| 1. Leila (Radio Edit) |
| 2. Green Magic Leila |
| 3. Trabendo |
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
First single from the worldbeat/dance act's 2000 release 'Trabendo'. Tracks 'Leila' (Radio Edit), 'Green Magic Leila' and 'Trabendo'. 1999 release. Slimline jewel case.
In the notes to the CD, Brahem is quotes as saying that after recording his THIMAR album, the resulting physical and artistic exhaustion caused him to set aside his oud for a while - something he said he had never before done. Turning his musical ideas and expression to his piano, Brahem created the pieces recorded here. When he took these ideas into the studio (and taking his oud along with him), along with colleagues François Coutourier (piano) and Jean-Louis Matinier (accordion), his ideas were brought beautifully to fruition. The result is one of the most beautiful recordings I have ever heard.
The pieces having been written on the piano, that instrument takes the lead - but the oud and the accordion have a lot to say as well, and their voices blend effortlessly with that of the keyboard. Brahem is a master not only at composition and performing, but, in his arrangements, and in the very choosing of his accompanying musicians, shows a brilliance that is breathtaking. Through the various groupings that he has assembled on his recordings, he endows his music with a strength and scope that is stunning - it takes on a life of its own, and grows far beyond whatever boundaries smaller minds might employ to contain it by definition.
This is 'world music' in the deepest, spiritual sense of the phrase - political frontiers are vanquished and erased, while cultures are honored, respected and mingled.
Brahem's last album, ASTRAKAN CAFÉ, alluded to this meeting and convergence of styles - with each successive release, Brahem furthers his cause (and that of the open-minded, eager-to-explore listener). Each and every track included here is an absolute gem. Approach this album with an open mind and ear, and marvel at the journey on which you are to be led.
This is an absolutely essential recording.
15, 1, 11, 2, 14, 16, First 1:00 of 9, 5, 7, 12, 8, 6, 3, 4, 18, 17, Second 1:00 of 9, 13, 10.
If you can't split up track 9, put it at the second spot. Also, tracks 4 and 12 do not appear in the actual film, but the positions are where Barry intended these cues to go.
Heartily recommend!
Of course the best number on the recording is "In my own lifetime",and "Sons" is just slightly chauvinistic but....
Hal Linden is of course magical, Keene Curtis does how many roles and Paul Hecht as the oldest son steals the show in his number with Jill Clayburgh. I do know of one piece of music that was cut from the show that I would love to get my hands on,called "Its just a map". Well worth a listen!
try arguing with it..
On to this delightful disc. New moon in the old moon's arms is a curious blend of styles and time periods that begs to be cranked up on the stero. A true delight for the senses! Right now I am trying to find all of his works for my collection that are still available. on the Decca label (289 467 631-2) very enjoyable indeed but I think I spotted echoes of at least a half dozen other compositions from the past. The press release states that this symphonic poem is "original in sound and spirit but classical in its form." Dedicated as it is to the Native American Anasazi people who were more advanced than were many areas of Europe at the time, this piece uses the feelings of the past (the Old Moon) to foresee the future (the New Moon).
Similarly, "Road Movies" was composed in 1995, "Hallelujah Junction" was composed in 1996, and the newest work, "American Berzerk" was composed in 2003. "Road Movies" is actually a very soothing, contemplative work, but (true) does contain the same expressiveness felt in other works of art by Adams. "Hallelujah Junction" may be the most disappointing piece on the album, but I'm not sure that it's supposed to be taken as seriously as some Adams' fans would like to take it - such as on the level with "On The Transmigration of Souls" or "The Death of Klinghoffer." Adams himself acknowledged that "Hallelujah Junction" is the name of a truck stop on US 395 and that "it was a case of a good title needing a piece, so I obliged by composing this work for two pianos."
No, this isn't Adams' best work, but I definitely think that it surely lives up to his other greatest attempts. Plus, as an album containing solely works composed by Adams for the piano and not for orchestra, this is a nice breather and definitely an excellent addition to one's collection of piano music or for fans of Adams himself.
I am very worried about Adam's recent output, is he losing his genius I wonder? Having heard concert performances of some of his more recent, as yet unrecorded orchestral works, such as My Father Knew Charles Ives, Guide To Strange Places and On The Transmigration of Souls, I have been unmoved by them and felt they were only reasonably good at best. All these orchestral pieces and the newer chamber works have their moments, but a work like Harmonielehre is a full 40 minutes of brilliance, something Adam's hasn't achieved in a long time. Naive and Sentimental Music comes close though. I remain optimistic and eagerly await the UK premiere of his new electric violin concerto The Dharma at Big Sur at the Proms this year. Overall though, I'm disappointed with his recent output and disappointed by this CD. I don't think it was really necessary to rerecord the pieces already recorded and there are enough new orchestral pieces that could have merited inclusion on this CD. With Adam's seemingly running out of ideas, and Reich and Glass doing the same kind of music they have done since the 80's, I fear for the future of post-minimalist music. Who can take over from them now that they appear to be stuck in ruts? Michael Torke is interesting but a bit too bland most of the time, Michael Gordon can be very exciting but a bit too weird at times. Where pray is the next great composer in this tradition sprung from minimalism? I think we may have to look to the outskirts of Europe or Africa or Asia to find someone genuinely new and interesting working along the same lines. For now though we'll have to be content with Adam's pastiches, Glass' Hollywood film scores and Reich's uninspiring multimedia work, which although inventive from a multimedia point of view, doesn't actually do anything new or interesting musically. If anyone can point me in the direction of someone new and exciting out there I'd be grateful!
