Early One Morning

Editorial Reviews
Episcopal Life, September 1999
This musical monologue is Ron Melrose's version of Mary Magdalene, a brassy whore on a journey of self-discovery. Melrose, a musician known in both church and Broadway circles, uses the story from Luke to reveal the human condition. His Mary represents each of us.

In 42 minutes and 10 songs, soprano Kate Nutt leads us into and through Mary's emotional turmoil with a voice clear, strong and influenced by her Broadway background.

Nutt, who performs with power and emotion, adds perhaps a bit too much Mermanesque luster. The incredible mood Melrose's lyrics create would have been enhanced with the addition of other instrumentation, an organ or cello, but budget may have stood in the way. Nothing stands in the way of the impact of this testament to the power of God, however. Don't miss it.

About the Artist
Katie Nutt is currently appearing on Broadway in 'The Scarlet Pimpernel.'

Band members: Composer Ron Melrose (Musical Director, 'The Scarlet Pimpernel') is also the author of 'The Missing Peace,' the story of one woman's heroic quest performed by Bistro Award winning Broadway artist Judy Malloy.

Album Description
Broadway vocalist Katie Nutt performs as Mary Magdalene in a original musical about the resurrection and crucifixion of Christ.

Early One Morning

Tracks:

Ev'ry Year Brings Something New
The Farmer's Boy
Waltzing Mathilda
The Lone Prarie
An Eriskay Love Lift
Early One Morning
Trio
In Einem Kuhlen Grunde
Kuckuck Hat Sich Zu Tod Gefallen
Muss I Denn (Zum Stadtele Hinaus)
Innsbruck, Ich Muss Dich Lassen
Alt-Niederlandische Tanze
Es Wollt Ein Jagerlein Jagen
Vocal Yodel
S'Dirndl Is' Wunderschon
Two Austraian Dances
Auf Der Alm
Hatt I Di
Spinn, Spinn Marie
Der Gru
Die Hochalm
Little Terzetto
Andreas Hofers Abschied Vom Leben

Customer Reviews:

A pleasant surprise.......2007-03-08

I'm one of those The Sound of Music addicted, having lost the track of how many times I've seen it whatever the format is. Therefore, it was basically for curiosity that I've bought this CD. It's a fine recording that takes you to a typical, cosy family reunion. The male voices are not impressive and I wouldn't include the flute solos in the CD. But the final result is very pleasant, excellent to listen in the car while you're driving in the countryside (before lunch, of course).

The original sound of their music. .......2006-01-15

The original von Trapp Family's twenty years of touring and performing internationally had finished, and Maria Augusta von Trapp had written their story in three books and begun several decades of missionary work in New Guinea by the time "The Sound of Music" hit Broadway, and Julie Andrews later sang about her favorite things in a top-earning film. I don't know if the original von Trapp Family benefitted from show and film royalties; they certainly deserved to, for they worked very hard perfecting, under their conductor Dr Franz Wasner, their natural ensemble and music-making talents.

The results may be heard in this first-class CD reissue of recordings they made in New York in 1952 and 1956. The family amassed a large repertoire, collecting items while touring, for example "Waltzing Mathilda" from Australia. The selection here includes a cross-section (loosely titled "Folk Songs") and some of their instrumental items involving recorders, cello and harpsichord. Perhaps the items from their rich Austrian culture are the most satisfying.

This is the second DGG CD release of their recordings. Duration 52 minutes. I recall from my LP collecting days, that there are enough Trapp Family recordings to fill a third CD. I look forward to it.

Average customer rating:

One last touch of Paris (but oversold by the critics)
wonderful perforance of excellent songs
Classic Rorem Songs!
Come To Pop, Baby!
Worthy indeed - a gem

Susan Graham - Songs of Ned Rorem
Susan Graham , Martin Martineau , and Ensemble Oriol
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Ned Rorem: Selected Songs
The Faces of Love ~ The Songs of Jake Heggie / Fleming, McNair, Larmore, von Stade, Forand, Cao, Clayton, Vaness, Asawa
Susan Graham - La Belle Époque (The Songs of Reynaldo Hahn)
Susan Graham ~ Berlioz - Les nuits d'été
Poèmes de l'Amour

ASIN: B00004R9BK
Release Date: 2000-04-04

Tracks:

Sonnet [Bynner]
Clouds [Goodman]
Early In The Morning [Hillyer]
The Serpent [Roethke]
Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal [Tennyson]
Opus 101 [Bynner]
I Strolled Across An Open Field [Roethke]
To A Young Girl [Yeats]
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair [after Foster]
Ode [de Ronsard]
For Poulenc [O'Hara]
Littlle elegy [Wylie]
Alleluia
Look Down, Fair Moon [Whitman]
O You Whom I Often And Silently Come [Whitman]
I Will Always Love You [O'Hara]
The Tulip Tree [Goodman]
The Wintry Mind [Bynner]
I Am Rose [Stein]
The Lordly Hudson [Goodman]
O Do Not Love Too Long [Goodman]
Far - Far - Away [Tennyson]
For Susan [Goodman]
A Journey [Glaze]
Sometimes With One I Love [Goodman]
Love [Lodge]
Orchids [Roethke]
Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening [Frost]
Do I Love You More Than A Day [Larson]
Ferry Me Across The Water [Rossetti]
The Sowers [Bynner]
That Shadow, My Likeness [Whitman]

