Music for the Motherless Child

Amazon.com
Martin Simpson is a renowned fingerstyle guitarist. Though he's British, and the folk music he's best known for comes from his homeland, he can teach American musicians a lot about their own music. Reaching deep into America's past, Simpson manages to maintain the American spirit while making the magic we simply call music. Music for the Motherless Child is a compassionate feast for the ears. Wu Man plays the Chinese lute. She's a deeply evocative pipa player, and her duets with Simpson strengthen their respective influences. Wait until you hear the title track--Simpson sings the melody with his slide guitar and Wu Man responds with a wavering, gentle echo. Recorded by Kavi Alexander, this record is a lilting tribute to why people make and listen to music. --Bob Boilen

Tracks:

Balm in Gilead
Chassidic Chant
Quiet Flows The Don: From Border To Border
Quiet Flows The Don: Oh, How Proud Our Quiet Don
Elijah, Op. 70: The Lord God Of Abraham
The Purest Kind Of Guy
Joe Hill
The Peat-Bog Soldiers
The Four Insurgent Generals
Native Land
Song Of The Plains
Cradle Song
Within Four Walls
By An' By
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
John Henry
Water Boy
My Curly Headed Baby
Mah Lindy Lou
Wagon Wheels
The House I Live In
Showboat: I Still Suits Me
Sylvia
Showboat: Ol' Man River
Porgy And Bess: It Ain't Necessarily So

Amazon.com

There was nothing like the Robeson sound, ever. To describe his deep, rich, perfectly equalized instrument is futile. Go instead to "Balm in Gilead," the opening track, and see if you can listen to the last pianissimo phrase without falling to pieces. Robeson was at his best when the music was slow and the words contained spiritual or social messages. Faster, lighter fare like Kern's "I Still Suits Me" or Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" find the serious-minded singer out of his element, lacking irony and swing. "Old Man River," though, gets a simple, dignified treatment. It's Songs of Free Men, though, that will just keep Robeson's artistry rolling along, especially in Sony's astonishing transfers. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Robeson on wax.......2007-06-19

I found this album in a thrift store last week, for a couple of dollars. It's the original pressing on four 78 RPM records, in a gatefold format. It's in pristine condition. I really bought it for the incredible cover art, although I hope to be able to listen to it in this format at some point.

The voice, the sound quality and the interpretation.......2004-09-24

Put this on your stereo and if it is good enough the depth and richness of Robeson's voice will make your fillings rattle and your chest rumble. The power of his voice is awesome. This CD is superbly recorded with no audible noise at normal listening levels.

A Voice from the 40s, often dated, often moving.......2002-09-01

"Red diaper babies" have greeted this disc with nostalgic joy, and it captures a time and an aesthetic and a political belief with precision. Anyone interested in the emotional life of the pro-Soviet left of the 1940s should buy this disc. It's something like Henry Wallace set to music. There is much more to Robeson than that, however, and Sony has given us Robeson whole: there are songs by American masters of the musical, there are labor songs, religious songs, as well as the kind of faux-folk songs which the butcher supreme Josef Stalin encouraged and which were not taken seriously inside the USSR (except at gunpoint!!) but which were taken up by dupes around the world. This is Robeson at his least savory - willing propagandist for a vile mass murderer. Songs such as "Native Land" (fittingly, Robeson is referring to the Soviet Union) and the Red Army song are the equivalent of the "Horst Wessel Song", anthems of murder, and it is difficult to listen to the worst of them without retching. On the other hand, Robeson's commitment to American folk culture was real. "Balm in Gilead" is deeply beautiful; "John Henry" is heroic; "By an' By" is both resigned yet hopeful. "Joe Hill" captures an era in labor history. Anyone interested in American popular song should hear these. Turning to Broadway, his "Old Man River" is very fine, though Robeson changed the lyrics for political reasons and Leonard Warren has done the song better. I disagree with the editorial reviewer: "I Still Suits Me" is wonderfully playful and shows Robeson using his gorgeously rich voice to tease and poke fun. However, Marc Blitzstein's "Purest Kind of a Guy" is beyond saving - another example of Robeson recording an unworthy song by a political fellow-traveller. Ugh. But for every miss there are two hits. Robeson performs Mendelssohn's Elijah with nobility, and sings his favorite song, "Water Boy", with joyous pride: "There ain't no hammer that's on these mountains that rings like mine, boys, that rings like mine."
No one need have any fears about the mono sound quality. The orchestra in the second half of the program is at times a little dwarfed by Robeson's voice, but it generally sounds clean and colorful, and the great artist's voice rings like no other.

