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Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Limited and numbered edition. Shaped picture disc. 15 minutes in length approx. Standard jewel case.
This edition features bonus transfers of interviews with those involved in bringing THE SOUND OF MUSIC to the screen. What's more, this is the complete soundtrack (instrumental and music featuring vocals is included here). Definitely a "must buy" for true fans.
for proof that My Fair Lady deserves all of its fame look no further than this cast album. this is a true gem of musical theater and every cast recording should be done this well.
SONGS
the music is great. its strength is in subtlety. the background orchestral pieces are all soft and the strength is placed on the performers, which works great. a lot of the strength here goes to the witty lyrics of "why can't the english" and "i'm an ordinary man" (basically rex harrison's pieces!) or the soft crooning lyrics of "I Could've Danced All Night" and "On the Street Where You Live." the songs are fresh, original and pretty well done here.
SONGS 5 out of 5
PERFORMERS
a lot of credit falls on the steller cast here since most of the focus is on them. harrison is wonderfully and witty as henry higgens. julie andrews is, well, perfect as eliza. she is the greatest eliza ever. her vocals are all brilliantly done. the rest of the cast succeds in bringing humor or romance to the show wherever it is required. this is a top-notch cast the easilly outdoes the 1964 movie. if for no other reason than the sheer energy that is captured here.
PERFORMERS 5 out of 5
most broadway fans should own this just because it's My Fair Lady, but beyond that, this is a great show and this album captures all that brilliance perfectly. if you need just one recording, THIS IS THE ONE!!!
The story was actually based on PYGMALION, by the late, great playwright, George Bernard Shaw, inspired by Greek mythology. In the original Greek play, Pygmalion is the sculptor who creates a depiction of a woman, out of ivory, and falls in love with it. He prays to Venus, and then his sculpture is brought to life, as Galatea. In the musical, the gist is similar but the journey and characters veer from this concept considerably. For starters, no one starts out as a piece of stone--especially not Eliza Doolittle. She has definite opinions and a distinctive personality (saucy language and all), that Dr. Doolittle is very keen on shaping up for society. The music is perfectly in synch with the mood of this great play, which is in some ways a true parable about human behavior and the treatment of women in society. Some of the most beautiful music by Lerner and Loewe is featured here. The songs include "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face," and "Get Me to the Church On Time." This is brilliant. Buy this today! I am not sure how great the sound quality is on audio cassette, in comparison to the original recording on vinyl that I heard, as a little girl. I have a feeling it's pretty spectacular though!
Unfortunately,(in my opinion) this energy doesn't translate suficiently to the recording and I agree - it's not particularly well sung. Again, from the perspective of a former child performer singing with other kids, it actually is possible for a group of children to sing together and make pleasant-sounding music. The adults in this "Oliver" aren't up to musical snuff either.
Although I haven't heard it, I'd be willing to take my chances on the original London version before settling for this one (which, by the way, was recorded in an LA studio before it even got to Broadway.)
As she had done to rapturous acclaim in London three years previously, Georgia Brown played the role of Nancy, and earned similar praise for her performance in New York. Her rich, velvet-tinged voice is especially haunting with the chill inducing ballad "As Long As He Needs Me". Composer Lionel Bart wrote "It's a Fine Life" especially for Brown after learning she had been cast in the role in the London production.
Ron Moody had also scored heavily in London with his tour-de-force turn as Fagin, but with producers fearing his portrayal `too ethnic', the role was taken by Clive Revill for the Broadway premiere. Revill had just come from his celebrated role in IRMA LA DOUCE, and his interpretation of Fagin is every bit as valid as Ron Moody's. Bruce Prochnik is a winsome and wistful Oliver, and Michael Goodman is a delight as the Artful Dodger. Wisely-retained from the original London company were a handful of the first-rate supporting players: Hope Jackman's shrill Mrs Corney; and the up-and-coming Barry Humphries as Mr Sowerberry (Humphries would later graduate to playing Fagin before his beloved alter-ego Dame Edna unleashed herself on the world). The promising young belter Alice Playten was smartly-showcased as Nancy's offsider Bet.
But, the sound mix on the Broadway album has always been rather flat and dull, despite being recorded in the stereo format of the day. Voices and orchestra have no vibrancy or depth, and this was due to the studio in which they recorded it, where the ceiling was very low and the sound did not have the necessary acoustic projection. Nevertheless, the recording has a charm and energy which overrides the technical shortcomings.
This new CD reissue from RCA offers some interesting bonus materials including musical director Don Pippin sharing his memories of the show; Barry Humphries performing "That's Your Funeral" (from the London cast album but left off the Broadway album); and a live recording of Patti LuPone singing "As Long As He Needs Me" (LuPone played Nancy in a short-lived Broadway revival in 1986).
Good value.
For starters, this is not the classic musical that afficianados would have you believe, nor is it Jerry Herman at his best (that honor goes to "Mame"). Rather, this is a fair to middling score with three socko numbers (title tune not included), three rather fine songs (title song included) and the rest either average or inadequate. "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" and "Before the Parade Passes By" are two of the most galvanizing songs ever written for the Broadway stage and no singer can detract from their euphoric energy (though Carol Channing tries -- more on that later). "So Long, Dearie", though slower in tempo than Barbra Streisand's definitve rendition, is a showstopping character song that's both clever and compelling. These three numbers are what gives "Dolly" it's class and they are three of the best things Herman ever wrote. Then we have "Dancing", "Elegance" and (gulp!) the by now overly familiar title song, each an accomplished tune that propels the plot with, well, elegance. The song "Hello, Dolly!" may now annoy as a Broadway warhorse, but it was as fresh as daffodils when it first premiered. The rest of the score, sadly, isn't up to these standards. "It Takes a Woman" and "It Only Takes a Moment" are indistinguished at best, and "Ribbons Down My Back" is downright annoying. Worse still, "I Put My Hand In" is a lackluster opener that pales in comparison to "Just Leave Everything to Me", its replacement in the movie and a bonifide Jerry Herman rouser. And "Motherhood" sounds like exactly what it was, a stage wait for the scenery to move in. Totally expendable.
The second problem here is that this may be the worst sung original cast recording in Broadway history. Charles Neslon Reilly's wobbly tenor struggles to maintain pitch, Eileen Brennan's stilted soprano sounds more like light operetta than musical comedy, and David Burns makes his movie counterpart, Walter Matthau, sound like Mario Lanza in comparision. Then there is Dolly, the incomprehensibly overrated Carol Channing. From her first froggy notes in "I Put My Hand In" you know it's going to be rough sledding and, sure enough, she croaks and screeches her way through one song after another, rendering most of what she sings unlistenable. Channing's voice is thin, harsh and completely unequalized throughout its range and she effectively saps all of the charm out of "...Sunday Clothes" and "Parade". By the time the recording has ended, you want to banish this CD to a deserted island. But wait, there's more! An almost unrecognizable Mary Martin starts the "extras" on this disc with a shock. Some of her last recordings, these "Dolly" numbers unfortunately display how Martin's once lovely instrument had deepened and thickened over the years. A full throttle but somewhat tremulous Ethel Merman fairs little better on some poorly recorded songs added to the show when she took over. These two giants actually make the songs Pearl Bailey does on this disc seem all the more astonishing. While arguably not as talented as Martin or Merman (although, in reconsidering this recording and her career, I think I'm entirely wrong in that observation), Bailey hits a home run on each of her renditions and her recording of the title song is absolutely definitive. Someone should quickly get the cast recording of her "Dolly" back in circulation. "She" and "we" deserve it.
The final problen here is a lengthy recent interview with Ms. Channing that has to be heard to be believed. Does she actually think we're buying the idea that she was doing high kicks in the studio while recording her songs? Please! She barely catches her breath between phrases. And her comparing her premonition that the show would be a hit to a passage in the bible is as laughable as it is sacriligious. Yes, she may have done the show over 5000 times, but she lucked into a classic without earning her own classic status. No wonder all she could do was repeat herself for the rest of her career. Stick with Streisand.
And I guess from the reviews of THIS review, disliking Channing is sacriligous. I better watch my back.
I've even asked people who DO like B'way what is the deal with her? I hear it's that she has charisma. OK, since when does charisma equal talent (I honestly believe they are NOT the same thing).
And I have even tried to listen to other musicals over the years, and I just CANNOT get the appeal of it on ANY level! I guess this is well-done as these things go (there is work involved), but I just CANNOT understand what the fuss is all about.
Signed,
One perplexed Owl.
