Horny Pt. 2 [Import]

Horny Pt. 2 [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Horny is the comeback single from the band whose single Heaven Is A Halfpipe sold 250,000 copies, and whose last album, Menace To Sobriety, sold 75,000 copies in the UK.This new track is even more catchy with an instantly classic chorus. Horny was produced by the band and mixed by Paul Logus, who mixed 50 Cents "Candy Shop" and Grammy award winning number 1 single "Shake Ya Tail Feather" featuring Nelly, P. Diddy, and Murphy Lee, as well as mixing songs and albums for Notorious BIG, Beyonce, David Bowie and Jimmy Paige The title track is backed with 'Horney' (Uncensored Edit) and 'Conflict'. It also includes an enhanced section featuring the music video 'Horney'. The video for 'Horny' was directed by Brian Hyden. Suburban Noize Records. 2005.

Horny Pt. 2,Opm,5"CD Singles

Rossini: L'Assedio di Corinto
Average customer rating:

A primadonna showpiece of dubious style

Sills and Horne...it should have been recorded

Famous performance offers extraordinary singing but not very good sound

UNBELIEVABLE VOCAL SPLENDOUR

Believe the Hype

Rossini: L'Assedio di Corinto

Manufacturer: Opera D'oro
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Rossini | Rossini, Gioacchino | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi

Handel - Julius Caesar / Treigle · Sills · Forrester · Wolff · NYCO · Rudel

Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation)

Massenet: Manon

Donizetti - Three Queens (Anna Bolena ~ Maria Stuarda ~ Roberto Devereux)

ASIN: B00005Y84R
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

Sinf - Thomas Schippers
Act One: Signor, Un Sol Tuo Cenno - Chor
Act One: Del Vincitor Superbo... Guerrieri, A Noi S'affida - Franco Bonisolli/Marilyn Horne/Paolo Washingon/Chor
Act One: Tua Figlia M'e Promessa.. Destin Terribile - Marilyn Horne/Franco Bonisolli/Beverly Sills/Chor
Act One: Di Morte Il Suon Mando... La Data Fe - Chor/Beverly Sills/Franco Bonisolli/Marilyn Horne
Act One: Dal Ferro Del Forte - Chor
Act One: Duce Di Tanti Di Tanti Eroi - Justino Diaz
Act One: Trionfammo, Signor - Gianni Foiani/Justino Diaz/Franco Bonisolli/Beverly Sills/Chor
Act One: Pamira Mi Sei Resa - Justino Diaz/Beverly Sills/Franco Bonisolli/Milna Paoli/Gianni Foiani/Chor
Act Two: Cielo! Che Diverro? - Beverly Sills
Act Two: Sgombra Il Timor... Che Vedo? Ohime? - Justino Diaz/Beverly Sills
Act Two: Vinci, Pamira... Imen Le Dona - Justino Diaz/Milna Paoli/Chor

Tracks:

Act Two: Divin Profeta - Chor
Act Two: Pamira... Questa Altar - Justino Diaz/Beverly Sills/Marilyn Horne
Act Two: Sian Tolti A Lui Quel Ferri - Justino Diaz/Marilyn Horne/Beverly Sills/Gianni Foiani/Milna Paoli/Chor
Act Three: Avanziam... Questo E Il Luogo - Marilyn Horne/Piero Di Palma
Act Three: Signor, Che Tutto Puoi - Beverly Sills/Marilyn Horne
Act Three: Signor, Ben Credo... Sei Tu, Che Stendi, O Dio - Marilyn Horne
Act Three: O Mio Cleomene! - Marilyn Horne/Franco Bonisolli/Beverly Sills
Act Three: Celeste Providenza - Marilyn Horne/Beverly Sills/Franco Bonisolli
Act Three: Tutto Percorsi Il Marzial Recinto - Paolo Washington/Franco Bonisolli/Beverly Sills/Milna Paoli/Marilyn Horne/Chor
Act Three: Nube Di Sangue Intrisa - Paolo Washington
Act Three: Questo Nome, Che Suona Vittoria - Paolo Washington/Thomas Schippers
Act Three: L'ora Fatal S'appressa... Giusto Ciel! In Tal Periglio - Beverly Sills/Milna Paoli/Women's Chor
Act Three: Ma Qual Mal Suona Funebre Accento? - Beverly Sills/Milna Paoli/Justino Diaz/Chor

Customer Reviews:

A primadonna showpiece of dubious style.......2007-02-26

I've been fascinated by this 1969 production since I read an interview of the great Renata Tebaldi who performed the opera early in her career and who basically dismissed the way Rossini's music was performed in this Scala production. She claimed that by the time he wrote it, Rossini wanted to move away from florid music. Initially I thought Tebaldi was excusing herself for not performing the florid music but a little bit of research proved me wrong.

The great reviewer L.E. Cantrel below touched on this and his instincts were right but it isn't only the excessive ornamentation that is out of place here. The role of Pamyra is in the same group as Matilde in Gulielmo Tell and obviously Anna in Maometto. As such, the tessitura very much lies in the middle of the voice requiring anything but a high coloratura. Secondly, Assedio did not originally have a contralto but a tenor role because Rossini knew that in France, where he first presented Siege, they did not like women in male roles. The music he wrote for his tenor, unlike the trouser Calbo in Maometto, was not very ornamented.

When Schippers decided to have a contralto as Neocle in Assedio (and none other than Marilyn Horne) he also had to bring back the music from Maometto otherwise Horne would be useless. With Sills regular upward transpositions, a borrowed aria from an early Rossini opera and interpolated high notes solved the problem of Pamyra's tessitura and pleased the crowd who after all didn't know much about this obscure work.

What came out was spectacular singing by both ladies who without a doubt sieged La Scala. Rossini's intentions were of course dismissed and this ends up sounding more like most of his very florid early works without the more sophisticated style that is still preserved in Gulielmo Tell. I'm not dismissing his early works but it is nice to see a different side of him which this recording however doesn't offer us. The sound is adequate and the supporting cast good with promising beginners. For Sills, Horne and all coloratura fans it's a must but for Rossini studies you should look further as it doesn't deserve the 4 stars I gave for the singing..:-)

Sills and Horne...it should have been recorded.......2006-07-10

I bought this after reading all the superlatives lavished on this recording, and yes, they are correct. But while it is all extremely exciting and virtuosic, it is also very beautiful. This opera contains some wonderfully melancholic music by rossini and sills magically spins the lines, creating a chilling atmosphere, much as she does with the opening scena of Lucia. It is also interesting to hear here live because she really was a daredevil and goes for all the notes and trills that one wishes many other sopranos would try for also. She is not always successful as can be heard at the end of the first ensemble where she goes for a high 'e' but sort of just squeels. Also, it's interesting to note the size of her voice in comparison to her colleagues. It can be heard quite well on its own, but when she sings with others, such as horne, one can really tell that Sills' voice is really lacking in size. Anyways, the sound is what you would expect from D'oro, though I thought it would be a little better because it was recorded in 1969. Alas, it should have been done in the studio!

Famous performance offers extraordinary singing but not very good sound.......2006-01-07

Source: Live performance at La Scala in Milan, April 14, 1969.

