| 1. Japanese Title |
| 2. Under The Sun |
| 3. Good For You |
| 4. I Can't Be Myself |
| 5. Perfect Lady |
| 6. Japanese Title |
| 7. Grateful Journey |
| 8. One Or Eight |
| 9. Sense Of Life |
| 10. Japanese Title |
| 11. Japanese Title |
True Songs,Do As Infinity,Avex Trax,World Music
Average customer rating:
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TV Land Presents: Favorite TV Theme Songs
Grecco, Cyndi , and Jones, Jack Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006EXIL Release Date: 2002-08-20 |
Tracks:
- I Love Lucy Theme - Wilbur Hatch
- Dragnet - Ray Anthony
- The Twilight Zone - Rod Open
- Bonanza - Al Caiola & His Orchestra
- The Andy Griffith Theme - Earle Hagen
- The Ballad Of Jed Clampett - Earl Scruggs
- The Addams Family (Main Theme) - Vic Mizzy
- Munsters Theme - Jack Marshall
- The Ballad Of Gilligan's Isle - Morton Stevens
- Green Acres - Eddie Albert
- Jeannie - Hugo Montenegro
- Batman Theme - Neal Hefti
- (Theme From) The Monkees - The Monkees
- Star Trek (Main Title & Closing Theme) - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Mannix - Lalo Schifrin
- Hawaii Five-O - Mort Stevens & His Orchestra
- Theme From The Brady Bunch - The Brady Bunch
- Come On Get Happy - The Partridge Family
- Those Were The Days - Carroll O'Connor
- And Then There's Maude - Donny Hathaway
- Good Times - Jim Gilstrap
- Movin' On Up - Oren Waters
- The Rockford Files - Mike Post
- Them From S.W.A.T. - Rhythm Heritage
- Happy Days - Pratt & McClain
- Making Our Dreams Come True - Cyndi Grecco
- Chico And The Man - Jose Feliciano
- Welcome Back - John Sebastian
- What's Happening!! - Henry Mancini
- Barney Miller - Jack Elliott
- Charlie's Angels - Jack Elliott
- Love Boat Theme - Jack Jones
- Angela (Theme From 'Taxi') - Bob James
- It Takes Diff'rent Strokes - Gloria Loring
- Theme From Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys) - Waylon
- Theme From Magnum, P.I. - Mike Post
- The Theme From Hill Street Blues - Mike Post
- Theme From Dynasty - Bill Conti
- Theme From 'Greatest American Hero' (Believe It Or Not) - Joey Scarbury
- Thank You For Being A Friend - Cynthia Fee
Album Description
TV Land brings you 40 of your favorite evening show theme songs. Highlights include 'Happy Days', 'The Greatest American Hero', 'Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)', 'Laverne & Shirley', 'I Dream Of Jeanie', 'I Love Lucy', 'Welcome Back, Kotter', 'The Love Boat', 'Hawaii Five-O', 'The Golden Girls' and many, many more. 2002. Rhino.Customer Reviews:
Excellent!!!.......2007-08-02
good memories for me and fun "new" songs for my children.......2007-06-27
memories.......2007-02-22
TV Theme Songs.......2007-01-13
TV themes.......2006-07-05
Average customer rating:
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Dowland - The Collected Works / The Consort of Musicke, Rooley
John Dowland , Anthony Rooley , Emma Kirkby , Christopher Wilson , The Consort of Musicke , Colin Tilney , Anthony Bailes , Jakob Lindberg , Nigel North , Glenda Simpson , Peter Holman , and John Donne Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000004CYV Release Date: 2007-03-13 |
Tracks:
- First Booke Of Songes: I. Unquiet Thoughts
- First Booke Of Songes: II. Who Ever Thinks Or Hopes Of Love
- First Booke Of Songes: III. My Thoughts Are Wing'd With Hopes
- First Booke Of Songes: IV. If My Complaints Could Passions Move
- First Booke Of Songes: V. Can She Excuse My Wrongs
- First Booke Of Songes: VI. Now, O Now, I Needs Must Part
- First Booke Of Songes: VII. Dear, If You Change
- First Booke Of Songes: VIII. Burst Fourth My Tears
- First Booke Of Songes: IX. Go Crystal Tears
- First Booke Of Songes: X. Think'st Thou Then By Thy Feigning
- First Booke Of Songes: XI. Come Away, Come Sweet Love
- First Booke Of Songes: XII. Rest Awhile, You Cruel Cares
- First Booke Of Songes: XIII. Sleep, Wayward Thoughts
- First Booke Of Songes: XIV. All Ye, Whom Love Or Fortune Hath Betray'd
- First Booke Of Songes: XV. Wilt Thou Unkind Thus Reave Me
- First Booke Of Songes: XVI. Would My Conceit
- First Booke Of Songes: XVII. Come Again: Sweet Love Doth Now Invite
- First Booke Of Songes: XVIII. His Golden Locks
- First Booke Of Songes: XIX. Awake, Sweet Love
- First Booke Of Songes: XX. Come, Heavy Sleep
- First Booke Of Songes: XXI. Away With These Self-Loving Lads
Tracks:
- Second Booke Of Songs: I. I Saw My Lady Weep
- Second Booke Of Songs: II. Flow My Tears
- Second Booke Of Songs: III. Sorrow, Stay
- Second Booke Of Songs: IV. Die Not Before Thy Day
- Second Booke Of Songs: V. Mourn, Mourn, Day Is With Darkness Fled
- Second Booke Of Songs: VI. Time's Eldest Son
- Second Booke Of Songs: VII. Then Sit Thee Down
- Second Booke Of Songs: VIII. When Others Sing Venite
- Second Booke Of Songs: IX. Praise Blindness Eyes
- Second Booke Of Songs: X. O Sweet Woods
- Second Booke Of Songs: XI. If Floods Of Tears
- Second Booke Of Songs: XII. Fine Knacks For Ladies
- Second Booke Of Songs: XIII. Now Cease My Wand'ring Eyes
- Second Booke Of Songs: XIV. Come Ye Heavy States Of Night
- Second Booke Of Songs: XV. White As Lilies Was Her Face
- Second Booke Of Songs: XVI. Woeful Heart
- Second Booke Of Songs: XVII. A Shepherd In A Shade
- Second Booke Of Songs: XVIII. Faction That Ever Dwells
- Second Booke Of Songs: XIX. Shall I Sue
- Second Booke Of Songs: XX. Toss Not My Soul
- Second Booke Of Songs: XXI. Clear Or Cloudy
- Second Booke Of Songs: XXII. Humour Say What Mak'st Thou Here
Tracks:
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: I. Farewell, Too Fair
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: II. Time Stands Still
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: III. Behold A Wonder Here
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: IV. Daphne Was Not So Chaste
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: V. Me, Me, And None But Me
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: VI. When Phoebus First Did Daphne Love
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: VII. Say, Love, If Ever Thou Didst Find
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: VIII. Flow Not So Fast, Ye Fountains
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: IX. What If I Never Speed?
