All For Show

All For Show

Track Listings

1. One Night Stands

2. All For Show

3. My Decision

4. Luxury's Definition

5. The Outskirts of You

6. Kindahard

7. Everytime

8. A Good Good Cry

9. So

10. On The Drive

11. It's Only Fair

Tracks:

The Phantom Of The Opera: The Phantom Of The Opera
Song & Dance: Unexpected Song
Aspects Of Love: Chanson D'enfance
The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You
Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall
Aspects Of Love: Love Changes Everything
Friends For Life
Cats: Memory
Cats: Gus: The Theatre Cat
Aspects Of Love: Anything But Lonely
Cats: Macavity: The Mystery Cat
Tell Me On A Sunday/Song & Dance: Tell Me On A Sunday
The Phantom Of The Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
Requiem: Pie Jesu
The Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night

Amazon.com essential recording

Sarah Brightman's career was launched by her success in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, so it's no surprise to hear the soprano paying homage to the composer on this disc. Really a Brightman best-of, the album includes the Phantom theme (a duet with Michael Crawford), the light-opera fare of "Chanson D'enfance" from Aspects of Love, "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" from Evita, and numerous other Lloyd Webber classics. Throughout, Brightman's diminutive voice lends a fragility to these musical theater tunes that you'll either love or despise. On Evita's "Another Suitcase, Another Hall" and Cats' "Memory," she literally chirps through the vocal lines. No matter. The growing legion of Brightman fans wouldn't have it any other way. --Jason Verlinde

Album Details

Another Compilation of Stage Favourites - Some Tracks Are Hard to Find Elsewhere.

Customer Reviews:

The Andrew Lloyd Weber Collection.......2007-05-12

Sarah Brightman sings in good form classic songs and does a great job!!

Andrew Lloyd Webber .......2007-02-12

Excellent Broadway music--a true master. Sing along or just listen. First heard her on PBS.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection.......2007-01-05

Sarah Brightman has always been a favorite of mine, and this CD is outstanding. The duet with Jose Carreras (Friends for Life) is especially good--worth buying the CD for that song alone.

The Best You'll See from Sarah.......2006-09-09

This CD is - wow! I have so much to say about it and so little time! This album features three pieces from "The Phantom of the Opera" - Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, The Music of the Night, and The Phantom of the Opera theme. They're all beautiful. The second piece on the album is "Unexpected Song". It has beautiful octaves and orchastrations. Chanson d'Efance is an amazing French piece with vibrato - and then some. I forgot to mention that there is another piece from The Phantom of the Opera - All I Ask of You - except that the song is not sung by the original cast from the musical. The next few pieces are fairly decent, until you get to Memory from Cats. WOW - is it spectacular! Then we get to two other pieces from Cats - Gus: The Theater Cat and Macavity: The Mystery Cat. Gus is a song that just tells about a cat and his history. A man speaks the lines that Gus would say in the actual musical - and it makes the song interesting. Macavity is AWESOME! I know that I said that I didn't prefer this song for Brightman on her album "Surrender". I finally listened to it more carefully, and found that it's really interesting to listen to! My favorite song on the whole entire album - however - has to be "Tell Me on a Sunday". Beautiful lyrics, orchestrations, and overall spectacular voice talent ties the whole song together. Pie Jesu is a fairly nice piece from both Brightman and Paul Miles-Kingston - the 16 year old boy soprano. His voice is pure and straight with minimal vibrato. However, Brightman's voice shows a little bit TOO much vibrato! Overally, it's a good piece from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requium. THIS CD IS AMAZING! If you love Sarah from the Phantom of the Opera, then this collection of Lloyd Webber's work is just for you.

I also recommend Charlotte Church - (in her earlier career) - including Voice of an Angel and her self-titled album. I also recommend Love Changes Everything - The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection Vol.2 - just another grouping of Webber's classics. I also recommend Andrea Boucelli - he's awesome!

The Angel of Music.......2006-03-13

This is the third copy of this I've purchased. I wear them out listening to them. Awesome, Awesome music. Sarah's range and depth is so powerful!

TV Land Presents: Favorite TV Theme Songs

Average customer rating:

Excellent!!!
good memories for me and fun "new" songs for my children
memories
TV Theme Songs
TV themes

TV Land Presents: Favorite TV Theme Songs
Grecco, Cyndi , and Jones, Jack
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006EXIL
Release Date: 2002-08-20

Tracks:

I Love Lucy Theme - Wilbur Hatch
Dragnet - Ray Anthony
The Twilight Zone - Rod Open
Bonanza - Al Caiola & His Orchestra
The Andy Griffith Theme - Earle Hagen
The Ballad Of Jed Clampett - Earl Scruggs
The Addams Family (Main Theme) - Vic Mizzy
Munsters Theme - Jack Marshall
The Ballad Of Gilligan's Isle - Morton Stevens
Green Acres - Eddie Albert
Jeannie - Hugo Montenegro
Batman Theme - Neal Hefti
(Theme From) The Monkees - The Monkees
Star Trek (Main Title & Closing Theme) - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Mannix - Lalo Schifrin
Hawaii Five-O - Mort Stevens & His Orchestra
Theme From The Brady Bunch - The Brady Bunch
Come On Get Happy - The Partridge Family
Those Were The Days - Carroll O'Connor
And Then There's Maude - Donny Hathaway
Good Times - Jim Gilstrap
Movin' On Up - Oren Waters
The Rockford Files - Mike Post
Them From S.W.A.T. - Rhythm Heritage
Happy Days - Pratt & McClain
Making Our Dreams Come True - Cyndi Grecco
Chico And The Man - Jose Feliciano
Welcome Back - John Sebastian
What's Happening!! - Henry Mancini
Barney Miller - Jack Elliott
Charlie's Angels - Jack Elliott
Love Boat Theme - Jack Jones
Angela (Theme From 'Taxi') - Bob James
It Takes Diff'rent Strokes - Gloria Loring
Theme From Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys) - Waylon
Theme From Magnum, P.I. - Mike Post
The Theme From Hill Street Blues - Mike Post
Theme From Dynasty - Bill Conti
Theme From 'Greatest American Hero' (Believe It Or Not) - Joey Scarbury
Thank You For Being A Friend - Cynthia Fee

