Another release from the hugely popular German band leader. He tours extensively and will celebrate his 75th Birthday in 2004. 14 tracks including 'Macarena' & 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine'. Eagle Records. 2003.
Summer Songs,James Last,Eagle Records (Red),Big Band,Composer,Conductor,Easy Listening,Easy Pop,Orchestral,Pop,Popular Music
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Mamma Mia! The Musical Based on the Songs of ABBA: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Recording (1999 London Cast)
Benny Andersson , Julian Poole , Jenny Galloway , Nicolas Colicos , Paul Clarkson , Bjorn Ulvaeus , Lisa Stokke , Eliza Lumley , Melissa Gibson , Siobhan McCarthy , Louise Plowright , Jenny Galloway , Bjorn Ulvaeus , and Stig Anderson Manufacturer: Decca Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000031WEN Release Date: 2000-10-17 |
Tracks:
- Overture/Prologue
- Honey, Honey
- Money, Money, Money
- Thank You For The Music
- Mamma Mia
- Chiquitita
- Dancing Queen
- Lay All Your Love On Me
- Super Trouper
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
- The Name Of The Game
- Voulez-Vous
- Entr'acte
- Under Attack
- One Of Us
- S.O.S.
- Does Your Mother Know
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Our Last Summer
- Slipping Through My Fingers
- The Winner Takes It All
- Take A Chance On Me
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- I Have A Dream
Amazon.com
Put together by Abba's own Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia! manages to cram over 20 of the Swedish supergroup's songs into a threadbare plot. It goes a little like this: Young Sophie is getting married and she's trying to identify which of three men is her father. That's about it. Wisely, the musical doesn't mess around with the songs, save for the insertion of some dialogue or for having some of them performed by a man (it works amazingly well). Abba fans will jump on this import of the London production, but traditional fans of musical theater should consider it as well. After all, Andersson and Ulvaeus's songs have always felt as if they were more than isolated pop gems and actually belonged to a longer narrative. --Elisabeth VincentelliCustomer Reviews:
Mamma Mia.......2007-03-22
Mamma Mia Musical CD.......2007-03-21
JUST GREAT MUSIC.......2007-03-08
Mamma Mia.......2007-01-29
Not good at all.......2007-01-09
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Renee Fleming - The Beautiful Voice ~ Gounod, Lehaair, Orff, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Strauss
Gustave Charpentier , Charles Gounod , Jules Massenet , Antonin Dvorak , Friedrich von Flotow , Giacomo Puccini , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Carl Orff , Richard Strauss , Sergey Rachmaninov , Johann II Strauss , Franz Lehar , Jose Maria Cano , Marie-Joseph Canteloube , Jeffrey Tate , Sir Charles Mackerras , Renée Fleming , English Chamber Orchestra , Osian Ellis , London Voices , and Clive Greensmith Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000042I6 Release Date: 1998-02-10 |
Tracks:
- Louise (Acte 3): Depuis le jour ou je me suis donnee
- Faust (Acte 3 - Air des bijoux): O Dieu! que de bijous!... Ah! Je ris de me voir si belle (Air des bijoux - Jewel Song)
- Manon (Acte 3): Je marche sur tous les chemins... Obeissons... Profitons bien de la jeunesse (Gavotte)
- Gypsy Melodies, Op. 55 B104 No. 4: Songs My Mother Taught Me
- Martha (Act 2 - No. 8 The Last Rose): 'Tis The Last Rose Of Summer
- La rondine (Act 1): Chi il bel sogno di Doretta
- Die tote Stadt (Act 1 - Mariettas Lied): Gluck, das mir verblieb
- Carmina Burana (No. 21): In trutina
- Vier Lieder, Op. 27 No. 4: Morgen!
- Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14: Vocalise
- Die Fiedermaus (Act 2 - Csardas): Klange der Heimat (Csardas)
- Die lustige Witwe (Act 2 - Vilja-Lied): Es lebt' eine Vilja (Vilja-Lied)
- LUNA: Epilogo
- Chants d'Auvergne, Series 1: Bailero
Amazon.com essential recording
This vocal recital certainly lives up to its title, perhaps too well. It's a collection of arias and songs Fleming has sung for years that for some may be too much frosting and not enough cake. Surely, her performances are rich with interpretive nuances, wonder-filled portamentos and word colorings that reflect a long history with this repertoire, which ranges from Charpentier's "Depuis le jour" to Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise." Some may find Fleming a bit much, but agree with her or not, she's far more interesting than singers who keep a safe, discreet distance from the music. --David Patrick StearnsCustomer Reviews:
Renee Fleming sings favorite works.......2007-07-30
The best of the best........2007-04-11
Beautiful and creamy voice.......2006-02-28
Renee Fleming;THE BEAUTIFUL VOICE.......2006-01-30
The most gorgeous soprano voice I've ever heard.......2006-01-02
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25 All-Time Greatest Summer Songs: The Ultimate Collection
Various Artists Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004U16P Release Date: 2000-07-25 |
Tracks:
- Summer In The City - The Lovin' Spoonful
- A Summer Song - Chad & Jeremy
- Summertime, Summertime - The Jamies
- Vacation - Connie Francis
- Wipe Out - The Surfaris
- Summer Means Fun - Bruce And Terry
- Dancing In The Street - Martha And The Vandellas
- Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks
- In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
- Happy Summer Days - Ronnie Dove
- Sealed With A Kiss - Brian Hyland
- The Theme From A Summer Place - Percy Faith And His Orchestra
- On The Beach (In The Summertime) - The 5th Dimension
- Summer Wine - Nancy Sinatra And Lee Hazlewood
- Summer Sand - Dawn
- Here Comes The Summer - Jerry Keller
- School Is Out - Gary U.S. Bonds
- Palisades Park - Freddy Cannon
- Lets Go Trippin' - Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
- Beach Party - Annette
- Lost Summer Love - Shelley Fabares
- Gonna Hustle You - Legendary Masked Surfers
- Wombling Summer Party - The Wombles
- Summer - War
- Summertime - Billy Stewart
Customer Reviews:
Hard-to-Find Memories.......2007-05-12
All the songs are the originals. What you see is what you get (wysiwyg)........2007-04-06
But there are some noteable omissions. This compilation should have also contained The Zombies' excellent version of Summertime, the Gershwin composition. Also missing is Sly and the Family Stone's, Hot Fun in the Summertime. And a glaring omission is the classic, Summertime Blues by Eddie Cochrane. And then, a very unfortunate oversight is the lack of Robin Ward's anthemic, Wonderful Summer.
Exceptional Value.......2007-02-23
Pool Party Classic.......2002-07-12
Not the best 'summer' album around, but it's worth buying..........2002-03-24
It's worth buying for the better songs I previously mentioned. Still, you'd be better off shopping around because this isn't the best summer CD available.
Jon.
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Leontyne Price Sings Barber
Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003FNF Release Date: 1994-05-10 |
Tracks:
- Hermit Songs, Op.29: At Saint Patrick's Purgatory
- Hermit Songs, Op.29: Church Bell At Night
- Hermit Songs, Op.29: Saint Ita's Vision
- Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Heavenly Banquet
- Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Crucifixion
- Hermit Songs, Op.29: Sea-Snatch
- Hermit Songs, Op.29: Promiscuity
- Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Monk And His Cat
- Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Praises Of God
- Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Desire For Hermitage
- Sleep Now, Op. 10, No. 2
- The Daises, Op. 2, No. 1
- Nocturne, Op. 13, No. 4
- Nuvoletta, Op. 25
- Knoxville: Summer Of 1915
- Antony And Cleopatra: Give Me Some Music
- Antony And Cleopatra: Give Me My Robe
Amazon.com
Early in her career, Leontyne Price formed an artistic liaison with Samuel Barber that resulted in his composing the female lead in Antony and Cleopatra for her. The disastrous premiere of that opera prevented Price from making a complete recording--a tragic loss in my opinion. She did record excerpts, however, and we at least have this disc to document these and the many other Barber works that she performed with incomparable artistry. Opera singing being what it is, Price didn't often have the chance to sing in English, so these performances are not only historically important, they are uniquely communicative as well. --David HurwitzCustomer Reviews:
a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-28
Only a few of Barber's song texts come from American sources; more often he chose the work of Irish or English writers. He was drawn to 'Knoxville: Summer of 1915', a reflection of the American poet James Agee, because for him it vividly evoked his own childhood. With hints of blues and gently shifting rhythms, "Knoxville" is a mature expression of Barber's artistry as a musical poet and a master of orchestral color.
"The Hermit Songs" were first performed by Leontyne Price, soprano, with the composer at the piano at the Library of Congress, Washington,D.C..pn October 30, 1953. They are a setting of anonymous Irish texts of the eighth to thirteenth centuries written by monks and scholars. They are small poems,thoughts or observations, some very short, and speak in straightforward, droll, and often surprisingly modern terms of the simple life these men led, close to nature, to animals and to God.
