Sweeney's Dream

Sweeney's Dream

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Kevin Burke's debut recording, Sweeney's Dream, was originally released in 1973 and marked him at the dawn of his career as a traditional musician of rare ability. He took many of the tunes here from the repertoire of the great County Sligo fiddlers Michael Coleman and James Morrison, whose recordings in the early part of the 20th century had a profound influence on the technique of Irish fiddling. Burke's playing on the unaccompanied tunes such as "Murphy's Hornpipe" and "The Strayaway Child" shows that at the tender age of 23 he had complete command of the traditional styles. But selections such as the medley of reels "George White's Favorite/The Happy Days of Youth/Coleman's Cross," which include such non-Irish instruments as 5-string banjo and 12-string guitar, hint at the more modern tendencies that would come to fruition with the Bothy Band, as well as his own bands Patrick Street and Open House. Sweeney's Dream may have been Kevin Burke's first recording, but his fiddling was at such a high level you would think he had been making records for years. --Michael Simmons

Product Description
Hailed as "virtuosic and powerful" by the New York Times, Kevin Burke is a master of the highly ornamented Sligo style of Irish fiddling. Born in London, England, his strong family ties to County Sligo on Ireland's west coast immersed him in one of the Celtic world's most revered musical legacies. Performing with such seminal groups as the Bothy Band, Open House, and Patrick Street and with artists such as Arlo Guthrie, Kate Bush, and Ry Cooder further honed his superb musicianship. Recorded in 1972, this album captures young Kevin Burke's stunning artistry during his earliest years in the United States. Instrumentation ranges from solo fiddle to group pieces that include guitar, mandolin, banjo, autoharp, and bodhrán. 46 minutes, 17 tracks, 28-page booklet with extensive notes. Reissue of Folkways 8876.

Sweeney's Dream,Kevin Burke,Smithsonian Folkways,Celtic/Irish,Folk,Int'l & World Music,Pop,Traditional Celtic,Traditional Irish Folk,World Music

Renee and Bryn: Under the Stars
Average customer rating:

Delightful

A Master Class in Singing

Bryn is swell, but the bombast is annoying

Surprisingly Fine Crossover from Fleming and Terfel

BREATHTAKING VOCAL MAGNIFICENCE~BRAVO!!!

Renee and Bryn: Under the Stars
John Harold Kander , Andrew Lloyd Webber , Claude-Michel Schoenberg , Richard Rodgers , Gerard Presgurvic , Jason Robert Brown , Meredith Willson , Lucy Simon , Cole Porter , Stephen Flaherty , Ralph Salmins , and David Hartley
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000088E7D
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Tracks:

"Not While I'm Around" (from Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim)
"Moonfall" (from The Mystery of Edwin Drood by R. Holmes)
"I Don't Remember You The Happy Tim" and "Sometimes a Day Goes By" (from Woman of the Year by Kander & Ebb)
"All the Love I Have" (from The Beautiful Game by Ben Elton & Andrew Lloyd Webber)
"I Wish I Could Forget You / Loving You" (from Passion by Stephen Sondheim)
"Stars" (from Les Misirables by Boublil & Schvnberg)
"All I Ask of You" (from The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber)
"Hello, Young Lovers" (from The King and I by Rodgers & Hammerstein)
"Pretty Women" (from Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim)
"Aimer" (from Romio et Juliette by Presgurvic)
"All the Wasted Time" (from Parade by J. Brown)
"Seventy-Six Trombones" (from The Music Man by Willson)
"How Could I Ever Know" (from The Secret Garden by Simon and Norman)
"So In Love" (from Kiss Me Kate by Cole Porter)
"Wheels Of a Dream" (from Ragtime by Ahrens & Flaherty)

Amazon.com

In these days of the crossover, it is hardly surprising to find two great opera singers making a foray into numbers from Broadway musicals by such composers as Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. What's remarkable is that they seem completely at home in this music. Both say they grew up listening to it, and indeed they approach these songs with no less care and seriousness than they'd give the most demanding operatic arias, and without a trace of condescension. However, their vocal, expressive, and interpretive styles are very different, both in the solos and the duets. Terfel projects assertive manliness, tender, intimate affection, and rollicking humor without external effects, using only his incomparably sonorous voice and powerful personality. His diction is impeccably clear, and though he has sometimes let his theatrical flair spill over into Schubert songs, he is the soul of simplicity here. This is in stark contrast to Fleming's tendency to exaggerate colors and dynamics and to turn sentiment into sentimentality. Moreover, though she claims a background as a jazz singer, her "crooning" sounds artificial and unnatural. However, her top notes, culminating in a triumphant high C at the end of the final number, ring gloriously. Her voice glows and shimmers with irresistible luster, soaring from seductive whispers to thrilling climaxes. The program features a great variety of love songs, and includes an antiwar protest (from Beautiful Game), a celebration of the American dream (from Ragtime), and a rousing fun piece (from The Music Man). Unfortunately, even the best songs are marred by thoroughly corny arrangements. Listeners will find their own favorites, but the real "stars" on this record are the two singers. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Delightful .......2006-07-24

