A Musical Affair

Track Listings

1. Love Don't Make It Right

2. Rushing To

3. I Ain't Asking for Your Love

4. Make It to the Sky

5. We'll Meet Again

6. You Never Left Me Alone

7. Get Out Your Handkerchief

8. Happy Endings

A Musical Affair,Ashford & Simpson,Warner Bros / Wea,Disco,Pop,Quiet Storm,R&B,Smooth Soul,Soul,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues,Urban

A Musical Affair

Tracks:

Theme From Mission Impossible - Schifrin
Theme From Gladiator - Zimmer
Hedwig's Theme - Williams
Harry's Wondrous World - Williams
Allegro Moderato - Symphony No. 8 'Unfinished' - Schubert
Suite From Shakespeare In Love - Warbeck
Out Of Africa - Barry
Requiem, Rex Tremendae - Mozart
Prelude In E Minor, Op. 28, No. 4 - Chopin
Suite No. 3 In D, Air On The G String - J.S. Bach
I Will Always Love You - Parton
Symphony No. 40, Molto Allegro - Mozart
Finlandia - Sibelius
My Heart Will Go On - Horner

Tracks:

Theme From Lord Of The Rings - Shore
Overture To All That Jazz - Kander & Ebb
'Trout' Quintet, Theme, Andantino And Variations - Schubert
Prelude No. 15 In D-Flat - Chopin
Windmills Of Your Mind - LeGrand
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You - KAMEN
Theme From Schindler's List - Williams
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Excerpt - Strauss
Symphony No. 3, Lento Cantabile - Semplice - Gorecki
Die Walkure, Ride Of The Valkyries - Wagner
Goldberg Variations, Aria Da Capo - J.S. Bach
Theme From License To Kill - KAMEN
Sonata No. 8, Op. 13, 'Pathetique,' Andante Cantabile - Beethoven
Die Another Day - Arnold
Symphony No. 9, Ode To Joy, Excerpt - Beethoven

Customer Reviews:

Movie Themes CD.......2007-03-10

Very nice CD with beautiful music from past movies. Very relaxing music to listen to.

"three decades of film composers ~ Simply The Best".......2004-03-06

Rhino Movie Music presents "Simply The Best Movie Themes", featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and other various artists ~ within the realm of the following composers David Arnold, John Barry, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Wendy Carlos, Fred Ebb, James Horner, James Newton Howard, Michael Kamen, John Kander, Michel Legrand, Alex North, Basil Poledouris, Howard Shore, Wladyslaw Szpilman, Stephen Warbeck, John Williams and Hans Zimmer ~ each composer has created one or more of the scores in this twenty nine classic line up.

Film scores covering over three decades with "2001:SPACE ODYSSEY", "A CLOCKWORK ORANGE", "APOCALYPSE NOW", "THE BODYGUARD(I Will Always Love You)", "CHICAGO(Overture to All That Jazz), "DIE ANOTHER DAY", "EYES WIDE SHUT", "FEARLESS", "GLADIATOR(Theme)", "HANNIBAL", "HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE(Hedwig's Theme)", "HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE(Harry's Wondrous World)", "THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER", "JURASSIC PARK:THE LOST WORLD", "LICENSE TO KILL, "LIVING DAYLIGHTS", "THE LORD OF THE RINGS(Theme)", "MINORITY REPORT", "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (Theme)", "OUT OF AFRICA", "THE PIANIST", "ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES", "SCHINDLER'S LIST", "SE7EN", "SHADOWLANDS", "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE", "THE SIXTH SENSE", "THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR"and "TITANIC(My Heart Will Go On)" ~ a mixture of original compositions and classics of the old masters. Loaded with not just themes, but full of orchestral arrangements that are fresh and rewarding ~ sure to bring back those special moments from the film.

The presentation is superb with every cue inclusive with spectacular performances from suspense, romance and adventure all rolled into a two disc package. Rhino must be commended on doing such a great job and doing it well. Most serious "film-score-buffs" will welcome this compilation, has many cues available all under one banner ~ Rhino Records...gotta love it!

Tracks:

I Will Wait For You
The Windmills Of Your Mind
The Summer Knows
How Do You Keep The Music Playing?
Watch What Happens
What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?
His Eyes, Her Eyes
The Hands Of Time
Ordinary Man
Summer Me, Winter Me
You Must Believe In Spring
Once Upon A Summertime
L'Amour Fantome
Yentl Medley: Papa Can You Hear Me/The Way He Makes Me Feel/A Piece Of Sky

Amazon.com

If the American pop culture profile of French composer-jazz pianist Michel Legrand doesn't seem what it once was, don't be misled: his European indie film scores continue six decades on, now numbering nearly 200. But Legrand's most beloved work remains the lovely, evocative themes he created in the '60s and '70s, including "I Will Wait for You" from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Thomas Crown Affair's "Windmills of Your Mind," the theme from Summer of '42, and his work on Barbra Streisand's Yentl. This collection marks Legrand's first solo piano recordings, presenting those and other film score highlights in spontaneously improvised performances that offer a glimpse of Legrand's musical soul. If, as in "Windmills," his enthusiasm gets the best of him and he occasionally lapses into flights of melodramatic pianistic self-parody, there are more than enough sublime moments here to compensate, especially on lesser-known songs like Best Friends' "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?," "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" from The Happy Ending, and Brian's Song's "Hands of Time." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Michel Legrand.......2007-03-12

This is a great CD! Sound is awesome. I highly recommend it.

Sunlight on his fingertips.......2005-08-10

Sunlight on his fingertips

The very bright talent of Michele Legrand you can feel especially when Maestro is playing piano himself.

I heard some orchestra performance of Legrand before, that was good, but I was still thinking about him just like about pop music composer.

Now I think different - he is Genius!

all the stars you've got.......2005-01-29

Bill Evans once said that technique in jazz "is the ability to translate your ideas into sound through your instrument." If that's the case, Legrand possesses technique in spades.

