Music of Bali

Product Description
Some of the most beautiful and entrancing sounds on earth are produced by this Gamelan ensemble in a brand new recording by Wayne Vitale, co-produced by Gerald Gold. Selected as one of CD Review Magazine's 50 Definitive World Music Recordings!

Tracks:

Tonight
Carrickfergus
Habanera
Bali Ha'i
Papa Can You Hear Me?
The Flower Duet
The Little Horses
From My First Moment
The Water Is Wide
Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
The Laughing Song
If I Loved You
A Bit Of Earth
Somewhere
The Prayer

Amazon.com

Of course, we couldn't expect time to freeze its relentless path and forever preserve the Welsh sensation Charlotte Church in a chrysalis of precocious youth. And yet, at 15 and now taking bolder steps into expanding her repertory on Enchantment, the soprano remains a marvel of a prodigy. Here, she scours a wider range of sources than on her previous albums. Church moves with breathtaking ease from classic Broadway (West Side Story, Show Boat, South Pacific) to traditional Celtic, film ballads, and even a couple of high-operatic numbers. Church's straightforward approach to the melody of "La Habanera" may not exactly be what Bizet had in mind for his Carmen, but fans will get double pleasure out of the singer's exquisite duet with herself on the haunting "Flower Duet" from Delibes's Lakmé. What's more, there's a greater freedom of expression and sense of how to shape a phrase in many of these tracks--notice how much there is to savor, for instance, in "The Water Is Wide" and "Carrickfergus." It all adds up to a widely varied course, demonstrating the continued growth of a singularly gifted young artist. --Sarah Chin

Customer Reviews:

Bleck!.......2007-05-30

Charlotte has a producing voice, not quite mature, but it's bearable. I don't really appreciate opera unless your name is Sarah Brightman, Hayley Westenra or Holly Stell. Carrickfergus and Somewhere are decent for her voice, but "The Prayer" and "The Water is Wide" is very damaging to my ears due to the fact, her Italian sucks, her range is not wide enough in "Water".

Voice of an Angel!!.......2007-02-05

I enjoy listening to this cd by Charlotte Church! She has such a lovely voice. I especially love listening to Habañera and The Flower Duet as both are sung beautifully by Ms. Church!!

fun cd.......2006-12-29

I love this cd and have had it quite a while. I was just enjoying it again today and thought I'd write a review because I do enjoy it so much. It's just a fun, enjoyable album. Pretty orchestration, a lovely voice, nice to sing along with. Especially at the top of my lungs in the car (alone when no one can hear me!)
I really don't know why one would NOT enjoy this cd.

Good? Yes. Great? No. Over-rated? HECK YES!.......2006-12-15

I bought this CD when I was still in high school, singing soprano I & II in choir. It's not bad but she does much better than even some older kids attempting soprano. I think due to the popularity she gained this poor girl has endured much harsh criticism. True, we can't cut her slack JUST because she is a little girl but on the other hand for someone to sing opera at that age her work IS superb. Whether she's a prodigy or victim of over-ambitious parents & media, she deserves credit where it's due. At least she DID break out as some-what of a mainstream artist & exposed this type of music to those who stereotyped it as fat ladies w/powder-white make-up belting out notes that would shatter glass. Some say the same for Josh Groban who broke into the scene as a mainstream tenor/baritone vocalist. As far as skills & talent, he not the greatest either but many people adore his music. The same credit should go to Charlotte Church.

As far as feedback on the quality...
It's VERY hard to believe the deliverance of her performance. A 15-year-old (even younger on her debut cd) singing songs about love & being able to see the world seems silly. Cracking voice? Yeah, you can really tell she had a difficult time hitting the high note in The Laughing Song because it got all air-y. Honestly, some trained sopranos over-shoot their high notes too & get extremely SHARP so I didn't mind her air-i-ness. I think she did a great job on The Flower Duet though. It still has the same relaxing quality as some other versions I've heard from various movie soundtracks. But compare this to the likes of professionals - real professionals - she's merely tolerable. Try Sarah Brightman if you want to listen to some nice musical sopranos. She even has some pretty remakes of modern songs.

Enchantment Indeed!.......2006-08-20

This CD is simply amazing! However, I am sick and tired of people pressuring her to be someone that she's not! Trying to fit into today's popular music scene, Charlotte has turned to pop, and her career isn't flying well because of it! Her voice is simply amazing for opera, and I will not hear another insulting word about her!

Anyways, the CD is genius! Tonight from "West Side Story" is beautifully sung. Carrickfergus, Habanera, and Bali Ha'i are sung with a hypnotizing beauty. Papa, Can you Hear Me and The Flower Duet are amazing as well!

However, on The Flower Duet, Church's vocals seem strained a bit. The Little Horses is a decent piece, a remake of the standard English folk song. I prefer it straight instead of a varied beat, so that Church's voice could soar on and on.

From my First Moment is a fairly nice song, but The Water is Wide is simply amazing! Her vocals are soaring and mezmerizing!

Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man is NOT the song for her, because she puts a weird accent on the song, like she's trying to sound like a hoodlum! The Laughing Song is something that SHOULD NOT be tried by children, because the vocals are so strained! If I Loved You is a simple yet wonderful piece!

A Bit of Earth and Somewhere are both beautiful pieces, with excellent work from the orchestra.

Overall, this CD is very beautiful! BUY IT!

Bryn Terfel - Something Wonderful (Bryn Terfel sings Rodgers & Hammerstein)

Average customer rating:

I have just been introduced.
Great Music + Terrific Lyrics +Decent Singing = Very Nice CD
A new meaning of throat singing.
Superb matchmaking in Terfel's R&H recital
Broadway or Opera... This CD is indeed ýSomething Wonderfulý

Bryn Terfel - Something Wonderful (Bryn Terfel sings Rodgers & Hammerstein)
Bryn Terfel , English Northern Philharmonia , Paul Daniel , Opera North Chorus , Richard Rodgers , and Oscar Hammerstein II
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001GRP
Release Date: 1996-09-10

Tracks:

OKLAHOMA: Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'
State Fair: It Might As Well Be Spring
South Pacific: Some Enchanted Evening
OKLAHOMA: The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
South Pacific: Bali Ha'i
Carousel: June Is Bustin' Out All Over
The King And I: Something Wonderful
Allegro: So Far
Allegro: A Fellow Needs A Girl
The King And I: I Have Dreamed
Allegro: What A Lovely Day For A Wedding
Me And Juliet: No Other Love
The Sound Of Music: Edelweiss
Carousel: If I Loved You
South Pacific: There Is Nothin' Like A Dame
South Pacific: Younger Than Springtime
Allegro: Come Home
South Pacific: This Nearly Was Mine
Carousel: Soliloquy
Carousel: You'll Never Walk Alone

Amazon.com

In the opening song of "Something Wonderful," Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel sings, "All the sounds of the Earth are like music." They most definitely are when Terfel surrounds them with his resonant baritone. Every phrase of Rodgers and Hammerstein's music is imbued with uncommon sensitivity, impeccable phrasing, and dazzling beauty. Terfel's rich and meaty voice shares a plate with delicate pianissimos, unabashed sentimentality, and swaggering forthrightness. He successfully tackles songs originally written for women. In "It Might as Well Be Spring," he transforms dippy into dapper. And he turns "Bali Hai" into a foreboding, demanding, and seductive call; the listener must helplessly succumb to the world of his sensitive manliness. His interpretations of the old standards--"If I Loved You," "Soliloquy," "This Nearly Was Mine," "Some Enchanted Evening"--are stellar. Despite the temporary lulls caused by the second-class songs from "Allegro," Terfel does a first-class job of bringing them to life. Undoubtedly one of the best crossover records of all time. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

I have just been introduced........2007-01-22

I came across the CD by sheer accident and am I glad I did. Wonderful music. Thanks for the music Bryn.