Robeson at his best.......2000-05-12

It's hard to believe that most of these recordings pre-date the advent of magnetic tape: the CD transfer is superlative. The songs and performance are beyond reproach. Notable is the imaginative packaging in miniature 'record album' format, complete with the original cover art, and a replica of the original Columbia record label applied to the CD.

In response to a previous question: Robeson's performance of Danny Boy (Londonderry Air) can be found on the Vanguard LP entitled "Robeson" (VRS-9037).

some of the greatest songs of the last century.......2000-05-05

In the 1940s, before rabid McCarthyism and racism had taken its toll on him, Robeson made these wonderful recordings of spirituals, classics and pop tunes. Accompanied by the solo piano of the incomparable Lawrence Brown, or by an orchestra, the songs ring out with pride, dignity, skill and unmatched integrity. The shameful treatment that Robeson was subject to from American authorities certainly seem grotesquely absurd to a modern listener. The wonderful version of "The House I Live In" included on this cd should forever kill off any suspicion that Robeson did not love his country deeply. This album ought to be heard by millions of people, world wide. Robeson's voice is nothing less than a glorious high point in 20th century music, and it's hard to think of any recording capturing it to greater advantage.

Average customer rating:

World's best trumpet player
Credit Wynton Marsalis
stylistically wrong
Wynton, Wynton, Wynton.
Good, but not the best

Carnaval

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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$7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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Cornet Favorites
Classic Wynton
Wynton Marsalis - Baroque Music for Trumpet
Trumpet Concertos
Greatest Hits: Trumpet

ASIN: B0000026EN
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Carnaval: Variations Sur 'Le Carnaval De Venise'
Carnaval: The Debutante (Caprice Brillant)
Carnaval: Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms
Carnaval: Grand Russian Fantasia
Carnaval: Moto Perpetuo, Op 11
Carnaval: 'Tis the Last Rose of Summer
Tsar Saltan: The Flight of The Bumblebee
Carnaval: Napoli -- Variations on a Neapolitan Song
Carnaval: Fantaisie Brillante
Carnaval: Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
Carnaval: Valse Brillante

Customer Reviews:

World's best trumpet player.......2007-05-12

The incredible Wynton Marsalis plays the classics of the brass solo genre.
If you want to hear some very delightful music played by a most impressive instrumentalist, get this album.

Listening to this will make you realize the mediocrity of most of today's popular music. They don't grow people like Jean-Baptiste Arban any more.

Credit Wynton Marsalis.......2007-01-25

This outstanding collection of turn-of-the-last-century cornet solos is a collector's item. Mr. Marsalis (and the ensemble) makes it all sound so easy and enjoyable. As an instrumental music teacher I find hearing these inspires many of my high school high brass players to work on them.

stylistically wrong.......2005-05-29

Having studied with an international authority on cornet playing I can con fidently say that Wynton's cornet playing is ok at best. More than anything hes tryying to sell CDs rather than capture the essence of Cornet playing, like most of wyntons playing its alot of flash but no substance. Great if your a trumpet head and you get off on empty virtuostic fluff.

Wynton, Wynton, Wynton........2005-01-01

There are times, when I'm listeing to Wynton, I get depressed like the flash of a 64th note played. His sounds is so pure and wonderful. He rocks. I don't mind realizing that there aren't many other trumpeteers out there like him.

I met him once actually. In Alice Tully Hall, after a holiday concert. He stood on the stage towering over my dad, brother and I. He called us "the frontline", after my dad telling him we play the trumpet, trombone, and clarinet. What a cool guy.