I think a brief quote from one of my favorite of these Hermit songs sums up the kind of prose contained in most all of them: from 'The Monk and his Cat' :Pangur, white Pangur, How happy we are Alone together, Scholar and cat. Each has his own work to do daily; for you it is hunting, for me study......'
The music on this disc is well executed, and if you are a Barber advocate, it's a great collection of his song material. I happen to like MOST of his music, but it's for me a 'mood ' thing. He was born very close to where I live, so I guess I feel a kinship of sorts. I do think that he is one of the 'greats' in contemporary music!
An American Voice of the Century.......2005-10-09
The "Knoxville" is beautifully judged - soft and swinging to start, then opening up into the drama and poetry of the middle and late sections. The Eleanor Steber original commission will always set the standard, but Price expands it that much farther, with longer phrases, and an ineffable langour that both she and Steber identified as the "Southern" stamp on this music. It's universal, as far as I am concerned, but it exalts and breaks the heart at the same time. Agee and Barber drink from the same fountain here.
I have never heard the entire "Anthony & Cleopatra", again written for Price, so I can't judge the work as a whole, just these two numbers. I have a special affection for the first scene, however - "Give Me Some Music" shows Price, in her absolute vocal prime, complete mistress of color and mood, and the motive, "My man of men" reappears in her final, regal, death scene. When she sings "O happy horse/ who bears the weight of Antony!" - I swear, my hair curls, no matter how many times I hear it.
In short, gotta have it.
An Essential Barber Disc.......2002-03-13
The recording of Knoxville: Summer of 1915 is arguable the best of those available. Ms. Price sings with great sensitivity and Thomas Schippers and the New Philharmonia provide excellent support. Ms. Price said that Knoxville reminded her of her own childhood, and her commitment to the music comes through. I have the recording of Knoxville sung by Eleanor Steber, who commissioned this work, but I have always regarded the Price recording as the one to have.
The two excerpts from Antony and Cleopatra are of great interest since Ms. Price sang the role of Cleopatra at the premiere in 1966. Her performance here, also conducted by Schippers, is wonderful. The transfer to CD of these recordings is excellent. Perhaps the only down side is that the Hermit Songs were performed before an audience so there is applause between each song. After a while, this becomes monotonous. This disc is a must for anyone interested in Barber's music, and in particular for Knoxville.
Price sings songs and arias written for her!!!.......2001-12-05
Fab voice, OK music.......2001-08-07
Knoxville 1915 is a much better piece than Hermit songs and has more lyrical moments, but it still sounds so modern. If it has just been an orchestral piece it might've been fabulous but that is unfortunately not the case. It's almost as if Barber wrote a piece for orchestra and wrote a seperate piece for voice and just joined them, whether they made sense together or not. Unlike Hermit Songs, Price's performance more than makes up for the lack of brilliance in the music. Her diction is amazingly clear, even Callas would be jealous and her voice soars, where the music allows her to at least.
The selections from A+C are worty enough, another unreal performance by Price, one wonders if there was a better interpretor of American Music ever, maybe Steber. These works are more traditional sounding and thus go over better, but they seem a bit bland, without Price infusing them with energy this listener would have lost interest
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Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life: The Songs of Victor Herbert
Manufacturer: Asv Living Era ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004U9MZ Release Date: 2000-08-22 |
Tracks:
- Ah, Sweet Mystery Of Life! - Richard Crooks
- Gypsy Love Song - CHARLES KULLMAN
- Romany Life - Jeanette MacDonald
- March Of The Toys - Victor Young & His Concert Orchestra
- Kiss Me Again - Florence Easton
- (The Day Is Done...) Moonbeams - Richard Crooks
- Italian Street Song - Florence George/The Max Terr Choristers
- I'm Falling In Love With Someone - CHARLES KULLMAN
- 'Neath The Southern Moon - Nelson Eddy
- Tramp, Tramp, Tramp! - Nelson Eddy
- Paul's Address: (My Commander As Envoy Bids Me Come...) No Country Can My Own Outvie - John McCormack
- I List The Trill In Golden Throat - Alma Gluck/Charles Schuetz
- The Cricket On The Earth - Christie MacDonald/Reginald Werrenrath/Howard Ratty
- Sweethearts - Richard Tauber
- To Land Of My Own Romance - John McHugh
- When You're Away - Richard Tauber
- Neapolitan Love Song - Richard Crooks
- Ireland, My Sireland (When Shall I Again See Ireland?) - John McCormick/Dominic Melillo
- Eileen Alannah Ashthore - John McCormick/Dominic Melillo
- Thine Alone - CHARLES KULLMAN
- A Kiss In The Dark - Amelita Galli-Curci
- Indian Summer - Richard Tauber
- Ah, Sweet Mystery Of Life! - Jeanette Macdonald/Nelson Eddy
Customer Reviews:
Some old favourites, and some unfamiliar, enjoyable voices and songs.......2007-03-11
Perhaps of greater interest to many listeners will be the relatively seldom heard artists, such as John McHugh, Florence Easton and Florence George. All three have very pleasant voices and aural personalities.
