Bridge of Light
Track Listings
|
|
|
1. Be still and listen (alto flute)
|
|
2. ...to the Wisdom (bass flute)
|
|
3. ...of your Heart (flute)
|
|
4. Have courage (alto flute)
|
|
5. ...to love and to live (bass flute)
|
|
6. ...in the present moment (flute)
|
|
7. Fear not (alto flute)
|
|
8. Be healed and be blessed (bass flute)
|
|
9. Pass it on (alto flute)
|
Editorial Reviews
Erkki Lehtiranta, Minä Olen Journal, Finland, 3/2003
...light that has transformed itself into sound. Bridge of Light is music of the heart...
Product Description
Bridge of Light was recorded on September 11, 2002 as a meditation and invocation for peace, balance, harmony and love. The soothing sounds of the solo flute embrace silence allowing space for each listener's own inner journey. This is music requiring no intellectual analysis or emotional response, thus bypassing the analytical left brain. Bridge of Light was recorded to create a sound space of stillness and tranquility with the intention that whoever listens will get what they need at that particular moment.
Listen to your own intuition how to best use this music. Find where you are and know that you are exactly in the right place. Take time for yourself. Light a candle. Pour a bath. Meditate. Paint. Write. Dream. Clean the house! Just be. Breathe. Smile. Trust. Enjoy!
Bridge of Light
Bridge of Light,Ulla Suokko / improvised solo flute,Ulla Suokko
Bridge of Light
Average customer rating:
- Bridge of Light- GORGEOUS!
- Orchestral Lyricism
- Bridge of Light
|
Jarrett: Bridge of Light
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Concertos
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Chamber Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical (c.1770-1830)
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Violin
| Strings
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Jarrett, Keith
| ( J )
| Featured Performers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Chamber Music
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
ECM Classical
| ECM Records
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
ECM Jazz & World
| ECM Records
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
- Nude Ants
- The Celestial Hawk
- Tabula Rasa
- Solo Concerts: Bremen & Lausanne
- Richard Einhorn: Voices Of Light
ASIN: B000025XCY
Release Date: 2000-04-18 |
Tracks:
- Elegy For Violin And String Orchestra
- Adagio For Oboe And String Orchestra
- Sonata for Violin and Piano: Celebration
- Sonata for Violin and Piano: Song
- Sonata for Violin and Piano: Dance
- Sonata for Violin and Piano: Birth
- Sonata for Violin and Piano: Dance
- Bridge Of Light For Viola And Orchestra
Amazon.com
Keith Jarrett describes his pieces as "prayers that beauty may remain perceptible," and indeed he seems to have written exactly what his ear and heart told him. The music is peaceful, lyrical, pastoral, sometimes mournful, sometimes dancelike, often devotional. It spins out melodies in long silken threads, without real form or development, shaped only by rising and abating intensity. Its harmonies are firmly based in tonality, and there are hardly any dissonances. It could have been composed in an earlier century, but far from being derivative, its very lack of self-conscious striving for "style" gives it originality. The orchestral sound has a natural richness without gimmicky effects; the writing for the solo instruments is wonderfully idiomatic.
The Elegy for Violin and Strings, written for Jarrett's maternal Hungarian grandmother, is somber, intense, with a gypsy flavor, and fluctuates between major and minor. The Violin and Piano Sonata has five contrasting movements, two of them dances, one Spanish, one half-Spanish, half-Oriental, both with an ostinato rhythm in the bass; the rest are singing and lyrical. Michelle Makarski plays both with a lovely pure tone and great nobility of expression. The Adagio for Oboe and Strings is pastoral but somewhat contrapuntal; Marcia Butler's full, languid tone both blends and contrasts with the strings. "Bridge of Light" for Viola and Orchestra has a chordal, hymnlike quality and colorful orchestration; the viola merges into and emerges from the texture, standing out with no apparent effort. Patricia McCarty, who commissioned and premiered the piece, plays it beautifully, with warm, loving tenderness; the orchestra is excellent. --Edith Eisler
Customer Reviews:
Bridge of Light- GORGEOUS!.......2003-11-26
I bought this CD specifically out of curiousity to hear the Viola Concerto "Bridge of Light". It is gorgeous work, which is played beautifully by soloist Patricia McCarty. This piece has a completely tonal sound that is still "fresh" sounding for the modern listener. I highly recommend that violists especially get to know this gem of a viola concerto.
Kenneth Martinson, professor of viola at Western Illinois University, asst. editor for the American Viola Society Journal
Orchestral Lyricism.......2000-07-01
I suppose most will be familiar with Keith Jarrett as a solo pianist or member of a trio. He has released several works of classical performance and original composition. His renditions of Bach's Goldberg Variations, Mozart piano concertos, the music of Handel and Shostakovitch are exemplary. His own classical compositions have, perhaps, stirred more controversy.
This recording, from 1993, features four original compositions including one in which Jarrett accompanies the violinist Michelle Makarski on piano (Sonata for Violin and Piano); the third section, "Dance", is one of the most invigorating and sweetly beguiling melodies I have heard. Elegy for Violin and String Orchestra is less immediatly recognizable as a Jarrett work. It opens with dark strings, bringing to mind the gypsy music of Hungary (where, Jarrett says, his grandmother was born). It is a moody piece - albeit without the dramatic emotional shifts which characterize much Hungarian music. But, then, Hungary remains only a flavor in this rich, evocative composition.
This is contemporary classical music which, while being undeniably of this era, retains a strong sense of melody and harmony. The music does meander at times, giving an impression - not of aimlessness, but of a wandering curiosity; it's like a trip down an unfamiliar, quietly flowing river.
