Serenata Mexicana

Disc: 1

1. Despierta - Jorge Fernández

2. Negra Noche

3. Corazón, Corazón - El Trio los Montejo

4. Llorona

5. Luz de los Cocuyos - El Trio los Calaveras

6. Se Me Hizo Fácil - Trío Tariácuri

7. Borrachita - Trío Calaveras

8. Cuando Ya No Me Quieras - Trio Tamaulipeco

9. Flor Silvestre - Tres Caballeros

10. Llegando a Ti - Los Tres Gallos

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Alevantate - Trìo Los Fantasmas

2. Rondalla - Jorge Fernández

3. Mientes - Los Tres Gallos

4. Amemonos - Los Montejo

5. Malagueña - Alejandro Algara

6. Hay Unos Ojos - Trío Calaveras

7. Rayito de Sol - Chucho Martinez Gil

8. Luz y Sombra - Los Tres Diamantes

9. Asomate a la Ventana - Trio Tamaulipeco

10. Imposible Olvidarte - Los Dandy's

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Serenata Mexicana,Various Artists,Max Music,Bolero,Latin,Latin Pop,Mexican,Mexico

Average customer rating:

A Man and His Art - Magnificently Captured
What can you say - it's Segovia!
EVERYBODY KNOWS
Immortal guitar
WOW

Art of Segovia
Andres Segovia
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Essential Guitar: 33 Guitar Masterpieces
The Segovia Collection
300 Years of Guitar Masterpieces
The Best of Andrés Segovia: The Millennium Collection
Spanish Guitar Music

ASIN: B00006B66L
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Tracks:

Andante
Andantino
Lento
Romance De Los Pinos
Madronos
Serenata Burlesca
Variations On A Theme From Mozart's 'The Magic Flute'
Mesto E Calmo
Theme, Variations & Finale
Cancion Mexicana No.X
Sevillana, Op.29
Sarabanda
Capriccio Diabolico, Op.85
Tonadilla For Guitar On The Name Of Andres Segovia
No.1 In E Minor
No.3 In A Minor
Guitarreo
Segovia, Op.29

Tracks:

If My Complaints
Now, O Now I Need Must Part
Sarabande
1. Prelude (Transposed In D Major)
4. Tempo Di Bourree
Courante
3. Gavotte En Rondeau
Aria E Corrente
Moderato
Menuet In G Major
Andantino Variato
No.7 In A Major
2. Canzonetta
2. Quasi Lento (Preludio)
1. Andantino Poco Allegretto (Allegretto)
2. Il Vecchio Castello
Allegretto
Tres Calme Et Doucement Expressif
No.4 In E Flat Minor
5. Asturias. Leyenda - Preludio
7. Zambra Granadina
Estudio Sin Luz
Allegro Con Brio

Amazon.com

DG has put together a fascinating compilation of Segovia's art that reminds us what a protean figure he was. Segovia single-handedly put the instrument on the map by making classical guitar concerts popular events, broadening the instrument's repertory through commissions and transcriptions, and convincing even doubters that it could be a vehicle for serious music. He's heard here in brief pieces recorded between 1952 and 1969. Even in those made when he was well into his 70s, his fingers remain nimble and interpretations lively. Listening straight through, one hears many all-time Segovia favorites as Turina's Sevillana and Albeniz's Asturias and Zambra Granadina and renews appreciation for path-breaking composers like Castelnuovo-Tedesco. He wrote extensively for Segovia and his Capriccio diabolico and Tonadilla are pieces of real substance. Disc two is largely made up transcriptions and it's amazing how well so many of them work on the guitar, at least under Segovia's magic fingers. Thus the transformations of Bach's violin music and even a Chopin Prelude sound idiomatic, and the gorgeous melodies of the Canzonetta from Mendelssohn's Op. 12 String Quartet are irresistible here. An entrancing set. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A Man and His Art - Magnificently Captured.......2007-04-06

This 2-CD set produced by Deutche Grammmophon and first released in 2002 is one set of the hundreds that could have been or the dozens that actually have been made and sold successfully all over the world. The exceptional feature of this particular collection is not, of course, the performer. Quite to the contrary, the miraculous consistency of stylings and performance are amongst the most remarkable aspects of the man who was, arguably, the 20th Centry's virtuoso supreme of the classical guitar, Andres Segovia (1893-1987.) Rather, it is the collection itself - the pieces chosen to be produced on this one set - this, to steal a German word, gestalt. While his style did not remain constant throughout his long life and career, by the time he had developed his most masterful skills that included doing his own arrangements - the era represented on this particular set (1951-1960) - his playing had become completely his own - unchallenged and unmatched by even other clearly great guitarists with whom he shared this era.

