Perspectives

Perspectives

Perspectives

Track Listings
 
1. I'm Old Fashioned
2. Stormy Weather
3. Something the Cat Dragged In
4. When You Wish upon a Star
5. Chucho
6. Legacy
7. Sky Dive
8. Blues on Ice
9. You Must Believe in Spring
10. Somebody Loves Me
11. Beauty and the Beast
12. Oncoming Traffic
13. Vegas d'Oro
14. I'm Old Fashioned (Reprise)

Perspectives,Gary Urwin & Jazz Orchestra,Sea Breeze Records,A collection of strikingly fresh, creative arrangements of jazz standards and originals, performed by an all-star West Coast band featuring soloists Pete Christlieb, Kim Richmond, Wayne Bergeron and Andy Martin.,Big Bands,Dance Music,Jazz,Pop,Swing
Tonal Expressions/Piano Perspectives
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Tonal Expressions
  • Unforgettable!
  • What a delight!
  • Bewitching!
Tonal Expressions/Piano Perspectives
Don Shirley
Manufacturer: Collectables
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Solos/Don Shirley With 2 Basses
  2. Don Shirley Plays Love Songs/Don Shirley Trio
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  5. Pianist Extraordinary/Piano Arrangements of Famous Spirituals

ASIN: B00002SWQS
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Tracks:

  1. I Cover The Waterfront
  2. No Two People
  3. Secret Love
  4. The Man I Love
  5. Love Is Here To Stay
  6. Dancing On The Ceiling
  7. They Can't Take That Away From Me
  8. Answer Me My Love
  9. Medley From 'New Faces': Love Is A Simple Thing/I'm In Love With Miss Logan/Monotonous...
  10. My Funny Valentine

Tracks:

  1. Someone To Watch Over Me
  2. Love For Sale
  3. Blue Moon
  4. How High The Moon
  5. I Can't Get Started With You
  6. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
  7. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
  8. Makin' Whoopee
  9. Lullaby Of Birdland

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Tonal Expressions.......2002-07-28

Don Shirley is magnificent! I bought this album when it first came out in 1955 and for all these years it was my very favorite. His rendition of "Love is a Simple Thing" sounds like a whole symphony orchestra. His talent is remarkable and his stylings have never been exceeded by any of the great musicians that have come along since he began entertaining and amazing his audiences! Thank you for re-relesing these GREAT recordings on CD and for recognizing this is a talent for all ages and times!

5 out of 5 stars Unforgettable!.......2000-11-12

Once you've heard Don Shirley play a song, you never think of it in quite the same way again. He finds subtle meanings and emotions that everyone else (maybe even the composer) has missed. He has a remarkable and inimitable talent, and his work is never less than the best. This album is no exception to his standard of perfection.

5 out of 5 stars What a delight!.......2000-07-05

It's wonderful to have these albums available again after too many years. "Someone to Watch Over Me" is unbelievably, achingly beautiful. "I Can't Get Started" begins so gently and builds to an amazingly powerful crescendo. Don, if you're listening, more,please!

5 out of 5 stars Bewitching!.......2000-02-02

From driving bass-piano rhythm to the quitest, most subtle, and moving tone poems you'll ever hear, this music will continue to hold you. In Don Shirley's hands, each song takes on depth and character you never knew existed. I first heard "Piano Perspectives" when I was a teenager, but the music never left me. It is wonderful to see that Don Shirley is in acton, and I can't wait for concerts and new CDs. He is the complete artist.
Artifact Perspectives
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • I wish there was a 3 and a half star button
Artifact Perspectives
Sound Tribe Sector 9
Manufacturer: 1320 Records/System Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000AP2Z9E
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