Bridge of Light.......2000-06-13
One of the most beautiful pieces of music composed by Keith Jarrett and very different from his Solo piano and trio works. An essential addition to anyones Jarrett collection.
Average customer rating:
|
Enduring Light: 60 Inspirational Favorites
Manufacturer: Sound Exchange
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Franck, César
| ( F )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Gounod
| Gounod, Charles
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Handel
| Handel, George Frideric
| ( H )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Monk, William Henry
| ( M )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Sullivan
| Sullivan, Arthur
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Vaughan Williams, Ralph
| ( V )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Baroque (c.1600-1750)
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vaughan Williams, Ralph
| Composers
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Violin
| Strings
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Sacred & Religious
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Chamber Music
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Oratorios
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Hymns
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Noels
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Oratorios
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Psalms
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
General
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Easy Listening
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Orchestral Pop
| Easy Listening
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Movie Scores
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
Movie Soundtracks
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
Solo Instrumental
| New Age
| Styles
| Music
Easy Listening & Lounge
| Box Sets
| Stores
| Music
Bargain Box Sets
| Classical General
| Classical
| Today's Deals in Music
| Formats
| Music
All Bargain Titles
| Classical General
| Classical
| Today's Deals in Music
| Formats
| Music
Bargain Box Sets
| Opera & Vocal General
| Opera & Vocal
| Today's Deals in Music
| Formats
| Music
All Bargain Titles
| Opera & Vocal General
| Opera & Vocal
| Today's Deals in Music
| Formats
| Music
Bargain Box Sets
| Pop General
| Pop
| Today's Deals in Music
| Formats
| Music
All Bargain Titles
| Pop General
| Pop
| Today's Deals in Music
| Formats
| Music
Bargain Box Sets
| Easy Listening
| Pop
| Today's Deals in Music
| Formats
| Music
All Bargain Titles
| Easy Listening
| Pop
| Today's Deals in Music
| Formats
| Music
ASIN: B00004T0N0
Release Date: 2000-05-09 |
Tracks:
- Handel's 'Messiah': Overture - The London Philharmonic Orchestra/Walter Susskind
- Handel's 'Messiah': And The Glory Of The Lord - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
- Handel's 'Messiah': Behold A Virgin Shall Conceive - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
- Handel's 'Messiah': For Unto Us A Child Is Born - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
- Handel's 'Messiah': There Were Shepherds Abiding In The Field - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
- Handel's 'Messiah': He Shall Feed His Flock Like A Shepherd - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
- Handel's 'Messiah': Behold The Lamb Of God - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
- Handel's 'Messiah': He Was Despised And Rejected Of Men - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
- Handel's 'Messiah': Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
- Handel's 'Messiah': Why Do The Nations So Furiously Rage - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
- Handel's 'Messiah': Hallelujah - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
- Handel's 'Messiah': Since By Man Came Death - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
- Handel's 'Messiah': Worthy Is The Lamb That Was Slain/Amen - The London Philharmonic Choir/Frederick Jackson
Tracks:
- The Lord's Prayer
- Old Rugged Cross
- Onward Christian Soldiers
- Rock Of Ages
- How Great Thou Art
- Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
- I Believe
- Lord Hear Our Prayer
- Now The Day Is Over
- Amazing Grace
- Ave Maria
- Let Us Humbly Sing Our Praises
- O Holy Night
- Praise, Praise The Lord
- Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven
- Oh Lord Most Holy
- Unfold Your Portals
- Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring
- The Lord Is My Shepherd
- All The People That On Earth Do Dwell
- A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
- Oh God Our Help In Ages Past
- Holy, Holy, Holy
- Battle Hymn Of The Republic
- Keeping Faith
Tracks:
- A Dream Of Peace
- All In This April Evening
- Our Wedding
- Bless This House
- Bridge Over Troubled Waters
- Climb Every Mountain
- Day By Day (Theme From Godspell)
- Down By The Riverside
- The Impossible Dream
- Swing Low Sweet Chariot
- The Day Is Gently Sinking To Close
- Jesus Christ Superstar
- Abide With Me
- March On
- Peace In The Valley
- Go Tell It On The Mountain
- Born Free
- American Trilogy
- Sunrise, Sunset
- I Don't Know How To Love Him
- Blessed Be The Tie That Binds
- Enduring Light
Average customer rating:
|
Leo Smit: 33 Songs on Poems of Emily Dickinson
Manufacturer: Bridge
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General Modern
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Classical
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
ASIN: B00000JIRG
Release Date: 1999-07-20 |
Tracks:
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 1. I Was The Slightest..
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 2. Through Lane It Lay...
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 3. It Troubled Me As...
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 4. The Childs Faith Is New
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 5. Softened My Time's...
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 6. Papa Above!
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 7. We Talked As Girls Do
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 8. They Shut Me Up In...
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 9. I Cried At Pity--Not At
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 10. Let Us Play Yesterday
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 11. A Loss Of Something...
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 12. Good Morning...
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 13. Up Life's Hill With...
- Cycle 1, Cholde Emilie, 14 Songs About Memories & Fantasies Of Childhood: 14. I'm Ceded--I've...