There are a total of 31 pieces played on these CDs and while a playlist would be an unnecessary use of space here, a list of the composers represented is not. More than the specific pieces Segovia gives us here, the range of composers chosen by the compilers and editors - with each piece rearranged by Segovia himself, tells us a great deal about his interests, talents and musical range. These composers include:
Isaac Albeniz, Johann Sebastian Bach, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Frederic Chopin, Claude Debussy, John Dowland, Manuel de Falla, Cesar Franke, Girolamo Frescobaldi, Edvard Grieg, George Frederic Handel, Felix Mendelsohn, Frederico Moreno Torroba, Modest Mussorgsky, Nicolo Paganini, Felipe Pedrell, Manuel Ponce, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Joaquin Rodrigo, Albert Roussel, Domenico Scarlatti, Alexander Scriabin, Segovia's own composition of Estudio sin luz, Fernando Sor, Francisco Tarrega, Joaquin Turina and Heitor Villa-Lobos. A truly magnificent and broad ranging collection held together by Segovia's unique personal style, approach and sound.

Largely self-taught, Andres Segovia did things with a guitar that others only imagined. He didn't just play Bach, for example - music written for an entirely different type of instrument (keyboards.) He went a step further, and recorder Bach's keyboard lessons written for his students (the Two and Three Part Inventions) and made them sound as if they had been written for the guitar! His artistry is evident to even the casual listener and in this collection, any devote of classical guitar and/or of Segovia as an individual artist, will not be disappointed.
Perfect listening for anytime. Hypnotic and, simply, unsurpassed. A necessary addition to any serious classical guitar collection.

What can you say - it's Segovia!.......2007-02-10

I saw Segovia perform live in my youth. What a treat! Anyone who loves Classical Guitar should love this collection.

EVERYBODY KNOWS.......2007-01-13

EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT ANDRES SEGOVIA WAS/IS THE WORLD'S GREATEST CLASSICAL GUITAR PLAYER. THIS CD IS A COMPILATION OF HIS RECORDINGS FROM THE THE EARLY 50'S TO THE LATE 60'S. HIS GUITAR MASTERY IS UNQUESTIONED AND HE IS AN INSPIRATION. I WISH I COULD PLAY GUITAR LIKE ANDRES SEGOVIA (BUT I CAN'T AND I NEVER WILL!).

Immortal guitar.......2006-08-02

Two CD's with Segovia's immortal music - an incredible treat at a great price!

WOW.......2006-02-23

Even though there is hiss from the original analog recordings this one is a must. Segovia! What more can you say. Anyone who likes classical guitar will love this.

Average customer rating:

reviving an old memory
So BAD she's GOOD
my ears and belly hurt
A must for all music lovers
Florence's voice caused my dog to shake in fear.

The Glory (????) of the Human Voice
Florence Foster Jenkins
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Nightingale - Der Holle Rache [Germany]

ASIN: B000003F97
Release Date: 1992-04-14

Tracks:

Die zauberflote: der holle rache
die musikdose
Like A Bird
lakme: ou va la jeune hindoue?
Serenata Mexicano
la perle du bresil: charmant oiseau
pavlovich biassy
die fledermaus - la chauve-souris: Adele's Laughing Son - Air d'adele - 'mein herr marquis'
Valentine's Aria (Ere I leave my native land)
Jewel Song (O Heavenly Jewels)
salut, demeure chaste et pure (Emotions Strange)
Final Trio (My Heart Is Overcome With Terror)

Customer Reviews:

reviving an old memory.......2007-06-08

This is a recording of an old vinyl which was in my collection. It was good to see that it was available, on CD, just as I remembered it sounding
Thanks.

So BAD she's GOOD .......2007-04-21

This is the most remarkable singing in all of recorded history. So BAD she's GOOD, Florence Foster Jenkins bankrolled herself into mini-stardom selling out her invitation-only once-a-year recitals until she became so legendary, she sold out Carnegie Hall to an audience snickering into their handkerchiefs. These recordings showcase that as BAD as Jenkins is, she gets WORSE . . . brilliantly so! With sensitive and serious accompaniment, Jenkins' voice is like a cross between a clucking chicken and a squeak toy played by Rusty Hinge. Each tune reveals a new vocal weakness (at best) or a deeper absurdity (at very best); these selections are a Punk miracle of self-delusion. I am grateful to all the brave reviewers who gave 5 stars 'cause they're right in its essential laughter factor; if you have a funny bone you cannot NOT laugh while listening to this lady sing!

my ears and belly hurt.......2007-04-11

My ears hurt from this absolutely abominable performance, and my belly from laughing.

