In the Light

Track Listings

1. In Know You - Cindy Morgan

2. It's Gonna Rain - Bryan Duncan

3. Be Still and Know - Erin O'Donnell

4. Something to Hold on To

5. Always and Forever - Patty Cabrera

6. Lovely Day - Out of Eden

7. When Love Calls Your Name - Kim Boyce

8. Bring Jesus to Me

9. What If Our World - John Elefante

10. Seven Days of Light - Brett Williams

Tracks:

Ave Maria (new recording)
La Wally (from Time To Say Goodbye)
Winter Light (new recording)
Anytime, Anywhere (from Eden)
Alhambra (new recording)
Lascia Ch'io Pianga (from Eden)
Dans La Nuit (new recording)
Serenade/How Fair This Place (from La Luna)
O Mio Babbino Caro (new recording)
La Luna (from La Luna)
Pie Jesu (new recording)
Figlio Perduto (from La Luna)
Nessun Dorma (new recording)
Bailero (from Eden)
Time To Say Goodbye (New solo version--previously unavailable)

Amazon.com

Have some friends who still haven't discovered what the Sarah Brightman fuss is all about? You'll find the perfect introduction to make converts of them all in Classics, so they'll have no more excuses to remain clueless. Sporting a Botticelli-inspired image of the platinum-selling soprano on the cover, Classics is a classy anthology including highlights from three of Brightman's chart-topping releases along with seven new tracks. Songs personally selected by the diva as her favorite classical interpretations are culled from her previous blockbusters: Time To Say Goodbye, Eden, and La Luna. And whether you're a fan already in the fold or one in the making, the new material here shows the diva at the top of her form, in new renderings of "O Mio Babbino Caro" and "Nessun Dorma" (accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic)--fascinating displays of the operatic confidence she's developed over her career. Other new offerings include a touching version of Schubert's "Ave Maria,' "Winter Light," a fresh take on her signature song "Pie Jesu" (from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem). "Alhambra" and "Dans La Nuit"--a real treat, bathing the listener in Brightman's silky, sensuous vocalism--add two original titles to her famous adaptations of classical melodies to new lyrics (using Chopin's haunting E major Etude in the latter case). All told, a lovely affirmation of the directions Brightman has boldly taken in her career to date. -Sarah Chin

Amazon.com

Sarah Brightman Photos

More from Sarah Brightman

Time to Say Goodbye
Diva: The Singles Collection
Eden

Diva: The Video Collection
Live from Las Vegas
La Luna (Live in Concert)

Customer Reviews:

Sarah's Best Easy Listening CD.......2007-03-15

Sarah Brightman's talent is limitless. Her soprano and/or alto voice is among the best and she lets it show in 'CLASSICS'. CLASSICS is a beautiful, easy listening, and peaceful CD. CLASSICS is one to listen to in tranquil or relaxing moments. "CLASICS" is a collection of great pieces of music written by great composers (Shuburt, Handel, Chopin, Puccini, and the like). I have listened to CLASSICS about 15 times now and it always puts me in a quiet and peaceful mood (I am ~50 years old).

Best Brightman CD.......2007-02-07

A classical composition which showcases the beautiful voice of Sarah Brightman. A timeless CD which will continue to be a favourite over the years.

Sarah Brightman is a Classic.......2007-01-02

Sarah Brightman is at her best in "Classics." From Dvorak's "Rusalka" (Opera B.203) to Beethoven's haunting Op 52, slow movement (Symphony #7), Brightman's voice and lyrical style are a joy. I particularly enjoy her performances of Schubert's Ave Maria and Andrew Lloyd Weber's Pie Jesu. This is a great add to my collection of serious music.

Not The Best - Not the Worst - From Sarah Brightman.......2006-12-30

After purchasing this CD for my iPod for iTunes, I must say that I'm a little bit dissapointed. 7 new recordings and 8 old ones, ones that I already happen to have. I do like the fact that they're all on one CD! Some of her new recordings, including, "Ave Maria", "Winter Light", "Alhambra", "Dans La Nuit", and the new recording of "Pie Jesu" are just too breathy for my taste. It seems as with every changing CD, Sarah's voice changes. I'm not saying that the result is bad; it actually gives the songs more of a dream like quality, but I'm used to the younger, more Andrew Lloyd-Webber integrated Sarah. Scooping continually occurs in new recordings of "O Mio Babbino Caro", and "Nessun Dorma". In some tracks from La Luna, like "Figlio Perduto", Sarah's voice is TOTALLY dominated by harmonizing recordings that sound almost mechanical.

OVERALLY - The new songs sound O.K. and the old recordings are just as good as they were back then. This album is still a great buy!

Nice Cover.......2006-12-27

I'm a heterosexual guy who's not an opera aficionado - I only mention these facts because I seem to be right in the bull's-eye of the target market for this product. Sarah B. has a nice voice and she's pretty. Both of these are featured prominently on this CD. The cover and several pages in the insert are devoted to what must have been a very long and expensive photo shoot (and Photoshop) of a semi-clad Sarah looking marvelous. (The CD also comes with a flyer so you can buy various Brightman "Classics" apparel - perhaps not for the heterosexual male).

As far as the music goes: not bad, not great. I don't claim to have the most discerning ears for this sort of music, but everything was OK by me. However, the pieces on the CD with which I'm somewhat familiar, such as "O Mio Babbino Caro," didn't sound quite as good as other versions I've heard (and that includes by Charlotte Church, not just opera stars). Also, the solo version of "Time to Say Goodbye" didn't sound nearly as good to me as the duet with Bocelli.

In sum, there were 3-4 songs I liked enough to rip to MP3s - which is enough so that I didn't feel ripped myself...

Average customer rating:

Holy Sh*t!

Betty Davis
Betty Davis
Manufacturer: Light in the Attic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Remains

ASIN: B000NQR7HA
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Tracks:

If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up
Walkin Up The Road
Anti Love Song
Your Man My Man
Ooh Yeah
Steppin In Her I. Miller Shoes
Game Is My Middle Name
In The Meantime
Come Take Me (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACK)
You Won't See Me In The Morning (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACK)
I Will Take That Ride (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACK)

Album Description

Betty married Miles Davis in the late 60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, introducing the jazz great to Jimi Hendrix and inspiring classic work like "Bitches Brew." She herself had been strongly urged to record by Marc Bolan of T. Rex, and turned down both Eric Clapton and Motown to keep control over her own work and express it as nasty as she wanted to be.