Amazon.com

Contemporary composer Ned Rorem is typically likened to an American Schubert (living in Paris) for the fecundity, emotional range, and quality of his songs (though this represents only one facet of a prolific career). And Rorem's masterful 1998 cycle Evidence of Things Not Seen would seem to justify that reputation, as does this marvelous anthology from the Rorem songbook of the past half-century. The composer is fond of dividing musicians into the "German" and the "French," clearly identifying himself with the latter for the elusive sparkle and subtle play of shadows that characterize his art. What other kind of sensibility could "through-compose" Gertrude Stein's "I Am Rose" in a deftly perfect 27 seconds? Fortunately, American lyric mezzo Susan Graham intuitively understands this expressive aspect, as does pianist-partner Malcolm Martineau. Graham is constantly attentive to the marriage of music and text in the 32 songs here and phrases their little worlds into being with grace and wit. She can shade to a sweet vanishing point or allow her voice to blossom, orchidlike, into a dazzling profusion of colors. Few of these songs, which draw on the poetry of Walt Whitman, Theodore Roethke, Frank O'Hara, and many others, last more than two minutes. But their resonance lingers, whether in the haunting "Opus 101"--with its lean but potent string trio scoring--or the enigmatic "That Shadow, My Likeness" from Whitman. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

One last touch of Paris (but oversold by the critics).......2005-10-11

Ned Rorem is the last survivor, since the death of Virgil Thompson, of the long reach that Paris exerted over a generation of American expatriate composers, many of whom drifted overseas between the wars to study with the legendary Nadia Boulanger. Rorem's songs sometimes have American folk roots, but mostly he writes chansons, and like their French counterparts, his are crystalline, spare, sophisticated, and precisely defined emotionally.

If he were more tlaneted he might have wirtten masterpieces, but mostly this sounds like Samuel Barber on skim milk. Rorem often sets minor, if not trivial poetry. His lyrical gift is modest. But there's no doubt that he has been neglected, largely because of his stubbornly tonal conservatism, and now that tonality is repsectable again, he is being accorded last-minute honors. I'm glad for him, and his best work, which consists of his multi-volume memoirs, has added much to American culture. But even when skillfully sung by an artist of the caliber of Susan Graham, a hour's worth of Rorem's tiny jewel-like chansons is about twice too much at one sitting.

wonderful perforance of excellent songs.......2005-01-20

I'm a neophyte to Ned Rorem's work. To be honest I purchased this CD because I really enjoy listening to Susan Graham. Although I really love hearing Ms. Graham's opera performances, I find it refreshing to hear her singing something in English. I also appreciate how she's taken time to perform something other than opera. Susan Graham's performance of Ned Rorem's songs has me seeking out other performances of his work.

Classic Rorem Songs!.......2004-05-18

Susan Graham has a remarkable mezzo voice and sings Rorem as though she really is a sounding board for the composer. Kudos to her and this CD comes highly recommended to newbies to Rorem songs and those many die-hard fans!

Come To Pop, Baby!.......2004-03-12

Recently, I heard Susan Graham on Garrison Keillor's "Prarie Home Companion" show. Wow! I didn't know who she was, but she had so much humour, verve and style while singing some show tunes, and that incredible voice. I rushed to amazon but all the English language songs I could find seemed to be on this album of Ned Rorem music. Well, whatever the weight lieder songs carry for the Germans, it seems that art songs in English mean songs you can't snap your fingers to, can't slap out a beat to and would never, ever, sing with your friends. I know, I know, I'm a Philistine, but please, Ms. Graham, give us an album of American popular classics, show tunes and the like. When I listened to you on Mr. Keillor's show, if I had been a bell, I'd have been ringing too! You are simply great. Don't let the classical music fans have all the fun. Throw a little our way too. Pretty please.

Worthy indeed - a gem.......2002-08-27

I cannot disagree with "A Music Fan"'s panning of this CD. Having first purchased the Hearing CD which he/she references, I reached the conclusion that Rorem's music was too knotty and "20th century" for repeated listenings and enjoyment. This CD with Susan Graham completely reversed my opinion. The songs are indeed chosen to be accessible, but they are much more than that. They are, simply stated, lovely. This is a disc I will play again and again, and has caused me to investigate many other Rorem CDs. I just came on line to buy it as a gift for a friend. Rorem deserves his due, and this disc gives it to him.

