I Capricorn [Import] [Original recording remastered]

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Mid-price reissue of the Welsh diva's 1972 studio album that includes her hit version of The Carpenter's 'For All We Know'. Shirley's career is currently on an upswing with the forthcoming release of her remix album, 'Diamonds Are Forever Remix Album' which features Groove Armada and DJ Spinna. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.

I Capricorn, Music, Shirley Bassey, Easy Listening/Vocal, Pop, Popular Music, Rock, Traditional Pop, Vocal

Jerry Goldsmith: 40 Years of Film Music
Average customer rating:

Awesome Set!

Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection

Overall a strong Goldsmith sampler

Jerry Goldsmith - 40 years of pleasure

Almost the perfect compilation

Jerry Goldsmith: 40 Years of Film Music
Jerry Goldsmith
Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Film Scores | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Star Trek | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection

The Music of John Williams: 40 Years of Film Music

Epics: The History of the World According to Hollywood

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Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores

ASIN: B0009KIYDG
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Tracks:

Blue Max, The
Blue Max, The
Blue Max, The
Blue Max, The
Blue Max, The
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: Doctor Kildare / Room 222 / Waltons, The / Barnaby Jones / Television Themes Medley
In Harm's Way
The Sandpebbles: Chinatown / Patch Of Blue, A / Poltergeist / Papillon / Wind And The Lion, The / Motion Pictures Medley
Generals, The
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Wild Rovers, The
Pursuit
Wind And The Lion, The

Tracks:

QB VII
QB VII
QB VII
QB VII
QB VII
Waltons, The
Papillon
Police Story
Omen, The
Capricorn One
Swarm, The
Boys From Brazil, The
, The (First) Great Train Robbery
Alien
Star Trek The Motion Picture

Tracks:

Masada
Poltergeist
First Blood - Rambo II
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Under Fire
Under Fire
Under Fire
Under Fire
Gremlins
Baby - Secret Of The Lost Legend
Legend
Lionheart
Rambo III
Total Recall

Tracks:

Star Trek Voyager
Basic Instinct
Russia House, The
Gremlins II
Medicine Man
Shadow, The
Forever Young
First Knight
Powder
Airforce One
L.A. Confidential
Mummy, The
Haunting, The

Album Description

Jerry Goldsmith's death in 2004 marked the end of one of the greatest careers in film composing. This lavish 57 track 4 CD set traces the path of his astonishing achievements and includes recordings conducted by Goldsmith himself. Featuring The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, The Philharmonia Orchestra, The National Philharmonic Orchestra, and The Daniel Caine Orchestra. Includes over 280 minutes of music.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Set!.......2007-07-01

I am a huge fan of Jerry Goldsmith. They did a great job preserving his vision. I can listen to this collection for hours. Great music!

Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection.......2006-11-03

This is compilation of hit film music from one of the greatest composers in motion pictures. What is surprising though is the music not included like the Ghost And The Darkness, the 13th Warrior, Rudy and others. To be sure, 4 discs are not enough for a composure of this stature. THe recording, however, is an "engineering masterpiece" which makes the music even more enjoyable than when you first heard it at the movies. When are we ging to get the music that was omittd from this compilaton?

Overall a strong Goldsmith sampler.......2006-04-11

Okay, this is a CD review, so the focus is on music, but I've got to say this first: this has got to be a contender for the ugliest cover art ever. I mean, come on...instead of a tribute to the composer, the cover looks like someone spilled a glass of merlot over a NASA photo.

Fortunately, even an ugly cover will not ruin good music. And the good news is that I'd say about 75 percent of the music is good....and on a 4 cd set, that's a lot. Like other Silva compilations, the strength of this compilation is the variety. There are selections from the big releases (Star Trek, Omen, Rambo), but there is also a healthy dose of tracks from the smaller releases(Under Fire, Lionheart, The Swarm).

Two examples come to mind. Capricorn One and The Great Train Robbery are two movies that are not exactly household names today, but are dominated by two of Goldmith's finest main themes. The City of Prague Philharmonic come through with terrific renditions. And there are plenty of other strong performances...a few being concert versions conducted by Goldsmith himself. Suprisingly, "The Wind and the Lion" works, which is no small accomplishment given the ferentic original performance of "Raisuli Attacks".

It's not a complete success. A few of the performances fall flat, particularly some of the more inventive scores. Total Recall is just bad, mangling the performance with poor percussion and synthesizer choices to boot. Also a letdown is the Klingon Attack from the first Star Trek movie. The Prague Philhamonic attempt doesn't sound bad--it's just that once you've heard the original soundtrack's "blaster beam" with enough bass to rattle your teeth...well let's just say Silva's version is a little tinny in comparison.

But I shouldn't dwell on the negative. Overall, this is a strong sampler of Goldsmith's variety. There are plenty of quality performances here, and despite a few omissions (noticeably Planet of the Apes)this is a very good release from Silva.

Jerry Goldsmith - 40 years of pleasure.......2006-02-22

It was wonderful to hear Mr. Goldsmith's music that went all the way back to The Man from UNCLE, The Waltons, Dr Kildare, etc. And then to hear his music up to the present. The man was a genius!