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: X. Love Stood Amazed
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XI. Lend Your Ears To My Sorrow
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XII. By A Fountain Where I Lay
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XIII. O What Hath Overwrought
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XIV. Farewell, Unkind
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XV. Weep You No More, Sad Fountains
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XVI. Fie On This Feigning!
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XVII. I Must Complain
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XVIII. It Was A Time When Silly Bees
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XIX. The Lowest Trees Have Tops
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XX. What Poor Astronomers Are They
- Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XXI. Come When I Call
Tracks:
- A Pilgrimes Solace: I. Disdain Me Still
- A Pilgrimes Solace: II. Sweet Stay Awhile
- A Pilgrimes Solace: III. To Ask For All Thy Love
- A Pilgrimes Solace: IV. Love, Those Beams That Breed
- A Pilgrimes Solace: V. Shall I Strive Wih Words To Move?
- A Pilgrimes Solace: VI. Were Every Thought An Eye
- A Pilgrimes Solace: VII. Stay, Time, Awhile Thy Flying
- A Pilgrimes Solace: VIII. Tell Me, True Love
- A Pilgrimes Solace: IX. Go Nightly Cares
- A Pilgrimes Solace: X. From Silent Night
- A Pilgrimes Solace: XI. Lasso vita mia
- A Pilgrimes Solace: XII. In This Trembling Shadow Cast
- A Pilgrimes Solace: XIII. If That A Sinner's Sights
- A Pilgrimes Solace: XIV. Thou Mighty God
- A Pilgrimes Solace: XV. When David's Life
- A Pilgrimes Solace: XVI. When The Poor Cripple
Tracks:
- A Pilgrimes Solace: XVII. Where Sin Sore Wounding
- A Pilgrimes Solace: XVIII. My Heart And Tongue Were Twins
- A Pilgrimes Solace: XIX. Up Merry Mates
- A Pilgrimes Solace: XX. Welcome Black Night
- A Pilgrimes Solace: XXI. Cease, Cease These False Sports
- Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Lachrimae Pavane
- Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Can Shee
- Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Paduana
- Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: The Frogge
- Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Frog's Galliard
- Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Pavana And Galiarda
- Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Paduana Lachrymae
- Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Can She Excuse
- Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Pavion Solus cum sola
- Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Dowland's Almayne
- Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Piper's Paven And Galliard
- Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Pavan Lachrymae
Tracks:
- Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: I. The Lamentation Of A Sinner
- Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: II. Domine ne in furore
- Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: III. Miserere mei Deus
- Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: IV. The Humble Suit Of A Sinner
- Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: V. The Humble Complaint Of A Sinner
- Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: VI. De profundis
- Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: VII. Domine exaudi
- Lachrimae: Lachrimae Antiquae
- Lachrimae: Lachrimae Antiquae Novae
- Lachrimae: Lachrimae Gementes
- Lachrimae: Lachrimae Tristes
- Lachrimae: Lachrimae Coactae
- Lachrimae: Lachrimae Amantis
- Lachrimae: Lachrimae Verae
- Lachrimae: Mr. John Langton's Pavan
- Lachrimae: Mr. Nicholas Gryffith His Galiard
- Lachrimae: Sir John Souch His Galiard
- Lachrimae: Semper Dowland Semper Dolens
- Lachrimae: Mr. Giles Hobies Galiard
- Lachrimae: The King Of Denmark's Galiard
- Lachrimae: Sir Henry Umpton's Funerall
- Lachrimae: Mr. Henry Noell His Galiard
- Lachrimae: The Earl Of Essex Galiard
- Lachrimae: Mr. Bucton His Galiard
- Lachrimae: Mr. George Whitehead His Almand
- Lachrimae: Captain Digorie Piper His Galiard
- Lachrimae: Mr. Thomas Collier His Galiard
- Lachrimae: Mrs. Nichols Almand
Tracks:
- Sacred Songs: Sorrow, Come!
- Sacred Songs: I Shame At Mine Unworthiness
- Sacred Songs: An Heart That's Broken And Contrite
- Psalms: Psalm 100: All People That On Earth Do Dwell
- Psalms: Psalm 38: Put Me Not To Rebuke O Lord
- Psalms: Psalm 130: Lord To Thee I Make My Moan
- Psalms: Psalm 104: My Soul Praise The Lord
- Psalms: Psalm 100: All People That On Earth Do Dwell
- Psalms: Psalm 134: Behold And Have Regard
- A Prayer For The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty
- Instrumental Music: Solus cum sola pavan
- Instrumental Music: Lachrimae
- Instrumental Music: Galliard
- Instrumental Music: Pipers Pavan
- Instrumental Music: Lachrimae
- Instrumental Music: Lady Rich Galliard
- Instrumental Music: Earl Of Essex Galliard
- Instrumental Music: If My Complaints
- Instrumental Music: Lachrimae Doolande
- Instrumental Music: Lord Willoughbie's Welcome Home
- Instrumental Music: My Lord Chamberlaine His Galliard
- Instrumental Music: Comagain
- Instrumental Music: Pavan Lachrymae
- Instrumental Music: Sorrow Stay
Tracks:
- Lute Music: Preludium
- Lute Music: Lachrimae
- Lute Music: Can She Excuse
- Lute Music: Dr. Case's Pavan
- Lute Music: Melancholy Galliard
- Lute Music: Sir John Smith, His Almain
- Lute Music: Fantasia
- Lute Music: A Dream
- Lute Music: Almain
- Lute Music: The Queen's Galliard
- Lute Music: Coranto
- Lute Music: Resolution
- Lute Music: Mrs. Vaux Galliard
- Lute Music: Almain
- Lute Music: Mr. Dowland's MIdnight
- Lute Music: Fantasia
- Lute Music: Loth To Depart
- Lute Music: The Most Sacred Queen Elizabeth, Her Galliard
- Lute Music: The Earl Of Essex, His Galliard
- Lute Music: Pavan