Before commenting on this rewarding disc, a few words about Legrand himself:

Is there a better songwriter or a more versatile all-around musican alive today? I think you have to go back to people like Gershwin and Billy Strayhorn to find a rough parallel to Legrand's multifaceted, genre-crossing genius. A pupil of Nadia Boulanger (who studied with Faure and taught many important American composers, including Aaron Copland and Philip Glass), Legrand is an heir of the great French tradition of music--but one who has chosen to express himself through popular songs, film scores, and jazz. He possesses that rare combination of an absolutely rigorous theoretical knowledge of music and an intuitive, spontaneous instinct for both melody and improvisation. He combines exquisite refinement with a popular touch, a need to communicate directly with all who love music. To me, his work represents the most perfect expression of such typically French traits as lightness, insouciance, wit, melodic charm, and direct emotional expression since Poulenc.

Here you'll find many of Legrand's signature songs--"I Will Wait for You," "The Windmills of Your Mind," "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?," "The Hands of Time," "You Must Believe in Spring," etc.--reharmonized and enriched in stunningly beautiful solo recreations. Those unfamiliar with Legrand's pianistic abilities will probably be surprised by what they hear, for he's no part-time piano tickler. He can easily hold his own in the company of the best modern jazz pianists. He has a wonderfully refined touch that is incapable of making a harsh sound and a profusive sense of fantasy that keeps you constantly guessing as to where the music will go next. Yet you always feel satisfied when you find out, because Legrand possesses a composer's comprehension of harmony and form. And his own style is in no way compromised by an occasional nod here and there toward Bill Evans, Erroll Garner, Rachmaninoff, and so on. (Please: disregard the Amazon reviewer's remark about "flights of melodramatic pianistic self-parody." It's called a stride chorus, and it's just one example of Legrand's surprising way of recasting these songs--and of his encyclopedic command of jazz styles.)

This disc represents the essence of Legrand. It really should have been recorded a long time ago, but the fact that it has captured his undiminished abilities as he enters his twilight years lends it an added poignance--a sense of "just in time!"--that makes it all the sweeter. If you're already a Legrand fan, it should be a self-recommending treasure, and if you're a fan of great piano playing or of sophisticated jazz treatments of great songs, odds are you'll find this a very rewarding disc indeed. For me, the highlight is this version of "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" in which every note seems inevitable--not at all an easy thing to make happen in an improvisation.

Miles Davis once said of a Duke Ellington recording, "Give that one all the stars you've got." That's the way I feel about this disc, and I thought that phrase "all the stars you've got" was appropriate because it almost sounds like the title of a Legrand song.

Maestro Legrand , at last !.......2004-10-10

Legrand has recorded at last one of his more intimate renditions to himself with his most remarkable themes along his brilliant career .
From a summer of 42 , The windmills of your mind (The Thomas crown afair) , what are you doing the rest of your life or the romantic Umbrellas of Cherbourg ; all those unforgettable themes are played in this album for piano solo in the real intimacy between him and the listener .
Legrand is the golden master of soundtracks in France and one of the top in the world . He owns that inner vision to catch the spirit of every movie he accompains . He composes music as he was a real director movie . The psychological concerns , the romantic efluvies and the precise and lyrical atmosphere , with that touch of class, artistic elegance and sublime eloquency .
Think also in the important recordings with Miles Davis . That issue will give you the size of that artist and anothe point to remark . In 1954 , Legrand made a golden jewel : I lvoe Paris (See my review) that has become through the years in the most famous and the best album of instrumental music ever recorded .
What other background do you need to acquire this gem ?

For Jazz piano purest... Only!.......2002-09-07

I love the music of Michele Legrand! It is a rich mixture of
graceful tones and notes, that create memories of a certain
time and place in each of our own lives.
When accompaned with great orchestration Its wonderful. When done in a jazz piano style, its not as good. Not to take anyting away from the talents of Mr Legrand as a pianist. Its just that like hearing a lusher, grander version of his music. So if you like jazz piano music, and Michele Legrand.
Then this is the cd for you!

Average customer rating:

Highly recommended

Ultimate Movie Album

Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Bridget Jones's Diary: Out Of Reach - Gabrielle
Gladiator: Now We Are Free - Gavin Greenaway
Moulin Rouge: One Day I'll Fly Away - Nicole Kidman
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Star Trek: The Final Frontier - Main Theme & March Of The Klingons - John Williams

Album Description

UK compilation featuring a combination of hit songs & theme music from some great soundtracks. Tracks include, Gabrielle 'Out Of Reach' (Bridget Jones Diary), 'Now We Are Free' (Gladiator), 'Dead Already' (American Beauty), Alison Kraus 'Down To The River To Pray' (O Brother Where Art Thou), Ronan Keating 'When You Say Nothing At All' (Notting Hill) & many more. 35 tracks on 2 CDs. 2001.

Customer Reviews:

Highly recommended.......2002-08-20

This pricey UK import CD filled a lot of gaps in my music collection and is an excellent overview of notable music of (mostly) recent films. It's difficult to find consistently listenable soundtrack collections like this, by that I mean free from the obligitory Whitney Houston or Celine Dion embarrassments. Usually rights issues prevent comprehensive compilations like this in the US, too. While I enjoy a lot of soundtrack music, there aren't so many complete soundtracks that I would care to own, some examples of exceptions being Ennio Morricone scores and the About a Boy Soundtrack. While certainly most of these tracks are the actual recordings used in their respective films, I noticed that "La mamma morte" from Philadelphia is not the Maria Callas version. There might be other cases like this, I'm not sure. And "Unchained Melody" from Ghost is an orchestral version, not the pop song (but I consider this a plus). This collection seems to focus on the subtle and quirky, yet melodic music of indie films, with less emphasis on the loud sweeping orchestral scores of major Hollywood hits, but of course there are a few like Gladiator and Braveheart, which are welcome here because like I've said, I probably wouldn't listen to the whole score. I love the two Thomas Newman compositions from American Beauty, and it's good to have some music from films by the Cohen Brothers here. My only complaint would have to be the order of the songs. You would think they would avoid jumping back and forth between pop songs, orchestral scores, and quiet music, but it just seems thrown together by random. I would compare this collection to the excellent "Miramax Films Greatest Hits" but the makers of that album knew to group the two pop/rock songs at the end.