  1. Better Day Remix (Sub-id)
  2. Tokyo Remix (Machinedrum)
  3. Possibilities Remix (Collective Efforts)
  4. Tokyo/Better Day Remix (Ming+FS)
  5. By The Morning Sun Remix (Slicker)
  6. Somesing( Eustachian 24hr. White Knuckle Mix)
  7. Possibilities Remix (Eliot Lipp & Leo 123)
  8. Better Day/Trinocular STSDevine Remix (Richard Devine)
  9. By the Morning Sun Remix (Metrognome)
  10. Possibilities Remix (Mr. Lif)
  11. Tokyo Shinjuku Flashback Mix (Bill Laswell)
  12. Somesing Remix (Bassnectar Remix)
  13. ReEmergence, Beat the Science Remix (Karsh Kale)
  14. Peoples, Cause & FX remix" (Lowpro Lounge feat. Audio Angel & ill45)
  15. Better Day Remix (Genetic)

Product Description

"Artifact: Perspectives" is a collection of remixes by some of Sts9's favorite artists they've encountered along the way. "This could have been a box set if we went after everyone we wanted to connect with. We finally had to say 'enough is enough,' there will be other records." In mastering, the disc ended up being three minutes too long for production, resulting in a last minute cut, and a collection of exclusive remixes available only from 1320records.com. "The best thing about this project for us has been making some new friends and the prospects of more music and collaborations in the future." The new, full-length album "Artifact: Perspectives" features remixes of ARTiFACT studio tracks from Bill Laswell, Slicker, Ming+Fs, Elliot Lipp w/ Leo123, Mr. Lif, Richard Devine, Machine Drum, Karsh Kale, Collective Efforts, Genetic, Metrognome,Lowpro Lounge feat. ill 45, Bassnectar, Sub-ID, & Eustachian.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars I wish there was a 3 and a half star button.......2006-12-06

I bought this CD kind of on a whim while i was at Best Buy, because I have been trying to order "Live at Home" from Amazon for like 3 months and Im not sure if they know its out of print or what. Anyways this Cd is decent- Its good background music good for driving and chilling out while reading or flying or whatever. Its definitely worth hearing although it gets a bit repetitive. And on a few of the songs this woman's voice just sounds horrible. "I wonder why they never tried to tell me" over and over droning in your head.Its kind of trippy, ethereal lounge music/ trance. At the beginnings of a lot of the songs it kind of sounds like it is looking for the right frequency in your brain and then it hits it right on! If you've, heard STS9 perform live you may be disappointed. I'm glad i have it in my collection but I wouldn't recommend it if you've never heard STS9 before.
Perspectives
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Perspectives
    Mitchel Forman
    Manufacturer: Marsis Jazz
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B000HOJ3LG
    Release Date: 2006-08-15

    Tracks:

    1. Dolphin Dance (Herbie Hancock)
    2. Yaqui Indian Folk Song (Keith Jarrett)
    3. First Trip (Ron Carter)
    4. Geraldine (Russell Ferrante)
    5. You’re Everything (Chick Corea)
    6. Here There & Everywhere (Lennon, McCartney)
    7. What A Wonderful World (Thiele, Weiss)
    8. Blossom (Keith Jarrett)
    9. Milton (Mitchel Forman)
    10. Face On the Barroom Floor (Wayne Shorter)
    11. Michelle (Lennon, McCartney)
    12. Thousand Island Park (John McLauglin)
    13. A Dog’s Life (Mitchel Forman)
    14. A Wonderful World (not) (Thiele, Weiss, Forman)

    Product Description

    Keyboardist Mitchel Forman presents a unique “Perspective” on his new collection of classic jazz tunes, which includes signature songs by such jazz legends as John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Ron Carter and Russell Ferrante. In a career that has spanned two decades, Forman has performed with many of the artists whose compositions are featured on “Perspectives.” His bio and discography read like a virtual who’s who of modern jazz, and include work with musicians ranging from Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan to Pat Metheny and Wayne Shorter. Talented on both acoustic and electric keyboards, Forman performs in a variety of settings on “Perspectives.” Joining him are an impressive set of players, including Trey Henry (Tierney Sutton, the Gerald Wilson Orchestra) on bass, Ray Brinker (Ray Charles, Pat Benatar) on drums, and Munyungo Jackson (Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock) on percussion.
    Recollections
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Not the best introduction to the music of Karel Husa, but a fine collection of his compositions for Wind Quintet nonetheless
    Recollections