Great Music + Terrific Lyrics +Decent Singing = Very Nice CD.......2005-01-27

While not an expert on technical singing I really, really like this CD. I think Terfel's voice is pretty decent & he sings both male/female lead R & H songs for a total of twenty cuts. One cut I really enjoyed , but had never heard before was the song "So Far"
from R & H's "Allegro" with those Richard Roger's hooks & terrific Oscar Hammerstein lyrics. Felt that the orchestra on this session made a good move using the original orchestrations for a classic R & H feel. I concur with the reviewer regarding the miking of Terfel's voice in this session which seems too low forcing the listener to turn up the volumne.

A new meaning of throat singing........2004-06-11

I cannot believe that the critics of today can rave about such an inferior singer as Byrn Terfel. He sings so badly, I can't believe he has had the career he's had. I don't care how many roles he's sung, he hasn't any vocal technique at all. If anyone would care to hear great singing, buy the; "Thomas L. Thomas" Voice of Firestone video and listen to a great Welsh singer. This is a great artist and vocal technician. Try; "John Charles Thomas," "Lawrence Tibbett," or "Nelson Eddy." Bryn Terfel couldn't carry their music cases!

Superb matchmaking in Terfel's R&H recital.......2004-03-09

You might think that it is a very superflous mismatch for an opera singer to try his vocal cords on the Broadway songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein. However, in this R&H offering by Bryn Terfel, he proves that it is a perfect match between singer and repertoire for a classical crossover record of this pedigree. Terfel communicates the essence of each of the 20 songs to the listener, and allows them to sound fresh and new. And it helps that he has been a R&H fan for many years with the music already close to his heart. He is given superb backing from the well-conducted Opera North forces an warm, natural recording.

From the first phrase of Terfel's uplifting opening version of "Oh, what a beautiful morning" from Oklahoma!, we listeners intuitively know that this is not going to be your superflous run-of-the-mill classical crossover offering of R&H songs. Terfel uses his big voice to great effect in Billy Bigelow's two songs from Carousel, "If I loved you" and the pivotal "Soliloquy" that builds up to a devastating climax. When he does this for Emile's two big solos in South Pacific, "Some Enchanted Evening" and "This Nearly Was Mine," he also makes them sound fresh and intuitively conveys their essence. He also thrills us even when his voice is soft and tender, such as on Lietunant Cable's "Younger than Springtime" and especially on Captain von Trapp's "Edelweiss" from The Sound of Music.

Besides the obvious highlights in this R&H offering, Terfel unearths some new delights. He does this by trying his vocal cords on songs that were originally intended for women, most notably in Nettie's two big numbers in Carousel, "June is busting out all over" and "You'll never walk alone", which he pulls off convincingly in a straight-laced and serious manner without sounding cliched. (In the booklet, "You'll never walk alone" was stated as being sung by the Chorus, but then in the show, it is sung by Nettie.) He is also wistful on "It might as well be Spring" from State Fair, and philosophical on Lady Thiang's "Something Wondreful" from The King and I. He also evokes a dreamlike quality on Bloody Mary's "Bali Ha'i" in South Pacific. The other unusual thing that Terfel does is include some unknown songs and treat them ravishingly. Four of them are from Allegro, highlighted by a charming "So Far," a reflective "A Fellow needs a girl" and a powerful "Come Home", and he also sings "No Other Love" from Me and Juliet as ravishingly as "I Have Dreamed."

If I have any quibbles, there are only two minor ones. Terfel's R&H offering runs for 74 minutes, and still has six minutes of empty space on a CD. I'm sure that Terfel could have given thought to the Mother Abbess's "Climb Every Mountain" from The Sound of Music, which I consider a more universal and less-cliched song than "You'll never walk alone" from Carousel. It would have suited his full-throated, big-voiced characteristic very well. Also, this offering of R&H seems to be lopsided to emphasise more of the first part of R&H. Sixteen tracks cover R&H from Oklahoma to South Pacific, with four tracks that cover their second half from The King and I to The Sound of Music. As such I would have liked to hear him sing a more balanced repertoire of R&H songs with equal emphasis to both halves of their collaboration. Perhaps he might record a Volume 2 with songs from the latter part of their collaboration in the near future. But with 74 delightful minutes of Terfel's R&H offering, how could anybody complain about the quality of this recital, especially with a lavish booklet complete with copious notes by R&H expert Ethan Mordden and full lyrics.

Overall, though, I'm very sure that this R&H offering is both a highlight of Terfel's discography, and can ably recommended with his recording of Schubert songs to anybody who wants to get to know his work well. It can also be recommended to Rodgers & Hammerstein fans old and new.

By the way, I also recommend the Rodgers & Hammerstein Songbook for Orchestra, with another superlative Telarc offering by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and Erich Kunzel. This recital is just as outstanding as Terfel's R&H offering. And, there is a wealth of cast recordings that new R&H fans will want to snap up, so this Terfel disc will be an ideal stepping-stone for them.

Broadway or Opera... This CD is indeed ýSomething Wonderfulý.......2003-07-25

It becomes clearer with every disk Bryn releases... he turns whatever he touches into gold! This CD is indeed `Something Wonderful'. From the first listen I was in love with this disk and can't get enough.

To begin, Rodgers and Hammerstein couldn't be more appropriately sung. From a time before electric amplification the sweeping melodies of Richard Rodgers were intended to be sung as Bryn illustrates. As I say every time, his diction is impeccable, his musicianship is unsurpassed, and his enthusiasm is wonderful. As for Oscar Hammerstein, I'm sure he doesn't mind a little foreign accent... because every word is clear and understandable.

To compare the accent of Terfel to Pavarotti and Carreras is simply misguided. Although Pavarotti and Carreras are top-notch for what they do, neither pursues `Broadway' music seriously. Their ventures into the medium are limited to Gala concerts and the occasional snippet on a CD... not on stage depicting a role, but simply to sing a beautiful song. Mr. Terfel, on the other hand, researches the roles, coaches them, and is constantly pursued to perform them. His accent is one of slight vowel or consonant differences, which do not detract from the beautiful music. The music is well done and the story clear. Lets not nitpick diction or the French will have our hides for Les Miserables!

