THE GENTLE AWAKENING

Product Description
SOOTHING INSPIRATIONAL AND MEDITATIONAL PIANO/ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC.

THE GENTLE AWAKENING,GARY FARR,Secret Formula Records,An inspirational instrumental musical work of art featuring beautiful serene piano and orchestral sounds touching the hearts and souls seeking a higher level of spiritual consciousness.

Average customer rating:

Classical Relaxation Meditation Manufacturer: Delta ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Melodies for Meditation Heirborne Heritage Tranquil Moods: Prelude Memory Almost Full ASIN: B00005Y9B0 Release Date: 2000-07-13

Average customer rating: total dissapointment

Awakening Remembrance Gentle Thunder Manufacturer: GT Productions/Delvian ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Winds of the Heart ASIN: B000936RIM Release Date: 2005-03-28

Tracks:

1. Ancient Design
2. Rose Opening
3. Spirit Fire
4. Awakening Remembrance
5. Waterfall
6. Freedom's Wings

Product Description

1. Ancinet Desing
2. Rose Opening
3. Spirit Fire
4. Awakening Rememberance
5. Waterfall
6. Freedom's Wings


Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

total dissapointment.......2007-03-30

This is my first review and it has to be really good or really bad for me to take the time to write this. I love hammered dulcimer and like alot of new age music so I figured I'd like this. Wrong. All of the songs sound like an introduction or someone practicing. I couldn't make out any melody that stands out at all. They probably have talent but no writing ability or taste. Save yourself. Flee from this.

Average customer rating: A Long Time Coming... Her Best Album Price At Her Peak of course world class the greatest american soprano of the 20th century

The Essential Leontyne Price Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Poulenc | Poulenc, Francis | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schubert | Schubert, Franz | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Robert Schumann | Schumann, Robert | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolf | Wolf, Hugo | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Price, Leontyne | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Barber, Samuel | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Berlioz, Hector | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Anonymous | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Vocal Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Vocal Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cilea, Francesco | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Price, Leontyne | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Box Sets | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ASIN: B000003FWD Release Date: 1996-08-13

Tracks:

1. Aida: Act I: Ritorna vincitor!
2. Aida: Act I: E l'amor mio?
3. Aida: Act I: I sacri nomi di padre, d'amante
4. Aida: Act III: Qui Radames verra!
5. Aida: Act III: O patria mia
6. Un Ballo in Maschera: Act II: (Prelude)
7. Un Ballo in Maschera: Act II: Ecco l'orrido campo
8. Un Ballo in Maschera: Act II: Ma dall'arido stelo divulsa
9. Un Ballo in Maschera: Act III: A tal colpa e nulla il pianto
10. Un Ballo in Maschera: Act III: Morro, ma prima in grazia
11. Il Trovatore: Act I: Che piu t'arresti?
12. Il Trovatore: Act I: Tacea la notte placida
13. Il Trovatore: Act I: Di tale amor che dirsi
14. Il Trovatore: Act IV: Siam giunti
15. Il Trovatore: Act IV: D'amor sull'ali rosee
16. Ernani: Act I: Surta e la notte
17. Ernani: Act I: Ernani! Ernani, involami
18. Ernani: Act I: Tutto sprezzo che d'Ernani
19. La forza del destino: Act II: Son giunta! Grazie, o Dio!
20. La forza del destino: Act II: Madre, madre, pietosa Vergine
21. La forza del destino: Act II: La Vergine degli angeli
22. La forza del destino: Act IV: Pace, pace, mio Dio

Tracks:

1. Cosi fan tutte: Act I: Come scoglio immoto resta
2. Madama Butterfly: Act II: Piangi? Perche?; Un bel di vedremo
3. Madama Butterfly: Act III: Tu? tu? piccolo Iddio!
4. TOSCA: Act II: Vissi d'arte
5. Manon Lescaut: Act II: In quelle trine morbide
6. Manon Lescaut: Act IV: Sola, perduta, abbandonata
7. Dialogues des Carmelites: Act III: Mes filles, voila que s'acheve
8. Don Giovanni: Act I: Don Ottavio, son morta!
9. Don Giovanni: Act I: Or sai chi l'onore
10. Don Giovanni: Act II: Crudele? Ah, no, mio bene!
11. Don Giovanni: Act II: Non mi dir
12. Turandot: Act I: Signore, ascolta!
13. Turandot: Act III: Tu che di gel sei cinta
14. Ariadne auf Naxos: Es gibt ein Reich
15. Antony And Cleopatra: Act III: Give me my robe

Tracks:

1. Otello: Era piu calmo?
2. Otello: Mia madre aveva una povera ancella (Willow Song)
3. Otello: Ave Maria
4. Fidelio: Act I: Abscheulicher! Wo eilst du hin?
5. Suor Angelica: Senza mamma, o bimbo, tu sei morto!
6. Carmen: L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera)
7. La Traviata: Act I: E strano, e strano !
8. La Traviata: Act I: Ah, fors' e lui
9. La Traviata: Act I: Sempre libera
10. Le nozze di Figaro: Act III: E Susanna non vien!
11. Le nozze di Figaro: Act III: Dove sono
12. Die Agyptische Helena: Act II: Awakening Scene
13. La rondine: Ore dolci e divine
14. Salome: Finale

Tracks:

1. Eugene Onegin: Act II: Puskai pogibnu ya
2. Eugene Onegin: Act II: Ya k vam pishu
3. Eugene Onegin: Act II: Net, nikomu na svete
4. Eugene Onegin: Act II: No tak i byt'!
5. La rondine: Act I: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta
6. VANESSA: Act I: He Has Come, He Has Come!
7. VANESSA: Act I: Do Not Utter A Word
8. Carmen: Act I: Pres des remparts de Seville (Seguidilla)
9. Manon: Act II: Allons! il le faut!
10. Manon: Act II: Adieu, notre petite table
11. Macbeth: Act IV: Sleepwalking Scene: Vegliammo invan due notti
12. Macbeth: Act IV: Sleepwalking Scene: Una macchia e qui tuttora
13. La Boheme: Act IIII: Addio. Donde lieta usci (Mimi's Addio)
14. Die Frau ohne Schatten: Act II: Empress's Awakening Scene
15. Dido and Aeneas: Act III: Thy Hand, Belinda!
16. Dido and Aeneas: Act III: When I Am Laid In Earth
17. Don Carlo: Act V: Tu che le vanita conoscesti del mondo

Tracks:

1. Otello: Act I: Gia nella notte
2. Otello: Act I: Quando narravi
3. Otello: Act I: Venga la morte!
4. Cosi fan tutte: Act I: Ah, guarda, sorella
5. Madama Butterfly: Act I: Bimba, bimba, non piangere
6. Madama Butterfly: Act I: Bimba dagli occhi
7. Madama Butterfly: Act I: Vogliatemi bene
8. Requiem: Recordare
9. Porgy And Bess: Act II: Bess, You Is My Woman
10. Norma: Act III: Me chiami, o Norma
11. Norma: Act III: Mira, o Norma
12. Ernani: Act II: Tu, perfida!
13. Ernani: Act II: Ah, morir, potessi adesso
14. Cosi fan tutte: Act II: Sorella, cosa dici?
15. Cosi fan tutte: Act II: Prendero quel brunettino
16. Aida: Act IV: La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuse
17. Aida: Act IV: Presago il core della tua condanna
18. Aida: Act IV: Vedi? Di morte l'angelo
19. Aida: Act IV: O terra, addio

Tracks:

1. Un Ballo in Maschera: Act II: Teco io sto!
2. Aida: Act III: Ciel! mio padre!
3. Aida: Act III: Rivedrai le forest imbalsamate
4. Aida: Act III: In armi ora si desta il popol nostro
5. Aida: Act III: Padre! a costoro schiava non sono
6. Requiem: Angus Dei
7. Manon Lescaut: Act I: Oh, saro la piu bella!; Tu, tu, amore?
8. Cosi fan tutte: Act I: Soave sia il vento
9. Porgy And Bess: Act II: I Loves You, Porgy
10. Aida: Act II: Silenzio! Aida verso noi s'avanza
11. Aida: Act II: Fu la sorte dell'armi
12. Aida: Act II: Pieta ti prenda del mio dolor
13. Aida: Act II: Alla prompa che s'appresta
14. Il Trovatore: Act IV: Udiste?
15. Il Trovatore: Act IV: Mira, di acerbe lagrime
16. Il Trovatore: Act IV: Vivra! Contende il giubilo
17. Madama Butterfly: Act II: Scuoti quella fronda di ciliegio (Flower Duet)
18. Carmen: Act IV: C'est toi! - C'est moi!
19. Carmen: Act IV: Ou vas-tu? - Laisse-moi!

Tracks:

1. Les nuits d'ete, Op.7: Villanelle
2. Les nuits d'ete, Op.7: Le spectre de la rose
3. Les nuits d'ete, Op.7: Sur les lagunes
4. Les nuits d'ete, Op.7: Absence
5. Les nuits d'ete, Op.7: Au cimetiere (Clair de lune)
6. Les nuits d'ete, Op.7: L'ile inconnue
7. Four Last Songs: Fruhling
8. Four Last Songs: September
9. Four Last Songs: Beim Schlafengehen
10. Four Last Songs: Im Abendrot
11. Clair de lune, Op.46, No.2: Clair de lune
12. Notre amour, Op.23, No.2: Notre amour
13. Au cimetiere, Op.51, No.2: Au cimetiere
14. Au bord de l'eau, Op.8, No.1: Au bord de l'eau
15. No.1, Cinq melodies de Venise, Op.58: Mandoline
16. Main dominee par le coeur
17. Miroirs brulants No.2: Je nommerai ton front
18. Miroirs brulants No.1: Tu vois le feu du soir
19. Ce doux petit visage

Tracks:

1. Knoxville: Summer Of 1915, Op.24: Knoxville: Summer Of 1915
2. Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Seit ich ihn gesehen
3. Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Er, der Herrlichste von allen
4. Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Ich kann's nicht fassen
5. Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Du Ring an meinem Finger
6. Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Helft mir, ihr Schwestern
7. Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Susser Freund, du blickest
8. Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: An meinem Herzen, an meiner Brust
9. Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz getan
10. Widmung (No.1, Myrthen, Op.25): Widmung
11. Mignon (No.28, Liederalbum fur die Jugend, Op.79): Mignon
12. Volksliedchen, Op.51, No.2: Volksliedchen
13. Schone Wiege meiner Leiden (No.5, Liederkreis, Op.24): Schone Wiege meiner Leiden
14. Er ist's (No.23, Liederalbum fur die Jugend, Op.79): Er ist's
15. Heiss mich nicht reden (No.5, Lieder und Gesand aus Wilhelm Meister)
16. Lust der Sturmnacht, Op.35, No.1: Lust der Sturmnacht
17. Allerseelen, Op.10, No.8: Allerseelen
18. Schlagende Herzen
19. Freundliche Vision, Op.48, No.1: Freundliche Vision
20. Wie sollten wir geheim, Op.19, No.4: Wie sollten wir geheim
21. Der Gartner (Morike-Lieder No.17)
22. Lebe wohl (Morike-Lieder No.36)
23. Morgentau (From An Old Songbook)
24. Geh, Geliebter, geh jetzt (Spanisches Liederbuch No.34)

Tracks:

1. Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit - Various Artists
2. Let Us Break Bread Together On Our Knees - Various Artists
3. His Name So Sweet - Various Artists
4. 'Roun' About De Mountain - Various Artists
5. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - Various Artists
6. Sit Down, Servant - Various Artists
7. Were You There - Various Artists
8. He's Got The Whole World In His Hands - Various Artists
9. Deep River - Various Artists
10. Honor! Honor! - Various Artists
11. My Soul's Been Anchored In De Lord - Various Artists
12. On Ma Journey - Various Artists
13. A City Called Heaven - Various Artists
14. Ride On, King Jesus - Various Artists
15. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free - Various Artists
16. Sinner, Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass - Various Artists
17. Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Various Artists
18. There Is A Balm In Gilead - Various Artists
19. Let Us Cheer The Weary Traveler - Various Artists
20. Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit - Various Artists
21. My Way Is Cloudy - Various Artists
22. Nobody Knows The Touble I've Seen - Various Artists
23. I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray - Various Artists

Tracks:

1. Holy, Holy, Holy
2. Lead, Kindly Light
3. Blessed Assurance
4. Ave Maria
5. What A Friend We Have In Jesus
6. Amazing Grace
7. The Lord's Prayer
8. Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour
9. The Church's One Foundation
10. Bless This House
11. I Need Thee Every Hour
12. Fairest Lord Jesus
13. I Wonder As I Wander
14. Ave Maria
15. Porgy And Bess: Summertime
16. America The Beautiful
17. Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing
18. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
19. Battle Hymn Of The Republic

Tracks:

1. Chants tziganes, Op. 103: He Zigeuner
2. Chants tziganes, Op. 103: Hochgeturmte Rimaflut
3. Chants tziganes, Op. 103: Wisst ihr, wann mein Kindchen
4. Chants tziganes, Op. 103: Lieber Gott, du weisst
5. Chants tziganes, Op. 103: Brauner Bursche
6. Chants tziganes, Op. 103: Roselein dreie in der Reihe
7. Chants tziganes, Op. 103: Kommt dir manchmal in den Sinn
8. Chants tziganes, Op. 103: Rote Abendwolken
9. Adriana Lecouvreur: Act I: Io son l'umile ancella
10. This Little Light O'Mine
11. Interview With Leontyne Price By John Pfeiffer

Amazon.com

This 11-CD set, one might say jokingly, contains all the music ever written for the soprano voice and a bit for mezzo as well. And indeed, it's a staggering collection: In addition to her great Verdi heroines (the two Leonoras, Aida, Amelia, and Elvira in Ernani), Price is heard in her Puccini roles--Manon Lescaut, Butterfly, Tosca--and at least two dozen other roles, most of which she never sang on stage. Here are her heroic, secure Leonore in Fidelio, Strauss's high-flying Egyptian Helen, Purcell's Dido, Barber's Cleopatra, Bellini's Norma, Ariadne, Verdi's Violetta and Desdemona, Bizet's Carmen, Mozart's Countess, and Fiordiligi. Some are, naturally, more successful than others; almost none are embarrassing (Carmen comes close). In addition, she sings songs by Schubert, Schumann, and Strauss--none of them as well as say, Janet Baker or Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, and Barber's Knoxville, etc.--quite beautifully. Berlioz's Les Nuits d'été is not very good, but a group of spirituals is. In all, however, this is an amazing display by one of the century's greatest sopranos. There may be no new depths plumbed here, but the singing is a knockout. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A Long Time Coming..........2006-03-30

This compilation of Ms. Price's career is almost as complete as anything I've ever come across!!
An American Icon....I will forever be a loyal fan and admirer!!