Average customer rating:

it could have been so much more...
One Interesting Song, One Excellent Song , Fourteen Bad Songs
WORTHY, IN SPITE OF ITS SHORTCOMINGS . . . . .

A Family Affair

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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Two's Company

ASIN: B000AXWHA8
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Tracks:

Overture
Anything For You
Beautiful
My Son The Lawyer
Every Wants To Get Married
Right Girls
Kalua Bay
There's A Room In My House
Football Game
Harmony
Now Morris
Wonderful Party
Revenge
Summer Over
What I Say Goes
I'm Worse Than Anybody

Customer Reviews:

it could have been so much more..........2006-12-07

While the songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb gave us some of the all-time great theatre scores ("Cabaret", "Chicago", "Kiss of the Spider Woman"); they also wrote some middling failures like "Flora the Red Menace", "The Happy Time" and A FAMILY AFFAIR.

A FAMILY AFFAIR (featuring a book by James Goldman) starred Eileen Heckart and Shelley Berman, two performers with little experience in musicals. It's certainly a novelty hearing acclaimed actress Eileen Heckart croaking her way through "My Son the Lawyer" and "Summer is Over". Stand-up comedian Berman reveals a reasonable tenor voice in his numbers.

Filling out the supporting roles are tried-and-true musical theatre veterans Rita Gardner ("The Fantasticks"), Cathryn Damon (who'd later get a bigger role in the duo's "Flora the Red Menace"), Bibi Osterwald (later Carol Channing's original standby in "Hello Dolly") and Larry Kert (the original Tony in "West Side Story").

While the score isn't the best ever written by the team, songs like "Right Girls", "Wonderful Party", "Anything For You", "What I Say Goes", and "Now Morris" are quite enjoyable. "Summer is Over" is a quiet little 11 o'clock number for Heckart's character of Tilly Siegel. By all accounts, the show wasn't much to write home about, and it shuttered after 65 performances.

The sound quality on this 1962 cast album is average, with hiss and flutter evident throughout the recording. Because this was one of the first (and last) cast albums preserved on 35mm magnetic film stock, the stereo fidelity of the recording has badly-deteriorated over the years, creating a harsh sonic tone on this CD premiere (refer to Mark Andrew Lawrence's review).

Nevertheless, die-hard collectors will want this title, and we should thank DRG for bringing it back into the catalogue. [DRG 19068]

One Interesting Song, One Excellent Song , Fourteen Bad Songs.......2006-08-11

John Kander is a great composer. However, before he met up with the equally great lyricist, Fred Ebb, he composed this trite, forgettable score. It isn't entirely Mr. Kander's fault that the score is bad. No, his melodies are sometimes lovely, sometimes exiting and show promise. That doesn't mean their especially memorable though. However, the lyrics really are insipid and awkward in this show. William and James Goldman (the latter to write the book to Sondheim's brilliant Follies) are not great lyricists unfourtunately.
However, there are two songs on this album that make it worth purchasing. The first is an odd little song called "My Son the Lawyer" which is quite inventive. However, the greatest song of the score is "Harmony", a very tuneful, musically inventive song. Even the lyrics aren't too bad here.
So if you like buying albums for a few songs, go ahead. However, if you're looking for an overall excellent piece, this is not for you.

WORTHY, IN SPITE OF ITS SHORTCOMINGS . . . . . .......2005-10-28

Don't let the 3-star rating discourage you from buying this album. If you're a serious student of the American Musical Theatre and/or a collector of Broadway musicals, this is a must, in spite of my low rating.

No plot summary appears in the liner notes, so I dug out my old LP only to discover none exists there either. Therefore, the following synopsis is courtesy Music Theatre International, the show's publisher:

"Gerry Siegal and Sally Nathan, a young suburban Chicago couple, decide to get married... thereby setting off a marital World Ward III! Between Sally's Uncle/Mother/Father Alfie Nathan and Gerry's extensive extended family, the couple's wedding arrangements could prove more difficult than anything their marriage might ever present. It's the biggest family feud since the Montagues and Capulets, as caterers, dressmakers, rabbis, florists, photographers and a domineering wedding planner are put through the proverbial wringer in the looniest wedding this side of `Father of the Bride!'

"An early work by John Kander (`Cabaret,' `Chicago'), James Goldman (`Follies,' `A Lion In Winter') and William Goldman (`Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid,' `The Princess Bride'), `A Family Affair' is a neurotic, tuneful, wickedly funny and universally appealing picture of what really goes into the smiling wedding portrait in the family album."

With music by John Kander, book by James Goldman, lyrics by William Goldman, a stellar cast (stand-up comedian Shelley Berman, Academy Award winner Eileen Heckart, Larry Kert, Rita Gardner, Broadway veterans Morris Carnovsky and Bibi Osterwald), and direction by Harold Prince, why did it last for only 65 performances?

Well, for one thing, the music isn't very original, and definitely not the caliber of Kander's later shows with Fred Ebb, especially their score for KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. It seems that, this being Kander's first show, he is relying too much on formula: the lover's optimistic duet ("Anything for You"), contrapuntal ensemble piece ("My Son the Lawyer"), a march ("Right Girls"), a fight song ("Football Game"), prerequisite waltz ("Now Morris"), the look-back-and-reflect-on-my-wasted-life soliloquy ("Summer Is Over"). Other songs are derivative. Compare "Harmony" with "Quarrel-tet" from WHOOP-UP (1958), and Alfie's show-stopping, "Bolero"-inspired "Revenge" would not have been out of place in JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS. Was it necessary to include the embarrassing telephone schtick, al la "Inside Shelley Berman," near the end of "Revenge"? What motivates Gerry's suddenly cruel, ultra-macho (though well-sung) "What I Say Goes"?

