My Favorite Things [Import] [Limited Edition] [Original recording remastered]

New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
People- Barbra Streisand
Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
Come Follow The Band
Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

Memory- Betty Buckley
I Am What I Am- George Hearn
Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
With One Look- Glenn Close
On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
Seasons Of Love-
Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway

Average customer rating:

Only half the songs of the original set!!
Its all Christmas
A Good Basic Collection
cd reviews
Poor Quality

The Time-Life Treasury of Christmas

Manufacturer: Time Life Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Holiday Music | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Pop Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

Pop Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

Time-Life Music: Treasury of Christmas - Holiday Memories
Ultimate Christmas
A Christmas Festival
Now That's What I Call Christmas!
Now That's What I Call Christmas! The Signature Collection

ASIN: B00005NOZH
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Tracks:

Home For The Holidays - Perry Como
White Christmas - Bing Crosby
Jingle Bells - Ella Fitzgerald
Do You Hear What I Hear? - Andy Williams
Carol Of The Bells/Deck The Halls - The Robert Shaw Chorale
I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day - Harry Belafonte
Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
My Favorite Things - Eddie Fisher
Joy To The World - Julie Andrews
Here We Come A-Caroling - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
March Of The Toys - The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
O Holy Night - Luciano Pavarotti

Tracks:

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Andy Williams
The Twelve Days Of Christmas - Roger Whittaker
Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy - The Boston Pops Orchestra
Mary's Boy Child - Harry Belafonte
I'll Be Home For Christmas - Elvis Presley
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
Sleigh Ride - Johnny Mathis
Tennessee Christmas - Alabama
Baby's First Christmas - Connie Francis
The Little Drummer Boy - Harry Simeone Chorale
Auld Lang Syne - Guy Lombardo

Customer Reviews:

Only half the songs of the original set!!.......2007-01-17

Although I love the CDs, I was disappointed that there were only about half of the songs I thought there would be. I bought the original double cassette set back in the early 90's and when I found the CDs with the same name and cover, I thought I was getting the same thing only on CD. But the Cassettes had twice as many songs, including Let it Snow,Have Yourself a merry Little Christmas,The First Noel, Jingle Bells by Jim Reeves, The Christmas song by the Carpenters and so many others!!

Its all Christmas.......2007-01-09

It reminded me of Christmas as a child. I played this all throughout the holidays.

A Good Basic Collection.......2006-02-11

This is a good, basic collection of Christmas Music. As a general rule, Time-Life has selected what is probably the definative artist/arangement of each song.

My only complaints are that there are only 24 songs on two disks and one or two of them are not ones that I would have picked (not my style).

Overall, it's a good set that I would recommend to anyone who wants to start a collection.

cd reviews.......2006-01-15

this cd was very good, much recommended

Poor Quality.......2005-12-05

The only good thing about this collection is the inclusion of so many Christmas standards. I was very disappointed in the quality of the recordings, they obviously need digital inhancement.

Rodgers & Hammerstein: Songbook for Orchestra (Orchestral Suites)

Average customer rating:

Irresistible
"Some Enchanted Evening" with Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops
Excellent!
Great Arrangments

Rodgers & Hammerstein: Songbook for Orchestra (Orchestral Suites)

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Lerner & Loewe Songbook for Orchestra
Rodgers & Hammerstein - The Complete Overtures ~ Opening Night / Hollywood Bowl Orchestra · Mauceri
Puttin' on the Ritz: The Great Hollywood Musicals
The Sound Of Music (1987 Studio Cast)
Classics of the Silver Screen

ASIN: B000003CXQ
Release Date: 1992-01-28

Tracks:

Oklahoma!
Carousel
State Fair
South Pacific
The King And I
Cinderella Waltz
Flower Drum Song
The Sound Of Music

Customer Reviews:

Irresistible.......2005-07-29

From beginning to end this CD is pure delight. A great recording has great music, a great performance, and great sound; this one scores on all three counts.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals dominated Broadway in the 1940s and 1950s, and American musical theater has produced no more consistently eloquent and durable voice than Richard Rodgers. From his fertile genius flowed a surprising number of memorable songs, many of which have passed into and become an accepted and beloved part of modern American culture.

This well-filled CD (77:36) features symphonic arrangements (all but two by Robert Russell Bennett) of the music from Oklahoma (1943), Carousel (1945), State Fair (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), Flower Drum Song (1958), and The Sound of Music (1959). All the great tunes are here in suites from each musical that average 10-12 minutes in length. The arrangements are expert: rich, varied, and colorful. The performances are polished, idiomatic, and irresistible; Kunzel and this orchestra are thorough masters of this kind of material. And Telarc's sound (recorded 1991) is state-of-the-art (engineer Michael Bishop deserves to take a bow).