Rappers from Ice Cube to Talib Kweil to Ludacris have rhymed over her tracks. This amazingly progressive debut showcases her revolutionary talent and features such gems as "If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up" and "Game Is My Middle Name."

Originally released in 1973, "Betty Davis" was recorded with a who's who of San Francisco stars - from Sly & the Family Stone's rhythm section to backing vocals from Sylvester and the Pointer Sisters, while Sly Stone drummer Greg Errico produced the album.

This deluxe reissue features gorgeous packaging, a treasure trove of previously unreleased bonus tracks, rare photos and archival material, and new notes from Oliver Wang (SoulSides).

Album Description

For the first time, Betty's critically adored first two albums are being lovingly re-mastered from the original master tapes by Light In The Attic Records to sound as ferocious and revolutionary as they did when they first sprung on an unsuspecting world in the early `70s. In recent years, rappers from Ice Cube to Talib Kweli to Ludacris have rhymed over the intensely strong but sensual funk of Betty Davis. One can hardly imagine the genre-busting, culture-crossing musical magic of Outkast, Prince, Erykah Badu, Rick James, The Roots, or even the early Red Hot Chili Peppers without the influence of this R&B pioneer. Ms. Davis's unique story is unlike any other in popular music. Betty wrote the song 'Uptown' for the Chambers Brothers before marrying Miles Davis in the late `60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, and introducing him to Jimi Hendrix -- personally inspiring the classic jazz-rock fusion album Bitches Brew. Betty not only wrote every song she ever recorded and produced every album after her first, but the young woman penned the tunes that got The Commodores signed to Motown. The Detroit label soon came calling, pitching a Motown songwriting deal, which Betty turned down. Motown wanted to own everything. In 1973, Davis would finally kick off her cosmic career with an amazingly progressive hard funk and sweet soul self-titled debut. The album Betty Davis was recorded with Sly & The Family Stone's rhythm section, sharply produced by Sly Stone drummer Greg Errico, and featured backing vocals from Sylvester and the Pointer Sisters. In addition to the restoration of the incredible original cover art, the albums feature compelling and heartbreaking liner notes written by author and respected soul music scholar Oliver Wang (O-Dub/Soul Sides) and include her second interview in decades, making these essential reissues for any soul or funk-rock collection.

Customer Reviews:

Holy Sh*t!.......2007-06-17

I mean, holy sh*t! This album is hotness. This album is a magaton bomb. This album kills. The fiercest funk / soul you will ever, ever, ever hear. Just get your money together and cop this sucker yesterday before all your friends do and rub your nose in it. You play this at a party, you will be God. Try it.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Average customer rating:

Great soundtrack
Sharing with Others
Depth of quality
Brilliant minds
Piano, Vocal and Guitar Music from Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Harry Gregson-Williams
Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Widescreen Edition)
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ASIN: B000BCE8QY
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Tracks:

The Blitz, 1940
Evacuating London
The Wardrobe
Lucy Meets Mr. Tumnus
A Narnia Lullaby
The White Witch
From Western Woods To Beaversdam
Father Christmas
To Aslan's Camp
Knighting Peter
The Stone Table
The Battle
Only The Beginning Of The Adventure
Can't Take It In - Imogen Heap
Wunderkind - Alanis Morissette
Winter Light - Tim Finn
Where - Lisbeth Scott

Amazon.com

Not to be confused with the collection Songs Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia, this album is Harry Gregson-Williams's instrumental score for the movie. Marking the composer's third collaboration with director Andrew Adamson (after both Shrek flicks), this score also is one of the more mature offerings from Gregson-Williams, best known for his work on family films. The music is lush and assured, if a bit predictable. Indeed, it fits squarely in the current style popular for big epics--even using (on a few tracks) the vocals of Lisbeth Scott, which fall halfway between those of Enya and the Cocteau Twins' Liz Fraser (both of whom, uncoincidentally, appeared on the Lords of the Rings soundtracks). The CD concludes with four songs, with Gregson-Williams cowriting Scott's "Where." On "Can't Take It In," Imogen Heap's vocal acrobatics eerily recall those of the Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan, while Alanis Morissette's "Wunderkind" is an inspirational, almost girl-powerish track written from the point of view of the movie's Lucy. But the best of these songs is "Winter Light" by Tim Finn, four minutes of understated, piano-driven melancholia. Look for it tucked near the very end of the CD. Note that the soundtrack comes also as a two-CD special edition . The second disc is a DVD that includes galleries of film stills and concept art, a featurette about the recordings of the score and a making-of featurette. There's also a segment in which the (mostly) Christian bands involved in the Songs Inspired by... album talk about their involvement in that project. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe original soundtrack features a limited-edition 3-D cover, the score by acclaimed composer Harry Gregson-Williams, plus songs by Alanis Morissette, Imogen Heap, Tim Finn, and Lisbeth Scott.

Customer Reviews:

Great soundtrack.......2007-06-26

I bought this for my wife. My wife, my kids and I all love it.

Sharing with Others.......2007-05-23

This movie was a big success at our home. We saw it at the local theaters and decided to buy it upon release. We also have purchased other copies to give to friends.

We look forward to the future movies of the other 5 books.

Happy in Springfield (IL)

Depth of quality.......2007-05-20

I enjoyed the soundtrack immensely, except for the last three songs which have vocals. This is much better than the movie. I just wish they would list the companies would list the musician's that performed the music.

Brilliant minds.......2007-03-14

This is one of the best soundtrack I've ever listened to.From the serene "Lucy Meets Mr.Tumnus"to the soaring theme found in many of the tracks,Harry-Greggson Williams does a masterful job at creating a magical Narnia.I listened to this nonstop when I first got it,and I still listen to it more than any other soundtrack.
The four(three really,because Winter Light is utterly detestable)songs at the end are reason enough to buy this CD."I Can't Take It In" is brilliant with Imogen Heap's incredible talent."Wunderkind" is so artful and expertly written,it has become one of my favorite songs.
So this soundtrack meets all the requirements for a great soundtrack-great theme,amazing creativity,and stellar songs.

Piano, Vocal and Guitar Music from Narnia.......2007-03-10

This book has eight of the songs from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Some of the songs, such as Evacuating London and Father Christmas, include some fairly advanced musical notation. Evacuating London, Lucy Meets Mr. Tumnus, A Narnia Lullaby and Father Christmas do not include guitar notation. However, this is authentic Narnia music, as composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. The first eight pages consist of colored pictures from the movie. The only thing that would make this music book even better would be inclusion of The Battle, which we are still looking for.

