Sleeping in the Arms of Love [Cast Recording]

Editorial Reviews
Joseph Molnar-Talkin Broadway
"From beginning to end, this CD is just about perfect in every way...Mr Frank's vocals are strong and consistent. Overall, this is a very impressive debut recording, and I am looking forward to hearing more from this fresh new talent."

About the Artist
Jonathan Frank is a performer based in Seattle. He is the first North West performer to have been invited to perform at the Cabaret Convention in New York and has performed his cabaret shows all across the country.

Album Description
Seattle cabaret artist Jonathan Frank's first CD. Recorded in LA with a 23 piece orchestra. Contains some old favorites as well as songs from some of LA and New York's best songwriters, including Francesca Blumenthal, David Friedman, Amanda McBroom, and John Wallowitch. Some of the songs are receiving their first recording.

Sleeping in the Arms of Love [Cast Recording]

Tracks:

Winter Light
Hush, Little Baby
I Bid You Goodnight
Dream a Beautiful Dream
All the World Is Sleeping
Go Away, Little Fairies
Lullaby
Irish Lullaby
Moon and Me
There, There, Hush Awhile
Hush-A-Bye
Sleep, Baby, Sleep

Tracks:

Waltz No. 1 (Blue Danube Op.314)
Lyric Pieces Op. 12 Arietta
Danse des Mirlitons (Nutcracker Suite)
Lyric Pieces Op. 38 Berceuse
Danse Arabe (Nutcracker Suite)
Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Adagio
Lyric Pieces Op.12, Vigilante Song
Violin Concerto in E Minor Op.64, Andante
Waltz in a Major
In the Hall of the Mountain King (Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 Op.46)

Tracks:

Appalachian Lullaby
Winter Light
Safe and Warm in My Arms
Bedtime
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Starlight, Starbright
Goodnight
Sweet Dreams
Moment I Saw You
With You in My Arms

Vaughan Williams: The Poisoned Kiss [Hybrid SACD]

Average customer rating:

Urgently recommended despite some production missteps

Vaughan Williams: The Poisoned Kiss [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000DIGLL
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Tracks:

Overture
No. 2. Opening Chorus: 'Secret Are The Sounds...'
No. 3. Scena. Gallanthus: 'What's That?'
No. 4. Scena. Angelica: 'Day Is Dawning'
No. 5. Duet. Gallanthus: 'It's Really Time...'
No. 6. Ensemble. Hob, Lob And Gob: 'Here We Come...'
No. 7. Duet And Chorus. Dipsacus: 'I'm A Sorcerer Bold'
No. 8. Duet. Amaryllus: 'It's True I'm Inclined...'
No. 9. Ensemble. Tormentilla: 'Hush, Lovely Cobra'
Amaryllus: 'Desist, Lest You Die!'
No. 10. Duet. Amaryllus: 'I Know We See...'
Amaryllus: 'Blue Larkspur In A Garden'
No. 11. Ensemble. Dipsacus: 'Who's In My Forest?'
Dipsacus: 'North Wind, South Wind'
Tormentilla: Angelica?
Amaryllus And Gallanthus: 'O, Come To Our Arms'
No. 12. Song. Tormentilla: 'O, Who Would Be...'
No. 13. Finale. Dipsacus: 'All Is Ready!'
No. 14. Introduction
No. 15. Chorus: 'Here We Come'
No. 16. Song And Chorus. Angelica And Flower Girls: 'By All The Powers...'
No. 17. Trio. Lob: 'Ho There!'
No. 18. Duet. Angelica: 'It Does Not Apear...'
No. 19. Trio. Third Medium: 'If You Want To Escape'

Tracks:

No. 20. Chorus: 'Tormentilla! Tormentilla!'
No. 21. Song And Duet. Tormentilla: 'There Was...'
No. 22. Ensemble. Amaryllus: 'Twas Here It Bade...'
No. 23. Serenade. Amaryllus: 'Dear Love, Behold...'
No. 24. Duet. Tormentilla: 'Sleeping Or Waking'
Tormentilla: 'You Must Not Kiss Me'
No. 26. Finale. Tomentilla: 'Too Dark For Me...'
No. 27. Introduction
No. 28. Trio. Mediums: 'Behold Our Mystic...'
No. 29. Ensemble. Empress: 'Monstrous Vision!'
No. 30. Ballad. Empress: ' When I Was Young...'
No. 31. Ensemble. Empress: 'You Can Leave Us'
No. 32. Duet. Tormentilla: 'Is My Love Alive?'
Empress: 'Love Breaks All The Rules...'
No. 33. Invocation. Empress: 'Imps And Demons'
No. 34. Ensemble. Empress: 'Come, O Gentle Powers'
No. 35. Duet. Empress: 'Can You, Can You Remember'
No. 36. Quartet. All: 'Love In A Hut...'
No. 37. Sextet. First Medium: 'Horrid Monster!'
No. 38. Duet. Gallanthus: 'It's The Proper Thing To Do'
No. 39. Finale. Chorus: 'Love Has Conquered!'

Customer Reviews:

Urgently recommended despite some production missteps.......2007-01-07

This premiere recording makes some very beautiful music available for the first time. The opera was first performed in 1936, and Vaughan Williams continued to make revisions into the mid 1950s. The music is representative of the composer's mature style. In the opera's later version given here, Evelyn Sharp's original book was revised by Ursula Vaughan Williams.