Sound: Not very good, no better than fair--and that is a very generous assessment. Rest assured, anyone who buys this set must do it for the performance, not for the sound reproduction.

From the applause heard so close to the microphone pick-up, it is clear that this set was recorded from the audience. Since the orchestra and voices are in fairly good balance--or at least, not in as bad balance as found on many pirate recordings--and the cheering from the audience in the cheap seats is rather distant, my guess is that the pirate-recordist was sitting on the main floor, but away from the stage, well toward the back of the house. His or her recording equipment was far from state-of-the-art for 1969.

Cast: Pamira - Beverly Sills; Neocle - Marilyn Horne; Cleomene - Franco Bonisolli; Maometto II - Justino Diaz; Jero - Paulo Washington; Omar - Gianni Foiani; Ismene - Milna Paoli; Adrasto - Piero Di Palma. Conductor: Thomas Schippers with the Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala, Milan.

Text: This is one of those operas that offers--or rather suffers from--a multiplicity of texts. In Rossini's time, the best way for a worldly young composer (of which Rossini was a sterling example) to make pots of money was to write operas. Operas were commissioned by impresarios for performance during a specific season for a specific theater. After that, any scoundrel who could get his hands on the score or a reasonable facsimile thereof, could offer the piece as he saw fit--and Rossini (or Bellini or Donizetti) could whistle for his money. Only the presence of the composer on the spot to oversee an authentic performance was likely to guarantee that any money would find its way into his pockets.

In 1820, Rossini delivered this opera as "Maometto II." It came with a tragic conclusion. Two years later, he obtained another payday, but at a less sophisticated theater whose impresario demanded a happy ending. Rossini dutifully delivered one. Some years after that, Rossini hit the jackpot by receiving an invitation to present his opera in Paris, at the richest opera house in the world. The French, of course, fancied themselves as more cultivated than the over-emotional Italians. They certainly regarded Italianate vocal fireworks as more than a bit uncouth, so they demanded more sedate and dignified vocal lines as well as translation into their own language. Since the cause of Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire had become fashionable, they also demanded a change in plot: the opera would no longer sing the tale of the overwhelming of Negroponte, an Italian military colony; now it would be about the fall of Corinth, a suitably Greek town. Rossini gave them everything they wanted with the renamed "Le siege de Corinthe," then happily counted his money.

The revised opera was a hit in Paris. Back in Italy, French success acted as good advertising for local performances, so enterprising gentlemen translated the new French libretto into Italian as "L'assedio di Corinto," and tossed in whichever snippets of Rossini's music came to hand, even as they absent-mindedly neglected to send any money in Rossini's way.

And it has now come to pass that Amazon offers "Maometto II"--in both the 1820 and the 1822 versions, "Le siege de Corinthe" and "L'assedio di Corinto," the last in versions that reflect both Rossini's Frenchified approach and the uncorseted, unabashedly Italianate form under consideration in this review.

Documentation: Typical anemic Opera d'Oro package. No libretto. A few hundred words on the background of the opera. A few hundred words summarizing the plot. Track list.

Performance: An Amazon reviewer writing back in 2003 had this to say: "This is absolutely the most spectacular coloratura singing ever done by Beverly Sills. It's her debut at La Scala and it was a triumph." I quite agree, both about the singing and the triumph. I further affirm that the singing of Marilyn Horne is equally impressive, and in no way overshadowed by Sills. On the basis of those two tremendous performances, I have no qualms about endorsing the five-star ratings assigned by eleven of the thirteen previous reviewers.

But ... I can't help remembering a story about Rossini that is so well-documented and so widely spread that it might even be true. In his old age, the grand old man lived in Paris, self-acknowledged center of all the universe. A young, up-and-coming singer of fabulous potential--she might have been Adelina Patti--was presented to him. She sang "Una voce poco fa" from "The Barber of Seville," putting into it every trill, high note and spectacular decoration of which she was capable, all in the hope of impressing the great composer. When she was finished, Rossini smiled, applauded politely and said, "That was a nice tune. Who wrote it?"

I have no close familiarity with this score. I am satisfied to take the assurance of earlier reviewers that Sills, like Patti before her, tossed in astonishing high notes, glistening coloratura passages, exquisite trills and probably a kitchen sink or two. It was perfectly proper that she do so, for opera is show biz written large, and a large part, perhaps most, of the audience comes to hear just that sort of stunt singing. They generously award their bravissimas for it, and they depart the opera house warmly content in the knowledge that they have received good value for the outrageous prices of their tickets. After they leave, only curmudgeons like me and Rossini are left to mutter, "That was nice. Who wrote it?"

The rest of the performance is all right. Justino Diaz was a good, reliable singer but not, I think, on anyone's A-list of great bass-baritones. Franco Bonisolli could sometimes be a fine, stirring tenor. Cleomene is not one of his signature roles. Schippers and the orchestra seem to be OK, but the recording quality does them no favors.

HISTORICAL NOTE: In 1453, Sultan Mehmet (Mohammed II or Maometto II) captured Constantinople to the enormous dismay of Christendom. When the torn corpse of Constantine XI was brought before him, having been found among the piled bodies of Constantinople's final defenders and identified by the golden eagles sewn upon his shoes, the great sultan gave the last of the Byzantine emperors an honorable burial. Mehmet then divided the churches of the City equally between the victorious Moslems and his new Christian subjects and, from the very throne of the Roman Caesars, returned the pastoral staff to Patriarch Gennadius.

Mehmet busied himself with restoring, improving and re-populating the former Constantinople, now Istanbul [from the ubiquitous road signs, "eis ton polis" (to the city)]. For years he disdained to take notice of the mini-"empires" established in Greece by the tag ends of old Byzantine dynasties. In 1469, however, he wearied of the endless civil wars among the Greek dynasts. Leading a small but sufficient fraction of his total forces, the Sultan simply rolled over their strongholds, one of which was Corinth. Those of the would-be emperors that he captured he pensioned off, then sent them into exile in Rumania. Those who managed to escape to Italy and elsewhere busied themselves for the remainder of their squalid lives by selling off claims to the imperial title to any western prince foolish enough to pay them.

The mighty conqueror, Mehmet, continued to scare the bejabbers out of the princes and prelates of Europe until, to their vast relief, he died in 1481.

UNBELIEVABLE VOCAL SPLENDOUR.......2005-06-29

Singing like this - I did not think it possible. This must be the best performace with Beverly Sills ever recorded and one of the best in the history of recording!

Believe the Hype.......2005-04-04

I'm not big on live recordings, but this is one of such historical significance that I figured I had to have it. And I was curious. Could Sills really be as marvelous as legend and the other Amazon reviews have said? Well, yes...and then some. OK, she hits one clinker somewhere on the first disc (nobody's perfect), but this is a truly goosebump-inducing performance. Now I get why Sills became the mega-star she did. And the supporting cast (Diaz & Horne in particular) are just as good. Electrifying from start to finish, this is a must-have for anyone interested in the history of 20th century operatic performance -- and those who just want to wallow in thrilling music and splendid singing.

