| 1. You + Me |
| 2. Something New |
| 3. Two |
| 4. More Than Shy |
| 5. Pushing Away |
| 6. Drifting |
| 7. Party On the Fence |
| 8. Amazing |
| 9. Underground Angel |
| 10. Rising |
Editorial Reviews
"The enjoyablity of pop, intimacy of singer/songwriters and fullness of a twelve-piece band... an artist to watch."
Product Description:
Classic soul music mixed with modern pop, this record truly is "something new". Sultry vocals with lyrics that are far beyond this 22 year old's years. From cello to trombone, acoustic guitar to harmonica, this album takes you on a journey mergining classic 20's music to modern pop.
Something New
Something New,Amber Rubarth,Inspiraled Music,"One of the Top 5 Albums of 2005." (NorCalTV) Angelic voice and powerful lyrics restoring the lustre to souls all around the world. Treat yourself to Something New.
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Complete Piano Music of Scott Joplin
Manufacturer: Compendia ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003QWN Release Date: 1997-01-28 |
Tracks:
- The Crush Collision March
- Combination March
- Harmony Club Waltz
- Original Rags
- Maple Leaf Rag
- Swipesy Cakewalk
- Reacherine Rag
- Sunflower Slow Drag
- The Augustan Club Waltz
- The Easy Winners
- Cleopha
- A Breeze From Alabama
- Elite Syncopations
Tracks:
- The Entertainer
- The Strenouous Life
- March Majestic
- Something Doing
- Weaping Willow
- Patr Leaf Rag
- The Favorite
- The Sycamore
- The Cascades
- The Chysanthemum
- Bethena
- Bink's Waltz
- The Rosebud March
Tracks:
- Leola
- Eugenia
- Antoinette
- The Ragtime Dance
- Searchlight Rag
- Gladiolus Rag
- Lily Queen
- Rose Leaf Rag
- Heliotrope Bouquet
- The Nonpareil
- Fig Leaf Rag
- Sugarcane
- Pineapple Rag
Tracks:
- Wall Street Rag (1909)
- Solace (1909)
- Pleasant Moments (1909)
- Country Club (1909)
- Euphonic Moments (1909)
- Paragon Rag (1909)
- Stop-Time Rag (1910)
- Felicity Rag (1911)
- Scott Joplin's New Rag (1912)
- Kismet Rag (1913)
- Magnetic Rag (1914)
- Reflection Rag (1917)
- Silver Swan Rag (1917)
Customer Reviews:
The Complete Piano Music of Scott Joplin.......2007-06-08
Another Performer Rewrites Joplin's Masterpieces.......2007-05-31
Again, to those who believe that concert music is meant to be rewritten by each and every performer I ask, is the same treatment also acceptable for Chopin's and Rachmaninoff's music? Would "Moonlight Sonata" sound better if played at twice the tempo and with a reprise of the first Adagio movement thrown in at the end? Obviously, the answer to these questions is a resounding NO!, so why does one of America's greatest composers get such disrespect?
Interpretation is an integral part of every performance. Adding one's own notes, phrases and chords where none should be is not. Randomly changing the structure of the piece is not. Playing a piece at twice the indicated tempo is not.
One the plus side, the depth of this collection is outstanding. Joplin's lesser known pieces like "Harmony Club Waltz" really shine. The recording is decent in quality, although a bit bassy in places.
While its been stated before, I feel its worth repeating: Buy Joshua Rifkin's performances of Joplin in order to hear how the Master intended his pieces to sound.