It is a somewhat mixed delight to hear Amelita Galli-Curci, John McCormack, Alma Gluck and Richard Werrenrath in recordings from the acoustic era. My personal favourite from that group is Galli-Cutci's charming version of A kiss in the dark.
Altogether, a well chosen mixture of the familiar and the out of the way, carefully and well re-recorded.
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Songs by Stephen Foster, Vol. 1-2
Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000005IYE Release Date: 1992-05-28 |
Tracks:
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
- Songs By Stephen Foster: There's A Good Time Coming
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Was My Brother In The Battle?
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Sweetly She Sleeps, My Alice Fair
- Songs By Stephen Foster: If You've Only Got A Moustache
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Gentle Annie
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Wilt Thou Be Gone, Love?
- Songs By Stephen Foster: That's What's The Matter
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Ah! May The Red Rose Live Alway
- Songs By Stephen Foster: I'm Nothing But A Plain Old Soldier
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Beautiful Dreamer
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Mr. & Mrs. Brown
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Slumber My Darling
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Some Folks
- Songs By Stephen Foster: We Are Coming, Father Abraam, 300,000 More
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Linger In Blissful Repose
- Songs By Stephen Foster: There Are Plenty Of Fish In The Sea
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming
- Songs By Stephen Foster: The Soiree Polka
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Better Times Are Coming
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Katy Bell
- Songs By Stephen Foster: The Hour For Thee And Me
- Songs By Stephen Foster: Summer Longings
Customer Reviews:
Time Capsule.......2006-11-30
But the one perfect moment for me is the ONLY good extant rendition of "Was My Brother in the Battle?". Accompanied on a harmonium or pump reed organ, if this song doesn't tempt a tear, you simply aren't a romantic.
Very highly recommended.
Unexpected.......2005-11-26
An album to treasure.......2004-09-23
ago, I went on a six-months field assignment to a remote area of
Africa, where I could take only what music I could carry in a vest
pocket. I chose a tape player and two albums: a recital by Perlman
and this album on tape, and was content. If you love American
music, sung poetry, beautiful singing and deeply moving musicality,
this is an album you will treasure for a lifetime.
A classic recording of American songs.......2004-08-22
If only Ms. DeGaetani had graced my parlor...
The sessions of sweet silent thought stirred.......2003-11-22
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Bedroom Adagios
Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000BWVBV Release Date: 2003-09-09 |
Tracks:
- Concerto For Harpischord, Strings, And Continuo No. 5 In F Minor, BWV 1056 - Raymond Leppard
- Concerto Grosso In B Minor, Op. 6, No. 12 - The Academy Of St Martin-In-The-Fields
- Pavane For A Dead Princess - Steve Erquiaga
- Romance For String Orchestra - The Academy Of St Martin-In-The-Fields
- Carnival Of The Animals - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
- Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 - Alexandre Lagoya
- En Bateau - l'ochestre de la suisse romande
- Humming Chorus - BBC Concert Orchestra
- Sicilienne - Steve Erquaiaga
- Italiana - The Academy Of St Martin-In-The-Fields
- Una Furtiva Lagrima - BBC Concert Orchestra
- Chanson De Matin, Op. 15, No. 2 - BBC Concert Orchestra
- Suite In E Major For Lute, BWV 1006A/1000 - Eduardo Fernandez
- Touch Her Soft Lips, And Part - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
- Suite for Cello Solo No. 3 In C Major, BWV 1009 - Pepe Romero
- Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Julian Lloyd Webber
- Pavane - Nicholas Kraemer
- Serenade For Strings In E Major, Op. 22 - The Academy Of St Martin-In-The-Fields
Tracks:
- O Mio Babbino Caro - BBC Concert Orchestra
- Cavatina - Goran Sollscher
- La Fileuse - L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande
- Flower Duet (Sous Le Dome Epais) - BBC Concert Orchestra
- Pied-En-L'Air - Nicholas Kraemer
- Arioso - Steve Erquiaga
- Two Aquarelles - English Chamber Orchestra
- In Paradisum - Stephen Cleobury
- After A Dream - Steve Erquiaga
- Suite For Cello Solo No. 1 In G Major, BWV 1007 - Mischa Maisky
- My Bonny Boy - The Academy Of St Martin-In-The-Fields
- Concerto For Guitar In D Major, RV 93 - Eduardo Fernandez
- Un Bel Di - BBC Concert Orchestra
- Holbert Suite, Op. 40 - Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
- Concerto For Oboe In D Minor, BWV 1059 - Heinz Holliger
- Vissi D'Arte - BBC Concert Orchestra
- Sheep May Safely Graze - William Bennett
- Fantasia On Greensleeves - William Bennett
Customer Reviews:
Exceptional Collection.......2003-12-31
It is consistently restful and calming.