Good, but not the best.......2004-11-28

Marsalis is an excellent trumpet player, there is no question as to that. He is certainly not the best in the world, however. I prefer a better recording of Carnival of Venice and many other cornet solos by Gerard Schwarz. The spirit of such solos is lost when they are put to ensemble accompaniment, Schwarz interprets them far better in my opinion. Also, his technical mastery is at least equal to that of Wynton's, or was when he made the album. His sound is sweeter and more perfect to my ear. And this is not the only album in which you can hear dazzling technical pieces, either. Sergei Nakariakov, Rafael Mendez, and Allen Vizzutti are the most proficient players with recordings out there. Nakariakov and Mendez both do better readings of the Paganini, playing the entire song double-tonguing and circular breathing. The Mendez Flight of the Bumblebee has a much better sound and fits the piece more, too. The most amazing song I have ever heard is the Carnival of Venus, by Vizzutti. Listen to anything by Wynton and then this song, you will be absolutely amazed. The last variation of the Marsalis is Vizzutti's first, and they get harder from there. Simply put, this is a good recording and the most accessible, but there are better ones out there. I wouldn't buy this to hear cornet solos or amazing technical pieces, but for hearing other interpretations. I prefer Schwarz, Mendez, Vizzutti, and Nakariakov.

Average customer rating:

Nice Voice
a voice teacher and early music fan
Sumi Jo- coloratura supreme
Prayerful and beautiful
A spectalce of voice and vocalization

Sumi Jo - Prayers / James Conlon
Gioachino Rossini , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Richard Strauss , Giulio Caccini , Maurice Ravel , Gabriel Fauré , Anonymous , Franz Schubert , Charles Gounod , Gaetano Donizetti , Zbigniew Preisner , Leonard Bernstein , Johann Strauss II , Frederick Loewe , James Conlon , Sumi Jo , and Susan Graham
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Sumi Jo - Virtuoso Arias ~ Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer
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Sumi Jo - Only Love
Sumi Jo - Bel Canto / Arevalo · ECO · Carella

ASIN: B0000560N6
Release Date: 2001-03-20

Tracks:

Kaddisch
Laudate Dominum
Ave Maria
Amazing Grace
Breit' Uber Mein Haupt
L'assedio Di Corinto: L' Ora Fatal S'appressa... Guisto Ciel !
Pie Jesu
Der Vierjahrige Posten: Gott! hore Meine Stimme!
Sanctus
Maria Stuarda: Preghiera Di Maria
Lacrimosa
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: Take Care Of This House - Sumi Jo/Phil Chor Koln/Susan Graham
Nun's Chor/Casanova: Laura's Song
Gigi: Say A Prayer For me Tonight
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child

Amazon.com

This program seems designed primarily to display soprano Sumi Jo's fabulous singing and famous stylistic eclecticism. However, it also exhibits an admirable religious inclusiveness, encompassing expressions of faith from the Latin liturgy to Negro spirituals; there is even a Richard Strauss song that is essentially a paean to love. An incongruous note is struck by a nun's song from an operetta by Benatzky that is a corny Viennese waltz and by a soundtracklike arrangement of a 16th-century Ave Maria. Ranging from Mozart to Broadway, this musical mix is held together by Sumi Jo's ravishingly beautiful, pure, warm voice and the way she can color and inflect it, and by her mastery of every style (though not every language; her German in particular is unintelligible). Her intonation is impeccable, her breath control incredible. Jo's top notes soar triumphantly, and she can sustain them indefinitely, with enough power left to make a crescendo at the end. Highlights include Ravel's "Kaddisch," which sends shivers down the spine; arias from operas by Rossini and Donizetti; and arias from sacred works by Gounod and Fauré. Of two spirituals, the second one is simpler and more convincing. The accompanying forces are excellent; James Conlon doubles as pianist when not conducting. Susan Graham also makes an appearance in the moving invocation "Take Care of This House" from Bernstein's 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Nice Voice.......2007-05-06

Sumi Jo has a beautiful voice but her renditions of Motherless Child and Amazing Grace were not impressive at all. The vibrato was too uncontrollable. The Ave Maria was so,so. I did not hear the richeness others have declared in their assesments. Don't get me wrong, the instrument is quite beautiful but only in some selected selections.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-17

"Music and poetry emerge from man's desire to give thanks, to praise and to pray to his gods. One of the magical powers of the human voice is that it can fly, on the wings of songs (a la Mendelssohn) to heaven and appear to be in direct communication with God." Therefore, it is no surprise that prayer is omnipresent throughout the history of music. Sumi Jo has chosen an excellent representation of songs including most styles and periods which include : Baroque (Caccini)-Classical (Mozart)-Contemporary (Preisner)-Romantic Opera (Rossini,Donizetti)-German 'Singspiel'(Schubert)-Lieder (Richard Strauss)-French church music (Gounod ,Faure)-traditional music (spiritual)-Jewish melodies (Ravel)-Viennese operetta (Johann Strauss) and the American musical (Bernstein).