Her Best Album.......2006-01-01

Along with the equally extensive "Prima Donna Collection" this is Leontyne Price's best album. Anyone who wants to become familiarized with her vocal technique and her art on record should own this album. It features her best work ever recorded. A lot of these arias and their respective soprano roles were not roles she sang on stage. Leontyne Price was not only a consummate artist, but a cautious one. The reason these arias, Lieder, Gospel and spirituals sound so beautiful and technically brilliant is because Leontyne was smart enough to sing them infrequently and in concert form. She did not take on new roles other than her repetitive Aidas, Leonoras, Butterfly, Toscas and Madame Lidoins, etc, because she was afraid of ruining her glorious voice too soon as many of her contemporary sopranos. Like soprano Zinka Milanov, Leontyne Price preserved the freshness and vitality of her voice through "operatic abstinence". Thus, the Norma, Salome, Manon, Lady Macbeth and even Traviata we hear on this album are well-rendered because she did NOT sing them on stage. She would have worn out her beautiful voice if she sung so many roles.

This collection is overwhelming. Leontyne Price proves herself to be a masterful artist of diverse repertoire. Pity she didn't really sing these on stage because she would have put Maria Callas and all the reigning divas before and after her to shame. Listen to her remarkable, unsurpassed Mozart repertoire. This she did sing in opera houses, probably because Mozart does not require a true lyrico-spinto heavyness and smaller opera houses can accomodate Mozartian voices that do not often rise above the staff/orchestra. She sang exquisite Fiordiligis at the Met. The arias from Cosi Fan Tutte here - Soave sia il vento, O Guarda Sorelle and the fiendishly difficult vocal showcase "Come Scoglio" with its vertiginious scales are all fine samples of Miss Price's artistry. She sang Susanna and Donna Anna with beauty and bravura. The Salome excerpt is quite thrilling. She would have made a terrific Salome but the role is quite difficult and it would have surely killed her voice. Leontyne Price was the number one Verdi soprano. Every opera cognoscente will tell you that. When you hear the excerpts from Verdi operas here - Lady Macbeth's Sleepwalking Scene, Aida's arias, Leonora's arias from Trovatore and Leonora's arias from Forza Del Destino, particularly La Virgine Del Angeli and the ravishing Pace Pace Mio Dio- are the best renditions of Verdi soprano singing. Anyone who wants to study how to sing in the letter-to-letter Verdi lyrico spinto style should hear these arias. A voice like Leontyne cannot be easily imitated. Maria Callas's own voice can be imitated as Romanian diva Angela Gheorghiu has proven. Leontyne was in a class of her own, a voice that is both dramatic and beautiful to hear. However, most people find fault in her lack of dramatic interpretation. I say they're not hearing hard enough. Yes, there is excessive beauty in her singing but she understood that the opera heroines should sound beautiful because they are beautiful and though I never saw her on stage, from the recordings I hear she sounds dramatic and character-driven enough for me to be satisfied. For a devoted fan of Leontyne Price, this album is the Holy Grail. She sings the most beautiful Norma, Madame Butterfly, Tosca, Aida, Violetta, Madame Lidoin, Suor Angelica, Susanna, Dona Ana, Gilda, Fiordiligi, Desdemona and countless other heroines. The last cd is a collection of Gospel, spirituals and patriotic songs. These "American", non-opera selections find her in beautiful voice and she is actually paying tribute to her roots. She was not only African-American, but a Southerner from Mississippi. Her voice must have been heavenly to hear in Church! This is the album that made me love Leontyne.

Price At Her Peak.......2005-05-02

Originally a Gospel singer, Leontyne Price rose to the heights of operatic superstardom in the 60's and 70's. She enjoyed the same success Maria Callas did in the 50's. Although Callas will forever be most people's idea of the greatest soprano of the 20th century, Leontyne Price was not a force to be reckoned with. In my opinion, and this is just me, she outshone Callas and was the greater singer as far as techinicality and musicianship. Leontyne Price's best work is recorded in this album. It is her best album, together with the Prima Donna Collection. The price is expensive but it's worth every penny. Prepare to be riveted and blown away by the dynamic strength and passion of her voice as it blasts through yours stereo. While many often point out that Leontyne Price was not much of an actress, from a purely operatic/vocal level, her voice was faultless and virtuosic, powerful, passionate, beautiful, lyrical, soulful. Never have I heard a soprano so richly endowed with strong chest register- she could sing the low octaves that are found in the roles of mezzo-soprano voices or contralto voices. But she was a dramatic soprano and that's dramatic with a capital D- all the high C's were there, perfectly in place, and she was a thrilling singer when reaching for the stratosphere with her voice.