I recommend it highly.
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Reneé Fleming & Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Night Songs (Fauré, Debussy, Marx, Strauss, Rachmaninov)
Gabriel Fauré , and Claude Debussy Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005AWIA Release Date: 2001-04-03 |
Tracks:
- Clair De Lune, Op. 42 No. 2
- Mandoline, Op. 46 No. 2
- Apres Un Reve , Op.58 No.1
- Soir, Op. 83 No. 2
- Nell, Op. 18 No. 1
- Beau Soir
- Mandoline
- Apparition
- Chansons De Bilitis: I - La Flute De Pan
- Chansons De Bilitis: II - La Chevelure
- Chansons De Bilitis: III - Le Tombeau Des Naiades
- Nocturne
- Nachtgebet
- Selige Nacht
- Pierrot Dandy
- Ruhe, Meine Seele!, Op. 27 No. 1
- Schlechtes Wetter, Op. 69 No. 5
- Leises Lied, Op. 39 No. 1
- Leise Lieder, Op. 41a No. 5
- Cacilie, Op. 27 No. 2
- Zdes Khorosho, Op. 21 No. 7
- V Molchani Nochi Taynoy, Op. 4 No. 3
- Rechnaya Liliya, Op. 8 No. 1
- Son, Op. 38 No. 5
- Eti Letniye Nochi, Op. 14 No. 5
- Ne Poy, Krasavitsa, Op. 4 No. 4
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Soprano Renée Fleming's mastery of a wide repertory extends to the more rarefied world of song on this disc. A French group opens the disc--11 songs by Fauré and Debussy that are often elusive, wedded to a style of intimacy not always comfortable for non-French opera singers. Fleming's not completely at home in them, often overinterpreting songs whose style is too fragile and understated for such an approach. Still, she offers many moments of rapturous singing, such as the way she floats the last word, "mystérieuse," of Fauré's "Après un rëve," tingeing it with eroticism."Mandolin" appears in two versions, Fauré's gently swinging one balanced by Debussy's bouncier take. The Rachmaninoff set also fascinates, her sensuous voice bringing its own rewards. Best of all are the German lieder by Joseph Marx and Richard Strauss. This is closer to home for Fleming, and one senses an ease in her singing that digs behind the words to the meaning of the poems. The Marx set is the highlight, perhaps because his songs are the least familiar here. They're also things of great beauty, and Fleming makes the most of the dreamily sensuous "Selige Nacht" and the twisted, nightmarish waltz of "Pierrot Dandy." The Strauss songs are as good: to cite one highlight, Fleming's rapt inwardness makes "Ruhe meine Seele" compelling. Her voice is never less than drop-dead gorgeous, and she's neatly accompanied by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. A feast for Fleming fans. --Dan Davis
Customer Reviews:
A lovely compilation of songs from wonderful composers.......2007-06-08
Thibaudet plays with a sensitive, emotional touch and was a wonderful choice as a pianist on this album.
My reason for a less than perfect scoring was due to the almost harsh edges of Renee Fleming's singing due to her unyielding control. For a voice so full of warmth and depth to be so forcefully held back, the result is a tension that the ear pushes to resolve, but never does. I wonder how she would sound if she would allow more freedom in her voice.
Masterful.......2007-03-22
Fleming combines an highly imaginative approach with an equally appropriate chameleon like adaptation of the coloration of her voice to each of the individual composers. Thibaudet, who performs all of the featured composers in his piano repertoire is an ideal accompanist.
The recording is colorful and provides a flawless balance between voice and piano.
In all, a masterful must.
Night Songs, Day Songs, whatever...this album is a must have!!.......2005-10-30
Musical Collaboration: Night Songs/Fleming/Thibaudet.......2004-07-12
What in the world...????.......2002-08-08
First, may I ask, why was this CD given anything other then 5 stars? What does a person have to do to become liked these days? Bye their hair purple and sing through their noses? (Like Brittney Spears?)