"How to Succeed in Business" was the "Producers" of 1961 -- a highly-buzzed-about show that became a smash hit and earned tons of awards, including the Pulitzer. JFK came to see it, the ultimate stamp of approval. The difference, of course, is where Mel's show had an amanuensis, this one had the real thing in Frank Loesser. As the theatrical historian Gerald Bordman has noted, Loesser's strong suit was satire, yet somehow he got sidetracked into several big romantic shows, square pegs in round holes given his snappy up-to-the-minute style; he'd bombed the year before with the idyllic whimsy of "Greenwillow." Here he returned to the brassy form of "Guys and Dolls", and if it wasn't at that rarefied level (what could be?) his score was still one of the best -- and like most of the era's hits it was expertly and excellently cast, and thankfully for us superbly recorded. Whether the show itself is so excellent is another matter; it derives from a paper-thin in-joke parody of how-to manuals, and Abe Burrows's book pulls its punches from the get-go, content with easy set pieces. But the satirical prospects for "How to Succeed" have since increased exponentially. One could wrench "A Secretary is Not a Toy" from the weak orbit of Bob Fosse's finger snaps (the clever use of the typewriter here was evidently just for the album and most likely never made the show) and plunge it straight into an office machinery maelstrom of beeping computers and grinding copiers and ring-tone-playing cellphones. Of course J. Pierrepont Finch wouldn't be the only one with executive ambitions -- why not his beloved Rosemary? One or both could sell his (or her, or their) brilliant promotional scheme with a PowerPoint to end all PowerPoints. And Wall Street has outdone itself with imaginative crookery; merely hiding stock for a televised treasure hunt won't do -- unless of course Money Honey® emceed it on CNBC. Maybe she could be the femme fatale. Alas come the 1995 revival the producers' idea of humor was to emblazon their every poster (and the album art too) with a big fat "H2$" -- unfortunately H2S is the chemical symbol for hydrogen sulfide, sewer gas (yes, I know, it's a dollar sign, but it's also an S) -- and to get A&P's Eight O'Clock Coffee in for a willfully ignorant product placement.
Perhaps it can't be done. Perhaps this brilliant cast album is a deceptive siren song to a revival's possibilities -- like "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever", a first-rank score next to a rank book. But "Pal Joey" became a stage treasure thanks to Goddard Lieberson's studio album, and the stage is nothing if not for dreaming.
You naughty Frank Loesser, tk, tk, tk, tk, tk, tk, tk, tk, tk (vintage typewriter clicks in the orchestra here): with your Jewish, Mid-European blood, wouldn't you have known --immersed deep in Rumyonland all your life-- before having Rosemary Pilkington say:
"Happy to keep his dinner warm till he comes wearily home"
then:
"I'm pregnant; what's new with you from downtown?"
...that these lyrics are so politically incorrect today? Executive suites, three button suits, doing things "The Company Way" are quite OK though: as (the then) Reagan Corps., later Bush Sr., now Cheney's Halliburton plus their henchmen in Eurobond Inc. all reign worldwide supreme; a dead solid Brotherhood of Man! Wait a minute, let's not try getting sincere! (Gotta stop that Frank Loesser cold or he'll still manage to stop the big rocket of political correctness!) It may embarrass Lloyd-Weberites, specially bric-a-brac-bazar-musicals suckers, to hear me say it, but say it I must: "How To Succeed in Business..." was the wondrous follow-up to the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical theatre revolution in the 40s/50s.... and more!
After his "Guys & Dolls" earlier masterpiece, through "Most Lucky Fella" (more 'a show with lots of music' than a Gerwhinesque Folk Opera') Loesser, a great among the finest composer/lyricists, produced his most distilled, hilarious and incisive work, teamed with Abe Burrows and the 'succeeding' choreographer of the day: Bob Fosse. To incarnate lead Pierpont Finch they groomed ex US Navy & Korean War fighter Robert Morse, with his quaint split teeth smirk, not much of a singer (listen to his breathing, the odd out of tune notes) yet, if we watch the movie version of "How To" (among the finest Hollywood Broadway adaptations) --and as a bonus, Tony Richardson's film "The Loved One"-- one can imagine Morse's charisma as the impetuous youth, the cheeky, happy go-lucky, unstoppable crawler from mailroom to the Tony Awards. And there was the awesome casting of vintage silver crooner Rudy Vallee as Biggley, supported by a bunch of fine female belting secretaries led by Bonnie Scott (and boy, belt they did! Just listen to Victoria Martin's high note in "Heart of Gold" if you can bear it.)
In the Deluxe Edition some of the bonus tracks are interesting, others less, like Charles Nelson Reilly's goings on about operatic Finalettos and such, although how right he was in his depiction of the problems he had pitching Coffee Break, then goes into a ridiculously rampant PAPAMPAMPAM!!! confessing: "I had A BAD EAR but I had a lot of spirit"... (good, honest ole' pro!) Loesser singing his demo sketch for "A Secretary is Not A Toy" at the piano is a real treat to listen to and ponder --knowing the final version-- on how any successful show depended on the interaction (and squabbles!) of its various creative collaborators. Also we get a tip of marvelous Walter Conkrite 'Book Reader's voice', which one can find, plus other missing bits, in the 1995 'H2$' New Broadway Cast Album with Mathew Broderick, a great Jeff Blumenkrantz as Frump et al; but, alas, this Clinton-era revival, with pointless new orchestrations and a ridiculous, Gospel-like arrangement of 'Brotherhood of Man' doesn't live up to the real macoy, for... Gentlemen, gentlemen! a good Broadway Masterpiece is NOT a toy, and you find nothing like it in F.A.O Shwartz! (For a real Xtra bonus, have a listen to Bobby Darin's "I Believe In You", LOL! the veritable Narcissus-swing-hit-song rendered by the very one!)
So, dear reader, you have alertly seized your opportunity to revisit or get to know this Original Cast Album of one of the best shows of the early 1960s just before its grand sloping period. Let's have a coffee on it, for it's been a long day; decades... I should say, of devastation. What? No COFFEE? No tunes? No wit? No art? No stars? Nothing remotely original? Why weren't Sondheim's greats rightly produced?
Ooooooh.... something within me dies!
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Like all the albums in this series, "The Man Comes Around" is a treasure, but so far it has been my least favorite in the collection. I think some of the covers were too "mainstream pop" though executed very well. "Hurt" is of course amazing, and I did like the treatment for "In My Life" and "Bridge" - "Personal Jesus" was another strong cover but for the life of me I can't figure out why "Danny Boy" is on this disc. For me, it kind of breaks up an otherwise good album.
Still, highly recommended...
This album is dark, brooding, with alot of feeling, and is great music for a vampire movie. Maybe not quite on the same level as the Lord of the Rings movie scores for example, but does it have to be?
My only regret with this cd is that it does not contain any of the piano tunes that Lestat and Claudia play throughout the movie (which I LOVED), but the soundtrack is still very good regardless, and all of the other music from the movie that I can remember is on this cd. Some people have complained about the GNR Sympathy for the Devil song that is on the soundtrack. While it's true that it hardly goes with the rest of the movie score, it is still a part of the movie, so it's cool that it's represented here. Don't like Sympathy for the Devil? Don't listen to it - there are still 18 other very worthy tracks on this soundtrack. SFTD is the last track, so you can listen to the first 18 and then stop if you wish. I happen to like SFTD well enough anyway, so no problem for me at all.
All in all - very well done release of a terrific movie score!
Some of the songs such as "LIbrae me", "Born to Darkness I and II", and "Armand", feel more like more modern movie scoring yet still carry well with the entire album. Other pieces like "lestat's Tarantella", "lestat's recitative", and "Santiago's Waltz" stayed more true to the classical feel.
My only complaint is the abomination at the end of the soundtrack called "Sympathy for the Devil". I couldn't get much beyond a minute before turning it off in discust. It doesn't fit at all and sounds absolutely horrific; what's with the bongos?
With the last song as an exception, this is a gorgeous album, wonderful for backround music. I love it!
Gardiner did his homework on these works, finding, with the help of a musicologist, the scores of much of Beethoven's music. Who would have ever thought that the first subject of the fifth was plagiarised from a French folk song?
If you're after a good set of the Beethoven symphonies, look no further.
If you like the HIP approach, you may also consider the cycles by Brüggen, Hogwood, Norrington and Goodman. Brüggen's is very strong and Hogwood's was the first cycle on period instruments. Norrington's set follows the metronome markings very closely.
