Evelyn (Score) [Soundtrack]

evelyn (score) [soundtrack]

On this CD:

Sitting On Top Of The World
Composed by Van Morrison
with Van Morrison

Evelyn, film score Opening Credits
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Evelyn, film score Mom Leaves On St. Stephen's Day
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Evelyn, film score The Nuns
Composed by Stephen Endelman
with The Grogan Family
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Evelyn, film score The First Judgement
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

On The Banks Of The Roses
Composed by Irish Traditional
with The Grogan Family, Pierce Brosnan

Evelyn, film score Desmond Hugs Evelyn
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Evelyn, film score The Chase
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

The Parting Glass
Composed by Irish Traditional
with The Grogan Family, Pierce Brosnan

Evelyn, film score D'you Fancy Him
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Evelyn, film score Grandpa's Angel Rays
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Evelyn, film score Fight The Good Fight
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Evelyn, film score Desmond Loses
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Evelyn, film score The Rugger Game
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Evelyn, film score Jig Two
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Evelyn, film score Statue Of Justice
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Evelyn, film score The Verdict
Composed by Stephen Endelman
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Angel Rays (for the film Evelyn)
Composed by Stephen Endelman, Gemma Hayes
with Sissel
Conducted by Stephen Endelman

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Pierce Brosnan may well be the most hyped James Bond since Sean Connery, but he's gratifyingly used his burgeoning Hollywood clout to midwife Evelyn, a warm, intimate portrait of an unemployed widower battling both the church and Irish government for the custody of his own children. Composer Stephen Endelman colors the film with a musical mix that leans on traditional Celtic folk touches (fiddle and pennywhistle), skillfully weaving them into an orchestral context that ranges from the gently pastoral to some emotionally detached minimalism. Anchored by vocal performances from Van Morrison and Sissel, and featuring a couple good-natured pub songs by Brosnan himself, it's an inviting soundtrack rooted in Irish traditions, yet one savvy enough to contrast them against a more modern emotional landscape. --Jerry McCulley

Evelyn (Score),Stephen Endelman,Various Artists,Decca U.S.,Pop,Soundtrack,Soundtracks & Film Scores

Evelyn (Score) [Soundtrack]

Average customer rating:

Amazing and beautiful
Another Bela Fleck Masterpiece!
Definitely a Winner
Soul Food
AN AMAZING WORK ! ! !

Perpetual Motion
Bela Fleck , Edgar Meyer , Evelyn Glennie , Joshua Bell , Gary Hoffman , John [guitar] Williams , Domenico Scarlatti , Johann Sebastian Bach , Claude Debussy , Fryderyk Chopin , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Johannes Brahms , Niccolo Paganini , and Ludwig van Beethoven
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Inventions | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Bluegrass Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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Music for Two (Bonus DVD)
The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2
Hidden Land
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ASIN: B00005OSX6
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Tracks:

Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in C Major K. 159
Bach: Two-Part Invention No. 13
Debussy: "Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum" from Children's Corner
Chopin: Mazurka in F-sharp Minor
Bach: "Prelude" from Partita No. 3 for Solo Violin
Chopin: Etude in C-sharp Minor
Chopin: Mazurka in F-sharp Minor
Bach: Three-Part Invention No. 10
Tchaikovsky: Melody in E-flat
Brahms: "Presto in G-Minor I after Bach"
Bach: "Prelude" from Suite for Unaccompanied Cello 1
Bach: Three-Part Invention No. 15
Paganini: Moto Perpetuo
Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in D Minor K. 213
Bach: Two-Part Invention No. 6
Beethoven: "Adagio sostenuto" from "Moonlight" Sonata
Bach: Two-Part Invention No. 11
Beethoven: Seven Variations on "God Save The King"
Bach: Three-Part Invention No. 7
Paganini: Moto Perpetuo (Bluegrass version)

Amazon.com

Bela Fleck is one of the greatest five-string banjo players performing today. Beginning in the 1970s, he honed his lightning-fast chops performing bluegrass, then moved on to contemporary jazz and fusion sounds. With this album, he broadens his horizons once again by performing an entire program of classical music transcriptions. Reminiscent of classical guitar albums by John Williams (who makes a guest appearance here), the disc traverses a wide range of repertoire--from Chopin mazurkas to Bach's Two and Three Part Inventions. Throughout, Fleck displays a feathery touch on his banjo, and his instrument offers a pleasant, brassy tone with very little twang. The technique he displays on Perpetual Motion is astounding and a refreshing change of pace from the smooth grooves found on the banjoist's Flecktones recordings. The arrangements are generally minimalist and understated, but violinist Joshua Bell, bassist Edgar Meyer, mandolinist Chris Thile, and percussionist Evelyn Glennie join in on this groundbreaking disc. Bluegrass purists may be disappointed (this is a far cry from the free-spirited, folksy abandon found on Sony's Short Trip Home and Appalachian Journey CDs), but classical fans will be astounded by how perfectly natural Fleck's banjo sounds on these works. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Amazing and beautiful.......2007-01-02

Fleck's 2001 disc `Perpetual Motion' is by far his most ambitious foray into virtuosity, performing classical works by Bach, Scarlatti and Chopin.

And he does it without really showing off. He only tackles mazurkas, fugues and Bach classical inventions on the five-string banjo, a simple instrument for which this music was never conceived.

I once flirted with playing the banjo, and it wasn't an easy task, even trying to play 'Uncle Pen'.

But the man must be possessed to play it like Bela does. Alternating between delicate and complicated, slow to fast, Fleck gets about as much out of the humble banjo as anyone possibly could. He plays it precisely and with a light touch, with respect for the music and his instrument.

Some reviewers think it pretentious of Fleck to attempt a banjo foray into the classical genre. That's bunk. How is virtuosity measured, after all? By playing many genres: classical, bluegrass, pop, jazz, Indian, fusion. And by playing them well.

Fleck wasn't awarded a Grammy for this recording just by looking pretty. He earned it.

Another Bela Fleck Masterpiece!.......2006-09-17

Who knew there could be classical banjo. It may sound dumb to some of you, but Bela Fleck pulls it off perfectly. I prefer the jazz fusion of his work with the Flecktones, but that does not mean this is not brilliant. Technically speaking, Bela and all of his collaborators are the best around, and who can argue with the songwriting of the classical composers(no one openly insults Mozart). If you haven't heard Bela Fleck, here's some advice. Get one of his Flecktones albums if you're into jazz, rock, or funk, this if you like classical, and his Newgrass Revival, Strength in Numbers, or Sam Bush stuff if you're a bluegrass fan.

Definitely a Winner.......2006-07-05

It is apparent to my ears why this CD won a Grammy. It takes familiar classical music pieces and puts the distinct Bela Fleck style on them. The pairing of the banjo with different instruments makes this album texturally interesting for the ear and one does not tire of the selections, even if they are familiar. My favorite pairing is the marimba with the banjo. The liner notes are interesting, as is Bela's story on how difficult it was to make the album. It was definitely worth his time and the listener's .

Soul Food.......2006-01-30

This is exquisite! The best of human experience encoded on a simple CD disk.