- Cycle 2, The Celestial Thrush, 12 Songs About Music & Birds: 1. I Was A Phoebe--Nothing More
- Cycle 2, The Celestial Thrush, 12 Songs About Music & Birds: 2. The Bird Her Punctual Music Brings
- Cycle 2, The Celestial Thrush, 12 Songs About Music & Birds: 3. The Earth Has Many Keys
- Cycle 2, The Celestial Thrush, 12 Songs About Music & Birds: 4. The Bobolink Is Gone
- Cycle 2, The Celestial Thrush, 12 Songs About Music & Birds: 5. A Train Went Through A Burial Gate
- Cycle 2, The Celestial Thrush, 12 Songs About Music & Birds: 6. I Cannot Dance Upon My Toes
- Cycle 2, The Celestial Thrush, 12 Songs About Music & Birds: 7. Upon His Saddle Sprung A Bird
- Cycle 2, The Celestial Thrush, 12 Songs About Music & Birds: 8. Better-Than Music!--For I--Who...
- Cycle 2, The Celestial Thrush, 12 Songs About Music & Birds: 9. Bind Me--I Still Can Sing
- Cycle 2, The Celestial Thrush, 12 Songs About Music & Birds: 10. Within My Garden, Rides A Bird
- Cycle 2, The Celestial Thrush, 12 Songs About Music & Birds: 11. Heart, Not So Heavy As Mine
- Cycle 2, The Celestial Thrush, 12 Songs About Music & Birds: 12. I Shall Keep Singing
- Cycle 6, The White Diadem, 7 Songs About Poets & Poetry: 1. I Reckon--When I Count At All
- Cycle 6, The White Diadem, 7 Songs About Poets & Poetry: 2. I Dwell In Possibility
- Cycle 6, The White Diadem, 7 Songs About Poets & Poetry: 3. The Martyr Poets--Did Not Tell
- Cycle 6, The White Diadem, 7 Songs About Poets & Poetry: 4. The Poets Light But Lamps
- Cycle 6, The White Diadem, 7 Songs About Poets & Poetry: 5. I Would Not Paint--A Picture
- Cycle 6, The White Diadem, 7 Songs About Poets & Poetry: 6. To Pile Like Thunder To Its Close
- Cycle 6, The White Diadem, 7 Songs About Poets & Poetry: 7. Me--Come! My Dazzled Face
Album Description
Leo Smit has an impressive pedigree as an American composer and musician. A virtuoso pianist, he has worked closely with such legends as Stravinsky, Balanchine, Copland and Stokowski. He has set more that 75 of Emily Dickinson's poems to music, grouping the works into cycles about related subject matter. The disc contains the world premiere recordings of three of those cycles- Childe Emilie- Memories and Fantasies of Childhood, The Celestrial Thrush- Songs of Music and Bird, and The White Diadem- Songs About Poets and Poetry. Smit's songs display great sensitivity to Dickinson's very personal world, and reflect the poet's emotional range by adopting an extremely colorful palette. The songs frequently veer from the simple and tonal to more rhythmically complex and chromatic settings, always alert to word and mood.
Average customer rating:
|
Music Of William Lloyd Webber
Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Nocturnes
| Short Forms
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Chamber Music
| Forms & Genres
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General Modern
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Vocal & Song
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Cello
| Strings
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Viola
| Strings
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Chamber Music
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
- Lloyd Webber: Sacred Choral Music
ASIN: B0000030WH
Release Date: 1996-05-21 |
Tracks:
- Son: First Movt: Allegro Comodo - Philip Dukes/Sophia Rahman
- Son: Second Movt: Larghetto E Molto Sostenuto- - Philip Dukes/Sophia Rahman
- Son: Third Movt: Vivo - Philip Dukes/Sophia Rahman
- Nocturne - Julian Lloyd Webber/John Lill
- Missa Sanctae Mariae Magdalenae: Kyrie - Richard Hickox Singers/Richard Hickox/Ian Watson
- Missa Sanctae Mariae Magdalenae: Gloria - Richard Hickox Singers/Richard Hickox/Ian Watson
- Missa Sanctae Mariae Magdalenae: Sanctus - Richard Hickox Singers/Richard Hickox/Ian Watson
- Missa Sanctae Mariae Magdalenae: Agnus Dei - Richard Hickox Singers/Richard Hickox/Ian Watson
- Missa Sanctae Mariae Magdalenae: Ite Missa est - Richard Hickox Singers/Richard Hickox/Ian Watson
- Two Pieces: In The Half-light - A Soliloquy - Julian Lloyd Webber/John Lill
- Two Pieces: Air Varie (Adapted From 'Tantum Ergo') - Julian Lloyd Webber
- Seven Pieces: Badinage De Noel - John Lill
- Seven Pieces: Song Without Words - John Lill
- Seven Pieces: Scherzo in g - John Lill
- Seven Pieces: Arabesque - John Lill
- Seven Pieces: Presto For Peresue - John Lill
- Seven Pieces: Romatic Evening - John Lill
- Seven Pieces: Explanation - John Lill
- Five Songs: A Rent For Love - John Graham-Hall/Philip Ledger
- Five Songs: Eutopia - John Graham-Hall/Philip Ledger
- Five Songs: Over The Bridge - John Graham-Hall/Philip Ledger
- Five Songs: The Pretty Washer-Maiden - John Graham-Hall/Philip Ledger
- Five Songs: So Lovely The Rose - John Graham-Hall/Philip Ledger
Average customer rating:
- Charming Coates Recordings
- Ah, Nostalgia!