- Lute Music: John Dowland's Galliard
- Lute Music: Aloe
- Lute Music: The Lady Clifton's Spirit
- Lute Music: What If A Day
- Lute Music: Mr. Giles Hobie's Galliard
- Lute Music: Come Away (Song arrangement)
- Lute Music: Galliard
- Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)
Tracks:
- Lute Music: Lachrimae (Basic Version)
- Lute Music: Galliard To Lachrimae
- Lute Music: [Jig]
- Lute Music: Galliard On 'Wasingham'
- Lute Music: Complaint (Ballad Setting)
- Lute Music: Mignarda (Galliard)
- Lute Music: Semper Dowland Semper Dolens (Pavan)
- Lute Music: The Frog Galliard
- Lute Music: A Fancy (Fantasia)
- Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)
- Lute Music: Piper's Pavan
- Lute Music: Captain Digorie Piper's Galliard
- Lute Music: Lady Laiton's Almain
- Lute Music: Dowland's Galliard
- Lute Music: Dowland's First Galliard
- Lute Music: Tarleton's Jig
- Lute Music: Walsingham (ballad Setting)
- Lute Music: Lord Willoughbie's Welcome Home (Ballad Setting)
- Lute Music: Sir Henry Guilforde, His Almain
- Lute Music: Pavan (Related To 'Lachrimae')
- Lute Music: Mr. Langton's Galliard
- Lute Music: Mrs. Clifton's Almain
- Lute Music: Galliard
- Lute Music: Lady Hunsdon's Puffe (Almain)
- Lute Music: Galliard
- Lute Music: Go From My Window (Ballad Setting)
- Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)
Tracks:
- Lute Music: Pavana Johan Douland
- Lute Music: Mrs. Brigide Fleetwood's Pavan (Solus sine sola)
- Lute Music: La mia Barbara
- Lute Music: Sir Henry Umpton's Funeral (Pavan)
- Lute Music: Lachrimae
- Lute Music: Farewell Fancy (Chromatic Fantasia)
- Lute Music: Farewell (On The 'In Nomine' Theme)
- Lute Music: The King of Denmark's Galliard
- Lute Music: Mrs. Vaux's Jig
- Lute Music: Mrs. Nichol's Almain
- Lute Music: Galliard
- Lute Music: Lord Strang's March
- Lute Music: Mrs. Winter's Jump
- Lute Music: Can She Excuse (Galliard)
- Lute Music: The Shoemaker's Wife, A Toy
- Lute Music: Mrs. Norrish's Delight
- Lute Music: Galliard
- Lute Music: Mrs. White's Thing (Almain)
- Lute Music: Mrs. White's Nothing
- Lute Music: The Frog Galliard
- Lute Music: Solus cum sola
- Lute Music: The Lord Viscount Lisle, His Galliard
- Lute Music: Orlando Sleepeth (Ballad Setting)
- Lute Music: Robin (Ballad Setting)
- Lute Music: Galliard (On A Galliard By Daniel Bacheler)
- Lute Music: Forlorn Hope Fancy (Chromatic Fantasia)
Tracks:
- Lute Music: The Lady Russell's Pavan
- Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)
- Lute Music: Sir John Langton's Pavan
- Lute Music: Earl Of Derby, His Galliard
- Lute Music: A Coy Toy
- Lute Music: Fortune My Foe
- Lute Music: [Almain]
- Lute Music: Mr. Knight's Galliard
- Lute Music: Sir John Souch His Galliard
- Lute Music: Tarletone's Riserrectione
- Lute Music: The Lady Rich, Her Galliard
- Consort Music: Lachrimae Pavan
- Consort Music: Can She Excuse Galliard
- Consort Music: Captain Piper's Pavan And Galliard
- Consort Music: The Frog Galliard
- Consort Music: Round Battell Galliard
- Consort Music: Fortune My Foe
- Consort Music: Dowland's First Galliard
- Consort Music: Katherine Darcie's Galliard
- Consort Music: Tarleton's Jigge
- Consort Music: Almain a 2
- Consort Music: Mistress Nichols Almain a 2
- Fullsack And Hildebrandt: Auserlesener Paduanen und Galliarden: Susanna Fair (Galliard)
- Haussmann: Rest von polnischen und andern Tanzen: Mistress Nichols Alman a 5
- Opusculum: Mr. John Langton Pavan And Galliard
- Opusculum: La mia Barbara Pavan and Galliard
- Opusculum: Lachrimae Antiquae Novae Pavan and Galliard
Tracks:
- Consort Music: Mistress NIchols Almain
- Consort Music: Volta a 4 ('Ioh. Douland')
- Consort Music: Were Every Thought an Eye
- Consort Music: Lady If You So Spite Me
- Consort Music: Pavan a 4
- A Musicall Banquet: I. My Heavy Sprite (Anthony Holborne)
- A Musicall Banquet: II. Change Thy Mind Since She Doth Change (Richard Martin)
- A Musicall Banquet: III. O Eyes, Leave Off Your Weeping (Robert Hales)
- A Musicall Banquet: IV. Go, My Flock, Go Get You Hence (Anon.)
- A Musicall Banquet: V. O Dear Life, When Shall It Be? (Anon.)
- A Musicall Banquet: VI. To Plead My Faith (Daniel Bacheler)
- A Musicall Banquet: VII. In A Grove Most Rich Of Shade (Guillaume Tessier)
- A Musicall Banquet: VIII. Far From Triumphing Court
- A Musicall Banquet: IX. Lady, If You So Spite Me
- A Musicall Banquet: X. In Darkness Let Me Dwell
- A Musicall Banquet: XI. Si le parler et le silence (Pierre Guedron)
- A Musicall Banquet: XII. Ce penser qui sans fin tirannise ma vie (Pierre Guedron)
- A Musicall Banquet: XIII. Vous que le Bonheur rappelle (Pierre Guedron)
- A Musicall Banquet: XIV. Passava Amor su arco desarmado (Anon. Spanish)
- A Musicall Banquet: XV. Sta notte mi sognava (Anon. Italian)
- A Musicall Banquet: XVI. Vuestros ojos tienen d'Amor (Anon. Spanish)
- A Musicall Banquet: XVII. Se di farmi morire (Domenico Maria Megli)
- A Musicall Banquet: XVIII. Dovro dunque morire? (Giulio Caccini)
- A Musicall Banquet: XIX. Amarilli mia bella (Giulio Caccini)
- A Musicall Banquet: XX. O bella piu (Anon, Italian)
Customer Reviews:
The greatest songs ever?.......2007-07-26
Please buy it.
A musical treasure-box.......2006-09-10
The First, Second, Third and Fourth Bookes of Songes, A Musicall Banquet, the keyboard transcriptions, all the lute music, consort music are here and virtually everything else written or supposedly written by John Dowland. Anthony Rooley and The Consort of Musicke perform this music with style and feeling throughout. This 12 CD set is something of a monument to the ensemble - I only wish they'd finished their collection of Monteverdi madrigals, which was equally good (La Venexiana are currently doing a magnificent job of recording all Monteverdi's books of madrigals for the GLOSSA label).
This is an expensive set, however, you will probably never need to buy another John Dowland CD again after buying and listening to this collection.
