Aline [Import]

Product Description
Pop Romantic 70's Singer who Had his Moment of Glory with the Ballad 'Aline' and his Nylon/Platform BOOTS/TV Friendly Look.

Aline,Christophe,Polygram Int'l,French,Pop,Rock,World Music

Average customer rating: Outstanding Resource - We LOVE This CD! Great Intro to Operas A Sampler of Greatest Hits and Karaoke, Too World's Very Best Opera for Kids... in English Great for adults too!

World's Very Best Opera for Kids... in English! Manufacturer: Children's Group ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music Similar Items: Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy-My Favourite Opera For Children Beethoven's Wig 3: Many More Sing-Along Symphonies The Classical Child at the Opera Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Symphonies Beethoven's Wig, Vol. 2: More Sing-Along Symphonies ASIN: B0000C5ROP Release Date: 2003-09-23

Tracks:

1. The Barber Of Seville: Largo Al Factotum - Gregory Dahl
2. Carmen: Habanera - Jean Stilwell
3. The Marriage Of Figaro: Non Piu Andrai - Allan Monk
4. The Magic Flute: Papageno's Song - Daniel Lichti
5. Carmen: The Toreadors Song - Brian Banion
6. La Boheme: Donde Lieta Usci - Addio Di Mimi - Laura Whalen
7. The Magic Flute: Der Hoole Rache (The Queen Of The Night's Aria) - Aline Kutan
8. Rigoletto: La Donna E Mobile - Michael Schade
9. Tales Of Hoffman: The Doll Song - Tracy Dahl
10. Die Walkure: Ride Of the Valkyries - Laura Whalen
11. The Marriage Of Figaro: Voi, Che Sapete - Erin Thrall
12. Madame Butterfly: Un Bel Di Verdremo - Natalie Choquette
13. Xerxes: Ombra Mai Fu - Daniel Taylor
14. Rigoletto: Caro Nome - Lambroula Maria Pappas
15. Habanera - The Budapest Concert Orchestra MAV
16. Non Piu Andrai - The Budapest Concert Orchestra MAV
17. Papageno's Song - The Budapest Concert Orchestra MAV
18. La Donna E Mobile - The Budapest Concert Orchestra MAV
19. Voi, Che Sapete - The Budapest Concert Orchestra MAV

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding Resource - We LOVE This CD!.......2007-07-16

This is a GREAT CD! Both the children and my husband and I love it. We bought it as an introduction to opera for our homeschooled children, and never guessed we'd all enjoy it so much.

All the tunes are ones you will probably recognize - but hearing the words that go with the music and hearing them in *English* is so helpful! It has been really fun to find out what these songs are really about.

My kids and I often catch ourselves singing opera through the day now, which is really neat. It has helped build their understanding of music in many different ways, and has improved my oldest daughter's voice ability as she strives to keep up with the professional singers on the CD.

The music is beautiful, the words are lovely and give meaning, and this whole CD is just exceptionally good entertainment!

Great Intro to Operas.......2006-10-16

THE WORLD"S VERY BEST OPERA FOR KIDS is a collection of fourteen of the best loved arias in the world. The whole family will enjoy this CD, which is a unique version of these famous arias in that these are all sung in English so your child (and you) can appreciate and imagine the story that it illustrates. It is a wonderful introduction to opera and will have the whole family humming the memorable melodies, which are sung by some of the best of famous voices. You will be inspired to read the storylines of the operas to your children for a wonderful educational and delightful family hour. The CD includes an insert with the words so you can sing along

A Sampler of Greatest Hits and Karaoke, Too.......2006-04-05

It really doesn't get much better than this CD. The primary benefit of the music is that it is a terrific selection of funny and touching arias from the classical genre. I am an opera lover and bought this for myself to memorize the words in English, as prompts when I listen to the pieces untranslated. I started listening to the CD while I was driving, and within a week had bought about a dozen CDs to distribute to family members and friends, with kids (and without). Everyone loves it. And at the end of the CD are several tracks of just the music, so you can sing along, which is a hoot. Your friends and colleagues, who hear you barking along to beats, will think you have taken leave of your senses. The lyrics (in English) are in the liner notes. I would suggest not reading the liner notes while driving.

Second CD benefit. The time you spend listening to this will be the equivalent of an afternoon at the beach or a walk in the mountains. The calming factor is amazing.

World's Very Best Opera for Kids... in English.......2006-01-30

I listen to this with my 3 year old and we both enjoy it. I am not an operatic expert and to my lay ears the performances here sound great, and my daughter likes hearing the words to some of her favorite music ("Play the Torreadores again Mommy!") Its a nice break from some more traditional kids songs that we listen to.

Great for adults too!.......2005-08-15

I never had an interest in opera until I made a trip to Italy and dined in an opera cafe. I appreciate it even more thanks to this CD. Now that I can hear the lyrics in english and read a synopsis of the story, I appreciate and enjoy opera even more.

Average customer rating: The GREATEST MUSICAL of ALL TIME! Brilliant -Powerful not the best Awesome Tribute to the Greatest Musical of All Time For a real review...

Les Miserables Complete Symphonic Recording Various Artists Manufacturer: Red Ink ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Les Miserables Original London Cast Les Miserables - The Musical That Swept the World (10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall) Les Miserables - The Dream Cast in Concert Les Miserables (1987 Original Broadway Cast) Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical (1997 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B0002E5L62 Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

1. Prologue
2. Valjean's Soliloquy (What Have I Done?)
3. At the End of the Day
4. I Dreamed a Dream
5. Lovely Ladies
6. Fantine's Arrest
7. Runaway Cart
8. Who Am I?/The Trial
9. Fantine's Death
10. Confrontation
11. Castle on a Cloud
12. Master of the House
13. Bargain-The Waltz of Treachery
14. Look Down
15. Robbery-Javert's Intervention (Another Brawl)
16. Stars

Tracks:

1. Eponine's Errand
2. ABC Cafe/Red and Black
3. Do You Hear the People Sing?
4. Rue Plumet-In My Life
5. Heart Full of Love
6. Attack on Rue Plumet
7. One More Day
8. At the Barricade (Upon These Stones)
9. On My Own
10. Building the Barricade
11. Javert's Arrival
12. Little People
13. Little Fall of Rain
14. Night of Anguish
15. First Attack
16. Drink With Me
17. Bring Him Home
18. Dawn of Anguish
19. Second Attack (Death of Gavrobe)
20. Final Battle
21. Sewers - Dog Eats Dog
22. Javert's Suicide
23. Turning

Tracks:

1. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables
2. Every Day (Marius and Cosette)
3. Valjean's Confession
4. Wedding Chorale/Beggars at the Feast
5. Epilogue (Finale)

Customer Reviews:

The GREATEST MUSICAL of ALL TIME!.......2007-08-02

I first became acquainted with this wonderful work before it was known of here in the USA through a copy I had ordered from England. Then, with the US Broadway production, the OBC release was added to my collection. Then, this one, and later, the dream cast version, and then the 10th anniversary edition. So, I have listened to a "few" versions of the work. I love them all. I love this one, perhaps, the most. I am heavily into opera and classical music, so I guess it is sort of natural that I would be drawn to the presentation of this great work with a complete orchestra behind it.

