| 1. Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry) |
| 2. Walking Away [Live] |
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Following on from his pioneering albums, Born To Do It and Slicker Than Your Average, 'Don’t Love You No More (I’m Sorry)' is the second single to be released from his current album The Story Goes, a collection of songs that have already won many fans. This 2 track single features the title track backed with 'Walking Away' (live in Tokyo). Warner. 2005.
It was worth the wait.
The concept is great. The packaging is great. The recording is great. Disc five is really cool for an ALW aficionado. There are a few real gems on it; my favorites are Petula Clark's "I Could Have Given You More" and "Benedicite."
I've always thought "Gus the Theatre Cat" made a great medley on the piano with "Unexpected Song" and "I DOn't Know How to Love Him," but wished there was an alternate lyric to match the other two songs. Now that I know there *is*, and it's a good lyric, it's a dream come true.
The melody of "Benedicite" is one of my favorites from _Sunset_ (the book mis-identifies it as "SUrrender"; it's actually "The Lady's Paying" and "Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering"). The lyrics are the canticle from Daniel 3, which comes up every odd Sunday in the Divine Office, so it's nice to have cool music to sing it with.
I haven't bought _By Jeeves_ or _THe Beautiful Game_ yet, to it was great to sample them.
There are other parts of the CD taht aren't found in my collection. I like CD 4 "The Hits."
But the selections on CDs 1-3 don't make sense.
First, any self-respecting ALW fan has the Original London Cast of _Phantom_, so six tracks are totally useless. Why not draw from the Canadian cast with Colm Wilkinson? Or pull out some obscure recordings never published.
Why two different tracks with Michael Ball singing "Love Changes Everything", yet they're hardly any different?
On Disc 5 is "It's Only Your Lover Returning," sung by Julie Covington. It's an early draft of the song (Lloyd Webber and Rice went through several suggested titles) and quite nice. The very thing one expects on a Boxed Set.
So why have the Julie Covington "Don't Cry for Me" on disc 1?? The only difference is a few words, but it's otherwise identical. Why not Elaine Paige or Patti Lupone or Madonna?
The _Evita_ section is otherwise the best, choosing a sample from each major recording, though I'd have chosen slightly differently (as above).
There is a great selection of "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" from the Sydmonton festival, using the original music that was changed when _Cats_ went to Broadway_. It would have been nice if they'd included more recordings from Sydmonton, like the original lyric of "All I Ask of You" shown on the second DVD to the _Phantom_ movie.
With so many great actress-singers who've played Norma Desmond, why does the collection beat us over the head with Glenn Close?
Paul Miles Kingston must be set for life in royalties, for the number of albums the original recording of "Pie Jesu" has appeared on. "Amigos Para Siempre" is nice, but it reminds me of Shari Lewis's "The Song that Doesn't End," especially when it's been used on so many compilations.
In short, this is a great collection for the obscure material, if you can get it cheap. But for a boxed set, it's a poor sampling, drawn mostly from the most familiar recordings.
Over the years many compilations of his work have emerged. In the late 80-is and early 90-is it was the "Encore" series and lately the one-disc collection called "Gold". The one in question here can be considered one of the best currently on the market. First, it includes a 3-disc selections from all of his shows, minus the latest one, i.e., "The Woman in White", which, considering the triviality of the score, is no great lost. The fourth disc covers some of his most known songs sung by the famous artists. Then, there is the fifth disc with previously unreleased material, most of which are the songs ALW wrote with Tim Rice for various artists during the 70-is. The disks are all neatly packed in a hardcover book that features 67 pages of pictures and text with information about each of ALW's shows. One of the other assets here is the perfect sound quality, since all of the tracks have been digitally remastered.
Here are my basic impressions and comments regarding the material on the discs:
* Disc #1 has the selections from "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Evita", "Cats" and "Song & Dance". The Superstar material mostly comes from the Concept Recording. Although the songs sound beautiful as always, their orchestration is a bit dated now. Only Steve Balsamo's "Gethsemane" from the 1996 revival cast has a modern rock sound. "Evita" comes with the material from all of the major recordings: London, Broadway and the movie productions, as well as the Concept album. No objections here; since this is one of ALW's most satisfying works, every song is just perfect, although Patti LuPone, the Broadway and overall the best Evita, is left with only a couple of lines. With the selections from "Cats", however, I have some doubts. A plus to the choice of the "Jellicle ball" impressive orchestral sequence from the 1998 movie version and "Mister Mistoffelees" from the 1981 London cast. One of the best known ALW's songs, "Memory", also comes from that album. It's a pretty version and Elaine Paige's rendition cannot be matched, but why include this when the definite version, featuring an 80-piece orchestra and Elaine Paige with much better interpretation, can be found in the same movie version. Thusly, one has to buy Elaine Paige's latest 2-disc compilation "Centre Stage: The very best of Elaine Paige" to get that one. And "Gus the theatre cat" is more a recital than a song, so there was not much point in including that. Marti Webb brings her vocal charm to the "Song & Dance" sequence, Sarah Brightman sings "Unexpected song" with her famous soprano, but as much as I like her version, Bernadette Peters, who was in this show on Broadway is strangely left out here.
* Disc # 2 starts with "Starlight Express". This was never one of my favorite ALW's shows; the plot is even lighter than in "Cats" and the 1984 original cast recording is terribly dated. Yet, here we have one terrific duet, "I am starlight" from the original together with three songs from the later revivals and it seems that fresh orchestrations were just the thing Starlight needed. My favorite remains a touchy ballad, "Next time you fall in love". "Requiem" is the most solemn of all ALW's compositions, written in 1985 to commemorate the death of his father. Placido Domingo's tenor rides together with the chorus all the way through the strong "Hosanna", only to be joined by Sarah Brightman in the final moments of this song. She then gives an echoing deliverance of "Pie Jesu". What can be said of ALW's next show, "The Phantom of the Opera"? A phenomenon in its own right, it's easy to see from the six numbers included here why this is one of the best and most beloved musicals of all time. The cast, the music, the story - everything is perfect. Although "Aspects of love" was never a popular hit, it does have some of the most beautiful love melodies ALW has ever written. "Love changes everything" sung by Michael Ball is probably one of the best tunes ever about love. The rest of the selected material here has a dreamy love flavor and the melodies find their way into your brain in the best Lloyd Webber way.
* ALW's first musical, "Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat" was more successful in its revival form than the original from the 70-is. The three songs included here are sung by the show stars, Jason Donovan and Donny Osmond. Maria Friedman was not a lucky choice to play the narrator, as the track from the 1998 movie version shows. "By Jeeves" was ALW's only big flop when it came to the stage in the 70-is. The 1995 revival sounds much better though, full of funny numbers in the best manner of the musical comedy. "Travel hopefully" remains one of the show's highlights on this compilation. "Sunset Boulevard" comes next. "Sunset" remains for me one of Webber's best scores; lush and beautiful. I listen to the original cast recording with Patti LuPone all the time. However, here most of the songs are performed by Glenn Close. A big mistake. If you've ever listened the American premiere recording with her, you'll know what I am talking about. She may have a strong stage presence, but her vocal abilities are too limited, and her aggressive approach to the role lacks any subtlety. Therefore, the two big numbers from this show, "With one look" and "As if we never said goodbye" are ruined by the fact she can't sing. The same goes for the American Joe Gillis, who was played by Alan Campbell. Luckily, Patti LuPone and Kevin Anderson, the original Norma and Joe from the London production, make their brief entrance here with the "Perfect year"; enough to show how better they are. The funny thing is, on the jacket and inside of it, Glenn Close and Alan Campbell are credited as performers in this song as well. If this was a mistake on ALW's part, it was a good one. The next ALW's show, "Whistle down the wind" was never a critic's dear and yet the audiences rushed in to see it in London. The score brings back ALW to his rock and roll roots of the seventies and the story is quite interesting. But the selections here are not the happiest, since the cast recording boasts with much better songs. And finally, "The Beautiful Game". Again, we have one of those ALW's shows that is worth in its individual parts rather than as a whole. "Our kind of love" and "Let us love in peace" are two catchy ballads. The latter is a nice amalgam version not available elsewhere. The two other tracks here I could live without.