Average customer rating:

Best of the the popular Copland...
A Great American Album
Must have this one...

Ultimate Copland Album

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Copland: Music for Films
Bernstein Century - Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, etc / Bernstein, New York PO
Copland: Appalachian Spring; Rodeo; Fanfare for the Common Man
Bernstein Century - Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, etc
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris

ASIN: B00002S5EW
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
From Four Dance Episodes From 'Rodeo': Saturday Night Waltz
From Four Dance Episodes From 'Rodeo': Hoe-Down
From Old American Songs: Simple Gifts
Appalachian Spring: Variations On A Shaker Hymn
From Music For Movies: Grovers Corners (From Our Town)
From Billy The Kid: Introduction - The Open Prairie
From Billy The Kid: Street In A Frontier Town
From Billy The Kid: Mexican Dance
From Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
From Billy The Kid: Celebration (After Billy's Capture)
From Billy The Kid: The Open Prairie Again
From Billy The Kid: El Salon Mexico
Appalachian Spring: Very Slowly
Appalachian Spring: Allegro
Appalachian Spring: Moderato: The Bride And Her Intended
Appalachian Spring: Fast: The Revivalist And His Flock
Appalachian Spring: Allegro: Solo Dance Of The Bride
Appalachian Spring: Meno Mosso
Appalachian Spring: Doppio Movimento: Variations On A Shaker Hymn
Appalachian Spring: Moderato: Coda

Customer Reviews:

Best of the the popular Copland..........2004-12-26

Here's a great introduction to the popular music of Aaron Copland. When "Fanfare for the Common Man" begins, sparks of recognition will fly for most listeners. This song has been everywhere: presidential inaugurations, the olympics, commercials, movies, etc. Some flatten it as hopelessly clichéd, while others find it moving and inspiring. Copland also reprised it in the finale of his Third Symphony. Arguably Copland's most famous piece, "Appalachian Spring" closes the CD. In between, more great Copland: excerpts from 'Rodeo' (apparently the beef lobby has appropriated "Hoe-Down" as one of their themes); a great vocal rendition of "Simple Gifts" and a large chunk of another of Copland's best known works: "Billy the Kid". The only confusing piece is the "Variations on a Shaker Hymn" from Appalachian Spring when the entire Appalachian Spring is already included. Seems slightly redundant.

Though most of the pieces on this CD were written in the 1930s and 1940s, they tend to evoke the old west. With titles such as "Rodeo" and "Billy the Kid" this shouldn't surprise too many people.

Copland went on to compose more dissonant and twelve tone compositions later on in his career. These obviously weren't as popular with the public in general as the pieces on this CD. Nonetheless, if this disc whets the appetite, a foray into Copland's less popular works will yield much. It will help to expose the totality of Copland's output. This disc only represents a small portion of his work. Regardless, this disc is a great starting point for getting to know one of the United States' best known composers of the twentieth century.

A Great American Album.......2004-02-13

This is a great album representing true patriotic American music. Songs like "Hoe-Down" are lively and energetic and give rememberance to what one can imagine as the true American spirit.

Must have this one..........2002-09-17

I like all types of music, I wanted this album because I liked the song "RODEO" that is used on the beef commercials. This CD has made me into a Copland fan. It has many great songs. If you want a CD that says "I am an American." This is it. I am sending copies to a friend in Bombay and Tel Aviv. This is who I am put to music.

Average customer rating:

Excellent sample
Some of the Best
Storms
Wonderful selections
Great intro to Beethoven

Essential Beethoven

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces
Essential Bach
Essential Tchaikovsky
Essential Vivaldi: 20 Greatest Masterpieces
Essential Rachmaninov

ASIN: B00005KBJQ
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Tracks:

Sym No.5 in c, Op.67: I. Allegro Con Brio - Concertgebouw Orch/Bernard Haitink
Sym No.7 in A, Op.92: II. Allegretto - LSO/Antal Dorati
Romance No.2 in F, Op.50 - Arthur Grumiaux
Pno Son No.14 'Moonlight' in c#, Op.27 No.2: I. Adagio Sostenuto - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Fur Elise (Bagatelle in a, WoO 59) - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Pno Son No,17 in d, Op.31 No.2: III. Allegretto - Stephen Kovacevich
Spt in E flat, Op.20: V. Scherzo: Allegro Molto E Vivace - Members Of The Berlin Phil Octet
Pno Con No.3 in c, Op.37: II. Largo - Alfred Brendel
Sym No.8 in F, Op.93: IV. Allegro Vivace - Chicago SO/Sir Georg Solti
Ov 'Egmont', Op.84 - VPO/George Szell
Vn Con in D, Op.61: III. Rondo: Allegro - New Philharmonia Orch/Alceo Galliera

Tracks:

Pno Con No.5 'Emperor' in E flat, Op.73: II. Adagio Un Poco Mosso - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Sym No.6 'Pastoral' in F, Op.68: V. Allegretto: Shepherd's Song. Happy And Thankful Feelings... - Staatskapelle Dresden/Colin Davis
Pno Con No.2 in B flat, Op.19: III. Rondo: Molto Allegro - Radu Lupu
Pno Son No.8 'Pathetique' in c, Op.13: II. Adagio Cantabile - Vladimir Ashkenazy
Str Qt in B flat, Op.130: V. Cavatina: Adagio Molto Espressivo - Qt Italiano
Bagatelle, Op.126 No.6 - Alfred Brendel
Vn Son No.5 in F, Op.24: IV. Rondo: Allegro Ma Non Troppo 'Spring' - Itzhak Perlman/Vladimir Ashkenazy
Minuet No.11, WoO 7 - ASMF/Neville Marriner
Pno Son No.14 'Moonlight' in c#, Op.27 No.2: III. Presto Agitato - Vladimir Ashkenazy
In Questa Tomba Oscura, WoO 133 - Luciano Pavarotti
Mir Ist So Wunderbar - Hildegard Behrens/Sona Ghazarian/David Kuebler/Hans Sotin
Oh Welche Lust (Prisoner's Chor) - Robert Johnson/Philip Kraus/Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis
Sym No.9 in d, Op.125: Chor Finale (Excerpt) - Joan Sutherlan/Marilyn Horne/James King/Martti Talvela/Wiener Staatsopernchor

Customer Reviews:

Excellent sample.......2005-10-25

This two disc set is a good sampler of Beethoven; I had forgotten how inspiring his work could be. This set has motivated me to order all three of the Deutch Grammaphone two disc which together include all 9 of Beethoven's symphonies.

Some of the Best.......2005-09-11

Some of these songs are the best that I've heard. I also enjoy the fact that this album provides the ENTIRE movement or selection, unlike some of the other albums that I've heard that only play for a little bit of the song. One example is Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A Major Second Movement, this movement is one of my favorites to begin with and hearing it so smoothly and masterfully recorded made my heart sing the first time I heard this all the way to end (the other recordings usually stop after the major key shift after the first theme). Also the Egmont Overture is one of the best full versions that I've had the pleasure of enjoying performed this well. The Moonlight Sonata First Movement I found to be nice, but there are better versions out there. For those people just looking for a nice collection of Beethoven songs that are well recorded and well performed, I stronly suggest that you purchase this album.

