Cyrano (1973 Original Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording] [Soundtrack]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Not to be confused with Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire's 1958 version nor with the Dutch one that briefly played Broadway in 1994, this musical take on Edmond Rostand's classic tale opened on Broadway in 1973. Christopher Plummer plays the titular man with the nose, while Mark Lamos (who'd go on to become a celebrated stage director) and Leigh Beery complete the love triangle at the heart of the show. It's easy to see why this Cyrano, by composer Michael J. Lewis and lyricist Anthony Burgess (yes, the novelist), doesn't get revived much. The songs aren't that memorable. Except, that is, for Beery's splendid "You Have Made Me Love," which should be picked up more often by adventurous cabaret singers. More interestingly, the CD documents almost the entire performance, meaning you get huge chunks of dialogue in addition to the songs. This should be of particular interest to theater students interested in studying Plummer's impressive take on an iconic part. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Cyrano (1973 Original Broadway Cast), Music, Michael J. Lewis, Anthony Burgess, Christopher Plummer, Music Theater, Musical Theater, Pop, Showtunes / B'way, Soundtrack

Average customer rating:

Beautiful and Relevant!

Excellent debut disc.......

LOVE IT

Ghetto Cyrano

Once Again It's On!

Ghetto Cyrano
Christión
Manufacturer: Fontana Def Jam
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music
General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music
General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Project Plato

The Love Experience

In This Life Together

Long Time No See

1st Born Second

ASIN: B0000024MF
Release Date: 1997-11-04

Tracks:

Intro
The Ghetto (Do What Ya Gotta Do)
Full Of Smoke
Pull It
Where I'm From (Interlude)
Where I'm From
Midnight X-Ta-C
Anything Goes
I Wanna Get Next To You
Bring Back Your Love
Face Like Yours
Come To Me
Soon
Tonight
Aftermath

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful and Relevant!.......2007-07-14

Here it is 10 years after this CD was first released and I am just hearing of these guys. Thank goodness for Amazon Lists! This CD sounds as if it were very recently produced. This says at least one thing about it; it's timeless. So much so that were it released today and actually marketed, it would be an instant hit! This is THE CD that has intergenerational appeal! If you like good music, weather it be slow jams, up-tempo, 70's r and b essence, and/or progressive conscience music, this is it. It is all here and is divided into well-thought out chapters. Here is Marvin Gaye meets, Maxwell, meets Nas. Their rendition of "I Want to Get Next to You" is true to the original with creative touches that only enhances it. Every song has something to offer. The music is original and the vocal style exquisitely silky while maintaining street credibility. The lyrics are fresh and refreshing. Some tell stories of urban city violence born out of desperation, without glorifying it. While others are very sensual, yet respectful professions of their love and desire for their women. This is indeed, as another reviewer has stated, today's What's Going On. This is most evident on "Come to Me" and "Full of Smoke." "Soon" is a powerful anthem to and about future love whenever/however/ with whomever it manifests. "Bring Back Your Love," will remind some of Baby Face's earlier/best songs. There is not ONE song on Ghetto Cyrano that I dislike. If you pay 15.00 for this CD, you would be getting it at a steal! But at these discounted prices all over the Net, just buy several them and give them as gifts and watch the thank yous pour in for your having helped others discover and enjoy such a gem!

Excellent debut disc..............2007-06-13

As you have probably noticed from reading other reviews regarding this album, it is a top notch effort. This disc manages to blend the old school with the new school effortlessly. This disc does have a dark vibe to it but I think it's mainly because of the subject matter and production style. They were trying to convey the struggle that american youth are dealing with. It worked!!! If you like r&b with excellent harmonies and great hooks then this disc is for you. I really wish music had meaning like this disc. I guess until the cycle comes back around we will be rocking this disc so we won't have to listen to wack artists like T pain and Bow Wow.

You should also search for a cd by "the transitions" here on amazon as well. It is excellent too.

LOVE IT .......2007-06-06

THESE MEN KNOW HOW IT'S DONE, MUSIC SO SMOOTH YOU WANT TO LIGHT SOME CANDLES AND TRY SOME NEW MOVES. THEY MAKE YOU FEEL SEXY IF YOU ARE A WOMAN, AND COOL IF YOU ARE A MAN .......... DON'T MISS OUT ON SOME OF THE BEST MUSIC AROUND

Ghetto Cyrano.......2007-03-29

Excellent CD. This is a CD that was overlooked by many. The organization of this CD also enhances the Ghetto Cyrano experience.

Once Again It's On!.......2005-11-27

Christión is back with Project Plato, released September '05. If you're a real fan you'll get it!

The Alamo: The Essential Film Music Collection

Average customer rating:

More expensive than the other Essential but worth it.
Excellent compilation of an important composer.
"film composer Dimitri Tiomkin gave his all and then some"

The Alamo: The Essential Film Music Collection
Dimitri Tiomkin
Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Tiomkin: Red River
The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection
Way Out West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection, Vol. 2
The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection
Giant

ASIN: B00022MBNK
Release Date: 2004-07-13

Tracks:

Night Passage
Tension At Table Rock
High Noon
The War Wagon
The Wild Wild West: Main Theme
The Wild Wild West: The Ballad Of Jim West
Gunfight At The O.K. Coral
Rio Bravo
Rawhide
Red River
The Unforgiven: Across The Texas Panhandle
The Unforgiven: The Need For Love
The Unforgiven: Horse Ballet
The Young Land
Duel In The Sun

Tracks:

The Fall Of The Roman Empire: Overture
The Fall Of The Roman Empire: The Fall Of Love
The Fall Of The Roman Empire: Pax Romana
55 Days Peking
Land Of The Pharaohs
Circus World (The Magnificent Showman)
Dial M For Murder
Strangers On A Train
Giant: Main Title
Giant: Love Theme
Giant: The Jett Rink Theme
The High And The Mighty
Wild Is The Wind
The Guns Of Navarone

Tracks:

Cyrano De Bergerac
The Well
Friendly Persuasion
Town Without Pity
It's A Wonderful Life
Tarzan And The Mermaids
The Thing From Another World
The Alamo: Overture/Prologue
The Alamo: Davy Crockett
The Alamo: Tennessee Babe
The Alamo: The Battle Of The Alamo
The Alamo: The Green Leaves Of Summer
The Alamo: Finale

Tracks:

Giant: This Then Is Texas
Rawhide: Rawhide
High Noon: Do Not Forsake Me
Night Passage: Follow The River
Giant: The Ballad Of Jett Rink
Friendly Persuasion: Thee I Love
It's A Wonderful Life
Wild Is The Wind
The High And The Mighty
The War Wagon: The Ballad Of The War Wagon
Rio Braco
The Young Land: Strange Are The Ways Of Love
The Wild Wild West: The Ballad Of Jim West
The Wild Wild West: The Wild Wild West

