Me and My Piano

Amazon.com
With her dark fingernails, heavy eyeliner, and dyed-black spiky hair, Backstreet Boys protégé Krystal looks like Pink, but that's where the similarities end. While Pink is all hip-hop street cred, Krystal is a sensitive young Christian woman who's devoted to her piano. Most of the songs on Me and My Piano sound the same: piano, strings, drum machines, overproduced vocals, and traditional pop structure, right down to the key change three-quarters through each track. Standouts include the first single, "Supergirl," a strong, danceable blend of girl power and youthful vulnerability, and "Angel on My Shoulder," a ballad that recalls Mariah Carey's early inspirational offerings (with the accompanying vocal tricks). "You're the Reason," a mid-tempo ballad featuring the Backstreet Boys, would be a perfect TRL chartbuster with its handclaps and softly strumming guitar if the melody wasn't so high, making it impossible for both Krystal and her teenage audience to sing along. The lyrics of every song could be about either a boyfriend or the Lord, which should comfort Christian parents looking for "secular" music appropriate for their adolescent girls. Overall, the album is capable but seamlessly uniform: background music to do your homework by, but little else. --Courtney Kemp

Me and My Piano,Krystal,Interscope Records,Pop,Popular Music,Rock,Rock/Pop,Teen Pop

Average customer rating:

Romance of the Violin
End of the Day
Wonderful!
Over and over and over....
Non-standard CD format

Romance of the Violin
Claude Debussy , Fryderyk Chopin , Camille Saint-Saens , Franz Schubert , Vincenzo Bellini , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Alexander Borodin , Antonin Dvorak , Claudio Monteverdi , Jules Massenet , Robert Schumann , Michael Stern , Craig Ogden , Gregory Knowles , John Constable , Jacob Heringman , and Stephen Orton
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Voice of the Violin
Ladies in Lavender
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto [Hybrid SACD]
Joshua Bell - Gershwin Fantasy
The Red Violin: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

ASIN: B0000DG06L
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Tracks:

O mio babbino caro (from 'Gianni Schicchi')
The Girl With Flaxen Hair (from Preludes, Book I; La fille aux cheveux delin: Prelude for Piano L 117/8)
Nocturne in C sharp minor (Op Post)
The Swan (from Carnival of the Animals)
Serenade (from 'Schwanengesang' song cycle for voice and piano, D 957
Casta Diva (from 'Norma')
Andante from Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major K. 467
Nocturne from Quartet for Strings No. 2 in D Major: 3rd movement
Dance of the Blessed Spirits (from 'Orfeo ed Euridice')
Songs My Mother Taught Me, song for voice and piano B104/4 Op 55/4
Pur ti Miro (from 'L'incoronazione di Poppea')
Elegie (Elegie 'O doux printemps d'autrefois' for voice and piano)
Traumerei ('Kinderszenen' for piano, Op 15, No. 7 'Dreaming')

Amazon.com

Every track on this CD contains a beautiful melody, many of them easily recognizable, all of them exuding tranquility. "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi opens the disc, with Bell delicately accompanied by a harp and spinning the long melody with great sensitivity. Bellini's "Casta diva" from Norma lives up to its reputation as the epitome of bel canto in Bell's hands; his violin sings. The middle movement of Mozart's 21st Piano Concerto takes well to the violin, and Debussy's "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair" is played with great warmth and sensuality. It would be easy to turn a recital like this into treacle, but Bell is wise enough to realize that the music is already sweet enough and he plays with great reserve and a minimum of sentimental slides. The light accompaniments always support, with woodwinds prominent but used with grace. This CD, in short, is a beauty: a fine gift, a lovely mood setter. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Romance of the Violin.......2007-07-16

While it's not my very favorite Joshua Bell CD, this is a pleasure to listen to!

End of the Day.......2007-06-08

I am a Joshua Bell fan, and this album is the one that I enjoy with my dessert, it calms me at the end of the day, and makes me think of my 6 year old granddaughter's visit. She has to have music on during meals at her home. Usually it is some kid stuff, but I do not have anything like she has at home, so I chose to play Joshua Bell during our dinner. When I placed the dessert before her, she looked up at me and said: "This music is so beautiful, I want to play the violin just like that". What more could I say.
He is inspiring, and she is right. This album is beautiful.

Wonderful!.......2007-05-30

I play this for my grandson to nap by. It is so relaxing and wonderful!

Over and over and over...........2007-05-17

That's how I want to play this CD! It's a wonderful line-up of rich, mellow, captivating compositions played with a warmth and vibrancy that is seldom heard. Joshua at his very best. You won't be disappointed.

Non-standard CD format.......2007-04-22

The music on this CD deserves five stars, but the CD itself is a non-standard format that doesn't work on all players. There's a tiny warning on the back of the CD. You won't notice the warning until you discover that the CD doesn't work on your player. My Macintosh computer wouldn't read the non-standard format so there was no way for me to listen in my office or put the music on my iPod.

A friend's PC was able to read the CD and make a copy in standard format that can be read on any player, including my Mac. The story had a happy ending, but I can not comprehend why the publisher chose the oddball CD specification.

The music is excellent and worth the trouble of making a copy, but the publisher really shouldn't make you go to that effort just to listen to a CD that you paid for.