A must for all music lovers.......2007-01-05

I first heard this album (LP) about 20 years ago on the radio. I recently recalled it and did a search on Amazon and to my amazement it and other titles were available. I purchased this disc for my wife's Christmas present 2006. We both cannot stop laughing every time we listen to it. I highly recommend this disc to anyone who loves the classics and has a hidden desire/dream that one day they too will be discovered and perform in large concert halls to utter amazement of the audience. Buy it, you won't regret it.

Florence's voice caused my dog to shake in fear........2007-01-02

This woman's voice was so bad that my dog started to shake in fear...then he ran and hid in my parent's room. I gave my friend the cd as a Christmas present and she said it ruined her Christmas. I, on the other hand, have never laughed so hard at someone's lack of musical ability! I've never heard anyone sound so horrible! Now, I don't want to give her all the credit..because when I heard Thomas Burns sing I FELL TO THE GROUND AND LAUGHED UNTIL I CRIED! I guess that's why I am giving it 5 stars. Anything that can make me laugh until I cry is worth its weight in gold!!!

Average customer rating:

Above All Others
The Great Master, of Masters
THIS GORGEOUS GUITAR MUSIC BEGS FOR LISTENING. . .
beautiful selection of the decca segovia
There's Only One Segovia

The Segovia Collection

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ultimate Guitar Collection
Julian Bream: The Ultimate Guitar Collection-Volume 2
300 Years of Guitar Masterpieces
Andres Segovia: In Portrait

ASIN: B000060O5J
Release Date: 2002-06-11

Amazon.com

The vastly improved sonics which the Deutsche Grammophon production team achieves with its 24/96 remastering of the guitarist's 1952-1969 mono and stereo performances for Decca allow listeners to finally experience the rich tonal palette and intimate nature of Segovia's performance art in a manner commensurate with the fidelity of the original LP releases (minus the edgy digital glare and graininess of the MCA reissues). What emerges is a portrait of the artist as a lightning rod for great composers, such as Manuel Ponce, Federico Torroba, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Isaac Albéniz, and Enrique Granados, all of whom enriched the 20th-century repertoire of solo and chamber works by custom-crafting works for this innovative guitarist (Segovia's interpretation of Joaquín Rodrigo's "Fandango" is a paradigm for his role in popularizing the modern Spanish idiom). Likewise, Segovias's work as an arranger in recasting baroque and medieval works for modern guitar, as well as his deep affection for 19th-century masters of the instrument such as Dionisio Aguado and Fernando Sor, shines forth on discs two and three. However, it is Segovia's romantic touch in transposing Bach's Partitas for Solo Violin--as on his virtuoso turns on the "Chaconne in D Minor"--that best illustrate his poetic conception of the instrument. --Chip Stern

Customer Reviews:

Above All Others.......2006-10-16

John Williams, David Russell, Christopher Parkening, Julian Bream, et. al. all owe a great deal to this now departed giant. If you own ANY classical guitar recordings, you should purchase this collection. It's not only the finest remastering available, but an equisitely fine selection of Segovia's contribution to the genre and the art.

The Great Master, of Masters.......2005-06-28

Andrés Segovia was the great master of classical guitar. This set show us 400 years of music taken for the guitar, he was the first in give the guitar place like a cult instrument in 20th century through his works invaluable transcriptions of several instruments (cello, lute, etc.) of composers like Bach, Dowland, Manuel M. Ponce, Fernando Sor, Tárrega, etc.

The scope from Segovia has leaved footsteps in the great world of classical music, for his research and investigations about it. In this set we can listen pieces like "six pavanas" from the ending Age Middle of Luis Milán, and begginig of Rennasaince like Dowland's songs togheter Roncali Ludovico between others on CD 3.
Also show us the great spanish composer Enrique Granados, Torroba, Sor, icons of guitar music. I Basically bought this cd for "Pavane" 1-6 and that better found it in this GREAT SET. If you're a lover of Classical Music, or classical guitar this one of the greatest set box ever made in any genre!!!.