This is an amazing CD!
Reneé's french singing is beautiful, and amazing. She really has the correct tone for french songs!
The german was also lovely. However, it is nothing Reneé did wrong, I just like french songs better then the german.
Buy this CD and be amazed.
Average customer rating:
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Knoxville Summer of 1915
Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000005IZ3 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Knoxville: Summer Of 1915
- The Old Maid And the Thief: Act I, Scene 6: What A Curse For A Woman Is A Timid Man
- Mirabai Songs: I. It's True, I Went To The Market
- Mirabai Songs: II. All I Was Doing Was Breathing
- Mirabai Songs: III. Why Mira Can't Go Back To Her Old House
- Mirabai Songs: IV. Where Did You Go?
- Mirabai Songs: V. The Clouds
- Mirabai Songs: VI. Don't Go, Don't Go
- The Rake's Progress: Act I, Scene 3: No Word From Tom
Amazon.com essential recording
Barber's Knoxville, Summer of 1915 is a setting of a lovely chunk of prose text by James Agee describing an evening from his childhood. An accomplished singer himself, Barber's vocal writing is expert, and this work must rank as one of the finest examples of the art of word-setting in any language. Barber perfectly captures the conversational quality of the text, while at the same time clothing the words in an atmosphere of gentle nostalgia. It's a masterpiece that Dawn Upshaw sings with keen insight and lovely tone. The remainder of the program is creatively chosen as well, making this one of the finest vocal recitals available by an American singer. --David HurwitzCustomer Reviews:
Excellent Material for Ms. Upshaw........2006-04-26
Like any good sampler, this recording's strongest draw is the fact that it makes one interested in tracking down the complete works by Barber, Menotti, Harbison, and Stravinsky. And, while the package includes all lyrics, everything is in perfectly clear English. A perfect addition to other American classics such as 'Porgy and Bess'.
Keeps Getting Better.......2005-03-02
The Barber alone is worth five stars.......2004-01-16
Buy this disc...twice!.......2002-07-20
Dawn Upshaw, vocal actress extraordinaire.......2002-01-01
I want to make special mention of the Harbison _Mirabai Songs_, as it seems to have been maligned somewhat in other reviews here. This was the work that most kept me coming back to this disc when I first bought it. I think it is a masterpiece, and one of Harbison's best and most important works. (Apparently I'm not alone in my admiration of the piece, because I've heard it on a number of live concerts in recent years, so it seems to be having a successful performance life.) Harbison's song cycle is by turns exciting, sensual, driving, longing, beautiful. The orchestration for the small ensemble is masterful (as Harbison's efforts at scoring always are), and Upshaw expresses all of Mirabai's complex emotions enchantingly.
The _Rake's Progress_ aria also deserves individual comment. In this engrossing example of Stravinsky's neoclassical style, Upshaw assumes Anne's air of fierce determination, and brings the disc to an absolutely thrilling climax on a concluding high C.
All of the music on this terrific CD is very accessible, and the performances are stellar. The recorded sound is very clear and immediate, as one would expect from Nonesuch. It's one of my favorite discs in my entire collection, and would probably be so for the Harbison and Stravinsky alone.
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György Ligeti Edition 4: Vocal Works (Madrigals, Mysteries, Aventures, Songs) - The King's Singers / Philharmonia Orchestra / Esa-Pekka Salonen
Gyorgy Ligeti , Esa-Pekka Salonen , Rosemary Hardy , Christiane Oelze , The King's Singers , Philharmonia Orchestra , Philip Lawson , Bruce Russell , Sibylle Ehlert , Phyllis Bryn-Julson , Omar Ebrahim , Irina Kataeva , David Hurley , Pierre-Laurent Aimard , Stephen Connolly , Malena Ernman , Eva Wedin , and Robert Chilcott Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000029P3 Release Date: 1997-01-21 |
Tracks:
- Nonsense Madrigals: I Two Dreams And Little Bat
- Nonsense Madrigals: II Cuckoo In The Pear-Tree
- Nonsense Madrigals: III The Alphabet
- Nonsense Madrigals: IV Flying Robert
- Nonsense Madrigals: V The Lobster Quadrille
- Nonsense Madrigals: VI A Long, Sad Tale
- Le Grand Macabre: Mysteries Of The Macabre
- Aventures
- Nouvelles Aventures: Sostenuto
- Nouvelles Aventures: Agitato molto
- Der Sommer
- Harom Weores-dal: I Tancol a Hold feher ingben
- Harom Weores-dal: II Gyumolcs-furt
- Harom Weores-dal: III Kalmar jott nagy madarakkal
- Ot Arany-dal: I Csalfa sugar
- Ot Arany-dal: II A legszebb virag
- Ot Arany-dal: III A csendes dalokbol