Average customer rating:

Yo-Yo Ma is a genius

The Dvorak Album

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Simply Baroque
Paris La Belle Époque
Vivaldi's Cello
Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone
Brahms: Cello Sonatas

ASIN: B0002VEPIU
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Tracks:

Concerto in B minor for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 104
Klid (Silent woods) for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 68, No. 5
Slavonic Dance No. 2 in E minor, Op. 72
Humoresque No. 7 in G-flat Major, Op. 101
Songs My Mother Taught Me from Gypsy Melodie, Op. 55

Amazon.com

This compilation of music by Dvorak played by Yo-Yo Ma is just beautiful. Ma seems to understand just when Dvorak wants to be super-Romantic and sappy and when he is in fact being merely his usual expressive self. The former comes into bloom with the Slavonic Dance, in which he's accompanied by Itzhak Perlman and "Songs My Mother Taught Me," with Patricia Zander at the piano. But when it comes to revealing Dvorak as one of the most insightful and truly passionate of composers, with a particular understanding of the cello, Ma's playing of the B minor Concerto (under Kurt Masur, with the New York Philharmonic), the latter description comes into play. Ma gets every nuance out of the cello, and the way in which Masur, for instance, leads the winds against the cello at the start of the 2nd movement is just gorgeous. "Klid" ("Silent Woods") is given a deeply affecting reading as well, under Seiji Ozawa. 2004 is the 100th anniversary of Dvorak's death; this CD is fine tribute. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Yo-Yo Ma is a genius .......2004-11-16

words fail me on how to describe performance in this CD.It's very good, one of the best interpretations I have heard in a very long time. I must confess that since i discovered Ma du Pre I have not been able to listen to anything else nor did I attempt to do so. But out of the blue I bumped into this CD by chance & after hearing Yo Yo Ma's phraising especially the 1st movement infact the whole of Dvorak Cello was like something new to me.Ma plays with passion,emotions & strong commitment to the music in a different way.The Ochestra is in top form & allows the solo cello to shine at the right time.I never thought there is another interpretation that could surpass M.Rostropovich(Im sorry to say this I know he is a living legend & the 1969 record with Karajan is held in high esteem). Ma is accompanied by my favourate violinist Itzhak Perlman on "Humosresque no.7 for piano" & "Slavonic Dance no.10 in E minor"- the results are so sweet as many people know Perlman is a romantic specialist his tone with Ma's cello is heavenly.With regard to the "songs my mother taught me" the cello sounds good not best for the track personally im so used to hear the song being played on violin.There's nothing wrong with the cello it's just that it 's tone is a bit too strong for the composition but it's very well interpreted by Ma. They call this transcription in musical terms. Actually Ma deserves an apology as im one of those who have accused him of lacking in emotions &"look at me now i can play anything" attitude.I think those allegations are baseless & unwarranted when u hear this CD u will know u are into something beautiful. Overall grab this very fast before many people realise Yo-Yo Ma 's greatest gift of song.

Average customer rating:

Irish at it's best.
Irish Magic
Just got your Kleenex
Wonderful!
The Very Best of the Irish Tenors is just that!

The Very Best of The Irish Tenors
The Irish Tenors
Manufacturer: Music Matters
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ellis Island
The Irish Tenors / McNamara, McDermott, Kearns, Tynan
Home for Christmas
Sacred
We Three Kings

ASIN: B000069JJ6
Release Date: 2007-01-08

Tracks:

Toora Loora Looral
Will Ye Go Lassie Go
Spanish Lady
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
Percy French Medley: Phil The Fluther's Ball, Come Back Paddy Reilly, The Lay Of The West Clare Reailway, Are Ye Right There Michael?
Amazing Grace
Nearer My God To Thee
Danny Boy
Fields of Athenry
Only The River Runs Free
Molly Malone
Last Rose of Summer
She Moved Through the Fair
Maggie
New Medley (combination of the 2 medleys

Product Description

1. Toora Loora Looral
2. Will Ye Go Lassie Go
3. Spanish Lady
4. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
5. Percy French Medley: Phil The Fluther's Ball, Come Back Paddy Reilly, The Lay Of The West Clare Railway - Are Ye Right There Michael?
6. Amazing Grace
7. Nearer My God To Thee
8. Danny Boy
9. Fields Of Athenry
10. Only The River Runs Free
11. Molly Malone
12. Last Rose Of Summer
13. She Moved Through The Fair
14. Maggie
15. New Medley (Combination of the 2 medleys)

Format: CD

Amazon.com

In the short time since they grouped together a few years ago to form their sensationally successful trio, the Irish Tenors have already put out an impressive array of recordings and DVDs, including some bona fide gooseflesh-inducing live concert performances. So, if you still have the enviable pleasure of discovering these amazing vocalists--or want to turn a friend on to their musical charms--this compilation CD will do the trick nicely. It brings together such classics as "Danny Boy," "Toora Loora Looral," "Last Rose of Summer," and "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" (featuring John McDermott)--all rendered with the kind of passionate, heartfelt, and harmonious crooning that is their signature style, whether they're singing as an ensemble or as highlighted soloists. And even if you have the complete Irish Tenors, this anthology includes several numbers not found on their previously released CDs. Hard to think of a sweeter treat for a fan of singing too good to ever go out of fashion. --Sarah Chin

Customer Reviews:

Irish at it's best........2007-05-07

This album is really the number two album from this trio. It is very good and well worth the investment. The five star album by The Irish Tenors would have to be Heritage. Both albums rate high in my book.

Irish Magic.......2006-08-21

This is my first CD of the Irish Tenors. And what a joy! I played it as soon as it arrived. I like the blend of their voices,the passion and enthusiasm they bring to this CD. What I find is a real treat is the words to all the songs are in the booklet.I love this CD.

Just got your Kleenex.......2005-12-25

I suggest a box of Kleenex for each person in the room when you play this CD or VHS recording. Mom won't let me play it anymore because she...well, you know what I mean.

Wonderful!.......2005-12-12

When it's cold and frightful here, I play The BOYZ!

So wonderful. So much fun.

Up here in backwash Maine, there ain't much, believe me. But these guys are great. Sincere, care about what they're doing, true artists.

Ah, to go to Ireland again. Well, not unless the price of natural gas recedes!

The Very Best of the Irish Tenors is just that!.......2005-01-22

This recording is wonderful. Ronan's "last Rose of summer" is unique, the Percy French medley shows all three in great voice, Finbar's Maggie is wonderful and the laurels have to go to Anthony for his magnificent rendition of "She moved through the fair", wow!!!!

Well worth buying.

Isaac Chute

Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully American
A Gersh-winner
Interesting... but I think I'd prefer a good Gershwin interpreter
Gershwin's playing overated
The jazzy Gershwin. What a CD!!!!!!!

Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Vol. 2
Essential George Gershwin
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris
Levant Plays Gershwin
George Gershwin: Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000005J1I
Release Date: 1993-11-09

Tracks:

Sweet And Lowdown
Novelette In Fourths
That Certain Feeling
So Am I
Rhapsody In Blue
Swanee
When You Want 'Em, You Can't Get 'Em...
Kickin' The Clouds Away
Idol Dreams
On My Mind The Whole Night Long
Scandal Walk
An American In Paris

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully American.......2007-05-14

I've had a copy of this CD for years and love it. The power and optimism of the music is really quite remarkable... regardless of who or what is actually playing here. The arrangement of Swanee is light but rich with major chord trains like you just want to go marching around the room. And American In Paris leads you on a swaying, dischordy journey the deeper you go, as the narrative begins to trade delicacy for passion. (and I love renditions where you can hear the MUSIC and the instruments don't get in the way, like four-voice midi versions of Bach which reveal the eloquence).

When I listen to this CD now, and which is most surpring to me, I hear a profound pride in America - back "before." I play it when I have people over and we put burgers on the grill. This CD is the song of sitting in my back yard with the clouds blowing by and for the moment things feel OK.

"Before" - OK, there is no old perfect Amercia; but I'm thinking of the time before we learned to distill petroleum into toxic pollution, before pride meant vanity and thuggery, before hate-filled invective became public amusement, and before presidents went to war because it was good for business.

A Gersh-winner.......2007-01-07

George Gershwin had a long association with the mechanical device known as the player piano. At the age of ten, Gershwin used a neighbor's pianola to teach himself how to play, by very slowly pumping the foot pedal that advanced the hole-punched rolls, and placing his fingers on the depressed keys. His parents were so impressed by his abilities they enrolled the boy in formal piano studies when he turned 13. Thus, an American genius was born.

The existing films of Gershwin (who died of a brain tumor at age 38 in 1937) show him to be a virtuoso at his instrument. His 1924 acoustic recording of Rhapsody In Blue (with the Paul Whiteman orchestra) is further evidence of this. But no film or recording has what is contained within the album GERSHWIN PLAYS GERSHWIN: THE PIANO ROLLS, and that is-- full fidelity range.

The CD comes in a standard jewel case packaged in a heavy paper slipcover. Biographical liner notes are included along with details on the rolls. The earliest performance in this set is from 1916, made when Gershwin was an 18-year-old song plugger. My favorites here are "Swanee," from 1920, and "An American In Paris," from 1933, which is undoubtedly one of the last significant piano rolls ever made.

Gershwin's dynamic performances are not in the least obscured by the few extra notes added to the piano rolls (such practice was standard in those days). Listening to these recordings is like sitting next to this brilliant man, observing his fingers fly over the keys as he plays some of his best work.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 60:36

Interesting... but I think I'd prefer a good Gershwin interpreter.......2006-05-14

Composers are not necessarily the best performers of their own work. A songwriter's songwriter like Jules Shear or Jimmy Webb comes to mind -- surely the best representations of their songs are on other artist's albums.

This album is charming in its own way -- a taste of the music and performance style of a bygone era. Someone complained that these rolls were edited. So what? I'm going to review the final product, now how it was made. Do you eat sausage? Ask not what's in it!

I like to listen to this CD in short bits -- a few songs at a time. For some reason I find it to be fatiguing if I listen for more than 20 minutes or so. I'm not absolutely sure why this is so. Possibly the meter is just a little too metronomic on many of the songs. This lends a "mechanical" quality to the performances.

Additionally, I felt that the dynamic range was restricted. The music does get louder and softer, because of the piano rolls themselves and because of the computer programming used to read the piano rolls -- the dynamics were deliberately adjusted by the record producers in some spots, if I read the liner notes correctly. And yet. And yet. Still these songs do not dynamically "breathe" fully in and out the way they ought to. I find this disappointing, but I think it has something to do with inherent limitations in piano roll recording technique. I'm guessing.

Taken for what it is, it is an interesting concept, and the sound quality is very pleasant. The performances are very good for piano rolls, but fall short of what a good interpreter could do. Take, for example, the Rhapsody in Blue from Woody Allen's Manhattan soundtrack. Listen specifically to the piano part -- the dynamics and variations in rhythm. This is not by any means the best performance of Rhapsody, but it is better than the Gershwin rolls.

Gershwin's playing overated.......2006-04-09

After I heard this cd I bought Gershwin plays Gershwin on the naxos label which arn't piano rolls. Any pianist can tell that many of these rolls are heavily edited and can't be played by a pianists with two hands. On the naxos album that has some of these same songs Gershwin's actual playing doesn't sound very good. Many of Gershwins contempories such as James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, Luckey Roberts and even Zez Confrey were much better pianists than he was, however they didn't have his melodic gifts as a composer. I would recommend Artis Whodhouse's
transcriptions of Jelly Roll Morton's piano rolls (on the same label) instead because most of those are exactly how he played them and in my opinion Morton was a better musician in every way than Gershwin.

