Hamlet

Hamlet

Track Listings

1. Limítate

2. Queda Mucho Por Hacer

3. Vivo en El

4. No lo Entiendo

5. Disfraz

6. Versus

7. Mira Hacia Atras

8. Acuerdate de Mi

9. Ni un Solo Instante

10. Esperare en el Infierno

11. Desorden

Hamlet,Hamlet,Locomotive Music,Heavy Metal,Pop,Rock,Rock en Español,Rock/Pop

Once Upon a Time: The Essential Ennio Morricone
Average customer rating:

Excellence!

"his domain of film scoring is legendary ~ Ennio Morricone"

Once Upon a Time: The Essential Ennio Morricone

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Untouchables (1987 Film)

Film Music, Vol. 2

Very Best of Ennio Morricone

Ennio Morricone - Film Music, Vol.1

We All Love Ennio Morricone

ASIN: B0002V4YTU
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Tracks:

Once Upon A Time In The West: Man With The Harmonica
A Fistful Of Dollars
For A Few Dollars More
Days Of Heaven: The Harvest
The Five Man Army
Once Upon A Time In The West: Jill's Theme
The Men From Shiloh
Guns For San Sebastian: Overture
Two Mules For Sister Sara
A Fistful Of Dynamite: Duck, You Sucker
My Name Is Nobody
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: Main Theme
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: The Ecstasy Of Gold
Cinema Paradiso
Once Upon A Time In America: Deborah's Theme

Tracks:

The Untouchables: Main Theme
The Red Tent
The Sicilian Clan
Exorcist & The Heretic: Regan's Theme
Moses The Lawgiver
In The Line Of Fire
The Thing
Le Professionnel: Chi Mai
Hamlet
1900: Romanza
Casualties Of War: Elegy For Brown
Marco Polo
The Mission
Gabriel's Oboe
Ave Maria (Guarini)
On Earth As It Is In Heaven
Epilogue: The Falls

Customer Reviews:

Excellence!.......2007-04-22

These recordings range back to 1994, with a number of tracks being from Silva Screen's "Music from the Films of Clint Eatwood" compilation, with Derek Wadsworth conducting the City of Prague Philharmonic.

Those tracks are: "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", "A Fistful of DOllars", "For a Few Dollars More", and "Two Mules for Sister Sara". "In The Line Of Fire' also appeared on that CD, performed electronically by Mark Ayres.

The next bunch of tracks is from Silva Screen's 1996 compilation, "Cinema Paradise: The Classic Film Music of Ennio Morricone", which included the majority of tracks here such as the extensive The Mission Suite, The Untouchables, Casulaties of War, Once Upon a Time In America, 1900, Chi Mai, Marco Polo, Once Upon a Time In The West (two tracks), Cinema Paradise, and The Good the Bad and the Ugly - Ecstacy of Gold, mostly being conducted by Paul Bateman, with Nic Raine doing some of the conducting duties as well.

Hamlet is from Silva's 1997 "Cinema's Classic Romances" compilation, while "The Thing" is from Silva's 2001 "Essential John Carpenter".

A Fistful of Dynamite - Duck You Sucker is from 2002's Way Out West: Essential Western Film Music Collection Volume Two.

The remaing tracks were newly recorded in 2004 for this release:
Days of Heaven, Exorcist II, Guns for San Sebastian, Moses the Lawgiver, My Name is Nobody, The Five Man Army, The Red Tent, The Men From Shiloh and The Sicilian Clan.

Highly recommended.

"his domain of film scoring is legendary ~ Ennio Morricone".......2004-10-07

Silva America once again has outdone themselves with "Once Upon A Time:The Essential Ennio Morricone Film Music Collection", a double disc collection worth their weight in GOLD! ~ Morricone creates visual moods for each film he scores...action, adventure, mystery, romance, sentimental and suspense...the list could go on.

Ennio Morricone was born in Rome on October 11, 1928...attended the Santa Cecilia Conservatory...worked in various jazz bands, later a staff arranger and composer...an orchestrator in the '50s...scored films in the early '60s, then the WESTERNS and his name became a household word in the film industry ~ a new kind of western was on the horizon and Morricone was commissioned to score "A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS" [1964] for Sergio Leone featuring Clint Eastwood, spaghetti westerns were born ~ next "FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE" [1965] ~ and a bigger budget film "THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY" [1966], again featuring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and a third Eli Wallach whose performance was magical to watch on the big screen ~ violence and revenge gives Morricone an opportunity to feature electric guitars, flutes and jew's harp blending with a non lyrical chorus mixed with brass, strings, percussion with full orchestration that simply took your breath away...example is "ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST" [1968], featuring Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards and our hero Charles Bronson the mysterious harmonica player, director Sergio Leone's tribute to the American Western, pulled out all the stops ~ the Western was just a small part of Maestro Morricone's career, in the next paragraph take a gander of just what our icon of film music accomplished.

Our composer didn't stop there as "ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA" [1984], featuring Robert De Niro, James Woods and Elizabeth McGovern, another Sergio Leone film..."THE MISSION" [1986], featuring Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons and Aldan Quinn, is probably one of Morricone's crowning scores receiving an Academy Award nomination, very haunting and classical genre in substance..."THE UNTOUCHABLES" [1987], featuring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and Robert De Niro during the Al Capone '30s crime organization, Morricone conjures a powerful and dynamic arrangement of his unmistakable theme..."CINEMA PARADISO" [1988], featuring Phillippe Noiret, Antonella Attili and Pupella Maggio from director Giuseppe Tomatore as he recalls his early childhood, the score immediately captures your heart, so tender and compelling as Morricone can only deliver.

City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra featuring conductors Kenneth Alwyn, Paul Bateman, James Fitzpatrick, Nic Raine, Derek Wadsworth ~ Crouch End Festival Chorus featuring Choir Master David Temple ~ vocals performed by Charlotte Kinder, Marie Kopecka and Jill Washington ~ guitar, percussion and keyboards performed by Gareth Williams ~ all in all did a magnicent job in bringing the music of a composer who wrote for over 250 films, receiving recognition from the industry and fans which was long over-due ~ his work is in constant demand, scoring as many as over a half dozen films as year.

This collection contains an overlay of each cue in Morricone's distinctive style of legendary scoring ~ the man who made this possible, a tremendous asset to every project he undertakes is James Fitzpatrick [producer of the album] ~ symphonic suites with full orchestra fullfilling the "film-score-buffs" cravings for more of the same, just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 2-CD-Set ~ Silva America 1165 ~ (10/05/2004)

Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture; Marche Slav; Romeo & Juliet Overture

Average customer rating:

Emotional and expressive Tchaikovsky without being lurid

Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture; Marche Slav; Romeo & Juliet Overture

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5 in E minor/Fantasy Overture "Romeo and Juliet"
Brahms, Tchikovsky: Violin Concertos
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Bernstein Century - Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites, Norwegian Dance, March of Dwarfs/ Sibelius: Valse Triste, Swan of Tuonela, Finlandia

ASIN: B0001ENYKI
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Tracks:

1812 Overture, Op.49
Marche Slave, Op.31
Romeo And Juliet Fantasy Overture
Capriccio Italien, Op.45
Hamlet Fantasy Overture, Op.67

Customer Reviews:

Emotional and expressive Tchaikovsky without being lurid.......2006-06-16

What makes this generous (80 min.) CD welcome is that Bernstein, far from going over the top, proves himself a genuinely expressive Tchaikovsky conductor. There are no choirs or cannons in the 1812 Over.(church bells are overlaid in the finale, though), no saccharine underlining of melodies, and no faking the emotion to reach the grandstands. Bernstein was to the manner born in romantic music, so his Romeo and Juliet is exciting and heartfelt. The 1812 will feel a bit low-key to anyone who expects a circus act, but it's musically sound, in case that matters.