In short, there's nothing here to cloud your listening pleasure (the only quibble I can imagine is that some of your favorites may not last long enough), so it's hard for me to envision anyone with ears and a taste for music who wouldn't enjoy this CD. Warmly recommended. Finally, if you like this one as much as I do, you might want to know that the same team has produced a companion volume, the Lerner & Lowe Songbook for Orchestra.

"Some Enchanted Evening" with Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops.......2003-12-26

Erich Kunzel's Rodgers and Hammerstein anthology with the Cincinatti Pops Orchestra is one of the best and most ravishing instrumental Rodgers and Hammerstein albums of all time. With sumptuous arrangements and warm, natural Telarc recording, this glorious 77-minute CD presents sweeping, melodic arrangements of over 60 Rodgers and Hammerstein selections, spanning eight scores, and Kunzel allows the Pops to play with a characterful and polished understanding of the Rodgers and Hammerstein idiom. The disc is enough to cheer you up on a dull day and make you smile, and it might even want to make you feel like a convert to Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals.

This CD has all the scores arranged chronologically. The OKLAHOMA! suite that opens this disc promises a feast for the senses, Kunzel ably evokes the territory's "bright, golden haze" in the way he conducts the various excerpts, until you feel the atmosphere of the country charm of the show, and the love-affair between Curly and Laurey. Then, in CAROUSEL, he ably evokes the pathos of this tragic R&H masterwork, especially in the truncated Waltz, but he leads a wonderfully melodic "June is Bustin' Out All Over" and a devotional "You'll Never Walk Alone." Although this suite does not include Billy's pivotal Soliloquy, it includes "If I Loved You" as an expression of his love for Julie, and within minutes you could be soaked in the ups and downs of the show's mood.

After a brief STATE FAIR suite, with sweeping renditions of "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing", we are brought into the disc's showstopping highlights. These highlights are the excerpts from SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. But yet Kunzel conducts the rest of the disc until the various suites amount to a series of showstoppers. These three suites present wonderfully-arranged versions of their many familiar classic songs, with well-played solos. The SOUTH PACIFIC suite presents the songs in chronological order, yet preserves the atmosphere of the show at the same time. Kunzel ably brings out the romance in "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Younger than Springtime," and contrasts it with the exotic and dreamlike "Bali Hai'i" and the comic "There is Nothing like a Dame" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair". Although the suite ends quietly with a reprise of "Dites-Moi" rather than the reprise of "Some Enchanted Evening," within minutes we are swept into the KING AND I suite. Kunzel ably brings out the Oriental pathos in this score, and he captures the warmth of Anna's rapport with the King's Siamese children in "Getting to Know You", and with the King himself in "Shall We Dance." There is also romance in the love ballads "I Have Dreamed" and "We Kiss in a Shadow." Similarly, in the selection from THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Kunzel conducts this until the orchestra soaks itself in the atmosphere of this Austrian R&H score. This SOUND OF MUSIC suite has more of a feel of the score compared to the bonus track on Sony's reissued version of the Broadway recording. You can almost feel as if you are following the progress of the Trapp family and how it lifts its spirits with the joy of music. Kunzel gives us a soaring version of the title song, and spirited versions of "Do-Re-Mi" and "My Favourite Things." He balances it with the open-air quality of "Edelweiss" and "The Lonely Goatherd." Although this suite could have included "Something Good," the love ballad written for the film, the three recollections of the songs that were cut from the movie only last for a while. And, the towering version of "Climb Every Mountain" crowns this portion of the disc, and this sumptuously-produced recording. But, I should also mention the infectuous FLOWER DRUM SONG medley, where Kunzel turns this underrated score into a work of art, until it convinces you to buy the cast recording. And, don't forget about the brief CINDERELLA WALTZ, too, when Kunzel conducts it magically, until you feel like you are in the company of Cinderella and the Prince. He is able to show how this R&H score marked a comeback for R&H after the failiures of Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream.

