The Wonder of It All [CD-single]

The Wonder of It All [CD-single]

Track Listings

1. Wonder of It All [Radio Edit]

2. Wonder of It All [Remix Radio Edit]

3. Wonder of It All [Escape 2 Gomi Remix]

4. Wonder of It All [Mig 'N' Brett Club Mix]

5. Wonder of It All [Ivan Xsentrix Mix]

6. Wonder of It All [Offer Nissim Mix]

Tracks:

First Booke Of Songes: I. Unquiet Thoughts
First Booke Of Songes: II. Who Ever Thinks Or Hopes Of Love
First Booke Of Songes: III. My Thoughts Are Wing'd With Hopes
First Booke Of Songes: IV. If My Complaints Could Passions Move
First Booke Of Songes: V. Can She Excuse My Wrongs
First Booke Of Songes: VI. Now, O Now, I Needs Must Part
First Booke Of Songes: VII. Dear, If You Change
First Booke Of Songes: VIII. Burst Fourth My Tears
First Booke Of Songes: IX. Go Crystal Tears
First Booke Of Songes: X. Think'st Thou Then By Thy Feigning
First Booke Of Songes: XI. Come Away, Come Sweet Love
First Booke Of Songes: XII. Rest Awhile, You Cruel Cares
First Booke Of Songes: XIII. Sleep, Wayward Thoughts
First Booke Of Songes: XIV. All Ye, Whom Love Or Fortune Hath Betray'd
First Booke Of Songes: XV. Wilt Thou Unkind Thus Reave Me
First Booke Of Songes: XVI. Would My Conceit
First Booke Of Songes: XVII. Come Again: Sweet Love Doth Now Invite
First Booke Of Songes: XVIII. His Golden Locks
First Booke Of Songes: XIX. Awake, Sweet Love
First Booke Of Songes: XX. Come, Heavy Sleep
First Booke Of Songes: XXI. Away With These Self-Loving Lads

Tracks:

Second Booke Of Songs: I. I Saw My Lady Weep
Second Booke Of Songs: II. Flow My Tears
Second Booke Of Songs: III. Sorrow, Stay
Second Booke Of Songs: IV. Die Not Before Thy Day
Second Booke Of Songs: V. Mourn, Mourn, Day Is With Darkness Fled
Second Booke Of Songs: VI. Time's Eldest Son
Second Booke Of Songs: VII. Then Sit Thee Down
Second Booke Of Songs: VIII. When Others Sing Venite
Second Booke Of Songs: IX. Praise Blindness Eyes
Second Booke Of Songs: X. O Sweet Woods
Second Booke Of Songs: XI. If Floods Of Tears
Second Booke Of Songs: XII. Fine Knacks For Ladies
Second Booke Of Songs: XIII. Now Cease My Wand'ring Eyes
Second Booke Of Songs: XIV. Come Ye Heavy States Of Night
Second Booke Of Songs: XV. White As Lilies Was Her Face
Second Booke Of Songs: XVI. Woeful Heart
Second Booke Of Songs: XVII. A Shepherd In A Shade
Second Booke Of Songs: XVIII. Faction That Ever Dwells
Second Booke Of Songs: XIX. Shall I Sue
Second Booke Of Songs: XX. Toss Not My Soul
Second Booke Of Songs: XXI. Clear Or Cloudy
Second Booke Of Songs: XXII. Humour Say What Mak'st Thou Here

Tracks:

Third Booke Of Songs 1603: I. Farewell, Too Fair
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: II. Time Stands Still
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: III. Behold A Wonder Here
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: IV. Daphne Was Not So Chaste
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: V. Me, Me, And None But Me
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: VI. When Phoebus First Did Daphne Love
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: VII. Say, Love, If Ever Thou Didst Find
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: VIII. Flow Not So Fast, Ye Fountains
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: IX. What If I Never Speed?
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: X. Love Stood Amazed
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XI. Lend Your Ears To My Sorrow
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XII. By A Fountain Where I Lay
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XIII. O What Hath Overwrought
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XIV. Farewell, Unkind
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XV. Weep You No More, Sad Fountains
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XVI. Fie On This Feigning!
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XVII. I Must Complain
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XVIII. It Was A Time When Silly Bees
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XIX. The Lowest Trees Have Tops
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XX. What Poor Astronomers Are They
Third Booke Of Songs 1603: XXI. Come When I Call

Tracks:

A Pilgrimes Solace: I. Disdain Me Still
A Pilgrimes Solace: II. Sweet Stay Awhile
A Pilgrimes Solace: III. To Ask For All Thy Love
A Pilgrimes Solace: IV. Love, Those Beams That Breed
A Pilgrimes Solace: V. Shall I Strive Wih Words To Move?
A Pilgrimes Solace: VI. Were Every Thought An Eye
A Pilgrimes Solace: VII. Stay, Time, Awhile Thy Flying
A Pilgrimes Solace: VIII. Tell Me, True Love
A Pilgrimes Solace: IX. Go Nightly Cares
A Pilgrimes Solace: X. From Silent Night
A Pilgrimes Solace: XI. Lasso vita mia
A Pilgrimes Solace: XII. In This Trembling Shadow Cast
A Pilgrimes Solace: XIII. If That A Sinner's Sights
A Pilgrimes Solace: XIV. Thou Mighty God
A Pilgrimes Solace: XV. When David's Life
A Pilgrimes Solace: XVI. When The Poor Cripple

Tracks:

A Pilgrimes Solace: XVII. Where Sin Sore Wounding
A Pilgrimes Solace: XVIII. My Heart And Tongue Were Twins
A Pilgrimes Solace: XIX. Up Merry Mates
A Pilgrimes Solace: XX. Welcome Black Night
A Pilgrimes Solace: XXI. Cease, Cease These False Sports
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Lachrimae Pavane
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Can Shee
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Paduana
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: The Frogge
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Frog's Galliard
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Pavana And Galiarda
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Paduana Lachrymae
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Can She Excuse
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Pavion Solus cum sola
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Dowland's Almayne
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Piper's Paven And Galliard
Keyboard Transcriptions Of Dowland's Music By Other Musicians: Pavan Lachrymae

Tracks:

Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: I. The Lamentation Of A Sinner
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: II. Domine ne in furore
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: III. Miserere mei Deus
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: IV. The Humble Suit Of A Sinner
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: V. The Humble Complaint Of A Sinner
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: VI. De profundis
Mr. Henry Noell Lamentations: VII. Domine exaudi
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Antiquae
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Antiquae Novae
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Gementes
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Tristes
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Coactae
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Amantis
Lachrimae: Lachrimae Verae
Lachrimae: Mr. John Langton's Pavan
Lachrimae: Mr. Nicholas Gryffith His Galiard
Lachrimae: Sir John Souch His Galiard
Lachrimae: Semper Dowland Semper Dolens
Lachrimae: Mr. Giles Hobies Galiard
Lachrimae: The King Of Denmark's Galiard
Lachrimae: Sir Henry Umpton's Funerall
Lachrimae: Mr. Henry Noell His Galiard
Lachrimae: The Earl Of Essex Galiard
Lachrimae: Mr. Bucton His Galiard
Lachrimae: Mr. George Whitehead His Almand
Lachrimae: Captain Digorie Piper His Galiard
Lachrimae: Mr. Thomas Collier His Galiard
Lachrimae: Mrs. Nichols Almand