complete piano music of Scott Joplin on 4 CD's.......2007-02-14
Ragtime Marvel.......2005-10-09
Complete, but poor quality.......2005-09-25
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Something New
Original Soundtrack Manufacturer: Lakeshore Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000CNGCE8 Release Date: 2006-01-24 |
Tracks:
- LOVE (KOOP REMIX) _ ROSEY
- WHO IS HE AND WHAT IS HE TO YOU _ MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO
- THE LEARNING (BURN) _ MOBB DEEP
- LAY A LITTLE LOVIN ON ME _ JIMMY RADCLIFFE
- SECONDS OF PLEASURE _ VAN HUNT
- DIMELO _ R.LUNA AND THE CO STARS
- BABY I NEED YOU _ WAYNE WONDER AND DEMOLITION
- TOO SWEET _ MORELLO
- LOOK WHAT YOUVE DONE TO ME _ SHEILA SKIPWORTH
- READ KENYAS WEB _ WENDY MELVOIN & LISA COLEMAN
- HIKE _ WENDY MELVOIN & LISA COLEMAN
- KISS UNDER THE SHELTER TREE _ WENDY MELVOIN & LISA COLEMAN
- COTILLION INVITE _ WENDY MELVOIN & LISA COLEMAN
- BREAK UP WITH MARK _ WENDY MELVOIN & LISA COLEMAN
- KENYA MAKES PARTNER _ WENDY MELVOIN & LISA COLEMAN
- COTILLION WALTZ _ WENDY MELVOIN & LISA COLEMAN
- BALLET _ WENDY MELVOIN & LISA COLEMAN
Customer Reviews:
Something New Original Soundtrack.......2007-04-05
great movie equally good soundtrack.......2006-09-11
The music selections fit the scenes perfectly.
For the person who was inquiring about the Morroccan song
in the beginning of the movie, it can be found on the
Putomayo label on the CD "From Cairo to Casablanca".
It's called Ya Rayah by Rachid Taha....
It's too bad it wasn't included in the soundtrack.
Disappointed in Soundtrack, but loved the Movie.......2006-08-07
To RR "Lovely" the name of the song that played while Kenya & Marcus was having dinner I believe is "Change It All" by Goapele. A song with very liberating lyrics. I've been looking for this song since the DVD came out. I heard it over a friends house this weekend.
Something New Moroccan track.......2006-08-04
Good Soundtrack, Great Movie!!.......2006-07-20
I love "Hike" and "Kiss Under the Shelter Tree", although they are both short, they are very sweet and romantic!!
And I have a question: Does anyone know what the song is that plays on the menu selection of the DVD? I like the beat/horns, but have no idea of who performs it. Thanks!
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The Greatest Ragtime of the Century
Manufacturer: Shout Factory ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00009PJST Release Date: 2003-06-10 |
Tracks:
- Shreveport Stomp - Jelly Roll Morton
- Sweet Man - Jelly Roll Morton
- Tom Cat Blues - Jelly Roll Morton
- A New Kind Of Man With A New Kind Of Love For Me - Thomas 'Fats' Waller
- Nobody But My Baby - Thomas 'Fats' Waller
- Got To Cool My Doggies Now - Thomas 'Fats' Waller
- Maple Leaf Rag - Scott Joplin
- Weeping Willow Rag - Scott Joplin
- Something Doing - Scott Joplin
- Steeplechase Rag - James P Johnson
- Twilight Rag - James P Johnson
- Charleston Rag - Eubie Blake
- It's Right Here For You - Eubie Blake
- Fare Thee Honey Blues - Eubie Blake
- Mr. Freddie Blues - Jimmy Blythe
- Regal Stomp - Jimmy Blythe
Customer Reviews:
Awesome to hear the old masters almost live........2007-03-27
The Greatest Ragtime of the Century.......2005-10-30
As a former dancer, Flapper, wth the Charleston in my routine, I do appreciate Great Music. I'm not quite as good as I used to be, but neither are you, Gal. Will be 66 next birthday. Still have the rhythm and love life.
Put some spice in your life and don't let this CD get away. Please, just get it today.
A great introduction and sampling........2005-08-23
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Something To Be Proud Of: The Best Of 1999-2005
Montgomery Gentry Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000CD0P82 Release Date: 2005-11-01 |
Tracks:
- She Don't Tell Me To
- Something to Be Proud of
- Gone
- If You Ever Stop Loving Me
- Hell Yeah
- Speed
- My Town
- Didn't I
- She Couldn't Change Me
- Daddy Won't Sell the Farm
- Lonely and Gone
- Hillbilly Shoes
- Merry Christmas from the Family
Customer Reviews:
Great Album.......2007-04-11
About the music people!.......2007-01-10
I must say that I love "If You Ever Stop Loving Me". I don't necessary agree with what he did, but OMG... I have a life and am not filling my time with writing it in reviews. I'm sure you people filled up all the album reviews with this crap. Go to PETA... not Amazon for this kind of talk. I respect your feelings about it, but this is not the place.
