Night Garden

1. On a Clear Night

2. Daydreamer

3. Quiet Winter Revisited

4. Morning

5. Night Garden

6. Still Pond

7. Daphine

8. Hills Turned Green

9. Future Blossom

10. Little Sweden

Night Garden,John Nilsen,Magic Wing,Contemporary Instrumental,New Age / Meditation,Pop

Average customer rating:

Incredibly moving
Appreciation
Not original
Beautiful Soundtrack
Buy Peter Gabriel's Passion

The Passion of the Christ (Score)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Soundtracks | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

The Passion of the Christ: Songs Inspired By
Kingdom of Heaven
The Passion of the Christ (Widescreen Edition)
Gladiator: Music from the Motion Picture
Passion of the Christ: Songs (Original Songs Inspired by the Film)

ASIN: B0001ENY6M
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Tracks:

The Olive Garden
Bearing The Cross
Jesus Arrested
Peter Denies Jesus
The Stoning
Song Of Complaint
Simon Is Dismissed
Flagellation / Dark Choir / Disciples
Mary Goes To Jesus
Peaceful But Primitive / Procession
Crucifixion
Raising The Cross
It Is Done
Jesus Is Carried Down
Resurrection

Amazon.com

Mel Gibson staked $30 million and his superstar reputation on this painstakingly bloody interpretation of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all the while dodging charges of anti-semitism and fostering excruciating cinematic gore at the expense of Christ's message (a notion that also begs some uncomfortable questions about this version's S&M undertones). But because the film's dialog plays out in ancient authentic language dialects, John Debney's musical score takes on an even more central dramatic role. In some ways an unlikely choice as composer (having cut his teeth on many a lightweight comedy and kidflick) Debney nonetheless rises to the challenge, first conjuring up a synth-laden soundscape whose gothic moodiness should be familiar to admirers of the work of Lisa Gerrard, then seasoning it with indigenous instruments, booming percussion and ancient modalities that give the score an almost palpable sense of time and place. As did Jeff Danna on his earlier score for the gentler, de facto companion piece, The Gospel of John, Debney eventually gets 'round to genuflecting towards some Hollywood choral and melodic traditions (the Gospels themselves having arguably helped lay the original foundations for Tinseltown's venerable three-act structure), but there's nothing cheap about his music of triumph and redemption, rooted as ever in roiling currents of ancient spiritual mysticism. Gibson's vision of the Passion has had many second-guessing his motivations and choices, but Debney's rich, evocative score proves there's nothing wrong with his ears. -- Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Incredibly moving.......2007-06-13

I wish I knew all the names of the instruments that are being played in the score because they are absolutely mesmerizing! What an amazing score to accompany an amazing movie. Never a dull moment, I find myself being moved by the overall emotion of the music. The great thing about epic scores is that they manage to stir up some feelings within you of power, pride, and faith. It manages to inspire some in many different ways. I think that's the most important thing here. You can call it mood music or just simply uplifting. For me, the best way to listen to a score like this is with a great pair of headphones and a clear mind.

Appreciation.......2007-04-15

This has to be the most touching score to a movie I have ever appreciated.
Watching the movie was one thing but then listening to the score blew me away. I could find myself crying just hearing the music and placing it at the point in the story.
What a range of music. So well done and so different. The song selection for the different scenes in the movie just fit. It is as if each song was the perfection for its placement in the movie.
The score can hold it's own in itself but together they are as one.

Not original .......2007-02-16

I recently purchased both The Passion of the Christ soundtrack and Peter Gabriel's Passion. I really wanted to like The Passion of the Christ score, as I loved the movie. Regrettably, John Debney's music is so much like Peter Gabriel's superb Passion soundtrack, used in 1988's The Last Temptation of Christ that it becomes a farce. It even uses Gabriel's long-time collaborator, vocalist and double violinist Shankar, whose unique sound was also used on Gabriel's Passion. The producers also used a piece from Gabriel's Rabbit Proof Fence soundtrack for The Passion's 2003 teaser trailer. There's no doubt that Debney has copied Gabriel. Also the highlight of The Passion of the Christ is a theme virtually identical to one from John William's Born on the Fourth of July soundtrack.

So buy Gabriel's Passion over The Passion of the Christ, it is a magnificent score and far more original.

Beautiful Soundtrack.......2007-02-03

For me the most inspiring track is "Resurrection". I remember the day that I saw this movie for the first time almost 3 years ago. My friend and I stayed until the end of the credits only to listen to this track. It's my candidate for best final scene in a movie. Now , 'Resurrection" (as the rest of the album) is in my Creative Zen Vision M and I listen to this beautiful piece of music everyday. It's really inspiring. Buy it!!!
P.S. There are so many Jews here and there writing a lot of negative reviews about this soundtrack and the movie. Don't pay any atention to that. This soundtrack and the movie are masterpieces.

