Rebecca (Score) [Original recording remastered] [Soundtrack]

rebecca (score) [original recording remastered] [soundtrack]

On this CD:

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

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Director Alfred Hitchcock had long been a cinematic force in his native England when legendary producer David O. Selznick signed him for Rebecca, an adaptation of a Daphne du Maurier novel and his first American film. Hitch may have later dismissed the 1940 collaboration as an anomaly in his masterful canon of suspense and intrigue, but it has long since become regarded as one of his most accomplished and emotionally compelling masterpieces. Composer Franz Waxman's score is key to the film's gothic romantic atmosphere and was honored with an Oscar nomination (the film won for Best Picture and Best Cinematography), despite Selznick's meddling with his finished work. For this release, producer Robert Townson and conductor Joel McNeely diligently worked from Waxman's original notes and materials to restore arguably the greatest romantic score of Hollywood's golden age to its full glory. The spectacular new 20-bit digital recording perfectly captures the brooding, nuanced atmosphere of the original, while fulfilling Waxman's original vision with previously unused or cut cues. This is the film that built Waxman's considerable Hollywood reputation, now in a presentation that finally does him and the score justice. --Jerry McCulley

Rebecca (Score),Franz Waxman,Joel McNeely,Varese Sarabande,Pop,Soundtrack,Soundtracks & Film Scores

Rebecca (Score) [Original recording remastered] [Soundtrack]

The Secret Garden (1991 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

Wonderful soundtrack!
MARVELOUS MUSICAL, MASTERFULLY PERFORMED . . . . .
THE SECRET GARDEN Is Alive With Genius
fantastic CD
Secret Garden should be revived

The Secret Garden (1991 Original Broadway Cast)
Lucy Simon , Marsha Norman , Rebecca Luker , and Daisy Eagan
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Secret Garden: Vocal Selections
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The Secret Garden

ASIN: B000002862
Release Date: 1991-12-10

Tracks:

Opening
Scene: India
There's A Girl
Scene: The Library At Misselthwaite Manor
Scene: A Train Platform In Yorkshire/The House Upon The Hill
I Heard Someone Crying
Scene: Mary's Sitting Room/If I Had A Fine White Horse
A Girl In The Valley
Scene: The Ballroom
It's A Maze
Scene: The Greenhouse
Winter's On The Wing
Scene: The Edge Of The Moor
Show Me The Key
Scene: Archibald's Library/A Bit Of Earth
Storm I
Lily's Eyes
Storm II
Scene: Colin's Room
Round-Shouldered Man
Final Storm
The Girl I Mean To Be
The House Upon The Hill-Transition/Scene: Archibald's Dressing Room
Quartet/There's A Man-Transition
Race You To The Top Of The Morning
Wick
Scene: Colin's Room
Come To My Garden/Lift Me Up
Come Spirit, Come Charm
A Bit Of Earth-Reprise
Scene: The Library/Scene: Mary's Room
Hold On
Letter Song
Where In The World
How Could I Ever Know
Finale

Amazon.com

Inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel of the same name, The Secret Garden was set apart from the beginning by the composition of its creative team. Not many Broadway shows can boast a female composer (Lucy Simon), director (Susan H. Schulman), librettist/lyricist (Marsha Norman), and producer/set designer (Heidi Landesman)--not to mention an 11-year old (Daisy Eagan) in the lead. This story of a little girl who helps her grieving uncle and sickly cousin regain a taste for life is a delicate, lovely achievement. Steeped in moody Victoriana, it should enchant those who enjoy a more understated style of musical theater. The great cast includes Mandy Patinkin, Rebecca Luker as his dead wife Lily's ghost, and the perenially underrated Alison Fraser. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful soundtrack!.......2007-05-31

I recently read the book (The Secret Garden) to my 7-year-old daughter prior to taking her to see the musical. She enjoyed the play very much so I ordered the soundtrack. She has been listening to it daily while dancing and singing along. The performances are very good and the music is lovely.

MARVELOUS MUSICAL, MASTERFULLY PERFORMED . . . . ........2007-05-24

With 82 customer reviews already in place, it's difficult to add anything new except BUY THIS WONDERFUL RECORDING BEFORE SONY/BMG SENDS IT TO THE DUST BIN!!!!! Personally, I was enchanted by Lucy Simon's music, especially by "Lilly's Eyes" and "How Could I Ever Know?" Rebecca Luker (Lilly's Ghost) and Robert Westenberg (Dr. Craven) are in especially fine voice, and - gratefully - Mandy Patinkin isn't nearly as irritating as he so often has become. But the show rests on the shoulders of twelve-year-old Daisy Eagan, the 1991 Tony Award winner for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, and she carries it very well, indeed.

Although not the stuff of which big, splashy mega-hits are made, and in spite of fairly negative reviews (I direct you to Frank Rich's "New York Times" review on theater2.nytimes.com), THE SECRET GARDEN enjoyed a modest run of 709 performances. With its gloomy story line, brooding characters, and soaring, Verdi-esque melodies, perhaps it's better suited to an opera house than to the Broadway stage. And with a few revisions, I wouldn't be surprised if THE SECRET GARDEN joins CANDIDE in opera company repertoires.

Incidentally, in case your're interested: Lucy Simon and her song writer/singer sister Carly recorded a couple of folk albums back in the 60s - "The Simon Sisters" & "Cuddlebug." Now availble on one CD entitled "Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod," those 25 songs are guaranteed to delight and enchant you, as Lucy's melodies and Marsha Norman's lyrics for THE SECRET GARDEN also delight and enchant. Better order "W,B,& N" right away. In this age of bottom-line-means-everything, who knows how long it will remain availble.

Highly Recommended.