* Disc # 4 has the songs from all the above shows performed by different artists. The assembled tracks have their pros and cons. For example, we have some previously unreleased stuff, like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's operettic rendition of "The heart is slow to learn", or a stunning and epic "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste" from "Whistle down the wind", performed by The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra. Then again, what was the point in including almost identical tracks as the ones on the previous disks? So we have Michael Ball again singing "Love changes everything" with only a bit different orchestration; Sarah Brightman comes out again with the same Phantom duets, but only with the different male singers. It would be much more appropriate to include tracks from the Toronto Cast of the Phantom, with Colm Wilkinson. Other pop deliverances (Tina Arena's "Whistle down the wind", Barbra Streisand's "As if we never said goodbye", Boyzone's "No matter what" and many more) were wisely chosen. Patti LuPone is again nowhere to be found and Petula Clark's "With one look" sounds too worn-out.
* The last disc is probably the one that will be of most interest to Lloyd Webber aficionados. It consists of entirely previously unreleased material ALW for the most part wrote for various artists during his early years, with Tim Rice. Some of these tunes, not successful as a singles, were later used in his shows. Thus "Down thru' summer" became "Buenos Aires"in Evita, "Try it and see", an unsuccessful attempt for the Eurovision was used for "King Herod's song" in "Superstar" and so on. Some of these songs are nicely made pop songs: "Make believe love", ALW's first recorded composition, for which he provided the lyrics; "Goodbye Seattle", sung by Paul Raven, who later became Gary Glitter; "Come back Richard, your country needs you", from a never made musical, sung here by Tim Rice, or Latin flavored "Magdalena", with Tony Christie singing. My all time favorite here is a song called "It's easy for you", sung by none other than Elvis Presley himself. Lloyd Webber and Rice sent him a demo recording that he accepted and recorded this live version a couple of weeks before he died. It's amazing to hear how his voice remained in the perfect shape. Also, there is a track of Andrew Lloyd Webber singing "Policle dogs and Jellicle cats" while plying the piano. His voice doesn't sound bad at all.
Taken as a whole, this compilation makes a perfect birthday or Christmas present to any fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber shows, or just anybody interested in some of the best tunes from the modern era of the musical theatre; despite the flaws I mentioned above. To the former, it may just be the final addition for the Andrew Lloyd Webber collection.
Opera") and the longest-running show of all time ("Cats"), the man whose homes are filled with three Grammys, five Oliviers, a Golden Globe, and Oscar and too many other honors and hosannas to mention, the man knighted in 1992 certainly doesn't need an introduction. Now Decca Broadway pays tribute to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber with "Now and Forever," a spectacular 5-CD set compiled and produced by Sir Andy himself. It's cheaper than a
ticket to "The Producers" ... and more much exciting. This treasure trove contains highlights from all of Webber's shows, and a bonus disc of tunes sung by Betty Buckley, Barbara
Streisand, Jose Carreras, Boy George, Charlotte Church, Madonna, Tom Jones, Petula Clark, even Elvis! A must for lovers of theatre---and good music.
The cuts from the musicals are great but are likely owned by ALW fans as they are on the original cast albums. And I'm glad that there were tunes included from the composers most recent efforts which have yet to make it beyond London (Whistle Down the Wind, Beautiful Game).
My only complaint is the inclusion of way too many tracks by Sarah Brightman. She must've received a great divorce settlement that included having tunes on any ALW collection until the end of time!! Her interpretations of some of the tunes were limp and uninspired. I would've much rather heard casts from around the world rather than yet another song by this disdainful soprano! How about Colm Wilkinson's version of "Music of the Night" from the original Canadian cast of "Phantom"? Or Michael Crawford's version of "Unexpected Song"? What? No Betty Buckley from "Sunset Blvd."? And of course there are songs you KNOW are going to be on the collection before you even listen to it as they have been on EVERY ALW collection for the past decade or so.
A great collection but too much Sarah Brightman!
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)
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.
My favorite tracks are:
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS (I simply love how they sampled the GIVING HIM SOMETHING HE CAN FEEL beat and melody and re-worked into this holiday classic)
SNOWY NIGHTS (The melody reminds me of Surface's "Happy"; very sentimental)
MY CHRISTMAS [MY KWANZAA] (Love the sample of Love Unlimited's "Walking In The Rain With The One I Love" {originally written and produced by Barry White, R.I.P.}; My favorite line from it is: "Difference is good and it's understood that there is more than Christinas in our house/That's what makes it cool being family/You find the common ground and work it out!". Words to live by!)
MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY (Terry really tore it up on this one, good job Ms. E!)
OH HOLY NIGHT (I've heard many versions of this old standard over the years and Cindy's rendition of it is quite emotional and spiritual)
These women are truly a "gift" from GOD and I'm glad I'm a devoted fan. Simply beautiful.
Following on from his pioneering albums, Born To Do It and Slicker Than Your Average, 'Don’t Love You No More (I’m Sorry)' is the second single to be released from his current album The Story Goes, a collection of songs that have already won many fans. This 2 track single features the title track backed with 'Walking Away' (live in Tokyo). Warner. 2005.
Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry), Pt. 1,Craig David,Wea/Warner,5"CD Singles,Pop
Average customer rating: 
|
Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now & Forever
Various Artists Manufacturer: Decca Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  Requiems
| Forms & Genres
| Early Music
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Noels
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Requiems
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
General
| Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
Contemporary Musicals
| Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General Christmas
| Holiday
| Miscellaneous
| Styles
| Music
Broadway & Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Box Sets
| Stores
| Music
The Decca Records Store
| Specialty Stores
| Music
General Christmas
| Holiday Music
| Special Features
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005R5UJ Release Date: 2001-11-20 |
Tracks:
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Everything's Alright - Yvonne Elliman/Murray Head/Ian Gilllan
- Jesus Christ Superstar: I Don't Know How To Love Him - Yvonne Elliman
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say) - Steve Balsamo
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Superstar - Murray Head
- Evita: Oh What A Circus/Sing You Fools - Antonio Banderas
- Evita: I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You - Elaine Paige/Joss Ackland
- Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall - Barbara Dickson
- Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
- Evita: High Flying, Adored - Mandy Patinkin/Patti LuPone
- Cats: The Jellicle Ball - Andrew Lloyd Weber
- Cats: Memory - Elaine Paige
- Cats: Gus: The Theatre Cat - Susan Jane Tanner/John Mills
- Cats: Mr Mistoffelees - Paul Nicholas
- Song And Dance: Take That Look Off Your Face - Marti Webb
- Song And Dance: Tell Me On A Sunday - Marti Webb
- Song And Dance: Unexpected Song - Sarah Brightman
- Song And Dance: Nothing Like You've Ever Known - Sarah Brightman
- Song And Dance: Introduction - Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Song And Dance: Variations 1 -4 - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Tracks:
- Starlight Express: Starlight Express - El Debarge
- Starlight Express: Crazy - Greg Ellis/Reva Rice/Caron Cardelle/Samantha Lane/Voyd
- Starlight Express: Next Time You Fall In Love - Reva Rice/Greg Ellis
- Starlight Express: I Am The Starlight - Lon Satton/Ray Shell
- Starlight Express: Light At The End Of The Tunnel - The Company
- Requiem: Hosanna - Placido Domingo
- Requiem: Pie jesu - Sarah Brightman/Paul Miles-Kingston
- The Phantom Of The Opera: The Phantom Of The Opera - Michael Crawford/Sarah Brightman
- The Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night - Michael Crawford
- The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman/Steve Barton
- The Phantom Of The Opera: Entr'acte - Andrew Lloyd Webber
- The Phantom Of The Opera: Masquerade - The Company
- The Phantom Of The Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again - Sarah Brightman
- Aspects Of Love: Aspects Of Aspects - Orchester Der Vereinigten Buehnen Wien
- Aspects Of Love: Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
- Aspects Of Love: Seeing Is Believing - Michael Ball/Ann Crumb
- Aspects Of Love: The First Man You Remember - Kevin Colson/Diana Morrison
- Aspects Of Love: Anything But Lonely - Sarah Brightman
- Aspects Of Love: Chanson D'Enfance - Sarah Brightman
Tracks:
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Any Dream Will Do - Jason Donovan
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Joseph's Coat - Maria Friedman/Richard Attenborough/Donny Osmond
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Close Every Door - Donny Osmond
- By Jeeves: Travel Hopefully - John Scherer/Martin Jarvis/Don Stephenson
- By Jeeves: When Love Arrives - Steven Pacey/Diana Morrison
- By Jeeves: Half A Moment - Sarah Brightman
- Sunset Boulevard: With One Look - Glenn Close
- Sunset Boulevard: New Ways To Dream - Glenn Close/Alan Campbell
- Sunset Boulevard: The Perfect Year - Glenn Close/Alan Campbell
- Sunset Boulevard: Sunser Boulevard - Alan Campbell
- Sunset Boulevard: As If We Never Said Goodbye - Glenn Close
- Whistle Down The Wind: Whistle Down The Wind - James Graeme/Lottie Mayor
- Whistle Down The Wind: Cold - Everly Brothers
- Whistle Down The Wind: No Matter What - Children/Adult Chorus
- Whistle Down The Wind: The Nature Of The Beast - Marcus Lovett/Lottie Mayor
- The Beautiful Game: Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber
- The Beautiful Game: The Beautiful Game - The Company
- The Beautiful Game: Our Kind Of Love - Hannah Waddingham
- The Beautiful Game: Dont Like You - Josie Walker/David Shannon
- The Beautiful Game: Let Us Love In Peace - Josie Walker/Omagh Youth Community Choir
Tracks:
- Oh What A Circus - David Essex
- Memory - Betty Buckley
- The Phantom Of The Opera - Sarah Brightman/Steve Harley
- All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman/Cliff Richard
- Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
- Any Dream Will Do - Donny Osmond
- Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life) - Sarah Brightman/Jose Carreras
- As If We Never Said Goodbye - Barbra Streisand
- The Perfect Year - Dina Carroll
- With One Look - Petula Clark
- You Must Love Me - Madonna
- The Heart Is Slow To Learn - Kiri Te Kanawa
- A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste - The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Whistle Down The Wind - Tina Arena
- No Matter What - Boyzone
- The Vaults Of Heaven - Tom Jones
- Try Not To Be Afraid - Boy George
- Pie Jesu - Charlotte Church
Tracks:
- Make Believe Love - Wes Sands
- Down Thru' Summer - Ross Hannaman
- I'll Give All My Love To Southend - Ross Hannaman
- Believe Me I Will - Sacha Distel
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1969 Radio Luxembourg Commercial) - Joseph Consortium/Pete Murray
- Try It And See - Rita Pavone
- Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You - Time Rice And The Webber Group
- Goodbye Seattle - Paul Raven
- John 19:41 - The Andrew Lloyd Webber Orchestra
- What A Line To Go Out On - Yvonne Elliman
- Disillusion Me - Gary Band
- The Ballad Of Robert And Peter - Tim Rice
- Christmas Dream - Maynard Williams
- It's Only Your Lover Returning/All Through My Crazy And Wild Days/Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
- It's Easy For You (1977 Jungle Room Session Version) - Elvis Presley
- Magdalena - Tony Christie
- Buenos Aires - The Roja Rockers
- Pollicle Dogs And Jellicle Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Mungojerrie And Rumpleteazer (Live At The Sydmonton Festival 1980) - Gemma Craven
- I Could Have Given You More - Petula Clark
- I've Been In Love Too Long - Marti Webb
- Benedicite - The Stephen Hill Singers
Album Description
Disc 1: Selections from Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, and Song and DanceDisc 2: Selections from Starlight Express, Requiem, Phantom of the Opera, and Aspects of Love
Disc 3: Selections from Joseph nad the Amaziong Technicolor Dreamcoat, By Jeeves, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind, and The Beautiful Game
CD 4: 1. "Oh What a Circus" --David Essex 2. "Memory" - Betty Buckleey 3. "The Phantom of the Opera" -Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley 4. "All I Ask of You" --Sarah Brightman, Cliff Richard 5. "Love Changes Everything"--Michael Ball 6. "Any Dream Will Do"--Donny Osmond 7. "Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life)"--Sarah Brightman, Jose Caerras 8. "As if We Never Said Goodbye"--Barbra Streisand 9. "The Perfect Year"--Dina Carroll 10. "With One Look" --Petula Clark 11. "You Must Love Me" 12. "The Heart Is Slow To Learn" --Kiri Te Kanawa 13. "Whistle Down the Wind"--Tina Arena 14. "A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing To Waste"--The Metal Philharmonic 15. "No Matter What"--Boyzone 16. "The Vaults of Heaven"--Tom Jones and Sounds of Blackness 17. "Try Not To Be Afraid"--Boy George 18. "Pie Jesu"--Charlotte Church
Disc 5: (All tracks available for the first time) 1. "Make Believe Love"--Wes Sands 2. "Down Thru' Summer"--Ross Hannaman 3. "I'll Give All My Love to Southend"--Ross Hannaman 4. "Believe Me I Will"--Sacha Distel 5. "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: 1969 Luxembourg Radio Commercial--The Jospeh Consortium, Pete Murray 6. "Try It and See"--Rita Pavone 7. "Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You"--Tim Rice and the Webber Group 8. "Goodbye Seattle"-- Paul Raven 9. "John 19:41"--The Andrew Lloyd Webber Orchestra 10. "What a Line To Go Out On"--Yvonne Elliman 11. "Disillusion Me" --Gary Bond 12. "The Ballad of Robert and Peter"--Tim Rice 13. "Christmas Dream" --Maynard Williams 14. "It's Only Your Lover Returning/All through My Wild and Crazy Days/Don't Cry for Me Argentina--Julie Covington 15. "It's Easy for You" (1977 Jungle Room Session version)--Elvis Presley 16. "Magdalena"--Tony Christie 17. "Buenos Aires"--The Rioja Rockers 18. "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats"--Andrew Lloyd Webber original demo 19. "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" (Live at Sydmonton Festival 1980)-Gemma Craven 20. "I Could Have Given You More"--Petula Clark 21. "I've Been in Love Too Long"--Marti Webb 22. "Benedicte"-- Stephen Hill Singers
Customer Reviews:
I waited for this for five years.......2006-06-30
It was worth the wait.
The concept is great. The packaging is great. The recording is great. Disc five is really cool for an ALW aficionado. There are a few real gems on it; my favorites are Petula Clark's "I Could Have Given You More" and "Benedicite."
I've always thought "Gus the Theatre Cat" made a great medley on the piano with "Unexpected Song" and "I DOn't Know How to Love Him," but wished there was an alternate lyric to match the other two songs. Now that I know there *is*, and it's a good lyric, it's a dream come true.
The melody of "Benedicite" is one of my favorites from _Sunset_ (the book mis-identifies it as "SUrrender"; it's actually "The Lady's Paying" and "Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering"). The lyrics are the canticle from Daniel 3, which comes up every odd Sunday in the Divine Office, so it's nice to have cool music to sing it with.
I haven't bought _By Jeeves_ or _THe Beautiful Game_ yet, to it was great to sample them.
There are other parts of the CD taht aren't found in my collection. I like CD 4 "The Hits."
But the selections on CDs 1-3 don't make sense.