Almost the perfect compilation.......2005-12-31

Age has its value.... This sweeping collection of compositions brings back so many great memories. This collection shows how significant Goldsmith was for both the movie screen and the small screen. With such a grand collection, every reader can be assured that at least one movie or TV program they like or remember had Goldsmith's contribution. It was an amazing life and the collection well worth having.

However, as sweepig as it is, there are a few holes in the selection. "First Contact", one of the sweetest and richest compositions from the Star Trek is absent. "The Ghost and the Darkness" is missing and the "Medicine Man" music should include the theme song. By dwelling on several selections from the Blue Max, these were squeezed out. Three full and important movie themes got the axe.

However, all but "The Ghost and the Darkness" are readily available and not overly expensive as is the "Ghost" CD. This is a must have for the TV and movie music fan.

Before there was Hans Solo there was Napolean Solo, before ER there was Dr. Kildare. Jerry Goldsmith IS Sci-Fi. "Resistance is futile.. you MUST assimilate this CD collection."

Average customer rating:

Bassey at her finest...
My sentimental friend
SHIRLEY BASSEY A GREAT VOICE AN BRINGS GREAT MEMORIES
Go Bassey
BASSEY'S STUNNING CLASSIC~BRAVO SHIRLEY!!!

I Capricorn
Shirley Bassey
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Something
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And I Love You So
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I've Got a Song for You: And We Were Lovers

ASIN: B00004TTIQ
Release Date: 2000-08-14

Tracks:

I Capricorn
Look Of Love
The Way A Woman Loves
Love
Where Am I Going
I've Never Been A Woman Before
For All We Know
The Greatest Performance Of My Life
Where Is Love
Losing My Mind
One Less Bell To Answer
Lost And Lonely

Album Description

Mid-price reissue of the Welsh diva's 1972 studio album that includes her hit version of The Carpenter's 'For All We Know'. Shirley's career is currently on an upswing with the forthcoming release of her remix album, 'Diamonds Are Forever Remix Album' which features Groove Armada and DJ Spinna. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.

Album Details

Remastered Reissue of 1972 Release.

Customer Reviews:

Bassey at her finest..........2007-05-26

This album, I Capricorn, is full of great Shirley Bassey songs from the early 1970's. My parents bought the album and I was 15 at the time. I resisted liking it since I was into Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Grand Funk, etc... But I truly love this album. There is no one that sings with such raw, breathless emotion like Shirley Bassey. The woman takes a song, any song, and makes it her own. On this album she performs John Lennon's "Love", "One Less Bell to Answer" (made famous by the 5th Dimension) and "For All We Know" (originally done by the Carpenters). All excellent covers of these well-known songs. Good songs combined with Bassey's soaring vocals makes every song on this album simply phenomenal. In my opinion, Bassey's best.

My sentimental friend.......2007-01-23

A special person,a mysterious creature,Shirley!!
Amazing voice,romantic and sublime songs in sad and happy rhythms.Relaxing sound and beautiful love poems.For those in love and also out of love.Bassey sings almost right from her soul.She has sense of humours too,just watch her entertainment at 'Live At Carnegie Hall'.I'm her number one FAN.
As music is the food to the soul,it can solve spiritual problems.Because life is music and music is life.It can mend a broken heart and cure madness.
I keep good memories of my parents who passed away almost at the same time.Bassey's songs keep me remember them and how wonderful it was when they were there.Remember always that every family has somebody to love and somebody to loose.They live forever in your heart especially with Bassey's songs.

SHIRLEY BASSEY A GREAT VOICE AN BRINGS GREAT MEMORIES.......2007-01-19

I PURCHASED SEVERAL SHIRLEY BASSEY CD'S-THEY BRING BACK HAPPY TIMES WITH MY WIFE WHO IS NOW DECEASED. I RECENTLY HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSE WITH A TERMINAL CANCER AND THE HAPPY MEMORIES MISS BASSEY BRINGS ARE BETTER THAN MOST PAIN PILLS. I KNOW THAT THIS IS REALLY NOT A REVIEW IN THE STRICTEST SENSE, BUT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT "RECORDS" FROM YEARS AGO CAN BE TREASURED. THANK YOU

Go Bassey.......2006-02-17

Another one of miss. Bassey's highly successful albums of the 70's. I Capricorn takes another direction than the "Something" and "Never, Never, Never". The album is somewhat disjointed, half of the songs are gorgeous ballads: I Capricorn, Where Am I Going and One Less Bell to Answer and the other half are up tempo pop tunes such as: The Look of Love and the hit of the album, a cover of The Carpenters "For All We Know". Shirley Bassey is an amazing vocalist, her vocal prowess is outstanding and her dedication to the material is something that she's had throughout her whole career. She displays amazing vulnerability in the gorgeous, almost epic album opener "I, Capricorn" and her heartbreak is easy to feel when she sings: "One less...bell...to answer". She's amazing. Bassey was highly successful in the 70's, the year before she topped the world charts with the 007 tune "Diamonds Are Forever" and just two years before she had another huge hit single with the George Harrison cover "Something", she was attending and selling out Carnegie Hall by 1973 and her album and single of that year "Never, Never, Never" was yet another hit. Only one other female performer has had more hit singles than Bassey and that's Streisand, and that's saying something. At her best, Shirley Bassey was truly the best. No wonder she got voted as the best female vocalist in the past 50 years, she truly was and still is one of the world's best and most beloved entertainers. Worker of wonders.