    Manufacturer: New World Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B00022LIBQ
    Release Date: 2004-05-25

    Tracks:

    1. Deux Preludes (Prelude 1)
    2. Deux Preludes (Prelude 2)
    3. Five Poems (Walking Birds)
    4. Five Poems (Happy Birds)
    5. Five Poems (Interlude...With a Dead Bird)
    6. Five Poems (Fighting Birds)
    7. Five Poems (Bird Flying High Above)
    8. Recollections (Largo)
    9. Recollections (Andante)
    10. Recollections (Adagio)
    11. Recollections (Moderato)
    12. Recollections (Vivace)
    13. Recollections (Moderato molto)
    14. Serenade (La montagne)
    15. Serenade (La nuit)
    16. Serenade (La danse)

    Album Description

    Karel Husa's (b. 1921) pliant style builds on and extends the traditional classical forms, assimilating elements of serialism, microtonality, and aleatoric techniques. Although the composition dates of these four works for wind quintet span three decades, the pieces bear striking similarities. All purposefully set out to stretch the traditional range of wind sonorities, and often leave rhythms and pitches loosely notated. Yet while all four works explore atonality, at root the tonal structure is easy to identify. All four works are emotional and virtuosic, challenging to play and sophisticated enough to reward repeated listenings.

    The composer notes that, as with many of his works, in Deux Preludes (1966) he set out to explore unorthodox sonorities. The Five Poems (1994) are actually musical characterizations of birds, although Husa avoids imitating bird song directly. "I wrote Five Poems to express my admiration for birds, these wonderful creatures that embellish our lives so magically," he says. "If Messiaen hadn't already directly imitated bird song, I might have. I have done notation of bird songs in the past, which is difficult because they never exactly repeat themselves. And that was the effect I tried for in Five Poems—subtle varieties among the patterns."

    The six movements of Recollections (1982) (wind quintet and piano) explore unusual sonorities and demand virtuosic technique. A sheet of paper under the pedal dampers of the low strings prepares the piano in some sections. Of the title, Husa notes that "recollections are vivid, but not exactly precise. The way we remember things is a mix of accuracy and fancy … There is so much to memory that it is impossible to describe it all. There are memories that are distant, some that are joyous, tragic, and melancholic. To accomplish all this, I wanted the composition to develop from simple tones and to return to them, all the while researching new combinations and sonorities in the quintet." Serenade (1963), for wind quintet, xylophone, harp, and strings, is a reworking of his Évocations de Slovaquie. It explores Slavic folk music, adding abrupt and irregular rhythms.

    Husa's determination to explore new sonorities, to upset rhythmic regularity, and to challenge accepted notions of how wind instruments should interact, combine to create a bold and unmistakably identifiable personal signature.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Not the best introduction to the music of Karel Husa, but a fine collection of his compositions for Wind Quintet nonetheless.......2007-02-13

    The woes of the world are sometimes the opportunities of the individuals. Had the Nazis not invaded Czechoslovakia and closed down the engineering schools, Karel Husa might never have become a composer, out of the mere necessity to pursue studies in order to avoid deportation. Had the Communists not seized power in Prague in the early months of 1948 while the then 28 years-old musician was studying composition and conducting in Paris, he might have returned to his home country and remained, as he once remarked himself, a much more traditional composer, as he would not have been exposed to the turmoil of new compositional ideas and experiences that agitated Europe and the United States in the 50s and 60s. And finally, had the armies of the Soviet block not invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968, Husa would not have had the incentive to compose his Music for Prague 1968, which became one of the most often played piece of the contemporary music repertoire.

    One more decisive change in Husa's life and compositional perspectives was of course the decision of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, to invite him in 1954 to become composition professor. This is how Husa became yet another embodiment of the genuine American composer - one rooted in Old Europe, but whose establishment in the New World prods him to develop an original voice by devising his own, personal combination of the old and the new.