Josefowicz offers a Mendelssohn Violin Concerto that ranks with the finest. In collaboration with Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra this full-bodied performance has all the elegance of line, the heartfelt romance of the melodic inventions, and the amazing facility to toss off the rapid pages with joyful abandon. It is simply a great Mendelssohn interpretation.
Glazanov's A minor Violin Concerto was once a staple of the repertoire but has in recent years declined in performances. Josefowicz adds new freshness to this lovely melodic warhorse and in her hands gives reason to reexamine the work. To round off the CD is Tchaikovsky's much-loved 'Valse-scherzo for violin and orchestra' and here this little bon-bon feels like an appreciated encore offered to her audience. The playing is cleanly articulated and rich in tone. For those unfamiliar with the gifts of Leila Josefowicz this CD is a fine introduction. Grady Harp, November 05
Sound: Generally good 1950s mono. (Opera d'Oro issues are always iffy on matters of sound, ranging from very good to appallingly bad. They are generally much safer bets when based on studio recordings, as is the case here, than on live performances.)
Text: Standard text adopted with the first revivals of the opera, some years after Bizet's death.
Cast: Nadir - Leopold Simoneau; Zurga - Rene Bianco; Leila - Pierette Alarie; Nourabad - Xavier Depraz. Conductor: Jean Fournet.
Documentation: No libretto. Short plot summary. Track list.
This performance provided my first recording of "Les Pecheurs de perles," acquired more than forty-five years ago on Lp from some obscure European publisher. Having stumbled upon a CD version of the old warhorse, I was greatly pleased to find that it is as good as I had remembered it to be.
By 1863, the 25 year-old Bizet had already set his hand to incidental music to "L'Arlesienne," the requisite Sir Walter Scott opera, "La jolie fille de Perth" and an oriental opera, "Djamileh." He had not yet wrung the hankering for exoticism out of his system, so he embarked on a new opera to be set in pre-Columbian Mexico. With youthful folly, he began writing the music before his two hack librettists, Michel Carre and Eugene Cormon, had figured out a finish for the play. Even before the lack of a finale became a crisis, a major change had to be incorporated. It seems that the "Pearlfishers" team had been beaten in the race to put on an Aztec play in Paris. Since Carre and Cormon had probably known nothing at all about Meso-American empires, it is likely they had no qualms about shifting their story to another place they knew nothing about, Ceylon. Carré and Cormon never did come up with a logical finish, so they just set things on fire and let the doomed lovers depart into the sunset, providing a dramatic arc to "The Pearlfishers" that makes "Il trovatore" look like a textbook example of a well-made play.
I had remembered the star of the recording to be the tenor, Leopold Simoneau, and so he is. Simoneau had a voice of no great size but of surpassing sweetness and elegance. I have seen him described as a latter day Tito Schipa. To some extent he was, but Simoneau was a true vocal technician, far more skillful than that charming old con man, Schipa. Simoneau's Nadir is more focused on the beauty of the musical line than on drama. In this most lyrical of Bizet's operas, it works.
What I had not remembered about this recording was Pierette Alarie. Alarie was a formidable lieder singer who was married to Simoneau and who made many recordings with him. By operatic standards, her voice was small, but it was beautifully pure, precisely focused and amazingly agile, a sort of Francophone Roberta Peters. (For those familiar with Webber's "Phantom of the Opera," Alarie was precisely the type of singer for the role of the Phantom's young protegee.) All those years ago, I was busy being bowled over by Milanov, Tebaldi, Nilsson and Sutherland, so I foolishly discounted Alarie's smaller voice. While I still hold those ladies in highest esteem, this time, when I bought the CD, I actually listened to Alarie and I was amazed. This was particularly true of the closing number of the First Act, "O dieu Brahma." In every other performance that I have seen or heard, heavier-voiced sopranos make this prayer pleasant enough but nothing to compete with the acknowledged big numbers of the act, "Au fond du temple saint," and "Je crois entendre encore." Alarie's version is a revelation. With her lieder singer's discrimination and her phenomenal vocal agility, Alarie offers up a bel canto-like gem.
The Zurga of this set, while good, was simply not in the class of Simoneau and Alarie. René Bianco had a baritone voice that was pleasant but not at all commanding, not the best thing for portraying a character who is all assertiveness. The slight fuzziness of his vocal production kept Bianco from being an equal with the super-focused Simoneau and Alarie in the ensembles.
Nourabad is a thankless part, placed in the opera merely to keep the plot ticking. I remember nothing about any Nourabad I have seen or heard in the past. I remember nothing about Xavier Depraz beyond the obvious fact that he was not bad enough to make me remember him for that reason.
The first time I listened to these CDs, I found myself puzzled by the conducting. Jean Fournet was a big name in the French repertory in the years straddling World War II. As I had been particularly impressed by his dramatic "Samson et Dalila," the comparative looseness of dramatic tension here seemed odd. After comparing his version of "The Pearlfishers" with those of Rosenthal, Dervaux and Pretre, I think it probable that there was mutual agreement among Fournet, Simoneau and Alarie to downplay melodrama in favor of musicality, to take a miniaturist, even lieder-like approach. Of the four conductors, Fournet is the most precise and the most French. "The Pearlfishers" may take place on exotic Ceylon, but Jean Fournet's Ceylon is firmly anchored in the Seine, not many meters downstream from the Cathedral of Notre Dame.
This is an excellent "Pearlfishers." This version and the excellent 1959 live version conducted by Manuel Rosenthal (Gala GL 100.504), which emphasizes the drama of the opera, should be in any serious collection.
