| 1. Magnify |
| 2. Waterfall |
| 3. Ask Seek Knock |
| 4. First Things First |
| 5. Blessed Are |
| 6. Breathing Out |
| 7. Broken |
| 8. Always |
| 9. Joy |
| 10. Distant Shore |
| 11. How To Get There From Here |
| 12. Where You Are Needed |
| 13. Milky Way |
| 14. Guitar Reprise |
Editorial Reviews
Inspirational Christan music
True Light,Kate Royce,Cabinwerks Music,Adult contemporary soft rock and folk rock with a Christian heart. Echoes of Mary Chapin Carpenter, Karen Carpenter and Joni Mitchell.
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Blue Wheat
Stephen Foster , John , American Traditional , Spiritual Traditional , and Dale Warland Singers Manufacturer: American Choral ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003M4T Release Date: 1996-06-18 |
Tracks:
- Oh, Shenandoah (Traditional)
- He's Goin' Away (Traditional)
- Skip To My Lou (Traditional)
- Steal Away (Spiritual)
- Wayfarin' Stranger (Traditional)
- Soldier, Soldier Won't You Marry Me? (Traditional)
- Pretty Saro (Traditional)
- Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier
- Black Is The Color (Traditional)
- Red River Valley 9 (Traditional)
- Nelly Bly (Stephen Foster)
- My Lord, What A Mornin' (Spiritual)
- Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair (Stephen Foster)
- Hard Times Come Again No More (Stephen Foster)
- Single Girl (Traditional)
- Deep River (Spiritual)
- Buffalo Gals (Cool White [John Hodges])
- The Water is Wide (Traditional)
- Black Sheep (African-American lullaby)
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding.......2007-06-06
Incredible..Worth 30 stars.......2007-05-16
Superb singing matched with superb arrangements.......2004-07-03
The disc opens with a spectacular, panoramic "Shenandoah" that takes maximum advantage of the Dale Warland Singers' refined sound, and things only get better (if that's possible). Other favorites are a cheery, fizzing "Nelly Bly" and Mark Keller's strong reworking of Stephen Foster's "Hard Times Come Again No More."
Throughout the recording, the freshness of the arrangements is matched by the irresistible singing. This group is known for its outstanding performances and recordings, but this must be counted as one of their all-time best. The sound quality is terrific, capturing the gorgeous blend and precision of the group in a natural-sounding acoustic. Just stunning.
Beautiful music.......2003-07-03
Beautiful Music, Yet There Is No There Here.......2003-01-13
The sound quality and acoustics are excellently engineered in this 20-bit original recording. The most delicately blend and inflection of the singers' voice can be heard. This sheaf of choral works has once existed in real space and time in the kaleidoscopic folklife of past generations. In recording the "Blue Wheat", the 40-member DWS, the creme de la creme of professional choral ensembles, has elevated the common oral tradition of American folk music into a rarified choral art form a capella "in the style of the chapel."
If the soul of the DWS is a capella singing, then Warland and the arrangers are the wings of the same soul. Among the kapellmeisters whose arrangements have graced this folksong anthology are the late Norman Luboff and Roger Wagner. Also included in this album are contemporary arrangements by other esteemed composers: John Rutter (conductor of The Cambridge Singers), Carol Barnett (the DWS resident composer from 1992 to 2001), and Stephen Paulus.
Gertrude Stein is famous for saying of her childhood home, Oakland, California, "When you get there, there's no there there." Purportedly, Stein opined this city by the San Francisco Bay lacked a defining sense of place. Bel canto notwithstanding, the folk melodies of "Blue Wheat" invoke a longing for something no longer possible. The abyss between the America today and the its past is impossible to bridge. Already, we have yielded to the abstractness of political correctness. Our past is either neglected, actively destroyed, or selectively museumed. We do not live in an understood land and culture. There is no there here in the presence of this music. It is only the poignancy of the moment that these beautifully rendered tunes live in our mind. We have to accept this reality as part and parcel of our rootlessness.
If the Oakland Raiders do make it to and win the Superbowl in 2003, there is a there there for some in the football community, albeit fleeting.