I bought this CD set on a mild Summer evening of 1998 and listened to it while sitting in my sun room - which a glorious orange sunset in progress, and a glass of wine. It brought back so many memories.
a beautiful journey into melancholy.......2001-06-15
Dowland, a contemporary of Shakespeare, discovered that meditating on a sad theme is, at the same time, a way of discovering a special beauty that we tend to avoid (maybe because of the "tragic" heritage of the Romantics). So, in the end, meditating on sadness is an uplifting experience! This box set is a journey into melancholy that includes songs, chamber music, pieces for lute, some rare sacred music and -as a highlight- Dowland's beautiful collection of seven pieces for viola which he called "Lachrimae" (Tears).
Average customer rating:
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Roast Beef of Old England (Traditional Sailor Songs)
Jerry Bryant , and Starboard Mess Manufacturer: Essay ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004UDET Release Date: 2000-08-15 |
Tracks:
- Spanish Ladies
- A Jolly Sailor's True Description Of A Man-Of-War
- Adieu, Sweet Lovely Nancy
- St. Patrick's Day
- Warlike Seamen
- The First Of June
- Drops Of Brandy
- Roast Beef Of Old England
- Heart Of Oak
- Nancy Dawson
- Ben Backstay
- Sailors' Hornpipe/Rickett's Hornpipe
- Bay Of Biscay-o
- The Battle Of The Nile
- Nelson's Victory/Hull's Victory
- The Banks Of The Nile/Sailor's Cravat
- A New Sea Song (Sweethearts And Wives)
- Pleasant And Delightful
- Captain Barton's Distress On The Lichfield
- Chevy Chase
- The Shannon And The Chesapeake
- Distressed Men-Of-War
- Sailor's Jacket
- Don't Forget Your Old Shipmate
Amazon.com
If Roast Beef of Old England isn't enough to spawn a dose of contact scurvy, many other of these two dozen salty tunes will set the boat a-rocking. Treasures such as "A Jolly Sailor's True Description of a Man-of-War" and "Drops of Brandy" detail life among British seamen of the early 1800s without dredging up too much of the usual pirates, shipwrecks, or mutiny. It's an historical document of the regular life at sea, inspired by the British Navy novels of Patrick O'Brian, with intentions to anchor the writing in the ordinary sounds and stories of those fictionalized seafaring times. Glad fiddle, fife, and Jerry Bryant's humble six-man choral crew Starboard Mess spill the beans in suitable fashion without a sailor's colorful vocabulary. They supply the "yo ho ho" and annotations, you bring the rum and black powder. --Ian ChristeCustomer Reviews:
Set Sail With These Great Songs.......2007-01-28
You should see the looks I get from the little wannabe thugs in their tricked out Hondas listening to hip-hop when I pull up next to them in my conservative white Toyota Camry and I'm belting out lines like "We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors...." Jay-Z can't even hold a candle to these wonderful old tunes.
Highly recommended.
Jack Aubrey would have loved it..........2007-01-09
Good traditional stuff.......2007-01-05
Continuing Enjoyment.......2006-05-05
Being a 'younger' person with generally 'younger' preferences in music, and yet still a person thoroughly devoted to Patrick O'Brian and all his works, on first listening I was doubtful.
Another two or three spins around the CD player, though, and I was hooked. Crisp, clear and obviously as historically accurate as they can be, these songs give delight even now.
Best use? Volume dialled up to eleven for the morning drive to work, bellowing along at the top of my voice - and often the bottom of my range! Heart of Oak, Roast Beef of Old England, The Shannon and the Chesapeake - uproarious. Sailor's Jacket is the foot-tappingest instrumental; it still sets my toes a-jumping. And the sweeter songs? Give them plenty of wellie .. Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy is fabulous.
Other big numbers: A Jolly Sailor's True Description of a Man-of-War, A New Sea Song (Sweethearts & Wives) - which has some fabulously 'historically accurate' narrative within (POB readers will know whereof I speak! ;-} - and Distressed Men-of-War - another song referred to within the POB Canon.
Heartily recommended.
Great CD!.......2005-10-28
Lisa
Average customer rating:
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György Ligeti Edition 2: A Cappella Choral Works - London Sinfonietta Voices
Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000029OX Release Date: 1997-01-21 |
Tracks:
- A Cappella Choral Works: Night
- A Cappella Choral Works: Morning
- A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 1
- A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 2
- A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 3
- A Cappella Choral Works: Far from home 4
- A Cappella Choral Works: Solitude
- A Cappella Choral Works: Two Canons 1
- A Cappella Choral Works: Two Canons 2
- A Cappella Choral Works: Kings of Bethlehem
- A Cappella Choral Works: The Fugitive
- A Cappella Choral Works: Lux aeterna
- A Cappella Choral Works: Wedding Song
- A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 1
- A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 2
- A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 3
- A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Inaktelke 4
- A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 1
- A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 2
- A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 3
- A Cappella Choral Works: Songs from Matraszentimre 4
- A Cappella Choral Works: Widow Papai
- A Cappella Choral Works: Three phantasies after Hrlin 1
- A Cappella Choral Works: Three phantasies after Hrlin 2
- A Cappella Choral Works: Three phantasies after Hrlin 3
- A Cappella Choral Works: Hungarian Etudes 1
- A Cappella Choral Works: Hungarian Etudes 2
- A Cappella Choral Works: Hungarian Etudes 3
- A Cappella Choral Works: Heigh, Youth! 1
- A Cappella Choral Works: Heigh, Youth! 2
- A Cappella Choral Works: Easter
- A Cappella Choral Works: Hortobagy 1
- A Cappella Choral Works: Hortobagy 2
- A Cappella Choral Works: Hortobagy 3
- A Cappella Choral Works: From a high mountain rock
- A Cappella Choral Works: Double-Dance from Kallo 1
- A Cappella Choral Works: Double-Dance from Kallo 2
Amazon.com essential recording
A vast audience received its first exposure to the music of György Ligeti through Stanley Kubrick's use of his haunting "Lux Aeterna" (despite the composer's lack of consent) in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. This collection--part of Sony's invaluable Ligeti edition--places "Lux aeterna" in the context of Ligeti's other a cappella choral works, which together provide an overview of the evolving phases of one of the 20th century's most intriguing composers. In his booklet notes to the disc, Ligeti recalls the influence of Bartók and Kodály on his early folkloric compositions, from arrangements of traditional material to free, polyrhythmically inflected inventions on Hungarian folk texts, a format that allowed him some degree of experimental freedom from the strictures of "socialist realism" before he fled the Hungarian Communist regime. The breakthrough "Lux aeterna" is a classic example of Ligeti's trademark technique of "micropolyphony," enveloping the listener in mesmerizingly dense textures of cloudlike harmonies. From Ligeti's late period comes a triptych of "Hölderlin Phantasies." Their 16-voice polyphony transcends the simplistic distinction between tonality and atonality to explore "new kinds of half diatonic, half chromatic harmonies." The resulting sound world of fragmentary, dislocated epiphanies mirrors the unfathomable richness of the great visionary poet to uncanny effect. Throughout, the acoustical balance and conviction of the London Sinfonietta Voices give vivid shape to Ligeti's genius. -Thomas MayCustomer Reviews:
Surprising Variety in Modern A Capepella Choral works.......2006-08-24
Mostly unlistenable...........2006-08-23
I bought this CD and am returning it. It's just more & more of the sameness throughout the whole CD.