Average customer rating:

Betty Davis?WHOA!!!!!!!!!!!

They Say I'm Different
Betty Davis
Manufacturer: Light in the Attic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Momento

ASIN: B000NQR7HK
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Tracks:

Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him
He Was A Big Freak
Your Mama Wants Ya Back
Don't Call Her No Tramp
Git In There
They Say I'm Different
70's Blues
Special People
He Was A Big Freak (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACK)
Don't Call Her No Tramp (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACK)
70's Blues (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACK)

Album Description

Featuring a futuristic cover predating David Bowie's science fiction funk, Betty Davis crafted an inspired second album, leading with "Shoo-B Doop and Cop Him" (later sampled by Ice Cube) and made up of classic cuts like "Don't Call Her No Tramp" and the mesmerizing punk soul of "He Was A Big Freak." This was the first album Betty produced entirely by herself and she really sharpened up her songs and performances for it.

This 1974 masterpiece will finally receive a long-overdue proper reissue with Part Two of Oliver Wang's liner notes and an endless array of photos and archival material, plus a number of previously unreleased bonus tracks.

Album Description

For the first time, Betty's critically adored first two albums are being lovingly re-mastered from the original master tapes by Light In The Attic Records to sound as ferocious and revolutionary as they did when they first sprung on an unsuspecting world in the early `70s. In recent years, rappers from Ice Cube to Talib Kweli to Ludacris have rhymed over the intensely strong but sensual funk of Betty Davis. One can hardly imagine the genre-busting, culture-crossing musical magic of Outkast, Prince, Erykah Badu, Rick James, The Roots, or even the early Red Hot Chili Peppers without the influence of this R&B pioneer. Ms. Davis's unique story is unlike any other in popular music. Betty wrote the song 'Uptown' for the Chambers Brothers before marrying Miles Davis in the late `60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, and introducing him to Jimi Hendrix -- personally inspiring the classic jazz-rock fusion album Bitches Brew. Betty not only wrote every song she ever recorded and produced every album after her first, but the young woman penned the tunes that got The Commodores signed to Motown. The Detroit label soon came calling, pitching a Motown songwriting deal, which Betty turned down. Motown wanted to own everything. In 1973, Davis would finally kick off her cosmic career with an amazingly progressive hard funk and sweet soul self-titled debut. Her 1974 sophomore album They Say I'm Different features a worthy-of-framing futuristic cover challenging David Bowie's science fiction funk with real rocking soul-fire, kicked off with the savagely sexual 'Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him' (later sampled by Ice Cube). In addition to the restoration of the incredible original cover art, the albums feature compelling and heartbreaking liner notes written by author and respected soul music scholar Oliver Wang (O-Dub/Soul Sides) and include her second interview in decades, making these essential reissues for any soul or funk-rock collection.

Customer Reviews:

Betty Davis?WHOA!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-07-03

Betty Davis is an artist I've been hearing a lot of hype about for years.'They Say I'm Different' is an album I've been hearing about forever as well.I was almost entirely certain there was no way that this album could possibly live up to the hype.Well when Light In The Attic records decided to put this out on CD,.....well to put it mildly this MORE then lived up to it's longheld mystique and hype.The best way to describe this music is unhinged and unpolished funk.EVERY song on it fits that description.As for Betty Davis's singing,it lays somewhere between the the styles of Tina Turner,Sly Stone and Janis Joplin.All of the songs celebrate her liberated spirit but there's one that just blows you away in less then a second."He Was A Big Freak".......I don't know WHAT MAN she was referring to but she really paints herself as a wild,wild funky diva BIG TIME here;she wails out about her "man" who enjoys being tied up.The Ohio Players did a lot of S&M based album art at the this time but TALKING OPENLY ABOUT IT,A FEMALE FUNK SINGER?And it never seems like a gimmick either because you actually believe she lived a lot of the "wild style" she speaks about.And the grooves on that and every other song here are as raw a funk as you're probably ever going to hear.

The Light in the Piazza (2005 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

thanks
Beautiful musical!
Save Your Money
Amazing---But Not For Everyone
As good as this CD is....

The Light in the Piazza (2005 Original Broadway Cast)
Adam Guettel , Craig Lucas , Kelli O'Hara , Victoria Clark , and Matthew Morrison
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009A1AQE
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

Overture
Statues and Stories
The Beauty Is
Il Mondo Era Vuoto
American Dancing
Passeggiata
The Joy You Feel
Dividing Day
Hysteria
Say It Somehow
Aiutami
The Light in the Piazza
Octet
The Beauty Is (Reprise)
Let's Walk
Clara's Interlude
Love to Me
Fable

Amazon.com

Like a shimmering pearl, The Light in the Piazza emerged from a sea of revivals, rehashings, and movie adaptations to secure 11 2005 Tony nominations, including Best Musical. Based on an Elizabeth Spencer novella (which was also made into a 1962 film), it follows a mother, Margaret (Victoria Clark), and her daughter, Clara (Kelli O'Hara), as they take a vacation to Italy. There, Clara and a young Italian (Matthew Morrison) fall in love, but Margaret is determined to keep them apart.

The Light in the Piazza doesn't fit the model of most Broadway scores, with a splashy opener here, a swing number there, then the big ballad. The score is more of a unified whole, sometimes jarring, sometimes following the patterns of speech, and sometimes unfolding in glorious sheens of sound. (Heck, some of it's even in Italian!) In that sense, it's similar to another unconventional American musical set in Italy, Stephen Sondheim's Passion, which is more chamber opera than musical, and composer-lyricist Adam Guettel (song of Mary Rodgers, grandson of Richard Rodgers) seems the most likely heir apparent to Sondheim in the current generation of musical theater creators. O'Hara's voice soars in the score's most beautiful moments ("Say It Somehow," the title song), but Clark enjoys two exquisitely lyrical moments with "Dividing Day" and "Let's Walk." She was one of the show's six Tony winners (for Leading Actress), along with Guettel's score and the orchestrations, scenice design, lighting, and costumes, while O'Hara (for Featured Actress), Morrison, Craig Lucas's book, and Bartlett Sher's direction were also nominated. --David Horiuchi

Album Description

The Light in the Piazza is arguably one of the most highly anticipated theatrical events of the decade for serious Broadway theatergoers. The Los Angeles Times has already declared its creator, Nonesuch artist Adam Guettel, "a composer for the new century," on the strength of his two Off-Broadway productions, the 1996 Obie-Award winning "folk musical" Floyd Collins and the 1998 song cycle, Myths and Hymns, TIME has described him as "a startlingly original songwriter." Few theatrical composers have been watched as closely as Guettel, and few musicals in the course of their development have generated so much substantial press or been praised so highly on the road as The Light in the Piazza. Both the New Yorker and The New York Times magazine devoted in-depth coverage to the evolution of Guettel's sophisticated, deeply moving score. New Yorker critic John Lahr decided,"Guettel's kind of talent cannot be denied. He shouldn't change for Broadway; Broadway, if it is to survive as a creative theatrical force, should change for him."