I'm not arguing that this CD contains any revelations, but these chestnuts are all very winning in Bernstein's hands. His Capriccio italien deserves better sound--it's a bit thin and tinny--but it dances and sings. My attraction was to the problematic tone poem, Hamlet, which Bernstein believed in eough to record a second time for DG with the Israel Phil. The classic Stokowski recording on Everest tops every critic's list, but Bernstein's sounds more natural in the lyrical sections and brings quite a few thrills in the bombastic rum-tum of this uneven work.

Average customer rating:

A seldom-heard score
Some of Shostakovich's Most Profoundly Moving Music
Shostakovich As a Great Film Music Composer

Hamlet

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Auric: Beauty and the Beast [La Belle et la Bete] [Complete Score for the 1946 Film] [First Digital Stereo Recording]
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ASIN: B0001Z65FI
Release Date: 2004-06-15

Tracks:

Overture (Suite, No. 1)
Military Music
Fanfares
The Palace Ball (Suite, No. 2)
Story Of Horatio And The Ghost
The Ball
The Ghost (Suite, No. 3)
Hamlet's Parting From Ophelia
Palace Music
Arrival Of The Players (Suite, No. 6)
Monologue (What A Rogue And Peasant Slave)
Hamlet's Monologue (To Be Or Not To Be)
Royal Fanfare
In The Garden (Suite, No. 4)
Booth Fanfare
Poisoning Scene (Suite, No. 5)
The Flutes Play
Ophelia's Descent Into Madness (Song Of Ophelia)
Ophelia's Insanity
Death Of Ophelia (Suite, No. 7)
Hamlet At Ophelia's Grave
The Cemetery
The Duel/The Death Of Hamlet/Hamlet's Funeral (Suite, No. 8)

Album Description

Naxos announces the new Film Music Classics series, whose inaugural release is the first ever complete recording of Shostakovich's film music to Hamlet. Written in the early 1960s for Kozintsev's film, Shostakovich's music for Hamlet is generally considered to be his best film score, with an absolute clarity of vision and containing some of his most intense music. The film won several film festival prizes, while the score was used for a number of ballets based on Hamlet. The eight-part suite compiled by Shostakovich's friend Lev Atovmian in 1964 is the usual guise of Shostakovich's music. However, for this unique recording the suite has been integrated with the original complete published score, which includes music not used in the final cut of the film.

Customer Reviews:

A seldom-heard score.......2007-07-29

This movie score is seldom heard. The CD is an excellent contribution to music history.

Some of Shostakovich's Most Profoundly Moving Music.......2006-05-14

There was a time when the public looked down on classical music composers who deigned to stoop to writing film scores, and yet many of the finest composers of the 20th century were quite successful in producing quality music for the cinematic medium: Korngold, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Copland and Shostakovich to name but a few. When Shostokovich wrote this deeply profound and moody score for the 1963 Russian film 'Gamlet' he was in top form and the music that is brought to us in its entirety on this lengthy recording (59 minutes) by Dmitry Yablonsky conducting the Russian Philharmonic in a eight day recording session in Moscow in February 2003 offers some refreshing insights into the power of Shostakovich's compositional techniques.

From the sinister Overture, through military music and fanfares and palace balls, Shostakovich leads us into the mysteries that abound in Shakespeare's drama. The episodes of meeting the ghost, the inordinately appealing subtle music that accompanies Hamlet's famous monologues to the madness and death of Ophelia and the eventual death of Hamlet - all are orchestrated with such brilliance that the music sounds like a fresh introduction to Shostakovich. For example, he uses the harpsichord for Ophelia, allowing that odd keyboard sound to dwindle into insanity in a manner that sets this character apart from the rest of Shostakovich's musical style.

For those who love the symphonies and quartets of Dmitri Shostokovich this magnificently recorded CD should become a part of the library. It is not a minor work: it is some of this great composer's most personal writing. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, May 06

Shostakovich As a Great Film Music Composer.......2004-06-25

By my title I don't necessarily mean the FILM is great (I've not seen it) but the music certainly is. As far as I know we've not had the complete film score on CD before; there have been several recordings (conducted by Chailly and Previn, among others) of a suite from the score. This one does not have to take a back seat to any recording I've ever heard of the suite. And it contains music that we'd not otherwise hear, some of it extraordinarily evocative. More and more, with some recent widely distributed recordings, we are coming to know Shostakovich as a masterful film composer. Look for CDs of his music for 'The Great Citizen,' 'Pirogov,' 'The Gadfly, 'The New Babylon,' among others. Just as we remember Prokofiev for his ballet scores, we may come to remember Shostakovich just as much for his film music. And these are not the typical Hollywood-style scores; they don't sound so much like movie music as descriptive tone poems.

Dmitry Yablonsky conducts the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, a group that has been coming on strong in recent times; Yablonsky is their Principal Conductor and he certainly gets all one could ask for from them. The playing is alert and flexible, musical and suave, spooky and exciting. In the spooky passages (and there are some moments of real frisson in the scene with Hamlet's Father's ghost) I was actually made to feel eerily unsettled.

Some highlights of the score: The Ghost, The Ball, Arrival of the Players, Monologue ('What a rogue and peasant slave'), Monologue ('To be or not to be'), In the Garden, Death of Ophelia, and 'The Duel - Death of Hamlet - Hamlet's Funeral.' The latter is an emotionally evocative 7-minute tone poem that could stand on its own.

This CD also has a release on SACD which I have not heard. But on this plain vanilla CD the sound is demonstration quality, so I can only imagine what it must be like with surround sound.

Recommended.