I realize that Ligeti is avant garde but I heard that if you like Gregorian chant (which I do) this CD is similar. I don't think it is. It's very disquieting and full of tension (great, if that's the mood you're looking for).
a handful of great Ligeti works........2004-09-06
brilliant choral music.......2003-07-21
is brilliant. Ligeti choral works is the first cd have got choral music on it and i love it.Now im going to get the other two cds in the ligeti edition.
(the vocal works & le grand marabre)
Exquisite use of the voice.......2002-07-11
This album is a collection of a cappella choral works and which highlights Ligeti's great talent and skill in the use of the voice as a musical instrument. He, together with Yoko Ono, have excelled in this field though from different, sometimes conflicting directions.
When I listen to this I revel in it's glory. The sounds are ethereal and atmospheric, ghostly and angelic in a way that no-one but the composer can make them sound. I never want those sounds to end and in a way it is like having a sort of dependence.
I could go on and on and on about this but I had better stop. This is one essentila component of anyone's classical music collection yet it really defies categorisation. This is timeless, awesome music, not just for a generation but for a world. Lest Zeus strike me with a thunderbolt, these voices are sweeter and more angelic than the voices of the angels themselves.
Exquiiste. Words are insufficient to describe such beauty.
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The Maury Yeston Songbook
Maury Yeston , Christine Andreas , Brent Barrett , Betty Buckley , Liz Callaway , Alice Ripley , Sutton Foster , Brian d'Arcy James , and Philip Chaffin Manufacturer: P.S. Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00008H2LJ Release Date: 2003-04-08 |
Tracks:
- Please Let's Not Even Say Hello - Alice Ripley
- Only with You - Brent Barrett
- I Want to Go to Hollywood - Sutton Foster
- Danglin' - Johnny Rodgers
- I Had a Dream About You - Betty Buckley
- My True Love - Philip Chaffin
- A Call from the Vatican - Alice Ripley
- Now and Then - Laura Benanti
- You're There Too - Christopher Fitzgerald
- Is Someone Out There? - Eden Espinosa
- New Words - Brent Barrett
- My Grandmother's Love Letters - Christine Ebersole
- By the River - Christine Andreas
- I Am Longing - Philip Chaffin
- Home - Laura Benanti & Robert Cuccioli
- Another Day in the Modern World - Michael Holland
- Simple - Liz Callaway
- Unusual Way - Brian d'Arcy James
- Be On Your Own - Betty Buckley
- No Moon - Howard McGillin
Amazon.com
Despite racking up Tony nominations and/or box-office success with Nine, Grand Hotel, and Titanic, Maury Yeston remains a relatively unknown Broadway auteur. And yet, what a fabulous songwriter he is. Listen to "Home," for instance: This excerpt from Phantom (the other adaptation of Phantom of the Opera) has great melodic hooks, along with natural sweep and unrestrained emotion. Like every song on this CD, it also has such dramatic drive that it easily stands on its own outside of its regular narrative frame. This collection of new recordings provides an excellent overview of Yeston's talent, juxtaposing numbers from his three best-known scores (though there's only one from Titanic) with rarities and a generous selection from his 1991 song cycle December Songs. Christine Ebersole, Liz Callaway, and Betty Buckley turn in expectedly strong performances, but watch also for Laura Benanti (the star of the 2003 revival of Nine), Christine Andreas, and Foster Sutton, who completely make the material theirs. --Elisabeth VincentelliDescription
The Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist -- who's given us the smash hit musicals Titanic, Phantom and Grand Hotel, and whose first stage show, Nine, is currently being revived in New York with Antonio Banderas -- is celebrated in song by the best stars oCustomer Reviews:
a wonderful surprise.......2007-07-22
The CD as a whole is beautifully recorded, with an intimacy and clarity that makes you feel like you're in the first row of a very small theatre. If you come across this and you're on the fence, take a chance. I bet that you'll be as pleasantly surprised and deeply moved as I've been.
What!? How is this possible?.......2007-01-20
Beauty and grace, charm and wit - Maury's got it all.......2006-11-14
"Phantom" was the only one of his scores that touched something other than distanced admiration in me. It was everything Sir Lloyd Webber's popera travesty could never quite aspire to - epic yet human, beautiful and touching, with songs that showed actual details and emotions. So it was with that in mind that I purchased this, figuring that maybe Maury could prove me wrong, shorn from the restrictions of a book musical format.
And by God, did he prove me right and then some.
Maybe it's the singers. Maybe it's the perfect orchestrations. Maybe it's just the absence of a plot to follow. More than likely, it's all three, but this is one of the most gorgeous, enjoyable, heartbreaking albums I've ever purchased. Yeston has assembled an impressive cast to give voice to his music - such heavy Broadway hitters as Alice Ripley, Brent Barrett, Betty Buckley, Christine Ebersole and Howard McGillin mix with up-and-comers like Eden Espinosa, Sutton Foster, and Brian d'Arcy James. But the most impressive turns are given by people I'd never heard of before - Johnny Rodgers (who?) has a voice spun from gold, and he's absolutely perfect in "Danglin'", a simple and powerful song despite some odd lyric choices by Yeston. Likewise Philip Chaffin in "My True Love" and "I Am Longing", and Michael Holland displays a warm and untrained performance of "Another Day in the Modern World". These three men, who I'd never heard of before, absolutely stole the show. It doesn't hurt that they're given some of the best songs from the album.
Of course, the rest of the ensemble uniformly turns in worthwhile performances. The professionalism of Broadway is gloriously evident here, each singer making their song uniquely theirs. Brent Barrett made me hear "Only With You" as if for the first time. Betty Buckley is surprisingly vulnerable in "I Had A Dream About You". Alice Ripley is her usual bundle of raw emotion in "Please Let's Not Even Say Hello", and turns in a rare comic performance in "Call From The Vatican" to great effect (listen to that surprise high note near the end! Wow, Alice!). Christine Ebersole is heartbroken, elated, vulnerable, and tough all in the course of "Grandmother's Love Letters"' 4 minutes.