Album Description

TV Land brings you 40 of your favorite evening show theme songs. Highlights include 'Happy Days', 'The Greatest American Hero', 'Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)', 'Laverne & Shirley', 'I Dream Of Jeanie', 'I Love Lucy', 'Welcome Back, Kotter', 'The Love Boat', 'Hawaii Five-O', 'The Golden Girls' and many, many more. 2002. Rhino.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!!!.......2007-08-02

Excellent transaction. Would not hesitate to buy again from this seller. Product was delivered promptly and as described.

good memories for me and fun "new" songs for my children.......2007-06-27

We had ordered this for "The Dukes of Hazzard" theme song for our 4yr old and our whole family has fallen in love with the cd. It makes me want to share some of the old fun and simple shows with my children. I forgot about some of those shows. It brings back good memories for my husband and me and the songs are new and exciting for our children. It's a nice change from children's cd's, but our children still think it's fun. The sound quality is good and the songs included on the cd are a great mix. I would definately recommend this one.

memories.......2007-02-22

This cd is excellent it has a lot of very good music and true to the original sound, Am getting a lot of enjoyment,highly recomended

TV Theme Songs.......2007-01-13

This is a great CD for people who watch a lot of TV -especially TV LAND and reruns of old shows when shows had actual theme songs. I took the CD to work and everyone loved trying to figure out what show the songs were from.

TV themes.......2006-07-05

Not all what I expected, not all of the tunes are the original recordings you remember as the TV themes.

The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Average customer rating:

Some interesting choices, indeed
Great CD
Great selections, but bad transfers
Yes this is Some of the Best of Broadway!
The music of Broadway comes alive

The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002W4T9E
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Tracks:

There's No Business Like Show Business
Swanee
Ol' Man River
You're The Top
Oklahoma
Luck Be A Lady
I Could Have Danced All Night
America
My Favorite Things
People
If I Were A Rich Man
The Impossible Dream
Cabaret
Let The Sunshine In
Send In The Clowns
One
Tomorrow
Memory
The Music Of The Night
Good Morning Baltimore
Defying Gravity

Amazon.com

A companion to the fabulous PBS series, the 21-song, 77-minute The Best of "Broadway: The American Musical" provides about as good a single-disc compilation as anyone could hope for. (There's also a five-CD version.) What sets it apart from so many other "best of Broadway" collections is its breadth--because it had access to a variety of record-label vaults it doesn't have to try to disguise gaps by using revivals or solo recordings. Here you get all the authentic stuff, including: Paul Robeson singing "Ol' Man River" from the first modern American musical, Show Boat; Ethel Merman singing "You're the Top"; the title song from Oklahoma!; Julie Andrews singing "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady; West Side Story's "America"; Betty Buckley singing "Memory" from Cats; Hairspray's "Good Morning Baltimore"; and "Defying Gravity" from Wicked, the newest show discussed in the PBS series. And it's hard to argue with the songwriters represented: Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Frank Loesser, Lerner and Loewe, Leonard Bernstein, Bock and Harnick, Kander and Ebb, Stephen Sondheim, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, among others. Obviously, no single-disc compilation could ever please everyone (did we really need two ALW songs?), but as a sampler intended for people who watched the series and want to hear more of the Great White Way, The Best of "Broadway: The American Musical" can't be topped. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Some interesting choices, indeed.......2006-03-02

This is a pretty good compilation, but I have to wonder at some of the choices that went into it.
"Good Morning Baltimore" is almost the least impressive song from Hairspray. "You Can't Stop the Beat" was a much more anthemic song from that show.
I agree that it's too bad Les Mis didn't make it in. I would have traded that for anything Sondheim, although that's a personal preference :) .
Still, the opportunity to hear the original performers and orchestras perform these works, all in one place, is a great deal.

Great CD.......2005-11-01

This one plays in the car, on the ipod and in the house. When the kids were little they would ask if we could take them to "The Street". That is what they called Broadway (little did they know at that time how famous that street is). They still love it and we can not get enough of it. This CD covers the best and makes you want to go and see a live performance. You can not beat that.

Great selections, but bad transfers.......2005-07-27

This is a great taste of broadway. If you enjoyed the B'Way series at all, then you will probably enjoy this CD. My problem with it is that some of the songs sound like they were not remastered at all- the transfer to CD is terrible. The orchestrations in "You're the top" by Ethel Merman are muffled, and the song sounds like it was taken straight from an old record and slapped onto the CD without fixing it up. It doesn't sound very clear, which is a bit upsetting and annoying. Maybe this is just because that particular recording is older than some of the songs chosen to be on this CD. The more modern songs sound crisp and new and beautiful. "Swanee" is also very low quality as if it were just taken off of a record and put on the CD without any restoration. I just feel that these songs deserved better treatment and that we as customers deserve better treatment. Decca could have restored these songs and made them sound really good, but they decided just to slap them on the CD without touching them up.