THE SECRET GARDEN Is Alive With Genius.......2007-03-28

An Original Cast Recording of any Broadway Musical has many obstacles to overcome from the outset: not only do the music and lyrics have to be enjoyable, and the arrangements must be intriguing, but the recording also must somehow impart the feel of actually BEING in the audience of the Broadway show. Most Cast Recordings fall miserably short of these requirements. Happily, THE SECRET GARDEN, succeeds where most others fail. THE SECRET GARDEN, with music by Lucy Simon and lyrics by Marsha Norman, is a lush, magnificent recording filled with some of the most beautiful and soaring operatic music I have ever heard on or off the Broadway stage. In the classic style of Broadway genius Stephen Sondheim, there are no "puff pieces" on this CD...each song is necessary to advance the story, and once the listener has enjoyed the CD, they will, without doubt, feel they had a front row seat for this lovely bouquet of a show. Since there are 36 different cuts on this CD (after all, most of the dialogue is sung, in true operatta form) it is extremely difficult to choose the musical standouts. The opening of the CD, which sets the tone of this story, is nothing short of brilliant, as it packs a lot of information so effortlessly into song. "Lilly's Eyes" as sung by Mandy Patinkin, who's character is lamenting the death of his wife, is chillingly beautiful, as is the haunting duet "Come To My Garden". The CD's show stopper is a rousing rendition of an inspirational song called "Hold On", and is sure to become a Broadway classic. The show's cast, including Daisy Eagen as the little girl around whom most of the action takes place, Mandy Patinkin as her Uncle, John Babcock, Alison Fraser, and Rebecca Luker have some of the finest operatic voices ever heard on ANY stage. This is a show with a true heart, a brilliant soul, and is, in short a soaring celebration of the Broadway theatre at its finest! Run...don't walk...to buy this CD. I can't recommend it highly enough.

fantastic CD.......2007-03-22

Even though this is a cast recording from the 90's,
it's absolutely wonderful. I love it and play it a lot.
After I bought mine, I lent it to my sister who asked me if I
could order 2 for her, because she wants to give one as a gift.
I highly recommend it to everyone.

Secret Garden should be revived.......2007-01-10

This outstanding CD has a wonderfully talented cast. The songs and lyrics are excellent and a pleasure to listen to many times. I wish the musical itself would be revived.

Average customer rating:

Awsome Instrumental Music
The Bing Crosby songs are very good but....
AMAZING! Hauntingly beautiful...
A great soundtrack for a lover of WKW films
as gorgeous as the film!

In the Mood for Love (2000 Film)
Various Artists - Soundtracks
Manufacturer: Higher Octave OmTown
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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In the Mood for Love - Criterion Collection
2046
2046
Mis Mejores Canciones: 19 Super Exitos
2046

ASIN: B000050G51
Release Date: 2000-11-06

Tracks:

Yumeji's Theme - Umebayshi Shigeru
Mo-wan's Dialogue - In The Mood For Love ST
Angkor Wat Theme I - Michael Galasso
ITMFL I - Michael Galasso
Aquellos Ojos Verdes - Nat King Cole
Shuang Shuang Yan - Deng Bai Ying
ITMFL II - Michael Galasso
Radio Zhou Xuan Announcement/Hua Yang De Nian Hua - Zhou Xuan
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Nat King Cole
Bengawan Solo - REBECCA PAN
ITMFL III - Michael Galasso
Si Lang Tan Mu - Tan Xin Pei
Shuang Ma Hui - Zhang Yun Xian/Hou Li Jun
Blue - Michael Galasso
Hong Niang Hui Zhang Sheng - Zheng Jun Mian/Li Hang
Li-zhen's Dialogue/Te Quiero Dijiste (Magic Is The Moonlight) - Nat King Cole
Angkor Wat Theme II - Michael Galasso
Yue Er Wan Wan Zhao Jiu Zhou - Chiu Wai Ping
Casanova's Flute - Michael Galasso
Yumeji's Theme/Li-zhen's Dialogue - Umebayasi Shigeru
Angkor Wat Theme Finale - Michael Galasso

Amazon.com

Soundtracks are a mixed bag at best. Some are little more than an assortment of pieces, but others hang together effectively on their own, like this one. The idea of Chinese music--both popular and operatic--juxtaposed with the sounds of Nat King Cole performing Latin music might seem bizarre, but it works beautifully, sustaining a lush, romantic mood created both by the strings and the '40s Chinese music, itself a tinkling Hollywood pastiche. But as atmospheric as all this is, one track stands out above the others: "Blue," actually a version of the classic "St. James' Infirmary," takes on another dimension in Chinese hands. While familiar but completely alien at the same time, the slithering Asian sonorities mesh perfectly with the African-American form to create something evocative but with a sadness that goes beyond blues. The movie is of a time and place; the soundtrack is of a mood and yearning. Listen at night, with someone you love close by. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews:

Awsome Instrumental Music.......2007-03-09

The soundtrack is really good; I didn't like some of the songs (the Chinese ones) but there are only 3 in the whole CD. The instrumental music is awesome making the soundtrack an average good.

The Bing Crosby songs are very good but...........2006-07-17

In my opinion it`s the Bing Crosby-songs that makes this album worth buying, but these songs can be bought on compilations. The rest of the music is for people with special interest for backgroundmusic in films.

AMAZING! Hauntingly beautiful..........2006-05-09

So beautiful and emotional, it makes you want to cry! The score for the film and the collection of music together is absolutely breathtaking....

A great soundtrack for a lover of WKW films.......2006-03-22

I loved the film, so I love the soundtrack, which brings back memories of the film. WKW uses period music to evoke the emotions and feel of the time period of the film.

as gorgeous as the film!.......2006-02-11

Film soundtracks are often disappointing---there are songs from the movie that are not on the CD, songs on the CD that were not in the film, different versions of songs on the CD than in the film, etc.

Happily, this soundtrack is absolutely faithful to the film, and it is masterfully interwoven with dialogue excerpts from the film which complement and build on the music instead of being obtrusive. I don't understand a word of Chinese but still enjoyed listening to the actors' voices, and also liked the bits of traditional Chinese music as well. There are some tracks that I don't remember from the film but they are not throw-away filler in any way, just beautiful extras in the same vein.