TT=62:28

Tracks:

Artaxerxes: The Soldier Tir'd
Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim
Norma: Sediziose voci ... Casta diva ... Ah! bello a me ritorna
I Puritani: Son vergin vezzosa (Polonaise)
Semiramide: Bel raggio lusinghier
I Puritani: O rendetemi la speme ... Qui la voce ... Vien, diletto
La Sonnambula: Care compagne ... Come per me sereno ... Sovra il sen
Faust: O Dieu! que de bijoux ... Ah! je ris de me voir

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette: Ah! Je veux vivre
Otello: Mia madre aveva una povera ancella ... Piangea cantando
Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail: Martern aller Arten
La Traviata: E' strano ... Ah, fors'e lui ... Sempre libera
Hamlet: A vos jeux, mes amis
Lakme: Ah! Ou va la jeune Indue
Les Huguenots: O beau pays de la Touraine!
Rigoletto: Gualtier Malde ... Caro nome

Amazon.com

In February 1959, an unknown (well, comparatively) Australian singer appeared at Covent Garden in Franco Zeffirelli's new production of Lucia di Lammermoor and took the world by storm. The following year, Joan Sutherland went into the studio to record this reissued tribute to prima donnas of previous generations, illustrating along the way the bel canto tradition of which she was to become a leading exponent. The 16 excerpts on this digitally remastered double CD include several roles she had already sung or was on the verge of singing, from Gilda in Rigoletto, which she had sung at Covent Garden before her Lucia debut, to Norma. What a performance! The voice is fresh, remarkable in its beauty, and she makes it all sound so effortless, tossing off Handel's "Let the bright Seraphim" or the Jewel aria from Gounod's Faust as if they're the easiest things in the world. This sparkling selection of glorious singing demonstrates just why Sutherland was to remain at the top of her profession for the next 30 years and join those to whom she here pays tribute as one of the great singers of all time. --Richard Fawkes

Customer Reviews:

La Stupenda is stupendous on this recording. Don't miss it!.......2007-01-05

I originally bought "The Art of the Prima Donna" in 1963, when I was just a kid, after seeing Dame Joan's debut in "Norma" with the Vancouver Opera in October of that year, and I was completely bowled over by both her live performances and her recording. She made me an opera fan for life. I've worn out and replaced that miraculous recording since then, and now have a third version on CD.

I completely disagree with those who believe that Sutherland lost the gleam on her voice after 1961. It's true that she suffered for several years with intermittently poor diction and rhythmic lapses, but these were due to terrible medical problems and the results of serious operations that were required to restore her health. Later she recovered most of her vocal lustre and all of her enthusiasm for performing, and her diction steadily improved. Her fabulous technique remained intact until her retirement in 1990.

No singers sound as fresh at 50 as they do at 30. Just listen to how Callas sounded in her later years, when her voice had almost completely deteriorated, and her career was far shorter than Sutherland's. The fact is that Sutherland sang in public for forty years, without amplification and often in barnlike theatres, and yet she still sounded formidable when she retired. Just listen to her performance of the final aria from "Lucrezia Borgia" on YouTube. I heard her debut in that role, again in Vancouver, shortly before that Covent Garden performance, and can attest that she was still in fabulous voice at the age of 53 and her coloratura remained spectacular.

What "The Art of the Prima Donna" gives us is the memory of an unparalleled vocal phenomenon in her glorious youth, before her physical disabilities briefly interrupted her career. No singer since has created a recording that exhibits anything like the range, vocal beauty and versatility that Sutherland displayed on this historic recording--not Callas, nor Caballe, nor Sills, nor any of their recent imitators. The title of this recording was not an exaggeration. This is singing that truly revived "The Age of Bel Canto," to quote the title of another Sutherland recording. "The Art of the Prima Donna" and Sutherland's earlier recordings, if you can get them, constitute an invaluable legacy from an artist who truly restored the golden age of singing.

Sutherland is Amazing.......2006-06-29

The first thing I ever heard by Sutherland was the Bel Raggio and I was floored. The voice sounded huge but I wondered if it was a technicians trick. I heard her on stage many times. Recordings do NO JUSTICE to the hugeness of the voice. Her diction was weak and her line sometimes droopy but the warm, huge, fexible voice was amazing. I don't think she or anyone else was the Voice or Singer of the century- no voice or singer could sing every role in the repetoire. Sutherland could no more sing Brunnhilde than Flagstad could sing Lucia.

In her repertoire, JS was one of the greatest voices with an incredible technique and style that ever made recordings. This is a great CD - but some others which were issued on vinyl but to my knowledge not on CD help round out the Sutherland greatnes, viz., Command Performance, The Age of Bel Canto and the French Opera Album. She did a 2 disc set called "A Festival of Baroque Operas- There is an aria called "Barbaro, Barbaro" which is mind boggling for the speed and clarity of its coloratura. Even in 1977 at 51 yrs old her video performance of Lucrezia Borgia is amazing - it is one of the greatest performances she ever did- exciting, tender and again with that huge voice and flexibility. The last scene is amazing.

Flawless-NO Unique-WITHOUT A DOUBT!!!!!

A Phenomenal Historic Recording Newly Minted.......2005-10-08

There is not much to add to the encomiums of previous reviews. This is one of the most astounding vocal recitals, if not THE most astounding, ever recorded. It caught one of history's greatest singers in her absolute prime, before the well-known defects - mushy diction, cloudy tone, sliding into notes, enervated rhythmic sense - began to compromise her singing. (Well, ok, the diction here is not crystal clear, but mostly quite acceptable and MUCH better than it later became.)

One wonders if any other soprano in history ever sang so fast, so high and so loud while always preserving such a full, golden, round sound. Sutherland was a genuine vocal phenomenon, and even those who don't generally care for her singing surely must find their jaws on the floor repeatedly during this recital. Every selection has something treasurable. My personal favorites: "A soldier tir'd," "Bel raggio lusinghier," "Qui la voce," "Come per me sereno," the "Hamlet" Mad Scene, the Bell Song, and "O beau pays."

The remastering is superb, enabling us to hear Sutherland's voice in all its pristine glory. The engineers have even managed to mitigate the rumble of Underground trains (the Picadilly Line?) that were a perpetual problem in Kingsway Hall, although I was glad to hear that the loud yell in the distance one hears during the "Croce e delizia" section of "Ah, fors'e lui" is still there; by now it is an old friend, and I would miss it.

Canary in the silver mine .......2005-09-20

This is a good compilation, and Sutherland was captured at the right time, before she went completely mushy dictionwise and lost her vocal sheen. The remastered sound is very good, too, spectacular for a recording from the 1960s.
However, after digesting this CD for several weeks, I still have a mixed response to all these Stupendous vocalistics.
The beginning is the main sour note- Arne is tired, with often imprecise, behind the beat coloratura, quite unlike the rest of Sutherland's output, and Let the Bright Seraphim is unbelievably leaden- the orchestra in particular sounds awful, and clunky. I can't comment on ornamentation here because I didn't detect any. This is a poor man's Seraphim, only impressive if you never heard any other versions, and Sutherland's voice is wasted in this piece.
This CD really picks up with Casta Diva, a dazzling showcase for Sutherland's voice. I was very impressed with Sutherland's performance as Norma in this recording- what happened to her in later years, when her "acting" was limited to, as she herself described it, wearing a "generally pained expression" and singing without much color or feeling?
Pieces from I Puritani are great, then we get excellent Rossini, wonderful Jewel Song, and then sparkling Juliet and very effective, beautiful and dramatically involved Desdemona.
And then- another fly in the ointment, Marten Aller Arten. This is one of my favourite arias and I can be very unforgiving when it comes to its performance, plus I like Konstanze to be really angry and wired, which is sort of opposite of what Joan does. This is a pretty, chirpy Marten, and she works hard on her German- way too hard actually, she seems to be slowing down trying to pronounce it, and still "Ich verlache" and "mich" turn into "Ich ve-ayee" and "meeeh", plus she does not sound as secure on top as I would expect, with a metallic high C. She picks up at the very end, putting some feeling into the sound, then topples again... This is a hit and miss one.
Fortunately the rest of the CD is filled with sparklers more in Sutherland's vein. Violetta is really great, with a fantastic high E, Ophelia is nice, Lakme is vocally one of the best I have ever heard, the dull Meyerbeer aria is made interesting and shimmery- that fabulous trill is finally put to work after many tracks of underuse- and then it all ends with a most charming Gilda.
It's not the greatest vocal performance ever put on vinyl/plastic/megabites, but overall, a good, historical set to add to your collection of opera recitals and soprano specials.

