My Song of Something

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Biography – Nanette Natal

b. 10 June 1945, Brooklyn, New York. Nanette Natal's singing career began as a teen in the 1960s with the Helen Hayes Young People's Theater Guild. She then went on to work the Bitter End Coffee House Circuit and such venues as the Gaslight, The Orpheum Theatre, Bottom Line and the Cafe Au Go Go, and recorded with Vanguard and EVOLUTION records. Performing her own material, which developed into blues and rock, she accompanied herself with a guitar and toured universities and concert halls throughout the country.

In the late 70s while singing Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady" during a pop recording session at Columbia Records, she changed the phrasing dramatically and subsequently was told by a prominent engineer that she had the soul of a jazz singer. This moment was a turning point in Nanette's musical life. Stifled creatively by a string of recording contracts, Nanette set out on a path of developing her own production company, Benyo Music Productions.

In the early 80s, she became a strong influence on the New York Downtown jazz loft scene, with long stints at the Tin Palace and Seventh Avenue South.

Compared all the time to Sarah Vaughn and Ella Fitzgerald for an incredible vocal range and scatting ability respectively, she is one of the most extraordinary singers and live performers today. The measure of her success has always been about the integrity of the art.

Her main inspirational sources have been Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Henry Mancini and Duke Ellington. Nanette Natal is also a composer of Considerable merit. DISCOGRAPHY: My Song of Something (1980/reissue 2003), Wild in Reverie (1982), Hi Fi Baby (1986), Stairway to the Stars (1992), Lose Control (1999), Is Love Enough? (2001) and It's Only a Tune (2004).

Album Description
Nanette Natal had careers in classical, rock, and pop music before she became involved with jazz in the 1970s. My Song of Something was her first jazz recording and it is a very good one. Natal's voice is warm, she proves to be a natural and adventurous improviser (her scatting is quite colorful), and she also interprets lyrics with plenty of feeling. Her seven originals are diverse yet consistently catchy. While the playing of tenor saxophonist Ed Palermo and the rhythm section is mostly functional, Natal's singing makes her jazz debut (which still sounds fresh decades later) a highly recommended acquisition. - AMG

My Song of Something, Music, Nanette Natal, Jazz, Jazz Music, Pop, Pop Vocals, Vocal Jazz
The King and I (1956 Film Soundtrack)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • FINALLY, KEER AND NIXON BOTH SING
  • The King and I--a distinguished, beautiful score laced with tenderness and sorrow
  • A fine King and I soundtrack reissue
  • great album
  • a classic
The King and I (1956 Film Soundtrack)
Deborah Kerr , Yul Brynner , Marni Nixon , Rita Moreno , and Alfred Newman
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Oklahoma! (1955 Film Soundtrack)
  2. South Pacific (1958 Film Soundtrack)
  3. Carousel (1956 Film Soundtrack)
  4. My Fair Lady (1964 Film Soundtrack)
  5. The Music Man (1962 Film Soundtrack)

ASIN: B00005A7XC
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

  1. Main Title - 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Alfred Newman
  2. I Whistle A Happy Tune - Marni Nixon/Rex Thompson
  3. My Lord And Master - Rita Moreno
  4. The March Of The Siamese Children - 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Alfred Newman
  5. Anna And The Royal Wives - 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Alfred Newman
  6. Hello, Young Lovers - Marni Nixon
  7. A Puzzlement - Yul Brynner
  8. Getting To Know You - Deborah Kerr/Marni Nixon
  9. Garden Rendezvous - 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Alfred Newman
  10. We Kiss In A Shadow - Leona Gordon/Reuben Fuentes
  11. I Have Dreamed - Leona Gordon/Reuben Fuentes
  12. Shall I Tell You What I Think Of You? - Deborah Kerr/Marni Nixon
  13. Something Wonderful - Terry Saunders
  14. Prayer To Buddha - Yul Brynner
  15. Waltz Of Anna And Sir Edward - 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Alfred Newman
  16. The Small House Of Uncle Thomas - Rita Moreno
  17. Song Of The King - Yul Brynner/Marni Nixon
  18. Shall We Dance? - Deborah Kerr/Marni Nixon/Yul Brynner
  19. The Letter - 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Alfred Newman
  20. Something Wonderful (Finale) - Chorus/Alfred Newman
  21. Overture (LP Version) - 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Alfred Newman

Amazon.com essential recording

Compared with the Broadway cast recording, the 1956 soundtrack to the film version of The King and I wins hands down. Yul Brynner is the king (literally and figuratively) in both formats (how could anyone else own such a role?), but the movie's score has better sonics, Brynner's voice is stronger, and the tunes are more memorable (thanks to Alfred Newman's conducting and Ken Darby's scoring) than on any of the various cast recordings. Marni Nixon sings the role of Anna (played onscreen by Deborah Kerr), Brynner delivers his hallmark performance, and the best-loved tunes--"Hello, Young Lovers," "Getting to Know You," and "I Whistle a Happy Tune" are the versions we'll always remember. A classic. --James Hendrickson

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars FINALLY, KEER AND NIXON BOTH SING.......2007-05-26

WHAT A COMPLETE JOY TO HEAR MARNI NIXON AND
DEBORAH KERR BOTH SING. TRULY A COLLECTORS
ITEM WITH ALL THE NOSTALGIA, OUTSHINES ALL
OTHER ATTEMPTS TO RE-MASTER THIS MAGNIFICANT
MUSIC.

5 out of 5 stars The King and I--a distinguished, beautiful score laced with tenderness and sorrow.......2007-04-08

The King And I soundtrack is presented magnificently on this excellent 76 minute CD. This CD offers us much music and vocals that were cut from the film as well as material that never made it to the record album release of the soundtrack back in 1956. We get stunning performances by giants including Yul Brynner, Terry Saunders and Marni Nixon. This CD is so complete and generous with it's treatment of the soundtrack that it must be considered as the definitive soundtrack edition of the music from The King And I.

The CD starts off with the music for the "main title" of the film; and this also serves as an appetizer to whet out appetites for what's to come. "I Whistle A Happy Tune" gives us Marni Nixon singing the vocals for Deborah Kerr; the melody is infectiously catchy; this song is one of the highlights of the CD. "My Lord And Master," performed by Leona Gordon who sang the vocals for Rita Moreno, is another masterpiece with a softness to it that belies the pain Rita's character Tuptim feels because she is separated from her one true love. "The March Of The Siamese Children" is performed by the 20th Century Fox Orchestra to perfection without a single superfluous note; the melody infuses this number with an Asian flavor as well.

Other gems on this CD--and that would, quite honestly, include every single track--include "Hello, Young Lovers" sung by Marni Nixon as Deborah Kerr's character Anna Leonowens laments a love gone awry back in England; the touching and heartrending "We Kiss In A Shadow;" Terry Saunders as Lady Thiang performing "Something Wonderful" with exceptional sensitivity and "Shall We Dance?" which is performed by Deborah Kerr, Marni Nixon and Yul Brynner. As you listen to numbers like "Shall We Dance?" that calls for Anna, played by Deborah Kerr, to speak and then sing, you will have a hard time discerning where Deborah Kerr leaves off speaking and Marni Nixon starts singing. It's THAT good.

As long as I include the words "Something Wonderful" when writing this review I must add that the extras you get are stupendous. As I stated above, the CD boasts much that the record album soundtrack never included. Indeed, we get music that didn't even make it to the final cut of the movie! I loved the beautiful and sensitive rendition of "The Small House Of Uncle Thomas" which was previously unreleased and "Shall I Tell You What I Think Of You" is a marvelous song--cut from the final edited edition of the film--that highlights Anna's contempt for the King's backward ways.