Average customer rating:

True Blue LaRue
Soulful and Bittersweet Ballads
Pure beauty
Pure magic
excellent -- traditional folk ballads

Custer LaRue Sing The Daemon Lover

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The True Lover's Farewell - Appalachian Folk Ballads
Ballads
Amazing Grace
Ballads from Her Appalachian Family Tradition
Tunes From the Attic

ASIN: B000001Q9M
Release Date: 1993-08-02

Tracks:

The House Carpenter (The Daemon Lover)
Binnorie (The Twa Sisters)
Farewell To Tarwathie
Fare Ye Well, Lovely Nancy
Lord Ronald
The Cuckoo
Geordie
The Fox Went Out On A Chilly Night
Queen Jane
The Sprig Of Thyme
Edward
The Ash Grove
Early One Morning
Jesus Born In Beth'ny
The Carnal And The Crane
Lulle, Lullay

Customer Reviews:

True Blue LaRue.......2005-11-14

Hearing Custer LaRue's chiming voice for the first time recently was a truly startling moment in my quest for finding perfect, ethereal, moody melodies. As a matter of fact, her voice is actually astonishing. It evokes continuous waves of emotion. "Custer LaRue sings The Daemon Lover" is masterful and filled with emotional strife. You can almost feel the temperature change when you hear LaRue's lament. Listening to the lonesome and almost wailing cry of "Lord Ronald" washes shivers over me every single time. This collection as a whole is both a mysterious and emotional journey that wraps itself completely around you. Could she be the best kept secret in the world of classic voices? Methinks the answer is a definitive yes.

Soulful and Bittersweet Ballads.......2003-08-19

Several of the ballads on this wonderful CD will have the toughest misty-eyed by the end. Among my favorites "Binnorie", "Queen Jane" and "Lord Randal", the latter two sung with such heavy pathos that you can nearly hear your heart beating. Wonderful, powerful stuff.

Pure beauty.......2002-06-10

What? Feeble?? Maybe compared to a foghorn, but if that's what you want, you can sit in a harbor. But listen for yourself. I believe you will agree that Custer LaRue's voice is enthralling.

Her voice is a mountain stream: pure, clear, endlessly enticing, infintitely intriguing.

For this very reason, she is not cut out to sing rough sailors' songs. A L Lloyd sings "Fare you Well, Lovely Nancy" with rude tenderness that is quite moving. Custer LaRue's version is a scold, imposing current values on hapless sailing men. A pity, because she is a wonderful singer, America's best. But she really blows this song.

One song only though. Everything else is pure gold. I have enjoyed this CD for a couple years now, and it gets better with every listening. Treat yourself.

Pure magic.......2002-02-27

I have had and loved this album for years, but it took on a whole other dimension for me when I realized how much our infant daughter loves it. When she wakes up screaming from nightmares, I put the Daemon Lover in the CD player, turn up the volume, and within seconds she is calm and relaxed. At night she goes to sleep by traditional, soothing balads like The Ash Grove, which is a beautiful song. This album has an effect on her like no other!

Not just for babies, though, The Daemon lover is magic for adults as well. Ms. LaRue's voice is pure sunlight, and I strongly disagree with the reviewer who said the recording is feeble. As a matter of fact, I used it as a reference recording when purchasing a new amplifier several years ago. The soundstage is broad and the vocals are clear as glass. Highly recommended for audiophiles.

excellent -- traditional folk ballads.......2000-05-27

Traditional folk ballads from America, Scotland, and England. The well-known and talented early music ensemble, Baltimore Consort, does the instrumentals. LaRue does a good job with the vocals and her voice is well suited to the music.

This music is simple and very appealing. A wonderful CD.

Cyril Scott: Piano Concerto No. 1; Symphony No. 4; Early One Morning
Average customer rating:

A Breath of Bracing, Fresh Air

Get this for the Piano Concerto

Scott at his most engaging

Cyril Scott: Piano Concerto No. 1; Symphony No. 4; Early One Morning

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Cyril Scott: Symphony No. 3 "The Muses"; Piano Concerto No. 2; Neptune

Richard Arnell: Symphony No. 3; The New Age - Overture

Cyril Scott: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 2 - Complete Piano Sonatas

Cyril Scott: Violin Concerto; Festival Overture; Aubade; Three Symphonic Dances

Sir Donald Tovey: Symphony in D, Op. 32; The Bride of Dionysus - Prelude

ASIN: B000EXZGSY
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Tracks:

I. Allegro Maestoso/Animato/Molto Tranquillo/Andante/Allegro Ma Poco Moderato/Animato/Sostenuto
II. Adagio/Sostenuto/Animato/Molto Tranquillo
III. Allegro Poco Moderato/Poco Sostenuto/Estatico/Tempo Rubato/Tempo I/Animato
I. Adagio/Vigoroso/Grazioso/Andante Poco Rubato/Grazioso
II. Molto Tranquillo
III. Scherzo. Allegro/Allegro Non Troppo/Cantabile Con Amore
IV. Rondo Retrospettivo. Adagio/Energico/Amabile/Agitato/Molto Cantabile E Sensibile/Poco Maestoso E Rubato/Estatico, Con Amore
Andantino/Quasi Allegro/Tempo Tranquillo/Allegro/Tempo Moderato/Tempo Poco Piu Mosso/Tempo Agitato/Maestoso/Poco Meno Mosso Ed Idealmente/Tempo Piu Tranquillo Al Fine/Molto Tranquillo

Customer Reviews:

A Breath of Bracing, Fresh Air.......2007-04-20

The review before neatly encapsulates the qualities of the 1st Piano Concerto. It IS thrilling. I found it easy to imagine the wonder that greeted the work at its first performance, as it really does inhabit another world of sound. It's a work that is sui generis. To his credit, Scott continued to grow and develop his compositional voice, which became even more personal and recognizable, if perhaps a bit less direct. It matters not, for once you're acclimated to his unique harmonic palette, nothing will seem strange.