Spend the money on this one!.......2007-01-09
Something to Be Proud of: 1999-2000.......2006-12-01
READ BEFORE BUYING.......2006-10-13
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Visions
Robert Prizeman , and Libera Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000BMUVGK Release Date: 2005-11-14 |
Tracks:
- Locus Iste (Sanctus)
- Always With You
- Ave Maria
- Libera
- Sempiterna
- Prayer
- Recordare
- Wings Of A Dove
- Something Sings
- New Day
- We Are The Lost
- Sing For Ever
- Abide With Me
Album Description
Libera is the extraordinary vocal group made up of no less than 24 boys aged 7-16 who meet for several hours every week at a church in South London to rehearse and perform. Visions, amply demonstrates their musical prowess; with shimmering, mystical chords and exquisite harmonies, Libera prove they really are unique. Of the13 tracks on the album, some will sound familiar such as 'Locus Iste', which is based on Johann Pachelbel's (1653-1706) famous piece, 'Canon', a piece of baroque music that has been interpreted by many over the years, even finding its way into modern pop music. There's an entirely original arrangement of 'Ave Maria' and an uplifting version of the traditional hymn, 'Abide With Me' (words: Henry Lyte, 1847. Music: William Monk, 1861). The remaining tracks are entirely original with titles like 'New Day', 'Sing Forever' and 'Something Sings'. Several new soloists are featured: Michael Horncastle, Connor O'Connell, Tom Cully, Joseph Sanders-Wilde, Callum Payne, and James Verecken. Libera's previous album Free spent several weeks in the top 3 position in the UK Classical Charts. The album was also nominated for 2005's Classical Brits Awards "Album of the Year". EMI. 2005.Album Details
Libera is the Extraordinary Vocal Group Made Up of No Less Than 24 Boys Aged 7-16 who Meet for Several Hours Every Week at a Church in South London to Rehearse and Perform. Their CD, 'visions', Amply Demonstrates their Musical Prowess; With Shimmering, Mystical Chords and Exquisite Harmonies, Libera Prove They Really Are Unique. Of the Twelve Tracks on 'visions', Libera's Second Album for EMI Classics, Some Will Sound Familiar Such as Locus Iste, which is Based on Johann Pachelbel's (1653-1706) Famous Piece, 'canon', a Piece of Baroque Music that Has Been Interpreted by Many Over the Years, Even Finding Its Way Into Modern Pop Music. There's an Entirely Original Arrangement of 'ave Maria' and an Uplifting Version of the Traditional Hymn, 'abide with Me' (Words: Henry Lyte, 1847. Music: William Monk, 1861). The Remaining Tracks Are Entirely Original with Titles Like 'new Day', 'sing Forever' and 'something Sings'.Customer Reviews:
Libera "Visions" is Fabulous!.......2007-05-12
So, so..........2007-04-12
Libera - Magnificent - Must buy.......2007-01-16
The boys who make up the vocal band Libera have been described as "normal" and "ordinary". However, as their recordings and performances demonstrate, the music they produce is truly extraordinary. With shimmering, mystical chords and ecstatic harmonies, they are unlike any other group you have ever heard. At times plaintive, at others climactic and transcendent. These are truly sounds to lift the soul. Celestial sounds for a new time.