The jazzy Gershwin. What a CD!!!!!!!.......2006-02-23

I got this CD as a gift. I am all for the austrogerman post- romantic music and as imagined Gershwin is not my favourite composer. I know him from his best known works such as the 'Rhapsody", the 'American' and his great songs. This CD is a treasure as mentioned from other reviewers of this site. Gershwin full of passion, his music being jazzy to the very end and that great feeling you get after a great live performance is present all over the length of this 'treasure'. No question about the presence of the music. Not to be missed

Average customer rating:

awsome CD
Versatile Singer
il divo ancora music
Amazing...
His wrost CD

Encore
Russell Watson , and Leonard Bernstein
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Russell Watson · The Voice
Amore Musica
Reprise
The Voice: The Ultimate Collection
Russell Watson Live

ASIN: B00006JI9W
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Tracks:

Va, Pensiero (Verdi)
Volare
The Prayer
'O Sole Mio
Ave Maria
Mattinata (Leoncavallo)
You Are So Beautiful
Somewhere
Che Gelida Manina (Puccini)
E Lucevan Le Stelle (Puccini)
Magic Of Love
Catch The Tears
Is Nothing Sacred?
Bohemian Rhapsody
Celeste Aida (Verdi)
Where My Heart Will Take Me (from "Enterprise")

Amazon.com

Following up on the release of his debut CD, The Voice, Russell Watson is back with Encore, another mix of opera favorites and popular songs. By now Watson has become virtually a household name--he sells out large concert venues and remains on the top-seller charts. On Encore, we find Puccini and Verdi sharing the billing with Lulu and Lionel Ritchie on the CD's 16 tracks, which range from the much-loved Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria" to "Where My Heart Will Take Me," the theme for Enterprise (the latest Star Trek TV series). Indeed, a more fitting title might have been The Voices, since Watson explores opera, sacred works, film, television themes, and pop songs. The orchestral arrangements on tracks such as "Va, Pensiero" may not win him any fans from the opera contingency, but Watson reveals a captivating sound on pop ballads, including "You Are So Beautiful" and "Somewhere." If you enjoyed The Voice, you're certain to want an encore. --Rebecca Agnew

Customer Reviews:

awsome CD.......2007-06-09

This CD is overall a wonderful sellection of music. I bought it for the one song and have enjoyed all of the songs on the CD.

Versatile Singer.......2007-03-30

Russell Watson has an incredible voice range & a very versatile singer. He even made me appreciate opera!

il divo ancora music.......2006-11-10

The book is wonderful. I love playing their music, its so great. Worth the money, no doubt.

Amazing..........2006-05-05

Russell Watson is amazing. It is truly a delight to hear him sing both the pop and the arias, for he performs both equally well. His rendition of Volare is very fun, and when he sings Somewhere, it's simply breathtaking. His duet with Lionel Richie was also splendid. They really did sound fantastic together. The two low points for me were The Prayer, because I couldn't stand Russell's duet partner, Lulu, and Don't Know How I Got By, because the song just didn't seem to suit Russell's voice. However, the other tracks more than make up for those few inferior selections. Russell Watson truly is a talented man, and I highly recommend this album.

His wrost CD.......2005-01-12

I have all 4 of Russell's Cd's and this is by far his wrose.
The Classical stuff is great but The pop stuff is some of the wrose pop stuff he has even done.

Average customer rating:

Great music
Not just pipes
Finally Found It!!
A thousand horse cavalry charge!
Updated Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Amazing Grace: Bagpipes & Drums of Scotland
The Edinburgh Military Tattoo: Bagpipe Marches of Scotland
Scotland the Brave: Bagpipes Greatest Hits
Atmospheres: Scottish Celtic Bagpipes

ASIN: B000002WEN
Release Date: 1992-03-24

Tracks:

Amazing Grace
Fanfare: Jubilant
Trot & Canter Medley: The Keel Row/Dundee
Marches Medley: The Back O'Bennachie/The Drunken Piper/72nd's Farewell To Aberdeen/Corriechoillie...
Cornet Carillon
Scottland The Brave
Slow Air & Jigs Medley: Leaving Rhu Vaternish/Nameless/The Duck/Eleanor's/Drummer's Salute
Russian Imperial Anthem
Slow March & Walk Medley: Garb Of Old Gaul/Men Of Harlech
March, Strathspey, Reels And March Medley: Achany Glen/Craig-A-Bodaich/Dalnahasaig/Mac Farlane's...
Slow Air: Going Home
Evening Hymn: Abide With Me
Reville: Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Quick Marches Medley: Third Dragoon Guards/Highland Laddie

Album Details

Tracks Include: Amazing Grace, Paloma Blanca, Moonliner Rock March, Turn on the Sun, the Highland Cradle, Brazil, Going to Pitlochry and More.

Customer Reviews:

Great music.......2007-04-05

The pipes, like a few other things, are something you either love or hate. If you are not a Scot, they may sound like someone is scalding cats. If you are Scot, or even partly so, they will make your blood boil. This album certanily does that. It has a mix of traditional and more upbeat music. The traditional "Amazing Grace" is fantastic and the last selection is an upbeat Caribbean rendition that is great.

Not just pipes.......2007-02-12

I purchased this CD looking for bagpipe tracks to listen to. The recording of Amazing Grace is flawless, and inspiring. However - much of this CD is the entire band playing more modern music (of course this album was recorded in the 70's). The pipe playing is excellent, but this is not really a bagpipe CD.

Finally Found It!!.......2005-08-03

I have been searching for a CD of this recording for ages! In 1971, when it was originally released, I was 10 years old and couldn't appreciate the album that my brother played endlessly. As I got older I started to miss it. I found a cassette copy several years ago, but am afraid to use it anymore for fear of it breaking. My brother told me he had found a copy of the CD at his local Borders, and since I don't have one in my neighborhood I checked good old Amazon!! I have just ordered and I am looking forward to receiving it. I'm not a music critic, but after hearing many pipe and drum recordings, this has got to be the best I've ever heard.

A thousand horse cavalry charge!.......2005-06-11

I judge bagpipes by Scotland the Brave. This is magnificant; like a thousand horse cavalry charge. The only problem is that, at 45 seconds, it is too short.

It would have been far better if it had been played once on pipes alone and then again with the brass dropped in behind the pipes. A thousand highlanders screaming across the battlefield, followed by the thousand horse cavalry charge. Just thinking about it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand and my blood pressure go through the roof.

This album is magnificent, but it could have been awesome.