- Eric Coates Conducts His Own Music.
|
Coates: By the Sleepy Lagoon; Summer Days; London Suite
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Suites
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General Modern
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General Contemporary
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Symphonies
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
CDs Under $7
| Classical General
| Classical
| Today's Deals in Music
| Formats
| Music
All Bargain Titles
| Classical General
| Classical
| Today's Deals in Music
| Formats
| Music
Similar Items:
- Eirc Coates: 10 Orchestral Pieces; The Enchanted Garden
- Eric Coates: London Calling
- The Symphonic Eric Coates
- Elizabethan Serenade: The Best of British Light Music
ASIN: B00005MAPN
Release Date: 2001-08-21 |
Tracks:
- By The Sleepy Lagoon
- Summer Days-Ste: In A Country Lane - The New Queen's Hall Light Orch/Eric Coates
- Summer Days-Ste: On The Edge Of The Lake - The New Queen's Hall Light Orch/Eric Coates
- Summer Days-Ste: At The Dance - The New Queen's Hall Light Orch/Eric Coates
- Wood Nymphs - Valsette - The Queen's Hall Light Orch/Eric Coates
- The Jester At The Wedding: March
- The Jester At The Wedding: Valse
- Symphonic Rhap On 'I Pitch My Lonely Caravan' - Hon. W. Brownlow
- Symphonic Rhap On 'I Heard You Singing' And 'Bird Songs At Eventide'
- London Ste: Tarantelle 'Covent Garden'
- London Ste: Meditation 'Westminister'
- London Ste: March 'Knightsbridge'
- Summer Afternoon - Idyll
- Cinderella - A Phantasy
- London Bridge - March
Customer Reviews:
Charming Coates Recordings.......2007-02-16
The best of British light classical music in the first half of the century, represented particularly by Eric Coates and Alfred Ketelbey, is a glimpse of a vanished era. Coates' music is largely forgotten in the U.S. today. Record-collectors, however, quickly discovered Coates' wonderful recordings via the numerous 78-rpm discs he made for Columbia and Decca/London, released in both the U.K. and the U.S. Fortunately, Naxos has digitally remastered some of the best of these delightful performances.
Coates was a gifted melodist and orchestrator. He was also a very competent conductor, as these recordings demonstrate. It is a real treat to hear him conducting his own music, some of which was recorded in stereo by Frederick Fennell for Mercury Records. These are truly light classical gems, much in the "pops" vein, and can be enjoyed both classical music lovers and those who prefer the lighter classics.
Ah, Nostalgia!.......2001-11-20
Although I'm sure there are those that would disagree with me, I consider this the Mecca of all Eric Coates CDs. To be able to hear the works not only written by the composer but conducted as well...What can I say? The fact that during the reengineering of the original recordings not all of the hisses, cracks and pops were removed only adds to the charm and enjoyment of these fabulous and historic recordings. Best on the disc: bands 10, 11 and 12, "London Suite," recorded in March of 1933.
Eric Coates Conducts His Own Music........2001-10-05
Eric Coates wrote light music that was very good music. A very experienced practitioner, he was highly regarded by his public, his publishers, his colleagues, and by record companies. He recorded his own works extensively, and inimitably.
Peter Dempsey, working from original 78s issued between 1926 and 1940, has produced and annotated this welcome addition to the Naxos catalogue devoted to Eric Coates conducting his own music. The orchestra, usually named "Symphony Orchestra" on the original labels and in this Naxos issue also, was frequently the London Philharmonic Orchestra - no less. This was the case with Tracks 2 - 5, 9 - 12, and 14.
You'll hear an hour of delightful music here, well transferred and presented.
Average customer rating:
- A Rose By Any Other Name...
- "Thus I salute the stronghold, safe from dread and dismay!
- Free at last!
- I Love This Recording
- The Goodall Ring - 1975 - Restored and Remastered
|
Wagner: The Rhinegold
English National Opera
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
All Works by Wagner
| Wagner, Richard
| ( W )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Romantic (c.1820-1910)
| Historical Periods
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
German
| Languages
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Operettas
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
- Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
- The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
- Wagner: The Valkyrie
ASIN: B00005B550
Release Date: 2001-05-22 |
Customer Reviews:
A Rose By Any Other Name..........2007-07-02
The figure of speach may not be completely correct in this instance, but, well, I hope you get the point. In any case, for a Dutch speaking person, like I, to hear 'The Ring' in a language other than the original German feels - almost shockingly(?) - natural. Certainly, this modern English translation, to me, is as least immediate, and probably even more immediate, than the original (archaic) German text. And in music drama, immediacy is essential. Maybe it is also the wonderfully natural translation, I don't know, but it works for me, the Ring in English.
But most of the credit has to go to the music, the singers, and the recording as such. I believe that this (originally analogue) remastered recording has one of the best recorded sounds and acoustics of any Ring, studio or 'live'. It is wonderfully clear but warm, kind of velvety (very unlike Solti), with beautifully natural balaces between voices and orchestra. Audience noises can be heard (including a delightful little ripple of laughter) but never really obtrusively so, thankfully. And I love the thunderclap-sound effect when Donner strikes his hammer against the rocks - very tastefully done, and lending extra power to the scene.
All the time one reads in reviews everywhere of the very slow speads at which the music is conducted by Sir Reginald Goodall. Well, that may be so, but I, for one, am certainly endeared to Sir Reginald Goodalls 'caressing' of the music, as a result of which wich the Leitmotifs come out more clearly than ever. The slow - but nonetheless very concentrated, and always involved - playing has, to me, an almost mesmerizing effect. Certainly, compared to many other recordings, the music may sound stretched almost beyond breaking point. But in the end, I think it is really just that: a matter of speed, no more. The concentration never falters and the dramatic arc never saggs. There is live 'music magic' going on here, I feel, even if the English National Opera Orchestra may not be (as precise or as diciplined as) a Wiener Philharmoniker or a Bayreuther Festspielorchester. Certainly, Sir Reginald Goodall must have loved this music and these opera's: one feels a slowly beating but constant loving pulse that energizes the drama and the music.