Bel Canto from an angelic voice.......2005-04-19

There are only a few soprano-recitals that are absolutely essential and must be in every opera collector's collection. The art of the primadonna, does it qualify? Oh yes indeed and here's why. Joan Sutherland had one of the most brilliant and beautiful voices in recorded history, combine that with an excellent technique, high notes that sparkle like stars and coloratura of angelic quality and you get what Joan Sutherland was in 1961. To describe only a few favourites:

2. Samson, oratorio, HWV 57 Let the bright Seraphim
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Joan Sutherland

A sparkling and intense interpretation of this well known yet hardly ever magnificently performed piece. Lucid, beautiful and technically impeccable.

3. Norma, opera Sediziose voci... Casta diva... Ah! bello
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
with Joan Sutherland

Surely her best studio-recording of this killer-aria. She is one of the few Normas who masters the recitativo without cracking or sounding strained, yet full of authority and intelligent drama. The Casta Diva itself is fluent, the make-or-break coloratura wonderfully executed. As for the cabaletta, not since young Callas in 1949 have I heard this piece sung so beautifully! Amazing high notes crown a cabaletta that broke more than one famous Norma before.

6. I Puritani, opera O rendetemi la speme... Qui la voce... Vien, diletto
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini

A Bellinian madscene at its finest. Once again only Callas in 1949 can be compared to this wonder of a recording. Callas too found darker colours and more intensity. (Dolore e passione as described in the score) Sutherland may lack these but she sings it with her own sense for drama which is uniquely sublime.

10. Otello, opera Mia madre aveva una povera ancella... Piangea cantando
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Joan Sutherland

An interesting and excellent choice. There are pictures of Joan Sutherland as Desdemona and what a pity that no complete recording of her performances survived. I find her Desdemona to be far more convincing than Tebaldi because she sounds more fragile and elegant, plus she has that silvery tone of innocence that I don't hear in Tebaldi's golden, sensual voice. Excellent in the floating lines, beautiful and tender in the cantabile.

16. Rigoletto, opera Gualtier Maldè... Caro nome
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Joan Sutherland

This can be compared to Maria Callas' live-performance of this piece and, being in excellent sound, might be preferred. (Callas was excellent in the studio as well, yet in 1955 she was less daring and defying) Stunningly intense in the cantabile and brilliant in the coloratura-passages. Far better than her famous performance with Pavarotti where she had lost the youthful, silvery sound that made her earlier Gilda so loveable.

I do not adore her as much in French opera and La Traviata or anything German but that doesn't mean that her singing was anything but amazing, just a personal preference. In short: Buy it and discover why Joan Sutherland is indeed La Stupenda!

Average customer rating:

SImply Untrue
an extra star for all the guest artists
An Homage to a Great Artist
superb vocals

The Very Best of Thomas Hampson
Marc Barrard , Thomas Hampson , Csaba Airizer , Georges Bizet , Charles Wakefield Cadman , Stephen Foster , Charles Gounod , Edvard Grieg , Charles Tomlinson Griffes , Imre (Emmerich) Kalman , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Franz Lehar , Gustav Mahler , Jules Massenet , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Gioachino Rossini , Franz Schubert , Robert Schumann , Johann II Strauss , Ambroise Thomas , Giuseppe Verdi , Richard Wagner , Carl Maria von Weber , Antonio de Almeida , Antonio Pappano , Eugene Kohn , and Fabio Luisi
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Song of America
No Tenors Allowed: Famous Duets for Baritone and Bass
Arias - Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert
Christmas with Thomas Hampson
Samuel Ramey - Operatic Arias

ASIN: B0006VYEI2
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

La Ran La Lera...Largo Al Factotum
O Sainte Medaille...Avant De Quitter Ces Lieux
Ce Breuvage...Vision Fugitive
C'est Toi...Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Placido Domingo
La Fatigue Alourdit Mes Pas...Comme Une Pale Fleur
Ecoute!...Dieu, Tu Semas Dans Nos Ames
C'est Mon Jour Supreme
Tout Est Desert...Son Regard
Ove Son Io?...Vada In Fiamme
Perfidi! All'Anglo Contro Me...Pieta, Rispetto Amore
Di Provenza Il Mar, Il Suol
E Sogno? O Realta?
Komm!
Der Garten Des Herzens
Lied Des Venezianischen Gondoliers
Le Lazzarone
L'Ultimo Ricordo

Tracks:

Mein Sehnen, Mein Wahnen
Wo Berg' Ich Mich?...So Weih' Ich Mich Den Rachgewalten
Wie Todesahnung...O Du Mein Holder Abendstern
Gruss Op.48 No.1
Im Wunderschonen Monat Mai
Aus Meinen Tranen Spriessen
Die Rose, Die Lilie
Ich Will Meine Seele Tauchen
Ich Grolle Nicht
Gute Nacht
Die Post
Blicke Mir Nicht In Die Lieder
Ich Atmet' Einen Linden Duft
Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen
Von Der Schonheit
O Vaterland, Du Machst Bei Tag
Als Flotter Geist
Komm, Zigany
An Old Song Re-Sung
At Dawning (I Love You) Op.29 No.1 - Armen Guzelimian
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Beautiful Dreamer

Album Description

Details TBA. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

SImply Untrue.......2006-08-16

The previous review is simply a gross falsification. I have been an obsessed opera fan for a long time, and Thomas Hampson is a truly special singer. He is not the possesor of the largest or most interesting voice, which he will tell you and indeed says so all the time. His commitment to text, his willingness to search out parts to fit his voice, and his dedication to art song make im invaluable to Americans as a ture Troubador. His light Baritone was ideally suited to Figaro and to Valentin and the art song he loves. He must stretch to sing Verdi, where his voice sounds dry and small but many singers have chanced Verdi at their peril, and his innate ablity to inhabit a song, here evidenced in Di Provenza overcomes fact that it is out of his fach. You misinformed opinion of Hampson is mean and strangly bitter. I love Opera, but I do not love every singer, which doesn't mean I debase their very artistic existance. I have seen Hampson live, and have loved him (in Thias) and somewhat disliked him (in Simon Boccanegra) As for him being pretentious, somwetimes I find him mannered, but always charming. SOmetimes Intellectualism can appear pretentious, but surely you wont hold an opera singer to the charge that he must be unintellectual. what a vitriolic review, please buy this Cd, it merits repeated listening to a true American SINGER,

an extra star for all the guest artists.......2006-05-08

The title of this album is an oxymoron. Or a sick joke. I can't decide. Sure he has made millions by luring the uninitiated listener into his web of deceit and conceit, but don't be fooled any longer. How fortunate Hampson has been to sing for and with great artists to shoulder his heavy load.