I feel that it is necessary, however, to own three versions of this wonderful musical play. First, the Original, London production. Second, the Original Broadway Edition, and lastly, This, the Symphonic Edition. They all three have their place, and, indeed, are all different, each begging for space on your shelves for very good reason.

If you are a purist, and can only have one, then, it must be the Original London Cast...period, end of discussion. But, if you are like me, and require different interpretations, etc., you will simply fall in love with all three of these recommended recordings.

When I state above that this is the greatest musical piece of theater ever, I certainly do, truly, believe this. Of all the dozens of plays I have seen on Broadway, of the hundreds I have listened to on LP and disc, watched on tape, LaserDics, and DVD, etc., NOTHING has EVER reached the Stratospheric Heights of this work. The only possible exception would be "Man of LaMancha" with Alan Jones, waaaay back, when I was a young man. It was my first Broadway Show, and this may be why I hold it so highly in my heart. (Everything gets held up to it for comparison, and most do not make the cut!)

Again, I urge you to add this recording to your collection...you will love it dearly. ~operabruin

Brilliant -Powerful.......2006-07-14

If you like musicals this is the one for you. Brilliant songs, powerful voices.

not the best.......2006-02-26

maybe it's because i have got the dream cast version first. i didn't find this one so much atractive, because the cast is not the best, and the whole symphonic thing doesn't quite touch me either. i'm sorry to find this.

Awesome Tribute to the Greatest Musical of All Time.......2005-12-25

I love this recording of my all-time favorite musical. The orchestra really makes this recording soar, as I saw the show on tour with a smaller one. The entire recording, for the most part, sounds terrific. Gary Morris is not my favorite Valjean, but he makes "Bring Him Home" his own in a wonderful way. Philip Quast is unbeatable as Javert, as are Michael Ball and Anthony Warlow in their roles as Marius and Enjorlas (Michael Ball is so my hero!!!). My only complaint with this recording is the version of "A Little Fall of Rain". Eponine's voice, which is awesome throughout the whole recording, is AWFUL during this song, and it really ruins the song. Other than that, a wonderful recording!

For a real review..........2005-04-18

Great CDs. I much prefer the Fauntine and Eponine in this recording to the Origional London Cast. See Amazon.com's listing for this item. Several Les Mis conousseurs have given detailed, very helpful reviews, however, amazon doesn't have any to sell, so buy it here at CDnow, but if you want a great review of what to expect, take a look at amazon.

Average customer rating: I love this CD! Simply Amazing worth the money Too much hype! A deeply moving recording

Han-Na Chang - The Swan Gabriel Fauré , Camille Saint-Saëns , Sergey Rachmaninov , Ottorino Respighi , Alexander Glazunov , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Antonin Dvorak , Yun Joon Kim , Max Bruch , Leonard Slatkin , Han-Na Chang , Aline Brewer , Daniel Pailthorpe , and Philharmonia Orchestra Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Bruch | Bruch, Max | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Respighi | Respighi, Ottorino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | 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 Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bruch, Max | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Respighi, Ottorino | ( R ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Han-Na Chang ~ Debut Recording - Tchaikovsky · Saint-Saëns · Fauré · Bruch / LSO · Rostropovich Romance Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1; Cello Sonata Fire & Ice Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1; Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1 ASIN: B00004YA0L Release Date: 2001-01-09

Tracks:

1. Apres Un Reve, Op.7 No.1
2. Sicilienne, Op.78/80
3. Chant Du Menestrel, Op.71
4. Vocalise, Op.34 No.14
5. Adagio Con Variazioni
6. Le Cygne
7. Nocturne, Op.19 No.4
8. Klid, Op.68 No.5 B.182: Silent Woods
9. Korean Elegy
10. Ave Maria, Op.61

Amazon.com

With this recording of cello classics, young Han-Na Chang consolidates her reputation as a performer of remarkable maturity and technical accomplishment. The restrained tone of quiet elegy that she brings to these works is hypnotic, and her ability to find the center of a phrase and highlight it with simple clarity is a gift one would expect to find in a player with a few more years' experience. As if that weren't enough, her playing in the upper registers of the instrument also sings with a kind of vocal splendor that is simply gorgeous. For this collection, she has chosen some familiar and some not-so-familiar works, which have been adapted and orchestrated where necessary (with sensitive care) by Chris Hazell. Of the less familiar works, the Adagio con Variazioni by Respighi is a revelation and clearly deserves a firmer place in the repertory. If there is one quibble, it is that the elegiac, wistful mood of the collection varies little and doesn't show the full range of Chang's talent. But when the playing is as good as this, that is only a minor caveat against an otherwise great CD. --Warwick Thompson

Customer Reviews:

I love this CD!.......2003-10-20

Very beautiful, moving and soothing. Relaxing and nurturing. I like it b/c she brings humble and quiet serenity rather than trying to boast technical skills (which is considerable by the way).

Simply Amazing.......2003-04-30

This is an amazing recording! 'Tis so very beautiful. I can't stop listening to it. I recommend anyone who enjoys classical music to pick this up. Blimey, everyone should try it!!!!

worth the money.......2002-03-19

I bought this CD a year ago and still listen to it pretty often. Han-na is able to deliver her sensitive interpretation of the pieces because she has the matching skills. The phrasing and the dynamics throughout the performance is really quite impressive and each piece comes off beautifully. Almost half of the pieces are adpated or arranged for solo cello and the orchestra background, and though I usually have a suspicious attitude towards such stuffs, Han-na's pieces can almost pass. The listeners will almost believe the pieces were actually arranged for such combination (i.e.she's good). A few flaws: the mood of all the pieces is the same (calm, serene, soothing...) and her repertoire doesn't give Han-na much chance to boast other aspects of "virtuoso" playing (i.e.fast motions, more impetuous passages, etc). Although I would certainly listen to more of her previous and future stuffs to judge if she deserves to be labeled a genius, this CD is, at least, worth the money. You won't regret buying it.

Too much hype!.......2001-09-11

First off, let me start by saying that i am a young cellist who listens to a lot of recordings and i am normally very open minded as to hearing new artists and repetoire. I bought this cd a couple months ago hoping to hear this so called queen of the cello or so she has been hyped up to be. When i put in the disc and pressed play i was pretty dissapointed. Han-na's playing can be extremely boring. Don't get me wrong, her technique is flawless and the program on the cd is quite good (i have played many of these songs and it's all great music) but her musicality at this point is very inexperienced. I hate being the only reviewer to give less than five stars but i really don't thing she deserves it. Not for this disc. Give her time, i'm sure she'll grow to be a seasoned artist.