Five stars.
First single from the worldbeat/dance act's 2000 release 'Trabendo'. Tracks 'Leila' (Radio Edit), 'Green Magic Leila' and 'Trabendo'. 1999 release. Slimline jewel case.
Leila,Les Negresses Vertes,5" CD Singles
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Le Pas Du Chat Noir
Anouar Brahem Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  General
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ASIN: B00006EXHT Release Date: 2002-08-27 |
Tracks:
- Le Pas Du Chat Noir
- De Tout Ton Coeur
- Leila Au Pays Du Carrousel
- Pique-nique A Nagpur
- C'est Ailleurs
- Toi Qui Sait
- L'arbre Qui Voit
- Un Point Bleu
- Les Ailes Du Bourak
- Rue Du Depart
- Leila Au Pays Du Carrousel, Var.
- Deja La Nuit
Amazon.com
The Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem has chosen to work in a trio setting this time out, accompanied by Francois Couturier on piano and Jean-Louis Matinier on accordion. Brahem states in the liner notes that these pieces were actually composed on the piano, emerging while he was taking a much-needed short break from his primary instrument. While Pas de Chat Noir ("The Black Cat's Footsteps") is a change of pace, it is a not a terribly remote detour. Brahem is still in his favorite space, exploring the power of implication, and the other players are in synch with his vision. All three participants sound muted, relating to one another in parallels rather than in a heated dialogue. The result is a spacious, romantic pastiche of Farid El-Atrache, Astor Piazzolla, Keith Jarrett, 19th- and 20th-century French impressionists (especially Eric Satie), plus shades of every strung-out, enervated, after-hours nightclub jam that ever was. --Christina RodenCustomer Reviews:
Lovely.......2007-05-20
truly unique.......2007-05-19
absolutely essential (FJB/O!-music 2006).......2006-11-26
In the notes to the CD, Brahem is quotes as saying that after recording his THIMAR album, the resulting physical and artistic exhaustion caused him to set aside his oud for a while - something he said he had never before done. Turning his musical ideas and expression to his piano, Brahem created the pieces recorded here. When he took these ideas into the studio (and taking his oud along with him), along with colleagues François Coutourier (piano) and Jean-Louis Matinier (accordion), his ideas were brought beautifully to fruition. The result is one of the most beautiful recordings I have ever heard.
The pieces having been written on the piano, that instrument takes the lead - but the oud and the accordion have a lot to say as well, and their voices blend effortlessly with that of the keyboard. Brahem is a master not only at composition and performing, but, in his arrangements, and in the very choosing of his accompanying musicians, shows a brilliance that is breathtaking. Through the various groupings that he has assembled on his recordings, he endows his music with a strength and scope that is stunning - it takes on a life of its own, and grows far beyond whatever boundaries smaller minds might employ to contain it by definition.
This is 'world music' in the deepest, spiritual sense of the phrase - political frontiers are vanquished and erased, while cultures are honored, respected and mingled.
Brahem's last album, ASTRAKAN CAFÉ, alluded to this meeting and convergence of styles - with each successive release, Brahem furthers his cause (and that of the open-minded, eager-to-explore listener). Each and every track included here is an absolute gem. Approach this album with an open mind and ear, and marvel at the journey on which you are to be led.
This is an absolutely essential recording.
Mediterranean Music.......2006-11-03
excellent music.......2006-03-23
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From Russia with Love
Various Artists , and John Barry Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Film Scores
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ASIN: B000087DS1 Release Date: 2003-02-11 |
Tracks:
- Opening Titles: James Bond Is Back/From Russia With Love/James Bond Theme
- Tania Meets Klebb
- Meeting In St. Sophia
- The Golden Horn
- Girl Trouble
- Bond Meets Tania
- 007
- Gypsy Camp
- Death Of Grant
- From Russia With Love
- Spectre Island
- Guitar Lament
- Man Overboard/Smersh In Action
- James Bond With Bongos
- Stalking
- Leila Dances
- Death Of Kerin
- 007 Takes The Lektor
Amazon.com
After the surprise success of 1962's Dr. No, the producers of the budding James Bond series began to establish what would become its trademark elements, with its debonair anti-hero frolicking libidinously through increasingly amped-up foreign intrigue and exotic locales. Musically, this soundtrack represents perhaps their most crucial decision: hiring band leader/budding composer John Barry as scorer. Abandoning the first film's calypso kitsch for an orchestra powered cocktail of elegance and jazzy sophistication, Barry immediately gave the Bond saga a focused musical language that would become arguably its most consistent element over the decades and amidst a revolving series of lead actors and increasingly improbable cinematic predicaments. While anchored by a medley that includes Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme," this soundtrack also introduced another longstanding Bond tradition, the pop-ballad title track/single, here penned by Lionel Bart and sung with urgent conviction by British crooner Matt Munro. This digitally remastered new edition features new liner notes, as well as artwork and stills from the film. --Jerry McCulleyCustomer Reviews:
Barry's first - incredible.......2007-01-19
Chronological order.......2006-11-20
15, 1, 11, 2, 14, 16, First 1:00 of 9, 5, 7, 12, 8, 6, 3, 4, 18, 17, Second 1:00 of 9, 13, 10.
If you can't split up track 9, put it at the second spot. Also, tracks 4 and 12 do not appear in the actual film, but the positions are where Barry intended these cues to go.
Fantastic Soundtrack!! Great Remaster!!.......2006-03-04
The best of the series.......2006-01-12
Heartily recommend!