I am surprised that nothing was chosen to be on this recording from Les Miserables since it had been on Broadway for 16 years and its tour is running until 2006. There were selections from Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Wicked, so I am not sure why nothing was chosen from Les Miserables.

Other than these few nit pickings, I think that this is a great introduction to musicals. It gives a little taste across the spectrum. Try getting the cast recordings of the songs that you really like on this collection. It's worth buying if you're a huge broadway fan.

Yes this is Some of the Best of Broadway!.......2005-04-08

This CD from Decca Broadway is a wonderful selection of some of

the "Greatest Hits" of the Broadway stage. Decca and Sony have

done an excellent job of remastering the various recordings, some

of which still show some of their age, but come across quite

well. Are there a lot of songs that I would have put on this

disc? Yes, but the ones on here are good choices. I may have to

get a copy of the Five disc set and the DVD's just to see if any

more of my favorites made it on the list. What this disc seems to

try to do is show the evolution of the Broadway song from it's

early days to the present. It succeeds quite well I think.

If you enjoy Broadway theater this CD is a must!

The music of Broadway comes alive.......2004-10-07

I loved listening to this CD. The music from Broadway's best loved musicals are on this album. I recogized most of these songs, even though I've only seen a few of them on the local stage. I have so many favorites on this CD. It is hard to pick one. I'm a big fan of Barbara Streisand. I loved her performance of People from Funny Girl. Memory is the hit song from the musical Cats. Betty Buckley's performance of this song is so emotional and sincere.

I loved the song Annie. It is a wonderfully optimistic song performed by the original Annie Andrea McArdle. Another highlight for me is the song One performed by the cast of a Chorus Line. Luck Be A Lady Tonight is another of my favorite broadway songs on this CD from Guys and Dolls. The music of the night is a beautiful song by Michael Crawford from Phantom of the Opera. Richard Kiley has such a strong and powerful voice. He sounds so inspirational singing The Impossible Dream from Man from La Mancha. My dream is to see some musicals on Broadway someday and listen to these songs performed live.

I'm surprised that there isn't any music from Miss Saigon or Jesus Christ Superstar included here. I think they are classic musicals with great songs Maybe they will appear on a future compilation from PBS.

Average customer rating:

Bell & Gershwin
Enchanting
Joshua Bell's playing is exquisite
S'Wonderful
My Starter Bell CD

Joshua Bell - Gershwin Fantasy
Joshua Bell , George Gershwin , and John [composer] Williams
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Romance of the Violin
Voice of the Violin
Joshua Bell ~ Bernstein - West Side Story Suite
The Essential Joshua Bell
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto [Hybrid SACD]

ASIN: B000009OP5
Release Date: 1998-07-28

Tracks:

Fantasy For Violin And Orchestra On Porgy And Bess
Three Preludes: I. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
Three Preludes: II. Andante
Three Preludes: III. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: I Got Rhythm
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Embraceable You
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Nice Work If You Can Get It
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Liza
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: But Not For Me
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Sweet And Low-Down
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Love Is Here To Stay

Amazon.com essential recording

On Gershwin Fantasy, Joshua Bell's Stradivari embraces the lyrical spirit of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess with more success than most vocalists. Accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra, Bell's violin literally sings through "It Ain't Necessarily So," "Summertime," "I Got Rhythm," and "Love Is Here to Stay," while John Williams (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List) serves double duty as conductor and pianist on several tracks. Three Preludes employs the violin and piano transcription by Jascha Heifetz, a longtime Gershwin friend, and features Bell at his jazziest. Even Gershwin himself--well, the recording of a 1926 piano roll of the composer--joins the virtuoso on the swinging "Sweet and Low-Down." --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Bell & Gershwin.......2007-05-20

Two of my faves, George Gershwin and Joshual Bell -

Can't beat that!

Also, "Porgy" is a fave opera... so three out of three isn't bad!

Enchanting.......2007-03-24

A very talented (to say the least) young musician playing the beautiful music of a very talented composer. I listen over and over again and especially like his rendition of "Embraceable You" and "But Not For Me" . . I'm a romantic!

Joshua Bell's playing is exquisite.......2005-07-08

Joshua Bell's exquisite playing turns these arrangements into Gold. In the hands of Perlman or Shaham these arrangements would be pure shmaltz, but Bell's playing is of the highest caliber.

S'Wonderful.......2004-10-20

Love it! I had heard of Josh Bell but never had purchased any of his music. I am a full fan now. This cd is wonderful. I am a Gershwin fan and have been for years. Bell breathes new life into the old classics and the result is breathtaking. His touch with the violin is beyound discription. He even plays with George in one cut, Sweet and Low Down. That alone is worth the price of the cd. Buy this cd and expect to be enchanted. It has been in my changer for weeks now, I can't get enough.

My Starter Bell CD.......2003-11-05

This CD was my introduction to Joshua Bell after hearing a track on our local Washington, DC, classical radio station. It was hard not to be struck not only by the warmth of Mr. Bell's playing but also by his phrasing. He is almost never flashy, but his nuances made me find new musical possibilities which I hope -- but somehow doubt -- Gershwin intended. This is Gershwin as you have never heard him before, and it desires a place in anyone's classical or jazz collection.