Storms.......2005-03-09

Classical music compilations are extremely difficult to review. You are always fighting with someone else's opinion of what is "Best of" material. And why should we buy selections when we could buy the entire pieces and hear them played as the composers intended?

A quick answer would be simple: we simply cannot afford to purchase every single piece by every single composer we love. And if the buyer is familiar with the music, he or she would perhaps only want the famous selections everyone knows. In my case, I am particularly picky with recordings and don't have the time to meddle with libraries or going to stores that offer listening stations. Recordings vary greatly and so does playing ability. So why did I go with Essential Beethoven?

It is released with Decca, one of the finest classical music companies out there. You are guaranteed no gimmick or inexpensively recorded tracks on this compilation. Essential B. also has a wider selection than other compilations I looked at. For once, there isn't a movement to be found from the Fifth Symphony. If that's all you want to buy, look elsewhere. Essential B. has pieces I was not familiar with, so here I am listening to it.

Regrettably, there are three distinct issues with this recording, and I want to get them out of the way. 1. Für Elise is atrociously boring to listen to. As a pianist, it is fun to play and almost required learning for the beginner. It should've been dropped. 2. Piano Concerto No. 5 is missing the third movement. It is common to drop the first movement here, but the second and third movements are programmatically tied, providing some of the most emotionally charged music ever put down on lined paper. Also, this rendition of the concerto is less than inspiring and I regret that it is the famous Ashkenazy playing this version. There is almost no life in the playing. 3. The remastering could've been better. The listener will enjoy the loud and boisterous pieces, but the quieter parts, and even the soft piano solos, will have him straining his ears to the point of exasperation. Because of this, I recommend listening on headphones or in a place where you can turn the volume up a little more than usual.

That aside, the rest of the tracks are well recorded, extremely well played, and varied enough to quench even the most learned ears. Decca has included pieces conducted by Sir Georg Solti, one of the greatest conducters in my opinion. (Another "collection" solely conducted by Solti is the "Immortal Beloved" soundtrack.) The orchestral pieces are lush and the range is dynamic. (A little too dynamic, like I stated above, in some areas.) The inclusion of movement IV from Symphony no. 8 pleases me, as I feel this is the least appreciated symphony, overshadowed by Symphony no. 9

The piano pieces are some of the best renditions I've heard. I own all of Ashkenazy's sonatas, so it was nice to hear a movement from "The Tempest" played by Stephen Kovacevich, who plays with fierce determination. Selections from B's piano concertos are fantastic and have prompted me to delve further into listening to more concertos from him. The Rondo from Piano Concerto No. 2, played by Radu Lupu, is one of the most upbeat and wonderfully played pieces here.

To round things off nicely is a movement from the Violin Sonata No. 5, played by the one and only Itzhak Perlman! The piano is caressed by Mr. Ashkenazy himself, and he does so lovingly. You will also find pieces from a string quartet, a violin Romance (and orchestra), and one overture: the "Egmont." I'm not a huge fan of this rendition either, but that's probably because I've heard the Egmont a thousand times.

A huge bonus with this collection are the three choral selections at the end, two of which are from "Fidelio," an opera I've yet to hear in its entirety. The Prisoners' Chorus is beautiful. The introduction sounds very much like a major contribution to Charles Ives's 1906 piece "The Unanswered Question." The compilation ends with Symphony No. 9's finale, but unfortunately, it is a horribly edited excerpt, and mixed extremely hot. I have to turn my volume down everytime this comes on.

I would like to make a little note about the art design, however. Credit here is given to Mark Millington, who did a fine job blending black & white photos of storm clouds, an inspiring sculpture, and blackletter-styled fonts. The CDs themselves are a contrasting bright orange. As a sucker for marketing, I would've plunked money down for this compilation just for the art!

Wonderful selections.......2003-11-08

My kids and I have really enjoyed this CD. This is a great collection of music with high quality performances.

Great intro to Beethoven.......2003-04-05

Great intro to beethoven. There are many great performances by Ashkenazy, Academy of Saint Martin in the fields, Concertgetbouw Orchestra and many other exceptional artists. I would recommend this disc as it contains the masterpieces of beethoven, even though not all of them.

Average customer rating:

LO MEJOR DE LO MEJOR
A Very Fine Compilation

The Essential Falla

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Albéniz: Iberia; Granados: Goyescas
Granados: Spanish Dances
Falla: El Amor Brujo; Sombrero de tres picos; Noches en los jardines de España
Manuel de Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain / Isaac Albeniz: Rapsodia Espanola / Joaquin Turina: Rapsodia Sinfonica - Alicia de Larrocha / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos
Franck - Sonata for violin and piano · Debussy - Sonatas · Ravel - Introduction and Allegro / Chung · Lupu · Ellis · Melos Ensemble

ASIN: B00001X59X
Release Date: 1999-10-12

Tracks:

Love The Magician: Introduction And Scene... In The Cave
Love The Magician: Song Of Suffering Love
Love The Magician: The Spectre... Dance Of Fear
Love The Magician: Magic Circle... Midnight
Love The Magician: Ritual Fire Dance
Love The Magician: Scene
Love The Magician: Song Of The Will-O'-The-Wisp
Love The Magician: Pantomime
Love The Magician: Dance Of The Game Of Love
Love The Magician: Finale: The Bells Of Dawn
Harpsichord Concerto: I. Allegro
Harpsichord Concerto: II. Lento
Harpsichord Concerto: III. Vivace
Homenaje 'Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy'
Psyche
Nights in the Gardens of Spain: I In The Generalife
Nights in the Gardens of Spain: II Distant Dance
Nights in the Gardens of Spain: III In The Gardens Of The Sierra de Cordoba

Tracks:

La Vida breve: Interludio y Danza
Seven Spanish Folk Songs: The Moorish Cloth
Seven Spanish Folk Songs: Seguidilla From Murcia
Seven Spanish Folk Songs: Asturian Song
Seven Spanish Folk Songs: Jota
Seven Spanish Folk Songs: Lullaby
Seven Spanish Folk Songs: Song
Seven Spanish Folk Songs: Polo
Four Spanish Pieces: Aragonesa
Four Spanish Pieces: Cubana
Four Spanish Pieces: Montanesa
Four Spanish Pieces: Andaluza
The Three-Cornered Hat: Part 1: Introduction
The Three-Cornered Hat: Part 1: Afternoon
The Three-Cornered Hat: Part 1: Dance Of The Miller's Wife
The Three-Cornered Hat: Part 1: The Grapes
The Three-Cornered Hat: Part 2: The Neighbours' Dance
The Three-Cornered Hat: Part 2: The Miller's Dance
The Three-Cornered Hat: Part 2: The Corregidor's Dance
The Three-Cornered Hat: Part 2: Final Dance

Customer Reviews:

LO MEJOR DE LO MEJOR.......2002-03-29

Una grabacion
magistral de los
clasicos de Manuel de Falla.
Este disco contiene el famoso
"Homage a Debussy" la unica
obra original compuesta para
guitarra por la mano del compositor.
Tremenda grabaccion, como para no
perdersela a ese precio...

