. Drama

Average customer rating:

The Voice of Bernstein Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon 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 General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hadley, Jerry | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Peter Pan (2005 Studio Cast) - Leonard Bernstein ASIN: B0009K8LKC Release Date: 2005-06-14

Tracks:

1. Something's Coming - Jose Carreras
2. Maria - Jose Carreras
3. Tonight - Jose Carreras
4. America - Tatiana Troyanos
5. One Hand, One Heart - Jose Carreras
6. I Feel Pretty - Kiri Te Kanawa
7. Gee, Officer Krupke - Marty Nelson
8. Somewhere - Marilyn Horne
9. New York, New York - Thomas Hampson
10. Come Up To My Place (Taxi Number) - Kurt Ollmann
11. Carried Away - Frederica Von Stade
12. Pitkin's Song - Samuel Ramey
13. Some Other Time - Kurt Ollmann
14. Lucky To Be Me - Thomas Hampson
15. Oh, Happy We - Jerry Hadley
16. Glitter And Be Gay - June Anderson
17. Nothing More Than This - Jerry Hadley
18. Make Our Garden Grow (Finale) - London Symphony Chorus

Tracks:

1. A Quiet Girl - George Gaynes
2. A Little Bit In Love - Edith Adams
3. It's Love - Edith Adams
4. 'Big Stuff' Blues - Ruth Mense
5. You're Late (Sam) - Chester Ludgin
6. The President Jefferson Sunday Lucheon March - Thomas Hampson
7. Take Care Of This House - June Anderson
8. Love Duet - Thomas Hampson
9. The Love Of My Life - Thomas Hampson
10. Mr. And Mrs. Webb Say Goodnight - Thomas Hampson
11. The Pennycandystore Beyond The El - John Reardon
12. Storyette H.M. - Donald Gramm
13. What Lips My Lips Have Kissed - Nancy Williams
14. Psalm 108 (Verse 2)/Psalm 100 (Complete) - Wiener Jeunesse-Chor
15. Psalm 23 (Complete)/Psalm 2 (Verses 1-4) - Wiener Jeunesse-Chor
16. Psalm 131 (Complete)/Psalm 133 (Verse 1) - Wiener Jeunesse-Chor

Average customer rating: The best ever version The Golden Cast of D'Oyly Carte! The Definitive Recording

Gilbert & Sullivan: Patience Philip Potter , Kenneth Sandford , Mary Sansom , Jennifer Toye , and D'Oyly Carte Opera Company Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Sullivan | Sullivan, Arthur | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000041VE Release Date: 1989-07-21

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Act One: Twenty love-sick maidens we
3. Act One: Still brooding on their mad infatuation
4. Act One: I cannot tell what this love may be
5. Act One: Twenty love-sick maidens we
6. Act One: The soldiers of our Queen
7. Act One: If you want a receipt for that popular mystery
8. Act One: In a doleful train two & two we walk all day
9. Act One: Twenty love-sick maidens we
10. Act One: When I first put this uniform on
11. Act One: Am I alone & unobserved?
12. Act One: If you're anxious for to shine
13. Act One: Long years ago-fourteen, maybe
14. Act One: Prithee, pretty maiden-prithee
15. Act One: Though to marry you
16. Act One: Let the merry cymbals sound
17. Act One: Now tell us, we pray you
18. Act One: Heart broken at my Patience's barbarity
19. Act One: Stay, we implore you, before our hopes are blighted
20. Act One: Your maidens hearts, ah, do steel

Tracks:

1. Act One: Come, walk up, and purchase with avidity
2. Act One: We've been thrown over, we're aware
3. Act One: And are you going a ticket to buy?
4. Act One: Hold! Stay your hand!
5. Act One: True love must single-hearted be
6. Act One: I hear the soft note of the echoing voice
7. Act One: But who is this, whose god-like grace
8. Act One: List Reginald, whilst I confess a love
9. Act Two: On such eyes as maidens cherish
10. Act Two: Sad is a woman's lot who, year by year
11. Act Two: Silvered is the raven hair
12. Act Two: Turn, oh turn in this direction
13. Act Two: A magnet hung in a hardware shop
14. Act Two: Love is a plaintive song
15. Act Two: So go to him & say to him
16. Act Two: It's clear that the mediaeval art
17. Act Two: If Saphir I choose to marry
18. Act Two: When I go out of the door
19. Act Two: I'm a Waterloo House young man
20. Act Two: After much debate internal, I on Lady Jane decide