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Average customer rating:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover
Top Shelf
TERRIFIC CD'S
Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs
Great Compilation!

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
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Somewhere over the Rainbow: The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals

ASIN: B00064ADMK
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
Swanee- Al Jolson
When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine- Bert Williams
A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
My Man- Fanny Brice
Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
Someone To Watch Over Me- Gertrude Lawrence
Bill- 78 rpm Version Helen Morgan
Ol' Man River- Paul Robeson
Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
Body And Soul- Libby Holman
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
Night And Day- Fred Astaire
Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
You're The Top- Ethel Merman
Summertime- Anne Brown
September Song- Walter Huston
My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake

Tracks:

New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
People- Barbra Streisand
Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
Come Follow The Band
Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

Memory- Betty Buckley
I Am What I Am- George Hearn
Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
With One Look- Glenn Close
On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
Seasons Of Love-
Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway

The Premiere Collection: The Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Original Cast Compilation)

Average customer rating:

Musical Pleasure
The Premiere Collection
beautiful
Fair Album with 1 starlight and 0 aspects
Superb collection

The Premiere Collection: The Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Original Cast Compilation)

Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Gold: The Definitive Hits Collection
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The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection

ASIN: B000002O5W
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Phantom Of The Opera
Take That Look Off Your Face
All I Ask Of You
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Magical Mr. Mistoffeles
Variations 1-4
Superstar
Memory
Starlight Express
Tell Me On A Sunday
The Music Of The Night
Another Suitcase In Another Hall
I Don't Know How To Love Him
Pie Jesu

Amazon.com essential recording

There are many, many Andrew Lloyd Webber albums out there, including cut-and-paste compilations and songbooks from individual artists, most notably Sarah Brightman, Michael Crawford, and even Jose Carreras. The Premiere Collection is probably as authentic as you can get in a hits album, however. In addition to the most popular selections from the original casts of Evita, Cats, and Jesus Christ Superstar, the 57-minute album includes two selections from Tell Me on a Sunday (also recorded by Bernadette Peters as Song and Dance), the title tune from Starlight Express, the "Pie Jesu" from the Requiem, and a snippet from the Paganini Variations, thereby allowing you to hear the good stuff without having to spring for the complete albums. Note that the three selections from Phantom of the Opera are the 1986 pop singles instead of the cast recordings, meaning Steve Harley rather than Crawford sings with Brightman on the title tune and Cliff Richard subs for Steve Barton on "All I Ask of You." (Crawford does sing "The Music of the Night," of course.) This 1989 compilation was too early for Aspects of Love or Sunset Boulevard, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is ignored, but these omissions are rectified in the follow-up album The Premiere Collection Encore, and the American-slanted version, The Very Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Musical Pleasure.......2007-07-03

I enjoy all of this music, listening frequently. Some not original cast members, so less than 5 star. Product exactly as advertised.

The Premiere Collection.......2007-01-17

My sister had this and it got destroyed. She wanted an other, This was the only place I have found it!! Very hard to find! I have been to every music store in my area. She loved it!! And was so happy to have it again. Anyone who loves Andrew Lloyd Webber will love this. As it has many songs from some of his most famous plays with the original cast. Great item.

beautiful.......2006-12-21

This CD is a great compilation of some of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hits. If you are just looking for a "quick fix" for your Broadway craving, this is a great value.

Fair Album with 1 starlight and 0 aspects.......2004-07-09

I think this album is F-A-I-R because it has one starlight express song and zero aspects of love songs. This is why i liked the album The reason i said that this is a fair album is that I like Starlight Express better. Song i like are "The Phantom of the Opera", "Take That Look off Your Face", All I Ask of You", "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", "Mr. Mistofflees," "Superstar," "Memory", "Starlight Express", "Tell Me On A Sunday", "Music of the Night", "Another Suitcase in Another Hall", and "I Don't Know How To Love Him". I dislike the following songs:" Track 6" and the last one because the last one was hard to understand and track 6 is instrumental.

Superb collection.......2003-08-11

... It is a collection of the best of ALW's creative efforts, and a collection of great performances. Anyone who loves "Broadway" should have this disk in their collection.

Average customer rating:

you cant beat an Ira lyric.
A Wonderful CD
Quiet and elegant
Disappointed
they can't take that album away from me

Pure Gershwin
Michael Feinstein
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Isn't It Romantic
Nice Work If You Can Get It: Songs by the Gershwins
Remember: Michael Feinstein Sings Irving Berlin
Michael & George (Feinstein Sings Gershwin)
Romance on Film/Romance on Broadway

ASIN: B000002H4W
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

S' Wonderful
Our Love Is Here To Stay
Liza
The World Is Mine
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Isn't It A Pity?
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Embraceable You
What Causes That?
He Loves And She Loves/How Long Has This Been Going On
They All Laughed
The Girl I Love
Someone To Watch Over Me

Amazon.com

Pure Gershwin was Michael Feinstein's first album, and it remains one of his best. It may not have the production values of his later Gershwin tributes, Nice Work if You Can Get It (1996) and Michael & George (1998), but it simply and directly presents Feinstein in his piano-bar days, singing to his own tasteful accompaniments with occasional contributions from bass and drums and a second piano. Establishing the patterns for his later albums, he sings unjustly neglected verses to familiar songs, uncovers some never-before-recorded gems ("The World Is Mine," "What Causes That"), and provides song-by-song notes. Longtime friend Rosemary Clooney guests on "Isn't It a Pity?" --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

you cant beat an Ira lyric........2007-01-05

this is good...and just to hear a REALLY GREAT "Isn't A Pity" duet with Rosie is well worth the price of admission. I REPEAT: just to hear a REALLY GREAT "Isn't A Pity" duet with Rosie is well worth the price of admission. listen & enjoy some great american music. you cant beat an Ira lyric.