- Ot Arany-dal: IV A bujdoso
- Ot Arany-dal: V Az ordog elvitte a financot
- Negy lakodalmi tanc: I A menyasszony szep virag
- Negy lakodalmi tanc: II A kapuban a szeker
- Negy lakodalmi tanc: III Hopp ide tisztan
- Negy lakodalmi tanc: IV Mikor kedves Laci batyam
Amazon.com
Rejoice! The world-premiere recordings of six Ligeti works are cause for celebration. Three of the pieces are recent (1988-93), and three were written during Ligeti's youth in Hungary. In the liner notes, Ligeti movingly describes the artistic climate under the Communist regime. One of the highlights, the third of six Nonsense Madrigals is a beautiful setting of the English alphabet. The other premieres are Mysteries of the Macabre sung by the brilliant Sibylle Ehlert, and a Hölderlin poem arranged for soprano and piano. The earlier premieres are settings of Hungarian poets, for one or three voices and piano. This is a stunning set, encompassing Ligeti's adventurous, polyphonic side and ample heartfelt poignance as well. --Robert RegileCustomer Reviews:
An important modern composer for voice........2006-08-26
Another Entry into the Ligeti Library.......2005-10-22
The 'Nonsense Madrigals' as performed by the King's Singers are wildly funny and endearing. Here are compositional techniques that reflect the long career in instrumental composition that has influenced them. Esa-Pekka Salonen, long a devotee of Ligeti's music, conducts the Philharmonia when ensemble support is indicated ('Mysteries of the Macabre' excerpts form his opera "Le Grand Macabre" as perfectly intoned by Sibylle Ehlert; the various forms of 'Aventures & Nouvelles aventures' with soloists Phyllis Bryn-Julson, Omar Ebrahim and Rose Taylor). The remainder of the works are for voice and piano and are honored by the performances by the likes of pianists Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Irina Kataeva and vocalists Christiane Oelze, Rosemary Hardy, Malena Ernman and Eva Wedin.
The music recorded here may be new to many but it is fine, accessible Ligeti for the novice and true treats for the followers. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 05
Contains some good mature writing with some frankly dull early works.......2005-09-30
The earliest pieces on the disc were written before Ligeti fled to the West following the Hungarian uprising, and among these the "Harom Weores-dal" (Three Weores songs) were composed while Ligeti was still a student. Sandor Weores was one of the greatest Hungarian poets of the last century, and was especially skilled in writing poems that hid deep philosophical insights behind child-like verse. This makes his poems especially suitable to be set to music (Peter Eotvos has tackled some of his more complex poetry). Ligeti's settings are quite traditional, and for lovers of contemporary repertoire that can even mean dull; Aimard must have been bored by the simple piano writing when he's tackled the composer's later "Etudes". Still, the music does complement the imagery of Weores well. The following two works by "prehistoric Ligeti" were composed as a way out of the straitjacket of socialist realism. The first, "Negy lakodalmi tanc" (Four wedding dances) takes folklore as a refuge, and the second "Ot Arany-dal" (Five Arany songs) sets to music the poems of the pre-revolutionary and accepted poet Jozef Arany. These early works don't hold up well against the rest at all.
After Ligeti came to the West, his music changed greatly. "Aventures" and "Nouvelles Adventures" were composed in the mid-1960s and are very reminiscent of the theatrical project of the music avant-garde of that time. They use a soprano, contralto, and baritone backed by orchestra and articulating nonsense text (notated in the score with the International Phonetic Alphabet) seek to express all emotions without using words. I think the pieces have aged quite well, though I know that others disagree. I don't know if this performance was satisfactory to Ligeti for, although he allowed it to appear on this disc, another performance can be found on volume five of Teldec's "Ligeti Project".
"Mysteries of the Macabre" is a setting for chamber ensemble of the zany solo by the Chief of Secret Police (a coloratura soprano) from the composer's sole opera "The Grand Macabre". Even for those who dislike the opera--and it is a work that leaves no one ambivalent--this is an exciting work, perhaps the high point of the disc. The seven minutes of vocal acrobatics here have been called the most challenging piece ever composed for coloratura soprano, and yet Sibylle Ehlert carries it through gloriously. Note that an alternate setting using trumpet in place of soprano can be found on the first volume of Teldec's "Ligeti Project".