First, any self-respecting ALW fan has the Original London Cast of _Phantom_, so six tracks are totally useless. Why not draw from the Canadian cast with Colm Wilkinson? Or pull out some obscure recordings never published.
Why two different tracks with Michael Ball singing "Love Changes Everything", yet they're hardly any different?
On Disc 5 is "It's Only Your Lover Returning," sung by Julie Covington. It's an early draft of the song (Lloyd Webber and Rice went through several suggested titles) and quite nice. The very thing one expects on a Boxed Set.
So why have the Julie Covington "Don't Cry for Me" on disc 1?? The only difference is a few words, but it's otherwise identical. Why not Elaine Paige or Patti Lupone or Madonna?
The _Evita_ section is otherwise the best, choosing a sample from each major recording, though I'd have chosen slightly differently (as above).
There is a great selection of "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" from the Sydmonton festival, using the original music that was changed when _Cats_ went to Broadway_. It would have been nice if they'd included more recordings from Sydmonton, like the original lyric of "All I Ask of You" shown on the second DVD to the _Phantom_ movie.
With so many great actress-singers who've played Norma Desmond, why does the collection beat us over the head with Glenn Close?
Paul Miles Kingston must be set for life in royalties, for the number of albums the original recording of "Pie Jesu" has appeared on. "Amigos Para Siempre" is nice, but it reminds me of Shari Lewis's "The Song that Doesn't End," especially when it's been used on so many compilations.
In short, this is a great collection for the obscure material, if you can get it cheap. But for a boxed set, it's a poor sampling, drawn mostly from the most familiar recordings.
Excellent collection but BIG PUBLISHING MISTAKE! .......2006-01-10
ONE OF LLOYD WEBBER'S BEST COMPILATIONS, DESPITE A FEW FLAWS.......2005-03-21
Over the years many compilations of his work have emerged. In the late 80-is and early 90-is it was the "Encore" series and lately the one-disc collection called "Gold". The one in question here can be considered one of the best currently on the market. First, it includes a 3-disc selections from all of his shows, minus the latest one, i.e., "The Woman in White", which, considering the triviality of the score, is no great lost. The fourth disc covers some of his most known songs sung by the famous artists. Then, there is the fifth disc with previously unreleased material, most of which are the songs ALW wrote with Tim Rice for various artists during the 70-is. The disks are all neatly packed in a hardcover book that features 67 pages of pictures and text with information about each of ALW's shows. One of the other assets here is the perfect sound quality, since all of the tracks have been digitally remastered.
Here are my basic impressions and comments regarding the material on the discs:
* Disc #1 has the selections from "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Evita", "Cats" and "Song & Dance". The Superstar material mostly comes from the Concept Recording. Although the songs sound beautiful as always, their orchestration is a bit dated now. Only Steve Balsamo's "Gethsemane" from the 1996 revival cast has a modern rock sound. "Evita" comes with the material from all of the major recordings: London, Broadway and the movie productions, as well as the Concept album. No objections here; since this is one of ALW's most satisfying works, every song is just perfect, although Patti LuPone, the Broadway and overall the best Evita, is left with only a couple of lines. With the selections from "Cats", however, I have some doubts. A plus to the choice of the "Jellicle ball" impressive orchestral sequence from the 1998 movie version and "Mister Mistoffelees" from the 1981 London cast. One of the best known ALW's songs, "Memory", also comes from that album. It's a pretty version and Elaine Paige's rendition cannot be matched, but why include this when the definite version, featuring an 80-piece orchestra and Elaine Paige with much better interpretation, can be found in the same movie version. Thusly, one has to buy Elaine Paige's latest 2-disc compilation "Centre Stage: The very best of Elaine Paige" to get that one. And "Gus the theatre cat" is more a recital than a song, so there was not much point in including that. Marti Webb brings her vocal charm to the "Song & Dance" sequence, Sarah Brightman sings "Unexpected song" with her famous soprano, but as much as I like her version, Bernadette Peters, who was in this show on Broadway is strangely left out here.
* Disc # 2 starts with "Starlight Express". This was never one of my favorite ALW's shows; the plot is even lighter than in "Cats" and the 1984 original cast recording is terribly dated. Yet, here we have one terrific duet, "I am starlight" from the original together with three songs from the later revivals and it seems that fresh orchestrations were just the thing Starlight needed. My favorite remains a touchy ballad, "Next time you fall in love". "Requiem" is the most solemn of all ALW's compositions, written in 1985 to commemorate the death of his father. Placido Domingo's tenor rides together with the chorus all the way through the strong "Hosanna", only to be joined by Sarah Brightman in the final moments of this song. She then gives an echoing deliverance of "Pie Jesu". What can be said of ALW's next show, "The Phantom of the Opera"? A phenomenon in its own right, it's easy to see from the six numbers included here why this is one of the best and most beloved musicals of all time. The cast, the music, the story - everything is perfect. Although "Aspects of love" was never a popular hit, it does have some of the most beautiful love melodies ALW has ever written. "Love changes everything" sung by Michael Ball is probably one of the best tunes ever about love. The rest of the selected material here has a dreamy love flavor and the melodies find their way into your brain in the best Lloyd Webber way.
* ALW's first musical, "Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat" was more successful in its revival form than the original from the 70-is. The three songs included here are sung by the show stars, Jason Donovan and Donny Osmond. Maria Friedman was not a lucky choice to play the narrator, as the track from the 1998 movie version shows. "By Jeeves" was ALW's only big flop when it came to the stage in the 70-is. The 1995 revival sounds much better though, full of funny numbers in the best manner of the musical comedy. "Travel hopefully" remains one of the show's highlights on this compilation. "Sunset Boulevard" comes next. "Sunset" remains for me one of Webber's best scores; lush and beautiful. I listen to the original cast recording with Patti LuPone all the time. However, here most of the songs are performed by Glenn Close. A big mistake. If you've ever listened the American premiere recording with her, you'll know what I am talking about. She may have a strong stage presence, but her vocal abilities are too limited, and her aggressive approach to the role lacks any subtlety. Therefore, the two big numbers from this show, "With one look" and "As if we never said goodbye" are ruined by the fact she can't sing. The same goes for the American Joe Gillis, who was played by Alan Campbell. Luckily, Patti LuPone and Kevin Anderson, the original Norma and Joe from the London production, make their brief entrance here with the "Perfect year"; enough to show how better they are. The funny thing is, on the jacket and inside of it, Glenn Close and Alan Campbell are credited as performers in this song as well. If this was a mistake on ALW's part, it was a good one. The next ALW's show, "Whistle down the wind" was never a critic's dear and yet the audiences rushed in to see it in London. The score brings back ALW to his rock and roll roots of the seventies and the story is quite interesting. But the selections here are not the happiest, since the cast recording boasts with much better songs. And finally, "The Beautiful Game". Again, we have one of those ALW's shows that is worth in its individual parts rather than as a whole. "Our kind of love" and "Let us love in peace" are two catchy ballads. The latter is a nice amalgam version not available elsewhere. The two other tracks here I could live without.
* Disc # 4 has the songs from all the above shows performed by different artists. The assembled tracks have their pros and cons. For example, we have some previously unreleased stuff, like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's operettic rendition of "The heart is slow to learn", or a stunning and epic "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste" from "Whistle down the wind", performed by The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra. Then again, what was the point in including almost identical tracks as the ones on the previous disks? So we have Michael Ball again singing "Love changes everything" with only a bit different orchestration; Sarah Brightman comes out again with the same Phantom duets, but only with the different male singers. It would be much more appropriate to include tracks from the Toronto Cast of the Phantom, with Colm Wilkinson. Other pop deliverances (Tina Arena's "Whistle down the wind", Barbra Streisand's "As if we never said goodbye", Boyzone's "No matter what" and many more) were wisely chosen. Patti LuPone is again nowhere to be found and Petula Clark's "With one look" sounds too worn-out.