HOWEVER, the incredible cast triumphs over less-than-stellar material. Shelley Berman is a surprisingly good singer; Morris Carnovsky is brilliant in his final Broadway show, a career that began in 1922; Rita Gardner is wonderful, even if she isn't given as much to sing as in THE FANTASTICKS or CELBRATION; Larry Kert is in better voice even than in WEST SIDE STORY; and I can never get enough of Eileen Heckart. Having her "Tillie Siegal" preserved on CD is reason enough for this reissue. Thank you, DRG.

The show boasts many "firsts" in the history of Broadway. It was the first musical score for John Kander, Harold Prince's first directorial effort (a producer of many hit musicals in the 50s and 60s, Prince would later direct CABARET, FOLLIES, SWEENEY TODD, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, EVITA, and COMPANY, among others), Eileen Heckart's first musical role, Linda Lavin's Broadway debut, James Goldman's first musical book, brother William Goldman's only set of Broadway lyrics, and the first original cast album to be recorded on 35mm magnetic film.

"Through this method of recording a signal to noise ration and reduction of hiss has been achieved that was never before possible. Practically all flutter has been eliminated resulting in the most lifelike tone quality ever achieved. This is, in fact, the most perfect method of reproducing actual music and vocal sound possible." (- from the original LP jacket) Well, something must have happened to the original masters, because the CD has sonic problems, especially in regards to Miss Gardner's voice. Her voice is distorted most of the time, horribly so on "Anything for You." I'm sure DRG would have solved the problem had it been possible to do so.

All in all, I urge you to add A FAMILY AFFAIR, with all its faults, to your collection. After listening to it, I dare you to avoid humming "I'm Worse Than Anybody," the show's final song. Do you know of any other song lyric that includes "schlemiel"?

(...)

Average customer rating:

"top film scores of the 1960's ~ Percy Faith"
Born Free/Windmills of your mind

Born Free/Windmills of Your Mind

Manufacturer: Collectables
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Release Date: 2002-02-19

Tracks:

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Customer Reviews:

"top film scores of the 1960's ~ Percy Faith".......2004-02-18

If you are a collector of Percy Faith, you must run out to your local music store and pick this one up ~ "Plays The Academy Award Winner Born Free and Other Great Movie Themes" (originally released on Columbia Records CS 9450 in 1967) and "Windmills of Your Mind" (originally released on Columbia Records CS 9835 in 1969) ~ following the formula of previous Columbia Records releases featuring Faith's classic style of sweeping strings and haunting arrangements, they've come up with two more winners.

Master of arranging, Faith's formula is so natural in keeping the arrangements fresh and new with his distinctive style ~ his tasteful treatment always highlights the quality of the composition ~ ultimately making them a hit all over again. Remember the days when you could turn on the radio and hear Percy Faith with many familiar pop standards ~ when you put this compact disc on your player, get ready for the "Percy Faith Touch" sprinkled with pure magic over the orchestration and leaves you simply in that unforgettable mood.

Top performances inclusive for the twenty two tracks of film score themes ~ "A MAN AND A WOMAN" (Barouh/Lai), "A TIME FOR LOVE" (Webster/Mandel), "ALFIE"(David/Bacharach), "AS LONG AS HE NEEDS ME" (Lionel Bart), "BORN FREE"(John Barry), "CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG" (Richard M. Sherman/Robert B. Sherman), "ELVIRA'S THEME" (Percy Faith), "FOR LOVE OF IVY" (Russell/Quincy Jones), "THEME FROM "THE FOX" (Lalo Schlfrin), "FUNNY GIRL" (Merrill/Styne), "GEORGY GIRL"(Dale/Springfield), "THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER" (Peggy Lee/David Grusin), "HOW ARE THINGS IN GLOCCA MORRA?"(Harburg/Lane), "THE LION IN THE WINTER"(John Barry), "SONG FROM "THE OSCAR" (Evans/Livingston/Percy Faith), "THEME FROM "THE SAND PEPPLES" (Bricusse/Goldsmith), "SOMEWHERE MY LOVE(Lara's Theme from "Dr. Zhivago")"(Webster/Jarre), "STAR" (Cahn/Van Heusen), "THIS IS MY SONG" (Charles Chaplin), "THIS HOTEL" (Keating/Quine), "THE WINDMILLS OF YOUR MIND" and "THE WISHING DOLL" (David/Bernstein) ~ notice two of the selections were composed by the man himself Percy Faith! Impressive line up of top movie songs that will surely satisfy the appetite of all "film-score-buffs" and Percy Faith fans...gotta love it!

Total Time: 63:41 on 22 Tracks ~ Collectables 7428 ~ (2/19/2002)

Born Free/Windmills of your mind.......2002-03-02

Another perfect reissiue by collectibles music,This album contains themes from movies.Most of these songs have been unavailable by Faith since Lps went out.This album contains such songs as somewhere my love, this hotel,And we were lovers,This is my song,Alfie,How are things in Glacca Morra and many more.All of these songs are beautifully done Faith style.The album empasizes just his orchestra.Their's no chrous here.The original liner notes to born free are included in the bookelet as well as pictures of Faith probebly from born free under the clear cd holder.The liner notes to Windmills of your mind are not included.If your a collector of Percy Faith's music you have to get this cd since many of these songs are on cd for the first time.