Updated Amazing Grace.......2003-05-09

Having reviewed the original "Amazing Grace" recording by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards from 1971 it seems that Amazon.com now offers a series of recordings that the bands released in the late 70 and 1980s under the same title. The first half of this CD contains tracks from a 1976 release of the bands entitled "The Lengendary Amazing Grace" In addition to a fine updated version of the now famous tune four years after its original world wide hit, this part of the CD contains some interesting selections for band and pipes. "Una Palma Blanca" is a true example of how the RSDG bands went to great lengths to explore the full combined sound. The regimental band supports the pipes with a variety of modern sounds including an electronic bass guitar which many military bands in fact use for concert purposes today providing as it does a useful Continuo bass line for a military band. "Theme in Glory" and "Turn on the Sun" are additional examples of just how good the RSDG bands had mastered the concept of combing their resources. These are truly exciting pieces to listen too. The regimental band shows its stuff with "Rockout" an arrangement of classic old rock music themes. The pipes and drums provide three medleys and are simply surperb. One can hear that a distinctive change had taken place in the ensemble sound of the pipe band since 1971. The RSDG drummers have incorporated the use of their tenor drums to creat an amazing drummers' accompaniment to the pipes. This innovation would become standard in the piping world, but it owes its origins largely to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards pipes and drums. Listen to how magificent the pipe band sounds when they first enter to the 6/8 medley starting with "Macneils of Ugdale". You won't find a better sound even today. The Retreat medley starting with "Lochanside" is also amazing. Its worth getting the CD just for those tracks as well as the others. Perhaps the most haunting combined tune is an arrangment of Handel's "Largo" with the solo pipes doubling for the voice parts. Truly beautiful and moving.

The second part of the CD contains recordings of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards from the later 1970s. The listener will note that there is a subtle, but different recorded sound to the bands. They don't come across quite as clear as in the first 12 tracks on the CD. Again, there is the same rich selection of music with imaginative arrangements and unusual sounds. The regimental band gets highlighted more in these remaining tracks and the same versatility is still there. The "Slave Chorus" from Verdi's "Nabucco Opera" gets an interesting modern treatment. "Moonliner Rock March" is another great arrangement of rock tunes that gets the special Royal Scots Dragoon Guards touch. The pipes and drums are back with several combined medley's as well as two solo displays. The drummers show their stuff in "Drummer's Salute" displaying their modern percussion techniques that are still inspiring today for the pipe band world. All in all a worthy continuation of the "Amazing Grace" tradition that was started in 1971 and carred on since then. It's good to see that some of the many recordings the bands made through the years are now on CD. Enjoy the unique sound of the bands of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards who did a lot to popularize Scottish and military band music in general around the world. Truly a legend of "Amazing Grace"

American Dreamer: Songs of Stephen Foster; Thomas Hampson; Jay Unger; Molly Mason
Average customer rating:

It's Dreamy

My Favorite Composer of all time

An American classic from Hampson that brings smiles and tears

OMG!!! More than 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 stars, one of the best album in the world!!!

It's simply lovely

American Dreamer: Songs of Stephen Foster; Thomas Hampson; Jay Unger; Molly Mason
Thomas Hampson , Jay Ungar , Molly Mason , Garrison Keillor , David Alpher , Mark Rust , Michael Parloff , Peter Ecklund , John Kirk , Arnold Kinsella , and Stephen Foster
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Foster, Stephen | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Foster, Stephen | ( F ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
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Song of Home

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Stephen Foster Song Book

ASIN: B000002SK7
Release Date: 1992-10-20

Tracks:

Opening Solo Violin
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Hard Times Come Again No More
The Voice Of Bygone Days
Foster Favorites Medley (Ring, Ring The Banjo (1851) Oh! Susanna (1848) Camptown Races (1850)
Open Thy Lattice, Love (1844)
Beautiful Dreamer (1864)
That's What's The Matter
Old Home Medley (Old Folks at Home (1851) My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night (1853)
Molly! Do You Love Me? (1850)
Sweetly She Sleeps, My Alice Fair (1851)
Comrades, Fill No Glass For Me (1855)
Dancing On The River (Nelly Bly (1850) The Glendy Burk (1860) Angelina Baker (1850)
My Wife Is A Most Knowing Woman (1863)
Gentle Annie (1856)
Linger In Blissful Repose (1858)
Ah! May The Red Rose Live Alway (1850)

Customer Reviews:

It's Dreamy.......2007-01-10

This is a very wonderful recording of Stephen Foster by a master singer.
Foster's songs are of a more innocent and naive time in the American psyche, a time that it would not hurt us to remember, given the wretched brutality of American culture today (something you'll appreciate after listening to this recording).

The songs are beautifully sung by Mr. Hamspon, and the musical accompaniment with piano, mandolin, tuba, banjo, etc. seems a perfect setting for this period music. I enjoyed the musical interludes of Foster songs (not sung by Mr. Hampson), such as "Oh, Suzanna", "My Old Kentucky Home", and "Camptown Races." They are foot-stompin' and finger-snappin' good in a non-syncopated way.

Mr. Hampson's voice is so beautiful, and he has done such a wonderful job with these song's you'll just have to hear it, and when you do, tell me that you're not dreaming.

I remember reading a quote by John Phillip Sousa that decried the use of syncopation in American popular music. I never understood it until listening to this recording. The richness and intensity of American popular music (as experienced in the work of Stephen Foster) has been lost.
Everything has to be so cool today, thanks to syncopation, and "cool" really means no emotion.

If emotion is what you want, emotion is what you'll get with Stephen Foster's songs. It was a time when the death of loved ones (especially those who died in their youth) was experienced more often (see "I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair" and "Gentle Annie"). And we were not protected from the vicissitudes of fate by myriad government programs, modern medicine and universal prosperity (see "Hard Times").
Husbands and wives had their differences then, as today, (see the amusing song "My Wife is a Most Knowin' Woman") The passion of the Civil War (Foster was a Unionist),is reflected in a wonderful, fun song, "That's What's the Matter."

If you love good music, and you have heart which can be stirred, and you love your country, this is for you.

I love this recording. It has opened up the door to my "beautiful dreams," dreams of bygone days, lost love, and whatever else we pine for.