An Homage to a Great Artist.......2005-10-30

EMI is wisely creating a series of recordings to gather the moments of artists that showcase the very reasons they become so highly regarded. Usually these collections are produced late in careers or even posthumously, but in the case of THE VERY BEST OF THOMAS HAMPSON the artist is still one of the more active and premiere singers of our day. Yet while he doesn't still perform all of these inclusions, it is wonderful to have excerpts from various successful recordings to remind us of the artistry that Hampson represents.

The two disc set includes arias from operas: Rossini's 'Il barbière di Siviglia', von Weber's 'Euryanthe', Gounod's 'Faust', Massenet's 'Hérodiade', Bizet's 'Les Pêcheurs de perles' (in duet with Placido Domingo), Thomas' 'Hamlet', Verdi's 'Don Carlo', 'Il Travatore', 'Macbeth', 'La Traviata', and 'Falstaff', Korngold's 'Die Tote Stadt', and Wagner's 'Tannhäuser'.

But the rewards of a Hampson recording must include his impeccable career as a lieder stylist and on this recording are excerpts from Schumann's 'Dichterliebe', Schubert's 'Winterreise', Mahler's 'Rückert Lieder' and 'Das Lied von der Erde', as well as songs by Meyerbeer, Rossini, Grieg, Kalman, and Lehar. And very importantly there are examples of American songs that Hampson has always emphasized in his recitals. Works by Stephen Foster, and two extraordinary works with the brilliant accompanist Armen Guzelimian - 'An Old Song Re-sung' by Griffes and 'At Dawning' by Charles Wakefield Cadman - round out this fine survey.

Not usually a collector of such 'recombinations', for this listener this album is so very fine that it deserves the attention of all those who appreciate the artistry of Thomas Hampson - then and now. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

superb vocals.......2005-08-07

Mr.Hampson really gets the chance to showcase his wonderful baritone voice in this "Best of" collection which includes excellent selections from his various other CDs. I like the diversity of the selections featuring operatic arias,works from classical composers, and folk songs. For Thomas hampson fans, as well as fans of the baritone voice, this CD is for them.

Average customer rating:

Valuable compendium
Rareties available on CD at last!
Heavenly
WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?

The Art of Joan Sutherland

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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Joan Sutherland: BBC-Recitals 1958, 1960, 1961
The Art of the Prima Donna
Serate Musicali
The Voice of the Century
La Stupenda ~ The Supreme Voice of Joan Sutherland

ASIN: B000654OUQ
Release Date: 2005-03-15

Customer Reviews:

Valuable compendium.......2007-01-24

This set is extremely valuable, not only as an overview of Dame Joans career but because it contains three complete LP sets that have been very hard to find. The sets are the 2 LP French opera (operetta) set, the Mozart album and the Wagner album. Although some of these do not show her to her best advantage (the Wagner set) they all have some very beautiful things and the French items are superb. The annotations and photos are interesting as well and there are some piano songs with Bonynge that are released here for the first time along with a scene from a live Covent Garden Norma.

Rareties available on CD at last!.......2006-03-29

While Joan Sutherland has recorded a number of impressive aria collections throughout the many years of her recording career, they tend to get lost in the shuffle of the countless reissues Decca/London has endlessly repackaged. While some of the original collections have appeared intact on CD--"The Art of the Prima Donna," "The Age of Bel Canto," "Love Live Forever" (her operetta collection that was originally titled "The Golden Age of Operetta"), to name a few--others are currently represented in the CD catalogue by only a few selections on discs that also include excerpts from complete opera recordings or duplicates of selections from other original collections. As a result, it has been impossible to assemble a CD collection of her recordings without a LOT of duplication, and some of the most interesting collections are still unavailable (e.g. "Command Performance" and "Serate Musicale").

While this newest set does include a lot of bits of this and that, ranging from her very first LPs to excerpts from complete recordings most Sutherland fans already have and a few "live" performances, what is perhaps most significant about it is that it features the complete contents of the "Sutherland Sings Wagner" LP--a real repertoire departure for her--and the double-LP album called "French Opera Gala" (in the U.S.--the British title was "Romantic French Arias"), neither of which, to the best of my knowledge, has been available on CD before. "Opera News" magazine once ran an article in which they asked various stars to name the one album that they felt best represented their artistry for future generations, and Dame Joan selected the "French Opera Gala," so for Sutherland fans, this is a long-awaited treat.

I'm not going to waste space saying how miraculous I consider Dame Joan's artistry. If you are familiar with her work already, you know whether you adore her or not; and if you aren't, this massive set is probably not the best place to start (that would be "The Art of the Prima Donna" album that introduced her to most listeners decades ago)--especially since this newest set doesn't contain the lyrics, a must for newcomers. Let's hope Decca/London gets around to releasing the rest of her recordings intact instead of endlessly scrambling and repackaging the same selections over and over.

Heavenly.......2006-01-31

I first heard of Dame Sutherland while on the internet while listening to a internet radio station. I was instantly a fan, her control, technique, and tone is perfectly executed and rivals the equally fantastic Maria Callas. She has a powerful voice and presence that will evoke every emotion from her listeners. Highly recommended to all Opera Diva fans.

WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?.......2005-04-10

This is Decca's second multi disc evaluation of this fantastic singer's long career and many recordings. True that a lot on the first set is duplicated here, but there are a few exceptions here and there that make it a worthy addition. Of particular interest are the very early items of Handel and Italian baroque arias, some forgotten song recordings and a live performance of the duet from Norma. It can't be said too many times - who can sing like this today? For sheer vocalism it's hard to find anyone on the same wavelength. This set will give very young opera goers an idea of what they missed.