    Indeed, one of the characteristic traits of Husa's compositional attitude is his constant striving to take on the newest ideas, techniques and playing modes, especially as pertains to the exploration of new sonorities, while never relinquishing his Czech roots and the search for expressivity and drama. If perhaps less cutting edge than composers like Lutoslawski (with whom he shares the use of aleatoric processes and sensuous orchestrations) or Ligeti (exploration of new sonorities and untraditional playing modes), he is less "abstract" than them (Husa doesn't shun programmatic music, and Five Poems in particular are musical characterization of birds, although they do not imitate bird songs directly) but by the same token more expressive in a quasi cinematographic way.

    The works contained on this disc are all written for the instruments that make up the traditional Wind Quintet (the two Preludes are limited to flute, clarinet and bassoon, the others add oboe and horn), with the addition of the piano in the "Recollections", and String orchestra, harp and xylophone in the Serenade. They were composed between 1963 (Serenade) and 1994 (Five Poems). Beyond their common instrumentation, the works are diverse in overall mood and sonic outlook. Though in that period Husa was engaged into post-webernian, Darmstadt-inspired serialist music (witness his 1961 Mosaïques that could be found on a CRI CD which included another, composer conducted version of the same Serenade - see my review), the Serenade is the most traditionally oriented, harking back to Janacek, and to my ears the less personal. The two Preludes from 1966 are stark and almost overbearing. In the two next compositions more echoes can be heard of Janacek's compositions for the same kind of instrumental ensemble, like the "Youth" Sextet or Capriccio for piano and winds (the conjugation of high-pitched, nasal oboe and low-toned, gruff-sounding horn, the snappy rhythms, the whip-cracking piano chords) and sometimes of Bartok's Contrasts (the association of clarinet, piano and angular rhythms). The Five Poems are the most evocative and sensuous, and the six movements from Recollections the most advanced and fascinating in their exploration of new sonorities, extremes of dynamics, quarter-tone slides, aleatoric devices and unusual playing modes, with the piano using techniques that one associates with George Crumb, like placing a sheet of paper under the pedal dampers, producing an eerie metallic rattle.

    This is rarely easy listening music (though often sensuous in the mysterious sound world it conjures), but it is rich in content and invention, engaging and rewarding. I wouldn't recommend it as a first introduction to the music of its composer (try the Marco Polo release with Fresque, Symphony No. 2 and Music for Prague instead - see my review) and this is why I have rated it only 4 stars, but anyone with a serious interest in Husa - he deserves it - can safely buy it.
    Perspectives: Sound & Rhythm, Velvet Brown, Tuba
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Perspectives: Sound & Rhythm, Velvet Brown, Tuba

      Manufacturer: Crystal Records CD694
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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      ASIN: B000MR9YEY
      Release Date: 2007-01-15

      Tracks:

      1. James Beckel: Concerto for Tuba and Percussion: Allegro Moderato
      2. James Beckel: Concerto for Tuba and Percussion: Andante
      3. James Beckel: Concerto for Tuba and Percussion: Moderato
      4. Alice Gomez: Latin Jazz Suite: Guaguanco
      5. Alice Gomez: Latin Jazz Suite: Bolero
      6. Alice Gomez: Latin Jazz Suite: Mambo-Cha
      7. Alice Gomez: Latin Jazz Suite: Afro-Cuban
      8. Alice Gomez: Latin Jazz Suite: Cubop
      9. Franz Cibulka: Digression Nr. 5: Allegro
      10. Franz Cibulka: Digression Nr. 5: Andante
      11. Franz Cibulka: Digression Nr. 5: PResto
      12. Roland Szentpali: Dance Movement
      13. Alice Gomez: High-Life

      Product Description

      Exploring the fascinating sounds of tuba with percussion ensemble, this is Velvet Brown's third Crystal CD. She is quickly becoming one of the best-known tuba players in the world. A protege of the legendary Roger Bobo, she is an international soloist and associate professor of tuba and euphonium at Pennsylvania State University. This is a spectacular album with some invigorating sounds. It is rare to hear such fine tuba playing and rarer still to hear the tuba with such stimulating percussion, played by some of the best players anywhere.
      Perspectives
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Awesome horn soloist
      Perspectives