The CD package offers more still. Along with the CD comes a generous 32 page booklet with an extensive essay by Charles L. Granata that tells the history of both the stage play and the making of the stage play into a major motion picture at Fox. In addition, you get the song credits and there are rarely seen photographs as well.

The quality of the sound shines like solid gold. These performances reflect great sensitivity to the emotions each character felt. It is a special treat to listen to Yul Brynner's songs; he infuses each song and even every word with just the right emotions so that the listener experiences exactly what his character feels at every turn.

This CD is one of the very few that truly remind me of the old MGM logo which boasted of having "more stars than there are in the heavens." Indeed, five stars are nowhere near enough for this treasure. I highly recommend this CD for people who truly loved and appreciated The King And I both in its several onstage productions as well as on the big screen; and fans of show tunes will delight in this CD soundtrack with its' diamonds scattered broadly in all directions.

5 out of 5 stars A fine King and I soundtrack reissue.......2007-02-10

Of the three recent EMI-Angel R&H film soundtrack reissues, I find that this reissue of the King & I soundtrack is the best-executed. The King and I shows a new maturing of the R&H element and this superb 1956 film adaptation more than certainly does it justice. The superb soundtrack presented here includes the complete score, along with some of Alfred Newman's underscoring, and boasts splendid performances by Marni Nixon and Yul Brynner. And of course the orchestra is sumptuous and properly lush, enveloping us in sweltering renditions of some of Rodgers' most heartfelt melodies.

I won't reiterate the critic-proof performances here. Other reviewers have covered them elsewhere. Nixon as a voice-dubber is in her element as Anna, and portrays her characterfully. Brynner is in his element as the King, as firm, commanding and authoritative as we've always known him to be. This performance shows him at his best, ripe, fresh and mature. Leona Gordon and Reuben Fuentes shine as the star-crossed lovers Tuptim and Lun Tha, bringing a melancholic quality to their brief numbers. It's really a treat to hear their renditions of the omitted songs My Lord and Master and I Have Dreamed. Rita Moreno as the real Tuptim acquits herself well when narrating the Uncle Tom's Cabin ballet sequence, presented for the first time on an official soundtrack recording. It's good to also hear Terry Saunders as Lady Thiang, in a heartfelt, humane and imploring rendition of Something Wonderful, and she is the icing on the cake of this superb soundtrack recording.

This EMI-Angel R&H soundtrack offers an extra benefit in addition to the extra musical sequences. Unlike the companion CDs of Oklahoma and Carousel, it presents the extra material from the original unmixed studio vault masters, except for the Prayer to Buddha and the Uncle Tom's Cabin ballet. This means that this reissue is blessedly free of the extraneous sound effects that plague the Oklahoma and Carousel CDs. I know that the sound effects and little snippets of dialogue drown out the music, but at least these reissues are a start in presenting comprehensive R&H soundtracks worthy of their films. What a pity that none of these R&H soundtrack reissues aren't 2-CD sets, otherwise we would have been able to hear the underscore.

In short, this is a superb presentation of a fine R&H film soundtrack.

5 out of 5 stars great album.......2006-07-15

Great songs for kids to learn to sing along, instead of bubble gum fluff.

5 out of 5 stars a classic.......2006-06-05

A true musical theater classic. Wonderful melodies that will last for years to come.
Other classics not to forget about are:
Mary Poppins
My Fair Lady
The Wizard of Oz
Chitty Chitty Bang Band
The first Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Sound of Music
Oliver
West Side Story
Fiddler on the Roof
Singing in the Rain
The Wiz
Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Beauty and the Beast
Grease
The King and I
Oklahoma
The Music Man
South Pacific

My Voice Students are always asking me for recommendations so I though I'd post it for all! We can't forget about these great musicals!
Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers & Hammerstein
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • A Great Recording by A Great Artist.
  • To the critics of "BP Loves RH"...
  • Not Totally Awful, but She is Much Better than This
  • Am I missing something?
  • The Fabulous Miss B Does It Again!!!
Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers & Hammerstein
Bernadette Peters
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Sondheim, Etc.: Bernadette Peters Live at Carnegie Hall
  2. Sondheim Etc. Etc.: Bernadette Peters Live at Carnegie Hall (The Rest of It)
  3. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
  4. Legends of Broadway
  5. Bernadette Peters in Concert

ASIN: B000062R9C
Release Date: 2002-06-10

Tracks:

  1. It's a Grand Night for Singing
  2. If I Loved You
  3. The Gentleman Is a Dope
  4. It Might as Well Be Spring
  5. Out of My Dreams
  6. So Far
  7. Something Wonderful
  8. I Haven't Got a Worry in the World
  9. Mister Snow
  10. Some Enchanted Evening
  11. There Is Nothin' Like a Dame
  12. You'll Never Walk Alone
  13. Something Good

Amazon.com

Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers & Hammerstein ... and if they could hear this collection, they would love her right back. The curly-haired, honey-voiced Tony-winning star has been more closely associated throughout her career with Stephen Sondheim and Jerry Herman, but she's perfectly suited to the grand waltzes and introspective moments of the R&H canon. "If I Loved You," "It Might As Well Be Spring," and "Something Wonderful" would probably make anyone's wish list for this combination of star and songs (a list that would also last much longer than 46 minutes). Other welcome selections include "Some Enchanted Evening," "Out of My Dreams," the little-known "I Haven't Got a Worry in the World" (from the play Happy Birthday), and the inside joke of "There Is Nothing Like a Dame," all supported by the baton and orchestrations of Sondheim favorite Jonathan Tunick. This is a warm valentine to the beloved songwriting team. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A Great Recording by A Great Artist........2004-10-14

I totally disagree with the previous negative reviews of this cd. What were they listening to anyway? Certainly not this recording. First,Bernadette Peters is THE greatest Broadway musical performer of our time. I rate her right up there with Merman,Martin,Verdon,and Channing. She has a beautiful and distinctive voice,and her acting ability shines through every song. One reviewer said that these songs were originally written for large,operatic voices. What??? With the exception of Pinza,this is simply not true. When I have heard opera singers perform R&H songs,it just doesn't work. Too big. Actually,Bernadette suits these songs perfectly. Her somewhat softer voice gives a new dimension and insight to the grand old standards. I will give special praise for her performance of the songs: IF I LOVED YOU, OUT OF MY DREAMS, SOMETHING WONDERFUL, and SOME ENCHANTED EVENING. And extra special praise for SOMETHING GOOD. She brings life and passion to this song;I have never heard it performed better. I was greatly moved by it. If you love Rodgers & Hammerstein and if you love Bernadette Peters, BUY THIS ALBUM! You will love it.

4 out of 5 stars To the critics of "BP Loves RH"..........2004-04-17

I would ask detractors of this CD to consider the dates and location when and where this album was recorded: Sept 19, 21 and 24, 2001 at the Record Plant(sic)in NYC. Get it yet?

What if you were BP and Tunick, professionals as you are, recording a RH album for Angel eight days after 9/11? Would you be at your best? And singing "well worn, sentimental" RH songs recalling a time when NYC was the Great Big Apple of the World. Wouldn't a lump be in your throat? Listen to "It Might as Well Be Spring" again. Does it sound cheerful and relaxed? Or a little sad?

My friends, this is BP's 9/11 tribute to a City that has treated her like royalty. With Dame and Dope being the only exceptions, perhaps Tunick's otherwise subdued orchestrations reflect the mood of the day and of the performers and engineers present at the studio. This is why I heartily recommend this recording to BP fans. I didn't get it either until I read the stats.