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Mystic Journey
Manufacturer: Autumn Light Productions ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000040JKR Release Date: 1999-12-14 |
Tracks:
- Topanga Dreams
- Katyia's Dance
- China Lily
- Fertile Crescent
- Lhasa Love
- Aduman
- Darjeeling Sunrise
- Clouds across the Darkness
- Silver Lake
- Lotus
Album Description
About this CD (notes from the artist )Topanga Dreams
Since 1988, I've lived in Topanga, California. This small mountain town has taught me the true meaning of community. By being there for each other, we can make dreams come true. May all your dreams come true...
Katyia's Dance
This song has evolved from being a solo dance performance piece in our Mystic Journey shows into a passionate tango...for two. So grab someone you love and enjoy the dance!
China Lily
This flute was a gift from my Dize (rhymes with pizza) teacher and is one of my favorites. Whenever I play it, I am transported to a place of inner peace and stillness.
Lhasa Love
I found this melody in a book of traditional Chinese folk songs, It was called Tibetan Dance before we transformed it into a lively multicultural boogie!
Aduman
Although there are many dialects spoken in the West African region of Guinea and Mali, the universal word for "sweet" amongst all the tribes is aduman.
Darjeeling Sunrise
Inspired by an Indian sunrise raga, this song reflects the experience that I had when I was on top of Tiger Hill in Darjeeling, India, witnessing a magical sunrise illuminating the awesome Himalayan mountains.
Customer Reviews:
A Poetic Journey..........2004-05-05
Nice!.......2004-01-01
Fabulous!.......2002-07-05
Fabulous.......2001-06-28
Makes you want to listen and dance at the same time.......2000-08-31
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Oxford Church Anthems
Manufacturer: Nimbus Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000037G2 Release Date: 1995-09-05 |
Tracks:
- O Thou, The Central Orb
- Almighty and Everlasting God
- My Eyes for Beauty Pine
- Where Thou Reignest
- Locus Iste
- Lord, I Trust Thee
- Holy Is the True Light
- Solus ad Victimam
- God Be in My Head
- Pray that Jerusalem
- When To the Temple Mary Went
- Thou Knowest, Lord
- Ave Verum Corpus
- Awake, Thou Wintry Earth
- O Quam Gloriosum
- Nolo Mortem Peccatoris
- Crux Fidelis
- Evening Hymn
Customer Reviews:
A fine collection.......2002-03-14
Some of the all-time favourites are here, as one might expect: Charles Wood's magnificent "O Thou, the central orb"; "Locus iste," arguably the most famous of Bruckner's motets; Purcell's solemn funeral sentence "Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts"; William Byrd's poised yet anguished setting of "Ave verum corpus"; John Rutter's gem-like and highly effective setting of the beautiful Sarum Primer prayer "God be in my head." These are certainly to be heard from time to time at all the great cathedrals in England, but are no less at home in English parish churches and make for absorbing listening.
Other items fit more obviously into the cathedral tradition. Orlando Gibbons, whose career ended with a brief tenure as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, enriched the worship there and in other great houses of prayer with his anthems and music for the liturgy, and his motet "Almighty and everlasting God" is a noble example of his calmer polyphonic writing. Also from the Tudor period is the dignified account of Simeon witnessing the Christ-child in the temple and declaring his faith and readiness to die in that faith in Johannes Eccard's "When to the temple Mary went." Thomas Morley produces an intense restraint in "Nolo mortem peccatoris" with its weaving vocal lines. The Renaissance is well represented in the lush motets of Victoria (his evocative setting of "O quam gloriosum") and King John IV of Portugal (the popular "Crux fidelis," often to be heard during Passiontide).
Two interesting items are extracts from baroque cantatas, sung in English: "Awake thou, wintry earth" comes from Bach's Cantata 129 and features a chorale (with unmistakable harmonies) set above a continuous organ part that makes colourful use of trumpet stops; meanwhile, "Lord I trust thee" is adapted from Handel's lesser-known oratorio "Der für die Sünde der Welt" - this also has a busy organ part with flowing chordal statements by the choir above it. In like manner, Stanford's anthem "Pray that Jerusalem" consists mainly of organ, with the choir singing the verses of a hymn broken into two-line fragments, sometimes left unaccompanied to provide relief and contrast from the otherwise continuous tone colours. Meanwhile, Schubert's "Where thou reignest" is an adaptation of a partsong, of which the composer was an acknowledged master, with lyrical if at times angular melodies and soft, warm harmonies.