For the music, the recording quality is great. One reviewer mentioned poor sound quality and I do believe that person may have a bad disk or player... on my end the sound is full and robust; Bryn's voice dominates the sound. The orchestrations are full and lush. When dealing with modern houses and theatres the orchestra pits are usually quite small, and consequently the ensembles themselves. CDs like this one allow for fully orchestrated music to be heard, with a large symphony of musicians. The numbers that utilize chorus, which sings very well, are well balanced.

Tracks:

Incantation
Beauty In The Beast
Poem For Bali
Just Imagination
That's Just It
Yusae-Aisae
C'est Afrique
A Woman's Song

Amazon.com

From the roar of Tibetan horns and the clangor of metal percussion that opens Beauty in the Beast, Wendy Carlos in 1986 signaled a new direction for her music. Beauty in the Beast is Carlos's magnum opus, an album that should have established the synthesizer's role in the new global music landscape. More than that, it should have established Carlos as a composer and not just a Switched-on Bach jukebox. But not too many people were listening. Rereleased now after 14 years, Beauty in the Beast has lost none of its power. Carlos is both profound and poignant, dissonant and disarming on Beauty, as she fuses a global orchestra from her synthesizers. "Poem for Bali" is the centerpiece of the album, an episodic, 17-minute excursion as Carlos orchestrates the sounds and rhythms of a digital gamelan orchestra. In addition to replicating the metallophones, gongs, and flutes of the traditional gamelan, she creates her own hybrid sound designs, giving this work a surreal and sometimes harrowing tone, like a dream bent through funhouse mirrors. But then there are pieces such as "A Woman's Song," based on a Balkan melody. The title track merges nightmare landscapes and a crazed carnival calliope with a haunting theme that sounds like a lament for the end of the world. Beauty in the Beast is an essential recording of both modern composition and synthesis--Carlos should plug into this circuit again. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Weird, but it works.......2005-06-14

You've never heard anything quite like Beauty in the Beast, and it *does* take some getting used to. But once you have, it's a must-have record.

There are a variety of musical styles on BitB, ranging from african-sounding percussion to martian jazz. The title cut is just plain haunting.

The supplementary files include an essay on tuning, with audio files as examples. I found these to be very informative, particularly regarding the alpha and beta scales used in the title cut.

It's weird, but it works.

An amazing work.......2004-07-04

If you are unfamiliar with alternate tonal scales or non-western music, be prepared for a shock. When I first heard the CD in the 80's, I hated it. I listened again, and again, and began to retune and understand. Now it is one of my favorite albums, definite in the top ten. If you have an ear to hear, give it a listen.

Brain Damage.......2003-02-27

Instinctively attracted to classical music I have been unable to listen to this work without becoming physically ill. Constant shifts in tonality make this an interesting case study from a pathological standpoint but don't expect to enjoy it. This is music that has lost the center. There is no harmonic whole, there can be no cycle of fifths, scientifically justifiable yet all is arbitrary. This is the opposite of loop based music and the ultimate 'special effects' driven experiment. If you want non tempered classical music I recommend Harry Partch or Moon Dog or one of the more staid composers of modern music. Get this CD by all means. You won't be dissapointed.

The end of a long period of Tragic Unavailability.......2002-01-03

I have proudly owned a copy of the first release of this CD all these years. It is the best example I know of an utterly brilliant recording being tragically unavailable. As other reviewers note, the tuning does sound strange at first, but then one realizes how quickly one not only adjusts to it, but starts to hear it as natural and normal.

Do yourself a favor and get this CD now. It is indispensable.

The Most Beautiful Music in the World.......2001-09-02

Nonstandard tunings, masterfully used. Gothic, "Bush of Ghosts" feeling. Great instrument modeling, not trying to sound just like acoustic instruments but using attributes of their spectra as part of instrument creation. Uh, it's real pretty. Spooky and balanced.

Rodgers & Hammerstein: Songbook for Orchestra (Orchestral Suites)

Average customer rating:

Irresistible
"Some Enchanted Evening" with Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops
Excellent!
Great Arrangments

Rodgers & Hammerstein: Songbook for Orchestra (Orchestral Suites)

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Classics of the Silver Screen

ASIN: B000003CXQ
Release Date: 1992-01-28

Tracks:

Oklahoma!
Carousel
State Fair
South Pacific
The King And I
Cinderella Waltz
Flower Drum Song
The Sound Of Music

Customer Reviews:

Irresistible.......2005-07-29

From beginning to end this CD is pure delight. A great recording has great music, a great performance, and great sound; this one scores on all three counts.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals dominated Broadway in the 1940s and 1950s, and American musical theater has produced no more consistently eloquent and durable voice than Richard Rodgers. From his fertile genius flowed a surprising number of memorable songs, many of which have passed into and become an accepted and beloved part of modern American culture.

This well-filled CD (77:36) features symphonic arrangements (all but two by Robert Russell Bennett) of the music from Oklahoma (1943), Carousel (1945), State Fair (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), Flower Drum Song (1958), and The Sound of Music (1959). All the great tunes are here in suites from each musical that average 10-12 minutes in length. The arrangements are expert: rich, varied, and colorful. The performances are polished, idiomatic, and irresistible; Kunzel and this orchestra are thorough masters of this kind of material. And Telarc's sound (recorded 1991) is state-of-the-art (engineer Michael Bishop deserves to take a bow).

In short, there's nothing here to cloud your listening pleasure (the only quibble I can imagine is that some of your favorites may not last long enough), so it's hard for me to envision anyone with ears and a taste for music who wouldn't enjoy this CD. Warmly recommended. Finally, if you like this one as much as I do, you might want to know that the same team has produced a companion volume, the Lerner & Lowe Songbook for Orchestra.

"Some Enchanted Evening" with Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops.......2003-12-26

Erich Kunzel's Rodgers and Hammerstein anthology with the Cincinatti Pops Orchestra is one of the best and most ravishing instrumental Rodgers and Hammerstein albums of all time. With sumptuous arrangements and warm, natural Telarc recording, this glorious 77-minute CD presents sweeping, melodic arrangements of over 60 Rodgers and Hammerstein selections, spanning eight scores, and Kunzel allows the Pops to play with a characterful and polished understanding of the Rodgers and Hammerstein idiom. The disc is enough to cheer you up on a dull day and make you smile, and it might even want to make you feel like a convert to Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals.

This CD has all the scores arranged chronologically. The OKLAHOMA! suite that opens this disc promises a feast for the senses, Kunzel ably evokes the territory's "bright, golden haze" in the way he conducts the various excerpts, until you feel the atmosphere of the country charm of the show, and the love-affair between Curly and Laurey. Then, in CAROUSEL, he ably evokes the pathos of this tragic R&H masterwork, especially in the truncated Waltz, but he leads a wonderfully melodic "June is Bustin' Out All Over" and a devotional "You'll Never Walk Alone." Although this suite does not include Billy's pivotal Soliloquy, it includes "If I Loved You" as an expression of his love for Julie, and within minutes you could be soaked in the ups and downs of the show's mood.