Symphony No. 1 is performed very well. It is taken a bit faster (a general theme of this set) than, say, Karajan, Bernstein or Bohm would take it. This is a good thing.
For Symphony No. 2, I would actually recommend a compliment to this CD. Robert Levin (on the fortepiano) and members of the ORR recorded the chamber version of this work (for piano trio), mostly arranged by Beethoven himself. It is really interesting to contrast the two. I'd recommend that CD as well (it also comes with a piano quartet arrangment [again by Beethoven] of the fourth piano concerto. It is by Achriv Blue).
Symphony No. 3: The DEFINITIVE version of this symphony. Great throughout.
Symphony No. 4: This performance is the reason you should get this set. Symphony No. 4 has been largely ignored in favor of the odd number Symphonies. Here we have the DEFINITIVE, must have performance of this work. The finale is amazing, as is the deep beginning. The work is also the epitome of Beethoven's second style period, from the deep, gloomy beginning to the triumphant, allegro finale (in this performance, their is no "ma non troppo"; it is played more like a slow "presto vivace" than "allegro ma non troppo," which works very well). Great performance.
Symphony No. 5 is also brilliantly played. Among the best recordings of that symphony.
Symphony No. 6: The weak link of the more popular works in this set, though it is still very, very good.
Symphony No. 7: The scherzo here is light and playful. The pavonne second movement is very deep and moving. The finale is very heroic. I really like the sound of the horns; I think they work very well.
Symphony No. 8: Since this one is sandwiched between the great Symphonies No. 7 and 9, I think it has been largely ignored, much like Symphony No. 4 is with 3 and 5. Therefore, see Symphony No. 4.
Symphony No. 9: Where to start? This is THE DEFINITIVE and BEST version of this symphony available. The tempi are much faster than the other great conductors of the 20th century (Karajan, Bohm, Bernstein, Furtwangler, et al). The scherzo is really nice. The biggest difference between the finale of this recordings and the finale of other recordings is the tempo. This is especially evident in the march section. In Karajan and Bohm, it's more of a dirge than a march. Here, the tenor sounds light and easy, whereas in the other versions he (typically) sounds slow and strained.
Overall, this set is well worth owning. You will not be disappointed.
I recall that when the Gardiner set came out that there were some people, my wife included, who thought they were too fast. Listening to the 9th symphony the first movement is so furiously driven that the tempos sound out of control. The symphony last just under 60 minutes which may sound like a record until one considers that Felix Weingartner (a Beethoven expert) turned in a performance just over 60 minutes. The performances are vibrant and well played, all of them the product of live performances, a few like the 9th were made following a performance. For me the Gardiner cycle has a freshness that while not excluding other recordings (period instrument and modern symphony orchestra) has made this the only complete cycle that I have of the Beethoven symphonies. Perhaps the most telling evidence that Gardiner's approach to Beethoven has been influential is the rethinking of the tempos of the symphonies by conductors like Bernard Haitink. I highly recommend this cycle of symphonies for someone new to Beethoven and those listeners who are familiar with this music.
I liked Gardiner interpretation of the Beethoven Simphonies. Vigorous, somewhat fast and very well recorded. In 9th simphony I would prefer a slower tempo but this is my opinion.
You should like a song because you really like it and not because some classical music "pundit" says that this is the correct way to play because there is not such a thing. The only person that could have the final word is Ludwig.
Beethoven was alive during the times of the French Revolution and Napoleon and was an ardent republican in Austria under the Hapsburg court. Many of his symphonies incorporate his ideals of revolutionary change. A disproportionate majority of the performances for these symphonies, particularly older conductors, completely misinterpret Beethoven's intention. A perfect example of this is in the march for the last movement of the 9th Symphony. If you listen to any of Karajan's, Solti's, or even Bernstein's interpretation it sounds like a damn funeral procession. The march in the piece is a revolutionary military march that is meant to proceed at a fast pace. In terms of military marches, the other interpretations are too slow even for a funeral. The only thing that keeps me from falling asleep when listening to them is the volume which is overbearing: I can barely recognize a single section in that Mahleresque cacophony. It's just symphonic overkill for these pieces. So loud Beethoven would have probably said 'Turn it down it's too loud!' in his deaf old age. Gardiner's symphony could use a little more volume but the traditional instruments don't permit that. As for the performances, there are some minor problems with various sections in the different symphonies but I didn't find them overly significant. The best part for me is particularly Gardiner's reinterpretation of the meter which gives one a far greater sense of impending change in pieces such as his 3rd, 5th, and 9th. Also, compared to the older conductors I've mentioned, you're not going to feel like you're in a coma when you listen to the 7th Symphony or that Winter has come instead of Spring in his 6th. Gardiner's orchestra is also smaller wich diminishes the volume but having a modern orchestra of 300+ members is simply overkill for such pieces and the results are worst in muffling the strings than Gardiner's lack of punch with traditional strings and orchestra size.
I think Gardiner's interpretations are just fine despite their defects as many of its other contenders have problems of their own which, in my opinion, are worst than those of Gardiner's. At least you won't feel like you're at a funeral and that the whole attending party is going to die along with the deceased so morbidly slow are those old school performances. I'm going to rate all the presently great performances for these works with four stars until a truly great one comes along to deserve five. Choosing the best among different performances here is then really a question of taste as they all have problems in one way or another. Of the older generation I tend to prefer Toscanini's interpretations above those of Solti or Karajan.
Limited and numbered edition. Shaped picture disc. 15 minutes in length approx. Standard jewel case.
Interview,Britney Spears,Sonotec,Dance-Pop,Pop,Pop/Rock,Spoken,Spoken / Comedy / Radio Shows,Spoken Word,Teen Pop
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The Sound of Music (1965 Film Soundtrack - 40th Anniversary Special Edition)
Julie Andrews , Rodgers & Hammerstein , Marni Nixon , The Sound Of Music (Related Recordings) , and Irwin Kostal Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  Movie Scores
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ASIN: B000BFNZAQ Release Date: 2005-11-08 |
Tracks:
- Prelude And The Sound Of Music
- Overture And Preludium (Dixit Dominus)
- Morning Hymn And Alleluia
- maria
- I Have Confidence
- Sixteen Going On Seventeen
- My Favorite Things
- Do-Re-Mi
- The Sound Of Music
- The Lonely Goatherd
- Edelweiss
- Laendler
- So Long, Farewell
- Ent'acte
- Climb Ev'ry Mountain
- My Favorite Things
- Something Good
- Processional And Maria (The Wedding)
- Sixteen Going On Seventeen (Reprise)
- Do-Re-Mi (Reprise)
- Edelweiss (Reprise)
- So Long, Farewell (Reprise)
- Climb Ev'ry Mountain (Reprise)
- Finale
- Robert Wise Interview
- Richard Rodgers Interview
- Charmian Carr Interview
Customer Reviews:
The Wonderful Sound of Music.......2007-07-29
a classic.............2007-05-17
This edition features bonus transfers of interviews with those involved in bringing THE SOUND OF MUSIC to the screen. What's more, this is the complete soundtrack (instrumental and music featuring vocals is included here). Definitely a "must buy" for true fans.