This album contains arias from operas that I didn't even know she performed- La Traviata (yes, Leontyne Price as Violetta is a moving and powerful interpretation, executed with sublime beauty. She finds herself the equal to Callas in the role- for Callas had a big voice for a role that calls for the "dying" effect. Thus, Price, like Callas, could sing roles that call for beauty and not just dramatic vigor. It's unfortunate that unlike the stars that were rising in her time- Joan Sutherland, Beverly Sills and Montserrat Caballe- Price never mastered the bel canto repertoire - Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini (although she sang a sensational Norma, excerpts are found in this recording). But her strongest suit was Verdi. She had the voice Verdi was looking for in a soprano- rich, dramatic, beautiful, able to fill up the lines with smoky and velvety hues and a gleaming high top. Check out her Amelia in Un Ballo In Maschera, her Leonora in Trovatore, her Leonora in La Forza Del Destino. Of course, her greatest role, her signature role, and one which she connected with on a personal/ancestral level was that of Aida. The first selections in this recording are from that masterpiece. As Aida, she was at her best. It was easy for her somehow, when most other sopranos tackle the role with difficulty. She conveys grace, nobility, passion and spirituality in the role of the tragic Ethiopian princess.

Further roles she excelled in that are on this recording is Desdemona in Otello, which she sung opposite Placido Domingo. Their masterful voices blend together harmonically and gloriously in the Act 1 Love Duet. She's quite the ground-breaking artist. Most Violettas in Traviata or Desdemona in Otello are Caucasian lyric soprano (Desdemona was white, Otello was black, that was Shakespeare's intention) but in opera, race does not matter and Leontyne Price's voice made her a star in a time when it was incredibly difficult for a black woman to sing opera. From the start of the century, opera was always associated with white Europeans and later on Americans. But Leontyne Price followed the inspirational example of the gutsy contralto Marian Anderson, who suffered a lot of rejection in opera due to skin color in pre-Civil Rights Movement 30's, 40's and 50's. Finally in the late 50's, Anderson, after a lifetime of singing only in private concerts and recitals, debuted at the Met as Ulrica in Un Ballo. Leontyne Price immediately picked up where she left- singing all the soprano diva roles typically associated with white singers - especially Tosca. Her Tosca is second to her Aida. As Tosca, she encompasses the diva who dies for love in the most thrilling way.

Other than Tosca, Puccini heroines were just as magnificent vehicles for her voice. She sang Madame Butterfly to great acclaim. I dont know how she did it but she suddenly ceased to be herself and became the frail, naive, lovesick Japanese Geisha. Softness and fragility is also mixed with the maturity of a woman in love, with passion and dramatic vocal color. She sang La Rondine with equal success, though this role is more along the lines of Violetta/Traviata. She sang Suor Angelica, she sang in modern works such as Barber's Antony and Cleopatra- in that infamous Zefferelli production- she sang Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, she sang in Dialoge of the Carmelites. All these are on here, along with her Baroque specialties- Dido in Dido and Aeneas. Her Mozart voice is also the best I've heard, really, even with a more dramatic and beautiful charm than other singers I've heard. She sang the acrobatic role of Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte, both Dona Ana and Donva Elvira in Don Giovanni. I prefer her as Dona Ana, she is all fire, despair, intensity and repressed desire, but she sings a hysterical and lovesick Elvira with a passion as well. She even sang the Countess in Le Nozze Di Figaro. But the sky was the limit to Price. She even sang, in a Jessie Norman way, the Wagner role of Isolde. Her "Liebestod" is the greatest I've heard since Birgit Nilsson, with a passion that stemmed from her religious Gospel heart.
This is a great album and I recommend it to any fan of Price and any fan of opera in general. If you have never heard Price and want to start somewhere, start with this one. This one or the Prima Donna Collection.

