A Night in San Francisco [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Belfast Cowboy is one of the most mercurial and gloriously inconsistent live performers of his generation, as notorious for his onstage sulks and autopilot off-nights as he is justly celebrated for incandescent live sets that burn in the memory. This 1994 double-CD set, Van Morrison's third solo live album, doesn't surpass either his mid-'70s triumph, It's Too Late to Stop Now, or his Belfast homecoming on 1984's Live at the Grand Opera House, but a generous set and a typically taut, virtuosic stage band are tempting inducements, as is a repertoire that mixes both old and more recent Morrison originals with some shrewd covers. With Georgie Fame his staunch right hand (on organ and backing vocals), and his overexposed band singers, Brian Kennedy and James Hunter, Morrison digs into some particularly ripe medleys, interpolating King Pleasure, Sly Stone, T-Bone Walker, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Witherspoon, Gene Vincent, Roy Orbison, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Doc Pomus along the way. --Sam Sutherland

Tracks:

Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho
Short Tales Of The Black Forest
Frevo Rasgado
Fantasia Suite
Guardian Angel

Amazon.com

This live recording from 1980 matched fusion guitar heavyweights Al DiMeola and John McLaughlin with Spanish guitar whiz Paco DeLucia. The result, a dazzling technical display, also earned jeers as the international summit of world-class finger-wigglers by critics who felt it was long on chops and short on heart. John McLaughlin's importance to the development of the jazz fusion scene can't be overestimated: as the guitarist on Miles Davis's seminal Bitches Brew and A Tribute to Jack Johnson, he was the first significant guitarist of the electric jazz era; on his own, he brought power rock, spiritualism, and lush orchestration to the scene via his Mahavishnu Orchestra. DiMeola, the most commercially successful next-generation fusion guitarist, achieved stardom with Chick Corea's group Return to Forever and on his own records. DeLucia, virtually unknown in the U.S., is a fine flamenco guitarist, and it is that orientation more than anything that colors Friday Night: even when playing straightforward non-flamenco compositions, the phrasing and sensibility lurks behind every note. Still, the passion of the music is frequently marred by the participants' inability to play at anything but the most breakneck pace. --Fred Goodman

Customer Reviews:

WoW.......2007-04-25

Everytime I listen to this CD I come away with something new. I've been listening to this since the 80's and every time I get goosebumps. Three geniuses come together on a magical night and create this something that happens once in a lifetime. I've always thought it would be a great if the three could collaborate and write a book on their inspirations for doing this, how much did they *really* practice and such. It would an incredible read. Today my kids (8 and 10) were listening to this on my iPOD and were blown away!!!

The masters unite.......2007-03-11

The musicianship here is very professional and enjoyable - this is the only documented audio of these three guitar giants working together in concert. The performance was recorded live in December 1980, at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco. Track #5 is a studio recording, though, but nonetheless coherent and of spectacular quality in both sound and performance.
Throughout the album, all three guitar players (incidentally only playing in pairs on the three first tracks) perform on acoustic guitars, and for an early 80's live recording, the sound quality is surprisingly good (rich acoustics, no feedback, no distortion.) What ruins a lot of the listening experience, however, are the audience members who yell and scream and whistle and clap over some of the music as if they were high on all that currently is illegal to get high on. The wildness of the audience participation on track #2 is especially bothersome; as soon as the guitar players play a fast lick, an unusual effect, anything technically advanced or anything in unison, these people go crazy, and when recognizing an obvious installment of the theme from Pink Panther you can hear them wearing their anuses on their sleeves as they burst from rapture.
But the audience aside, this is an important recording for a lot of obvious reasons - a recording that you definitely should own or at least listen to if you have ever enjoyed any music performed or written by any of these three guitarists. Incidentally, Hal Leonard has produced a book of transcriptions of all titles from this recording.

Not a fan.......2007-02-06

This is a consert I just stumbled over an liked at once. Superb work of art. It has always been a joy to hear talented people get together and bring happines to the audience. Had this as LP but somebody or in moving things it became unplayable so getting a new copy was a must.

Subtly sweet,blazingly fast, and refreshing overall........2007-01-11

This album is what it is:a showcase of amazing musicianship and heartfelt playing between comrades.There are many beautiful and soft moments,and even more lightning-quick picking that cascades,ebbs, and flows.To say that the music on this album is simply a few guys trying to "one-up" each other is ludacris.This album is a joy to those whom delve into the emotions in musical art.

Guitar heaven.......2007-01-03

When you get a bunch of guitar virtuosos together, that usually adds up to a real snoozefest of lots of technical proficieny and zero tunefullness. So an all acoustic session would be even worse right? Wrong!

People can go on about the technical proficiency demonstrated by messrs. McLaughlin, Di Meola, and Delucia. But technical proficiency alone is not music. This, my friends, is music. Nominally, this is labeled as a jazz album but it really defies any genre. If you have even the slightest affinity for great guitar playing, plunk down your ten bucks and listen.

Friday Night in San Francisco (Stereo SACD)

Average customer rating:

Gorgeous Recording with Playful Musicians
Stereo SACD, not Multichannel!
"Too Many Notes..."
Amazing, amazing, amazing
SACD SUPERIOR to redbook CD

Friday Night in San Francisco (Stereo SACD)
Paco de Lucia
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004KD6V
Release Date: 1999-09-07

Tracks:

Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho
Short Tales of the Black Forest - Paco de Luc Al di Meola, Al di Meola, John McLaughlin
Frevo Rasgado - Paco de Luc Paco de Luc , Al di Meola, John McLaughlin
Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars: Viva la Danzarina/Guitars of the ...
Guardian Angel [Studio Recording]

Album Description

Featuring John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola and Paco DeLucia on acoustic guitar. The Great Guitar Trio's Classic Original Recording! Great photos of the trio in performance! 20 BIT digitally remastered. Superb new sound!