A Wonderful CD.......2005-05-19

PURE GERSHWIN is just that, pure!. Feinstein interprets Gershwin the way it was meant to be performed. This is pure delight!

Quiet and elegant.......2003-04-20

Michael Feinstein's thin voice is compensated by his apparent enthusiasm for the material and a spare arrangement of piano, bass, and drum that gives this recording the ambiance of an intimate piano bar. Before hearing this disc, I knew only Gershwin's biggest hits, so many of the numbers here were new to me and increase my appreciation of that great American composer.

Disappointed.......2003-04-10

I bought this cd because I am a huge Gershwin enthusiast and am always on the lookout for versions of one of my favorite pieces, "Liza". I'd heard a lot of buzz about Feinstein and the supposed wonderfulness of his Gershwin interpretations, so I thought I would give this album a shot.

I was extremely disappointed. Feinstein seems to suck the life out of Gershwin's compositions, a feat I would have previously thought impossible. Though I concede that vocalists are free to reinterpret songs (many to a great success, as in Louis Armstrong's and Ella Fitzgerals's enjoyable versions of Gershwin), I think Feinstein's lazy tempos "loungy" voice make the tracks on this album boring and annoying.

I have loved to listen to and sing these songs my entire life. I just wanted to warn listeners who perhaps, like myself, enjoy George Gershwin's music for its beautiful clarity and energy (as easily experienced through Gershwin's own recordings, early interpretations by artists such as the Astaires, and even recent broadway "Crazy For You") that they will not experience any feeling of the sort from Michael Feinstein.

Amidst all the gushing that has recently been done over him, I found Michael Feinstein to have attempted to murder "Liza" and the other songs on this album. He merely displays a very unexceptional voice and poor interpretive taste. Fans beware, Feinstein proves that it is possible to make a bad cd of Gershwin songs. I'd recommend listening elsewhere.

they can't take that album away from me.......2002-05-09

they say the third time's a charm, but in this instance, it is the first time -- michael feinstein's first gershwin album -- that is the charm. this album is by far better and more listenable than the next two -- "feinstein sings gershwin" and "nice work if you can get it".

the listenability of this album may stem from the fact that it is a bare-bones arrangement, with two pianos, a bass and drums, a la a jazz trio, with no embellishment, so michael feinstein's then sincere and unsophisticated voice is the featured instrument.

i heartily recommend this album, as every song on it is a gem and feinstein's voice is more appealing than on the two later albums, when he jazzed it up with what sounds like an echo chamber and other electronic enhancements and he seems to be doing the songs by the numbers.

feinstein's version of "liza," slowed down to ballad form and plaintively phrased, is the best i have ever heard. the duet with rosemary clooney on "isn't it a pity," again brings out the best of feinstein's then-new voice and shows why george's (clooney) aunt is rightfully considered a jazz legend.

the combined "he loves and she loves/how long has this been going on" is another melodic/poignant highlight, while the album's finale, "someone to watch over me," is a stirring anthem to wanting and needing someone and is done with vocal and instrumental passion; it brings this collection of songs to a fitting crescendo.

for a lawyer's kid from columbus, ohio who started out cataloguing gershwin estate material for the reclusive ira and then began singing the songs for family and friends, michael feinstein has done all right for himself. he has become the recognized interpreter of the gershwin legacy, sort of the same way his pseudo-cousin, john, jr. feinstein, has become the recognized interpreter of the bob knight legacy... .

michael feinstein may have hit a home run his first time up with this album, and it may be his best, as it is the purest and most joyful celebration of gershwin tunes, while the others are fancier, more jazzed up and ponderous and less appealing.

Tracks:

Prologue-Theme From City Of Angels
Double Talk
What You Don't Know About Women
You Gotta Look Out For Yourself
The Buddy System
With Every Breath I Take
The Tennis Song
Ev'rybody's Gotta Be Somewhere
Lost And Found
All You Have To Do Is Wait
You're Nothing Without Me
Stay With Me
You Can Always Count On Me
Alaura's Theme
It Needs Work
L.A. Blues
With Every Breath I Take-Duet
Funny
I'm Nothing Without You
Epilogue-Theme From City Of Angels
Double Talk Walk

Amazon.com

Cy Coleman and David Zippel's City of Angels is a seductive depiction of 1940s Los Angeles, capturing swinging jazz, torchy ballads, witty lyrics, and even a Manhattan Transfer-like Greek chorus (arranged by ManTran guru Yaron Gershovsky). James Naughton and Gregg Edelman star as Stone and Stine, respectively a tough Raymond Chandleresque PI and the writer who dreams up his adventures. Randy Graff plays Stone's long-suffering secretary and Dee Hoty the requisite femme fatale. Loads of atmosphere and tasty songs such as "What You Don't Know About Women," "With Every Breath I Take," "You're Nothing Without Me," and "You Can Always Count on Me" make City of Angels a modern classic. It won 1990 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Leading Actor (Naughton), Featured Actress (Graff), Best Book (Larry Gelbart), and Best Original Score. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Fun Show, Average Score.......2007-02-21

Fun show, ingenuos concept, so-so score, with one exception. The ballad With Every Breath I Take is brilliant. One of Coleman's best pieces.