Early One Morning is a gem, and the most identifiably English work on the cd. The famous tune is here refracted rather than simply stated, cloaked in a similar idiom as the Piano Concerto. It's not quite a series of variations, more like a meditation on the meaning of the folksong's words, using the aspects of the tune as illumination. Trust me, you will smell the air and feel the wistfulness. Did I say this is soooo English? I just love it!

The Symphony is line with Scott's somewhat more recondite mature style, which is to say that pure cadences and triadic progressions are not always clear. By no means is it atonal, but it is an interesting and original way of using tonality in a modern way. This may not ever be an audience favorite but it is very rewarding listening for those who don't need music to be quite so obvious.

The performances are all stellar, and this is all great stuff. Get it.

Get this for the Piano Concerto.......2007-03-04

Cyril Scott's music inhabits a sound-world that is very much its own, despite the inevitable comparisons to composers such as Scriabin, Sorabji, and even the French impressionists. This new recording of the First Piano Concerto -- the first one in over 30 years -- takes a fresher, lighter approach that is absolutely thrilling in the outer movements. Messrs. Shelley and Brabbins really blow the cobwebs off this music, in stark constrast to the slow, overly heavy, even pompous Ogdon/Herrmann reading on Lyrita (just re-released on CD). That earlier recording gets fair dues if only because the producers were brave enough to record and release it back in the 1970s when it was surely out of fashion ... but this newer reading is truly revelatory. The Symphony is a world premiere -- and very welcome. The filler work "Early One Morning" isn't particularly memorable -- just as it wasn't in the earlier Ogdon recording on Lyrita.

Scott at his most engaging.......2006-06-07

Thirty-five years ago the New Oxford History of Music described Bax and Cyril Scott as the two English composers of their generation most in need of reassessment. Since then we have seen a flood of superlative Bax recordings, and it now seems to be Scott's turn, with impressive recordings over the last two years of his string quartets, piano sonatas, and some substantial orchestral works. This latest offering deserves particular attention, since it includes fine performances of some of Scott's best works for orchestra.

The First Piano Concerto of 1914 was the highwater mark of Scott's early maturity, and has been the most often revived of his major works. It has his most magical slow movement, and outer movements that are vigorous, memorable, with brilliant piano writing (that is actually quite easy to play), and shamelessly sugary orchestration. The touch of vulgarity in harmony and instrumentation is welcome; Scott's taste became more refined thereafter, with more loss than gain. An impressive LP recording of this work with Ogdon and the LPO was issued by Lyrita thirty years ago. The LPO was superior to the BBC Philharmonic, particularly in the woodwind section, and the Lyrita recording was clearer than the Chandos one, but this new performance is just as affectionate and assured, and has the advantage of quicker tempi in the outer movements: the last movement has real buoyancy, while in the Lyrita recording it always sounded to me rather plodding.

`Early One Morning' is a short tone poem for piano and orchestra (1931). The Lyrita recording with the same performers as in the concerto had an early morning freshness to it that the thicker Chandos sound excludes, but the new performance is just as sensitively phrased as its predecessor. The work is slight in substance, but it sustains its rapt atmosphere most beautifully, and the orchestration is varied and delectable.

Up till the Second World War Scott's music had a distinctive personality (exotic, energetic, detached) but an idiom that was manifestly derived from Ravel and Grainger. In his old age, however, Scott created his own highly idiosyncratic language, marked by wayward melodies and a complex harmony, based on fourths and sevenths but with many added notes, in which every chord is an individual creation. Of this fascinating late style the Fourth Symphony of 1952 is an impressive example: one misses the lightness and charm of some of his other works of this period (such as the Flute Sonata) but the musical argument is coherent and symphonic seriousness is sustained - much more so than in the suite-like Third Symphony included in the previous Chandos issue of Scott orchestral music.

In all, this CD is unsurpassable as an introduction to Scott's music for larger forces, and contains in the Piano Concerto the most irresistible of all his works.