AN AMAZING WORK ! ! !.......2005-11-12

I was searching a classical music CD for a long time which is something different.Which consists variety of instruments. Like guitar,violin,banjo,mandolin...for example.Something different and also exiting music.This CD fullfills my wishes. The music like this doesn't come up very often I suppose!
Béla Fleck did a great job by working with people who is masters of their instruments like John Williams etc. This causes the CD to be more joyful.You won't get bored to listen it again and again!
Anyway ,either you are a fan of classical music or not, you won't be dissapointed with this.I guarantee :)

Shamanic Journey Drumming: Spirit Passages

Average customer rating:

GREAT VIBS
So this is Shamanic Drumming ...
Excellent drumming music for Shamanic Journeying
It's the real deal.
Excellent!

Shamanic Journey Drumming: Spirit Passages

Manufacturer: Spirit Passages, Yarmouth, Maine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Drumming To Journey By
Shamanism: As a Spiritual Practice for Daily Life
Sacred Drums (for the Shamanic Journey
Shamanic Journeying: A Beginner's Guide
The Way of the Shaman

ASIN: B00005MOH2

Tracks:

Calling in the Helping and Healing Spirits
The Journey
Call-Back Signal

Album Description

Album Description Consciousness-altering rhythms for shamanic journeying, meditation or dreaming.

This recording has been digitally recorded and mastered to produce the richest acoustic depth and full tonal range necessary to alter consciousness for the purpose of making shamanic journeys.

The type of insistent, rapid drumming found on this recording can provide support for shifting consciousness. When shamans journey to the spirit realm, they enter a trance-like state of consciousness. In this trance state, the brain generates theta waves which are characterized by a 4 cycle-per-minute pattern. Research into altered states have determined that the deepest states of shamanic consciousness may be accessed by listening to rhythmic drumming of 4-beats-per-second because these rhythms replicate the natural theta state.

Step-by-step instructions for making successful shamanic journeys, using this method, are explained in Evelyn C. Rysdyk's book, Modern Shamanic Living. (It is strongly suggested that persons with no prior journey experience read this book first!) The sonic-supported journey technique, pioneered by anthropologist Dr. Michael Harner, provides an opportunity for ordinary people to access the realms of spirit in a very safe manner.

For best results, listen to this recording while wearing headphones. To make shorter journeys than the full CD length, skip to the call-back track when you feel ready to return.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT VIBS.......2007-04-22

When you don't go out with your rattle, and you are needing to meet with your animal totem, this CD does the job.

So this is Shamanic Drumming ..........2006-07-10

This is an interesting review to write - this CD does exactly what it says on the title, which is to induce a deep trance by the use of a single rhythm drum pattern, for shamanic journeys.

However, if you are looking for interesting ethnic drum beats or examples of native American drums, you won't find them here, because the entire CD, apart from two tracks at the beginning and the end which are each less than 2 minute in length, is one single drum pattern of four beats per second which repeats for nearly an hour.

If you want a shamanic trance, this product will deliver; but don't buy this if you want to be entertained!

Excellent drumming music for Shamanic Journeying.......2006-06-24

This is the best CD I have found so far for doing shamanic journeying to recorded drumming. There are just 3 tracks - inviting the spirits, the journey drumming, and a call back at the end. I loaded it onto my iPod and it works very well for me.

I found the sound quality to be excellent, crisp and clear, and the energy in the sound to be amazing. It really "does the job" and provides the horse to ride for the journey. A friend of mine had an incredible first journey just from using this recording. I also use it as a background when I am doing my own drumming, to assist and provide me with a "backup group."

Note: this is not a "musical" CD, and not just for listening to!

It's the real deal........2004-09-07

I've listened to this CD and it has lived up to its purpose, and then some. Deep trance is the name of this game. Heavily so. If you are open, it is quite a powerfull tool.

Excellent!.......2004-06-16

First I must say that if you are looking for entertaining music or drumming, look elsewhere; that's not the purpose of this CD. Additionally, listening to a shamanic drumming CD does not make an instant shaman out of anyone; if you are expecting this CD to transform your abilities, you are mistaken. Drumming is intended to promote trance induction, but it won't do you much good if you don't put yourself in the right mindset to trance or know what to do once you begin to trance.

Tracks:

Magnificat in D, BWV243: Chor: Magnificat - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Magnificat in D, BWV243: Aria: Et Exultavit Spiritus Meus - Emily Van Evera
Magnificat in D, BWV243: Aria: Quia Respexit Humilitatem - Evelyn Tubb
Magnificat in D, BWV243: Chor: Omnes Generationes - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Magnificat in D, BWV243: Aria: Quia Fecit Mihi Magna - Simon Grant
Magnificat in D, BWV243: Duetto: Et Misericordia - Caroline Trevor/Howard Crook
Magnificat in D, BWV243: Chor: Fecit Potentiam - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Magnificat in D, BWV243: Aria: Deposuit Potentes - Howard Crook
Magnificat in D, BWV243: Aria: Esurientes Implevit Bonis - Caroline Trevor
Magnificat in D, BWV243: Chor: Suscepit Israel - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott/Emily Van Evera/Evelyn Tubb/Caroline Trevor
Magnificat in D, BWV243: Chor: Sicut Locutus Est - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Magnificat in D, BWV243: Chor: Gloria Patri - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Lobet Gott In Seinen Reichen, BWV11/249b: Chor: Lobet Gott In Seinen Reichen - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Lobet Gott In Seinen Reichen, BWV11/249b: Evangelista: Der Herr Jesus Hub Seine Hande Auf - Wilfried Jochens
Lobet Gott In Seinen Reichen, BWV11/249b: Recitativo: Ach, Jesu, Ist Dein Abschied Schon So Nah? - Stephen Charlesworth
Lobet Gott In Seinen Reichen, BWV11/249b: Aria: Ach, Bleibe Doch, Mein Liebstes Leben - Margaret Cable
Lobet Gott In Seinen Reichen, BWV11/249b: Evangelista: Und Ward Aufgehoben Zusehends - Wilfried Jochens
Lobet Gott In Seinen Reichen, BWV11/249b: Chor: Nun Lieget Alles Unter Dir - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Lobet Gott In Seinen Reichen, BWV11/249b: Evangelista: Und Da Sie Ihm Nachsahen/Recitativo: Ihr... - Wilfried Jochens/Stephen Charlesworth/Margaret Cable
Lobet Gott In Seinen Reichen, BWV11/249b: Aria: Jesu, Deine Gnadenblicke - Emma Kirby
Lobet Gott In Seinen Reichen, BWV11/249b: Chor: Wenn Soll Es Doch Geschehen - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Nun Ist Das Heil Und Die Kraft, BWV50: Chor - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott

Tracks:

Christ Lag In Todes Banden, BWV4: Sinf - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Christ Lag In Todes Banden, BWV4: Versus I: Christ Lag In Todes Banden - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Christ Lag In Todes Banden, BWV4: Versus II: Den Tod Neimand Zwingen Kunnt - Emily Van Evera/Caroline Trevor
Christ Lag In Todes Banden, BWV4: Versus III: Jesus Christus, Gottes Sohn - Charles Daniels
Christ Lag In Todes Banden, BWV4: Versus IV: Es War Ein Wunderlicher Krieg - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Christ Lag In Todes Banden, BWV4: Versus V: Hie Ist Das Rechte Osterlamm - David Thomas
Christ Lag In Todes Banden, BWV4: Versus VI: So Feiren Wir Das Hohe Fest - Emily Van Evera/Charles Daniels
Christ Lag In Todes Banden, BWV4: Versus VII: Wir Essen Und Leben Wohl - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Osteroratorium, BWV249: Sinf - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Osteroratorium, BWV249: Adagio - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Osteroratorium, BWV249: Chor: Kommt, Eilet Und Laufet - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott
Osteroratorium, BWV249: Recitativo: O Kalter Manner Sinn! - Emily Van Evera/Caroline Trevor/Charles Daniels/David Thomas
Osteroratorium, BWV249: Aria: Seele, Deine Spezereien - Emily Van Evera
Osteroratorium, BWV249: Recitativo: Hier Ist Die Gruft - Caroline Trevor/Charles Daniels/David Thomas
Osteroratorium, BWV249: Aria: Sanfte Soll Mein Todeskummer - Charles Daniels
Osteroratorium, BWV249: Recitativo: Indessen Seufzen Wir - Emily Van Evera/Caroline Trevor
Osteroratorium, BWV249: Aria: Saget, Saget Mir Geschwinde - Caroline Trevor
Osteroratorium, BWV249: Recitativo: Wir Sind Erfreut - David Thomas
Osteroratorium, BWV249: Chor: Preis Und Dank - Taverner Consort & Players/Andrew Parrott

Amazon.com

Andrew Parrott was the first conductor to adopt Joshua Rifkin's controversial one-singer-per-part approach to Bach's "choral" music (other than Rifkin himself, that is). This very reasonably priced reissue sees Parrott applying the approach to four of Bach's most popular sacred works. On the whole, Parrott and his ensemble make a good case for both one-per-part practice and their own performances. Once the ear adjusts, the balance is excellent: the vocal parts don't dominate the orchestra (as many listeners accustomed to a chorus expect); they are equal partners with it--which suits Bach's intricate and often dense writing for instruments and voices. In the Magnificat, however, good balance without good judgment isn't enough. Parrott rips through the piece so quickly that the singers have no time to do anything interesting with their parts. The Ascension Oratorio comes off better, with tempos that are brisk but not dizzying, as well as fine solos by Cable and Kirkby.

The Taverner Consort and Players really shine, however, in the Easter works. The opening Sinfonia of Christ lag in Todesbanden (taken surprisingly slowly) is breathtaking, as is the soprano-alto duet; the Sinfonia and opening chorus of the Easter Oratorio fairly rollick along, while Emily van Evera (sensitive and beguiling) and Caroline Trevor (athletic and almost giddy) do themselves proud in their arias, and tenor Charles Daniels, cushioned by flutes and strings, paints a magical picture of heavenly rest. If you just can't stomach the idea of Bach done by a madrigal consort (as some would have it), you'll do well with Ton Koopman or Philippe Herreweghe. But at such a reasonable price, these commendable performances are more than worth a try. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

The Extreme End of the Minimalist Spectrum: The Purity of Bach.......2006-12-16

Andrew Parrott conducts the Taverner Consort and Players is a very affordable set of discs that allow everyone to experience the 'non-choral' choral Bach. Instead of the usual chorus (even the pared down choruses of 16 - 30 members the way most 'authentic' performances use) the works are assigned to one person per part. The result is light, airy, transparent, and very lovely Bach.

Case in point: for the Magnificat 'for 5 voices, 5-part chorus, orchestra & continuo' in D major, Parrott conducts or rather inspires Emily van Evera, Evelyn Tubb, Taverner Consort and Players, Howard Crook, Caroline Trevor, Simon Grant in a new way to hear this gracious work. That Bach can be interpreted in so many ways gives credence to his importance in musical history. This performance, as pure and gracious as it is and a wonderfully fresh way to hear the work, is not the only 'authentic' way to hear Magnificat. In a stunning recent performance with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Bernard Labadie and his own La Chapelle de Quebec (30 members strong) and soloists Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Brett Polegato, James Taylor, and Mary Wilson the Magnificat offered was another 'option' used in Bach's time: four German Christmas carols were inserted between pertinent movements the way Bach made the work 'German' in his Leipzig Lutheran performances of his day. Another wholly satisfying and refreshing way to enjoy this great work.

Parrott does make his case for the single voice per part in the other works on this set with exquisite readings of the Ascension Oratorio, with Wilfried Jochens, Stephen Charlesworth, Evelyn Tubb, Emma Kirkby, and Margaret Cable, the 'Cantata No. 50 and Cantata No. 4 (Christ lag in Todes Banden) with Emily van Evera, Charles Daniels, David Thomas, and Caroline Trevor, and the 'Easter Oratorio' with Emily van Evera, Charles Daniels, Caroline Trevor, and Peter Kooy.

Every Bach lover should include this set in the library. It is yet another way to hear the Master's works in as pure a state as possible! Grady Harp, December 06

Simply wonderful.......2006-06-26

All my reservations I had against Parrott in Bach are completely gone with these discs.

I did like his Mass in B, but I found it at the same time a bit too fast paced and lightweight in the sound of both orchestra and singers and the recording itself sounds a bit thin too.
Then I got Parrott's St. John which I like very, very much and which is my favorite St. John along with Gardiner's and Herreweghe's 1st recording (haven't heard his 2nd yet).
The recording has much more substance and the orchestra has more weight.

Now, these performances of Magnificat, Ascension Oratorio and Easter Oratorio are truly wonderful.
The Magnificat is rather on the fast side, I prefer Herreweghe, but the equal attention Parrott gives to his orchestra and singers, just like Herreweghe, I like very much.
The sound is solid, warm and natural.
Parrott is more expressive than Herreweghe, thanks to his one voice per part reading I suppose, it sounds more enthusiastic and spontane.

The Easter Oratorio is more sensible paced and is very similar to Herreweghe's pacing, although "Sanfte soll mein Todeskummer" is taken too fast by Parrott, Herreweghe I like better and his orchestral accompaniment too, which is unearthy sounding in its polish and repeating figures.
Solists are great and I prefer Emily van Evera for Parrott over Herreweghe's Barbara Schlick.

I don't miss a bigger force (choir) at all, the Easter Oratorio as a whole I like better the way Parrott (and his 'one voice per part' method) performs it than Herreweghe - with the exception of "Sanfte soll..."

Simply wonderful.

One-Voice-Per-Part At It's Best.......2002-07-31

I've never been a fan of Bach's works being performed One-Voice-Per-Part, until I listened to this recording.

There is much to be praised about this recording. While I'd much prefer to hear the soprano and alto lines sung by trebles and boy altos or countertenors, the female singers here are superb. Emma Kirkby shines as usual. The Taverner Consort is very clean as well.

The Magnificat is very good here. This is no quick-paced interpretation with an obviously minimalistic sound (like McCreesh's). It even has the fervor of a larger ensemble, surprisingly. I never thought an athletic movement such as the "Fecit Potentiam" could be pulled off using One Voice Per Part, but Andrew Parrot does it very well.