Incomparable James Bond Soundtrack.......2005-01-21
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More Mozart for Mothers-to-Be
Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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ASIN: B00004U0QG Release Date: 2000-06-27 |
Tracks:
- The Marriage of Figaro - The Letter Duet-Canzonetta sull'aria "Che soave zeffiretto"
- The Marriage of Figaro - Susanna's Air: Deh vieni, non tardar
- Don Giovanni - Zerlina's Air: Vedrai carino
- Cosi fan tutte - Terzettino: Soave sia il vento
- La Clemenza di Tito - Duet: Ah perdona al primo affetto
- Cosi fan tutte - Di scrivermi ogni giorno
- The Marriage of Figaro - Cherubino's Air: Voi che sapete
- Don Giovanni - Don Giovanni's Serenade: Deh vieni alla finestre
- Zaide - Rube sanft, mein holdes Leben
- Il Re Pastroe - L'amero, saro costante
- Nehmt meinen Dank, ihr holden Gonner
- Idomeneo - Zeffiretti lusinghiere
- Idomeneo - Se il padre perdei
- The Abduction from the Seraglio - Pedrillo's Serenade (A Moorish Romance): In Mohrenland gefangen war
- The Marriage of Figaro - Flower Chorus: Ricevete, o padroncina
- The Magic Flute - Boys' Trio: Zum Ziele fuhrt dich dies Bahn
- The Magic Flute - Boys' Trio (Welcome A Second Time): Seid uns zum zweiten Mal wilkommen
- The Magic Flute - Papageno's Air: Der Vogelfanger bin ich ja
- The Magic Flute - Papageno's Love Song: Ein Madchen oder Weibchen
- The Magic Flute - Pa Pa Pa Pa Pa Pa
- Cosi fan tutte - Despina's Aria: Una donna a quindici anni
- Das Kinderspiel
Customer Reviews:
An Alternative view for moms.......2004-07-15
Good if you like Opera.......2004-02-11
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The Rothschilds: A Musical (1970 Original Broadway Cast)
Sheldon Harnick Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Musical Theater
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ASIN: B0000024WT Release Date: 1992-05-19 |
Tracks:
- Overture - Orchestra
- Pleasure And Privilege - Keene Curtis/Jon Peck/Ensemble
- One Room - Leila Martin/Hal Linden
- He Tossed A Coin - Hal Linden/Thomas Trelfa/Kenneth Bridges/Jon Peck/Ensemble
- Sons - Hal Linden/Leila Martin/Lee Franklin/Robby Benson/Michael Maitland/Mitchell Spera
- Everything - Paul Hecht/Leila Martin/David Garfield/Allan Gruet/Timothy Jerome/Chris Sarandon/Jon Peck
- Rothschild And Sons - Hal Linden/Paul Hecht/David Garfield/Allan Gruet/Timothy Jerome/Chris Sarandon
- Allons! - Keene Curtis/Male Ensemble
- Rothschild And Sons (Reprise) - Hal Linden/Paul Hecht/David Garfield/Allan Gruet/Timothy Jerome/Chris Sarandon
- Finale To Act I: Sons (Reprise) - Leila Martin/Hal Linden/Paul Hecht/David Garfield/Allan Gruet/Timothy Jerome/Chris Sarandon
- Act II Opening (Part 1): Give England Strength - Keene Curtis/Male Ensemble
- Act II Opening (Part 2): This Amazing London Town - Paul Hecht/Male Ensemble
- Act II Opening (Part 3): They Say - Paul Tracey/Male Ensemble
- I'm In Love! I'm In Love! - Paul Hecht
- I'm In Love! I'm In Love (Reprise) - Jill Clayburgh/Paul Hecht
- In My Own Lifetime - Hal Linden
- Have You Ever Seen A Prettier Little Congress?/Stability - Keene Curtis/Ensemble
- Bonds - Paul Hecht/David Garfield/Allan Gruet/Timothy Jerome/Chris Sarandon/Keene Curtis/Ensemble
- Finale: The Will - Hal Linden
Customer Reviews:
INTERESTING SHOW.......2007-01-24
In my own lifetime.......2002-03-31
Of course the best number on the recording is "In my own lifetime",and "Sons" is just slightly chauvinistic but....
Hal Linden is of course magical, Keene Curtis does how many roles and Paul Hecht as the oldest son steals the show in his number with Jill Clayburgh. I do know of one piece of music that was cut from the show that I would love to get my hands on,called "Its just a map". Well worth a listen!
Tevye had rich relatives!.......2002-02-22
oh the misery of it al!.......2002-02-07
try arguing with it..
maybe you could provide us chickuns with alternate media players?? uh, how about it?