Amazon.com

Dimitri Tiomkin was one of the most prominent composers of Hollywood's Golden Age and beyond, his career spanning a half-century and some of America's most classic films. This sprawling, four-disc anthology (its title a marketing nod to the modern remake of one of Tiomkin's notable collaborations with John Wayne) features new digital recordings of full-bodied performances by the City of Prague Orchestra and Festival Chorus, the most ambitious and comprehensive tribute to the composer yet attempted. There's something here for film score buffs (rarities like a suite from his sci-fi genre-defining Thing From Another World and the "Main Theme" for the pilot of TV's Wild, Wild West) and novice alike; indeed one could scarcely ask for a more complete overview of Tiomkin's robust orchestral oeuvre. Divided into four chapters, disc one chronicles how the Ukrainian immigrant concocted a rich Western film heritage (including such genre landmarks as Red River, High Noon, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and Rio Bravo) from largely European traditions, while the next two CD's cover his rousing work for epics and thrillers of every stripe, and collaborations with Hitchcock, Wayne, Capra, Stevens and more. The concluding disc pays homage to Tiomkin the unlikely pop tunesmith, via his hit vocal themes to Rawhide, Wild is the Wind and High Noon's "Do Not Forsake Me." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

More expensive than the other Essential but worth it........2007-04-22

This is an excellent set of music of Dimitri Tiomkin's music! The 4th disc is short (at just over 30 minutes), but thats because it is just the vocal versions of tracks which appeared in instrumental form throughout the first 3 discs. Whenever you buy a silva screen compilation, the first thing you ask yourself is 'when were these recordings made' and 'do I have these tracks on other compilations? Thankfully, this set has TONS of new recordings, but there is some recycled stuff and they are as follows:

Dial M For Murder is from the 1993 History of Hitchcock Vol. I, while Strangers on a Train is from 1995's History of Hitchcock Vol. II.

Three tracks originate from 1994's "Music From the Films Of John Wayne". They are "The High and the Mighty", "The Alamo - Overture" and "The Alamo - Green Leaves of Summer".

Red River is from 1996's "How The West Was Won: Classic Western Film Scores Vol. One".

The Thing From Another World suite is from the excelllent 1998 set "Alien Invasion: Space And Beyond II"

Many tracks first appeared on "Way Out West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection Vol. Two". They are: "Duel In The Sun", "The Alamo (Davy Crockett)", "Friendly Persuasion", "Giant (Main Theme)", "Gunfight at the OK Corral", "High Noon", "Rio Bravo", and "The Unforgiven (The Need For Love)".

The rest of the tracks are brand spankin new, and most are not available on other discs, so snag this one up in a hurry!

Excellent compilation of an important composer........2004-07-16

This long overdue collection of Tiomkin standards and rarities is a must for any fan of symphonic music; albeit, for film or concert hall. As the liner notes clarify; these recordings are a real labor of love for James Fitzpatrick and the Silva Screen team. Tiomkin is; undoubtedly, one of the most difficult of composers to replicate. This recording comes extremely close to "hitting the nail on the head" particularly with tracks such as: "Across the Texas Panhandle" from the Unforgiven, The Entr'acte from Duel in the Sun, The Guns of Navarone, The War Wagon, and the main title and Jett Rink theme from Giant. This recording is a bargain, particularly for collectors who have sought after many of Tiomkin's composer conducted soundtracks (which are getting harder and harder to obtain). Listeners who enjoy this set should consider seeking out previous cd releases of the soundtracks to "The Guns of Navarone" (SONY, Varese Sarabande), "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (Varese Sarabande, PEG), "55 Days at Peking" (Varese Sarabande), and "The Alamo" :original soundtrack (still available on SONY-Legacy).

"film composer Dimitri Tiomkin gave his all and then some".......2004-07-13

Silva America presents the ultimate in film music during the illustrious career of an icon and legendary composer of film scores ~ "Alamo:Dimitri Tiomkin Essential Film Collection/O.S.T", featuring some long forgotten 53 cues that sent chills and thrills into the pulses of world events ~ selections from a limited collectors edition that would make any "film-score-buff" green with envy.

Tiomkin was born in Ukraine, Russia [1894-1979] attended and graduated from St. Petersburg Academy[studied under the famed composer Glazunov] ~ had a degree in music as well as law ~ came to America in 1925, shown great interest for Native American music early in his film career.

Great fondness for "The Western" ~ "DUEL IN THE SUN" (1946) (Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotton, Lionel Barrymore, Lilian Gish and Charles Bickford - one of biggest and successful epic Westerns ever, score & photography was simply breathtaking), "RED RIVER" (1948) (John Wayne, Monty Cliff and Walter Brennan - the Duke should have won an Oscar for his performance as the aging cantankerous cattle baron)"HIGH NOON" (1952)(classic film with Gary Cooper in his Oscar winning performance of Will Kane), "TENSION AT TABLE ROCK" (1956), "GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL" (1957)(Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp & Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday pulled this off with the help of the Main Theme), "NIGHT PASSAGE" (1957), "RIO BRAVO" (1959) (top box office leaders John Wayne, Dean Martin, Walter Brennan and Ricky Nelson), "THE YOUNG LAND" (1959) (young Dennis Hopper), "RAWHIDE" (TV Series) (1959-66) (Eric Fleming as trail boss Gil Favor & Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates), "THE UNFORGIVEN" (1960) (Burt Lancaster, Audie Murphy and Audrey Hepburn), "THE WILD, WILD WEST" (TV Series) (1965-69)(Tiomkin's music never saw the light of day), "WAR WAGON" (1967) (John Wayne & Kirk Douglas starred) (beautifully melodic) ~ it's easy to see why Tiomkin loved Western lore.

Second disc contains The Epics ~ "LAND OF THE PHARAOHS" (1955) (Jack Hawkins as Pharaoh Cheops and a beautiful Joan Collins as his scheming wife), "55 DAYS AT PEKING" (1963) (Charlton Heston, David Niven and Ava Gardner is the all star cast), "THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE" (1964) (featuring Alec Guinness as emperor Marcus Aurelius), "CIRCUS WORLD" (1964) (John Wayne, Claudia Cardinale and Rita Hayworth under the big top) ~ next we Hitchcock Thrillers with "STRANGERS ON A TRAIN" (1951) (a masterpiece film featuring Robert Walker and Farley Granger are both very convincing as we learn, never talked to strangers on a train or anywhere), "DIAL M FOR MURDER" (1954) (tense moments come from Grace Kelly, Ray Milland and Robert Cummings - they don't get any better than this) ~ finally Drama and High Adventure with "HIGH AND MIGHTY" (1954) (another outstanding performance by John Wayne, as the co-pilot of an airline whistling the haunting theme), "GIANT" (1956)(another big epic film with Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean and Chill Wills show us what it's like to be a Texan, with oil and money), "WILD IS THE WIND" (1957) (Anthony Quinn, Anna Magnani and Anthony Franciosa), "THE GUNS OF NAVARONE" (1961) (World War II film featuring Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven and Stanley Baker on a small Greek Island trying to outwit the Germans and a very big gun) ~ some of Tiomkin's most inspiring themes rise to the surface.

