Lies to Live By [Import] [Live]

lies to live by [import] [live]

Track Listings

1. All The Wrong Roads

2. Stay Dead Lazarus

3. Voice In The Wilderness

4. War Story

5. Factory

6. Beyond The Fields We Know

Lies to Live By,Spirit of Christmas,Unidisc,Rock,Xmas International

Lies to Live By [Import] [Live]

Average customer rating:

wallpaper
simply beautiful, so just enjoy it
Sloppy renditions and amateurish
Great songs reinvented, with a twist
Praise for Beyond Imagination

Beyond Imagination
Opera Babes
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Opera Band
Defined
Renaissance (Eng)
Summer
Etterna

ASIN: B00007MB2F
Release Date: 2003-01-14

Tracks:

One Fine Day (Un Bel Di From Madame Butterfly)
Sempre Ricordo (Piano Concerto in A minor)
There's A Place (From The New World Symphony)
Beyond Imagination (From A Midsummer Nights Dream)
O Fortuna (From Carmina Burana)
Lakm2O (Flower Duet)
Ebben?..Ne Andro Lontano (from La Wally)
You Live On In My Heart (Cinema Paradiso)
Chanson Boh (From Carmen)
Remember Me
Stranger In Paradise (From Kismet)
Ode II Joy (From Symphony No. 9)
1001 Nights (From The Nutcracker Suite)
Barcarolle (From The Tales Of Hoffman)
LakmVibeTribe Mix)
Ave Maria
Vittoria! (Aida 2002)

Amazon.com

Plucked from a wet afternoon of busking Bizet and Puccini to passersby on the Piazza in Covent Garden in the spring of 2001, soprano Rebecca Knight and mezzo Karen England soon found themselves singing in slightly larger venues: the FA Cup and Champions League soccer finals. That the management company doing the plucking had recently performed a similar Cinderella crossover act for Russell Watson offered portent, and indeed the Babes--the moniker began as a joke--were soon on their way to this recording debut. The marketing shtick and its soccer connections may offend purists, but it's the football hooligans that the Babes are trying to win over here; can Borodin soothe the savage Manchester United fan? Their classically trained voices mesh gloriously, with England's warm mezzo showing particular character in her solo turns.

The repertoire choices here cover material that may already be familiar to fans of Charlotte Church (i.e., Delibes "Flower Duet") and other crossover acts, but they do include some pleasant surprises, like Offenbach's Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann and "You Live On in My Heart," a reworking of Ennio Morricone's enchanting Cinema Paradiso theme with lyrics by Knight. But in a rush toward the musical middle of the road, it's the productions themselves that sometimes overwhelm the Babes with bathos ("Ave Maria"), hollow thunder ("Aida 2002"), and electro club kitsch (the 'Vibe Tribe' mix of "Flower Duet"). Former Art of Noise mainstay Anne Dudley's tastefully restrained coloring of Tchaikovsky's "1001 Nights" is one of the notable exceptions. They're babes, they sing opera--with fair promise--for the masses, and if they turn one in a hundred from football hooliganism to a well-mannered appreciation of Grieg and Dvorák, won't it all have been worth it? --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

wallpaper.......2007-07-12

overorchestrated, overproduced aural wallpaper...that said, still, these women have wonderful voices and are worth hearing. They are oversold,too...Opera Babes! Indeed. Folks who like Enya will like this.

simply beautiful, so just enjoy it.......2007-06-11

my daughter has taught me to love opera. this immediately captured me. the Babes' voices blend so beautifully. I love it! who cares about Puccini, Classic Opera, blah, blah, woof, woof. I love this album

Sloppy renditions and amateurish.......2007-05-15

I heard one of the selections on Sirius and liked it so I bought the CD. Upon hearing the entire CD I was disappointed that the only selection I liked was the one that prompted me to buy the product. The voices are nice but they are simply adding voice to opera masterpieces that do not fit. They are certainly not of the caliber of Sarah Brightman or Charlotte Church and don't look for that. Their sound is mellow, dim and without the emotion that does an inservice to the opera pieces they sing. I found the CD lackluster and in all honestly very "amateurish".

Great songs reinvented, with a twist.......2006-09-30

Expanding upon the recent interest in Gregorian chant fusion as well as rich-voiced solo vocalists such as Josh Groban, operatic soprano Rebecca Knight and mezzo soprano Karen England offer full-vibratoed, somewhat modernized interpretations of favorite classical themes. Backed by chorus, orchestras, keyboards and drums, they draw from such diversely satisfying works as Puccini's opera "Madame Butterfly," Grieg's "Piano Concerto in a minor," Dvorak's "New World Symphony," Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream," Orff's "Carmina Burana," Delibe's "Lakme," Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite," Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffman," Schubert's "Ave Maria," and Verdi's "Aida." Some of the arrangements are fairly traditional, while others are noticeably enhanced. The emphasis tends to be on pretty pieces with sweet melodies, though a few are more intense in nature (#1, 4, 5, 15 and 17). A couple of pop songs, still sung in operatic style, are thrown in for good measure, although they don't have the same appeal and mystique as the old favorites. All of the selections feature both vocalists together, singing in lovely, close harmony. The arrangers of this elegantly hip music include Jon Cohen, Noely, Frank Gallagher, Deni Lew and Anne Dudley, with multi-language lyrics (for the adaptations of instrumental works) by Rebecca Knight and others. I have to admit that I occasionally found myself longing for the modern additions to be more consistently interesting and distinctive--in other words, equaling the artistry of the classics that they're accompanying. Track #1, which really shines, is a well-done example. Alternately, perhaps the source songs might have been better off left in their pure, original styles rather than watered down with schmaltzy, predictable underpinnings that don't add much to the music. But like Enigma did for medieval chant, the Opera Babes are endeavoring to bring some wonderful, time-tested music to a wider audience, fusing it with modern idioms in way that is artistic and generally appealing. For more opera fusion, compare the work of Amici Forever (a group of five singers, both male and female), and the oddly packaged but similar-in-concept album "Coco de Mer" by Adam Plack.

Praise for Beyond Imagination.......2006-02-26

What I really enjoyed about this album was its distinctive sound and arrangement of the material. I enjoy classically performed opera and was surprised how much I like the Opera Babes' versions. Of course, the wonderful voices added immensely to the high quality of this product.