A muscular, vibrant score with many musical shadings.......1999-08-25
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Kamen: The New Moon in the Old Moon's Arms
Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B000056PRE Release Date: 2001-01-30 |
Tracks:
- 1,000 AD
- 1,000 AD
- The Prayer
- The Prayer
- Moonlight
- Moonlight
- 2,000 AD
- Iris
- Cole's Tune
- Marking Homework
- Rowen
- Finale
Amazon.com
Michael Kamen is a multitalented, multifaceted musician. Though originally classically trained, he soon turned to writing in other styles and is now famous mostly for his film scores, several of which have won prestigious awards and nominations. He has been credited with successfully bridging the gap between the worlds of classical and pop music, and The New Moon, commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra and Leonard Slatkin to celebrate the new millennium, is described as "his first classical symphony." Inspired by the history of the Anasazi people, Native Americans who lived in the Southwest and vanished 1,000 years ago, and the legacy they left in paintings on the canyon walls, its only "symphonic" feature is the recurrent use of a lead-theme given to the solo flute and solo cello, which symbolize certain characters in the Anasazi story. Unfortunately, the theme, based on a three-note figure, is used mostly in endless sequences. The piece alternates solemn chorales with increasingly wild dances Kamen calls "Scherzos"; the orchestration is lush and overloaded but effective, thanks mostly to the excellent soloists. Mr. Holland's Opus--An American Symphony is drawn from the soundtrack to the film of the same name. Despite its title, it hardly resembles a symphony, and it is difficult to take the bombastic, grandiloquent Finale seriously as representing the masterpiece of the film's protagonist, an idealistic young teacher and ambitious composer. Calling this music "classical" is a condescending misrepresentation and a disservice to its composer. Rather, it should be accepted for itself and its own real qualities: pleasant, singable melodies, simple, tonal harmonies, luxuriant orchestration, spicily rhythmical, humorous Scherzos. Clearly, Michael Kamen writes what's in his ear and heart, and he deserves respect for his courage and honesty. --Edith EislerAlbum Description
Michael Kamen's latest work The New Moon in the Old Moon's Arms is a symphonic poem inspired by the history of the Native American Anasazi people who mysteriously vanished almost 1000 years ago. They had lived until then in what's now New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada; and without the wheel or horse, they built complex homes, miles of long, straight roads and astronomical observatories. They also produced wonderful artistic visions on the canyon walls, including Kokopelli, the hump-backed flute player. The title of the album is quoted from an Iroquai Indian who Kamen met as a little boy and symbolizes "a glimpse of the future in the light of the past." As a committed humanist and a devotee to the American Indian, Kamen chose to mark the new millennium with a symphony that tells a story about the past that makes us consider the future with a message of compassion and humanity.Also on the album is Mr. Holland's Opus - An American Symphony. It has been arranged from the original music composed by Kamen for the critically acclaimed film "Mr. Holland's Opus", starring Richard Dreyfuss. The symphony features Leila Josefowicz on "Cole's Tune" (track 9). It was recorded in London in the Summer of 2000 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.
Customer Reviews:
Thank you Michael Kamen.......2004-04-06
On to this delightful disc. New moon in the old moon's arms is a curious blend of styles and time periods that begs to be cranked up on the stero. A true delight for the senses! Right now I am trying to find all of his works for my collection that are still available.
The Memory That Outlasts the Years.......2004-02-19
I'll start with The New Moon in the Old Moon's Arms. Yes--I can hear the influences of other composers in there, most notably (for me), Stravinsky. But it doesn't disturb my listening at all. One must remember what this piece was intended to be--it was commissioned for the millenium. I believe that its purpose was not to push *too* far--but to be a thing that people could connect with, envision. It is inventive, but at the same time *must* appeal to the familiar in order to accomplish its purpose. (The same goes for the Shostakovich-like part in "Marking Homework" in An American Symphony.) That, more than anything, embodies the spirit of Michael Kamen--he was all about bridging the gaps between genres and audiences that to him shouldn't have even existed in the first place. Look at his excellent work in the Metallica S & M project for another shining example of this "bridge-building" work, or the "Finale" of An American Symphony.
As to the symphony itself, I am quite pleased. Just as Michael did, I feel a great connection to the imagery and history of the Southwestern U.S., and particularly through the flute and percussion work I get that sense from it. Some pieces have darker parts in them--but there are also wonderfully bright sections to balance them out, such as a beautiful moment in "In the Moonlight" starting on Track 6 at about 5:35, where I envision seeing a thing that perhaps I feared...that is then revealed to be an object of great joy instead. The peace that comes from that is really very wonderful. The first track on "The Prayer" is also a particularly moving section, indeed the sort of uplifting thing I like as a backdrop for my meditations. The progression of the music throughout is "just unusual enough"--it can't be predicted by a first-time listener, but at the same time it does not go *too* far. I can't explain exactly how, but I can certainly hear certain signatures of Michael's throughout.
This CD also has all five parts of An American Symphony, which appeared in the movie Mr. Holland's Opus. I only saw the movie a few times in the years since it was released, and the *impressions* of the music, even if not the note-for-note particulars, burned themseves indelibly upon my brain. Among my favorites are the powerful "Iris" theme, and the hauntingly beautiful "Rowena". The latter is a tune that, upon seeing the movie a few weeks ago for the first time in years, became instantly familiar the second I heard it again--I felt as if I'd found a tune I'd been seeking for all the intervening time in my own musical meanderings. That, more than anything, ought to serve as a testament to what Michael wrote here. My only wish unfulfilled on this particular CD is that the mesmerising piano rendition didn't appear here. Trust me--it's worth renting or buying the movie to hear, and I hope very much you'll do that along with purchasing this CD.
The "Finale" now has a strange parallel meaning to what it held in the movie. The music program having been cut off suddenly, the students Glenn Holland has had over the years gather to give him a glorious send-off, and to prove to him that his career, even abruptly abbreviated as it was, had a tremendous influence. That influence is the legacy of him that they will carry in their hearts. So it is now with the man who was truly behind that music. The first symphony, too, is about legacy. The Anasazi people who actually created the art that inspired Michael are not here, either. But just as their tradition and their work has survived all these years, so will his, through a form of memory we know as music.
I truly hope you will open your hearts to the music and the memory...to know its power and joy.