But we also have the singers. And what a great singers! While the best may be yet to come (with Alberto Remedios as Siegmund and Siegfried, and Rita Hunter as Brunnhilde), we here, in The Rhinegold, already have one of the most commanding of Wotans (Norman Bailey, with wonderful burnished timbre). Also, Emile Belcourt stands out as a wonderfully sleek but full-voiced Loge. Derek Hammond-Stroud's Alberich may not be as black as Gunther von Kannen's (for Barenboim), for example, but there is enough anguish, frustration and anger to lend his character a convincing reality and depth. And the giants too, are a winning pair. Especially Fafner (Clifford Grant) is as imposing and powerful as one may ever wish.
With all the rave reviews, here and elsewhere I can't wait to hear The Valkyrie, (especially) Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods. This certainly is a winning 'Ring', to be kept alongside any other 'great' recorded 'Ring' out there, IMHO. To me, it can hold its own alongside any other favorite recordings.
Please, sample this Ring (try for example the Chandos website for fragments of all of the music) and decide for yourself. Highly recommended.
"Thus I salute the stronghold, safe from dread and dismay!.......2007-06-12
Okay, so we have the Solti, Bohm, Karajan, Goodall, Boulez, Janowski, Levine, Haitink, and Sawallisch Rings on the market (I haven't listened to the other Ring recordings yet, sorry to say). And all of these leave me to one conclusion: the many differences lead me to believe that all of these ring sets have their own authenticities and setbacks. And here they are:
TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Boulez's Ring: 13 hours, 40 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Haitink's Ring: 14 hours, 10 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.
Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.
Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.
Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: nothing is faster than andante. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.
Boulez: Here it is, folks - the controversial Centennial Ring. To fit the Ring Cycle in the industrial age, Boulez gives it a very Schoenbergian, Bartokian atmosphere. Much of his tempi are very quick, very Bohm-like, though they're still not as fast as Bohm. Keep in mind, though, this live Ring works only if you hear AND see it (the DVD's work best).
Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".
Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.
Haitink: This might be seen as a disappointment. If you want great conducting, then this is for you. If you want a persuasive array of singers, look somewhere else. Haitink's conducting saves this work from being a total flop. There is nothing quite like his Rheingold & Gotterdammerung ("Siegfried's Rhine Journey" is a bit forced, but magnificent nonetheless).
Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.
ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.
Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.
Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.
Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act Two Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.
Boulez's Bayreuth Festival: While it doesn't really pack the same punches as Bohm's Bayreuth, it still delivers a stunning performance. Orchestral interaction between characters (Ex. Siegfried's motifs mixed in with Mime's motifs) fares better than Berlin's and English National's. Rhine maiden motifs are given more wit, while the Dragon motifs are played with less eeriness. Beauty makes up for the irritatingly quick "Wotan's Farewell".
Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Boulez's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are heard clear in this Ring. The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.
Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.
Haitink's Bavarian Radio Symphony: This may very well be like Metropolitan, only this sounds much more poignant. The strings sound better and the percussion sound clearer. The leitmotivs are almost never screwed up. First scene of Rheingold will take one's breath away.
Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.
SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).
Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.
Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".
Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.
Boulez: If you watch Donald McIntyre on the Centennial Ring production, then you can tell that he's a fine "industrial" Wotan. If you just hear him on CD, then you'll be disappointed. His diction is weak, his emotions are forced, and his voice sounds robotic. The DVD's will do.
Levine and Haitink: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's and Haitink's Ring.
Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.
-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.
Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).
Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."
Boulez: How can anyone not be impressed by the Brunnhilde of Gwyneth Jones? One can almost feel her excitement during Siegfried Act Three, and her fear in Walkure Act Three. Her weakest point is probably during her Gotterdammerung Prologue (a bit too stressed).
Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.
Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).
Haitink: Hmph. I was hoping that Eva Marton would do well here. I was seriously let down by her strained singing. She does okay in "Annunciation of Death", but she is at her worst in "Immolation".
-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm, Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Peter Hoffman for Boulez, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, Reiner Goldberg for Haitink, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jeanine Altmeyer for Boulez, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, Cheryl Studer for Haitink, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Three exceptions, though: Goldberg and Schunk don't sound heroic enough, and Norman for Levine doesn't sound young and innocent enough.
-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.
Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.
Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.
Boulez: Is Manfred Jung a good tenor? Yes. Is he a good Heldentenor? NO. He doesn't have that heroic voice like Windgassen and Remedios. Again, the DVD's are your safest bet.
Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.
Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. Levine should've chose Kollo or Jerusalem when he recorded his studio Ring.
Haitink: Have you ever seen Siegfried Jerusalem on the Levine/Metropolitan DVD? Well, here he is again, and this time, he sings with more valor and enthusiasm. Bravo!
-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").
Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.
Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.
Boulez: What we have here is the weak Alberich of Hermann Becht. When he's in Nibelheim, the authority isn't there. When he's in the Neid-Hohle forest, the creepiness isn't there. And when he's near the Gibich house, the misery isn't there. Even on DVD he's unsatisfactory.
Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.
Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.
Haitink: No offense, but Theo Adam as Alberich? Come on . . .
-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.
Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.
Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.
Boulez and Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent Mime, VERY fun to listen to. There is much humor and eccentricity in his voice, and that's what makes his dwarf much more compelling than Dempsey's dwarf. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.
Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. He is equal to Zednik when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.
Haitink: Peter Haage sounds like he's entertaining young kids. His version of Mime is a bit childish, and the dark humor that the dwarf brings out sounds-over-the-top here. Nonetheless, he is still entertaining to listen to ("Wer halfe mir?" has never sounded better).
Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.
-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on during the Trilogy.
Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Again, another Loge that's marred by lack of cunning.
Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. He has the wit, the craftiness, and the untrustworthiness that the character deserves. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.
Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.
Boulez and Haitink: I can summon Heinz Zednik's performance in just three words: Brilliant Beyond Belief!
Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt and Zednik depend only on vengeance and deviousness, Stolze only imagination and deviousness, Windgassen and Svanholm only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.
Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.
Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Zednik. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.
-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings. Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). Anja Silja is the most memorable Freia (Bohm), while Kurt Moll makes the most fabulous Hunding yet (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm, Goodall, and Boulez. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.
CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation, Neuhold's Badische version, and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss, etc.), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the industrialized Boulez, the truthful Janowski, the unhurried Levine, the abnormal Haitink, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.
The Box Set: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Valkyrie (Part 2): Wagner: The Valkyrie
-Siegfried (Part 3): Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
Free at last!.......2004-09-18
I've enjoyed listening to the Ring cycles by Solti, Bohm, and Furtwangler, but my pleasure has always been dampened by the necessity to follow the dramas with a German/English libretto. This performance freed me from that burden and allowed me to listen to the Ring with my ears alone for the first time. And what a delightful experience it was! I found I could understand about half the words the first time through. but that was enough for me to understand what the characters were saying and concentrate on Wagner's great music. Some of the characters (Loge and Alberich, for example) are almost perfectly comprehensible, while others (Fricka in particular) might as well be singing in German. The sound itself is superb, with perfect balances between orchestra and voices. Goodall's conducting is famously slow (about half an hour longer than usual), but he is never slack and he reveals a wealth of detail in the orchestration. The singers are a mixed lot, with Loge, Alberich, and Mime particularly effective. Bailey is hardly the grandest of Wotans, but he is solid and convincing. In any event, for us non-German listeners, this recording is a real treat. I would not recommend it as a first Ring (Bohm is a good choice, though some of his tempi are rather hectic), but as a supplement to a recoding in the original language, it is hard to beat. Give it a try! As for me, I'm ready to go on to "Die Walkure" (pardon me, "The Valkyrie").
I Love This Recording.......2002-04-05
I was a little suspicious when approaching this English-language version of Das Rhinegold. I was considering assembling this as my third RING set (behind Solti and Levine) and had listened to THE VALKYRIE (Die Walkure) with a little initial disappointment. Although the live sound quality was very interesting, the tempo was much slower than I was used to and thus a little disconcerting, and the English words were harder to understand than I had hoped. Nevertheless, I persevered and listended to THE RHINEGOLD (probably my favorite of the four RING operas, although I know this puts me in a minority) and was amazed. Best of all, after listening to this album I revisited the Goodall VALKYRIE and discovered a new appreciation! Now the Goodall set ranks as one of the best I've heard. It just needed to get under my skin a bit.
What's so good about it? Three things stand out for me: First, the slow tempi that were a litle rough at first actually allow, upon repeated listenings, a new discovery and understanding of Wagner's unfathomable genius. Every nuance is slowed down just enough to be fully accessible. Second, the modern English translation really does make this a different experience...my initial mistake was thinking that English lyrics could allow me to listen to this as background music, and that's not the case. However, if one devotes the same attention to this as a German recording, the time wil be richly rewarded. Finally, the smaller orchestra creates an almost chamber music-esque setting, which compliments the music in an undefinable way. Despite being in English, this is almost more Germanic than original-language recordings.
I still probably wouldn't get this as the first foray into Wagner's RING (I still think Solti or Levine are the choices for that). But for someone who already has some familiarity with the work, this will provide a lifetime's enjoyment. Cudos to Chandos for resurrecting these recordings!
The Goodall Ring - 1975 - Restored and Remastered.......2001-06-08
I have been curious about this for years. When I saw the packaging, I wondered whether this was the same Ring that has been kicking around for a couple of decades from the Sadler's Wells performances of the mid-70s. News flash: It's the same. However, the box says that it's been re-mastered with something called 24-bit digital mastering. Since I never heard the old records, I have no idea if this is better. Judged on its own, the sound is terrific. This live recording really places the listener in the theater with clarity and authentic spaciousness. So often, a live recording will capture the audience up close, then the orchestra, then the singers, cataloguing every throat being cleared and every bow being tapped. Somewhere in the distance, the singers voices follow their heavy tread over the stage. Not here. There is an intimacy to the sound here that approximates sitting in about the tenth row back in a large hall. It doesn't sound like the opera's being played in your room; it sounds as though your room has been transformed into a medium sized theater. I found it uncanny.
As to the experience of the drama in English, that too is remarkable, at least for someone like me whose home-tongue is English. The drama takes on an immediacy that I have never experienced before. This factor alone is why you should explore this Ring. I can't overemphasize the impact on me that this recording had on me because it was in English and because it was well-acted. Surely this is what Wagner meant, at least dramaturgically (obviously allowing that you can't actually see the action).
Overall, the singing is competent, and in some places, it's excellent. None of the cast really stands out musically. Norman Bailey's wobbly Wotan could have certainly benefitted from a deeper, richer tone. Still, and perhaps more importantly, he creates a god who is clearly unsure of where the moral highground is, even when he's standing on "an open space on a mountain summit." Everyone, for that matter, is dramatically convincing, especially Emile Belcourt (Loge) and Derek Hammond-Stroud (Alberich) and Robert Lloyd (Fasolt), all of whom, by the way, have excellent diction. And speaking of diction, I almost could have done without the libretto when the men were singing. Not so with the women, whose diction was uniformly wanting.