BASSEY'S STUNNING CLASSIC~BRAVO SHIRLEY!!!.......2004-06-08

"I, Capricorn" opens this stunning collection with all of the haunting brillance that is typical of a great Bassey performance in an absolutely magical musical surrounding! This classic collection was released in 1972 which was the same year that Miss Bassey graced us with her regal presence in a sold-out tour-de-force concert at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles which found her in incredibly great form as she is featured here in this awesome set!! A winning sensual reading of "The Look Of Love" and a hauntingly beautiful "The Way A Woman Loves" find Shirley in peak form weaving vocal magic in glorious settings created by the talented arranger Johnny Harris who is Miss Bassey's greatest collaborator. John Lennon"s "Love" is soft and warm while the classic Cy Coleman/Dorothy Fields "Where Am I Going" becomes a powerful athem showing that this is a versatile singer whose musical scope is as wide open as her great voice!!! Beautiful and passionate is "I've Never Been A Woman Before" and a big hit came out of the theme song from "Lovers And Other Strangers" called "For All We Know" with this being the definitive version of this standard. Two powerful 70's Diva performances came from the moving "The Greatest Performance Of My Life" with one being from the great Nancy Wilson and the other of course from Shirley!! This magnificent ballad has always been a highlight in the concerts of Miss Wilson and Miss Bassey with both giving the performance of a lifetime each time with this epic ballad. Stellar performances from two Broadway Classics "Where Is Love?" and "Losing My Mind" make one long for a Bassey Broadway Album as it certainly would be a masterpiece. A beautiful "One Less Bell To Answer" is followed by the stormy and magnificent "Lost And Lonely" which is Shirley Bassey at her devastating best!!! Grab this one while it is available as an Import if you love the Art Of Great Singing at its best!! BRAVO SHIRLEY! You are incredible!!!

Average customer rating:

The penultimate collection ...
Muisic of the Spheres
The Ulllllltimate Sci-Fi Music Collection
SciFi Album gift
Away From to be a Collectible Peace

The Science Fiction Album
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Silva America
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000066HE5
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Tracks:

2001: A Space Odyssey
Aliens
Sound Effect - The Nostromo
Alien
A.I.
Armageddon
Sound Effect - Apollo 13 Lift-off
Apollo 13
Back To The Future
Battle Beyond The Stars
Battlestar Galactica
The Black Hole
Contact
Capricorn One
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Day The Earth Stood Still
Dune

Tracks:

Galaxy Quest
Sound Effect - Dogfight in Space
Enemy Mine
Ghostbusters
Gremlins
Heavy Metal
Independence Day
E.T.
Judge Dredd
The Last Starfighter
Lifeforce
Sound Effect - Crash Landing
Lost In Space
Mars Attacks
The Matrix
Predator
The Right Stuff

Tracks:

Moonraker
Robocop
Silent Running
Sound Effect - Alien Organism
Species
Stargate
Starship Troopers
Starman
Star Trek - TV Theme
Star Trek: The Motion Picture End Title
Klingon Attack
Sound Effect - Warp Drive
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Generations
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Tracks:

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Sound Effect - Transporter Crew
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Main Theme
Star Trek First Contact
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
Sound Effect - Battle Stations
Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace - The Flag Parade
Anakin's Theme
The Adventures of Jar Jar
Duel of the Fates
The Time Machine
Things to Come
The Thing From Another World
War of the Worlds
When Worlds Collide
Total Recall
You Only Live Twice
Superman

Customer Reviews:

The penultimate collection ..........2006-12-07

Generally I agree with Strategos in his ecstatic Spotlight Review above. It is a joy to here some of the most memorable themes and cues from some of the most memorable science fiction and fantasy movies (re)recorded in great sound and in lavish (re)orchestrations, played by renowned classical orchestras, namely the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra, no less.

I have always had a weak spot for (good, or maybe even intelligent) science fiction/fantasy and film music, especially its way of evoking mystery, grandure and wide open spaces. Call it a weakness if you want. But it was maybe really kick started off, for as far as I can remember, with Star Trek. But especially Star Trek II, III and IV - essentially a trilogy - because of their very romantic but very warm, human core, set on the broadest canvasses of unlimited and mysterious outer space. But then there was the music for adding that essential extra dimension of emotion and atmosphere. I am happy that much of the music on this album is from the Star Trek series and films, often equaling or sometimes even outclassing the original recordings.