--Written in memory of Maestro Michael Kamen
Absolutely Wonderful.......2004-02-17
Orchestral Kokopelli.......2003-02-11
Higly enjoyable and very derivative.......2001-02-05
Instantly there spring to mind similarities with "Rites of Spring" and even "Billy the Kid," not to mention "Russian Easter Overture," along with a good dash of "Grand Canyon Suite" and several other works that evoke a mythical past. None of this makes the work any less enjoyable and a good case is made for it by the National Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin. In fact, I highly recommend it.
"Mr Holland's Opus--An American Symphony," which concludes the CD, is a lovely reminder of that popular film; and its four short movements (the longest lasting 4:35 minutes) profit by some classy casting such as having violinist Leila Josefowicz as soloist in the second movement. Very pleasant doings, this time with BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Now if the production people would stop this nonsense of printing the program notes in white over colored patterns so you can go blind trying to read them, we might appreciate the work even more.
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Road Movies
Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Adams
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ASIN: B0001XAO66 Release Date: 2004-05-04 |
Tracks:
- I. Relaxed Groove - Leila Josefowicz
- II. Meditative - Leila Josefowicz
- II. 40% Swing - Leila Josefowicz
- Hallelujah Junction
- Halleujah Junction
- Halleujah Junction
- China Gates - Nicolas Hodges
- American Berserk - Nicolas Hodges
- Part 1
- Part 2 (A System Of Weights And Measures)
- Part 3
Amazon.com
Here is a CD of chamber works by John Adams: Road Movies is for violin and piano, Hallelujah Junction is for two pianos, and the other three works are for solo piano. China Gates, the shortest piece, is simply beautiful: 4-and-a-half minutes of lyricism. American Berserk, the other miniature, is busy, jazzy and rhythmically rich. Hallelujah Junction, for two pianos, is named for a truck stop on the California-Nevada border, but Adams was thinking more of the area's past, filled with gold prospectors. Its 16 minutes are brawny and energetic; sometimes the pianos finish one-another's phrases, sometimes they form big-boned clusters. It goes through a section of plushness before a jagged last movement---it's as varied, Adams seems to be saying, as America's personality. Road Movies begins with a tempi and attitude evocative of driving down a highway, with billboards and dotted landscapes whizzing by; one might hear in the piano part the road and its turns and in the violin, the changing but much-the-same sights. The second movement is lonelier and more severe and the third is part pure minimalism sped up to a point of mania and part boogie-woogie. The CD's longest piece, Phrygian Gates, is peaceful and moody, with moments which alternately swell and ebb; the second movement goes nowhere and seems to be concerned with a tone cluster at time, and the finale is insistent minmalism, staying close enough to its original key at all times to be comfortable while rhythmically keeping us on out toes. The performances are beyond reproach, with Leila Josefowicz and John Novacek particularly splendid in their difficult Road Moves duos, but with very high praise going to the other pianists as well. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but Adams always catches the attention. --Robert LevineCustomer Reviews:
Silly reviewers! Historical Adams.......2006-06-14
Similarly, "Road Movies" was composed in 1995, "Hallelujah Junction" was composed in 1996, and the newest work, "American Berzerk" was composed in 2003. "Road Movies" is actually a very soothing, contemplative work, but (true) does contain the same expressiveness felt in other works of art by Adams. "Hallelujah Junction" may be the most disappointing piece on the album, but I'm not sure that it's supposed to be taken as seriously as some Adams' fans would like to take it - such as on the level with "On The Transmigration of Souls" or "The Death of Klinghoffer." Adams himself acknowledged that "Hallelujah Junction" is the name of a truck stop on US 395 and that "it was a case of a good title needing a piece, so I obliged by composing this work for two pianos."
No, this isn't Adams' best work, but I definitely think that it surely lives up to his other greatest attempts. Plus, as an album containing solely works composed by Adams for the piano and not for orchestra, this is a nice breather and definitely an excellent addition to one's collection of piano music or for fans of Adams himself.
With all due respect: boring.......2005-02-06
Response to frisbee95:.......2004-07-09
For alternatives, there is always the music of Morton Feldman (particularly the works from 1977 on, which is arguably his best), some decent work by Charlemagne Palestine (Strumming Music is still the best, in my opinion) and a few others. Not to be self-promoting, but just to show that there is recent music with repetitive structures that I think, are of value, you may want to look at http://homepage.mac.com/dtoub/dbtmusic.html for some examples. Not putting my works in the same class as any of the others, but I'd like to think there's something new and interesting about it.
A great composer with all his influences showing.......2004-05-22
Not the best Adams CD.......2004-05-17
I am very worried about Adam's recent output, is he losing his genius I wonder? Having heard concert performances of some of his more recent, as yet unrecorded orchestral works, such as My Father Knew Charles Ives, Guide To Strange Places and On The Transmigration of Souls, I have been unmoved by them and felt they were only reasonably good at best. All these orchestral pieces and the newer chamber works have their moments, but a work like Harmonielehre is a full 40 minutes of brilliance, something Adam's hasn't achieved in a long time. Naive and Sentimental Music comes close though. I remain optimistic and eagerly await the UK premiere of his new electric violin concerto The Dharma at Big Sur at the Proms this year. Overall though, I'm disappointed with his recent output and disappointed by this CD. I don't think it was really necessary to rerecord the pieces already recorded and there are enough new orchestral pieces that could have merited inclusion on this CD. With Adam's seemingly running out of ideas, and Reich and Glass doing the same kind of music they have done since the 80's, I fear for the future of post-minimalist music. Who can take over from them now that they appear to be stuck in ruts? Michael Torke is interesting but a bit too bland most of the time, Michael Gordon can be very exciting but a bit too weird at times. Where pray is the next great composer in this tradition sprung from minimalism? I think we may have to look to the outskirts of Europe or Africa or Asia to find someone genuinely new and interesting working along the same lines. For now though we'll have to be content with Adam's pastiches, Glass' Hollywood film scores and Reich's uninspiring multimedia work, which although inventive from a multimedia point of view, doesn't actually do anything new or interesting musically. If anyone can point me in the direction of someone new and exciting out there I'd be grateful!