Goodall's pace is notoriously glacial. Still, it's interesting to hear it parsed in this way, and I never had the feeling that I was going to fall off the world. Which is to say that the tempos were deliberate, not affected. This was definitely a labor of love for RG and the English National Opera. The orchestra is a little thin sounding, and perhaps, not entirely up to the score. Occasionally a horn mis-blew and a cello creaked. This is unavoidable in live performances, I suppose. Still, there is a surprising sense of smallness to the ensemble, even though there's never a moment when the balance between singers and players is lost. As a result, the overall effect is a balance of clarity and urgency that is clearly the upside of Goodall's idiosyncratic "vision" of the score. Not a huge or "erotic" sound, but always committed, intelligent, and sometimes impassioned.
For all of its flaws, this is an astonishing and, for me, an indispensible recording because it made me listen to this opera with new ears. While it's not the most lyrically pleasing recording (Karajan) or musically authoritative (that would be Solti, IMHO), dramatically, this Rhinegold excells any recording I know of. I will definitely buy the rest of the set.
Average customer rating:
|
Showpieces & Encores; Gershwin, Grieg, etc
Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
All Works by Gershwin
| Gershwin, George
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Grieg, Edvard
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Piazzolla, Astor
| ( P )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Tchaikovsky
| Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich
| ( T )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Vieuxtemps
| Vieuxtemps, Henri
| ( V )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Shostakovich
| Shostakovich, Dmitri
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Rachmaninov
| Rachmaninov, Sergei
| ( R )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Divertimentos
| Serenades & Divertimentos
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Suites
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Romantic
| Symphonies
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Chamber Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical (c.1770-1830)
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Cello
| Strings
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Violin
| Strings
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Chamber Music
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Romances
| Classical (c.1770-1830)
| Historical Periods
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Russian
| Languages
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Movie Scores
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
Movie Soundtracks
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
ASIN: B00005R5ZE
Release Date: 2001-11-13 |
Tracks:
- Grieg: Prelude from Holberg Suite
- Tchaikovsky: Waltz from Serenade
- The Moon Is Shining
- Sinsalo: 3 Russian Folk Songs
- The Rush Light
- Clouds
- Festive Dance
- The Plainsmen
- Vagarshapati Par
- Spring
- Bridge: Valse-Intermezzo in E minor
- Vieuxtemps: Yankee Doodle
- Gershwin: Summertime
- Gershwin: Soon
- Davidov: At the Fountain
- Rachmaninoff: Vocalise
- Rimsky-Korakov: Flight of the Bumblebee
- Shostakovich: Spanish Dance from The Gadfly
- Piazolla: Libertango
Average customer rating:
- Accordion as you have never heard it!
- Excellent Album
|
Vaudeville Accordion Classics: The Complete Works of Guido Deiro
Manufacturer: Bridge
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Chamber Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical (c.1770-1830)
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Electronic
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
| Computer
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Chamber Music
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Easy Listening
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Classical
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
ASIN: B0000UX502
Release Date: 2003-11-25 |
Tracks:
- Temperamental Rag
- Pink Slippers Valse
- Preparedness March
- Il Pentimento Waltz
- Royal Flying Corps March
- Kismet Fox Trot
- Orazione e Marcia Militare
- Western Stars March
- Moonlight Waltz
- Hand Grenade Throwers March
- Deiro Rag
- Muskateers March
- Deirina Mazurka
- I Don't Care Polka
- Lido Tango
- Queen of the Air march
- Valse Caprice No. 1
- Neapolitan Polka
- My Florence Waltz
- Egypto Fantasia
- Zampa Rag
- Lola Fox Trot
- Breitenbush March
- Tango Tosino
- Guido's Royal March
- Light & Shadow Waltz
- Variety Polka
- Valse Pirouette
- Marines March
- Dolores Waltz
- Los Bomberos March
- Accordionette Waltz
- Young Accordionist March
- Little Accordion Player Waltz
- Torpedo March
- Beautiful Girl Waltz
- The Peasant Quadrille
- Radio Waltz
- Dimples Polka
- The Accordion Girl Waltz
- Sharpshooters March
- Veno (Duet) Fox Trot
- Jewel Waltz (Duet)
- King Boy (Duet) Fox Trot
- Minneapolis March (Duet)
- California Mazurka (Duet)
- Sharpshooters March (Reprise)
Album Description
Guido Deiro, the Italian-American accordion virtuoso-- frequently called "The Great Deiro"-- was of paramount importance in the popularization of the accordion in the early 20th century. The first accordionist to perform on the Vaudeville stage (1910), he was also the first accordionist to make sound recordings (Edison Wax Cylinders, 1911). For many years Deiro was a headline attraction at the great vaudeville houses throughout America and abroad, and made more than 100 recordings for the Columbia record company. On Bridge's 2-CD set, Henry Doktorski's sparkling performances of Deiro's music quickly confirm the reason for Deiro's immense popularity. In 1913, Deiro met the young vaudeville performer, and later-to-be Hollywood starlette, Mae West, while both were performing on a vaudeville show in Detroit. The couple quickly fell in love and secretly married. Henry Doktorski's liner notes detail Deiro and West's torrid love affair, and early photograph's of Deiro, provided by Deiro's son, Count Guido Deiro Jr., add to the significance of this release. Deiro's delightful compositions are a window onto an era long past, much like the re-discovery of Scott Joplin's music, twenty-five years ago.