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous Recording with Playful Musicians.......2006-08-16

Undoubtedly one of my favorite recordings in SACD format, I only wish there was video as well, because it would be great. These gentlemen truly understand the music and their improvisational skills are fantastic, as they're able to play along with each other and the audience, the latter which seems to be thouroughly ecstatic. Unfortunately this is not a hybrid recording, which means if you want to transfer it to a portable device or play it in your car, it requires tremendous effort.

Stereo SACD, not Multichannel!.......2003-10-13

This is a great performance. My review is mostly based on the fact that this is a stereo SACD, not multichannel. I am learning more about SACD every day, but was very disappointed that it is only presented in stereo.

"Too Many Notes...".......2002-11-29

That was Emperor Joseph's simple-minded estimation of any music he didn't understand in the Academy-Award winning movie "Amadeus." I never thought I would ever find music that would actually fit that description... until now.

If you think this is some sort of super-charged California Guitar Trio or a Narciso Yepes-type forray into flameco-guitar, forget it. That is not to say most every review you see here is wrong. In fact, they are all correct about these guys being virtuoso guitarists.

However, songs that consist almost entirely of 32nd and 64th notes are at first impressive, but very quickly become tiresome. And this isn't an album full of "songs" so much as it is a forty-some-odd-minute-long jam session featuring testosterone-fueled duels and improvs with a Flamecan flare.

So if you're a guitarist who thrills to the repeated use of the same techniques over and over for close to an hour, this is a great album for you. If you're a normal guy just trying to find some high-fi SACD pyrotechnics, maybe this is still for you. But if you're just someone looking to be entertained, this may disappoint.

Amazing, amazing, amazing.......2002-09-03

"Friday Night in San Francisco" is one of those rare CDs you'll listen to and just laugh out loud from sheer amazement at the virtuoso guitar work of Al DiMeola, John McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucia. Here are three friends, all guitarists, who are clearly having the time of their lives showing off their astonishing instrumental skills and jamming together on, well, a Friday night in San Francisco back in the 1980s.

I was lucky enough to be introduced to this album by a cousin many years ago, and after having treated myself to it, I played it on at least a weekly basis for months. Far from getting sick of it eventually, I found myself noticing new things almost every time I played it. Of course it's wonderful to listen to yourself, but there is also a profound pleasure to be had in introducing a novice to the album. Watch their eyes widen and their jaw drop as they turn to you and say, "Who IS this? I gotta have this!"

All three men share composition credits on the album. "Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho," the song that opens the album, is a Spanish-influenced piece that sends notes scattering like raindrops on a sunny day--the aural effect is one of sparkling light. Chick Corea's song "Short Tales of the Black Forest" gets a work-out here, and McLaughlin and DiMeola do it proud as they build the musical tension to an almost unbearable point before exploding into the heart of the song a minute or two into the piece. "Frevo Rasgado," an Egberto Gismonti piece, is a complex song which swings effortlessly back and forth between major and minor keys, and McLaughlin and DeLucia go along for the ride with a kind of manic joy in their playing.

The three men don't all play together until the final two songs. On "Fantasia Suite," a DiMeola composition, they follow the notes but go further into that realm where they are in their own little universe, egging each other on and on until the music reaches an almost sublime climax. On "Guardian Angel," much the same thing happens and it's a privilege to hear this kind of creative collaboration in action. If you haven't already, make room on your CD shelf for this outstandingly great album!

SACD SUPERIOR to redbook CD.......2002-04-29

I own both, SACD and CD. The sound of the SACD is so much more clear, articulate, three dimensional. Before I got the SACD I hardly ever listened to the redbook as acoustically there wasn't much to distinguish it from the other pressings (even when played back on a Sony SCD-C555ES). Playback of the SACD offers such listening pleasure. I close my eyes and just listen to the great LIVE music. The playback experience will depend on the quality of your audiogear.

Average customer rating:

Passionate, Among The Swiftest Mahler 7th Symphony Recordings I've Heard
Not enough drama for highest rating
gets better as it goes, but earlier LSO one was better overall
Mixed bag but mainly on target
Reproducing Mahler

Mahler: Symphony No. 7 [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: San Francisco Sym
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000B66OQM
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

Langsam
Nachtmusik l
Scherzo
Nachtmusik ll
Rondo-Finale

Amazon.com

Michael Tilson Thomas's Mahler cycle continues with this well-played Seventh. Once rarely heard, the work is becoming a regular recording and concert hall visitor. The San Francisco Symphony is in terrific form here, especially in the last movement, where the brass really bring down the house and the whole band keeps up with the conductor's tempo shifts and contrasts. The second Nachtmusik movement is a winner, with its odd combination of harp, guitar and mandolin and its characterful mood. The opening movement is a bit problematic, well-played but a bit too fast for comfort, but the Scherzo rocks. This version differs from MTT's excellent London Symphony recording made in 1999 earlier for RCA, which was free of some of the more idiosyncratic touches found here. But if you don't mind a first movement that never really adheres, you'll love this new one. For collectors of the series and SACD fans, it's a must-have, and all Mahlerites will want to hear MTT's latest thoughts on the work. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Passionate, Among The Swiftest Mahler 7th Symphony Recordings I've Heard.......2007-05-01