On disc three ~ as we continue with Drama and High Adventures "IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE" (1946) (James Stewart, Donna Reed, Thomas Mitchell, Lionel Barrymore and Ward Bond with wholesome warm and endearing themes from our favorite composer), "TARZAN AND THE MERMAIDS" (1948) (in his 12th film as Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller still had what it takes to swim and defeat the man-god Balu - Weissmuller and Tiomkin the perfect combination for this Tarzan adventure), "CYRANO DE BERGERAC" (1950) (Jose Ferrer stars as Edmond Rostand's famous swordsman with a even more famous nose), "THE WELL" (1951) (intense cues give the film musical triumphs in final scenes), "THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD" (1951) (exciting Howard Hawks film with a score to match), "FRIENDLY PERSUASION" (1956) (director William Wyler shows the life and times of a Quaker family played by Gary Cooper, Dorothy Mcguire and Anthony Perkins during the American Civil War, very touching), "THE ALAMO" (1960) (big budget epic western with Big John Wayne it's producer, director and star as Davy Crockett with a haunting and never to be forgotten "The Green Leaves of Summer"), "TOWN WITHOUT PITY" (1961) (Kirk Douglas in a post-war Germany story, blends jazz themes with Tiomkin signature arrangements) ~ Tiomkin always made the difference when it came to scoring a film.

The last and final disc four ~ The Tiomkin Vocal Songbook featuring "This Then is Texas" (Giant), "Rawhide" (Rawhide), "Do Not Forsake Me" (High Noon), "Follow the River" (Night Passage), "The Ballad of Jett Rink" (Giant), "Thee I Love" (Friendly Percuasion), "It's A Wonderful Life", "Wild Is The Wind", "The High and the Mighty", The Ballad of the War Wagon" (The War Wagon), "Rio Bravo", "Strange are the Ways of Love" (The Young Land), "The Ballad of Jim West" (The Wild Wild West), "The Wild Wild West" (The Wild Wild West) ~ many were hit makers of the day and in the top ten.

Outstanding performances by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (Nic Raine, Paul Bateman, Mario Klemens - are the conductors), Crouch End Festival Chorus (David Temple - choir master), featuring vocals by Jason Howard and Keith Ferreira ~ hats off to James Fitzpatrick (producer), Reynold da Silva (executive producer), Olilvia Tiomkin Douglas, John Waxman, Rick Clark and Gareth Williams (associate producers) ~ all film producers and directors welcomed the legendary composer with open arms for their forthcoming projects ~ the "film-score-buff" collectors are ecstatic about this four disc release on the essential film music collection of DIMITRI TIOMKIN, the arrangements and performances are top notch inclusive of HDCD/Dolby Surround.

When listening to the music of a film, you had the feeling of the storyline, characters and convictions of the whole picture, they'll never be another to come this way again ~ Silva America has outdone themselves on this one, it is definitely a five star film score box set...gotta love it!

Tracks:

Overture
Scene I - A Theatre, Paris, 1640, Pt. 1
Scene I - A Theatre, Paris, 1640: Nose Song
Scene I - A Theatre, Paris, 1640, Pt. 2
Scene I - A Theatre, Paris, 1640: Tell Her
Scene I - A Theatre, Paris, 1640, Pt. 3
Scene I - A Theatre, Paris, 1640: From Now Till Forever
Scene II - Ragueneau's Bakery, Paris, Pt. 1
Scene II - Ragueneau's Bakery, Paris: Bergerac
Scene II - Ragueneau's Bakery, Paris, Pt. 2
Scene II - Ragueneau's Bakery, Paris, Pt. 3
Scene II - Ragueneau's Bakery, Paris: No Thank You
Scene II - Ragueneau's Bakery, Paris, Pt. 4
Scene III - The Balcony of Roxana's House, Paris: Roxana
Scene III - The Balcony of Roxana's House, Paris, Pt. 1
Scene III - The Balcony of Roxana's House, Paris: It's She and It's Me
Scene III - The Balcony of Roxana's House, Paris, Pt. 2
Scene III - The Balcony of Roxana's House, Paris, Pt. 3
Scene III - The Balcony of Roxana's House, Paris: You Have Made Me ...
Scene III - The Balcony of Roxana's House, Paris, Pt. 4
Scene III - The Balcony of Roxana's House, Paris: Thither, ...
Scene III - The Balcony of Roxana's House, Paris, Pt. 5
Scene III - The Balcony of Roxana's House, Paris: Pocapdedious
Scene IV - A Battle Camp Near Arras, Pt. 1
Scene IV - A Battle Camp Near Arras: Paris Cuisine
Scene IV - A Battle Camp Near Arras, Pt. 2
Scene IV - A Battle Camp Near Arras: Love Is Not Love
Scene V - A Convent, Paris, 14 Years Later: Autumn Carol
Scene V - A Convent, Paris, 14 Years Later, Pt. 1
Scene V - A Convent, Paris, 14 Years Later, Pt. 2
Scene V - A Convent, Paris, 14 Years Later: I Never Loved You
Scene V - A Convent, Paris, 14 Years Later, Pt. 3 (Epilog)

Amazon.com

Not to be confused with Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire's 1958 version nor with the Dutch one that briefly played Broadway in 1994, this musical take on Edmond Rostand's classic tale opened on Broadway in 1973. Christopher Plummer plays the titular man with the nose, while Mark Lamos (who'd go on to become a celebrated stage director) and Leigh Beery complete the love triangle at the heart of the show. It's easy to see why this Cyrano, by composer Michael J. Lewis and lyricist Anthony Burgess (yes, the novelist), doesn't get revived much. The songs aren't that memorable. Except, that is, for Beery's splendid "You Have Made Me Love," which should be picked up more often by adventurous cabaret singers. More interestingly, the CD documents almost the entire performance, meaning you get huge chunks of dialogue in addition to the songs. This should be of particular interest to theater students interested in studying Plummer's impressive take on an iconic part. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Cyrano Seriously Sorry.......2007-04-17

With a leading man who can't sing, lyrics that are no better than the title of this review and a score that is like paint by numbers, "Cyrano" is as great a musical as were the Emperor's New Clothes. I saw this show and was bored and appalled that it was even considered a musical. I saw Cyrano at the Palace Theatre where I also saw Yul Brynner in "Home, Sweet Homer." The two shows should play on adouble-bill--The Demise of the Broadway Musical.

