Falling in Love (Is Hard)

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
The first single from their 1997 Columbia album 'NineLives'. It's backed with 'Fall Together', plus the originalalbum versions of their classic 'Sweet Emotion' and 'SeasonsOf Wither'. Slimline jewel case. The full title is 'FallingIn Love (Is Hard On The Knees)'.

Tracks:

Overture (Orchestra)
Not for the Life of Me (Sutton Foster)
Thoroughly Modern Millie (Sutton Foster and Ensemble)
Not for the Life of Me (Sutton Foster, JoAnn M. Hunter, Alisa Klein, Jessica Grove, Megan Sikora, Catherine Brunell and Kate Baldwin)
How the Other Half Lives (Angela Christian and Sutton Foster)
Not for the Life of Me (reprise) (Ken Leung and Francis Jue)
The Speed Test (Marc Kudisch, Sutton Foster, Anne L. Nathan and Ensemble)
They Don't Know (Harriet Harris)
The Nuttycracker Suite (Orchestra)
What Do I Need with Love? (Gavin Creel)
Only in New York (Sheryl Lee Ralph)
Jimmy (Sutton Foster)
Back at Work (Orchestra with Sutton Foster, Anne L. Nathan and Ensemble)
Forget About the Boy (Sutton Foster, Anne L. Nathan and Ensemble)
Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life/I'm Falling in Love with Someone (Marc Kudisch and Angela Christian)
I Turned the Corner/I'm Falling in Love with Someone (quartet/reprise) (Gavin Creel and Sutton Foster, Marc Kudisch and Angela Christian)
Muqin (Harriet Harris, Francis Jue and Ken Leung)
Long as I'm Here with You (Sheryl Lee Ralph and Male Ensemble)
Gimme Gimme (Sutton Foster)
Finale (Thoroughly Modern Millie) (Gavin Creel, Angela Christian and Ensemble with Sheryl Lee Ralph and Sutton Foster)
Final Bows (Entire Company)

Amazon.com

Although it's based on the 1967 movie of the same name, Thoroughly Modern Millie is almost thoroughly new. Composer Jeanine Tesori (Violet) and lyricist Dick Scanlan wrote a whole batch of songs, while retaining a couple from the movie--including the Jimmy van Heusen-Sammy Cahn title tune--and recycling even older material (look for Victor Herbert's "I'm Falling in Love with Someone" and the inventively arranged "Nuttycracker Suite"). Miraculously, the show, set during the jazz age, doesn't feel stitched together, and Tesori does a great job cranking out swinging melodies. Sutton Foster is appropriately brassy as Millie, but she can also tone it down, as in the beginning of "Gimme Gimme" (of course, she then proceeds to project up to the last rafters as the song builds to its climax). Harriet Harris, as nasty Mrs. Meers, steals the show with "They Don't Know." Close your eyes, listen to her, and you'll be back in Broadway's golden age. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Musical, But Product Quality - Eh.......2007-07-15

I absolutely love the musical so I'm thrilled with the cd.

My problem was not with the quality of the cd, but with the plastic case. The cd cases always come cracked. Although it doesn't affect the quality of the cd itself, it's rather disheartening that Amazon charges customers for its poor shipping.

MODERNIZE your music collection!!!.......2007-07-13

This is an AMAZING musical and great album. It is sure to jazz-up any music collection! BUY THIS ALBUM NOW!

A must to add to your collection.......2007-05-18

I was very fortunate enough to see this on Broadway. It was one of the best shows I've ever seen! The music has just enough jazz and contemporary vive that any musical lover would enjoy! It's also got tapping in it! Sutton is simply awesome in this role and all of the cast can really belt out their songs. Harriet Harris is phenominal in her role as Mrs. Meers. I highly recommend this to all broadway lovers! It's one to add to your collection!

Delightful.......2006-06-12

The music takes a little bit to grow on you, but boy, does it! It's wonderful, charming, romantic, funny--just like the play itself. I loved almost every song and I was really impressed with "Long As I'm Here With You"-- I thought it was an old song written back in the twenties, because it so sounded like one. The cast is absolutely energetic and endearing, and Sutton Foster just *rocks*. Definitely worth the money.

YOU WILL LOVE IT.......2006-02-17

If you like musicals, you will NOT REGRET purchasing this musical soundtrack. JUST DO IT. It's so great, you will be listening to it forever. I also saw the show at the Kennedy Center in D.C. and it's one of the best I've ever seen. (And I've seen A LOT.)

Have Fun!

A Day to Remember - Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day

Average customer rating:

A Beautiful Wedding
Wonderful!
Good CD for Wedding
A Day To Remember--Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day, O'Neill Brothers
great choice!

A Day to Remember - Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day
O'Neill Brothers
Manufacturer: O'Neill Brothers
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

A Day to Remember vol II
Classical Wedding
25 Wedding Favorites
Heart Beats: Now & Forever - Timeless Wedding Songs
I Will Be Here: 25 of Today's Best Wedding & Love Songs

ASIN: B000066RG3
Release Date: 2002-04-25

Tracks:

Falling in Love - Tim and Ryan O'Neill
Wachet Auf - J.S. Bach
Air on a G String - J.S. Bach
Air (from Water Music) - Handel
Reminiscent Joy - Tim and Ryan O'Neill
Canon in D - Pachelbel
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - J.S. Bach
The Wedding Song (There is Love) - Stookey
Ave Maria - Schubert
I Will Be Here - Steven Curtis Chapman
The Gift of Love (Water is Wide melody)
Spring (from The Four Seasons) - Vivaldi
Ode to Joy - Beethoven
From This Moment On - Shania Twain
The Way You Look Tonight - Kern
Forever in Love - Kenny G

Album Description

After performing at more than 200 weddings, Tim and Ryan O'Neill recorded this beautiful CD of favorite wedding songs. It features a full hour of instrumental piano, string quartet, flute, and guitar music that can be played at your ceremony or reception.