Just amazing.......2006-08-03
Libera Visions is absolutely angelic........2006-03-27
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Something Special
George Strait Manufacturer: Mca Special Products ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002O27 Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- You're Something Special To Me
- Last Time The First Time
- Haven't You Heard
- In Too Deep
- Blue Is Not A Word
- You Sure Got This Ol' Redneck Feelin' Blue
- The Chair
- Dance Time In Texas
- Lefty's Gone
- I've Seen That Look On Me (A Thousand Times)
Customer Reviews:
The Best Strait Ever.......2004-03-07
Something Special.......2001-08-03
A Bit On The Dark Side.......2000-09-25
Very distinctive Strait offering.......2000-06-29
Haven't You Heard displays the same ol' "wife leaves husband for another man" line, but this time, the situation is related in a meeting between the Other man and the wife's son. This viewpoint is both original and satisfying. The Chair is one of those rarities in music - a hit song without a chorus. It illustrates a slick progression from a chance encounter to a blossoming romance. Dance Time In Texas, while being not a standout lyrically, showcases three different styles of music in its run, uptempo swing, waltz, and a standout Cotton-Eyed Joe. Finally, Lefty's Gone is a touchy, moving tribute to the late Lefty Frizzell.
Among the others, Something Special became an instant wedding song, and Last Time and Redneck Feelin' Blue are solid at their respecive styles. The only weak link is the ho-hum, below average Blue Is Not A Word.
George is something special!.......1999-04-30
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The Beatles' Second Album (1964) / Something New (1964) [Import]
The Beatles Manufacturer: CD MAXIMUM ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000P5Z2PI |
Product Description
European import. 2 albums on 1 CD. The Beatles' Second Album and Something New. Disc also contains these bonus tracks: 1.I SAW HER STANDING THERE 2.ONE AFTER 909 3.I HATE TO SEE THE EVENING SUN GO DOWN 4.SHAKE RATTLE AND ROLL 5.MEDLEY: KANSAS CITY, MISS ANN, LAWDY MISS CLAWDY 6.BLUE SUEDE SHOES 7.YOU REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME 8.THE WALK 9.TEDDY BOY 10.BRIAN EPSTEIN BLUES 11.TALKIN' BOUT YOUCustomer Reviews:
The Beatles' Second Album (1964) / Something New (1964) [Import].......2007-06-13
To Die For !!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-05-22
The company has decided not to print these anymore, so that's all folks. They don't answer e-mails, nor will they sell them anywhere near the USA. Cd's that have been sold are gone forever, as they will not print anymore of these crisp recordings, unless they get a firm order for 1,000 or more.
You'll also note that these two Beatle albums are not even available unless you purchase the Capitol Version (Vol.1) and even then you won't get the 11 bonus tracks.
I can't believe these are still unsold!!
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Modern Rock 1982-1983
1. Down Under -- Men At Work 2. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) -- Eurythmics 3. Come On Eileen -- Dexy's Midnight Runners 4. Hungry Like The Wolf -- Duran Duran 5. Shake It Up -- The Cars various artists , 6. She Blinded Me With Science -- Thomas Dolby 7. Too Shy -- Kajagoogoo 8. (She's) Sexy + 17 -- Stray Cats 9. Steppin' Out -- Joe Jackson 10. In A Big Country -- Big Country , 11. Love My Way -- The Psychedelic Furs 12. Mexican Radio -- Wall Of Voodoo Track Title 1. True -- Spandau Ballet 2. One Thing Leads To Another -- The Fixx , 3. Back On The Chain Gang -- The Pretenders 4. Vacation -- The Go-Go's 5. Love Plus One -- Haircut 100 6. I Want Candy -- Bow Wow Wow 7. Our House -- Madness 8. Always Something There To Remind Me -- Naked Eyes , and 9. Only The Lonely -- The Motels 10. I Ran (So Far Away) -- A Flock Of Seagulls 11. Goody Two Shoes -- Adam Ant 12. I Know What Boys Like -- Waitresses ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000NHZHKS |