Tracks:

Sacred Songs: Sorrow, Come!
Sacred Songs: I Shame At Mine Unworthiness
Sacred Songs: An Heart That's Broken And Contrite
Psalms: Psalm 100: All People That On Earth Do Dwell
Psalms: Psalm 38: Put Me Not To Rebuke O Lord
Psalms: Psalm 130: Lord To Thee I Make My Moan
Psalms: Psalm 104: My Soul Praise The Lord
Psalms: Psalm 100: All People That On Earth Do Dwell
Psalms: Psalm 134: Behold And Have Regard
A Prayer For The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty
Instrumental Music: Solus cum sola pavan
Instrumental Music: Lachrimae
Instrumental Music: Galliard
Instrumental Music: Pipers Pavan
Instrumental Music: Lachrimae
Instrumental Music: Lady Rich Galliard
Instrumental Music: Earl Of Essex Galliard
Instrumental Music: If My Complaints
Instrumental Music: Lachrimae Doolande
Instrumental Music: Lord Willoughbie's Welcome Home
Instrumental Music: My Lord Chamberlaine His Galliard
Instrumental Music: Comagain
Instrumental Music: Pavan Lachrymae
Instrumental Music: Sorrow Stay

Tracks:

Lute Music: Preludium
Lute Music: Lachrimae
Lute Music: Can She Excuse
Lute Music: Dr. Case's Pavan
Lute Music: Melancholy Galliard
Lute Music: Sir John Smith, His Almain
Lute Music: Fantasia
Lute Music: A Dream
Lute Music: Almain
Lute Music: The Queen's Galliard
Lute Music: Coranto
Lute Music: Resolution
Lute Music: Mrs. Vaux Galliard
Lute Music: Almain
Lute Music: Mr. Dowland's MIdnight
Lute Music: Fantasia
Lute Music: Loth To Depart
Lute Music: The Most Sacred Queen Elizabeth, Her Galliard
Lute Music: The Earl Of Essex, His Galliard
Lute Music: Pavan
Lute Music: John Dowland's Galliard
Lute Music: Aloe
Lute Music: The Lady Clifton's Spirit
Lute Music: What If A Day
Lute Music: Mr. Giles Hobie's Galliard
Lute Music: Come Away (Song arrangement)
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)

Tracks:

Lute Music: Lachrimae (Basic Version)
Lute Music: Galliard To Lachrimae
Lute Music: [Jig]
Lute Music: Galliard On 'Wasingham'
Lute Music: Complaint (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Mignarda (Galliard)
Lute Music: Semper Dowland Semper Dolens (Pavan)
Lute Music: The Frog Galliard
Lute Music: A Fancy (Fantasia)
Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)
Lute Music: Piper's Pavan
Lute Music: Captain Digorie Piper's Galliard
Lute Music: Lady Laiton's Almain
Lute Music: Dowland's Galliard
Lute Music: Dowland's First Galliard
Lute Music: Tarleton's Jig
Lute Music: Walsingham (ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Lord Willoughbie's Welcome Home (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Sir Henry Guilforde, His Almain
Lute Music: Pavan (Related To 'Lachrimae')
Lute Music: Mr. Langton's Galliard
Lute Music: Mrs. Clifton's Almain
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Lady Hunsdon's Puffe (Almain)
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Go From My Window (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)

Tracks:

Lute Music: Pavana Johan Douland
Lute Music: Mrs. Brigide Fleetwood's Pavan (Solus sine sola)
Lute Music: La mia Barbara
Lute Music: Sir Henry Umpton's Funeral (Pavan)
Lute Music: Lachrimae
Lute Music: Farewell Fancy (Chromatic Fantasia)
Lute Music: Farewell (On The 'In Nomine' Theme)
Lute Music: The King of Denmark's Galliard
Lute Music: Mrs. Vaux's Jig
Lute Music: Mrs. Nichol's Almain
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Lord Strang's March
Lute Music: Mrs. Winter's Jump
Lute Music: Can She Excuse (Galliard)
Lute Music: The Shoemaker's Wife, A Toy
Lute Music: Mrs. Norrish's Delight
Lute Music: Galliard
Lute Music: Mrs. White's Thing (Almain)
Lute Music: Mrs. White's Nothing
Lute Music: The Frog Galliard
Lute Music: Solus cum sola
Lute Music: The Lord Viscount Lisle, His Galliard
Lute Music: Orlando Sleepeth (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Robin (Ballad Setting)
Lute Music: Galliard (On A Galliard By Daniel Bacheler)
Lute Music: Forlorn Hope Fancy (Chromatic Fantasia)

Tracks:

Lute Music: The Lady Russell's Pavan
Lute Music: Fancy (Fantasia)
Lute Music: Sir John Langton's Pavan
Lute Music: Earl Of Derby, His Galliard
Lute Music: A Coy Toy
Lute Music: Fortune My Foe
Lute Music: [Almain]
Lute Music: Mr. Knight's Galliard
Lute Music: Sir John Souch His Galliard
Lute Music: Tarletone's Riserrectione
Lute Music: The Lady Rich, Her Galliard
Consort Music: Lachrimae Pavan
Consort Music: Can She Excuse Galliard
Consort Music: Captain Piper's Pavan And Galliard
Consort Music: The Frog Galliard
Consort Music: Round Battell Galliard
Consort Music: Fortune My Foe
Consort Music: Dowland's First Galliard
Consort Music: Katherine Darcie's Galliard
Consort Music: Tarleton's Jigge
Consort Music: Almain a 2
Consort Music: Mistress Nichols Almain a 2
Fullsack And Hildebrandt: Auserlesener Paduanen und Galliarden: Susanna Fair (Galliard)
Haussmann: Rest von polnischen und andern Tanzen: Mistress Nichols Alman a 5
Opusculum: Mr. John Langton Pavan And Galliard
Opusculum: La mia Barbara Pavan and Galliard
Opusculum: Lachrimae Antiquae Novae Pavan and Galliard

Tracks:

Consort Music: Mistress NIchols Almain
Consort Music: Volta a 4 ('Ioh. Douland')
Consort Music: Were Every Thought an Eye
Consort Music: Lady If You So Spite Me
Consort Music: Pavan a 4
A Musicall Banquet: I. My Heavy Sprite (Anthony Holborne)
A Musicall Banquet: II. Change Thy Mind Since She Doth Change (Richard Martin)
A Musicall Banquet: III. O Eyes, Leave Off Your Weeping (Robert Hales)
A Musicall Banquet: IV. Go, My Flock, Go Get You Hence (Anon.)
A Musicall Banquet: V. O Dear Life, When Shall It Be? (Anon.)
A Musicall Banquet: VI. To Plead My Faith (Daniel Bacheler)
A Musicall Banquet: VII. In A Grove Most Rich Of Shade (Guillaume Tessier)
A Musicall Banquet: VIII. Far From Triumphing Court
A Musicall Banquet: IX. Lady, If You So Spite Me
A Musicall Banquet: X. In Darkness Let Me Dwell
A Musicall Banquet: XI. Si le parler et le silence (Pierre Guedron)
A Musicall Banquet: XII. Ce penser qui sans fin tirannise ma vie (Pierre Guedron)
A Musicall Banquet: XIII. Vous que le Bonheur rappelle (Pierre Guedron)
A Musicall Banquet: XIV. Passava Amor su arco desarmado (Anon. Spanish)
A Musicall Banquet: XV. Sta notte mi sognava (Anon. Italian)
A Musicall Banquet: XVI. Vuestros ojos tienen d'Amor (Anon. Spanish)
A Musicall Banquet: XVII. Se di farmi morire (Domenico Maria Megli)
A Musicall Banquet: XVIII. Dovro dunque morire? (Giulio Caccini)
A Musicall Banquet: XIX. Amarilli mia bella (Giulio Caccini)
A Musicall Banquet: XX. O bella piu (Anon, Italian)