"Nonsense Madrigals" for voices a capella (1988-1993) is the most recent work here, a collection of six English-language pieces based on favourite meaningless writers, such as Lewis Caroll, William Brighty Rands, and Heinrich Hoffmann. The finest of these is surely Ligeti's setting of the English alphabet, a diatonic but non-tonal "labyrinth" of polyrhythms. It combines the best of the micropolyphony sound of his 60s works with his newer interest in non-Western metrics. In the course of putting these together, he also set Hoelderlin's "Der Sommer".
The liner notes are fine, containing remarks on the pieces by Ligeti as well as the sung text and many photos. All in all, this is a three-star installment. If you are interested in the work of Ligeti but haven't gotten anything from "Gyorgy Ligeti Edition" yet, try the third volume (piano works) or the first (string works). Save this one for later.
where's the dead weight?.......2004-12-08
On Sony's Ligeti Edition 4, the _Nonsense Madrigals_ were premiered. These six pieces for six voices, composed in the late-80s/early-90s, are some of the composer's finest offerings. Writes Ligeti, "They are virtuosic works in which I have tried to create a non-tonal but diatonic harmony as well as rhythmic labyrinths." The songs set different pieces of strange poetry against each other in tightly meshed counterpoint, with humorous melodic lines and overwhelming musical imagination. Ligeti also colors the arrangement with nonsense phonetic sounds.
_Mysteries of the Macabre_ takes the three arias of the Chief of the Secret Police from Ligeti's wonderful opera (_Le Grand Macabre_) and rearranges them. This has been called the most difficult music ever written from coloratura soprano, but you wouldn't know it listening to Sibylle Ehlert. Amazing!
Contrary to another reviewer, I think the harsher, earlier avant-garde vocal works (_Aventures_ and _Nouvelles Aventures_) have aged very well. They are comprised of meaningless vocal sounds with chamber orchestra accompaniment. Their pure chromaticism was something Ligeti would later abandon, but even with the prevailing seriousness of the Darmstadt school, these pieces are quite witty and amusing and consistent with Ligeti's goal of composing idiomatically for instruments (including voice), given that the music is pretty much atonal.
This disc also features pieces for one or three voices and piano from Ligeti's early Hungarian days. Because of stifling artistic conditions under Communist rule, the pieces are consonant and accessible.
I assure you that there is no other avant-garde vocal music like Ligeti's. Very highly recommended!
Excellent in parts, but lumbered with much dead weight.......2003-11-26
The Nonsense Madrigals are without doubt the highlight of the disc. These wonderfully witty a capella works were written for the performers on the disc, the King's Singers, who reward Ligeti with a wonderful reading of all six songs. Five of the songs are based on nonsense poems, with the remaining item being a setting of the alphabet. These vary wildly in style from the complex counterpoint of the first through the floating Lux Aeterna-like harmonies of the alphabet setting, to the bizarre backbeat in the finale.
Less worthwhile is Mysteries of the Macabre, a medley of the three coloratura arias from Ligeti's opera Le Grand Macabre, with reduced scoring arranged by the opera's first conductor, Elgar Howarth. While these are certainly entertaining, they don't add anything to the opera.
Aventures and Nouvelles Aventures are works from the 1960s, and to be honest it shows. Their verbal shrieks, contortions and phonetic texts--along with the fragmentary accompaniment--are very much of their time. They aren't devoid of musical interest, or humour, but nothing can hide the fact that they, unlike almost all of Ligeti's other avant-garde works, haven't aged well.
Der Sommer is a brief Hoelderlin setting for soprano and piano dating from 1989. Even though this song reuses the lamento motif prominent in the finale of the Horn Trio and the Sixth Etude, the general style and use of minimal material reminds me as much of Ligeti's countryman Gyorgy Kurtag as of Ligeti himself.
The rest of the disc is taken up with songs written from before Ligeti escaped from Hungary. The Three Weores Songs are from 1946 and 1947, during Ligeti's first year at the Budapest Conservatoire, and I'm sure they must have made it very clear that Ligeti was an outstanding student. Couched in a language derived from Bartok and Stravinsky, but going further than either, they have a splendid rustic feel. Sadly, the Stalinist ousting of the short-lived post-war regime made it impossible for Ligeti to continue along this direction and still be performed. Hence the Five Arany songs are pallid in comparison, and even if the last of the folk-song transcriptions that end the disc is infuriatingly catchy, the cycle as a whole is very minor Ligeti.
This disc can be recommended for the Nonsense Madrigals and (to a lesser extent Der Sommer and the Weores Songs). The rest of the music on it is more for completists only, despite the generally fine level of the performances.
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