Customer Reviews:

The best ever version.......2002-06-07

The wonderful cast transports you to the realms of Gilbert and Sullivan, to make you feel that you are experiencing a first night in 1881! John Reed, as Bunthorne, an aesthetic poet is superb, camp, subversive and a complete fraud. If anyone is not aware, the story of the opera is based upon the idiosyncracies of the Aesthetic movement in England of the 1880's and Gilbert used the public parodies of his friend Oscar Wilde as his major source. The rest of the cast, chorus and orchestra , under the long experienced 'Goddie' are superlative and make for one of the finest line-ups in D'Oyly Carte history. Revel and enjoy, for this is quite the best.

The Golden Cast of D'Oyly Carte!.......1999-04-13

My wish had always been to see John Reed and the D'Oyly Carte Company in a performance of Patience. My mother had done so, remarking that, 'You'd need patience to watch it', she was coloured in her opinion, since she wanted to see 'The Mikado', but had gotten the wrong tickets! The recording, made in 1961, is superb in every detail. You are with the cast, on stage, in the auditorium, it is such a 'live' performance. The dialogue is delivered exquisitely, whilst the singing is uniformerly of the highest standard. I recently portrayed 'Bunthorne' and throughout my performances, I felt that I was continuing the legacy of Gilbert and Sullivan. All the past history of performers were there. I feel that Patience is a magical Savoy Opera. Do not miss the opportunity to own such a definitive performance. Maybe the subject of the 'Art Nouveau' periodof Victorian England is dated, but as one critic has already stated, every generation 'throws up' its poseures, to be knocked. 'Ah, me! lack aday!' BUY IT!

The Definitive Recording.......1998-12-09

For those who prefer the traditional Savoyard renderings of the G&S canon, this is far and away the best recording of this parody of the cult of celebrity. John Reed leads the cast as a delightful Bunthorne, and the recording contains all of the opera's dialogue. "HMS Pinafore," "The Mikado," and "The Pirates of Penzance" may be better known, but "Patience" is deserving of a wider audience.

Average customer rating:

Favorite English Songs Lott , and G Johnson Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: A Treasury of English Song Songs by Roger Quilter Just-Spring: Art Songs of John Duke English Song Roger Quilter: O Mistress Mine; To Daisies; Julia's Hair; Go, Lovely Rose ASIN: B00006ANZR Release Date: 2002-08-27

Tracks:

1. So We'll Go No More A-roving
2. Queen Mary's Song
3. The Cloths Of Heaven, Op. 30 No. 3
4. Love's Philosophy, Op. 3 No. 1
5. Silent Noon
6. The Shawl
7. Fish In The Unruffled Lakes
8. O Lurcher-Loving Collier, Op. 53 No. 2
9. O Waly, Waly
10. The Sprig Of Thyme
11. Sigh No More, Ladies
12. Come Sing And Dance
13. Gavotte
14. Go Not, Happy Day
15. My Own Country
16. Silver, Op. 30 No. 2
17. The Early Morning
18. Sweet Chance, That Led My Steps Abroad
19. The Swing
20. Red Roses And Red Noses
21. Come You Not From Newcastle?
22. Old Sir Faulk

Average customer rating: A century of British art songs to delight those who love them

English Song Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Gibbs, Cecil Armstrong | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Holst | Holst, Gustav | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Walton | Walton, Sir William | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Warlock | Warlock, Peter | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: A Treasury of English Song Favorite English Songs Songs by Roger Quilter Bryn Terfel - The Vagabond & other songs by Vaughan Williams, Butterworth, Finzi & Ireland Silent Noon ASIN: B0002JEG6I Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