Average customer rating:

Brigadoon, the London cast
Brigadoon - the audio recording
Pure Magic!
Brigadoon 1991 Studio Cast
Beautiful Recording of a Beautiful Musical Score

Brigadoon (1991 London Studio Cast)
John McGlinn , Alan Jay Lerner , Brent Barrett , John Mark Ainsley , Rebecca Luker , Donald Maxwell , Judy Kaye , and Frederick Loewe
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Brigadoon
Brigadoon (1957 Studio Cast)
Brigadoon (1947 Original Broadway Cast)
Camelot (1960 Original Broadway Cast)
Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000002SK0
Release Date: 1992-10-20

Tracks:

Ov - London Sinfonietta/Vernon Midgley
Once In The Highlands - Ambrosian Chor/John McCarthy
Brigadoon - Brent Barrett/Gregory Jbara/Ambrosian Chor
Vendors' Calls/Down On MacConnachy Square - Ambrosian Chor/John McCarthy
Waitin' For My Dearie - Rebecca Luker/Rosie Ashe/Lynda Richardson
I'll Go Home With Bonnie Jean - John Mark Ainsley/Ambrosian Chor
Dance - London Sinfonietta/Vernon Midgley
The Heather On The Hill - Brent Barrett/Rebecca Luker
The Love Of My Life - Judy Kaye
Jeannie's Packin' Up - Ambrosian Chor
Come To Me, Bend To Me - John Mark Ainsley
Dance - John Mark Ainsley
Almost Like Being In Love - Brent Barrett/Rebecca Luker
Entrance Of The Clans - Ambrosian Chor
Wedding Ceremony - Frank Middlemass/John Mark Ainsley/Jackie Morrison
The Wedding Dance - Ian Caley/Ambrosian Chor
Sword Dance/End Of Act One - Ambrosian Chor/Jackie Morrison/Colin Forsythe
The Chase - Ambrosian Chor/Donald Maxwell/Ian Caley/Brent Barrett
There But For You I Go - Brent Barrett/Rebecca Luker
Glen Scene Opening/My Mother's Weddin' Day - Judy Kaye/Ambrosian Chor
Dance - Ambrosian Chor/John McGlinn
Funeral Dance - Ambrosian Chor/John McGlinn
From This Day On/Farewell Music - Brent Barrett/Rebecca Luker
Change Of Scene/Reprises/Change Of Scene - Ambrosian Chor/Brent Barrett/Rebecca Luker
Finale - Mark W. Smith/Brent Barrett/Sussanah Fellows/Rebecca Luker/Gregory Jbara/Ambrosian Chor/John Mark...

Amazon.com

Lerner and Loewe's classic Brigadoon shines in this 1991 studio recording led by celebrated conductor John McGlinn three years after his stunning reconstruction of Show Boat. Broadway stars Brent Barrett (Chicago) and Rebecca Luker (revivals of The Music Man and The Sound of Music) star in this fairy tale about the Scottish village that appears for one day each century. Favorite songs include "I'll Go Home with Bonnie Jean," the gently lilting "Heather on the Hill," "Come to Me, Bend to Me," the standard "Almost Like Being in Love," the comic "Love of My Life," and the yearning "There But for You Go I," and the 79-minute running time allows for plenty of dance music and underscored dialogue. The booklet includes an essay on the show, an interview with the original director, a detailed synopsis, and lyrics, dialogue, and even stage directions from the original 1947 production. Brigadoon doesn't get much better than this. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Brigadoon, the London cast.......2007-02-21

This album is beautiful. The arrangements and the singing are beyond compare. As a director, it gives some fresh ideas for musicality and arrangement. I appreciate another venue from which to enjoy this wonderful musical!

Brigadoon - the audio recording.......2007-02-14

Far better to listen to the music than see the movie! The voices were beautiful, especially on "There But For You Go I."

Pure Magic!.......2006-08-02

How wonderful to have a complete, beautifully performed recording of this great (and somewhat forgotten) show. When it opened it was slightly overshadowed by Rodgers and Hammerstein (who around this period had South Pacific and The King and I running simultaneously), but what a gem of a musical. Don't go by the truncated film, except for the breathtaking dancing of Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse, it's whittled down to 5 songs from the broadway score and hugely disappointing. You can even tell all the sets are painted backdrops.
But this recording is a charmer and couldn't be cast better. Rebecca Luker and Brent Barret are perfect as Tommy and Fiona. And Judy Kaye runs away with the recording with her comic turns.

Turn up the volume, sit back and get lost in Brigadoon!!

Brigadoon 1991 Studio Cast.......2005-08-14

I am no theatre critic, and I have never seen Brigadoon on the stage, nor have I heard the original Broadway cast recording. The MGM musical was my only reference point, until I bought the London revival CD.

In the MGM musical, one hears the prelude and the title song in full, at least in the beginning. In the 1991 revival, they talk all through the title song, beginning and end. It happens to be a sublime piece of music and lyric, beautifully suited to the story, and I would rather hear it in its entirety.

The sound quality of the 1991 revival CD is poor. The dialogue, though not a major part of any musical recording, is muted in comparison to the volume used in the songs. In the original cast recordings of, say, Man of La Mancha, Annie, and 1776, the sound is studio quality and there is no trouble hearing the spoken word.

The website where I located this CD described it as a "concert recording," and presumably they wanted to preserve the sound of a live stage production. I did not realize the sound quality was not going to be equal to any of the original cast Broadway recordings I have ever heard. Purchasers should be aware of this.

Once I got over the difference in the production sound, the numbers were done well. The MGM musical, of course, had to omit quite a bit of song and story, but people may be better off with the original Broadway cast recording to obtain the numbers not found in the MGM version. Gene Kelly didn't have much of a voice, but it seems he sung "The Heather On The Hill" with more sincerity and feeling than did Brent Barrett. Kelly seemed to be less concerned with the number as a vocal performance, which was not his forte in any case, and this rendered his performance less of a musical abstraction. Mr. Barrett, however, sung with more feeling in "Come to Me," a song omitted from the MGM production.