This kind of music (for the movies) should be seen as an art on its own rights with its own merits and qualities. As such, the musical sequences on these CD's are a beautifully played cross section of some of the most evoking orchestral music for science fiction/fantasy film ever created. And I very much like the nicely blended, wide and deep orchestral soundpicture with enough reverberation to evoke a sense of wide open spaces.
I am quite thrilled by tracks like the evocative music from Dune, truly transporting one to the vastly sands of Arrakis (the music is wonderful, but to my great regret I think the movie itself is a flawed masterpiece at best, alas.). And then there is the very different, goofy music for Ghostbusters (memories of childhood), the spoofy but electrifying music from Mars Attacks (lovingly parodist music, this, with not a little touch of irony) and the happily adventurous, forward driving Theme from Galaxy Quest ('Never give up, never surrender!'), now also used for the internet-based fan-series Star Trek: The Hidden Frontier. On the other side of the spectrum we have the atmospheric music for Enemy Mine (an underestimated 'little' movie), the Theme from The Right Stuff (actually science FACT, not fiction, this film, just like Apollo 13, of course), the eerily attractive music for Species, the original End Title for Alien (not used in the theatrical version of the movie, where it was replaced by music from howard Hanson's Second Symphony), the exquisitely exotic music for Stargate, the sweet and warmly sympathetic, beautifully re-orchestrated, theme for Starman, the title cue for Star Trek: TOS (much more melodiously played than the original! If only a series nowadays could continue to be as thought provoking and as original as Star Trek was during its launch, fourty years ago ...) and a truly overpowering End Titles Suite from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. I especially like the thrillingly grandiloquent rendition here of the music for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. And how nice it is to hear the (thematic) similarities between James Horner's music for The Wrath of Khan, his great break-through as a film music composer, and his (two years) earlier music for Battle Beyond the Stars (which did indeed help him earn the job for writing the music for Star Trek II) ...

But on the 'down side', if one is looking for - for example - the gorgeously expansively played End Titles from Cocoon, it is not included here: one has to acquire the album that 'kicked it all off', so to say, namely 'Space and Beyond', also on Silva Screen. I was very pleased also with the inclusion on that album of some of the music from the series Star Trek: The Next Generation, namely where one of the characters, Tasha Yar, in one of the episodes (Skin of Evil) is saying goodbye to her crewmmates: sweetly sentimental and simple music which I have always wanted to own on CD. I guess that a few cues from the other two sequals ('Alien Invasion: Space and Beyond II' and 'Space3: Beyond the Final Frontier') didn't make it onto this 4 CD collection-album as well, but I guess that it would be the 'better part of the bargain' to opt to buy this 'The Science Fiction Album' instead of buying all three albums separately. Well, of course it is for yourself to ultimately decide what you really want ;-)

If I were to nitpick (which is not easy with such a marvellous project as this one), then I would say that while all music is performed with magnificent grandure and with style, some of it is not performed as crisply and as technically 'on the spot' as some of the original recordings: ensemble is a little slack and the playing somewhat stilted sometimes, losing some of the edge and the originality of the writing. ET and Star Wars spring to mind, but then the soundtracks for Star Wars are traditionally recorded with the magnificent London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro John Williams himself, and these superior recordings (especially the ones for Episode I, II and III) can't really be bettered, IMHO. Likewise for the music from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, I believe that in the end one really has to resort to the ultimate reference, namely the original recording (which is true in many other instances of 'original recordings'), and then the 20th anniversay colector's edition of this soundtrack on Columbia/Legacy (truly unmissable, this veritable classic of sci-fi/film music soundtracks!).

But all in all this 4CD-collection amounts to probably being the penultimate high quality sci-fi music album collection (I certainly know of no other project that comes as close quality as well as quantity wise), with some of the most memorable musical moments from classic to modern sci-fi/fantasy film captured in lavish orchestrations.
Collection-wise: five *stars*. Playing: generally four *stars*, sometimes more. The recording quality: five *stars*. The music (qualified on its own merits as film music) and its (re)orchestrations: generally five *stars*. In the end this is all highly recommended, and certainly not to be missed by science fiction and fantasy film music fans. Klaatu barada nikto.

Muisic of the Spheres.......2006-11-06

You wonderful four disk collection of SF music. It startsa up the the grand master of SF music, 2001: A space Odyssey all the way to Superman. This is all American SF music and several themes I would have liked to have included are not there. All in all though, a collection you will enjoy.

The Ulllllltimate Sci-Fi Music Collection.......2005-10-23

If one person gives great gifts, it's the illustrious Codemaster Talon. I've received a fair number of gifts in my lifetime, but so far, my older sister's take the cake. Take this one for instance. I'm real big on orchestral music, to the point where I listen to them more than any other kind of music. I've got orchestral versions of video game themes, orchestral soundtracks to truck-loads of anime shows (Big O, Escaflowne, and Giant Robo are incredible), and could probably spend the rest of my life just trying to study the nuances of all the classical music I've got. Being such a huge fan of orchestral music, I also have come to believe that orchestra music produced for movies and television is the new classical music (or as someone once said, Mozart would be making music for movies if he were alive today). Being a huge sci-fi fan, that kind of music has always been particularly near and dear to my heart. But were I to buy each and every soundtrack for every sci-fi I liked it would cost quite a bundle, and would include a lot of sub-par music along with the grandiose and fantastic main and memorable themes. That's where this beauty comes in.

The moment I ripped off the shrink-wrap and popped it into my cd player was a moment of great trepidation. Believe me when I tell that I've seen my fair share of sub-par orchestral recording in my lifetime. Very often they are in those big super-packs of music, and suffer from poor direction, improper mastering, and sometime even pathetic orchestration (or worse yet have something sounding like a cheap synthesizer and a kazoo in place of a full orchestra). I needn't have worried though. This sucker is fantastic.

Many people who are not audiophiles will probably miss the point of this cd collection. It is not the original versions of the pieces. It is re-orchestrations, mostly by the phenomenal Prague Symphony Orchestra. Many of these themes didn't sound all that hot in there original versions because they were low budget films or were not recorded in high-fidelity. Here they are given the full treatment, mastered with the most loving care imaginable. Often the version found in these cds is SUPERIOR to the original.