Songs of Free Men/ A Paul Robeson Recital

Average customer rating:

Robeson on wax
The voice, the sound quality and the interpretation
A Voice from the 40s, often dated, often moving
Robeson at his best
some of the greatest songs of the last century

Songs of Free Men/ A Paul Robeson Recital

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Paul Robeson Live at Carnegie Hall
Ballad for Americans
Ol' Man River: His 25 Greatest
Paul Robeson - Here I Stand
Spirituals

ASIN: B0000029YJ
Release Date: 1997-12-09

Tracks:

Balm in Gilead
Chassidic Chant
Quiet Flows The Don: From Border To Border
Quiet Flows The Don: Oh, How Proud Our Quiet Don
Elijah, Op. 70: The Lord God Of Abraham
The Purest Kind Of Guy
Joe Hill
The Peat-Bog Soldiers
The Four Insurgent Generals
Native Land
Song Of The Plains
Cradle Song
Within Four Walls
By An' By
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
John Henry
Water Boy
My Curly Headed Baby
Mah Lindy Lou
Wagon Wheels
The House I Live In
Showboat: I Still Suits Me
Sylvia
Showboat: Ol' Man River
Porgy And Bess: It Ain't Necessarily So

Amazon.com

There was nothing like the Robeson sound, ever. To describe his deep, rich, perfectly equalized instrument is futile. Go instead to "Balm in Gilead," the opening track, and see if you can listen to the last pianissimo phrase without falling to pieces. Robeson was at his best when the music was slow and the words contained spiritual or social messages. Faster, lighter fare like Kern's "I Still Suits Me" or Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" find the serious-minded singer out of his element, lacking irony and swing. "Old Man River," though, gets a simple, dignified treatment. It's Songs of Free Men, though, that will just keep Robeson's artistry rolling along, especially in Sony's astonishing transfers. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Robeson on wax.......2007-06-19

I found this album in a thrift store last week, for a couple of dollars. It's the original pressing on four 78 RPM records, in a gatefold format. It's in pristine condition. I really bought it for the incredible cover art, although I hope to be able to listen to it in this format at some point.

The voice, the sound quality and the interpretation.......2004-09-24

Put this on your stereo and if it is good enough the depth and richness of Robeson's voice will make your fillings rattle and your chest rumble. The power of his voice is awesome. This CD is superbly recorded with no audible noise at normal listening levels.

A Voice from the 40s, often dated, often moving.......2002-09-01

"Red diaper babies" have greeted this disc with nostalgic joy, and it captures a time and an aesthetic and a political belief with precision. Anyone interested in the emotional life of the pro-Soviet left of the 1940s should buy this disc. It's something like Henry Wallace set to music. There is much more to Robeson than that, however, and Sony has given us Robeson whole: there are songs by American masters of the musical, there are labor songs, religious songs, as well as the kind of faux-folk songs which the butcher supreme Josef Stalin encouraged and which were not taken seriously inside the USSR (except at gunpoint!!) but which were taken up by dupes around the world. This is Robeson at his least savory - willing propagandist for a vile mass murderer. Songs such as "Native Land" (fittingly, Robeson is referring to the Soviet Union) and the Red Army song are the equivalent of the "Horst Wessel Song", anthems of murder, and it is difficult to listen to the worst of them without retching. On the other hand, Robeson's commitment to American folk culture was real. "Balm in Gilead" is deeply beautiful; "John Henry" is heroic; "By an' By" is both resigned yet hopeful. "Joe Hill" captures an era in labor history. Anyone interested in American popular song should hear these. Turning to Broadway, his "Old Man River" is very fine, though Robeson changed the lyrics for political reasons and Leonard Warren has done the song better. I disagree with the editorial reviewer: "I Still Suits Me" is wonderfully playful and shows Robeson using his gorgeously rich voice to tease and poke fun. However, Marc Blitzstein's "Purest Kind of a Guy" is beyond saving - another example of Robeson recording an unworthy song by a political fellow-traveller. Ugh. But for every miss there are two hits. Robeson performs Mendelssohn's Elijah with nobility, and sings his favorite song, "Water Boy", with joyous pride: "There ain't no hammer that's on these mountains that rings like mine, boys, that rings like mine."
No one need have any fears about the mono sound quality. The orchestra in the second half of the program is at times a little dwarfed by Robeson's voice, but it generally sounds clean and colorful, and the great artist's voice rings like no other.

Robeson at his best.......2000-05-12

It's hard to believe that most of these recordings pre-date the advent of magnetic tape: the CD transfer is superlative. The songs and performance are beyond reproach. Notable is the imaginative packaging in miniature 'record album' format, complete with the original cover art, and a replica of the original Columbia record label applied to the CD.

In response to a previous question: Robeson's performance of Danny Boy (Londonderry Air) can be found on the Vanguard LP entitled "Robeson" (VRS-9037).

some of the greatest songs of the last century.......2000-05-05

In the 1940s, before rabid McCarthyism and racism had taken its toll on him, Robeson made these wonderful recordings of spirituals, classics and pop tunes. Accompanied by the solo piano of the incomparable Lawrence Brown, or by an orchestra, the songs ring out with pride, dignity, skill and unmatched integrity. The shameful treatment that Robeson was subject to from American authorities certainly seem grotesquely absurd to a modern listener. The wonderful version of "The House I Live In" included on this cd should forever kill off any suspicion that Robeson did not love his country deeply. This album ought to be heard by millions of people, world wide. Robeson's voice is nothing less than a glorious high point in 20th century music, and it's hard to think of any recording capturing it to greater advantage.

Average customer rating:

It's lovely - But not newly recorded!
Yet another compilation
how precious!
Disappointing Duplication
If you like this sorta thing

Song of America
Charles Tomlinson Griffes , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Charles Naginski , Ned Rorem , American Traditional , Elinor Remick Warren , Kurt Weill , Haydn Wood , Michael Parloff , Jay Ungar , Armen Guzelimian , Craig Rutenberg , David Alpher , Evan Stover , Garrison Keillor , and Mark Rust
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Very Best of Thomas Hampson
Christmas with Thomas Hampson
Long Time Ago - Copland / Dawn Upshaw & Thomas Hampson
American Dreamer: Songs of Stephen Foster; Thomas Hampson; Jay Unger; Molly Mason
Leading Man

ASIN: B000BGR0TW
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

As Adam Early In The Morning
Ah! May The Red Rose Live Alway (1850)
Shenandoah (Traditional)
Beautiful Dreamer (1864)
Danny Deever
Roses Of Picardy
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair (1854)
Hard Times Come Again No More (1854)
Molly, Do You Love Me? (1850)
An Old Song Resung
Tomorrow (When You Are Gone)
The Erie Canal (Traditional)
We Two
The Nightingale (Traditional)
Comrades, Fill No Glass For Me (1855)
Luke Havergal
To What You Said
Look Down Fair Moon
Dirge For Two Veterans
Ethiopia Saluting The Colors

Amazon.com

Thomas Hampson is a persuasive advocate for these treasures from the Library of Congress' vast collections, so this CD's generous sampling leaves you wanting more. It covers the American songbook in all its variety, from traditional "folk" items like Shenandoah to Stephen Foster to the immigrants Erich Korngold and Kurt Weill to Leonard Bernstein and contemporary composers. Hampson adjusts his flexible, light baritone to fit each song. The voice is full and resonant on Danny Deever, simple and direct in 19th-century traditional songs and ballads, and nuanced in songs like Ned Rorem's "As Adam Early in the Morning," one of several on the disc with texts by Walt Whitman. A standout is the last song in this recital, one that leaves you with thoughts about music, history, and our nation's continuing issues, "Ethiopia Saluting the Colors," by Henry Burleigh. Most of the selections are performed with piano accompaniment, but several are with a small ensemble of traditional instruments. A word of caution: everything was recorded in the 1990s and presumably was available piecemeal on previous releases, although few are likely to have more than a handful of these 20 gems. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

It's lovely - But not newly recorded!.......2006-10-04

I don't think this recording deserves One Star ratings or that the artist deserves such crude bashing. And re: Hampson's eye-colour.... Uh, these aren't lenses? He has blue eyes. I met him many times and...indeed, they are dark blue.