Four anthems represent the twentieth century in its subtlest colours. Herbert Howells is best known for his canticles, most of which are beyond the capabilites of a parish church choir, but in "My eyes for beauty pine" there is an example of his more straightforward writing - this is mostly unison, with the briefest of excursions into four-part harmony. Despite its simplicity it is no less distinctive than his more celebrated works; the same could be said for the wonderful setting of "Holy is the true light" by William Harris, in which (as the liner notes put it) he manages to condense the effect of his famous double choir motets "Faire is the heaven" and "Bring us, O Lord God" into a single choir piece lasting a little over a minute and a half. Kenneth Leighton's works are often difficult, his style being the most 'contemporary' of the composers presented here, but in "Solus ad victimam" (actually in English despite the Latin title!) he shows his ability to make that style accessible and open to singers (and listeners) even of only amateur standards. The programme ends with a real war-horse: Henry Balfour Gardiner's "Evening Hymn," which is sung here in Latin ("Te lucis ante terminum") but was also set with an English metrical translation. It has a quasi-Victorian brand of sweetness and gusto that may not be to everyone's taste, but it is perfectly poised, evocative of the text and leaves one feeling spiritually replete.
The Oxford Choir does itself and conductor Stephen Darlington credit: the trebles make a rich sound that easily complements the strength of the choral scholars and lay clerks (amongst whom, it appears, there were a few guest singers, including the tenor Andrew Carwood of Westminster Cathedral and the Finzi Singers). Stephen Farr, now Director of Music at Guildford Cathedral, accompanies with clarity and care, although his registrations are at times unimaginative. The brief but informative liner notes are by Lionel Dakers, a former Director of the Royal School of Church Music and editor of the "New Church Anthem Book."
This is an interesting slant on the "English Anthem" collections by St. Paul's Cathedral Choir on Hyperion and the "Great Cathedral Anthems" sung by a variety of English and American Cathedral Choirs on Priory, and is quite recommendable.
Tell the rock band at your church to pack their bags!.......1999-10-26
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Wagner: The Rhinegold
English National Opera Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005B550 Release Date: 2001-05-22 |
Customer Reviews:
A Rose By Any Other Name..........2007-07-02
But most of the credit has to go to the music, the singers, and the recording as such. I believe that this (originally analogue) remastered recording has one of the best recorded sounds and acoustics of any Ring, studio or 'live'. It is wonderfully clear but warm, kind of velvety (very unlike Solti), with beautifully natural balaces between voices and orchestra. Audience noises can be heard (including a delightful little ripple of laughter) but never really obtrusively so, thankfully. And I love the thunderclap-sound effect when Donner strikes his hammer against the rocks - very tastefully done, and lending extra power to the scene.
All the time one reads in reviews everywhere of the very slow speads at which the music is conducted by Sir Reginald Goodall. Well, that may be so, but I, for one, am certainly endeared to Sir Reginald Goodalls 'caressing' of the music, as a result of which wich the Leitmotifs come out more clearly than ever. The slow - but nonetheless very concentrated, and always involved - playing has, to me, an almost mesmerizing effect. Certainly, compared to many other recordings, the music may sound stretched almost beyond breaking point. But in the end, I think it is really just that: a matter of speed, no more. The concentration never falters and the dramatic arc never saggs. There is live 'music magic' going on here, I feel, even if the English National Opera Orchestra may not be (as precise or as diciplined as) a Wiener Philharmoniker or a Bayreuther Festspielorchester. Certainly, Sir Reginald Goodall must have loved this music and these opera's: one feels a slowly beating but constant loving pulse that energizes the drama and the music.
But we also have the singers. And what a great singers! While the best may be yet to come (with Alberto Remedios as Siegmund and Siegfried, and Rita Hunter as Brunnhilde), we here, in The Rhinegold, already have one of the most commanding of Wotans (Norman Bailey, with wonderful burnished timbre). Also, Emile Belcourt stands out as a wonderfully sleek but full-voiced Loge. Derek Hammond-Stroud's Alberich may not be as black as Gunther von Kannen's (for Barenboim), for example, but there is enough anguish, frustration and anger to lend his character a convincing reality and depth. And the giants too, are a winning pair. Especially Fafner (Clifford Grant) is as imposing and powerful as one may ever wish.