Customer Reviews:

A musical treasure-box.......2006-09-10

Both the music and this actual product are masterpieces. John Dowland's collected works here - covering 12 compact discs - exhibit the depth and power of this composer, a composer who many now regard as suffering from clinical depression. I doubt that the issue of the diagnosis of Dowland's depression can ever be settled, however, it is certainly obvious from his music, so completely on display here, that he was a man with very dark depths and corners in his mind. Dowland's various manifestations and "takes" on his own tune, "Flow my tears"/"Lachrimae" are here. This tune has haunted me ever since I first heard it when I was a child. It seems to sum up Dowland's feelings - at least Dowland seems to have thought so.

The First, Second, Third and Fourth Bookes of Songes, A Musicall Banquet, the keyboard transcriptions, all the lute music, consort music are here and virtually everything else written or supposedly written by John Dowland. Anthony Rooley and The Consort of Musicke perform this music with style and feeling throughout. This 12 CD set is something of a monument to the ensemble - I only wish they'd finished their collection of Monteverdi madrigals, which was equally good (La Venexiana are currently doing a magnificent job of recording all Monteverdi's books of madrigals for the GLOSSA label).

This is an expensive set, however, you will probably never need to buy another John Dowland CD again after buying and listening to this collection.

I bought this CD set on a mild Summer evening of 1998 and listened to it while sitting in my sun room - which a glorious orange sunset in progress, and a glass of wine. It brought back so many memories.

a beautiful journey into melancholy.......2001-06-15

I'm amazed at how many people tend to associate John Dowland's music with a tragic sense of drama. While no doubt this is art highly based on sadness, the "tragic" sense of it is more a legacy from the Romantic period. During the Renaissance, however, sadness was undestood as a very aesthetic way of approaching life. That is also the reason why Shakespeare's tragedies appear more sophisticated than his comedies.

Tracks:

Let It Rain
Stop
How Do I Live Without You
I Hate You Then I Love You
Higher Ground
'O Surdato 'Nnammurato
Se Bastasse Una Canzone
Betcha Never
Viva Forever
Va, Pensiero
Napule e'
Une Place Pour Moi
Non Ti Scordar Di Me
Tonight
Dreams
Adeste Fideles
Peace Wanted Just To Be Free

Amazon.com

Is music for a good cause a good cause for music? Not really, if you expect artistry. But this smorgasbord of popular international musical stars brings together extreme musical genres for an excellent purpose, and is enjoyable enough for almost anyone. Pavarotti's relaxed and buoyant leadership and still gorgeous tenor add beauty to the rock/pop selections. Trisha Yearwood, Celine Dion, and Stevie Wonder impressively hold their own against Opera Spice; but the other artists pale against the master's presence. The Spice Girls will never be confused with Anonymous 4; Zucchero's growling is scary; Florent Pagny exemplifies French rock; and Pino Daniele's breathy tenor is mellow and soothing. Best for those wanting to experience Pavarotti's vocal beauty in a more popular idiom. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

A Superb Collection of Music.......2002-11-14

As a musician, I first ran into this disk as a PBS broadcast. What caught my ear was that every song in the concert has "the groove." Other than a children's choral cut, not a single song in the entire collection has a flaw. You'd think the Spice Girls would be a silly addition to the concert, but they do a tremendous job. Each artist appears twice, usually with Pavaotti in one of their songs, sometimes twice. Vanessa Williams is Hot! and does an incredible dance number. The engineering is excellent, with solid side-to-side separation for a really "big" sound. All in all, this is one of the favorite CDs in my music library.

This is a delightful combination of music talents to enjoy!.......1999-04-01

We first saw Pavarotti and Friends on Public Television as a fundraising event. We found the CD and especially love to listen to this CD in our car which has a great sound system. Each vocalist is so special and you will be singing along with them after a couple of plays!

This will tenderize your heart........1999-03-07

Brilliant talent for needy children, that touches the soul, and sets it on fire. Your tears will soak your socks. James

Phenomenal !! A must have for any music library........1998-12-29

A most wonderful gathering of some of the world's greatest vocalists. Such a unique blend of international Modern & Classical. If one were to put to test the ability of a vocalist to adapt to a variety of melodies, this is it. Grab your lover and take a trip in their arms with this CD!!

Outstanding Music, bringing Pavarotti to new heights........1998-12-06

Easily the best in the Pavarotti & Friends series. Always an artist on the cutting edge, with this album, Pavarotti's work will have great appeal to his fans and to scores of new enthusiasts. His duets with the Spice Girls, Vanessa Williams, Zucchero, and Stevie Wonder make it obvious that his voice has adaptability and a passion that takes it into many musical genres with ease. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Sting once commented that great music occurs in the "synaptic gaps" where many different styles come together - this is an album that epitomizes the concept. Neopolitan music is a folk music in Italy, with overtones of American folk/country/jazz/rock, and Pavarotti is the Neopolitan master. This is a perfect fit of artists and selected titles. Earlier combinations of artists in this series were often much too somber, much less fun. Give this one to your teens or your great grandmother ... they'll find they have more musical tastes in common than they'd have ever imagined.

A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle

Average customer rating:

A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle
One of the most beautiful Christmas albums
A Christmas Collection For The Ages
Kathleen Battle, My Madam Christmas
Pure Joy

A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle
Kathleen Battle , traditional/various , Leonard Slatkin , and Orchestra of St. Luke's with New York Choral Artists & Harlem Boys' Choir
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Battle, Kathleen | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert
Angels' Glory
Jessye Norman - Christmastide
The Best of Kathleen Battle
Kathleen Battle at Carnegie Hall

ASIN: B000002ROL
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

O Come All Ye Faithful
O Holy Night
Bring A Torch, Jeannette Isabelle
Fum, Fum, Fum!
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
Ave Maria
Gesu Bambino
Medley: I Saw Three Ships; The First Nowell; The Holly And The Ivy
Away In A Manger
Silent Night
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Mary's Cradle Song
Zither Carol
I Wonder As I Wander
Mary Had A Baby
Rise Up, Shepherd
What Child Is This?
Ave Maria
Finale and Reprise: Veni, Veni, Emmanuel; It Came Upon A Midnight Clear; O Little Town Of Bethlehem; Silent Night; O Come All Ye Faithful

Customer Reviews:

A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle.......2007-01-19

what can i say about the best of the best? As always, Miss Battle makes me wonder how anyone else would dare to sing this music after her rendition. A beautiful CD

One of the most beautiful Christmas albums .......2005-11-22

I love Kathleen Battle's voice, and to get such a great collection of beautiful sacred music, it was like a dream come true. She sings many traditional carols like Holy Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night, which is possibly my favorite here, you may think you have heard this song so many times, but Kathleen's voice really shines in it. Her English diction is so incredible, you can understand every word, which is not something many opera singers can achieve. Her singing is always so natural and lovely. Many other songs are oustanding on this album, I love the two version of Ave Maria and the Italian song Gesu Bambino. If you are looking for a really beautiful collection of Christmas music, this album is a great choice.