A deeply moving recording.......2001-08-30

I have been a fan of Han-Na Chang since her debut disc came out 5 years ago. Since then I have followed her career intently. I haven't been disappointed so far. She is a cellist of great sensitivity, and no less fire! If her first two discs were previews of things to come, this disc represents full maturity that is evident in Chang's playing. On first sight, this may look like a well-marketed, but just another encores CD. I also thought at first, 'why devote a whole disc to short encores? Surely she could have done something more substantial'. When I listened to it, my doubts vanished completely. Each note she plays, she plays with utter dedication. She really seems to love the music, and instead of just showing off her technique, she finds deep meaning of every piece, even the over-played 'The Swan'. My favourite pieces on the disc are Sicilienne by Fauré, Glazunov's Chant du ménestrel, Respighi's seldom heard Andante con variazioni, and Dvorak's Klid. But all the pieces here, chosen by Han-Na herself, are wonderful. She plays WITH the orchestra, answering them or making a statement to which then the orchestra gives a response. I have seldom heard the Phlharmonia Orchestra so inspired. No doubt Han-Na had something to do with it. Also, Leonard Slatkin conducts with sensitivity, and the sound is first class EMI sound.
Incidentally, this recording, rare for a recital disc of this genre, has been received with great enthusiasm from two of the world's fussiest classical review magazines: The Gramophone, and BBC Music magazine.
Listen to this yourself, and I guarantee you that by the end of this CD, you'll feel like you're on 7th Heaven. A gorgeous disc!

Average customer rating: The crown with the missing jewel! agreed, this is the best of Christophe NOT A MASTERPIECE, BUT IT WILL MORE THAN DO! Excellent. Why is there only 1 Christophe CD available? Aline et ses petites soeurs!

Aline Christophe Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Disque d'Or: Best of Art Sullivan Les Chansons D'amour Platinum Collection Adieu Jolie Candy Best of ASIN: B000006XL6 Release Date: 1997-03-12

Tracks:

1. Aline
2. Je T' Ai Retrouvee
3. Excusez-Moi Monsieur
4. Je Suis Parti
5. Fille aux Yeux Bleus
6. J'Ai Eu Tort
7. Marionnettes
8. Je Vous Salue Madame
9. Cete Vie-La
10. Noel
11. Je Ne T'Aime Plus
12. Main Dans la Main
13. Petite Fille du 3
14. Mere Tu Es la Seule
15. Fait Chaud Ce Soir
16. Mes Passageres
17. Jours Ou Rein Ne Va
18. Oh! Mon Amour
19. Good Bye, Je Reviendrai
20. Nue Comme la Mer
21. Epouvantail
22. Belle
23. Adesso Si Domani No
24. Vie C'Est une Histoire d'Amour

Album Details

Pop Romantic 70's Singer who Had his Moment of Glory with the Ballad 'Aline' and his Nylon/Platform BOOTS/TV Friendly Look.

Customer Reviews:

The crown with the missing jewel!.......2002-10-26

If you are a Christophe fan, whether of his older work or his early 70's, you will get your money's worth. Every gem is there; almost...that is. The best Christophe song ever, and most powerful and "intense" balad 'Mal' was sadly left out...!
I have not been able to find it anywhere. Still, you will enjoy every song, and maybe relive a few past memories.

agreed, this is the best of Christophe.......2001-06-14

...but, where is my favorite song 'mal'?

NOT A MASTERPIECE, BUT IT WILL MORE THAN DO!.......2001-03-14

The album actually comprises 2 Christophe albums, 1965's ALINE and 1972's THE GIRL FROM SALINA, the title track of which is sadly omitted from the tracklist, as well as a couple of other selections of the early 70s. It's incredible to discover by listening to this cd how Christophe grew and changed over the years. His constant seeking for new formulas and sounds in music made his work higher in quality. You can easily feel the singer's agony in "Aline", get lost in the chaotic utopia of "Main dans la main", get interested in the mystery concerning "La petite fille du 3eme"(my personal favourite on this cd), get absorbed in the almost straight-out-of-a- theatrical-play feel of "Je ne t'aime plus" and "Les marionettes"... This collection of songs successfully portrays the various aspects of Christophe's talent and it's worth of anybody's time and money!

Excellent. Why is there only 1 Christophe CD available?.......1999-09-28

Christophe is not afraid to experiment. He can write a ballad and then some crazy Rock'n'Roll piece. I have a lot of his CDs and there are no 2 songs alike. I don't know if he wrote any new music after 1998. BUT WHAT HE WROTE AND SANG BEFORE THAT, IS WORTH LISTENING TO.

Aline et ses petites soeurs!.......1999-07-27

L'interet de ce disque est double. On y retrouve l'intégralité du 1er album de christophe (les 11 premiers morceaux), avec Aline, la chanson qui l'a propulsé au sommet des hits parade francais. et deux autres morceaux qui ont eut un certain succès en 1965 : excusez-moi Monsieur le professeur et Les marionnettes. Les autres morceaux de l'album original Aline sont tout aussi interessant et typique du Christophe première manière. Les morceaux qui suivent (12 à 22) sont moins connus. Christophe les a enregistrés entre 1971 et 1973. Ce sont de veritables perles. J'aime tout particulièrement la chanson Oh! mon amour!, à écouter en boucle lorsque l'on est seul certains soirs, avec un petit sourire aux lèvres. C'est romantique et si on se laisse aller on pourrait presque retrouver nos quinze ans. Il en existe une version italienne (adesso si domani no). Presque aussi fort que le morceau précédent on se laissera emporter par le charme de main dans la main, la petite fille du 3em et goodbye je reviendrai. C'est à la fois nostalgique et plein de soleil, et on peut adorer, même sans comprendre la langue francaise.