2 out of 5 stars Not Totally Awful, but She is Much Better than This.......2003-11-21

Bernadette Peters is a legend; one of the few true Broadway musical legends still performing today; and that's why it pains me to say that her latest album is also her weakest work.

While her beautiful voice is still intact and capable of being as gorgeous as ever, she just doesn't seem to breath life into any of these songs. Even "Some Enchanted Evening" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" -- two songs that beg for emotion -- don't even get near the credit they deserve. And during some of the tunes, her voice seems to almost crack, although it never quite does.

I don't want to sound mean here. I love Bernadette Peters; but I also know she is much better than this album. Want proof? Purchase the cast recording of Gypsy :)

Her masterful concert for PBS was done just a couple years earlier. It's almost hard to believe this is the same energetic and spunky singer.

It's a grand night for singing? One wouldn't think so by listening to this.

2 out of 5 stars Am I missing something?.......2002-12-31

I received my copy of this CD the day after watching an American Masters bio of Richard Rogers, and I was psyched. I love Bernadette Peters and I adore Rogers & Hammerstein - but I was sorely disappointed in this album. All the way through it I kept having the feeling they had to wake Ms. Peters up between cuts. Even songs like "It's a Grand Night for Singing" had about as much spark as a wet match. The arrangements just did not do justice to either Ms. Peters or Rogers and Hammerstein.

I feel like a traitor, but I just cannot recommend this CD.

5 out of 5 stars The Fabulous Miss B Does It Again!!!.......2002-11-21

Not that I ever, EVER doubted it, but this album just reaffirms in my mind that Bernadette Peters can do ANYTHING! Every single song is gorgeous. Each note sung with extraordinary passion. And she has colored each lyric with layers and layers of meaning and subtext, a skill that has led to her being known as the foremost interpreter of the works of Stephen Sondehim.

Not that there's not some fun in there, too. "The Gentleman is a Dope" and her version of "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame" (she is the first female to record this, I might add!) are great examples of how she is able to bring her wonderful comic abilities into the music of perhaps the greatest team of composers ever.

Her renditions of songs like "Something Good", "Some Enchanted Evening" and "If I Loved You" are enough to make you believe in love all over again. Then, you have the playful "Mister Snow", which seems like it was written just for Bernadette, and "You'll Never Walk Alone", which still sends chills up my spine every time I hear it.

But let's not forget the fabulous opening tune "It's A Grand Night for Singing", her beautiful version of "It Might As Well Be Spring", the light and lovely "Out Of My Dreams", the extremely enjoyable "So Far", a terrific interpretation of the classic "Something Wonderful" and the carefree "I Haven't Got A Worry in the World".

Each and every one of these tunes is a treasure. This is a wonderful mixture of some well-known and some more obscure Rodgers and Hammerstein melodies... a mixture which is only made better by Bernadette's extraordinary ability to interpret a song- a skill that has helped to make her the Broadway legend she is. It is a must for not only musical theatre fans, not only R&H fans, not only fans of Bernadette, but anyone who is looking for something that's really worth listening to!
Scott Joplin: His Complete Works
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Available at retailers for about $18
  • A classic compilation
  • A dis-service to Joplin
  • Unique
  • Great set
Scott Joplin: His Complete Works

Manufacturer: Bescol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Complete Piano Music of Scott Joplin
  2. King of the Ragtime Writers
  3. Entertainer: Classic Ragtime from Rare Piano Rolls
  4. Joplin: Treemonisha
  5. Joplin: Piano Rags

ASIN: B000001RR2
Release Date: 1994-07-19

Tracks:

  1. Please Say You Will - Richard Zimmerman
  2. A Picture Of Her Face - Richard Zimmerman
  3. The Great Crush Collision March - Richard Zimmerman
  4. Harmony Club Waltz - Richard Zimmerman
  5. Combination March - Richard Zimmerman
  6. Original Rags - Richard Zimmerman
  7. Maple Leaf Rag - Richard Zimmerman
  8. Swipesy - Cake Walk - Richard Zimmerman
  9. Sunflower Slow Drag - Richard Zimmerman
  10. Peacherine Rag - Richard Zimmerman
  11. Augustan Club Waltz - Richard Zimmerman
  12. The Easy Winners - Richard Zimmerman
  13. Cleopha - Richard Zimmerman
  14. The Strenuous Life - Richard Zimmerman
  15. I Am Thinking Of My Pickanniny Days - Richard Zimmerman
  16. The Ragtime Dance - Richard Zimmerman
  17. A Breeze From Alabama - Richard Zimmerman
  18. Elite Syncopations - Richard Zimmerman

Tracks:

  1. March Majestic - S. Joplin
  2. The Entertainer - S. Joplin
  3. Something Doing - S. Joplin
  4. Weeping Willow - S. Joplin
  5. Little Black Baby - S. Joplin
  6. Palm Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
  7. The Favorite - S. Joplin
  8. The Sycamore - S. Joplin
  9. The Cascades - S. Joplin
  10. The Chrysanthemum - S. Joplin
  11. Rosebud March - S. Joplin
  12. Bethena - S. Joplin
  13. Leola - S. Joplin
  14. Sarah Dear - S. Joplin
  15. Binks Waltz - S. Joplin
  16. Eugenia - S. Joplin
  17. Antoinette - S. Joplin
  18. Snoring Sampson - S. Joplin

Tracks:

  1. Gladiolus Rag - S. Joplin
  2. Searchlight Rag - S. Joplin
  3. The Nonpareil (None to Equal) - S. Joplin
  4. When Your Hair Is Like The Snow - S. Joplin
  5. Rose Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
  6. Heliotrope Bouquet - S. Joplin
  7. School Of Ragtime - S. Joplin
  8. Fig Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
  9. Sugar Cane - S. Joplin
  10. Pine Apple Rag - S. Joplin
  11. Wall Street Rag - S. Joplin
  12. Solace - S. Joplin
  13. Pleasant Moments - S. Joplin
  14. Country Club - S. Joplin
  15. Paragon Rag - S. Joplin
  16. Euphonic Sounds - S. Joplin
  17. Stoptime Rag - S. Joplin
  18. Felicity Rag - S. Joplin

Tracks:

  1. Highlights From Treemonisha - Richard Zimmerman
  2. A Real Slow Drag - Richard Zimmerman
  3. Prelude To Act 3 - Richard Zimmerman
  4. Frolic Of The Bears - Richard Zimmerman
  5. Lovin' Babe - Richard Zimmerman
  6. Scott Joplin's New Rag - Richard Zimmerman
  7. Kismet Rag - Richard Zimmerman
  8. Magnetic Rag - Richard Zimmerman
  9. Reflection Rag - Richard Zimmerman
  10. Silver Swan Rag - Richard Zimmerman
  11. Lily Queen - Richard Zimmerman
  12. Sensation - Richard Zimmerman

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Available at retailers for about $18.......2006-12-21

Excellent collection - but there are re-sellers listed here that are selling this for as much $50 or $60. Yikes, most major retailers are selling this complete set for $18 - so beware.

5 out of 5 stars A classic compilation.......2006-10-07

This collection is one of my most treasured possessions. (My father gave me the original 5-album set in the 70's when it was originally released on vinyl.)

This is the definitive collection of Scott Joplin's work. Richard Zimmerman provides wonderful performances that accurately reflect Joplin's intentions. (As evidence beyond my personal opinion, I submit the recent releases of digital recordings made from Joplin's piano rolls.)