A Christmas Collection For The Ages.......2005-11-13

If there is one performer I miss hearing on a regular basis, it is Kathleen Battle. Anytime I knew that she'd be in a Metropolitan Opera radio broadcast, I knew it would be a performance to remember and more often than not, I was correct. She has a light voice that reaches the upper reregisters with ease and has as a gorgeous sound. She not a regular at many opera houses these days, and in likelihood, if she still did perform on the world's opera stages, we'd be hearing critics say her voice was not what it once was, but thanks to her recorded legacy, her voice will, always have that youthful, energetic sound.

Overall I believe that Ms. Battle performs better in complete opera recordings than recital albums, but most of her recital recordings are of at least good quality and this Christmas collection is outstanding. She handles all of the works with apparent similar ease, but since the recording is so varied, this is a compliment to her skill as a performer. She begins and ends with "O Come All Ye Faithful" where she does a few vocal acrobatics but it's never overdone. Each time I think of what the bets part of the collection is, my mind changes. She brings her skills from the operatic stage in her renditions of "O Holy Night," "Gesu Bambino" (only Pavarotti sings this better, but it's a very close second), and "The Zither Carol" which sounds so much like something that could come from the mouths of Oscar from UN BALLO or Zurbinetta from ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, two of her signature roles. The music from the African American Spirituals tradition and American background are well done and the accompaniment of the Harlem Boys Choir, used to great advantage here adds so much.

With so many Christmas collections from the world of opera available, choosing one can be difficult, but this is one collection that has proven to be a joy for almost fifteen years and will continue to give holiday pleasure for years to come.

Kathleen Battle, My Madam Christmas.......2004-12-28

I probably have 50 Christmas albums. I love many of them. This is my favorite. Leaves me astounded and breathless every time I enjoy it.

Pure Joy.......2003-12-07

In a world where disturbing things are all too common, Christian scripture guides us to dwell on that which is lovely. Kathleen Battle's blessed voice is most certainly one of those lovely things.

I bought this CD in the early 1990's, and I am here to buy it again because I have worn out the original with scratches, etc. I only listen to it during the Christmas season, but I enjoy it enough to hear it all year.

The 'Christmas Celebration' CD should be enough to convince you to also purchase Kathleen's 'A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert'. Ms. Battle's wonderful soprano voice is joined by that of the mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, and the blending is more than memorable. There are a couple of songs which are on both CD's, but you'll want to hear both. In fact, the video of the PBS special is also available, and I recommend buying all three. You won't regret it.

Some of my favorite selections from 'Christmas Celebration' include 'Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabelle' and 'Fum, Fum, Fum', both of which are from a culture different from my own. I found such glimpses into unfamiliar favorites to enhance my own enjoyment of the Christmas season, as long as all of my traditional American favorites were included. They were. "I Wonder As I Wander" and "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful" are there among the other favorites.

Tracks:

Be My Love
I'll Never Love You
Because You're Mine
The Song Angels Sing
Drink, Drink, Drink
Serenade
The Loveliest Night of the Year
La Donna E Mobile
Because
For You Alone
Golden Days
Deep In My Heart, Dear
If I Loved You
Yours Is My Heart Alone
One Night Of Love
Beloved
Beautiful Love
With A Song In My Heart
You Are My Love
Call Me Fool

Tracks:

All The Things You Are
My Song,My Love
Love Is The Sweetest Thing
Will You Remember
Granada
Lolita
Serenade
Temptation
Lygia
Lady of Spain
This Land
Lee-Ah-Loo
Tina-Lina
Boom Biddy Boom Boom
The Bayou Lullaby
The Lord's Prayer
And Here You Are
Song of Songs
Somewhere A Voice Is Calling
I Never Knew

Tracks:

Ciribiribin
Wonder Why
Come Dance With Me
O Sole Mio
Younger Than Springtime
For the First Time (Come Prima)
Never Till Now
Arrivederci, Roma
If You Were Mine
Behold!
A Night to Remember
Love in a Home
Do You Wonder
Softly as in a Morning Sunrise
One Alone
Aida:Celeste Aida
Carmen: Flower Song
La Traviata: Brindisi
Rigoletto:Questa O Quella
Pagliacci:Vesti La Giubba
Cavalleria Rusticana: Addio Alla Madre

Customer Reviews:

Selections from the Greatest Voice of the Last Hundred Years.......2007-03-13

Mario Lanza was, arguably, the greatest tenor and greatest singer of this and the last century. It is difficult to appreciate him without listening to a variety of selections. This collection has some of his best recordings and exhibits the versatility and variety that he possessed that permitted him to "crossover" from opera to popular music with a ease.

I recommend this for those who already know Lanza to some extent but want to go into more depth and understand his marvelous skills.

A Must Have .......2006-12-12

I had forgotten what a beautiful voice Mario Lanza had. This collection contains opera and pop selections that exhibit the power yet sweetness of his voice. Fortunately, we have his CD's and videos so we can remember and listen to his gorgeous, vibrant voice and personality. I highly recommend this collection along with his wonderful movies, especially The Great Caruso.

The Mario Lanza Collection.......2006-11-10

I had forgotten just how beautiful a voice from the past was. It is a wonderful collection

The MARIO LANZA Collection.......2006-08-19

extract from most important LPs. Brilliant sound quality from RCA. Also included are soundtrack recordings from some of his movies. The are several reissues from Mario Lanza but this one is a collection you should have.

WONDERFUL!!!!!.......2005-10-19

The Mario Lanza Collection is a three CD set and it has 61 songs and they all sound great. The mastering on this set is excellent and the song choice is very very good. It would have been perfect if they added a forth CD with more Arias, Italian songs and Sacred Arias. BUT still this set is a great introduction to Lanza. Lanza's voice was powerful and beautiful; if you are a fan of great singing, you will love Lanza. Highlights on this CD set are; Be my Love, Because your Mine, Serenade, With a Song in My Heart, Temptation, The Lord's Prayer, Ciribirbin, O Solo Mio, Ariverducci Roma, and on and on. They are many many great songs on this set, and I highly recommend it.