BWV 4 is indeed taken surprisingly slowly, and I prefer the Konrad Junganel rendition on Harmonia Mundi much better. This Andrew Parrot rendition is well-done nonetheless, as I am a big fan of his alto-soprano duo. BWV 50 is also a rare surprise (It is, without a doubt, my favorite number on these discs). As a worthy finale to this two-disk set is "Preis Und Dank" from the Easter Oratorio. Highly reccomended.

One of the finest Bach recordings in the catalog.......2000-10-10

At the moment, this is my favorite Bach recording. I am a big fan of the one-voice-per-part approach ("OVPP"), and I truly feel that, where its use is appropriate, a small consort of voices offers better results than a traditional chorus (current evidence suggests that OVPP was likely used at least in Bach's early cantatas and in Passions). If you listen to this recording with an open mind, you might be able to recognize the merits of this approach: clarity of lines, better balance between the vocalists and the instrumentalists, and a potential for a finer insight into the meaning of the text. Some tempo issues aside, this recording is nearly as good as they come (besides, tempi are, to some extent, a matter of personal preference). Andrew Parrott's direction is generally well judged, and the cast he assembled is superb. I particularly enjoyed the contributions of Charles Daniels (one of my favorite tenors) and Caroline Trevor. I have to admit to a bit of a bias in favor of male altos, but Caroline Trevor is so superb that few countertenors can compare. Her Saget, saget, mir geschwinde, for instance, is definitely the best I've heard. --gggimpy@yahoo.com

Love Come Down: The Best of Evelyn "Champagne" King

Average customer rating:

Nice Collection Of Her RCA Years
on time and I'm fine
She picked up where Donna Summer left off
EVELYN KING=Great Dance Music!
before britney there was evelyn

Love Come Down: The Best of Evelyn "Champagne" King
Evelyn "Champagne" King
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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Ultimate Collection

ASIN: B000002WHD
Release Date: 1993-03-23

Tracks:

Shame
I Don't Know If It's Right
Music Box
I'm In Love
Don't Hide Our Love
Love Come Down
Betcha She Don't Love You
Get Loose
Action
Shake Down
Teenager
Just For The Night
Give Me One Reason
High Horse
Your Personal Touch

Customer Reviews:

Nice Collection Of Her RCA Years.......2006-04-18

This is a nice collection featuring Evelyn's best from her days on RCA. Blessed with a powerful voice, Eveyln King was a child prodigy who sounded way beyond her years during the 1970s. I enjoyed all of the songs presented on this CD because they aren't edited to a short 7" mix (or 45 mix from back in the day!). I would pick this CD over the newer 'Greatest Hits' because that CD includes so many edits.

Also, fans can extend this CD by including Eveyln's 3 hits from her 1988 EMI/Manhattan debut 'Flirt'...1. 'Flirt', 2. 'Hold On To What You Got', and the awesome ballad, 3. 'Kisses Don't Lie'. There's enough space on a CD to include these 3 songs, but the 'Flirt' CD is becoming harder to locate as the years go by.
Peace, SD
(fr.'Chaka's World')

on time and I'm fine.......2006-03-01

I received it on time Thanks.......... Go and get it

She picked up where Donna Summer left off.......2003-12-20

I was very pleased to find this greatest hits collection. I remember those hits like shame, I don't know if it's right, I'm in love, love come down and your personal touch. Evelyn knew how to make dance music!!!

EVELYN KING=Great Dance Music!.......2003-04-20

When she came on the scene as a teenager (legend has it that an executive at RCA, her early label, heard her singing while cleaning bathrooms, then signed her) she was Evelyn "Champagne" King. At the very height of her popularity she dropped the "Champagne" from her name for the albums "I'm In Love" ('81) & "Get "Loose" ('82) . This was a wise, mature decision. For some strange reason (which never made any sense to me) when she released her "Face To Face" album in '83, the "Champagne" was back in her name. Seemed like she was going backwards instead of forward because the album was somewhat juvenile & didn't show much progress on her part. The songs "Action", "Shake Down", & "Teenager" are from "Face To Face". This "Best Of" cd totally ignores songs from her "Sweet Delight" album from 1980. It would have been great if they included "Sweet Delight" & "Just A Little Bit Of Love" instead of three lackluster tunes from "Face To Face". Other notable King tunes missing are "Spirit Of The Dancer", the ballad "Till Midnight", the 60's sounding "I'm So Romantic", the singles "Let's Get Funky Tonight" & "Give It Up" (from the '85 soundtrack "Fright Night"). All in all, Evelyn put out some great songs in the late 70's & 80's. Her rival for similar music was Melba Moore on Capital Records. I recommend this cd if you like funky "old school" R&B/dance music.

before britney there was evelyn.......2002-12-05

evelyn champagne king was another of those divas who went unrecognized when their time in the spotlight was up shame is a timeless classic covered by zhane and the rest of her stuff like love come down seems like britney and n sync's producer took notes cause this is where they got their so called funk from.

Average customer rating:

3 1/2 good string quartet recordings
Wonderful rendition of some sadly underplayed masterpieces
A Revolutionary in Method, a Conservative in Tone
Gemutlich Schoenberg
Schoenberg .... "mit Schlag"

Schoenberg: The String Quartets
Arnold Schoenberg , Evelyn Lear , and New Vienna String Quartet
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade/Five Pieces For Orchestra
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht, Pelleas und Melisande / Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Berg: Chamber Concerto; Three Orchestral Pieces, Op. 6; Violin Concerto
Berg: Violin Concerto; Schoenberg: Piano Concerto; Violin Concerto
Schoenberg: Piano Works

ASIN: B00002DDWS
Release Date: 2000-01-11

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op.7: 1. Nicht zu rasch
String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op.7: 2. Krig (Nicht zu rasch)
String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op.7: 3. Mg (Langsame Viertel)
String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op.7: 4. Mg (Heiter)
String Quartet No. 2, Op.10: 1. Mg
String Quartet No. 2, Op.10: 2. Sehr rasch
String Quartet No. 2, Op.10: 3. Litanei (Langsam)
String Quartet No. 2, Op.10: 4. Entr (Sehr Lagsam)

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 3, Op.30: Moderato
String Quartet No. 3, Op.30: Adagio
String Quartet No. 3, Op.30: Intermezzo
String Quartet No. 3, Op.30: Rondo
String Quartet No.4, Op.37: Allegro Molto
String Quartet No.4, Op.37: Comodo
String Quartet No.4, Op.37: Largo
String Quartet No.4, Op.37: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

3 1/2 good string quartet recordings.......2004-10-01

This is generally a fine recording. I enjoy the recording of the 3rd quartet particularly. First movement is more leisurely than the LaSalle Quartet's recording but otherwise just fine.

But what a horrible crime the engineers have committed in the 2nd Quartet! The last two movements can be agonizingly beautiful. Not here. When the soprano makes her entrance, they hush the quartet -- as if they had dropped a cloth over it. Then when her part is finished (measure 116 of the fourth movement), up comes the cloth and the full sound of the strings is restored (mm 117-156). Same thing happens in the 3rd movement. Was this in Evelyn Lear's contract? It certainly turns a lot of good music to fuzz.