Average customer rating:

From a music lover, not a critic
Masur - Champion of Liszt

Liszt: Works for Piano and Orchestra

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies & Tone Poems
Liszt: Piano Works
Symphonies 1-3 / Piano Concerto 1-4 / Isle of Dead

ASIN: B0000BWTKK
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

No.1 Ce Qu'On Entend Sur La Montagne After Hugo, S95
No.2 Tasso: Lamento E Trionfo After Byron, S96
No.3 Les Preludes After Lamartine, S97
No.4 Orpheus, S98

Tracks:

No.5 Prometheus, S99
No.6 Mazeppa After Hugo, S100
No.7 Festklange, S101
No.8 Heroide Funebre, S102
Mephisto Waltz No.2, S111

Tracks:

No.9 Hungaria, S103
No.10 Hamlet After Shakespeare, S104
No.11 Hunnenschlacht After Kaulbach, S105
No.12 Die Ideale After Schiller, S106

Tracks:

Die Wiege
Der Kampf Um's Dasein
Zum Grabe (Die Wiege Des Zukunftigen Lebens)
I: Faust
II: Gretchen
III: Mephistopheles Schlusschor/Final Chorus/Choeur Final: Alles Vergangliche Ist Nur Ein Gleichnis

Tracks:

I: Der Nachtliche Zug
II: Der Tanz In Der Dorfschenke (Mephisto Waltz No.1)
I: Inferno
II: Purgatorio

Tracks:

Allegro Maestoso
Quasi Adagio
Allegretto Vivace - Allegro Animato
Allegro Marziale Animato
Adagio Sostenuto Assai
Allegro Agitato Assai
Allegro Moderato
Allegro Deciso
Marziale Un Poco Meno Allegro
Allegro Animato
Schubert: Wanderer-Fantasie, D760, S366
Weber: Polonaise Brillante 'L'Hilarite', J268, S367

Tracks:

Fantasie Uber Ungarische Volksmelodien, S123
Fantasie Uber Motive Aus Beethovens 'Ruinen Von Athen', S122
Grande Fantaisie Symphonique Sur Des Themes De 'Lelio' De Berlioz, S120
Malediction, S121
Totentanz, Paraphrase Uber 'Dies Irae', S126

Customer Reviews:

From a music lover, not a critic.......2007-04-10

Many of these performances are new to me. That is the beauty of being 59 years old and still learning. My knowledge of classical music is based on what moves me. While others talk about all the other versions and other conductors, I just want to let other people know that these recordings give me great pleasure. While some may find Michel Beroff to be less than adequate, I enjoy his renditions of the piano concertos. I have heard other renditions and find that they all have their places. These concertos move me a great deal. That is my only criteria.

Masur - Champion of Liszt.......2003-12-19

Before he became the embattled leader of the New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur made a name for himself by making brilliant recordings with the Gewandhaus-Orchester Leipzig, these Liszt Orchestral Works foremost among them. It is delightful to have these recordings in print again, and for them all to be collected on seven discs in an inch-thick paper box set is even better. Masur's performances of the "Tone Poems" in particular rank among the best of all-time, along with Haitink and Golovanov in my opinion (see my review of the latter on his "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" title). Also included in this set are the works for Piano and Orchestra, and while Michel Beroff's renditions don't quite measure up to my favorite accounts by Arrau, Cliburn, Janis, Katchen, Richter or Zimerman, they are certainly first-rate. Oddly, my only complaint is that EMI seems to have taken the "slim" out of slim, paper-sleeved box sets with their latest batch of releases. Both this title and the new "Yehudi Menuhin - The Violinist" box are noticeably thicker than previous EMI sets featuring a similar number of discs. A minor point, but us serious classical collectors need every centimeter of space on our increasingly crowded CD shelves.

Tchaikovsky Symphonic Poems / Manfred Symphony

Average customer rating:

This is it. Really!
One of the greatest achievements in the Tchaikovsky discography--Not to be missed
A Superb Bargain
An Outstanding Collection

Tchaikovsky Symphonic Poems / Manfred Symphony
Tchaikovsky , Russian National Orchestra , and Pletnev
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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Tchaikovsky: Complete Suites for Orchestra
Sibelius: Tone Poems
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No 5
Shostakovich: Complete Concertos
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ASIN: B0001ZWGIS
Release Date: 2004-06-15

Customer Reviews:

This is it. Really!.......2007-05-18

Everything said by the reviewers below is true.

This is the greatest, most magnificent rendition of these pieces, ever. And I've heard dozens of interpretations on record, from Bernstein on down (or on up).

Nothing but color, excitement, electricity, philosophical wisdom, perfect musical judgment, and delicious playing is heard for about 4 hours on these 3 discs. Gorgeous. When the "1812" ended (the last track on the last disc), I felt tears coming into my eyes - a reaction more to the culmination of the whole set than to the roaring cannons. By the way, the explosions are vivid in this old warhorse.

Pletnev puts Muti to shame in the Manfred - and gives Jansons a cruel run for his money, and is better recorded than Jansons, to boot.

I love this profoundly. If you're looking for these pieces, this is the one. Really.

One of the greatest achievements in the Tchaikovsky discography--Not to be missed.......2006-11-19

This is an inexpensive issue of phenomenal interpretations, electric when necessary, always on target.

Mikhail Pletnev began his career as a pianist, but when the USSR finally collapsed he took up conducting, piecing together his own orchestra of virtuoso players from the shambles. He made these recordings for Deutsche Grammaphon over a four year period; Manfred and the Tempest in 1993, the rest during two months in 1996. (I wonder what I was doing during those days.) The recorded sound is excellent--perhaps a little recessed here and there in Marche slave, but it is nothing to quibble over. The DG engineers do Pletnev proud, giving him the big Tchaikovsky sound without being terribly bombastic. And while we are on the topic of the bombastic...

Fatum is and excellent, neglected work. Many complain of its awkward form and bombastic nature, but I find little trace of this. Perhaps it is my love of Tchaikovsky's music in general that renders this music so delightful to me--perhaps it is Pletnev. He also does well in the other three little known works, namely The Voyevoda, The Festival Overture on the Danish National Anthem, and The Overture in F major (inaccurately described as Op. 67 on the case, that number belongs to Hamlet). Give these works time and they shall become nearly as much of a joy to listen to as Romeo and Juliet. The middle section of The Voyevoda is taken at a deliciously slow pace, allowing Tchaikovsky's beautiful writing to sing out in full. No complaints about the other two either.

Now to discuss the more popular works, many of which are still unjustly neglected. The Tempest comes to mind. It is my favorite piece of any sort that I have come across, period. Romeo and Juliet is sited in the Penguin Guide as one of the best in existence. The same guide states that the present recordings of Francesca da Rimini and Hamlet are very much in the same league as Stokowski's famous account. The introduction of Capriccio italien may be on the slow side, but Pletnev makes up for it with plenty of verve later on. 1812 Overture is also pleasantly executed.

Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony is simply not played enough. But here it is, coupled with a near complete program of Tchaikovsky Symphonic Poems at bargain price. The interpretation is nothing to scoff at either ("one of his finest Tchaikovsky records." Penguin Guide). I have heard complaints about the rubato, but do not see anything wrong with a few small tempo changes--and they are small. This account is among the best, about as excellent as Jansons' fabulous recording.

The packaging is good, the notes sparse, but if you want to know more about these works, the internet is more than willing to oblige.

Overall, this is indeed the best, a must for any admirer of the music or the performers (I am an admirer of both). If you desire but a single disc collection, Berstein's mid-price Sony recording is quite good, if you don't mind an analogue recording. Dorati's Double Decca is also fine, if a little lacking when compared to Berstein or Pletnev. I own another recording of all but two of the works in this trio set, and I prefer Pletnev in most every case. In other words, Pletnev is the way to go.