Sumi Jo, born in Korea,is a much sought after coloratura soprano, having triumphed on stage, and in recitals all over the world. Not being fond of coloraturas, I make an exception for her voice, because of its depth along with the very high register. She shows a great deal of sensitivity to all of her varied selections on this disc, and each delivery is a 'gem' unto itself.

I must personally comment on those works that I particularly enjoy. Hearing her sing Mozart's 'Laudate Dominum' was a real treat; it doesn't matter how often one hears that lovely piece, just like all of his music, it 'wears' well. The 'Pie Jesu' was absolutely stunning as Sumi Jo sang it, and it is a pleasure for me to hear the selection from "GIGI" by Lerner & Loewe; not being a great broadway fan, I have always liked that specific musical. I think because it was well-done when I saw it years and years ago.

This disc is abolutely totally enjoyable. There is something for all musical tastes, and the conductor/pianist James Conlon does a great job pulling it together!!!!!

Sumi Jo- coloratura supreme.......2006-04-09

One word: Lacrimosa. It haunts you and will stay with you long after you hear it. I actually forced several if my coworkers to listen to it many of which are not opera fans and even they could not argue the beauty of it. One of my coworkers was actual on the verge of tears by the end of the song.

The rest of the album is enchanting as well as breath taking. I am a harsh critic when it comes to singers so I do not give those compliments very often, nor am I easily moved by singers but Sumi Jo has certainly done that with this album.

My only complaint is that I would have liked to hear her take of "Ave Maria" by Schubert which, while recorded many times over, would complimented her voice perfectly due to it's simplicity. "Sing low sweet chariot" would have been another great one to hear but as far as spirtuals are concerned I was very happy with her acepella version of "Amazing Grace." I was never a huge fan of "Amazing Grace" since it's been done a thousand times over but she brought such seetness and emotion to it. Of course I am kind of biased becuase I offically hate the "belting" version of this song and that's how it's usually done. It's nice to hear a simple, straight forward version.

My last comment is that it's nice to hear Sumi Jo sing less operatic pieces considering most opera singers are rarely bold enough to sing anything other than classical pieces, excluding Renee Fleming of recent.

Prayerful and beautiful.......2005-11-14

It is a refreshing change to have a collection of arias on a CD with a title that actually bears some relevance to the contents. This is indeed a prayerful collection. That means, of course, that you have to be in the appropriately contemplative mood in order to appreciate it.

Another nice change is that the orchestral accompaniment enhances the singing rather than just tagging along as an afterthought, which often seems to be the case. It is fitting that James Conlon gets equal billing here. This is splendid singing to splendid music.

Sumi Jo is comfortable in any language and in a broad range of styles. I was uncertain how she would tackle songs like Amazing Grace and Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. I need not have worried. In the latter she reveals a soulfulness that fits the lyrics perfectly.

The only track not worthy of this collection is Bernstein's Take Care of This House. I suppose, as it is a prayer, it was an obvious song to include, and Jo sings it very well, but it is just a very poor song. That still leaves 14 excellent tracks that, if you are a lover of good singing, you will want in your collection.

A spectalce of voice and vocalization.......2004-12-29

I bought this used from an Amazon.com dealer and it came with a cutout on the left side of the CD box. Can this specacular CD possibly have gone out of print by Christmas 2004? If so we have lost one of the benchmark recordings of this splendid artist.

Never is there a weak moment in this incredibly beautiful collection of classical bleeding chunks and spirituals. I don't think you'll confuse Sumi for your favorite spiritual singer in "Amazing Grace" and "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child" but she is magnificent singing the complete and incomplete tunes elsewhere on the CD by famous classical composers including Mozart, Richard Strauss, Rossini, Schubert and Donizetti, to name some of them.

She is in wonderful voice and fresh-faced for the Loewe-Lerner "Say a prayer for me tonight" and does an equally nice job with Susan Graham accompanying Leonard Bernstein's "Take care of this house" from "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue". I'm not much for this kind of music -- I bought this exclusively for her rendition of Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" -- but it adds a dimension to the concert that brings it into the realm of popular Broadway tunes.