It also gives suggestions for music at your wedding, including a special bridal website!
*Over 1,000 song titles listed
*Listen to samples of songs
*More ideas for each part of your ceremony, reception, and dance

Customer Reviews:

A Beautiful Wedding.......2007-07-10

This CD made all the difference in our wedding celebration. The songs were simply beautiful. The CD was delivered promptly. I would definitely buy from this vendor again.

Wonderful!.......2007-03-23

This is exactly what I was looking for for my wedding day. It's a beautiful cd, absolutely perfect.

Good CD for Wedding.......2007-03-21

All great music for weddings. It really does have all the music I want to use!

A Day To Remember--Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day, O'Neill Brothers.......2007-02-07

The music was just perfect for our wedding--not too formal, not too simple.

great choice!.......2007-01-10

There are so many different songs to choose from on this cd and it's a great buy. whether you want to play it while eating dinner at the wedding, to walking down the isle, it's wonderful!!!!

Jerry Hadley - Golden Days - Tenor hits from the Golden Age of Operetta

Average customer rating:

Jerry Hadley - Golden Days - Tenor hits from the Golden Age of Operetta

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The World Is Beautiful: Viennese Operetta Arias
When I Grow Too Old to Dream
Jerry Hadley: Vienna
In the Real World
Jerry Hadley - The Age of Bel Canto

ASIN: B000003FQQ
Release Date: 1994-08-16

Tracks:

Song of the Vagabonds
I'm Falling in Love With Someone
Streets of New York
Neapolitan Love Song
Desert Song/One Alone
Every Day Is Ladies' Day with Me
Donkey Serenade
Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
Drinking Song
When You're Away
I Love to Go Swimmin' With Wimmin
I Might Be Your Once-In-A-While
Marianne
Serenade
Indian Summer
When I Grow Too Old to Dream
Gypsy Love Song
Golden Days - Jerry Hadley, Mario Lanza

Mulholland Drive: Original Motion Picture Score

Average customer rating:

In this dream, you are Betty Elms
Badalamenti does it again.
Take a drive through David Lynch's musical hell and deluding darkness...
dark and (often) beautiful
A dark journey through the sphere of horror.

Mulholland Drive: Original Motion Picture Score
Angelo Badalamenti , and David Lynch
Manufacturer: Milan Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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

Blue Velvet: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (Soundtrack)
Lost Highway (1997 Film)
Twin Peaks (TV Soundtrack)
Floating into the Night

ASIN: B00005PJ9K
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

Jitterbug
Mulholland Drive
Rita Walks/Sunset Boulevard/Aunt Ruth
Diner
Mr. Roque/Betty's Theme
The Beast
Bring It On Home
I've Told Every Little Star
Dwarfland/Love Theme
Silencio
Llorando (Crying)
Pretty 50s
Go Get Some
Diane And Camilla
Dinner Party Pool Music
Mountains Falling
Mulholland Drive/Love Theme

Amazon.com

Director David Lynch's affection for kitschy lounge music and emotionally overwrought mid-century pop has long since proven to be more than trend or irony; indeed, it's often the uneasy spiritual axis of his films. The soundtrack of Mulholland Dr. turns on the usual Lynchian motifs (the brooding atmosphere of Angelo Badalamenti's ominous synth-and-orchestra cues tossed with a dash of Lynch's own off-center compositions), yet manages to evoke a sense of foreboding that's distinctly its own. Badalamenti leads off with a curve, the nervous orchestra swing-romp "Jitterbug," before descending into a dark soundscape that becomes murkier and more avant-goth at every turn. Bubbling through that morass are pop nuggets variously cheesy (Dave Cavanaugh's lounge-ready "The Beast"), lugubriously bluesy (Sonny Boy Williamson's take on Willie Dixon's "Bring It On Home"), and alternately innocent ("I've Told Every Little Star") and liturgical ("Llorando"). Three tracks of the director's own (cowritten with John Neff) skulking Lounge Music from Hell ratchet up the tension even further; it's the perfect garnish for this darkly delicious film-music cocktail. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

In this dream, you are Betty Elms.......2007-01-13

The reviews here simply don't do justice to the soundtrack. It's very hypnotizing and elevates you to this reality that you indeed have the same mental energy displayed by the first character of Betty Elms, who Diane Selwyn identifies with as herself in a dream she is having. The dark scenery conveyed by this music puts you in her place, where through darkness you hold to your innocence. The movie and music interplay in this way to the effect of putting you in that darkness where you are the same girl that Diane is seeing in her dream, the girl she knows herself to be without the hellish reality she is in as a sort of resolve to the hell she's in. This Naomi Watts specifically conveyed what I thought is a part of me that may also be a part of you, and you will notice it in the way you look at things and how your face expresses your innocence to a dark world. Then there is the music for Rita. I also reviewed the movie, which I also recommend. My favorite track is the 9th one in this respect. Secondly, which you may find suitable for your funeral, is the last song. The rest I almost prefer watching the movie and appreciating it all while viewing, but it's music you must have after you've seen it.

Badalamenti does it again........2006-11-17

If you're a fan of Angelo Badalamenti's scores for David Lynch, you'll want to add this to your collection as well. Haunting synth pieces lull you into the dreamlike world Lynch created with this film, and there are some other types of music to jazz it up a little. Particularly striking is Rebekah Del Rio's cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying."