Anyhow, this is what Hampson is focusing on right now, American song. While those aren't exactly my thing I have to say that he sings them beautifully. I wish he'd stick to that rather than heavy Verdi and Wagner which his voice isn't right for.

Yet another compilation.......2006-06-13

I am a huge Tom fan. I go to his concerts and buy all of his CDs. I must say that I have been disappointed by this CD because it's entirely made of old recordings. There's a new photo on the cover, but that's all that is new here. So if you've bought your share of Tom CDs over the years, you want to check out the track info before you guy this one.

Now, Tom has been on tour and I STRONGLY recommend that you go see him next year when he comes through your city.

The other thing really annoying is that on the CD where you'd expect information about the music or the recording co., you instead get a large warning label from the FBI on pirating.

how precious!.......2006-05-08

Thomas Hampson swoons and croons to monotonous effect throughout this tired collection; again displaying his ego and faux scholarship in ample measure. Oi-vay, what a disaster! And what is with the blue contact lenses in the Jacket phot? Hampson's eyes are brown. What an unbelievably vain Diva!

Disappointing Duplication.......2006-01-17

I have not even heard the album, and I will not. Although I revere Mr. H. in just about everything he does, especially in song and Lieder, I am very disappointed that so many of these songs appear on other cds of which I already have about 19 of him. I think he and the producers should have chosen totally NEW material for this instead of drawing on his past achievements. I have no reservations about his performances, for I have seen him at the Met in opera and at Carnegie Hall in Mahler. I value them and all of his past cd productions.

If you like this sorta thing.......2006-01-17

Here Mr. Hampson is in his element. Unlike his less than viable attempts at Opera, Mr. Hampson is a thorough and intelligent singer of songs. His affectations, so fully inappropriate in bigger operatic literature, work well with the intimate nature of these sweet and personal songs. If you are Hampson fan, this album will thrill you.

Average customer rating:

beautiful patriotic music
All new recordings, with a strong patriotric theme

Spirit of America

Manufacturer: Mormon Tabernacle
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Peace Like a River
Consider the Lilies
Love Is Spoken Here
Sing, Choirs of Angels!
Showtime! Music of Broadway and Hollywood

ASIN: B0000A4G6H
Release Date: 2003-06-24

Tracks:

America the Beautiful
Bound for the Promised Land
This Land Is Your Land
Shenandoah
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Distant Land
They, The Builders of the Nation
House I Live In
America, The Dream Goes On
Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor
God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand
Hymn for America
Pledge of Allegiance
Cohan's Big Three: Yankee Doodle Dandy/Give My Regards to Broadway
Goin' Home
God Bless America - Craig Jessop, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The Orchestra
Star-Spangled Banner
Call of the Champions

Customer Reviews:

beautiful patriotic music.......2003-08-28

This is an excellent CD. The music, both voices and orchestra, is superb. The content of the lyrics is inspiring. It reminds me of so many reasons I'm proud to be American.

All new recordings, with a strong patriotric theme.......2003-07-16

Surprised that no one has reviewed this yet. Amazon.com doesn't give much info on this release, so I thought I'd rectify that. This is the second brand-new release on the "Mormon Tabernacle Choir" label, following their April 2003 release of "Consider the Lilies." Again, several of the arrangements are by Mack Wilberg, with direction by Craig Jessop and accompianment by the Orchestra at Temple Square. The track list is as follows:

1 America the Beautiful
Music: Samuel A. Ward

Text: Katherine Lee Bates
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg (Oxford University Press) 4:30

2 Bound for the Promised Land
Music: American folk hymn.
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg (Oxford University Press) 2:35

3 This Land is Your Land
Music: Woody Guthrie
Text: Woody Guthrie
Arrangement: Percy Faith & Michael Davis 2:40

4 Shenandoah
Music: American folk song.
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg (Oxford University Press) 4:48

5 Battle Hymn of the Republic
Music: William Steffe
Text: Julia Ward Howe
Arrangement: Peter J. Wilhousky (Carl Fischer, Inc.) 5:19

6 Distant Land
Music: John Rutter
Text: John Rutter
Arrangement: John Rutter (Hinshaw Music, Inc - ASCAP) 4:41

7 They, the Builders of the Nation
Music: Alfred M. Durham
Text: Ida R. Alldredge
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg (Deseret Book Co.) 3:28

8 The House I Live In
Music: Earl Robinson
Text: Lewis Allen
Arrangement: Michael Davis 3:26

9 America, the Dream Goes On
Music: John Williams
Text: Alan and Marilyn Bergman 3:18

10 Give My Your Tired, Your Poor
Music: Irving Berlin
Text: Emma Lazarus
Arrangement: Roy Ringwald (Shawnee Press, Inc. - ASCAP)
Orchestration: Michael Davis 3:01

11 God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand
Music: George W. Warren
Text: Daniel C. Roberts
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg (Oxford University Press) 4:12

12 Hymn for America
Music: Stephen Paulus (Paulus Publications)
Text: Michael Dennis Browne 3:08

13 The Pledge of Allegiance
Music: Charles Osgood
Text: Francis Bellamy
Arrangement: Michael Davis 2:39

14 Cohan's Big Three (Yankee Doodle Dandy, +below)
Music: George M. Cohan
Text: George M. Cohan
Arrangement: Floyd E. Werle
+Give My Regards/Brdway, You're a Grand Old Flag 3:53

15 Goin' Home
Music: Antonin Dvorak
Text: William Arms Fischer
Arrangement: Jay Welch 4:36

16 God Bless America
Music: Irving Berlin
Text: Irving Berlin

Arrangement: Roy Ringwald (Shawnee Press, Inc. - ASCAP)
Orchestration: Michael Davis 3:44

17 The Star-Spangled Banner
Music: John Stafford Smith
Text: Francis Scott Key
Arrangement: Robert Russell Bennett 2:21

18 Call of the Champions
Music: John Williams
Text: Olympic Motto 4:47

Tracks:

Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd--orchestra, Jerry Hadley ("Johanna"), Eugene Perry,Herbert Perry ("Pretty Women")
Evening Introduction--Bill Irwin
Loveland/Getting Married Today--Ensemble, Jeanne Lehman, Mark Jacoby, Madeline Kahn
Waiting for the Girls Upstairs--George Lee Andrews, Michael Jeter, James Naughton/Love, I Hear--Michael Jeter/Live Alone and Like It--James Naughton
Someone Is Waiting--Richard Muenz/Symphonic Sondheim: Barcelona--orchestra
Being Alive--Patti LuPone
Good Thing Going--The Tonics
Losing My Mind/You Could Drive a Person Crazy--Dorothy Loudon
Our Time--Boys Choir of Harlem/Children Will Listen--Betty Buckley
Anyone Can Whistle--Billy Stritch
Water Under the Bridge--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch
Back in Business--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch, Ensemble