Ho-hum Cyrano.......2007-02-05

I saw this Cyrano and have the CD and it has some awful music. Why take a classic and add tuneless music?
The CD sits on my shelf unplayed. A must
for the curious Broadway Seeker. All else, will be disapponted.

Necessary! Necessary! Necessary!.......2006-07-10

1. There were two Broadway shows that somehow unfairly did not get the "press & praise", or whatever, to get the attention of the theatre-going public to catch on and become smash hits.

2. Luckily for us, there were recordings of these two Broadway shows on lp.

3. Sadly, for those of us who enjoyed those old lp albums and wished and waited for years and years for them to be remastered to cds, it seemed we would never be able to enjoy these "lost" scores ever again.

4. Now, through some lucky stroke of unlikely chance, we have recently been twice blessed with the remastering and release of BOTH of them on compact disk! All I can say is "There IS a God!" and also "Thank You", "Thank You", "Thank You" to those responsible for the "saving" and "preservation" of these two works by digitizing and releasing them for us again.

One of these two works is "Cyrano" with the great portrayl by Christopher Plummer of certainly one of the greatest characters in all literature. This show sadly closed after only a very few performances. The songs, while not really "great" are certainly quite listenable--but ONE, is spectacular and makes it worth the cost of the whole album, and that is "You Have Made Me Love"--what a winner it is!

The second of these works is "Baker Street" with Fritz Weaver and Inga Swenson. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to see this one before it closed, also, shortly after it opened. I could never understand why it did not catch on. Weaver and Swenson were simply marvelous, it was exciting, funny, and had great tunes and catchy lyrics. I dispaired for years over the non-release of this show on compact disc. I even wrote Universal, who has the rights to Decca's catalogue, and they blew me off. Then, out of the blue this spring there it was listed as a pre-release on amazon here! I immediately went to my local music shop and ordered a copy. And guess what.......there is a bonus track of the Great Richard Burton singing the best song from the show "A Married Man"!

If you love Broadway Cast albums, you need these two disks. If you remember the shows, you need these two disks. And lastly, if you are totally unfamiliar with these two works, you need these two disks. In short--You Need These Disks! Period!

Take my word, both of these albums are wonderful "keepers" that you will listen to over and over, both because they are unusual and not so well known, and also because they are truly great works. I wish you much happy listening to them. ~operabruin

Beautiful music.......2006-02-27

This is a little-known score but it is quite a jewel. It includes songs and dialogue and it is quite faithful to the original play. The songs are old-fashioned but very appropiate to the story and to the tragic romance. It was truly worth the wait.

I Love Cyrano!.......2005-08-26

I am one of the blessed who actually saw one of the 49 performances of this musical on Broadway. Cyrano + Christopher Plummer = an unbeatable combination. After all, it was my favorite play, I revered Christopher Plummer and musicals have always been my favorite genre. The production was positively galvanizing. Some wonderful teacher took us to it for a class trip, bless her! (Could it have been Mrs. Cerruti from French Class? Just trying to give credit to hopefully the proper party!) I have to go look for that Playbill soon.
I was uplifted by the theatrical experience, I cherished the album later (I still have it), and now I am ecstatic about owning the CD as well. I received it yesterday, and listened to it once last night, and five times in my car today.
The composer, lyricist and talent scouts should be happy to know that I am currently learning the lyrics to "From Now Till Forever" (I just love the line, "The atoms within me have been rearranged"!!!) and also to "You Have Made Me Love"...just be glad I keep the windows closed!

"A man fights for more than the mere hope of winning."
Here's to panache!

Average customer rating:

Sophomore Blues
Different from first but still smooth
Whats going on here?
Their may have been a reason for no album in so long
WHAT HAPPPENED TO THE CROONERS???

Project Plato
Christión
Manufacturer: The Mint Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Ghetto Cyrano
Journey Of A Gemini
Some Kinda...
In This Life Together
The Love Experience

ASIN: B000AE8FTO
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Intro
No Place
It's Gonna Rain
Save My Baby
Blackmail (Interlude)
Hustlin' (Outro)
Let 'Em Know
Presidential Suite
Just Move
Never Seen U Before (Interlude)
I've Grown
Crazy Close
My Reason
Slow Motion
Farrah
Grandma's Grove
Broken Streets
Do Ya Dance! (Dedicated To Mr. Wonder)
Supermodel
Where Yo Girlfriend At?

Product Description

CHAPTER I – THE STREETS
1. Intro
2. No Place
3. It’s Gonna Rain
4. Save My Baby
5. Blackmail (interlude)
6. Hustlin’ (outro)

CHAPTER II – THE RELATIONSHIPS
1. Let ‘Em Know
2. Presidential Suite
3. Just Move featuring Bikram Singh
4. Never Seen U Before (interlude)
5. I’ve Grown

CHAPTER III – THE LOVE
1. Crazy Close
2. My Reason
3. Slow Motion featuring Ezra & Allen Anthony

CHAPTER IV – THE JOURNAL
1. Farrah
2. Grandma’s Grove featuring Allen Anthony
3. Broken Streets

CHAPTER V – THE JUKE JOINT
1. Do Ya Dance! (Dedicated to Mr. Wonder)
2. Supermodel
3. Where Yo Girlfriend At?

Format: Cassette

Customer Reviews:

Sophomore Blues.......2007-02-19

I was really excited about this cd since I fell in love with Christion's first album, "Ghetto Cyrano". However, I was severely disappointed. It doesn't even have as much soul as most songs on the RADIO!!! The beats are generic and boring, lyrics sound forced and you can just tell that these guys are no longer singing about stuff they understand or know about. "My Reason"?!?! That song's just cheesy and I only listen to it for a good laugh. And "Where Yo Girlfriend At"? Again, only for a good laugh. Not sure what happened between the first album and this one (other than Allen Anthony's departure), but things just ain't the same. And GW's right, most of the reviews claiming this is a must-buy are from family members, friends, managers, and other business partners. KNyte had something to do with their silly "Let Em Know" video, I believe. Anyway, I hope y'all find this review helpful....if you want a Christion cd, go for the first one. But hey, everyone has their own taste in music and maybe y'all don't care bout listening to the real..... but if you do, then stay far far away from this cd (unless you just want somethin for laughs).