Average customer rating:

Excellent 70's pop
You're never bored....
Like A Grand Old House, Restored With Additions!
Rupert Holmes Creates Movies In Your Mind

Widescreen-The Collector's Edition

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ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rupert Holmes - Greatest Hits
Escape: Best of Rupert Holmes
Swing: A Mystery
Highway Companion

ASIN: B00005N8TK
Release Date: 2001-08-07

Tracks:

Widescreen
Terminal
Second Saxophone
Phantom of the Opera
Talk
Bagdad
Our National Pastime
Letters That Cross in the Mail
Soap Opera
Psycho Drama
Bonus Tracks: Studio Musician (from the album "Rupert Holmes")
Brass Knuckles (from the album "Rupert Holmes")
No Small Affair (version 1)
Remember WENN (theme from the AMC television series)
There You Are (demo version of the song from "The Mystery of Edwin Drood")
So Far So Good ("No Small Affair" version 2)
Theme from Accomplice
Hi Honey, I'm Home! (theme from the ABC television series)
No Small Affair (version 3)
By Myself (from "Solitary Confinement")
The Bitter End

Customer Reviews:

Excellent 70's pop.......2007-01-11

I stumbled across this guy by accident, and had I known he was responsible for "Escape" (The Pina Colada Song) I would have written him off immediately. But his body of songwriting is a very different story. "Widescreen", "Escape-The Best of Rupert Holmes" and "Pursuit of Happiness" are filled with melodic, entertaining, thought provoking songs.

He is essentially a lost artist from that era. Instrumentation is often complex, the lyrics tell stories and, god forbid, challenge you to think about your life.

Great songwriting is a lost art in the era of hip hop and rap. If you like Burt Bacharach, Barry Manilow (I know what you're thinking but check out "Here At The Mayflower"), Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonalds best work, you should like "Widescreen".

Beautiful melodies, great lyrics, interesting arrangements well played. For some of us that's as good as it gets.

You're never bored...........2005-02-11

It didn't come as any big surprise to me that Rupert Holmes moved from music to writing books. Every song is a story in itself.

"Brass Knuckles" is a Chandleresque tale of a gumshoe set out to restore the honor of a fallen partner.

"Letters that Cross in the Mail" talks about relationships dying via the foibles of communication. It's still as droll as it ever was.

"Psycho Drama" uses the voices of Radio Mystery Theatre players to recreate the long-dead radio play.

The music's definitely dated, but the themes are not. I love Holmes' wry humor and humanity. This is my favorite of his music and often revisited.

Like A Grand Old House, Restored With Additions!.......2002-02-03

I've always considered this to be one of the great albums EVER, but oh wowo zowie - this is such a treat. The remastering is masterful; the musical nuances are clear at last. The additional tracks are wonderful, but especially terrific are Rupert's liner notes detailing the making of "Widescreen" in 1973-74. NOW I know how they made "Letters That Cross In The Mail" sound so unique..! Listening to it is still one of the most memorable musical experiences ever recorded. I can't recommend this CD highly enough.

Rupert Holmes Creates Movies In Your Mind.......2000-03-22

When this album was first released on Epic Records in 1974, I thought it was brilliant. I still do. I was delighted when it was reissued on CD in 1995 on the Varese Vintage label. The album is a true blending of music and cinema...of the mind. The songs truly are movies unto themselves, short stories set to music, brilliantly written, arranged and performed. The "hit" was "Our National Pastime," wherein our hero meets a girl at a baseball game and attempts to seduce her to the tune of "The Star-Spangled Banner." "Letters That Cross In the Mail" (later covered by Barbra Streisand on an album Holmes produced), "Terminal" and "Second Saxophone" are all surprise-ending stories with great melodies. "Widescreen" and "Bagdad" set distinct moods in surround sound before surround sound was invented. "Talk" is one of several songs on the CD that use bittersweet humor to express universal feelings and experiences. "Phantom of the Opera" and "Soap Opera" are both truly movies-on-CD, the first a beautiful and sad plea for love, the second a very funny satire on TV's "daytime dramas". The last track, "Psycho Drama," is just that; a short spoken play with incidental music and sound effects, and guest voices like Ed Herlihy and Will Jordan (whose characters are takeoffs on Peter Lorre and James Mason). The original CD version contained two bonus tracks from other Holmes albums, "Deco Lady" and "Brass Knuckles." but that version went out of print. Now it's back with even MORE bonus tracks! What are you waiting for? BUY IT!

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Life & Works of Verdi
Verdi
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Life and Works of Franz Schubert
The Life and Works of Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Brahms: Life & Works
The Life and Works of Franz Liszt
The Life and Works of Antonín Dvorák, Narration with Musical Excerpts

ASIN: B00007FPFM
Release Date: 2003-04-15

Tracks:

Aida: Grand March And Triumphal Chorus / Background, Childhood And Youth
La Traviata: Brindisi 'Libiam Ne' Lieti Calici'
Early Manhood, Civil Strife And The Start Of A Career
Overture To 'Oberto, Conte Di San Bonifacio'
Tragedy, Creation, And The Birth Of A True Professional
Overture To 'Un Giorno Di Regno'
Failure, Despair, And Rescue: The Genesis Of Nabucco
Nabucco: Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves 'Va, Pensiero, Sull' Ali Dorate'
A Sensation Reported And Recalled
Overture To 'Nabucco'
In The Galleys: Fame, Frustration, And A Major Surprise
Macbeth: Chorus Of The Scottish Exiles 'Patria Oppressa!'
The Revolution Of Macbeth And A Return To Safer Ground
Overture To 'I Masnadieri'
Paris And A Love Affair
The Revolutions Of 1848
Overture To 'La Battaglia Di Legnano'

Tracks:

Composition And Censorship: The Strife-Torn Birth Of Rigoletto
Rigoletto: 'La Donna E Mobile'
Verdi The Unsurpassed Psychologist
Rigoletto: 'Bella Figlia Dell' Amore'
Strepponi, Busseto, And The Rift With Barezzi
Escape: Verdi And Strepponi At Sant' Agata
Il Trovatore: Soldiers' Chorus 'Or Co' Dadi, Ma Fra Poco'
'The Bear Of Busseto' Emerges: The Darker Side Of Verdi
Il Trovatore: 'Di Tale Amor Che Dirsi'
Verdi's 'Divorce' From His Parents; His Mother's Death, And A Theatrical Fiasco
La Traviata: 'Dite Alla Giovine'
Verdi And Women: Strepponi And The 'Dark Lady'
'La Travailata': Verdi's Trials At The Paris Opera
I Vespri Siciliani: 'Quando Al Mio Sen Per Te Parlava'
Verdi In Rehearsal - And A Review From Berloiz
Overture To 'I Vespri Siciliani'