A Superb Bargain.......2006-05-09

Here is the place to get your Tchaikovsky program-music fix. It's all here, from the well-known and well-loved to the obscure and rightly-so. Into that latter category falls "Fatum," one of the Russian's most fatuous and bombastic compositions but still worth a listen for the colors this master orchestrator can draw from the instruments. And DG's recording captures the all-important low end of the orchestral spectrum, including bass drum, thrillingly! Similarly, the "Manfred Symphony," though not as well known as it should be, is a marvelous piece of orchestration, from the delicate shimmer of the waterfall and its attendant Alpine fairy, which Tchaikovsky paints in what amounts to a scherzo, to the wild bacchanal of the finale, rounded out with one of his most beautifully serene passages. Riccardo Muti's white-hot reading of this work on EMI is my favorite, but Pletnev is not far behind, and he is accorded slightly finer sound.

Among the well-known and well-loved compositions, there are "Romeo and Juliet" and "Francesca da Rimini," both given bold and dramatic readings here. In "Francesca da Rimini," I find Pletnev's tendency to luxuriate over certain passages hinders the flow of the music; this seems a common failure among pianists turned conductor, such as Daniel Barenboim and Christoph Eschenbach. But the conclusion of the work is wildly exciting in Pletnev's reading, as is the battle music in "Romeo," and in this work Pletnev is refreshingly straightforward in his approach.

If you don't know "The Voyevoda," Pletnev's reading should make you an instant admirer. This odd, demonically driven piece is Tchaikovsky's last tone poem; note the use of the celesta, a brand-new instrument that Tchaikovsky introduced to the music world in his "Nutcracker" around the same time, 1890-91. "The Voyevoda" is another tragic love tale like "Romeo" and "Francesca," but it has a focus and singleness of purpose that are rare among Tchaikovsky's tone poems. "Hamlet," for instance, is one of those pieces that seem to ramble a bit--like "Fatum"--but Pletnev does as much as he can with it.

In those great old chestnuts "Marche Slav" and the "1812 Overture," Pletnev and his forces really deliver. True, these pieces almost play themselves, but the performances here sound especially idiomatic, full of Russian melancholy at the opening, Russian fire at the close.

The only omission I can think of is Tchaikovsky's early "The Storm," not to be confused with "The Tempest," which DG does include in this box set. If you want "The Storm," there is a nice recording from Naxos with Antoni Wit; it includes a sympathetic if slightly understated performance of the Fifth Symphony. But "The Tempest" is a more striking work, with a very dramatic opening and some thrilling tone painting in the pages that portray the eponymous tempest. Pletnev and his orchestra do it to a T. As with the "Manfred Symphony" and "The Voyevoda," I believe this is underrated Tchaikovsky and am glad Pletnev does it such justice.

DG provides big, sumptuous sound in all these works, really underscoring the drama inherent in Pletnev's readings. In fact, these are some of the best sounding discs I've heard of Tchaikovsky's music. So for lovers of Tchaikovsky's music and for sound buffs alike, this is indeed a great bargain.

An Outstanding Collection.......2004-11-06

The 3 CDs in this set are available separately from Deutsche Gramophone but the set is such a good buy that if you don't have any of the Pletnev/Russian National Orchestra series buy this set.

The performances come from 1994, 1997 and 1998. Each CD is generously filled (total timing: 237 minutes) with the third topping at 80:40. This is a fairly comprehensive survey of Tchaikovsky's shorter orchestral works. An exception is The Storm op. 76 (a work dating to 1864 but not performed and published until after the composer's death) but the omission is made up for with the obscure Overture in F major and the Festive Overture on the Danish National Anthem. The collection includes excellent performances of such staples as Romeo and Juliet, Francesca da Rimini, Marche slav, the 1812 Overture, Hamlet and Capriccio Italien.

Among the less familiar works there is an excellent recording of The Tempest and the works published following the death of Tchaikovsky: Fate op. 77 and Voyewoda op. 78. Fate has an interesting history. It was written in 1869, to no specific program, when Tchaikovsky was writing music under the tutelage of Milly Balakirev. The work was performed only twice, and when Balakirev made a critical comment Tchaikovsky withdrew the work and destroyed the score. Fate was assembled after his death and published.

The Manfred Symphony is also seldom performed and recorded and receives a great performance here. Mr. Pletnev takes a fast tempo at times. I think the conclusion of the first movement would have a more dramatic character if, like Andrew Litton and the Bournemouth, would have given more space to the music. Despite this small complaint, the symphony is beautifully played and the recording is nicely balanced, as are the other works.

This set is an excellent value, and even if you have some of the music recorded here you will want to have these superb performances. There is a booklet accompanying the set but it is only a brief survey of Tchaikovsky's music, as one would expect from a reduced price set.

Average customer rating:

Varèse Sarabande à son meilleur!
A copy in every household . . .
A sampler feat. some of the greatest film scores in history.
"the man behind Varese Sarabande ~ Robert Townson"

In Session: Film Music Celebration
Robert Townson , Joel McNeely Jerry Goldsmith , and Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Star Wars | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Star Trek | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00005ABOI
Release Date: 2001-03-27

Tracks:

2001
Rebecca
Citizen Kane
That Hamilton Woman
Anna and the King of Siam
Captain From Castille
A Streetcar Named Desire
Viva Zapata!
The Trouble With Harry
Peyton Place
Vertigo
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
The Twilight Zone
Psycho
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver
Breakfast At Tiffany's
To Kill A Mockingbird
Marnie
Hamlet

Tracks:

The Agony and the Ecstasy
The Sand Pebbles
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Born Free
Fahrenheit 451
Patton
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Jaws
Midway
Superman: The Movie
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Somewhere In Time
Body Heat
Out of Africa
Platoon
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Taras Bulba
Agony and the Ecstacy (Main Title) - Jerry Goldsmith, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Sand Pebbles (Overture) - Jerry Goldsmith, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Moon and Main Title) - Jerry Goldsmith, National Philharmonic Orchestra
Playtime [Born Free Dub Mix II] - Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Frederic Talgorn
Road [From Fahrenheit 451] - Joel McNeely, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra
Patton (Entr'acte) - Jerry Goldsmith, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Tora! Tora! Tora! (Main Title) - Jerry Goldsmith, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Man Against Beast - Joel McNeely, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Midway (Main Title and End Title) - Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Rick Wentworth
Superman The Movie (Love Theme) - John Debney, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Enterprise [Star Trek: The Motion Picture] - Jerry Goldsmith, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Somewhere in Time (Theme) - John Debney, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Body Heat (Main Title) - The London Symphony Orchestra, Joel McNeely
Out of Africa (Main Title) - Joel McNeely, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Platoon (Theme) - Georges Delerue
Shadows of the Empire (Xizor's Theme) [Star Wars] - Joel McNeely, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Ride of the Cossacks [Taras Bulba] - Cliff Eidelman, Seattle Symphony Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Varèse Sarabande à son meilleur!.......2003-04-17