Happily there are a number of recordings of the 2nd all by itself. (You can even have the string orchestra performance by I Musici de Montreal on Chandos.) So if you need recordings of the less recorded 3rd and 4th, this might be a fine choice.

Wonderful rendition of some sadly underplayed masterpieces.......2004-04-20

Schoenberg's quartets are a good survey of his development as a composer. The early two quartets are tonal and late-romantic in style. They are accessible, full of pathos and contrapuntally dense. The last two quartets are in the full twelve-tone style of Schoenberg's mature period. These are also wonderful, but in a very different way. Full of interesting shapes and colors, like a Kandinsky painting. The performances here are top-notch, and render this potentially difficult music with great naturalness and feeling. Difficult listening, but very rewarding.

A Revolutionary in Method, a Conservative in Tone.......2002-07-12

Although Schoenberg developed a revolutionary new method of organizing pitch, what is often overlooked is that serialism is just exactly that: a method of organizing pitch, and not a style per se. A variety of styles can be accomodated by this method. Folks who are a little gun-shy of serialism (or its aesthetic shadow) are sometimes caught up short when they actually listen to Schoenberg's music. For the fact is, all through his journey of exploring how pitch should be organized in a composition, which made him something of a revolutionary, stylistically he was always post-Romantic in temperament - which, ironically, made him something of a dinosaur to serial idealogues in the 1950s, such as Pierre Boulez.

In a way which invites comparison to Bartók's six, Schoenberg's four quartets span his career. The striking thing, perhaps, is how unified they are in "voice," despite the composer's epochal adventures in How to Organize Pitch. These pieces are seldom performed by string quartets in the states, and it is difficult to see why, since in many respects, they are no harder on the ears than the Bartók quartets, which enjoy a solid berth in chamber recitals.

The first movement of the third quartet plays itself out in a very scherzando vein; it may even strike some as strangely cheerful in activity, considering its acerbic chromaticism.

The third movement of the fourth quartet is, simply, beautiful. If anyone wonders if Schoenberg was capable of writing beautiful music, this Largo is quite possibly the strongest case pro.

There is a restlessness to the music, it is always surging ... somewhere. So I am not sure that it can be my favorite music in the world; but it is well made, perfectly suited to the medium of the string quartet, and there are often passages of beauty which startle with their strangeness.

Gemutlich Schoenberg.......2002-06-24

Leave it to a Viennese Quartet to make Schoenberg sound like far out Brahms. I grew up on the marvelous Kolisch Quartet's monoaural recordings of these masterworks. While the New Vienna Quartet does not have the authority of the Kolisch (Rudolph Kolisch was Schoenberg's son-in-law) it is an excellent reading of this music, one that brings out the classical aspects of this stunning music.

The readings of the two tonal quartets are excellent. The New Vienna gets the marvelous concision and motivic integrety of the d minor quartet...a work that bends the tonal system at least as far as Reger. The 2nd quartet is just as stunning with beautiful singing by Evelyn Lear in the last two movements.

The real find in this set is the 3rd quartet. I have often found this piece to be the most antiseptic of the quartets and have not often found myself drawn to performances. This performance has caused me to reevaluate the piece. It is almost neoclassic in it's form and quite well argued. It almost sounds like Brahms at times, although Brahms in an atonal context.

The final quartet is also beautifully played and one of Schoenberg's finest pieces. Though oestensibly atonal, it often sounds centered on d minor.

At a twofer price, this CD is a great way to introduce yourself to these seminal 20th century masterworks.

Schoenberg .... "mit Schlag".......2002-04-20

If you order coffee in an Austrian coffee house and say "mit Schlag," you get a lovely dollop of whipped cream tossed on top. Very Viennese! These ripely romantic performances of Schoenberg's notoriously difficult string quartets are something like a musical equivalent of strong coffee 'mit Schlag.' By which I mean no disrespect .... after listening to these quartets for some years now, I've come to hear them the same way I hear the Brahms quartets. And Schoenberg would have been very pleased with that development. Janus-like, he always presented two faces to the world: Champion of Tradition and Fearless Modernist. The New Vienna Quartet emphasizes the former and to good and enjoyable effect. On the other hand, there is something to be said for the more precisely played - if more clinical sounding - performances by the Arditti or LaSalle quartets. They both celebrate Schoenberg the Modernist. I suspect most people will prefer these New Vienna performances: they humanize a composer whose music still suffers from the canard that it is more about mathematical manipulation than about feeling and melodic inspiration. Nonsense! Based on any honest musical criteria, the great quartet cycles of the 20th century are those by Bartok, Shostakovich, and Schoenberg, and no one who loves great chamber music can afford to ignore these three cycles. (Or a fourth: American Elliot Carter's masterful five quartets). So you really should make the acquaintance of the Schoenberg quartets. But if Schoenberg still scares you a little (or a lot), just remember to order "mit Schlag!" Given the price of the Philips "Duo" set, you're not risking much in any event.

Average customer rating:

One of my best soundtracks...ever
Rating
Ragtime (1981 Film Soundtrack)
A beautiful achievement
Absolutely brilliant.

Ragtime (1981 Film Soundtrack)

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ragtime
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The Sting: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

ASIN: B000065DV8
Release Date: 2002-05-21

Tracks:

Main Title
Newsreel
I Could Love a Million Girls
Train Ride
Tateh's Picture Book
Lower East Side
Delmonico Polka
Coalhouse and Sarah
Waltz for Evelyn
One More Hour
Sarah's Responsibility
Change Your Way
Clef Club No. 1
Atlantic City
Clef Club No. 2
Sarah's Funeral
Denouement / Morgan Library Takeover / Rhinelander Waldo / Coalhouse's Prayer
Ragtime
Ragtime Theme (Demo)

Album Description

Available for the first time on CD! From 2002 Academy Award Winner Randy Newman-the complete 1981 soundtrack restored in digital sound and featuring the bonus track 'Ragtime Theme' (Demo).

Customer Reviews:

One of my best soundtracks...ever.......2007-03-30

Newman's music is both rousing and plaintive. "One More Day" is worth the price of admission alone. Quite simply, beautiful.

Rating.......2007-03-08

Since this stuff is sold out in Europe, it was good to find it at your place. Shipment etc. was all OK and meanwhile we enjoy the music.
Thanks a lot.

Ragtime (1981 Film Soundtrack).......2007-02-20

Beautiful music. It sets a mood throughout that is rather sad no matter what the words say.

A beautiful achievement .......2006-02-25

The excelent Milos Forman timepiece on the 20's based on the Doctorow novel has a marvelous musical translation in this soundtrack close to perfection. It gets the time and mood of the movie, and reflects its main dramatic moments. I would dare to say that this soundtrack is one of the finest coming out from a movie of the 80's. Besides, it sounds great in this digitally remastered version. Do not hesitate to get it. It's a real beauty.

Absolutely brilliant........2005-12-28

I first came across this soundtrack when looking for Donald O'Connor songs - I'm a big fan of his, and I'm trying to track down all the songs he's ever recorded. It just so happens he has one of the most delightful songs on this soundtrack, "I could love a Million Girls". Apparently it's from a Disney film called Summer Magic, but I don't think Disney would approve of how dirty this song is if you think about it! Donald O'Connor was around 55 or so when he recorded this song, so his voice isn't as great as it was once, but he still does a fantastic job.