There are some weak spots - Eden Espinosa is mostly one-note during her song, and while it's certainly a high note, it's nothing you haven't heard her do better elsewhere. Laura Benanti's "Now and Then" goes by without much notice, which is a shame for this talented actress. And Betty Buckley goes back to her usual high-volume stridence in "Be On Your Own", which despite its chilling music deserves a more nuanced performance than Buckley gives here. But these songs would be standouts on any other album, and it's only the company they keep that prevent them from being excellent.
Oh, and "Unusual Way", possibly Yeston's best-known song, is so beautifully performed here by Brian d'Arcy James and a three-piece band that I nearly cried hearing it. And that's quite a feat for a song that I swore never to listen to again after the seventeenth girl in a day auditioned with it (badly). But the gender swap works perfectly, and d'Arcy James' golden Irish tenor swings through the music effortlessly.
As for the band - there are no missteps here. Each song is given exactly what it needs, from the Romantic-with-a-capital-R string section on "Home", to the jazzy saxophone on "Letter From the Vatican", to "Be On Your Own", which is given a Herrmann-esque string section. Some particular touches stand out - that lovely acoustic guitar on "Danglin'", the simple piano line on "Modern World", and the sublime cello/piano outro in "Unusual Way" really stuck with me after the album stopped playing. And the recording is without fault - crisp, encompassing, personable and expansive as the mood requires. The whole album sounds fantastic.
There is such a wide range of style and substance here that each song would deserve purchasing individually. As a collection? It's bliss. If you're a fan of theater music, appreciate great vocals, or just need something to keep you company on long nights, this is required purchase.
A perfect marriage of music and lyrics.......2006-09-07
The Maury Yeston Songbook.......2006-08-30
which I consider his best work.(If possible try to listen to the
Australian Cast Recording with John Diedrich) I enjoy listening to artists like Alice Ripley, Brent Barrett, Sutton Foster,and my very favourite singer Liz Callaway. All in all a great CD to just sit back ,relax and enjoy Les Breen
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Dowland: Flow My Tears and Other Lute Songs
Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000014DL Release Date: 2000-10-05 |
Tracks:
- Lute Songs: Come Again: Sweet Love Doth Now Invite
- Lute Songs: Flow My Tears
- Lute Songs: Lady, If You So Spite Me
- Lute Songs: In Darkness Let Me Dwell
- Lute Songs: Melancholy Galliard
- Lute Songs: Say Love If Ever Thou Did'st Find
- Lute Songs: His Golden Locks
- Lute Songs: Greensleeves Divisions
- Lute Songs: If My Complaints Could Passions Move
- Lute Songs: Time Stands Still
- Lute Songs: Can She Excuse My Wrongs?
- Lute Songs: Fortune My Foe
- Lute Songs: I Saw My Lady Weep
- Lute Songs: Wilt Thou Unkind Thus Reave Me?
- Lute Songs: Stay Time Awhile Thy Flying
- Lute Songs: Bonny Sweet Robin
- Lute Songs: Me, Me, And None But Me
- Lute Songs: Sorrow, Stay
- Lute Songs: Fine Knacks For Ladies
- Lute Songs: Kemp's Jig
- Lute Songs: Callino
- Lute Songs: When Phoebus First Did Daphne Love
- Lute Songs: Think'st Thou Then By Thy Feigning?
- Lute Songs: Galliards by Mary, Queen of Scots
- Lute Songs: Now, O Now I Needs Must Part
- Lute Songs: Come, Heavy Sleep
Customer Reviews:
exellent.......1999-02-03
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Mediterranea: Songs of the Mediterranean
Manufacturer: Sounds True Direct ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004UES8 Release Date: 2000-08-15 |
Tracks:
- Why Little Bird Do you Not Sing
- You On A Hill, I On A Hilll
- Pinguli Pinguli Giuvacchinu/The Door
- The Girl From Nuoro
- Sardinian Dance
- Gentle Hand
- When The Lissome Girl Appeared
- Glory To The Word Of God
- The Jasmine
- Smyrnaean Air
- In The Beautiful Bygone Days
- Dawn Has Broken
- And A Mother
- Lullaby
- The Boatmen
- La Finforletta
- O, Wave
- God Has Afflicted Me/Why Little Bird Do You Not Sing
Customer Reviews:
nice.......2007-05-30
Mediterranean Music.......2006-11-03
Comment on "Gemçis Güzel Günerli" and more.......2005-05-01
Second, track 11 ("Gemçis Güzel Günerli") *is* a Turkish song, written by an Aremenian citizen of Turkey, Hrant Kenkulian, or "Udi Hrant," as he's often known -- this is mentioned in the liner notes to Mediterranea. ("Udi" is an honorific prefix meaning that he was a master player of the ud, a Middle Eastern lute.) If you're interested in exploring his music further, there are several recordings of his work (voice, ud, and violin) on the Traditional Crossroads label. (Type "Udi Hrant" into the search engine on this site and you'll find the CDs very easily.)
Turkey was -- and still is -- an ethnically mixed country, which is a legacy of the Ottoman Empire. There were Armenian Turkish composers and musicians at the courts of the Ottoman sultans, and there were those who also excelled at light classical and popular song. Hrant Kenkulian was a master of classical and popular music -- if you explore further, you'll find out that he's one of many 20th-century Armenians who were involved in the development of Turkish music.
Yannatou is an inheritor of Turkish tradition, too. Modern Greece was occupied by the Ottomans for many centuries, and there is a very strong Turkish tinge to much of the Greek music she performs. (And vice versa, as she performs Pontic Greek music from the Black Sea coast of Turkey; also songs from Smyrna -- now called Izmir -- on Turkey's western coast.)
What I love most about her work is her peerless way with all of the songs she chooses. Many people have tried to come up with pan-Mediterranean discs, but Yannatou is one of a handful of people who has succeeded at it.
Gecmis Guzel Gunleri is actually Armenian.......2004-09-22
Inded it belongs to, adn illustrates, a whole body of non Turkish music from Turkey which actually speaks to the ethnic cleansing that occured the in the 1900-1920's period.
Few people in today's Turkey, which has been purged of knowledge of the roots of its own tradional music, are aware of the multiethnic roots of its music. It was for years criminal to even suggest that many songs were orignially Greek, Kurdish or Armenian.
So I am glad that my Turkish friend likes the Armenian ballad Gecmis Guzel Gunleri ("The Beautiful Past Days") and am only sorry that he never heard the original recordings by an long dead artist now know in Turkey as Udi Hrant, but whose non stage name was Udi Hrant Kenkulian. His family was murdered in the Turkish Genocide against the Armenians, which makes his song more ever poignant - as the title suggests..