This is a wonderful concert of familiar and not so familiar songs from a singer whose voice is eloquent, beautiful and rich, with significant range and span from PPP to FFF. Sumi Jo controls her voice well throughout the concert, giving everyone something to think about regardelss of musical preference. This might have been improved if she'd included a Beatles tune -- maybe "Elenor Rigby" or "Yesterday" -- accompanied by the orchestra and James Conlon's direction. But it stands with any similar collection by any singer as it is.

Average customer rating:

What ??
Nice Voice, but not a nice person...(read on, pls.)
A let down
The definitive Paul Robeson compilation

The Essential Paul Robeson

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005B15R
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Tracks:

Ol' Man River
Steal Away
Joshua Fit De Battle Ob Jericho
Water Boy
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Deep River
Lonesome Road
Mighty Lak' A Rose
Rockin' Chair
When It's Sleepy-time Down South
Mah Lindy Lou
My Curly Headed Baby
Carry Me Back To Green Pastures
Lazy Bones
St. Louis Blues
Congo Lullaby
Canoe Song
Shenandoah
I Still Suits Me
Summertime
It Ain't Necessarily So
Just A-Wearyin' For you
Song Of The Volga Boatmen
Little Man, You've Had A Busy Day

Tracks:

Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child/Minstrel Man
Git On Board, Li'l Children/Dere's No Hidin' Place
Go Down, Moses
Bear De Burden/All God's Chillun Got Wings
Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
Got The South In My Soul
Blue Prelude
Fat Li'l Feller Wid His Mammy's Eyes/Shortnin' Bread
Wagon Wheels
The Banjo Song
Love Song
Climbing Up (Mountain Song)
All Through The Night
Mood Indigo
At Dawning
An Eriskay Love Lilt
Trees
Jerusalem
The Cobbler's Song
A Perfect Day
Sylvia
Sea Fever
King Joe (The Joe Louis Blues)
The Old Folks At Home (Swanee River)
My Old Kentucky Home

Customer Reviews:

What ??.......2006-12-10

The idiot from Virginia thought it a bit strange that an American black man would give the communists a chance. Looking back from modern perspective is easier than what he had to go on in the thirtes. Gee, I wonder why a black man would do that after all that southern hospitality, segregation, and steady work you gave the "black folk". Not to mention all those nighttime campfires you had going in their honor.
While I might be from New York I certainly would not be called a bleeding heart liberal but I can certainly understand why the poor soul was looking elsewhere. You are either ignorant of history and its influences on people or you are a totally unsympathetic jackass!!

Nice Voice, but not a nice person...(read on, pls.).......2006-01-07

Paul Robeson, who was brainwashed into
beleiving Communist rhetoric (which is
strange as hell for an Amer-I-can black
man). A good singing voice but all cover
songs! Come on, Paul!

A let down.......2004-09-24

I own several Robeson recordings and purchased this one with high hopes as it has a great selection of tracks. Unfortunately given the excellent recording quality of "Songs for Free Men" and "The Paul Robeson Oddyssey", the remasters from what I assume are 78's and possibly radio are a let down and mar what could have been an excellent album.

The definitive Paul Robeson compilation.......2003-09-19

This 2 CD set of Paul Robeson is the definitive collection providing a decent overview of his work in 50 tracks all wonderfully restored from 78s as usual for ASV, with spirituals, show tunes, Shakespeare-like readings, and more done with a trademark bass voice and orchestration that backs up Paul perfectly and he would later be one of the first civil rights activists. The first disc is a reissue of the single disc "Ol' Man River-His 25 Greatest" on ASV containing "Ol' Man River," "Mighty Like a Rose," "Joshua Fit De Battle Ob Jericho," "Carry Me Back To Green Pastures," "Lazy Bones," and many more classics which is also available here at Amazon for those who only want a single disc of Paul's work and the 2nd disc contains 25 more classics including "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen," "The Old Folks At Home," "My Old Kentucky Home," "Wagon Wheels," "Git On Board, Little Children," and many more. In other words, all 50 of these tracks are essential to any early pop, folk, gospel, blues, etc. music fan and this is the set to introduce yourself to his work in a convenient 2 CD package with the usual great liner notes and details on the original 78s ASV provides with each CD released in their Living Era series.