Tracks:

Symphonic Sondheim: Comedy Tonight--Bill Irwin, orchestra
Sooner or Later--Karen Ziemba
Pretty Lady--Mark Jacoby, Eugene Perry, Herbert Perry
Green Finch and Linnet Bird--Harolyn Blackwell
The Ballad of Booth--Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber
Broadway Baby--Daisy Eagan
I Never Do Anything Twice--BETTY
With So Little to Be Sure Of--Jerry Hadley, Carolann Page
Not a Day Goes By--Bernadette Peters
Remember?--Ron Baker, Peter Blanchet, Carol Meyer, Bronwyn Thomas, Blythe Walker (Quintet)/A Weekend in the Country--Kevin Anderson, George Lee Andrews, Mark Jacoby, Beverly Lambert, Maureen Moore, Susan Terry, Quintet
Send in the Clowns--Glenn Close
Old Friends--Liza Minnelli
Sunday--Bernadette Peters, Broadway Chorus

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2006-08-06

This is a wonderful double CD of fabulous musical numbers performed by theatre greats and directed by a legandary musical director.

Simply the Best.......2005-06-29

First, to the person who criticizes the recording b/c of "Broadway Baby." Daisy Egan (who sings in in this recording) sounds like she's 10 becuase she IS young. She had just appeared on Braodway in Secret Garden and won a Tony for it. It's a joke...Broadway BABY...hello, it's a joke.

In a compilation of songs like this you're always going to have tracks that you prefer over others, but the majority of the renditions in this CD are great. This is simply one of the best collections of Sondheim out there. You get interpretations that span from "classical" (Green Finch), to bordering on insane (Anything Twice). This is to demonstrate how versatile this composer really is.

In my opinion, some of the best renditions are "Not a Day Goes By," "Anyone Can Whistle", "Girls Upstairs Medley," "Losing My Mind/Drive a Person Crazy," and "Weekend inthe Country." Makes me wish I had been there to witness it first hand.

If you love Sondheim and enjoy hearing Broadway performers, get this CD. A great recording.

Inconsistent, but mostly excellent.......2004-03-21

I am sure no knowledgeable person would deny how absolutely perfect all these songs are. However, the performances on this album are extremely inconsistent. It will go from an excellent rendition (Waiting for the Girls medley, Sunday, With So Little To Be Sure Of, Sooner or Later, Green Finch, Send in the Clowns, Pretty Lady) to the weird (I never Do Anything Twice), to the bad (Broadway Baby, Our Time). I still have absolutely no idea how they managed to butcher one of the best songs ever written--Good Thing Going--and turn it into smooth jazz elevator music. Why would they give Broadway Baby to someone who sounds like she's 10? That said, Liza Minelli, Glenn Close, Karen Ziemba, Dorothy Laudon and the "Waiting for the Girls" performers are all very good. And ending with Bernadette Peters and "Sunday" ends the set on a absolutley fabulous note.

"Celebration" is not strong enough a word.......2003-04-30

This review is by Crosley.

I have been a major Sondheim fan for quite some time, and I finally obtained a copy of this album. I was blown away by the excellent cast and phenomenal selection of music. It is obvious how much work went into this production, considering that this is the live recording of a one time show, and it's flawless. The songs cover all of his shows with the exception of "Passion," which was released 3 years after this show. Also, the shows for which he wrote only lyrics are ommited, like West Side Story, Gypsy, etc. Thus, you can find material from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily we Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins.

There are two striking things about this CD (besides the music and performers themselves). First of all, some of the songs are completely stylistically reworked. The most obvious are "Good Thing Going" and "I Never do Anything Twice." Both are traditionally very ballady with a piano accompaniment, but here they have been redone as jazzy tunes. The result is excellent. Such reworkings demonstrate that Sondheim writes music for virtually any style, and in these cases, across several styles. It's a great example of his variety. The other interesting thing is how many songs have overlapping melodies of songs from different shows. Case in point, "Our Time" and "No one is Alone" are sung seperately by the Harlem Boys Choir and Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella in Webber's atrocious "CATS," although Buckley was excellent) respectively, and then combined. Putting these two songs together offer different meanings to each, and the music is only enhanced. Another example, the trio of "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs," "Love, I Hear," and "Live Alone and Like It" are sung in that order, and then the latter two are combined. Again, the meanings of the songs change, this time in an almost narrative style, and offering different takes on love in the same montage. Lastly (at least for this review, there are more), Dorothy Laudon's (the original Ms. Hannigan in Annie) combination of "Losing my Mind" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" is brilliant. Those who are familiar with these songs will wonder how exactly they fit, but trust me, they do. She swtiches back and forth between melodies to create a number that starts poignant and beautiful, and soon moves to become uproariously funny. Both the song reworkings and overlapping melodies of unrelated songs are all for the better.

I recommend this recording to anyone wanting to get better acquainted with some of Sondheim's best work, or those already familiar who want to hear a tour de force of phenomenal music. It has been said that Sondheim is a masterful lyricist (which he is), but lacks real talent for music. This CD is the final proof that such critics are wrong. His music may take a few listenings to get into, contrary to Webber or Wildhorn, but unlike those two, he doesn't cater to the audience. He challenges them to think outside of traditional musical theater in a glorious repertoise of shows that reach for a smarter, more sophisticated form.

A maginificent evening, a magnificent album.......2001-12-16

There's something to be said for the first concert you ever see at Carnegie Hall. I was fortunate enough to have this be my first. This entire evening was devoted to his genius and the performers did not disappoint.

This wonderful double CD shows off the best and brightest of the musical theatre composer and it is, as one person put it, "an embarassment of riches." With songs from his finest works done in amazing arrangements (listen to that harmony in "We Had a Good Thing Going"!) combined with fabulous performers this is a Sondheim lovers delight.