I wanted to buy several copies for my friends, but somehow I felt that the impact of this recording was so personal, that it could not be shared with others. Not that they couldn't enjoy it, but that I could not begin to share the intense emotion and reverie stirred in my heart by these beautiful songs.

My Favorite Composer of all time.......2006-08-20

Growing up playing his stuff on piano, I love the instrumentality of this CD..the violins give off that wail that he speaks of..I am not sure what it is about Stephen Foster but these verses..grab me like no other..there is so much sensitivity to it..

I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair
Born like a vapor on the summer air
I see her tripping where the bright streams play
Happy as the daisies that dance on her way
Many were the wild notes her merry voice would pour

but the violins in this CD make this CD the best out there..
FYI should you be into astrology Stephen Foster is definition of Cancer...Sun and Moon conjunct in Cancer with mars in Scorpio..i love his lyrics..almost to the point of obsession..

An American classic from Hampson that brings smiles and tears.......2006-07-17

Stephen Foster was the greatest American composer of sentimental parlor ballads--he so perfectly imitated folk songs that his music wound up turning into them. In an age of home music-making and later of families sitting around the radio, Foster's songs were a staple, often performed by crossover artists from opera like Lawrence Tibbett. Those were plump, ripe styles of singing, highly flavored by church hymns.

In this 1992 collection of 17 Foster favorites, plus a few rareties, Hampson drops the platform manner and goes straight for heartfelt sincerity. His tone is plain yet sweet, his expression intimate. He is accompanied by instruments redolent of the Victorian drawing room (guitar, fiddle, upright piano), and the mood they create brings tears and smiles of remembrance. This music is embedded in America's genes, and it's wonderful to realize that every note is still alive and throbbing with feeling.

OMG!!! More than 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 stars, one of the best album in the world!!!.......2005-11-25

Simply one word, WOW!!!
Thomas Hampson's voice is simply fantasic. His voice is very different from regular operatic baritone voice, very sweet, and rich. I really cant believe an operatic baritone can sing folk song like THIS good, in my opinion he sounds even better than his opera works in this album. His voice and the background music matches perfectly, the outcome would move u to tears, and u can feel the origin of MUSIC. This album really shows what the word MUSIC means, and the songs simply just ALL beautiful. I like his "beautiful dreamer", "my life is well knowing woman", and "jeanie with the light brown hair" the most. When I listen the songs I would just imagine that I am in the world of past USA, and I can feel the life of the ppl in the past USA~ just like watching an old classic movie, it would touch ur heart and fall in love with this album.

It's simply lovely.......2004-12-14

I didn't know Stephen Foster (I thought): wrong: Oh Susanna, etc, I knew, but had no idea who the composer was.

This CD is a revelation. The melodies are so beautiful, as are the poems, and Thomas Hampson just brings them to life as wonderfully as ever. I especially love "Beautiful Dreamer" - it gives me butterflies - and "My wife is a most knowing woman" - the way he makes the voices and the indignation is just brilliant. If one needed reminding what a brilliant singer Mr Hampson is - this disk does it.

Average customer rating:

Cornucopia of Pavarotti's works
Don't...!!!
Great Tenor - Poor CD Quality
Great Music......Horrible Mastering
Surely I am proud to be an Italian-American!!

Pavarotti: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000042HZ
Release Date: 1997-09-30

Tracks:

Turandot: Nessun dorma
La Boheme: Che gelida manina
La Traviata: Brindisi
Aida: Se quel guerrier io foss ... Celeste Aida
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
Rigoletto: Questa o quella
Martha: M'appari
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
Fedora: Amor ti vieta
Pagliaccci: Recitar!... Vesti la guibba
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
Rigoletto: La donna e mobile
L'africana: Mi batte il cuor ... O paradiso
Werther: Pourquoi me reveiller
Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee
Manon Lescaut: Ma se vi talenta ... Tra voi, belle
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar!
TOSCA: Recondita armonia
La Favorita: Spirito gentil
II torvatore: Di quella pira
L'amico Fritz: Suzel, buon di

Tracks:

O sole mio
Torna a Surriento
Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna: Core 'ngrato
Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna: Funiculi Funicul
Notte 'e piscatore
O Holy Night (Cantique de Noel)
Panis angelicus
Ave Marie: Ave Maria
Mattinata
La danza
Caro mio ben
Caruso
My Way
Santa Lucia
Tu che m'hai preso il cuor
Mamma
La mai canzone al vento: La mia canzone al vento
Volare
Passione
Granda: Granada

Customer Reviews:

Cornucopia of Pavarotti's works.......2007-03-01

This is a "Super hits" CD, with over forty different cuts (quite a few of which have appeared elsewhere, of course). For those who are aficionados of Pavarotti, this is what might be called "hog heaven."

Disc 1 features estimable works such as "Nessun dorma" (well done, with his voice showing to good effect), "Che gelida manina" (excellently done, with good characterization), ""Celeste Aida" (elegantly sung), "Di quella pira" (a much better than average version), "E lucevan le stelle" (Pavarotti does a nice job in the Puccini-Verdi repertoire), "La donna e mobile" (sung with aplomb), "Recondita armonia" (the other aria from Tosca, which also shows Pavarotti's voice off to good effect), and so on.

Disc 2 is especially interesting, because it features a more popular set of works, from the redoubtable "O sole mio" (richly orchestrated and nicely sung, not overpowered by Pavarotti's operatic voice), "Core n'grato" (compare with Caruso's version), "Oh, holy night," "La danza" (spritely sung with excellent breath control in a treacherous song), "Santa Lucia" (again, smoothly sung), "Ave Maria" (seemingly sung with respect and affection).

A cornucopia of Pavarottiana. For those fans of Pavarotti, this "greatest hits" collection will be welcome. For those who may not be aware of this tenor when his voice was still fresh, this is a fine entrée to his work.

Don't...!!!.......2005-01-24

To combine a voice as beautiful as Pavarotti's with some of the world's greatest music and outstanding orchestras, and end up with this...`thing'...is unforgivable. After buying and listening to it, it brought to mind those painful words "A fool, a fool. I saw a fool today. I saw him in the mirror."