Average customer rating:

The Very Best of Barbara Hendricks

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Barbara Hendricks - Artist of Life
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Spirituals
Very Best of

ASIN: B0006VYEM8
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Un Bel Di Vedremo
O Mio Babbino Caro
Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana
Ecco: Respiro Appena. Io Son L'Umile Ancella
C'est Des Contrebandiers...Je Dis Que Rien Ne M'Epouvante
Pie Jesu
Et Incarnatus Est
Ave Maria
Sanctus
Panis Angelicus
Ave Maria
Inflammatus Et Accensus
Kaddish 2
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
Deep River
Joshua Fit De Battle Ob Jericho
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Tracks:

Dans Un Bois Solitaire
Die Forelle
Gretchen Am Spinnrade
An Sylvia
Standchen
Lachen Und Weinen
Heidenroslein
Standchen
Wiegenlied
Morgen
Zueignung
Jeg Elsker Dig
Gruss
Apres Un Reve
Clair De Lune
I. C'est L'Extase Langoureuse
II. Il Pleure Dans Mon Coeur
L'Invitation Au Voyage
Les Filles De Cadix
Reverie
Le Rossignol Des Lilas
Si Mis Vers Avaient Des Ailes
Plaisir D'Amour
Vocalise En Forme De Habanera
Aria
Vilja-Lied

Album Description

Details TBA. EMI. 2005.

Average customer rating:

Brilliant...
And the accompanist?
My Favorite Jessye Norman

An Evening With Jessye Norman
Jessye Norman , Henry Purcell , Richard Wagner , Gustav Mahler , Maurice Ravel , Anonymous , Traditional , Hugo Wolf , and Claude Debussy
Manufacturer: Opera D'oro
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Norman, Jessye | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Very Best of

ASIN: B00001YVDB
Release Date: 1999-10-12

Tracks:

Dido and Aeneas: Dido's Lament
5 Wesendonk Lieder: Der Engel
5 Wesendonk Lieder: Stehe still!
5 Wesendonk Lieder: Im Treibhaus
5 Wesendonk Lieder: Schmerzen
5 Wesendonk Lieder: Traume
3 Ruckert Lieder: Ich atmet' einen Lindenduft
3 Ruckert Lieder: Liebst du um Schonheit
3 Ruckert Lieder: Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen
Sainte
Deux melodies hebraiques: L'enigme eternelle
Deux melodies hebraiques: Kaddisch
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
My Lord, what a morning
Oh what a beautiful city
There is a balm in Gilead
Every time I feel the Spirit
Er ist's
Beau soir

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant..........2007-02-14

A beautiful symphony of sounds and harmonies, as expected of this melodious diva!!! Loved it... HES

And the accompanist?.......2003-11-19

The accompanist for this spectacular evening was Irwin Gage, whose masterful artistry catapults this recital into the "A"-class. This recording reveals a young Jessye Norman in superb form. It is a pity that the recording firm neglected to honor Mr. Gage's contribution.

My Favorite Jessye Norman.......2001-08-27

This is my favorite record by Jessye Norman -- and only SIX BUCKS! Some people are afraid of this series on sonic grounds, but this one (and most I have heard) is excellent. It's live and you will note a splutter or two but the concert is mostly well balanced and Jessye is well accompanied.The programme in particular knocks me out, the pieces contrasting enough to make repeated listening easy. Standouts are the Ravel songs and There is a Balm in Gilead, but when she opens with When I Am Laid in Earth you aren't going anywhere for the next hour. When Jessye came along I liked the big voice but felt there was a lack of artistry -- an unsophisticated judgment it would now seem. But roles like Belle Helene and Penelope gave her more variety of tone and when I finally saw her in concert I was unprepared for the spectrum of songs and arias she can sing. I wish I was at this concert though, here is a rare case of a CD exceeding even my memory of the real thing! PS I also recommend Von Stade in this series, though not Franco Corelli: he sounds like he is singing from the bottom of an elevator shaft.