A few points to consider regarding negative comments you may encounter in other reviews:
* This is a digital recording from an analog master. Lack of quality in the recording does not imply a lackluster performance.
* This is a complete collection. Some similarity is due to Joplin re-exploring melodic themes. But some is due to the fact that these are "rags". One might as well complain that all 50's doo-wop (or all 70's disco) sounds the same.
* Many pieces of the period exhibit formal musical structures, such as the marches of John Phillips Sousa. (Both Sousa and Joplin performed at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.) Actually, Joplin is responsible for extending the formal boundaries of ragtime to concert waltzes (Bethena) and opera (A Guest of Honor, Treemonisha)
* This is probably one of the few collections which will include selections from "Treemonisha". It is my understanding that after the initial release, one of Joplin's descendants made a copyright claim that was upheld in court. (I presume the issue was that Joplin had to finance "Treemonisha" himself, and therefore the customary performance clearances did not cover those selections.)

For ragtime students and enthusiasts, this is a "must-have" collection at a very affordable price.

1 out of 5 stars A dis-service to Joplin.......2006-02-01

Sadly, the only virtue this set possesses is completeness.

The pianist does not play Joplin's pieces "as written", the piano is of poor quality, and not properly in tune.

This is emphatically NOT the set to buy. A far better set, beautifully annotated and well played on a good concert grand piano, is the complete works played by Guido Nielsen on the Basta Label.

This set is a dis-service to Joplin and his music. He deserves better, and gets it elsewhere.

5 out of 5 stars Unique .......2004-10-19

I have several cd sets of Joplin's music: Rifkin, Arpo, Nielsen, and Zimmerman. All have their excellent qualities. What sets Zimmerman's set apart is the inclusion of excerpts from Joplin's opera, Treemonisha---especially "A Real Slow Drag." Why the other sets do not include excerpts from Treemonisha, I don't know---because they are some of his most beautiful and joyful pieces of music. Of course, you can hear the orchestrated version of Treemonisha in the Houston Grand Opera recording, and it is spectacular. But Zimmerman's piano version, especially of "A Real Slow Drag," is not to be missed.

5 out of 5 stars Great set.......2001-10-16

I guess this will be a rather one sided review. I have been a fan of Scott Joplin since I first learned to play a piano.

I was shocked to see that one reviewer thought it all sounded the same. How silly. All of Frank Sinatra's music sounds like Frank Sinatra. All of Led Zeppelin sounds like Led Zeppelin. So, if the songs were drastically different, I would question if the same author composed them. As it is, though, each song on this set is fantastic!!

I don't know that I have heard of Richard Zimmerman, and I was a little leary as to what I would be getting, I certainly was impressed. Without a doubt the best renditions of "Weeping Willow" and "Bethena" I have heard, and at least a dozen songs I didn't know Joplin wrote.

Without a doubt, this album is fantastic. A very good price, as well.
The King And I (1977 Broadway Revival Cast)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Best version of King and I
  • CD by which all other KING AND I discs are measured
  • good revival recording; Constance Towers is lovely
  • Required listening!
  • A MUST FOR ALL 'KING AND I' FANS
The King And I (1977 Broadway Revival Cast)
Oscar Hammerstein II
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Rodgers, RichardRodgers, Richard | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Oklahoma! Broadway (1979 Broadway Revival Cast)
  2. The King and I (1996 Broadway Revival Cast)
  3. The King and I (50th Anniversary Edition)
  4. Fiddler on the Roof (1964 Original Broadway Cast)
  5. South Pacific (Original 1949 Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000002W40
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Overture
  2. Arrival At Bangkok/I Whistle A Happy Tune
  3. My Lord And Master
  4. Hello, Young Lovers
  5. March Of The Siamese Children
  6. Children Sing, Priests Chant
  7. A Puzzlement
  8. The Royal Bangkok Academy
  9. Getting To Know You
  10. So Big A World
  11. We Kiss In A Shadow
  12. A Puzzlement
  13. Shall I Tell You What I Think Of You?
  14. Something Wonderful
  15. Finale To Act I
  16. Western People Funny
  17. Dance Of Anna And Sir Edward
  18. I Have Dreamed
  19. Song Of The King
  20. Shall We Dance?
  21. Finale

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Best version of King and I.......2004-07-26

This 1977 version really tells you what this show is made of!!! Yul Brynner is in prime form with A Puzzlement (finally being recorded with the full score), and Constance Towers makes a fine Anna Lenowans. The added dialouge tracks add a special personality to the CD, and help the listener who may have never seen the show to understand it. The 1956 soundtrack (remastered) is okay compared to this, and the 1951 Decca Broadway album is deplorable compared to this. Only version you will ever need. Highly Reccomended!!!!!!!!!

5 out of 5 stars CD by which all other KING AND I discs are measured.......2004-02-17

By the time RCA recorded this album of the 1977 revival of THE KING AND I the show had been playing on Broadway for six months and the cast had settled happily into their roles. The result is a vividly theatrical recordng that, except for the "Small House of Uncle Thomas" ballet, contains the entire musical score.

I would like to correct reviewer Arne Anderson: Brynner was not dying from cancer when this production played. He returned to Broadway with the show again in 1985 just six months before his death and by that time, yes, he voice was showing noticable deterioration. But when this production played the Uris theatre in 1977 and 78 he was in fine voice. True, it is not the youthful voice heard on the original 1951 cast album but with the years come many more layers to the performance.

It also helps that several dialogue moments such as the King's soliloquy "So Big a World" are included on this record. The dialogue also plays an important part in the way Thomas Z. Shepard has laid out the record. For example, the famous "Shall We Dance" sequence. On this recording, the whole scene is prsented and suddenly what on other KING AND I cd's is just another great R & H song, is a dramatic highlight. Also, the Cd closes with a recording of the entire final scene. It is incredibly moving.

Constance Towers sounds properly mature as Mrs Anna, and all the secondary roles have been thoghtfully cast by wonderful singer/actors. Bear in mind, Richard Rodgers was still alive when this production and recording were made and was at the recording sessions. In fact, it would be the final cast recording of one of his shows he would supervise. This guarantees it is an authenic recording.

The package includes good background notes and a fully detailed synopsis of the show.

This album was recorded Monday October 31, 1977. On Tuesday November 1, 1977 I attended the performance at the Uris theatre. It was my first Broadway show. So, for me, this album holds extra special memories.

4 out of 5 stars good revival recording; Constance Towers is lovely.......2003-10-12

This cast album to the acclaimed 1977 Broadway revival of THE KING AND I is a must-own for all fans of the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Yul Brynner again heads the cast as the imperious King, with Constance Towers as Mrs Anna and June Angela as Tuptim.

Yul Brynner asked his good friend Yuriko (the original Eliza in the "Uncle Tom's Cabin" ballet in the 1951 Broadway production and later the film version) to direct this production and also recreate Jerome Robbins' choreography for the ballet. Yuriko perfectly reproduced all this and more with this sumptuous revival, which embarked on an extensive touring season following it's Broadway engagement, before coming back to New York in 1985, the year that Brynner succumbed to cancer.

Constance Towers is quite lovely in the role of Mrs Anna, offering up glowing renditions of "I Whistle a Happy Tune", "Getting to Know You", "Hello Young Lovers" and "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?".

June Angela, apparently the youngest actress to play Tuptim in a major revival, lets her gorgeous soprano loose with her breathtaking "My Lord and Master" as well as her duets with the Lun Tha of Martin Vidnovic (OKLAHOMA!) in "I Have Dreamed" and "We Kiss in a Shadow".

Hye-Young Choi is a lovely Lady Thiang, singing a heartbreaking "Something Wonderful". The rest of the cast is superb.

All-in-all, an essential cast album of THE KING AND I, and one you will really adore.