R. J. Rogers

Great Tenor - Poor CD Quality.......2004-10-11

I have never been a huge fan of Maestro Pavarotti but I must admit that this compilation is a masterful collection of his operatic highlights.

I particularily enjoy the first disc which contains just about all the major tenor arias. The singing is superb and listening to this CD it becomes obvious what the fuss over the pre-3 Tenors Pavarotti was all about - the man really did have one of the greatest tenor voices of all time.
His diction was flawless, his line perfect and his interpretation in keeping with the greatest of the Italian tenors of days gone by.

The second disc is interesting in that it is a bit uneven. It contains a few neapolitan standards, a x-mas song, a duet with Frank Sinatra and some other random selections.

Overall this is a 5 star CD but due to the extremely low volume, particularily on the first and most important disc I can only give it a 4 star rating.

On a final note, anyone puzzeled by the current hype over the now againg and commercially over-blown Pavarotti should purchase this CD. This is the great tenor in his prime and as such a CD well worth having...even if you're not a Pavarotti fan.
I'm still not, but I recognize greatness when I hear it.

Great Music......Horrible Mastering.......2004-07-24

Pavarotti has a voice that can take hold of you and change your entire mood...even if you don't know Italian. The problem with this set is the mastering (mastering evens out the volumes and signal to noise ratio on an album). The first CD in this collection is so quiet that you literally have to crank your player to get any kind of volume. For a professional CD this is absolutely unacceptable.
The song choices are good with the exception of "My Way" with Frank Sinatra. Both singers sound ....ummm...let's just say less than their best on the recording. It sits out like a boil on a pretty girl's face.

Surely I am proud to be an Italian-American!!.......2004-06-26

With his wondrous soaring vocals and the humble demeanor within his strong body, Pavarotti is an inspiration to Italian- Americans everywhere - Italian-Americans like me. My family plays his beautiful operas on vinyl nearly every day in me Papa's little wine and cheese shop on 18th and Broadway. The customers compliment the music with glee, pinching my plump cheeks with merriment and wishing me well on their way out the door. Ah, how I love this land of America!!

Oops, I am sorry, Nana.

My Nana has shushed me to "pipe down, little bambino."

Tracks:

Shreveport Stomp - Jelly Roll Morton
Sweet Man - Jelly Roll Morton
Tom Cat Blues - Jelly Roll Morton
A New Kind Of Man With A New Kind Of Love For Me - Thomas 'Fats' Waller
Nobody But My Baby - Thomas 'Fats' Waller
Got To Cool My Doggies Now - Thomas 'Fats' Waller
Maple Leaf Rag - Scott Joplin
Weeping Willow Rag - Scott Joplin
Something Doing - Scott Joplin
Steeplechase Rag - James P Johnson
Twilight Rag - James P Johnson
Charleston Rag - Eubie Blake
It's Right Here For You - Eubie Blake
Fare Thee Honey Blues - Eubie Blake
Mr. Freddie Blues - Jimmy Blythe
Regal Stomp - Jimmy Blythe

Customer Reviews:

Awesome to hear the old masters almost live........2007-03-27

It was an awesome experience to hear Ragtime and early blues played by the masters themselves. When you hear the music from their own hands, if not their own pianos, it makes the music immediate, and makes even clearer the stylistic differences of the various American musical pioneers. The sound quality is excellent. I'd strongly recommend this recording to anyone who enjoys early-20th-century jazz.

The Greatest Ragtime of the Century.......2005-10-30

What a terrific CD. What a joy to add to your life. Everyone should begin their day with this Great Ragtime.We would all be much better.

As a former dancer, Flapper, wth the Charleston in my routine, I do appreciate Great Music. I'm not quite as good as I used to be, but neither are you, Gal. Will be 66 next birthday. Still have the rhythm and love life.

Put some spice in your life and don't let this CD get away. Please, just get it today.

A great introduction and sampling........2005-08-23

Prior to this album, the only ragtime I really knew was "The Entertainer" and "Maple Leaf Rag". I don't know how this album fares for enthusiasts, but I've thoroughly enjoyed it. It introduced me to several different composers. The way the album is organized by giving you a two or three song block by each composer is good. As you listen to this, you can easily hear the different styles from one composer to another. As for the recording quality, I don't have any complaints whatsoever. Each note is clear without much noticable fuzz or hissing. The versions of Scott Joplin's songs are played a bit brash and speedy when compared to Joshua Rifkin, but I think they sound livlier because of it. Overall a solid release.

The Music Man (1957 Original Broadway Cast) [Angel Reissue]

Average customer rating:

Music Man
One of This Country's Finest Musicals Beautifully Re-Mastered
We need a new remaster, nonetheless
Accept no substitutes!
Preston and Cook are the best ever

The Music Man (1957 Original Broadway Cast) [Angel Reissue]

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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My Fair Lady (1956 Original Broadway Cast)
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ASIN: B000002SNL
Release Date: 1992-11-17

Tracks:

Act I. Overture/Rock Island - Vern Reed
Act I. Iowa Stubborn - Ensamble
Act I. Ya Got Trouble - Robert Preston/Ensemble
Act I. Piano Lesson - Barbara Cook/Pert Kelton
Act I. Goodnight My Someone - Barbara Cook
Act I. Seventy-Six Trombones - Robert Preston
Act I. Sincere - Buffalo Bills
Act I. The Sadder But Wiser Girl For Me - Robert Preston
Act I. Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little - Asnia Rice, Peggy Mondo, Elain Swann, Helen Raymond, Martha Flynn, Robert Preston
Act I. Goodnight Ladies/Marian The Librarian - Robert Preston, Buffalo Bills
Act I. My White Knight - Barbara Cook
Act I. Wells Fargo Wagon - Eddie Hodges, Ensemble
Act II. It's You - Buffalo Bills
Act II. Shipoopi - Iggie Wolfington, Ensemble
Act II. Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You? - Buffalo Bills, Barbara Cook
Act II. Gary, Indiana - Eddie Hodges
Act II. Till There Was You - Barbara Cook, Robert Preston
Act II. Finale - Robert Preston, Barbara Cook, Ensemble