Buy Peter Gabriel's Passion.......2007-01-16

Anyone who knows Peter Gabriel's Passion would agree with me in saying that John Debney's score has taken liberally from Gabriel's incredible work, and a few have written as much in the Online reviews for this item. Do yourself a favor, buy Peter Gabriel's Passion. Even though The Last Temptation of Christ may not have been the best movie, the soundtrack was, one of my favorites. I listen to it often, and each time it takes me to another place.

Another plug along Christian movie lines, The Mission by Ennio Morricone, a masterpiece.

Average customer rating:

Excellent performances of a selection of Herrmann's later film scores
Classic, at reduced price

Bernard Herrmann: The Film Scores

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Soundtracks | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Vertigo: Original Motion Picture Score (1995 Re-recording)
Bernard Herrmann: The Film Scores
Bernard Herrmann: The Twilight Zone (Television Series Score Re-recording)
The Ghost And Mrs. Muir: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Bernard Herrmann Film Scores: From Citizen Kane To Taxi Driver

ASIN: B00077F9AM
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Customer Reviews:

Excellent performances of a selection of Herrmann's later film scores.......2007-06-15

Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic produce fine performances of a selection of Herrmann's post-1955 film scores.

The music itself is of variable musical interest.
The music from "The Man who Knew too Much", "Vertigo", "Marnie", "North by Northwest", "Taxi Driver" and "Psycho" shows Herrmann at his best.
"Torn Curtain" and "Fahrenheit 451" find Herrmann at his least inspired and it is a pity Salonen didn't jettison these items in favour of something else.

The performances cannot be faulted and lovers of Herrmann's music will find much to enjoy here.

Classic, at reduced price.......2006-08-15

As much (if not more) than any other film composer, Bernard Herrmann's music stands up to listening independent of the films. The emphasis here is on Herrmann's scores for Hitchcock, when both men were arguably at their creative heights.

Note: this is NOT a collection of original soundtrack recordings. However, Salonen and the LA Philharmonic at absolutely top-notch, and the recording is beautiful. Certain subtleties are actually easier to hear on this recording than on some of the originals.

As if I couldn't recommend this highly enough, the price has been reduced on this reissue! This deserves a wide audience, don't hesitate to buy it.

Average customer rating:

Classy,Romantic, And Stirring.
Lovely - Just Lovely!
Encore!
Captivating
Sarah Brightman's Best

Encore
Sarah Brightman , Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Rodgers , Burton Lane , Peter Greenwell , Stephen Sondheim , George Gershwin , Giacomo Puccini , Harry Rabinowitz , and Michael Reed
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Sarah Brightman Classics
Eden (US Release - 16 tracks)
Surrender
Fly
Dive

ASIN: B00005KBBX
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Tracks:

Whistle Down The Wind (Whistle Down The Wind)
Away From You (Rex)
Guardami (With One Look - Italian Version) (Sunset Boulevard)
Think Of Me (The Phantom Of The Opera)
One More Walk Around The Garden (Carmelina)
Surrender (Sunset Boulevard)
If I Ever Fall In Love Again (The Crooked Mile)
Half A Moment (Jeeves)
Piano (Memory - Italian Version) (Cats)
What More Do I Need (Saturday Night)
There Is More To Love (Apects Of Love)
The Last Man In My Life (Song And Dance)
In The Mandarin's Orchid Garden (East Is West)
Nothing Like You've Ever Known (Tell Me On A Sunday & Song And Dance)
Chil Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta (La Rondine)

Amazon.com

In a career that's veered from '70s pop chanteuse to Broadway star and neo-operatic diva, Sarah Brightman has brought a critics-be-damned sense of dramatic scale to nearly every project she's tackled. As the title suggests, the tracks here are largely culled from her Songs That Got Away and Surrender song anthologies, although they do include four previously unreleased outtakes from those collections. Her 1998 recording of the title song from ex-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down the Wind succeeds by emphasizing its melodic grace with a deft, airy touch, while the remainder rescue worthy songs from obscure or failed musicals. From Lerner and Lane's 1959 Carmelina comes the lovely "One More Walk Around the Garden." Stephen Sondheim's youthful 1954 debut, Saturday Night, yields a sprightly take on "What More Do I Need," while an operatic reading of "In the Mandarin's Orchid Garden," from the Gershwins' unproduced 1929 East Is West, is also included. If the selection leans a little too heavily on the Lloyd Webber connection elsewhere (including Italian versions of "Guardami (With One Look)" from Sunset Boulevard and "Piano (Memory)" from Cats delivered in her patently restraint-free soprano), they're only reminders that shrewdness has hardly been the least of Brightman's talents. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Classy,Romantic, And Stirring........2007-03-09

Encore is the perfect CD for those who love diversity. Classy, Romantic and Stirring. My two favorites are Piano and One More Walk Around The Garden.
Piano (Memory)is even more soul stirring in Italian than the english version.If the english version was perfection she improved upon it. One More Walk Around The Garden is sad and soul stirring bringing a tear to the eye on every play.Sarah sings her way through every song with the voice that earned her the title Angel of Music.Everyone a Gem. A must have for every true fan.