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 1 - Andre Previn
Intermezzo - Philharmonia Orchestra
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini - Sir Simon Rattle
O Mio Babbino Caro - London Symphony Orchestra
Viola Da Bamba Sonata In G Minor - Ton Koopman
Beim Schlafengehen - London Philharmonic Orchestra
Schindler's List Theme - Tasmin Little
Clair De Lune - Dame Moura Lympany
Symphony No. 5 - New Philharmonia Orchestra
Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana - Philharmonia Orchestra
Moonlight Sonata - Dame Moura Lympany
Violin Concerto No. 1 In G Minor - Yehudi Menuhin
E Lucevan Le Stelle - Georges Pretre
Nocturne In C Sharp Minor - Maria Tipo
Adagio For Strings - Philadelphia Orchestra
Cello Concerto - English Chamber Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 2 In F - English Chamber Orchestra
Va Pensiero - Bernard Haitink

Tracks:

Adagio In G Minor - Sir Neville Marriner
The Heart Asks Pleasure First / The Promise - Michael Nyman
Time To Say Goodbye - Orchestra
Goldberg Variations - Maria Tipo
Barcarolle - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Piano Concerto No. 2 - Sir Simon Rattle
Nimrod - London Symphony Orchestra
Vissi D'art - Maria Callas
Cavatina - Manuel Barrueco & Steve Morse
String Quintet In C - Laszlo Varga
J'ai Perdu Mon Eurydice - John Eliot Gardiner
Etude In E 'Tristesse' - John Ogdon
Addio Del Passato - London Symphony Orchestra
Double Violin Concerto - Bath Festival Orchestra
Queen Symphony - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Piano Concerto No. 1 - Garrick Ohlsson
In Paradisum - English Chamber Orchestra
My Heart Will Go On - Orchestra
Rhapsody In Blue - Andre Previn

Customer Reviews:

a terrific compilation for beginners.......2006-02-07

I agree with P. Grupe-for classical music lovers, it is a let down to listen to cut tracks of well-performed classical greats, like Chopin's 1st piano concerto in this collection. Nonetheless, this is a terrific compilation for people beginning to get interested in classical music. This compilation is an eclectic mix of the familiar (Beethoven's moonlight sonata, Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini variation no. 18, Myer's Cavatina, Barber's "Adagio for Strings, etc.), the contemporary (Michael Nyman's The Promise, Horner's My Heart Will Go On), and the truly moving (Bach's Double Violin Concerto, Bruch's Violin Concerto, Schubert's String Quintet in C)-relatively obscure pieces usually left out in less inspired and mediocre classical music compilations. It is gratifying to see that opera music has not been left out. Get this cd if only for the Maria Callas tracks, Lucia Popp's performance of Strauss' Beim Schlafengehen, and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's Addio del passato.

"Classical heartbreakers" broke my heart.......2004-06-27

I am an avid listener of classical music, and I purchased this CD expecting to get some of the best classical music ever composed. I guess I expected a bit much though. Although the recording is filled with high quality performances of fantastic pieces, I was disappointed to find that only about half of the pieces are contained in their entirety on this 2-disc set. Songs such as Rhapsody in Blue and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata were not recorded in full for this album, which caught me off guard and bothered me quite a bit.

Anybody who is unfamiliar with classical music will appreciate this album. Since it features some of the most moving classical pieces ever written, it is sure to entrance listeners. And by not placing entire 10-minute pieces on the CDs, it will not run on and bore those unaccustomed to the length of most classical music. However, if you are already well-versed in classical music and can listen to entire symphonies with ease, I would advise against buying this album. I now feel a desire to go out again and find the full versions of some of these pieces, since I feel I was cheated by only getting introductions or short movements on most of the album. Guess I should have paid a little more attention to what I was buying.

A Fantastic Compilation.......2004-05-01

Most of the musical pieces in this compilation are from versions as they appear in various movies. This is Classical music from classic movies such as: Somewhere in Time, Schindler's List, English Patient, The Piano, Platoon, et al. But make no mistake; the music is what's really worth mentioning here.

The title says it all. It claims to have "the most moving Classical music of all time," and they certainly have a case, as it is chock full of the kind of emotional pieces that can easily bring you to tears. This double CD compilation with 37 passionately beautiful pieces is a steal at $16.99.

If you've ever recorded your favorite songs on to tape, or burned them on to a CD, you'll see that this compilation is exactly what EMI Records has done. It is like a greatest hits, volume 1, of poignant Classical music. Almost all of the musical pieces are classic favorites, though there are a few contemporary ones also.

I found the music on this CD powerful and moving as advertised, and I think that Classical music fans should truly enjoy it. It is well worth the price it's being sold for, and I highly recommend it.

Since there is some missing information as to who the composers and artists are, here they are:

Disk 1

Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor Op.23: I. Allegro Non Troppo E Mol; Andre Previn; Horacio Gutierrez; The London Symphony Orchestra

Mascagni - Intermezzo (Cavalleria Rusticana) {Raging Bull}; Riccardo Muti; The Philharmonia Orchestra

Rachmaninov - Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini - Variation #18 {Somewhere in Time}; Cecile Ousset; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Sir Simon Rattle

Puccini - O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianni Schicchi) {A Room with a View};
Montserrat Caballe; The London Symphony Orchestra; Sir Charles Mackerras

Bach - Viola da Gamba Sonata in G Minor BWV1029 - II. Adagio (Opening) {Truly, Madly, Deeply}; Jordi Savall; Ton Koopman

Richard Strauss - Beim Schlafengehen (Vier Letzte Lieder) {The Hours}; Klaus Tennstedt; London Philharmonic Orchestra; Lucia Popp

Williams - Schindler's List (Theme) {Schlinder's List}; Iain Sutherland; New World Philharmonic; Tasmin Little

Debussy - Clair de Lune {Frankie and Johnnie}; Dame Moura Lympany

Mahler - Symphony No. 5 in C Sharp Minor: IV. Adagietto (Conclusion) {Death in Venice}; New Philharmonia Orchestra; Sir John Barbirolli

Catalani - Ebben? Ne Andrò Lontana (La Wally) {Diva}; Maria Callas; The Philharmonia Orchestra; Tullio Serafin

Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor "Moonlight" Op. 27/2 - I. Adagio S; Dame Moura Lympany

Bruch - Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor - II. Adagio (Opening) Sir Yehudi Menuhin; The Philharmonia Orchestra; Walter Susskind

Puccini - E Lucevan le Stelle (Tosca) {The Man Who Cried}; Carlo Bergonzi; Georges Pretre; Orchestre De La Societe` Des Concerts Du Conservatoire

Chopin - Nocturne in C Sharp Minor Op. Posth {The Pianist}; Maria Tipo

Barber - Adagio for Strings {Platoon} Eugene Ormandy; Philadelphia Orchestra

Elgar - Cello Concerto in E Minor Op. 85 - I. Adagio - Moderato (Opening) {Hilary and Jackie}; London Philharmonic Orchestra; Norman Del Mar; Robert Cohen

Shostakovich - Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Op.102 - II. Andante Dmitri Alexeev; English Chamber Orchestra; Jerzy Maksymiuk

Verdi - Va, Pensiero (Chorus of Hebrew Slaves) (Nabucco) {The Godfather, Pt. 3}; Bernard Haitink; Covent Garden Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Disk 2

Albinoni - Adagio in G Minor (Realised Giazotto) [Extract] {Gallipoli}; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; Sir Neville Marriner

Nyman - Heart Asks Pleasure First/The Promise {The Piano}; Unknown artist

Quarantotto & Sartori - Time to Say Goodbye; David Abel

J.S. Bach - Goldberg Variations - Aria {The English Patient}; Maria Tipo

Offenbach - Barcarolle (Les Contes d'Hoffmann) {Life Is Beautiful}; Choeurs Rene Ducios; Clu; Elisabeth Schwartskopf; Jeannine Collard; Orchestre De La Societe` Des Concerts Du Conservatoire

Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor - II. Adagio Sostenuto (Opening) {Brief Encounter}; Cecile Ousset; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Sir Simon Rattle

Elgar - Nimrod ("Enigma" Variations) {Elizabeth}; The London Symphony Orchestra; Sir Adrian Boult

Puccini - Vissi d'Arte (Tosca); Georges Pretre; Maria Callas; Orchestre De La Societe` Des Concerts Du Conservatoire

Myers - Cavatina {The Deer Hunter}; Manuel Barrueco; Steve Morse

Schubert - String Quintet in C D956 - II. Adagio (Opening) {Carrington}; Hungarian Quartet; Laszlo Varga

Gluck - J'Ai Perdu Mon Eurydice (Orphée et Eurydice); Anne Sofie Von Otter; John Eliot Gardiner; Orchestre De L'Opera De Lyon

Chopin - Étude in E "Tristesse" Op.10/3; John Ogden

Verdi - Attendo, Attendo...Addio del Passato (La Traviata); Dame Kiri Te Kanawa; Myung-Whun Chung; The London Symphony Orchestra

Bach - Double Violin Concerto in D Minor BWV 1043 - II. Largo Ma Non Tanto {Children of a Lesser God}; Bath Festial Orchestra; Christian Ferras; Sir Yehudi Menuhin

Kashif - Queen Symphony - III. Adagio {Who Wants to Live Forever - Save Me}; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Tolga Kashif

Chopin - Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor - II. Romance (Larghetto) (Opening) {The Truman Show}; Garrick Ohlsson; Jerzy Maksymiuk; Polish National Symphony Orchestra

Faure - In Paradisum (Requiem) {The Thin Red Line}; Cambridge Choir of Kings Choir; English Chamber Orchestra; Stephen Cleobury

Horner - My Heart Will Go On {Titanic}; David Abel

Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue (Conclusion) {Manhattan}; Andre Previn; The London Symphony Orchestra

Opera for People Who Hate Opera
Average customer rating:

Painless and Pleasant

Opera for People Who Hate Opera

Manufacturer: Intersound Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music

Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto

ASIN: B000003QWI
Release Date: 1994-06-09

Tracks:

Ride Of The Valkyries - San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Vesti La Giubba - Jose Perez
Intermezzo - London Festival Orchestra
Overture - London Festival Orchestra
Prelude - Philharmonia Orchestra Of London
Aragonaise - Philharmonia Orchestra Of London
Seguedille - Philharmonia Orchestra Of London
Bohemian Dance - Philharmonia Orchestra Of London
The Toreador Song - Philharmonia Orchestra Of London
Polovstian Dances 8 And 17 - Ljubljana Radio Symphony Orchestra
Pace, Pace Mio Dio - Leontyne Price
Overture - London Philharmonic Orchestra
Barcarolle - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Gypsy Chorus - Bavarian Festival Orchestra And Chorus
Royal Hunt And Storm - Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
O Mio Babbino Caro - Ljiljan Molnar-Talajic

Tracks:

Overture - Utah Symphony Orchestra
Questo A Quella - Jose Perez
Un Bei Di - Vanda Gerlovic
Che Gelida Manina - Jose Perez
Overture - Utah Symphony Orchestra
Ach, So Fromm - Jose Perez
Overture And Prelude - Ljubljana Radio Symphony Orchestra
Visi D'arte - Leontyne Price
Celeste, Aida - Jose Perez
Triumphal March - Jose Perez
Ballet Music - Jose Perez
The Viennese Musical Clock - Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Overture - London Symphony Orchestra
We Sail The Ocean - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
I'm Called Little Buttercup - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
When I Was A Lad - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
Never Mind The Why And Wherefore - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus

Tracks:

La Donna E Mobile - Jose Perez
Prelude - Slavonic Philharmonic Orchestra
Servantsd Chorus - Ljubljana Radio Chorus
Mon Coer S' Ouvre A Ta Voix - Marijana Radev
Waltz - Vienna Folk Opera Orchestra
A Wand'ring Minstrel, I - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
Three Little Maids - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
Here's A How-De-Do - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
Beauty In The Bellow - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
He's Gone And Married Yum-Yum - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
Overture - Philharmonia Orchestra Of London
Waltz - Houston Symphony Orchestra
Peasants' Chorus - Nuremberg Symphony Chorus
Overture - Philharmonia Orchestra Of London
E Strano E Strano - Biserka Cvejic
Overture - Philharmonia Orchestra Of London

Tracks:

Overture - Utah Symphony Orchestra
Bridal Chorus - Ljubljana Radio Symphony Chorus
Overture - London Festival Orchestra
Pour, O Pour The Pirate Sherry - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
Oh, Better Far To Live And Die - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major General - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
When The Foeman Bares His Steel - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
With Cat-Like Tread - Rochester Philharmonic Chorus
Summertime - Leontyne Price
Overture - London Festival Orchestra
Contro Un Cor - Rita Noel
Overture - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Painless and Pleasant.......2000-08-19

It's not that I hate opera, it's rather that I cannot handle and entire opera without nodding off. This 4 disc CD provides highlights from the most famous and recognizable arias, i.e., Pagliacci, Carmen, Rigoletto, Madame Butterfly, La Boheme, The Mikado, and H.M.S. Pinafore -- just to mention a few. I appreciate the ability to enjoy select arias from some of the most beautiful and and exceptional operas in the world, and played by first class orchestras, without having to sit through the entire opera.

Anne Sofie von Otter - Speak Low ~ Songs by Kurt Weill / Gardiner

Average customer rating:

Very Good
Excellent Weill Alternative to Lenya and Lemper
Everything is right but the style
Intelligent reading from both singer and conductor
Brilliant--The best of the 7 Deadly Sins recordings

Anne Sofie von Otter - Speak Low ~ Songs by Kurt Weill / Gardiner
Kurt Weill , John Eliot Gardiner , Anne Sofie von Otter , Bengt Forsberg , Hannover North German Radio Orchestra , Karl-Heinz Lampe , Frederick Martin , Christfried Biebrach , and James Sims
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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For the Stars
Stratas Sings Weill
Teresa Stratas - The Unknown Kurt Weill
Sings Kurt Weill, Vol. 2
Anne Sofie von Otter - La Bonne Chanson

ASIN: B000001GM3
Release Date: 1995-03-14

Tracks:

Die Sieben Tods Prologue
Die Sieben Tods No. 1 Faulheit (Sloth)
Die Sieben Tods No. 2 Stolz (Pride)
Die Sieben Tods No. 4 Zorn (Anger)
Die Sieben Tods No. 5 Vrei (Gluttony)
Die Sieben Tods No. 6 Unzucht (Lust)
Die Sieben Tods No. 6 Habsucht (Avarice)
Die Sieben Tods No. 7 Neid (Envy)
Die Sieben Tods No. 8 Epilog
My Ship
One Life To Live
Buddy On The Nightshift
Nannas Leid
Bilbao - Song
Surabaya - Johnny
Das Leid Von Der Harten Nuss
Je Ne T'amie Pas
Schickelgruber
Der Abscheidsbreief
Foolish Heart
Speak Low
I'm A Stranger Here Myself

Amazon.com

Kurt Weill's ballet with songs is one of this century's greatest theatrical works. It has all the wit and melodic appeal of The Threepenny Opera and social conscience of Mahagonny, but more warmth and musical sophistication than either. It's also all over with in about 40 minutes. Some critics believe the piece was intended as a sort of love poem to Weill's wife, Lotte Lenya; given the tenderness of much of the music, it's hard to disagree. Lenya herself recorded the piece in the 1950s (a recording recently reissued by Sony) and this very much newer performance is welcome particularly for Anne Sofie von Otter's highly intelligent and musical way with the text. The other songs, from both Weill's Berlin and Broadway periods, make the perfect filler. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Very Good.......2006-01-03

This is a very nice selection of Weill pieces showing the full range of his output. These range from the ambitious Seven Deadly Sins to songs from Happy End to some of his Broadway work. All are very interesting. The performers, particularly Von Otter, are excellent. Recommended strongly.