Now, onto the other songs. "Ragtime" (the song listed on the soundtrack) is hauntingly beautiful - it really captures the feeling and mood of the time, and puts you right back there. Same with most of the other "score" tracks. This is definately one of the best scores out there, and it's a pity it didn't do better. I guess it's almost ahead of it's time a little, considering this was the time period that gave us films like The Blues Brothers and other such early SNL comedies which didn't require scores like Ragtime needed. It really should've done better, but for now enjoy the soundtrack because I doubt you'll get another release of it!

Average customer rating:

music i hear with my body
Beyond Belief
You don't listen to it, you experience it
Something a little different
A near-perfect album

Shadow Behind the Iron Sun

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Her Greatest Hits
Touch the Sound - A Sound Journey With Evelyn Glennie
Evelyn Glennie a Luxembourg
Clearing
Evelyn Glennie: Drumming

ASIN: B000031W9F
Release Date: 2000-03-07

Tracks:

First Contract
Shadow Behind The Iron Sun
Attack Of The Glow Worm
Land Of Vendon
Icefall
Thunder Caves
The Council
Warrior's Chant
Battle Cry
Wind Horse
Crossing The Bridge
Last Contract
Battle Cry - (Bonus Mix)

Amazon.com

If you think the percussionist's role is merely to supply rhythmic backbone, you haven't encountered the phenomenon named Evelyn Glennie. The category-defying Scottish musician has spent her career pursuing the unique route of percussion virtuoso, turning music into an intensely hyperactive verb. Glennie's sound world encompasses a global, pan-cultural panoply of music makers in addition to the standard drum kit: watergongs, bamboo sticks, ceramic bells, car exhaust pipes, finger cymbals, thundersheet--to name a few from the arsenal she uses here (Glennie reportedly owns over 1,000 percussive instruments). Even in her interpretations of works by other composers--such as James MacMillan's Veni, Veni, Emmanuel or the Grammy-nominated Concerto for Percussion by Joseph Schwantner--Glennie scoops out plentiful opportunities for improvisation; but the concept of Shadow Behind the Iron Sun was to allow Glennie to lock herself up in her studio and improvise the entire album. With the help of her collaborator, pop mixmaster Michael Brauer, the result is a fantastically textured, mesmerizing adventure for the ears and the imagination. Despite a vague ambition to explore "as many moods as possible" (Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead was apparently the source for some of the picturesque titles here, such as "Attack of the Glow Worm" and "Wind Horse"), the variety and juxtaposition of colors evoke a cinematically gripping, almost synesthetic sense of atmosphere--yet another evolution of "program music" into the 21st century? Much of the fun is in experiencing sounds whose origin remains mysterious, as Glennie performs her one-woman-as-orchestra wonders. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

music i hear with my body .......2005-03-09

I love this album!!! Evelyn Glennie is the most profound percussionist I have ever heard. Her music penetrates my body: sometimes I feel it in my heart, sometimes in my solar plexis. I feel it in my soul. This album can be enjoyed over and over and over. Thank You Evelyn Glennie! Big Gratitude!

Beyond Belief.......2004-06-16

I went to a solo concert of hers because I had heard what I thought must be hype of her wonder. I was totally and utterly destroyed by her performance. She has complete technical perfection, tremendous athletic ability (yes percussion demands of the body), personal charm, and dramatic zest. Many of the albums I listened to after disappointed me because she clearly held herself within the strict measure of the others she performed with. I suspect her deafness makes her fearful of any rubatto in an orchestral setting. This album is the only one that begins to give a sense of her god-like gifts.

You don't listen to it, you experience it.......2001-03-01

This CD is a true experience, similar to Charles Ives' "New England Holidays". The range of instruments Glennie uses and creates brings to mind Mickey Hart's statement about drummers being desperate and doing anything to produce sounds. Her music gets into your mind and body. It's appealing enough that my son, a rap fan, sat fascinated while "Land of Venden" was playing. His comment, "This is almost scary!", leads to my opinion that her talent is almost scary. Do yourself a favor and buy this one, it provides great mental and emotional rejuvenation.

Something a little different.......2000-09-23

Even if percussion sans so-called melodic instruments isn't what you think of when selecting a cd you've got to listen to this. Ms Glennie creates quite a melodic and dramatic tapestry and draws the listener right into the middle of it. Yes, it does take a few listenings to penetrate to the gist of it but that only enhances the genuine beauty contained here. Perhaps that is a given in any deeply creative work.

A near-perfect album.......2000-04-08

Even my dog liked it -- mesmerized by the music, staring at the stereo like the mutt in the RCA logo.

Solo percussion is, admittedly, an acquired taste. The song samples here give you a reasonable flavor of the album. If you don't like them, don't buy it.

Tracks:

Orchestral - Charles Munch
Electronic - Isao Tomita
Piano Duet - Jacques Fray
Bolero - Fox Trot - Nat Shilkret & His Orchestra
Bolero - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra
Orchestral (Abridged) - Boston Pops Orchestra
Solo Piano - Morton Gould
Brass Quintet - The Canadian Brass
Percussion - Evelyn Glennie
Orchestral - Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Bolero .......2007-01-12

This CD is exactly what I was looking for. Bolero over and over with different performers.

Loads of fun.......2004-07-09

This is a fun little album consisting of ten versions of Ravel's greatest "hit" -- the fantastic "Bolero." This album covers the waterfront -- from synthesizer to Benny Goodman. My only complaint is that the quality of some of older recordings in particular is rather poor. In fact you need to crank up the volume on two or three cuts, otherwise you won't even realize the song has begun. It would be interesting to apply this concept to any number of the great classical and popular pieces that one can't seem to get enough of -- how about Cole Porter's "Night and Day" for starters?

Average customer rating:

Male voices top, female voices flop
Poor version
NOT QUITE MAGIC TO ME
Excelente version!
The Best Magic Flute Recording

Mozart: The Magic Flute (Highlights)

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro (Highlights)
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Verdi: Rigoletto (Highlights) / Sutherland, Pavarotti
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Bizet: Carmen (Highlights)

ASIN: B000001GDP
Release Date: 1990-05-16

Tracks:

Die Zauberflote: Ouverture
Die Zauberflote: Erster Aufzug: 1. Introduktion: 'Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe!'
Die Zauberflote: Erster Aufzug: 2. Arie: 'Der Vogelfanger bin ich ja'
Die Zauberflote: Erster Aufzug: 3. Arie: 'Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon'
Die Zauberflote: Erster Aufzug: 4. Rezitativ und Arie: 'O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn!' - 'Zum Leiden bin ich auserkoren'
Die Zauberflote: Erster Aufzug: 7. Duett - 'Bei Mannern, welche Leibe fuhlen'
Die Zauberflote: Zweiter Aufzug: 10. Arie mit Chor: 'O Isis und Osiris'
Die Zauberflote: Zweiter Aufzug: 13. Arie: 'Alles fuhlt der Liebe Freuden'
Die Zauberflote: Zweiter Aufzug: 14. Arie: 'Der Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen'
Die Zauberflote: Zweiter Aufzug: 15. Arie: 'In diesen heil'gen Hallen
Die Zauberflote: Zweiter Aufzug: 16. Terzett: 'Seid uns zum zweitenmal willkommen'
Die Zauberflote: Zweiter Aufzug: 17. Arie: h, ich fuhl's, es ist verschwunden'
Die Zauberflote: Zweiter Aufzug: 18. Chor der Priester: 'O Isis und Osiris'
Die Zauberflote: Zweiter Aufzug: 20. Arie: 'Ein Madchen oder Weibchen'
Die Zauberflote: Zweiter Aufzug: 21 Finale - Duett: 'Pa-pa-gena! Pa-pa-geno!'
Die Zauberflote: Zweiter Aufzug: Rezitativ und Chor: 'Die Strahlen der Sonne'- 'Heil sei euch Geweihten!'