5 out of 5 stars Required listening!.......2000-06-16

The 2 love duets between Martin Vidnovic and June Angela are worth the price of admission in themselves, plus you get the complete score including "I Have Dreamed", which for some unbelievable reason was cut from the film.

4 out of 5 stars A MUST FOR ALL 'KING AND I' FANS.......2000-02-10

BRILLIANT! A MUST for all 'King and I' fans. It has ALMOST ALL the 'King and I' songs, except for 'The Royal Dancing Wives' Dance' and 'Uncle Tom's Cabin - The Ballet'. However, the voices are more 'opera-based', especially June Angela and Constance Towers, but what does that better? The singers are simply SUPBERB. Constance Towers portrays a SPLENDID Anna, even though Marni Nixon has a sweeter, smoother voice. June Angela sings 'My Lord and Master' and the other songs BEAUTIFULLY, I don't know how she reached all those high notes, but then again, Rita Moreno is 'smoother'. Yul Brynner is wonderful as usual, Martin Vidvonic(Lun Tha) sings MUCH better than Carlos Riva's singing voice in the 1956 movie, and as for Hye-Young Choir, I think she beats Terry Saunders. Her best song is 'Western People Funny'. And Gene Profanto and Alan Amick who play Prince Chulalonkorn and Louis are BRILLIANT too, and they sing 'A Puzzlement(reprise)' REALLY well. However, Constance Tower's 'Shall I Tell You What I Think of You' is not that good, and Marni Nixon is alot better anyway, because Towers sounds like an old woman at times. Anyway, overall, this IS a MUST!
Rodgers & Hammerstein: Songbook for Orchestra (Orchestral Suites)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • 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

WaltzesWaltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
Rodgers, RichardRodgers, Richard | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Lerner & Loewe Songbook for Orchestra
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  3. Puttin' on the Ritz: The Great Hollywood Musicals
  4. The Sound Of Music (1987 Studio Cast)
  5. Classics of the Silver Screen

ASIN: B000003CXQ
Release Date: 1992-01-28

Tracks:

  1. Oklahoma!
  2. Carousel
  3. State Fair
  4. South Pacific
  5. The King And I
  6. Cinderella Waltz
  7. Flower Drum Song
  8. The Sound Of Music

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars "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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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
Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim (Live at Carnegie Hall 2001)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Wow!
  • Everyone Should Whistle
  • An amazing intro to the body of work of a true master
  • Beautiful, moving concert
  • ... and I love Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim (Live at Carnegie Hall 2001)

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Barbara Cook's Broadway!
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  3. Tribute
  4. It's Better with a Band
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ASIN: B000059LFF
Release Date: 2001-05-08

Tracks:

  1. Everybody Says Don't
  2. I Wonder What Became of Me?
  3. The Eagle and Me
  4. I Had Myself a True Love
  5. Into the Woods / Giants in the Sky (Malcolm Gets)
  6. Another Hundred People / So Many People (Malcolm Gets)
  7. Let's Face the Music and Dance / The Song Is You (duet with Malcolm Gets)
  8. Happiness
  9. Loving You
  10. You Could Drive a Person Crazy
  11. Not A Day Goes By / Losing My Mind

Tracks:

  1. Buds Won't Bud
  2. I Got Lost in His Arms
  3. West Side Story Segment: Something's Coming / Tonight (Malcolm Gets)
  4. Move On (duet with Malcolm Gets)
  5. Medley: Hard Hearted Hannah / Waiting for the Robert E. Lee / San Francisco
  6. Ice Cream
  7. Send in the Clowns
  8. The Trolley Song
  9. Not While I'm Around (duet with Malcolm Gets)
  10. Anyone Can Whistle

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Barbara Cook is one of today's most accomplished song stylists, and if you don't believe us, just listen to this live album. It's a master class in the art of singing. It documents an evening at Carnegie Hall during which Cook proved that she can dissect and extract the substance out of the simplest of lyrics. One of the best surprises is "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" (from Company), which is taken at an amiable trot and allows the singer to display its humor. Cook is not a swinging singer and uptempo is not her pace; give her a ballad, though, and she'll wring the last drop of emotion out of it. Her version of "Losing My Mind" (here paired with "Not a Day Goes By") is simply astonishing. The singer also performs songs that Sondheim has said he wished he had written, an awful lot of them by Harold Arlen. No complaints here. Guest Malcolm Gets solos on a few songs and duets with Cook on others, including "Let's Face the Music and Dance." This is classic material done masterfully by a classic singer. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Wow!.......2004-02-20

Having read the other reviews there is little more for me to add. I have been a Barbara Cook fan for a longtime and for me, this is one of her best concerts ever. I do, however, prefer the DVD. As with some other reviewers, I do not want to hear Malcolm Gets (as much as I like him) when I want to listen to Barbara. Her flawless interpretation of music is a hard act to follow for any singer! I managed to see this concert 4 times over a year and a half. Each time I saw her the voice was stronger and more assured (I would not have thought that possible). I can't help but think we will have the pleasure of hearing Ms Cook for many years to come. For those people who enjoyed his CD I strongly recommend purchasing the DVD. Barabara's rendition of So Many People is breathtaking (literally, I don't think I breathed once during the entire song). If you ever have opportunity to see her live - go! She has an ability to make you feel as if every song she sings and every word she speaks is directed to you alone. She can take a large venue and make it feel as intimate as your own living room. Having had the pleasure of meeting her I can say she is as youthful and pleasurable in person as she is in her performance.

5 out of 5 stars Everyone Should Whistle.......2003-10-11

After being privileged to attend this concert, I had to own the CD. Once a lyric coloratura and the original Cunegonde in Bernstein's Candide, Ms. Cook has become (in her 70s) a true diva, blessed with a velvety, warm sound. Every note has meaning. Her high B-flat on "Ice Cream" is still the envy of any soprano today. Everyone should whistle after hearing the superb performances on this CD. Even better, though, is the experience of having been in the concert hall for the live performance. Brava, Ms. Cook!

5 out of 5 stars An amazing intro to the body of work of a true master.......2003-06-16

When I first bought tickets for the 'Mostly Sondheim' show on tour (in San Francisco) I figured it couldn't be too bad. Besides, I had only been exposed to a few of his songs (Anyone Can Whistle, Losing My Mind...) and had only seen "A Little Night Music". On the way out of the theater I immediately picked up this recording of the program. It is truly amazing. I immediately began listening to it and have barely put it down in the last few months. Furthermore, my Sondheim CD collection increased in size from an unflattering zero to five (and it's still growing)! This is an amazing introduction to the works of Stephen Sondheim, who is now my favorite modern musical composer). Buy this now if you don't already have it!

4 out of 5 stars Beautiful, moving concert.......2003-04-13

This is a wonderful CD set with a great selection of songs. I do want to express a slight reservation, however. Barbara Cook has been one of my favorite singers for a number of years and the way her voice defies time is extraordinary -- for her to be singing with such bright, beautiful tone in her mid-70s with no wobble or beat in the voice is an amazing achievment.

I do have to say that by 2001, when this concert was recorded, Cook seemed to have a lost a little bit of power and intensity in her singing. This is only natural for someone of her age. Her voice is still lovely, but you can sense her keeping it in reserve a bit. She's as expressive as ever, but compare the rendition of "I got lost in his arms" on this album to the one on her previous album recorded in 1999, "The Champion Season", and there's less urgency and vocal depth in her singing here. That said, the high B at the end of "Ice Cream" is sensational.

So, despite that caveat, this is, again, a wonderful album, a must for Cook fans, especially for the gorgeous renditions of songs I'd never thought I'd get to hear her perform: "Not a Day Goes By", "Happiness/Loving You", "San Francisco", etc. Buy it!