The Meditarranean Soul Captured in One CD!.......2002-04-02
I first heard Savina Yannatou on Mondo Greece and knew I must have one of her CDs. I discovered this one and was compelled to buy it. It is filled with the music of Primavera de Salonika, playing kanun, santouri, lyra, and other authentic intstruments that complement Savina's voice. Her voice is beyond description ... totally captivating, exceptional, without comparison. Listen and be amazed - then buy the CD!!! Erika Borsos (erikab93)
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Andreas Scholl - English Folksongs & Lute Songs (17th Century)
John Dowland , Thomas Campion , Traditional , Anonymous , Scottish Traditional , Andreas Scholl , and Andreas Martin Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000007B8 Release Date: 1996-08-13 |
Tracks:
- Behold A Wonder Here
- Me, Me And None But Me
- All Ye, Whom Love Or Fortune Hath Betray'd
- The Lady Russell's Pavan (For Lute)
- The Three Ravens
- Waly, Waly
- King Henry
- Kemp's Jigg (For Lute)
- My Sweetest Lesbia
- I Care Not For These Ladies
- My Love Hath Vow'd
- I Saw My Lady Weep
- Flow, My Tears
- Sorrow, Stay
- Say, Love, If Ever Thou Didst Find
- Can She Excuse My Wrongs?
- Go From My Window
- Go From My Window (For Lute)
- I Will Give My Love An Apple
- Barbara Allen
- Lord Rendall
Customer Reviews:
Andreas Scholl - English Folksongs & Lute Songs (17th Century).......2005-10-12
English perfection from the great German singer.......2000-10-09
The unaccompanied King Henry is a showcase for his purity of tone. I doubt that other countertenors could pull this song off so well, of those one thinks of at the present time.
His expression in My Love Hath Vow'd (Campion) is very varied and playful, but it is so very much a woman's song that I found it hard to take from Andreas Scholl, albeit sung so so well. I had to imagine the composer singing with his own lute, and remind myself over and over again that the singer is quoting the woman in the song ...
The preoccupation with sorrow and death of the English composers of the period seems to amuse Andreas somewhat, when he is asked about it, but you would never know it from listening to him sing these sad songs. His steady, pure voice is like a rope drawing you right into the pain. The highlights IMHO are All Ye Whom Love or Fortune Has Betrayed and I Saw My Lady Weep. Heartbreaking.
Andreas Scholl describes himself as a singer in the English tradition - despite what others say of him and his German/Swiss musical background. In these archetypal English songs, he proves his point. It is a beautiful, beautful collection.
FIRST RATE!.......1999-07-10
bravo!!!.......1999-06-11
must pieces are simple in structure as most folk renaissance music. but the elegance, clear and total control of the interpretation of andrea scholl takes the music to another dimetion.
must of the songs are short melodies that are repited. but each repetition by scholl is made with and incredible perfection and musical conscience.
the pieces for lute solo are wanderfull and well perform.
bravo andrea
A voice so perfect that it is boring.......1999-04-26
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Holst: The Cloud Messenger; A Choral Fantasia; Part-Songs
Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00000IYN5 Release Date: 1999-05-18 |
Tracks:
- The Cloud Messenger, H111: 'O Thou, Who Com'st From Heaven's King' - G. HOLST
- The Cloud Messenger, H111: 'Tarry Not, O Cloud, Tarry Not. Rushing Northward ...' - - G. HOLST
- The Cloud Messenger, H111: 'Tarry Not, O Cloud, Tarry Not.' - G. HOLST
- The Cloud Messenger, H111: 'Tarry Not, O Cloud. Bow Thy Head' - - G. HOLST
- The Cloud Messenger, H111: 'When The Dancers Are Weary ...' - G. HOLST
- The Hymn Of Jesus, H140: Prelude - - G. HOLST
- The Hymn Of Jesus, H140: The Hymn - G. HOLST
- Ave Maria, H49 - G. HOLST
- The Evening-watch, H159 - G. HOLST
Tracks:
- Seven Part-Songs, H162: Say Who Is This? - Gustav Holst
- Seven Part-Songs, H162: O Love, I Complain - Gustav Holst
- Seven Part-Songs, H162: Angel Spirits Of Sleep - Gustav Holst
- Seven Part-Songs, H162: When First We Met - Gustav Holst
- Seven Part-Songs, H162: Sorrow And Joy - Gustav Holst
- Seven Part-Songs, H162: Love On My Heart From Heaven Fell - Gustav Holst
- Seven Part-Songs, H162: Assemble, All Ye Maidens - Gustav Holst
- A Choral Fantasia, H177 - Gustav Holst
- City Of London Sinfonia: A Dirge For Two Veterans, H121 - Gustav Holst
- Ode to Death, H144 - Gustav Holst
- This Have I Done For My True Love, H128 - Gustav Holst
- Four Part-Songs: O Lady, Leave That Silken Thread - Gustav Holst
- Four Part-Songs: Soft And Gently - Gustav Holst
- Four Part-Songs: The Autumn Is Old - Gustav Holst
- Four Part-Songs: Winter And The Birds - Gustav Holst
Customer Reviews:
More than just choral works.......2006-04-20
If you are a fan of Holst's Planets, then you'll be an immediate fan of his choral works once you start listening to The Cloud Messenger.
Get This For the Hymn of Jesus.......2002-09-07
I can only comment on half this disc, as I own the Cloud Messanger and the Hymn of Jesus only in an earlier incarnation. The Cloud Messanger is a massive work based on an Hindu text. It is of variable quality...Holst himself flet that it was not wholy a success and supressed further performances of it in his lifetime. But the passages that are good are stunning indeed, and Hickox and crew make a strong case for the work.
The reason to get this CD is for the Hymn of Jesus. This is the best performance of the best work that Holst composed. The Hymn of Jesus is based on Holst's own translation of a passage from the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas ( some sources claim the Acts of John as the origin of this text, but I'm pretty sure I have it in my copy of the Gospel of Thomas, which had recently been discovered at the time.)These Gnostic texts so intrigued Holst that he studied Greek just to be able to read it in the original. The work begins with a beautiful, atmospheric prelude based on two Sarum chants, Panea Lingua and a resplendant Vexilla Regis in the boy choir. Then there is a massive choral invocation to God and the Hymn is sung. This text is also known as the Round Dance of Jesus, and Holst goes for the dance in the piece, with a splendid section in 5/4 which must have frightened the Edwardian audience at the work's premiere. Tightly organized and stunning in it's choral effects, this version of the work surpasses even the fine old recording by Sir Charles Grove.
I can't comment on the performances of the other works on the second disc, but know that the Ode to Death is haunting and the Choral Fantasia is a major work worth hearing. But the reason to buy this album is for the Hymn. It's a stunning and neglected masterpiece in the English choral tradition.