Average customer rating: The best Villa Lobos available Historic It was okay in the early days when V-L was unrecorded For Villalobos Fans Only

Villa-Lobos par lui-même Heitor Villa-Lobos , Orchestre National de la Radio diffusion Française , French Radio Choir , Fernand Benedetti , Victoria de Los Angeles , René Alix , Louis Martini , Maria Kareska , Manoel Braune , Fernand Dufrene , Orchestre de la Radio France , Rene Plessier , Maurice Cliquennois , Aline Van Barentzen , Henri Branschwak , Magda Tagliaferro , and Felicia Blumental Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Villa-Lobos, Heitor | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Villa-Lobos, Heitor | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | 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 Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | 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 Similar Items: Villa-Lobos: Choros 1-7 Villa-Lobos: Chôros Nos. 8 and 9 Villa-Lobos: Forest of the Amazon Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras (Complete) ASIN: B000002SBL Release Date: 1991-04-05

Tracks:

1. Descobrimento do Brasil: Premiere Suite: Introducao - Alegria
2. Descobrimento do Brasil: Deuxieme Suite: Impressao Moura (Cancao)
3. Descobrimento do Brasil: Deuxieme Suite: Adagio sentimental
4. Descobrimento do Brasil: Deuxieme Suite: Cascavel
5. Descobrimento do Brasil: Troisieme Suite: Impressao Iberica
6. Descobrimento do Brasil: Troiseme Suite: Festa nas selvas
7. Descobrimento do Brasil: Troiseme Suite: Ualaloce
8. Descobrimento do Brasil: Quatrieme Suite: Procissao da Cruz (Visao dos Navegantes)
9. Descobrimento do Brasil: Quatrieme Suite: Primeira Missa no Brazil
10. Invocacao em defesa da Patria

Tracks:

1. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1, pour ensemble de violoncelles: I. Introduction (Embolada)
2. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1, pour ensemble de violoncelles: II. Prelude (Modinha)
3. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1, pour ensemble de violoncelles: III. Fugue (Conversa)
4. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 2, pour orchestre: I. Prelude (Canto do capadocio)
5. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 2, pour orchestre: II. Aria (Canto da nossa terra)
6. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 2, pour orchestre: III. Danse (Lembranca do Sertao)
7. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 2, pour orchestre: IV. Toccata (O Trenzinho do Caipira)
8. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 3 pour piano et orchestre: I. Prelude (Ponteio)
9. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 3 pour piano et orchestre: II. Fantaisie (Devaneio)
10. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 3 pour piano et orchestre: III. Aria (Modinha)
11. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 3 pour piano et orchestre: IV. Toccata (Picapau)

Tracks:

1. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4, pour orchestre: I. Prelude (Introducao)
2. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4, pour orchestre: II. Choral (Canto do Sertao)
3. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4, pour orchestre: III. Aria (Cantiga)
4. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4, pour orchestre: IV. Danse (Miudinho)
5. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 pour soprano et 8 violoncelles: I. Aria (Cantilena)
6. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 pour soprano et 8 violoncelles: II. Danse (Martelo)
7. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 6 pour flute et basson: I. Aria (Choro)
8. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 6 pour flute et basson: II. Fantaise
9. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7 pour orchestre: I. Prelude (Ponteio)
10. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7 pour orchestre: II. Gigue (Quadrilha Caipira)
11. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7 pour orchestre: III. Toccata (Desafio)
12. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7 pour orchestre: IV. Fugue (Conversa)

Tracks:

1. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 8, pour orchestre: I. Prelude
2. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 8, pour orchestre: II. Aria (Modinha)
3. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 8, pour orchestre: III. Toccata (Catira Batida)
4. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 8, pour orchestre: IV. Fugue
5. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 9, pour archestre a cordes: Prelude (vagaroso e mistico) et fugue (poco apressado)
6. Choros No. 2, pour flute et clarinette
7. Choros No. 5, pour piano 'Alma Brasileira'
8. Choros No. 10 'Rasga o coracao', pour choeur et orchestre
9. 2 Choros (bis), pour violon et violoncelle: I. Modere
10. 2 Choros (bis), pour violon et violoncelle: II. Lent

Tracks:

1. Choros No. 11, pour piano et orchestre: I. Premiere partie
2. Choros No. 11, pour piano et orchestre: II. Deuxieme partie
3. Choros No. 11, pour piano et orchestre: III. Troisieme partie
4. Qu'est-ce qu'um Choros? (Villa-Lobos parle)

Tracks:

1. Momoprecoce, Fantasia pour piano et orchestre sur le carnaval des enfants bresiliens
2. Concerto No. 5, pour piano et orchestre: Allegro non troppo
3. Concerto No. 5, pour piano et orchestre: II. Poco adagio
4. Concerto No. 5, pour piano et orchestre: III. Allegretto scherzando
5. Concerto No. 5, pour piano et orchestre: IV. Allegro
6. Symphonie No. 4 'A Victoria': I. Allegro impetuoso
7. Symphonie No. 4 'A Victoria': II. Andante
8. Symphonie No. 4 'A Victoria': III. Lento
9. Symphonie No. 4 'A Victoria': IV. Allegro (avec fanfare)

Customer Reviews:

The best Villa Lobos available.......2006-03-24

About the album : this is the best recording available in the market. Conducted by the own Villa , this is a historic recording , plent of brightness. Perfect remasterized.

About Amazon.con : fast and reliable mail service. stuffs have arrived good packaged and factory sealed. Great service

Historic.......2004-01-31

Opposite Rio de Janeiro's small Villa Lobos museum -- in what was his last home -- is a modern apartment building. Its name is Edificio Sebastiao Bach. VL would have loved it: he adored Bach above all other composers. Hence the 'Bachianas Brasilieras' (which, however, owe little to Bach beyond their joy in sound and intricacy in structure).

What previous reviewers have said is true. The sound on these disks is abominable. A much better job could be done -- and should have been done -- of remastering the originals. That won't happen unless there's a sudden renewal of interest in the music of this Brazilian master.

Further, the the performances -- and the composer's conducting -- are generally lackluster. Still, any VL lover should not be without this set. Toscanini no doubt did a better job with Brahms's symphonies. But who wouldn't give his soul for a recording of Brahms himself conducting the four of them?

One special recommendation: the 'Choros' stand close to the summit of VL's art, more so than the BBs. A dance not a choral form, the 'choro' is both universally appealing and quintessentially Brazilian.

It was okay in the early days when V-L was unrecorded.......2003-09-25

This set comprises a huge array of Villa-Lobos' works conducted by himself and, sorry to say, none too well. He seems to lack the sensitivity other interpreters can bring to his work - he's far from alone in this situation - many composers have fallen into the same trap. The textures are thick, the sound cluttered (mono it might be but surely the engineers could have done better?) and the music simply lacks the excitement of which it is capable to no small degree. In part, the orcehstra is barely capable of performing such music. Stravinsky was one thing - Villa-Lobos' internal rhythmic complexity and stubbornly awkward manuscript writing is something aside. He did not always notate in the simplest way.

Probably the best item in the set is the "Discovery of Brazil Suite". At least it received an audience and was not re-recorded until very recently. Some of the Bachianas have been handled better by others but at least this recording was a first complete set. Only the No. 5 was otherwise known.

I have to confess that if I'd encountered Villa-Lobos through these performances I doubt I'd have followed through. Thankfully I came in via the accomplished and brilliant performance of his Quintette en forme de Choros by the New York Wind Quintet. Later, I encountered the LPs of the "Discovery of Brazil Suite", credible but flat, compared with other recordings appearing around the same time. Compare, for instance, his own 1958 recording of Forest of the Amazon in which he shows how well he can conduct if he tries, not to forget the superb hi-fi stereo recording that really let light and air into the performance.