Average customer rating:

Mixed feelings
Your love for this superb collection will be here to stay...
He's done it again
Absolutely 'S WONDERFUL!
A beautiful 2 disc CD-another hit for Michael

The Michael Feinstein Anthology

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

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Romance on Film/Romance on Broadway
Hopeless Romantics
Isn't It Romantic
Nice Work If You Can Get It: Songs by the Gershwins
Michael & George (Feinstein Sings Gershwin)

ASIN: B000065DVH
Release Date: 2002-05-21

Tracks:

Nice Work If You Can Get It
Isn't It Romantic
Swinging On A Star
Ask Me Again
Rhode Island Is Famous For You
'S Wonderful
Wonder Why
Too Marvelous For Words
Where Do You Start
Theme From The Bad And The Beautiful
Easy To Love
Alexander's Ragtime Band
Who Are You Now?
You're An Education
You Are There
Sophisticated Swing
Love Can Change The Stars
Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are
Half Of April (Most Of May)
Marianne
They Can't Take That Away From Me
I Love A Piano

Tracks:

That's Entertainment
My Favorite Year
Ten Feet Off The Ground (With Rosemary Clooney)
I Never Felt Better
Someone To Watch Over Me
Kiss Her Now
The Ugly Bug Ball
For You, For Me, Forever More
The Mole People
And So To Bed
You're All The World To Me
Old Friend
Isn't It A Pity (with Rosemary Clooney)
Pattisserie
Open Your Eyes
For Love Alone
I Won't Send Roses/Time Heals Everything
Get Out And Get Under The Moon (with Page Cavanaugh)
My Romance
Love Is Here To Stay
Violin (with Liza Minnelli)

Amazon.com

The line between evangelist and entertainer has always been somewhat indistinct. But as showcased on this 43-track, double-disc collection culled from his '87-'96 recordings for Elektra/Nonesuch/Atlantic, Michael Feinstein's dedication to spreading the gospel of the American song often blurs it beyond recognition. While the singer's pedigree for the task is impeccable (a long-term stint as Ira Gershwin's assistant and early career sponsorship by Liza Minnelli), his interpretations often succeed by playing off a tense axis of fervent emotionalism and a joyous sense of irreverence.

If his readings of romantic standards can sometimes tend toward the precious, they're often balanced here by sheer dramatic power and telling insights ("Isn't It Romantic" fairly bristles with ironic chauvinism) and a few loopy curves ("The Mole People," the Sherman Brothers' "The Ugly Bug Ball," and the previously unreleased "Rhode Island Is Famous for You"). Feinstein's dedicated song archaeology is also showcased on several gems: "Violin," a duet with Liza Minnelli; "My Favorite Year," a rejected ballad for the film of that name; the sublime "lost" Gershwin classic "Ask Me Again."

Sprinkled with live performances (the forum where Feinstein's talents seem most energized) and studio outtakes and featuring a lengthy print interview with the singer, the set chronicles both the pioneering efforts of one of pop music's most successful revivalists and, crucially, the cream of his beloved American songwriters, from stalwarts Gershwin, Berlin, and Porter to later legends like Herman, Styne, Lane, Martin, and Mercer. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

The definitive collection of performances by the Grammy nominated singer features 43 tracks from 14 albums released by Elektra, Elektra Nonesuch, and Atlantic labels from 1987-1996. Plus 8 previously unreleased live tracks only available here 'Rhode Island is Famous For You', 'S Wonderful', 'Alexander's Ragtime Band', 'I Love A Piano', 'Patisserie', 'Get Out And Get Under The Moon' (with Page Cavanaugh), 'Love Is Here To Stay' & 'Violin' (with Liza Minnelli). 2 Digipacks housed in a slipcase with a booklet. Rhino Records. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

Mixed feelings.......2005-10-05

This album has some GREAT songs on it; sophisticated swing being one of my favorites. However many of the other songs are too operatic and lame. I give three stars but this album is definatly worth it just for some of the better songs.

Your love for this superb collection will be here to stay..........2002-07-18

The magnificently talented Michael Feinstein has made one wonderful album after another for nearly two decades. Now that Elektra and Rhino have put together this anthology, I am blown away by the versatility and diversity in Feinstein's recorded output. Such amazing rare gems, combined with the most beloved favorites in the history of American Popular Song. Assembled with wit, intelligence, and obvious affection on the part of the record company, this set is a keeper. You'll love it!

He's done it again.......2002-07-15

Is there anything this man can't sing? This collection is so varied as to be the definitive collection of songs for any occassion.

This is perfect background music for a dinner party for a whole group but especially for two. Light, romantic and just gorgeous. You just can't go wrong when Michael Feinstein is your musical choice.

Way to go Michael, you've done it again!

Absolutely 'S WONDERFUL!.......2002-06-10

There are very few contemporary performers who can hold their own with the truly great interpreters of American popular song. Michael Feinstein is truly the ONLY performer of the "younger" generation who really understands what these songs are all about. His incredible knowledge of this music, and his enthusiasm and passion for it have fueled his career. Rhino Records has done a truly outstanding job of putting together an anthology that exemplifies why Mr. Feinstein has become so beloved by audiences around the world. The packaging is excellent, and filled with interesting photos and background information about many of the selections.

This collection not only contains all the favorites one would expect, but a neat group of surprises too. I especially love the duets with people like Liza Minnelli and Rosemary Clooney, and the various collaborative efforts with songwriters like Jule Styne and Burton Lane accompanying Michael at the piano.

This collection is a classic to be treasured. Bravo Michael!
Bravo Rhino!

A beautiful 2 disc CD-another hit for Michael.......2002-06-09

I have every CD Michael has ever made and this is by far one of the best ones because of Michael's range in singing and his wonderful singing voice. I love his duets with Rosemary Clooney and Liza Minelli. He is a wonderful performer on this double CD and am looking foward to the next CD.

Average customer rating:

Lerner & Loewe Songbook
Wouldn't it be lovely?
A Successful Sequel
Delightful Listening

Lerner & Loewe Songbook for Orchestra
Frederick Loewe , and Erich Kunzel
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Rodgers & Hammerstein: Songbook for Orchestra (Orchestral Suites)
Rodgers & Hammerstein - The Complete Overtures ~ Opening Night / Hollywood Bowl Orchestra · Mauceri
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Classics of the Silver Screen
Beautiful Hollywood

ASIN: B000003D0E
Release Date: 1994-01-25

Tracks:

I Wonder What The King Is Doing Tonight - The March To Welcome Guenevere - Et Al.
Wouldn't It Be Loverly - With A Little Bit Of Luck - Et Al.
The Night They Invented Champagne - Waltz At Maxim's - Et Al.
They Call The Wind Mariah - I Still See Elisa - Et Al.
Sword Dance - Down On MacConnachy Square - Et Al.

Customer Reviews:

Lerner & Loewe Songbook.......2006-02-24

If you like Percy Faith's music, you'll like this one. He quit recording and died much too young. But while he lived, he recorded some great music.

Wouldn't it be lovely?.......2005-09-26

This CD represents some of the best of Broadway done in a great pops style. There are five orchestral suites, one each for the following: 'Camelot', 'My Fair Lady', 'Gigi', 'Paint Your Wagon', and 'Bridgadoon'. They are all arranged for orchestra by Robert Russell Bennett, save that for 'Paint Your Wagon', which was arranged by Cincinnati Pops Orchestra director Erich Kunzel.