Sound of Music--Still Great.......2007-05-13
Sound of Music.......2007-05-07
I love The Sound of Music!.......2007-04-14
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A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981)
Johann Sebastian Bach , Glenn Gould , and Tim Page Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B00006FI7C Release Date: 2002-09-03 |
Tracks:
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 1
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 2
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 3. Canon On The Unison
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 4
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 5
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 6. Canon On The Second
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 7
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 8
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 9. Canon On The Third
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 10. Fughetta
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 11
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 12. Canon On The Fourth
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 13
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 14
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 15. Canon On The Fifth
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 16. Overture
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 17
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 18. Canon On The Sixth
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 19
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 20
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 21. Canon On The Seventh
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 22. Alla Breve
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 23
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 24. Canon On The Octave
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 25
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 26
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 27. Canon On The Ninth
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 28
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 29
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 30. Quodlibet
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria Da Capo
Tracks:
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 1
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 2
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 3. Canon On The Unison
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 4
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 5
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 6. Canon On The Second
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 7
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 8
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 9. Canon On The Third
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 10. Fughetta
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 11
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 12. Canon On The Fourth
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 13
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 14
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 15. Canon On The Fifth
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 16. Overture
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 17
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 18. Canon On The Sixth
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 19
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 20
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 21. Canon On The Seventh
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 22. Alla Breve
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 23
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 24. Canon On The Octave
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 25
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 26
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 27. Canon On The Ninth
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 28
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 29
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 30. Quodlibet
- Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria Da Capo
Tracks:
- Glen Gould Discusses His Peformances Of The Goldberg Variations With Time Page, August 22, 1982, Toronto, Canada
- Studio Outtakes From The 1955 Goldberg Variations Recording Session
Amazon.com
Glenn Gould's recording debut in 1955 of Bach's Goldberg Variations took the world by storm. His decidedly un-Romantic view, absolute technical skill, startling lucidity, and right-on rhythmic changes, combined with his eccentricities--audible humming, sometimes outrageously fast tempi--made him an instantly legendary pianist and elucidated Bach's music in a whole new way. Gould's final recording, 26 years later, was also of the Goldbergs. It's a more relaxed, sometimes much slower, more inward reading (although still very much his own, complete with oddly ferocious attacks and accents), in which he offers repeats of the first half of 15 of the Variations. Both performances are glorious, each in its own way, and this luxurious new set of three CDs is entertaining, a joy to hear, and revelatory; it belongs in any music lover's collection. The third CD is devoted to outtakes and chatter from recording sessions. At one point, Gould improvises "God Save the King" and exhibits how it turns into "The Star-Spangled Banner." And a long interview with critic Tim Page offers great insight into Gould's weird humor and unique outlook. A must-have collection. --Robert LevineCustomer Reviews:
Amazing playing but.......2007-07-14
Absolutely maddening.......2007-07-10
"Oddly ferocious attacks".......2007-05-08
One for the ages........2007-02-14
A Life-Affirming Adventure.......2007-01-06
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My Fair Lady (1956 Original Broadway Cast)
Alan Jay Lerner , Rex Harrison , Julie Andrews , and Frederick Loewe Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B000067AS1 Release Date: 2002-05-28 |
Tracks:
- Overture
- Why Can't The English?
- Wouldn't It Be Loverly
- With An Ordinary Man
- I'm An Ordinary Man
- Just you Wait
- The Rain In Spain
- I Could Have Danced All Night
- Ascot Gavotte
- On The Street Where You Live
- You Did It
- Show Me
- Get Me To The Church On Time
- A Hymn To Him
- Without You
- I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
- A Post-Recording Conversation (bonus track)
- Playback: Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe (bonus track)
Amazon.com
The 2,700 performances of Lerner and Loewe's musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion gracefully spanned the Eisenhower and Camelot eras, then begat a wildly popular film version, whose 1965 Best Picture Oscar capped the show's decade of prominence. The crowning achievement of Lerner and Loewe's rich body of work began its recording life on this 1956 cast recording, a collection of performances that long ago became a ubiquitous and indispensable fixture of American musical theater. Indeed, it's hard to imagine anyone else but Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison in the roles of the cockney Eliza Doolittle and her long-suffering mentor, Henry Higgins, delivering definitive versions of the show's embarrassment of riches: "Why Can't the English?," "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "The Rain in Spain," "I Could Have Danced All Night," and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face." This new edition offers a digitally burnished take of the already glorious recording, now supplemented with a post-recording conversation track featuring Harrison, Andrews, Lerner, conductor Franz Allers, and original producer Goddard Lieberson, as well as a 1961 audio interview with Lerner and Loewe. --Jerry McCulleyCustomer Reviews:
a flawless recording.......2007-07-29
for proof that My Fair Lady deserves all of its fame look no further than this cast album. this is a true gem of musical theater and every cast recording should be done this well.
SONGS
the music is great. its strength is in subtlety. the background orchestral pieces are all soft and the strength is placed on the performers, which works great. a lot of the strength here goes to the witty lyrics of "why can't the english" and "i'm an ordinary man" (basically rex harrison's pieces!) or the soft crooning lyrics of "I Could've Danced All Night" and "On the Street Where You Live." the songs are fresh, original and pretty well done here.
SONGS 5 out of 5
PERFORMERS
a lot of credit falls on the steller cast here since most of the focus is on them. harrison is wonderfully and witty as henry higgens. julie andrews is, well, perfect as eliza. she is the greatest eliza ever. her vocals are all brilliantly done. the rest of the cast succeds in bringing humor or romance to the show wherever it is required. this is a top-notch cast the easilly outdoes the 1964 movie. if for no other reason than the sheer energy that is captured here.
PERFORMERS 5 out of 5
most broadway fans should own this just because it's My Fair Lady, but beyond that, this is a great show and this album captures all that brilliance perfectly. if you need just one recording, THIS IS THE ONE!!!
Excellent Sound Track.......2007-06-27
Great gift!.......2007-06-01
Good, but not for the Family.......2007-05-29
fantastic.............2007-05-16
The story was actually based on PYGMALION, by the late, great playwright, George Bernard Shaw, inspired by Greek mythology. In the original Greek play, Pygmalion is the sculptor who creates a depiction of a woman, out of ivory, and falls in love with it. He prays to Venus, and then his sculpture is brought to life, as Galatea. In the musical, the gist is similar but the journey and characters veer from this concept considerably. For starters, no one starts out as a piece of stone--especially not Eliza Doolittle. She has definite opinions and a distinctive personality (saucy language and all), that Dr. Doolittle is very keen on shaping up for society. The music is perfectly in synch with the mood of this great play, which is in some ways a true parable about human behavior and the treatment of women in society. Some of the most beautiful music by Lerner and Loewe is featured here. The songs include "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face," and "Get Me to the Church On Time." This is brilliant. Buy this today! I am not sure how great the sound quality is on audio cassette, in comparison to the original recording on vinyl that I heard, as a little girl. I have a feeling it's pretty spectacular though!
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Harem
Sarah Brightman , and Frank Peterson Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B00008W2QZ Release Date: 2003-06-10 |
Tracks:
- Harem
- What A Wonderful World
- It's A Beautiful Day
- What You Never Know
- The Journey Home
- Free
- Mysterious Days
- The War Is Over
- Misere Mei
- Beautiful
- Arabian Nights
- Stranger In Paradise
- Until The End Of Time
- You Take My Breathe Away
Amazon.com
If one's notion of "world music" promises a touch of the exotic and indigenous, often overlooked is the fact that the influence of western pop music has seeped into every corner of the globe, creating a hybrid that's often more than merely the sum of its influences. Theater vet Brightman steps into that pan-cultural hall of mirrors here, wedding her fascination with the music and rhythms of the "forbidden places" (the title's Arabic meaning) of the Middle East to her own oft ethereal vocal charms and rock-solid sense of drama. And if the diva's equally sound crossover sensibilities (and that of longtime producer Frank Peterson) sometimes mire it in familiar world-beat pastiche, Brightman's charmed muse manages some transcendent moments nonetheless. Her musical borrowings (Borodin for the title track; Puccini's *Madame Butterfly* for "It's a Beautiful Day") are as compelling as her choice of collaborators: classical violin star Nigel Kennedy and Iraqi vocalist Kadim Al Sahir add compelling touches to the weary timeliness of "The War is Over." The musical influences range from Europe across the Mediterranean and as far East as the Indian roots of "Bollywood" composer A.R. Rahman's "The Journey Home" and Brightman's own "You Take My Breath Away" to evocative recastings of the emblematic standards "Stranger in Paradise" and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," while ex-Killing Joke keyboardist Jaz Coleman provides the savory East-meets-West orchestrations that ensure Brightman's star turns the seamless foundations they deserve. --Jerry McCulleyAmazon.com
Sarah Brightman Photos
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More from Sarah Brightman
Time to Say Goodbye |
Diva: The Singles Collection |
Eden |
Diva: The Video Collection |
Live from Las Vegas |
La Luna (Live in Concert) |
Customer Reviews:
harem .......2007-05-28
New to Sarah Brightman.......2007-03-12
Stranger in Paradise - More Like Stranger in a Lost Cause.......2006-12-30
No voice like hers in the world.......2006-10-01
Brilliant Brightman, Her best CD........2006-09-18
![Oliver! (Deluxe Edition) (1963 Original Broadway Cast) [CAST RECORDING]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31BSTUmHczL.jpg)
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Oliver! (Deluxe Edition) (1963 Original Broadway Cast) [CAST RECORDING]
Various Artists Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B0000996JO Release Date: 2003-06-03 |
Tracks:
- Overture/Food Glorious Food - The Boys
- Oliver! - The Boys, Wiloughby Goddard, Hope Jackman, Bruce Prochnik
- I Shall Scream - Wiloughby Goddard, Hope Jackman
- Boy for Sale; Where Is Love? - Wiloughby Goddard, Bruce Prochnik
- Consider Yourself - Crowd, Michael Goodman, Bruce Prochnik
- You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two - Bruce Prochnik, Clive Revill
- It's a Fine Life - Georgia Brown, Alice Playten
- I'd Do Anything - Georgia Brown, Michael Goodman, Alice Playten, Bruce Prochnik, Clive Revill
- Be Back Soon - The Boys, Michael Goodman, Bruce Prochnik, Clive Revill
- Oom-Pah-Pah - Georgia Brown
- My Name - Danny Sewell
- As Long as He Needs Me - Georgia Brown
- Who Will Buy? - Bruce Prochnik, Chorus
- Reviewing the Situation - Clive Revill
- As Long as He Needs Me (Reprise) - Georgia Brown
- Reviewing the Situation (Reprise) - Clive Revill
- Finale
Amazon.com
Lionel Bart's wonderful musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic was the first London stage musical to be transplanted to Broadway with the same kind of sensation it received in Britain-- something that is now common in these post-Cats/Les Miserables times. Although no one from this British cast ever became enormously famous (future Monkee Davy Jones was in the second Broadway cast)--and Sir Carol Reed's film version receives all the critical accolades--this remains the better recording, featuring all the songs cut from the film, while excluding the film's musical interludes that simply seem annoying without the visuals. Just compare Bruce Brochnik to the film's Mark Lester in the title role. Or Clive Revill to Ron Moody's Fagin. Or any of the principals, for that matter--and the differences are remarkable. --Bill HoldshipCustomer Reviews:
Food for Thought - Great for Productions.......2007-07-03
Oliver is a classic and meant to be heard and seen........2007-05-25
PLEASE SIR! I WANT SOME MORE!.......2007-02-27
Oliver-The Broadway Cast.......2006-03-17
Unfortunately,(in my opinion) this energy doesn't translate suficiently to the recording and I agree - it's not particularly well sung. Again, from the perspective of a former child performer singing with other kids, it actually is possible for a group of children to sing together and make pleasant-sounding music. The adults in this "Oliver" aren't up to musical snuff either.