Average customer rating:

NOT for Brightman fanboys :)
A great showcase for Sarah's exceptional tone
Sarah in Recital
Folk songs are not suited to The Divine Sarah's voice
Unique and Distinct Voice Quality

The Trees They Grow So High

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

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

As I Came of Age
Fly
The Songs That Got Away
Surrender
Love Changes Everything: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, Vol. 2

ASIN: B000007PJB
Release Date: 1998-09-01

Tracks:

Early One Morning
Come You Not From Newcastle?
Sweet Polly Oliver
The Trees They Grow So High
The Ash Grove
O Waly Waly
How Sweet The Answer
The Plough Boy
Voici Le Printemps
The Last Rose Of Summer
La Belle Est Au Jardin D'amour
Fileuse
Dear Harp Of My Country!
Little Sir William
O Can Ue Sew Cushions?
Oft In The Stilly Night
Quand J'etais Chez Mon Pere
There's None To Soothe
Oliver Cromwell

Album Description

52 minute long collection featuring 19 folk songs arranged by the late Benjamin Britten, including 'Early One Morning','Come You Not From Newcastle?' and 'Sweet Polly Oliver'. Full digital recording with Brightman accompanied only by pianist Geoffrey Parsons. 1998 EMI release.

Album Details

Originally Released in 1988 as "The Trees …", this Recording Was Reissued with an Alternate Title in 1995: "Early in the Morning". Re-released in 1998 under Current Title; Features the Handy Piano Work of Geoffrey Parsons and Arrangements by Benjamin Britten. Includes the Original Track ("Early in the Morning"), "The Last Rose of Summer" and Many More.

Customer Reviews:

NOT for Brightman fanboys :) .......2007-05-14

Guys, if you don't know, what it is - besides the obvious - don't buy it. I almost regretted the purchase and started to enjoy it only after I overcame the shock. On this LP Sarah Brightman sings English songs that were popular in the XIX century and the musical tastes changed since then rather dramatically. So check out the samples first!

A great showcase for Sarah's exceptional tone .......2007-01-29

While other people may think this collection of songs does not do Sarah's voice justice, I strongly disagree. Indeed, if anything her New Age-sounding albums (such as Luna or something or other) I find horrendous and I think they completely scatter the good qualities of her voice. Not so in this album. True, the songs here are not well-known nor are they decorated with operatic frills which Sarah has the well-known ability to perform, but there is a different beauty here, my friends. The legato, angelic quality of Sarah Brightman's voice can truly be heard in these simple melodies, light and free from the heavy chains of pulsed pop and mediocre attempts at an Enya-like portrayal. THESE songs she sings well, THIS is one of her better albums, and HERE is her beautiful sound which I missed in some of her other albums.

Sarah in Recital.......2006-06-08

I believe I own all of the CDs Sarah Brightman has put out and yes, this one is quite different from all the others she's done.

In this CD she sings (in a strictly classical style) some of the many British folksongs collected and arranged by Benjamin Britten; she is accompanied here by only a piano. Thus if you like classical singing and traditional Brit folksongs, then this is the CD for you. If you're wanting something more pop, hip, musical-theatrical, or celtic--look elsewhere.

Sarah has developed her voice over time and this CD is a good example of how all those singing lessons have paid off as she has a beautiful classical voice (amply evident on this CD) as well as the big, full belt style she delivers in musical theatre production numbers (on other CDs).

This is a great CD for these reasons, but not one for the masses.

Folk songs are not suited to The Divine Sarah's voice.......2005-08-24

When Sarah sings in her soprano voice, I describe her voice as "liquid silver notes of perfection." However, even though her voice sounded lovely, it isn't suited to folk songs and folk singing.

I am definetely a fan of English/Irish/Scottish folk songs and have a fairly large collection of them, but this album will be one of those albums I rarely play.

Because she does have such a gorgous voice, it has the effect of making these songs sound, for lack of a better phrase, artificial and somewhat forced. I think her voice might be a little too trained and operatic, even though she is not an opera singer, for these kinds of songs.

In other words, I think her voice might be too good to sing such simple songs, which is not meant to cast aspersions on people who have lovely voices and sing folk songs. Examples of these would be the Angel of Riverdance, Katie McMahon and Connie Dover! Both of these womyn have high, lovely, voices but they don't sound as trained as Sarah does.

So I can't really reccomend this album.

Unique and Distinct Voice Quality.......2005-02-25

There's a gallery of professional singing Sopranos today, and each has her own specific strengths, history of accomplishments, recognition and influence. The uniqueness that Sarah Brightman presents the listener and viewer is that of a totally dedicated artist who has expanded and refined her voice in an area that other Sopranos haven't - youthfulness, diction, control and width. Starting at an early age she succeeded and excelled in a variety of styles and genres. On this CD, with the simple piano accompaniment that enhances her distinctiveness, she's able to maintain the most melodious range, diction and duration. She enhances the meaning of the folklore (whether English or French) and the classics, as it has not been done before. The selection of music pieces offers and tests her voice skills exceptionally well. Any voice student and expert must not miss the opportunity to identify the voice features that Sarah Brightman's talent offers. Her voice uncovers Soprano skills that usually remain hidden.

New Africa/One Morning I Woke Up Very Early

Average customer rating:

Great Music ,Poor Sound
Poor Quality Re-issue
Free Jazz Classic
An essential record combined with a good one.