* The last disc is probably the one that will be of most interest to Lloyd Webber aficionados. It consists of entirely previously unreleased material ALW for the most part wrote for various artists during his early years, with Tim Rice. Some of these tunes, not successful as a singles, were later used in his shows. Thus "Down thru' summer" became "Buenos Aires"in Evita, "Try it and see", an unsuccessful attempt for the Eurovision was used for "King Herod's song" in "Superstar" and so on. Some of these songs are nicely made pop songs: "Make believe love", ALW's first recorded composition, for which he provided the lyrics; "Goodbye Seattle", sung by Paul Raven, who later became Gary Glitter; "Come back Richard, your country needs you", from a never made musical, sung here by Tim Rice, or Latin flavored "Magdalena", with Tony Christie singing. My all time favorite here is a song called "It's easy for you", sung by none other than Elvis Presley himself. Lloyd Webber and Rice sent him a demo recording that he accepted and recorded this live version a couple of weeks before he died. It's amazing to hear how his voice remained in the perfect shape. Also, there is a track of Andrew Lloyd Webber singing "Policle dogs and Jellicle cats" while plying the piano. His voice doesn't sound bad at all.
Taken as a whole, this compilation makes a perfect birthday or Christmas present to any fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber shows, or just anybody interested in some of the best tunes from the modern era of the musical theatre; despite the flaws I mentioned above. To the former, it may just be the final addition for the Andrew Lloyd Webber collection.
SUCH MAGICAL MUSIC OF THE NIGHT!.......2003-01-19
Opera") and the longest-running show of all time ("Cats"), the man whose homes are filled with three Grammys, five Oliviers, a Golden Globe, and Oscar and too many other honors and hosannas to mention, the man knighted in 1992 certainly doesn't need an introduction. Now Decca Broadway pays tribute to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber with "Now and Forever," a spectacular 5-CD set compiled and produced by Sir Andy himself. It's cheaper than a
ticket to "The Producers" ... and more much exciting. This treasure trove contains highlights from all of Webber's shows, and a bonus disc of tunes sung by Betty Buckley, Barbara
Streisand, Jose Carreras, Boy George, Charlotte Church, Madonna, Tom Jones, Petula Clark, even Elvis! A must for lovers of theatre---and good music.
A Must Have for Sir Andrew fans.......2002-05-21
The cuts from the musicals are great but are likely owned by ALW fans as they are on the original cast albums. And I'm glad that there were tunes included from the composers most recent efforts which have yet to make it beyond London (Whistle Down the Wind, Beautiful Game).
My only complaint is the inclusion of way too many tracks by Sarah Brightman. She must've received a great divorce settlement that included having tunes on any ALW collection until the end of time!! Her interpretations of some of the tunes were limp and uninspired. I would've much rather heard casts from around the world rather than yet another song by this disdainful soprano! How about Colm Wilkinson's version of "Music of the Night" from the original Canadian cast of "Phantom"? Or Michael Crawford's version of "Unexpected Song"? What? No Betty Buckley from "Sunset Blvd."? And of course there are songs you KNOW are going to be on the collection before you even listen to it as they have been on EVERY ALW collection for the past decade or so.
A great collection but too much Sarah Brightman!
Average customer rating: 
|
Kurt Weill
Manufacturer: Atma Classique ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Weill
| Weill, Kurt
| ( W )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Chamber Music
| Forms & Genres
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Symphonies
| Forms & Genres
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Vocal & Song
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Symphonies
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Modern & 20th Century
| Symphonies
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Modern & 20th Century
| Historical Periods
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
German
| Languages
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
ASIN: B0007ZADHS Release Date: 2005-07-26 |
Average customer rating:
|
The Essential Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Manufacturer: Metro Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Requiems
| Forms & Genres
| Early Music
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Requiems
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
General
| Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Pop
| Box Sets
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B000B9G6O4 Release Date: 2005-10-03 |
Tracks:
- Phantom of the Opera/All I Ask of You
- By Jeeves/Half a Moment
- Beautiful Game/All the Love I Have
- Jesus Christ Superstar/I Don't Know How to Love Him
- Phantom of the Opera/Think of Me
- Aspects of Love/The First Man You Remember
- Starlight Express B'way/Starlight Express
- Starlight Express/Only You
- Tell Me on a Sunday/Unexpected Song
- Aspects of Love/Seeing Is Believing
- Beautiful Game/Our Kind of Love
- Tell Me on a Sunday/The Last Man in My Life
- Phantom of the Opera/Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
- Sunset Boulevard/Too Much in Love to Care
- Tell Me on a Sunday/Tell Me on a Sunday
- Aspects of Love/There Is More to Love
- Evita/Don't Cry for Me Argentina
- Aspects of Love/Love Changes Everything
Tracks:
- Sunset Boulevard/With One Look
- Evita/Another Suitcase in Another Hall
- Cats/Memory
- Jesus Christ Superstar/Could We Start Again Please?
- Requiem/Pie Jesu
- Phantom of the Opera/Angel of Music
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)/Close Every Door
- Jesus Christ Superstar/Gethsemane
- Whistle Down the Wind/Whistle Down the Wind
- Sunset Boulevard/As If We Had Never Said Goodbye
- Starlight Express/U-N-C-O-U-P-L-E-D
- Phantom of the Opera/The Point of No Return
- Aspects of Love/Anything But Lonely
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat/Any Dream Will Do
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat/There's Me
- Jesus Christ Superstar/Pilate's Dream
- Evita/High Flying Adored
- Phantom of the Opera/Music of the Night
Tracks:
- Cats/Macavity
- Jesus Christ Superstar/Heaven on Their Minds
- Evita/Rainbow High
- Starlight Express/Rolling Stock
- Phantom of the Opera/The Phantom of the Opera
- Jesus Christ Superstar/Hosanna
- Evita/Oh What a Circus
- Phantom of the Opera/Masquarade
- Starlight Express/Starlight Express
- Jesus Christ Superstar/King Herod's Song
- Evita/Buenos Aires
- Cats/Jellicle Cats
- Sunset Boulevard/Sunset Boulevard
- Jesus Christ Superstar/Everything's Alright
- Cats/Mr. Mistoffelees
- Phantom of the Opera/Prima Donna
- Cats/The Jellicle Ball
- Jesus Christ Superstar/Jesus Christ Superstar
Album Details
Lovesongs, Ballads and Show Stoppers. 54 Tracks, Including Some Brand New Titles Released Here for the First Time.