Take a drive through David Lynch's musical hell and deluding darkness..........2006-06-26

To start of, I regard "Mulholland Dr." as David Lynch magnum opus, his most masterfully created cinema of deceit, lust and darkness. Compelling, totally deranged, original, sometimes hilarious funny, and three minutes later scary as hell.

David Lynch's movies are always heavy set on atmosphere, and this is partly caused by the director's long time musical collaborator Angelo Badalamenti. From the jazzy, loungy tunes for the t.v. series "Twin Peaks" to the dark overtones of "Blue Velvet", Badalamenti knows wich buttons to push to make an eerie composition, a few notes of estrangeness and give the audience an unsetteling feeling.

"Mulholland Dr." is filled with music. Most of it is purely on the soundrack with Badalamenti's score coming very close to high quality dark ambient acts like Lustmord, Raison d'Etre or Hazard, others are sung "live" in the movie, like Linda Scott's sweet bubblegumish "I've told every little star", two very hip tunes ("The beast" by Milt Buckner and Sonny Boy Williamson's "Bring it on home") and of course Rebekah Del Rio's acapella performance of "llorando", the Spanish version of Roy Orbison's evergreen.

But the greatest surprise to me were three tracks by David Lynch himself in collaboration with one John Neff. And these three pieces are to be find on a solo cd by David Lynch called "Blue Bob".
I never knew before seeing "Mulholland Dr." that David Lynch is also a guiter player and singer. Now I know and I must say that his song "Mountains falling" is the most brooding, creeping, swirling and erotic sounding piece of electric guitar music I have ever heard.

So play this album and hit the road, Jack. And pray that indeed you will come back...

dark and (often) beautiful.......2005-11-25

anyone who has seen mulholland drive knows that the soundtrack lent a very important hand to the overall vibe of the movie. so you would think that it would be hard to enjoy one without the other, but this soundtrack suceeds very well on its own. alot of film scores are fine and enhance the movie while yr watching it, but are trash when taken alone and this sndtrk is kind of above that. i'm not really big on any of the lynch/neff tracks, but they work fine in the movie. the other songs that weren't written by badalamenti are pretty good and are a nice change of pace. my favorite tracks are dwarfland/love theme (especially the latter half), mulholland drive/love theme, llorando, and diane and camilla. i dont believe that diane and camilla was in the movie, but its a very beautiful piece that i think sums up the diane/camilla relationship quite well. anyway, i really like this cd and anyone who enjoyed the film would do well to pick this up

A dark journey through the sphere of horror........2005-10-26

It may not be a horror movie, but the score for Mulholland Drive could be a journey through the ultimate graveyard or haunted house on a stormy Halloween night. I have never even seen the movie, though I love David Lynch's movies for the most part. This score is a dark and haunting musical journey that might work well for a score to a creepy vampire movie or something. Some of it, including the heavy jazzy and dark rock pieces, might be better suited for a suspense thriller, which it is. But the more ambient dark themes could work in any supernatural thriller much as Mark Snow's music could. Enjoy the tour! Ha! Ha! Ha!

La Stupenda ~ The Supreme Voice of Joan Sutherland

Average customer rating:

La Stupenda at her best
this is the one to buy
La Stupenda lives up to her name
La Stupenda, Amore, amore, amore
La Stupenda - well deserved title for Joan

La Stupenda ~ The Supreme Voice of Joan Sutherland
Gaetano Donizetti , Jules Massenet , Giuseppe Verdi , Richard Bonynge , and Joan Sutherland
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Joan Sutherland - The Greatest Hits
The Art of the Prima Donna
The Great Recordings
Great Duets & Trios / Sutherland, Horne, Pavarotti
Joan Sutherland: BBC-Recitals 1958, 1960, 1961

ASIN: B00005OC0E
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

Attila: Santo Di Patria... Allor Che I Forti Corrono - Joan Sutherland
Lakme: Viens, Mallika... Dome Epais Le Jasmin - Joan Sutherland/Jane Berbie
Les Contes D'Hoffmann: Les Oiseaux Dans La Charmille - Joan Sutherland
Die Zauberflote: O Zittre Nicht, Mein Lieber Sohn... Zum Leiden Bin Ich Auserkoren - Joan Sutherland
Linda Di Chamounix: Ah! Tardai Troppo... O Luce Di Quest'anima - Joan Sutherland
Semiramide: Serbami Ognor Si Fido - Joan Sutherland/Marilyn Horne
Beatrice Di Tenda Bellini: Eccomi Pronta... Deh, Se Un'urna - Joan Sutherland/Ambrosian Singers
La Fille Du Regiment Donizetti: Pour Ce Contrat Fatal... Ah! Salut A La France - Joan Sutherland/Chor Of The ROHCG
La Traviata: Un Di Felice - Joan Sutherland/Carlo Bergonzi
The Bohemian Girl: I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls - Joan Sutherland
Home Sweet Home - Joan Sutherland
Casanova: Nuns' Chorus - Joan Sutherland/Ambrosian Light Opr Chor
Lucia Di Lammermoor: (O Giusto Cielo!)... Il Dolce Suono Mi Colpi Di Sua Voce!... Ardon Gl'incensi.. - Joan Sutherland/Chor De L'Opera De Paris/Rene Duclos

Tracks:

Norma: Sediziose Voci... Casta Diva - Joan Sutherland/Chor Of The ROHCG/Douglas Robinson
Alcina: Tornami A Vagheggiar - Joan Sutherland
Con For Coloratura Soprano, Op.82: Andante - Joan Sutherland
Con For Coloratura Soprano, Op.82: Allegro - Joan Sutherland
Lucia Di Lammermoor: Sulla Tomba... Ah! Verranno A Te Sull'aure - Joan Sutherland/Luciano Pavarotti
Rigoletto: Gualtier Malde... Caro Nome - Joan Sutherland/Riccardo Cassinelli/Christian Du Plessis/John Gibbs/Ambrosian Opr Chor
Esclarmonde Massenet: Esprits De L'air! Esprits De L'onde! ... Roland! Roland! Roland! - Joan Sutherland/Huguette Tourangeau/John Alldis Chor
Operette: Where Are The Songs We Sung? - Joan Sutherland
The Boys From Syracuse: Falling In Love With Love - Joan Sutherland/Ambrosian Light Opr Chor
I Puritani: Son Vergin Vezzosa - Joan Sutherland/Margreta Elkins/Pierre Duval/Ezio Flagello
Turandot: In Questa Reggia - Joan Sutherland/Luciano Pavarotti/John Alldis Choir/Wandsworth School Boys' Choir/Russell Burgess
Tristan Und Isolde: Mild Und Leise Wie Er Lachelt - Joan Sutherland
Adriana Lecouvreur: Poveri Fiori - Joan Sutherland
La Sonnambula: Ah! Non Giunge Uman Pensiero - Joan Sutherland/London Opr Chor/Terry Edwards

Customer Reviews:

La Stupenda at her best.......2007-05-06

This 2 CD set is entitled "La Stupenda," which creates extremely high expectations. Joan Sutherland meets those expectations on this CD; she is, indeed, "La Stupenda." One of the interesting aspects of this set is Dame Joan's singing some non operatic works (such as "Home Sweet Home" or "Where Are the Songs We Sung?" or "Falling in Love with Love"). In the end, this is a wonderful compilation of the art of Joan Sutherland.

First, let's consider a sampling of the cuts on these CDs.

"O Zittre Nicht" is from Mozart's "Magic Flute" and it is a challenge to sopranos, with its series of staccato high notes. Sutherland essays this well. There are some nice trills; she hits the high notes well. The series of (treacherous) high notes toward the end is handled very nicely by Sutherland. In short, she scintillates, with a closing high note well hit.

From Donizetti's "Linda di Chamounix," she sings "O luce di questi'anima." Her voice and technique are well suited for Donizetti (and Bellini). The cantabile is smoothly sung. The cabaletta is rollicking. Her coloratura technique is on target; the ornamentation is compelling. There are trills, runs, high notes and other ornamentation well done. The close is nice (although there may be a bit of a scoop on the final high note).

From "Beatrice di Tenda" (by Bellini), we hear ""Eccomi pronta. . .Deh, se un'urna." The cantabile is sung well. She hits notes clearly. The spirited cabaletta follows. Sutherland exhibits somewhat less ornamentation than usual, but trills are well done and, overall, the piece is nicely sung. The close features clean high notes.

"Home Sweet Home." This kind of illustrates Joan Sutherland's work nicely. I can hardly make out the words (and it is sung in English). But it is an interesting version. She sings the song straight, without overpowering the song with operatic technique (an occasional trill actually works out well).

Elsewhere, I have commented on her 1959 version of the "Mad Scene" from "Lucia di Lammermoor" (from her album "The Greatest Hits").

"Falling in Love with Love" is an interesting cut. This is a classic Rodgers and Hart song. Sutherland sings it pretty well, and one can pick up the words cleanly. However, one might compare this with Anna Moffo's version, which is more musical. Sutherland's version is a bit too operatic for what the song is about.

Finally, "Ah non giunge" from Bellini's "La Sonnambula," a great coloratura tune! This is taken at a sprightly pace. Sutherland exhibits good coloratura technique. There is nice ornamentation. She precisely nails high notes. In the repeat, the florid singing ramps up. This is a compelling version, with series of staccato high notes to close the work out.

Thus, this 2 CD set is a welcome entrée to the body of work of Dame Joan Sutherland. Sometimes (as with "Home Sweet Home") one has a hard time picking out the words. But with Sutherland, the skills and techniques create a compelling oeuvre that is well worth attending to.

this is the one to buy.......2007-04-18

I'm not an opera expert I just enjoy it. La Stupenda has the best of Joan Sutherland in a two CD set and it's amazing. She looked like a nice, quiet housewife but an indescribalbe voice. Her aria from Norma gave me chills and her version of "I Dreamed I Dwelt in Marble Halls" is flat out one of the prettiest things I've ever heard.

La Stupenda lives up to her name.......2006-11-12

Joan Sutherland was undeniably one of the greatest operatic sopranos of the 20th century. This comprehensive two-CD retrospective of her long career will delight her many fans, and serve as a fitting introduction for those unfamiliar with her artistry. The two CDs span a period of nearly thirty years, from 1959 to 1988, with the majority of the 27 tracks recorded during the 1960s and 1970s, when her voice was at its' astounding best. Sutherland was renowned first and foremost as a dramatic coloratura, and her supple technique is brilliantly illustrated in selections such as the Mad Scene from Lucia di Lammermoor; Doll Song from The Tales of Hoffmann; Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute; and the seldom-performed Concerto for Coloratura Soprano by Gliere. As her career progressed, her voice became larger and more powerful, as demonstrated by the Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, and In Questa Reggia from Puccini's Turandot. Lastly, Sutherland was a diva who was not afraid to let her hair down once in a while, and we are treated to lighter selections such as Where are the songs we sung? by Noel Coward, and Falling in love with love, by Rogers and Hart. Highly recommended for all lovers of great singing.