Tracks:

Yet More Trouble With The Censors
Un Ballo In Maschera: 'Ma Se M'e Forza Perderti'
A Passionate Patriot, A Reluctant Politician
A Semi-Official Retirement, Nursed By Disenchantment
Verdi Welcomes War
He Travels To Paris For Don Carlos
Don Carlos: 'Tu Che La Vanita'
'Stupendous Triumph'
Verdi Shaken By Deaths Of His Father, Barezzi And Rossini
He Meets Manzoni
An Unusual Opera
La Forza Del Destino: 'Solenne In Quest' Ora'
Enter Teresa Stolz, Exit Mariani
La Forza Del Destino: 'Pace, Pace'
Strepponi Struggles With Jealousy As Verdi Writes Aida
Aida: Act III, Nile Scene

Tracks:

Verdi Bemoans The Corruption
Manzoni's Death Begets A Masterpiece
Requiem: 'Rex Tremendae'
The Return To Shakespeare
Otello: 'Canzone Del Salce - Ave Maria'
Verdi The Wagner Of Italy
Otello: 'Desdemona Rea, Si, Per Ciel'
A Shakespearian Swansong
Falstaff: Finale 'Ogni Sorta Di Gente; Facciamo Il Parentado'
Old Age And Death Of Strepponi
Verdi The Widower
Stolz And The Aged Verdi; A Visit From Toscanini
Te Deum
The Old Man Dies And The World Pays Homage
Requeim, Part VII: Dies Irae; Requiem Aeternam; Libera Me

Sail Away (Original 1962 London Cast Recording)

Average customer rating:

cute Elaine Stritch cast album
Welllll........Elaine is Good But....
Stritch to the Max

Sail Away (Original 1962 London Cast Recording)
Noel Coward , and Elaine Stritch
Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Stritch
Sail Away (1961 Original Broadway Cast)
Elaine Stritch at Liberty
Seesaw (1973 Original Broadway Cast)
Sherry (2004 Studio Cast)

ASIN: B0000A5A0M
Release Date: 2003-07-22

Tracks:

Come To Me
Sail Away
Where Shall I Find Him?
Beatnik Love Affair
Later Than Spring
The Passenger's Always Right
Useless Useful Phrases
Go Slow Johnny
You're A Long, Long Way From America
The Customer's Always Right
Something Very Strange
Don't Turn Away From Love
Bronxville Darby And Joan
When You Want Me
Later Than Spring (Reprise)
Why Do The Wrong People Travel?

Amazon.com

Let's face it: Sometimes, even Noel Coward could fail. Take his 1961 musical Sail Away: Coward wrote the book, lyrics, and score--and sometimes you wish he had delegated a bit more. Set on the cruise ship S.S. Coronia, the show certainly has its moments, but overall it fails to make a lasting impression. While there are lovely tunes ("Sail Away," "Later than Spring") and a few peerless comic showcases ("Useless Useful Phrases," "Why Do the Wrong People Travel?"), Coward's trademark wit comes across as toothless now. And yet Sail Away remains cultish because it turned Elaine Stritch into a marquee name. The singer-actor was so good during the out-of-town tryouts that Coward expanded her part, and Stritch ran with it. She sells a ballad like "Something Very Strange" with all her heart, but what she really transcends are bravura pieces such as "Why Do the Wrong People Travel?" (which she reprised in her one-woman show At Liberty). If you want to listen to the birth of a stage star, this CD is it. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

cute Elaine Stritch cast album.......2003-09-17

SAIL AWAY wasn't a big hit on Broadway when it opened in 1961, running a scant 167 performances. However, the show was received with a better reception in London, opening at the Savoy Theatre in 1962, running 252 performances. Noel Coward's sparkling score and the fabulous Elaine Stritch are the main drawcards for buying this cast album.

Fynsworth Alley has reissued the original London cast album of SAIL AWAY, which Stritch herself considers as superior to the Broadway cast album. At last, this tuneful and witty score, with the formidale Stritch as the lead character Mimi Paragon, can be discovered for a new generation of fans.

Most memorable are Elaine Stritch's numbers "Why Do the Wrong People Travel?", "Useless Useful Phrases", "Come to Me", and the lovely 11 o'clock number "Something Very Strange".

The supporting cast includes John Hewer (THE BOY FRIEND) and Dorothy Reynolds (SALAD DAYS), with Grover Dale, Sheila Forbes, Mavis Villiers, Edith Day, David Holliday, Margaret Christensen and Sydney Arnold.

SAIL AWAY is a must-own for fans of Elaine Stritch and the genius of Noel Coward.

Welllll........Elaine is Good But...........2003-08-07

Many Broadway officianados were no doubt looking forward to the reissue of this long out of print "classic" starring the incomparable Elaine Stritch. Sad to say, one listening confirms why this show failed to make an impact, either on Broadway or London's West End. This dreary, bland little musical about not much of anything barely registers on any level. Most of the songs are trivial as well as instantly forgettable, and there is no story to speak of so nothing much keeps you interested. It takes Ms. Stritch's six solos to pull you out of the ether and, although even her considerable talents can't quite make a musical out of this mess, it's a marvelous document of Stritch hitting her stride. Thanks to CD programming, I can skip the rest of the dross and just listen to "Stritchie" (as Noel Coward use to call her) do her thing. And what a wonderful thing it is. Stritch may not have the best vocal instrument ever, but is there anyone else who can put their interpretive stamp on a song the way she does? Much like the late, great Dolores Gray, when Elaine Stritch interprets a song, every other singer in the world might as well forget about ever trying it. Stritch puts her definitive stamp on everything she touches. Yes, a trilly songbird like Julie Andrews makes a song sound wonderful. but with Stritch you hear the words, their meaning, and the song "feels" wonderful. Here, her "Why Do the Wrong People Travel" is a classic of sorts, and she amazingly brought as much gusto to the song in her one-woman show "At Liberty" some forty years later. In fact, she makes even the pedestrian "Useless Useful Phrases" worth a few listens. In fact, it's hard not to imagine what Stritch could have done with great parts at this point in her career, instead of mediocre trifles like "Sail Away". Oh well, what matters most is that Stritch was in the house for "Sail Away", and now she's there to stay. Bon vayage!