Beautiful Recording of a Beautiful Musical Score.......2004-09-27

A wonderful, relatively new cast recording of this classic American musical. The songs are, of course, simply lovely. Some of the orchestrations sound a little hokey (for some reason, "Heather on the Hill" sounds more like a square dance than the gorgeous tune I remember Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse dancing to in the film version of "Brigadoon"), but the songs certainly stand the test of time, and manage to reflect the show's "adult fairy-tale" charm. Isn't it about time someone brought this warhorse back to Broadway? Guess we'll have to be patient. In the meantime, this album is a more-than-sufficient substitute. (For the sake of comparison, pick up a copy of the MGM movie soundtrack of "Brigadoon" starring Gene Kelly. While Mr. Kelly's vocal limitations are pretty obvious, the orchestrations are beautiful and, in my personal opinion, far outshine the understandably "stagey" orchestrations on this and other live cast recordings.)

M-G-M's Brigadoon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1954 Film) ~ Frederick Loewe
Price: $10.99

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
9 used from $8.25

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful: Can't get these songs out of my mind, June 20, 2000I picked up this recording on a whim, and now I can't put it down! The songs are simply beautiful. Whether they were arranged to overcome Gene Kelly's vocal limitations, to accomodate the movie's emphasis on dance -- versus singing -- or simply to compliment the gorgeous melodies, the orchestrations are sublime and have a surprisingly contemporary sound, especially considering the recording dates back to 1954. "Heather on the Hill" has never sounded better. I'm not crazy about "Almost Like Being in Love" (I think I overdosed on this one about thirty years ago), but even it's quite tolerable on this recording. Among the most pleasant surprises are songs such as "There But for You Go I" and "From this Day On" that were cut prior to the movie's release: What on earth were the powers-that-be at M-G-M thinking? Guess we'll never know but thank goodness someone had enough sense to save these precious recordings.

Average customer rating:

One of the great Classics!
hilarity in music
Irreverent hilarity
I am a PDQ junkie!
Brilliant parody

Oedipus Tex & Other Choral Calamities

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003CWP
Release Date: 1990-09-25

Tracks:

Introduction
I. Prologue: Tragedy
Recitative: Well
II. Aria: Howdy There
Recitative: And It Wasn't Long
III. Duet: My Heart
Recitative: But
IV. Aria: You Murdered Your Father
Recitative: When Billie Jo Heard
V. Aria: Goodbye
Recitative: When Oedipus Heard
VI. Chorale And Finale
Introduction
Classical Rap
Introduction
I. Recitative: Knock, Knock
II. Recitative: How Many Psychiatrists
III. Recitative: What Is The Question?
VI. Recitative: So This Guy
Introduction
Birthday Ode To 'Big Daddy Bach'

Customer Reviews:

One of the great Classics!.......2006-08-03

Oedipus Tex & Other Choral Calamities is one of the must haves from PDQ Bach. This album has some of his best stuff on it including the title tracks and one of the funniest songs he has composed "classical rap" this is well worth one's time to check out.

hilarity in music.......2002-10-25

Virtually every CD that Peter Schickele has put out under the name of PDQ Bach has been absolutely hilarious. This is one of his best albums - it will have you in stitches in no time flat.

"Oedipus Tex," the title piece, is a stunning parody of (of course) Sophocles "Oedipus Rex" - from the line "the gods are ticked off and now someone must pay" to the ending chorus of "the eyes of Texas are upon you" (set to the tune of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"), the piece is one of the funniest things I have ever heard.

"Classical Rap" - this track alone is worth the whole cost of the album. This "Yuppie" rap combines the stereotypes of rap music with Vivaldi and Bach, and has as its setting the upper West side of Manhattan.

"Knock Knock Cantata" - some of the worst jokes you'll ever hear set to some of the worst music you'll ever hear. The combination of text and setting is really hilarious - talk about form meeting content.

"Birthday Ode for Big Daddy Bach" - the more you know about music, the funnier this piece is.

BUY THIS CD.

Irreverent hilarity.......2002-08-09

Oedipus Tex is both my favorite Country/Western ballad and one of my favorite oratorios!

Classical Rap is, IMHO, the only Rap piece worth listening to.

This is one of "The Bad Boy of Classical Music", Peter Schickele's best recordings.

I am a PDQ junkie!.......2002-08-08

This was my first PDQ recording and it has kept me coming back for more.My father who hates music even LOVES it!It does take a special musician or music lover to appreciate the genius of such a man as Peter Shickele. Being a musician, I have performed numerous PDQ works in the past and they are extremely difficult.Oedipus Tex is by far the most ingenious album created, in my belief, in as far as its contents and musical professionalism.

Brilliant parody.......1999-10-16

Oedipus Tex is a brilliant parody... I had a teacher listen to it once and then it circulated around the entire English department. "Classical Rap" is a wonderful piece as well.