Remember the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey? Of course you do. But how many times have you heard a cheap imitation of the original version from the movie, starting too low in volume and ending too high (and missing the essential pipe-organ that gives it that extra oomph)? Well, this first track in the entire collection is not only everything it should be instrumental and timing-wise, but it also has been oh-so-carefully adjusted during the mastering process so that at no time is the music either too low or too high in volume (surely a benchmark for every other recording ever to be made of the piece).

Or what about the theme from the (at-the-time) uber-creepy The Black Hole? The orchestration of this piece of music goes from tiumphant to terrifying and back again, with a splendor and cleanness that I CERTAINLY don't remember being in the original recording.

Then there's the new version of the theme from Independence Day, complete with a violin solo, a far more electrifying ending climax, and a chorus so thunderous that you feel like applauding at the end. Simply indescribable. Kind of like the MIND-BLOWING rendition of the theme from The Last Star Fighter. This has been one of my favorite themes for a long time now, but I've never heard it played like this. I think the original version of the theme is something like 1 minute long, but this new version doesn't just fade out (HAHAHAHA!!!!) THIS version is THREE minutes long, goes through the main theme THREE times, with the final strains being so triumphant and joyous I could not help but feel an electrifying charge the first dozen or so times (come to think of it, I still feel that way). This is superior to the original in EVERY way. AWESOME.

And let's not forget the incredible new rendition of Stargate with it's heavy use of clarinets (for Egyptian effect!) and a triumphant new ending (completely lacking the chanting from the original version. This version is so different that for the first minute it is very hard to tell that it is in fact Stargate. But then the main theme kicks in, and then you get this incredible flute solo for my favorite part of theme (the whole thing is played slower, but arguably more powerfully than the original). My goodness. At first I found the thing so different I didn't like it. But then I listened to it again. And again. And again.

I could go on and on, talking about the fantastic new rendition of Moon Raker, the ear-popping Battlestar Galactica, the classic Star Trek (First Contact has a minute or two of the theme from Star Trek:The Motion Picture before going into the main theme), or the sweet renditions of music from the Star Wars movies (or the music from E.T.).

I have to mention though that this collection was not picked based merely on what people want, or on what is popular. No, the people who made it obviously thought a GOOD music collection was better than a popular one. That's why you get a heartbreakingly beautiful theme from A.I. instead of the main theme. It's why you get music from movies that you probably never gave a second thought to the music (because the movie was lousy). It's why you get Armageddon, Judge Dredd, and Robocop (who would have guessed their music was so COOL when there was all that crazy action and bad-acting going on on-screen).

I said it before and I'll say it again. This cd-set was mastered with tender-loving-care, and it shows BIG-TIME. High-fidelity the likes of which I have not seen since the days when cds were brand-new in the world. Dolby Surround. Perfectly balanced. BEAUTIUFL orchestrations. About the only thing that makes me scratch my head is the weird sound-effect tracks (Oooookay.....). Other than that, it's PERFECT. Obviously they could not include every sci-fi theme ever (no one can), but this collection is REALLY GOOD. A lot of great themes that got away (forgotten gems :), new versions of old favorites, and under-appreciated classics aplenty, but ALWAYS the full and complete versions with nothing cut-out (the theme from Dune is quite extended).

If you love movie music (and sci-fi movie music in particular) you MUST buy this awesome collection). It is not the original recordings. Almost always the new ones are better (if they aren't better they're just equal). This is what you have been waiting for. I for one am going to be buying quite a few cds from this company in the future. Give your ears the treat they deserve. Buy it NOW.

SciFi Album gift.......2005-07-20

I bought the Science Fiction Album as a gift for my son who is twenty-one years old. He is a musician, and also a huge fan of many SciFi shows and movies. I thought this would be the perfect thing for him and I was right. He loves it!

Away From to be a Collectible Peace.......2004-12-16

If you like Sci-Fi movies and want a compilation of their important scores, this is the CD-set to buy. But let me warn you about that very few songs in the cds are from the original soundtracks. Most of them is re-recorded by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. But the sound quality of cds are very good, because they have HDCD and Dolby Surround labels. This set is away from to be a collectible peace, but it is a good general compilation of favorite Sci-Fi movie scores.

Average customer rating:

I'll Be Your Everything
Percy Sledge
Manufacturer: Capricorn / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Howard Hanson Conducts American Masterworks

Average customer rating:

An American sampler
Hanson's MLP Gems Are Back!

Howard Hanson Conducts American Masterworks

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
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Howard Hanson Conducts Howard Hanson

ASIN: B00035VV82
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Customer Reviews:

An American sampler.......2006-06-21

My wife and I often eat at a local restaurant that offers what it calls an "American sampler" of shishkabob, Hawaiian chicken and Louisiana Gulf shrimp. I liken that plate to this collection by the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra and longtime conductor-director Howard Hanson. Based on the quality of much of this music, I think the title could more readily have been "Howard Handson Conducts An American Sampler" rather than American masterworks, for the quality of some of this music is arguable in that respect.

Hanson was not only a composer and conductor, he was a great champion of American music in the 1950s, when its profile and exposure were much less than today. Many of the compositions included in this anthology have since been recorded in DDD in the Maxos American music series. Others have been recorded on other labels in newer, sometimes better, recordings. This does nothing to diminish these recordings or to dampen the memory of Hanson and his band.