Excellent Weill Alternative to Lenya and Lemper.......2005-09-29

`Speak Low Songs by Kurt Weill' is a great addition to the performances of Herr Weill's works by the prominent mezzo-soprano, Anne Sofie Von Otter. I have listened to many performances by Weill specialists from the archetype, Weill's wife, Lotte Lenys, for whom many of the songs were originally written to Ute Lemper and Gisela May, who lean heavily toward Lotte Lenya's gravel-voiced interpretation of Weill's songs.

Anne Sofie Von Otter breaks with this tradition and gives us what are easily the sweetest interpretations of Weill's songs from both his German and English works, which I have heard anywhere.

The flagship performance on this disc is `Die Sieben Todsunden' (`The Seven Deadly Sins') which was a cycle of songs to be sung on the stage, accompanied by dances done by a second performer. This takes the first nine (9) tracks and is at least as good as what I have heard from Weill specialist, Lemper. This album is the first time I have noticed that there are two versions of this work, and that Ms. Von Otter is performing the version for soprano.

But, I think the most moving performances come later, especially in von Otter's performances of the three numbers from `Happy End', `Bilbao-Song', `Surabaya-Johnny', and `Das Lied von der harten Nuss' (Song of the Big Shot). I have heard these done by many people, but never so sweetly. These numbers are so lovingly performed that I insist that you ignore the fact that the lyrics are in German. The accompanying booklet gives English translations, which I simply ignore and enjoy the musical talent with no filter. My understanding German has nothing to do with this, as I do the same with French, which I can just barely make out.

Kurt Weill may not be the most important influence on American musical theatre in the 20th century, but he is easily in the top five, along with the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers and collaborators, and Cole Porter.

Ms. Von Otter is ably accompanied on this disk by her favorite pianist, Bengt Forsberg plus the Norddeutch Rundfunk orchestra directed by John Eliot Gardiner. While I really like her selection on this disk, the collection makes me wish Ms. Von Otter would do some more Weill and spend less time hanging out with Elvis Costello, but that's a different story.

Everything is right but the style.......2005-09-24

Weill and Brecht defined a nasty age with nasty art, writing some of the grittiest satire in the history of music. In this CD von Otter misses that edge, skirts all the dangerous, sleazy implications, and ultimately sounds too much the opera singer slumming it for an hour. Her earnestness is no subtitute for the right period style, a la Lotte Lenya.

Intelligent reading from both singer and conductor.......2005-01-27

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS is such a brilliant mini-masterpiece (and, to me, the pinnacle of the Brecht-Weill years) that it is hard to screw up. It is a testament to the staying power of this work (and to the brilliance of Weill's music in general) that it can be performed by the likes of Lotte Lenya, Julia Migenes, Ute Lemper, Judy Kaye, Marianne Faithfull, Teresa Stratas, and -- as here -- Anne Sofie von Otter, and STILL work... and EACH of these women are totally successful in the piece on their own terms.

Here, Anne Sofie von Otter gives us an intelligent (and highly musical) rendering of the text, keeping the musical line very much intact. She sings with vibrato at times, and then will turn around and use straight-tones at moments where it is dramatically appropriate to do so. She balances the performance well, shifting gears between cool detachment (which she is often criticized for) and impassioned outbursts (which her critics often fail to notice).

John Eliot Gardiner surprised me with how easily this music seemed to come to him, especially as he seems to be a man more at home with "Period-Instrument-Mozart" than highly charged 20th century works. However, his reading of "The Rake's Progress" by Stravinsky was totally staggering. For example, his choice beginning the climactic moment of the score ("Envy") as slowly as he does caught me very much off guard at first, and I didn't really care for it at all. However, with each successive listen, I find myself "getting" this choice more and more.

Finally, the "filler." As to be expected, she is more successful with the European material than she is with the songs from Weill's Broadway years. But this is the case with about 99.9% of all opera singers who try to sing Weill's Broadway scores. You will never hear any singer give "Je ne t'aime pas" a more hauntingly beautiful, passionately intense performance than Anne Sofie von Otter. Truly, the ultimate interpretation of one of my favorite Weill songs. "Nannas Lied," "Der Abschiedsbrief," and the HAPPY END selections. However, "My Ship" and "One Life to Live" seem to fail at catching fire -- the former because it is marred by an attempt to sound like a "pop singer," the latter because von Otter sings English better than native speakers (she knows where the ACTUAL emphasis in the phrase "nothing: the thing is to have fun" goes, as opposed to where Ira Gershwin placed it). I also -- surprisingly enough -- don't care for her performance of "Schickelgruber" -- she just seems totally lost to me. (I really think that this song is foreign territory to 'legit' sopranos and mezzos -- I don't even care for the Stratas rendition.) Just when I thought I would have to suffer through another bad batch of "opera-crossover," Anne Sofie turned around and surprised me by giving highly successful performances of the numbers from ONE TOUCH OF VENUS (especially on "I'm Stranger Here Myself").

All in all, a worthy purchase: highly recommended to all fans of THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS and Kurt Weill enthusiasts.

Brilliant--The best of the 7 Deadly Sins recordings.......2002-10-12

Weill, and particularly anything Brecht-Weill, has suffered for too long with interpertations based on tired ham theatrics, burlesques of Lenya's style, to the point where we have come to expect it as the only way to sing this music. Lenya herself is said, late in life, to have commented that a better singer (specifically Stratas at that time) would be more appropriate for properly interpreting Weill's music.

Here, after countless CD releases of the Seven Deadly Sins, is the first recording sung in the key the composer originally intended! The result is relevatory, sublime and magnificent.

Ms. Von Otter interprets the rest of the songs with mixed results--all are lovely, several are excellent, though several others have been handled better by singers with more "theatrical" talents. Nevertheless, this recording stands alone, head and shoulders above the others.