Cleverness personified.......2006-10-16

A duet between an author and the character he created, each claiming "you're nothing without me," is just one example of how sharp, witty and clever show is, with an unusual score, jazzy and bluesy and very 1940s, and some of the best lyrics I know.

Fantastic Jazz Musical That's FUN!!!.......2006-04-14

City of Angels is an incredibly fun, classy, and jazzy musical that delivers. Stellar vocal performances are provided by the entire cast, particularly the female end. The fact that Randy Graff was the only female from this cast nominated at the Tony Awards that year floors me. Kay McClelland and Rachel York deserved nods for their powerful solos, With Every Breath I Take and Lost Found, alone. These two songs are also the type of sultry, jazz solos that one would expect in the 40's, which is why the show works. The music is completely period with when the show takes place, and that's why I love it. The best tracks are:

3) What You Don't Know About Women
6) With Every Breath I Take (destined to be a classic)
9) Lost and Found (wonderful solo)
10) All You Have To Do Is Wait (FUN! FUN! FUN SONG!!! Hilarious as well)
11) You're Nothing Without Me
13) You Can Always Count On Me (Randy Graff's Tony!)

Great Jazz-Oriented Score.......2005-06-25

1990 Tony winner for Best Musical, "City Of Angels" contains a great score, filled with jazz-oriented melodies & torch songs. Not all the songs are terrific, but most of the score lends itself to repeat listenings. Best tracks include:

Double Talk
What You Don't Know About Women
With Every Breath I Take [beautiful song!]
Lost And Found
You're Nothing Without Me [the show's hit]
You Can Always Count On Me
Funny

Great cast ... great buy!

I love it!.......2005-02-22

This is one of my favorite soundtracks ever! Since I'm going to be working on music for the show, I'm happy that this is the case. It has been in my CD player for a few weeks now, and there's enough variety for it not to get old. But having read through the script makes the lyrics infinitely wittier. Musicals are supposed to rely partially on the lyrics and partially on the script. This show does that perfectly. Without the script, the lyrics are (apparently) lacking. But without the lyrics, the script is missing something. When you put the two pieces together, however, it's really easy to see why this show won a Tony.

Average customer rating:

5 STARS AND THEN SOME !!
Pretty Sad,
I FELL IN LOVE WITH JULIE ALL OVER AGAIN
A Great Julie Andrews CD
Climbing Every Mountain with Mary Poppins

Classic Julie Classic Broadway

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Broadway: The Music of Richard Rodgers
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ASIN: B00005KBBR
Release Date: 2001-06-19

Tracks:

On A Clear Day
A Cock-Eyed Optimist
Hello, Young Lovers
Here I'll Stay
My Fair Lady Shuffle: Overture/Wouldn't It Be Loverly/Let A Woman/Just You Wait/Poor Professional...
Getting To Know You
Living In The Shadows
Bewitched
I Have Dreamed
My Funny Valentine
Camelot Suite: Camelot/The Simple Joys Of Maidenhood/How To Handle A Woman/If Ever I Would...
Crazy World
If I Loved You
Edelweiss
The Sound Of Music

Customer Reviews:

5 STARS AND THEN SOME !!.......2006-02-10

Oh Julie, the songs you sang on this CD are superb. I wish you could still give us that joy. If you can only sing in the low registers, give us jazz!! You can do it I just know you can!!

Pretty Sad, .......2005-10-27

Hollywood veteran Julie Andrews has had a glorious career, but not without its downsides. Her legend is built on "The Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins" and other glorious roles. Her abilities as a singer were never impressive or great, her voice often sounded weak, but she always knew how to sing around her very limited vocal range. On this collection she performs some of the greatest Broadway tunes ever written and even though she does a good job, her voice just doesn't hold up against many of these tunes. Her warmth is felt all over the album, in "Here I'll Stay" she wraps her gentle, but narrow, voice around it and in "My Funny Valentine" she sticks to the lower register of her voice. However, in the re-recording of her classic "Sound of Music" and in "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" her voice fails her, it often sounds thin and airy and it's actually quite sad to listen to. When all is said and done Julie Andrews remains a great talent, and most of that talent is largely due to her amazing capability as a performer and her genuine warmth.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH JULIE ALL OVER AGAIN.......2005-06-25

As a young kid growing up in the Philippines I remember my Dad playing his state-of-the-art Aiwa tape recorder back in the 60s and hearing Julie Andrews' voice - truly the voice of an angel! Now, hearing these songs again with adult ears I fell in love with her voice all over again !

A Great Julie Andrews CD.......2002-01-27

If you are a fan of Dame Julie's and musicals, this is the cd for you. It is a compilation of songs from prevously released albums; The King and I, The Music of Richard Rodgers, Here I'll Stay, and Victor/Victoria, Original Broadway Cast Recording.
I found the material to be very well put together giving the listener selections from My Fair Lady, Camelot, The Sound of Music, Victor/Victoria and others. What more could you want?
As for Ms. Andrews, she is superb. There is simply no one like her. I have heard comments that prior to the infamous throat surgery she was unable to handle the difficult material and hit those high notes. This is just not true. All you have to do is listen to these songs recorded in the early 90's to know that she still had a marvelous voice. Lets hope that one day she will be able to sing and record again. If not, these may be her last recordings so treasure them.