1. A Soft Day - Bernadette Greevy
2. Irish Skies - Bernadette Greevy
3. Cherry Ripe - Janice Watson
4. Mustard And Cress - Neal Davies
5. The Lily Of A Day - Janice Watson
6. Henry King - Neal Davies
7. Fain Would I Change That Note - Graham Johnson
8. In Summer-Time On Bredon - Christopher Maltman
9. The Lads In Their Hundreds - Christopher Maltman
10. Among The Rocks - Graham Johnson
11. It Was A Lover And His Lass - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
12. The Water Mill - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
13. On Wenlock Edge - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
14. The Call - Graham Johnson
15. Silent Noon - Graham Johnson
16. Now In These Fairylands - Philip Langridge
17. The Dream-City - Philip Langridge
18. Margrete's Cradle Song - Susan Gritton
19. The Heart Worships - Christopher Maltman
20. Take, O Those Lips Away - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
21. Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal - Graham Johnson
22. Love Calls Through The Summer Night - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
23. I Will Go With My Father A-Ploughing - Graham Johnson
24. The Rio Grande (Capstan Shanty) - Ian Partridge
25. Theodore, Or The Pirate King - Ian Partridge
26. A Long Time Ago (Hilliard's Shanty) - Ian Partridge
27. Oh Dear, What Can The Matter Be? - Bernadette Greevy

Tracks:

1. The Grenadier - Richard Edgar-Wilson
2. The Young Lover - Richard Edgar-Wilson
3. Betty And Johnny - Richard Edgar-Wilson
4. Rise Up And Reach The Stars - Richard Edgar-Wilson
5. The Bells - Nik Hancock-Child
6. Ann's Cradle Song - Nik Hancock-Child
7. As I Lay In The Early Sun - Nik Hancock-Child
8. The Cherry Tree - Nik Hancock-Child
9. Dusk - Nik Hancock-Child
10. Peter Warlock's Fancy - John Constable
11. The Frostbound Wood - John Constable
12. Chopcherry - John Constable
13. A Sad Song - John Constable
14. Rutterkin - John Constable
15. Bethlehem Down - John Constable
16. Wapping Old Stairs - Felicity Lott
17. Long Steel Grass - Martyn Hill
18. Tango-Pasodoble - Martyn Hill
19. Popular Song - Martyn Hill
20. Beatriz's Song - Felicity Lott
21. Lay Your Sleeping Head, My Love - Philip Langridge
22. Early One Morning - Felicity Lott
23. The Foggy, Foggy View - Philip Langridge
24. Now The Leaves Are Falling Fast - Philip Langridge
25. Tell Me The Truth About Love - Della Jones
26. The Choirmaster's Burial - Philip Langridge

Customer Reviews:

A century of British art songs to delight those who love them.......2006-06-26

These 53 songs have been collected by Naxos from their extensive acquisitions from Collins Classics, and perhaps other British sources now out of business. There's a steady cottage industry, year after year, producing the typical English art song, which is usually based on folk songs, but even in more modern idioms is profuondly conservative and nostaligic. Half these songs, not to mention half the composers, are totally unknown to American audiences, but the familiar names of Vaughan Williams and Britten represent high quality, and the lesser lights, such as Warlock and Quilter, are mainstays in this repertoire.

I'd challenge all but the most addicted listener to make it through more than ten songs at a sitting, and many of these pieces are tepid, offering comfort rather than inspiration. The singers are among the best, but Graham Johnson and Steuart Beford, who do most of the accompaniments, are lackluster. I know that won't be a popular comment, yet if you compare any of these songs with rendiitons done by Janet Baker, John Shirley-quirk, and most recently Bryn Terfel and Ian Bostridge, you immediately notice how much more intensity and drama is pesent than htis colleciton reveals.

Average customer rating: "The death-doomed alone are destined to look on me." Breathtaking, powerful, accessible, not just an alternative Absolutely Breathtaking! A powerful reading of the most moving opera in the Ring. The power of Wagner's music drama is now fully accessible

Wagner: The Valkyrie Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English) The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English) Wagner: The Rhinegold ASIN: B00004YU6Z Release Date: 2000-11-28

Tracks:

1. Act I: Prld - English Nat Opr Orch/Reginald Goodall
2. Act I, Scene 1: The Storm Drove Me Here - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
3. Act I, Scene 1: This House And This Wife - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
4. Act I, Scene 1: Evil Fortune's Never Far From Me - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
5. Act I, Scene 2: There He Lay, Feeble And Faint - Margaret Curphey/Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios
6. Act I, Scene 2: Through Field And Forest - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey
7. Act I, Scene 2: Friedmund No One Could Call Me - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey
8. Act I, Scene 2: The Neidings Raided Again - Alberto Remedios
9. Act I, Scene 2: So The Norn Who Dealt You This Fate - Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
10. Act I, Scene 2: I Know A Troublesome Race - Clifford Grant
11. Act I, Scene 3: A Sword Was Pledged By My Father - Alberto Remedios
12. Act I, Scene 3: Are You Awake? - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
13. Act I, Scene 3: My Husband's Kinsmen - Margaret Curphey
14. Act I, Scene 3: Yes, Loveliest Bride - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
15. Act I, Scene 3: Winter Storms Have Vanished (Siegmund's Spring Song) - Alberto Remedios
16. Act I, Scene 3: You Are The Spring - Margaret Curphey
17. Act I, Scene 3: Oh Sweetest Enchantment - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
18. Act I, Scene 3: The Stream Has Shown My Reflected Face - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
19. Act I, Scene 3: Siegmund Call Me, And Siegmund Am I! - Alberto Remedios
20. Act I, Scene 3: Siegmund, The Walsung, Here You See! - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey

Tracks:

1. Act II, Scene 1: Go Bridle Your Horse, Warrior Maid! - Norman Bailey
2. Act II, Scene 1: Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! (Brunnhilde's Battle Cry) - Rita Hunter
3. Act II, Scene 1: The Usual Storm, The Usual Strife - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
4. Act II, Scene 1: Pretend That You Don't Understand! - Ann Howard/Norman Bailey
5. Act II, Scene 1: Now It's Come To Pass! - Norman Bailey
6. Act II, Scene 1: So This Is The End Of The Gods And Their Glory - Ann Howard
7. Act II, Scene 1: You Never Learn What I Would Teach You - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
8. Act II, Scene 1: What Must I Do? - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
9. Act II, Scene 1: Hiaha! Hiaha! Hoyotoho! - Rita Hunter/Ann Howard/Norman Bailey
10. Act II, Scene 2: Fricka Has Won The Fight - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
11. Act II, Scene 2: When Youth's Delightful Pleasures Had Waned - Norman Bailey
12. Act II, Scene 2: She Refused To Reveal More About It - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
13. Act II, Scene 2: There's More To Tell - Norman Bailey
14. Act II, Scene 2: Yet One Can Accomplish What I May Not - Norman Bailey
15. Act II, Scene 2: But The Walsung, Siegmund - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
16. Act II, Scene 2: Then Siegmund Must Fall In His Fight? - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
17. Act II, Scene 2: I Give You My Blessing, Nibelung Son! - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
18. Act II, Scene 2: No, Have Mercy - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey

Tracks:

1. Act II, Scene 2: So I Obey His Command - Rita Hunter
2. Act II, Scene 3: Rest Here For A While; Stay By My Side! - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
3. Act II, Scene 3: Away! Away! - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
4. Act II, Scene 3: Where Are You, Siegmund? - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
5. Act II, Scene 4: Siegmund! Look At Me! (Announcement Of Death) - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios
6. Act II, Scene 4: And If I Come - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
7. Act II, Scene 4: Then Greet For Me Walhall - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
8. Act II, Scene 4: Woe! Woe! Sister And Bride - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
9. Act II, Scene 4: Two Lives Now Lie In Your Power - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
10. Act II, Scene 5: Charms Of Sleep Are Sent To Still - Alberto Remedios
11. Act II, Scene 5: I Hear Your Call - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
12. Act II, Scene 5: Wehwalt! Wehwalt! - Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey

Tracks:

1. Act III, Scene 1: Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! (Ride Of The Valkyries) - Katie Clark/Anne Evans/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Shelagh Squires/Anne Conoley
2. Act III, Scene 1: Shield Me And Help - Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne Evans/Sarah Walker...
3. Act III, Scene 1: Hear While I Tell You - Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne Evans/Sarah Walker...
4. Act III, Scene 1: Pray Suffer No Sorrow For Me - Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne...
5. Act III, Scene 1: Fly Him Swiftly, Away To The East! - Rita Hunter
6. Act III, Scene 1: O Radiant Wonder! (Parting Salute) - Margaret Curphey
7. Act III, Scene 1: Stay, Brunnhild! - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
8. Act III, Scene 2: Where Is Brunnhild? - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
9. Act III, Scene 2: Weak-Spirited, Womanish Brood! - Norman Bailey
10. Act III, Scene 2: Here I Am, Father - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
11. Act III, Scene 2: No More Will You Ride From Walhall - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
12. Act III, Scene 2: Did You Not Hear What I Decreed? - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
13. Act III, Scene 3: Was It So Shameful - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
14. Act III, Scene 3: I Know So Little - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
15. Act III, Scene 3: You, Who This Love Into My Heart Revealed - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
16. Act III, Scene 3: You Indulged Your Love - Norman Bailey
17. Act III, Scene 3: Unworthy Of You This Foolish Maid - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
18. Act III, Scene 3: You Fathered A Glorious Race - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
19. Act III, Scene 3: In Long, Deep Sleep - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
20. Act III, Scene 3: Farewell, My Valiant, Glorious Child! (Wotan's Farewell) - Norman Bailey
21. Act III, Scene 3: These Eyes So Warm And So Bright - Norman Bailey
22. Act III, Scene 3: Loge, Hear! Come At My Call! - Norman Bailey
23. Act III, Scene 3: Magic Fire Music - Norman Bailey

Customer Reviews:

"The death-doomed alone are destined to look on me.".......2007-06-12

Okay, so we have the Solti, Bohm, Karajan, Goodall, Boulez, Janowski, Levine, Haitink, and Sawallisch Rings on the market (I haven't listened to the other Ring recordings yet, sorry to say). And all of these leave me to one conclusion: the many differences lead me to believe that all of these ring sets have their own authenticities and setbacks. And here they are:

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 Rhinegold (Part 1): Wagner: The Rhinegold
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)

Breathtaking, powerful, accessible, not just an alternative.......2005-05-03

This is one of three Walkure's in my collection: the very underrated Leinsdorf, the thrilling Boehm and this one with Goodall. I believe Goodall is right up there with the best of them. Remedios, Hunter and Bailey sing beautifully and with sufficient drama. I'll go out on a musical limb and say I believe Bailey is one of the finest Wotan's on disc. Many will disagree but I think he has the measure of the role, the power to pull it off and a burnished timber that never becomes coarse under powerful climaxes... Remedios may well be the star of the trilogy along with Hunter and Bailey. His Siegmund is beautifully sung and his Siegfried by the way, is no mean stint either. Would that we had tenors that could sing Siegfried without sounding stretched beyond their limits. I am continually puzzled by the bad reviews that the orchestra playing receives from ARG, Classics Today and a few others. The ENO is not a Concertgebouw or Vienna Philharmonic but I think they play beautifully, a few clinkers notwithstanding. For a live show, they do a pretty d..... good job. THe sound from both orchestra and singers is exceptionally fine. This set belong in your collection if you like Wagner and, Die Walkure, in particular. If I had been at the performance in the 1970's I would have come home very happy, satisfied and richer for the experience.

Absolutely Breathtaking!.......2002-09-13

I had long cringed at the thought of this magnificant masterpiece recorded in English. Even after reading several rave reviews on this cylce that I've read by authoritive Wagnerites and critics, I was still skeptical. Finally, I decided to add Goodall's 'Ring' as my third complete cycle (after Solti & Bohm) for one reason: because it was in English and I felt it would enhance my understand of 'The Ring.' In fact, after achieving that "higher understanding" I was planning on selling this set on Ebay. That was, of course, before I heard this magnificant recording.

During the course of my research on 'The Goodall Ring' most of the praised seemed to heighten around 'Siegfried,' which is my absolute favorite of the cycle. That also helped to seal the deal. As the critics said, 'Siegfried' under Goodall is excellent, but not as monumental as Solti's reading, which IMHO is the greatest recording of 'Siegfried.'