Average customer rating:
|
Dittersdorf: Arcifanfano, King of Fools
Manufacturer: Video Artists Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Dittersdorf
| Dittersdorf, Karl Ditters
| ( D )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical (c.1770-1830)
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General Modern
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Classical (c.1770-1830)
| Historical Periods
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
| Cantatas
| Romances
German
| Languages
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Operettas
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003LIK Release Date: 1994-12-12 |
Tracks:
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Overture
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Chorus - We've Traveled Far (Semplicina, Gloriosa, Garbata, Sordidone, Malgoverno, Furibondo)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - Approach! What Is Your Name, Sir? (Furibondo)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - With A Sword That Is Sterner Than Moses (Furibondo)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - Unhappy Oddling (Gloriosa)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - My Fair Skin, My Bare Chin (Gloriosa)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - Was Ever There Insanity (Sordidone)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - Snugly Hidden Safe From Prying (Sordidone)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - Madness Beyond All Measure (Malgoverno)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - When The Purse Is Clinking (Malgoverno)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - There, Like A Vapor (Semplicina)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - O Look So Woeful (Semplicina)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - Such As She Seems To Be Frigid (Garbata)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - Let's Sing, Let's All Be Jolly (Garbata)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - For All Types Of Confusion
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - The Fierce One Lives Only For The Slaughter
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - I Beg You To Stop (Malgoverna, Gloriosa, Garbata)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Aria - We Praise The Sun For Beauty (Malgoverna)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - Bumpkin, Coarse-grained (Gloriosa, Garbata)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Aria - If You Will Love Me, I Will Love You (Garbata)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - No, They Cannot Persuade Me! (Gloriosa)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Aria - Lovely Ladies, You Enjoying (Gloriosa)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - Where's My Lover, Sweetheart (Sordidone)
Tracks:
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Aria - Sordidone, Be A Bunny
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - Are You Hiding? (Sordidone, Garbata)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Duet - See Comely Phyllis Wander (Garbata, Sordidone)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - Don't Come Near Me (Semplicina, Furibondo)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Aria - The High And Mighty Lion (Furibondo)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - Quiet At Last (Semplicina)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Duet - Semplicina, Do You Hear Me? (Semplicina)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Quartet - Ever More Bitter Shall Be My Raging (Gloriosa, Garbata, Malgoverno, Furibondo)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - What Now? What New Forms Of Madness? (Gloriosa, Sordidone, Malgoverno, Furibondo)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Chorus - Long Live King Arcifanfano (Semplicina, Gloriosa, Garbata, Sordidone, Malgoverno, Furibondo)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - Earth, Our Dearest, Good And Nearest (Sordidone)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - That His Sowing Yield A Growing (Malgoverno)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - What Has The Fool Committed (Malgoverna, Gloriosa)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - Ask Of Beauty, She Will Answer (Gloriosa)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - Hop And Stop It! (Furibondo, Gloriosa)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - All Of This Planet, I Cry To Each Man (Furibondo)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - What's Unleashed These Dreadful Roars? (Garbata, Furibondo)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - I'm Simple And I'm Candid (Garbata)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - What Mischief And Load This Purse Is!
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - Goddess Bright As Morning
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - Mother Always Used To Tell Me (Sordidone, Semplicina)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - What A Lot I Need What I Need Lot's Of! (Sordidone)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - May He Not Come To Harm (Semplicina)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - There's A Devil In A Ducat (Semplicina)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - Gather, O Subjects, About Us (Gloriosa, Garbata, Semplicina)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Duet - If You Marry Me (Semplicina)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Chorus - With Curiosity All Aflame (Semplicina, Gloriosa, Garbata, Sordidone, Malgoverno, Furibondo)
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - Quiet, Please, We Implore You!
- Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Chorus - The Wise And The Mad Have Got One Word For Their Dwelling
Customer Reviews:
A Comic-Opera Treasure!.......2007-01-28
an obscure delight!.......2002-07-31
Average customer rating:
|
Don't Love You No More
Craig David Manufacturer: Wea/Warner ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| R&B
| Styles
| Music
CD Singles
| R&B
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rap & Hip-Hop
| Styles
| Music
Rock
| Imports
| Stores
| Music
4-for-3 Pop
| 4-for-3 Music
| Stores
| Music
4-for-3 R&B
| 4-for-3 Music
| Stores
| Music
4-for-3 Rap & Hip-Hop
| 4-for-3 Music
| Stores
| Music
4-for-3 All Music
| 4-for-3 Music
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B000BP2UA2 Release Date: 2005-11-07 |
Tracks:
- Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry)
- Exception to the Rule
- Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry) [Redstar Vocal Mix]
- Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry) [Cool Kidd's Solid Air Remix]
Album Description
Following on from his pioneering albums, Born To Do It and Slicker Than Your Average, 'Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry)' is the second single to be released from his current album The Story Goes, a collection of songs that have already won many fans. This single features the title track backed with 'Exception To The Rule', and 2 mixes of the title track, Redstar mix & Cool Kidd solid air mix. Warner. 2005.Album Details
Following on from his Pioneering Albums, `born to Do It' and `slicker Than Your Average', `don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry)' is the Second Single to Be Released from `the Story Goes, a Collection of Songs that have Already Won Many Fans. "a Masterpiece" (Reviewed the Times) and "confirmation that Craig is the Natural Inheritor to George Michaels Pop Crown", Concluded Q Magazine.Customer Reviews:
The Second Single From "The Story Goes...".......2005-12-12
Average customer rating:
|
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:
ASIN: B00004YU6Z Release Date: 2000-11-28 |
Tracks:
- Act I: Prld - English Nat Opr Orch/Reginald Goodall
- Act I, Scene 1: The Storm Drove Me Here - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
- Act I, Scene 1: This House And This Wife - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
- Act I, Scene 1: Evil Fortune's Never Far From Me - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
- Act I, Scene 2: There He Lay, Feeble And Faint - Margaret Curphey/Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios
- Act I, Scene 2: Through Field And Forest - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey
- Act I, Scene 2: Friedmund No One Could Call Me - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey
- Act I, Scene 2: The Neidings Raided Again - Alberto Remedios
- Act I, Scene 2: So The Norn Who Dealt You This Fate - Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
- Act I, Scene 2: I Know A Troublesome Race - Clifford Grant
- Act I, Scene 3: A Sword Was Pledged By My Father - Alberto Remedios
- Act I, Scene 3: Are You Awake? - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
- Act I, Scene 3: My Husband's Kinsmen - Margaret Curphey
- Act I, Scene 3: Yes, Loveliest Bride - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
- Act I, Scene 3: Winter Storms Have Vanished (Siegmund's Spring Song) - Alberto Remedios
- Act I, Scene 3: You Are The Spring - Margaret Curphey
- Act I, Scene 3: Oh Sweetest Enchantment - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
- Act I, Scene 3: The Stream Has Shown My Reflected Face - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
- Act I, Scene 3: Siegmund Call Me, And Siegmund Am I! - Alberto Remedios
- Act I, Scene 3: Siegmund, The Walsung, Here You See! - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Tracks:
- Act II, Scene 1: Go Bridle Your Horse, Warrior Maid! - Norman Bailey
- Act II, Scene 1: Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! (Brunnhilde's Battle Cry) - Rita Hunter
- Act II, Scene 1: The Usual Storm, The Usual Strife - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
- Act II, Scene 1: Pretend That You Don't Understand! - Ann Howard/Norman Bailey
- Act II, Scene 1: Now It's Come To Pass! - Norman Bailey
- Act II, Scene 1: So This Is The End Of The Gods And Their Glory - Ann Howard
- Act II, Scene 1: You Never Learn What I Would Teach You - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
- Act II, Scene 1: What Must I Do? - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
- Act II, Scene 1: Hiaha! Hiaha! Hoyotoho! - Rita Hunter/Ann Howard/Norman Bailey
- Act II, Scene 2: Fricka Has Won The Fight - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
- Act II, Scene 2: When Youth's Delightful Pleasures Had Waned - Norman Bailey
- Act II, Scene 2: She Refused To Reveal More About It - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
- Act II, Scene 2: There's More To Tell - Norman Bailey
- Act II, Scene 2: Yet One Can Accomplish What I May Not - Norman Bailey
- Act II, Scene 2: But The Walsung, Siegmund - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
- Act II, Scene 2: Then Siegmund Must Fall In His Fight? - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
- Act II, Scene 2: I Give You My Blessing, Nibelung Son! - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
- Act II, Scene 2: No, Have Mercy - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Tracks:
- Act II, Scene 2: So I Obey His Command - Rita Hunter
- Act II, Scene 3: Rest Here For A While; Stay By My Side! - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
- Act II, Scene 3: Away! Away! - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
- Act II, Scene 3: Where Are You, Siegmund? - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
- Act II, Scene 4: Siegmund! Look At Me! (Announcement Of Death) - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios
- Act II, Scene 4: And If I Come - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
- Act II, Scene 4: Then Greet For Me Walhall - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
- Act II, Scene 4: Woe! Woe! Sister And Bride - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
- Act II, Scene 4: Two Lives Now Lie In Your Power - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
- Act II, Scene 5: Charms Of Sleep Are Sent To Still - Alberto Remedios
- Act II, Scene 5: I Hear Your Call - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
- Act II, Scene 5: Wehwalt! Wehwalt! - Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Tracks:
- Act III, Scene 1: Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! (Ride Of The Valkyries) - Katie Clark/Anne Evans/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Shelagh Squires/Anne Conoley
- Act III, Scene 1: Shield Me And Help - Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne Evans/Sarah Walker...