After a brief STATE FAIR suite, with sweeping renditions of "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing", we are brought into the disc's showstopping highlights. These highlights are the excerpts from SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. But yet Kunzel conducts the rest of the disc until the various suites amount to a series of showstoppers. These three suites present wonderfully-arranged versions of their many familiar classic songs, with well-played solos. The SOUTH PACIFIC suite presents the songs in chronological order, yet preserves the atmosphere of the show at the same time. Kunzel ably brings out the romance in "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Younger than Springtime," and contrasts it with the exotic and dreamlike "Bali Hai'i" and the comic "There is Nothing like a Dame" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair". Although the suite ends quietly with a reprise of "Dites-Moi" rather than the reprise of "Some Enchanted Evening," within minutes we are swept into the KING AND I suite. Kunzel ably brings out the Oriental pathos in this score, and he captures the warmth of Anna's rapport with the King's Siamese children in "Getting to Know You", and with the King himself in "Shall We Dance." There is also romance in the love ballads "I Have Dreamed" and "We Kiss in a Shadow." Similarly, in the selection from THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Kunzel conducts this until the orchestra soaks itself in the atmosphere of this Austrian R&H score. This SOUND OF MUSIC suite has more of a feel of the score compared to the bonus track on Sony's reissued version of the Broadway recording. You can almost feel as if you are following the progress of the Trapp family and how it lifts its spirits with the joy of music. Kunzel gives us a soaring version of the title song, and spirited versions of "Do-Re-Mi" and "My Favourite Things." He balances it with the open-air quality of "Edelweiss" and "The Lonely Goatherd." Although this suite could have included "Something Good," the love ballad written for the film, the three recollections of the songs that were cut from the movie only last for a while. And, the towering version of "Climb Every Mountain" crowns this portion of the disc, and this sumptuously-produced recording. But, I should also mention the infectuous FLOWER DRUM SONG medley, where Kunzel turns this underrated score into a work of art, until it convinces you to buy the cast recording. And, don't forget about the brief CINDERELLA WALTZ, too, when Kunzel conducts it magically, until you feel like you are in the company of Cinderella and the Prince. He is able to show how this R&H score marked a comeback for R&H after the failiures of Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream.

Overall, this glorious Rodgers and Hammerstein recording is guarunteed to make you want to pucker your lips out for a whistle or sing along (to paraphrase another revew for Kunzel's Disney Spectacular disc) - even if this recording is music only, and as long as you know the words to the songs (and you might know a large handful of them already.) There is always a certain magic in this fine CD that makes you feel like you're sitting in the theatre watching these musicals, until it makes you feel like it is truly, to borrow two R&H song titles, "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Something Wonderful" to be in Kunzel's company for this R&H offering. It would certainly be one recording that could make you feel willing to buy the complete cast recordings of the shows. And I guaruntee that it will make you feel willing to pull out your existing copies of the cast recordings to listen to them again. I also guaruntee that it will be a cornerstone in any Rodgers and Hammerstein collection, just as it is in mine. Recommended heartily to any Rodgers and Hammerstein enthusiast and to fans of Erich Kunzel's work. And, you can play it while reading the Richard Rodgers biography, Musical Stages, until Rodgers himself would count this as his favourite disc in the afterlife.

By the way, most of the arrangements for the suites on this CD were done by the veteran R&H orchestrator Robert Russell Bennett, and it surely adds to the appeal of this recording. This itself is enough to amount to the icing on the cake, since Kunzel conducts them well on here, and since this recording still allows the suites to have the original theatrical atmosphere. And, although this recording is like the Mauceri collection of the Rodgers & Hammerstein overtures in compiling orchestral suites of Rodgers & Hammerstein, I think that I like the Kunzel recording even more because Kunzel has more magic in his conducting of these suites.

Excellent!.......2003-04-08

This is one of the best Erich Kunzel/Cincinnati Pops collections we own! A must for Rodgers and Hammerstein fans, too.

Great Arrangments.......2001-09-02

This is a first rate album with great arrangments and orchestrations. If you're a Rodgers and Hammerstein fan, you can't afford to miss this specatacular album

Average customer rating:

Perfect Peace
AWESOME MUSIC FOR MASSAGE
Remarkable, otherworldly, sublime
fans of the chill unite!
Lovers of ambient, you MUST buy this cd!

Bali
Jalan Jalan
Manufacturer: Pacific Moon [Alleg]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bali Dua
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Mai
Bali

ASIN: B00000JLJY
Release Date: 1999-07-27

Tracks:

Sembahyang Pagi
Ocean Blue
Lotus
Water Garden
Jalan Jalan
Sun-Set
Firefly Sanctuary
Selemat Tidur

Amazon.com

In Japan and China, New Age music is often produced with the same attitude they've applied to robotic manufacturing--and it sounds like it. The artists are faceless and the music is generic. But a label called Pacific Moon may be changing that. Jalan Jalan's Bali is one of the most haunting albums of the year. This Japanese group takes the sounds of the Balinese gamelan (although the slow cadences are more Javanese), and with pianos, flutes, small percussion, and environmental sounds, they loop melodic cycles into a deftly subtle fabric. There's an austerity and simplicity of form that owes much to Brian Eno's Music for Airports, with its sense of elegiac repose and resigned melancholy, particularly evidenced in tracks like "Firefly Sanctuary." The canon form, in which most of these pieces are written, and its stately pace make this music seem like it could go on forever, and you wish it would. --John Diliberto

Album Description

The music of the gamelan playing softly in the backgound, the blue sky, quiet sea, and crimson setting sun. Welcome to a day in Bali - guaranteed to relax and soothe.

To enhance your enjoyment of the music, fragrant incense sticks are included in the spine of the CD jewel case.

(Also try "Bali dua" by this artist!)

Customer Reviews:

Perfect Peace.......2007-02-06

There is a reason this CD has not received anything less than 5 stars. It is absolutely one of the best I have heard in the genre.
I have to agree with another listener...the beauty here is in the sparseness of the music. Stark, moving, with a melancholy beauty, it is one of those CDs that you just never want to end. Sit down after dark and light a candle...this music will take you to a far off tropical shore and leave you so relaxed and at peace that you won't be able to get out of your chair. I can't recommend this one enough.

AWESOME MUSIC FOR MASSAGE.......2006-03-19

I am an LMT always on the lookout for great massage music and this CD is the BEST!!!! I purchased one of the Detaching the World CD's and was very disappointed in it. This CD has become my absolute favorite and my clients have all commented on the relaxing quality it possesses. They all want me to keep it in stock to sell! Truly amazing music....very different....yet PERFECT for massage!!!! I can't say it enough! My clients and I are happier people thanks to this amazing CD.