Stritch to the Max.......2003-07-28

For anyone who is a fan of Elaine Stritch, this is a must own.

For those of you looking for an interesting new (old) show, this is the one for you. The music is delightfully simple and the lyrics are wonderful. Certain songs have me thinking of Sondheim. Coward is a sarcastic and incredibly funny lyricist.

Just as Bernadette Peters is a perfect match for Sondheim, Stritch is a perfect match for Coward.

Tracks:

Childhood And Youth
La Campanella
Enter The Countess Marie D'Agoult
Au Lac Du Wallenstadt
Rivalry With Thalberg
Die Forelle
Travels In Italy (Music: Dante Sonata)
Patriot And Hero: Liszt Returns To Hungary
Transcendental Etude No.2 in a
The Gypsies' Music: Hungarian Rhap No.6
The End Of The Affair: Break-up With Marie
Consolation No.3 in D flat

Tracks:

Lisztomania (Music: Transcendental Study No.8)
The Virtuoso Retires
Un Bal (Symphonie Fantastique)
Weimar And The Princess (Music: Symphonic Poem: Prometheus)
Liszt And Wagner (Son in b)
Exit From Weimar (Music: From The Cradle To The Grave)
The Abbe Liszt
Ave Maria
The Final Period
Unstern
Track 11
Track 12
Track 13
Track 14
Track 15
Track 16
Track 17
Track 18
Track 19
Track 20

Customer Reviews:

Sinner and Saint?.......2006-02-04

I will confess from the outset that I do not much care for the music of Franz Liszt. Second only to Richard Wagner, to me Liszt was the epitome of Romantic excess and glitz. But, the same things that make his music unappealing to me also make his life engrossing. The excess, the yearning for fame, the glitz, and the "musician as persona."

Yes, this was Franz Liszt and NAXOS has done a (typical for them) outstanding job in letting us get to know this composer. In the span of 2+ hours, we are treated to a fascinating and well-told story (or maybe a musical, as about 1/4 of this recording consists of musical excerpts). From Liszt's 'child prodigy' status, to his love for himself, his art, and his women, to his retirement to a Monestary (!?), we see it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. An original "Behind The Music," if you will!

For all that, I have two complaints. First, while it may not bother some listeners, the actors who play the part of various characters all speak with British accents; no attempt is given to emulate the accent of the actual character (be it Hungarian, French, etc.) In audiobooks, I prefer the characters' dialogue to be spoken in their accent of origin (Huck Finn in a Mississippi accent, Ivan Karimozov in a Russian, etc.) Thus, if felt (at least to me) a little forced to hear Franz Liszt's letters read in a British, rather than a Hungarian, accent.

Secondly, this biography of Liszt breaks with most others in its assertion that Liszt's self-centeredness and philandering has been either overexaggerated (in the case of the former) or fabricated (in the case of the latter). This is not a problem in itself, but such claims demand demonstration. Not only was none forthcoming, but the story only served to REconfirm these traits. How many of the women in Liszt's life were married at the time? Did not Liszt pawn his first two children off on a wetnurse so he could travel about Europe? And did anyone REALLY buy Liszt's protestations that being a musical genius was a burden that he really did NOT want? (He Didth protest too much, methinks!)

Well, whatever your conclusion on these issues (I can only tell you mine), this two CD set is worth hearing. The story is well-told (if at times uncritical) and the music is well selected.

And if you like this set, check out some of the other "Romantics" profiled in NAXOS"s "Life and Works" series: Beehoven, Brahms, Tchaikobsky, Dvorak, and Chopin!

A convincing look into what makes a genius click.......2001-08-14

Naxos is doing a wonderful job with its emerging "Life and Works" series. Quite some time ago, we had a Life/Works of Mozart, more recently one of Chopin and now two more, Liszt and Beethoven. Both are even better packaged than are the earlier sets, with a thick booklet that offers us essays on the historical background, the position of the composer in his time, a look at the major works, a listening plan, recommended readings, personalities, a calendar of the artist's life, a glossary, a discography--and finally something I thought I would never see, the text of the recording's narration. This booklet is worth the price of the set alone.

By the way, the Liszt set starts off with the sound of artillery, the Beethoven with the sound of a cork popping. A good way to get your attention and/or to convince you that you have purchased the wrong recording.

Written and narrated by Jeremy Siepmann, the production enlists some excellent actors to play the people in the composer's life. In the "Franz Liszt" set (8.558005-06), we have Neville Jason as the voice of Lizst, who is joined by David Timson, Raphael Clarkson, Elaine Claxton, and Karen Archer as the voices of Lizst's friends, critics, and especially loves. The musical selections are drawn from the bottomless well of Naxos recordings.

As I commented with regard to the Chopin set, the music is well chosen but some of it simply lasts too long for those who are eager to get on to the facts of the composer's life. On the other hand, this IS called the Life and Works series, and perhaps a balance is to be maintained between the two aspects.

Liszt's idiosyncrasies make a good comparison with those of Chopin, the former doing everything he could to call attention to himself, the latter withdrawn--but both acting like bloody fools in so many ways. Perhaps that is the price of genius. The tale of Liszt and his Countess Marie is both funny and painful, especially in the way they neglected their children (one of whom was Cosima, the future wife of Wagner).