Andrés Segovia, Marquis of Salobreia, was born near Jaen, Granada, Spain. He became a guitarist against the double opposition of his parents. First, they opposed his learning the guitar and got him cello and piano teachers instead. When he persisted in teaching himself guitar, they opposed his becoming a musician. He sought a guitar teacher at the Granada Institute of Music when he studied there, but found none, so continued learning the instrument on his own. He made his debut at the Centro Artística in Granada at the age of 15. He played so skillfully that he was urged to become a professional soloist. He played in Madrid in 1912, at the Paris Conservatory in 1915, and in Barcelona in 1916, and made a wildly successful tour of South America in 1919. He made his formal debut in Paris on April 7, 1924, in a program which included a new work written for him by Albert Roussel, named Segovia. It was the first of many works which were written for him by distinguished composers, enriching the instrument's repertory as Segovia had elevated its artistic potential. His U.S. debut was at Town Hall, New York, on January 8, 1928.

Being self-taught, his technique was unique. It was, in fact, superior to that which was being taught at the time, and extended the flexibility and expressive possibilities of the instrument. The main difference was in the method of using the right hand for strumming and picking the strings: Segovia's method paid much attention to the means of attack: whether hard parts of the fingers, fleshy parts, or the nails were used; other subtleties that affected the dynamics of the instrument; and an economy of motion that allowed longer and more sustained playing. There were classical guitarists before him, and distinguished ones even when he appeared, but it was not an instrument that was regarded as a serious vehicle for classical music. Segovia personally changed that, and not by accident. No doubt affected by his parents' attitude toward his chosen career, he had a driving desire to make it so. He wrote numerous transcriptions of older music for lute and for the Spanish vihuela. He transcribed music of Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Chopin, Handel, and others. He commissioned works by Castelnuovo-Tedesco (notably the great suite Platero and I), Falla, Turina, Tansman, Villa-Lobos, Torroba, Ponce, and Rodrigo, whose Fantasia para un gentilhombre was written for him. His reinstatement of the guitar as a solo instrument was sealed by his becoming one of the great teachers of music history. He established guitar schools or courses at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, Siena, Santiago de Compostela, and the University of California in Berkeley. His students included Alirio Diaz, Oscar Ghilia, and John Williams.

Segovia become one of the great names in classical music, whose mere name was enough to sell out houses worldwide. He received numerous awards and honors during his lifetime, including the Grand Cross of Isabela and Alfonso, the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society of London, and many honorary degrees. The house where he was born had a commemorative plaque attached to it in 1969 proclaiming him the "leading son of the city." King Juan Carlos of Spain ennobled him as the Marquis of Salobreia in 1981, and in the same year a Segovia International Guitar Competition was established in his honor. He continued to give recitals and concerts until an advanced age, and had the rare opportunity, in 1984, of playing at a gala concert honoring the 75th anniversary of professional debut.

THIS GORGEOUS GUITAR MUSIC BEGS FOR LISTENING. . ........2004-02-24

__________________________________________________________________________________

. . . and I literally begged for this boxed set as a gift a while back and got lucky. The technical quality of the remastering is exquisite - the first 2 CD's especially sound as if you're in a recording studio with the master himself. (disc one includes "Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre" & "Concierto Del Sur" and disc two "Castillos De Espana")

I've found they are now selling the individual CD's separately in the same packaging, so if you're on a limited budget you can collect them at your own speed or limit yourself to those selections you most want. I sincerely recommend them all however and if you buy the boxed set you get the added bonus of an excellent booklet.

There are very few CD's in my collection that I derive as much sheer pleasure listening to. This is indeed a 5 star Segovia collection!

beautiful selection of the decca segovia.......2003-10-02

there probably wasn't a classical guitarist alive in the 1950's and 60's who didn't know by heart all of segovia's decca albums and julian bream's spectacular recordings for rca and westminster. this set will be a stroll down memory lane for everyone with segovia schott editions in the attic, and essential listening for anyone interested in the classical guitar or in discovering a genuine musical genius -- the equal on his instrument of casals, rubenstein or heifitz on theirs.

segovia literally created the 20th century classical guitar out of an instrument with a cachet not far above the banjo. the booklet to the boxed set gives a fine overview of segovia's career and recording practice, though omitting many key details. (segovia innovated guitar concerts in large concert halls because he was among the first to use his fingernails, rather than bare fingertips, to pluck the strings, and pushed guitar makers to build larger, brighter and more sonorous instruments.)