1 out of 5 stars ... and I love Barbara Cook.......2003-02-11

This recording is a disappointment for me. It is not her best work, and Malcolm Gets is uninspired. My biggest complaint however is the engineering of the recording. Throughout the speaking was to soft, the singing volumes uneven, and the applause deafening. I will be passing this CD on to friends, and will later donate it to my local library.
Artistry of Elly Ameling (Coll)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Elly Ameling now more available
  • Delight in every note
  • While they last...
  • Treasures From a Treasure
  • More than fully earned praise for an exceptional singer.
Artistry of Elly Ameling (Coll)
Elly Ameling
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  5. Ave Maria--Lieder

ASIN: B00007KMSJ
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Tracks:

  1. Matthaus-Passion
  2. Johannes-Passion
  3. Weihnachts-Oratorium
  4. Juditha Triumphans
  5. Messiah
  6. Crudel Tiranno Amor
  7. Die Schopfung
  8. Orlando Paladino
  9. 7 Lieder
  10. Le Nozze Di Figaro
  11. Exsultate, Jubilate Ch'io Mi Scordi Di Te, K505
  12. Misera! Dove Son! K369
  13. 18 Lieder
  14. Frauenliebe Und- Leben
  15. 11 Lieder
  16. 20 Morike-Lieder

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Elly Ameling now more available .......2007-03-07

I had a 33 rpm album of Elly Ameling singing Schubert lieder accompanied by piano and clarinet at times. It was one of my all time favorite albums so I have been disappointed that I have not been able to find it anywhere on CD.

Now I can just buy this excellent collection. So much music in one place! Since I confess that I am far from an expert on the rest of her records, I look forward to hearing her sing many other styles and composers.

I think it is silly to criticize her for not singing Wagner, for example, since her version of many songs, especially lieder, are nothing short of sublime. I would like to hear how many Wagnerians sing Schubert or Mozart.

I doubt if they could approach the skill and soul with which Elly Ameling sings lieder.

5 out of 5 stars Delight in every note.......2006-03-10

To speak as briefly as possible about this superb collection from an equally superb singer, what can I say but that Ms Ameling possessed a voice that shone with radiant warmth and star-like shimmer? And unlike many another light lyric soprano, Elly Ameling was possessed of a very high standard of musicianship, considerable intelligence, and a sort of immediate charm that captivates the listener.

So many of her recordings have still to be released on CD, but this 5CD-set goes some way towards remedying the situation. The repertoire spans a wide variety - French mèlodies, Lieder, light-hearted "sentimental" songs, Bach, etc. - and in each piece, Ms Ameling shows that quality of pearl-like beauty. It is a beauty which is also extremely pretty - a beauty of voice that is never overbearing and over-ripe, but perfectly blossoming upon the tree of inspiration.

I recommend this set unequivocally. It truly is sheer delight.

5 out of 5 stars While they last..........2005-05-17

Elly Ameling held the quiet stage for recitals of great artistry and dignity for several decades and sadly most of the enormously successful CDs of her long career output are now unavailable. For those who have little access to the documentation of this very special artist, this box set is a must. It is a compilation of many of her recordings with differing accompanists, conductors, orchestras and composers. And while not all of the choices for inclusion here would be considered her greatest moments, there are enough works that sustain the warm memories of the little Dutch hausfrau who quietly and simply paid homage to composers with her clear and intelligent musicianship and radiant voice.

Ameling was known to schedule recitals of Schubert cycles and songs and in the afterglow of her performance answer the demand for curtain calls with additional Schubert melodies: she gifted her audience with the dignity of honoring a composer's works by maintaining the focus on that composer rather than milk the audience with the usual encore applause-getting favorites. And special moments such as quietly and pensively strolling through the orchestra during the Mahler 4th symphony to arrive at front stage, unapplauded, just in time for the opening line of her singing - those simple homage to composers and collaborators made her selfless manner endearing to audiences.

Despite the fact that Ameling's voice was on the small side she was always able to muster the projection to carry her message solidly in context with an orchestra. Yes, other more famous singers have recorded Ravel's quintessentially French SHEHERAZADE, but few have the perfection of diction and aura of mystery that Ameling maintained. Whether singing with piano or orchestra, or interpreting Bach, Mozart, Handel, and Vivaldi with the same degree of involvement as Brahms and Schumann and Schubert, Elly Ameling spanned a career that engendered passionate commitment from her fans. And this boxed set is a pocket full of memories to be treasured. Buy it before this too becomes unavailable. Grady Harp, May 05

5 out of 5 stars Treasures From a Treasure.......2004-09-25

Treasures from a Treasure.

Ameling, one of the world's most beloved recitalists is captured here in a 5 CD collection offering some of her most beautiful recordings of song. While we are used to her perfection in songs of Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Faure and Hahn, an added joy is her "pop" side, tackling - without a whiff of pretension, Porter, Kern, Gershwin, Ellington, et al.

What an absolute joy it is listening to this amazing artist sing these songs with an almost uncanny natural ease. There is no resorting to a "pop" voice and yet most of these pop standards songs sound as though they could have been written for her. Clean attacks, sometimes a bit of the pop technique of hanging on to a consonant longer than a classical artist normally would shows an appreciation and understanding of the style. Still, there is never once a compromise of her vocal beauty.

I like the way the songs have been arranged for her voice in that she sort of sings them clean, unaffected in the first half and then lets loose and kinda "swings" with it adding embellishments but never really changing her voice (Price, von Stade and other favorite singers of mine seem to have always added a breathy quality to much of their crossover material.)

Ameling doesn't resort to trying to "let her hair down" or get down and dirty, but rather the honest with which she approaches every one of these songs shows how much she enjoys singing them and her style is as refreshing as stumbling onto a cool spring on a sweltering summer's afternoon. A wonderful surprise.

5 out of 5 stars More than fully earned praise for an exceptional singer........2003-07-15

As I had the privilige of hearing this outstanding Lied-singer during her long career in Holland and being the proud possessor of almost all her recordings, I cannot but fully agree with the professional and joyful review of Mr. Robert Holliston from Victoria, B.C. Canada.
Yes, it is unbelievable that of about the 150 recordings Mrs. Ameling made during her long career (for the greater part of course on the 'oldfashioned' LP's, as well as the innumerable Dutch live-recorded radio-concerts), so few CD's have been released.
Speaking of tradition: it was the page-turner of the Wigmore Hall in London who told Mrs. Ameling after her first recital in this hall, that she reminded him of Elisabeth Schumann. (And he certainly didn't mean her looks only!)
For those who are eager to hear her singing Ravel's Shéhérazade (just one example of stirring imagination combined with her Art of Singing) I can tell you that Philips released a 2-box CD of this work in 1999, combined with Debussy's La Damoiselle élue and a compilation of French mélodies, i.e. Debussy, Fauré, Duparc, Satie. One of the gems is Caplet's Le Corbeau et le Renard which even make children, who know the fables of La Fontaine, revel in the singing of the quarrelsome birds....
Her brilliant accompanyist is Rudolf Jansen. Let us cherish great artists in their art!
DRG 25th Anniversary Show Stopping Performances
Average customer rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
  • Great compilation
  • A disappointment
DRG 25th Anniversary Show Stopping Performances

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Barbara Cook at the Met with Special Guests
  2. Curtains (2007 Original Broadway Cast)
  3. 110 in the Shade (2007 Broadway Revival Cast)
  4. ABC (Adler, Bock, Coleman)
  5. The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00005Q6IN
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Tracks:

  1. A Day In Hollywood A Night In Ukraine: Just Go To The Movies - Priscilla Lopez/David Garrison/Frank Lazarus/Stephen James/Peggy Hewett/Kate Draper
  2. Babes In Arms: I Wish I Were In Love Again - Christopher Fitzgerald Jessica Stone
  3. Pal Joey: Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered - Patti LuPone
  4. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend - KT Sullivan
  5. Nunsense: I Just Want To Be A Star - Christine Anderson
  6. Louisiana Purchase: Wild About You - Debbie Gravitte & New York Voices
  7. Oil City Symphony: Beaver Ball At The Bug Club - Mike Craver/Mark Hardwick/Debra Monk/Mary Murfitt
  8. Falsettoland: The Baseball Game - Michael Rupert/Chip Zien/Faith Prince/Janet Metz/Heather MacRae/Stephen Bogardus
  9. Very Good Eddie: Isn't It Great To Be Married? - Virginia Seidel/Spring Fairbank/Charles Repole/Nicholas Wyman
  10. The Fantasticks: A Perfect Time To Be In Love - Harvey Schmidt
  11. Call Me Madam: You're Just In Love - Tyne Daly/Lewis Cleale
  12. Taking My Turn: Fine For The Shape I'm In - Margaret Whiting/Marnie Nixon/Cissy Houston
  13. A Party With Betty Comden & Adolph Green: The French Lesson - Betty Comdon/Adolph Green
  14. The Madwoman Of Central Park: Better - Phyllis Newman
  15. Greenwillow: Never Will I Marry - Anthony Perkins
  16. Song Of Singapore: I Can't Remember - Loretta Swit & Company
  17. Tintypes: Elite Syncopation/I'm Goin' To Live Anyhow, 'Til I Die - Lynne Thigpen
  18. I Love My Wife: Someone Wonderful I Missed - Joanna Gleason/Ilene Graff
  19. The Good Companions: The Pleasure Of Your Company - Malcolm Rennie/Christopher Gable
  20. Forbidden Broadway 20th Anniversary: Liza One-Note - Christine Pedi
  21. Meet Me In St. Louis: The Trolley Song - Donna Kane & Ensemble

Tracks:

  1. 4 Guys Named Jose...And Una Mujer Named Maria!: Feel It - Philip Anthony/Henry Gainza/Allen Hidalgo/Ricardo Puente
  2. Fame - The Musical: There She Goes!/Fame - Natasha Rennalls & Ensemble
  3. Do Re Mi: What's New At The Zoo? - Heather Headley/The Animal Girls
  4. High Society: Once Upon A Time/True Love - Melissa Errico/Daniel McDonald
  5. Tenderloin: Artificial Flowers - Patrick Wilson
  6. State Fair: Driving At Night/Our State Fair - Company
  7. Kiss Me, Kate: Were Thine That Special Face - Brian Stokes Mitchell
  8. Black And Blue: Black And Blue - Linda Hopkins/Ruth Brown/Carrie Smith
  9. The Green Bird: O Foolish Heart - Company
  10. Out Of This World: From This Moment On - Marin Mazzie/Gregg Edelman
  11. The Boys From Syracuse: This Can't Be Love - Davis Gaines/Sarah Berry
  12. Snoopy!!!: Poor Sweet Baby - Pamela Myers
  13. SeesawNobody Does It Like Me - Michele Lee
  14. March Of The Falsettos: I Never Wanted To Love You - Michael Rupert/Stephen Bogardus/Alison Fraser/Chip Zien/James Kushner
  15. Lunch: Perfectly Alone - Carol Burnett
  16. 3hree: Foolish Dreamin'/Something Beautiful/Real Enough To Change My Mind - Jessica Molaskey/Will Gartshore/Rachel Ulanet
  17. Lucky In The Rain: Love Me As If There Were No Tomorrow - Barbara Cook
  18. Godspell: All Good Gifts - Sal Sabella & Company
  19. The Act: Walking Papers - Liza Minnelli & Company

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Great compilation.......2002-05-10

I don't actually own this particular compilation, however, since I own nearly every recording represented on these discs...I think I'm qualified to comment. This is a wonderful representation of the high quality of work that DRG Records does.
The previous review is way off the mark. This is definitely not a waste of time or money. This is 25 years of preserving Broadway shows, Off-Broadway shows, studio recordings (mostly from the city center concerts), etc. So what if they "aren't as good as the original", DRG is preserving many recordings and artists that other mainstream labels don't or won't. You have wonderful recordings from Brian Stokes Mitchell, Nathan Lane, Debbie Gravitte, Tyne Daly, Anthony Perkins, Joanna Gleason, Marin Mazzie, Carol Burnett, Heather Headley, Patti LuPone, Barbara Cook, etc., and many of these are from Original Cast Recordings just as they appeared on Broadway. This is an excellent sampler of the work going on at DRG. No...I'm not an employee...just an avid listener and collector of theatre recordings.

1 out of 5 stars A disappointment.......2001-12-15

There's a reason you've probably never heard of most of the songs and shows on this album, not to mention most of the artists. This is a second-rate collection of second-rate numbers performed by mostly second-rate artists. In the case of the shows that were revivals, the performances on the original cast recordings were better. Don't waste your money.
Elaine Stritch - At Liberty (2002 Original Broadway Production)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • A National Treasure
  • Stritch is superb
  • Entertaining but grating on the ears
  • Great Broadway Review
  • Elaine Stritch at Liberty
Elaine Stritch - At Liberty (2002 Original Broadway Production)
Elaine Stritch , Irving Berlin , John/ Stritch, Elaine Lohr , Porter P. Grainger , Albert Hague , Stephen Sondheim , Carl Sigman , Richard Rodgers , Sir Noel Coward , George Gershwin , Jule Styne , John Campo , and Billy Miller
Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by GershwinAll Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Elaine Stritch at Liberty
  2. Bea Arthur on Broadway - Just Between Friends
  3. Stritch
  4. Company - A Musical Comedy (1970 Original Broadway Cast)
  5. Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast)

ASIN: B000060P33
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Tracks:

  1. There's No Business Like Show Business (Berlin)
  2. Caca
  3. I Want a Long Time Daddy (Grainger)
  4. A Piece of Mahler
  5. This Is All Very New to Me (Hague/Horwitt)
  6. Going to New York
  7. Marlon Brando
  8. Broadway Baby (Sondheim)
  9. My First Broadway Show
  10. Civilization (Hilliard/Sigman)
  11. Ethel Merman
  12. Can You Use Any Money Today? (Berlin)
  13. Pal Joey
  14. Zip (Hart/Rodgers)
  15. Ben Gazzara
  16. Nokl Coward
  17. Why Do the Wrong People Travel (Coward)
  18. Richard Burton
  19. But Not for Me/If Love Were All (Gershwin/Gershwin)
  20. I'm Still Here (Sondheim)
  21. Booze
  22. Little Things You Do Together (Sondheim)
  23. The Ladies Who Lunch (Sondheim)
  24. John Bay
  25. There Was Never a Baby Like My Baby (Comden/Green/Styne)
  26. I've Been to a Marvelous Party (Coward)
  27. God So Quickly
  28. The Party's Over (Comden/Green/Styne)
  29. Absent Almost Always
  30. Something Good (Rodgers)

Tracks:

  1. I'm Still Here (Sondheim)
  2. Booze
  3. Little Things You Do Together (Sondheim)
  4. The Ladies Who Lunch (Sondheim)
  5. John Bay
  6. There Was Never a Baby Like My Baby (Comden/Green/Styne)
  7. I've Been to a Marvelous Party (Coward)
  8. God So Quickly
  9. The Party's Over (Comden/Green/Styne)
  10. Absent Almost Always
  11. Something Good (Rodgers)