Although I haven't heard it, I'd be willing to take my chances on the original London version before settling for this one (which, by the way, was recorded in an LA studio before it even got to Broadway.)
spectacular Broadway album.......2006-02-15
As she had done to rapturous acclaim in London three years previously, Georgia Brown played the role of Nancy, and earned similar praise for her performance in New York. Her rich, velvet-tinged voice is especially haunting with the chill inducing ballad "As Long As He Needs Me". Composer Lionel Bart wrote "It's a Fine Life" especially for Brown after learning she had been cast in the role in the London production.
Ron Moody had also scored heavily in London with his tour-de-force turn as Fagin, but with producers fearing his portrayal `too ethnic', the role was taken by Clive Revill for the Broadway premiere. Revill had just come from his celebrated role in IRMA LA DOUCE, and his interpretation of Fagin is every bit as valid as Ron Moody's. Bruce Prochnik is a winsome and wistful Oliver, and Michael Goodman is a delight as the Artful Dodger. Wisely-retained from the original London company were a handful of the first-rate supporting players: Hope Jackman's shrill Mrs Corney; and the up-and-coming Barry Humphries as Mr Sowerberry (Humphries would later graduate to playing Fagin before his beloved alter-ego Dame Edna unleashed herself on the world). The promising young belter Alice Playten was smartly-showcased as Nancy's offsider Bet.
But, the sound mix on the Broadway album has always been rather flat and dull, despite being recorded in the stereo format of the day. Voices and orchestra have no vibrancy or depth, and this was due to the studio in which they recorded it, where the ceiling was very low and the sound did not have the necessary acoustic projection. Nevertheless, the recording has a charm and energy which overrides the technical shortcomings.
This new CD reissue from RCA offers some interesting bonus materials including musical director Don Pippin sharing his memories of the show; Barry Humphries performing "That's Your Funeral" (from the London cast album but left off the Broadway album); and a live recording of Patti LuPone singing "As Long As He Needs Me" (LuPone played Nancy in a short-lived Broadway revival in 1986).
Good value.
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Hello, Dolly! (1964 Original Broadway Cast) (Deluxe Edition)
Jerry Herman , and Carol Channing Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B000099SZ0 Release Date: 2003-06-03 |
Tracks:
- Prologue
- I Put My Hand In
- It Takes a Woman
- Put on Your Sunday Clothes
- Ribbons Down My Back
- Motherhood
- Dancing
- Before the Parade Passes By
- Elegance
- Hello, Dolly!
- It Only Takes a Moment
- So Long Dearie
- Finale
- I Put My Hand In [*] - Mary Martin
- Before the Parade Passes By [*] - Pearl Bailey
- Hello, Dolly! [*] - Pearl Bailey
- So Long Dearie [*] - Mary Martin
- Love, Look in My Window [*] - Ethel Merman
- World, Take Me Back [*] - Ethel Merman
- On Recording Hello, Dolly! [*] - Carol Channing
- When Did You Sense That Hello, Dolly! Would Be a Hit? [*] - Carol Channing
- On the Title Number [*] - Carol Channing
- "Dolly Changed Me..."; the Book [*] - Carol Channing
- Plot [*] - Carol Channing
- Optimism, And Finding One's Character [*] - Carol Channing
- Prime of Life [*] - Carol Channing
Amazon.com
Sitting in the balcony at the final preview of this 1964 Jerry Herman show, still very much in school and long before my career as a critic began, I knew somehow that I was witnessing theatrical history. Even as that callow youth, I was certain that Carol Channing had been born to play the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi, the meddling turn-of-the century New York widow who had been adapted from Thornton Wilder's straight play The Matchmaker. Channing has proved me right by playing the role ever since, of course, miraculously only improving with age. Beyond Dolly herself, however, the musical emitted a synergistic exuberance (at least five years before we used the word "synergy"). The supporting cast, including David Burns, Eileen Brennan, and Charles Nelson Reilly, were terrific. Herman's tunes and lyrics were sublimely crafted both to create their characters and stand alone. (The title song took on a life of its own.) The show's designers, librettist Michael Stewart and director Gower Champion, combined to transport the audience to 60 years earlier in little old New York. This wasn't all just my opinion: Hello, Dolly! won a record 10 Tonys. The original cast recording can still take you to that other time and place, even if you didn't see the original show. But, at the risk of offending my inner adolescent, the 1994 revival, naturally starring Channing, was even better--both on stage and on disc. --Robert WindelerCustomer Reviews:
Wonderful Soundtrack.......2007-06-27
DOLLY WILL NEVER GO AWAY.......2007-05-17
The excitement is there, but............2007-01-24
Goodbye, Dolly!.......2005-10-30
For starters, this is not the classic musical that afficianados would have you believe, nor is it Jerry Herman at his best (that honor goes to "Mame"). Rather, this is a fair to middling score with three socko numbers (title tune not included), three rather fine songs (title song included) and the rest either average or inadequate. "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" and "Before the Parade Passes By" are two of the most galvanizing songs ever written for the Broadway stage and no singer can detract from their euphoric energy (though Carol Channing tries -- more on that later). "So Long, Dearie", though slower in tempo than Barbra Streisand's definitve rendition, is a showstopping character song that's both clever and compelling. These three numbers are what gives "Dolly" it's class and they are three of the best things Herman ever wrote. Then we have "Dancing", "Elegance" and (gulp!) the by now overly familiar title song, each an accomplished tune that propels the plot with, well, elegance. The song "Hello, Dolly!" may now annoy as a Broadway warhorse, but it was as fresh as daffodils when it first premiered. The rest of the score, sadly, isn't up to these standards. "It Takes a Woman" and "It Only Takes a Moment" are indistinguished at best, and "Ribbons Down My Back" is downright annoying. Worse still, "I Put My Hand In" is a lackluster opener that pales in comparison to "Just Leave Everything to Me", its replacement in the movie and a bonifide Jerry Herman rouser. And "Motherhood" sounds like exactly what it was, a stage wait for the scenery to move in. Totally expendable.