Customer Reviews:

thanks .......2007-05-15

On time, in good condition, thanks to you and PM's suggestion on his website.

Beautiful musical!.......2007-05-15

This musical is definitely not for everyone, but I disagree with it not being hummable. I found myself humming "Love to Me," "The Beauty Is," "Let's Walk," and others. I fell in love with it almost instantly. I saw it for the first time on a Wednesday and bought the CD (and the CD of the star of the show at the time) right away.

I even went back to see it a week and a half later and watched the Lincoln Center PBS special (which I'd recorded on Tivo before the tour was finalized when I'd already missed it in NYC, since my sister would have hated this one and was with me that year) not long after that.

My husband thought there was too much Italian, but I agree with those who said that they were trying to take you into the world of Clara and Margaret and showing you how they were seeing Italy at that time and how little they would have understood initially in Italy. Personally, the language didn't bother me. The music is so beautiful, that it wasn't an issue. The fact that I understand romance languages and sang a lot in other languages probably helped that, but with such beautiful music, I don't see what the big issue is even if you can't understand a word.

If that does bother you, translate it online when you get it home and then you're set. The music is gorgeous and the story is beautiful. It's also very heartbaeking at times. I highly recommend it - there's a reason it won the Tony Award for Best Original Score.

Save Your Money.......2007-05-07

"The Light in the Piazza" is not a very good show and the music is appropriate to the general qualtiy of artistic expression.

Amazing---But Not For Everyone.......2007-04-06

I first fell in love with this show when I saw it on "Great Performances" on PBS. I have since seen it live and now love it even more.

Some call it pretentious and over-the-top, but it seems that is from those who don't understand the show. Many of the devices used in the show are not incorporated in order to be pretentious, but rather are an essential part of bringing the story to life. For example: the use of Italian is meant to make the audience feel like the two Americans traveling to Italy on vacation--out of place and attempting to make sense of what's going on. Right away, the mood is set and we empathize with the lead characters because we are made to feel like foreigners right along with them. When the two lovers finally find a place of real emotion, they no longer need words and sing merely with AHs---their connection transcends the language barrier.

The mother's emotion is equally real as she is torn between letting her daughter live her life and feeling the terrible guilt of having turned away at the split second that her daughter's life-altering accident took place. Music conveying that kind of pain is rare in musical theater these days but, admittedly, can be difficult to understand, especially by younger audiences.

The performances are marvelous. Victoria Clark's in particular is perfect. She's funny, touching, and heart-breaking. One of the best musical theater performances I've ever seen.

This is a serious show---not a musical comedy---and will appeal more to parents or people who prefer fleshed-out characters. No, the show's music is not "catchy" or "poppy" in any way. You do not leave the theater singing the tunes you just heard. This music is meant to move the story along or shed light on a particular character or situation. If you want hummable, seek out a Weber show like "Phantom of the Opera." If you want real emotion, beautiful singing, and spot-on acting, give this one a try.

As good as this CD is...........2007-03-23

...it is no substitute for the live show. I saw it at Lincoln Center last year with about 2/3 of the original cast featured on the soundtrack, but with Aaron Lazar as Fabrizzio and a replacement actress/singer (making her Broadway debut) as Clara. For me, they were both fine replacements of their predecessors.

The songs were sung with much more emotion in the live show than on the soundtrack CD, or at least we get a feeling of that in the narrative context, and it does make a difference (duh!).

Beautiful music. Wish there were an accompanying DVD of the show.

Beethoven's Wig, Vol. 2: More Sing-Along Symphonies

Average customer rating:

Greatest baby gift ever
Great for the whole family
More Great Fun
One is better but this is still awesome!! Gotta have it!
Absolute joy, and endless fun!

Beethoven's Wig, Vol. 2: More Sing-Along Symphonies

Manufacturer: Rounder / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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World's Very Best Opera for Kids... in English!

ASIN: B0001I2C8O
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Tracks:

Stuck In The Saddle Again (Light Cavalry March, Suppe)
Sing Verdi Very Loud (La donna e mobile, from Rigoletto, Verdi)
Its The Same Every Verse (In The Hall of The Mountain King, from Peer Gynt Suite, Grieg)
Musical Bs (Hungarian Dance #5, Brahms)
Dont Play That Violin (Violin Concerto #2, Paganini)
Schuberts Trout (Trout Quintet, Schubert)
Dvorak The Czechoslovak (Humoresque #7, Dvorak)
A Fan of Chopin (Prelude 7, Op. 28, Chopin)
Please Do Not Tease The Viennese (Blue Danube Waltz, Strauss)
Its Spring! (Spring, from The Four Seasons, Vivaldi)
Wow What a Wedding Cake (Wedding March, from A Midsummer Nights Dream,. Mendelssohn)
Instrumental Performances:
Light Cavalry March, Suppe
La donna e mobile, from Rigoletto, Verdi (with vocals)
In The Hall of The Mountain King, from Peer Gynt Suite, Grieg
Hungarian Dance #5, Brahms
Violin Concerto #2, Paganini
Trout Quintet, Schubert
Humoresque #7, Dvorak
Prelude 7, Op. 28, Chopin
Blue Danube Waltz, Strauss
Spring, from The Four Seasons, Vivaldi