Amazon.com

Elaine Stritch is a legend and she knows it. And so she came up with a whole one-woman show about the best topic she could think of: her life in the theater. And what a trip it's been. From Ethel Merman to Noel Coward, Stritch has worked with some of the greatest names to grace the American stage, and she has anecdotes about all of them (most are included on this recording). In this show, she hits all the marks with the acuity of a seasoned pro who's seen it all and whose love for the theater remains undiluted. Stritch is not a traditionally pretty singer (those gravelly pipes!), but she absolutely knows how to give life to a song, extracting the last drop of meaning, dropping pauses for effect with deadly accuracy. Sondheim's "Ladies Who Lunch" and "Broadway Baby" will be hers forever, and a case could be made for the hilarious "Zip" (from Pal Joey) and the obscure, spectacularly politically incorrect "Civilization" (from the revue Angel in the Wings) as well. Fittingly, this two-CD set includes "I'm Still Here," which may well be Stritch's motto. If you're looking for a concise yet bewitching history of the musical, this is it. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A National Treasure.......2007-07-05

This double CD is stuffed full of great songs and amazing stories. My favorite stories are of Elaine's date with Marlon Brando, what she thought some lyric are/meant, and her time in Compant. The total honesty that she brings it all together is touching and inspiring.

Very few people have the length or variety of a career that Elaine Stritch has had. I am sure that she has enough stories to do ten more shows.

If you love Broadway then you must buy this CD.

5 out of 5 stars Stritch is superb.......2007-06-27

The only disappointment is that I missed the show live. This is a terrific honest performance by an actor who has a deep well of experience from which to draw. From her early childhood memories, through acting school, her loves, her struggles and more, Ms Stritch weaves a fascinating and completely enthralling story. Ultimately, she lives the songs, rather than just performs and this is what really marks her out.
I am so glad, she's still here!

3 out of 5 stars Entertaining but grating on the ears.......2007-05-11

I've never been able to understand what is so great about Elaine Stritch's singing. It's simple: she can't sing. I've tried and tried to like her, and I do, as an actress, but NOT as a singer. Listening to these CDs, all I hear is a grouchy old lady voice with no vibrato, no range, and no ability to hold notes. If she were to try out for American Idol she would get cringes! I love her humor and honesty, and that's why I bought this, but the voice...ugh.

5 out of 5 stars Great Broadway Review.......2007-04-11

I thoroughly enjoy this collection of stories from her experiences from a teenage girl in Michigan through her career, very funny, some sad and great entertainment.

4 out of 5 stars Elaine Stritch at Liberty.......2007-01-19

Completely entertaining---a bit maudilin in places, but a must have for any Elaine Stritch fan.

Certainly worth the money!
So Strong
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • So Strong
  • Celtic Music Meets the Boy Bands
  • This Is Not Your Ordinary Everyday Irish Tenor Album
  • So Strong
  • What a beautiful mix of songs
So Strong
The Celtic Tenors
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by BarberAll Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Lehár, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:
  1. Remember Me
  2. Celtic Tenors: Live in Concert
  3. Celtic Tenors
  4. Here's to the Heroes
  5. Original Irish Tenors: The Legendary Voices of Celtic Song

ASIN: B00005YUB4
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Tracks:

  1. Nella Fantasia
  2. Mull Of Kintyre
  3. Love Of My Life
  4. Ave Maria
  5. The Green Fields Of France
  6. A Crmost An Siol
  7. Fionnghuala
  8. The Town I Loved So Well
  9. I Will Wait For You
  10. (Something Inside) So Strong
  11. The Contender
  12. A Love So Beautiful
  13. Dein Ist Mein Ganzes Herz (You Are My Heart's Delight)
  14. The Star Of County Down
  15. Adiago (vocalise)
  16. Anthem (from Chess)

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars So Strong.......2005-09-15

Celtic Tenors are marvelous. The only "tenor group" offering harmony. The material is beautiful and beautifully performed.

3 out of 5 stars Celtic Music Meets the Boy Bands.......2003-11-09

If one looks at the jacket of the disk THE CELTIIC TENORS, the first impression is that the disk could also be called "The Three Irish Tenors goes boy band." The three Celtic tenors: Matthew Gilsenan, Niall Morris, and James Nelson, look rather young and hip, almost in a stereotypical way, and it is clear that the disk's first priority is to be a money maker. The obvious attempt at making a dollar (or in Ireland a punt or Euro) does not make the disk a waste. There are some very enjoyable musical moments on the disk, though nothing all that original or deep. The music ranges from popular tunes, traditional Irish music, and some light classical and operetta pieces. The musical highlight of the disk is an A Capella version of Barber's Adagio. This arrangement retains the piece's beauty as well as its haunting qualities. Though the song "Mull of Kintyre" is somewhat cheesy, it works on this disk and is one of the better tracks. The disk begins with a song titled "Nella Fantasia" a tune written by Emilio Morricone, and it's from a theme from his score of THE MISSION. According to the liner notes, the composer reluctantly allowed words for the piece. He should have held out a bit longer. The tune was first performed by Charlotte Church. It does not work for her, and it does not work for the Celtic Tenors either. Since the tune is so beautiful in the film, it's too bad it was not simply left alone.

5 out of 5 stars This Is Not Your Ordinary Everyday Irish Tenor Album.......2003-10-02

Currently So Strong is my most favorite album. Unlike other Irish tenor albums I own, So Strong resonates unique total excellence achieved rarely by the blending of voices. It is a successful marriage of traditional and contemporary Irish vocal styling. Every cut is a true treasure. Listening to "Mull of Kintyre" I defy anyone not to hum this Paul McCartney melody. "The Green Fields of France" is a beautiful anti war anthem while "Ag Criost An Siol" is as spiritual as any gospel. Tears swell with "The Town I Loved So Well". "Something Inside" has an addictive beat and "The Contender" and "A Love so Beautiful" are haunting without being melancholy. I garantee that you'll have the CD player on high volume and repeat for the folk dance tune "The Star of the County Down" and inspiring "Anthem". I do.

5 out of 5 stars So Strong.......2003-04-07

I was watching public television and saw "The Celtic Tenors". The next day I found their CD, "So Stong". Finding voices of such obvious quality producing harmony so perfectly is rare. The first song brought me to tears and I wanted to stand and cheer. In fact, I did. In my opinion, "The Celtic Tenors" have absolutely clear voices and sing with "Heart" whether it's concerning the town they love or the love they let slip away. I have already suggested the CD to many friends who have immediately purchased one for themselves. What a treat, what a treat.

5 out of 5 stars What a beautiful mix of songs.......2003-01-15

I bought this on a whim after listening to the 30 second bits on this site. It is now one of my favorite albums. I can't stop listening to it! I walk around all day singing bits from 'So Strong' & 'Mull of Kintyre'. Each tenor is given equal billing & their voices flow together so well. I'm now anxiously awaiting either a US tour or a new album. The first album, simply titled 'Celtic Tenors' is wonderful as well. If you love men who can really sing, you will love this album!

Music:

  1. Oh Love
  2. Piano Bar [Import]
  3. Pretty/Groovy [Import] [Limited Edition] [Original recording remastered]
  4. Quartet: Russ Freeman/Chet Baker [Import] [Limited Edition] [Original recording remastered]
  5. Reet Petite and Gone [Import]
  6. Secret Rendezvous
  7. Since I Fell for You
  8. Spaces & Places
  9. Talk of the Town [Import]
  10. Tampico

Music

Music