Overall, this glorious Rodgers and Hammerstein recording is guarunteed to make you want to pucker your lips out for a whistle or sing along (to paraphrase another revew for Kunzel's Disney Spectacular disc) - even if this recording is music only, and as long as you know the words to the songs (and you might know a large handful of them already.) There is always a certain magic in this fine CD that makes you feel like you're sitting in the theatre watching these musicals, until it makes you feel like it is truly, to borrow two R&H song titles, "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Something Wonderful" to be in Kunzel's company for this R&H offering. It would certainly be one recording that could make you feel willing to buy the complete cast recordings of the shows. And I guaruntee that it will make you feel willing to pull out your existing copies of the cast recordings to listen to them again. I also guaruntee that it will be a cornerstone in any Rodgers and Hammerstein collection, just as it is in mine. Recommended heartily to any Rodgers and Hammerstein enthusiast and to fans of Erich Kunzel's work. And, you can play it while reading the Richard Rodgers biography, Musical Stages, until Rodgers himself would count this as his favourite disc in the afterlife.

By the way, most of the arrangements for the suites on this CD were done by the veteran R&H orchestrator Robert Russell Bennett, and it surely adds to the appeal of this recording. This itself is enough to amount to the icing on the cake, since Kunzel conducts them well on here, and since this recording still allows the suites to have the original theatrical atmosphere. And, although this recording is like the Mauceri collection of the Rodgers & Hammerstein overtures in compiling orchestral suites of Rodgers & Hammerstein, I think that I like the Kunzel recording even more because Kunzel has more magic in his conducting of these suites.

Excellent!.......2003-04-08

This is one of the best Erich Kunzel/Cincinnati Pops collections we own! A must for Rodgers and Hammerstein fans, too.

Great Arrangments.......2001-09-02

This is a first rate album with great arrangments and orchestrations. If you're a Rodgers and Hammerstein fan, you can't afford to miss this specatacular album

Average customer rating:

Great sopran sax by Coltrane.
The greatest song ever recorded
Same Name Different Album
My version contains only three tracks.
Rain down on me, ye sheets of sound, and cleanse me!

My Favorite Things [Deluxe Edition]
John Coltrane
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Giant Steps
Coltrane's Sound
Mingus Ah Um
Live at Birdland
Kind of Blue

ASIN: B00000348A
Release Date: 1998-03-03

Tracks:

My Favorite Things
Everytime We Say Goodbye
Summertime
But Not For Me
My Favorite Things, Part 1 (Single Version)
My Favorite Things, Part 2 (Single Version)

Customer Reviews:

Great sopran sax by Coltrane........2006-08-14

All I have to say there are the best sopran sax title from Johnny Hodges - Ellington small groups sessions. Great waltz My favorite things, but more graet titles too. One of the best albums from Coltrane's Atlantic period.

The greatest song ever recorded.......2005-04-07

I agree generally that this is not Coltrane's best record (that honor would go to either "Giant Steps" or "Love Supreme". But the 13:41 song here "My Favorite Things" is the closest to a religious experience I have ever had listening to music. The first time I ever listened to it I was 12 years old and I couldn't sleep, it was around 1 in the morning and I threw on my headphones and grabbed something that looked "relaxing". I listened to the song about 3 times in a row and was astounded. Never before has an artist reached into the depths of his soul and his life in such a beautiful and perfect way. The last 4 minutes of this song feel like they are musical waves reaching through your body and elevating your spirit. Trust me folks, I never talk in such florid language but there is no other way I can describe it. Close your eyes, turn the volume all the way up

Same Name Different Album.......2005-02-26

This "Jazz Hour" edition of "My Favorite Things", recorded in Holland, contains a different version of the title track and all the other tracks are different from those on the same-name album the above reviewers discuss. Amazon has mistakenly assigned these reviews to the wrong CD, and deprives buyers of the other CD of their opinions about it.

As for this album, the nearly 18 minute version of "My Favorite Things" is one of my favorite things. The other cuts are virtuoso work in a wilder fusion mode - also at length, a full jazz hour indeed - I won't go on at length since the album is apparently not available.

My version contains only three tracks........2004-08-07

The track listing for the version I purchased is:
1. My Favorite Things 17:52
2. Mr. P.C. 8:10
3. Tranening In 11:40

The first song should be familiar to those of you who
know Julie Andrews and The Sound of Music. It's basically
three jazzy instrumentals heavily influenced with saxophones,
piano and drums. I would recommend buying it if you're not
sure and are curious about Coltrane. This is supposed to
be one of his essential albums. I didn't realize when I
purchased this album that this was a condensed version
of the original album.

Rain down on me, ye sheets of sound, and cleanse me!.......2003-07-17

John Coltrane--the name conjures up one of the formative players in the hard-bop era, the long rapid-fire three notes on one chord line that blazed a path for jazz-yet-to-come. After my rock/jazz/blues class, Coltrane became the second name on my list of legendary jazz virtuosi to explore, the first of course being the incomparable Miles Davis.