Lovely - Just Lovely!.......2007-01-04

Overall I was very pleased with the content and quality of this CD. Once again, Sarah sings beautifully. I rated this 4 stars instead of 5 simply because, like another reviewer, I, too, felt that it contained too much old material. I used to enjoy 'Memory' but it's been overdone to the point that I cringe when I hear it now. It's sung in Italian here and called 'Piano' but it's still 'Memory'.

I especially liked 'One More Walk Around the Garden' (Carmelina), 'There is More to Love' (Aspects of Love), 'The Last Man in My Life' (Song and Dance) and 'Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta' (La Rondine). 'If I Ever Fall In Love Again' (The Crooked Mile) is especially well done as well.

I do enjoy playing the CD but I find that I pick the songs that I play rather than allowing it to play all the way through.

Encore!.......2005-05-29

The title of the CD is perfect. Sarah has a beautiful and flawless voice and her singing just pulls you in. If you like Sarah Brightman, this is a wonderful CD to add to your collection. I have only started to collect her CDs from concerts she has done and I love every single one of them! BUY THIS!! You won't regret it!!!

Captivating.......2004-12-25

Sarah Brightman sings beautifully. That's not even up for debate. Her choice of material is generally interesting as well. She runs through a wide variety of genre and regularly comes up with excellent pieces from each of them.

`Encore' is a compilation of material recorded between the late 1980's and 2001. It features strong renditions of `Away from You' by Rodgers and Harnick and `In the Mandarin's Garden' by George and Ira Gershwin. The orchestration on `If I ever Fall in Love Again' is a bit overblown but she sings the piece with sincerity, and very well. Her cover of Lane and Lerner's `One More Walk Around the Garden' is a thing of beauty. The same can be said for her handling of Sondheim's `What More Do I Need'. The weakest moment in the set comes during Puccini's `Chi Il Bel Di Doretta'. She sings it well but her voice doesn't quite have the pure power needed for the piece and there are moments where the strain shows.

Sarah Brightman really shines when she sings music written by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Her voice takes on an extra richness. He wrote the music for nine of the fifteen cuts on this release and can be identified as the composer of each one just by the tone her voice takes on when she begins singing any one of them. It's softer, richer, more expressive- it's as if there's an extra facet in her voice and spirit just for his compositions. He produced this collection but I don't believe that was a factor. The same thing struck me when she performed the material from the Phantom of the Opera that appeared on her La Luna concert DVD. `Think of Me' as performed by her was the song that attracted me to her voice even when I was less than sure of the scope of her talent. The recording here is the recording from `Phantom' and it's still stunning. `Piano' is hauntingly beautiful. `The Last Man in My Life' is given a ravishing performance. `Half a Moment' is devastating. The list goes on. There's not a weak cut from among his material. Webber's songs stay with the listener. Their melodic are lush and rich and have enough scope and variety to remain interesting over a long period of time. His orchestration is sumptuous, elaborately textured and a little sweet in the way that touches the listener as a caress. When she sings them they become all they can be. This isn't his music or hers. It's their music.

This is an excellent collection because of the way it showcases this. The material here has been (unkindly) labelled as `ear worms'. To an extent the term is accurate. Show tunes do lean toward catchy and easily accessible melodic lines. Their lyrics are often shallow. What's presented on this collection has more than its share of all of these faults. It's impossible to be cynical about it though. These songs, particularly the numbers penned by Lloyd-Webber, are strong on their own. When they're performed this well, and with this amount of affection, they're captivating. The quality of the sound on the release compliments the material beautifully. It's rich, lush and always crystal clear. Sarah Brightman herself is always a pleasure to listen to. Her voice it has a sparkling quality that's radiantly beautiful. The material on this collection shows that beauty to its fullest.

Listen to her singing these songs and let them wash over you. It's the perfect antidote for cynicism.

Sarah Brightman's Best.......2004-02-17

When I bought this Cd, I knew that I already had much of the music already, but there were a few new songs. I just had to get it for that reason. And I had to get it so that I had more than one recording of Sarah's finest songs. I absolutely love her and feel she was and is the ultimate Christine in "Phantom." I know I would be in a minority. I think she is past that part of her life and could not play the part again, but how I wish I had seen her. I could only imagine. If you have never heard Sarah sing before, this is a perfect CD to introduce her voice. The fact that she can sing so many different styles always amazes me. I suppose I appreciate that since I am a singer myself. I recommend this Cd to anyone.