Customer Reviews:
Accordion as you have never heard it!.......2007-04-03
Guido Deiro was the first virtuoso of this much maligned and very difficult to play instrument. An accomplished composer and recording star, Deiro was a hughely popular in Vaudeville. The liner notes reveal his marriage to Mae West and I enjoyed the vintage photos. Henry Doktorski plays Deiro's compositions with great technique and every piece is a revelation of what the accordion is really capable of when played by a master musician.
Excellent Album.......2005-01-04
This two CD set is certainly worth the money. Henry Doktorski's performance is indeed breathtaking. It is as if someone were transported back to the days when Guido Deiro himself was performing these songs. Guido Deiro was a recording pioneer who he became the first star piano-accordionist, the first piano-accordionist to perform on the vaudeville stage, and to make sound recordings(I've got at least two of Mr. Deiro's old Columbia 78 RPM records at home). In fact, Guido became the first person to coin the phrase "Piano-accordion." You'll find plenty of good stuff about Guido in Mr. Doktorski's liner notes on the two-CD set as well as on the GuidoDeiro.com website. Mr. Doktorski's sparkling performance certainly does Mr. Deiro's songs justice.
Average customer rating:
|
Imagine
Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Quartets
| Chamber Music
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Chamber Music
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Beethoven
| Beethoven, Ludwig van
| ( B )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Elgar
| Elgar, Sir Edward
| ( E )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Fauré, Gabriel
| ( F )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Franz Joseph Haydn
| Haydn, Franz Joseph
| ( H )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Liszt
| Liszt, Franz
| ( L )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Massenet
| Massenet, Jules
| ( M )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Saint-Saëns, Camille
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Robert Schumann
| Schumann, Robert
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Debussy
| Debussy, Claude
| ( D )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Concertos
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Nocturnes
| Short Forms
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Sonatinas
| Sonatas
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Romantic
| Symphonies
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical (c.1770-1830)
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Chamber Music
| Forms & Genres
| Romantic (c.1820-1910)
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Vocal & Song
| Romantic (c.1820-1910)
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Keyboard
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Cello
| Strings
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Violin
| Strings
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
London Philharmonic Orchestra
| ( L )
| Featured Performers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Oratorios
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Oratorios
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
ASIN: B000001HOC
Release Date: 1994-06-28 |
Tracks:
- Thais - Meditation - Kenneth Smith/Paul Rhodes
- Prld A L'Apres-Midi D' Un Faune - The State Of Mexico SO/Enrique Batiz
- Reverie - Gordon Fergus-Thompson
- Ste Algerienne - Reverie Du Soir - LSO/Yondani Butt
- Scenes Exc Childhood - Traumerei (Dreaming) - Kenneth Smith/Paul Rhodes
- Pno Son No.14 'Moonlight' - 1st Movt - John Lil
- Liebestraum No.3 - Kenneth Smith/Paul Rhodes
- Apres Un Reve (After A Dream) - Julian Lloyd Webber/Yitkin Seow
- Berceuse, Op.16 - Rodolfo Bonucci
- The Seven Last Words - Meditation On 'Today Thou Shalt Be W. Me In Paradise' - The Lindsays
- The Light Of Life - Meditation - RPO/Yondani Butt
- Meditation - Bernard Gregor-Smith/Yolande Wrigley
- By The Sleepy Lagoon ('Desert Island Discs' Theme) - East Of England Orch/Malcolm Nabarro
Average customer rating:
- Church Music of Sir Arthur Sullivan
|
Church Music of Sir Arthur Sullivan
Manufacturer: Priory Records UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
All Works by Sullivan
| Sullivan, Arthur
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Chamber Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical (c.1770-1830)
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Sacred & Religious
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Chamber Music
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Oratorios
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Anthems
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Choruses
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Hymns
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Masses
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Motets
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Oratorios
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Te Deum
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
A Cappella
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
ASIN: B000059T4K
Release Date: 2001-02-27 |
Tracks:
- Who Is Like Unto Thee?
- O Taste And See
- I Sing The Birth Was Born Tonight
- O God, Thou Art Worthy To Be Praised
- Yea, Though I Walk
- O Love The Lord
- Sing O Heavens
- Lead, Kindly Light
- Te Deum in D
- Jubilate Deo in D
- The Strain Upraise
- The Martyr Of Antioch: Org Prld Part II
- Brother, Thou Art Gone Before Us
- O Hearken Thou
- We Have Heard With Our Ears, O God
Customer Reviews:
Church Music of Sir Arthur Sullivan.......2007-07-27
This CD offers both familiar and unfamiliar (to this writer) choral pieces. Has that "Anglican Choir" sound. Should be in every Sullivan aficionado's collection.
Pop Music:
- Canyon
- Chapter and Verse
- Communing With Music: Practicing the Art of Conscious Listening
- Dancing Within
- Dreams of Wind and Water
- Early Years
- Elements: Surf and Sea
- Elements: The Majestic National Parks
- Evening Romance
- ...Every Step Of The Way
Pop Music
pop music
Recommended Music:
Boom in the Night - Original Studio Recordings
Haydn: Piano Sonatas No. 1
It's A Matter Of Time
Music: Old New Borrowed & Blue [Import]
Chuncked & Muddled
Grandes Voces Y Canciones: 30 Grandes Exitos
Legendary Performers - Susan Johnson [Live]
Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 6, 7, & 8
Living Loud [Import]
Jarrett: Bridge of Light
It's All About the Benjamins (Remix) [CD-single] [Import]
Lickin' on Both Sides [Import]
Grandes Exitos
Day Dreaming Again
Sound Pieces