Amazon.com

From a pure-pleasure standpoint, the first Beethoven's Wig was nothing to flip over, and the second disc in the series follows suit. However, that is not to say that this is not a valuable and possibly ingenious record. Those unfamiliar with the premise will quickly get the picture: Producer/writer/lead singer/chief clever guy Richard Perlmutter gathers a bundle of important classical works (Paganini's "Violin Concerto #2," Strauss' "Blue Danube Waltz") and makes up silly, catchy lyrics to lay over them, informing the listener about the piece or its composer. Standing out for their offbeat brilliance this time are "Dvorak the Czechoslovak" ("Humoresque #7," Dvorak) and "Wow What a Wedding Cake" (Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mendelssohn). Few stabs at mixing education with entertainment succeed so well. As a bonus, the second half of the CD repeats the symphonies straight up, presenting a neat opportunity to quiz kids 5-12 on what and who they've just heard. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Greatest baby gift ever.......2007-03-15

Both of my grandchildren (and their parents and grandparents) are hooked on this CD and all of the silliness and beauty it brings into our lives. We sing to it, dance to it, and find ourselves thinking about it at odd times. Who can't love singing Verdi VERY LOUD? I've now started giving this as a simple baby gift, especially to those with older siblings. They are already equipped with clothing and nursery gear, and Beethoven's Wig invites the whole family to gather round...even if it is just on short car rides.

Great for the whole family.......2007-01-04

My husband, 18 month old daughter and I all love this CD. It's a staple in the car. One caveat- these lyrics will get stuck in your head and I now find myself singing the "words" to these songs when I hear them in a store or commercial! I'm hoping this means my daughter will recognize these songs as she gets older.

More Great Fun.......2006-03-13

Like the first volume, this CD encourages young children to enjoy classical music. The silly lyrics sometimes impart factual information on the composer or the piece. There are 11 sing-along symphonies and then the 11 symphonies are replayed without the lyrics--total of 22 tracks. Booklet with lyrics and trivia is included. All our children (aged 2-12) enjoy this CD, as do we.

One is better but this is still awesome!! Gotta have it!.......2006-01-10

My children loved Beethovens Wig 1. I checked this one out at the library. Then, we decided we had to have this one too.
Yes, one is the best but 2 is still wonderful.
Save yourself the shipping and order both at the same time.
We all thoroughly enjoy it. My 4 yr old can name these classicals when he hears them elsewhere and he can hum these beautiful songs. Much better than kiddie rhymes and Disney jingles. Culture your children the funniest way!!

Absolute joy, and endless fun!.......2005-11-15

The tunes and word stay with you and before you know it, you are signing them along. My two kids (ages 9 and 7) ask me to put the CD on as soon as we get into the car. What a wonderful and fun way to get them to love classical music!

Average customer rating:

A Doorway Into Darkness
Wow
Do Not "Passover"
absolutely great
The sound of potential

Passover
The Black Angels
Manufacturer: Light In The Attic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Magic Potion

ASIN: B000EPF76S
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Tracks:

Young Men Dead
The First Vietnamese War
The Sniper at the Gates of Heaven
The Prodigal Sun
Black Grease
Manipulation
Empire
Better Off Alone
Bloodhounds on My Trail
Call to Arms

Amazon.com

Every now and again a band capable of not just capturing the spirit of a bygone era but portraying it with uncanny authenticity and accuracy arrives, and in an era where music lovers seem increasingly ravenous for psychedelic-inflected rock, Austin's the Black Angels are precisely that act. Following on the heels of their recent Turn On, Tune In, Drone Out EP, the quintet transports listeners to a land of napalm-bright LSD flashbacks with an elegantly unholy sound that proves both eerie and ethereal. "Young Men Dead" and "The Sniper at the Gates of Heaven" walk the line between celebratory dance and grief-filled dirge. These tracks unnerve the conscious mind with unsettling drones and vocals that seem to have emerged from some parallel universe where the struggle, strife, promise, and even the seedy underbelly of the Love Generation lives on in each primal drum beat and louder-than-loud bent note from a guitar that could not have been built anywhere on Earth, but has been drenched with the sweat and blood of a generation on the verge of either victory or collapse. If there is an act in American popular music with a future brighter and vaster than the cosmos, the Black Angels are it. --Jedd Beaudoin

Customer Reviews:

A Doorway Into Darkness.......2007-06-01

Droning dirges, dark lyrics, desolation, heavy psychedelia... if this is your cup of tea, you will love The Black Angels. Their music evokes a sense of deterioration, a sense of longing, and yet, somehow, a sense of hope. They present a musical vision of hell, and they play as if their lives depend upon finding their way out.

If The Black Angels sound so dire, why do I enjoy their music so much? I have to say it is because they connect with me on a level below that of conscious or rational thought, which leads to "letting go" while listening. They connect with me at gut level, with little or no pretense. The musical arrangements are simple, but beneath the simplicity lies complexity, found in the lyrics, in the reverb-laden production, in the overall sound of quiet desperation that suggests an inner determination to survive the roller-coaster of human emotions in one piece. The musicians present the listener with a universal sort of primal scream, and thus the music has become therapeutic for me with repeated listening.

According to the band credits in the CD, the organist plays "drone machine". From what I could tell when I saw this group play live recently, that is an apt description. Adding to the drone, one band member played an electric sitar. The whole of the sound is very psychedelic, stripping away outer layers of emotions to reveal something much deeper and heavier: reality. The band provides a doorway into darkness. It's like they are describing an emotional worst-case scenario, or a bad trip... but the listener is left with a feeling that maybe life isn't as bad as all that, or that "this too shall pass".

Take a long drive at night, and put this CD in your player. Embrace the darkness of the Black Angels, and be uplifted!

Wow.......2007-05-25

You would think a band that sounds like so many others (BRMC, Dead Meadow, Warlocks, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spacemen 3) and doesn't really do anything extraordinary musically on its debut full-length would be destined to fail.

Then along come The Black Angels to prove you wrong.

Relying almost entirely on one tempo (plodding), one sound (fuzzy) and one style (60s psych rock filtered through the blues) would seem so plain in any other band's hands, but The Black Angels provide enough youhtful vigor and earnestness in what it is doing to completely floor you.

From start to finish (even on the 'lackluster' cuts like First Vietnamese War and Better Off Alone) The Black Angels pull you up by the nostrils and then drag you through a nigthmarish world that is oh-so-scary because it is real, it is now, and it is here.

Young Men Dead, Sniper at the Gates of Heaven, The Prodigal Sun, Black Grease and Manipulation are great songs sure to stand the test of time. That song about the Vietnam War (One, two, three what are we fightin for....) is good but dates itself; The Blacks Angels deal in pointed criticisms that are vague enough to make sense now or the next time the United States decides to play schoolyard bully and push some poor people around.