Average customer rating:

Superb Music

In a Summer Garden: The Music of Delius

Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Delius: Orchestral Works
Delius: Florida Suite RTvi/1; Pieces RTvi/19
Frederick Delius: Orchestral Works
Delius: Paris, the Song of a Great City; Double Concerto; Cello Concerto
Delius: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring

ASIN: B0000647HU
Release Date: 2004-03-02

Tracks:

Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: Introduction (Slow. Pastoral)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: I. Theme & Variations 1-6 -
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: II. Interlude (Slow And Very Quietly)
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: III. Variations 7-12
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: IV. Variations 13-17 -
Brigg Fair - An English Rhapsody: Coda (Very Quietly)
In A Summer Garden
Eventyr (Once Upon A Time)
A Song Of Summer
Summer Night On The River - London Philharmonic Orchestra
A Song Before Sunrise - London Philharmonic Orchestra
A Village Romeo And Juliet: The Walk To The Paradise Garden - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Superb Music.......2005-03-20

This Classics For Pleasure CD is a new release of older material from two previous albums. Unlike previous releases this contains nearly 80 minutes of music so it is excellent value.

Delius is often described as a British composer, which is slightly inaccurate. He had German parents, he lived in the United States, travelled to France and Germany as well as other parts of Europe before settling in France. He was in many ways an International Composer. His music may seem curiously eclectic. Think of Debussy with a bit of a Grieg melody and Wagnerian drama thrown in. Yet his music seems all the more distinctive because of it.

Vernon Handley's interpretation of these pieces have often been regarded as a bit too emotional, much like other British Conductors like Barbarolli and Beecham who recordings are yardsticks which others are measured. Yet Brigg Fair has an incredible lyricism and the rare Eventyr combines the Debussian impressionism with drama. The use of percussion and the shouting voices, presumably from the orchestra itself, in the hands of Handley come across so vividly. This piece alone with Handley's direction brought Delius to my attention. I now enjoy Delius' music more than I do say Elgar, Holst and Vaughan Williams.

This is a great introduction to Delius' music and can be recommended with enthusiasm.

The King's Noyse, dir. David Douglass: Royal Delight: 17th Century Ballads & Dances

Average customer rating:

The King's Noyse, dir. David Douglass: Royal Delight: 17th Century Ballads & Dances

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Lusty Gallant: England's Golden Age
Seaven Teares
Penny Merriments: Street Songs of 17th Century England
Italian Renaissance Dances
Italian Renaissance Dances, Vol. 2

ASIN: B00099FVD8
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

The King's Delight
All In A Garden Green
Gathering Peascods
Blew-Cap For Me
Fortune My Foe
Browning
Jog On
Courante - Packington's Pound
Daphne
Huntsuppe
The Lovely Northerne Lasse
Tantz
O Nachbar Roland
Dulcina
As Att Noone Dulcina Rested
Grimstock
Robin Is To The Greenwood Gone
Ricercar - Bonny Sweet Robin
A Light Hearts A Jewell
Child Grove
Easter Thursday
The Beggar Boy
Mr. Isacc's Maggot
The Little Barley-Corne

Tracks:

The Happy Meeting
Boatman
Trip And Go
Barbara Allen's Cruelty
Preludium
Browning My Dear
Hollis Berrie
New Castle
Newmarket
Now, O Now, I Need Must Part
Coockow As I Me Walked
Sing Care Away
Souches Marche
Emperor Of The Moon
Tickle My Toe
I Smell A Rat
Wilson's Wilde
Walsingham
Begone, Sweit Night
Strawberries And Cream
The Queen's Delight
Half Hanniken
Nottingham Ale

Average customer rating:

Calming Awesome Sound!
lacks originality
The Transcendent Essense of Chill
The Tale of Two Singers
AGAIN WITH THE COMPARISONS!!!

The Night Garden
Waldeck
Manufacturer: E-Magine Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Dub | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Balance of the Force
The Night Garden: Reflowered
Balance of the Force (Remixed)
Future
Polydistortion

ASIN: B00005IAH0
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Tracks:

Slowly
The Night Garden
Tears Running Dry
Waiting
Fallen Angel
Cat People Dub
Floater
I Talk To The Wind
It Comes From You
Morning Light
This Isn't Maybe

Customer Reviews:

Calming Awesome Sound!.......2006-02-11

I found this band off of my satellite. I heard Catpeople Dub and I was like "Wow, what is that??!!" I thought it sounded so awesome. It brought a calmness over me just listening to this song. Then I realized that I knew others songs by this band like Slowly and Tears Run Dry which happen to all be from this cd. I really like this cd. I read the other reviews and saw that they did alot of comparisons to a band called Massive Attack. It led to me to listen to some of their clips because I thought if I liked Waldeck, I may really like Massive Attack. Well, unless the clips don't do MA justice, I wasn't impressed. I was much more impressed with this Waldeck cd. Very good calming cd and I enjoy quite a bit. It just has an awesome sound. I will check out other waldeck based on this cd.

lacks originality.......2004-11-18

I was a bit skeptical of Waldeck at first because I though they had borrowed most of their stuff from Massive Attack. While "Balance of The Force" did sound similar to "Protection" or any other trip-hop band of the 90s, Waldeck's music had something different to it. The piano, the synths, the sound effects, the vibes, the interesting beats so overall it was ok. However, "Night Garden" dissapoints because it clearly feels totally copied and obvious: the creepy "Mezzanine" bass lines, the cheezy lyrics "she's at ease with the past and the darkness...fallen angel", "tears running dry years passing by" "...waiting for the light..", a little embarassing at times "putting out the fire with gasoline", the pointless cover of King Crimson's "I talk to the wind". The few appreciable tracks are "slowly" ("angel/dissolved girl") and "floater" ( i.e. black milk).It would have been better if more focus had been placed on research in electronic sounds rather than on the "cliche" singing.The title track although instrumental and pretty is way too unhappenning and the album lacks balance, not leaving much variation between the rest of the tracks.

The Transcendent Essense of Chill.......2004-04-14

The Transcendent Essence of Chill

While listening to one of my favorite Downtempo Streaming stations, I can remember when "Floater" drifted from my speakers. I instantly slipped from my usual tense and stressed self into a state of surreal relaxation.

If I had to point out three songs I love, they would be "Moon", "Slowly" and again "Floater." I have, however, had the chance to listen to several of Waldeck's songs and while people have mixed feelings as to the fluctuation between the female and male vocal leads, I appreciate their artistic versatility in being able to do so and still maintain the atmosphere. One aspect I also love about Waldeck is the range of styles to which their songs can be adapted. On their Remix album, there are multiple versions of songs such as "Wake Up" and "Defenceless" some more ambient while others more upbeat but definitely always Trip-Hop.

On a side note, I have to address the matter of "style borrowing" and artist comparison. Perhaps it's just me, but when I listen to a song or a group, I don't compare them to another. Doing that would leave me solely devoted to one band or for that matter one genre of music. I love a little something from most genres. Now that is definitely me. I feel Waldeck has its own sound in Trip-Hop. If artists of a genre didn't sound similar, there would be no point to having genres or sub-genres.

A more important point people today should realize is nearly everything produced in the last half century is a "borrowing" of some earlier artists, e.g. BB King. It was mentioned that Waldeck Borrowed its sound from Massive Attack, I don't agree and I have loved Massive Attack since before anyone even knew who they were! I even loved them when they did that horrid cover of the Doors, "Light My Fire" oh yes they borrowed that song and a few others. But you don't see me complaining about it. Actually I recall my mother who is 51, walking in on "The Blue Lines" Album and saying hey that's so and so's song they are doing. I asked her if she liked their cover, she said yeah, sat down and mellowed to it with me.

Point being: It's all about enjoying the Chill.

If you want to relax and get into that mellow zone, Waldeck can get you there and for this, I definitely recommend it.

The Tale of Two Singers.......2004-01-20

Waldeck happens to be another of the bands I turn to when I want to sit down and relax, letting my mind float a little, or when I feel like having some sonic soundscaping to simply soothe me. They're one of those bands that does some really good work in what reminds me of Trip-Hop, with the aural craftsmanship of their works really worth touting and really worth absorbing, and I like to sit down, select the songs I want to listen to, and then let them play over and over again.

As far as the music goes, I have to give it to K. Waldeck because he really knows how to make the mind relax. He understands how to use build and a multitude of sounds to create a curtain to layer of the mind, letting it drift off to a place that allows a listener to absorb the singer and the song at the same time. Along with him are other people that do some pretty fine work, and they also get the nod. As a group, they bring a layer of sounds that perhaps couldn't be combined by lesser hands and they make them fit.

That said, Waldeck has its flaws because it's a tale of two singers. This album actually uses a male and a female, halving the tracks, and that places inconsistencies in the work as a whole.
On one side there is Joy Malcolm, and she's truly a treat. When I listen to her I marvel at great things she that does with expresses in her vocals, making me revel not only in what she has to say and the beauty she brings to the table but also in the other layers of the song. Her voice is beautiful, blending into the beat sometimes and floating on it in others, and I absolutely love that. On the track "Tears Running Dry," the music creates an atmosphere with oddity, the sounds floating in and out, up and down, and then she comes in as another layer of it and makes it beautiful. On the track "The Night Garden," her voice is sampled and used a component of the music, and that makes the instrumental beautiful. And on other tracks she does other things with her voice, making it soothing and attractive or just expressive, and I love hearing it all. I enjoyed all the tracks she was on, actually, with "Slowly," "Fallen Angel," "Floater," "It Comes From you," and "Morning Light."