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Ernest in Love (1960 Original Broadway Cast)
Lee Pockriss , Anne Croswell , and Leila Martin Manufacturer: Drg ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Musical Theater
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ASIN: B00008O33L Release Date: 2003-04-08 |
Tracks:
- Overture
- Come Raise Your Cup
- How Do You Find The Words?
- The hat
- Mr. Bunbury
- Perfection
- A Handbag Is Not A Proper Mother
- Wicked Man
- Metaphorically Speaking
- You Can't Make Love
- Lost
- My Very First Impression
- The Muffin Song
- My Eternal Devotion
- The Muffin Song (Reprise)
- Ernest In Love
Customer Reviews:
A Hidden Treasure.......2007-05-13
superb musical version of the Oscar Wilde masterpiece!.......2003-12-11
The show opened off-Broadway at the Gramercy Arts Theatre, before moving to the Cherry Lane Theatre. It shuttered after a dismal 111 performances. The cast is superb: it includes Leila Martin as Gwendolen, John Irving as Jack Worthing, Gerrianne Raphael as Cecily Cardew, Louis Edmonds as Algernon Moncrieff and Sara Seegar as the fearsome Lady Bracknell.
There are several gems in the score, including "The Hat", "A Handbag is Not a Proper Mother" where Lady Bracknell denounces Jack's proposal to Gwendolen, and "Wicked Man", where Cecily imagines the man of her dreams.
This splendid cast album has been crisply remastered by DRG, and I highly recommend it to all show music collectors.
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Mendelssohn & Glazunov: Violin Concertos
Felix Mendelssohn , Alexander Glazunov , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Charles Dutoit , Leila Josefowicz , and Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Tchaikovsky
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ASIN: B00002R2ST Release Date: 2000-02-08 |
Tracks:
- Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64: I. Allegro molto appassionato
- Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64: II. Andante
- Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op.64: III. Allegretto non tropo - Allegro molto vivace
- Valse-scherzo, Op.34
- Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op.82: I. Moderato
- Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op.82: II. Andante sostenuto - Tempo I
- Violin Concerto In A Minor, Op.82: III. Allegro
Customer Reviews:
Good, not great........2007-06-29
A Brilliant Mendelssohn Concerto from Leila Josefowicz.......2005-11-26
Josefowicz offers a Mendelssohn Violin Concerto that ranks with the finest. In collaboration with Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra this full-bodied performance has all the elegance of line, the heartfelt romance of the melodic inventions, and the amazing facility to toss off the rapid pages with joyful abandon. It is simply a great Mendelssohn interpretation.
Glazanov's A minor Violin Concerto was once a staple of the repertoire but has in recent years declined in performances. Josefowicz adds new freshness to this lovely melodic warhorse and in her hands gives reason to reexamine the work. To round off the CD is Tchaikovsky's much-loved 'Valse-scherzo for violin and orchestra' and here this little bon-bon feels like an appreciated encore offered to her audience. The playing is cleanly articulated and rich in tone. For those unfamiliar with the gifts of Leila Josefowicz this CD is a fine introduction. Grady Harp, November 05
Josefowicz is possibly the finest violinist of our time........2002-04-27
Vintage Violin Playing by Josefowicz.......2000-11-09
Breathtaking!.......2000-07-05
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Music From the Screens
Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Incidental Music
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ASIN: B0000040UP Release Date: 1992-03-10 |
Tracks:
- The Mad Cadi's Court
- Leila Dies
- Said And His Shadow Dance
- Decorating The Dummies
- Warda's Whorehouse
- The French Lieutenant Dreams
- The Arab Women Lament
- Land Of The Dead
- Ansatou
- 19th Century France
- Said's Treason
- The Orchard
- The Village
- Prison Song
- Suso's Song
- France
- Night On The Balcony
- North Africa - 1962
Customer Reviews:
Very Powerful music.......2003-08-03
The French Lt.'sWomen is very slow and very powerful. If you don't get
a choked feeling in your throat.....you probably voted for Bush.
This one selection is worth the entire CD
Glass on a vacation from glass.......2002-05-19
Delicate and ephemeral.......2000-09-29
Doesn't come together quite as well.......2000-08-25
Breathtaking.......1999-09-06
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Bizet: Les pêcheurs de perles
Manufacturer: Opera D'oro ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Romances
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ASIN: B0006VXLOK Release Date: 2005-02-15 |
Tracks:
- Introduction - Orchestra Des Concerts Lamoureux
- Sur La Greve Un Feu - Elisabeth Brasseur Choir
- Amis, Interrompez Voz Danses
- Demeure Parmi Nous, Nadir
- C'est Toi
- Au Fond Du Temple Saint
- Que Vois-Je?