Different from first but still smooth.......2006-05-17

I have been a fan of christion since they first came out. I do admit that this is some what different from the first in terms of the music. I think what makes the songs good are the story lines. I loaded the cd to my MP3 player with the first and compared and it still keeps that street (pimps and players) style to the songs. There are some good tracks that start on chapaters 4 and on. The rest are something that I would say you have to relate to in order to understand. You can notice the difference of A.A not being in the group. As a matter of fact, the best songs on the cd are when he appears on the track. Overall I would say its not a bad CD but if you compare it to the first that was more for the "grown and sexy" then you would not feel it as much. You can also tell that the touch of Jay-Z is not on this release. He played a big part in the story lines they wrote about while Dame Dash selected the tracks. Out of all the tracks I think most would fall in love with Slown Down, and Broken Streets. "My Reason" should be loaded to your romantic selection. If you are someone that can relate to the stories then by all means you will enjoy the tracks. As for A.A I hear he had an album coming out called Oakland International so lets hope that will entice the hears of the ones missing him.

Whats going on here?.......2006-04-19

First, I was really looking forward to this album. I do understand that people have different tastes but "a must have", and "slammin" and "what music has been missing". I think I found all of the fans that think that American Idol is soulful. This is either a really distasteful joke or its the mothers of the artists leaving comments. Im not trying to rip anyone apart but this album bears "NOT ONE" resemblance of the creativity, the production, and vocals that this group once carried. Ok...so Its different. No big deal. But Im just trying to figure out what these people are listening to. All and all, dont take my word for it. And dont take theirs. Buy it for yourself and Im sure it will become clear on whether this is the last Christion album you buy.

Their may have been a reason for no album in so long.......2006-01-25

The original Roc-A-Fella soul brothers are finally back with an album of smoothed out love songs and up-tempo club jams. The Roc fell apart and they moved on to The Mint and deliver a 20-track album with five chapters and mix results. My first thoughts about this album were that it was too long and that has proven to be true upon repeated listens. The other question I have is what the significance is of the chapters. They are trying to tell a story but the songs in each chapter do not always match up with the chapter's title. As far as the music goes, it's just ok. There are lots of R&B/Soul singers out doin their thing and these two are no different. They have the intense sexual songs (Presidential Suite #8) and they have the love song that goes out to the girl they lost (Farrah #15), did they ever stop and think maybe if they were not out trying to freak every girl they might not have lost that one perfect one? The production is nothing special, Kenni Ski does a decent job pulling double duties as singer and primary beat maker. The one thing that it seems these brothers got goin for em is that they can sing. Their harmonies and verses are generally on point and stand out at times, compared to the rest of today's modern so-called "Soul" singers. If you are looking for some real classic type soul music then go check Bilal, but if you want modern R&B with a touch of the classic seventy's sound this album will probably at least wet your appetite.

WHAT HAPPPENED TO THE CROONERS???.......2005-12-14

Christión did some serious croonin' on their debut release "Ghetto Cyrano", bringing us hustlers-need-love-too anthems and street-life grooves reminiscent of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield. Now on their very disappointing follow-up "Project Plato", Christión minus vocalist Allen Anthony have become a bit too mainstream for my taste, sounding a lot like these new kids on the block who beg and whine just to make a dime--y'all know who you are!!! Nothing on "Project Plato" grabbed me, although I'm sure with the current condition of music today it will appeal more to the masses. Every song here lyrically sounds ridiculous and the sexiness seems forced, unlike on "Ghetto Cyrano" when it was natural (obviously due to Anthony's absense). I tried listening for a glimmer of hope on this release--a song that made me fall in love with Christión in the first place, but I simply couldn't. Maybe as I listen to "Project Plato" more, it will grow on me, but that's not likely. I know each artist's release has to progress and shouldn't sound dated. I didn't expect Christión to sound the way they did eight years ago, but you gotta admit at least eight years ago--during the Timberland era--music was music and Christión had it goin' on.

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Flemish Romantic Horn Concertos

Manufacturer: Koch Discover Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Cyrano de Bergerac
Con No. 1 for F Hn & Orch: Allegro
Con No. 1 for F Hn & Orch: Andante
Con No. 1 for F Hn & Orch: Rondo. Allegro giocoso
Con for F Hn in F, Op. 145: Allegro risoluto
Con for F Hn in F, Op. 145: Andante tranquillo
Con for F Hn in F, Op. 145: Finale. Allegro giocoso
Night Poem for F Hn & Orch

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Cyrano -- a true heldentenor role
Philosopher and scientist, poet, musician, duellist--tenor
No-frills Gasconade

Franco Alfano: Cyrano de Bergerac

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

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Cyrano De Bergerac
Alfano: Risurrezione

ASIN: B00025ET9G
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Tracks:

Guardate Tutti La: Non Si Puo Veder Nulla
Beffare Un Montfleury! Cge Coraggio!
Io Getto Con Grazia Il Cappello
E Tutto Cio Per Un Monfleury, Borbottone
De Guiche Ne Ha Prezzolati Cento Contro Di Me
Frutta Candita! Torte Al Miele! Bue Stufato!
Benedetta Sia L'ora Che Voi, Ricordandeo Che Anch'io
Dunque...Io L'amo. Ma Occorre Che Ancor Che Voi Sappiate
Possiamo Entrar!...Si...Siete Qui!
Preferisco Cantare, Sognare
Vieni Fra Le Mie Braccia!
E Poi Ella E Partita Insieme A Un Moschettiere
Tutto Cio...Mi Spaventa...Quando S'ama Qualcuno
Su...Su...Ma Voi Sarete Muto, Nevver?
La Sera Scende...Aspettiamo...Siam Soli
La Puoi Chiamar...Rossana!
Io Vi Amo...Deliro, Ti Amo...Sono Pazzo

Tracks:

E Tremendo...Piu Nulla!...Perdio!
Vien Qui, Pastor: Siedi Un Poco Fra Noi
Ma Tu Me Li Fai Piangere
Cristiano...Rossana...Ahime!
Oh No! Semplicemente Andai Al Trotto Dei Cavalli
Ed Ora, O Mio Cristiano
Cyrano!...Che C'e? Come Sei Smunto!
E Voi Rimarrete Qui, Invano Bionda
Da Ben Quattordici Anni, E Questo Il Primo Di
Le Foglie!...Son D'un Caldo Biondo Veneziano
Rossana...Addio! Lo Moriro. Sara Satsera, Credo
N'ero Sicuro: E Qui!