Nonetheless, I bought this set on the strength of price and to have the "Discovery" Suite on CD, along with a couple of his Bachianas. I would not recommend these discs as an introduction to the composer. Do not be tempted by its modest price!

For Villalobos Fans Only.......2000-05-01

There is one reason and one reason only to buy this box set of historical recordings made by Villalobos himself in the 1950s: a fanatic admiration for the works of this composer. But you should know that if you love this music, you should be prepared to buy other, more recent, recordings of these works. These are mono recordings, and the sound textures you expect from this composer are therefore muddled and flattened (the beautiful Choros No. 2 is the biggest victim here, which sounds so flat that you will miss the playful contrasts between the flute and the clarinet). You should also know that Villalobos is not a great conductor, but the lack of precision in the playing is often compensated by the emotional weigth he gives to his performances (he appears to have been a crowd pleaser). There are many pleasures, however, and I listen to disc number 3, which includes the Bachianas Brasileiras 4-7 so often that it has become a soundtrack to my life. Bachianas 4 and 7 deserve more listeners. The famous Bachiana Brasileira No. 5 included in this set, is sung by Victoria de los Angeles beautifully, but this performance is also available in a single CD anthology. I am giving this set three stars: one for the historic importance of these EMI records, one for the affordability and completeness of the box set itself (it is a bargain at $6 per CD), and one for the emotional significance of hearing these performances conducted by Villalobos (I am a Latin American and this music fills me with both pleasure and pride).

Average customer rating: A Handel Gem in a Superbly Cast Version

Handel: Amadigi Eiddwen Harrhy Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Handel: Teseo Händel: Arianna in Creta, HWV 32 Handel: Radamisto Handel - Faramondo / Baird · Minter · Fortunato · Lane · Callahan · Castaldi · Brewer CO · Palmer Handel: Deidamia; Il Complesso Barocco; Alan Curtis; with soloists ASIN: B000009IT3 Release Date: 1992-01-27

Customer Reviews:

A Handel Gem in a Superbly Cast Version.......2007-01-09

Amadigi di Gaula (1715) was the fifth Italian opera that Handel wrote for London, and the last before he took up his duties for the newly formed Royal Academy (in 1720, with Radamisto). Like Rinaldo and Teseo, which preceded it, Amadigi is a "magic opera", a genre that always brought out the best in the composer; like them too it features a love-sick sorceress as a central figure, a character-type he was to return to with equally memorable results in Alcina (1735). (His remaining "magic opera" Orlando has a benevolent male sorceror in place of a malevolent female one.)
Amadigi is an absolutely wonderful piece, with a memorable score of great freshness, invention and youthful vitality. There are two duets, an onstage death scene (very rare) and a ghost scene, all outstanding. The characters are all well-drawn, and at 2 1/2 hours it's one of Handel's most concise stage works. Without wishing to denigrate such Royal Academy masterpieces as Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Rodelinda and Tamerlano, there's no denying that some of the non-Academy operas Handel wrote (both before and after) have a special charm, exploring supernatural (and sometimes comic) terrain implicitly off limits in the predominately heroic Academy pieces.
This 1989 recording, the only one so far, is excellent. I believe it was conductor Marc Minkowski's first complete Handel opera on CD, and it shows him at his best, leading his fine band with great verve, and getting vivid delivery of the recitatives. And there's no tampering with the musical text, unlike some of Minkowski's later efforts (Teseo, Hercules). The four principals are are first-rate: two experienced sopranos (Jennifer Smith and Eiddwen Harrhy) and two (then) young contraltos (Nathalie Stutzmann and Bernarda Fink). This is one of the most enjoyable recordings of a Handel opera I've ever heard.

Average customer rating: Benjamin Britten and English as a Musical Language Excellent Three Amazing Voices at Their Peak Literate, Schmiterate Exquisite Singing in Lesser Known Britten

Britten: The Canticles; Ian Bostridge, David Daniels Ian Bostridge , David Daniels , Christopher Maltman , Julius Drake , Aline Brewer , Timothy Brown , and Benjamin Britten Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Britten: Holy Sonnets Op35 / Bostridge, Johnson Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings; Les Illuminations; Nocturne Britten: Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo; The Holy Sonnets of John Donne; Winter Words Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs Ian Bostridge - Songs of Faure, Debussy & Poulenc ASIN: B00005UV9G Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

1. Canticle I: My Beloved is Mine
2. Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac
3. Canticle III: Still Falls the Rain
4. Canticle IV: Journey of the Magi
5. Canticle V: The Death of Saint Narcissus
6. The Plough Boy
7. The Salley Gardens
8. The foggy, foggy dew
9. There's none to soothe
10. O Waly, Waly
11. The Ash Grove
12. Greensleeves

Amazon.com

If you were assembling a latter-day dream team for a package program of all five Britten Canticles, this would probably be it. With one or two exceptions, it delivers everything you'd want. Ian Bostridge--the most literate tenor on God's earth--was born to sing this repertory, observing subtleties of text and niceties of diction without compromise to the beauty of fine-spun legato lines. David Daniels, an accomplished actor, sings the boy in Abraham and Isaac with exactly the right mix of pathos and restraint. Christopher Maltman provides the vocal equivalent of lithe, young, gym-toned muscularity in "Journey of the Magi" and the group of folk-song settings that pad out the disc. And Julius Drake homes in as if by instinct on what really tells in the accompaniments: a figure here that signals something to the voice, a chord there that transforms the color of a phrase. The two supporting instrumentalists (Timothy Brown, horn, and Aline Brewer, harp) add to the pleasure of it all. Just one reservation: Bostridge doesn't quite have the climactic roar of joy required for "My Beloved Is Mine" or the authoritative weight for Abraham, and Daniels can sound womanly, as well as overartful in the folk songs (although not everyone feels comfortable with countertenors singing folksongs). And in any case, it's not enough to counter the outstanding virtues of the disc. --Michael White

Customer Reviews:

Benjamin Britten and English as a Musical Language.......2007-01-22

Benjamin Britten was a prolific composer who managed to conquer every range of musical writing - chamber works, symphonies, operas, big choral works, song cycles for both soloist and orchestra and soloist and piano, children's works, ballets, works for amateur performers (such as the Church Parables), concerti, and works for solo instruments. There are few composers even today who understood the complexities of the English language as a source of lyrics as did Britten and though all of his works are penultimate examples of this talent, surely the Five Canticles are the zenith of this gift.