An important record of lesser known choral works . . ........2000-08-08
My primary interest in this CD was the recording of the relatively recently re-discovered (1984) major choral work "The Cloud Messenger." From Holst's "India" period, this is a stunningly beautiful "painting" of the Khalidasa 6th Century A.D. lyric poem, "Meghaduta" ("Cloud Messenger"), the lament of an exiled yaksa who is pining for his beloved on a lonely mountain peak. When, at the beginning of the monsoon, a cloud perches on the peak, he asks it to deliver a message to his love in the Himalayan city of Alaka. Most of the poem consists of a description of the landmarks, cities, and terrain on the cloud's route to Alaka, interspersed with admonishments to the cloud to "Tarry not!" It is only at the end that we are finally aware of the message itself -- one intended to comfort the yaksa's wife in her loneliness.
I had the privilege of singing the U.S. premiere of this work in 1996 with Masterworks Chorale in San Mateo, CA, a chorus of about 150 auditioned singers. This work needs such a large choral force, and a conductor who can deal with the inherent drama in the text. We had both, and the performance was a stunning success. (It was the final work on a program that opened with Debussy's "La damoiselle Elue" for women's voices and mezzo-soprano and soprano soloists; and Brahms' "Alto Rhapsody" for men's voices and mezzo-soprano soloist. "The Cloud Messenger" also includes a mezzo-soprano soloist.)
My biggest complaint with this recording is the dynamics. The entire work seems to be performed at about mf+, occasionally venturing into f and mp. Unfortunately, this doesn't do justice to the drama. The opening, for example, needs to grow from the first ppp gentle raindrops, building as the cloud builds in strength, to a glorious ff choral introduction of the main character, the cloud: "O Thou, who com'st from heaven's king! scion of a noble race! who wearest wondrous forms at will!"
There are parts of this work that beg for a lush warm sound; what we hear on this recording is the British "boy choir" sound in the treble range, while the men have a warmer (albeit somewhat watered down) tone. This is a highly sensuous work, full of luscious ripe sensual imagery: "Where e'er thou goest, lonely wives, who pine in solitude with close-bound hair, will arise and go along the road. Thou bringest home their absent husbands, who will loosen their tresses and fill their hearts with joy!" The "flat" sound of pre-pubescent boys just doesn't do this music, or mature text, justice.
That said, however, this is an important recording of a little-known work. You'll get the feeling of the piece, a sense of the promise. Let's hope that a large chorus paired with a sensitive conductor will have an opportunity at another recording of this in the not-too-distant future (Atlanta? Chicago?).
Contrast this with "The Hymn of Jesus" -- Hickox fares much better with this material, playing up the dance rhythms (Holst knew what he was doing -- at the climax of the piece, the words are: "Ye who dance not, know not what we are knowing.") It really is a first-rate performance of this work.
Other works deserving special mention are "Dirge for Two Veterans," in which one can hear hints of "Mars" from "The Planets"; "Ode to Death," a setting of Walt Whitman's "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd," which contains allusions to "Saturn." The Four Partsongs on the second disk are among Holst's earliest works, written in 1894, when he was barely 20 yrs old and in his second year at the Royal College of Music; and the Choral Fantasia is among his later choral works, written in 1931.
Highly recommended, even with its flaws.
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Wayfaring Stranger: Folksongs
Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005OC0C Release Date: 2001-11-13 |
Tracks:
- Wayfaring stranger
- Down by the Salley Gardens
- My love is like a red red rose
- Wild mountain thyme
- Henry Martin
- Charming beauty bright
- I will give my love an apple
- She moved through the fair
- Blow the wind southerly
- Wife of Usher's well
- I loved a lass
- Pretty Saro
- Down in yon forest
- Barbara Allen
- Raggle taggle gypsies o
- Annie Laurie
- Black is the color of my true love's hair
Amazon.com
The German countertenor Andreas Scholl takes risks on his latest CD, Wayfaring Stranger, and not all of them pay off. It is a recording of 17 English-language folksongs, some of them very well known, such as "Down by the Salley Gardens" and "My love is like a red, red rose." This is not usually a repertory tackled by classically trained singers, who can sound prissy, but Scholl's clear, plaintive alto, with its rich low notes and gentle top range, is a quite plausible vehicle. "Wild Mountain Thyme" evokes real sadness, while "Barbara Allen" aches with unhappy love. A surprise awaits in the ballad "Henry Martin," as Scholl uses his rough, nondescript baritone to identify the hero. It is rather a jolt. At least, it is good to know his voice has actually broken. In this song, too-feminine endings in the lyric fall clumsily on stressed beats. Scholl does nothing to counter the infelicity; English, of course, is not his mother tongue. In the beautiful title track, which opens the disc, he sings endearingly of a "why-farring straincher." The accompaniments for various combinations of chamber orchestra, lute, dulcimer, and harp tend to be slushy, sentimental, and over-fussy. The bass uncomfortably parallels the tune in "Salley Gardens" and would have won a big red line through it in old-fashioned harmony classes. Still, on the whole, this is a worthwhile disc. Scholl clearly loves the songs he sings with great tenderness, and he deserves credit for his courage even where the experiment fails. --Rick JonesCustomer Reviews:
Beauty.......2006-05-12
Wonderful. .......2006-03-14
A recommended buy.
Wayfaring Stranger: Folksongs.......2005-10-26
meaning to traditional folk music. The orchestration is just enough to give a haunting sound to each selection. ' Wayfaring stranger' and 'Wild mountain thyme' are two selections that make the purchasing of the CD worth the pice.
Surprisingly good.......2005-03-05
Granted, we do hear quite a lot of strings and even some sound effects that make the music sound dangerously "romantic", or worse, "exotic"...
And yes, the arrangements become very similar to those used by Sarah Brightman, Bocelli and other musical aberrations.... but Scholl's scholarly perfection of voice and delivery save the day. Not only that, but his (limited) potential to characterize the music is in full capacity... especially in the songs where he actually sings in his baritone in a self-contained duet.
Yes, the strings are too warm. And yes, there are parts that could even fit as background music for Disneyworld rides... And yes, it can at times sound cheap and "postcard-ish".........
But, truth be told, sometimes a Coke tastes better than Bordeaux, and sometimes a "Little Debbie" cake hits the spot better than the Sachertorte.
So, if you want to listen to songs that are warm and glowing -albeit effectist-, sung by a first class musician... this album will do the trick.
For those who are new to Scholl, I strongly reccomend his earlier CD's --namely those containing the Handel Arias, the English Lute Songs, and the German Baroque lieder.
As for "Wayfaring Stranger", play close attention to "My Love is a Red Red Rose"... If you've ever felt true love, this is the song to make you cry.
Brilliant.......2005-01-11
This compilation will surely bring this wondrous voice to the attention of a wholly different public to the one which presently adores Andreas, and secondly, it will introduce these folk treasures to an audience at present virtually ignorant of them.
Add this one to your Scholl collection
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