Average customer rating:

Hilliard on Bach

J.S. Bach: Motetten

Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4: Sonatas Opp. 26, 27 & 28
Valentin Silvestrov: Symphony No. 6
Lux Aurumque
A Long Story
Ojos Negros

ASIN: B000NJKYKY
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

Singet Dem Herrn Ein Neues Lied
Wie Sich Ein Vater Erbarmet - Gott, Nimm Dich Ferner Unser An
Lobet Den Herrn In Seinen Taten - Alles, Was Odem Hat
Der Geist Hilft Unser Schwachheit Auf
Der Aber Die Herzen Forschet
Du Heilige Brunst, Susser Trost
Jesu, Meine Freude
Es Ist Nun Nichts Verdammliches
Unter Deinem Schirmen
Denn Das Gesetz Des Geistes
Trotz Dem Alten Drachen
Ihr Aber Seid Nicht Fleischlich
Weg Mit Allen Schatzen
So Aber Christus In Euch Ist
Gute Nacht, O Wesen
So Nun Der Geist
Weicht, Ihr Trauergeister
Furchte Dich Nicht, Ich Bin Bei Dir
Ich Starke Dich, Ich Helfe Dir Auch
Furchte Dich Nicht, Denn Ich Habe Dich Erloset - Herr, Mein Hirt, Brunn Aller Freuden
Komm, Jesu, Komm, Mein Leib Ist Mude
Der Saure Weg Wird Mir Zu Schwer
Du Bist Der Rechte Weg
Drum Schliess Ich Mich In Deine Hande
Lobet Den Herrn, Alle Heiden
Denn Seine Gnade
Alleluja
Ich Lasse Dich Nicht, Du Segnest Mich Denn
Ich Lasse Dich Nicht - Weil Du Mein Gott Und Vater Bist

Customer Reviews:

Hilliard on Bach.......2007-06-09

I enjoyed the Hilliard's contribution on an earlier album with Bach's BWV 4, and have many of their albums of earlier material. Expectations were set high.

If I had any issues with the interpretation it's with the women singers... in my favorite Motet, BWV 227, the phrasing isn't as smooth and flawless in intonation as the men; I compare this too with my recording with my Harmonia Mundi recording by Herreweghe.

I also get the sense that no one is directing the ensemble... this is not important, unless you hear it... I think with Bach, you have to bring out the lines... and what I do like is the one/part setting. Some double the voices with instruments; only an organ is used here, for one motet.

The recording is beautiful, and well-recorded in a resonant space. By any account it is well done, but I wish certain singers had more wisdom/guile/foresight to sing "out" from the ensemble.

There is some shaping of the dynamics in some numbers, but sometimes the texture becomes dominated with the soprano line.

The sound is easy to beomce addicted to, as is the sound with other Hilliard recordings. Clean, sonorous, and pure. Much to enjoy despite a few reservations.

Average customer rating:

Horrible Techno Muzak with Beautiful Singing
Not for the Opera purest...
Opera meets contemporary music for sophisticated listeners
buy this cd!
Incredible music from opera's master composers

Aria

Manufacturer: Koch Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Aria, Vol. 2: New Horizon
Aria 3: Metamorphosis
State of Grace
State of Grace II: Turning to Peace
Earthbound

ASIN: B0002IQGF8
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Tracks:

Willow
Un Bel Di
Secret Tear
Dido
Pace Pace
Pamina Blue
Habanera
Home

Customer Reviews:

Horrible Techno Muzak with Beautiful Singing.......2007-06-21

This is a Dr. Jeckal and Mr. Hyde CD. The singing is so incredibly beautiful but it's totally ruined with synthetic background "music". The drum machine parts are so bad it's like listening to a joke from Saturday Night Live.

Not for the Opera purest..........2007-05-19

A doctor buddy of mine and I were working the ER one weekend and he put this CD on. Now, I love just about any kind of music EXCEPT Opera and Country music depresses me after a few songs. Now, this CD sure smacked of opera but I was not offended. In fact, the longer I listened, the more I liked it. I didn't much care for the treatment of Bizet's "Carmen" but that was the only song I didn't care for just because I loved the original classical and just didn't like this arrangement. I guess I was primed for this sound through Yanni's "Aria" from his Dare to Dream CD. Thus the blending of contemporary instrumental music with an operatic voice or voices was born.

As for the disappointed opera fan/reviewer, this IS NOT opera and it was never intended to replace or even imitate true opera. Paul Schwartz was exposed to the opera, orchestral symphonies, rock music and dance clubs that were all within walking distance from his home as a young man. He simply took the sounds that appealed to him and put them together. Thus this, his first effort, leans heavily on traditional classical music that is familiar to a great number of people. I personally found his second release, "Aria, Vol. 2: New Horizon", to be much more enjoyable. "Aria 3: Metamorphosis" was released five years after "New Horrizon" and shows a more matured sound and is highly enjoyable. Paul embarked on another venture through the "State of Grace" series during those five years which I haven't heard, yet. I love listening to all three Cd's with #2 and #3 being my favorites of the three. So if you are an opera purest, Paul Schwartz's "Aria" compositions are NOT what you are looking for. But, if you're a New Age enthusiast with even a little appreciation for classical music, then you'll probably enjoy this CD along with his other works.

Opera meets contemporary music for sophisticated listeners.......2006-11-12

I listen to this CD over and over again. Traditional opera voices backed by modern instruments makes for distinct music that appeals to sophisticated adult ears. You don't need to be an opera fan to enjoy this beautiful, unique style of music. A true opera fan below was disappointed, but after buying Aria, I became interested in opera and added a couple of authentic aria CDs to my collection.

buy this cd!.......2006-10-08

When i first heard this CD i hated it. i had heard about it from several people and decided to buy it. i actually bought the box set that has all three Aria cd's. As i checked this cd out, the woman ringing me up said this was the most beautiful thing she'd ever heard and told me i'd love it. i told her i was more of a metal fan. Here i was, a fan of Metallica and Danzig and Tool, buying opera!? i did like the programming on this cd. the drum beats are clean and accompany the music just right; not too loud and not too quiet. the vocals, which at first i didn't like, are really endearing and beautiful. Rebecca Luker sings many of the songs here. i enjoyed this cd more and more with each listen. I like the fact that the lyrics were translated in the booklet so i could understand the words. Bottom line: this is an excellent CD! i would recommend this to anyone. give it a few listens and let it take you. Ignore what you think you know about opera and let his music enter you and enchant you and speak to you. your heart and soul will thank you. let the vocals of Rebecca Luker wash over you and show you the true emotional range of the human voice.