However, many of the more well known recordings in this set have been re-done either more artistically and/or in better sound since these recordings first appeared the better part of 50 years ago. In particular, Barber's Capricorn Concerto and Medea suite, Ives's Third Symphony & Three Places in New England, Piston's Incredible Flutist and Schuman's New England Triptych have all been recorded many times in the intervening years. The recordings here sometimes magnify the thin and wiry sound coming from the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra. Some are simply not very well played, either.

That said, there are still five decade old gems to be located here. Among my favorites are William Bergsma's "Gold and Senor Commandante" ballet suite, a delightful nine-movement ballet suite that is clearly meant for the concert hall and not the stage. I also enjoy Morton Gould's "Sprituals" and George Whitfield Chadwick's "Symphonic Sketches" that merges British stoicism with American melody-making.

Best for me is the performance of Peter Mennin's Symphony No. 5. This 1962 recording was probably the first of a Mennin symphony and it still stands up well to competition. The dramatic three movement edifice is completely engaging. Its syncopated rhythm on an ostimato E-F-G-F sharp-A-E theme in the closing movement is catchy and stays long in memory.

Another important and rarely recorded piece is Johann Friedrich Peter's "Sinfonia in G". Peter was an early American composer from the Classical period; he was born 1746 and died 1813. The sinfonia mimics the CPE Bach crossover from Baroque to Classical early symphony with modular thematic development in each of its four movements.

There are other memorable chunks of Americana on this collection and everything sound wonderful, captured in ultra-clear and well-defined three channel tapes (produced here in stereo and not SACD) from the 1950s and early 1960s. The notes are very helpful and the bookelt details the origin of each recording. There is a very high level of nostalgia evident in this grouping that adds much to its appeal.

I think this collection is best suited to people that want to recapture the nostalgia of these great old recordings. Today's DDD technology has nothing on these fine sounding CDs even though Mercury missed an opportunity to release these as three channel SACDs. Perhaps that is coming in the future?

Another group of listeners that will most appreciate this collection are people that want exposure to many American composers and don't want to pay a lot to get it. The modest list price for this five CD collection is usually reduced by 40-50 percent when purchasing used from an Amazon vendor. I bought mine for about $20, the cost of less than three new Naxos CDs. This set is certainly worth more than that. Even veteran collectors (who didn't buy the original LPs or individual CDs) will probably find something new and different here.

Hanson's MLP Gems Are Back!.......2005-06-09

Those familiar with my reviews on Amazon know of my great love for the Mercury Living Presence series. Equally great is my disgust that so many of these brilliant recordings have been deleted in the last few years! Thankfully, some of these legendary performances are resurfacing as SACD hybrids. However, they are unfortunately now being sold at full-price, despite a competing Living Stereo hybrid series on RCA/BMG being available at midline. In spite of the added expense, I hope this MLP reissue trend will continue, and maybe we'll even see a few items receiving their CD debut in this series.

These performances of American Masterwoks by Howard Hanson are in most cases definitive accounts of rarely recorded pieces by many of our country's too often neglected composers -- Barber, Chadwick, Piston, Moore, Carpenter, Rogers, MacDowell, etc. While three of these recordings continue to be available in their original CD incarnations, the remaining two discs featuring Ives and Gould have been out-of-print for some time. Now with this box set they are deservedly restored to the catalog. Even better is the fact that the 5CD box sets being reissued have been reasonably priced because they are not SACD Hybrids. This set and three others (see my reviews) have a total cost cheaper than the original single issue CDs! Once again, Mercury Living Presence lives!

Average customer rating:

Barber's wonderful, beautiful music
A broad survey of Barber's wonderful music

Capricorn-The Samuel Barber Collection

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

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

A Cappella | Folk | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001SJA
Release Date: 1996-02-20

Tracks:

Capricorn Concerto For Flute, Oboe, Trumpet & Orchestra: Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Capricorn Concerto For Flute, Oboe, Trumpet & Orchestra: Allegretto
Capricorn Concerto For Flute, Oboe, Trumpet & Orchestra: Allegro Con Brio
Canzone
Fadograph Of A Yestern Scene
Cave Of The Heart: Media's Dance Of Vengeance
Adagio For Strings
Souvenirs: Hesitation Waltz
Hermit Songs: St. Ita's Vision
Hermit Songs: The Heavenly Banquet
Hermit Songs: The Crucifixion
Hermit Songs: Sea-Snatch
Hermit Songs: Promiscuity
Hermit Songs: The Monk And His Cat
Hermit Songs: The Praises Of God
Hermit Songs: The Desire For Hermitage
To Be Sung On Water
The Lovers: Tonight I Can Write
Summer Music

Customer Reviews:

Barber's wonderful, beautiful music.......2001-11-21

This is a collection of 19 works by Samuel Barber. It contains some very popular Barber works (Adagio for Strings, Medea's Meditation), some lesser known (Summer Music, The Lovers) and many I'd never heard before. All are beautiful.

This album's version of Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance is surprisingly slow tempoed. It caught me off balance for a bit but it was a nice change of pace. The Hermit Songs were all instrumental only -- also nice for a change of pace. One song, "To Be Sung on Water" performed by the Oregon Repertory Singers, was absolutely glorious. "Hesitation Waltz", a piano duet, is an unusual work with emotional undercurrents that I didn't notice at first listen.