Michael Feinstein with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Musical Wit in an Orchestral Setting
A Cabaret Singer Grows Up
This cd is about average, it could have been better
Fabulously Fantastic!
Michael has done it again

Michael Feinstein with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Michael Feinstein , and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Concord Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

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Similar Items:

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Pure Gershwin
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ASIN: B00005Q6LL
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Tracks:

The Folks Who Live On The Hill
The Best Is Yet To Come
Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry
By Myself
Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year
Stormy Weather
Laura
On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)
Love Is Here To Stay
How Deep is The Ocean?
Somewhere
I Won't Send Roses

Amazon.com

If there's a precious tone to Michael Feinstein's interpretations of the American songbook, it probably stems from a fervent dedication to preserving the original context of his material. This is, after all, a musician who spent many of his formative years in personal service to the late Ira Gershwin. This collection further underscores that commitment, with the lush sound of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (augmented by the piano trio of Alan Broadbent, who also provides all but one of the arrangements here) adding considerable dramatic resonance to Feinstein's performances.

While singers from Sinatra and Streisand to Fitzgerald and Bennett have imbued many of these songs with considerable dollops of jazz, blues, and their own strong personas, Feinstein mines melancholy jewels like "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year," "How Deep Is the Ocean," and "By Myself" for all their introspective emotion. "Somewhere" pays tribute to Bernstein with glorious, unabashed melodrama, while "Laura" (one of the most recorded songs of all time) gets recast in something approaching its original intent via an arrangement written for this recording by composer David Raksin. Feinstein himself penned the album's notes, paying careful tribute to each composer represented and noting that all were Jews, yet their music came to represent a richly American spectrum that included black and white and encompassed jazz, the theater, and even classics in its scope. There's a lesson herein, and one that spans more than mere history and musical archaeology. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Musical Wit in an Orchestral Setting.......2004-01-04

The one problem a record collector encounters when he has an album too many of one artist, is the tendency of the artist to sing the same songs in succeeding albums/settings. Feinstein, who I consider as the leading proponent in reviving the American Popular Song standards to its unfettered glory is backed by a philharmonic orchestra in this album with the musical direction of conductor Alan Broadbent. And yes, he sang some songs that were sung in sparse and acoustic settings in his previous albums. As usual, just like any cabaret singer who never really sings the same song twice (listen to the grand old dames of cabaret like Julie Wilson and Mabel Mercer), Feinstein delights in the varied ways he can see a song in different contexts. Having said that, I thought he was a bit overly cautious in exploring his rich bari-tenor (sorry for this oxymoron but that is the word to apply to his voice) in soaring the vocal lines of Kern's The Folks Who Live on the Hill. Other than that, he was at his wittiest and conversational (not to mention just plain beautiful) voice when singing I Won't Send Roses and he can revisit the Bernstein/Sondheim Somewhere without evoking the famous version of uber diva Barbra Streisand. If you like good crooning vocals in a grand and orchestral setting, this is the album to listen or give as a gift -- you/they won't regret it.

A Cabaret Singer Grows Up.......2003-03-14

"Extraordinary how potent cheap music is." -Noel Coward

Like Coward, Mr. Feinstein seems to understand the power of popular, romantic song when flung into the void of an apparently cold universe by an all too human, understated voice...I first heard Michael Feinstein sing and play the piano umpteen years ago in the mad, bad '80s. At that time, I found his choice of material from the great 20th Century American composers refreshing & interesting, his skills as a pianist were good, and his diction to be above average. Yet his voice at that time was a bit weak--there was too much bravura nonsense, too much vibrato and he may have been too young for some of the songs that he sang at the time.

Well, we've both matured, (I hope), and Mr. Feinstein has delivered a remarkably smooth, yet heartfelt performance on this album. I'm particularly impressed by his vocal smoothness and emotional restraint, especially on "Love is Here to Stay", "How Deep Is the Ocean", "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year" & "I Won't Send Roses". Mr. Feinstein appears to really understand the depth of feeling that these words and music evoke in him and us. The vibrato is there when needed, but the ripeness of a mature singer is beginning to be heard on his recordings and the Israeli Philharmonic simply gives his singing wings. The only song that doesn't seem to fit is "Stormy Weather"--I kept hearing Lena Horne in my mind's ear, rather than a polished cabaret singer. I hope that Feinstein continues to grow in vocal power and subtlety as he does here. A lovely album for sophisticated romantics.

This cd is about average, it could have been better.......2002-08-18

First I would like to say i'm a Michael fan. I own all his catalog. Even though i'm a fan there are some things about this cd that I find in bad taste. Please let me explain!

I know it is hard to always be creative. There are just so many ideas to go around and then you have to start duplicating others. This is known as copying what others have done.

For this cd I felt like some of the arrangements were too long. For example, Laura as it was performed hear is a six minute song. It really should have been done in two minutes. I'm an engineer and I edited this version of Laura to run two minutes and it is just perfect. Sometimes less is really more. Also, I felt that some of the other songs didn't really have top notch arrangements attached to them. If the arrangements would have been better I whould have had no choice but to bring out the 5 star rating for this project.

To talk a little bit about the voice of Michael is my pleasure. His voice seems to be getting better with age. I have always liked Michael's voice and will continue to do so.

I will give this cd a favorable recommendation!

Fabulously Fantastic!.......2002-07-21

Feinstein has outdone himself with this collection!! He is in fine fettle with songs that only He can do justice! His interpretations and stylings are beyond compare and trust you will not be disappointed with this recording!! Feinstein is simply fabulously fantastic!

Michael has done it again.......2002-07-12

S'Wonderful, S'Marvelous.

If there is one thing you can say about Michael Feinstein it's that he knows how to put over a song. His new cd is absolutely magnificent, these are the only words to describe it.

Somewhere, By Myself, Stormy Weather and the rest of the songs are beyond compare. Do yourself a big, big favour and don't miss out on this cd; you'll love it.

Live and in Demand
Average customer rating:
Live and in Demand
Mannish Boys
Manufacturer: Delta Groove Prod
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music
Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music
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Do I Move You?

ASIN: B000BDH5UE
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Tracks:

Kid's Jump
I'm Ready (Tribute to Lester Butler)
She Wants To Sell My Monkey
Mannish Boy
You're Sweet
Howling Wolf
Goin' Crazy Over T.U.
Mystery Train
It's Too Bad
Strangest Blues
As The Years Go Passing By
Walkin' And Walkin'

Album Description

The Mannish Boys are one of the most universally praised new blues bands, both live and on record, since the heyday of the blues genre a half century ago, receiving virtually unanimous rave reviews from both the blues specialty press and general entertainment reviewers. The current edition of The Mannish Boys features a veritable one-band blues festival of talent; most of the members either lead or are integral members of other successful touring and recording bands. They've honed their blues to a brilliant edge through appearances before sold-out crowds and on festival stages in the U.S., Canada, and in Europe. Their new live recording, "Live & In Demand", captures The Mannish Boys at the top of their game at the 2005 Winthrop Blues Festival, rolling out their dynamic, non-stop, old-style 'blues revue' featuring acclaimed veteran bluesmen Finis Tasby, Johnny Dyer, Kid Ramos, Franck Goldwasser, Leon Blue, Randy Chortkoff, Richard Innes and Tom Leavey.

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