Remarkable, otherworldly, sublime.......2004-09-28

This music is beautiful, truly transporting. A music of absolute connection to Source Energy. One of my favorite CD's in my collection of over 500. Thank you, Jalan Jalan.

fans of the chill unite!.......2004-06-02

this ,needless to say,is one of my favorite "relax"cds out of my collection of nearly 900 discs.it ranks right up there with shrin terrai,aphex twin's ambient cd,buckethead's "colma","electric tears",and death cube k albums,robert rich,and steve roach.if any of these rings a pleasent tone to you,get "bali" by all means!!!
ps:this music will help you save $-you'll never need sleeping pills again!

Lovers of ambient, you MUST buy this cd!.......2004-01-04

As a huge consumer of REAL ambient music (you know, minimalist, space music, new age, buddhist stuff--not the trip-hop crap that touts itself under that category) this is one of my most prized possessions. If you're a fan of transoceanic, 2002, Constance Demby, or any of the other ambient gurus, THIS is the CD to buy. (You gotta love the incense sticks that come packaged within the spine of the CD case--better buy it new to get these.)

Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God

Average customer rating:

This recording is great, but...
Sensational Sounds!
Exquisite
If you were to only own one Explorer disc...
Arguably the most beautiful sound in Bali

Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Bali: Golden Rain
Music of the Gamelan Gong Kebyar, vol. 1
Java: Court Gamelan
Bali: Music from the Morning of the World
Explorer: Bali - Music for the Shadow Play

ASIN: B00007M57G
Release Date: 2003-01-28

Tracks:

Tabuh Gari
Gambang
Tabuh Pisan
Barong
Sinom Ladrang
Legong Kraton: Playon

Album Description

Of the many kinds of gamelan to be found on the tiny island of Bali, none evokes a more ethereal and enchanted sound world than the rare gamelan of the love god, Gamelan Semar Pegulingan. This is the first commercial recording of the Semar Pegulingan type of gamelan (except for three 78-rpm discs, now rare collectors' items). By the 1930s, Semar Pegulingan, which was originally a palace gamelan, was preserved in only a few villages. Now, however, the gamelan has been restored to life with a repertory that derives from the old traditions, but is strongly influenced by the innovations of 20th-century Balinese music.

Recorded in Teges Kanyinan, Pliatan, Bali, by Robert E. Brown. Originally released in 1972.

Album Description

Full Title - Bali Gamelan Semar Pegulingan Gamelan of the Love God. Of the many kinds of Gamelan to be found on the tiny island of Bali, none evokes a more ethereal and enchanted sound world than the rare gamelan of the love god, Gamelan Semar Peguilingan. This is the first commercial recording of the Semar Peguilingan type of gamelan, except for three 78-rpm discs, now rare collectors' items. Recorded in Teges Kanyinan, Pliatan, Bali by Robert E. Brown. Originally released in 1972. Slipcase. Nonesuch. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

This recording is great, but..........2004-05-25

This recording is great, but as an avid fan of Balinese music (and Indonesian music in general) I find it unfortunate that Nonesuch chose to re-release all of these old recordings en masse with new graphics, new titles in some cases, and at bargain prices, effectively flooding the market.
Many people will purchase these recordings online believing they are buying new ( " jan 28, 2003" ) recordings when in fact they are not. What's worse, the unsuspecting buyer may already have one or more of these discs in his or her collection under a different title. For example, "West Java: Sundanese Jaipong" is in fact "Tonggeret " by Idjah Hadidjah. Which, by the way, can be purchased for less right here on Amazon.
The real problem I have with Nonesuch's marketing strategy is that retailers have opted to stock this series in lieu of new recordings from different distributers. It is cheaper and easier.
I think this is a great recording. Actually, it's a classic in the genre. I'm panning it to show my dislike for Nonesuch's creation of market hegemony and the use of deceptive advertising ( to be fair, they do state that these recordings are re-releases on the back of the cd case, but if you are purchasing this on-line you obviously can't see that.)
This situation is to the detriment of fans of Balinese music and performers alike. Bali has an extremely vibrant musical culture. New compositions are being written all the time. In my opinion, the best compositions for Semar Pegulingan have been written recently.
(...)

Sensational Sounds!.......2003-12-15

Gamelan Semar Pegulingan! This has got to be the most refined all Balinese gamelan orchestras for sure! The sounds and the tones as well as the textures are so delicate and wonderful to hear. The vibration and the tinkling of the sounds of the metallophones is enough to make one think of the splendid orchestras which once served the Balinese rajas back in the old feudalistic days when it was considered divine music from the God of Love: Semara. This type of orchestra disappeared when the Dutch took over Bali in the early part of the 21st Century. Many of the gamelans which belonged to wealthy patrons and kings, often the orchestra fell into dis-use and disrepair. Due to the no patronage or anyone willing to finance such huge orchestras which would have cost a fortune to maintain back in the old days before the Dutch took over. While others soon where reforged into the more popular style known as gamelan gong kebyar which was taking Bali by storm in the early 1910s.

Colin McPhee with a few handful of musicians kept the gamelan semar pegulingan alive and its so wonderful to see the music being preserved and handed down from teacher to student as well as father to son. Old compositions being handed down and taught so that it may never be lost. I found the music to be quite relaxing especially the tuning which made it very light and airy because of the jinggling of the metallophones, the wonderful sound of the flute which gave it a unique timbre making the music more alus "refined" as it is. This is the best music I have come so far in regards to gamelan semar pegulingan. The beating of the drums and the clatters of the cymbals gently swaying as the musicians play and ornamentate on the metallophones as well as the trompong (one single musician playing a set of kettle gongs mounted on a horizontal frame, played with beaters).

The music and tracks are very wonderful, each of them carefully explained about what the music is and what the purpose is though. I found it full of information and very helpful to read as well, there are some small photographs of the instrumentation and also some of the musicians too. I enjoyed many of tracks and they seemed to be popular compositions that I have heard on other cd recording of the gamelan semar pegulingan. The most well known version of a famous dance piece known as legong kraton is the most popular. There are different genres and also different version of it. In this recording the introduction is different from compared to the one recorded by David Parson in Vol. The Music of Bali: Tirta Sari - Legong Gamelan. Slightly shorter but the same theme running through the whole piece which I found every enjoyable. Though a little loud in this version, there is no narration of the story in kawi (Old Javanese langauge - which is used in Balinese dance drama or theatre). However it has retained that gracefullness that I see in the young little legong kraton dancers as the whole story is enacted though. The climax builds to the end of the story when the Prince Lasem goes and fights his enemy whom he had abducted Princess Langkasari or Rangkasari from. In the short and fast tempo cycle the music becomes very fast and one can hear the gender (metallophones played with two beaters suspended over bamboo resonators) ornamentate the music and also emphasize the sudden movements of the dance and the battle scenes. The gong agung punctate loud but short beats, creating heavy booming tones which is typical of Balinese music. Very wonderful piece composed in regards to this heavenly dance. Danced by young girls at the ages of 7-10. The legong dancers retire by the time they start puberty.