The My Fair Lady suite is wonderful and Ms. Andrews definitely hit the high note at the end of "I Could Have Danced All Night".
Her version of "Edelweiss" and "The Sound of Music" are lovely.
Also worth listening to is "Living in the Shadows" written for the Broadway production of Victor/Victoria so you won't find it on the movie soundtrack. The lyrics are by Leslie Bricusse who also penned "Crazy World", which is another great selection on this cd.

Overall this is a cd worth having in your collection, so buy it today. Otherwise you are missing out.

Climbing Every Mountain with Mary Poppins.......2002-01-22

Julie Andrews and her music have been an inspiration to me
every since I stepped into a theater and watched Mary Poppins
(many years ago). I admire her talent and her voice on this CD. I know it is not as clear a voice as she used to have but I still enjoy listening to her. I listen to this CD when I want a "pick me up" and am proud to have it as part of my collection.

Bryn Terfel - Something Wonderful (Bryn Terfel sings Rodgers & Hammerstein)

Average customer rating:

I have just been introduced.
Great Music + Terrific Lyrics +Decent Singing = Very Nice CD
A new meaning of throat singing.
Superb matchmaking in Terfel's R&H recital
Broadway or Opera... This CD is indeed ýSomething Wonderfulý

Bryn Terfel - Something Wonderful (Bryn Terfel sings Rodgers & Hammerstein)
Bryn Terfel , English Northern Philharmonia , Paul Daniel , Opera North Chorus , Richard Rodgers , and Oscar Hammerstein II
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bryn Terfel - We'll Keep a Welcome

ASIN: B000001GRP
Release Date: 1996-09-10

Tracks:

OKLAHOMA: Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'
State Fair: It Might As Well Be Spring
South Pacific: Some Enchanted Evening
OKLAHOMA: The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
South Pacific: Bali Ha'i
Carousel: June Is Bustin' Out All Over
The King And I: Something Wonderful
Allegro: So Far
Allegro: A Fellow Needs A Girl
The King And I: I Have Dreamed
Allegro: What A Lovely Day For A Wedding
Me And Juliet: No Other Love
The Sound Of Music: Edelweiss
Carousel: If I Loved You
South Pacific: There Is Nothin' Like A Dame
South Pacific: Younger Than Springtime
Allegro: Come Home
South Pacific: This Nearly Was Mine
Carousel: Soliloquy
Carousel: You'll Never Walk Alone

Amazon.com

In the opening song of "Something Wonderful," Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel sings, "All the sounds of the Earth are like music." They most definitely are when Terfel surrounds them with his resonant baritone. Every phrase of Rodgers and Hammerstein's music is imbued with uncommon sensitivity, impeccable phrasing, and dazzling beauty. Terfel's rich and meaty voice shares a plate with delicate pianissimos, unabashed sentimentality, and swaggering forthrightness. He successfully tackles songs originally written for women. In "It Might as Well Be Spring," he transforms dippy into dapper. And he turns "Bali Hai" into a foreboding, demanding, and seductive call; the listener must helplessly succumb to the world of his sensitive manliness. His interpretations of the old standards--"If I Loved You," "Soliloquy," "This Nearly Was Mine," "Some Enchanted Evening"--are stellar. Despite the temporary lulls caused by the second-class songs from "Allegro," Terfel does a first-class job of bringing them to life. Undoubtedly one of the best crossover records of all time. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

I have just been introduced........2007-01-22

I came across the CD by sheer accident and am I glad I did. Wonderful music. Thanks for the music Bryn.

Great Music + Terrific Lyrics +Decent Singing = Very Nice CD.......2005-01-27

While not an expert on technical singing I really, really like this CD. I think Terfel's voice is pretty decent & he sings both male/female lead R & H songs for a total of twenty cuts. One cut I really enjoyed , but had never heard before was the song "So Far"
from R & H's "Allegro" with those Richard Roger's hooks & terrific Oscar Hammerstein lyrics. Felt that the orchestra on this session made a good move using the original orchestrations for a classic R & H feel. I concur with the reviewer regarding the miking of Terfel's voice in this session which seems too low forcing the listener to turn up the volumne.

A new meaning of throat singing........2004-06-11

I cannot believe that the critics of today can rave about such an inferior singer as Byrn Terfel. He sings so badly, I can't believe he has had the career he's had. I don't care how many roles he's sung, he hasn't any vocal technique at all. If anyone would care to hear great singing, buy the; "Thomas L. Thomas" Voice of Firestone video and listen to a great Welsh singer. This is a great artist and vocal technician. Try; "John Charles Thomas," "Lawrence Tibbett," or "Nelson Eddy." Bryn Terfel couldn't carry their music cases!

Superb matchmaking in Terfel's R&H recital.......2004-03-09

You might think that it is a very superflous mismatch for an opera singer to try his vocal cords on the Broadway songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein. However, in this R&H offering by Bryn Terfel, he proves that it is a perfect match between singer and repertoire for a classical crossover record of this pedigree. Terfel communicates the essence of each of the 20 songs to the listener, and allows them to sound fresh and new. And it helps that he has been a R&H fan for many years with the music already close to his heart. He is given superb backing from the well-conducted Opera North forces an warm, natural recording.