each of the 4 separately cased cds generously samples (up to 80 minutes each) from (1) the guitar concerto; (2) 20th century compositions dedicated to segovia; (3) pieces for lute, vihuela and 19th century guitar, with some albeniz transcriptions thrown in; and (4) segovia's transcriptions of pieces by j.s. bach.

the digital sound in these recordings (almost all from the 1950's) is really superb, giving contour to every detail of the master tapes. it also reveals the changing recording standards of the early lp: though the sound is consistently vivid and balanced, the guitar is sometimes distant and echoy (a "tile bathroom" sound characteristic of the earliest lp's), or intimate but slightly muffled, or bright and contrasty with a hint of added reverb at the top. i was a little taken aback by the uneven dynamics and nail clatter that i hadn't noticed years ago in segovia's playing: modern recording and performance practice have changed expectations toward a more homogenous and finished sound. but there is a spontaneity, fire, grace, color, imagination and wit in segovia's playing that you won't find anywhere else ... well, excepting julian bream.

it's picky to second guess editorial decisions in a set as generous as this ... but what the heck: i really missed tansman's lovely suite of polish dances ("cavatina"), regretted the absence of a complete sonata or suite by manuel ponce, and would trade the boccherini "guitar" (transcribed cello) concerto for the castelnuovo-tedesco guitar concerto. that said, the performances here of rodrigo's "fantasia para un gentilhombre" and ponce's "concerto del sur" are among the best available, and the generous sampling sor etudes will remind all us graying guitarists of the many happy hours we spent practicing these pieces from the only edition then available -- segovia's own.

deutsche grammaphon has also released a 2-cd set of segovia recordings ("the art of andres segovia"), which duplicates only four pieces from this 4-cd boxed set, and veers more toward colorful transcriptions and single movement selections from longer works. together they make a 6 cd collection of many of the finest recordings by the man who started it all, spawned thousands of heirs and imitators -- and set the bar for them very, very high.

There's Only One Segovia.......2002-07-19

This is the PERFECT retrospective boxed set. DG has outdone itself with this career retrospective of Spanish classical guitar legend Andres Segovia. The set was released on the 15th anniversary of Segovia's death in 1987. From the famous "Fantasia para un gentilhombre" to transcriptions of J.S. Bach for the guitar, all four CDs showcase nothing but the genius of Segovia. The remastered DG recordings sound terrific and the accompanying booklet, complete with photographs from throughout the master's life in Spain, is excellent. If you love Spanish classical guitar and adore the 19th-Century romantic style of playing championed by Segovia, buy this set. You won't be disappointed. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Florence Foster Jenkins & Friends: Murder on the High Cs

Average customer rating:

Must be heard to be believed
This is the definitive FFJ!
Sounds Like A Vacuum Cleaner Ingesting An Owl
comedy classic
The "joke", never funny, is now painfully shabby

Florence Foster Jenkins & Friends: Murder on the High Cs
John Charles Thomas , John Charles Thomes , Robert Merrill , Alexander Kipnis , Ezio Pinza , Florence Foster Jenkins , Jack Barnett , Earl Cahn Sammy / Brent , Felicien David , and Leo Delibes
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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"Jonathan & Darlene Edwards - Greatest Hits, Vol. 2"
Jonathan and Darlene's Greatest Hits

ASIN: B0000AE7AO
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Tracks:

Queen of the Night Aria [From The Magic Flute]
Serenata Mexicana
Musical Snuff Box
Like a Bird
Bell Song [Lakme Dub]
Charmant Oiseau [Perle du Brl]
Adele's Laughing Song [Die Fledermaus]
Biassy [Prelude XVI]
Valse Caressante
Little Jack Horner - Alexander Kipnis
Sing a Song of Sixpence - John Charles Thomas
Blue Danube - Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra, Josephine Tumminia
Little Old State of Texas - Ezio Pinza, The Sons of the Pioneers
Fireman's Bride [Up in Central Park] - Jeanette MacDonald, Robert Merrill
Song's Gotta Come from the Heart - Jimmy Durante, Helen Traubel
Real Piano Player - Jimmy Durante, Helen Traubel
Please Don't Say No [Thrill of a Romance] - Lauritz Melchior

Customer Reviews:

Must be heard to be believed.......2006-04-09

Even the brilliant Judy Kaye in the recent play "Souvenir" about Ms. Jenkins couldn't quite match the unique sound of this singer, although she came close. For those who like this sort of thing, this is the real thing. The sound on this Naxos CD is superior to RCA's "Glory of the Human Voice??" which covers most of the same territory. The Naxos CD also restores the piano intro to the Bell Song and the heretofore rare Valse Caressante of which only a few pressings are known to exist.