Incredible music from opera's master composers.......2006-03-04

If I could give this CD 10 stars, I would certainly do so. Five stars is not sufficient to describe this wonderful work of art. I am an opera fan but I am certainly not offended by these contemporary arrangements which brings these wonderful works to a modern audience.

The selection "Willow" from Verdi's Otello is haunting and mystical. "Un Bel Di" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly soars. Other works from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas; or Mozart's The Magic Flute; or Bizet's Carmen are arranged to be unique and evoke the context of the original opera.

Rebecca Luker's voice is superb. The electonic approach to these classics updates them, but never replaces the originals. They were not meant to replace only to offer a unique approach to classics.

Average customer rating:

Agnus Dei music of Inner Harmony
Simply The Best
Wow!
Profound sublimity
Beautiful music

Agnus Dei: Music of Inner Harmony

Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Agnus Dei II: Music to soothe the soul
O Magnum Mysterium
Barber's Adagio / Munch, Galway, Boston SO Strings
Choral Masterpieces
Gloria: Music of Praise & Inspiration

ASIN: B000005E4J
Release Date: 1997-02-18

Tracks:

Agnus Dei, op.11 - Barber
Cantique de Jean Racine, op.11 - Faure
Kyrie - Palestrina
Ave Verum Corpus K 618 - Mozart
Jesus bleibet meine Freude - Bach
Ave Maria, op.37 No.6 - Choir Of New College Oxford
Lux Aeterna - Choir Of New College Oxford
Totus Tuus - Choir Of New College Oxford
Hear my prayer - Mendelssohn
The Lamb - Tavener
In paradisum - Faure
Miserere mei, Deus - Choir Of New College Oxford

Amazon.com

Beyond this recording's new age packaging and title is a splendid sampling of some of the world's finest choral music, sung by one of the world's outstanding choirs. This "anthology of sacred choral music" spans 400 years and includes such masterpieces as Allegri's Miserere, Bach's "Jesu, joy of man's desiring," and Barber's exquisite Agnus Dei, which is the composer's choral setting of his famous Adagio for Strings. Along the way we also hear Mozart's sublime "Ave verum corpus," Elgar's "Lux aeterna," and the Kyrie from Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli. There has been a choir at England's New College, Oxford, since the year 1379, and this impressive line of experience shows in the intelligent, unfaltering, and finely polished performances by today's ensemble of 16 boys and 12 adults. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Agnus Dei music of Inner Harmony.......2007-05-14

Not really my thing but mother in law loved it.

Simply The Best.......2007-02-23

You'll love this music. This is music for all moments of your life

Wow!.......2006-07-08

I'm a long-time listener of all things rock-'n-roll, from Classic rock, to Alternative, and even a little Metal. I first heard this CD while having dinner at a friends house a long time ago, and I loved it. I've always been enchanted with choir music, so I bought this CD. Well, after years of listening to it to help me to unwind in the evening, I somehow misplaced it. So I came to Amazon to order both I and II. Of the two CD's, the first one is still the best, and it still helps me to relax after a long day. The choir show tremendous range in their singing, the assorted instruments are well-played, and I can almost imagine myself sitting in a centuries-old cathedral, enjoying the music and how it rings throughout the cathedral.

Buy it. You won't be disappointed.

Profound sublimity.......2006-02-27

This album offers music that is profoundly moving and sumbline. It takes the listener onto an inner journal of extraordinary emotional depths and heights

Beautiful music.......2006-01-18

The first song I've heard on this CD is "Miserere Mei..." and I loved it the first minute. I've heard it from a friend who likes classical, and I would've never bought this on my own.

All other versions of these songs I've heard since don't compare to the versions on this CD. Maybe because it was my first listen, maybe they're just good.

Average customer rating:

4 stars and stuff, man
Nice segue to opera
Exquisite! My favorite of the Arias and favorite CD by far.
A great follow-up to an outstanding musical experience
Grandiose and inspiring

Aria, Vol. 2: New Horizon
Paul Schwartz , Rebecca Luker , and Steve Barton
Manufacturer: Koch Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Aria 3: Metamorphosis
Aria
State of Grace II: Turning to Peace
State of Grace
Earthbound

ASIN: B0002IQGFI
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Tracks:

Arianna
Ebben
Addio
Horizon
Barcarolle
Cantilena
Sviraj (Lullabye)
Interlude
Pavane
Ave Maria
Leiermann
Lullabye (Sviraj)

Customer Reviews:

4 stars and stuff, man.......2007-05-06

review review review review blah blah blah blah and stuff, man.

Nice segue to opera.......2007-01-10

I have never liked opera, but this music is a gentle introduction with enough contemporary addition to pique my interest. Very well done. I have also purchased the first Aria CD and also number 3.

Exquisite! My favorite of the Arias and favorite CD by far........2006-11-06

This CD speaks to the heart. It expresses powerful emotions of longing, grief, and tenderness. A baring of the soul with such beauty. Clair Marlo's vocals in Lullabye (Sviraj) are absolutely divine. It sends me. Here we are treated to at least three different vocals, not just Rebecca Luker, and they blend and flow so beautifully. It's just wonderful. What a treat. Can't say enough about this CD. I love it.

A great follow-up to an outstanding musical experience.......2006-03-15

ARIA volume 1 was certainly a winner and this follow-up CD is fantastic. I liked the first CD so much that every time I went to the record store or online at Amazon I would look to see if Paul Schwartz and written a sequel. Schwartz selects wonderful works from classical music and re-arranges them so that they maintain the essential spirit and intent of the original but are made accessible for the ears of contemporary listeners. Thus, you owe it to yourself to listen to these gems.

Rebecca Luker's super voice is wonderful as she weaves a mystical mood with Monteverdi's Lament of Arianna; Catalani's "Ebben ne Andro Lontano" from La Wally; "Addio" from Verdi's La Traviata; "Barcarolle" from Offenbach's Contes De Hoffman and "Ave Maria" by Caccini. I looked Luker up on the web and found that she has starred in various Broadway productions. Her voice is incredible and Schwartz integrates her angelic sound into the electronic instrumentation. The "Ave Maria" is somewhat odd, with the strong precussions, but the choir and Rebecca Luker keep it within bounds.