From the first phrase of Terfel's uplifting opening version of "Oh, what a beautiful morning" from Oklahoma!, we listeners intuitively know that this is not going to be your superflous run-of-the-mill classical crossover offering of R&H songs. Terfel uses his big voice to great effect in Billy Bigelow's two songs from Carousel, "If I loved you" and the pivotal "Soliloquy" that builds up to a devastating climax. When he does this for Emile's two big solos in South Pacific, "Some Enchanted Evening" and "This Nearly Was Mine," he also makes them sound fresh and intuitively conveys their essence. He also thrills us even when his voice is soft and tender, such as on Lietunant Cable's "Younger than Springtime" and especially on Captain von Trapp's "Edelweiss" from The Sound of Music.

Besides the obvious highlights in this R&H offering, Terfel unearths some new delights. He does this by trying his vocal cords on songs that were originally intended for women, most notably in Nettie's two big numbers in Carousel, "June is busting out all over" and "You'll never walk alone", which he pulls off convincingly in a straight-laced and serious manner without sounding cliched. (In the booklet, "You'll never walk alone" was stated as being sung by the Chorus, but then in the show, it is sung by Nettie.) He is also wistful on "It might as well be Spring" from State Fair, and philosophical on Lady Thiang's "Something Wondreful" from The King and I. He also evokes a dreamlike quality on Bloody Mary's "Bali Ha'i" in South Pacific. The other unusual thing that Terfel does is include some unknown songs and treat them ravishingly. Four of them are from Allegro, highlighted by a charming "So Far," a reflective "A Fellow needs a girl" and a powerful "Come Home", and he also sings "No Other Love" from Me and Juliet as ravishingly as "I Have Dreamed."

If I have any quibbles, there are only two minor ones. Terfel's R&H offering runs for 74 minutes, and still has six minutes of empty space on a CD. I'm sure that Terfel could have given thought to the Mother Abbess's "Climb Every Mountain" from The Sound of Music, which I consider a more universal and less-cliched song than "You'll never walk alone" from Carousel. It would have suited his full-throated, big-voiced characteristic very well. Also, this offering of R&H seems to be lopsided to emphasise more of the first part of R&H. Sixteen tracks cover R&H from Oklahoma to South Pacific, with four tracks that cover their second half from The King and I to The Sound of Music. As such I would have liked to hear him sing a more balanced repertoire of R&H songs with equal emphasis to both halves of their collaboration. Perhaps he might record a Volume 2 with songs from the latter part of their collaboration in the near future. But with 74 delightful minutes of Terfel's R&H offering, how could anybody complain about the quality of this recital, especially with a lavish booklet complete with copious notes by R&H expert Ethan Mordden and full lyrics.

Overall, though, I'm very sure that this R&H offering is both a highlight of Terfel's discography, and can ably recommended with his recording of Schubert songs to anybody who wants to get to know his work well. It can also be recommended to Rodgers & Hammerstein fans old and new.

By the way, I also recommend the Rodgers & Hammerstein Songbook for Orchestra, with another superlative Telarc offering by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and Erich Kunzel. This recital is just as outstanding as Terfel's R&H offering. And, there is a wealth of cast recordings that new R&H fans will want to snap up, so this Terfel disc will be an ideal stepping-stone for them.

Broadway or Opera... This CD is indeed ýSomething Wonderfulý.......2003-07-25

It becomes clearer with every disk Bryn releases... he turns whatever he touches into gold! This CD is indeed `Something Wonderful'. From the first listen I was in love with this disk and can't get enough.

To begin, Rodgers and Hammerstein couldn't be more appropriately sung. From a time before electric amplification the sweeping melodies of Richard Rodgers were intended to be sung as Bryn illustrates. As I say every time, his diction is impeccable, his musicianship is unsurpassed, and his enthusiasm is wonderful. As for Oscar Hammerstein, I'm sure he doesn't mind a little foreign accent... because every word is clear and understandable.

To compare the accent of Terfel to Pavarotti and Carreras is simply misguided. Although Pavarotti and Carreras are top-notch for what they do, neither pursues `Broadway' music seriously. Their ventures into the medium are limited to Gala concerts and the occasional snippet on a CD... not on stage depicting a role, but simply to sing a beautiful song. Mr. Terfel, on the other hand, researches the roles, coaches them, and is constantly pursued to perform them. His accent is one of slight vowel or consonant differences, which do not detract from the beautiful music. The music is well done and the story clear. Lets not nitpick diction or the French will have our hides for Les Miserables!

For the music, the recording quality is great. One reviewer mentioned poor sound quality and I do believe that person may have a bad disk or player... on my end the sound is full and robust; Bryn's voice dominates the sound. The orchestrations are full and lush. When dealing with modern houses and theatres the orchestra pits are usually quite small, and consequently the ensembles themselves. CDs like this one allow for fully orchestrated music to be heard, with a large symphony of musicians. The numbers that utilize chorus, which sings very well, are well balanced.

This disk is a great buy in my book. Bryn Terfel is a phenomenal performer and he sings this genre excellently. Check out his `If Ever I Would Leave You', `Under The Stars', `We'll Keep a Welcome', `Songs of My Welsh Home', and numerous classical recordings like `Opera Arias', `Meet Bryn Terfel', `The Vagabond', `Wagner', `Schumann Lieder', and an large collection of full opera recordings. Enjoy.

Music Review:

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