The Canticles were composed over a thirty-year period (1947 - 1974) and are a microcosm of Britten's development as a composer and philosopher. The five works are all inspired by religious themes and yet they also can be seen as occult references to Britten's own homage to his sexual proclivity. Here the canticles are sung impeccably by Ian Bostridge, tenor, David Daniels, countertenor, and Christopher Maltman, baritone and the series is beautifully united by the pianism of Julius Drake (with collaboration of harpist Aline Brewer and horn player Timothy Brown). To review each canticle would take far too much space, but at least some mention must be paid to the opening of the second canticle (Abraham and Isaac) in which the voice of God telling Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son is intoned by close harmony duet by Bostridge and Daniels: the effect is ethereal and wholly spiritual. Each of the five canticles is successful on every level.

Accompanying the Canticles are seven of Britten's Folksong arrangements and each of the three singers is given time and interpretive flair for each one. It would be difficult to imagine three better matched singers than Bostridge, Daniels, and Maltman - three artists who continue to grow in stature (these recordings were made in 2001). This CD contains some of Britten's more difficult works - but also some of his most sublime. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, January 07

Excellent.......2006-09-03

This is a really nice recording of the Britten Canticles with some of the folk song arrangements added to fill out the CD. The quality of singing is excellent though some aspects of interpretation could be argued. Excellent accompaniment as well.

Three Amazing Voices at Their Peak .......2004-08-17

With tones alternately dream-like and discordant, Benjamin Britten could certainly write music that can challenge as well as soothe, and his five canticles are no exception. Amazingly, he wrote these canticles over a 26-year period, the first in 1947 and the last in 1973 near his death, yet in spite of each canticle's individuality, they feel very much like parts of a whole. The two longest canticles, "Abraham and Isaac" (Canticle 2) and "Journey of the Magi" (Canticle 4, based on the poem by T.S. Eliot), are the most dramatically effective. Canticle 2 is especially moving because of the touching story it tells of the sacrifice of the child Isaac for his father Abraham only to be spared at the last minute. Canticle 4 provides an emotional retelling of the Three Kings' journey to the Christ child heightened by the immaculate blending of the three distinct voice types. It is no coincidence that countertenor David Daniels plays a prominent role in both as he is a highly skilled and versatile actor when it comes to playing a king or evoking the pleas of an innocent child. The voice, of course, is unparalleled. Tenor Ian Bostridge sings prominently on all five canticles and does quite well throughout, in particular, with his diction and tone. He is called on to exhibit a wide variety of emotions, and he rises to the challenge despite the towering shadow of Peter Pears.

The last twenty minutes of the disc are devoted to a wide array of English folk songs, and this is where each singer gets an opportunity to shine in solo turns. In particular, baritone Christopher Maltman does a fine job on "The Plough Boy" and "The Salley Gardens". Although Britten is not for everyone's taste, this is a beautifully realized recording with three great singers at their peak, and special mention needs to go to pianist Julius Drake who accompanies with great skill.

Literate, Schmiterate.......2003-12-10

What you need is a tenor with gonads. These canticles rank among my favorite works by any composer, and I do like Bostridge sometimes, but I can't stand the hooting around I hear on this disc. I mostly agree with the editorial review in the details, but not at all with its recommendation. I think the negatives far outweight the positives. Try the Hyperion release with Anthony Rolfe Johnson. It's also flawed, but far more satisfactory.

Exquisite Singing in Lesser Known Britten.......2002-12-27

This may be the vocal CD of the year. Bostridge, Daniels and Maltman sing this repertoire with all of the conviction of the original London recordings. And the Canticles themselves are pinnacles of Britten's vocal art.

Neither art songs nor operatic scena, in the Canticles Britten fashions his own vocal form, based in part on the extended Baroque solo cantata as realized by Purcell. Each Canticle is based on a poem with religious overtones, and set with sensitivity to the prosody and shades of meaning conveyed by the poet. The first Canticle, set to a parody of the Song of Songs by Anglican poet Frances Quarles, is fashioned in the most Purcellian manner of the Canticles, complete with Baroque devices like the canon and the ground bass. Each stanza is given a different form, almost like a suite, though unified by melodic material. The second stanza is a setting of the story of Abraham and Isaac from the Chester Miracle plays for tenor and countertenor (originally for alto, the tendency now is to use countertenor.) The work is dramatic, a mini-scena with many sections forcasting a very different setting of this story in the War Requiem. Canticle III is composed for tenor and horn and uses the very beautiful Sitwell poem, Still Falls the Rain. Britten's music matches the deep pathos of the poem. The final two Canticles use poetry by T.S. Eliot. They are in Britten's late style, tonal and yet austere and richly dissonant. Canticle V in particular has overtones of the music Britten would use for his final operatic masterpiece, Death in Venice.

The performances on this CD are stupendous. Ian Bostridge is probably the finest interpreter of English art song alive today. His attention to diction, nuance of text, beauty of tone and intelligence make these for me even better than the marvelous Peter Pears performances of these works. David Daniels is the finest countertenor working today. His tone is honey-sweet but never weird or cloying as Alfred Deller could be. And he strikes the perfect tone as Isaac, both childlike and saintly. Maltman too is in fine form in Canticle IV. The instrumentalists are also superb. Special mention goes to Julius Drake, who is a technically brilliant and sensitive accompanist in music that sounds simple but is deceptively tricky.

The disc is rounded out by several of Britten's beautiful settings of English folk songs. A marvelous way to end a truly spectacular vocal disc.

Average customer rating: Excellent Collection, Even Better Price An Oldie Re-Issue, But Still A Goodie! Watch Out! This Music Will Raise Your Cholesterol!

Captain Blood and Other Swashbucklers Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Korngold, Erich Wolfgang | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Korngold, Erich Wolfgang | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Soundtracks | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Maltese Falcon and Other Film Scores Korngold: The Sea Hawk Tiomkin: Red River King Kong: The Complete 1933 Film Score The Egyptian ASIN: B0007ACVL4 Release Date: 2005-02-22

Tracks:

1. The King's Thief - Miklos Rozsa
2. Scaramouche: Main Title - Victor Young
3. Scaramouche: Vanished Merchant - Victor Young
4. Scaramouche: The Tomb, Andre And Aline - Victor Young
5. Scaramouche: Why? - Victor Young
6. Scaramouche: Pavane - Victor Young
7. Scaramouche: Andre Escapes - Victor Young
8. Scaramouche: The Big Apple - Victor Young
9. Scaramouche: The Magic Box/Roses And Napoleon - Victor Young
10. Scaramouche: End Cast - Victor Young
11. Captain Blood: Main Title - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
12. Captain Blood: Slaves/Arabella And Blood - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
13. Captain Blood: Tortuga - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
14. Captain Blood: Port Royal/Island Of Magra/English And Pirate Ships - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
15. Captain Blood: Pirates' Flag - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
16. Captain Blood: Finale - Erich Wolfgang Korngold
17. The Three Musketeers: To Paris/Fencing Demonstration - Max Steiner
18. The Three Musketeers: Love Theme - Max Steiner
19. The Three Musketeers: Fight Behind Palace - Max Steiner
20. The Three Musketeers: Night Time/Pigeons - Max Steiner
21. The Three Musketeers: Carriage Ride - Max Steiner
22. The Three Musketeers: Finale - Max Steiner

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Collection, Even Better Price.......2005-10-14

I picked this CD up as an afterthought while searching for some background music for a play I was putting together, and while it cost less than half of the other swashbuckler soundtrack CDs, it has more tracks than most, more variety than any(dramatic to romantic to action), and solid sound quality. If you're after a whole collection of the Korngold era tunes in one CD, this is it.