The set that stands out, to me, in 'The Goodall Ring' is this recording; The Valkyrie. It is absolutely breathtaking. Not only is it my favorite of this set, it is my favorite Valkyrie recording period (I am very familiar with Boehm's, Solti's, Karajan's, Furthwanglers, Levines, and others). Alberto Remedios (Siegmund here and Siegfried in the last two operas) is truly magnificant. It is the best Siegmund I have heard on disc (and his Siegfried rivals Windgassen). Coupled with Margaret Curphey (Sieglinde), you get the most beautiful and moving duo I have heard on record. The duet in Act I is simply glorious. You also get the bonus of Norman Bailey's triumphant Wotan (and Wanderer too). He has such command and prescene. He sounds like a God. Throw in Rita Hunter, who holds her own as Brunnhilde, Goodall's miraculous conducting, and excellent playing by the orchestra and it all adds up to a stunning recording.

I can only say that in a way it's a shame this set is in English. Were it not, I believe Goodall's 'Ring' would be one of the most talked about, popular, and sought after complete recordings of the cycle. I can only say that I am so happy that I finally opened up to opera recorded in a different language than written.

I have fallen completely in love with Goodall's entire cycle. And, I have fallen in love with 'The Ring' all over again.

A powerful reading of the most moving opera in the Ring........2001-08-30

This performance of *Die Valkure,* the second and most popular opera in Wagner's Ring Cycle, is musically splendid. Its special significance, however, is that it is sung in English. An English performance of the Ring is perhaps more important than that of any other opera(s), because Wagner's libretti are suffused with his ideas about society, fate, justice, and love. Even if (at times) you need to read along to understand what the singers are saying, *hearing* the lyrics in English is truly stirring in a way that performances in your non-native language cannot match.
A particular stand-out on this recording is the Wotan. His timbre, diction, and delivery perfectly embody the troubled god who tries desperately, and in vain, to keep the world under his control. His angst and wrath are utterly convincing.

The power of Wagner's music drama is now fully accessible.......2001-01-30

I have never been a fan of opera in translation, but I must say that Andrew Porter's rendering of The Ring in English is amazing. He uses modern, not archaic, English, and the word choice is so very earthy and Germanic that the noble yet somewhat severe atmosphere of the Teutonic myths is conveyed perfectly. The sound, in other words, is an elegantly Germanic, and totally appropriate for the music and the Story it tells. It is not true that you can't understand the English anyway, because you can understand if you care to pay any attention at all. The translation is lucid, and so it the marvelous singing that conveys it.

Goodall's sense of music drama is lush, and takes some getting used to after the crash-and-burn Solti set, but after a time or two it seems just right. Goodall is not always slower than the rest, either; for example, the famous Ride of the Valkyries that begins Act III is quicker than Solti's surprisingly slow and heavy account. It is the most exciting that I have heard--and I have heard quite a few--but it is not so fast that the power is lost in favor of urgency.

This is not an urgent Die Walkure, and it is all the better for it. Goodall takes the time to actually tell the story, and is sensitive to the drama's needs over what could be called convention. For example, Wotan's Farewell doesn't thunder out after Brunnhilde's final declamation, like in so many recordings; rather, Goodall's interpretation is more dreamy, mysterious, and appropriately trance-like, in keeping with the action on stage.

I own the complete Solti Ring, but I must say I will be the first in line to get each new installment of this remarakable Ring as soon they hit the shelves. If you are new to Wagner, and are willing to make the plunge into a complete Ring, then start with this one and see if you want to continue. This recording is definitely one of the great Rings, and the superb translation will open up the work in ways that following the libretto just won't. I promise that you won't be able to put this one away easily. Get it!

Christian Music:

1. Comin' at Cha
2. Complete Chi-Lites on Brunswick, Vol. 2 [Import]
3. Crystal Waters
4. D-Vas [Import]
5. Do the 81 & Other Soul [Import]
6. Face to Face With the Truth [Original recording remastered] [Import]
7. Floss Mode [Explicit Lyrics]
8. Fried [Import]
9. Gamble Huff Orchestra//Mysteries of the World [Import]
10. Gift of Beach Music

Christian Music

christian music

Christian Music

Chillout

Lumsdaine: Aria; What Shall I Sing?

Nothing But the Blues [Import]

Deliverance Will Come

Modjo [Enhanced] [Limited Edition] [Import]

Paradox

Livin' on Borrowed Time

Nomad

Lump in My Throat [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]

La Rocque 'n' Roll - Popular Music of Renaissance France / The Baltimore Consort

Nevermind

Live! Extended Versions [Live]

Jose Jose y Sus Amigos

Funky Family

The Covers Record