It's almost impossible these days to find an album which contains something other than the four or five most popular Barber works. This one showcases 17 of those hard-to-find pieces. What a great album!

A broad survey of Barber's wonderful music.......2001-04-05

In the history of 20th century classical music, Samuel Barber is a well-loved, if not "revolutionary", figure. His skill with the craft of melody is justly famous, and his work reflects elegance and craft; however, he was also a master of contrapuntal composition ("Adagio for Strings", aka the second movement of his String Quartet, could be used in advanced composition classes as a masterpiece of counterpoint) and a great orchestrator. His Capricorn Concerto is a jewel-like triple concerto (trumpet, flute and oboe with strings), full of rhythm, movement and light-- the second movement is especially brilliant, with delightful interplay among the solo instruments and a lovely slow section (soft strings and an exquisitely melancholy short oboe solo). The rest of the selections are also well-done and welcome (if the "Adagio" is overplayed, the "Hermit Songs" are just not performed enough!). A nice collection of Barber's high-quality oeuvre.

Barber: Capricorn Concerto; Copland: Saga of the Prairies; Harris: Symphony No. 6 "Gettysburg"

Average customer rating:

Fabulous Performances.
Only available recording of Harris Sym. No. 6

Barber: Capricorn Concerto; Copland: Saga of the Prairies; Harris: Symphony No. 6 "Gettysburg"

Manufacturer: Albany Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Great American Ninth
Roy Harris: Symphonies Nos. 7 & 9
Harris: Symphony 2; Gould: Symphony 3
Roy Harris: Symphony No. 3; Symphony No. 4 'Folk Song Symphony'
Copland: Symphony No. 3; Harris: Symphony No. 3

ASIN: B0000049M7
Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

Capricorn Con, Op.21
Essay No.1
Saga Of The Prairies
Sym No.6 'Gettysburg': I. Awakening
Sym No.6 'Gettysburg': II. Conflict
Sym No.6 'Gettysburg': III. Dedication
Sym No.6 'Gettysburg': IV. Affirmation

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous Performances........2005-04-02

The Capricorn Concerto, composed in 1944, has not been frequently recorded which is a shame as it is one of Samuel Barber's most engaging works. The concerto was inspired by Bach's Second Brandenburg as it has the same solo instruments: trumpet, oboe and flute, but the composition owes a larger debt to Igor Stravinsky. The name of the concerto derives from the house on Croton Lake at Mount Kisco, New York that the composer shared with Gian Carlo Menotti. The concerto reflects the idyllic atmosphere of life at Capricorn. The concerto is laid out like a Baroque concerto-grosso beginning with a vigorous allegro followed by a quiet and reflective allegretto. The final movement with its trumpet fanfare is especially memorable and concludes the concerto triumphantly. The performance recorded here is marvelously played and nicely recorded.

The First Essay, composed in 1938, also receives a nice performance, the brooding music at the start being particularly well played. The orchestra perfectly builds the tension of the music to the powerful climax that brings us back to the opening music. The Essay is followed by Aaron Copland's Saga of the Prairies, composed in 1937, which was originally titled Music for Radio since it was composed for the CBS Symphony Orchestra. The work marked a change in Copland's style toward a more simplified method of writing music and is in the same spirit as Billy the Kid and Appalachian Spring.

The main work on this disc in the Sixth Symphony (Gettysburg) by Roy Harris (1943-44). This symphony is cast in four movements with program titles describing the music. Awakening (based on the opening lines of the Gettysburg Address) seems a visual representation of America, in general, and the battlefield prior to the battle that is to take place. It is a luminous and beautiful movement that slowly builds and takes shape weaving short melodies together. Conflict is a depiction of the three-day battle in July, 1863. The music progresses from a feeling of doom as the battle is about to begin to the fury of the battle itself. The music is some of the most dissonant that Harris wrote. The third movement, titled Dedication, describes the dedication of the battlefield, played by strings and woodwinds. The music has an elegiac feel, reflective and not somber. The final movement bears the title: Affirmation. This music is a triple fugue and begins with the same atmosphere of the prior movement, quickly building in tempo and volume as the music becomes more optimistic; a picture of the enduring human spirit.

This is a well played and recorded CD that belongs in the collection of anyone interested in American music, a definite must for those interested in Roy Harris.

Only available recording of Harris Sym. No. 6.......2000-07-31

This disc is a collection of recordings that were originally on the Varese Sarabande label back in 1980's. The performances by the Pacific Symphony Orchestra are great. If you haven't heard this orchestra before, this is a great place to start. This is the best recording of Barber's First Essay, and I have several recordings of that piece. This is the only recording of the Harris Symphony No. 6 and, though the sound is not quite as good here as it was on the old Varese Sarabande disc, this is still a mandatory disc for Harris fans and for anybody interested in this composer.