- Act III, Scene 1: Hear While I Tell You - Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne Evans/Sarah Walker...
- Act III, Scene 1: Pray Suffer No Sorrow For Me - Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne...
- Act III, Scene 1: Fly Him Swiftly, Away To The East! - Rita Hunter
- Act III, Scene 1: O Radiant Wonder! (Parting Salute) - Margaret Curphey
- Act III, Scene 1: Stay, Brunnhild! - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
- Act III, Scene 2: Where Is Brunnhild? - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
- Act III, Scene 2: Weak-Spirited, Womanish Brood! - Norman Bailey
- Act III, Scene 2: Here I Am, Father - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
- Act III, Scene 2: No More Will You Ride From Walhall - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
- Act III, Scene 2: Did You Not Hear What I Decreed? - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
- Act III, Scene 3: Was It So Shameful - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
- Act III, Scene 3: I Know So Little - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
- Act III, Scene 3: You, Who This Love Into My Heart Revealed - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
- Act III, Scene 3: You Indulged Your Love - Norman Bailey
- Act III, Scene 3: Unworthy Of You This Foolish Maid - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
- Act III, Scene 3: You Fathered A Glorious Race - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
- Act III, Scene 3: In Long, Deep Sleep - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
- Act III, Scene 3: Farewell, My Valiant, Glorious Child! (Wotan's Farewell) - Norman Bailey
- Act III, Scene 3: These Eyes So Warm And So Bright - Norman Bailey
- Act III, Scene 3: Loge, Hear! Come At My Call! - Norman Bailey
- Act III, Scene 3: Magic Fire Music - Norman Bailey
Customer Reviews:
"The death-doomed alone are destined to look on me.".......2007-06-12
TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Boulez's Ring: 13 hours, 40 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Haitink's Ring: 14 hours, 10 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.
Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.
Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.
Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: nothing is faster than andante. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.
Boulez: Here it is, folks - the controversial Centennial Ring. To fit the Ring Cycle in the industrial age, Boulez gives it a very Schoenbergian, Bartokian atmosphere. Much of his tempi are very quick, very Bohm-like, though they're still not as fast as Bohm. Keep in mind, though, this live Ring works only if you hear AND see it (the DVD's work best).
Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".
Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.
Haitink: This might be seen as a disappointment. If you want great conducting, then this is for you. If you want a persuasive array of singers, look somewhere else. Haitink's conducting saves this work from being a total flop. There is nothing quite like his Rheingold & Gotterdammerung ("Siegfried's Rhine Journey" is a bit forced, but magnificent nonetheless).
Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.
ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.
Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.
Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.
Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act Two Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.
Boulez's Bayreuth Festival: While it doesn't really pack the same punches as Bohm's Bayreuth, it still delivers a stunning performance. Orchestral interaction between characters (Ex. Siegfried's motifs mixed in with Mime's motifs) fares better than Berlin's and English National's. Rhine maiden motifs are given more wit, while the Dragon motifs are played with less eeriness. Beauty makes up for the irritatingly quick "Wotan's Farewell".
Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Boulez's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are heard clear in this Ring. The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.
Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.
Haitink's Bavarian Radio Symphony: This may very well be like Metropolitan, only this sounds much more poignant. The strings sound better and the percussion sound clearer. The leitmotivs are almost never screwed up. First scene of Rheingold will take one's breath away.
Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.
SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).
Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.
Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".
Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.
Boulez: If you watch Donald McIntyre on the Centennial Ring production, then you can tell that he's a fine "industrial" Wotan. If you just hear him on CD, then you'll be disappointed. His diction is weak, his emotions are forced, and his voice sounds robotic. The DVD's will do.
Levine and Haitink: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's and Haitink's Ring.
Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.
-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.
Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).
Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."
Boulez: How can anyone not be impressed by the Brunnhilde of Gwyneth Jones? One can almost feel her excitement during Siegfried Act Three, and her fear in Walkure Act Three. Her weakest point is probably during her Gotterdammerung Prologue (a bit too stressed).
Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.
Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).
Haitink: Hmph. I was hoping that Eva Marton would do well here. I was seriously let down by her strained singing. She does okay in "Annunciation of Death", but she is at her worst in "Immolation".
-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm, Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Peter Hoffman for Boulez, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, Reiner Goldberg for Haitink, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jeanine Altmeyer for Boulez, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, Cheryl Studer for Haitink, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Three exceptions, though: Goldberg and Schunk don't sound heroic enough, and Norman for Levine doesn't sound young and innocent enough.
-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.
Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.
Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.
Boulez: Is Manfred Jung a good tenor? Yes. Is he a good Heldentenor? NO. He doesn't have that heroic voice like Windgassen and Remedios. Again, the DVD's are your safest bet.
Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.
Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. Levine should've chose Kollo or Jerusalem when he recorded his studio Ring.
Haitink: Have you ever seen Siegfried Jerusalem on the Levine/Metropolitan DVD? Well, here he is again, and this time, he sings with more valor and enthusiasm. Bravo!
-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").
Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.
Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.
Boulez: What we have here is the weak Alberich of Hermann Becht. When he's in Nibelheim, the authority isn't there. When he's in the Neid-Hohle forest, the creepiness isn't there. And when he's near the Gibich house, the misery isn't there. Even on DVD he's unsatisfactory.
Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.
Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.
Haitink: No offense, but Theo Adam as Alberich? Come on . . .
-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.
Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.
Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.
Boulez and Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent Mime, VERY fun to listen to. There is much humor and eccentricity in his voice, and that's what makes his dwarf much more compelling than Dempsey's dwarf. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.
Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. He is equal to Zednik when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.
Haitink: Peter Haage sounds like he's entertaining young kids. His version of Mime is a bit childish, and the dark humor that the dwarf brings out sounds-over-the-top here. Nonetheless, he is still entertaining to listen to ("Wer halfe mir?" has never sounded better).
Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.
-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on during the Trilogy.
Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Again, another Loge that's marred by lack of cunning.
Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. He has the wit, the craftiness, and the untrustworthiness that the character deserves. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.
Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.
Boulez and Haitink: I can summon Heinz Zednik's performance in just three words: Brilliant Beyond Belief!
Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt and Zednik depend only on vengeance and deviousness, Stolze only imagination and deviousness, Windgassen and Svanholm only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.
Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.
Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Zednik. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.
-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings. Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). Anja Silja is the most memorable Freia (Bohm), while Kurt Moll makes the most fabulous Hunding yet (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm, Goodall, and Boulez. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.
CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation, Neuhold's Badische version, and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss, etc.), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the industrialized Boulez, the truthful Janowski, the unhurried Levine, the abnormal Haitink, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.
The Box Set: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
The 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
Absolutely Breathtaking!.......2002-09-13
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
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
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!
Average customer rating:
|
Gift of Christmas
En Vogue Manufacturer: Discretion Ent. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Dance & DJ
| Styles
| Music
Contemporary R&B
| R&B
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General Christmas
| Holiday
| Miscellaneous
| Styles
| Music
Opera & Vocal
| Holiday
| Miscellaneous
| Styles
| Music
Contemporary R&B
| R&B
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
General Christmas
| Holiday Music
| Special Features
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006LWRT Release Date: 2002-10-08 |
Tracks:
- Oh Christmas Tree Greeting
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
- Jingle Bells [Euro Mix]
- Snowy Nights
- My Christmas
- Merry Christmas Baby
- This Christmas
- That's What Christmas Means to Me
- With My Honey
- Oh Holy Night
- What Child Is This
- What Child Is This [Vocal Version]
- Jingle Bells [Rock Version]
- Jingle Bells [Instrumental Version]
Album Description
After millions and millions of albums sold with Grammy nominated mega-hits such as "My Lovin' (You're Never gonna Get It)", "Hold On", "Givin' Him Somethin' He Can Feel", "Free Your Mind", "Whatta Man", "Don't Let Go (Love)", "No Fool No More", "Lies", "Don't Go", "You Don't Have to Worry", "Too Gone, Too Long"... the Funky Divas are back, badder than ever!And now, returning from a well deserved hiatus, these Soul Train Entertainers of the Year and American Music Award Winners have in their own fashionable style and grace, crafted their latest release and very first Christmas Holiday Album...