La Stupenda, Amore, amore, amore.......2006-01-28

I adore this woman's voice. And I love this cd. I was really happy to find an aria of "Esclarmonde" which is virtually impossible to find as well as some of the more lesser known works of hers such as Mozart's Queen of Night, although I wish she had done a recording of the revenge aria (Der Holle Roche) The whole cd was wonderful to hear but if I had to make on complaint it's that I didn't buy her Isolde's Liebestod but the woman can sing Lucia better than just about anyone so I'll forgive her for not sticking with the Wagner. In fact I am thrilled that she chose Lucia over Isolde because frankly acting and interperation was never her strong suit, it was the pure beauty of her voice. It's always a grand pleasure to listen to Joan kick butt in any coloratura arias but of course she set the bar so high that there is yet a coloratura since her that can do those arias half as well. She has spoiled me for life and that's why she is La Stupenda.

La Stupenda - well deserved title for Joan.......2006-01-12

I am not an opera expert by any stretch of the imagination - but I love opera. I love the expertise and beautiful voices of these hardworking singers. When I first heard Joan sing, it was from a recording she made late in her career and I honestly thought, what's the big deal about her? So, I decided to get The Art of Prima Donna album, and all I have to say is WOW! In her prime, this woman was a fantastic singer! While she wasn't the dramatist like Callas was (I also love Callas), her range and the way she hit each note so precisely was amazing! So, I bought La Stupenda. I loved the piece she did from Handel's Alcia and the fantastic Rossini duet she did with Marilyn Horn. The entire album is wonderful. I particularly like how Joan's high notes are never screechy - she makes those high notes sound so effortless. I also appreciate how she had such control over her vibrato - not too trilly (I like trilly - especially by Beverly Sills - however, not every song should be all trill). Finally, I think that Joan was one of the few sopranos that didn't try to drown everyone out. When she sang a duet, she blended with the other singer - how rare! Not all singers seem to be able to accomplish that - duets shouldn't be a competition. This album is worth every penny. Joan was one of the great singers of the 20th century and she deserves her title of La Stupenda!

Average customer rating:

Very Pleased
audio bad worse than the old LP's
My wife talking to me from the grave.

Bluebird Of Happiness

Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Three Tenors of the Golden Age
The Art of the Cantor
Jan Peerce Sings Yiddish Folk Songs
Jan Peerce Sings Songs From "Fiddler On The Roof" And Ten Classics Of Jewish Folk Song
Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life: The Songs of Victor Herbert

ASIN: B000000WSQ
Release Date: 1997-11-18

Tracks:

Something in the Night
Bluebird of Happiness
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una Furtiva Lagrima
Macushla
Robin Hood: Oh Promise Me
Pagliacci: Vesti la Gubba
Ay-Ay-Ay
Morning
Naughty Marietta: I'm Falling in Love With Someone
La Donna E Mobile from Rigoletto Ver(di)
Agnus Dei (Bizet)
O Sole Mio (di Capua)
Mattinata (Leonacavallo)
Torna A Surriento (de Curtis)
La Danza (Rossine, arr. L. Artok)
Parmi Veder Le Lagrime from Rigoletto (Verdi)
De' Miei Bollenti Spiriti from La Traviata (Verdi)
Aria Ma Se m'e Forza Perderti (Verdi)
O Paradiso from L'Africanna (Meyerbeer)
Because (Teschemacher-d'Hardelot)
Bluebird of Happiness (Harmanti-Heyman-Davies)

Customer Reviews:

Very Pleased.......2007-01-12

My Aunt cried whren she heard the music she learned to love in the depression Especially Blue bird of Happiness.

audio bad worse than the old LP's.......2000-11-23

A marvelous singer that I have loved since I was a child, singing the songs of his that I have enjoyed all these many years. The sad part of the recording is that the sound hasn't been reworked and it sounds worse that the old LP. It's really sad that they would issue this great recording in such a sad state. If you don't mind the bad fidelity, you will enjoy this.

My wife talking to me from the grave........1999-03-08

My wife passed awau in Jan.1999. This month (March) Ifound a letter from she had mailed in 1948 to me in which she said in part "It just go'es to show what being truly in love means. Just now they played (radio) BLUE BIRD OF HAPPYNESS. I wanted to tell everone that it's right here." We were married 57 years and deeply in love that will never end. Thank you.

Falling in Love Again: Great Songs from the Movies

Average customer rating:

Lola Lola Flies Over The Rainbow!
Donýt let ýThe Lady With The Glassesý escape you
Fabulous

Falling in Love Again: Great Songs from the Movies
Nana Mouskouri
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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

Only Love: The Best of Nana
At Her Very Best
Ode To Joy
Passport
The Magic of Nana Mouskouri

ASIN: B000001DY5
Release Date: 1993-03-23

Tracks:

A Day In The Life Of A Fool
The Wind Beneath My Wings
Autumn Leaves
Over The Rainbow
How Do You Keep The Music Playing
The Summer Knows
My Own True Love
Falling In Love Again
The Way We Were
Smile
As Time Goes By
Laura - Nana Mouskouri/Bud Shank
Beauty & The Beast
The Windmills Of Your Mind
High Noon

Customer Reviews:

Lola Lola Flies Over The Rainbow!.......2002-10-19

I remember going to a Nana Mouskouri with my ex when we were both students in Germany. It seemed like a kind of fun, campy thing to do. And actually, it was just that--fun, a little campy--if not downright kitschy. Nana, of course, is one of those international pop stars who record in every conceivable language (except, maybe, Icelandic and Mandarin). To her credit, she's one of the few who has actually made a dent in the U.S. market, and she has done more for eyewear fashion than anyone this side of Sally Jessy Raphael.