The four tracks on the original 1961 release are all covers of well known tunes by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Heyward and Gershwin, and both Gershwin brothers. The familiarity of these tunes was clearly geared to those hesitant to dip their toes into the post-bop jazz that was making its way felt following cool jazz, plus for those who may have been taken aback by his earlier effort Giant Steps. The title track should be familiar to Julie Andrews fans. It's best heard in its original 13:41 glory, where McCoy Tyner has a great piano solo with alternating chord changes and Coltrane's extended glorious downpour of quick sax notes, that three-on-one chord approach as described in the original liner notes, that draws the listener into the music.

In fact, the two bonus tracks, labelled Part 1 and Part 2, are bite-sized single versions of the original, divided in half. Part 1 starts at the beginning, with Tyner's piano, with Coltrane coming in, while Part 2 starts with Coltrane starting out the melody instantly. I'd pick Part 2 as a sample for the uninitiated, but me, I'll take the complete version any day.

The slower and melodic arrangement of Cole Porter's "Everytime We Say Goodbye" is highlighted again by Coltrane's soprano sax and Tyner's piano. It's magical with the wistful ambience.

"Summertime" from Porgy And Bess is an upbeat jam with those sheets of sound pouring out like there's no tomorrow. I'm reminded of the original lyrics: "an de livin' is easy/fish are jumpin'." Well, there's nothing easy here, and the only thing jumpin' are those sax notes and Tyner's piano solo in the middle of this jam. That's followed by a solo by bassist Steve Davis. Face it, even a master like Coltrane be tuned out if there wasn't a pause, and Davis fulfills that here, as does drummer Elvin Jones. Coltrane finishes up the last minutes of this jam.

The final jam is Gershwin's swinging "But Not For Me" highlighted in great part another winning and extended Tyner piano solo and Coltrane rounding out the last two minutes.

This deluxe edition has a foldout with two sleeves. One has the CD-style booklet with commentary and a duplication of liner notes. The other sleeve has the actual CD in a miniature of the original LP, complete with liner notes on the back.

The sleeve commentary by Nat Hentoff says that John Coltrane "spoke of self-purging through music--by which he could learn more and more about himself and thereby make himself and his music part of the unity of all being. Accordingly, he considered music to be a healing art." That really makes him a true philosopher among musicians. It has applications to all of us regardless, self-purging and healing with whatever enlightens or fulfills us.

My Favorite Things: A Richard Rodgers Celebration
Average customer rating:

Actually a great recording -

The glass is half full on this project

Rodgers - 5, Pops - 3

A Mixed Bag

Boston Pops: A Richard Rodgers Celebration

My Favorite Things: A Richard Rodgers Celebration
Jason Danieley , and Boston Pops Orchestra
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

A Splash of Pops

Sleigh Ride

Encore! / Lockhart, Boston Pops

That's Entertainment: Pops on Broadway

Broadway's Greatest Hits

ASIN: B0000640NM
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Tracks:

Main Title (Oklahoma!)
"My Favorite Things" (The Sound of Music)
"The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" (Oklahoma!)
Overture to Babes in Arms
"Slaughter on 10th Avenue" (On Your Toes)
"March of the Clowns" (Nursery Ballet)
"I Have Dreamed" (The King and I)
"Grant Avenue" (Flower Drum Song)
"D-Day" (Victory at Sea)
"The Sound of Music" (The Sound of Music)
"Mountain Greenery" (The Garrick Gaieties of 1926)
"The Carousel Waltz" (Carousel)
"Shall We Dance?" (The King and I)

Customer Reviews:

Actually a great recording -.......2003-10-12

The more I listened to this CD, the more I was blown away by some of the arrangements and orchestrations. Some of it I'd heard before i.e. the Oklahoma! overture based on the Robert Russell Bennet film arrangement; some of it I hadn't heard quite this way like the "Babes in Arms" overture or "Surrey with a Fringe on Top" in swing time. I especially liked the "My Favorite Things" arrangement which diverges from the original. I highly recommend it because most of the arrangements/orchestrations are very powerful in their own right and you may not have heard it all before. A few of the arrangements feature newer vocalists as the other reviews indicate. I reserve comment on this one because it is always difficult to compare an unfamiliar vocalist with Julie Andrews for example.
Also, I have taped two 1 hour Rodgers specials off PBS which feature some of these performances. I'd love for PBS to put these episodes on a DVD instead of the usual pledge drive DVD fare.

The glass is half full on this project.......2002-10-16

To do a celebration of Richard Rodgers music is simply grand. Without question he was the backbone of what we have come to know as "Broadway Magic".