The political messages coupled with classic scuzzy blues-based rock mesh into one fine album. Chalk me up for first in line when the next album by The Black Angels comes out.

Do Not "Passover".......2007-04-20

What a wonderful and creative debut. Bottom line: If Jim Morrison were alive today, this is the band he would be in. Be sure to catch them live, they sound great.

absolutely great.......2007-04-04

I really really love this cd.. But If you are not a fan of Psychidelic rock music then this may not be for you.. But if you do! Then i would definetly recommend this cd

The sound of potential.......2007-03-27

There are things that I adore about this record. Overall, the sound is amazing. Big, reverberating, clangy and stoned. The playing is top notch, but it's the lyrics that sometimes make me roll my eyes. While I appreciate a good anti-war song as much as anyone, some of the wording here is just a little corny. I chalk it up to the fact that The Black Angels are a very young band, and just go along for the ride. If these guys keep it up, they have the potential to become one of the best bands around.

Oh yeah- almost every song reminds me of either "The End" or "The Unknown Soldier" by the Doors, but hey, that's not a bad thing.

Average customer rating:

still good but earlier albums better
Afro/ Techno/ Magnifico!
Holy Byrne, Batman!
Amazing
The best Heads CD ever.

Remain in Light
Talking Heads
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Fear of Music
Speaking in Tongues
More Songs About Buildings and Food
Talking Heads: 77
Little Creatures

ASIN: B000002KO3
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)
Crosseyed And Painless
The Great Curve
Once In A Lifetime
House In Motion
Seen And Not Seen
Listening Wind
The Overload

Amazon.com essential recording

Way back in 1980, the original wave of Talking Heads fans were pleasantly stunned to hear Remain in Light, produced and co-written by Brian Eno, on which Byrne and company are joined by guitar god Adrian Belew, and funk legends Bernie Worrell (keyboards) and Steven Scales (percussion), among others, for a fuller, funkier sound nobody imagined they had in them. The first three songs are long, layered, full-body dance parties, with incessantly repeated phrases (musical and lyrical), and increasingly catchy melodic hooks that won't let go for days. "Once in a Lifetime" was the big hit, but the rockingest track is the third, "The Great Curve," after which the songs get more linear and subdued. It's still great stuff, right through to the especially Eno-like droner, "The Overload," but the second half is maybe better to sleep to than dance to. Which is fine: after the exuberance of the first three songs, you'll need a little nap. --Dan Leone

Customer Reviews:

still good but earlier albums better.......2007-05-13

i am a huge talking heads fan,but this album ranks no 4 on my list. their previous 3 albums are a bit more funkier and catchy. though i have to admit the great curve (off remain in light) is one of my favourites. buy all 4 you wont be disappointed!

Afro/ Techno/ Magnifico!.......2007-01-28

'Remain in Light' is arguably the Talking Heads' best album ever. Steeped in primitive, African rhthyms, but sent with the trajectory of advanced technology, the album harnesses a mesmerizing and formidable set of sounds and images. It is easily Talking Heads' most avant garde work of their whole career. Think of tribal music generated from a computer, and you get 'Remain in Light'.

What used to be known as side one has mainly more progressive songs, and the second half is more subdued, but all of it is brilliant. There's "Born Under Punches," where David Byrne warbles, "I'm a tumbler...I'm a government man." Like many songs before it, he takes the everyman through the cross-hairs of everyday, struggling existence. "Cross-eyed and Painless" is pedestrian, but contains some riveting funk, and "The Great Curve" is hypnotic with the most dancey song from the album. "Houses in Motion" takes the funk where "Cross-eyed.." left off, but, understandably, given the title, takes a slower groove. (I've often wondered if the song is about the homeless.) Anyway, nuances give way to thoughtful songs like "Seen and Not Seen" and "Listening Wind". The finale is truly magnificent. Perhaps a song about calamity as big as Armageddon, "The Overload" is a chilling song that envelops the listener with its ominous development.

Still, a classic after all these years, 'Remain in Light' sounds just as innovative and modern as it did upon its release. Having a troubadour song, "Once in a Lifetime," complete with synthesizers that simulate flowing water, has kept them on the radio for a number of years with the most moving, and yet, "normal" song from the whole album.

Holy Byrne, Batman!.......2007-01-27

Every band has an album so good, it overshadows everything else they did, even making their better albums seem like mere trifles by comparison. For the Talking Heads, it was Remain in Light. Eight tracks of sheer brilliance: funky, paranoid, and avant-garde thanks to Brian Eno's genius production job. Loaded with unforgettable classics, namely the first four songs: Once in a Lifetime is not only the group's signature song, but arguably the greatest tune of the entire New Wave movement, maybe even the late-'70's in general; Crosseyed and Painless fuses dance with rock and avant-garde music in a way that NOBODY had EVER attempted before; The Great Curve is seductive and sensual, a rare thing for the group, with a cool distorted guitar solo; Born Under Punches has some of the best paranoid lyrics one's likely to hear, period, with an unforgettable feel to boot. This could've been a science-fiction short story, as could've the droning closer Overload, which is also first-rate. Seen and Unseen, Listening Wind, and Houses in Motion are all slightly weaker than those five, but they're all pretty good: there's not a bad song here. I'd say this is even better than Fear of Music, which is quite an achievement. If the Heads do anything for you, you owe it to yourself to buy this.

Amazing.......2006-09-22

I first heard this record either my sophomore or junior year in college. It was late one night and I'm sitting at my computer reading music reviews and I always heard these great things about the album "Remain In Light" as well as the Talking Heads. Rolling Stone (a magazine I cannot stand primarily for the rankings they always do) ranked this record the third greatest album of the 80's. (After #1 "London Calling" and #2 "Purple Rain"). I'm a lover of old-school music so I had to hear this record....I had to hear the Talking Heads. Luckily, my roomate had this CD and I listened to it at about 2 in the morning.

The record opens with "Born Under Punches" (The Heat Goes On). I did not get it at first. I'll go so far as to say I did not even like this record. All I liked was "Crosseyed and Painless". The music was too weird for my liking.

The next day I decided to give it another chance. And man, am I glad I did. This record is flat out ridiculous!! You want funky music?? The entire first side is filled with killer grooves. Tracks 1-4 are danceable and will either make you move or do something. You cannot stand still while listening to this record. This is possibly the first record by a prominent band exploring African polyrhythms....all that really means is that each member of the band is doing their own thing within the song. The additons of Adrian Belew (guitar), Steve Scales (percussion) and Funk Legend Bernie Worrel (Parliment/Funkadelic) on keyboard give the band a complete sound not heard before. The second side starting with "Houses in Motion" slows the record down but the funk does not go away. Concluding with "The Overload" which has producer Brian Eno's influence all over it. (Eno was also on "Buildings and Food" and "Fear of Music" (The track is a very "Low", "Heroes" era David Bowie track, albums which Eno also produced).

The funk that started on "Fear of Music" is magnified ten-fold on this record. My two favorite songs are "Crosseyed and Painless" and "Once In A Lifetime". Starting with "Lifetime", this was the single from this record and it had a video as well. This is considered by many to be the band's greatest song. Watery keyboards along with the Weymouth/Frantz tandem and David being David with the lyrics makes this songs special. But to me, "Crosseyed and Painless" is the jewel of this record.

When I first heard this song back in college I immediately thought it was amazing. This is pure funk. I listened to it about 20 times that night. (No exaggeration) Tina Weymouth'a bass destroys this track and with everything going on at once it is almost impossible to name all the instruments on this one track. (Or any track for that matter) Weymouth has to be one of the best bassists. She never plays anything too complicated but she never messes up, never drops the rhythm. The bass fits in perfectly on these tracks. Frantz does not drop his 4/4 pattern and the track just has so much life. More than any other record, Byrne's lyrics really do not matter nor what the songs are about. This record is all about the music....the polyrhythms. The Talking Heads were so inventive and their music crossed all racial boundries. Songs from the record were played on Black and White radio stations. The influence of this record was felt throughout the entire decade in Rock, Funk and R&B music by groups wanting to branch out in their music.

As great as the music is it is kind of strange to me that it has not been sampled more often. This album has "SAMPLE ME" written all over it!! Those who think this music is monotonous are not seeing the big picutre. I think it is harder to play the same part over and over because one slip and the whole track is wasted. The Talking Heads were all about precision and given time this records seeps in the your mind and body and it cannot be escaped. This is a must listen. If you are interested in the band this is the place to start. No one else was doing music like this back then and that is why it is considered a landmark. Talking Heads- One of my all-time favorite bands.

The best Heads CD ever........2006-07-08

Adrian Belew makes this an incredible Cd. Great sounds come from his fingers and leaves you wondering how in the world did he make his guitar make that sound? Listening Winds is a great tune with terrorist's point of view. I am not all hot on terrorists but it's a good song. And of course the song about the water going under is the bomb from way back. This CD still holds the same place in my heart as it did 20 years ago.

Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain

Average customer rating:

Linkous does power pop
Yummy
Perfect
Not my type of music, but....
Great range, dreamt on great stars

Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain
Sparklehorse
Manufacturer: Astralwerks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Information

ASIN: B000GLKP9Y
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Tracks:

Don't Take My Sunshine Away
Getting It Wrong
Shade And Honey
See The Light
Return To Me
Some Sweet Day
Ghost In The Sky
Mountains
Morning Hollow
It's Not So Hard
Knives Of Summertime
Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain

Amazon.com

Battling his own personal demons while he has been highly coveted as a producer for other bands, singer/songwriter Mark Linkous' output with his own Sparklehorse has been as irregular as it is ingenious. And it's been five years since the candid album It's a Wonderful Life welcomed a clean-and-sober, Linkous crafting the same divine and bizarre songs that have come to define his North Carolina-based band. That inclination continues here with the peculiar front man punctuating his songs with mentions of ghosts and knives and mountaintops, and presenting them with a murmured, spaced-out and psychedelic soundtrack. The up-tempo, bundle-of-nerves pop songs "It's Not So Hard" and Guided by Voices twin "Ghost in the Sky," though luscious, seem out of place among slow and startling ballads like "Getting It Wrong," "See the Light" or, especially, the imminent kiss-off "Some Sweet Day," where Linkous grouses, "I was the one who loved you most/ But you can't put your arms around a ghost." A parting shot that's meant to linger—much like the 53 minutes that are Mark Linkous' latest comeback. --Scott Holter

Customer Reviews:

Linkous does power pop.......2007-04-28

I love the music on this one. "Ghost in the Sky", "Mountains", "Knives of Summertime" are amazing. Best music he's done. The words are not up to "Wonderful Life" level, but I can't argue with the music.

Not sure what "Morning Hollow" is doing on here, though. Seems to break up the flow too much. It's a good song, but this is the exact same version from "Wonderful Life". I'd advise skipping it -- album plays better just listening to the pop tunes.

Yummy.......2007-03-10

I like the new pop-ness about it. A yummy 10 minute instramental makes me totally space out. I very much like it. Mark Linkous did it again. (but this time more happy).
Anyway, I love this band. The album is no let-down.

Perfect.......2007-03-05

Haunting, lyrical, with melodies that will stick in your head upon first listening...a masterpiece of post-rock/post-pop songwriting. In my top 10 faves of 2006.

Not my type of music, but...........2007-01-07

This is the type of music I typically wouldn't care for. The music is electronic and airy, and the singer's voice a little too sweet and fragile for my taste. I must say, though, that the disc is very good. The songs are layered, complex, and the album unfolds nicely. After a couple of spins, I found myself really enjoying the music and the mood it creates. To me, the only negative is the 10+ minute wordless final song, with soft, dreamy melodies that would have made a nice 2-3 minute finale but don't quite keep my interest for the entire duration.