I truly enjoy Terfel's vocal talent and found it to be well suited for this genre. Fleming's impeccable soprano voice is a bit overpowering for this style of music. (I own this CD)

A Master Class in Singing.......2006-06-20

This CD is a must-have for any person interested in the singing art. Ms. Fleming and Mr. Terfel gives new light to these Musical Theatre classics. Their fine vocalism in the musical theatre genre coupled with the depth of musicality and dramatic phrasing in each of the selections is truly a breath of fresh air. This recording is indeed a Master Class!

Bryn is swell, but the bombast is annoying.......2006-05-03

Love Bryn Terfel, the finest bass-baritone in Opera. Love Renee Fleming's luscious soprano. But the arrangements! Kettle drums and bombast and bang, bang, bang! Once Renee starts swooping, things go downhill, with little redemption.

It starts out beautifully. "Not While I'm Around" has never sounded more intimate to me than Terfel's caressing pianissimo. Fleming's "Moonglow" is stunningly good. Terfel makes a medley out of "I Don't Remember You and Sometimes a Day Goes By" that makes you want to cheer, and Fleming does a lovely Sondheim medley as well. Bryn sings "Stars" and makes me long for him in Les Mis. And then...things tend to go downhill. The bombast takes over and gets to you - it overwhelms two of the biggest voices now recording. Then Fleming begins to swoop and scoop, over-coloring and often coming off as simply self-indulgent, reminding one of a kid who makes a point of putting his face in a camera shot.

I don't mind Bryn as Prof. Harold Hill - I frankly think the Welsh accent is kinda cute - and it doesn't bother me on "Wheels of Dream," either, but Fleming seems to have lost her mind on that great song, and rather than indulging her, it would have simply been better left off the album. Ditto "All that Wasted Time" which is pretty much unlistenable. Ms. Fleming needs to stop thinking she is a jazz singer.

The four stars are because this album does contain some truly GLORIOUS moments, particularly in the duets, and in Terfel's solo's which are warm and memorable. Without him, the kettle drums and Fleming's self-indulgence would have made the whole endeavor unbearable.

Surprisingly Fine Crossover from Fleming and Terfel.......2006-04-18

Bryn Terfel and Renee Fleming are two of the most acclaimed opera singers of our day. But the musical theatre fan who puts on their Broadway CD, RENEE AND BRYN: UNDER THE STARS, expecting to hear a carelessly compiled hodgepodge of songs sung by voices ill-suited to them is in for a big surprise, beginning with the first phrases of the duo's warmly sung "Not While I'm Around" from SWEENEY TODD. True, these singers' beautiful voices have greater power and range than even the best of the Broadway stars', but this is an asset in these songs, most of which are either semi-operatic in nature or call (like THE MUSIC MAN's "Seventy-Six Trombones") for such an outsize personality as Terfel's. Fleming's sensuous and tonally gorgeous rendition of "Moonfall" from THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD can be placed among her very finest recordings, operatic and otherwise. And Terfel is ideally suited to both "Pretty Women" from SWEENEY TODD and "Stars" from LES MISERABLES; few if any Broadway Javerts could match the impact of his "This I swear by the stars!" Kander and Ebb's "I Don't Remember You" and "Sometimes a Day Goes By" make a perfect medley here, as do Sondheim's "I Wish I Could Forget You" and "Loving You" from PASSION. And though I don't care for the Andrew Lloyd Webber selections (ersatz Puccini) or the Jason Robert Brown one (which sounds too much like a pop song), Terfel and Fleming's singing of them is beyond reproach. The program ends with a bang: a rendition of "Wheels of a Dream" worthy to stand beside the now-classic one by Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald on the original cast album of RAGTIME. Welshman Terfel's natural accent is noticeable here; but if one imagines him as, say, an Irish immigrant married to an African-American woman (as Fleming here sounds uncannily like McDonald or like Leontyne Price) his accent is appropriate and his voicing of the "bridge" section ("Oh Sarah, it's more than promises/Sarah, it must be true...") especially moving. Fleming's ecstatic final high note makes one want to applaud and cheer, both for the song and for the successful "crossover" effort.