A Very Fine Compilation.......2000-05-17

"The Essential Falla" is just that, including all of Manuel de Falla's major works (performed by the likes of Dutoit, Fruhbeck de Burgos and de Larrocha) on these two CDs. Highlights are excellent performances of Falla's three most famous works: "El amor brujo", "Noches en los jardines de Espana" and "El Sombrero de tres picos". The rest of the included music is perhaps less well-know but no less enjoyable. Perhaps the only quibble I have with this CD is the enclusion of the Harpsicord Concerto. While it is an enjoyable piece, it is very much a Stravinsky-esque neo-classical work, and it seems somewhat out of place amongst Falla's other, very Spanish, works. Nonetheless, if you enjoy 20th Century Spanish music, this CD is indeed an essential.

Average customer rating:

An Energetic and highly Dramatic Verdi Requiem
One of two definitive Verdi Requiems
DEATH, SALVATION, VERDI & SOLTI: HOW CAN YOU MISS?

Verdi: Requiem; Quattro pezzi sacri

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Rossini: Semiramide
Mozart - Requiem / Augér, Bartoli, Cole, Pape, Wiener Phil., Solti
Wagner: Das Rheingold
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
R. Strauss - Salome

ASIN: B000GUJZVE
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Tracks:

Requiem Aeternam & Kyrie
Dies Irae
Tuba Mirum
Liber Scriptus
Quid Sum Miser
Rex Tremendae
Recordare
Ingemisco
Confutatis
Lacrimosa

Tracks:

Domine Jesu Christe
Hostias
IV. Sanctus
V. Agnus Dei
VI. Lux Aeterna
Libera Me
Dies Irae
Requiem Aeternam
Libera Me
I. Ave Maria - Chicago Symphony Chorus
II. Stabat Mater - Chicago Symphony Chorus
III. Laudi Alla Vergine Maria - Chicago Symphony Chorus
IV. Te Deum - Chicago Symphony Chorus

Customer Reviews:

An Energetic and highly Dramatic Verdi Requiem.......2007-06-10

Of all of Verdi's latter works, the Verdi requiem is perhaps my favorite after Otello. Although it was written as a Requiem mass, I find that Verdi's composition recalls something that sounds more operatic than parochial, and for this reason, I don't think that it should be treated merely as a church piece. Rather, it should be seen a piece that combines both the elements of the sacred and secular emotions. This recording, one of Decca's most prestigious achievements in the studio, clearly ranks itself as one of the most exciting and beautiful renditions of the Verdi requiem, spearheaded by the Hungarian conductor Sir Georg Solti with the Vienna Philharmonic and the soloists Dame Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, and Martti Talvela. Although Solti has been accused of being overly emphatic with his conducting, I think the religious nature of the work tamed his hammy hand and made something beautiful and reverent out of it. No, this doesn't sound like Wagner, and I think that is all for the better. The more reflective parts are played with the kind of virtuosity that only an orchestra like the Vienna Philharmonic can offer, and the more balls against the wall are given a drive that no other recording gives. The Dies Irae is an excellent example of this. This is the second remastering of this awesome choral work by Decca, and you can hear so many details being given more emphasis by the engineers. In short, I think this is the best sounding Verdi requiem on the market, as proven by Decca's quality engineering.

The soloists are one of the most distinguished quartets ever to have sung their respective parts. Luciano Pavarotti in his prime sings the tenor with a meltingly tender line and a phrasing that no one will ever anticipate to surpass. Talvela is the most sonorous and darkest bass ever to sing the gorgeous Confutatis. Horne imbues the alto part with her dark timbre and her graceful phrasing. Her Liber Scriptus, Agnus Dei, and Lux Aeterna are rivalled only by Christa Ludwig and Grace Bumbry. And then there's Joan Sutherland. Although several listeners gripe about the overparted sound of her voice, I think it actually fits the piece quite well. Joan Sutherland had an amazingly huge voice, as large as Birgit Nilsson's whenever she sang any repertoire. It may not be as dark as let's say...Renata Tebaldi, Leontyne Price, Zinka Milanov, or Antonietta Stella, but her ease with the difficult and high lying soprano part makes her singing a treat to listen to. I still love Freni and Gheorghiu in the part, but Joan Sutherland is one of the very best sopranos and no one should criticize her for her diction since it actually sounded very good here.

To sum up, one of the best Verdi Requiems on the market, perhaps the best if you want theater and the sacred combined in one indelible package. This CD set also comes with the composer's Quattro Pezzi Sacre. An essential set!

One of two definitive Verdi Requiems.......2007-05-23

Including the DVD performance with von Karajan/La Scala, I own ten recordings of the Verdi Requiem. Putting the DVD performance aside for a moment, this recording and the Fritz Reiner on Decca Verdi: Requiem are the two that I pull out most frequently. I am biased in that I grew up with this recording which my mother bought after she sang the piece in college in the mid 1960s. Since these two are my favorites, I will compare and contrast.

The appropriateness of having Sutherland as the soprano soloist has always been debated. She has her strengths and weaknesses like any other singer, and oddly enough her quiet high notes aren't the best on record. But her breath control throughout (and especially at the end of the Offertorio) is stunning, and she truly sounds terrified at the beginning of the Libera Me. The duets with Horne have a solidity that is found in most of their work together, sounding much more like a single voice that's managed to produce two notes.

Price's performance with Reiner is legendary. Her low range, which is called upon frequently in this piece as well as the high register, is stronger than Sutherland's, and her quiet high notes are excellent. It is also argued that since Verdi wrote this part for the original Aida, Price is more appropriate to the part.

Horne embodies "mezzo-soprano" singing and is ideal for the part. Her high register is easy but forceful, and she has one of the most dramatic chest voices there is. Elias is also very good, but there's a polish and a variety in Horne's colors that keep me coming back to her recording. It's difficult to believe that the Liber Scriptus, dark and commanding, and the Lux Aeterna, light and ethereal, were sung by the same person.

Pavarotti early in his career, or Björling at the end of it. If only the latter had made the recording a few years before, but he didn't. It remains one of the definitive performances of the part, his tone is remarkably consistent, high notes not quite as easy as they could be, but remarkable. However, Pavarotti in the 60s was a force of nature. His voice is expressive, the second high B-flat in the Ingemisco (on the word "dextra") is quite possibly the best high B-flat sung on record; he sounds like he could have gone UP to the E-flat instead of down. He had also done enough work with Sutherland and Horne that he blends with them excellently.

Talvela and Tozzi are both BIG voices, both true basses, and both excellent. I think that Tozzi gets my vote here for color, though Talvela is an absolute rock of tone and pitch. Talvela also tends towards the Germanic pronunciation of some of the Latin (Quia being pronounced as Kvia, for instance) which occasionally doesn't blend.

Both recordings have the excellent Vienna Philharmonic. Solti, as usual, tends towards the faster side, and Reiner towards the slower. The recording itself is much more dimensional for the Solti since the better part of a decade had passed and the technology had improved, but the newest remastering of the Reiner (on the Decca Legends series) improves it considerably over past efforts. Solti goes for an operatic, dramatic, and occasionally over the top performance, and Reiner is more reverent and restrained. Since Verdi is the master of opera and wrote the Requiem in the style with which he was most comfortable, I think Solti has an extremely valid point conducting it the way he does. Both versions work, both versions hold together, and I wouldn't be without either of them.