Amazon.com

Although Robert Preston and Barbara Cook put in stellar performances, it's the music that's the star of this hugely successful document of the 1958 Broadway smash. Written entirely by Meredith Willson, it drew from memories of his childhood in a small Midwestern town. Preston plays a traveling salesman/con artist, while Cook is the dull spinster "Marian the Librarian," whose love for Preston's character makes her come alive. "Seventy-Six Trombones" has become a marching band standard, while "Ya Got Trouble" (featuring dizzying fast-talk from Preston) and "'Til There Was You" (with a gorgeous vocal from Cook) remain well known even among those who have never seen the show. The latter was also a favorite of the Beatles, who covered it on their first album. --Dawn Eden

Customer Reviews:

Music Man.......2007-02-09

The original cast recording brings back the memory of the live production I saw which will always be superior, in my opinion, to the movie version. However, the movie was one of the better "reproductions" of this genre.

One of This Country's Finest Musicals Beautifully Re-Mastered.......2006-11-23

THE MUSIC MAN opened on Broadway on December 19, 1957 to rave reviews from the critics, adulations from the captivated audiences, and the beginning of a long run. This wondrous musical is an 'opera' of sorts in that the piece is not a series of songs connected by the usual musical comedy spoken dialogue. Meredith Willson wrote the music and lyrics in such a way that there is not an extraneous note or word that doesn't contribute to the totality of the work.

Despite the multiple reincarnations of this brilliant show both on film and recording, none of them compares to this original cast. Imagine Barbara Cook (lithe, and new) as Marian the Librarian: Cook still reigns as one of our finest voices on the stage and cabaret rooms today. Robert Preston is not only rich in personality he also delivers the immensely complex patter songs with deft authority. And the Buffalo Bills add the multiple barbershop quartet numbers with authentic sound and professionalism.

This musical holds all of the joys and imaginations and longings that we all hold so dear in our memories of how things used to be - and it is so terrific to return to that stage of ecstasy again. This is a must own CD. Grady Harp, November 06

We need a new remaster, nonetheless.......2006-10-22

A very interesting photo on the liner booklet's back cover demonstrates the one real flaw in this otherwise classic recording: it shows Robert Preston at the album sessions singing at two mikes, a fat Neumann with a Capitol flag and a skinny one, probably an AKG. This can only mean Capitol recorded this in simultaneous mono and stereo takes. With all that knob twiddling the balance had to go off, a problem not entirely corrected by the reissue engineer Bob Norberg, whose remasterings of Ol' Blue's Capitol mono output have earned scorn from some Sinatraphiles for their slight fake echo and stereo effects. (He remastered just about every album in the Broadway Angel series; the monos all appear to have the echo and stereo.) I guess we should be happy to have this in any form at all given how the other majors turned it down. Capitol was late and indifferent to the cast album trade, and it only had three hits before making its monumental closing botch of "Follies." However the label approached it it's still a great and exciting score perfectly performed. Who could have imagined a hit musical with a barbershop quartet? And if only all women could sing like Barbara Cook! Who says you can have too much of a good thing?

With the show's fiftieth anniversary coming up (!) now would be a good time for a remaster. (I know, I know, I'm tired of paying repeatedly for the same product too, but this deserves it.) It should include a second disc with the 1959 Capitol documentary LP "And Then I Wrote 'The Music Man'", where Meredith Willson and his wife Rini detail the eight years of trials and rewrites behind the show. Nor would it hurt to have bonuses like Willson's original take on "Till There Was You" (called "Till I Met You," which Fran Warren evidently first sang on "The Big Show") or a few licensed pop balladeers of the day -- and maybe examples like the 70s jingle for the late lamented Oldsmobile ("Oh ho the new Oldsmobile is a -- comin' down the line...."). It must also include Willson's contentious JFK physical fitness tune "Chicken Fat", recorded about the time "The Music Man" was filmed and available only on oddball Web music sites, where Preston yells and grunts himself into an athletic -- passion. (I keep thinking Allan Sherman recorded a full version of his notorious parody "76 Sol Cohens", but I guess he didn't.) The whole thing should end with a live public-radio performance from 1980 or 1981 where Willson led the superb Detroit Concert Band in "76 Trombones" and "The Stars and Stripes Forever" -- an apt and brilliant finish.

No, I have not forgotten the Beatles, but I fear neither have their lawyers.

Accept no substitutes!.......2006-08-22

This the best version of "The Music Man" available, especially if you're looking for the Broadway cast. The performances here are all terrific, the recording and mastering are great, and the liner notes are informative and thorough. "The Music Man" is available in several other versions and forms, including other releases of the same original cast recording, but without the good mastering or liner notes found here. My wife and I, hoping to listen to this great show with our kids, first purchased other versions that were easier to find (e.g., on iTunes) and those were major disappointments. Buy this CD (Broadway Classics from Angel) and accept no substitutes.

Preston and Cook are the best ever.......2006-07-15

Yes, the film is a delight, and Shirley Jones is certainly good as Marian. But the original cast album of this wonderful musical remains the best version ever, mostly thanks to Barbara Cook, whose voice was and remains a miracle of rare device to listen to.

For years I thought I was the only person who was in love with her voice, wearing out vinyl LPs of this musical with replaying. Then, in the early 80s I saw Cook in a one woman show in London, and discovered I was part of a fanatical following! The other reviews here on Amazon confirm the truth: there is only one truly great Marian, Madam Librarian.

Watch the movie, which is a terrific adaptation of the stage show, go to professional and amateur revivals of the musical, but buy this recording of the score for repeated listening. There is nothing better.

Meditation Music:

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

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The Futurist

Texas Lovers

Shadow Dances: Stravinsky Miniatures

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Serie 2000

Peace Like a River

We Are Not Alone