Average customer rating:

Shaw all by Himself

A Cappella

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | 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

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

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

A Cappella | Folk | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Choral Masterpieces
A Festival Of Carols / Robert Shaw Chorale
The Power & The Majesty: Essential Choral Classics
Gloria: Music of Praise & Inspiration
O Magnum Mysterium

ASIN: B000A0GOKK
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Tracks:

O Vos Omnes
A New Commandment
My Chosen Vine
Seeing The Star
Lord, You Made Her Lovely
Night In The Forest Op.62, No.3
Evening Serenade Op.42, No.1
Heavenly Light
O Serene Light
Thanksgiving To The Mother Of God
Ride On, King Jesus
Sometimes I Fell Like A Moanin' Dove
Same Train
In A Garden Shady
Ave Maria
Magnificat
Kyrie

Customer Reviews:

Shaw all by Himself.......2006-07-05

Robert Shaw is still considered on of the finest choral conductors this country has ever produced. When he took over the podium of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra some felt his talents were being wasted on orchestral influence: a few seasons into the role as an orchestral conductor erased the doubts of his ability in that realm. One of the aspects of his tenure programming was always to include the major works for orchestra and chorus and fortunately most of those works were recorded before his death.

In this superb CD Robert Shaw returns to his roots as choral conductor, presenting a group of a cappella works that demonstrates just how wide-ranging was his repertoire and a renewed appreciation for this gifts in drawing the very finest of choral singing from his musicians. Included here are near perfect performances of a wide variety of works: de Victoria's 'O vos omnes, qui transitis per viam', Thomas Tallis' 'A new commandment', Poulenc's 'Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence' and 'Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël', Debussy's 'Chansons de Charles d'Orléans', Brahms' 'Waldesnacht' and 'Abendständchen', Aleksandr Kopylov's 'Heavenly Light', excerpts form the Rachmaninov 'Vespers', Verdi's 'Sacred Pieces', Britten's 'Hymn to St. Cecilia', Arvo Part's 'Magnificat', Frank Martin's 'Mass', and three spirituals.

Some may argue this is too wide a selection for a CD, that while this made make for a brilliant evening's performance in the concert hall, it is too much variation to digest on a CD format. But those who feel that way can parcel out the treasures here recorded according to their needs. For a sampling of the genius of Robert Shaw conducting a cappella works, this CD is as fine as they come. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, July 06

Average customer rating:

Sacred Songs

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

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

Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002RRT
Release Date: 1991-03-15

Average customer rating:

Excellent recording!
Excellent New Solo Album
A pleasure

Spirit of the Trumpeter

Manufacturer: Albany Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00008BL8N
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Customer Reviews:

Excellent recording!.......2005-06-04

This recording by Rodney Mack is superb! I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys trumpet music. Also, this recording is a good resource as a trumpet player, as Rodney Mack has a fresh musical perspective/interpretation on each of the pieces.

Excellent New Solo Album.......2003-03-13

I have had the opportunity to meet and hear him play on several different times. He is an amazing player as well as an great man. His solo album has several highlights for me. The first is the two Bozza pieces, Caprice and Lied. His interpretation really brings out the harmonies and the melodies. I especially liked the fanfare parts of the Caprice and the slow lyrical statement of the Lied. The Carnival of Venice and La Virgin del Macerana contain many kinds of musicals statements and amazing technical facility. This is great album and I would look at especially if you are a trumpet player who is playing these pieces, but also to people who like modern trumpet music.

A pleasure.......2003-03-05

It's CDs like this one that remind us how many unknown but fabulous instrumentalists there are out there. Rodney Mack is a young trumpet player from New Orleans, apparently currently principal trumpet in the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya under Lawrence Foster. This recording is mostly of trumpet/piano pieces, some of them transcriptions and most of them standards in the classical trumpet repertoire.

Most appropriate, given his current location, is the familiar 'La Vergin de la Macarena', the classic bullfight melody in an arrangement by Charles Koff. The accompanist for all but two of the pieces here is his wife, pianist Karen Walwyn. One exception is the unaccompanied and haunting spiritual 'Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child'; this was particularly moving for me because I had just heard of the untimely death at 45 of another New Orleans musician, choral director Moses Hogan, whose arrangements of spirituals for chorus are known world-wide.

Included is the ever-present 'Carnival of Venice' in a set of variations by bandman Donald Hunsberger. Also there is a bang-up performance of the Arutunian Trumpet Concerto, most often heard, of course, with orchestral accompaniment.

There are two pieces by that favorite of wind players, Eugène Bozza - 'Caprice,' Op. 47 and the gorgeous 'Lied.'

For me the high point is the unaccompanied 7-minute 'Variations for Trumpet' by the exciting American composer, Adolphus Hailstork. It makes use of some jazz intonations - Mack knows how to bend pitches with the best of them! - and is consistently engaging.