This CD differs from the first ARIA in that we are treated to several instrumental works arranged by Schwartz. "Horizon" is a moody composition anchored by viola and cello. "Cantilena" is a piano solo played by Schwartz, a charming piece that echoes back to Verdi's "Addio" as well as the Croatina Lullabye sung by Clair Marlo.

A second outstanding singer, Clair Marlo, delivers "Sviraj, a Croatian Lullabye" which Schwartz offers in two distinct arrangements, once in Croatian and then again in English.

Faure's "Pavane" is very well done with Marc Antoine playing the guitar solo. The work is improvised so that a contemporary jazz interpretation is offered.

Steve Barton's voice, accompanied by the oboe, offers us "Leiermann" from Die Wintereise by Schubert. This is a dreamy sad odd spacey work with lyrics about a freezing ancient shoeless hurdy-gurdy man. The work is full of mystery and retains Schubert's complexity.

Paul Schwartz makes the outstanding compositions of previous generations come alive for contemporary audiences.

Grandiose and inspiring.......2005-01-31

This is type of music I expect to hear: strong, complex arrangements executed with passion and flair. I first heard Earthbound, and knew instantly that Paul Schwartz is up to something. His work far surpasses others in this genre.

I especially love the vocals here. Some of the intros are a tad cliche, but I can live with that. The voice is convincing and energetic, masterful even. This is one of the best CDs I have bought in years.

The Sound of Music (1998 Broadway Revival Cast)

Average customer rating:

Wonderful music!
The hills are alive, with the sound of class!
Another beautifully done musical revival!
Comprehensive new Sound of Music album
Cool

The Sound of Music (1998 Broadway Revival Cast)
Rebecca Luker , Richard Rodgers , and Oscar Hammerstein II
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Sound of Music (1959 Original Broadway Cast)
The King and I (1996 Broadway Revival Cast)
Oklahoma! Broadway (1979 Broadway Revival Cast)
The Sound Of Music (1987 Studio Cast)
The Sound of Music: Piano Play-Along Volume 25 (Hal Leonard Piano Play-Along)

ASIN: B000006OP7
Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

Act I: Preludium: Dixit Dominus/Morning Hymn/Alleluia
Act I: The Sound Of Music
Act I: Maria
Act I: I Have Confindence
Act I: Do-Re-Mi
Act I: Sixteen Going On Seventeen
Act I: My Favorite Things
Act I: How Can Love Survive?
Act I: The Sound Of Music (Reprise)
Act I: Laendler
Act I: So Long, Farewell
Act I: Climb Ev'ry Mountain
Act II: No Way To Stop It
Act II: Something Good
Act II: Wedding Processional/Canticle
Act II: Sixteen Going On Seventeen (Reprise)
Act II: The Lonely Goatherd
Act II: Edelweiss
Act II: So Long, Farewell (Reprise)
Act II: Finale Ultimo

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful music!.......2005-08-18

I have the movie soundtrack with Julie Andrews, a version with Mary Martin, but this is my favorite because it includes songs not heard in the movie: How Can Love Survive, No Way to Stop It, and Something Good.

The hills are alive, with the sound of class!.......2002-07-14

I can't emagine a world without the sound of music!
The songs, the film and the stage show are AMAZING! I am currently running in a short term play in the theater Royal, Bath, and i have used this to get a taster of the music!
Popluar songs in my books are
the lonely goatherd
No way to stop it and
so long, farewell.

Another beautifully done musical revival!.......2002-06-12

This is truly a beautiful CD. All of the songs are lovely and it's a great revival of the musical. Rebecca Luker makes a wonderful Maria. It truly deserves all of the stars it can get.

Comprehensive new Sound of Music album.......2002-01-06

While I strongly stand behind my view that the Original 1959 Broadway Cast album with Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel is clearly the album of choice, this new production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC is equally as praiseworthy. Rebecca Luker adds her own charm to the part of Maria, as did Mary Martin and Julie Andrews before her. The Captain's singing is somewhat weak in a few areas when compared with Theodore Bikel and C. Plummer (Plummer was dubbed for the film), but he does very well with it. Patricia Neway from the old album is far and away superior to what we have here and Peggy Wood from the film version (Wood was also dubbed for the film).

While I adore the film and its award winning soundtrack, I regret not seeing this revival when it was still playing on Broadway, as I was in NYC in early '99. This new Broadway cast album deservedly stands right up there with all the rest!

Cool.......2001-11-20

I had never seen the sound of music, until we did it at my school and I fell in love with it and I love all of the songs. I have only heard this CD 1 time but it still sounds just as good as it did to me the first time I heard the songs!!!!!!!!!!! My Favorite songs: No Way to Stop it, How Can Love Survive, and Sixteen Going on Seventeen.

Les Miserables (1985 Original London Cast)

Average customer rating:

Not the Best
This is the original for me
One Of The Best !
Worst of 4 versions
Some problems... but overall, a good album

Les Miserables (1985 Original London Cast)
Alain Boublil , Claude-Michel Schonberg , Patti LuPone , Rebecca Caine , Colm Wilkinson , and Frances Ruffelle
Manufacturer: Relativity
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Les Miserables (1987 Original Broadway Cast)
The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast)
Les Miserables - The Dream Cast in Concert
Les Miserables - The Musical That Swept the World (10th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall)
Cats (1981 Original London Cast)

ASIN: B000006ONF
Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

Prologue: Work Song
Prologue: Valijean Arrested/Valijean Forgiven
Prologue: What Have I Done?
At The End Of The Day
I Dreamed A Dream
Lovely Ladies
Who Am I?
Fantine's Death: Come To Me
Fantine's Death: Confrontation
Castle On A Cloud
Master Of The House
Thenardier Waltz
Stars
Look Down
Little People
Red & Black
Do You Hear The People Sing?