BREATHTAKING VOCAL MAGNIFICENCE~BRAVO!!!.......2004-10-11

So captivating are these incredible singers in the glorious live concert "Under The Stars" creating an unforgettable musical masterpiece of epic proportions that is so moving and great to watch that I ran out and purchased this studio recorded Compact Disc the next day!! The brilliance of the live broadcast carried over into the recording studio capturing Renee and Bryn at the peak of their incredible powers emotionally and vocally making them the most effective crossover artists since the great Barbara Cook who like Miss Cook sing with emotion that is accurate for this type of material which is usually not the case with classical voices. Renee Fleming sings with genuine passion and stirring emotions and her timing is absolutely flawless and this lady has alot of soul and the Torrie Zito arranged "Moonfall" is a stunning masterpiece that clearly illustrates this. A dazzling medley each show both singers in glorious peak form with Bryn splendid in the enchanting "I Don't Remember You/Sometimes A Day Goes By" and Renee spellbinding and haunting in the gorgeous "I Wish I Could Forget You/Loving You" which will make anyone who loves a great voice fall in love with this amazingly gifted singer. "Stars" features a commanding performance from Bryn that raises the roof and this is so refreshing and inspired in these musically tired times!!! This superb showcase is full of wonderfully exciting performances which are capable of making people feel again and this is what is sorely needed in music today and BRAVO to Bryn Terfel and the gorgeous Renee Fleming for achieving this with complete artistic brilliance. Captivating duets fill this wonderous collection and never have classics such as "Not While I'm Around" or "All I Ask Of You" been sung more brilliantly than here. Renee is magical with "Hello, Young Lovers" while Bryn is commanding and winning with "Pretty Women". Renee's stunning "All The Wasted Time" is a vocal and emotional tour-de-force that is like a wild roller-coaster ride that you won't want to end as this is one of the most riveting songs that I have ever heard from a Broadway score and this certainly must be the definitive performance of this great song. This lady can really really sing and this is some deeply serious singing~WOW!!! Gorgeous together again in the beautiful "How Could I Ever Know" which is hair-raising and wonderfully soulful and sophisicated together in Cole Porter's "So In Love". A grand finale by these two awesome vocal wonders lives up to expectations being a complete blowout vocal festival and they definitely do not disappoint here!!! "Wheels Of A Dream" is mesmerizing and soars to magnificent heights with Bryn and Renee in peak form singing to the skies and hitting notes that I swear I have never heard before~BRAVO!!!!!!! You are both magically inspired and simply put as good as it gets!!!! Highly recommended if you love two awesome vocal wonders at their absolute peak in a magnificent beautifully orchestrated setting!!! Thank you Bryn & Renee...

Average customer rating:

One fiddler alone keeping a pub spellbound in the old style!
Lovely, spare, fiery

Sweeney's Dream
Kevin Burke
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Folkways
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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In Concert
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ASIN: B0000584VP
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

Love At The Endings/John McGrath's Reel
The Humours Of Lissadell/Sweeney's Dream
Murphy's Hornpipe
The Sligo Maid/The Woman Of The House/The Sailor's Bonnet
The Strayaway Child
The College Groves
Toss The Feathers
The King Of The Fairies
The Mason's Apron/Laington's Reel
The Bunch Of Keys/The Girl That Broke My Heart
Bonnie Kate/Jennie's Chicken
Rise A Mile 9Ride A Mile, Ride A Mule)
Brendan McGlinchey's Reel (Splendid Isolation/Sweeney's Buttermilk
Tuttle's Reel/The Chicken In The Saucepan (The Maids Of Mitchelstown)
The Kid On The Mountain
The Killarney Wonder Schottisches Guren Castle And The Finnea Lasses/The Long Note
George White's Favourite/The Happy Days Of Youth/Coleman's Cross

Amazon.com

Kevin Burke's debut recording, Sweeney's Dream, was originally released in 1973 and marked him at the dawn of his career as a traditional musician of rare ability. He took many of the tunes here from the repertoire of the great County Sligo fiddlers Michael Coleman and James Morrison, whose recordings in the early part of the 20th century had a profound influence on the technique of Irish fiddling. Burke's playing on the unaccompanied tunes such as "Murphy's Hornpipe" and "The Strayaway Child" shows that at the tender age of 23 he had complete command of the traditional styles. But selections such as the medley of reels "George White's Favorite/The Happy Days of Youth/Coleman's Cross," which include such non-Irish instruments as 5-string banjo and 12-string guitar, hint at the more modern tendencies that would come to fruition with the Bothy Band, as well as his own bands Patrick Street and Open House. Sweeney's Dream may have been Kevin Burke's first recording, but his fiddling was at such a high level you would think he had been making records for years. --Michael Simmons

Album Description

Hailed as "virtuosic and powerful" by the New York Times, Kevin Burke is a master of the highly ornamented Sligo style of Irish fiddling. Born in London, England, his strong family ties to County Sligo on Ireland's west coast immersed him in one of the Celtic world's most revered musical legacies. Performing with such seminal groups as the Bothy Band, Open House, and Patrick Street and with artists such as Arlo Guthrie, Kate Bush, and Ry Cooder further honed his superb musicianship. Recorded in 1972, this album captures young Kevin Burke's stunning artistry during his earliest years in the United States. Instrumentation ranges from solo fiddle to group pieces that include guitar, mandolin, banjo, autoharp, and bodhrán. 46 minutes, 17 tracks, 28-page booklet with extensive notes. Reissue of Folkways 8876.