The second problem here is that this may be the worst sung original cast recording in Broadway history. Charles Neslon Reilly's wobbly tenor struggles to maintain pitch, Eileen Brennan's stilted soprano sounds more like light operetta than musical comedy, and David Burns makes his movie counterpart, Walter Matthau, sound like Mario Lanza in comparision. Then there is Dolly, the incomprehensibly overrated Carol Channing. From her first froggy notes in "I Put My Hand In" you know it's going to be rough sledding and, sure enough, she croaks and screeches her way through one song after another, rendering most of what she sings unlistenable. Channing's voice is thin, harsh and completely unequalized throughout its range and she effectively saps all of the charm out of "...Sunday Clothes" and "Parade". By the time the recording has ended, you want to banish this CD to a deserted island. But wait, there's more! An almost unrecognizable Mary Martin starts the "extras" on this disc with a shock. Some of her last recordings, these "Dolly" numbers unfortunately display how Martin's once lovely instrument had deepened and thickened over the years. A full throttle but somewhat tremulous Ethel Merman fairs little better on some poorly recorded songs added to the show when she took over. These two giants actually make the songs Pearl Bailey does on this disc seem all the more astonishing. While arguably not as talented as Martin or Merman (although, in reconsidering this recording and her career, I think I'm entirely wrong in that observation), Bailey hits a home run on each of her renditions and her recording of the title song is absolutely definitive. Someone should quickly get the cast recording of her "Dolly" back in circulation. "She" and "we" deserve it.
The final problen here is a lengthy recent interview with Ms. Channing that has to be heard to be believed. Does she actually think we're buying the idea that she was doing high kicks in the studio while recording her songs? Please! She barely catches her breath between phrases. And her comparing her premonition that the show would be a hit to a passage in the bible is as laughable as it is sacriligious. Yes, she may have done the show over 5000 times, but she lucked into a classic without earning her own classic status. No wonder all she could do was repeat herself for the rest of her career. Stick with Streisand.
And I guess from the reviews of THIS review, disliking Channing is sacriligous. I better watch my back.
Toxically Corny!!!!.......2005-01-22
I've even asked people who DO like B'way what is the deal with her? I hear it's that she has charisma. OK, since when does charisma equal talent (I honestly believe they are NOT the same thing).
And I have even tried to listen to other musicals over the years, and I just CANNOT get the appeal of it on ANY level! I guess this is well-done as these things go (there is work involved), but I just CANNOT understand what the fuss is all about.
Signed,
One perplexed Owl.
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How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Deluxe Edition) (1961 Original Broadway Cast)
Frank Loesser , Robert Morse , and Bonnie Scott Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Nostalgia
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ASIN: B0000DZ3ID Release Date: 2003-11-04 |
Tracks:
- Overture
- How To
- Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm
- Coffee Break
- The Company Way
- The Company Way (Reprise)
- A Secretary Is Not A Toy
- Been A Long Day
- Grand Old Ivy
- Paris Original
- Rosemary
- Finaletto Act One
- Cinderella, Darling
- Love From A Heart Of Gold
- I Believe In You
- Brotherhood Of Man
- Finale
- Dear Reader - Walter Cronkite
- You Have Alertly Seized Your Opportunities - Walter Cronkite
- Been A Long Day (Reprise) - Luba Mason
- How To (Reprise) - Women
- So You Are Now A Vice-President - Walter Cronkite
- How To Handle A Disaster... - Walter Cronkite
- By This Time, You Are A Seasoned Executive... - Walter Cronkite
- Organization Man
- A Secretary Is Not A Toy
- I Believe In You - J.J. Johnson
- Brotherhood Of Man - Woody Herman And His New Thundering Herd
- Getting The Part - Robert Morse
- 'I Believe In You' - Robert Morse
- 'The Company Way' - Robert Morse
- The Audition - Charles Nelson Reilly
- 'Finaletto' - Charles Nelson Reilly
- 'Coffee Break' - Charles Nelson Reilly
Customer Reviews:
Still an electrifying album.......2007-05-29
"How to Succeed in Business" was the "Producers" of 1961 -- a highly-buzzed-about show that became a smash hit and earned tons of awards, including the Pulitzer. JFK came to see it, the ultimate stamp of approval. The difference, of course, is where Mel's show had an amanuensis, this one had the real thing in Frank Loesser. As the theatrical historian Gerald Bordman has noted, Loesser's strong suit was satire, yet somehow he got sidetracked into several big romantic shows, square pegs in round holes given his snappy up-to-the-minute style; he'd bombed the year before with the idyllic whimsy of "Greenwillow." Here he returned to the brassy form of "Guys and Dolls", and if it wasn't at that rarefied level (what could be?) his score was still one of the best -- and like most of the era's hits it was expertly and excellently cast, and thankfully for us superbly recorded. Whether the show itself is so excellent is another matter; it derives from a paper-thin in-joke parody of how-to manuals, and Abe Burrows's book pulls its punches from the get-go, content with easy set pieces. But the satirical prospects for "How to Succeed" have since increased exponentially. One could wrench "A Secretary is Not a Toy" from the weak orbit of Bob Fosse's finger snaps (the clever use of the typewriter here was evidently just for the album and most likely never made the show) and plunge it straight into an office machinery maelstrom of beeping computers and grinding copiers and ring-tone-playing cellphones. Of course J. Pierrepont Finch wouldn't be the only one with executive ambitions -- why not his beloved Rosemary? One or both could sell his (or her, or their) brilliant promotional scheme with a PowerPoint to end all PowerPoints. And Wall Street has outdone itself with imaginative crookery; merely hiding stock for a televised treasure hunt won't do -- unless of course Money Honey® emceed it on CNBC. Maybe she could be the femme fatale. Alas come the 1995 revival the producers' idea of humor was to emblazon their every poster (and the album art too) with a big fat "H2$" -- unfortunately H2S is the chemical symbol for hydrogen sulfide, sewer gas (yes, I know, it's a dollar sign, but it's also an S) -- and to get A&P's Eight O'Clock Coffee in for a willfully ignorant product placement.
Perhaps it can't be done. Perhaps this brilliant cast album is a deceptive siren song to a revival's possibilities -- like "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever", a first-rank score next to a rank book. But "Pal Joey" became a stage treasure thanks to Goddard Lieberson's studio album, and the stage is nothing if not for dreaming.
DEAR READER.......2007-01-28
You naughty Frank Loesser, tk, tk, tk, tk, tk, tk, tk, tk, tk (vintage typewriter clicks in the orchestra here): with your Jewish, Mid-European blood, wouldn't you have known --immersed deep in Rumyonland all your life-- before having Rosemary Pilkington say:
"Happy to keep his dinner warm till he comes wearily home"
then:
"I'm pregnant; what's new with you from downtown?"
...that these lyrics are so politically incorrect today? Executive suites, three button suits, doing things "The Company Way" are quite OK though: as (the then) Reagan Corps., later Bush Sr., now Cheney's Halliburton plus their henchmen in Eurobond Inc. all reign worldwide supreme; a dead solid Brotherhood of Man! Wait a minute, let's not try getting sincere! (Gotta stop that Frank Loesser cold or he'll still manage to stop the big rocket of political correctness!) It may embarrass Lloyd-Weberites, specially bric-a-brac-bazar-musicals suckers, to hear me say it, but say it I must: "How To Succeed in Business..." was the wondrous follow-up to the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical theatre revolution in the 40s/50s.... and more!
After his "Guys & Dolls" earlier masterpiece, through "Most Lucky Fella" (more 'a show with lots of music' than a Gerwhinesque Folk Opera') Loesser, a great among the finest composer/lyricists, produced his most distilled, hilarious and incisive work, teamed with Abe Burrows and the 'succeeding' choreographer of the day: Bob Fosse. To incarnate lead Pierpont Finch they groomed ex US Navy & Korean War fighter Robert Morse, with his quaint split teeth smirk, not much of a singer (listen to his breathing, the odd out of tune notes) yet, if we watch the movie version of "How To" (among the finest Hollywood Broadway adaptations) --and as a bonus, Tony Richardson's film "The Loved One"-- one can imagine Morse's charisma as the impetuous youth, the cheeky, happy go-lucky, unstoppable crawler from mailroom to the Tony Awards. And there was the awesome casting of vintage silver crooner Rudy Vallee as Biggley, supported by a bunch of fine female belting secretaries led by Bonnie Scott (and boy, belt they did! Just listen to Victoria Martin's high note in "Heart of Gold" if you can bear it.)