      Manufacturer: Philips
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      ASIN: B000F5WNUU
      Release Date: 2006-05-09

      Tracks:

      1. Allegro
      2. Romanze. Larghetto
      3. Allegro
      4. Maestoso
      5. Allegro
      6. Grave-Vivace
      7. Allegro
      8. Andante
      9. Moderato
      10. Allegro-Andante
      11. Allegro-Rondo. Allegro

      Tracks:

      1. Allegro - Karl Suske
      2. Andante - Karl Suske
      3. Allegro - Karl Suske
      4. Allegro Con Brio
      5. Adagio
      6. Rondo. Allegro
      7. Allegro Moderato - Leonard Hokanson
      8. Poco Adagio, Quasi Andante - Leonard Hokanson
      9. Rondo. Allegro Moderato - Leonard Hokanson
      10. Adagio-Andante
      11. Andante Con Moto-Adagio
      12. Polacca
      13. Andante-Allegretto-Allegro
      14. Allegro - John Constable
      15. Andante, Piu Tosto Un Poco Allegretto. A Giusto D'Un Eco - John Constable
      16. Menuet - John Constable

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Awesome horn soloist.......2006-07-08

      Anyone who knows anything about French horn soloists knows of the greats...Dennis Brain, Berry Tuckwell, Hans Pizka, and of course, Hermann Baumann. If you are a fan of the French horn, this is a must.
      Richard Danielpour: Elegies - Sonnets to Orpheus / von Stade, Hampson, Huang
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Orpheus' Journey
      • Perspectives Ensemble musicians
      • Beautiful Contemporary Music
      Richard Danielpour: Elegies - Sonnets to Orpheus / von Stade, Hampson, Huang
      Richard Danielpour , Frederica von Stade , Ying Huang , Roger Nierenberg , London Philharmonic , Thomas Hampson , and Perspectives Ensemble
      Manufacturer: Sony
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      Danielpour, RichardDanielpour, Richard | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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      5. Premieres

      ASIN: B00005JA2K
      Release Date: 2001-05-15

      Tracks:

      1. Elegies for Mezzo-Soprano, Baritone and Orchestra
      2. Elegies for Mezzo-Soprano, Baritone and Orchestra
      3. Elegies for Mezzo-Soprano, Baritone and Orchestra
      4. Elegies for Mezzo-Soprano, Baritone and Orchestra
      5. Elegies for Mezzo-Soprano, Baritone and Orchestra
      6. Sonnata To Orpheus
      7. Sonnata To Orpheus
      8. Sonnata To Orpheus
      9. Sonnata To Orpheus
      10. Sonnata To Orpheus
      11. Sonnata To Orpheus

      Amazon.com

      Richard Danielpour, one of today's most successful American composers, was born in New York to Jewish-Iranian parents. His work seems to represent a fusion of his cultural heritage and the idioms of this country. The wide appeal of his music is certainly due, at least in part, to its honest emotional directness. This is a composer obviously not afraid to follow the dictates of his ear and heart. Tonal, clear, mildly dissonant, often discursive, the music is basically conventional, sometimes almost derivative, but it has its own voice, because it combines elements of his Persian roots with the influence of American jazz.

      The five "Elegies" were written at the instigation of Frederica von Stade as a memorial to her father, killed in World War II before she was born, and are based on his letters transformed into rather abstruse poetry by Kim Vaeth. The voices alternate, suggesting an interchange between father and daughter; only one long passage is sung together. The expression ranges from gentle, sad, and peaceful to passionate, aggressive, and wild. The emotional impact is total and immediate, abetted by deeply involved, splendid singing and playing.

      The "Sonnets" are more jazz-influenced: syncopated, dancelike, raucous, though some are languid, sensuous, and solemn. Rilke's poetry (in English translation) is equally abstruse, and it is interesting that a composer of such accessible music should choose such inaccessible texts. The soprano sounds a bit shrill. She is accompanied by a chamber ensemble of such fine soloists that the omission of their names from the booklet is unpardonable. --Edith Eisler

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Orpheus' Journey.......2006-03-06

      Richard Danielpour has carved himself a special place in contemporary music. He has won just about every award there is, and has attained a recognition seldom matched by a living American composer. Most of the performances of his music are done by mainstream ensembles and soloists on programs with more standard repertoire rather on specifically "new music" concerts. A major record label granted him exclusivity and exposed his productions to worldwide fame.