On the other side is Brian Amos, and he took me a little while to grow into. I say that but I'm still not sure I'm sold on him as a singer and I am sure I wouldn't buy anything he's on solely because of him. I can enjoy a few of the songs he's sings, granted, but normally I set my radio on select tracks, skip him, and then play the songs Joy is on. In fact, my hand is trained to actually seek out the remote when I hear the music coming that announces him, almost as if he's been used in some form of classical conditioning. And that's because he doesn't merge with the music like she does, actually not striking me in terms I'd call "settling." He has a voice that combats the music in some places, actually messing up what a multitude of people do with regard to sounds and making me forget some of the creations with read to lyrics. Perhaps some would disagree, but this half is a really weak half of the equation and, for a time, I stopped listening to the album because I'd played Joy's side of the tracks to death.

All of that said, I still think that the EP that Joy makes up, six tracks in all, is a stellar album and I gave that portion the five stars in my review. The track "Tears Running Dry" was enough for me to actually do that, but then the other pieces she did helped me along as well. I only wish I could have had more of her singing the herein songs that I know I would have liked were she in charge, and I hope that future releases will take into account that Brain shouldn't do Trip-Hop.

AGAIN WITH THE COMPARISONS!!!.......2003-12-16

Leave Waldeck alone!!! Once again, I must come to the defense of an artist who is being ruthlessly compared to other, more well-known groups, ergo Massive Attack/Portishead. As I mentioned in my Zero 7 review defending them against comparisons to Air: Is it really a bad thing to mimic such groups as they--or is it "as them"? It's really impossible to not sound like somebody else in the industry, unless you're going for the downright weird. Given the title "The Night Garden," it's safe to say that Waldeck was going for a darker more sensual late night theme. I played it last night (along with Waldeck's equally amazing "Balance of the Force") and it got me so worked up, I couldn't stand it. And, yeees, there will be more insults of this CD and comparisons to other "mainstream" groups who people believe started the downtempo genre of music, but you have to give Waldeck props for at least taking a familiar sound and making it even more accessible--especially to all the lovers in the house!

Average customer rating:

Amahl and The Night Visitors
Amahl
Amahl
Very disappointing
The best recording of Amahl

Amahl and the Night Visitors
Lorna Haywood , James Rainbird , David Syrus , and Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House - Covent Garden
Manufacturer: Jay Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

Amahl and the Night Visitors: Vocal Score (Vocal Score Series)
Menotti: Amahl and the Night Visitors
Menotti - Amahl and the Night Visitors
Amahl and the Night Visitors: Easy Piano Solo
Menotti: The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore

ASIN: B00000C2I7
Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

Amahl And The Night Visitors: Prelude - Opening
Amahl And The Night Visitors: What Was Keeping You Outside
Amahl And The Night Visitors: Don't Cry Mother Dear
Amahl And The Night Visitors: From Far Away We Come
Amahl And The Night Visitors: Amahl, Go See Who's Knocking
Amahl And The Night Visitors: It's Nice Here
Amahl And The Night Visitors: I Was A Shepherd
Amahl And The Night Visitors: This Is My Box
Amahl And The Night Visitors: Have You Seen A Child
Amahl And The Night Visitors: Shepherds, Shepherds
Amahl And The Night Visitors: Dance
Amahl And The Night Visitors: Thank You Good Friends
Amahl And The Night Visitors: All That Food
Amahl And The Night Visitors: Thief! Thief!
Amahl And The Night Visitors: I Walk Mother
Amahl And The Night Visitors: What To Do With Your Crutch?

Customer Reviews:

Amahl and The Night Visitors.......2007-01-10

This recording (produced in 1986), directed with the help of the composer, Gian Carl Menotti, is the most perfect piece of music I have encountered in many years. Amahl's (James Rainbird)voice is of such sweet clarity and nuance that it brings me to tears. The orchestra (Covent Garden Symphony) is beautiful and multi-layered. Each time I listen to it, I discover some other little piece of phrasing by another instrument that adds to the complex tapestry of the over all musical score. I have purchased several copies of it for friends. I have listened to other versions of Amahl for over 50 years, and this is, by far, the best I have ever heard. For pure listening pleasure of a treasured Christmas classic, I cannot recommend it highly enough. I even listen to it throughout the year, regardless of the season. I simply do not understand other people's criticism of it. Perhaps I am musically naive, perhaps they are musical snobs. It is pure musical bliss in my book, and I can't get enough of it.