"THE GIFT of CHRISTMAS"
Customer Reviews:
The Greatest Gift.......2004-09-23
My favorite tracks are:
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS (I simply love how they sampled the GIVING HIM SOMETHING HE CAN FEEL beat and melody and re-worked into this holiday classic)
SNOWY NIGHTS (The melody reminds me of Surface's "Happy"; very sentimental)
MY CHRISTMAS [MY KWANZAA] (Love the sample of Love Unlimited's "Walking In The Rain With The One I Love" {originally written and produced by Barry White, R.I.P.}; My favorite line from it is: "Difference is good and it's understood that there is more than Christinas in our house/That's what makes it cool being family/You find the common ground and work it out!". Words to live by!)
MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY (Terry really tore it up on this one, good job Ms. E!)
OH HOLY NIGHT (I've heard many versions of this old standard over the years and Cindy's rendition of it is quite emotional and spiritual)
These women are truly a "gift" from GOD and I'm glad I'm a devoted fan. Simply beautiful.
ST8UPFAN.......2002-11-22
ClassySexyCool.......2002-11-21
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", and "Jingle Bells" takes me back to a place in my childhood that I would loooove to revisit! "That's What Christmas Means to Me" , "Oh Holy Night" and "What Child Is This" warms me body, soul and spirit! "Snowy Nights", "Merry Chistmas Baby" and "With My Honey" is where I dream of being very soon with that special someone. I would recommend this cd very highly to anyone wishing to dress up in their holiday best or to just kick back with some apple cider in front of a roaring fire! Yes, the group looks different, but Miss Amanda Cole is bursting with tremendous talent, beauty and style as does all of the En Vogue family, past and present!
The 'Gift of Christmas' cd is the second greatest gift sent to us. En Vogue is truly blessed by God and is at their very, very best on this cd from start to finish. Cindy,Terry,Amanda and team-Thanks for such a wonderful gift! I may be enjoying it all year long or until the next studio album is released! Fans, join us at En VogueCraze at Yahoo for an true En Vogue lovefest!
Great Effort!.......2002-11-21
THE Gift For Christmas.......2002-11-21
The old Xmas songs such as 'O Holy Night' and 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' are revamped and done perfectly. For the old fans of EV, you'll notice a brilliant suprise for 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'. New songs like 'Merry Christmas Baby' and 'This Christmas' are pure genius and can only show a brilliant on going life for En Vogue.
Truly the Gift Of Christmas
Average customer rating:
|
500 Classic Masterpieces
Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Dances
| Ballets & Dances
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Mazurkas
| Ballets & Dances
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Pavanes
| Ballets & Dances
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Polkas
| Ballets & Dances
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Polonaises
| Ballets & Dances
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Waltzes
| Ballets & Dances
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Quartets
| Chamber Music
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Quintets
| Chamber Music
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Trios
| Chamber Music
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Chamber Music
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by J.S. Bach
| Bach, Johann Sebastian
| ( B )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Bartók, Béla
| ( 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 Berlioz
| Berlioz, Hector
| ( B )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Boccherini
| Boccherini, Luigi
| ( B )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Borodin
| Borodin, Alexander
| ( 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 Bruch
| Bruch, Max
| ( B )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Bruckner
| Bruckner, Anton
| ( B )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Chabrier
| Chabrier, Alexis Emanuel
| ( C )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Chopin
| Chopin, Frédéric
| ( C )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Delibes, Léo
| ( D )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Donizetti
| Donizetti, Gaetano
| ( D )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Dvorák, Antonín
| ( D )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Debussy
| Debussy, Claude
| ( D )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Elgar
| Elgar, Sir Edward
| ( E )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Enescu, Georges
| ( E )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Falla
| Falla, Manuel de
| ( F )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Flotow
| Flotow, Friedrich von
| ( F )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Foster, Stephen
| ( F )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Franck, César
| ( F )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Gershwin
| Gershwin, George
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Gliere, Reinhold
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Glinka
| Glinka, Mikhail
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Godard, Benjamin
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Gottschalk
| Gottschalk, Louis Moreau
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Gounod
| Gounod, Charles
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Grieg, Edvard
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Handel
| Handel, George Frideric
| ( H )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Franz Joseph Haydn
| Haydn, Franz Joseph
| ( H )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Khachaturian
| Khachaturian, Aram
| ( K )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Kreisler
| Kreisler, Fritz
| ( K )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Lalo, Edouard
| ( L )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Lehár, Franz
| ( L )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Liszt
| Liszt, Franz
| ( L )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Mahler
| Mahler, Gustav
| ( M )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Mascagni
| Mascagni, Pietro
| ( M )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Massenet
| Massenet, Jules
| ( M )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Meyerbeer
| Meyerbeer, Giacomo
| ( M )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
| Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
| ( M )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Mussorgsky
| Mussorgsky, Modest
| ( M )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Mendelssohn
| Mendelssohn, Felix
| ( M )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Offenbach
| Offenbach, Jacques
| ( O )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Ponchielli
| Ponchielli, Amilcare
| ( P )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Puccini
| Puccini, Giacomo
| ( P )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Prokofiev
| Prokofiev, Sergei
| ( P )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Ravel, Maurice
| ( R )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Rubinstein
| Rubinstein, Anton
| ( R )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Rossini
| Rossini, Gioacchino
| ( R )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Rachmaninov
| Rachmaninov, Sergei
| ( R )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Saint-Saëns, Camille
| ( S )
| 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 Schubert
| Schubert, Franz
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Robert Schumann
| Schumann, Robert
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Scriabin, Alexander
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Sibelius
| Sibelius, Jean
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Smetana
| Smetana, Bedrich
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Sousa
| Sousa, John Philip
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Strauss Jr., Johann
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Johann Strauss Sr.
| Strauss Sr., Johann
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Strauss
| Strauss, Richard
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Stravinsky
| Stravinsky, Igor
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Sullivan
| Sullivan, Arthur
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Shostakovich
| Shostakovich, Dmitri
| ( 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 Verdi
| Verdi, Giuseppe
| ( V )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Vivaldi
| Vivaldi, Antonio
| ( V )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Wagner
| Wagner, Richard
| ( W )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Weber
| Weber, Carl Maria von
| ( W )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Weill
| Weill, Kurt
| ( W )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Wieniawski
| Wieniawski, Henri
| ( W )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Concertinos
| Concertos
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Concerto Grossi
| Concertos
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Concertos
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Etudes
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Fantasies
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Inventions
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Preludes
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Rondos
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Serenades & Divertimentos
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
| Divertimentos
Bagatelles
| Short Forms
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Character Pieces
| Short Forms
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Impromptus
| Short Forms
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Nocturnes
| Short Forms
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Sonatas
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Sonatinas
| Sonatas
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Suites
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Classical
| Symphonies
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Romantic
| Symphonies
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Incidental Music
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Marches
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Overtures
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Tone Poems
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Variations
| Forms & Genres
| Baroque (c.1600-1750)
| Historical Periods
| 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
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Scriabin, Alexander
| Composers
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Symphonies
| Forms & Genres
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| 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
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
Organ
| Keyboard
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Piano
| Keyboard
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Cello
| Strings
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Violin
| Strings
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Symphonies
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
|