DEATH, SALVATION, VERDI & SOLTI: HOW CAN YOU MISS?.......2007-02-07

I think the Verdi Requiem is the greatest Italian opera ever composed.
The old master managed to summon all his experience in the opera house and take the great themes of death, salvation, redemption and forgiveness and weave them into a stunning theatrical experience! (This is definitely not music for a liturgy.) A fantastic performance! Sutherland, freed from the constraints of her husband's boring conducting. Pavarotti, still young and making music instead of doing a "celebrity gig". Horne and Talvela at their considerable best. And Solti, unleashing the furies as only he could. This is a great recording.
(But also check out the Reiner recording with Leontyne Price & Jussi
Bjoerling. Talk about heavenly singing! My own, personal desert island recording. And Solti's later version from Chicago with Price is also a knockout!)

Average customer rating:

Beethoven have you gone mad?
best of the "best of Beethoven" compilations
Very Very good
A Great Introduction to Beethoven
An Ideal Beethoven Collection for the Non-Fan

Beethoven: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Horne, Marilyn | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | 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

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Mozart: Greatest Hits
Bach: Greatest Hits
Tchaikovsky: Greatest Hits
Vivaldi Greatest Hits
Wagner: Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000003F5G
Release Date: 1991-09-06

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5: Allegro con brio
Turkish March
'Moonlight' Sonata: Adagio sostenuto
Fur Elise
Symphony No. 9 'Choral': Molto vivace
Symphony No. 9 'Choral': Presto; Allegro assai
Symphony No. 3 'Eroica': Symphony No. 3 'Eroica' - Allegro vivace
Choral Fantasy - Conclusion

Customer Reviews:

Beethoven have you gone mad?.......2006-10-05

If you're not sure that you like Beethoven or maybe you're just a casual listener and you want a cheap cd with some of his best work then this is the cd for you. This is a very good cd, the musicianship is good, and the sound quality is also good so don't think that you will be getting a below average cd because of cheap price. The music on the cd is just awe inspiring. It caries so much power and emotion with it that you can't help but feel something from it, whether it be joy, sadness or a sense of power. This isn't the type of music that should be played in the background because it just grabs your attention and doesn't let it go until the very end. So in short if you don't have any Beethoven music then you should get this cd and send me a thank you card for reccomending this to you.

best of the "best of Beethoven" compilations.......2006-03-20

A great investment to get your classical music library going. Hits all the big ones - the ubiquitous first movement of the 5th symphony, the Vivace and "Ode to Joy" Choral from the 9th, the "Moonlight" Sonata and Fur Elise, Eroica, and, just for fun, the Turkish March from Ruin of Athens. Everyone's heard snippets, but for those looking to get a bit more in-depth, this CD's a great way to go. Good performances by the Boston and New York Philharmonics and talented individuals such as Emmanuel Ax. Sound quality is respectable as well.

It's hard to imagine how someone could not be inspired by Beethoven's art. Listening to the Ninth is a transcendent experience if ever there was one. The music carries emotions that we try to give labels to such as joy, grief, and wonder, but the music defines them so much better than words. In any case, I was asked to review the CD not Beethoven - so, in short, this is a very good CD!

Very Very good.......2001-12-27

Excellent CD along with Mozart in the same series.
All were momentous pieces espcially 5th and 9th symphony.
I bought this CD as a beginner and did not liked the 9th very much. But when I saw Stanley Kubrick's film "Clockwork Orange". I was truly amazed at the power of this 9th symphony especially the Molto Vivace and Ode to Joy of the Finale.Zubin mehta's performance was very good. Excellent Buy.

A Great Introduction to Beethoven.......2000-12-31

This cd is a wonderful way to get acquainted with the brilliant works of Beethoven. This one, as well as the other classical music cd's in the RCA Victor series, is a great beginning to a long and enjoyable journey through the world of classical music.

An Ideal Beethoven Collection for the Non-Fan.......2000-01-19

If you're not a major classical music fan (and frankly, I can't see one considering this album), but looking to add some Beethoven to your collection, this is probably your best bet. Several movements from his best-known symphonies (and pretty much everyone knows Symphonies 5 & 9), as well as the "Moonlight Sonata" and other works. Take a quick listen to the samples - if you like what you hear, toss it into your cart!

Massenet: La Navarraise / Horne, Domingo, Milnes, Bacquier, Zaccaria, Davies, LSO, Lewis

Average customer rating:

Buy it indeed! A mighty gem of musical theater!
Absolutely Wonderful!!!
Verissmeaux

Massenet: La Navarraise / Horne, Domingo, Milnes, Bacquier, Zaccaria, Davies, LSO, Lewis
Jules Massenet , Henry Lewis , Marilyn Horne , Plácido Domingo , London Symphony Orchestra , Ambrosian Opera Chorus , Sherrill Milnes , Gabriel Bacquier , Nicola Zaccaria , and Ryland Davies
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Horne, Marilyn | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Massenet: Le Jongleur de Notre Dame
Massenet: Le Cid (Complete) [Germany]
Massenet: Esclarmonde
Auber: La Muette de Portici
Massenet - Thaïs / Fleming, Hampson, Sabbatini, Shkosa, Vidal, Devellereau, Cals, Yves Abel

ASIN: B000009W7O
Release Date: 1998-08-11

Tracks:

La Navarraise: Act 1 - Prelude
La Navarraise: Act 1 - L'assaut a coute cher, messieurs!
La Navarraise: Act 1 - Capitaine, je vois que vous appartenez
La Navarraise: Act 1 - Je ne pensais qu' a toi
La Navarraise: Act 1 - Araquil! - Mon pere!
La Navarraise: Act 1 - Depuis deux ans je l'aime!
La Navarraise: Act 1 - Ah! Mariez donc son coeur avec mon coeur!
La Navarraise: Act 1 - Etes-vous de la compagnie
La Navarraise: Act 1 - Morts! Les vieux compagnons
La Navarraise: Act 1 - Crenelons les maisons donnant sur la campagne
La Navarraise: Act 1 - O bien aimee
La Navarraise: Act 1 - Anita, la Navarraise?
La Navarraise: Act 1 - J'ai trois maisons dans Madrid.
La Navarraise: Act 1 - Nocturne
La Navarraise: Act 2 - Alerte! Alerte!
La Navarraise: Act 2 - Mon argent, mes deux mille douros!
La Navarraise: Act 2 - Voici ma dot!
La Navarraise: Act 2 - Blessee, mourant, j'espere!
La Navarraise: Act 2 - Mourir! Mourir par moi!
La Navarraise: Act 2 - Mon fils - Pere!
La Navarraise: Act 2 - Merci, la bonne Vierge

Customer Reviews:

Buy it indeed! A mighty gem of musical theater!.......2006-02-21

It seems that this recording is already disappearing! Even if you don't like Massenet - odd thought - you should at least hear this! Horne is thrilling and her madness is soul piercing. Doming and Milnes speak for themselves. But it is the London Symphony under Henry Lewis' baton that make this recording the masterful work of art that it is. A stream of lush harmonies and atmosphere musical making. Lewis is another underrated musician. For me, the orchestration could well be one of the most beautiful of all Massenet's operas, especially the main themes and the nocturne between acts 1 and 2. Being so short there is not a superfluous note. Indeed, its very brevity might be its undoing. A lot happens in the 48 minutes of this musical drama . The only regret is that it ends so quickly. This will certainly never see another studio recording! Recording it live? .... like that's going to happen. I wonder if it even gets seen and heard in France. At the very least get a copy of La Navarraise and hear it. I have seen the recording on the opera shelves in several libraries. Thanks to RCA for having recorded it. A worthy endeavor.