Great range, dreamt on great stars.......2006-12-16

With breathtaking range, a heartfelt sensability that doesn't annoy, great ideas, lyrics and melodies, Sparklehorse strums his way into his fifth or so album, with beautiful nonchalence. But don't be decieved. This is a rich, interesting, complete album. All the trimmings. And maybe the first time since Vivadixie that he's had rendered emotions so bare.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful, but not my first choice
THE BEST recording of the BEST oratorio ever...
Too bad there are so few recordings of Elijah

Mendelssohn: Elijah

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Franz Joseph Haydn: The Creation
Mendelssohn - Elijah / Terfel, Fleming, Bardon, Ainsley, Fulgoni, Paul Daniel
Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) / Auger, Stilwell, Atlanta SO, Robert Shaw
Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem [A German Requiem]

ASIN: B0002XV31A
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

Introduction: As God The Lord Of Israel Liveth
Overture
No.1 Help, Lord! Wilt Thou Quite Destroy Us?
No.2: Lord! Bow Thine Ear To Our Prayer!
No.3: Ye People, Rend Your Hearts
No.4: If With All Your Hearts
No.5: Yet Doth The Lord See It Not
No.6: Elijah! Get Thee Hence
No.7: For He Shall Give His Angels Charge Over Thee
Recitative: Now Cherith's Brook Is Dried Up
No.8: What Have I Do To Do With Thee?
No.9: Blessed Are The Men Who Fear Him
No.10: As God The Lord Of Sabaoth Liveth
No.11: Baal, We Cry To Thee: Hear And Answer Us!
No.12: Call Him Louder, For He Is A God!
No.13: Call Him Louder! He Heareth Not!
No.14: Lord God Of Abraham, Isaac And Israel!
No.15: Cast Thy Burden Upon The Lord
No.16: O Thou, Who Makest Thine Angels Spirits
No.17: Is Not His Word Like A Fire?
No.18: Woe Unto Them Who Forsake Him!
No.19: O Man Of God, Help Thy People!
No.20: Thanks Be To God!

Tracks:

No.21: Hear Ye, Israel; Hear What The Lord Speaketh
No.22: Be Not Afraid, Saith God The Lord
No.23: The Lord Hath Exalted Thee
No.24: Woe To Him, He Shall Perish
No.25: Man Of God, Now Let My Words Be Precious
No.26: It Is Enough; O Lord Now Take My Life
No.27: See, Now He Sleepeth
No.28: Lift Thine Eyes To The Mountains
No.29: He, Watching Over Israel, Slumbers Not
No.30: Arise, Elijah, For Thou Hast A Long Journey
No.31: O Rest In The Lord
No.32: He That Shall Endure To The End, Shall Be Saved
No.33: Night Falleth Round Me, O Lord!
No.34: Behold! God The Lord Passed By!
No.35: Above Him Stood The Seraphim
No.36: Go, Return Upon Thy Way
No.37: For The Mountains Shall Depart
No.38: Then Did Elijah The Prophet Break Forth
No.39: Then Shall The Righteous Shine Forth
No.40: Behold, God Hath Sent Elijah
No.41: But The Lord, From The North Hath Raised One
No.41a: O Come Everyone That Thirsteth
No.42: And Then Shall Your Light Break Forth

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful, but not my first choice.......2007-04-07

I believe this was the first recording of Elijah in English that used an "international" conductor and some international singers. Fruhbeck gives a good, dramatic sweep to the piece, with some wonderful dramatic moments. This is an old fashioned performance, with only a solo quartet, and if there is a semi-chorus, I can't tell the difference. This means that the soprano is the Widow, and an Angel, the mezzo the Angel and Queen Jezabel, etc. You really should have a libretto, but you don't get one at this price.
Fischer-Dieskau roughens up his voice for the role, and therein lies a problem. The voice spreads and his diction suffers because of it; that and his unidiomatic pronounciation, with far too many rolled "r"s. He does the drama well, but what works well in lieder works here less well on the large scale. Odd, given his success as on opera singer (check out his Iago), that here he frequently comes off blustery.
Dame Gwyneth Jones belies her reputation and gives a contolled, dramatic performance, using her "edge" to advantage in "Hear Ye, Israel". Gedda's diction is amazing, with exactly the right color for this literature, and projecting a little more blood than an English tenor.
Dame Janet Baker is my star in this performance. Dramatic, heart-rending when need be, and in wonderful voice. She'll chill your blood when she tells the people of Baal to "slaughter him, do what he hath done!".
And as for the people of Baal, the Philharmonia Chorus is wonderful. Incisive and dramatic, with beautiful tone. I could do without the trick of the boy choir for "Lift Thine Eyes", and I miss the small ensembles, but all in all a fine performance, and good recording, circa 1968.
First choice in English, Daniels/Terfel: better Elijah in Terfel, better recording, more authentic orchestra, small vocal ensembles (as per the score) but inferior women (including Fleming: beautiful tone, but where's her head?). In German, it's Sawallisch/Adam all the way.
But if you're singing Elijah, and have a score, this is a good choice.

THE BEST recording of the BEST oratorio ever..........2006-08-15

Okay, I'm gonna admit I'm biased- I first sung in the chorus of Elijah when I was 14 and it made a BIG impression on me!
This recording is in every way wonderful. Starting with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. He IS Elijah to me. His singing is perfection. He has amazing phrasing and his diction makes it possible to understand the lovely, inspired libretto to this heavenly music. There are so many pieces that are ephemeral, but a couple of my favorites are: #14, Lord God of Abraham and #37, For the Mountains shall Depart. Dieskau does a great job of what I think of as compassionate, heartfelt singing. His interpretation sounds like the voice of God himself. It has a quality of kindness and yet he sounds just as convincing reprimanding the people of Baal. He is the true highlight of this recording.

That said, the rest of the cast is wonderful as well. Gwyneth Jones has a lovely, silvery voice that has a clarion bell-like tone that rings over the large orchestra with ease. She has occasional "misfire" but is a consistent performer. Dame Janet Baker and Nicolai Gedda both perform at a consistently lovely level. The orchestra and chorus are both wonderful. #15, Cast thy Burden upon the Lord, #32 He that Shall Endure to the End, and #38 Then Did Elijah are all highlights.

All said, for me the main reason to get this recording is Dieskau's Elijah- after all, he's the main character. But don't forget the lovely music. This story is exciting and passionate and sacred all at the same time. For me, it's the best oratorio that has a moving story and great music too.

Too bad there are so few recordings of Elijah.......2006-07-03

This is a good recording of an oratorio that deserves more attention. The chorus and soloists are very good--I just wish Fischer-Diskau wouldn't slide around so much in singing the title part!

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. In Know You - Cindy Morgan
2. It's Gonna Rain - Bryan Duncan
3. Be Still and Know - Erin O'Donnell
4. Something to Hold on To
5. Always and Forever - Patty Cabrera
6. Lovely Day - Out of Eden
7. When Love Calls Your Name - Kim Boyce
8. Bring Jesus to Me
9. What If Our World - John Elefante
10. Seven Days of Light - Brett Williams

Time to Say Goodbye	Diva: The Singles Collection	Eden
Diva: The Video Collection	Live from Las Vegas	La Luna (Live in Concert)