of course world class.......2000-08-14

Price is amazing. I will have to also mention that Joan Sutherland in the 1960 is even more incredible, if that's possible. Check Dame Joan out, you will not be sorry. But Price is a D flawless diamond set by Cartier, in my opinion.

the greatest american soprano of the 20th century.......1999-12-12

This collection of arias, art songs, and spirituals is truly amazing for the sheer breadth and depth of this soprano's artistry. It is hard to imagine any Verdi soprano after Ms. Price who could offer us the smoky richness of her vocal color, and there are so many wonderful selections, many of them being roles she did not perform on stage. Among my personal favorites are her scene from Dialogues of the Carmelites, the Letter Scene from Eugene Onegin, and the drama of her Lady Macbeth. For those of us who heard Ms. Price over the years in opera and concert, this collection brings back wonderful memories...It is truly a must-have for any serious opera lover.

Average customer rating:

Classics Explained: Rite of Spring Stravinsky , Rahbari , and Brt Po Brussels Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Classics Explained: Pastoral Symphony An Introduction to Ravel's "Boléro" and "Ma mère l'oye" Symphony 9: Introduction to Dvorak An Introduction to Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 Classics Explained: Brandenburg Concertos 4 & 5 ASIN: B00007FPFN Release Date: 2003-07-15

Average customer rating:

Gentle Awakening Gary Farr Manufacturer: The Orchard ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Blue-Eyed Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music | Ambient | Celtic | Environmental | General | International | Jazz | Meditation Music | Piano | World Dance General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00000J9FO Release Date: 2000-03-25

Tracks:

1. The Gentle Awakening Part 1
2. The Gentle Awakening Part 2
3. Life Is Peace
4. Love Is Light
5. The Little Garden
6. Moonlight Reflections
7. Love Within A Storm
8. An Angel On Earth
9. Love Will Wait Forever
10. Letting Go
11. To Be Truly Happy
12. A Time To Remember (Lullaby)

Average customer rating:

THE GENTLE AWAKENING Gary Farr Manufacturer: Secret Formula Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Meditation Music | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00000JX1G Release Date: 1999-01-30

Tracks:

1. THE GENTLE AWAKENING PART 1
2. THE GENTLE AWAKENING PART 2
3. LIFE IS PEACE
4. LOVE IS LIGHT
5. THE LITTLE GARDEN
6. MOONLIGHT REFLECTIONS
7. LOVE WITHIN A STORM
8. AN ANGEL ON EARTH
9. LOVE WILL WAIT FOREVER
10. LETTING GO
11. TO BE TRULY HAPPY
12. A TIME TO REMEMBER (LULLABY)

Album Description

SOOTHING INSPIRATIONAL AND MEDITATIONAL PIANO/ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC.

Average customer rating:

Sacred Awakening: Experience Deep Relaxation Through Yoga Nidra Lisa Temoshok Manufacturer: Lisa Temoshok ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music ASIN: B000CAG5QQ Release Date: 2005-01-11

Tracks:

1. Centering
2. Gentle Movement
3. Yoga Nidra
4. Closing

International Music:

1. Trance Scapes [Import]
2. Tulpen Aus Amsterdam [Import]
3. Vuk'uzenzele
4. Walking in the Jungle
5. Weil Ich Dich Liebe [Import]
6. Wirrigan [Import]
7. Woomera [Import]
8. 1992 Judy and Mary: Be Ambitious + It's a Gaudy It's a Gross [Import]
9. 25 Anos [Import]
10. A Arte De [Import]

International Music

International Music