Other recordings contain pieces that have originated from gambuh dance drama like tabuh gari which a piece performed which signaled the end of a performance. This piece contains performances on the trompong which is the lead instrument as well, elaborating its melody above the core melody which I often enjoy the metallic gong ringing. There are other pieces that were composed by the great Wayan Lotring who said he often dreamt about compositions and melodies for the gamelan semar pegulingan music. While others were tradition pieces that have been around for generations, some pieces have been revived and given a whole new playing style even though the playing style maybe different. However the music itself is still good.

The closest music of gamelan semar pegulingan that I would have to say has the same instrumentation would have to be Music of Bali: Gamelan Semar Pegulingan from the Village of Ketewel recorded by Wayne Vitale, Gamelan Semar Pegulingan of the Village of Binoh from World Music Library. These three cds I would have to recommend in regards to wanting to hear some really good semar pegulingan music. The all come from different parts of Bali but their tuning is pretty different from each other which I like at least you get some variations on regards to the tones and pitches of each orchestra. I give this cd the thumbs up. Sweet and divine music from the Balinese God of Love is indeed sweet like honey straight from a beehive.

Exquisite.......2003-10-31

The music heard on this recording is probably my favorite out of all gamelan pieces I have come across, be it recorded or live. Track 2, Gamang, never ceases to captivate me. There is something new to listen to each time I put it on, and it never tires. Certain music, owing itself to human beginnings, eventually reaches a point where there is endless wonder that is beyond human, like a tree that could never be designed by man, but might have been planted and nurtured by one. Forgetting what science my assert, something must be said for musicians that actually believe the spirit of the gods is breathing through them as they play, rather than mortal self-expression of much of western pop culture. In my opinion this can be heard in recordings such as this (if you can't make it to Bali). As a musician myself, and gamelan member, this music -- showing mastery of both composition and performance -- provides much needed inspiration and affirmation.

My other favorite recording is one called "Best of Gamelan Bali," a 6-track CD. Despite the rather tacky title, it is actually quite amazing but not available on Amazon. I believe my father got it in Bali. If anyone has recommendations, I would greatly welcome an email: akuhn@berklee.net

If you were to only own one Explorer disc..........2003-05-09

I came to own this album by an amazing stroke of luck. One day, while fishing around my favorite music store, I walked into the world music section for the first time. Feeling disgruntled with my extensive (though musically shallow) CD collection, I figured it was time to spice things up a bit. I left the store with this CD. Popping it in my car's CD player, I made it through the first ten minutes (and halfway home) when I turned around, went back to the store, and bought four more discs from Nonesuch's Indonesia series. Such is the power of the Gamelan of the Love God.

The music presented here will capture your mind and your spirit, and will whisk them away to a time and place far removed from the doldrums of everyday life. No matter where you are, or what your situation, you'll feel that warm tropical breeze overtaking your senses from the first notes, to well beyond the triumphant finale. The well-written liner notes afford tremendous insight into the Balinese gamelan style, both from a technical and a cultural vantage point. Finally, the digital remastering is a work of art that makes the music shine on even the worst stereo systems.

I now own the entire Nonesuch Indonesia series, and am currently halfway through the Africa series as well. Thanks to this CD, I've been turned on to a music that I had never heard of in my 25 sheltered years of life. However, I'll be collecting gamelan extensively from now on. If you're only going to own one disc in the Explorer series, this is it.

Arguably the most beautiful sound in Bali.......2003-04-03

Bali ý Gamelan Semar Pegulingan: The Gamelan of the Love God

The famous gamelan heard on this recording was kept in composer/ethnomusicologist Colin McPheeýs house in Bali during the 1930s, when he was collecting material for his authoritative work, ýMusic in Bali.ý It is pictured therein, as well as in McPheeýs charming autobiography about those days called ýA House in Bali.ý McPheeýs chauffeur and musical guide was I Made Lebah, one of Baliýs greatest musicians, who directs the present ensemble.

In the early 1960s, some of Dr. Mantle Hoodýs graduate students at UCLA, who had studied with Colin McPhee in the last years before his death in 1964, found their way to Bali and became acquainted with Lebah. Inevitably we all began to ask about the famous Semar Pegulingan, wondering what had become of it. Anak Agung Gde Mandra, a member of the local nobility who owned the instruments and who had been the groupýs drummer in the 1930s, conceived the idea of restoring the gamelan after some thirty years of neglect, and the instruments were collected (some, famously, from beneath Made Lebahýs bed!), refurbished, and Mandera sent them to a banjar in the south of Pliatan village, where Lebah recruited a group, largely of young men in their teens, to start learning the old repertoire.

Those men are now aging, but the group, which visited Europe and Japan in its heyday, continues to play. The present recording, however, the first ever made of the group in 1971, reflects the youthful vigor of the players in its early days. More than that, the repertoire recorded here is what Made Lebah had played at McPheeýs house in the 1930s. This recording, then, is a kind of time warp back to that wonderful period in Bali before the Second World War, when such people as McPhee, Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson, Miguel Covarrubias, Walter Spies, and others were creating the legend of a paradise on earth called Bali.

Later on, one of the senior players in the group, Made Grindem, along with others, decided to update things by adding pieces in a newer kebyar-influenced style to the repertoire, and Made Lebah departed. However, the pieces he brought to the group, some of them from the old palace musician, Guru Lunyuh of Payangan village, McPheeýs informant, and from McPheeýs friend, the composer I Lotring of Kuta village, are still played as Lebah taught them, and remain the foundation of the Teges repertoire as it exists today.

On this recording are old pieces like Tabuh Gari and Sinom Ladrang, Lotring's famous evocation of the syncopated music of the gambang xylophone ensemble, and the complete music for a legong, Bali's reknowned classical dance, usually performed by three highly trained little girls. In this case it is the music for the Playon story, not the Legong Lasem, which is most frequently heard today. Although the legong music is now more often played on the larger gong kebyar gamelan, the more delicate gamelan pelegongan, which adds two gender instruments to the semar pegulingan ensemble, is the instrumentation for which is was conceived, and conveys its spirit most perfectly.

I feel proud to have made this recording of the rare and exceedingly beautiful Gamelan Semar Pegulingan from Teges village, and can recommend it as an aural link to the past world of the late Colin McPhee, my teacher, and the late Made Lebah, my dear good friend, sorely missed.

Dr. Robert E. Brown
Center for World Music
San Diego, California...