I haven't heard Michael Tilson Thomas's critically acclaimed earlier recording of this symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra, mainly because I have tended to underrate him as a conductor. However, here he demonstrates that he is a very good Mahler interpreter, offering a live performance recording of one of Mahler's least known symphonies, which thankfully, seems to be enjoying a bit of a renaissance in concert performances lately (I am referring for example to an electrifying interpretation from Riccardo Chailly and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra here in New York City which has been justly celebrated by local music critics.). Without a doubt, Thomas's interpretation is an exciting, quite passionate account, with ample fine playing from the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, with the notable exception of the horns. It is an interpretation which should please audiophiles seeking the finest sound quality, and those who want a more expressionist interpretation of Mahler's score. However, my personal tastes are more neutral, opting for recordings from the likes of Haitink and Abbado, and especially Pierre Boulez's with The Cleveland Orchestra, which I still regard as the best recording of this symphony. So I can't recommend this recording as a primary, definitive interpretation of this work, but still think that it's a worthwhile acquisition for Mahler fans, and of course those interested in fine recordings made by conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

Not enough drama for highest rating.......2007-03-24

Mahler's 7th was the first Mahler symphony I ever heard, more than 40 years ago. I fell in love with the music and it remains one of my all time favorites. I heard MTT conduct the 7th here in Miami about 10 years ago with the New World Symphony, a orchestra made up of recent conservatory graduates. That was a great performance. The reading here is a very good one but has many weaknesses. First of all, the tenor horn solos are not really that well played. Compared to the Haitink DVD with the Berlin Philharmonic, this player's tone is very weak. Then in many key moments in the first movement, the intensity of the music is simply not there. The 2nd and 3rd movements are much better but the lovely fourth movement lacks poetry. The finale is played extremely fast and again the drama is lacking, although it is very exciting. If you have SACD and really good equipment, you might want this recording for its outstanding sound but I would purchase the Haitink DVD and get the picture and a truly great performance at the same time. If you want a single CD version, Abbado/Chicago Symphony is excellent in every single movement.

gets better as it goes, but earlier LSO one was better overall.......2006-12-27

I live in S.F. bay area, and I've become quite disappointed in this series. The 7th is one of MTT's stronger ones, along with the 9th. Here, the finale is quite good, although no better than on the recent Barenboim/Berlin Staatskapelle (Warner) M7. For me, the two Nachtmusik movements really lack atmosphere. The first one, in particular, is really prosaic - capturing little if any of the mystery implied. The second Nachtmusik is better, but the guitar and mandolin are slightly too distant (far closer sounding on the more "serenade"-like Barenboim). Equally bothersome for me, is that the allegro (fast) passages of the first movement are just absurdly fast - almost to the breaking point. Wouldn't it have been better to save some of that breathless rushing for the finale? It's difficult to fully digest the first movement at such a lickity-split tempo, as both the harmony and counterpoint are fairly advanced and "rich"-sounding in this movement. I feel that Pierre Boulez's 23 minutes works far better for the first movement (MTT is closer to 20). Worse yet, there's little atmosphere to the centrally placed, "moonlit" episode that provides much needed relief from all that busy rushing about. Fortunately, things do get better from the scherzo on. However, I just feel that MTT's earlier LSO effort was more consistant from begining to end. I also think that it was somewhat better recorded. But among recent releases of the Mahler 7th, it's hard to top the Barenboim - one of the best ones ever.

Mixed bag but mainly on target.......2006-09-01

This is Michael Tilson Thomas's second recording of the Mahler Symphony No. 7, sometimes called "Symphony of the Night" for its two sections marked night music (nachtmusik). MTT's first recording, with the London Symphony Orchestra, was received very well and holds a place of high honor in both the current Penguin Guide and American Record Guide's most recent (2001) Mahler overview. This production won MTT a Grammy as best clasical recording of 2006.

At 81 minutes, MTT's older recording put it about in the middle of the universe of well-considerd Mahler 7s, which range from about 77-84 minutes. This time, MTT skittered through the score in about 77 minutes, making this account speedy by contrast.

While musical pundits have considered this a song for the night because of its two sections of nachtmusik, Michael Steinberg's notes to this issue suggest it is more likely four sections of night music followed by the sunshine of day, announced by the drum roll that kicks off the final movement. "Few here will fail to be reminded of Die Meistersinger," Steinberg wrote about the opening notes of the finale.

I've not heard MTT's earlier recording so I don't know where he skips time or space to cut four minutes. This recording, made in concert in San Francsisco's Davies Hall and recorded in somewhat spotlighted SACD sound, may have gained time by way of the energy created in a live performance. The annotation says this was recorded during March 9-12, 2005 but fails to disclose the number of performances given during that span.

MTT's opening is wonderful, in my opinion. It is echt-Mahlerian -- martial, booming with oomph and heart, all the qualities that make up this philosophically confused and emotional strained composer. During the first Nachtmusik section, conductor and band seem to lighten the reins a bit and perhaps slacken. The third movement begins to sound like spotlighted sound. How does a tuba stick out like that in the orchestral morass of a Mahler symphony, anyway?

The fourth movement -- the second Nachtmusik section -- is makred Andante amoroso and Tilson Thomas plays this for every inch of its amorous nature. A spirit of quiet warmth and good humor permeate the section, which is a marked contrast to everything that came before it. In the episodic finale, where a conductor is most challenged to keep it all together, MTT reminds me of tactics he used in his recording of the Mahler Symphony No. 6, especially his tendency to speed up and slow down the motion of the orchestra in interceding sections of the score. It closes is flames of glory, carrying off MTT's overall message of humanity and ecstasy.

I wouldn't call this my favorite version of the Mahler 7 but it's certianly a good one. The hybrid SACD recording is very good -- marked by clarity, depth and projection of a very good on pitch orchestra -- but it would also fall victim to claims that the engineers spotlighted certain sections for added effect. While a fabulous sounding CD, it is not always a very natural sounding performance.

I'm not one to dawdle when listening to Mahler and I don't like conductors that drag out the music beyond its capacity to breathe and live. At 77 minutes, this version is on pace with my favorite recording of the score, the one by Vaclav Neumann and the Gewandhaus Orchestra recorded for Berlin Classics in 1970. I enjoy Neumann's overall conception more than MTT's, which is more literal and less atmospheric. Many Mahlerites believe the Symphony No. 7 is nothing but atmosphere; I do not hold membership in that sect.

And, for all the wonder of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra on display in this magnificent sounding CD, I believe the German orchestra did them one better three and one-half decades earlier, especially the fruitier sounding horns. I also appreciate the more natural sound of the older CD.

These preferences aside, this new MTT version should be a contender for everyone except those that must wring every ounce of angst out of the score, and it should become the preferred version for audiophiles willing to pay $27 for a single CD performance of this music.

Reproducing Mahler.......2006-04-20

As several reviewers implied, this performance of #7 does not get into the composer's head. No performance can do that! However, it does capture a less angst-ridden 7th. than is usually the case. This gives the music a chance to breath and lets us hear the musical infrastructure of the symphony. It may not be the "echt" performance of the 7th., but musically it is acurate and therefore, a valid interpretation-by the way, this is not MTT's first recorded Mahler, there is a version recorded in his years with the LSO that is as angst-ridden as anyone would like.
I would add that no conductor gets into Mahler's head, not even Walter and Klemperer. We interpret what we hear/read in the score and try to approximate it-this is why it is called music-making.

Average customer rating:

WOW!!!!!!!!!
Got to be his best!
top ten ever!!!
To "mr. I'm not impressed"
I'm not impressed

A Night in San Francisco
Van Morrison
Manufacturer: Polydor / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live at the Grand Opera House - Belfast
How Long Has This Been Going On
The Healing Game
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ASIN: B000001E3L
Release Date: 1994-05-17

Tracks:

Did Ye Get Healed?
It's All In The Game/Make It Real One More Time
I've Been Working
I Forgot That Love Existed
Vanlose Stairway/Trans-Euro Train/Fool For You
You Make Me Feel So Free
Beatiful Vision
See Me Through/Soldier Of Fortune/Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin
Ain't That Loving You Baby?
Stormy Monday/Have You Ever Loved A Woman?/No Rollin' Blues
Help Me
Good Morning Little School Girl
Tupelo Honey
Moondance/My Funny Valentine

Tracks:

Jumpin' With Symphony Sid
It Fills You Up
I'll Take Care Of You/It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World
Lonely Avenue/4 O' Clock In The Morning
So Quiet In Here/That's Where It's At
In The Garden/ You Send Me/Allegheny
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?
Shakin' All Over/Gloria

Amazon.com

The Belfast Cowboy is one of the most mercurial and gloriously inconsistent live performers of his generation, as notorious for his onstage sulks and autopilot off-nights as he is justly celebrated for incandescent live sets that burn in the memory. This 1994 double-CD set, Van Morrison's third solo live album, doesn't surpass either his mid-'70s triumph, It's Too Late to Stop Now, or his Belfast homecoming on 1984's Live at the Grand Opera House, but a generous set and a typically taut, virtuosic stage band are tempting inducements, as is a repertoire that mixes both old and more recent Morrison originals with some shrewd covers. With Georgie Fame his staunch right hand (on organ and backing vocals), and his overexposed band singers, Brian Kennedy and James Hunter, Morrison digs into some particularly ripe medleys, interpolating King Pleasure, Sly Stone, T-Bone Walker, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Witherspoon, Gene Vincent, Roy Orbison, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Doc Pomus along the way. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

WOW!!!!!!!!!.......2007-06-09

I never was the hugest Van Morrison fan. I knew the hits on the radio, & just from that I could tell he touched on a wide range of genres; Rock & Roll, Light Rock, Contemporary, jazz. At one time in New Orleans, it was near impossible NOT to hear "Brown Eyed Girl" 10 times a day, & I quickly got burnt out & stopped my Van Morrison explorations before I really got started. Now, there have been several bands which I had touched on in the same way, (Springsteen, Little Feat, Tom Petty, Rush) & once I heard them live I went CRAZY over them, so when this was reccomended to me by Amazon, I figured, Why not? MAN, AM I GLAD I CHECKED THIS OUT!!! This blows his studio material AWAY!!! The band has a much bigger, fuller sound, & it sounds as if he took all of the styles I forementioned, added blues to the mix, & combined them all to make a new SUPER-GENRE!! It also has the benefit of making you FEEL like you're THERE!! It sounds like Van is a MASTER SHOWMAN who is determined to give his fans something extra when they come to see him! His voice seems to have gotten a little deeper with age, (WHO'S HASN'T) but it's just as strong & soulful as ever!!If you want to hear what Van Morrison can really do, or even if you just appreciate good music & want to hear something new, CHECK THIS OUT!!! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got to be his best!.......2007-04-26

I am not a huge fan of Van Morrison. I like some of his music and don't like some of his music. This album, however is among the greatest albums, (by anyone) that I've ever heard! The instrumental segments in most of the songs are phenominal. I first bought it on cassette tape in the nineties and wore it out listening to it. Just bought the CD set recently when I heard it was out of print. (Why did that happen, anyway?) I will love this album till the day I die!!!!

top ten ever!!!.......2007-02-25

definetly in my top 10 for concerts along with fleetwood mac,eagles, etc,etc

To "mr. I'm not impressed".......2006-09-25

Sorry "I'm not impressed" but you clearly missed the boat of your review. I sugguest you LISTEN to the audience reaction to Vans performance that night. He was truely brilliant and this is one of the "live" CDs ever. Van does not have to reinvent himself into anything. He's already a great singer, songwriter and performer and if some people can not see this I truly pitty them. His back-up band is session-quality, they're that good! Been listening the greatness of VM since I first saw him on ABC's In Concert in 1974. To those out there on the fence about this CD I say buy it and enjoy it. Good luck finding it however, it's out of print.

I'm not impressed.......2006-09-02

I like this version of Tupelo Honey but other than that, it sounds like Van's is trying to reinvent himself as a lounge singer. Don't get me wrong, he truly deserves to be called "The Man", but this is the soft-rock crap that most of his detractors despise. Elsewhere he makes good songs, both his own (Moondance, Gloria) and others (T-Bone Walker's Stormy Monday, Freddie King's Have You Ever Loved a Woman?, Sly Stone's Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), James Brown's It's a Man's Man's Man's World) bad. I hate it when people do that. Loyal sidekick Georgie Fame is about as good as his name suggests (in other words, not at all), and it lacks the haunting mystique of Astral Weeks or the joy of Moondance. I listened to it once, and never played anything but Tupelo Honey again.

Thursday Night in San Francisco: Recorded Live at the Fillmore Auditorium

Average customer rating:

Classic blues set
RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "ALBERT WAS THE GREATEST WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY, BUT REMEMBER THE RECORDING IS FROM 1968!"
May be Wednesday's Show was better
F for sound
Everybody Can Enjoy

Thursday Night in San Francisco: Recorded Live at the Fillmore Auditorium
Albert King
Manufacturer: Stax
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live Wire/Blues Power
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Blues at Sunset
In Session

ASIN: B000000ZKQ
Release Date: 1990-08-06

Tracks:

San-Ho-Zay
You Upset Me, Baby
Call It Stormy Monday
Everyday I Have The Blues
Drifty Blues
I've Made Nights By Myself
Crosscut Saw
I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town
Ooh-Ee Baby

Customer Reviews:

Classic blues set.......2007-05-29

Here is the legendary Albert King demonstrating why he managed to influence artists like Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, and Eric Clapton. If the word "stinging" applies to blues playing, then let it settle-in here: Stormy Monday Blues, I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town, a couple of numbers associated with other "Kings", San-Hozay (Freddie King) and You Upset Me Baby (B. B. King).
San Hozay (wish they kept that one up for at least four minutes!), Crosscut Saw and Oo-ee-Baby (the closer) are uptempo and are as cleanly performed as they are mixed. To me, blues *today* is a bit bottom-heavy, and the lead vocal lacks presence. Listen to this historic set and learn what a true blues set and *recording* should sound like.

RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "ALBERT WAS THE GREATEST WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY, BUT REMEMBER THE RECORDING IS FROM 1968!".......2007-02-13

If you're one of "Shaq's, The King Of The World Blues Reviewer's" loyal fans, you already know that Albert King is my all-time favorite electric blues guitarist. If you're not one of my existing fans, but want to know the "truth" about all the criteria that you should consider before spending your hard earned "blues" dollars, you should thank me after this review! What you should know is, that this "live" performance was recorded on June 27, 1968. It was released in 1990. Was Albert great that night? Hell yea! He was great! But... the recording technology was from 1968! If you're a modern day blues fan, that hasn't had experience with how great Albert was, you may be disappointed by the lack of 21st century sound quality. But that is not Albert's fault! If you're an electric blues, collector and aficionado, with experience in the difference in technology over time; then, this CD would be rated a 5 star. But simply because of the lack of clarity, I rate this a 4 star. Albert is the "KING" of kings, of blues. If you're willing to really turn up your CD, or if you are satisfied with simply hearing the greatest "string bender" of all-time, in lesser sound quality, than is available today, this is a classic CD for you.

May be Wednesday's Show was better.......2006-10-23

This is a good blues album that show cases one of the greats doing a typical live show. While I love Albert King and live blues music something is missing for me on this album. Sound quality is not great and is backing band is nothing special on this album. Check out In Sessions or Live Wire for better material for Albert King, one the great blues guitarist of all time.

F for sound .......2006-01-25

Well this is a total F for sound. I have 3 dif 3 cd players, home, port, and car, and yes they are good ones, car is a Q45 with a Bose. I bought this CD because of the reviews I read here, what is everyone smoking? or is there not that good of stuff avail from Albert? I don't own any other CD's, but I do know about him from the SRV Sessions VHS I have had for a few years, and it sounds pretty good.

This CD sounds like a taper recorded it, from that last row in the back or something. I have both SF CD's, the both sound the same.

Can someone email me please and let me know what Albert King CD's. If any, have good clear sound.

What I have that is great for Live shows is Cream Reunion DVD and CD, and Roger Watters in the Flesh DVD and CD, great sound.

Everybody Can Enjoy.......2005-07-01

Some guys play guitar to impress girls. They play some cool sounding licks and are rewarded with oohs and aahs. Other serious guitar players impress other guitar players, but their talent surpasses the mortal mind, and they might not appeal to a wide audience. Albert King is a guitar players' guitar player that everyone can enjoy.

More than a few of history's great guitar players have admired Albert King's talent. Yet his "soul" (as he calls it), song selection and sex-appeal delight blues fans everywhere. If you're a serious guitar player or just a blues fan who has never picked up an instrument, then you'll like Albert King. He still has a following from a brief trip to Argentina shortly before his death. Even Latinos like this guy!

And as with all blues, Albert King is at his best LIVE! On stage where he is energized by the encouragement of the crowd, with no suit-wearing producer calling the shots, the Night Prowler truly shines.

If you like the blues, you'll LOVE (!!!!) this CD. The song selection is good. Albert King is hot. The crowd is enthusiastic. What a great recording of a great performer.

Average customer rating:

Perfect Music From an Angelic Voice
TRIBUTE TO A GREAT ARTIST

Marian Anderson

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Spirituals
Marian Anderson Rare and Unpublished Recordings, 1936 - 1952
Prima Voce - Marian Anderson / Shaw
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
Paul Robeson Live at Carnegie Hall

ASIN: B000003ES6
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

St. Matthew Passion: Erbarme dich
Messiah: He Shall Feed His Flock
Ave Maria
Liebesbotschaft
Wohin?
Death And The Maiden, D. 531
Stille Tranen (2 Gedichte, Op. 35: No. 10)
Der Nussbaum (Myrthen, Op. 25: No.3)
Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53 (After 'Harzreise im Winter')
Immer leiser wird mein Schlummer, Op. 105, No. 2
Morgen, Op. 27, No. 4
In The Silence Of The Secret Night, Op. 4, No. 3
Un Ballo In Maschera: Re dell'abisso affrettati
Go Down, Moses
Crucifixion
My Lord, What A Morning

Customer Reviews:

Perfect Music From an Angelic Voice.......2000-05-07

I can't add much to the superb review by lesismore26 (I give it five Stars! ) but I do have one disagreement. I LIKED the Ulrica aria. Yes, the voice is past its prime, but the artistry is very much there. In fact, the piece makes it clear that while her voice sounds perfect for her repertoire, it could have handled opera quite beautifully too. It's true that the pure, ethereal quality of her tone is DEFINITELY well suited to Baroque and Classical oratorio, and true that there simply aren't that many roles for contraltos. But it is also true that these reasons had NOTHING to do with why this particular contralto was not singing in opera houses. Another voice as dazzling as hers would have had composers creating roles tailored for them.

I wouldn't trade her spirituals and lieder, but I would have liked to hear her sing Erda, or Clytemnestra, maybe even Dalila (if you can imagine this Angelic persona in THAT role!)

TRIBUTE TO A GREAT ARTIST.......1999-12-22

Marian Anderson is remembered in too many instances for the wrong reasons: the first Afro-American artist to be engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in a leading role; the artist who sang the monumental concert at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 after being denied the use of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution --- an action that sparked mass indignation and worldwide attention to the fact that the racial prejudice was alive and well in the United States; the artist who became a symbol of grace and dignity during the civil rights movement. While all of these things are true, they eclipse the simple fact that Marian Anderson's singularly individual and distinctive, and true contralto voice was one of the jewels of the musical century, and that her pursuasive powers as an interpreter of the lieder of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, and Sibelius were the stuff of which legends are made. What is also overlooked is that the fabled voice was a long way past its prime at the time of that Metropolitan Opera debut in early 1955. The role was that of the witch Ulrica in Verdi's "Un Ballo in Maschera"--- not a leading role, but a very important and pivotal one nonetheless ---- but by that time the voice had become dry, unsteady, frequently out-of-tune, and very "old" sounding. Anderson was already around 58 years old, and while her "debut" was historic from a social standpoint ----- it opened the doors for such future legends a Leontyne Price, Martina Arroyo, Shirley Verrett, Grace Bumbry ------ it was certainly not a great vocal milestone. It was simply too late for any sort of a career at the Metropolitan Opera, and though it was the blatant racial prejudices of the times that prevented Marian Anderson from singing on the opera stage during the years of her vocal prime, it would appear, as evidenced by her work on records (even by those made in her greatest years -- the 1930's and 1940's), that her temperment and vocal demeanor was far more suited to the concert and recital platforms, and it was in this milieu that Marian Anderson lavishly demonstrated her true genius. To begin with, the excerpts on this recording from Verdi's "Un Ballo in Maschera" didn't need to be included for the reasons cited above: they were recorded immediately after the Met debut in 1955 and the voice is in the condition one would have expected. The rest of the contents were recorded during the artist's vocal prime much earlier. Virtually all of the Schubert selectionsare beautifully done, especially the "Ave Maria", which became Anderson's trademark. The "Liebesbotshaft" (from "Schwanengesang) and "Wohin" (from "Die Schone Mullerin") show the voice at its most fluid, as do all of the items by Schumann. The Brahms "Alto Rhapsody", another Anderson speciality, haunting in its desolation and feelings of isolation, helped in no small part by Anderson's deep purple contralto tones. Selections by Richard Strauss (a beautifully realized rendition of "Morgen") and Rachmaninoff round off the lieder portion of the recording. Bach's "Erbarme dich" (with orchestral accompanyment) is one of the most beautiful ever recorded, and Handel's "He Shall Feed His Flock" illustrates vividly just how how much this music needs a true contralto voice. In this age of pushed-up and pulled-down mezzo-sopranos, it is a revelation to hear what this type of voice accomplish in all of this music. If you want to become acquainted with one of the greatest vocal phenomenons of this century, this superb RCA Victor mid-priced recording is an excellent place to start.

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Spine tingling
Far Below Nothingness & Eternity
Seminal acoustic guitar masterpiece
Technical virtuosity yes, but where's the soul?
10 stars

Friday Night in San Francisco
John McLaughlin , Paco DeLucia , and Al DiMeola
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Passion, Grace and Fire
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Friday Night in San Francisco

ASIN: B00000DRXW
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho
Short Tales of the Black Forest - Paco de Luc Al di Meola, Al di Meola, John McLaughlin
Frevo Rasgado - Paco de Luc Paco de Luc , Al di Meola, John McLaughlin
Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars: Viva la Danzarina/Guitars of the ...
Guardian Angel [Studio Recording]

Customer Reviews:

Spine tingling.......2007-01-03

When you get a bunch of guitar virtuosos together, that usually adds up to a real snoozefest of lots of technical proficieny and zero tunefullness. So an all acoustic session would be even worse right? Wrong!

People can go on about the technical proficiency demonstrated by messrs. McLaughlin, Di Meola, and Delucia. But technical proficiency alone is not music. This, my friends, is music. Nominally, this is labeled as a jazz album but is really defies any genre. If you have even the slightest affinity for great guitar playing, plunk down your ten bucks and listen.

Far Below Nothingness & Eternity .......2006-01-19

No no no!
JM's adventures in LA are misleading. Shakti's albums are amazing journeys, For the live album i pick Between Nothingness & Eternity.

Funny postcards, jammin' the pink panther's theme, but far - so far from Mahavishnu's best standards.

Seminal acoustic guitar masterpiece.......2005-11-22

The first time I heard this recording I thought it had been sped up in the mastering process. I simply couldn't imagine three musicians playing at such breakneck tempo's, plucking strings at such amazing divisions, and all of it with seeming effortlessness. In many respects this was the end of the fusion era. Dimeola has never again played with such intensity, Mclaughlin has never been so competitive, and Paco may have outshone them all. The fact that there is no professional recording on film of this concert is an extraordinary tragedy. This is the most mind blowing acoustic guitar playing ever...until....
Strunz and Farah's "Frontera", the absolute pinnacle of guitar brilliance and speed, followed by the even more astonishing "Guitarras". The Dimeola, Mclaughlin, DeLucia trio set the bar. It was broken in 1984 by Jorge Strunz and Ardeshir Farah and THAT bar has yet to be broken.

Technical virtuosity yes, but where's the soul?.......2005-10-10

I hadn't listened to this album in many years, having worn out the original a ways back, but I felt compelled to comment after picking up the remixed CD. For me it's a split decision on this one. While it is whimsical and fun at times, and of course a technical tour de force, it leaves me somewhat unsatisfied. While de Lucia and Di Meola at their best are emotionally stirring, this trio seems to not have found that groove the night this was recorded. de Lucia and Di Meola work well together as a duo because they combine Al's blistering speed with Paco's more thoughtful, musical playing. Back and forth they go, Al revving it up and Paco reeling him back in. Truly magical, as in the studio versions of Mediterranean Sundance and Fantasia Suite. On this CD, as the liner notes say, this trio challenged each other to play with technical virtuosity, but the soul was lost. Good to have this album if you are an enthusiast; otherwise there's better acoustic guitar to be had.

10 stars.......2003-12-06

20 some years later and I still remember the first night I heard this CD for the first time, like it was yesterday. And after 20 years I still get goose-bumps every time I listen to this CD. Anyone who loves guitar has to have this CD. Now whenever I hear that somebody loves guitar I put on this CD and wait for their jaw to drop. The technical skill of any one of the three of these gentleman is amazing. But how they play together and play off each other is mind blowing! Guitar lovers prepare for 40 minutes of heaven.

Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim (Live at Carnegie Hall 2001)

Average customer rating:

Wow!
Everyone Should Whistle
An amazing intro to the body of work of a true master
Beautiful, moving concert
... and I love Barbara Cook

Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim (Live at Carnegie Hall 2001)

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Barbara Cook's Broadway!
Barbara Cook at the Met with Special Guests
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The Champion Season: Live at the Cafe Carlyle

ASIN: B000059LFF
Release Date: 2001-05-08

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

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

Customer Reviews:

Wow!.......2004-02-20

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

Everyone Should Whistle.......2003-10-11

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

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

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

Beautiful, moving concert.......2003-04-13

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

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

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

... and I love Barbara Cook.......2003-02-11

This recording is a disappointment for me. It is not her best work, and Malcolm Gets is uninspired. My biggest complaint however is the engineering of the recording. Throughout the speaking was to soft, the singing volumes uneven, and the applause deafening. I will be passing this CD on to friends, and will later donate it to my local library.

Wednesday Night in San Francisco: Recorded Live at the Fillmore Auditorium

Average customer rating:

RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "ALBERT WAS THE GREATEST, BUT MAKE SURE YOU PAY ATTENTION TO SHAQ'S REVIEW!"
F for sound
Awesome live blues guitar
Hot Blues!
Live proof that Albert King's blues guitar voice is unique.

Wednesday Night in San Francisco: Recorded Live at the Fillmore Auditorium
Albert King
Manufacturer: Stax
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Thursday Night in San Francisco: Recorded Live at the Fillmore Auditorium
Live Wire/Blues Power
Blues at Sunset
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Years Gone By

ASIN: B000000ZKN
Release Date: 1990-08-06

Tracks:

Watermelon Man
Why You So Mean To Me
I Get Evil
Got To Be Some Changes Made
Personal Manager
Born Under A Bad Sign
Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong

Customer Reviews:

RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "ALBERT WAS THE GREATEST, BUT MAKE SURE YOU PAY ATTENTION TO SHAQ'S REVIEW!".......2007-02-13

If you're one of "Shaq's, The King Of The World Blues Reviewer's" loyal fans, you already know that Albert King is my all-time favorite electric blues guitarist. If you're not one of my existing fans, but want to know the "truth" about all the criteria that you should consider before spending your hard earned "blues" dollars, you should thank me after this review! What you should know is, that this "live" performance was recorded on June 26, 1968. It was released in 1990. Was Albert great that night? Hell yea! He was great! But... the recording technology was from 1968! If you're a modern day blues fan, that hasn't had experience with how great Albert was, you may be disappointed by the lack of 21st century sound quality. But that is not Albert's fault! If you're an electric blues, collector and aficionado, with experience in the difference in technology over time; then, this CD would be rated a 5 star. But simply because of the lack of clarity, I rate this a 4 star. Albert is the "KING" of kings, of blues. If you're willing to really turn up your CD, or if you are satisfied with simply hearing the greatest "string bender" of all-time, in lesser sound quality, than is available today, this is a classic CD for you.

F for sound .......2006-01-25

Awesome live blues guitar.......2002-08-29

Albert was at his best live...This is awesome guitar playing and Albert's singing is awesome as well. One listen to this and one realizes that Albert King is truly THE master of the blues guitar. ALL songs are excellent! "Don't throw your love on me so strong" is the VERY BEST BLUES GUITAR PLAYING I've ever heard and that includes SRV, Hendrix and the rest of King's followers. He was the BEST!!! Thursday Night and Live Wire/Blues Power are also MUSTS!!!

Hot Blues!.......2002-08-16

Albert King recorded this CD on Wednesday June 26, 1968, one day prior to his more popular and better known release, "Thursday Night In San Francisco". This disc represents the first day that Albert performed at the Filmore as the headliner. Prior to that time, he had appeared as the opener for Jimi Hendrix and John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. Albert's "best" performance that evening, as well as the next day, (according to Stax anyway) was originally released by Stax on the "Live Wire/Blues Power" CD. The songs contained on both, the Wednesday and the Thursday CD were thought to be a cut below and were not included. Fortunately for us, Stax took another look at the material, albeit 22 years later, and released the remainder of the material as it occurred on two separate discs. In order to gain a full understanding as to what occurred on those two nights, King fans should purchase all three of these excellent recordings. As with the other two discs, King's performance is outstanding.

Live proof that Albert King's blues guitar voice is unique........1998-12-24

This album is typically overlooked by blues fans, even Albert fans, but it's a note-perfect document of how to deliver a live blues performance. Albert has such total control of the blues guitar vernacular unique to him that he can ply a range of emotions through a subtlety of pitch, dynamics, and timing that is probably unmatched. The uninitiated listener mistakes this control for repetitiveness, but the flawlessness of Albert's delivery makes his blues guitar voice undeniably compelling nonetheless. All the evidence is on this record.

Average customer rating:

A must for Grieg fans
I fell in love with the voice

Grieg: Peer Gynt

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

At The Wedding - San Francisco Sym/Herbert Blomstedt
The Abduction of the Bride: Ingrid's Lament - San Francisco Sym/Herbert Blomstedt
Peer Gynt and the Herd-girls - Urban Malmberg/Mari-Anne Haeggander/San Francisco Sym Chor/Vance George
In The Hall of the Mountain King - Urban Malmberg/Mari-Anne Haeggander/San Francisco Sym Chor/Vance George
Dance of the Mountain King's Daughter - San Francisco Sym/Herbert Blomstedt
Peer Gynt hunted by the Trolls-Peer Gynt and the Boyg - Urban Malmberg/Mari-Anne Haeggander/San Francisco Sym Chor/Vance George
The Death of Ase - San Francisco Sym/Herbert Blomstedt
Morning mood - San Francisco Sym/Herbert Blomstedt
The Thief and the Receiver - Urban Malmberg/Mari-Anne Haeggander/San Francisco Sym Chor/Vance George
Arabian Dance - Urban Malmberg/Mari-Anne Haeggander/San Francisco Sym Chor/Vance George
Anitra's Dance - San Francisco Sym/Herbert Blomstedt
Peer Gynt's Serenade - Urban Malmberg/Mari-Anne Haeggander/San Francisco Sym Chor/Vance George
Solveig's Song - Urban Malmberg/Mari-Anne Haeggander/San Francisco Sym Chor/Vance George
Peer Gynts Homecoming. Stormy Evening at Sea - San Francisco Sym/Herbert Blomstedt
Shipwreck - Urban Malmberg/Mari-Anne Haeggander/San Francisco Sym Chor/Vance George
Solvieg sings in the Hut - Urban Malmberg/Mari-Anne Haeggander/San Francisco Sym Chor/Vance George
Night Scene - Urban Malmberg/Mari-Anne Haeggander/San Francisco Sym Chor/Vance George
Whitsun Hymn 'Blessed Morn' - Urban Malmberg/Mari-Anne Haeggander/San Francisco Sym Chor/Vance George
Solvieg's Cradle-song - Urban Malmberg/Mari-Anne Haeggander/San Francisco Sym Chor/Vance George

Amazon.com

There are many positive reasons for getting the complete Peer Gynt music, as opposed to just the two suites. In the first place, if you like singing, you get the vocal parts. There's also a lot of really fine and exciting music that's not included in the suites. On the other hand, if dialogue in Norwegian makes you crazy (there isn't really that much of it), you might want to stick with the more traditional excerpts. This performance of the complete score is excitingly detailed, and extremely well played and sung by all the participants. I enjoy hearing the music in both forms, depending on my mood; perhaps you will too. --David Hurwitz

Amazon.com

This 1988 account from Herbert Blomstedt and the San Francisco Symphony is rich and dramatic. Here is a conductor with a real feel for the music, and in his hands Grieg's multimovement score shows its emotional depth. The reading is well paced and brilliantly played, and London's crew provides a high-impact recording, very forward and with excellent detail. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

A must for Grieg fans.......2001-06-04

Because Grieg is one of my favorite composers, I was delighted to get the complete incidental music to Ibsen's play and not just the standard Suites 1 and 2. Blomstedt and the San Francisco Symphony do a fine job of conveying the many moods of Grieg's masterpiece. Listeners need to be prepared to hear singing and dialogue in Norwegian, but its inclusion gives the performance an operatic feel. For those of you familiar with Suites 1 and 2, give a listen to "Peer Gynt Hunted by the Trolls", a highly dramatic work;then, listen to the solemnity of "Blessed Morn" and "Solveig's Cradle Song". I think this CD will enhance your enjoyment of Peer Gynt all the more.

I fell in love with the voice.......1999-04-28

Not much of a vocal fan (I'm into Bach & Mozort intrumental) I was scanning through the titles of this CD for the well know Mountain King part. It's all good & very professional, but when I heard the voice of Mari-Anne Haeggander in the track Solveigs' Song I was bowled over and very much reconciled with vocal music.

She mix's a perfect technical mastery with a just enough human touch to make it reall. The tiny imperfections when her voice goes up a big interval make it just perfect. Ceclia Bartoli (singing Mozart) was my favorite, but now Mari-Anne is.

I'm now urgently looking for more of her recordings, without luck so far. Pleas help.

Music Review:

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