With all the rave reviews, here and elsewhere I can't wait to hear The Valkyrie, (especially) Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods. This certainly is a winning 'Ring', to be kept alongside any other 'great' recorded 'Ring' out there, IMHO. To me, it can hold its own alongside any other favorite recordings.
Please, sample this Ring (try for example the Chandos website for fragments of all of the music) and decide for yourself. Highly recommended.
"Thus I salute the stronghold, safe from dread and dismay!.......2007-06-12
TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.
Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.
Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.
Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: everything is slower than adagio moderato. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.
Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".
Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.
Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.
ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.
Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.
Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.
Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act One Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.
Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Bohm's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are found in this Ring. I can hear harps in Flight of the Valkyries! The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.
Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.
Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.
SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).
Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.
Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".
Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.
Levine: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's Ring.
Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.
-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.
Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).
Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."
Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.
Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).
-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm. Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Two exceptions, though: Robert Schunk doesn't sound heroic enough, and Jessye Norman for Levine's Ring doesn't sound young and innocent enough.
-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.
Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.
Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.
Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.
Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. I don't know Levine should've chose Kollo when he recorded his Ring.
-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").
Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.
Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.
Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.
Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.
-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.
Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.
Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.
Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.
Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent mime. He is equal to Schreier when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.
Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.
-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on in the Ring.
Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Still, it's satisfactory, and his "Ihrem ende eilen sie zu" gives great foreshadowing.
Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.
Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.
Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt depends only on imagination and deviousness, Stolze only vengeance and deviousness, and Windgassen only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.
Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.
Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Schreier. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.
-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings (maybe not in Swarowsky's version). Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm and Goodall. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.
CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the calculated Janowski, the relaxed Levine, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.
Sir Georg Solti: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sir Georg Solti
Karl Bohm: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
Herbert von Karajan: Der Ring des Nibelungen / Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic
Goodall: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Valkyrie (Part 2): Wagner: The Valkyrie
-Siegfried (Part 3): Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
Marek Janowski: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
James Levine: Der Ring Des Nibelungen
-Wolfgang Sawllisch: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sawallisch, Bayerischer Staatsoper
Free at last!.......2004-09-18
I Love This Recording.......2002-04-05
What's so good about it? Three things stand out for me: First, the slow tempi that were a litle rough at first actually allow, upon repeated listenings, a new discovery and understanding of Wagner's unfathomable genius. Every nuance is slowed down just enough to be fully accessible. Second, the modern English translation really does make this a different experience...my initial mistake was thinking that English lyrics could allow me to listen to this as background music, and that's not the case. However, if one devotes the same attention to this as a German recording, the time wil be richly rewarded. Finally, the smaller orchestra creates an almost chamber music-esque setting, which compliments the music in an undefinable way. Despite being in English, this is almost more Germanic than original-language recordings.
I still probably wouldn't get this as the first foray into Wagner's RING (I still think Solti or Levine are the choices for that). But for someone who already has some familiarity with the work, this will provide a lifetime's enjoyment. Cudos to Chandos for resurrecting these recordings!
The Goodall Ring - 1975 - Restored and Remastered.......2001-06-08
As to the experience of the drama in English, that too is remarkable, at least for someone like me whose home-tongue is English. The drama takes on an immediacy that I have never experienced before. This factor alone is why you should explore this Ring. I can't overemphasize the impact on me that this recording had on me because it was in English and because it was well-acted. Surely this is what Wagner meant, at least dramaturgically (obviously allowing that you can't actually see the action).
Overall, the singing is competent, and in some places, it's excellent. None of the cast really stands out musically. Norman Bailey's wobbly Wotan could have certainly benefitted from a deeper, richer tone. Still, and perhaps more importantly, he creates a god who is clearly unsure of where the moral highground is, even when he's standing on "an open space on a mountain summit." Everyone, for that matter, is dramatically convincing, especially Emile Belcourt (Loge) and Derek Hammond-Stroud (Alberich) and Robert Lloyd (Fasolt), all of whom, by the way, have excellent diction. And speaking of diction, I almost could have done without the libretto when the men were singing. Not so with the women, whose diction was uniformly wanting.