For this occasion the Boston Pops did a good job of paying tribute to this master tunesmith. I think Richard would be more than proud to see his masterpieces performed in such a manner.
BRAVO to the B.P.O.!

If there were any shortcomings to this project it would have to be two things. First, I felt like they should have used better vocalists. Second, I felt like the repertoire was not as good as it could have been. Some of the tunes performed here I really disliked. I can think of a lot of songs I would have rather been listening to.

I think it would safe to recommend this cd to all the die hard Richard Rodgers fans.

Rodgers - 5, Pops - 3.......2002-09-15

Keith Lockart is certainly a solid heir to the Boston Pops of Arthur Fiedler. His performances are crisp, and lively. The Pops likes working with him, and it shows. And, I own every Keith Lockart/Boston Pops disc so far. But....although there were some interesting additions to this repertoire, especially the scenario of "Victory at Sea", I was really turned off by the so-so vocal renditions. They really detracted from the overall fun of the disc. Certainly the music of Richard Rodgers is timeless (not EVERTHING he wrote was delicious), but Lockhart missed the boat with this one. It's a neat album if you have a player that can pick and choose what you listen to, but after the first few tunes, I got a bit restless.

A Mixed Bag.......2002-07-18

The two most interesting items in this collection are "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" in an effective arrangement Broadway orchestrator/arranger Hans Spialek made for Paul Whiteman and "The March of the Clowns" from "Nursery Ballet," a number from a Whiteman commission recently discovered in the bandleader's archives. Patrick Hollenbeck arranged the march for the Pops and has the style right, so it's too bad the other two movements of the original suite weren't included in this release.

Otherwise, the most satisfying selections on the disc are the Main Title from the film version of "Oklahoma!" (the work of Robert Russell Bennett), the overture to "Babes in Arms" (Don Walker's orchestration captures the spirit of the Broadway original in full orchestra terms), "D-Day" (Lockhart paces it more as a jaunty march than an epic one), and the "Carousel Waltz."

I confess that I like big-orchestra arrangements of show music even though I know I'm not supposed to, but the remaining instrumental numbers are played in arrangements (by Sammy Nestico, Don Sebesky, and Alexander Courage) that I don't like. They are mostly fussy, heavy, lacking in fun, and tinged with elements from the Big Band era that sound out of place in these surroundings. It's too bad Hollenbeck didn't do these arrangements, too. Failing that, the Pops music library must still have arrangements Bennett, Leroy Anderson, and Richard Hayman did of Rodgers scores, and I don't understand why they weren't used here. They never wear out their welcome.

The singers are uniformly disasters. Martina McBride ("My Favorite Things"), Jason Danieley ("I Have Dreamed"), and Collin Raye ("The Sound of Music") are described on the label as "vocalists." The term tells you all you need to know about their lack of any sense of the appropriate style for their numbers. They are club, not theater, singers. Their vocalizings can't hurt Rodgers, but they are jarring to the listener in the context of the rest of this disc. Their voices, as voices, are mediocre, and the arrangements (each by a different person) of the pieces don't help. (Some comparably dubious items have been included in most recent Pops recordings. Each has some interesting, unusual things along with others that don't really belong. I wonder if they are the price Lockhart has to pay in order to record the interesting stuff.)

The Boston Symphony and Pops were the orchestras I grew up with, so it hurts to have to say that this disc is such a mixed bag.

(By the way, Nelson Riddle recorded an LP of his own splendid arrangements of the principal numbers from "Oklahoma!", and I wish Capitol would resurrect it from the vaults as a salute to Rodgers's memory in his centennial year.)

Boston Pops: A Richard Rodgers Celebration.......2002-05-08

What a wonderful celebration this recording is! The scope and beauty of Richard Rodgers' music has seldom been given a better airing than on this CD by the Boston Pops. An absolutely stunning recording in both performance and choice of selections. We are treated not only to fresh and memorable instrumental renditions of beloved standards such as "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top", "Where Or When" and "Shall We Dance", but also to a few of Richard Rodgers' less frequently heard compositions such as the jazzy "Grant Avenue", the stirring "D-Day Theme" from Victory At SEA, and a premier recording of a very delightful "March Of The Clowns", a piece originally commissioned by Paul Whiteman in the 1930s. The artists chosen to sing the three vocals on this CD are exceptional. In fact, this particular recording would be worth owning if for no other reason than to enjoy Jason Danieley's spine-tingling rendition of "I Have Dreamed". And after hearing Mr. Collin Raye's beautiful masculine rendition of "The Sound Of Music", one will never again think of that classic as being primarily suited only for a female vocalist. In short, this Boston Pops CD is a richly satisfying treat -- lush and nostalgic, as well as being upbeat and as contemporary as year 2002 -- a worthy tribute to the timelessness of Mr. Rodgers' musical genius.