In the Deluxe Edition some of the bonus tracks are interesting, others less, like Charles Nelson Reilly's goings on about operatic Finalettos and such, although how right he was in his depiction of the problems he had pitching Coffee Break, then goes into a ridiculously rampant PAPAMPAMPAM!!! confessing: "I had A BAD EAR but I had a lot of spirit"... (good, honest ole' pro!) Loesser singing his demo sketch for "A Secretary is Not A Toy" at the piano is a real treat to listen to and ponder --knowing the final version-- on how any successful show depended on the interaction (and squabbles!) of its various creative collaborators. Also we get a tip of marvelous Walter Conkrite 'Book Reader's voice', which one can find, plus other missing bits, in the 1995 'H2$' New Broadway Cast Album with Mathew Broderick, a great Jeff Blumenkrantz as Frump et al; but, alas, this Clinton-era revival, with pointless new orchestrations and a ridiculous, Gospel-like arrangement of 'Brotherhood of Man' doesn't live up to the real macoy, for... Gentlemen, gentlemen! a good Broadway Masterpiece is NOT a toy, and you find nothing like it in F.A.O Shwartz! (For a real Xtra bonus, have a listen to Bobby Darin's "I Believe In You", LOL! the veritable Narcissus-swing-hit-song rendered by the very one!)
So, dear reader, you have alertly seized your opportunity to revisit or get to know this Original Cast Album of one of the best shows of the early 1960s just before its grand sloping period. Let's have a coffee on it, for it's been a long day; decades... I should say, of devastation. What? No COFFEE? No tunes? No wit? No art? No stars? Nothing remotely original? Why weren't Sondheim's greats rightly produced?
Ooooooh.... something within me dies!
There's never been a show like "How to Succeed".......2006-06-13
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A real life fairy tale..........2004-07-09
It Succeeds!.......2001-11-05
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American IV: The Man Comes Around (Bonus DVD)
Johnny Cash Manufacturer: Lost Highway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B00008IAMD Release Date: 2003-03-04 |
Tracks:
- The Man Comes Around
- Hurt
- Give My Love To Rose
- Bridge Over Troubled Water
- I Hung My Head
- First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
- Personal Jesus
- In My Life
- Sam Hall
- Danny Boy
- Desperado
- I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
- Tear Stained Letter
- Streets of Laredo
- We'll Meet Again
Amazon.com
On first thought, the idea of The Man in Black recording such covers as "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Danny Boy," and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" might seem odd, even for an artist who's been able to put his personal stamp on just about everything. But American IV: The Man Comes Around, which also draws on Cash's original songs as well as those by Nine Inch Nails ("Hurt"), Sting ("I Hung My Head"), and Depeche Mode ("Personal Jesus"), may be one of the most autobiographical albums of the 70-year old singer-songwriter's career. Nearly every tune seems chosen to afford the ailing giant of popular music a chance to reflect on his life--and look ahead to what's around the corner. From the opening track, Cash's own "The Man Comes Around," filled with frightening images of Armageddon, the album, produced by Rick Rubin, advances a quiet power and pathos, built around spare arrangements and unflinching honesty in performance and subject. In 15 songs, Cash moves through dark, haunted meditations on death and destruction, poignant farewells, testaments to everlasting love, and hopeful salutes to redemption. He sounds as if he means every word, his baritone-bass, frequently frayed and ravaged, taking on a weary beauty. By the time he gets to the Beatles' "In My Life," you'll very nearly cry. Go ahead. He sounds as if he's about to, too. Unforgettable. (This special 2003 version includes a bonus DVD with the music video for "Hurt.") --Alanna NashAlbum Description
Bonus DVD contains the music video for "Hurt", directed my Mark Romanek.Customer Reviews:
Okay I gave it a title.......2007-07-04
A Masterpiece--And A Revelation.......2007-04-02
Not my favorite of the series, but great..........2007-01-09
Like all the albums in this series, "The Man Comes Around" is a treasure, but so far it has been my least favorite in the collection. I think some of the covers were too "mainstream pop" though executed very well. "Hurt" is of course amazing, and I did like the treatment for "In My Life" and "Bridge" - "Personal Jesus" was another strong cover but for the life of me I can't figure out why "Danny Boy" is on this disc. For me, it kind of breaks up an otherwise good album.
Still, highly recommended...
I bought it for "Hurt".......2006-06-20
Excellent.......2006-06-04
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Interview With The Vampire: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Elliott Goldenthal Manufacturer: Geffen Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks
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ASIN: B000000OTW Release Date: 1994-12-13 |
Tracks:
- Libera Me
- Born To Darkness Part l
- Lestat's Tarantella
- Madeleine's Lament
- Claudia's Allegro Agitato
- Escape To Paris
- Marche Funabre
- Lastat's Recitative
- Santiago's Waltz
- Theatre De Vampires
- Armand's Seduction
- Plantation Pyre
- Forgotten Lore
- Scent Of Death
- Abduction & Absolution
- Armand Rescues Louis
- Louis' Revenge
- Born To Darkness Part ll
- Sympathy For The Devil - Guns N' Roses
Amazon.com
Elliot Goldenthal's score perfectly captures the mood of the film, from the opening notes of "Libera Me" to the reprise of "Born to Darkness" at the end. He builds on a few basic themes, adding excitement to the mix with the high-intensity "Louis' Revenge" and "Claudia's Allegro Agitato." As some of the track titles suggest, Goldenthal uses classical themes and techniques to compose his music, which works nicely. So well, in fact, that the Guns n Roses' rendition of "Sympathy for the Devil," appropriate as it was in the film, sounds like an afterthought here. The soundtrack is a little too repetitive to hold up well to repeated listens, but it's a fine effort overall, and one that holds true both to the film and to the Anne Rice novel on which it was based. --Genevieve WilliamsCustomer Reviews:
Amazing!.......2006-12-30
Nearly perfect movie score!!!.......2006-12-14
This album is dark, brooding, with alot of feeling, and is great music for a vampire movie. Maybe not quite on the same level as the Lord of the Rings movie scores for example, but does it have to be?
My only regret with this cd is that it does not contain any of the piano tunes that Lestat and Claudia play throughout the movie (which I LOVED), but the soundtrack is still very good regardless, and all of the other music from the movie that I can remember is on this cd. Some people have complained about the GNR Sympathy for the Devil song that is on the soundtrack. While it's true that it hardly goes with the rest of the movie score, it is still a part of the movie, so it's cool that it's represented here. Don't like Sympathy for the Devil? Don't listen to it - there are still 18 other very worthy tracks on this soundtrack. SFTD is the last track, so you can listen to the first 18 and then stop if you wish. I happen to like SFTD well enough anyway, so no problem for me at all.
All in all - very well done release of a terrific movie score!
Like the movie itself.......2006-11-12
Dark and Intriguing!.......2005-11-23
Some of the songs such as "LIbrae me", "Born to Darkness I and II", and "Armand", feel more like more modern movie scoring yet still carry well with the entire album. Other pieces like "lestat's Tarantella", "lestat's recitative", and "Santiago's Waltz" stayed more true to the classical feel.
My only complaint is the abomination at the end of the soundtrack called "Sympathy for the Devil". I couldn't get much beyond a minute before turning it off in discust. It doesn't fit at all and sounds absolutely horrific; what's with the bongos?
With the last song as an exception, this is a gorgeous album, wonderful for backround music. I love it!