An Oldie Re-Issue, But Still A Goodie!.......2005-04-03

A re-issue of tracks from Marco Polo 8.223607, 1995. Practically perfect in every way. But the brass could be a bit more crisp and defined. Primarily an early work from master restoration magicians Messrs. John Morgan and William Stromberg. And now at "popular prices." Don't delay on this one!

William Flanigan, Ph.D.

Watch Out! This Music Will Raise Your Cholesterol!.......2005-03-16

And it will buckle your swash, too.

These performances appeared in 1995 on Naxos's full-price sister label, Marco Polo, and are among a spate of movie music scores making their appearances now at budget price. Some are wonderful - like Honegger's score for 'Les Misérables,' Georges Auric's 'Beauty and the Beast,' and Wojciech Kilar's 'Dracula.' Some don't stand up too well on their own, like Steiner's 'King Kong' or Waxman's 'Objective: Burma!'. But this one definitely has the best of the best, all in that late-romantic, richly scored music we associate with the genre. The producers have put together some of the best cues from four swashbucklers and from beginning to end this is music to enjoy, with no dead wood anywhere along the way.

The Main Title of Miklós Rosza's 'The King's Thief' is a heckuva lot better than the 1955 Edmund Purdom movie for which it was written. Victor Young's 'Scaramouche' is represented by nine cues, among them the delightful 'Main Title' and the faux-baroque 'Pavane.' The inventor of this sort of movie music, Erich Maria Korngold, is here represented by six cues from the 1935 Errol Flynn blockbuster, 'Captain Blood.' All five cues are terrific and sweep you along, but I particularly like 'Slaves--Arabella and Blood,' a seven-minute tone poem of great beauty and ingenuity. Max Steiner, a transplanted Viennese like Korngold, contributes six cues from 'The Three Musketeers,' also from 1935. The love theme is really gorgeous.

These scores were reconstructed by the late Christopher Palmer ('The King's Thief'), William Stromberg ('Scaramouche') and John Morgan ('Captain Blood' and 'The Three Musketeers') from conductor's piano scores; the full scores, like many of their era, were lost. In one case the score had only a violin line. The three arrangers attempted, then, to reproduce the orchestrations from the movie sound track itself, a difficult task at best, but it sounds to me like they did a marvelous job collectively. These orchestrations have the sweep and grandeur of the originals.

The Brandenburg Philharmonic Orchestra (Potsdam, Germany) is conducted by Richard Kaufman. They are beautifully played and recorded.

This one is worth having if you love the flamboyant style favored in adventure films; this is the crème de la crème.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Chimarrao Com Rapadura Hermeto Pascoal , and Aline Morena Manufacturer: Gaueste ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000RGGY5W Release Date: 2006-05-29

Tracks:

1. Subind A Seba
2. Aline Frevando
3. Uriama
4. Xote Cavaco
5. Mestre Mara Cuspindo Fogo Na Zacumbira
6. Mudanca
7. Divina Na Milonga
8. Salada A Brasileira
9. Garrote
10. Soltando Os Bichos
11. Mistura Do Brasil Moderno
12. Batucando Nas Matas
13. Kein Wort

Album Details

2006 Album, by this Excellent Instrumentalist Master Hermeto, Accompanied by his Wife Aline Morena.

Average customer rating: Great verismo instincts, but has Cura declined since 1999? Verismo at it's best Hurrah for Yu Qiang Dai what a waste! Disappointing after his Puccini CD

Verismo Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Leoncavallo | Leoncavallo, Ruggiero | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mascagni | Mascagni, Pietro | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Cura, José | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Catalani, Alfredo | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Giordano, Umberto | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cilea, Francesco | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Mascagni, Pietro | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Jose Cura - Puccini Arias / Domingo Verdi Arias Anhelo: Argentinian Songs Boleros Artist Portrait Jose Cura ASIN: B00000K2WD Release Date: 1999-09-14

Tracks:

1. Pagliacci: Prologo
2. Pagliacci
3. Pagliacci: Intermezzo
4. La Boh:
5. Loreley
6. Andrea Cher
7. Andrea Cher
8. Andrea Cher: Fedora
9. Andrea Cher: Marcella
10. Adriana Lecouvreur
11. Adriana Lecouvreur
12. L'arlesiana
13. Germania
14. Cavalleria Rusticana: Preludio e Siciliana
15. Cavalleria Rusticana: Addio alla madre
16. Lodoletta
17. Guglielmo Ratcliff

Amazon.com

The thirtysomething Argentinian tenor José Cura has been making quite a name for himself, and he is nothing if not controversial. His appeal is undeniable: matinee-idol good looks, a big, interesting, healthy, dark voice, great musical intelligence, and a gift for communication. But he is often badly prepared on stage and was recently severely booed at opera's mecca, La Scala. His last recording, in which he played Samson, found the top of his voice in tentative shape. But if the remarkable work here is indicative of what he can do, let's just hope that he stays on track. The disc opens, very unconventionally, with the Pagliacci "Prologue"--an aria for baritone! Cura sings it with great feeling and a truly burnished tone--indeed, he sounds like a baritone with easy top notes. But it is his tenorizing that is truly fine here. A series of arias by Mascagni, from the little-known Lodoletta to Cavalleria Rusticana (a truly sensitive reading of Turiddu's plea to his mother) is superb, well-nuanced, and richly told. The "Improvviso" from Andrea Chenier is simply magnificent, which makes one wonder why his phrasing is so choppy in the same character's final act aria, "Com'e un bel di di maggio." This brings up another issue: Cura is also the conductor here. Granted, this makes certain that he'll be singing precisely as he pleases, but more often than not, a conductorial voice is different from--and complementary to--the singer. Cura's judgment calls can be off, as they are in this second Chenier solo. But the singing's the thing, and Cura proves himself again and again--the Adriana, L'Arlesianna, and Fedora arias are also exhilarating. This is a major release, and tenor lovers will enjoy the singing as much as they will the unusual program. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Great verismo instincts, but has Cura declined since 1999?.......2007-04-16

On the strength of this superb CD of verismo arias, one would expect Jose Cura to have replaced Alagna as the 'fourth tenor.' He has a robust lower range, which he displays to remaarkable effect by singing the baritone aria, 'Si puo,' that raises the curtain in Pagliacci. The darkness of Cura's tone can be unsettling--I found him a strange Alfredo in La Traviata, for instance--but a lot of verismo demands powerful chest tones, and Cura has a fine tenor extension, if you think of it as that. Caruso began from a similar basis, I believe. And despite the criticisms, his conducting is quite acceptable--I doubt that anyone would have complained if the identity of the conductor hadn't been revealed on the cover.