Album Description

Alfano is finally coming into his own after decades of being remembered mainly as the composer who completed "Turandot" after Puccini's death. Long stereotyped as an inferior hack, Alfano is seen today as an exceptional composer in his own right. "Cyrano de Bergerac," based on the famous French play, is one of his most exquisitely crafted works and a real 'sleeper' on the opera circuit. Live performance, Turin, September 6, 1975.

Customer Reviews:

Cyrano -- a true heldentenor role.......2005-01-23

This opera deserves to be heard, and I rejoice that this performance has been made available on CD, especially as a comparison with the more recent production in Kiel, Germany.

The sound in this production is alas thin and dated, which is a pity, as the performances generally deserve better, and the true beauty of this opera lies in the total ensemble of orchestral and vocal color. I suspect the recording is only a pale reflection of the actual performance. William Johns here has a true heldentenor voice, a voice with weight and yet a ringing upper register, and as such, is an excellent choice for the role of Cyrano. In contrast to the more recent German production, he gives a more powerfully "verismo" interpretation, especially in the balcony scene and at the very end, as Cyrano is dying. Indeed, it is solely for one tiny detail of this that I have anything to fault his performance with - he basically dies two syllables too soon, and Cyrano's last word, "panache", is almost totally obscured, which seems unfair! Olivia Stapp as Roxane is a forceful dramatic soprano; a little more warmth and sweetness would have been welcome. Seeing her picture on the internet leads me to believe, though, that she genuinely looked the part of the beautiful Roxane and was probably very effective onstage. I have a quibble with her performance of one of the dramatic high points of the opera: I think that the tempo of her aria "Je lisais, je relisais" in the third act is far too slow to allow it to be sung well or to give it the dramatic effect it needs. The other roles in the opera are sung nicely.

This production is billed as a live performance in Turin in 1975, but there are virtually no stage sounds, other than two sticks hitting each other during the duel at the beginning, and a very small popgun in the battlefield scene, which diminishes the dramatic effect. The sketchy information in the accompanying literature lead one to believe the performance is in Italian, but instead it is in the original French. The pronunciation is distinctly Italianate, with r's rolled with enthusiasm, and some difficulties with the French nasal sounds. On the whole, though, the French is more understandable than in the German production, which is fine for French speakers only, as there is no libretto.

The strength of this production is William Johns's voice and performance, especially in the balcony scene, and for this reason I would recommend this recording to all diehard Cyrano fans, even though the whole does not satisfy quite as much as the German production, in part because of the older sound, but also because of the timing and tempi which just don't work quite as well. Curiously enough, though, despite the differences in tempi, the two performances finish within a minute of each other in length. My suggestion would be to get both, especially so you can have a copy of the libretto.

Philosopher and scientist, poet, musician, duellist--tenor.......2004-09-15

Source: Live performance, recorded at Turin in September 1975.

Sound: Opera d'Oro recordings are always a crap shoot with regard to sound quality. This is one of their better efforts. The audience is quite small and extremely disciplined. There are no stage noises. I presume, therefore, that this is a performance recorded for broadcast.

Text: The five act structure of Edmond Rostand's long and stately verse play (322 pages for Brian Hooker's famous English translation) has been trimmed to four acts, three of them quite brief, in a paraphrase by Henri Cain.

Format: Disc 1, Acts 1 and 2, 17 tracks, 71:10. Disc 2, Acts 3 and 4, 12 tracks, 51:49.

Documentation: No libretto. Short essay on the opera. Brief synopsis of plot by act, unkeyed to the track list. The track list shows timings but offers no indications about who is singing. The cover illustration depicts a gentleman of authorial bearing and a appropriately soaring shnozz:"Tis a rock--a crag--a cape. A cape? say rather a peninsula." However, unless I am sadly mistaken, he is not the 17th Century literary swordsman, Hercule-Savinien De Cyrano de Bergerac, but rather the 16th Century humanist, Erasmus. This is not the most misleading thing in Od'O's documentation.

Franco Alfano's "Cyrano" had its premiere in Rome in January 1936 under the baton of Tullio Serafin.

This recording presents the work of an Italian composer, one famously identified with Puccini. It was recorded in Italy with an Italian orchestra and an Italian conductor. It's cast is largely Italian, and among them no obviously French name appears. Silly me, I assumed that the opera would be sung in Italian. It turned out to be in French, using the text that opened in Paris one week after the premiere in Rome. This is all the more surprising, as the individual recorded tracks are identified in Italian.

Alfano's "Cyrano," Korngold's "Die Tote Stadt" and Barber's "Vanessa," are three great 20th Century operas that have never quite managed to claw their way into the ranks of the standard repertory. Of these, "Cyrano" may be the most accessible. It's story is well-known and straight-forward. It's music is largely, indeed, resolutely diatonic. It's scoring is lush--and then some! The short Fourth Act has been criticized for being too much of a dying fall, for not catching the final triumph snatched out of lifelong tragedy: "My . . . white . . . plume." For my part, I would like to have a stronger ending (as with "Turandot"), but I can live with what we are given. The one significant failing of all the three highly admirable operas is their collective failure to provide a simple, grinder organ tune that seizes the hearts and minds of the audience, forcing them to whistle it even as they belly up to the bar during the intermission, the sort of thing that was so prodigally provided by Puccini or Verdi, time after time.

The singers on this recording are competent and intelligent. I think Olivia Stapp as Roxane (or Rossana, as she is Italianized here) is a little too hard-edged, but that is a matter of personal taste. On the whole, the performances of the singers are admirable, without being truly memorable. They are good enough to make me wonder what singers with the stature of Bergonzi, say, or Tebaldi might have achieved with Cyrano and Roxane.

This is a good performance of a very good opera-good enough to make me want to search out a copy of Alfano's earlier and, it is said, even more lush, "Risurrezione".

Well worth five stars.

No-frills Gasconade.......2004-07-01

If one's conception of Rostand's play derives exclusively from Brian Hooker's decorative translation or from Jose Ferrer's elegant, luxuriously articulated, 1950 film based on it, this music may prove a difficult fit. The mark of late, hard-edged Puccini is indelibly upon it. There are no concessions to Gounod/Meyerbeer gavotte, gigue, and oom-pah, not even in the Theater or Pastry Shop scenes. The Paris evoked is never the sweetly sentimental city of `Boheme' or `Rondine', but rather the grim, dank venue of `Tabarro'--obligatory Gallicism left to the unmistakable `Pelleas' influence here and there.

If one is willing to re-think the whole business, however, Alfano's version does have its appeal, especially the Garden/Balcony Scene where Cyrano, with convincing, manic dynamism tears away momentarily from a lifetime of self-repression and fear of ridicule. The style in this is, unsurprisingly, very much Calaf/Turandot; the shade of Puccini's final work rises again affectingly at the beginning of Act III at the Front.