Touching.......2004-11-05
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Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies / Gardiner
Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique , John Eliot Gardiner , Anthony Rolfe Johnson , Gilles Cachemaille , The Monteverdi Choir , Anne Sofie von Otter , and Luba Orgonasova Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven
| Beethoven, Ludwig van
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Otter, Anne Sophie von
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ASIN: B0000057EO Release Date: 1994-09-20 |
Tracks:
- Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21: 1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
- Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21: 2. Andante cantibile con moto
- Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21: 3. Menuetto: Allegro molto e vivace
- Symphony No. 1 In C Major, Op. 21: 4. Adagio - Allegro molto e vivace
- Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: 1. Adagio molto - Allegro con brio
- Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: 2. Larghetto
- Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: 3. Scherzo: Allegro
- Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 36: 4. Allegro molto
Tracks:
- Symphony No. 3 In E-Flat Major, Op. 55 'Eroica': 1. Allegro con brio
- Symphony No. 3 In E-Flat Major, Op. 55 'Eroica': 2. Marcia funebre: Adagio assai
- Symphony No. 3 In E-Flat Major, Op. 55 'Eroica': 3. Scherzo: Allegro vivace
- Symphony No. 3 In E-Flat Major, Op. 55 'Eroica': 4. Finale: Allegro molto
- Symphony No. 4 In B-Flat Major, Op. 60: 1. Adagio - Allegro vivace
- Symphony No. 4 In B-Flat Major, Op. 60: 2. Adagio
- Symphony No. 4 In B-Flat Major, Op. 60: 3. Allegro vivace
- Symphony No. 4 In B-Flat Major, Op. 60: 4. Allegro ma non troppo
Tracks:
- Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: 1. Allegro con bri
- Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: 2. Andante con moto
- Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: 3. Allegro
- Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op. 67: 4. Allegro
- Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastoral': Allegro ma non troppo: Awakening Of Cheeful Feeling Upon Arrival In The Country
- Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastoral': 2. Andante molto mosso: Scene By The Brook
- Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastoral': 3. Allegro: Merry Gathering Of Country Folk
- Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastoral': 4. Allegro - Thunderstorm
- Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68 'Pastoral': 5. Allegretto: Shepherd's Song: Happy And Thankful Feelings After The Storm
Tracks:
- Symphony No. 7 In A Minor, Op. 92: 1. Poco sostenuto - Vivace
- Symphony No. 7 In A Minor, Op. 92: 2. Allegretto
- Symphony No. 7 In A Minor, Op. 92: 3. Presto
- Symphony No. 7 In A Minor, Op. 92: 4. Allegro con brio
- Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: 1. Allegro vivace e con brio
- Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: 2. Allegretto scherzando
- Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: 3. Tempo di Menuetto
- Symphony No. 8 In F Major, Op. 93: 4. Allegro vivace
Tracks:
- Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: 1. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
- Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: 2. Molto vivace
- Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: 3. Adagio nolto e cantabile
- Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: 4. Presto
- Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: 4. Presto - 'O Freunde, nicht diese Tone!' - Allegro assai
Tracks:
- English Interview - Beethoven
- German Interview - Beethoven
- French Interview - Beethoven
Customer Reviews:
The best Beethoven symphonic cycle available at the moment.......2007-02-18
Gardiner did his homework on these works, finding, with the help of a musicologist, the scores of much of Beethoven's music. Who would have ever thought that the first subject of the fifth was plagiarised from a French folk song?
If you're after a good set of the Beethoven symphonies, look no further.
If you like the HIP approach, you may also consider the cycles by Brüggen, Hogwood, Norrington and Goodman. Brüggen's is very strong and Hogwood's was the first cycle on period instruments. Norrington's set follows the metronome markings very closely.
Amazing.......2007-01-02
Symphony No. 1 is performed very well. It is taken a bit faster (a general theme of this set) than, say, Karajan, Bernstein or Bohm would take it. This is a good thing.
For Symphony No. 2, I would actually recommend a compliment to this CD. Robert Levin (on the fortepiano) and members of the ORR recorded the chamber version of this work (for piano trio), mostly arranged by Beethoven himself. It is really interesting to contrast the two. I'd recommend that CD as well (it also comes with a piano quartet arrangment [again by Beethoven] of the fourth piano concerto. It is by Achriv Blue).
Symphony No. 3: The DEFINITIVE version of this symphony. Great throughout.
Symphony No. 4: This performance is the reason you should get this set. Symphony No. 4 has been largely ignored in favor of the odd number Symphonies. Here we have the DEFINITIVE, must have performance of this work. The finale is amazing, as is the deep beginning. The work is also the epitome of Beethoven's second style period, from the deep, gloomy beginning to the triumphant, allegro finale (in this performance, their is no "ma non troppo"; it is played more like a slow "presto vivace" than "allegro ma non troppo," which works very well). Great performance.
Symphony No. 5 is also brilliantly played. Among the best recordings of that symphony.
Symphony No. 6: The weak link of the more popular works in this set, though it is still very, very good.
Symphony No. 7: The scherzo here is light and playful. The pavonne second movement is very deep and moving. The finale is very heroic. I really like the sound of the horns; I think they work very well.
Symphony No. 8: Since this one is sandwiched between the great Symphonies No. 7 and 9, I think it has been largely ignored, much like Symphony No. 4 is with 3 and 5. Therefore, see Symphony No. 4.
Symphony No. 9: Where to start? This is THE DEFINITIVE and BEST version of this symphony available. The tempi are much faster than the other great conductors of the 20th century (Karajan, Bohm, Bernstein, Furtwangler, et al). The scherzo is really nice. The biggest difference between the finale of this recordings and the finale of other recordings is the tempo. This is especially evident in the march section. In Karajan and Bohm, it's more of a dirge than a march. Here, the tenor sounds light and easy, whereas in the other versions he (typically) sounds slow and strained.
Overall, this set is well worth owning. You will not be disappointed.
An Outstanding Symphonic Cycle.......2006-12-16
I recall that when the Gardiner set came out that there were some people, my wife included, who thought they were too fast. Listening to the 9th symphony the first movement is so furiously driven that the tempos sound out of control. The symphony last just under 60 minutes which may sound like a record until one considers that Felix Weingartner (a Beethoven expert) turned in a performance just over 60 minutes. The performances are vibrant and well played, all of them the product of live performances, a few like the 9th were made following a performance. For me the Gardiner cycle has a freshness that while not excluding other recordings (period instrument and modern symphony orchestra) has made this the only complete cycle that I have of the Beethoven symphonies. Perhaps the most telling evidence that Gardiner's approach to Beethoven has been influential is the rethinking of the tempos of the symphonies by conductors like Bernard Haitink. I highly recommend this cycle of symphonies for someone new to Beethoven and those listeners who are familiar with this music.
Excellent.......2005-10-21
I liked Gardiner interpretation of the Beethoven Simphonies. Vigorous, somewhat fast and very well recorded. In 9th simphony I would prefer a slower tempo but this is my opinion.
You should like a song because you really like it and not because some classical music "pundit" says that this is the correct way to play because there is not such a thing. The only person that could have the final word is Ludwig.
Haven't Heard Better Really.......2005-10-20
Beethoven was alive during the times of the French Revolution and Napoleon and was an ardent republican in Austria under the Hapsburg court. Many of his symphonies incorporate his ideals of revolutionary change. A disproportionate majority of the performances for these symphonies, particularly older conductors, completely misinterpret Beethoven's intention. A perfect example of this is in the march for the last movement of the 9th Symphony. If you listen to any of Karajan's, Solti's, or even Bernstein's interpretation it sounds like a damn funeral procession. The march in the piece is a revolutionary military march that is meant to proceed at a fast pace. In terms of military marches, the other interpretations are too slow even for a funeral. The only thing that keeps me from falling asleep when listening to them is the volume which is overbearing: I can barely recognize a single section in that Mahleresque cacophony. It's just symphonic overkill for these pieces. So loud Beethoven would have probably said 'Turn it down it's too loud!' in his deaf old age. Gardiner's symphony could use a little more volume but the traditional instruments don't permit that. As for the performances, there are some minor problems with various sections in the different symphonies but I didn't find them overly significant. The best part for me is particularly Gardiner's reinterpretation of the meter which gives one a far greater sense of impending change in pieces such as his 3rd, 5th, and 9th. Also, compared to the older conductors I've mentioned, you're not going to feel like you're in a coma when you listen to the 7th Symphony or that Winter has come instead of Spring in his 6th. Gardiner's orchestra is also smaller wich diminishes the volume but having a modern orchestra of 300+ members is simply overkill for such pieces and the results are worst in muffling the strings than Gardiner's lack of punch with traditional strings and orchestra size.
I think Gardiner's interpretations are just fine despite their defects as many of its other contenders have problems of their own which, in my opinion, are worst than those of Gardiner's. At least you won't feel like you're at a funeral and that the whole attending party is going to die along with the deceased so morbidly slow are those old school performances. I'm going to rate all the presently great performances for these works with four stars until a truly great one comes along to deserve five. Choosing the best among different performances here is then really a question of taste as they all have problems in one way or another. Of the older generation I tend to prefer Toscanini's interpretations above those of Solti or Karajan.
Meditation Music:
- James Bond Now
- Jenny from the Block [CD-single] [Import]
- Jessica Simpson: With You/I Wanna Love You Forever [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Karaoke]
- Last Kiss [CD-Extra] [Enhanced]
- Latino Classics [Import]
- Left of the Middle
- Lights Karma Action
- Lucky [CD-single] [Import]
- Melinda
- Mohair Supreme
Meditation Music
Traetta: Stabat Mater In Nocte Plena
Valentin Silvestrov: Silent Songs
We Three [Original recording remastered] [Import]
Chopin: Piano Works [Etudes - Impromptus - Sonatas - Concertos - Mazurkas - Polonaise - Berceuse]