Average customer rating:

Great Value, Some Recordings Any Collector Would Want
Pretty but dull
don't analyse, listen
Kathleen Battle and Barbara Hendricks were outstanding.

Divine Sopranos

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Battle, Kathleen | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Upshaw, Dawn | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Von Stade, Frederica | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000003D1A
Release Date: 2003-07-22

Tracks:

The Creation: On Mighty Wings - John Cheek
Vocalise - Sylvia McNair
Requiem: Pie Jesu - James Morris
Absence - Elly Ameling
Ihr Habt Nun Traurigkeit - Arleen Auger
In Trutina - Hakan Hagegard
Laudamus - Dawn Upshaw
Rejoice Greatly - Kaaren Erickson
Im Abendrot - Arleen Auger
Ach, Ich Fuhl's - Barbara Hendricks
Ebben? ... Ne Andro Lontano - William Tritt
My Favorite Things - Hakan Hagegard
Yum-Yum's Song: The Sun, Whose Rays Are All Ablaze - Anthony Rolfe-Johnson
Excerpt From Movement. V, - Kathleen Battle

Customer Reviews:

Great Value, Some Recordings Any Collector Would Want.......2004-05-31

This is a very good CD, but a better value for only $10. The weakest singers are definitely mezzo Frederica von Stade (showtune) and Barbara Hendricks (beyond light lyric). Battle's aria from Mahler's 2nd is exceptionally out of place. The CD opens brightly with Dawn Upshaw's version of "On mighty wings" from Haydn's 'The Creation.' It's a strong, colorful piece that takes a bit of a beating from her nasality. Sylvia McNair is stupendous, possibly even surpassing Anna Moffo (the authoritative Rachmaninof Vocalise). Elly Ameling is in her usual good form with this Faure art song. McNair shines even more on "Rejoice Greatly" from Haendel's "Messiah." This may be the best version I've ever heard and possibly surpass Kathleen Battle's, considered one of the better of all time. The Laudamus Te is the crown jewel of the entire CD, it's from Vivaldi's Magnificat. This is truly well-sung by Dawn Upshaw and Judith Blegen, this is the reason you should buy the CD and go out and purchase the Shaw CD in its entirety. Marie McLaughlin sounds a bit weak on her aria from "The Mikado." To be honest, albeit she's English, she's a much better lyric soprano for Mozart, Haydn, Strauss not English through-composed and Operetta.

Pretty but dull.......2000-01-20

This album contains a lot of beautiful music. And a lot of boring music, too. But since not all of the singers are the same quality, let me briefly give an overview of some of their performances. I've never thought Dawn Upshaw was a very good classical singer. Her voice gets a little whiny sometimes and her vowels are abominably American. Sylvia McNair has a lovely voice, and the Rachmaninov is good, but I've heard better (Renee Fleming and Anna Moffo come to mind), and she makes the piece even longer than usual by taking the two repeats. The second of her pieces has none of the joy that it should have and is very dull, if technically good. Judith Blegen, Elly Ameling, and Arleen Auger are average sopranos giving pretty but emotionless readings of their songs and arias. Barbara Hendricks RACES through "Ach ich fuhls" like it was Lakme's Bell Song, and sounds HORRIBLE. Kathleen Battle is good but Mahler seems out of place here, but not as out of place as Gilbert and Sullivan or Rogers and Hammerstein. In fact, what is Frederica Von Stade doing on this album of divine "sopranos" anyway? She has a lovely mezzo-soprano voice. Diana Soviero seems a bit out of place too, with her not-too-pretty but more powerful and interesting voice.

All in all, if you can get past the blandness of the performances, the album is pretty. But I like my sopranos to be made of much sterner stuff than these.

don't analyse, listen.......1999-11-24

My scariest nightmare is that of some one breaking into my house and stealing this CD while I am at work.

The selection of excerpts is absolutely pleasing.

Of course I am carried away saying this is the most beautiful thing I know. If you belong to those who don't let anything carry them away, don't buy this CD.

Kathleen Battle and Barbara Hendricks were outstanding........1999-06-18

The vocal talents of Kathleen Battle and Barbara Handricks were far superior to any of the others on this collection. Kathleen Battle's clarity of note and the depth of tonal resonnance of Barbara Hendricks clearly outshone all of the other ladies. Ms. McNair and Ms. Upshaw, listen and take note.