Absolutely Wonderful!!!.......2001-11-01

Why this wonderful opera is not performed on a frequent basis is beyond me. Without question, it contains some of Massenet's most dramatic and instantly accessible music. Beginning with the gripping prelude, with it's military and foreboding textures, one is captivated by this wonderfully concise yet dramatic story of love, war and madness. Even the entr'acte, a lovely nocturne, is sublime and definetely on par with anything ever written by Massenet; it serves as a most welcomed respite. The conclusion will make the hair on your arms stand up, as once again the prelude returns confirming the sense of tragedy it heralded from the very beginning. What can be said about the cast except that we have three major talents at their vocal prime approaching their roles with all the intensity and panache one would expect from them? The analogue recording is simply beyond reproach, with the London Symphony under Lewis sounding both resplendent and refined. One could wish that most digital recordings were imbued with this kind of richness and texture. A must have for lovers of both French opera and verismo.

Verissmeaux.......2001-02-06

A little piece of French verissmo-- full of blood and guts: too full, really. This is one of the rare cases of an opera that needs to be longer. In one short act, the heroine crosses enemy lines to kill the leader of the invading army, comes back to a tenor who wrongly thinks she is stepping out on him, curses her while he is dying, at which point she does what any self-respecting operatic heroine does: goes insane.

One wonders how this powerhouse cast was assembled for such an off-the-beaten-track piece; better to just enjoy the fact that they did. No doubt the star-power of Horne is responsible for this, and she assumes the role with all the dramatic force you would expect. Besides breathing fire throughout, she gets to let out a highly theatrical crazed fit of laughter to signify going insane at the end. Domingo and Milnes offer superb support in spite of the fact that their roles are small (having them in these parts is like duck hunting with a nuclear warhead).

Massenet was full of Verdi when he wrote this- very dramatic and forceful. The three stars get a fantastic trio that is a real detatchable number and is full of Verdi's influence.

Tracks:

Black Is
Maybe
I've Got To Have You
I'll Always Leave The Door A Little Open
You're The One
Something to Live For
Chelsea Bridge
Singin' In The Rain
Willow Weep For Me
Stormy Weather

Customer Reviews:

Lena at her Best.......2007-06-10

This CD indicates to me that Lena Horne was singing better durning this period than at any time ithat I remember. This is magnificent.

SOULFUL PERFORMANCES FROM A LEGEND...BRAVO LENA!!!.......2006-05-16

Lena Horne continues to have a remarkable career and this classic release flows beautifully and is compiled from various ninties recording sessions and finds this grand and Legendary DIVA in glorious voice singing with lots of pathos and passion...opening with the haunting and exotic "Black Is" with its full and lush orchestration, Lena is hypnotic and simply brilliant and this is the Dom Perignon of singing! Billy Strayhorn's "Maybe" is given a loose and funky reading and the same with a live version of Kris Kristofferson's "I've Got To Have You" which Lena gets deep inside of...these are amazing performances and timeless classics. Lena teases and turns "I'll Always Leave The Door A Little Open" inside out with great skill and wisdom in another wonderous live performance while back in the studio another Billy Strayhorn great "You're The One" is a swinging jazzy cooker and the grand diva's rhythm and timing are flawless! Two legends meet in the mesmerizing and classic Billy Strayhorn "Something To Live For" which Lena turns into a solid masterpiece with a performance of tremendous depth of emotion making this beauty something special to experience...this great collection will hopefully be greeted by a well deserved "Grammy Award" which would be just due for this legendary singer!!!!! Lena and Billy Strayhorn were a match made in a musical fantasy and another delight "Chelsea Bridge" is a magical music trip through life that is rare and completely engrossing...throughtout this magnificent set of classic songs Lena sings deep and from the heart and hits amazing notes along the way with a voice that remains strong, rich and full bodied and is a remarkable vocal and performing study for American Idol wannabes...this is the real thing!!! A jazzy tour-de-force is Lena's "Singin'In The Rain" and never has this standard sounded quite like this...Wow Lena...this one is a stunner!!!
4AM and classic blues happen with a brilliant "Willow Weep For Me" and when you think that these amazing performances are from the mid to late nineties from a performer who has been doing it since the thirties this is incredible....that is seventy years of doing it really great in her own way and this classic original is genius!!!!
Closing is yet another masterful classic performance and this time of a longtime Lena masterpiece "Stormy Weather" and this is a deeply soulful performance that Lena gets inside of and turns inside out and it is a thrilling ride on a truly great and classic voice...Bravo Lena and thank you!!!!! Pull out a chilled Dom Perignon and lay back and put this one on and get ready for the vocal magical musical experience of a lifetime.

Classic Lena.......2006-01-27

Any one who is not able to appreciate artist in their latter years should avoid this CD. That being said Season of a Life is a necesarry part of my Lena Horne collection, though it won't be my favorite. Just having what could be her last recorded version of Stormy Weather is worth it. Those of you who think she has done that enough may not know that it is not always the artist decision. Most of the CD's with Stormy Weather on it are compilations which have the same 1936 version on it. Except for the original Stormy Weather album which came to CD in 2002, and the Lena Goes Latin CD. Anyway, I think the arrangements on Seasons of a Life and Lena's take on the songs are refreshing. If only she had done these songw with the same band in her late a few years before when her voice was better. However some of Rodney Jones' dates incorrect. Tracks 2,5&6 (Classic Ellington CD)were recorded in 1999 not 2000, but released in 2000. And tracks 3&4 were done in 1994 but release in 1995 for an Evening With Lena CD. Singing In the Rain was done in 1997, but released in 1998 for the Soundtrack. That makes me question when Stormy Weather and the other tracks were really recorded. Also everyone says that this album was done in 1999, but not released. I read in a BET magazine interview with Lena in fall of 1999 and she said she completed 3 songs as a tribute to Billy Strayhorn;(Classic Ellington CD) and a disk of Harold Arlen and Cole Porter. So Seasons of a Life is not that album. And if you go to the All About Jazz website and type in Rodney Jones then click on Soul Manefesto, you will discover a msg. board in 1999 which he clearly says that summer he was working on a new Lena Horne album with her in the studio and the 3 Billy Strayhorn songs. So maybe she was too ill to promote it in 2000 or she didn't sound so good and they decided not to release it. But again, this is not that album. I guess they thought no one in the public would remember back that far. Anyway, enjoy Seasons of a Life. Maybe one day the real recording from 1999 will be released.