Amazon.com

Still probably the most magical recording ever of The Magic Flute, this starrily cast production featured the incomparable Fritz Wunderlich as Tamino, Evelyn Lear as a wonderfully sympathetic Pamina, Roberta Peters as a regal Queen of the Night (surprisingly good coloratura, if a little light at the top), Wagnerians James King and Martti Talvela as the two armed men (imagine that!), and of course, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, in one of his finest operatic outings, as an engagingly earnest Papageno. Behind it all, the marvelously astute Karl Böhm and the Berlin Philharmonic are in top form. The 1964 stereo is first rate. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Male voices top, female voices flop.......2007-05-25

To get the real feeling for the charme of "Die Zauberflöte", you need at least two recordings: This one under Böhm is magnificent for its male voices. Nobody can beat Wunderlich as Tamino, Fischer-Dieskau as Papageno, and Crass as Sarastro. The female voices, with the exception of Lisa Otto as Papagena, are not up to the mark, though. Evelyn Lear as Pamina is lacking in brilliance, especially in the duets when she has to stand comparison with her male counterparts. Roberta Peter's singing as Queen of the Night is somewhat extreme. You get used to it after some time, but her timbre is void of beauty and her coloratura shaky at times.

What can be made of the female roles becomes clear when you listen to Klemperer's recording on EMI (also from the early 1960s, like Böhm's). Gundula Janowitz is probably the most beautiful Pamina on disc and Lucia Popp is supreme as Queen of the Night. The three ladies with Schwarzkopf, Ludwig and Höffgen are lovely and sheer luxury. But then Klemperer was less lucky with his male voices: Nicolai Gedda as Tamino and Walter Berry as Papageno sing well but remain pale when compared with Wunderlich and Fischer-Dieskau. Gottlob Frick performs with a lot of warmth, but is clearly beyond his prime when it comes to technique.

So, to experience the full potential of this marvellous opera, there is no way out: You need both the Böhm and the Klemperer version! On its own, neither one is fully satisfactory - but still better than most recent productions!

Poor version.......2005-07-08

This Magic Flute is not quite a good version. Starts good, but some arias are just poor sung... choose another one.

NOT QUITE MAGIC TO ME.......2004-11-23

AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS MS PETERS IS SLIGHTLY OFF KEY ON HER HIGH F PLACEMENT? THE REST OF THE CAST WAS GREAT....BUT CAN'T STAND PETERS EMOTIONLESS QUEEN OF NIGHT AND I DISLIKE HER TONE PERIOD. STICK WITH SUMI JO, LILY PONS, AND ADELINA PATTI

Excelente version!.......2002-01-26

No entiendo: Porque está tan barato este CD??
Es una de las mejores versiones de "La flauta" que he escuchado, el dúo final de Papageno y Papagena es de lo más rico que he escuchado en Opera y la reyna de la noche no desmerece en absoluta junto a otras afamadas coloraturas, aunque yo personalmente prefiero como interpretá el célebre papel la Deutekom.
La orquestación es correcta y el resto del elenco cumple cabálmente, mi conclusión ya la puse al principio de estos párrafos, ¿qué estás esperando?

The Best Magic Flute Recording.......2000-03-07

I think this is the best recording of The Magic Flute. So many of the singers are absolutely magnificent. Fritz Wunderlich has a beautiful full lyric tenor voice that is perfect for the magical Tamino he creates. Franz Crass is a profoundly noble Sarastro. Roberta Peters is unbelievable as the Queen of the Night. I have heard many coloratura sopranos sing that role and I think she is the best. Her Fs above high C are spectacular and she is very dramatic,especially when she sings her second aria demanding that her daughter Pamina murder Sarastro and goes into fiery coloratura. I think Roberta Peters is the best singer in the world. I would love to find out what her highest note is. Lisa Otto is delightful as Papagena, and Dietrich Fisher-Dieskau brings a lot of earthly humor to the role of Papageno. Mozart's music is pure genuis, and I think this opera is his greatest work.

Average customer rating:

An alternate view of
Bolero-MADNESS!
For the Historians...
Terrible Transfer to CD
Bolero...any taste, color or blend is good

Ravel: Boléro

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ravel's Greatest Hit: The Ultimate Bolero
Ravel: Boléro
Whipped Cream & Other Delights (40th Anniversary Edition)
The Lonely Bull

ASIN: B00004TCP7
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

Bolero - Charles Munch
Bolero - Isao Tomita
Bolero - Jacques Fray
Bolero - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Bolero-Fox Trot - Nat Shilkret & His Orchestra
Bolero - Morton Gould
Bolero - Boston Pops Orchestra
Bolero - Canadian Brass
Bolero - Evelyn Glennie
Bolero - Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

An alternate view of .......2005-10-25

As I write, several reviewers have commented on the "bad" sound quality of the 4 selections which were transferred from 78 RPM records. I feel that this is somewhat like criticizing at a silent movie because it has no sound. [...]

The modern era of recording music started in the very late 1940s. Some might even argue it started around 1950 or 1951. Magnetic tape didn't start to be used for recording music until a few years after World War II. Prior to this time, all sound recordings were made straight to a shellac master disk, essentially a 78 RPM master record, that was used to produce masters, which stamped the records. Recording to tape improved the sound quality by an order of magnitude, but that wasn't an option in the 1930s, which is when these 4 "bad sounding" selections came from. It could be worse. In the early 1920s it became possible to use electric microphones, which was a huge leap forward over the old analog method of recording, where a singer or band played or sang into a big horn that was used to create a shellac master disc. If you think 1930s recordings sound bad, well, you probably won't like to hear Caruso's recordings for example. He died before the "electric age of recording" began. I have listened to enough music prior to the 1950s to know that what we have on this CD is actually pretty good as far as reproducing sound from old 78s goes. Frankly, I think the engineers at RCA should be commended for doing such a good job.

So what of the music? I would argue that the worst sounding recording is not the Koussevitzky version, but the Morton Gould piano version. I've never heard anything quite like it. Towards the end Gould pounds the keys so hard he almost turns the piano into a drum. The 1932 recording technology can't adequately reproduce his sound and it strains to try, but it is an amazingly wild recording that I enjoyed.