But is she any good? Well, yes, she is a very talented pop singer. For a non-native speaker, she actually interprets idiomatic English-language material pretty well. But there are limits to that talent, as more than a couple of the songs here demonstrate. The most awkward moments are the two duets with Harry Belafonte. Belafonte, completely at home with the language, adopts an almost conversational style well-suited to his husky voice. Mouskouri, by comparison, sounds stiff and sticks to singing "pretty" rather interpreting the lyric. It is, quite simply, the difference between a singer working in his native language versus one who's struggling in another.

When she tackles "The Summer Knows," she does fairly well, but for me the definitive version of that song will always be the one by the late, lamented Nancy LaMott. LaMott, who combined this song with "Summer Me Winter Me," was expert at getting behind the lyric. As a superb cabaret artist, that was her forte. Mouskouri tries valiantly, hits all the notes, but she cannot inject it with the wit and life-wisdom that LaMott does so effortlessly. Of course, if they were singing some idiomatic Greek chanson, Nana would trump Nancy--no nagging doubt.

It's also fair to say that a tongue twister like "The Windows of Your Mind" almost completely eludes her. But the only glaring linguistic gaffe occurs in "As Time Goes By." Instead of the correct (and sensible) lines, "Woman needs man/and man must have his mate," Nana warbles something that sounds like , "Woman nids man/ and man just have his mate," which someone in the recording studio should have caught and declared that it made NO SENSE WHATSOVER! But the CD was produced by Nana herself and someone named Andre Chapelle, so I'm guessing that there was no one on hand with a complete mastery of the Queen's English (or Humphrey Bogart's for that matter).

A project albm like this(the subtitle is "Great Songs from the Movies") allows a recording artist an opportunity to record material closely associated with other artists with some impunity. Some might argue that she borrows too much of Bette Midler's phrasing on "Wing Beneath My Wings"--although what she actually borrows are the textual embroiderings Midler threw in that weren't actually part of the original lyrics.

And there will be those who will insist that no other singer should even attempt "Over the Rainbow," "Falling In Love Again," or even "The Way We Were" lest they be guilty of sacrilege. But, hey, if it's all part of an overall "tribute to the movies"... Actually, Mouskouri does reasonable justice to all three. She doesn't try to imitate any of the original singers in any way, and while she won't make anyone forget Garland or Dietrich, I'm sure there are those who will prefer her more understated version of "The Way We Were" to Streisand's socco-boffo interpretation. Me, I never cared that much for the song one way or the other. But the capper is with the capper. That is to say, the last track, "High Noon," is just grand. If "Mousaka Westerns" ever become a viable genre, Nana Mouskouri should be on EVERY soundtrack.

Seriously. This is fun. And good of kind! I feel less guiltily pleasured when I listen to Nana in a foreign language (sort of the way that I find I CAN listen to Celine Dion in French), but everyone should own at least one Nana Mouskouri record--and if you want her in English, this one may be ideal.

Donýt let ýThe Lady With The Glassesý escape you.......2000-07-30

Nana Mouskouri is my benchmark against which I measure other contemporary singers. Her voice is lower than soprano (perhaps "mezzo-soprano): it's clear, rich, resonant and bright. Her tone is "breathy." I believe this feature gives her an "intimate" quality, but hey, I'm just a guy. On Falling In Love Again, Mouskouri covers fifteen movie songs from the past four decades: this is a "real" album and not a compilation of previous material. The CD features the elegant Michel Legrand Orchestra with a chorus that sounds like 100 singers. Set in the middle of a full orchestra and massive choir, some soloists might get buried (or worse - compete against the awesome sound), but not Mouskouri. Her intensity, her ability to project over the orchestra, is exceptional. Although Legrand's arrangements are grandiose, Mouskouri dominates center stage and is clearly the focal-point of the album. Again, it's her voice. Without "flaming" other popular female singers, everything Mouskouri does, she does right. Listen to the way she effortlessly shifts from one tone quality to another without "belting" or breaking into a falsetto (Autumn Leaves, How Do You Keep The Music Playing). `My Own True Love' and `Beauty And The Beast' are impressive examples of her flexibility and agility (I'd use the term "bel canto," but it might frighten away all but opera fans).

On an emotional level, the compositions are "love" songs from "mushy" movies. `You Are The Wind Beneath My Wings' is a poignant song for anyone who has ever worshiped an older brother or sister. The dynamics of `My Own True Love' radiate with Mouskouri's confidence. `The Windmills Of Your Mind' is haunting and majestic. Without the slightest hint of a temperamental "prima donna," the voice of Nana Mouskouri is simply "The Voice." Don't let "The Lady With The Glasses" escape you.

Technical Note: Why PolyGram Records does not use the SPARS code "DDD" is beyond me. The booklet mentions "digitally recorded and mixed," and I suspect this is a true DDD recording. Mouskouri's voice is usually close-miked, and quite capable of over-saturating analog equipment. It doesn't happen here (My Own True Love, Beauty And The Beast). The CD is an outstanding source for demonstrating high-end audio equipment. Mouskouri's "bell clear" voice "rings" (resonating at 2,500-3,000 Hz), and the dynamic range of tracks such as `Somewhere Over The Rainbow' is enormous.

Fabulous.......1999-04-19

An extremely well chosen collection of songs sung by a fabulous voice.