Amahl.......2006-12-16

If you know the opera by heart, have performed it countless times, then you know that no recording is as good as the orginal 1951 recording. I find it difficult to listen to any other. I wish that it would be released again!

Amahl.......2003-01-25

Gee - sorry to those who like this modern recording but I like the 1951 recording the best.I have both the LP which is quite scratched by now and the CD which is quite good except for the pauses between tracks. I recommend the 1951 version available from Amazon (or at least it was in 2001).

Very disappointing.......2002-10-16

I'm currently studying the role of Amahl's mother, and I got this recording by the luck of the draw. Kaspar is horribly flat throughout, which is a shame. It was a difficult recording to listen to once, I dread bearing it the number of times I will need to over the next two months.

I'm going to try to return it this afternoon.

The best recording of Amahl.......2002-10-13

I am also a singer and I find this recording much superior in every respect to the other old mono recording. Yes there are a few occasional questionable tuning but it has much less bad tuning when compared to the other recording, which in addition has inferior old mono sound. The performances in this recording are vivid, dramatic and musical, obviously much helped by the presence and direction of the composer, Menotti. If you want a recording of Amahl, this is the only and best recording of Amahl to get.

Average customer rating:

Christmas Carols at there best
Nice Christmas CD
The Best Christmas CD Ever
A masterpiece.
You need one traditional Xmas cd - this is it.

Noel: Christmas at Kings

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Holiday Music | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

O Come All Ye Faithful: Christmas Carols at King's College, Cambridge
Carols from Trinity
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
The Holly and the Ivy: Carols from Clare College
Christmas at Trinity

ASIN: B00000427N
Release Date: 1995-10-17

Tracks:

Hark! the herald angels sing
The first Nowell
While Shepherds Watched
I Saw Three Ships
Ding, Dong! Merrily On High
King Jesus Hath A Garden
In Dulci Jubilo
Unto Us Is Born A Son
O Come All Ye Faithful
Away in a manger
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
The Holly And The Ivy
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
See Amid The Winter's Snow
Past Three O'clock

Tracks:

Once In Royal David's City
The Sussex Carol
Rocking
Rejoice And Be Merry
Joseph Was An Old Man
The Three Kings
As With Gladness Men Of Old
A Great And Mighty Wonder
The Infant King
Balulalow
The Crown Of Roses
Christ Was Born On Christmas Day
Blessed Be That Maid Mary
Lute-book lullaby
Myn Lyking
Personent Hodie
In the bleak mid-winter
Coventry Carol
Shepherd In The Field Abiding
Torches
Fantasia On Christmas Carols

Customer Reviews:

Christmas Carols at there best.......2005-10-18

It does not get any better. This 2 cd set is outstanding.
As one reviewer notes the second disk has many carols not heard by most people in the USA. I heard them growing up, but most are hard to find on an album.

Christmas is not Christmas without King's College Choir singing carols.

A great collection... :)

Nice Christmas CD.......2004-01-10

In my haste for looking for some traditional and exuberant Christmas music, and in my blinding affinity for all things "King's", I purchased this cd. It is a nice compelation, although I, and I daresay many Americans, am not very familiar at all with most of the hymns/carols on the 2nd cd. Morever, I found most of the music lacking in pomp and circumstance. Of course, now, I understand that is not what this cd set is for. If you want big sound and more familiar tunes, try something else.

The Best Christmas CD Ever.......1999-12-19

If you are seeking a CD of traditional Christmas music to help you 1) focus on the true meaning of the holiday and 2)draw near to God, this is it. The choral arrangements are alternately beautiful and powerful, delicate and majestic. There is a rich heritage of European carols which 99% of Americans know nothing of. Broaden your horizons with this disc. You won't regret it.

A masterpiece........1999-01-04

David Willcocks has produced, without question, the most elegant and dignified collection of Christmas choral music available. This CD is a masterpiece.

You need one traditional Xmas cd - this is it........1998-11-30

Yes, most of the stuff was originally recorded in the 50's and 60's and it's not going to win prizes for signal to noise ratio. However, if you, like me break out in a sweat hunting for a xmas cd which won't contain some desperate wannabe modernised rehash of carols or a "listen to me aren't I a good tenor/diva and by the way here are some carols?" tracks, then this is your album.

Tracks:

Fantasia On Greensleaves (Arr. Ralph Greaves): Fantasia On Greensleeves
The Lark Ascending
Engllish Folk Song Suite: I March: Seventeen Come Sunday
English Folk Song Suite: II Intermezzo: My Bonny Boy
English Folk Song Suite: III March: Folk Songs From Somerset
Serenade For Strings
Capriol Suite: I Basse-danse
Capriol Suite: II Pavane
Capriol Suite: III Tordion
Capriol Suite: IV Bransles
Capriol Suite: V Pieds-en-l'air
Capriol Suite: VI Mattachins (Sword Dance)
A Shropshire Lad
Two English Idylls
The Banks Of Green Willow

Tracks:

The Walk To The Paradise Garden
The Opera 'Hassan': Intermezzo and Serenade
A Song before Sunrise
On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring
Summer Night On The River
The Opera Koanga: La Calinda
Serenade For Strings, Op. 20: Allegro piacevole
Serenade For Strings, Op. 20: Larghetto
Serenade For Strings, Op. 20: Allegretto
Sospiri For Strings, Harp And Organ, Op.70
Elegy For Strings, Op.58
The Spanish Lady - Suite
Introduction And Allegro For String Orchestra And Quartet, Op.47

Customer Reviews:

A Most Beautiful Classical Recording!.......2000-02-22

This is one of my favorite classical albums. I find myself listening to it very frequently. Of particular enjoyment is disc two featuring beautiful and stirring works by Delius and Elgar. This is a most relaxing and refreshing recording that will wonderfully and continually soothe the mind and soul!

Average customer rating:

A Timeless Tradition
A nice blend of music for Christmas

Candlelight Carols
The Choir of Trinity Church
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Holiday Music | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

Now It is Christmas Again
Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas [Remastered]
Christmas at Trinity
The Spirit of Christmas
The Christmas Song

ASIN: B0000041Y7
Release Date: 1991-09-13

Tracks:

O Come, All Ye Faithful
Candlelight Carol
Carol Of The Bells
All Poor Men And Humble
Shepherd's Pipe Carol
The First Nowell
What Is This Lovely Fragrance?
King Jesus Hath A Garden
A Spotless Rose
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Away In A Manger
Joseph est bien marie
Sleeps Judea Fair
Noel Sing!
O Holy Night
Suo Gan
What Strangers Are These?
I Wonder As I Wander
O Little Town of Bethlehem

Customer Reviews:

A Timeless Tradition.......2005-12-15

I have been listening to this choir since 1982. I wore out the original tape, in the days before CD's. I have been to the actual performance, a week before Christmas three times and am going back this year 2005.

The performance is so delicate, yet so powerful that it is emotional and moving, regardless of your orientation. Imagine this performance, in the manificent HH Richardson-designed Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston. People wait for hours to get in. The lights go out, the Choir, brass timpani and organ just work so well together. One by one, candles are lit, and the huge church comes alive. The choir processes down the asiles singing in strength and everyone joins in.

It is a spiritual experience even if you are not religious. The strength of the performance invites you to participate. I find myself singing louder than I do anywhere else.

After my first child was born, I held her in my arms, and "Candlelight Carol" became my anthem:
How do you capture
The wind on the water?
How do you count all the stars in the sky?
How can you measure
The love of a mother
Or how can you write down
A baby's first cry?

I am not a musician and to my ear, the Chorus is professional. The tunes are classic, but they bring a new life to familiar tunes.

If you've been feeling stressed out, this is the perfect time to calm the nerves, focus on meaning and purpose, and let you enjoy yourself for a few minutes.

If you can't attend, do the next best thing, get the CD, turn it up till you hear the bass of the organ rumble your rafters and sing your heart out.

Enjoy!

A nice blend of music for Christmas.......2003-12-30

This is one of my favorite discs at Christmas time. It is at once peaceful and calm, yet joyous and expectant. There are the usual brass and organ carols, but also stunning arrangements and performances of lesser-known things. Prime among these are the setting of "Away in a Manger" that makes me want to pull off the highway and listen just to that song without distractions, and the pulsing, exciting "What Strangers are These", which I have never heard anywhere else. Chorally, the disc is a little unsatisfying because of balance issues with the rest of the disc--some songs are loud, others very soft, so it makes it hard to listen to without having to adjust the volume periodically. However, I still wouldn't trade it for all the Messiahs in the world!

Meditation Music:

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Enabler

Janacek: Sinfonietta Op60; Cunning Little Vixen

MOZART: Piano Concertos 5,6 & 8 / Vienna Symphony / Rudolf Buchbinder

Music: Ultimate

Love Starved Heart [Import]

Lsd: Love Sensuality & Devotion Remix Album [Import]

Ingresso Libero [Import]

N-Da-Game [Explicit Lyrics]

Mabele, Vol. 1

Marais: Folies d'Espagne; Dohnanyi: Vendangeuses

Live in Reykjavik [Live]

Legacy of Hate [Import]

Greatest Hits, Vol. 1

Rockin' the Blues: 25 Great Sun Recordings

The Best of Mose Allison