Bali: Golden Rain
Average customer rating:

my introduction to Balinese music

Bali: Golden Rain
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God

Bali: Music from the Morning of the World

Explorer: Bali - Gamelan & Kecak

Explorer: Bali - Music for the Shadow Play

Explorer: Java - Court Gamelan 2

ASIN: B000083GHM
Release Date: 2003-01-28

Tracks:

Gamelan Gong Kebjar: Hudjan Mas (Golden Rain)
Gamelan Gong Kebjar: Tumililingan (Bumblebee)
Ketjak: The Ramayana Monkey Chant

Amazon.com

The gradual reissue of the complete Nonesuch Explorer Series on CD continues with 13 albums of field recordings from the South Pacific and Indonesia. Producer David Lewiston's follow-up to his legendary Music from the Morning of the World opens with two chiming, irresistible gamelan tracks, which sound like a cross between a carillon struck by raindrops and half-time in heaven. But the final piece, "Kecak," is a mesmerizing 22-minute chant based upon the Ramayana, a 2,000-year-old epic. It is performed by 100 or more men, who squat in a circle facing one another. The tale of Rama and Sita's rescue by a friendly horde of monkeys is told via propulsive, interwoven shouts, cries, and exhortations. The work also serves as an exorcism, since demons move only in a straight line and are confused by jagged rhythms. A late-night FM radio favorite during the '60s, this piece is still an astonishing experience. --Christina Roden

Album Description

Nowhere is the richness of Balinese art more evident than in this glittering music, which employs a 25-piece orchestra of xylophone-like bronze-keyed instruments, tuned gongs, cymbals, drums and flutes. Recorded in Bali by David Lewiston, originally released in 1969. Slipcase. Nonesuch. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

my introduction to Balinese music.......2003-07-11

Like Ms Roden, I heard this not long after it was issued.
I remember one night partying and someone put this on. Let us say that I was in for quite a surprise when I first heard Kecak, or as the Balinese call it 'Cak'. This is a massive chorus of male voices singing powerful rhythms.

The gamelan piece is Gong Kebyar, which is the most common gamelan at the time of this recording. This performance is nothing special, there probably are others out that are more ambitious.

South Pacific (1996 Studio Cast) (First Complete Recording)
Average customer rating:

Great complete recording

Complete but not Perfect

Complete Score Recording

Complete Score Recording

Bali Hai WILL Call You!

South Pacific (1996 Studio Cast) (First Complete Recording)
Richard Rodgers , and Oscar Hammerstein II
Manufacturer: Jay Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Broadway & Vocalists | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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South Pacific (Royal National Theatre Production - 2001 London Cast)

South Pacific (Original 1949 Broadway Cast)

South Pacific (Collector's Edition)

South Pacific in Concert from Carnegie Hall

The King and I (1964 Lincoln Center Cast)

ASIN: B000005BGW
Release Date: 1997-03-11

Tracks:

Overture - NSO/John Owen Edwards
Dites-Moi - John Matthew Lao/Samantha Raven
A Cockeyed Optimist - Paige O'Hara
Twin Soliloquies - Paige O'Hara/Justino Diaz
Some Enchanted Evening - Justino Diaz
Finaletto - Justino Diaz/Paige O'Hara/Andre Mutis/Samantha Raven/John Matthew Lao
Bloody Mary - Men
There Is Nothin' Like A Dame - Men/Pat Suzuki
Mary And Lootellan - Pat Suzuki/Sean McDermott
Bali Ha'i - Pat Suzuki
Cable Hears Bali Ha'i - Brian Greene/Sean McDermott
Company Street - NSO/John Owen Edwards
I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair - Paige O'Hara/Girls
Some Enchanted Evening (Reprise) - Paige O'Hara/Justino Diaz
A Wonderful Guy - Paige O'Hara/Girls
Bali Ha'i - Girls
Younger Than Springtime - Sean McDermott/Girls
A Wonderful Guy - Justino Diaz/Paige O'Hara
This Is How It Feels - Justino Diaz/Paige O'Hara
Finale Act One - Paige O'Hara/Justino Diaz/John Matthew Lao/Samantha Raven

Tracks:

Entr'Acte - NSO/John Owen Edwards
Opening Act Two - NSO/John Owen Edwards
Entrane Of Liat - NSO/John Owen Edwards
Happy Talk - Pat Suzuki
Incidental/Younger Than Springtime (Reprise) - Pat Suzuki/Sean McDermott
Honey Bun - Paige O'Hara/Company
You've Got To Be Carefully Taught - Sean McDermott/Justino Diaz
This Nearly Was Mine - Justino Diaz
After Emile's Solo - Justino Diaz/Sean McDermott
Communications Established - NSO/John Owen Edwards/Ron Raines/Justino Diaz
Communications Discontinued - Paige O'Hara/Girls/Pat Suzuki
Operation Alligator - NSO/John Owen Edwards
Honey Bun - Company
Finale Ultimo - Paige O'Hara/John Matthew Lao/Samantha Raven/Justino Diaz
Exit Music - NSO/John Owen Edwards

Amazon.com

The only major Rodgers and Hammerstein show not to have had a major Broadway revival, South Pacific receives its first complete recording, capturing 107 minutes of classic songs as well as reprises and underscored dialogue. Given the thankless task of succeeding Mary Martin of the original Broadway cast is the wonderful Paige O'Hara (Disney's Beauty and the Beast, John McGlinn's Show Boat), full of sass and spunk as Nellie Forbush. Although this Emile De Becque, Justino Diaz, isn't actually a Frenchman (but hey, neither was Ezio Pinza), his accent is only a faint distraction from his rich voice. Filling out the cast are tenor Sean McDermott as Lt. Joe Cable and Pat Suzuki (Flower Drum Song) as Bloody Mary. It's a very good recording, and an easy choice for anyone who wants the complete score. The only drawback is that, unlike other JAY Masterworks Editions, this one doesn't include extra songs, such as "My Girl Back Home," a song cut from the original production but restored for the 1958 film. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Great complete recording.......2004-07-19

In reply to M.Clegg's contention with regards to the status of the stars of this great complete recording, I would like to point out that all the main leads, Justino Diaz (New York City Opera Production), Paige O'Hara (Australian production), Sean McDermott (The Pace Production - USA) and Pat Suzuki (Long Beach Light Opera Production) have all played their respective roles on stage in various productions. This is clearly listed in the booklet of the recording. On the contary, I find their interpretation to be vivid and compelling. A great recording.

Complete but not Perfect.......2004-07-16

As with the complete recordings of Guys and Dolls and The Pajama Game, this double CD brings together the full score including uncut dance-breaks and incidental music. The orchastrations are fantastic but, like the others in this series, the cast suffer due to the 'studio' nature of the recording. There is little of the vibrancy and excitment of a Broadway Cast Recording because the cast are only singing the roles and have probably never seen the script at all. This means that many of the performances, while technically good, are characterless.
Paige O'Hara, excellent as the voice of Disney's Belle, plays the part a little too twee - yes, I know Nellie is a hick but she goes too far in that direction. Justino Diaz, as Emile, has a good voice that does not cover the lack of a personality. The rest of the cast are equally too note-perfect.
The people who will find this recording the most useful will be people, like myself, who are performers. When performing in a production of South Pacific this CD was very useful, more for the not-available-anywhere-else material than anything else. The dance music and the incidental stuff is useful to rehearse with.
On the whole, a worthy CD for the completist but if you want a more character-driven recording, search out one from an actual stage performance.

Complete Score Recording.......2000-04-11

We are performing South Pacific at my high school and this CD was really helpful in choreographing the dance numbers because it has the music in between the singing, in other words, the complete score.

Complete Score Recording.......2000-04-11

Bali Hai WILL Call You!.......2000-03-18

Ah...the memories. I remember this musical with fondness because it was the first musical that I had the honor of playing in the pit band for. Out of all of the South Pacific soundtracks, I love this one the most because it includes every song in the score (I checked)!

Average customer rating:

Wondermints
Great power pop
Not bad, not great.
Creativity and Listenability at it's Best
Bali Pop

Bali
Wondermints
Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Mind If We Make Love to You
Wondermints
Wonderful World of the Wondermints
Wondermints
Stars in the Sand

ASIN: B00004WK39
Release Date: 2000-08-22

Tracks:

(introduction)
arnaldo said
sting o'luv
in and around greg lake
my id/entity
telemetry
chris-craft no. 10
cellophane
dreamachine
spoke of a wheel whirled
hypnolove
puppet grrls r go
wanderlust
bali
Bonus Track 1
Bonus Track 2

Customer Reviews:

Wondermints.......2007-02-24

I bought this album several years ago at a Brian Wilson concert. It's a whole lot of great songs. Darian writes the kind of songs you wanna hear over and ever again. Also, thought the 80+ bonus tracks of waves followed by a rejected beer ad was pretty funny.

Great power pop.......2006-10-30

Terrific power pop album. The Brian Wilson influences are clear, and are wonderful.

Not bad, not great........2004-10-26

Bali is a clever pop offering but it's also over-reaching and too derivative for my tastes. Perhaps its only intention is to be an encomium of 60's pop. There are moments of brilliance. (Cellophane and Spoke of a Whirled Wheel being representative of that.) Does this cd draw me in and cause me to listen to it again and again as say Sgt Peppers or Pet Sounds does? Of course not. Is it entertaining? I suppose. There were moments when a chord change or selection of sounds caught me off guard but after a half dozen listenings I ended up skipping over a majority of the songs and the cd now sits in my kitchen underneath, I believe, a pile of papers.

Creativity and Listenability at it's Best.......2004-08-30

I've long been of the opinion that a truly magical recording just begs to be played again and again. "Bali' is such an album. Make no mistake, this is high art. I find Wondermint's sound to be SO refreshing and unique among the mass of noise out there. I confess to only recently discovering these wonderful artists last month when I purchased "Mind if We Make Love', which is also magic from beginning to end. Bali', which I understand was the predecessor to the aforementioned masterpiece, reveals more of the bands evolvement, (they make great back to back listens by the way... sounds like one continuum),

So, what sets these guys apart from the crowd? Well I guess it's like anything in music: you either really resonate with what you hear on a vibrational level or not. Well, I do. I LOVE this stuff. First of all, its surprizingly creative. Every song here goes into unexpected territory musically. They weave a beautiful tapestry of sound textures throughout and never stay too long on one... so the music is never boring and forever interesting. The guys are masterful musicians. Very complex and tight harmonies ride relentless high energy sound waves that continually change and take the listener on a pleasure ride.

But what I really notice as being refreshing is that this band really appreciates beauty in the way that the older great artists of the sixties embodied. By that I mean, vocal harmony, chording, etc. is just friendly to the ear. Lots of great vocal work that is arranged tightly with the instrumentation to create a total sound that is unique. And they play with a great deal of passion and youthful energy. It's music I feel in my gut. Their belief in thier art, and the authenticity really shines though.

'Bali' appears to be a theme album of sorts, but I'm still working on deciphering exactly what that is. Ha ha... it doesn't matter. The experience of listening is it's own reward. It has many fine moments, but really the whole set is of very high calibre. The stylish opener, 'Arnaldo Says' and the sweet following 'Sting o' Luv' are among my current songs that I just can't get enough of. 'Hypnolove' is also absolutely spellbinding, and is very high on my list of favorite songs by ANYONE at ANYTIME. It's pure magic! Other high points: 'In and around Greg Lake', 'Cellophane', 'Spoke of the Wheel Whirled', 'Wanderlust', 'Telemetry', well, I could on.... and include every track here! There is not a song here that is less than a wonderful song. These guys are the 'beatles' or 'beach boys' of the current generation. Immense talent. I hope they eventually get the public recognition they so much deserve.

Bottom line: Don't hesitate to buy this CD. Its a beautiful and very cool and original recording. Theres nothing else out there like it, except of course, for other Wondermint gems. But even then, this is unique unto itself.
VIVA WONDERMINTS!

Bali Pop.......2003-09-10

This is a terrific album by the best pop group to come along in years. The musicianship is stellar, the production is creative and intelligent and fun, and the melodies are the best I've heard from any modern band. Their many influences are incorporated smoothly and literately; they compliment the Wondermints' sound but never dominate it, and the songs are all fresh and different but still form a single cohesive album. The title song evokes the Beach Boys' "Smiley Smile" album.

Almost a kvetch: like much of what's around currently, these great songs tend towards a little glibness (e.g. a song about puppetoons); lyrics are clever without any great depth of feeling. This doesn't affect the pleasure of the listening experience, but they really take it to the next level lyrically and emotionally with great success on their next album, "Mind If We Make Love To You", a dynamic stride forward for the best band going.

Explorer: Bali - Gamelan & Kecak
Average customer rating:

Unbelievable music

Explorer: Bali - Gamelan & Kecak
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God

Bali: Golden Rain

Explorer: Bali - Music for the Shadow Play

Explorer: Java - Court Gamelan 2

Bali: Music from the Morning of the World

ASIN: B000084T5F
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Tracks:

Opening Parade, Bali Arts Festival
Gending Kebyar Kosalya Arini
Sekar Sungsang
Lagu Kodok (Frog Song)
Gending Sekar Gadung
Tabuh Teluh
Sulendro
Kecak
Baris

Album Description

Bali's most popular ensemble is still the large gamelan gong, consisting of 25 to 30 musicians. The principal melody instruments are metallophones, xylophone-like instruments with bronze keys. Sets of small, tuned gong kettles provide melodic ornaments, while the penetrating bass tones of great gongs punctuate larger phrases. Clashing cymbals add to the overall glitter. A flute or stringed instrument sweetens the melody. The entire structure is supported by two drummers, who create the crucial rhythmic underpinning. The kecak is uniquely Balinese. The rhythmic interlocking "tjak-tjak-tjak-tjak," chanted by a large group of male voices, originated as the accompaniment to an ancient trance dance. It is a performance of the Ramayana, where the monkey hordes come to the aid of King Rama in his battle with the evil King Rawana. The 80 members of the Sekaha Ganda Sari are heard in this kecak performance.

From the Pura Paku Alaman, Jogyakarta. K.R.T. Washington, director. Recorded in Java by Robert E. Brown. Originally released in 1989.

Customer Reviews:

Unbelievable music.......2006-10-05

I owned this recording on the original LP and am very impressed with the remastering done here. The kecak is much cleaner and more distinct without losing any of its power. Those who have not heard this music, especially the Ramayana monkey chant, are in a for a huge treat.

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