Customer Reviews:

One fiddler alone keeping a pub spellbound in the old style!.......2003-04-05

Failte! (Greetings) Kevin Burke is one of the few fiddlers I can think of that could walk into any pub in Ireland, get out his fiddle and start playing through any of the hundreds of memorized traditional Irish tunes and keep his audience quiet and spellbound for extended periods of time absolutely alone. Kevin calls this "naked fiddle" with no other instruments involved to cover up what they call in the old country a "fiddler's fart." This is a follow up album to "If the Cap Fits," which is no longer available new. This is traditional Irish Music played the traditional way for fun and relaxation. Recorded in the early 1970's, this recalls a time before big budget albums and concerts. This was before competitions. In fact, if you had put a bunch of fiddlers together in the same pub, they wouldn't compete against each other. They would drink Guinness and jam until the "wee hours" of the morning together. This wasn't a primary "who the alpha male or female fiddler" thing. It was an enjoy the music and companionship thing. If you are building a Celtic Music Collection, this old style of playing needs to be represented. This album with "The Traditional Music of Ireland" by James Kelley, Paddy O'Brien and Daithi Sproule (which is still available but hard to access on Amazon.com) are excellent examples of this era of pub music. You can find Kevin's current music with the band Patrick Street either on album of frequent U.S. performances. Ceol de Erin Go Bragh! (Music of Ireland forever!)

Lovely, spare, fiery.......2001-12-13

Burke sounds wonderful here, and every note he plays can be heard, as this recording was done without a backing band. Celtic music fans will enjoy this album, and fiddle people will treasure it.

Average customer rating:

Outstanding Collection of Love Songs
It is in need of 1 more musical.
Not enough songs...

More Broadway's Greatest Love Songs
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005UWL2
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Tracks:

Mamma Mia!: Our Last Summer - Paul Clarkston
Hair: Good Morning Starshine - Annable Leventon
The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman
Sweeney Todd: Not While I'm Around - Vanessa Williams
The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas: Good Old Girl - Henderson Forsythe
The Fantasticks: Try To Remember - Jerry Orbach
Pippin: Love Song - John Rubinstein
Aspects Of Love: Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
Big River: You Oughta Be Here With Me - Patti Cohenour
The King And I: I Have Dreamed - Peabo Bryson
Les Miserables: I Dreamed A Dream - Randy Graff
Evita: High Flying Adored - Mandy Patinkin
Babes In Arms: My Funny Valentine - Julie Andrews
Kiss Of The Spider Woman: Dear One - Howard McGillin
By Jeeves: Half A Moment - Emily Loesser
Call Me Madam: You're Just In Love - Dick Haymes

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding Collection of Love Songs.......2007-06-22

I have to quickly disagree with those who are looking for more songs crammed in to what is such a breathtaking album of Broadway love songs. The rendition of the songs on this album and the Broadway singers selected for each piece, just are so beautifully recorded and make chills go through me. Whoever created this album, knew exactly what they were doing. This CD is full of nostalgia and artists who know how a song should be sung. They are certainly not making noise as on some Broadway CD's, but they have created an album that will go down in history for some of us who have longed to see such muscials come back to life in a way....that sadly has become a memory.

It is in need of 1 more musical........2005-05-29

I think they need to consider putting one more musical on this CD. This musical would have to be Wicked. What about As Long As Your Mine (from Wicked of course)? I think I would like this CD better if they could put Wicked on it. But of course this may not be true for everyone because obviously my favorite musical of all time is Wicked.

Not enough songs..........2004-10-20

Okay, so I have yet to hear this CD but already I have a quip: Why are there only 16 songs on this CD when the original Broadway's Greatest Love Songs had 20. They're cheating customers out of 4 songs! Also, why doesn't this include any songs from Aida, Triumph of Love, Beauty and the Beast, R&H's Cinderella, The Lion King, or Wicked! And please, "Our Last Summer" from Mamma Mia? Don't get me wrong, I love Mamma Mia, but that is NOT a love song.