The Classical Collection, Part 1 / Vanessa-Mae (3 CD Box Set) (EMI Classics)

Average customer rating:

Unnecessary
Vanessa-Mae as a Child Prodigy at 12 and 13
Vanessa-Mae as a Child Prodigy at 12 and 13
Great early recording

The Classical Collection, Part 1 / Vanessa-Mae (3 CD Box Set) (EMI Classics)

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Classical Album 1 / Vanessa-Mae
Choreography
The Original Four Seasons And The Devil's Trill Sonata / Vanessa-Mae
Subject to Change
Classical Album, Vol. 2: China Girl

ASIN: B00004W47H
Release Date: 2000-11-07

Tracks:

Violin Concerto In C Op.48: I. Allegro
Violin Concerto In C Op.48: II. Andante
Violin Concerto In C Op.48: III. Vivace Giocoso
Russian Dance (Swan Lake)
Violin Concerto In D Op.35: I. Allegro Moderato
Violin Concerto In D Op.35: II. Canzonetta (Andante)
Violin Concerto In D Op.35: III. Finale (Allegro Vivacissimo)

Tracks:

Schon Rosmarin
Liebesleid
Liebesfreud
Violin Concerto In D 'Adelaide' (In The Style Of Mozart) KAnh.294a1: I. Allegro
Violin Concerto In D 'Adelaide' (In The Style Of Mozart) KAnh.294a1: II. Adagio
Violin Concerto In D 'Adelaide' (In The Style Of Mozart) KAnh.294a1: III. Allegro
Violin Concerto In D Op.61: I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Violin Concerto In D Op.61: II. Larghetto
Violin Concerto In D Op.61: III. Rondo (Allegro)

Tracks:

...Inspired By The Classics: Salut D'amour
...Inspired By The Classics: Lullaby
...Inspired By The Classics: Air On The G String
...Inspired by Cinema: My Favourite Things
...Inspired by Cinema: The Pink Panther
...Inspired by Cinema: Les Parapluies De Cherbourg
...Inspired By Pop Culture: One Moment In Time
...Inspired By Pop Culture: Yellow Submarine
...Inspired By Folk Culture: Frere Jacques
...Inspired By Folk Culture: La Campanella
...Inspired By Folk Culture: Chinese Folk Tune
...Inspired By Folk Culture: Tambourin Chinois
...Inspired By Opera: Figaro
...Inspired By Opera: Summertime
...Inspired By Opera: Concert Fantasy On 'Carmen' Op.25
...Inspired By Opera: Fantaisie Brillante On Themes From Gounod's 'Faust' Op.20

Customer Reviews:

Unnecessary.......2001-04-18

While it would be, of course, somewhat unfair to rate this CD recording of some of the world's most famous pieces for virtuoso violin the same way one would for a mature, older artist's recordings, it is horrendous marketing strategy on the part of Sony Classical to release this three CD set on the premise that they are "brilliant," as stated on the back of the CD case. They are anything but, as a quick listen to any one of the three CDs will reveal to the discerning ear.

The first two CDs are mainly concerned with Mae playing the Kabalevsky, the Tchaikovsky Concerto in D, and the Beethoven Concerto in D -- all highly acclaimed pieces aimed at showing off not only the speed, strength, physical and mental endurance of the violinist, but also, certainly, the tone production and "fingers," as Sarah Chang would have liked to put it. Mae fails on almost all the above counts. While she professes to have a high degree of passion for the Tchaikovsky and the Beethoven (Mae gushes about learning them by heart long before her instructor had the chance to teach them to her), the pieces are a great disappointment. The first thing to jarr the ear is her tone (a scratchy, unconfident, and extremely tinny one, at that) and, rather surprising, her lack of capability at pulling off the cadenzas. It is beyond anyone's understanding how the then young Mae's speed and technical accuracy could be so highly acclaimed as they are by some quarters when she falters and stumbles along the notes, mainly in the higher registers. This is most apparent in the extremely poor playing of Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy, where she sometimes lags behind the entire orchestra by a few wrenching notes as she struggles to catch up and keep in tempo.

The pieces on the Virtuoso Album CD aren't worth much -- colourless, soulless renditions of miniatures that have been performed better by countless of other violinists, at every measure of age (Chang does a splendid job of the Carmen Fantasy, and she recorded it in the studios when she was only nine years old).

The only redeeming piece of the entire three CD set I can think of must be the Russian Dance from Swan Lake. Although her bowing is rarely, if ever, confident and full, her thin, wavering vibrato ever used effectively, she opens the piece with a vigour that isn't seen in any other of the pieces.