That said, the rest of the (non-Florence) cuts are mostly forgettable. More kitch than camp. Annoying music abounds but the in the realm of the truly, stupendously awful Florence Foster Jenkins remains in a class by herself. No one can really compete with Ms. Jenkins on her own camp grounds and there is no sense in trying. The one exception being the sung "Blue Danube" with Josephine Tumminia and the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra which falls in the "what could they have been thinking?" department.

Personally a little of this sort of thing goes a long way. The Faust Travesty on the RCA set holds a bit more interest (but not all that much). I think a more interesting compliation would consist of "straight" renderings of the various arias and pieces contrasted with Madame Florence's so the listener may fully savor what she achieves in these performances.

Florence gets five stars but the rest of it gets a minus one, so it ends up with four.

This is the definitive FFJ!.......2005-01-09

A fellow reviewer has not paid close attention to the contents of "Murder On The High C's": this release actually contains every recording that FFJ made. She recorded 9 arias and released them on 5 78's (the fifth, "Valse Caressante", was split), all of them gathered here for the first time. What this album omits from the previous cd release ("The Glory??? of the Human Voice") is the arias by an almost equally incompetent baritone. "Murder..." more than compensates for this with the inclusion of some unbelievably tragic recordings by artists who could actually sing but found themselves saddled with shockingly bad material; it's an absolute feast for those who love outsider music. The 'nursery rhyme' songs provoke bewilderment, the swing version of "Blue Danube" must be heard to be believed, and the excellent liner notes accurately describe Lauritz Melchior's valiant performance of "Please Don't Say No" as "the single worst recording of anything ever made by an opera star who should have known better". "Murder On The High C's" is an insanely delirious treasure.

Sounds Like A Vacuum Cleaner Ingesting An Owl.......2004-10-15

Florence Foster Jenkins was a socialite who enjoyed singing in vast disproportion to her musical talent. This CD has some of her greatest works (so to speak) although the disc pales in comparison to her masterwork "The Glory (????) of Human Voice." (In fact several of the songs on this CD are available on that recording.) Particularly ear-shattering are "Musical Snuff Box" (watch out for that last note if you have pets, they will seriously dislike it), "Bell Song" which is essentially a series of a cappella pentatonic scales by and large, and finally the unique rendition of "Valse Caressante" (which was actually released as a single!) which will leave any listener in a near delirium.

In short, these rare Jenkins masterworks are amazing and hilarious. I can't recommend them highly enough to anyone even mildly curious about outsider music. Why the three star rating? It is certainly not due to Florence's participation, rather due to the packaging. The cover boasts "Florence Foster Jenkins and Friends." Little will most people suspect that the "friends" make up about half of the CD, and are totally unrelated to Jenkins except for possessing no musical talent. Some of the songs are merely boring (like the Jimmy Durante selections), and some are quite laughably funny like the dreadful "The Fireman's Bride," and "Please Don't Say No." Finally there is the real puzzler from the "what were they thinking?" file, "Little Jack Horner," an operatic retelling of the classic children's tale. The other reason I only give this disc three stars is because four of the nine Jenkins' songs are available on "The Glory (????) of Human Voice." I had expected different material on this CD.

The bottom line is that this CD is for Florence Foster Jenkins completists. (Ponder that.) People who want more exposure to Florence should buy her delightful "The Glory (????) of Human Voice," which I can't recommend highly enough.

comedy classic.......2004-05-27

In the summer of 2003, I had the luck of hearing Florence's recordings. Even though no one is quite sure whether she meant to be funny or not, listening to her cds always puts me in the best mood. Hearing her try to reach those high notes and missing terribly is the funniest thing in the world!! My family and I love Florence!!!

The "joke", never funny, is now painfully shabby.......2004-03-07

It is sad that a person who apparently had too much money and time to waste could have done so in preserving for an unsuspecting posterity such awful sounds. The so-called friends who flocked by invitation to her concert to relish an event of mockery were at least as much to blame as the poor woman herself for having encouraged such eccentric egocentricity.