The Poisoned Kiss is a romantic comedy, a fairy tale about the triumph of true love over revenge. The opera is not through-sung; rather, the dramatic action is carried forward by dialogue in a manner reminiscent of Gilbert and Sullivan or the West End. At times, the witty, good-naturedly sarcastic text and playful rhyme schemes are reminiscent of Noel Coward.

The musicians are just about ideal. Hickox leads a luscious performance, capturing by turn the music's pastoral beauty and (not very threatening) irony. The singers are of uniformly high quality, with the characterization and fresh voices of James Gilchrist and Janice Watson as the young lovers deserving special mention. Anne Collins's fruity, wide-vibratoed contralto at times seems to be a musical caricature, but it works nicely in the role.

The production has two major flaws. First, the sound image is placed rather distant from the listener. I felt as if I were sitting towards the back of the auditorium and wanted to move up closer to the stage. The SACD's surround mode did add compensatory perspective and body to the sound, as well as a little extra punch to the thunder, cat shrieks, and other fairy-tale sound effects. The two-channel version sounded significantly flatter and more distant. Second, almost all of the dialogue has been omitted. It would have been enjoyable to hear the music in its dramatic context. Indeed, the abrupt juxtaposition of musical numbers that in performance would be separated by dialogue and a shift of dramatic tone is sometimes jarring. With less than an hour on each disc (and with singers who display such fine diction and acting skills), this is a major missed opportunity. Fortunately, the dialogue is printed in the libretto.

Despite these quibbles, this set is still urgently recommended!

Average customer rating:

What a wonderful way to begin your journey...
You Should Sleep in the Arms of Love
Jonathon is Perfectly Frank
Sleepless Over Sleeping In The Arms of Love
A great easy listening CD!

Sleeping in the Arms of Love
Original Cast Recording
Manufacturer: Original Cast Record
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Broadway & Vocalists | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000031KAV
Release Date: 1999-10-20

Tracks:

My One and Only Love
Unusual Way
Sleeping in the Arms of Love
Dance
Cappuccino
Sentimental Interlude
Taking Things for Granted
Mama, a Rainbow
No Moon/Sailing On
Baby Mine
My Ship
You're There
In the End
On My Way to You

Album Description

Seattle cabaret artist Jonathan Frank's first CD. Recorded in LA with a 23 piece orchestra. Contains some old favorites as well as songs from some of LA and New York's best songwriters, including Francesca Blumenthal, David Friedman, Amanda McBroom, and John Wallowitch. Some of the songs are receiving their first recording.

Customer Reviews:

What a wonderful way to begin your journey..........2001-02-24

Being married to a man with an aversion to cabarets and musicals is not easy if you're a big fan like me. After listening to "Sleeping in the arms of love" we are now both devoted fans. "Unusual way" swept us off our feet and by "Cappucino" we were in love. How can you resist such loveliness and why bother?

You Should Sleep in the Arms of Love.......2000-10-13

Jonathan Frank's CD "Sleeping in the Arms of Love" is a beautifully sung and arranged work of art. Each song is delivered with a masters touch. Jonathan's voice is like the lovers arms you want to be sleeping in, warm and strong yet gentle enough to caress your soul.

Jonathon is Perfectly Frank.......2000-06-23

What a delightful surprise it was discovering Jonathon Frank!Such magnificent songs sung with a deep appreciation for perfect phrasing,the music itself, and for the meaning hidden within the simplest lyrics.He is, and will continue to be a personal favorite. Let's just hope that Jonathon Frank continues to record.

Sleepless Over Sleeping In The Arms of Love.......2000-01-03

After witnessing this impressive young performer in both Seattle and Manhattan,I was happy to hear this debut CD, and it was not a let-down. In person,Frank impresses as much with his flip & sarcastic side as with his romantic one, but this recital is all about romance, longing and bitersweet goodbyes, in its mix of cabaret gems,obscure Broadway and nostalgia items, and finds the singer in good voice,backed up by fine musicians and solid arrangements.

Standout tracks include, appropriately for a Seattle based singer, "Cappucino", a warm classic forties-style turn on "Sentimental Interlude",the tender "Baby Mine" (from Disney's DUMBO) and a heart-felt "Mama, A Rainbow from the Broadway's MINNIE'S BOYS (Minnie was the Marx Bros. Mama).Most impressive, in both Frank's delivery and melding of two complimentary tunes, "No Moon"(from the underrated TITANIC stage musical)and "Sailing On" by Alan Menken & Dean Pitchford.

Though one would hope to see some of Frank's sardonic and wicked humor on a future CD, this one is great for those sleepless lovers in Seattle, San Francisco or even Shanghai.

A great easy listening CD!.......2000-01-02

This Debut CD from Jonathan Frank is Great from start to finish! Easy Listening, ideal for intimate cocktail parties or dinner or just listening to the lyrics on a rainy afternoon.Songs from today's "up & coming " composers! Favorites include: "Cappuccino" "Sleeping in the Arms of Love " (CD Title) "No Moon/Sailing On " among others. A very impressive album for Cabaret enthusiasts and Adult Contemporary/Easy Listening!

Music:

Music

Music