      Part of Danielpour's success is due to the peculiar relationship he entertains with the past. He does not feel the need to distance himself from tradition, nor does he follow it blindly. His music reenacts a bygone era when newly produced music dominated the old and encompassed it as an ancillary part. For him, it is only natural that living musicians should accede to stardom status: it has always been the new, the young and the contemporary who have captured the imagination of the people more than any dead composer could.

      The two compositions recorded on this album both display the same elegiac quality with respect to the past. Both depict a journey to recover a lost memory and are a testimony to the persistent presence of the dead among the living. In Elegies, Mezzo-Soprano Frederica von Stade honors the father she never knew by bringing to life letters that he wrote to his wife during the war. In Sonnets to Orpheus, Soprano Ying Huang interprets Rainer Maria Rilke's poetry with an impressive range of skills.

      True to the myth of the Greek poet who follows his lost lover beyond death and brings her back from below, the composer gathers materials from the past and rearranges them with his lyre to create a sense of community between the present and the dead.

      5 out of 5 stars Perspectives Ensemble musicians.......2001-07-18

      I am the artistic director of the Perspectives Ensemble, which performed the Sonnets to Orpheus by Richard Danielpour on the Elegies/Sonnets Sony CD. Regrettably, Sony did not include the names of our individual musicians in the program booklet. Thank you to the reviewers who enjoyed our performance and commented on that omission. The musicians are: Diane Walsh, piano; David Jolley, french horn; Erica Kiesewetter and Adela Pena, violins; Nardo Poy, viola; Julia Lichten, cello; Jordan Frazier, bass; Sato Moughalian, flute; Alan R. Kay, clarinet; Paul Hostetter, percussion.

      5 out of 5 stars Beautiful Contemporary Music.......2001-07-12

      Lovely lyrical writing opens American composer Richard Danielpour's Elegies for mezzo-soprano, baritone and orchestra. Heavily influenced by the music of Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, and Benjamin Britten, Danielpour's music is representative of the reactionary trend away from the twin worlds of dissonant, hypercomplex music and aleatoric, chaotic music of the academic world from the 1950's through the 70's. Danielpour, a graduate of the Julliard School of Music, composes music which is primarily melodic and whose harmonies are derived from an in-depth knowledge of tonality, even if that tonality is often expanded beyond romantic norms. The second movement, Lacrimosa, especially calls to mind Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, and the final movement, In Paradisum, suggests the ending of Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs.

      The performances on this CD are uniformly gorgeous. The Perspectives Ensemble and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, both led by conductor Roger Nierenberg, provide superb support for the vocal soloists. Mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, baritone Thomas Hampson, and soprano Ying Huang wonderfully complement Danielpour's lyricism with their vocal gifts. In fact, von Stade contributes quite a bit more to this CD than just her singing talent; the genesis of Danielpour's Elegies began with the singer. Frederica von Stade's father was killed in World War II, before she was born, and she had longed to know him, but the only way for her to do so was through the reminiscences of others and the letters he had written to his wife. She suggested to conductor Roger Nierenberg that a song cycle based on those letters be composed; Nierenberg suggested Danielpour; and Danielpour enrolled poet Kim Vaeth to adapt those letters into a musically useful form. How those adaptations derive from the original letters is not at all clear from the information given, however.

      The companion work to Elegies is Danielpour's setting of Rainier Maria Rilke's Sonnets to Orpheus, for soprano and chamber ensemble. This piece is quite similar to the first work, although a bit more light-hearted in places, and Chinese soprano Ying Huang performs beautifully. Her enunciation of the English texts even surpasses that of American Frederica von Stade. Ying Huang may be known to audiences from her performance in the title role of Frédéric Mitterrand's 1995 film of Puccini's Madame Butterfly. Unfortunately the names of the other musicians are not provided--in particular the french horn player deserves mention.