The Munch conducted version with the BSO is very well played, but to me it's a little too workman-like. Tomita's synthesizer version is maybe a little too electronic, although not bad. The piano duo of Fray and Braggiotti do a good job of playing the song on 2 pianos. The fox trot version by Shilkret starts out sounding like every cheesy 1930s film song you've ever heard, but somehow by the end the group pulls it together and it actually starts to work. Glennie's version didn't really work for me. It's too middle of the road. Mata's version is very well played, although I prefer a faster tempo.

What of the rest? I loved Koussevitzky's version. It starts off soooo sloooowwww, but the tempo increases and by the end it has very successfully built to the climax. The Canadian Brass version was truly excellent. I can't believe that it is only brass and a snare drum because it sounds like so much more. Arthur Fiedler's version is only 7 and a half minutes, but I give him credit. He packs everything into his version. It's worth noting that Fiedler was trained by Koussevitzky. Fiedler's recording is from 1953 and is a picture perfect example of the kind of excellent sound RCA engineers were famous for in the "High Fidelity era". It may be mono, but what a glorious sounding recording it is.

As a historical overview of Bolero you get:
3 orchestral recordings (1930s, 1950s, 1980s)
1 shortened "pops" version
1 synthesizer version
1 percussion version
1 brass version
1 fox trot version
2 piano versions
In all, plenty of Bolero to compare and enjoy.

Bolero-MADNESS!.......2001-05-17

This is one fantastic CD!!!!

Ten versions of Maurice Ravel's masterpiece "Bolero". You may ask yourself, "Isn't it repeatitive as much as it is?". That may be true, but this CD won't make you think about how repeatitive it is, it's that great. But do they all sound the same???

Not exactly, Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony Orchestra play it about dancing speed. The total time is 13:48, compared to its original approx. of 15 minutes. So this version of the full orchestra is slightly faster than one thinks.

Isao Tomita on the synthesizer sounds well...different. People may think it will be great because of the glamour of it being a synthesizer, but it's not as great you would think. If you're a fan of Bolero's monster conclusion, this is an extreme dissapointment because the performer does weird things with the synthesizer that make the work (in my opinion) sound like Ravel himself would hate hearing it. But you may like it, thats just my opinion.

Jacques Fray & Mario Braggiotti on two pianos, despite the poor recording quaility since it is from 1934 is pretty good. This is probably one of the better interpretations on the disc. The performers add a little harmony into some of the melody's chords, which I think people will like.

Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.....ouch! This is probably the worst recording quality on the whole disc! (It was recorded in 1930) To me, the conclusion doesn't sound "extreme" enough. It's almost like the members of the orchestra are rushing the piece so they can get out of performing and run out on hot dates. But since Bolero is only 2 years old at the time it was recorded, you may like it.

Nat Shilkret & His Orchestra playing Bolero-Fox Trot in 4/4 time is once again a poor recording, but its an interesting interpretation of its melody. I found this one as one of the better tracks.

Morton Gould on piano, does this guy know what the definition of tone is??? I've played piano for 8 years and this guy is a composer and even I know what tone is. It's the last poor recording from the 30's on the CD. It starts out well, but he adds a few glissandos, which sound great, but then takes his left hand and just bangs on a bunch of low notes while his right hand is pounding the melody. It ends with a bunch of pounding. (kind of like the sound of an immature kid banging on a grand piano).

Authur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra almost sounds like the 1st track, but it has a few cuts and is only 7 1/2 minutes. But you may like this one especially because its recorded well and it's much shorter. This recording is one of my favorites and its one of the best on the disc. If you like the Boston Pops, you're in luck.

The Canadian Brass arrangement by Sonny Kompanek is in a different key than the original C Major. It has great recording quaility and the brass players are amazing. Very good work on this version!

Evelyn Glennie's percussion version is quite good and if you play a percussion instrument this track will steals the whole CD. Its that good. It starts out with a single snare drum and will eventually work its way up to more instruments. Many percussion instruments used. Gong, cymbals, snare, bells, xylophone, etc.

My personal favorite (ha ha, save the best for last) is Eduardo Mata and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. It's 14:49, the whole sha-bang. It's at the prefered right speed and each soloist does an outstanding job. The last time where all the instruments are playing its drum beats, the melody doesn't blow out your ears by the trumpets, the tone is relaxing but it's still loud. And yes, trumpets are still playing its melody. The conclusion is probably the best on this track. It contains a pounding timpani(literally pounding), a giant cymbal crash, and the aweing sound of a gong. Probably the best track on the whole disc.

So if you're a fan of this masterpiece I would suggest buying it, despite some of the recording quailities. Eventually, you'll find out a favorite version. The price should be higher because of how great it is, so get it while its set at a price just right.

For the Historians..........2000-07-01

This is definitely in the category of "rare compilations." There are 3 "standard" renditions of Bolero, plus 7 alternate arrangements, many from nearly seventy years ago. Among the alternates are a percussion version, two versions for piano, a 4/4 Foxtrot version(!), a Tomita synthesizer version, and a short orchestral one. Be prepared to hear several recordings copied from 78 rpm records. In the interest of preserving sound quality, they did NOT take profound noise-reduction steps on those. One glaring omission: Ravel's self-conducted version from January 1930 was a classic that is mysteriously missing here. Note that you will not find sterling orchestral renditions here (alas all the trombonists fail to nail the glissandi) but you WILL find recordings of special historical significance. It reminds us that the world was crazy about this song when it was new. If you're a fan of Ravel, 20th century orchestral music, or just a music historian, you should not pass this up; I don't know that some of these recordings are available anywhere else.

Terrible Transfer to CD.......2000-06-29

Anyone considering this CD is certainly a fan of Ravel and Bolero. This CD certainly has it's ups and downs. In looking at the CD, four of the ten tracks were originally recorded for 78rpm LPs. Then, there is a footnote, "these masters have been optimally transferred to tape. Radical methods to eliminate all surface noise have not been used in order to preserve the full-frequency content of the original records."

Allow me to translate this into normal English, the origianals for these tracks (tracks 3-6) are basically in such bad shape that they could not be salvaged. With this in mind, I basically purchased a CD with 6 tracks. My stereo system is very reveiling of noise on CDs, and these tracks are garabage. The synthesizer version is not that impressive. however, the end of the CD radically changed my mind upward. The Canadian Brass do a marvious interpretation of Bolero. Also, Evelyn Glennie has a unique percussion arangement. These two tracks are the best part of the CD. The full orchestra variations are relatively similar and tradition. This CD is not one to buy if you plan on sitting down and seriously comparing performances of Bolero. However, several of the tracks make the disk almost worth owning, if you truly love this song.

Bolero...any taste, color or blend is good.......2000-06-22

Bravo! Bravo! As a Bolero fanatic I love this new CD and am sure that any lover of Ravel and his Bolero will agree. The styles, intent and choreography of the the music is evident in every track. Each music conductor and symphony brings different delights to our audio table.

Fieldler is Mr. POP and it shows in his rendition of the title piece. All of the conductors show their own insite into Ravel and the Bolero. I have often wanted to hear side by side comparisons of my favorite pieces and this is a grand step one. My hat is off to BMG. As always on track and a set ahead.

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