You will note that this set is on 2 CDs where the others are on four. I draw no conclusions from that other than the obvious. A wonderful buy, all things considered.

Tracks:

Family Background And Early Years
Music: Capriccio On The Departure Of His Beloved Brother
Bach And The Organ
Music Toccata And Fugue In D Minow, BWV 565
Bach In Trouble
Music: Trio Sonata In E Flat, BWV 525
Bach The Husband And Father
Music: Vivaldi/Bach: Concerto In A Minor For Four Harpsichords
Bach The Younger Composer
Music: Prelude And Fugue In A Minor, BWV 543
Bach In Weimar (And In Jail)
Music: Prelude In E Flat Minor (The Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1)
Bach Leaves Weimar
Music: Violin Concerto In E Major (Finale)

Tracks:

Bach At Cothen
Music: Concerto For Two Violins (Largo Ma Non Tanto)
Bach And The Brandenburgs
Music: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 In D (First Movement)
From Grief To Joy Through Faith
Music: 'Et Resurrexit' (B Minor Mass)
New Beginnings: Bach Remarries And His Family Grows
Music: Aria In G
Goldberg Variations And Anna Magdalena's Notebook
Music: Stolzel: Bist Du Bei Mir
Domestic Happiness And The Move To Leipzig
Music: Magnificat
Bach's Duties At Lepzig
Music: Cantata No. 80 (Duetto)
Bach The Teacher
Music: Sinfonia (Three-Part Invention) In E Flat
The Great Keyboard Works On Educational Agenda
Music: Italien Concerto
A Letter To The King
Music: Cantata No. 147 (Opening Chorus)

Tracks:

Bach Takes Up The Poet's Pen
Music: Partita No. 1 In B Flat BWV 825 (Courante)
Bach's Frustration At Leipzig
Music: Singet Dem Herrn, BWV 225
Frustrations Intensify
Music: St John Passion (Opening Chorus)
Bach's Efforts To Leave Leipzig
Music: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 (First Movement)
The King Of Poland's Jubilee
Music: Suite No. 3 In D, BWV 1068
The Ernesti Affair
Music: Prelude In D Major, BWV 532
Adolf Scheibe's Scathing Views On Bach
Music: Concerto In C For Three Harpsichords (Finale)

Tracks:

Bach And Opera
'Coffee' Cantata (Excerpts)
'Peasant' Cantata (Excerpts)
The Twilight Years
Music: The Art Of Fugue
Bach's Visit To Frederick The Great
Music: The Musical Offering
Decline And Death
Music: Mass In B Minor

Customer Reviews:

Well done and interesting.......2005-02-22

This recording alternates extended selections of Bach's music (complete pieces or movements) with a narrated and sometimes dramatized biography of Bach. The music selections are excellent and the biography itself is well done and interesting. The lengthy accompanying booklet is also very nice.

My only reservation comes from a feeling that the music and the narration are not as well integrated as they could be. The narrator identifies the musical selections and may give a sentence or two of background for the selection but never really discusses it. Instead, the narration is focused almost entirely on the events of Bach's life. I would have preferred more of a "music appreciation" approach that discussed the music, and had trouble getting used to the bifurcated nature of production. The extended free-standing music selections do mean that the four discs are a sort of "best of Bach" anthology and you can re-listen to just the music by skipping every other track.

Naxos also produces a 2-disc set called An Introduction to Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 4 & 5 (ASIN: B0000666A9), also by Mr. Seipmann, which closely analyzes the actual music of these two concertos. I found that the two sets are complementary with no overlap, except for part of the booklets, and I would recommend getting both if you have an interest in Bach and are also interested in understanding what to listen for in his music. In addition (or as an alternative), I would also recommend the lectures by Robert Greenberg on "Bach and the High Baroque" produced by the Teaching Company, which are much longer, more detailed, and more focused on the "music appreciation" aspect. They are also much more expensive.

Overall, this item is very worthwhile and a good value, like most of Naxos's products.

Wonderful biography, needs more proportion in the music.......2002-08-21

Naxos continues to do a wonderful job with its "Life and Works" series. Quite some time ago, we had a Life/Works of Mozart, one of Chopin and then two more, Liszt and Beethoven. he latter are even better packaged than are the earlier sets, with a thick booklet that offers us essays on the historical background, the position of the composer in his time, a look at the major works, a listening plan, recommended readings, personalities, a calendar of the artist's life, a glossary, and a discography. This booklet is worth the price of the set alone.

Now we have two more entries in this amazing series, again written and narrated by Jeremy Siepmann: "Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky" (8.558036-39) with a playing time of 4 hrs. 5 min. and "Johann Sebastian Bach" (8.558051-54) with a playing time of 4 hrs. 34 minutes. (Please see my comments for the Tchaikovsky on that webpage.)

In direct contrast to the tortured personality of Tchaikovsky, we have the life-loving J.S. Bach, he who lost his temper only when he ran up against ineptitude. Again, the biographical details are fascinating. But also again, the musical examples are far too few--especially for this prolific composer--and some are simply far too long. We do not really need a complete rendition of the famous "Toccata and Fugue" and certainly not of the "Prelude and Fugue in A minor" to which is devoted a 13 minute track.

Here the voice of Bach is supplied by actor John Shrapnel, with Trevor Nichols, Ruth Sillers and David Timson in supporting roles. So 5 stars for the biography, somewhat less for musical examples.

Soul Music:

Soul Music

soul music

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Year Zero

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"; Haydn: Symphony No. 101

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas op. 31

Nature Boy

Blade [Soundtrack]

Back from the Grave

Aure Dorival Caymmi [Import]

Big Red Letter Day

Before the Poison [Import]

Anton Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 7-9 / Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 5 - The Celibidache Edition [Box set] [Original recording remastered]

Antitheses 2 [Import]

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Deep in Your Heart

For My Father