It is rather unfortunate that Mae has never really progressed far, classically -- a look at her later recordings (the Classical Collection 2) and her live performance at the Royal Albert Hall (where the Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2, Moses Variation on a G String, and a few others were played) drives the point home painfully. I am a fan, of course, but not one of her classical side -- the techno-pop-fusion music masks her flaws well enough to allow one to forget that one is listening to a very mediocre violinist at work.

Vanessa-Mae as a Child Prodigy at 12 and 13.......2000-11-14

Vanessa-Mae: is the beautiful young Singaporean violinist with her flowing hair, gorgeous figure, pop star clothes, electric violin, laser and light shows, websites, and rock band just a media creation, or is she instead a modern-day Pagannini or Liszt, a true virtuoso with a flair for showmanship? In other words, can she play? This three CD set of her early recordings, made when she was only 12 and 13 years old, answers the question authoritatively. Although there are, of course, some flaws, the fact remains that even at this early age Vanessa-Mae was a stunning performer. At thirteen she played better than many profession musicians have at thirty, myself included. Listen, for example, to the stunning beginning of Sarasate's Concert Fantasy on `Carmen".

There is a certain tension between the interpretations of the soloist and the conductor occasionally, especially when Vanessa-Mae wants to play faster than the conductor will allow. This is in fact my biggest criticism of the recording; but these ego wars are not only the bloodiest but also the most common of musical slaughterhouses, and it is no surprise that such a young performer would get caught up in it. Otherwise, the performance is terrific--intonation is impeccable, interpretation confident. In particular, Vanessa-Mae has a commanding technique in the highest range, where her tone absolutely soars. Only very rarely, and then only at the very end of a rising run, does her intonation slip slightly. And she varies her style appropriately to suit the music--at the time of this recording she'd not yet gotten to playing Vivaldi with a rock band. In Fritz Kreisler's Schon Rosmarin, I can practically see her in a ball gown with her hair up in ringlets, performing this for the Viennese elite at a society soiree. It seems appropriately schmatzy to me, and it provides a link between the Classical and popular sides of Vanessa-Mae featured in this collection.

The set consists of three CDs, the first the Russian Album, the second, the Viennese Album, and the third, the Virtuoso Album. This last title is somewhat curious, as only two-thirds of the way through do the selections take a virtuoso turn. Otherwise, they are pops and light classics that are not at all demanding of the performer. This CD has a theme of inspiration from various sources, and the selections are categorized as "inspired by the classics, inspired by cinema, inspired by pop and folk culture, and inspired by opera" and include such things as arrangements of Brahms Lullaby, Mancini's theme to The Pink Panther, and Richard Rogers' My Favorite Things. Unfortunately, the Beatles also make an appearance--I love the Beatles, but Lennon and McCartney's Yellow Submarine is a testament to the perils of drug use. Whatever fondness society has for this piece--and I know they do, as my 10 year old daughter is learning it on recorder for her music class at school--this affection must come from our memories of youth, the fun of the 70's and the association of the imaginative animation by Peter Maxx of the movie, perhaps even the symbolism, arcane as it may be, of the text. Objectively, though, the tune is as trivial and banal as anything ever written, and here it gets turned into a sort of mini-violin concerto. Call the Blue Meanies and the Apple-Bonkers to put a stop to that!

But the other performances and pieces on this CD more than make up for this miscue. The first CD features Violin Concerti by Kabelevsky and Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven's violin concerto is featured on the second CD with a gorgeous performance. Vanessa-Mae clearly *can* play--she is much more than just a media creation. This collection, a portrait of the artist as a young woman, proves the point admirably.

Vanessa-Mae as a Child Prodigy at 12 and 13.......2000-11-14

Great early recording.......2000-11-11

I should of course first disclose that I do not know very much about classical music, but as far as I can tell this is a fantastic recording.

This 3-cd set is a reissue of the early classical recordings that Vanessa-Mae made before crossing over into pop. It is a fantastic set because it offers a wide range of music: Tchaaikovsky, Kreisler, Beethoven, Paganini, Sarasate, Bach, Brahms and others. Vanessa-Mae's playing is fantastic throughout. I have always felt that she is a much stronger classical than pop player -- she really does not bring much uniqueness to pop music (just electronic supporting instruments) -- however, her remarkable classical mastery is easily evident even to an inexperienced person like me.

All-in-all, the recording is remarkably mature and holds up well in comparison to VM's later classical recordings. Most highly recommended!

Music:

Music

Music