Goodall's pace is notoriously glacial. Still, it's interesting to hear it parsed in this way, and I never had the feeling that I was going to fall off the world. Which is to say that the tempos were deliberate, not affected. This was definitely a labor of love for RG and the English National Opera. The orchestra is a little thin sounding, and perhaps, not entirely up to the score. Occasionally a horn mis-blew and a cello creaked. This is unavoidable in live performances, I suppose. Still, there is a surprising sense of smallness to the ensemble, even though there's never a moment when the balance between singers and players is lost. As a result, the overall effect is a balance of clarity and urgency that is clearly the upside of Goodall's idiosyncratic "vision" of the score. Not a huge or "erotic" sound, but always committed, intelligent, and sometimes impassioned.
For all of its flaws, this is an astonishing and, for me, an indispensible recording because it made me listen to this opera with new ears. While it's not the most lyrically pleasing recording (Karajan) or musically authoritative (that would be Solti, IMHO), dramatically, this Rhinegold excells any recording I know of. I will definitely buy the rest of the set.
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See the Light
True Vibe Manufacturer: Essential ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006AFJ5 Release Date: 2002-08-20 |
Tracks:
- See the Light
- Supernatural
- You are Holy
- More
- Pray
- Forgiven
- Complete
- Stay
- Everytime
- Love is Calling
- Not What I Say (But What I Do)
Customer Reviews:
I've seen the light.............2003-12-07
"See The Light" is a great follow-up to their self-titled 2001 debut album. While the sound of this sophmore album is very similar to the first one, the lyrics are much more heartfelt. The majority of the songs this time around were co-written by one or more of the guys.
The best song on the album, at least in my opinion, is the final track. "Not What I Say (But What I Do)" is a catchy acappella song about how, as Christians, it's not what we say about Jesus that is important, but what we do. Demonstrating God's love is what it's all about.
Awesome CD!.......2003-07-11
What not to like?.......2003-04-22
Be sure to pick this up!
THIS CD IS HOTT!.......2003-03-10
Soul Searching.......2003-02-01
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John Rutter: Requiem
Manufacturer: Hyperion UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002ZZH Release Date: 1997-07-08 |
Tracks:
- Requiem For Soprano Solo, Choir, And Orchestra: Requiem aeternam
- Requiem For Soprano Solo, Choir, And Orchestra: Out Of The Deep
- Requiem For Soprano Solo, Choir, And Orchestra: Pie Jesu
- Requiem For Soprano Solo, Choir, And Orchestra: Sanctus
- Requiem For Soprano Solo, Choir, And Orchestra: Agnus Dei
- Requiem For Soprano Solo, Choir, And Orchestra: The Lord Is My Shepherd
- Requiem For Soprano Solo, Choir, And Orchestra: Lux aeterna
- Hymn To The Creator Of Light
- God Be In My Head
- A Gaelic Blessing
- Psalmfest, No. 5: Cantate Domino
- Open Thou Mine Eyes
- A Prayer Of Saint Patrick
- A Choral Fanfare
- Birthday madrigals, No. 2: Draw On, Sweet Night
- Birthday madrigals, No. 4: My True Love Hath My Heart
- The Lord Bless You And Keep You
Customer Reviews:
Even amateur like me says--It's perfect!.......2000-08-05
Rutter's Requiem is no exception. Just that this time he did even better then before. In the past, his music was sometimes criticized as `pop-like'. But in this work we can feel it, both emotionally and musically, more `deep down' than his pass works. This can be reflected by the serious planned structure of the work. According to the composer, the whole piece resembles an arch-like structure. This is archived through the setting of the mass and also the tunes themselves.
Talking about tune, the tunes and harmony of Rutter's Requiem are absolutely beautiful-which make this piece truly touches people's heart. I can still remember the first time I heard Pie Jesu. That performance was only the simplified version of Rutter's Requiem with an organ+oboe+cello+timpani+flute+chorus combination, but still it made me wept for no reason but simply the music. It really did. It is difficult to describe the mysterious strength of the Rutter's Requiem with words, all I can say is: it is magnificent!