The windfall of this live recording is the singing of the three principals. William Johns never flags in the demanding, dramatic, title role; Olivia Stapp as Roxanne, no shrinking ninny ingénue in this adaptation, but a full figured, high-voltage Heroine; Antonio Blancas as De Guiche; they are simply brilliant, outstanding, a festa of bravura vocalism.

Mengelberg Conducts Strauss: Ein Heldenleben / Don Juan (also includes Wagenaar: Cyrano de Bergerac Overture)
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At last! The great New York Heldenleben!

Mengelberg Conducts Strauss: Ein Heldenleben / Don Juan (also includes Wagenaar: Cyrano de Bergerac Overture)
Richard Strauss , Johan Wagenaar , Willem Mengelberg , Scipione Guidi , Concertgebouw Orchestra - Amsterdam , and New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mengelberg: Wagner; R. Strauss; Mahler

Strauss Conducts Ein Heldenleben

Mengelberg: Maestro Appassionato (Box Set)

Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Tod und Verklarung

Mengelberg Conducts Beethoven - Symphonies no 1, 3-6 & 8

ASIN: B00000604Q
Release Date: 1998-04-21

Tracks:

Ein Heldenleben Op.40: The Hero
Ein Heldenleben Op.40: The Hero's Adversaries
Ein Heldenleben Op.40: The Hero's Companion
Ein Heldenleben Op.40: The Hero's Battlefield
Ein Heldenleben Op.40: The Hero's Works Of Peace
Ein Heldenleben Op.40: The Hero's Retreat From The World And Fulfilment
Don Juan, Op. 20
Cyrano de Bergerac: Overture 'Cyrano de Bergerac'

Amazon.com

Wilhelm Mengelberg was one of the great conductors of the century and this 1928 Heldenleben is one of the great recordings of the century. There's a comprehensive mastery in this recording that made it an instant classic when it was first released and it continues to repay repeated hearings. Mengelberg's interpretive subtleties enliven what often seems just a pot-boiler; his sensitive rubatos and discreet portamentos make phrases come alive. The orchestra is perfection itself, and concertmaster Scipione Guidi's rapt violin solos are riveting. Mark Obert-Thorn's transfers make the recording sound as if it was made two decades later. The Concertgebouw items, from 1938 and 1942, are also compelling, with a fleet, vivacious Don Juan the main attraction. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

At last! The great New York Heldenleben!.......2000-07-19

Strauss dedicated "Ein Heldenleben"to Mengelberg, and it's easy to see why when listening to this recording. No other conductor brings such surging life to this score. Normally, I find Mengelberg's Concertgebouw recordings even more intense than the corresponding Philharmonic versions, but this is a glorious exception. Pearl's transfer is the only one faithful to the sound of the original 78's, and preserves the wide dynamic range of the originals. The Telefunken Concertgebouw "Don Juan" also finds its best-sounding incarnation in this release. I can't imagine anyone listening to this set and not changing their minds about "Ein Heldenleben" for the better. Mengelberg is a refreshing change from today's sterile music-making. Listen and see if you agree.

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Dutch Composers

Manufacturer: Audio Legends
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

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ASIN: B00005LZPM
Release Date: 2001-06-26

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An omissible Cyrano.
Opera -- perhaps the perfect medium for Cyrano
Richly scored heartbreaker....

Cyrano De Bergerac
Alfano , Uhl , Arnold , Klein , Bernhard , and Frank
Manufacturer: Cpo Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Franco Alfano: Cyrano de Bergerac

ASIN: B000076HL2
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Customer Reviews:

An omissible Cyrano........2005-09-15

Alfano has been tarred unfairly for the work he reluctantly undertook with TURANDOT, which was apparently pithed by Toscanini. As with Mascagni, he was an active fascist, which may have contributed to the sparse performance after World War II of his three recommended works, RISURREZIONE, (LA LEGENDA DI) SAKUNTALA, and CYRANO. I find this recording Germanic and raw. There are only two solosits. Both German singers try hard to sound the French words, but neither sounds French. To my ears, a great deal turns on the SHWA, a Hebrew term (adopted in linguistic usage) meaning "void." In Hebrew it is both zero (the end of a closed syllable) and a minimal sound. It is the latter which is the test of French enunciation: E without a diacritic, as in JE,LE,DEMOISELLE. Most foreigners tend to LEH, which destroys the beauty of the language. To add insult to injury, Uhl hardly pronounces the words. I bought this set, instead of Gala, because I find it useless to hear vocal music without text. But I found it impossible to follow the soprano with the French in front of me. Is this an important opera? I doubt it. After two close auditions, I find little to enjoy. To compare it to the four great operas of Puccini, or to measure it against the towering CHEF D'OEUVRE of Montemezzi (L'AMORE DEI TRE RE)is absurd. I reserve ultimate judgement, because the performance is so abrasive I cannot tell where the failure lies.

Opera -- perhaps the perfect medium for Cyrano.......2005-01-23

Surely there is no more appropriately operatic subject than Cyrano de Bergerac and over the years I had often wondered at the lack of Cyrano operas at least in recorded form. So it has been a treat over the past year to find and listen to the two recordings of Alfano's work now available, and to discover the wonderful recording of Eino Tamberg's delightful version of the story. And it appears there are other operatic Cyranos in the works.

I am delighted to think that Placido Domingo is bring Alfano's Cyrano to the Met stage in May, and that a DVD of Roberto Alagna's performance of this opera in Montpellier, France is due to be released in Europe at the end of February. I sure hope it arrives soon on this side of the ocean. This opera deserves to be heard.

Meanwhile I have listened many times to this 2002 German recording of the Alfano opera, as well as to the older recording made in Turin. Athough not specifically stated, this appears to be a live performance, complete with swords clashing and guns firing. It definitely takes more than one listening to appreciate this music fully - you cannot approach it expecting Puccini or anything like; it is lyrical, but there are no easy melodies, and the music is always moving the drama forward. It is complex and impressionistic; gorgeous on its own terms. The superior sound in this more recent recording is a great plus; the ever-changing orchestral colors are absolutely essential to an appreciation of the music. The music of the balcony scene in particular (the end of the opera's second act) is truly ravishing.

I wish I could honestly say the same of the singing. The singing is good; all the notes are right there, and the singers are emotionally committed to their parts, but the singing is not as lush and mesmerizing as the music merits. I find that heldentenor Roman Sadnik succeeds in creating a believable Cyrano: young, quarrelsome, sardonic, passionate, heroic, and hopelessly in love, but Sadnik is simply not blessed with the size of voice or richness of tone that one would want for this part. I would say, however, that the performance, in choice of interpretation, especially in going for a gentler, less "verismo" approach, makes the most of his strengths.