Robert Townson célèbre ici le 500ème cd à être édité par Varèse Sarabande en créant une compilation receuillant les nombreux réengistrements que Varèse Sarabande sut faire au travers des dernières années. Regroupant du matériel de Jerry Goldsmith, Bernard Herrmann, John Williams, Alex North et plusieurs autres, In Session propose un parcours éclectique au travers des années de compositions de chacune des bandes sonores présentées au sein de la compilation. Le voyage commence à avec la musique rejetée de 2001 d'Alex North, pour faire un parcours passant par Rebecca, Citizen Kane (Félicitons ici le FABULEUSE voix de la soprano Janice Watson et la direction impécable de Joel McNeely), Viva Zapata!, Psycho, The Sand Pebbles, Patton, Jaws, Platoon (Autre musique rejetée du regreté Georges Delerue, pastiche du célèbre Adagio pour cordes de Samuel Barber), Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (Musique composée par Joel McNeely pour le livre se déroulant entre The Empire Stricke Back et The Return of the Jedi) pour finalement clore avec Tara's Bulba. Il s'agit ici d'une sélection très riche, des morceaux d'une durée appréciable et d'une direction et d'une sonorité incroyable. Il s'agit ici d'un merveilleux cadeau de Robert Townson et Varèse Sarabande (Label qui célèbre en 2003 son 25ème anniversaire. Surveillez aussi la compilation de Varèse Sarabande (4 cds pour le prix de un!) qui verra le jour le 22 avril 2003) et c'est une compilation que toute personne sensible à la musique doit posséder! Chapeau Varèse!

A copy in every household . . ........2003-02-09

This disc is so chock-full of classic scores from classic films that every movie-and-music lover should own a copy. Thanks to Robert Townson for producing this collection and the entire Varese film score catalog. My favorite tracks from this disc are "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"; "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"; and "Midway".

A sampler feat. some of the greatest film scores in history........2001-09-06

Words cannot convey what a collection like this means to a film music collector such as myself. Varese Saraband has been releasing quality film scores and music for the last 20 plus years. My vinyl and CD collections burst with so much great stuff from Varese. One day I was looking in the bins of my local record store and noticed this little gem of a collection. I looked at it and saw a virtual cornucopia of the great film score cues for only $ (and 2 discs). So I purchased it and opened it up. Much to my surprise, the booklet is chock full of information about each scoring session and pictures to boot. I also learned more about some of these wonderful pieces as well. Well thanks to Mr. Townson and this nice collection, I plan to purchase some of the recordings these cues were released on since I don't own classics like Viva Zapata, Alex North's 2001, Superman (not the Varese version, I do have the other release), and Patton. Guess I will have to save a few pennies, but it will be worth it. I recommend this collection to anybody who wants to discover and learn about the history of film music. I also think it's a great listen from the first song to the last on both discs. My compliments to Varese on a great collection of classics (and keeping it under $).

"the man behind Varese Sarabande ~ Robert Townson".......2001-04-06

The music that this label releases is without a doubt in a class by themselves, always perfection. Here we have the 500th CD release from ~ "The Man Behind The Music" ~ Mr. Robert Townson. So much care is taken with each album, that you feel you are witnessing the birth of a newborn baby, and that may be just what it is.

For those of us who buy each album ~ people who work to create them ~ the artwork ~ musicians ~ and a list of some of the most talented composers and conductors ~ John Barry, Elmer Bernstein, John Debney, Georges Delerue, Cliff Eidelman, Jerry Goldsmith, Bernard Herrmann, Michael Lang, Henry Mancini, Joel McNeely, Alfred Newman, Alex North, Miklos Rozsa, Dimitri Shostakovich, Frederic Talgorn, Franz Waxman, Rick Wentworth and John Williams ~ and as always the sound quality and performances by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and National Philharmonic Orchestra is dynamically flawless and simply superb.

This economically priced 2-CD-Set ~ pure film score sampling ~ is worth it's weight in gold. One should not have a favorite from this vast collection, but if asked ~ it would be "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" (1962) composer Elmer Bernstein took it to the limit and beyond, the story-line, cast and score was the perfect marriage.

A big, big thank you to ~ Matthew Joseph Peak (cover/session photography) ~ Jonathan Allen, Geoff Foster, Bernie Kirsh, Mike Ross, Mike Sheady and Al Swanson (recording engineers) ~ Rich Breen (mastering engineer) ~ and for the extensive 28 page liner-note booklet featuring "behind the scenes" memories of these past 500 albums, may we look forward to future classics on the next 500 CD's from producer...ROBERT TOWNSON!

Tracks:

Carmen Ballet: Introduction
Carmen Ballet: Dance
Carmen Ballet: First Intermezzo
Carmen Ballet: Change Of The Guard
Carmen Ballet: Entrance Of Carmen And Habanera
Carmen Ballet: Scene
Carmen Ballet: Second Intermezzo
Carmen Ballet: Bolero
Carmen Ballet: Toreador
Carmen Ballet: Toreador And Carmen
Carmen Ballet: Adagio
Carmen Ballet: The Fortune Teller
Carmen Ballet: Finale
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': Introduction And Night Watch
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': Funeral March
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': Flourish And Dance Music
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': Hunting
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': Actor's Pantomime
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': Procession
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': Musical Pantomime
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': Feast
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': Ophelia's Song
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': Lullaby
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': Requiem
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': Tournament
Incidental Music To 'Hamlet': March Of Fortinbras
Carnaval Overture, Op. 45

Customer Reviews:

splendid percussion and remarkable Carmen.......2001-03-06

Arthur Fiedler's recording of Shchedrin's Carmen Ballet is excellent in every way. The composer's imaginative rescoring of several sections of Bizet's opera for strings and percussion is a superb reorchestration exploiting a full range of percussion timbre that reveals an incredible array of views of the score that continually delight the listener. The Ballet, composed as a vehicle for his celebrated wife- prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet, Maya Plisetskaya - is an extraordinary orchestration which invites the listener to explore new and very different colors with music originally scored for Bizet's classically constituted orchestra of the opera pit. While the disk also includes the Incidental Music to "Hamlet" by Shostakovich and Glazunov's Carnival Overture, it's the Shchedrin performance that makes the disk worth any price for the listener who values discovering new things in music well known in an earlier guise.

Snap, Crackle, Pop!.......2000-03-01

If you haven't ordered a High Performance CD, you're really missing out. This particular release for me falls below some of the others. But it's still fun. The main work, the ballet music based on "Carmen," is quite unusual. All of the familiar themes are there, but with a lot of bombastic percussive inflictions. There's some tinkering with some of the themes, and where you expect to hear them, but it's all part of the surprise of the recording. This is a fun CD for driving down the highway. There are a lot of bells and whistles, all in the Fiedlerian tradition. If that's what you like, you shant be disappointed. I also recommend the recording of "The Rite of Spring" (with Seiji Ozawa), and the Mahler CD. Each are part of the High Performance series and are very thrilling. There's also a High Performance recording with Eugene Ormandy and his Philadelphia Orchestra which, for me, sounds more like a run through than a high performance.

Music Info:

Music Info

music info

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