No doubt that Polyphony did a great job in this recording-the control of the choir (esp. the dynamic) is nearly perfect. However, what really makes this recording unique form the others is the choice of the soloists. In this recording they chose Rosa Mannion as the soloist. Personally I know nothing about her, but I have to say she really has a nice strong voice. This makes a somewhat special combination, for the fact that in the rest of Rutter's Requiem's recordings boys or thinner-voice-female soloists were used. With the storng soprano Polyphony's recording can be a fairly new experience to the listeners. I Also recommend the other John Rutter's work included in this recording, especially the beautiful choral work The Lord Bless you and Keep you. Again, it reflects the Rutter's nearly perfect choud using technique.
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This I Have Done For My True Love
Manufacturer: Hyperion UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00026W672 Release Date: 2004-09-14 |
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Remembrance
Manufacturer: Hyperion UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B0000AE7BS Release Date: 2003-10-14 |
Tracks:
- Requiem Aeternam Dona Eis, Domine
- Nunc Dimittis
- Salvator Mundi
- Greater Love Hath No Man
- Crossing The Bar (Sunset And Evening Star)
- Eternal Father
- O God Our Help
- Ecce Quomodo Moritur Iustus
- Hear My Prayer
- Psalm 23
- Give Rest, O Christ
- Pie Jesus (From Requiem Op48)
- Ubi Caritas
- Abide With Me
- Sanctus (From Deutche Messe D872)
- For The fallen
- Holy Is The True Light
- Angus Dei
- In Paradisum
Customer Reviews:
Stunning, but one annoying flaw.......2006-03-17
But why does track 13 - Ubi Caritas - insist on starting AFTER the music has already begun. When approached from number 12, it works fine. But to cue the thing (which is why I bought this CD), you have to BACK UP to hear the song from the beginning.
I thought it was just my CD or my player - but NO, the flaw is on this web page too.
Still, this is a treasured CD.
Beautiful Tribute.......2005-08-06
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Gifts of the Spirit: Icelandic Church Music
Manufacturer: Hastedt Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B00004C8Q7 Release Date: 2000-05-30 |
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Exsultate Jubilate: Sacred Choral Music of Daniel Pinkham
Manufacturer: Gasparo Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000025YJL Release Date: 1994-02-01 |
Tracks:
- Festival Jubilate
- Uncommon Prayers: I. A Prayer Before A Fight
- Uncommon Prayers: II. A Prayer Before A Banquet
- Uncommon Prayers: III. A Prayer To Be God's Music
- A Curse, A Lament, And A Vision: I. Job's Curse
- A Curse, A Lament, And A Vision: II. Death, How Bitter
- A Curse, A Lament, And A Vision: III. The Day Of The Lord
- Wedding Cantata: I. Rise Up My Love
- Wedding Cantata: II. Many Waters
- Wedding Cantata: III. Awake, O North Wind
- Wedding Cantata: IV. Epilogue Set Me As A Seal
- 5 Motets: Open To Me The Gates Of Righteousness
- 5 Motets: Thou Has Turned My Laments Into Dancing
- 5 Motets: How Precious Is Thy Lovingkindness
- 5 Motets: Behold, How Good AndHow Pleasant
- 5 Motets: O Lord God
- At Dressing In The Morning
- 3 Motets: Create A Pure Heart In Me
- 3 Motets: The Lord Has Established His Throne
- 3 Motets: The Heavens Tell Out The Glory Of God
- Psalm 46
- 4 Motets: Why Art Thou Cast Down
- 4 Motets: Thy True Love Is Better Than Life
- 4 Motets: A Harvest Of Light Is Sown
- 4 Motets: For Thee Have I Waited
- The Small Passion: Prld
- The Small Passion: I. All Hail, Fair Tree
- The Small Passion: II. Victorious Sign
- The Small Passion: III. Christ When He Died
- The Small Passion: IV. O Dear And Sweet Dispute
- The Small Passion: V. O Strange Mysterious Strife
- The Small Passion: VI. O Sad, Sweet Tree
- The Small Passion: VII. O Save Us Then
Customer Reviews:
Pinkham is good.......2003-02-07
Music Album:
