Sunset Boulevard [Soundtrack]

sunset boulevard [soundtrack]

On this CD:

Sunset Boulevard, film score
Composed by Franz Waxman
Performed by Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Conducted by Joel McNeely

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Billy Wilder's 1950 classic is an unsettling exploration of Hollywood's heart of darkness--and a beguiling, cautionary horror film at heart. Like the best of that genre, it turns on an axis of human foibles--greed, ambition, delusion, narcissism--that aren't exactly metaphorical in Wilder's skilled hands. The director's musical accomplice, Franz Waxman, was hardly a stranger to the genre, either; his Bride of Frankenstein remains an undisputed classic. Hard to believe, but this glorious new digital recording of Waxman's Oscar^®-winning music for Sunset Boulevard marks the first release of the film's complete soundtrack. Carefully evoking every detail and nuance in Waxman's masterful score, conductor Joel McNeely and producer Robert Townson have turned in one of their most rewarding classic film score re-creations yet, offering up a compelling Waxman who evokes Hollywood's golden age allure in one bar, then skewers it mercilessly the next. By turns romantic, mysterious, and thoroughly creepy, this Royal Scottish National Orchestra recording of Waxman's masterpiece should be a cornerstone of any serious collection of classic film music. --Jerry McCulley

Sunset Boulevard (Score),Franz Waxman,Joel McNeely,Royal Scottish National Orchestra,Varese Sarabande,Pop,Soundtrack,Soundtracks & Film Scores

Sunset Boulevard [Soundtrack]

Average customer rating:

Andrew LLoyd Webber - Gold Hits
The Gold By Andrew
The best of Webber
THE BEST OF LLOYD WEBBER MADE FOR THE AMERICAN AUDIENCES
Super good CD

Gold: The Definitive Hits Collection
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Very Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection
Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now & Forever
Greatest Songs from the Musicals
Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber: Original Soundtracks

ASIN: B0000657XY
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Tracks:

Superstar - Murray Head w/ the Trinidad Singers (Jesus Christ Superstar)
As If We Never Said Goodbye - Barbra Streisand (Sunset Boulevard)
The Phantom Of The Opera - Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford (The Phantom Of The Opera)
You Must Love Me - Madonna (Evita)
Any Dream Will Do-Donny Osmond (Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
Memory - Betty Buckley (Cats)
Pie Jesus - Charlotte Church (Requiem)
The Music Of The Night - Michael Crawford (The Phantom Of The Opera)
I Don't Know How To Love Him - Yvonne Elliman (Jesus Christ Superstar)
Don't Cry For Me Argentina -Patti Lupone (Evita)
Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball (Aspects Of Love)
All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman (The Phantom Of The Opera)
The Perfect Year - Glenn Close & Alan Campbell (Sunset Boulevard)
The Vaults Of Heaven - Tom Jones & Sounds Of Blackness (Whistle Down The Wind)
No Matter What - Boyzone (Whistle Down The Wind)
Oh What A Circus - Mandy Patinkin (Evita)
Whistle Down The Wind - Sarah Brightman (Whistle Down The Wind)
Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life) - Sarah Brightman & Jose Carrerras (1992 Olympics Theme)

Amazon.com

The critical debate over Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical legacy will no doubt rage for decades. Is he the shrewd populist composer who almost single-handedly revived the moribund stage musical--or a crass, Barnum-esque showman (who almost single-handedly revived the moribund stage musical)? This 18-track anthology chronicles the high points of Sir Andrew's enduring songcraft and the irrefutable impact it's made across a remarkably disparate swath of tastes and genres, from Broadway to Top 40 radio and even the classical repertoire.

If some have accused Lloyd Webber's songs--like "The Music of the Night" (from Phantom of the Opera) and the title tune from Whistle Down the Wind, included here--of having all the melodic and lyrical sophistication of a children's lullaby, that's likely the very element that's made them so appealing to a mass audience. If nothing else, it's a compelling argument for that old notion about it being "the singer, not the song." Indeed, there are few contemporary composers whose music could entice divas from Streisand ("As If We'd Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Blvd.) to Madonna (Evita's "You Must Love Me") and Charlotte Church ("Pie Jesu" from Requiem) to cover it, let alone forge the very careers of artists like Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. And if there's any substance to that other criticism of Lloyd Webber lifting the melodic ideas of composers from Verdi to John Williams (we swear that's the theme to Jurassic Park bubbling up in Tom Jones's camped-up take on Whistle's "The Vaults of Heaven"), at least, like virtually every major composer, he's stolen--er, borrowed--from the best. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Andrew LLoyd Webber - Gold Hits.......2007-07-13

I sent this CD to my parents and they love it! It is nice to preview the songs on-line instead of with greasy headphones in a music store! The shipping is always speedy and makes sending gifts across the country so much easier.

The Gold By Andrew.......2007-04-23

This cd is a must have for any Webber fan. It has many great songs from his most sucsessful musicals. But something I don't like about this cd is that some of the singer how sings some of the songs arn't the onse that sings the originals. Like "The Phantom Of The Opera" and "Love Changes Everything". Witch is so sad. Couse the original songs are so much better.
But besides that this cd is very good. With manye nice and difficult songs (I've sung some of the myself in siningclass).
So if you like Andrew's music this most sertanly is a most have.

The best of Webber.......2005-09-12

Although I like Andrew Llloyd Webber and his music very much, this collection earns only 4 stars and it's not because of the quality of the music but the level of performers. If a best of collection is made it should contain the best version ever done and this time it's not true. I could write the same review for the European edition (labeled import here) because the blend of the two would be a perfect best of.

Some examples: this version contains Memory sung by Betty Buckley while the Elaine Page version is light years better. Then it contains Patti Lupone's version of Don't Cry For Me Argentina. Even though Madonna wasn't the best Evita, she definitely sung Argentina in a way no-one could before or will ever. Whistle Down The Wind is represented with 3 songs - the place of the Tom Jones song is not here (the same could be said of Tina Arena's song o the European edition). Instead of the TJ song they could have included Take That Look Off Your Face by Marti Webb - one of the best songs by Webber. Pie Jesu from the Requiem is much better sung by Sarah Brightman. These are the faults.

What about the rest? Pure joy and material worth of 6 stars. Superstar, Phantom Of The Opera, Music Of The Night, I Don't Know How To Love Him, All I Ask Of You, No Matter What, Oh What A Circus - wonderful songs and wonderful performers. My all-time favorite from Webber will always be Music Of The Night and the version included here is the mesmerizing adaptation of Michael Crawford.

I don't advise anyone not to buy this album - it's good material, however it's far from being perfect.

THE BEST OF LLOYD WEBBER MADE FOR THE AMERICAN AUDIENCES.......2005-01-31

There are numerous compilations out on the market full of Andrew Lloyd Webber's music. As most people know, Lloyd Webber is the most successful musical composer of all time and many of his songs became standards not only in the theatre history, but also as tops on the charts. Even though he's British, his influence on the shape of the modern musical theatre expanded over the West End boundaries long ago and has thus made an enormous impact on Broadway. Two of his shows ("Cats" and "The phantom of the opera") hold the record as two the longest running shows in the history of Broadway. He has also been the only composer to have three of his shows running at Broadway concurrently. This compilation captures some of the best songs he has ever written, he personally supervised it and it is the best thing to have if you can't afford his five-CD compilation called "Now and forever", which was selected and supervised by him as well. You should bear in mind, however, that there are two compilations called Gold out there: The one made for the European and the British market, and this one, made for the American buyers. Some of the songs on both of them are the same, the others are performed by different artists and some can be found only in one of the two. This one here was issued later and it is digitally remastered. Therefore you should check your favourites and buy accordingly, or, if you can, buy them both, since both of them contain interesting songs and performers.

So here are my thoughts about the tracks in this one:

1. "Superstar" and "I don't know how to love him" are both from the concept album of "Jesus Christ Superstar". They sound wonderful as ever, although the orchestrations may seem a bit dated by now.

2. "Sunset Boulevard" is marked here with two songs. Barbra Streisand's powerful voice shines all the way through in "As if we never said goodbye"; it's a shame she never played Norma Desmond on Broadway, since Patti LuPone wasn't allowed to take her Norma to New York, and Glenn Close butchered the role. Her limited vocal abilities were hardly suited for the material, as it is shown by the second Sunset song, "The perfect year", performed by Close and Alan Campbell. They both lack a decent singing voice, so this is the one song I skip regularly. The song itself sounds much better in its single version with pops orchestration, as can be heard on the European version of this compilation, where it is performed by Dina Carroll. This version here can hardly be considered a gold one.

3. "The Phantom of the Opera" is represented by three songs. Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman performance in the song of the same title is amazing. They were both born to play their roles in this show and their voices fit together perfectly. Sarah can hit the high notes in the end like no other Christine. Cliff Richard and Sarah sing the lovely ballad "All I ask of you" with passion, and Cliff has a wonderful warmth in his voice. Finally, Michael Crawford gives his unique and mesmerising interpretation in "The music of the night".

4. The 1996 movie version of "Evita" is Madonna's best role to date and it brought an Academy Award for Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, who wrote "You must love me" especially for the big screen. This is another wonderful ballad with the haunting cello and piano solo. It just proves that Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were the best collaborators. They really should do another musical together.

5. "The Joseph and his amazing Technicolor dreamcoat" was Webber's first musical and the signature song "Any dream will do" is performed here by Donny Osmond, who also appeared in the video version. I find his rendition even better than London's Jason Donovan, since Donny isn't strictly bound by the notes and so sings it more casually. A wonderful pop piece.

6."Memory" from "Cats" is probably the most famous of all Webber's songs, recorded by numerous artists. This version is sung by Betty Buckley, who was Broadway's Grizabella. Although Betty's performance can't be considered bad, I prefer Elaine Paige, who sung the song first, in the London production. Elaine has a note of sorrow in her at times husky voice, which I found very intriguing. Her performance can be considered definite, as heard on "Cats" DVD or in her latest two-disc compilation, "Centre stage: The very best of Elaine Paige", issued in May 2004. Still, those who prefer Ms. Buckley or who saw her on stage in this role won't be disappointed.

7. "Pie Jesu" is the best known song from Webber's "Requiem", written in 1985 to commemorate the death of his father. I'm not too keen on the version included here, performed by Charlotte Church, because her voice isn't as pretty as Sarah Brightman's on the original recording and the tempo is somewhat faster here.

8. "Don't cry for me Argentina" is among my all-time Lloyd Webber's favourites. I like all the ladies who performed "Evita" on the stage and on the screen (Julie Covington, Elaine Paige, Patti LuPone and Madonna), but on this disc is the version I am most satisfied with, since it is sung by Patti LuPone. Ms. LuPone has a very powerful voice with an amazing range and she deserved her Tony Award for this role. She was able to sound both vulnerable and decisive while singing this, whereas the other leading ladies emphasized one or the other in their interpretation. Mandy Patinkin's "Oh what a circus" is not the best, the orchestration is a little bit weak and his voice sounds thin to me. David Essex on the London cast recording is more suitable.

9. "Aspects of love" boast here with its top song, "Love changes everything", performed wonderfully by Michael Ball. It was his #1 hit and is probably one of the most beautiful love anthems ever written.

10. Three songs come from "Whistle down the wind". The studio release of the same title is one of the reasons I bought this compilation, although I already have the European one. It is performed by Sarah Brightman with Lloyd Webber playing the piano and a symphonic orchestra who nicely takes the lead of the main melody. Sarah voice is angelic; she sings it like a little bird. Very charming. Boyzone's "No matter what" was a huge pop hit in the charts. Again, we have a song with the suitable orchestrations and vocals. And lastly, Tom Jones' deep voice in combination with the back vocals of "The Sounds of Blackness" gives a rocking rendition of the church hymn "The vaults of heaven". It can't be found on the European version and Tom's voice shows it hasn't aged. Way to go.

11. For the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Webber wrote, together with his long-time lyricist Don Black, this last song, "Amigos para siempre or Friends for life". It's a nice duet between Sarah Brightman and Jose Carreras, their voices sore when bound together. The melody itself is neat, especially when the orchestra takes the lead.

Besides the fact that some of the performers here were not the best for my taste, there is also the fact that some of Lloyd Webber's shows are omitted in this version, most notably, "Tell me on a Sunday". Also, unlike its European counterpart, this compilation isn't aligned chronologically, so we have 1970 Superstar being the first song, 1993 Sunset Blvd comes the second, followed by The Phantom from 1986 and so on. None the less, this CD is excellent as an introduction to Lloyd Webber's music and one can continue with his cast recordings from there. It's also very handy as a single disc compilation for the American fans.

Super good CD.......2004-12-31

The songs on this CD are great. If you also play piano, the book of the same title goes perfectly with the CD. You can following along with the music and learn the songs on the piano.

Mulholland Drive: Original Motion Picture Score

Average customer rating:

In this dream, you are Betty Elms
Badalamenti does it again.
Take a drive through David Lynch's musical hell and deluding darkness...
dark and (often) beautiful
A dark journey through the sphere of horror.

Mulholland Drive: Original Motion Picture Score
Angelo Badalamenti , and David Lynch
Manufacturer: Milan Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005PJ9K
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

Jitterbug
Mulholland Drive
Rita Walks/Sunset Boulevard/Aunt Ruth
Diner
Mr. Roque/Betty's Theme
The Beast
Bring It On Home
I've Told Every Little Star
Dwarfland/Love Theme
Silencio
Llorando (Crying)
Pretty 50s
Go Get Some
Diane And Camilla
Dinner Party Pool Music
Mountains Falling
Mulholland Drive/Love Theme

Amazon.com

Director David Lynch's affection for kitschy lounge music and emotionally overwrought mid-century pop has long since proven to be more than trend or irony; indeed, it's often the uneasy spiritual axis of his films. The soundtrack of Mulholland Dr. turns on the usual Lynchian motifs (the brooding atmosphere of Angelo Badalamenti's ominous synth-and-orchestra cues tossed with a dash of Lynch's own off-center compositions), yet manages to evoke a sense of foreboding that's distinctly its own. Badalamenti leads off with a curve, the nervous orchestra swing-romp "Jitterbug," before descending into a dark soundscape that becomes murkier and more avant-goth at every turn. Bubbling through that morass are pop nuggets variously cheesy (Dave Cavanaugh's lounge-ready "The Beast"), lugubriously bluesy (Sonny Boy Williamson's take on Willie Dixon's "Bring It On Home"), and alternately innocent ("I've Told Every Little Star") and liturgical ("Llorando"). Three tracks of the director's own (cowritten with John Neff) skulking Lounge Music from Hell ratchet up the tension even further; it's the perfect garnish for this darkly delicious film-music cocktail. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

In this dream, you are Betty Elms.......2007-01-13

The reviews here simply don't do justice to the soundtrack. It's very hypnotizing and elevates you to this reality that you indeed have the same mental energy displayed by the first character of Betty Elms, who Diane Selwyn identifies with as herself in a dream she is having. The dark scenery conveyed by this music puts you in her place, where through darkness you hold to your innocence. The movie and music interplay in this way to the effect of putting you in that darkness where you are the same girl that Diane is seeing in her dream, the girl she knows herself to be without the hellish reality she is in as a sort of resolve to the hell she's in. This Naomi Watts specifically conveyed what I thought is a part of me that may also be a part of you, and you will notice it in the way you look at things and how your face expresses your innocence to a dark world. Then there is the music for Rita. I also reviewed the movie, which I also recommend. My favorite track is the 9th one in this respect. Secondly, which you may find suitable for your funeral, is the last song. The rest I almost prefer watching the movie and appreciating it all while viewing, but it's music you must have after you've seen it.

Badalamenti does it again........2006-11-17

If you're a fan of Angelo Badalamenti's scores for David Lynch, you'll want to add this to your collection as well. Haunting synth pieces lull you into the dreamlike world Lynch created with this film, and there are some other types of music to jazz it up a little. Particularly striking is Rebekah Del Rio's cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying."

Take a drive through David Lynch's musical hell and deluding darkness..........2006-06-26

To start of, I regard "Mulholland Dr." as David Lynch magnum opus, his most masterfully created cinema of deceit, lust and darkness. Compelling, totally deranged, original, sometimes hilarious funny, and three minutes later scary as hell.

David Lynch's movies are always heavy set on atmosphere, and this is partly caused by the director's long time musical collaborator Angelo Badalamenti. From the jazzy, loungy tunes for the t.v. series "Twin Peaks" to the dark overtones of "Blue Velvet", Badalamenti knows wich buttons to push to make an eerie composition, a few notes of estrangeness and give the audience an unsetteling feeling.

"Mulholland Dr." is filled with music. Most of it is purely on the soundrack with Badalamenti's score coming very close to high quality dark ambient acts like Lustmord, Raison d'Etre or Hazard, others are sung "live" in the movie, like Linda Scott's sweet bubblegumish "I've told every little star", two very hip tunes ("The beast" by Milt Buckner and Sonny Boy Williamson's "Bring it on home") and of course Rebekah Del Rio's acapella performance of "llorando", the Spanish version of Roy Orbison's evergreen.

But the greatest surprise to me were three tracks by David Lynch himself in collaboration with one John Neff. And these three pieces are to be find on a solo cd by David Lynch called "Blue Bob".
I never knew before seeing "Mulholland Dr." that David Lynch is also a guiter player and singer. Now I know and I must say that his song "Mountains falling" is the most brooding, creeping, swirling and erotic sounding piece of electric guitar music I have ever heard.

So play this album and hit the road, Jack. And pray that indeed you will come back...

dark and (often) beautiful.......2005-11-25

anyone who has seen mulholland drive knows that the soundtrack lent a very important hand to the overall vibe of the movie. so you would think that it would be hard to enjoy one without the other, but this soundtrack suceeds very well on its own. alot of film scores are fine and enhance the movie while yr watching it, but are trash when taken alone and this sndtrk is kind of above that. i'm not really big on any of the lynch/neff tracks, but they work fine in the movie. the other songs that weren't written by badalamenti are pretty good and are a nice change of pace. my favorite tracks are dwarfland/love theme (especially the latter half), mulholland drive/love theme, llorando, and diane and camilla. i dont believe that diane and camilla was in the movie, but its a very beautiful piece that i think sums up the diane/camilla relationship quite well. anyway, i really like this cd and anyone who enjoyed the film would do well to pick this up

A dark journey through the sphere of horror........2005-10-26

It may not be a horror movie, but the score for Mulholland Drive could be a journey through the ultimate graveyard or haunted house on a stormy Halloween night. I have never even seen the movie, though I love David Lynch's movies for the most part. This score is a dark and haunting musical journey that might work well for a score to a creepy vampire movie or something. Some of it, including the heavy jazzy and dark rock pieces, might be better suited for a suspense thriller, which it is. But the more ambient dark themes could work in any supernatural thriller much as Mark Snow's music could. Enjoy the tour! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores

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Great Movies have Great Soundtracks!
Only Disc 1 Is Worth Anything
More of a propaganda CD
Great selection of Film Hits!
Older recordings, main themes only

Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000068TN9
Release Date: 2002-07-02

Tracks:

Saving Private Ryan 'Hymn To The Fallen' - John Williams
Double Indemnity 'Prelude' - Miklos Rozsa
The Lost Weekend 'Finale' - Miklos Rozsa
The Heiress 'Departure/Morris Suggests Love/The Proposal/Finale' - Aaron Copland
Sunset Boulevard 'Prelude' - Franz Waxman
The Ten Commandments 'Prelude' - Elmer Bernstein
Breakfast At Tiffany's 'Moon River' - Henry Mancini
Hatari! 'Baby Elephant Walk' - Henry Mancini
Rosemary's Baby 'Main Title (Vocal)' - Christopher Komeda
Romeo & Juliet 'Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet' - Nino Rota
Once Upon A Time In The West 'Once Upon A Time In The West' - Ennio Morricone
Love Story 'Theme From Love Story' - Francis Lai
The Godfather 'Main Title (The Godfather Waltz)' - Nino Rota
The Godfather 'Love Theme From The Godfather' - Nino Rota
Chinatown 'Love Theme From Chinatown (Main Title) - Jerry Goldsmith
The Godfather - Part II 'End Title' - Nino Rota
Star Trek: The Motion Picture 'End Title' - Jerry Goldsmith
Raiders Of The Lost Ark 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' - John Williams
Terms Of Endearment 'Theme From Terms Of Endearment' - Michael Gore
Flashdance 'Love Theme From Flashdance' - Giorgio Moroder
Beverly Hills Cop 'Axel F' - Harold Faltermeyer

Tracks:

Witness 'Building The Barn' - Maurice Jarre
Children Of A Lesser God 'Main Title' - Michael Convertino
The Untouchables 'The Strength Of The Righteous (Main Title)' - Ennio Morricone
Fatal Attraction 'Fatal Attraction' - Maurice Jarre
The Addams Family 'Main Title' - Marc Shaiman
Dead Again 'Winter 1948' - Patrick Doyle
Indecent Proposal 'Flashback & Photos' - John Barry
The Firm 'How Could You Lose Me?-End Title' - Dave Grusin
Clear And Present Danger 'Main Title/A Clear And Present Danger' - James Horner
Braveheart 'For The Love Of A Princess' - James Horner
Primal Fear 'Courtroom Montage' - James Newton Howard
Mission: Impossible 'Zoom B' - Danny Elfman
Star Trek: First Contact 'End Credits' - Jerry Goldsmith
Titanic 'Hard To Starboard' - James Horner
The Rugrats Movie 'Baby Shower Happenings' - Mark Mothersbaugh
The Talented Mr. Ripley 'Italia' - Gabriel Yared
Rules Of Engagement 'Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful)' - Mark Isham
Mission: Impossible 2 'The Bait' - Hans Zimmer
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider 'Main Titles' - Graeme Revell
Vanilla Sky 'To The Roof' - Nancy Wilson
The Sum Of All Fears 'The Mission' - Jerry Goldsmith
Forest Gump 'I'm Forrest...Forrest Gump' - Alan Silvestri

Amazon.com

Granddaddy of the Hollywood studios, Paramount Pictures is rightfully proud of its century of contributions to both American cinema and the art of film scoring. But the first disc of this 43-track double-CD anthology merely hints at the studio's musical peaks, blithely skipping through its first seven decades in just 17 tracks. Indeed, the package as a whole seems more interested in marketing its post-'70s catalog of hits and blockbusters than it does in paying real homage to history and roots. Even rarities like Double Indemnity and The Lost Weekend are served up via modern budget-line rerecordings, as is Ennio Morricone's epochal Once upon a Time in the West). Contemporary recordings of Aaron Copland's rare score to The Heiress and Franz Waxman's great Sunset Blvd. fare better, but soundtrack fans may miss the originals. The studio's rich pop-crossover successes in the '60s are documented via Breakfast at Tiffany's "Moon River" and excerpts from Romeo and Juliet and Love Story, while successful franchises like Star Trek and Raiders also get their due. Too often the '90s-focused second disc only underscores some uncomfortable trends in contemporary scoring--orchestral nervous tics punctuated by booming crescendos, treacly piano Muzak--and makes one wonder if the music of The Rugrats Movie and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider are really film music milestones. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Great Movies have Great Soundtracks!.......2007-05-10

If you love movies and movie music, you can't go wrong with this two cd Paramount Anniversary set.

Only Disc 1 Is Worth Anything.......2006-07-19

Normally I have a lot to say in my reviews, but not this time. The main problem with this collection is that all the most memorable film scores are just on one disc, with the second used mostly to play out stuff from the last ten years that, really, musically isn't very memorable and only includes three pieces anyone will recognize just because, like the movies they come from, they're based on old TV shows - The Addams Family, Star Trek, and Mission: Impossible.

And that brings up another problem. With all due respect to the late Jerry Goldsmith, who has provided some truly great classic movie scores, was it REALLY necessary to include TWO versions of the SAME Star Trek march in this collection? This seems evocative of the milk-it-for-all-its-worth attitude Paramount has had lately toward its now-tarnished crown-jewel franchise. Where's James Horner's theme music from Star Trek II and III? If they're gonna put Star Trek on here twice, they should have provided a little diversity. It wouldn't have taken much, I'm sure.

I'm sure that Paramount's had other films with far more memorable music (even Harold Faltermeyer's Top Gun Anthem could have helped on Disc 2). This just seems like a lazy attempt at something that really could have been great.

More of a propaganda CD.......2002-10-30

There are some really great songs on this 2 CD set. However, those really great songs seem to be lightly interspersed amongst a large number of forgettable songs whose main purpose seems to be to remind you of those movies you enjoy(ed) so much.

It seems a little odd to me that out of 90 years of film making the most memorable scores have been largely released within the last few years. I was pleased to find themes from the Godfather, Indiana Jones and Witness. I was perplexed with the inclusion of songs from Rugrats, both Mission Impossible movies (one would have been more than enough) and Tomb Raider (memorable???).

This is my own personal bias, but I do prefer movie soundtracks that evoke a feeling of excitement. With this collection I just couldn't get excited. I kept finding myself being let down by songs that didn't in some way complement the preceeding song.

There are certainly some great tracks here, but overall I was disappointed. My advise would be to look elsewhere.

Great selection of Film Hits!.......2002-09-25

This one was a pleasant surprise! I thought- how could any CD that had "Baby Elephant Walk" be all that good? This one is. Lots of great scores- classics and a few hidden treasures. After hearing the beautiful title score for "Children of a Lesser God", I had to buy the entire soundtrack - very soothing. There are a few that may seem too overplayed ("Love Story", "Raiders of the Lost Ark",), but most are a welcome addition to any compilation. Try NOT loving "Building the Barn" from "Witness" or the "Hymn to the Fallen" from "Saving Private Ryan". Hours of great listening.

Older recordings, main themes only.......2002-08-27

This is a great album concept, but I really wish Paramount had re-recorded these scores as they deserve to be heard. The tracks range from 1944 to the present, and the older recordings sound just like the cleaned-up older recordings that they are.

I would also personally have enjoyed more "secondary" music themes (otherwise it becomes like reading book summaries that always only quote the opening paragraph), and I could easily have done without the "pop" tunes (like Baby Elephant Walk and the Rugrats theme). In fact, it would have been very nice to listen to an album comprised of tracks chosen for their strong musical value rather than apparently for their box office and/or hit song popularity. But, to be fair, that may be precisely what draws some people to this CD set.

Tracks:

The Man from Snowy River (Bruce Rowland)
The Winds of War (Bob Cobert)
Blue Velvet (Angelo Badalamenti)
Witness (Maurice Jarre)
Raising Arizona (Carter Burwell)
Pee Wees Big Adventure (Danny Elfman)
Halloween (John Carpenter)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (Charles Bernstein)
The Fly (Howard Shore)
RoboCop (Basil Poledouris)
The Empire Strikes Back (John Williams)
The Right Stuff (Bill Conti)
The Final Conflict (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Abyss (Alan Silvestri)
Brainstorm (James Horner)
Peggy Sue Got Married (John Barry)
My Left Foot (Elmer Bernstein)
The Dead (Alex North)
Stanley & Iris (John Williams)
The Milagro Beanfield War (Dave Grusin)
Driving Miss Daisy (Hans Zimmer)

Tracks:

Steel Magnolias (Georges Delerue)
Unforgiven (Lennie Niehaus and Clint Eastwood)
Raggedy Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Grifters (Elmer Bernstein)
Green Card (Hans Zimmer)
City Slickers (Marc Shaiman)
Father Of The Bride (Alan Silvestri)
While You Were Sleeping (Randy Edelman)
Babe (Nigel Westlake)
The Adventures Of The Great Mouse Detective (Henry Mancini)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (Laurence Rosenthal)
The Secret Garden (Zbigniew Preisner)
A Little Princess (Patrick Doyle)
Rudy (Jerry Goldsmith)
Iron Will (Joel McNeely)
Memphis Belle (George Fenton)
Eye Of The Needle (Mikl)
Total Recall (Jerry Goldsmith)
Back To The Future Part III (Alan Silvestri)

Tracks:

To Die For (Danny Elfman)
The Player (Thomas Newman)
Black Robe (Georges Delerue)
Medicine Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
2001 (Alex North)
Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire (Joel McNeely)
The Crow (Graeme Revell)
Blade (Mark Isham)
The Omen (Jerry Goldsmith)
Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann)
Scream (Marco Beltrami)
The Sixth Sense (James Newton Howard)
Xena: Warrior Princess (Joseph LoDuca)
Air Force One (Jerry Goldsmith)
Starship Troopers (Basil Poledouris)
The Matrix (Don Davis)
The Iron Giant (Michael Kamen)
Youve Got Mail (George Fenton)
A Little Romance (Georges Delerue)
Pleasantville (Randy Newman)

Tracks:

Sunset Boulevard (Franz Waxman)
L.A. Confidential (Jerry Goldsmith)
Rounders (Christopher Young)
The Score (Howard Shore)
The Replacements (John Debney)
Gone In 60 Seconds (Trevor Rabin)
The Bourne Identity (John Powell)
Rush Hour 2 (Lalo Schifrin)
XXX (Randy Edelman)
Die Hard (Michael Kamen)
The Last of the Mohicans (Trevor Jones)
Moby Dick (Christopher Gordon)
The Mists Of Avalon (Lee Holdridge)
Cleopatra (Alex North)
Life As A House (Mark Isham)
Emma (Rachel Portman)
In The Bedroom (Thomas Newman)
Cast Away (Alan Silvestri)
One True Thing (Cliff Eidelman)
Unfaithful (Jan A.P. Kaczmarek)
Far From Heaven (Elmer Bernstein)
Ice Age (David Newman)
Shrek (Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell)

Customer Reviews:

A good value.......2007-05-17

I wasn't expecting to have 4 discs for this price, and the music is a quality selection of film music, giving a good scope of the genre, and a very listenable transfer.

The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann.......2006-07-25

This collection is bound to capture your heart and evoke a tin ear on successive tracks. I found much to like and some duds - easy to skip over.
Very good value.

Good mix of film music.......2006-07-02

Good mix of films!
I'm a big fan of this soundtrack music and will be looking for more CD's like this.

A mixed collection of movie music.......2006-02-23

For the price, this CD is a great bargain. The musical selections, as you might expect, are mixed in quality ranging from extraordinary to so so, the balance being worthwhile and interesting. Sonically the CD is excellent.

Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens.......2006-01-06

I have been listening to great scores for many years and this collection is truly inspirational in so far as the choice of different scores takes you on a journey of listening pleasure matched by only a few collections.The price is incredibly reasonable for hours of listening pleasure. Don't pass this one up

Average customer rating:

"56 Show-Stoppers from the Last Century ~ Paul Bateman"

Musicals - The Gold Collection
Helen Hobson , Dave Willetts , and Lesley Garrett
Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0001JXPB6
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Tracks:

West Side Story 'America' - Helen Hobson & Crouch End Festival Chorus
Annie 'Tomorrow' - Helen Hobson
Annie Get Your Gun 'Anything You Can Do' - Jason Howard
Annie Get Your Gun 'The Girl That I Marry/My Defences Are Down' - Jason Howard
Aspects Of Love 'Love Changes Everything' - Chris Corcoran
Anything Goes 'Anything Goes' - Helen Hobson
Cabaret 'Cabaret' - Helen Hobson
La Cage Aux Folles 'I Am What I Am' - Dave Willetts
Carmen Jones 'Dat's Love' - Lesley Garrett
Cats 'Memory' - Lesley Garrett
Cats 'Macavity: The Mystery Cat' - Deborah Steel
Carousel 'Soliloquoy' - Jason Howard
Carousel 'If I Loved You' - Paul Bateman
Carousel 'You'll Never Walk Alone' - Jason Howard

Tracks:

Chess 'I Know Him So Well' - Meredith Braun
Evita 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' - Sharon Campbell & Crouch End Festival Chorus
Evita 'Another Suitcase In Another Hall' - Sharon Campbell & Crouch End Festival Chorus
Evita 'High Flying Adored' - Meredith Braun
The Fantastiks 'Try To Remember' - John Langley & Crouch End Festival Chorus
Fiddler On The Roof 'If I Were A Rich Man' - John Langley
Gigi 'Gigi' - Keith Ferreira
Guys And Dolls 'Luck Be A Lady' - Dave Willetts
Jesus Christ Superstar 'Superstar' - Christopher Howard
Jesus Christ Superstar 'I Don't Know How To Love Him' - Sharon Campbell
Jesus Christ Superstar 'Everything's Alright' - Sharon Campbell
Joseph And His Amazing Technicolor Dream-Coat 'Close Every Door' - Crouch End Festival Chorus
Kismet 'And This Is My Beloved' - Lesley Garrett
Kismet 'Stranger In Paradise' - Jason Howard

Tracks:

Kiss Me Kate 'Where Is The Life That Late I Led?' - Jason Howard
A Little Night Music 'Send In The Clowns' - Helen Hobson
Les Miserables 'Bring Him Home' - Dave Willetts
Man Of La Mancha 'The Impossible Dream' - John Langley
Oklahoma 'Oh What A Beautiful Morning' - Jason Howard
Oklahoma 'The Surrey With The Fringe On Top' - Jason Howard
Oklahoma 'Oklahoma' - Jason Howard
Phantom Of The Opera 'Phantom Of The Opera' - Lesley Garrett
Phantom Of The Opera 'Music Of The Night' - Dave Willetts
Phantom Of The Opera 'All I Ask Of You' - Lesley Garrett
Porgy & Bess 'Summertime' - Lesley Garrett
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers 'Bless Your Beautiful Hide' - Jason Howard
Showboat 'Ol' Man River' - Jason Howard
Showboat 'Make Believe' - Jason Howard

Tracks:

The Sound Of Music 'The Sound Of Music' - Helen Hobson
The Sound Of Music 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain' - Tania Williams & Crouch End Festival Chorus
The Sound Of Music 'Edelweiss' - John Langley
South Pacific 'Some Enchanted Evening' - John Langley
South Pacific 'Younger Than Springtime' - David Shannon
Starlight Express 'Starlight Express' - Keith Burns
Sunset Boulevard 'Sunset Boulevard' - Gerard Casey
Sunset Boulevard 'With One Look' - Mary Carewe
Sunset Boulevard 'As If We Never Said Goodbye' - Mary Carewe
Tell Me On Sunday 'Tell Me On Sunday' - Sharon Campbell
West Side Story 'Maria' - David Shannon
West Side Story 'Tonight' (The Balcony Scene) - Meredith Braun
West Side Story 'Somewhere' - Meredith Braun
There's No Business Like Show Business & Annie Get Your Gun 'Theres No Business Like Showbusiness' - Helen Hobson & Crouch End Festival Chorus

Customer Reviews:

"56 Show-Stoppers from the Last Century ~ Paul Bateman".......2004-04-16

Some of the best musicals from the last century appear on this 4-CD compilation "Musicals:The Gold Collection", featuring many stars of the London Stage with Paul Bateman (conductor), The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, The Philharmonia, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the world renown Crouch End Festival Chorus ~ sharing the spotlight, blending voice and music within the boundaries of great compositions from sold out musical shows from the past ~ all songs presented on this collection have been performed by a diverse set of artists ~ share the beauty of simplicity that exists in the music of each performance.

Here's just a sampling with "Annie", Annie Get Your Gun", "Anything Goes", "Aspects of Love", "Cabaret", "Carmen Jones", "Carousel", "Cats", "Chess", "Evita", "The Fantastics", "Fiddler on the Roof", "Gigi", "Guys and Dolls", "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "Kismet", "Kiss Me Kate", "La Cage Aux Folles", "Les Miserables", "A Little Night Music", "Man of La Mancha", "Oklahoma", "Phantom of the Opera", "Porgy & Bess", "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers", "Showboat", "The Sound of Music", "South Pacific", "Starlight Express", "Sunset Boulevard", "Tell Me On Sunday", "There's No Business Like Show Business", "West Side Story" ~ each cue is just the icing on the cake presented in this one of a kind event.

Let's take a look at the stars of the London Stage ~ Meredith Braun, Keith Burns, Sharon Campbell, Mary Carewe, Gerard Casey, Chris Corcoran, Keith Ferreira, Lesley Garrett (always a favorite in everyones collection), Helen Hobson, Michele Hooper, Christopher Howard, Jason Howard, Ria Jones, John Langley, David Shannon, Deorah Steel, Jill Washington, Dave Willetts, Tania Williams ~ so much talent under one banner, perfection is the only description that comes to mind. Paul Bateman has come up with a instrumental masterpiece, with emotional peaks and valleys that we've experienced over decades in the tumultuous world of musicals in the theatre.

Silva America, James Fitzpatrick, Reynold da Silva and David Stoner have paid homage to this genre ~ brought to the forefront in one universal voice the magnitude and influence for all it's listeners ~ powerful and personal touch of each track makes you feel the melody is still ringing in your ears, that's what the composer hoped for and it works ~ this musical collection is a keeper ~ gotta love it!

Tracks:

Any Dream Will Do
Close Every Door
Heaven On Their Minds
Everything's Alright
Gethsemane
I Don't Know How To Love Him
Jesus Christ Superstar
Could We Start Again Please?
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Another Suitcase In Another Hall
Buenos Aires
Rainbow High
High Flying Adored
Memory
Jellicle Cats
Mister Mistofeles
Unexpected Song
Last Man In My Life
Rolling Stock
U-N-C-O-U-P-L-E-D

Tracks:

Only You
Starlight Express
There's Me
Pie Jesu
Angel Of Music
Masquerade
Wishing Somehow You Were Here Again
All I Ask Of You
The Phantom Of The Opera
Music Of The Night
Love Changes Everything
The First Man You Remember
Seeing Is Believing
As If We Never Said Goodbye
Sunset Boulevard
With One Look
Too Much In Love To Care
Half A Moment
Whistle Down The Wind
Our Kind Of Love

Album Description

Full title, 'Essential Songs Of Andrew Lloyd Webber'. UK budget-price compilation. 40 superlative performances featuring songs from every one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musicals. Guest artists include John Barrymore, Issy Van Randwyck, Dave Willetts, Maria Friedman, Kim Criswell, Graham Bickley and the National Symphony Orchestra. Housed in a slipcase. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

Okay, but kind of disappointing.......2006-04-17

This isn't a bad recording, but the tracks are not the actual performances off of any cast recording of any of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals. The reditions of the songs on the disc are of varying quality. Some are pretty good. Some are borderline awful.
It is a good collection for inexpensively getting a lot of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most popular songs in one place and having them there to be able to listen to get the idea of what a certain song sounds like and is about. It isn't the collection of definitive recordings for certain roles. In fact in a couple examples, I wonder if the performer fully understood the context of the song he or she was singing &/or what it was about. Overall, the album is good, for the most part, if not excellent.

However, the liner notes for "The Essential Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber" is another matter. I don't mean to be unkind, but the author of the comments on the different tracks (one Rexton S. Bunnett) is blatantly WRONG in multiple instances. I don't mean just in nit-picky details, but in major plot details/context of songs, like the fact that Bunnett identifies "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" as being sung by "our heroine" (who he does not even identify by name as Christine Daae) as she thinks about her lover, not as being sung about Christine's dead father. He also says that the Phantom has found his perfect love and "Angel of Music" in Christine... because HE is the Angel of Music who Christine believes has been sent to her by her dead father, and because although the Phantom is obsessed with Christine, that relationship is far from "loving" (even if Christine shows him compassion. I feel like these (and a couple other mistakes) are major plot points to get wrong. A good amount of the commentary reads as if Bunnett might have written it at the last minute, fudging his way through entries on musicals of which he had little knowledge; like what an essay I might write on a book I never read for my college class but had quickly looked up on Cliff's Notes would sound like. In terms of sheer editing, there are spelling mistakes, run-on sentences and spacing errors ("Any DreamWill Do")in the liner notes. Where was the copy editor?
And the most frightening fact of all, under Bunnett's credentials, it says "Harper Collins has just published his revision and updating of the Collins Book of the Musical."
I am being very critical, but I think that for a widely-released CD it is reasonable to expect the liner notes to be at a professional level, as they were most likely supposed to be.

Not quite what I expected..........2005-04-23

I was looking for a CD of the original performances and this CD doesn't have them. I suppose it was my fault for not looking closer, but the songs just weren't the same. Personally, I was not impressed. If you don't care that they aren't the originals then it is nice to listen to.

Some great performances, some not so great..........2005-04-18

This CD is actually pretty good, considering you get 40 songs for less than $16. Let's evaluate the pros and cons.

Pros:

Two classic songs that are performed excellently are Phantom of the Opera and I Don't Know How to Love Him.

Of course you want to compare Phantom to the classic Michael Crawford/ Sarah Brightman version. Well, guess what? This version is BETTER. The woman has a deeper voice than Brightman, and her singing style is just awesome. The ending of this version (you know, the "Sing, my angel of music, sing for me!") is different, but in a good way... I think.)

And of course, the standard for I Don't Know How to Love Him is Yvonne's version. This version is different, but it grew on me quickly. This version has a country feel to it, almost. Somehow it works and sounds great.

There are a lot of great performances in this collection. My favorites include: Heaven on Their Minds, Everything's Alright, Could We Start Again Please, Another Suitcase in Another Hall, Buenos Aires, Rainbow High, Only You, Starlight Express, Angel of Music, Masquerade, All I Ask of You, Half a Moment, and Whistle Down the Wind. I think they're all great versions of their more famous counterparts.

Cons:

First of all, there are some technical problems that are kind of disappointing. A few of the songs have a very echoey sound. Any Dream Will Do, Another Suitcase in Another Hall, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, and There's Me are the songs that come to mind that are the worst in this regard. It isn't really bad, just enough to be slightly annoying, more so when the volume is turned way up on your CD player.

A few songs are worthy of skipping over when listening to this collection. In my opinion, Superstar, Sunset Boulevard, and Gethesmane are the biggest disappointments.

Superstar just doesn't cut it for me. The singer really overdoes it, making it overstylized... really makes you yearn for Murray Head. I can't stand listening to it. Just my opinion.

Sunset Boulevard is one of my very favorite musicals, so I was really hoping that the singer would do justice to its title song. Unfortunately I don't think he did. You can't help but compare it to Alan Campbell's fantastic version. This guy has a very choppy way of singing, when I'm used to it being sung so smoothly. Maybe it would grow on me, but I don't think I'll give it a chance to. However, that last note is much stronger than Alan Campbell's. It doesn't make up for the rest of the song, though.

Finally, Gethsemane. The inevitable fact is that NO ONE can sing this song like Michael Ball. This guy tries, he really does. But he doesn't have the right voice or the right style. So please listen to Michael Ball's performance of Gethsemane if you want to know how breathtaking of a song it can be. It's on the Royal Albert Hall DVD, and I'm sure he's got it on one of his CDs.

Anyway, overall, this is a good CD if you like quantity over quality. Don't buy it for the classics, you'll probably end up disappointed with many of them. Buy it for the lesser known songs. You probably won't like every song, especially if you're a big ALW fan, but for the price, it's worth it.

If you want classic versions of classic ALW songs, you might prefer something like "The Very Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection".

Disappointed.......2005-03-11

The singer(s)does not do justice for the lyrics. It was grating to the ears. Save your money for the originals.

Musical Talent at Its Best.......2003-01-03

What a pleasure to hear a collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber's beautiful music from such wonderful voices accompanied by an outstanding symphony. This sensational CD is a treasure to own.

Highlights From Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard (1994 Los Angeles Cast)

Average customer rating:

One of Webber's Finest
Glenn Close forever!
here on sunset boulivard
One of Broadway's best? I DON'T THINK SO!
While Close's voice disappoints, the score is breathtaking.

Highlights From Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard (1994 Los Angeles Cast)
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Aspects Of Love (Original 1989 London Cast)
Sunset Boulevard (1994 Los Angeles Cast)
The Very Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection
The Producers (2001 Original Broadway Cast)
Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Royal Albert Hall Celebration

ASIN: B000002GLL
Release Date: 1995-05-23

Tracks:

Act I: Overture/I Guess It Was 5 A.M.
Act I: Let's Have Lunch
Act I: Car Chase
Act I: Surrender
Act I: With One Look
Act I: The Greatest Star Of All
Act I: Every Movie's A Circus
Act I: Girl Meets Boy
Act I: New Ways to Dream
Act I: The Lady's Paying
Act I: The Perfect Year
Act I: This Time Next Year
Act I: New Year's Eve (Back at the House On Sunset)
Act II: Sunset Boulevard
Act II: As If We Never Said Goodbye
Act II: Eternal Youth is Worth A Little Suffering
Act II: Too Much in Love To Care
Act II: New Ways To Dream (Reprise)
Act II: The Final Scene

Customer Reviews:

One of Webber's Finest.......2006-03-30

When it comes to Andrew Lloyd Webber Musicals, I either love 'em or hate 'em, which is why I got the Highlights version of Sunset Boulevard before checking out the complete version. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the CD. The music contains some lush and beautiful music as well as some fun, jazzy numbers, and the cast is incredible.

I really don't know why many people don't like Glenn Close, but she is absolutely fabulous. She can sing beautifully and softly as well as powerfully belt. Her acting is great as the insane Norma Desmond, and her insanity really explodes in "The Final Scene." She only wants more volume on some parts, and I know she could have done it.

I love Alan Campbell as Joe. He is appropriately pessimistic, cynical, yet sympethetic right up until the end when you really see him for what he is. He has a great voice that is speech-like enough to be able to carry the song, and song-like enough so that he doesn't sound like Rex Harrison in "My Fair Lady."

George Hearn offers his rich baritone to the role of Max and can really move an audience with his rendition of "The Greatest Star of All."

I have never ceased to be amazed by Judy Kuhn, and this is no exception. Her beautiful soprano voice adds a sweetness and innocense to the role of Betty. Her voice absolutely soars in the stirring duet "Too Much in Love to Care," which can sweep anyone off their feet.

The ensemble is outstanding in numbers such as "Let's Have Lunch," "Every Movie's a Circus," and "This Time Next Year." The orchestra is also great and beautiful.

Don't listen to the stupid bad reviews - they wouldn't know a could musical if it danced the La Bamba right in front of them. This is truly a beautiful work of art and a wonderful addition to any musical theatre fan.

Glenn Close forever!.......2002-11-07

Lloyd Webber's cynical, witty, tragic masterpiece has never been so well performed.

Glenn Close has conquered the chief problem with playing Norma Desmond. Norma cannot be portrayed as sane, or her ego, her attitude and her eventual murder seem inexcusable. However, in making her insane, most performer, including Gloria Swanson in the movie, rob her of her sympathy in another way. Glenn Close, with her over-the-top triumphant pride and the desperate longing that permeates her voice, has discovered a method of making Norma seem completely insane, while also stunningly charismatic, desperately sympathetic, and insanely lovable. In addition, her Norma does not come off as weak or pathetic, despite her pity appeal. She is towering, majestic, and truly glorious, drawing open worship from her audience and truly seeming to be "The greatest star of all".

As for Alan Campbell as Joe Gillis--unlike most other Joes, he doesn't waste his time pretending to be sympathetic or lovable. He is cocky, callow, and obnoxiously sure of himself, while clearly riddled with doubt below the surface. And it is clear in the finale that he is _not_ trying to drive Betty away to avoid hurting her; he means every word he says, displaying a vehement, heartless greed. However, with his hilariously witty comments and his general I'm-in-over-my-head attitude to his situation, he actually manages to be moderately likeable. Many actors, especially when playing a lead character, feel the need to make their character likeable just to make the audience like _them_, and I am very proud of Mr. Campbell for not falling into that trap.

And then, of course, there is Judy Kuhn. In Les Mis, she actually gave charm to a character I loathe, and her Betty Schaefer is even better than her Cossette. In her intelligent-sounding tone, she perfectly balances Betty's mingled cynicism and innocent idealism, swinging constantly back and forth between juvenile brightness and weary pessimism, and always knowing which scenes call for each. And in "Too much in love to care", she genuinely makes clear how frightened and confused Betty is, something I've never heard anyone else do. She managed to take the resident airhead of the movie cast, and turn her into a character fully as likeable as Norma herself.

I will say here that I do not cry easily because of music; there are about half-a-dozen songs in all the world that have moved me to tears, but Max's final solo, and most of all George Hearn's gentle yet chilling delivery of "So I play this game/keeper of the flame" had tears streaming down my cheeks. Also, much as I love the acting and yes, the singing of the rest of the cast, George Hearn is by far and away the best singer in the entire cast.

As for the songs, I will always love the showstopping duet between Joe and Betty, the volcanic "Too much in love to care". Both are uncertain, hanging back in fear, yet hardly half-hearted, bringing the show down in a stunning vocal duet that displays singing talent expressed nowhere else in the musical by these two. The retrained, almost threatening tone of the lukewarm "Perfect Year" may seem less beautiful than the rest of the songs, but it is perfect as pointing out just how utterly doomed Norma and Joe's relationship is, with Joe trying to squirm out while Norma plows blindly ahead. And then there's the warm, friendly "Girl meets boy", in which we see Joe and Betty, the true romantic couple in the show, slowly, gradually and believably fall in love.

Then there is "The greatest star of all", in which George Hearn blew me away with his perfect expression of Max's loving devotion to Norma. As much adoration a Glenn Close draws, perhaps the ultimate force that draws us toward her is Max's desperate love, which permeates his voice at all times during his two great solos.

But of all the songs in this musical, none can match Norma's four great solos; the whispery, wistfully reminiscent "New ways to dream", the triumphant, majestic "With one look", the joyous, heartfelt euphoria that is "As if we never said good-bye" (a song that if spoken would sound pathetic, thus further proving that song was the only medium by which Norma could become sympathetic)...

...and "Surrender". The musical's greatest masterpiece and recurring trademark theme. First sung as a creepy, heart-rending solo by Norma to her dead chimp, it is repeated by Max, Cecil B. DeMille, and finally by Norma herself at the finally. Its haunting melody seemed to become a dumping-ground for the most brilliant lyrics ever written by Lloyd Webber. Such ghostly, sobbing masterpieces are kept from being truly downbeat by being shot through by songs with a fast-paced, upbeat sound quality and a style of smiling, what-the-hell cynicism to them, such as "Let's have lunch" or "Every movie's a circus" or "This time next year".

And while many have claimed that Glenn Close does not have the voice for the part, I disagree. While she has a less powerful voice than others who have played the role, her voice is certainly strong enough for the score, which, after all, is far from Phantom, and does not sell itself on powerful vocalization. She actually sings with two voices; a lilting, young-sounding, whisper-thin flute of a voice, and a deep, powerful-sounding, courageous vocal roar, full of imperious command and echoey beauty.

Also, remember that this CD contains not only beautiful music and (in my humble opinion) the best lyrical job in musical history, but also the unsung dialogue of an extremely witty, clever and emotional play that would make Wilde proud and Shaw jealous. The entire musical is on this CD, making it a true bargain to buy in one package. And on top of all that, the pocket libretto that comes with this is as interesting to read as a good novel.

Three cheers for Andrew Lloyd Webber; three more for Don Black and Chris Hampton, for creating the truly stunning lyrics of this work of beauty and love. Get this CD; if you have any semblance of good taste at all, you'll surely feel you got your money's worth.

here on sunset boulivard.......2001-07-11

wonderful story, but predictable. wonderful score and singing all around. no wonder glenn close got famous after that. not one of webbers best shows but definately a good show. i have the album and know all the songs. sad ending but arent they all now a days.

One of Broadway's best? I DON'T THINK SO!.......2000-10-18

Seeing this production in Toronto a few years ago proved to be one of my worst experiences in the theatre.

The movie should have made a fantastic musical. And the opening theme gives the proper film noir feeling... But Andrew Lloyd Webber cheated and instead of writing a new score for this show, he chose to recycle cut-out songs from previous failed musicals. The result is an uneven patchwork that never effectively settles on tone. The title song, for example, sounds too contempoary for a story set in 1950. The lyrics are bland and filled with all too obvious rhymes and slang expressions that are often out of synch with the characters. Why does Mr lloyd-Webber refuse to collaborate with a good lyricist who could make his music come across more with more effect. (He did once, with Tim Rice... but that partnership ended.)

SUNSET angers me. A good source was turned into an inferior musical. Yet, simply because it was the only new book musical to open on Broadway in the 94/95 season it was awarded the Tonys for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score. It did not deserve any of those awards. However, audiences were not fooled. It closed on Broadway after a short run and lost millions. The London production had a longer run and still lost millions. The Toronto production lasted less than a year and lost millions. And the national tour folded almost before it started...and again lost millions. Maybe people are finally catching onto Webber's endless recycling!

While Close's voice disappoints, the score is breathtaking........2000-08-03

While I'm sure Glenn Close's acting abilities in the much anticipated Lloyd Webber musical, "Sunset Boulevard" were memorable, you can't help being disappointed by her vocal abilities. Her voice seemed average at best. I purchased the CD after seeing the touring production starring Petula Clark, whose impeccable voice electrified the entire theatre. All I can say is that Close wasn't Clark. Ms. Clark or Patti LuPone, who was originally cast for the part, would be a much better CD purchase. Although I enjoyed the music and the memories it stirred of seeing the production, I give this CD a very average rating. There are better versions out there.

Average customer rating:

Musicality of Andrew Lloyd Webber

Manufacturer: Jay Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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The Musicality of Porter
Musicality of Lerner and Loewe
The Musicality of Kander & Ebb
The Musicality of Berlin
The Musicality of Rodgers & Hart

ASIN: B00005YE50
Release Date: 2002-03-05

Tracks:

Macavity - Paulette Ivory
Any Dream Will Do - John Barrowman
Half a Moment - Emily Loesser
Whistle Down the Wind - James Greme
The Phantom of the Opera - Simon Bowman and Katrina Murphy
Pie Jesu - Janis Kelly, James Rainbird and chorus
Starlight Express - Sean McDermott
As if We Never Said Goodbye - Kim Criswell
Gethsemane - Dave Willetts
Don't Cry for Me, Argentina - Jan Horvath
Our Kind of Love - Sally Ann Triplett
Love Changes Everything - Company

Average customer rating:

A NEW FORM FOR ALW'S LASTING MELODIES
Spectacular
"music of the night or any other time ~ The Choral Album"

The Choral Album

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000C0FBE
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Tracks:

Phantom Of The Opera
Music Of The Night
Wishing You Were Somehow Here
Think Of Me
All I Ask Of You
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Another Suitcase In Another Hall
Memory
Close Every Door
Tell Me On A Sunday
I Don't Know How To Love Him
Pie Jesu
Love Changes Everything
Next Time You Fall In Love
With One Look

Amazon.com

A title like The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Choral Album could mean either of two things. It could focus on the various pieces the British superstar composer has written for vocal groups in his musicals. Or it could take his most famous melodies and set them to SATB on the principle that the human voice is the most beautiful instrument, and therefore a group of voices singing together can't be beaten. The Crouch End Festival Chorus takes the second approach, so we have a medley of five songs from The Phantom of the Opera, yet no "Masquerade." We have songs from Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Jesus Christ Superstar, but no "Requiem for Evita," "Go Go Go Joseph," or "Superstar." (They do sing the "Pie Jesu" from Lloyd Webber's requiem.) Not that this is a bad thing. The chorus sings with heart and style, and their backing of well-known soloists such as Lesley Garrett offers a haunting backdrop. Yes, it is ironic that the group sings "Another Suitcase In Another Hall," "Memory," "Close Every Door," "Tell Me on a Sunday," and "I Don't Know How To Love Him," which in dramatic context are some of the loneliest songs of the Lloyd Webber canon. But again, it's better to take these songs simply as lovely pieces of music, sung by the very pleasant vehicle of a choral ensemble. If you enjoy your local community chorale's spring pops concert, then you'll enjoy this too. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

A NEW FORM FOR ALW'S LASTING MELODIES.......2006-08-21

Regardless of the fact that some of his latest efforts (most notably, The Woman in White) are disappointing, there can be little doubt that Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the greatest composers ever to work in the musical theatre. Ever since his "Jesus Christ Superstar" hit the stage in the early 70-is, it was clear that the conception and perception of musicals are never going to be the same again. Many of his songs became standards not only in the theatre history, but also as tops on the charts. Even though he's British, his influence on the shape of the modern musical theatre expanded over the West End boundaries long ago and has thus made an enormous impact on Broadway. Two of his shows ("Cats" and "The phantom of the opera") hold the record as two the longest running shows in the history of both Broadway and the West End. He has also been the only composer to have three of his shows running at Broadway concurrently. Some of his awards include three Grammies, a Golden Globe, an Oscar and a bunch of Tony awards. But perhaps most of all, Lloyd Webber is responsible for bringing the musicals and the theatre appealing to the wide audiences, who in different circumstances would not consider seeing a musical. The secret of his success is probably the mixture of beautiful and catchy melodies, interesting subject matter (though some, like Starlight Express, are too thin) and grandiose staging. Not many contemporary musical theatre composers could claim such success, let alone a steady fan base.

Through the years not only have numerous compilations of his music been issued, but also more than one orchestra played his well known numbers in form of instrumental pieces. This album represents yet another attempt to spread the artistic boundaries of ALW's work, this time, through the beauty of the choral singing, backed by the impeccable sound of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. As this CD shows, the result is wonderful. The melodies blend with the soaring voices of the male, female and mixed choirs to make a deep and a profound impact on one's ears. What comes as an interesting fact is that some of the songs include solo parts, sung by the artists from both the opera and musical theatre world, which also emphasises the meaning of ALW's music in bringing these borders seem a lot closer.

The Royal Philharmonics Orchestra makes all these familiar melodies to sound fresh and lush, while the richness of the choir voices seems to match the fine texture of ALW's music. But to be totally frank, when one has as its material such fine gems as `The phantom of the opera', `Don't cry for me Argentina', `With one look', `Memory' or `Love changes everything', one needs not to overdo it with praise: the way these tunes are appreciated by so many people all over the world for so long is the best of recommendations. This album proves another important point: art can take many forms without loosing its original appeal.

No matter if you are an ALW fan or simply have a thing for a good choral tune; in both cases, this album is for you.

Spectacular.......2004-03-09

I have owned this CD for about a month now - having bought it from Amazon for a birthday gift for someone else, and subsequently purchasing it for myself. It absolutely sweeps you away. All of the music is just breathtaking.

"music of the night or any other time ~ The Choral Album".......2003-09-23

Listening to this album will bring back moments from Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musicals. Silva America has released "The Choral Album", featuring some of the best cues from Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Cats, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoast, Tell Me On A Sunday, Jesus Christ Superstar, Requeim, Aspects of Love, Starlight Express and Sunset Boulevard ~ everyone a WINNER!

Believe this is an essential recording to enjoy now and in the following years. Sample the incredibly beautiful, unique, uplifting and warm performances from the Crouch End Festival Chorus with David Temple (choir master), The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Paul Bateman (conductor), with the London Stage featuring Lesley Garrett, Tito Beltran, Sharon Campbell and Mary Carewe. Also enjoy The City of Prague Philharmonic featuring Robin Stapleton (conductor) performing "PIE JESUS", from Requiem is one of the many highlights of this classic release. The love, sadness, desperation of musical compositions that leave a lasting impression.

Once again, hats off to James Fitzpatrick (producer) ~ just keeps grinding out culture for all the music collectors of the world. Music that pops into your head even when you're not looking. There's a certain amount of receptiveness that Silva brings to the forefront. If you keep listening to this album, the more and more you love it. Each cue is a great piece of music to have in your collection, this time all Choral works. You'll be glad that you added this one to your ever growing vast collection...gotta love it!

Tracks:

Prince Valiant
A Place In The Sun
The Bride Of Frankenstein
Sunset Boulevard
Old Acquaintance
Rebecca
The Philadelphia Story
Taras Bulba

Customer Reviews:

waxman is the man!.......2007-05-10

i love waxman's music. i think of his work in the same way i think of kurt weill's music. the melodies are so rich, so complex and the harmonies stir the soul. the diversity of musical genres both covered was also wide and rich.

but as much as love the gerhardt/rca recordings, i am not fond of the selection of works chosen to respresent waxman. it is good to know that there are many other cds of waxman's work out on the market to be found and appreciated.

but i do like the 'elegy for strings' from old acquaintance, the ' a place in the sun' suite and 'sunset boulevard'.

Nostalgia and then some.......2006-02-20

Many times the score makes the movie. In this case Franz Waxman Film Scores contributed well. However as a stand alone collection this really does not have a place other than a once in a while listen to remember the particular movies.

Each piece is preformed well by the National Philharmonic Orchestra. However I do not see situation for listening to this album. It does not make good driving musing or reading music, or just sitting and listening to music. This does have a place if you are collecting various composers' works.

The list includes:
Prince Valiant (1954)
A Place in the Sun (1951)
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Old Acquaintance (1943)
Rebecca (1940)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Taras Bulba (1962)

Many of the scores are used again in later movies. You can hear scores of Franz Waxman in about three hundred movies.

Franz Waxman Tribute.......2005-10-12

This CD sounds splendid. It is very rich and moving. A PLACE IN THE SUN is beautiful. REBECCA is very pensive and very much what you may expect in a Hitchcock film. However, the best cut on this CD is from TARAS BULBA. What a piece of music. It is both rousing and inspirational. Outstanding!

Wonderful compilation of vintage Waxman.......2003-04-12

Charles Gerhardt was just the right conductor to revive these classic scores from the prolific film composer, Franz Waxman: His lush, melodramatic interpretations of the music do not fit every genre, but he feels right at home here with the sweeping melodies of the silver screen.

A good selection of Waxman's film music can be found here, including his most acclaimed, Sunset Boulevard. (It certainly has a sparkle that Joel McNeeley's recent rerecording seemed to lack, even if the score is not present here in its entirety.) Other highlights are the stirring themes of Prince Valiant and the eerie and sinister tones of his score for The Bride of Frankenstein. A particular favourite of mine is Rear Window, sadly absent here, though to my knowledge only one recording exists (Lalo Schifrin and the San Diego Pops, Hitchcock: Master of Mayhem): Fans can take solace in the fact that one of the Rear Window tunes appears here in its earlier form as we heard it in A Place in the Sun.

If you are a film music buff, this is definitely worth a place in your collection. Gerhardt captures the essence of Waxman perfectly.

Franz Waxman's Music is Magic.......2001-10-02

This CD is a wonderful place to start your collection of Franz Waxman film music.

Waxman's sense of melodic line and tasteful harmonies are masterful. Of particular note are his suites from Prince Valiant, and The Bride of Frankenstein (also used in the old Flash Gordon serials). Charles Gerhardt does a fine job conducting this wonderful collection of jems.

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