      Listeners may notice that the actual climaxes of this very dramatic music are performed exclusively by the orchestra, and the vocalists do not participate. This is the one criticism I have of the works--Danielpour's vocal writing is certainly exquisite, but he seems to undercut the drama of his music somewhat by omitting any real vocal climax. Other listeners may also find that too much of the CD is introspective in nature, but given the subject matter of the works contained this seems inevitable. Regardless of these minor criticisms, this is a wonderful disc, and I will be listening to it repeatedly.
      Perspectives
      Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
      • The Best Unknown Arranger in Dodge!
      • Big band at its Best!
      • Awesome writing
      Perspectives
      Gary Urwin & Jazz Orchestra
      Manufacturer: Sea Breeze Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
      Swing GeneralSwing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
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      Similar Items:
      1. Living in the Moment
      2. Plays Well With Others
      3. Kindred Spirits
      4. Fast Track
      5. Taking the Long Way Home

      ASIN: B00004TDO1
      Release Date: 2000-05-16

      Tracks:

      1. I'm Old Fashioned
      2. Stormy Weather
      3. Something the Cat Dragged In
      4. When You Wish upon a Star
      5. Chucho
      6. Legacy
      7. Sky Dive
      8. Blues on Ice
      9. You Must Believe in Spring
      10. Somebody Loves Me
      11. Beauty and the Beast
      12. Oncoming Traffic
      13. Vegas d'Oro
      14. I'm Old Fashioned (Reprise)

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars The Best Unknown Arranger in Dodge!.......2007-02-02

      So you're asking yourself, "Why do I want another big band CD by a guy I don't even know"? On paper, it might be an easy decision; 1) usual big band instrumention...well, on one track, you do hear piccolo trumpet and cello which isn't exactly out of the Glen Miller bag of tricks, 2) it's the usual mix of standards and original compostions, 3) it's the same first-call cats from the west coast that you hear on virtually every big band CD like Bergeron, Christlieb, Martin, Higgins, Henry et al and 4) who in the world is Gary Urwin? OK, so you decide to pass. The correct answer is that Gary Urwin just happens to be the freshest thing that's happened to big band composition and arranging since Bill Holman was in knickers. On almost every track, he finds very inventive and intriguing nuances that add a freshness to the big band format. Whether it is unusual voicings, both inter and intra-sectional, or rhythmic twists that catch your ear, I believe you'll thoroughly enjoy this CD. The musicianship is superb as you would expect from these stalwarts, the recording is clean and crisp and the writing is...well, it's worth writing home about. I can't see how you wouldn't enjoy this music. By the way, did I mention that it swings like crazy? Gary Urwin is a force to be reckoned with!

      5 out of 5 stars Big band at its Best!.......2002-02-22

      This cd really surprised me as I had never heard of Gary Urwin. I took a chance and now I'm desparate for another masterpiece by this gifted arranger/composer. The soloists as well as the section work are superb. The man is an artist in hiding and I hope this puts him on the jazz map. It's a cd I do not get tired of listening to because with every listen,I hear so many new things that bring smiles to my ears and my heart.

      4 out of 5 stars Awesome writing.......2001-07-26

      Gary is an excellant writer and arranger. Imaginative is a word that stands out!! Exciting arranged charts with outstanding players makes this cd a can't miss and big band listening experience. Combine an ensemble of remarkable musicians with great writing chops you will surely enjoy this cd!!!!
      Perspectives
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • Some odd choices, but Kremer is caught in some fine moments, too
      Perspectives

      Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      Kremer, GidonKremer, Gidon | ( K ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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      Shostakovich, DmitriShostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
      Kremer, GidonKremer, Gidon | ( K ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
      InstrumentalInstrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
      ASIN: B000ERU4XM
      Release Date: 2006-04-11

      Tracks:

      1. Preludio
      2. Loure
      3. Gavotte En Rondeau
      4. Menuet I-II
      5. Bourree
      6. Gigue
      7. Allegro
      8. Adagio
      9. Allegro Assai
      10. Deutscher Tanz-Trio I-Trio II In C Major
      11. Allegro Aperto
      12. Adagio
      13. Rondeau. Tempo Di Menuetto