Tracks:

Ah, Sweet Mystery Of Life! - Richard Crooks
Gypsy Love Song - CHARLES KULLMAN
Romany Life - Jeanette MacDonald
March Of The Toys - Victor Young & His Concert Orchestra
Kiss Me Again - Florence Easton
(The Day Is Done...) Moonbeams - Richard Crooks
Italian Street Song - Florence George/The Max Terr Choristers
I'm Falling In Love With Someone - CHARLES KULLMAN
'Neath The Southern Moon - Nelson Eddy
Tramp, Tramp, Tramp! - Nelson Eddy
Paul's Address: (My Commander As Envoy Bids Me Come...) No Country Can My Own Outvie - John McCormack
I List The Trill In Golden Throat - Alma Gluck/Charles Schuetz
The Cricket On The Earth - Christie MacDonald/Reginald Werrenrath/Howard Ratty
Sweethearts - Richard Tauber
To Land Of My Own Romance - John McHugh
When You're Away - Richard Tauber
Neapolitan Love Song - Richard Crooks
Ireland, My Sireland (When Shall I Again See Ireland?) - John McCormick/Dominic Melillo
Eileen Alannah Ashthore - John McCormick/Dominic Melillo
Thine Alone - CHARLES KULLMAN
A Kiss In The Dark - Amelita Galli-Curci
Indian Summer - Richard Tauber
Ah, Sweet Mystery Of Life! - Jeanette Macdonald/Nelson Eddy

Customer Reviews:

Some old favourites, and some unfamiliar, enjoyable voices and songs.......2007-03-11

This compilation has the usual songs that immediately bring the name of composer Victor Herbert to mind - Ah, sweet mystery of life, I'm falling in love with someone and Tramp, tramp, tramp - with such well known voices as those of Macdonald, Eddy and the famous tenors, Richard Crooks, Richard Tauber and Charles Kullmann.

Perhaps of greater interest to many listeners will be the relatively seldom heard artists, such as John McHugh, Florence Easton and Florence George. All three have very pleasant voices and aural personalities.

It is a somewhat mixed delight to hear Amelita Galli-Curci, John McCormack, Alma Gluck and Richard Werrenrath in recordings from the acoustic era. My personal favourite from that group is Galli-Cutci's charming version of A kiss in the dark.

Altogether, a well chosen mixture of the familiar and the out of the way, carefully and well re-recorded.

Average customer rating:

Not actually his best, but very good
Beyond Wonderful!
"Falling in Love..." is Wonderful

Falling in Love Is Wonderful
Jimmy Scott
Manufacturer: Wea/Warner
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

All the Way
The Source
Lost and Found
The Fabulous Songs of Jimmy Scott
Jimmy Scott - If You Only Knew

ASIN: B00007JQTY
Release Date: 2003-03-31

Tracks:

They Say Its Wonderful
I Wish I Didnt Love You So
There Is No Greater Love
If I Should Lose You
Why Try To Change Me Now
Im Getting Sentiental Over You
Someone To Watch Over Me
How Deep Is The Ocean
I Didnt Know What Time It Was
Sunday Monday Or Always

Album Description

Produced by Joe Adams, supervised by and featuring Ray Charles on piano. After four decades of suppression, Jimmy Scott and Ray Charles' 1962 legendary recording is finally made available. Rhino. 2002.

Album Details

The Original 1962 Recording of the Remarkable Singer (As Featured in a Pbs/Independent Lens Documentary) that was Produced by (And features Performances By) Ray Charles.

Customer Reviews:

Not actually his best, but very good.......2005-10-05

This album has the best back-story of all of Jimmy Scott's albums: Ray Charles plucks Scott from a downward career slide and gives him a first-class orchestral pop treatment--only to see the evil Herman Lubinsky (Savoy Records' owner) ruin the whole thing with a threatened lawsuit (the record was pulled from the racks).

(Context: In the 1950s, Jimmy Scott evidently carelessly signed all manner of contracts put before him by Lubinsky; Joel Dorn has called Lubinsky "a hemorrhoid of a human...whom even the worst record business golems of the era shunned.")

Okay, so all of that is interesting, and the album does hold up. But does it surpass his first two Warner Bros. records, or his Atlantic sessions from 1969 and 1972 (scattered over "Lost and Found" and "The Source")? In my opinion, no, it doesn't surpass those works. Scott isn't allowed to stretch out quite as fully here (most of the tracks clock in at 3:30-4:00), and the orchestral arrangements aren't quite as tasty as the sonic divans created for his subsequent pop masterpieces. This record is one of his best, make no mistake, but not the holy grail of legend, the greatest thing he ever did.

So start with the first two on Warner Bros. and the Atlantic Records stuff, and then get this record, the Savoy stuff, his recent series on Milestone, and the Decca sides. Then choose very carefully among what's left--there are a couple of sessions that aren't worth purchasing.

BTW, the liner notes hint that Ray Charles (who, to be fair, put out a lot of cash and time to make this record happen in the first place) was acting a little Lubinsky-like after Scott's ship finally came in in the early 1990s:

"Only one question remains: Why did the producer [Charles] wait so long to finally release the record? After all, when Lubinsky died in 1985, the threat of lawsuits died along with him.

"Timing is everything," says Brother Ray. "And right now, it's Jimmy Scott's time."

Ray allowed Rhino handmade a limited domestic release which carried premium price around the time that David Ritz's authorized biography came out. Now one must pay import prices to get this album. The indignities never end...