Average customer rating:

A Beautiful and Exotic Opera

Roussel: Padmâvatî

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000PKG5EA
Release Date: 2007-06-19

Tracks:

Prelude: Lent
Le Sultan Des Mogols A Passe La Troisieme Porte
A, A!...Souverain D'un Peuple Florissant
War Dance
Dance Of the Slave-girls
Ce Sont Les Femmes Du Palais
Elle Mont Au Ciel Ou Reve Le Printemps
Aux Armes...Il Est Trop Tard

Tracks:

Prelude
Om! Siva...Siva, Laisse Ma Voix
Padmavati!
Ah!...O Mes Soeurs Fideles
Pantomime
Dance And Pantomime
Dans La Nuit Flamboyante, La Nuit Conduite Par La Mort

Customer Reviews:

A Beautiful and Exotic Opera.......2007-07-10

I first got to know this opera from the original LPs that were issued and, since I no longer have a turntable, I was hoping that Padmavati would be issued on CD. Albert Roussel visited India in 1909 and was enchanted with the country. During this journey, Roussel and his wife visited the palace of Padmavati, near the ruins of the town of Chittorgarh, and saw the cave where she committed suicide. Back in France, Roussel was asked by Jacques Rouche to suggest a new project following the success of Le Festin de l'araignee and so Padmavati came to be composed. The opera was completed in 1918 and premiered in 1923 with a lavish stage design. Roussel thought of Padmavati as an opera-ballet because of all of the dance sequences in its two short acts. A good portion of the opera is purely orchestral, most notably with the Warrior dance in the first act and Padmavati's pantomime in the second act.

The story of the opera, in brief, is set in 13th century India at the city of Chitoor. From here the noble and just Prince Ratan-Sen rules India; he is married to the beautiful Padmavati. The drama of the story centers on the Mogul ruler of Delhi, Alauddin, who is approaching Chitoor with his army. Alauddin is entertained by Ratan-Sen but the Mogul wishes to see the face of Padmavati and when he sees her, unveiled, he falls in love with her and demands that she be handed over to him. Ratan-Sen, naturally, refuses. A battle ensues and Ratan-Sen is wounded and dies; Alauddin is unrelenting in his desire for Padmavati but she ends her life by joining her husband on his funeral pyre.

The recording is beautifully cast with Marilyn Horne as Padmavati and Nicolai Gedda as Ratan-Sen; Jose Van Dam makes a suitably sinister Alauddin. The chorus - Orfeon Donostiarra - are marvelous in their demanding role and the Orchestre Capitole de Toulouse, conducted by Michel Plasson, play beautifully, bringing out the exotic shadings of the music. The booklet reproduces the original album cover with Marilyn Horne dressed as Padmavati and while there is no libretto (it is available at www.theoperaseries.com) but the synopsis is very detailed. The CDs are presented in a small box with each disc in a card sleeve. Padmavati is a must for fans of Roussel's music and early 20th century opera.

Lena Horne: The Lady And Her Music (Original Cast)

Average customer rating:

STUNNING
PERFECTION!
This is it: GET IT
A "Cast" of One is Just Enough
THE PINNACLE OF PERFECTION!

Lena Horne: The Lady And Her Music (Original Cast)
Lena Horne
Manufacturer: Qwest / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Evening with Lena Horne
Seasons of a Life
At the Waldorf Astoria / At the Sands
The Hornes: An American Family
The Fabulous Lena Horne: 22 Hits, 1936-1946, Including Stormy Weather

ASIN: B000002KMR
Release Date: 1995-10-17

Tracks:

Overture
Act I: From This Moment On
Act I: I Got A Name
Act I: I'm Glad There Is You
Act I: I Want To Be Happy
Act I: Cotton Club Review: Copper Colored Gal
Act I: Cotton Club Review: Raisin' The Rent
Act I: Cotton Club Review: As Long As I Live
Act I: Cotton Club Review: Lady With The Fan
Act I: Lena's Dialogue 'Cotton Club To Hollywood'
Act I: Where Or When (Hollywood Sequence)
Act I: Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
Act I: Lena's Dialogue 'Hollywood'
Act I: Just One Of Those Things
Act I: Stormy Weather (Part I)
Act I:: Love
Act I: Lena's Dialogue 'Broadway'
Act I: Push De Button
Act I: The Lady Is A Tramp
Act I: Yesterday, When I Was Young (Hier Encore)
Act I: Deed I Do
Act I: Life Goes On

Tracks:

Act II: Watch What Happens
Act II: The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
Act II: Fly
Act II: Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
Act II: A Lady Must Live
Act II: Lena's Dialogue 'Love This Business'
Act II: That's What Miracles Are All About
Act II: Lena's Dialogue 'Early Career'
Act II: I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
Act II: Stormy Weather (Part II)
Act II: If You Believe
Act II: Curtain Music, 'Stormy Weather,' bows

Customer Reviews:

STUNNING.......2006-11-13

There are no other words to describe this recording. Absolutely stunning. I saw the show when it was on Broadway and it remains one of the most thrilling experiences I have ever had in the theatre. This recording captures the experience perfectly. Let's all hope that the powers that be will eventually release a DVD of this show (it was captured live and distributed for a short while in the early 80's on video).

PERFECTION!.......2004-07-18

This magnificent one woman Broadway Show (over a year on B'way, 44 city tour - US & Canada & UK) is perfectly captured in this 2 CD set. Lena's voice had most all of it's luster at age 65 and her performance shows she was enjoying herself as much as the audience. Her best singing on records has always been Live and this CD is one of her very very best. She has commented many times that "Yesterday When I Was Young" is the most autobiographical song she ever sang. Another reviewer here missed the point when he wrote "Listen to track 20 and you will hear a story teller that over the decades has turned into a musican (with the help of her late husband Lennie Hayton)" Lena had several very important mentors, the most important was composer Billy Strayhorn. She was required to boost the importance of her husband in her musical development in the 1950s. Listen to the LYRICS of that song, look at the circumstances, do the math.

This is it: GET IT.......2003-12-05

Don't ask why, just buy it. It's one of her best, 5 stars is not enough!

A "Cast" of One is Just Enough.......2002-01-26

The Grammy-winning album from the legendary singer/actress/beauty is, by far, one of the best live performances ever. Miss Horne is in fine form, presenting a history lesson of her groundbreaking career. She sings her trademark songs, as well as those that illustrate highlights of the life led in entertainment. The musicians backing her never overshadow her voice; they complement each other superbly.

Y'wanna know a real DIVA! HORNE IS IT!

THE PINNACLE OF PERFECTION!.......2000-07-14

Lena Horne a beautiful class act lady who can sing! and she shows it on this compilation.

With her signature songs "Stormy Weather", and "The Lady & the Tramp" and my favorite "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered".

Lena as always never gives a dull performance and this CD with its 5 star production and 10 star (if I could give it I would) lady....Lena performs like a dynamo.

A great 2 CD compilation that doesn't miss a beat from beginning to end. A perfect buy for the collection, family or friend.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review