New Africa/One Morning I Woke Up Very Early
Grachan Moncur III
Manufacturer: Snapper UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Exploration
Mosaic Select: Grachan Moncur III
Yasmina, A Black Woman/Poem for Malcom
Destination Out!
Tarik

ASIN: B0000CA3KI
Release Date: 2003-12-16

Tracks:

New Africa - 1st Movement: Queen Tamam/New Africa - 2nd Movement: ...
Space Spy
Exploration
When
One Morning I Woke Up Very Early (Aco Dei de Madrugada)
Ponte Lo
Osmosis
Tiny Temper

Product Description

New Africa:
1. New Africa - 1st Movement: Queen Taman
2. New Africa - 2nd Movement: New Africa
3. New Africa - 3rd Movement: Black Cell
4. New Africa - 4th Movement: Ethiopian Market
5. Space Spy
6. Exploration
7. When
One Morning I Woke Up Very Early
8. One Morning I Woke Up Very Early (aco dei de madrugada)
9. Ponte Lo
10. Osmosis
11. Tiny Temper

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Great Music ,Poor Sound.......2007-07-09

I am in complete agreement with the reviews already posted. Sound quality leaves a lot to be desired especially when compared to that great Blue Note sound of 'Evolution','Some Other Stuff' etc. Anyone with the slightest interest in Grachan Moncur III should check this re-issue out. The music speaks for itself.

Poor Quality Re-issue.......2007-07-07

These fine albums were remastered by the Charly label and they did a poor job. The sound is tinny and brittle similar to many of the early editions from another re-issue label, Collectables. The tape speed sounds out of sync at the beginning of the New Africa suite as well. This excellent music stands on it's own despite the poor sonics of this Charly remaster.

Free Jazz Classic.......2003-12-31

Out of the two albums combined on this cd, New Africa is clearly the more inspired of the two. Grachan Moncur III is an underrated jazz artist who was recently rediscovered in a New York Times article. He was primarily known as a jazz sideman to artists such as Jackie McLean and Archie Shepp but his solo recordings remain as powerful as ever. New Africa is an especially strong piece as he is joined by jazz giants Roscoe Mitchell on all tracks and Archie Shepp on one track. If you are into more traditional jazz you may not get into this but for those with adventurous tastes musically, this is the one to get.

An essential record combined with a good one........2003-12-27

This is a CD reissue of two seperate LPs that were released under Grachan Moncur III's leadership. One of the LPs, New Africa, originally released on the Actuel label is as good as any of Moncur's releases on Blue Note(and that is very good indeed). The compositions were inspired by a visit to the Pan-African Festival of Culture in Algiers in 1969. Upon his return he entered the studio with Dave Burrell on the piano, Roscoe Mitchell on the alto sax and flute, Alan Silva on the bass and Andrew Cyrille on the drums. On the last tune of that date, 'when', they are all joined by Archie Shepp on the tenor.
In recent years, I have grown tired of the head-soli-head structure of most traditional jazz playing. But when faced with dates led by certain composers, I am reminded of just how powerful and beautiful a format that can still be.
Moncur writes in such a way as to seemingly inspire everybody involved. The tunes themselves are brooding, slightly askew and quite memorable. But it is the ensemble sound of the musicians he selects and their soli that always stay in my ears.
His own soli are always melodic even in his most free jazz moments and are highlighted by a burnished tone free of growling or effects.
Roscoe Mitchell on this CD sounds simply great. He plays on 'New Africa' in a hard-bop almost Marion Brown manner. This is about as straight as I have ever heard him play. His solo on 'exploration' is more typical of what I remember about his playing at the time- passionate, harsh and with a unique sense of how to space his playing. Mitchell never crowded a solo that I have heard.
Shepp's tone on his contribution is a highlight. His playing is one of the undersung highlights in the history of sixties jazz. He took the thick-toned tenor tradtion of Hawkins, Webster and Rollins and brought it to the free jazz of that period. The sound of Shepp emerging from an ensemble is as unique as the sound of Johnny Hodges emerging from the reed section of Duke Ellington's recordings.
The second LP on this CD, (Aco dei de madrugada) is Brazilian inspired. The first two songs on this portion of the CD are traditional, the last two are written by Moncur. He is joined by Fernando Martins on the piano, Beb Guerin on the bass and Nelson Serra de Castro on the drums. This is an accomplished group although much more bop oriented in their approach than the group on the New Africa sessions. By comparison, these musicians seem less inspired. However, when considering the rarity of Moncur led sessions, I appreciate the reissue. I have found that listening to it on its own is the best way to appreciate the qualities of this session.
Moncur's discography is one of the treasures of the history of improvised music of the last fifty years. Recently Mosaic issued a limited edition compilation of his work for Blue Note. Those sessions and New Africa belong in the collection of every fan of modern jazz.

Kiri Te Kanawa - Danny Boy (Folk Songs & Ballads)

Average customer rating:

THIS DAME CAN SING!...
British Folk Songs And Ballads Sung by Dame Kiri

Kiri Te Kanawa - Danny Boy (Folk Songs & Ballads)
Enoch (Easthorpe) Martin , Research Composer , Thomas Moore , Anonymous , Frank Lambert , Lady Jane [Alicia Anne Spo Scott , English Traditional , Thomas Bolton , F. Weatherly , National Philharmonic Orchestra , Kiri Te Kanawa , Medici Quartet , and Douglas Gamley
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002RN2
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: Come To The Fair
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: Early One Morning (Traditional)
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: The Last Rose Of Summer
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: An Island Spinning Song (Traditional)
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: The Ash Grove (Traditional)
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: She Is Far From The Land
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: The Keel Row (Traditional)
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: Comin' Thro' The Rye
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: Annie Laurie
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: O Can Ye Sew Cushions (Traditional)
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: Greensleeves (Traditional)
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: The Sally Gardens (Yeats)
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: The Gentle Maiden
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: I Have A Bonnet Trimmed With Blue (Traditional)
Danny Boy - Folk Songs & Ballads: Danny Boy

Customer Reviews:

THIS DAME CAN SING!..........2004-03-09

Singing a collection of folk songs and ballads of Great Britain, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa puts her glorious soprano to interpreting these simple favorites. As a result, an astonishing recording has emerged for those who favor folk songs. Simply arranged and accompanied by members of the National Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as by the Medici String Quartet, the songs resonate with the mark of Dame Kanawa upon them, making them more memorable than ever.

The use of a small orchestra and the prominence of the harp is most effective, rendering the accompaniment an appropriate backdrop for the most important instrument of all in this recording, the magnificent voice of Dame Kanawa. There are fifteen glorious tracks on this cd that are sure to delight the discerning listener, particularly those who are attuned to the folk tradition in music. My particular favorites are "Early One Morning", "Annie Laurie", "Greensleeves", and "Danny Boy".

British Folk Songs And Ballads Sung by Dame Kiri.......2003-01-26

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa presented to her listeners with 'Danny Boy (Folk Songs & Ballads)' a wonderful collection of folk songs and ballads from the British Isles. I've always loved folk songs and the tracks of which this album is comprised are very well loved and in all cases classics, whether they are credited to anonymous composers or not. All of these songs appeal directly to the listeners's ear, at least this is certainly valid in my case as these songs forever dwell in a corner of my heart. Dame Kiri's beautiful, lyrical soprano is perfectly suited to these simple and appealing songs and on this album she is in truly glorious voice. With tenderness, humour, warmth Dame Kiri delivers a beautiful, superb and poetical performance of these songs. Effortlessly she brings out every shade and nuance of these songs. The members of the National Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Douglas Gamley and The Medici String Quartet lend her a very strong and solid support. The booklet contains liner notes and the texts of the songs.

Tracks:

Tell Me Where Is Fancy Bred
There Is a Garden in Her Face
The Urchin's Dance
Riddle Song
Midnight's Bell
The Bellman's Song
Flower of Beauty
The Keel Row
The Turtle Dove
Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair
Lamorna
Black Sheep
Down by the Sally Gardens
He's Gone Away
Swansea Town
The Oak and The Ash
Early One Morning
I Know Where I'm

Customer Reviews:

What a beautiful CD!.......2003-11-23

I saw this CD in a store and since I had previously heard the group at a performance in St. Charles, I thought I'd buy it. I'm very happy I did. I play it all the time. Beautiful vocals and music. They start with some wonderful John Rutter compostitions highlighting the Metropolis Chamber Orchestra and then move into more traditional choral music featuring American and British folk songs. Shenendoah closes out the CD and is just beautiful. When I heard them do it live they moved out into the church and surrounded the audience. What a moment. This CD captures the feeling of the performance and I'm glad I have it.

Average customer rating:

Great Renditions of Timeless Beauty!
haunting harmonies and beautiful voices
Poor renditions of good songs
classic folk songs wonderfully rendered
simple beauty

Early One Morning
Edward Higginbottom , and Oxford Choir of New College
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DD9E
Release Date: 1998-10-27

Tracks:

Blow The Wind Southerly
Early One Morning
Londonderry Air
The Minstrel Boy
The Kerry Dance
Linden Lea
Down By The Sally Gardens
Brigg Fair
Loch Lomond
Shenandoah
O No John!
Sumer Is Icumen In
Waly, Waly
The Skye Boat Song
Steal Away
Greensleeves
The Oak And The Ash
The Ash Grove
My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Customer Reviews:

Great Renditions of Timeless Beauty!.......2006-08-31

Unlike an earlier reviewer, I find this collection of traditional music to be both magical and supremely executed. Each time I listen to it, I hear more depth, delicacy, and beauty. If you need something to soothe your soul in these troubled times, this is the perfect medicine. Recommended without reservation.

haunting harmonies and beautiful voices.......2004-02-22

These are some of the most beautiful choral renditions of traditional music I have ever heard. Sung 'a cappella', the voices are exquisite and the simple melodies of these songs I learned as a child are so richly harmonized I get shivers down my back and feel my heart fill to bursting when I listen.

This is a classical choral treatment of songs which are usually sung with one voice. So you shouldn't expect a 'folk' treatment of the songs with a dulcimer...however if you like harmony and choral music I can't imagine how you would not find this album to be one of your greatest treasures. It includes the most beautiful folksongs and traditional melodies of the British Isles and the US like Greensleeves, The Ash Grove, The Skye Boat Song, and Shenandoah, to name just a few. Excellent album!

Poor renditions of good songs.......2003-02-19

The CD contains many fine old songs and could be a treat to hear if the arrangements and renditions of the songs were not so poor. The heavy emphasis on the treble (soprano) voices (at normal volume on my sound system) resulted in ear piercing sounds that took the joy out of listening. Not all of the songs are treated so badly that they are not reasonably pleasant to hear, but I was unable to play the CD through: after I had had enough of jumping up and down in attempts to attenuate the accented (and somewhat non-melodic) treble voices, I simply put the CD away, never to be played again.

classic folk songs wonderfully rendered.......2002-04-10

I bought this CD because it had so many tunes I learned as a child, and wasn't expecting more than basic melodies. These arrangements are wonderfullly complex and rich without losing the simplicity of the original tunes. A great collection I play often!

simple beauty.......2001-05-29

The world has moved on. The winds of time have blown away almost all signs of the industrial world's rural past. While in exile in Babylon, similarly removed from all signs of what he had known, the Psalmist cried out: "How can we sing the LORD'S song In a foreign land?" (Psalm 137:4) We too live in a world in exile. The post-modern world has little conception of the kind of world that produced the songs of "Early One Morning." Thankfully, we have collections like this CD to remind us of, and preserve the songs of the past.

Tracks:

A Soft Day - Bernadette Greevy
Irish Skies - Bernadette Greevy
Cherry Ripe - Janice Watson
Mustard And Cress - Neal Davies
The Lily Of A Day - Janice Watson
Henry King - Neal Davies
Fain Would I Change That Note - Graham Johnson
In Summer-Time On Bredon - Christopher Maltman
The Lads In Their Hundreds - Christopher Maltman
Among The Rocks - Graham Johnson
It Was A Lover And His Lass - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
The Water Mill - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
On Wenlock Edge - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
The Call - Graham Johnson
Silent Noon - Graham Johnson
Now In These Fairylands - Philip Langridge
The Dream-City - Philip Langridge
Margrete's Cradle Song - Susan Gritton
The Heart Worships - Christopher Maltman
Take, O Those Lips Away - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal - Graham Johnson
Love Calls Through The Summer Night - Anthony Rolfe Johnson
I Will Go With My Father A-Ploughing - Graham Johnson
The Rio Grande (Capstan Shanty) - Ian Partridge
Theodore, Or The Pirate King - Ian Partridge
A Long Time Ago (Hilliard's Shanty) - Ian Partridge
Oh Dear, What Can The Matter Be? - Bernadette Greevy

Tracks:

The Grenadier - Richard Edgar-Wilson
The Young Lover - Richard Edgar-Wilson
Betty And Johnny - Richard Edgar-Wilson
Rise Up And Reach The Stars - Richard Edgar-Wilson
The Bells - Nik Hancock-Child
Ann's Cradle Song - Nik Hancock-Child
As I Lay In The Early Sun - Nik Hancock-Child
The Cherry Tree - Nik Hancock-Child
Dusk - Nik Hancock-Child
Peter Warlock's Fancy - John Constable
The Frostbound Wood - John Constable
Chopcherry - John Constable
A Sad Song - John Constable
Rutterkin - John Constable
Bethlehem Down - John Constable
Wapping Old Stairs - Felicity Lott
Long Steel Grass - Martyn Hill
Tango-Pasodoble - Martyn Hill
Popular Song - Martyn Hill
Beatriz's Song - Felicity Lott
Lay Your Sleeping Head, My Love - Philip Langridge
Early One Morning - Felicity Lott
The Foggy, Foggy View - Philip Langridge
Now The Leaves Are Falling Fast - Philip Langridge
Tell Me The Truth About Love - Della Jones
The Choirmaster's Burial - Philip Langridge

Customer Reviews:

A century of British art songs to delight those who love them.......2006-06-26

These 53 songs have been collected by Naxos from their extensive acquisitions from Collins Classics, and perhaps other British sources now out of business. There's a steady cottage industry, year after year, producing the typical English art song, which is usually based on folk songs, but even in more modern idioms is profuondly conservative and nostaligic. Half these songs, not to mention half the composers, are totally unknown to American audiences, but the familiar names of Vaughan Williams and Britten represent high quality, and the lesser lights, such as Warlock and Quilter, are mainstays in this repertoire.

I'd challenge all but the most addicted listener to make it through more than ten songs at a sitting, and many of these pieces are tepid, offering comfort rather than inspiration. The singers are among the best, but Graham Johnson and Steuart Beford, who do most of the accompaniments, are lackluster. I know that won't be a popular comment, yet if you compare any of these songs with rendiitons done by Janet Baker, John Shirley-quirk, and most recently Bryn Terfel and Ian Bostridge, you immediately notice how much more intensity and drama is pesent than htis colleciton reveals.

Music:

Music

Music