- Sois Le Bienvenue - Elisabeth Brasseur Choir
- Seule Au Milieu De Nous... Brahma, Divin Brahma
- A Cette Voix
- Ke Crois Entendre Encore
- Le Ciel Est Bleu
- O Dieu Brahma... Dans Le Ciel Sans Voile
Tracks:
- L'ombre Descend Des Cieux - Xavier Depraz
- Me Voila Seule Dans La Nuit... Comme Autrefois - Pierette Alaire
- De Mon Amie
- Leila, Leila!... Dieu Puissant... Ton Coeur N'a Pas Compris Le Mien
- Ah! Revenez A La Raison... O Nuit D'epouvante
- L'orage S'est Calme... O Nadir, Tendre Ami De Mon Jeune Age - Rene Bianco
- Qu'ai-je Vu?... Je Fremis, Je Chancelle - Pierette Alarie
- Entends Au Loin Ce Bruit De Fete - Pierette Alarie
- Des Que Le Soleil - Elisabeth Brasseur Choir
- Sombres Divinites
- O Lumiere Sainte
- Ce Sont Eux, Les Voici... Plus De Crainte
Customer Reviews:
Excellent 1953 version emphasizes musicality over drama.......2005-08-08
Sound: Generally good 1950s mono. (Opera d'Oro issues are always iffy on matters of sound, ranging from very good to appallingly bad. They are generally much safer bets when based on studio recordings, as is the case here, than on live performances.)
Text: Standard text adopted with the first revivals of the opera, some years after Bizet's death.
Cast: Nadir - Leopold Simoneau; Zurga - Rene Bianco; Leila - Pierette Alarie; Nourabad - Xavier Depraz. Conductor: Jean Fournet.
Documentation: No libretto. Short plot summary. Track list.
This performance provided my first recording of "Les Pecheurs de perles," acquired more than forty-five years ago on Lp from some obscure European publisher. Having stumbled upon a CD version of the old warhorse, I was greatly pleased to find that it is as good as I had remembered it to be.
By 1863, the 25 year-old Bizet had already set his hand to incidental music to "L'Arlesienne," the requisite Sir Walter Scott opera, "La jolie fille de Perth" and an oriental opera, "Djamileh." He had not yet wrung the hankering for exoticism out of his system, so he embarked on a new opera to be set in pre-Columbian Mexico. With youthful folly, he began writing the music before his two hack librettists, Michel Carre and Eugene Cormon, had figured out a finish for the play. Even before the lack of a finale became a crisis, a major change had to be incorporated. It seems that the "Pearlfishers" team had been beaten in the race to put on an Aztec play in Paris. Since Carre and Cormon had probably known nothing at all about Meso-American empires, it is likely they had no qualms about shifting their story to another place they knew nothing about, Ceylon. Carré and Cormon never did come up with a logical finish, so they just set things on fire and let the doomed lovers depart into the sunset, providing a dramatic arc to "The Pearlfishers" that makes "Il trovatore" look like a textbook example of a well-made play.
I had remembered the star of the recording to be the tenor, Leopold Simoneau, and so he is. Simoneau had a voice of no great size but of surpassing sweetness and elegance. I have seen him described as a latter day Tito Schipa. To some extent he was, but Simoneau was a true vocal technician, far more skillful than that charming old con man, Schipa. Simoneau's Nadir is more focused on the beauty of the musical line than on drama. In this most lyrical of Bizet's operas, it works.
What I had not remembered about this recording was Pierette Alarie. Alarie was a formidable lieder singer who was married to Simoneau and who made many recordings with him. By operatic standards, her voice was small, but it was beautifully pure, precisely focused and amazingly agile, a sort of Francophone Roberta Peters. (For those familiar with Webber's "Phantom of the Opera," Alarie was precisely the type of singer for the role of the Phantom's young protegee.) All those years ago, I was busy being bowled over by Milanov, Tebaldi, Nilsson and Sutherland, so I foolishly discounted Alarie's smaller voice. While I still hold those ladies in highest esteem, this time, when I bought the CD, I actually listened to Alarie and I was amazed. This was particularly true of the closing number of the First Act, "O dieu Brahma." In every other performance that I have seen or heard, heavier-voiced sopranos make this prayer pleasant enough but nothing to compete with the acknowledged big numbers of the act, "Au fond du temple saint," and "Je crois entendre encore." Alarie's version is a revelation. With her lieder singer's discrimination and her phenomenal vocal agility, Alarie offers up a bel canto-like gem.
The Zurga of this set, while good, was simply not in the class of Simoneau and Alarie. René Bianco had a baritone voice that was pleasant but not at all commanding, not the best thing for portraying a character who is all assertiveness. The slight fuzziness of his vocal production kept Bianco from being an equal with the super-focused Simoneau and Alarie in the ensembles.
Nourabad is a thankless part, placed in the opera merely to keep the plot ticking. I remember nothing about any Nourabad I have seen or heard in the past. I remember nothing about Xavier Depraz beyond the obvious fact that he was not bad enough to make me remember him for that reason.
The first time I listened to these CDs, I found myself puzzled by the conducting. Jean Fournet was a big name in the French repertory in the years straddling World War II. As I had been particularly impressed by his dramatic "Samson et Dalila," the comparative looseness of dramatic tension here seemed odd. After comparing his version of "The Pearlfishers" with those of Rosenthal, Dervaux and Pretre, I think it probable that there was mutual agreement among Fournet, Simoneau and Alarie to downplay melodrama in favor of musicality, to take a miniaturist, even lieder-like approach. Of the four conductors, Fournet is the most precise and the most French. "The Pearlfishers" may take place on exotic Ceylon, but Jean Fournet's Ceylon is firmly anchored in the Seine, not many meters downstream from the Cathedral of Notre Dame.
This is an excellent "Pearlfishers." This version and the excellent 1959 live version conducted by Manuel Rosenthal (Gala GL 100.504), which emphasizes the drama of the opera, should be in any serious collection.
Five stars.
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