Tracks:

Love Montage: I Saw Him Once/In My Life/A Heart Full Of Love
Plumet Attack
One Day More!
On My Own
The Attack
A Little Fall Of Rain
Drink With Me
Bring Him Home
Dog Eat Dog
Soliloquy
Turning
Empty Chairs At Empty Tables
Beggar At The Feast
Finale

Amazon.com

This recording captures the 1985 London cast that transformed an obscure French musical based on Victor Hugo's gargantuan novel of pre-Revolutionary France into a worldwide phenomenon throughout the late-'80s and '90s and became one of the best examples of the era's trend of blockbuster musical spectacles. Yes, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schoenberg's score tends to recycle its themes, but the beautiful melodies and stirring anthems rarely fail to captivate and touch its audience. Colm Wilkinson is the heroic Valjean, Patti LuPone is the tragic Fantine, Michael Ball is the love-struck Marius, and Frances Ruffelle is the despondent Eponine, with Roger Allam (Javert), Alun Armstrong and Sue Jane Tanner (the Thénardiers), Rebecca Caine (older Cosette), and David Burt (Enjolras) filling out the excellent cast. Fans will want to take note that this recording includes some material that was revised when the show crossed the pond to Broadway--"Little People" was lost altogether, while the "Love Montage" was significantly rewritten. Les Misérables sounds especially vivid in its 1998 remastering, and a synopsis and full lyrics are included. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Not the Best.......2007-06-29

I agree with many of the comments made by others. But let me give some of my own. The London production is an early production of the Les Mis and like all early productions, composers and producers improve the product as it goes to new locations. The New York album is for me infinitely better than the London album. The slowness of the songs in the London production are incredably annoying. The singing is at times pedestrian. Many voices are smaller or less interesting than those in the New York production. The orchestration was enlarged and improved in the New York production. For some songs the orchestration is totally changed. In all there is no comparison. I also love the anniversary production and as a recording would prefer that none. I have not heard the complete ORchestral recording and can not comment on it.

Let me also agree with most of what was said about Ms. Ruffelle as Eponine. She is a disaster and almost distroys the New York album. Strangely she is less annoying in the London album because her singing softer and therefore less annoying. I disagree with those who say she can not annunciate. I also disagree that she has a horrible voice. I think she has a decent pop voice. It just Does not BELONG in this musical. It sounds like a pop singer thrown into the 18th century. She is miscast and totally out of place. I did not know she was a pop singer until I read the comments below. But you could guess it by her style and phrasing. I can not think of any album almost destroyed by a miscasting since I heard the Deutche Gramaphone version of West Side Story with the strange casting of Jose Cararas as Tony. It killed the entire albmu. Luckily, Eponine is a smaller part and it does not totally destroy the LOndon or New York version. I just want to know WHY SHE GOT THIS PART....and then why she further got the part in New York. If someone has the story, PLEASE tell it.

This is the original for me.......2006-10-07

Having seen Les Mis in London twice as a kid, the OLC version is simply the only worthwile version for me. While you could argue that some of the later versions are technically better, they just sound wrong and off-tempo to me.

One Of The Best !.......2006-07-31

Simply put, Les Miserables is one of the greatest musicals ever written for the stage. Both the London and Broadway versions of this classic best each other in terms of superiority, but you can't really go wrong with either.

The marvelous London cast includes Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Roger Allam as Javert, Patti LuPone as Fantine, Michael Ball as Marius, and Frances Ruffelle as Eponine.

Best Songs include:

At The End Of The Day
I Dreamed A Dream
Come To Me
Master Of The House
Stars
On My Own
A Little Fall Of Rain
Bring Him Home
Empty Chairs At Empty Tables

If I had to choose between the two, I'd lean towards the Broadway version ... though it's hard to pass up anything Ms. LuPone does.

Worst of 4 versions.......2006-07-18

Les Miserables is definitely one of the better musicals out there. Among the four (Original London, Original Broadway, Complete Recording, and 10th Anniversary) most popular versions, however, this is the least appealing. The tempo is slow, providing for some boring listening, plus the casting of some actors is questionable. Among the most annoying cast members is Frances Ruffelle, who should not be in musical theater at all. She has a bad voice, she can't enunciate well (major speech problems there), and worse, she has bad singing technique (cannot sustain long lines and high notes -- incorrect breathing). She doesn't even deserve to be compared to Lea Salonga (who is a million times superior over her Ruffelle). I'd second the thought that if Salonga were old enough to audition for this role in the early 80s, Ruffelle would not even been remotely considered. And no, Ruffelle was NOT invited to join the Dream Cast, even though the concert was going to be held in London; Cameron's asistant, in fact, had to persuade Lea Salonga to give up recording the Miss Saigon Complete Recording just to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime 10th Anniversary event.

As some reviewers have mentioned, this album is a good buy if one wants to trace the evolution of this mega-musical. If you want the best buck for your money, however, get the 10th Anniversary version (it's live -- it has the dream cast, plus excitement in the air just fills the entire recording). An excellent second choice would be the Complete Symphonic Recording.

Some problems... but overall, a good album.......2006-07-16

The London Cast has issues, it's been criticised as "too slow", and it is the next step up from the French concept album, so the show was still being sorted out. Some of the performers are unremarkable, but the majority are amazing. It is a nice album, but the best overall cast is the Tenth Anniversary Cast. I'd recommend this as a CD to see how the show evolved. I'd also take it over the Broadway and International cast recordings.

However, one thing I noticed when I was reading through the reviews was that if Lea Salonga had been old enough to audition, she would have won the role of Eponine. Uh... NO. Frances Ruffelle was the first choice for the Dream Cast and couldn't make it so Lea was the second choice. Frances is simply amazing and the bucketload of awards Lea won for 'Miss Saigon'? That was Frances back in 1989 for Les Mis.

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