Beyond Wonderful!.......2003-04-08

Finally, this great lost LP is now on CD, and everyone can hear the artistry that is Jimmy Scott. It's a tragedy that due to tangled legal issues, "Falling In Love Is Wonderful" was quickly pulled in 1963 shortly after it's initial release. ... Jimmy's career was frustrated by this, and so one of the greatest jazz vocal LPs became something of a Holy Grail for those discriminating listeners determined to find a rare copy in music stores or online. But now all the legal issues are resolved and everyone can enjoy this remarkable record on CD. To think of the lost opportunities to Scott's career could make one weep. And to listen to Scott's mesmerizing vocals could bring a tear to one's eye on classic tracks like "They Say It's Wonderful" and "Someone To Watch Over Me". I can't recommend this CD enough!

"Falling in Love..." is Wonderful.......2003-03-12

Ray Charles wanted to highlight Jimmy Scott's ballad ability, and he does here. What keeps this CD from being rated 5 stars is that there is not much variation in tempi. Otherwise, Scott's ability to get inside a ballad and make it his own is exemplary. The title cut, for example, is the most moving version of this song I have ever heard and I think is the strongest cut. Charles' piano complements and, in fact, comments a bit on the lyrics and there is some great byplay between the vocalist and pianist. The stereo mix is a bit extreme (The mono mix might present a more coherent image, but you might lose Charles' piano, by himself, out in the left channel).

This is thoroughly enjoyable and it's great to see it re-released.

Xena: Warrior Princess, Volume Six : Original Television Soundtrack
Average customer rating:

Great, but no prize

Xena;Warrior Princess volume six

Great Collection

Exceptional

A MIX OF THE BEST, THE WORST AND THE MISSING

Xena: Warrior Princess, Volume Six : Original Television Soundtrack

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Film Scores | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Television Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Xena: Warrior Princess, Volume Four - Original Soundtrack

Xena: Warrior Princess - Original Television Soundtrack

Xena: Warrior Princess - Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire: Original Television Soundtrack

Xena: Warrior Princess - The Bitter Suite: A Musical Odyssey - Original Television Soundtrack

Xena: Warrior Princess - Original Television Soundtrack, Volume Two

ASIN: B00005LMK2
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Tracks:

With the Angels
Battling Archangles
Go to Them
Body Snatch
Resistence
Gab's Trial
They're Coming
Back from the Dead
She'll Be Here
Callisto in Hell
Way of Pain
Kee Coming
End of Coming
Ring
Valhalla
On a Cow
Up the Rhein
Rhein Maidens
Out of Options
Kiss
Return of the Rheingold
Pas de Deux Femmes
You Will Dance

Tracks:

Sounds of War
To the Rising Sun
Sounds of Life and Death
Snow Falling on Cedars
Burning Higuchi
Die Demon
Reality of Dreams
Xena Vs. Yodishi
Return to Chin
Power of the Book
Secret of the Powder
Haulin' to the North
Mausoleum
It's Over
Love Is a Weapon
United in Love
Joxer the Mighty
Play's the Thing
Woman's a Natural Thing/Miss Known World
Day in the Life
Catching Fish
Up in the Trees
Things in Common
Down the Valley
Neighbor Lady
Smelling Mortality
Chasin' Chickens
Quill Is Mightier
Here Girl
Xena Main Title

Customer Reviews:

Great, but no prize.......2002-03-31

The selections from the Ring trilogy, Friends in need and Fallen Angel were excellent, however, some of the special request such as joxer the mighty, seemed a little bit rushed. Wasn't that song on Volume 2 already? Where was M'Lila's song from Destiny, or the music played During the first Kiss in "The Quest"
The cd has its good points, personally "It's Over" from "THAB" with its haunting melodies portraying the consequences of war.

Xena;Warrior Princess volume six.......2002-01-09

I am so happy that the last and final cd has come out, now my collection is complete. I am very sad for the show ending, but I am glad to still collect things.

Great Collection.......2001-12-25

Well, I have them all by now, but this last one is a great collection, with the added bonus of the music from A Friend In Need.
Just another fine addition to my Xena collection!

Exceptional.......2001-11-30

I am a fanatic and devoted Xenite.I have a huge problem:i can't stop listening to that cd,since the first time i listened to it,which means 1 month!That cd is really exceptional and i think that every true and genuine Xenite should buy it!It's really good!I was moved when i heard the Fallen Angel part.I was passioned when i heard the Ring Trilogy!I was astonishing when i heard the bonus cues that were included,especially the cue from The Quill Is Mightier(fishin part),oh,i was completely satisfied!
Though,there is a complain:i can't understand,why after 6 cd's,the producers don't do a cd including cues like:M'laila's song,the cues from the Bacchaen festival,music from Deja Vou All Over Again,where in the end,Gabrielle says to Xena those wonderful words,or even the scene of the kiss in The Quest!That,i can't understand it!
Last, i believe that whoever likes LoDuca's music style,should buy this cd.
Pay attention to the 22 cue:Pas De Deux Femmes.It is one of a something and whoever remembers what's the scene of this song,will agree with me!Mmmm!

A MIX OF THE BEST, THE WORST AND THE MISSING.......2001-11-29

To all truly Xena fans this CD is a must-have but have some lacks... Fun (comedy episodes music) scores destroy the the great combination of FALLEN ANGEL, THE RHEINGOLD TRILOGY AND I FRIEND IN NEED. In the first selections LoDuca creates spectacular high level music good enough to be played in a Symphony orchestra concert. The others selections have easy-to-fill-space western cowboy music instead of put M'Lilas song of DESTINY, Amazon's climbing trees of ADVENTURES IN THE SIN TRADE and NAJARA vs XENA music that would be gladly accepted by us. I doubt the company will launch a next CD but if they'll do this track and another valuable more must be there and the adittion of some famous characters quotes like "I have many skills" from Xena.

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review