With nothing but praise for this gorgeous recital, I'm sorry to report that Cura's promise seems unfulfilled eight years later. He hasn't made outstanding opera sets to date, although he has certainly made some glamorous DVDs. The voice has darkened further and the top notes aren't as secure. He doessn't express joy with his voice, which can make his portrayals rather somber. His dramatic flair seems subdued also. I don't keep up with every detail of Cura's career, but presently he seems overshadowed by Villazon, a much less powerful but equally artistic tenor. Let's hope the lull is only temporary.

Verismo at it's best.......2005-03-25

I am amazed at the many utterly and overly negative comments posted regarding this CD.

Let me be clear about this. Jose Cura is NOT, nor will he EVER be, a lyric tenor!
It is my impression that too many reviewers of this particular CD are not quite aware of the this fact, and tend to compare Cura to other, far more lyrical tenors.

See, that's the beauty of Grand Opera. The composers wrote different operas for different voice types. Cura's voice is perhaps the penultimate spinto voice of the modern opera scene.
It is upon this very precept that I base my evaluation of this CD.

Now, on the actual CD.
With the exception of the fact that, indeed, Cura should have left the conducting to someone more qualified other than himself, this CD offers the listener the best Verismo selections available by a contemporary tenor.

In reviewing the comments regarding this CD I am reminded of the terrible critizism leveled upon the late Mario delMonaco during his lifetime.
Judging by contemprary reviews of the late Maestro, his was the worst tenor voice ever, and save for the sheer volume of his voice, and his Hollywood looks, he would never have had a career.
It wasn't until after delMonaco retired, and moreso until after his death, that the very critics that once denounced him as unworthy of his status, hailed him as one of the greatest dramatic tenors of all time!

I say this only to illustrate my point regarding the bad press this CD has received.
Having said this, Cura does an excellent job with this material.
His voice and phrasing often harkens memories of both delMonaco and Corelli, yet his interpretation is uniquely is own.

My favorite selections here are "Vesti La Giubba" from I Pagliacci, "Amor Ti Vieta" from Fedora, "Lamento Di Frederico" from L'arlesianna and "O Lola" as well as "Addio alla Madre" from Cavalleria Rusticana.
These selections highlight Curas prowess as the pre-eminent dramatic tenor of today beyond reproach.

On a final note, I often see that Cura is being hailed as Domingos' successor in both vocal quality and acting ability.
That's utter hogwash in that Curas' voice is much closer to that of delMonaco in both weight and power and acting wise, I doubt that we'll soon see another tenor as prodigiously gifted as was Domingo in that regard.

Jose Cura is a great DRAMATIC tenor folks. There's nothing lyrical about him and that's precisely why I appreciate his style and, subsequently, this CD.

Hurrah for Yu Qiang Dai.......2005-01-28

It was a big shock to hear Yu Qiang Dai's debut cd. He is, I think, the best lirico-spinto tenor nowadays. He has a lovely voice, which is very well produced. The center is wonderful, the lower notes are good, the high notes are shining and of fantastic quality... the singing through the passage is very well handled. He is an itelligent musical interpreter and singer, with an interesting and appealing line and sense of style. Very good dynamic changes. He offers some of the absolutely best renditions of some arias (nessun dorma and cielo e mar, for example) that I have heard in many years.

He still has to work his Italian (specially the consonants) and his French. But there were great historical tenors with bigger idiomatical problems.

Despite taking spinto repertoire, Yu never pushes, never tries to make the voice sound darker than it is, everything is always under control, and he takes the chance to give very stylish renditions (for example, of una furtiva lagrima), which is strange for tenors who "want to sing spinto".
The tenor is a fantastic discovery, one of the best ones around. Actually, all my criticism goes to EMI and the production of the CD: no choirs, no solists (for example, for the aria of Cavalleria, where the mother should sing her line), and the acoustic "atmosphere" has made some people to doubt if Yu's voice is really as big as it seems (people who saw his Cavaradossi at Covent Garden say that it is very big, actually).
Not a the best production job by the people of EMI, but five stars (ten if possible) for the singer. Simply wonderful.

what a waste!.......2004-06-06

Initially I was excited: at last, I thought, here is a voice of Del Monaco weight but with infinitely more variety and color. But upon repeated hearing, I came to the conclusion that the varied tone was often simply the result of a poorly modulated voice in which the top and the bottom blended poorly at times with the mid-range. Worse yet, his foolish decision to serve as his own conductor does not serve him well. Often, as in the Fedora aria (which should have suited his voice well) he winds up chopping off the end of phrases because of his choice in tempos or perhaps the difficulty of accompanying oneself. Many of the interpretations are mannered--a good producer or conductor could have helped him avoid these lapses of judgement. The decision to lead with Tonio's prologue (a baritone aria) is embarrasing. Although he does indeed have a baritonal-sounding tenor at times, this doesn't make him a baritone by any stretch of the imagination. As a result, the aria is not even remotely satisfactory--it requires vocal resources a tenor just doesn't have (as well as dramatic resources Cura also does not reliably offer). I'm happy to have the arias from Lodoletta and Germania in modern sound (the Marcella aria really needs another voice type) and in spite of my criticism there are moments of real beauty in Cura's voice. Yet what a pity that humility, self-discipline,and good taste were not given to him in equal parts with beauty of voice. After a month with this record I begin to long for the direct, unselfconscious if rather crude sound of del Monaco. Any number of comparably voiced tenors of the last twenty years, like Giacomini or Martinucci, who were never recorded as much as they deserved were vastly superior to Cura in musicality and self-awareness. Behold the power of a pretty face!

Disappointing after his Puccini CD.......2001-05-20

I was favorably impressed with Cura's debut recital of Puccini arias (recorded June 1997), and on the strength of that favorable impression I bought his Verismo arias CD (recorded July 1999) and his Verdi arias CD (recorded Feb. 2000). I found both disappointing; neither is up to the standard of the Puccini disc. What is alarming is that I believe there has been audible deterioration in his voice in the short period of only two and three years between recording the Puccini disc and recording the next two. He is singing heavy roles usually, and advisedly, taken on by tenors later in their careers (e.g., Samson, Otello), and I hope this promising tenor won't sing himself out prematurely.

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