Average customer rating:

its not that the material is bad, it is simply repeated
"Silva takes film-score-buffs to the far reaches of space"

The Science Fiction Album, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Star Wars | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

The Science Fiction Album
Sci-Fi Channel - Sci-Fi's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1: Final Frontiers

ASIN: B0000658GL
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Tracks:

2001: A Space Odyssey: Also Spach Zarathustra
Star Wars: Main Title
The Empire Strikes Back: Han Solo And The Princess
The Empire Strikes Back: The Imperial March
Return Of The Jedi: Forest Battle
The Phantom Menace: The Flag Parade
The Phantom Menace: Anakin's Theme
The Phantom Menace: The Adventures Of Jar Jar
The Phantom Menace: Duel Of The Fates
Apollo 13 Lift Off
Apollo 13: Main Title
Capricorn One: Overture
The Right Stuff: Main Themes
Battlestar Galactica: Main Themes
The Nostromo
Alien: End Title
Independence Day: End Title Suite

Tracks:

Aliens: Prelude/Ripley's Rescue
Mars Attacks: Introduction & Main Title
The Thing From Another World: Main Theme
War Of The Worlds: Main Title/Martian Man Dies
When Worlds Collide: Main Title/The New World
Armageddon: Suite
Crash Landing
Lost In Space: End Title
Back To The Future: Main Title
The Black Hole: Overture
A.I.: Where Dreams Are Born
Lifeforce: Main Theme
Predator: Main Titles
Dogfight
Starship Troopers: Klendathu Drop
E.T.: The Flying Theme
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind: Suite

Customer Reviews:

its not that the material is bad, it is simply repeated.......2005-05-17

The entire first disc is available on other Silva America CDs, (at the time the star wars songs were the first release, but now they are on Music from the Star Wars saga), the rest on "Space and Beyond" "Space and Beyond 2: Alien Invasion", "The Cult Files" and "Battlestar Galactica A-Z of SciFi/Fantasy TV Themes". The re-recordings are cool but this is mainly a rehash of other cd's, as I said, the entire first cd is available on other Silva collections, and only 9 of the 15 tracks on cd 2 are not available on any other cd i own from Silva. (I don't have Cult Files re-opened or Space and beyond 3, who knows they might be on there)

Obviously, when this album was originally released, the main appeal was the newly recorded star wars tracks, this cd has become more or less obsolete, its still a nice collection, but if you own the other Silva cd's. you don't really need this.

"Silva takes film-score-buffs to the far reaches of space".......2002-05-17

Just in time for the latest George Lucas "Star Wars-Episode II:Attack Of The Clones"(5/16)(John Williams) ~ Silva America and James Fitzpatrick have gathered eight cues from previous Star Wars films to thrill us again. Get ready for another chapter in the ongoing saga of inner planetary tales, all collected for your listening pleasure in Silva's latest release ~ "The Science Fiction Album Volume 1" with 34 tracks on a futuristic 2-CD-Set(with a 3-D cover insert), much like the science fiction pulp covers from the '40s, inticing the reader to purchase, read and dive into another world of aliens and creatures from far reaches of space and planets.

This collection features the best of the best composers and film scores ~ David Arnold(INDEPENDENCE DAY)~ John Barry(THE BLACK HOLE)~ Bruce Broughton(LOST IN SPACE)~ Bill Conti(THE RIGHT STUFF MAIN THEMES)~ Danny Elfman(MARS ATTACKS)~ Jerry Goldsmith(CAPRICORN ONE/ALIEN)~ James Horner(APOLLO 13 MAIN TITLE)~ Glen Larson & Stu Phillips(BATTLESTAR GALACTICA MAIN THEMES)~ Henry Mancini(LIFEFORCE)~ Basil Poledouris(STARSHIP TROOPERS)~ Trevor Rabin(ARMAGEDDON)~ Alan Silvestri(BACK TO THE FUTURE/PEDATOR)~ Leith Stevens(WAR OF THE WORLDS/WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE)~ Dimitri Tiomkin(THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD)~ John Williams(STAR WARS MAIN TITLE/HAN SOLO AND THE PRINCESS/THE IMPERIAL MARCH/FOREST BATTLE/THE FLAG PARADE/ANAKIN'S THEME/ADVENTURES OF JAR JAR/DUEL OF THE FATES/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/E.T.-THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL/CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND).

No doubt the above composers excel in the world of film music, notice how many John Williams scores appear in this collection. Williams is without a doubt one of the major players in this genre, but there are many other composers who can stand up to his high marks when it comes to bringing the full force of a story through music. One such composer is Henry Mancini, if you ever had any doubts about this mans ability to score any film, whether it be drama, comedy, action or sci-fi...this question is answered here with "LIFEFORCE", gives the audience a cinematic education tightly coiled around directors Tobe Hooper's story of outer space vampires. Within each cue of the film, Mancini's score takes over and we are pleasantly surprised with the results.

If you're a "film-score-buff", like I am...then this collection from the '50s', '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s is an absolute must. As an added bonus we feature the world renowned ~ The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra with conductors Paul Bateman, Nicholas Dodd and Nic Raine, plus, yes plus the Crouch End Festival Chorus and one of my favorite sopranos Charlotte Kinder. When it comes to releasing compilations of this magnitude, most labels tend to become much safer in their choices, afraid to make a mistake. Silva America takes the risk and it always pays off, this is one of those times ~ looking forward to "The Science Fiction Album Volume 2", gotta love it!

Tracks:

I Got the Dog in Me
Do the Ramp
You're Touching Me the Wrong Way
Raunchy Stuff
She's Mine
Home Alone
I've Got the Time
Trying to Figure You Out
Trying to Make It Over

Music:

Music

Music