Much the same can be said of Manuela Uhl's singing of the part of Roxane. The first impression of her voice, with its considerable vibrato, is not one entirely appropriate to a heroine renowned for her beauty. But she makes the most of what she's got, and really comes into her own in the third act (on the battlefield) where she sings "Je lisais, je relisais" with passion and warmth, explaining to Christian that she now loves him for the beauty of his soul. Indeed, I think this moment is for Alfano the true climax and turning point of the opera. When anything has been written at all about this opera, it is usually to fault the ending of the opera for failing to reach the expected dramatic climax at Cyrano's death. I would submit that the opera in this is actually pretty faithful to the spirit of Rostand's play, where the generally serene last act is actually more of an epilogue than an advancement of the action (indeed Rostand has Cyrano actually saying " I have missed everything, even my death."). The music of Cyrano reading his letter aloud to Roxane in the last act is very affecting, and here the performance of the orchestra and and singer would be hard to improve upon. Indeed, the timing and tempi of the whole production are really just right throughout the opera.

Paul McNamara sings the role of Christian with conviction and engages our sympathy in particular in the third act when he asks Cyrano to tell Roxane the truth about the letters, giving an appropriate weight to the moment. The villain of the piece, the Comte de Guiche is sung by Wolfgang Newerla, who comes across not inappropriately as an older man because of the width of his vibrato.

Both the recordings of this opera use the French text adapted by Henri Cain from the Edmond Rostand play. The text stays fairly close to the original in the parts it includes. The opera itself runs about 2 hours, which means that large sections of the play (which usually runs over 3 hours uncut) were eliminated. For some reason Alfano combined the second and third acts of the play into one long act which runs 52 minutes; the other acts being 18, 30, and 20 minutes long, which sort of unbalances the whole. The fact that French is not the native language of the singers is, alas, all too apparent, and the words are sometimes unintelligible without the libretto. Happily, the recording comes with a booklet with lots of notes, and includes the libretto in French and English, although the libretto would have benefited from futher proofreading.

I give this recording 5 stars for the joy it has given me in getting to know this opera, and for the success of the dramatic whole, even though I retain the hope of yet better recorded performances to come!

Richly scored heartbreaker...........2003-02-07

Franco Alfano has for so many years now been regarded as a historical footnote, and been heaped with abuse over his supposedly "unworthy" completion of Turandot. Who would have guessed that we'd now have two commercial recordings of his late masterpiece "Cyrano de Bergerac" (the other, on the Gala label, is a rerelease of the 1975 RAI recording with William Johns and Olivia Stapp, and is available through Amazon's British sister site), and that there are plans for new productions with both Roberto Alanga (in France), and Placido Domingo (at the Met)! I don't know if this means there's an reassesment underway, but at least it means that a large audience has a chance to revel in one of the richest and most moving Italian operas of the 20th century.

A note about Alfano's music--he's often been dismissed as a sort of Puccini clone with less talent. I've read in major music magazines that he was Puccini's student, his disciple, and that "he had a hard time establishing a distinctive voice". The first two are just wrong, and the third is undoubtabley based on exposure only to his Turandot completion and his biggest hit, the early, Puccinian "Risurrezione" which came out the same year as "Butterfly". Anyone who's heard either "Cyrano" or his astonishing, exotic masterpiece "Sakuntala" would never have confused his mature style with Puccini's! Alfano's music blends Puccinian lyricism and verismo passion with a strong dose of Debussian Impressionism, and a tinge of Strauss's harmony. Nonetheless, his voice is distinctive. His orchestrations are incredibly rich and atmospheric.

This new recording, based on a new production last year in Kiel, Germany, is an important addition to the catalogue. It's approach is somewhat different than the old RAI recording. Not suprisingly, Maurizio Arena led the Orchestra RAI of Turin with a more idiomatic, Italian reading, with lots of big verismo push. By contrast, in the Kiel recording, the love music at the end of act II is performed with great gentleness. It's lovely, but one suspects that Alfano intended more passion. Also, William Johns (who had sung "The Emperor" in "Die Frau ohne Schatten") and Olivia Stapp (who had sung "Salome") were bigger voiced singers than Sadnik and Uhl in Kiel, and Johns' vocal acting is more moving. But the new recording's biggest edge comes from it's crystal clear sound, which allows the listener to fully appreciate (and lose themselves in) the glistening tapestry of Alfano's orchestra. The orchestra plays very beautifully, and if the RAI bunch played a little more passionately, a lot gets lost in the thinner sound of the old set. I feel that this recording does balance the sound a little too much in favor of the singers, but the superior sound still allows every orchestral detail to be clearly heard. Another major advantage of the new set is that it contains copious background notes and a full, translated libretto.

Like the RAI set, Kiel uses the French text that Alfano originally set, not the Italian that was used at it's premier in 1936. It's rumored that Domingo will sing it in Italian at the Met. By the way, there's another rumor that the Met is thinking of scrapping Domingo's "Cyrano" (scheduled for 2004-5) for budgetary reasons. Once you listen to this set, I promise that you'll indignantly e-mail the Met and DEMAND that they save it. I already have!

Cyrano De Bergerac
Average customer rating:

Extremely Boring!

Cyrano De Bergerac

Manufacturer: GALA Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000EDKQ8E

Product Description

FRANCO ALFANO (1875-1954) CYRANO DE BERGERAC Opera in four acts Libretto: Henri Cain Roxane - Olivia Stapp Cyrano - William Johns Christian - Ezio di Cesare De Guiche - Antonio Blancas Carbon - Alfredo Giacomotti Le Duegne - Miti Truccato Pace Soeur Marthe - Miti Truccato Pace Lise - Agata Palmi Une Sceur - Agata Palmi Ragueneau - Claudio Strudthoff Le Bret - Giovanni Savoiardo De Valvert - Dino Mantovani L"Officier Espagnol - Giuseppe Scalce Le Cuisinier - Giuseppe Scalce Ligniere - Angelo Nosotti Le Mousquetaire - Angelo Nosotti Orchestra e Coro della RAI di Torino Conductor: Maurizio Arena Turin, September 20, 1975

Customer Reviews:

Extremely Boring!.......2006-09-20

That this title is no longer available is no loss to anyone. I doubt I've ever heard a more boring opera than this. It mindlessly ambles along its two hours without once making you the listener sit up and take notice. Can't understand how Domingo talked the Met into mounting a production of this; I'll assume it was borrowed (and promptly returned!!). If you're at all interested, first borrow a copy and listen to it before you invest even the modest price of this set.

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