The works of Lerner and Loewe were a mainstay of Broadway for decades in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, but it was during the late 50s and early 60s that their true glory days took hold. The presidential term of John F. Kennedy gained the nickname 'Camelot' in part because of the influence of the Lerner and Loewe production going on at the start. The songs contained in these suites are instantly recognisable by many, as the Lerner and Loewe songs have become so well known that many know the songs better than the musicals or the composers from which they come. 'I Could Have Danced All Night' and 'Wouldn't It Be Lovely' come from 'My Fair Lady', 'Thank Heaven for Little Girls' from 'Gigi' - these are but the most of famous of the familiar tunes.

There are a lot of pieces here that the listener will appreciate, both in remembering old pieces or in learning new nuances to the tunes.

This particular disc by Telarc has a feature called 'Spatializer', which gives a three-dimensional quality to the sterophonic sound, enhancing regular players and working well with surround-sound systems, too. The Cincinnati Pops are expert at this kind of music, having produced dozens of CDs of popular music and modern composers of musicals, film music, and pops-oriented major compositions.

This is a fun disc to have.

A Successful Sequel.......2005-08-03

This CD is a follow-up to the Rodgers & Hammerstein Songbook for Orchestra (1991) from the same team. It is a thoroughly successful sequel: I believe anyone who enjoyed the R&H will enjoy this one as well. If I am very slightly less enthusiastic about this one than the R&H, it's not because of any shortcoming of Kunzel, the Cincinnati Pops, or Telarc, all of whom are at the top of their form. Rather it's because Frederick Loewe, for all his undoubted expertise, is not quite in the same class as a composer with Richard Rodgers. But that's asking a lot, since Rodgers was the American musical theater's leading light. Lerner & Loewe's musicals were second only to R&H's during the golden age of the American musical, and their My Fair Lady is by any standard one of the best musicals ever staged. If Loewe did not create as many unforgettable numbers as Rodgers, he nevertheless wrote many delightful songs and much enjoyable music. This CD features five orchestral suites, ranging in length from 9 to 18 minutes (total playing time 68:06), from Brigadoon (1947), Paint Your Wagon (1951), My Fair Lady (1956), Gigi (film 1958; staged 1973), and Camelot (1960). The arrangements (all but one by Robert Russell Bennett) are expert. The performances are masterly (if perhaps lacking in just a tad of the infectious brio that the same team brought to R&H). And Telarc's robust sound (recorded 1993) would be hard to improve on. Warmly recommended.

Delightful Listening.......1998-12-05

Some of the nicest and nearly forgotten music (Paint your Wagon & Brigadoon) is nicely compiled here. It will make you want to listen to the full soundtracks again, but for a quick tour of Lerner & Lowe, it is very nice.

A Festival Of Carols / Robert Shaw Chorale

Average customer rating:

Traditional Christmas Music
The quintessential Christmas recording
A Top List Christmas CD
The best
How do you describe perfection?

A Festival Of Carols / Robert Shaw Chorale
Robert Shaw Chorale
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Songs of Angels - Christmas Hymns and Carols
The Many Moods of Christmas (1963 RCA Victor Version) Robert Shaw Chorale and Orchestra
Joy to the World - Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra
A Robert Shaw Christmas - Angels on High
A Festival of Carols in Brass

ASIN: B000003EPA
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Medley: Good Christian Men - Rejoice - Silent Night - Patapan - O Come - All Ye Faithful
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Shepherd's Carol
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
Medley: O Sanctissima - Joy To The World - Away In A Manger - Fum, Fum, Fum - March Of The Kings
I Wonder As I Wander
We Three Kings
My Dancing Day
Medley: What Child Is This? - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Bring A Torch - Jeanette - Isabella - Angels We Have Heard On High
Coventry Carol
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
Carol Of The Bells
Medley: Break Forth - O Beauteous Heavenly Light - The First Nowell - O Little Town Of Bethlehem - I Saw Three Ships - Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly

Customer Reviews:

Traditional Christmas Music .......2007-01-24

If you love traditional Christmas music, done in traditional style (i.e., no rock or jazz influence), this CD is for you. The Robert Shaw Chorale, the "gold standard" of quality choral music, sings much loved carols, with some lesser-known pieces as well. Some are a cappella; some include a full orchestral accompaniment. My favorites on this CD are "We Three Kings," "Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella," and "I Saw Three Ships."

The quintessential Christmas recording.......2005-12-09

This recording seems to elicit universal and heartfelt praise. Who am I to dispute that? The performance is terrific, just as described by the other Amazon reviewers, no doubt about it.

However, I do have one bone to pick with this recording. There just isn't enough of it. With material as good as this, that is a real loss!

A Top List Christmas CD.......2004-12-28

I bought this cd long ago, and have enjoyed it immensely each year. It is the perfect blend of celebration and meditation. Orchestra and choir combine in four distinct groupings, and a capella arrangements complete the masterful collection. The orchestral arrangements will make the hairs on your neck stand up, and your stomach quiver with all the excitement you ever felt as a child at Christmas. Adeste Fidelis is performed as few other ensembles have ever come close. The a capella arrangements will all, without exception, be on your yearly list of must-hear holiday arrangements. Truly a top list Christmas CD, essential for every family who celebrates this feast.

The best.......2004-01-02

I own approximately 35 Christmas choral CDs - including choirs and groups such as the Cambridge Singers and the King Singers. I also own two Christmas albums with Robert Shaw and the Atlantic symphony. This performance with the Robert Shaw Chorale is old but it is still my favorite. The arrangements are magnificent, the sound is brilliant, and the choir and orchestra are precise with wonderful volume control. Buy and enjoy!

How do you describe perfection?.......2003-12-14

This is my favorite Christmas CD. Nothing comes close. I thoroughly enjoyed learning much of the music in high school choir over 30 years ago. The music has never left me. The four medleys are the arrangements of Robert Russell Bennett titled "The Many Moods of Christmas". The arrangements seem to have a freshness about them even after listening numerous times.

Interspersed with the medleys are a cappella carols.

All of this music is wonderfully performed by the Robert Shaw Chorale, the a cappella selections recorded in 1957 and the medleys in 1963.

Four decades have proven that this is the standard in choral music. The clarity of text, the richness of tone, the beauty of harmony combine to present the message of Christmas in the manner that only music can do.

Tracks:

No Wonder
Baby Plays Around
Go Leave
Rope
Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
Broken Bicycles / Junk
The Other Woman
Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
Green Song
April After All
You Still Believe In Me
I Want To Vanish
For No One
Shamed Into Love
Just A Curio
This House Is Empty Now
Take It With Me
For The Stars

Amazon.com

At a time when popular music has been micro-marketed to the far side of ad nauseam, Declan MacManus, a.k.a. Elvis Costello, has traded on his reputation as the brightest songwriter to emerge from the new wave era to foster any number of delightful, cross-genre/generation musical surprises, including soundtracks and collaborations with the Brodsky Quartet, Paul McCartney, jazz artist Roy Nathanson, and songwriting legend Burt Bacharach. The latest fruit of that generous, insatiably curious artistic spirit is this elegant partnership with Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne-Sofie von Otter. Though an admitted pop novice, Otter couldn't have picked a better confederate than Costello, an artist whose taste in songs has seldom been tainted by trend.

Together, they weave material from disparate sources--including a slate of compelling Costello material, a pair of Brian Wilson's evocative "Pet Sounds" confessionals, a Tom Waits song from Francis Ford Coppola's One from the Heart (oddly, though effectively, coupled in medley with McCartney's "Junk"), an Abba song, and the Beatles' "For No One"--into a musical tapestry of stately power and grace. Costello sparingly uses his voice as seasoning throughout, though his masterful touch is everywhere. Otter's novice pop singing reveals an easy knack for jazz phrasing that should tempt further explorations and a warmth that belies the rigidity that's so often a byproduct of classical training. Most gratifying of all, this album ultimately achieves what's become one of the loftiest plateaus in Pop music: common ground. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Loved this CD .......2006-06-13

Who would pair Costello and an opera singer?? Elvis, and somehow it works. I really love the tone and moodiness of it and lyrics that talk about love and life, failure and success. It's soulful, in a contemplative way, music for those tucked away, rainy days .

I LOVE this CD!.......2005-09-01

Finally, an opera singer who knows how to channel her Classical training into a sound that is, as one critic aptly described it, "what pop singers would sound like if they could actually sing"! Although Elvis Costello does not join Ms. von Otter very often in the vocals, when he does they harmonize beautifully. With great melodies (some beautiful, some catchy) and sensitive (but not sappy) lyrics, this album makes a fine addition to any CD collection.

Costello Partners with Hubris and Yields Variable Results.......2005-05-08

Having just heard Elvis Costello's masterful collaboration with Burt Bacharach, "Painted from Memory", for the first time this past month, I had high hopes for this equally unusual partnership with mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter released in 2001. This time, however, Costello acts as arranger and producer, and it is von Otter who is front and center on vocals. She is among the most revered of singers on the opera and recital stages, and she has impressed me in the past, in particular, with her Dejanira in the 2002 Marc Minkowski-led performance of Handel's "Hercules", among many other roles she has embodied. Here she is called upon to be a pop chanteuse, and while the beauty of her voice is inarguable in any setting, her ability to interpret the diverse lyrics in these songs is far more debatable. This is where a Marianne Faithfull, a Blossom Dearie or even a Joni Mitchell could capture more of the underlying feeling with a fraction of the vocal power von Otter can provide but with twice the nuance. There is a rather sterile sameness to the performances here, somewhat jazz-inflected in a cocktail lounge manner at times and at other times, rather morose and dirge-like.

Take, for example, her rendition of Brian Wilson's "Don't Ask (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" from the legendary "Pet Sounds" album. It moves so glacially that it actually extricates the romantic subtext almost surgically. The same can be said for Jessie Mae Robinson's "The Other Woman", which has at least Magnus Persson's vibraphone to provide relief from the tedium. She's better on the other "Pet Sounds" classic, "You Still Believe in Me", where she cannily soars with the chorus, though Costello damages it by adding some odd, muffled rapping in the background. Ironically, it is on the Costello compositions where the recording most noticeably flails. The opener "No Wonder" starts as a "Greensleeves"-like madrigal and then turns into Beatlesque pop; "Baby Plays Around" seems to suffer from exhaustion by all parties; the two Fleshquartet collaborations, "Rope" and "Just a Curio", sound somewhat like extraterrestrial hymns done in a series of minor keys; and the closing title track, "For the Stars" includes peppy, Beach Boys-sounding harmonies which escape her grasp. In fact, "Just a Curio" would have been a more appropriate title for this entire recording.

On the other hand, the Gallic flavor of Benny Andersson's accordion effectively informs her rendition of Tom Waits' "Broken Bicycles", which melds perfectly with Costello's vocal on Paul McCartney's "Junk". Speaking of Andersson, a fellow Scandinavian, von Otter admirably covers a piano-led ABBA ballad, "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room". She also displays a meticulously casual bounce on Lennon-McCartney's "For No One", though it stops rather abruptly. Von Otter acquits herself surprisingly well on the jazzy "Shamed into Love", written by another unlikely duo, Costello and Rubén Blades, and performed as almost a smokier variation of Bacharach's "Alfie". And speaking of Bacharach, she does a nice turn on the lovely "This House Is Empty Now" from the 1998 Bacharach-Costello disc. Costello and von Otter are masters of their craft, but I think some of the collaborations reflect simply irreconcilable differences. While Costello seems to have an insatiable desire to expand musically, his hubris here appears to constrain the often preternatural vocal skill von Otter displays on the opera and recital stage. Consequently, what we have here is a nice album, a generous one with eighteen tracks, that doesn't seem to capitalize on either contributor's talent fully.

what's so funny about peace, love, and understanding?.......2004-04-22

Nothing's funny about this boring duo. I picked this up FREE at my library and it didn't take me too many tracks to see why it was donated. The musical arrangements are hapless and dull, and her voice is Dion without the Vegas power finale. Come to think of it, the lyrics remind me of Dion; they are as saccharine as anything Dion has ever sung. I wasted a blank CD on this limp, sleepy pairing of two otherwise good artists.

No life in her (pop) art.......2004-03-15

I am a big fan of both artists and wanted very much for this combination to work. It avoids the traditional trap of "oversinging" the pop material. But a few years after its release, in these American Idol era, is that really such a terror for pop music any more? So-called oversinging seems pretty popular these days!

The big problem is that von Otter has not found a way to communicate any emotion in this scaled-down form of singing. All her classical techniques are stripped away, and there's nothing to replace them. Sure, her voice is gorgeous, but it sounds exactly the same no matter what the lyrical content. The songs could have been made up of nonsense syllables for all the emotional life she communicates.

Tracks:

Here We Come A-Wassailing
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
The Little Drummer Boy
I Wonder As I Wander
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Es Ist Ein Ros' Entsprungen
Ding Dong! Merrily On High
Stille Nacht
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
A Little Christmas Music (Medley A La Mozart)
The Coventry Carol (Lully, Lulla)
The Boar's Head Carol
Gaudete
Joy To The World
Three Spanish Carols: Riu, Riu, Chiu
Three Spanish Carols: El Nino Querido
Three Spanish Carols: Villancico Catalan
Deck The Hall
The Wexford Carol
The Gift (Simple Gifts)
Patapan And Farandole

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-11-29

The King's Singers come to us steeped in the 500 year old English tradition of choral singing; and that's fine with me.!!!There are 6 singers in this group (the personnel change from time to time)namely: Jeremy Jackman and Alastair Hume (countertenors)- Robert Chilcott (tenor)- Bruce Russell and Simon Carrington (baritones) and Stephen Connolly (bass). They are very capably accompanied by the City of London Sinfonia and Brass Quintet conducted by Richard Hickox. An added PLUS is the great Kiri Te Kanawa who sings an arrangement by Daryl Runswick entitled "A Little Christmas Music (Medley a la Mozart)". It's a hodge-podge of Mozart melodies sewn together in a rather haphazard manner, and meant to be humorous. I guess this type of composition does not appeal to me personally, and I'm sorry that Kiri's glorious voice was wasted. However, that's only MY opinion; I am certain others may disagree.
This album is really a mixture of Christmas tunes and that's partly what makes it interesting. And, of course it is masterfully sung by the King's singers;I enjoy all their discs; especially the recording of Gilbert and Sullivan tunes. Some of the arrangements on this disc are somewhat esoteric, and I'm not too fond of the very STRANGE arrangement (again by Daryl Runswick) of the Coventry Carol, but 'to each his own'. Their opening selection:"Here We Come a-wassailing" (arr. Robert Chilcott) is a great opening number and I must say that it's the best arrangement I have ever heard of this selection.
Let's face it:the KING'S SINGERS are perfection. But don't forget our American group:Chanticleer.

like all but one track.......2006-02-02

With the exception of track 11 (The Coventry Carol, Lully lulla) I really like this CD. I personally prefer the traditional renditions of The Coventry Carol. I do not like the "modern" harmonics and arrangement of it on this CD. Otherwise, it is very fine, indeed.

Heaven is here!.......2005-10-26

Xmas carols are always touching, but this cd is beyond all you have already heard. The King's Singers plus Kiri Te Kanawa is a combination of angelical adult voices, yes, adults can also have angelical voices. Buy this cd and check yourself if it is not true!

A Very Mixed Bag.......2003-08-15

I've often admired the King's Singers' performances, and of course they are a famous and accomplished ensemble, noted for the precision of their close-harmony singing, so I was looking forward to this CD. I regret to say that I find it a very mixed bag, on the whole disappointing. Unfortunately the reliable executant skills of the King's Singers are not matched here by their judgment and taste in choosing arrangements--perhaps there was too great a push for mixing it up, adding variety, "something different." The resulting arrangements are wildly uneven, some of them unattractive and tasteless in varying degrees from mild to dreadful. They range from the very good (bands 7 and 18: straightforward a cappella close-harmony, which is what these singers do best), to exotic (band 16), to schmaltzy (band 5), to busy (band 8), to campy (bands 11 and 19), to cutesy (bands 3 and 6), to terminally cutesy-poo (bands 4, 11, and 19). "Deck the halls," for example, is done in by its arch, cutesy-poo arrangement, as is "White Christmas," which even includes a bizarre, wholly gratuitous interpolation of a bit from Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kije, God knows why!

Band 12, "The Coventry Carol," the longest cut on the CD, demands special mention: it is downright awful. The annotator of this CD writes cosily, "And of course there are the old traditional English Christmas songs, all mulled wine and mince pies." Nothing could be less descriptive of what we get here, where the misguided, pretentious, weird, grotesquely ugly, far-out dissonant-modern arrangement does its utmost to pervert and spoil this lovely old English carol, twisting and distorting it into something almost unrecognizable; this cut is a real horror. (Sir David Willcocks, the famed King's College choirmaster under whom the King's Singers trained and sang as youths, would be appalled. The man responsible for this travesty, one Daryl Runswick, also arranged two other selections; his consistently tasteless arrangements comprise three of the four worst on the CD.)

The performing forces vary from the a cappella singers to accompaniments with brass ensemble or orchestra. The variable but undistinguished engineering (EMI's Abbey Road studios, 1989)--over-processed, over-bright, hard-edged, and occasionally canned-sounding--is an additional drawback. If you like traditional Christmas music (as I do) you might want to think twice before buying this CD. At least try to listen to it first. Caveat emptor.

Among My Top 10 Christmas Recordings.......2002-12-26

King's Singers maintains the highest standard for all those who aspire to create spine-tingling a cappella harmony. Somewhat akin to the small number of their peers worldwide, no style seems off limits to their abilities. But certain aspects set the King's Singers apart. Perhaps it is their early and consistent training in the English choral discipline, or the many, years of touring together in one combination or other. Their most remarkable quality is their quintessentially English sound -- the pipe-like tone produced especially in the mid- to upper registers -- that is at once remarkably free of vibrato, but still alive with overtones. If one listens closely to the solo parts, it becomes evident: the sound isn't produced merely by excellent group intervallic intonation, but by individual voices capable of producing overtones. Thus, it's the sound you can't hear that takes your breath away.

Because the recording is so excellent on the whole, one disappointment stands out: I wish that Coventry Carol had been saved for another recording. The dissonances conjure up distressing images at odds with the overall effect they seem to have been trying to accomplish with the recording, and I can certainly imagine that in another context, I might have been interested and emotionally moved, rather than unsettled and annoyed.

In any case, this has remained for years one of my favorite Christmas recordings, and I have to give it 5 stars.

Average customer rating:

heartsfield-wonder of it all

Best Country Rock ever

Mellow harmony from the 70's

One of my favorite all time albums finally in CD!

Early Heartsfield At Its Best!

Wonder of It All
Heartsfield
Manufacturer: Bedrock Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00000JY4A
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

Wonder of It All
House of Living
Pass Me By
Shine On
Eight Hours Time
I've Just Fallen
Racin' the Sun
Lafayette County

Album Description

Digitally remastered reissue of the 1974 debut by the legendary Mid-western country rock outfit. 8 tracks, including the FM radio favorites 'House Of Living', 'Shine On' and 'Racin' The Sun', on this Bedrock release. Also features the original artwork.

Customer Reviews:

heartsfield-wonder of it all.......2005-11-20

one of the great bands of the country rock era.. this was a band that needed to be seen live. good second effort,but their debut album was by far their best.hard to find!harmonies were incredible and so was there double lead guitar lead work.

Best Country Rock ever.......2004-02-22

I've seen Heartsfield many times throughout the 70's.
To date I have every piece of music put out by these guys, ( I think - 9 releases so far) old band and new band. This cd is their best. great harmonies, awesome guitar work, whether it is acoustic or electric. The songs are long, but you don't want them to end. NEVER GET TIRED OF THESE GUYS!

Mellow harmony from the 70's.......2001-09-02

One of my all time favorite groups and CDs. The 4 and 5 part harmonies that these guys do is totally awesome. Also, one of the few really great bands that feature dual lead guitar solos from Freddy Dobbs and Phil Lucafo. If you like Jammin' country, mixed in with steamy vocals and hot licks, this one's for you.

The greatest concert I ever attended was back in the 70's at Kiel auditorium in St. Louis, where these guys were the featured act and the original rockers KISS played as the intro band that night.

Maybe I am a little proud and prejudiced since Fred from the band is my bro and they even used my acoustic Epiphone loaner on some of the tracks and on tour.

Rock on Heartsfield and good luck to Perry on his revival tour.

Your number one fan,

Brother Billy Dobbs

One of my favorite all time albums finally in CD!.......2000-07-08

I still listen to my vinyl copy of this album. Over and Over. Harmonies, words, the music is great. Just plain one of my favorite all time albums that I take with me everywhere.

Early Heartsfield At Its Best!.......2000-04-30

It's great to see that Heartsfield's second album from 1974 is now available on CD. This is one of the great country-rock bands, with their four power guitar players and six part vocal harmonies. This CD contains four of Hartsfield's greatest tunes- The Wonder Of It All, House Of Living, Shine On, and Racin' The Sun. If you liked The Marshall Tucker Band, Pure Prairie League, or The Allman Brothers- you'll like this band even more! Original member Perry Jordan has reformed the band so you can now see them live again. (I've seen the new band and they are great!)...

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