      Tracks:

      1. Moderato
      2. Adagio
      3. Adagio-Allegro
      4. Phaedrus: Pausianias (Lento Allegro Marcato)
      5. Aristophanes (Allegretto)
      6. Erixymachus (Presto)
      7. Agathon (Adagio)
      8. Socrates: Alcibiades (Molto Tenuto-Allegro Molto Vivace)
      9. Spiegel Im Spiegel

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars Some odd choices, but Kremer is caught in some fine moments, too.......2006-11-14

      DG has a large catalog of recordings form Gidon Kremer, almost of them still in print. For this series of two-fers devoted to various soloists, they made some odd choices. For example, Kremer has recorded a good deal of contemporary music and is a leading champion of Schnittke's works, so why give us the Bernstein Serenade, of all things? It's a lovely work but hardly representative of Kremer's real modernism. He has a strong attachment to the Baltic states, so Spiegel im Spiegel by the Estonian composer Arvo Part makes sense, and so does the Bach Partita in E, given that Kremer is famous for playing the complete sonatas and partitas in concert.

      On the other hand, I doubt that anyone is breathlessly awaiting his versions of the Bach Concerto #2 or the Mozart Concerto #3, both in very fine performances. What about Kremer the quirky, edgy classicist? His Schubert and Beethoven are often quite strange but neither is represented here. And what about Kremer's oddball wit, as exemplified in his "after Mozart" and "Happy Brithday" albums? NOt to meniton his Brahms, Beethvoen, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, and Sibelius ocncertos. Couldn't DG have rustled up an unknown performance or two?

      Enough. This is a decent intro to the great violinist's art, especially if you buy a copy on the used market.
      Perspectives
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Jazz CD Steve Spiegl
      Perspectives
      Steve Spiegl
      Manufacturer: Sorcerer
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      Bebop GeneralBebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
      Hard BopHard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
      ASIN: B000050ZOR
      Release Date: 1982-08-01

      Tracks:

      1. Hot!
      2. The Sphynx's Lair
      3. Mirage
      4. Bacchanalia
      5. Spanish Steps
      6. Parfait
      7. Willie
      8. Together Again
      9. A Day in the Life
      10. The Late Great Planet Earth

      Album Description

      The first two original albums by the Steve Spiegl Big Band, "Hot" and "Perspectives", now available together on one CD, titled "Perspectives", featuring original big band jazz compositions by Steve Spiegl, former arranger for the Stan Kenton Orchestra, whose music is in use in over 10,000 schools in the US and Canada, played by one of the premier Los Angeles studio bands.

      Personnel(various cuts): Trumpets-Hal Espinosa, John Madrid, Jack Feierman, Don Rader, Oscar Brashear, George Graham, Rick Baptist, Ron King Trombones-Charlie Loper, Jack Redmond, Bill Yeager, Ernie Tack, Bob Payne Saxophones-Kim Richmond, Adrian Tapia, Kurt McGettrick, Bob Hardaway, Jay Migliori, Howard Fallman, Bob Carr Guitar-Carmen Mosier, Piano-Randy Kerber, Steve Kaplan, Mike Asher, Bass-Jim Johnson, Bob Parr, Drums-Joe Porcaro, Ralph Razze

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Jazz CD Steve Spiegl.......2005-08-10

      If you are a true fan of Jazz, I highly recommend this purchase!

      Music Review:

      1. Pianostrings Tribute to the Soundtrack Chicago
      2. Promised Land, Vol. 3: Future History
      3. Reactivate, Vol. 18 (Unmixed) [Import]
      4. Revolutions, Vol. 1: A Low Pressings Compilation
      5. Rhythmdesign Rising
      6. Round 1
      7. Sacrebleu [Box set] [Import]
      8. Sexperimental
      9. Since You've Been Gone [Import]
      10. Sister Bossa, Vol. 5: Cool Jazzy Cuts With A Brazilian Flavour

      Music Review

      music review