Product Description
Year: 1982 Track Title 1. Down Under -- Men At Work 2. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) -- Eurythmics 3. Come On Eileen -- Dexy's Midnight Runners 4. Hungry Like The Wolf -- Duran Duran 5. Shake It Up -- The Cars 6. She Blinded Me With Science -- Thomas Dolby 7. Too Shy -- Kajagoogoo 8. (She's) Sexy + 17 -- Stray Cats 9. Steppin' Out -- Joe Jackson 10. In A Big Country -- Big Country 11. Love My Way -- The Psychedelic Furs 12. Mexican Radio -- Wall Of Voodoo Track Title 1. True -- Spandau Ballet 2. One Thing Leads To Another -- The Fixx 3. Back On The Chain Gang -- The Pretenders 4. Vacation -- The Go-Go's 5. Love Plus One -- Haircut 100 6. I Want Candy -- Bow Wow Wow 7. Our House -- Madness 8. Always Something There To Remind Me -- Naked Eyes 9. Only The Lonely -- The Motels 10. I Ran (So Far Away) -- A Flock Of Seagulls 11. Goody Two Shoes -- Adam Ant 12. I Know What Boys Like -- Waitresses
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Scott Joplin: His Complete Works
Manufacturer: Bescol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000001RR2 Release Date: 1994-07-19 |
Tracks:
- Please Say You Will - Richard Zimmerman
- A Picture Of Her Face - Richard Zimmerman
- The Great Crush Collision March - Richard Zimmerman
- Harmony Club Waltz - Richard Zimmerman
- Combination March - Richard Zimmerman
- Original Rags - Richard Zimmerman
- Maple Leaf Rag - Richard Zimmerman
- Swipesy - Cake Walk - Richard Zimmerman
- Sunflower Slow Drag - Richard Zimmerman
- Peacherine Rag - Richard Zimmerman
- Augustan Club Waltz - Richard Zimmerman
- The Easy Winners - Richard Zimmerman
- Cleopha - Richard Zimmerman
- The Strenuous Life - Richard Zimmerman
- I Am Thinking Of My Pickanniny Days - Richard Zimmerman
- The Ragtime Dance - Richard Zimmerman
- A Breeze From Alabama - Richard Zimmerman
- Elite Syncopations - Richard Zimmerman
Tracks:
- March Majestic - S. Joplin
- The Entertainer - S. Joplin
- Something Doing - S. Joplin
- Weeping Willow - S. Joplin
- Little Black Baby - S. Joplin
- Palm Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
- The Favorite - S. Joplin
- The Sycamore - S. Joplin
- The Cascades - S. Joplin
- The Chrysanthemum - S. Joplin
- Rosebud March - S. Joplin
- Bethena - S. Joplin
- Leola - S. Joplin
- Sarah Dear - S. Joplin
- Binks Waltz - S. Joplin
- Eugenia - S. Joplin
- Antoinette - S. Joplin
- Snoring Sampson - S. Joplin
Tracks:
- Gladiolus Rag - S. Joplin
- Searchlight Rag - S. Joplin
- The Nonpareil (None to Equal) - S. Joplin
- When Your Hair Is Like The Snow - S. Joplin
- Rose Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
- Heliotrope Bouquet - S. Joplin
- School Of Ragtime - S. Joplin
- Fig Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
- Sugar Cane - S. Joplin
- Pine Apple Rag - S. Joplin
- Wall Street Rag - S. Joplin
- Solace - S. Joplin
- Pleasant Moments - S. Joplin
- Country Club - S. Joplin
- Paragon Rag - S. Joplin
- Euphonic Sounds - S. Joplin
- Stoptime Rag - S. Joplin
- Felicity Rag - S. Joplin
Tracks:
- Highlights From Treemonisha - Richard Zimmerman
- A Real Slow Drag - Richard Zimmerman
- Prelude To Act 3 - Richard Zimmerman
- Frolic Of The Bears - Richard Zimmerman
- Lovin' Babe - Richard Zimmerman
- Scott Joplin's New Rag - Richard Zimmerman
- Kismet Rag - Richard Zimmerman
- Magnetic Rag - Richard Zimmerman
- Reflection Rag - Richard Zimmerman
- Silver Swan Rag - Richard Zimmerman
- Lily Queen - Richard Zimmerman
- Sensation - Richard Zimmerman
Customer Reviews:
Available at retailers for about $18.......2006-12-21
A classic compilation.......2006-10-07
This is the definitive collection of Scott Joplin's work. Richard Zimmerman provides wonderful performances that accurately reflect Joplin's intentions. (As evidence beyond my personal opinion, I submit the recent releases of digital recordings made from Joplin's piano rolls.)
A few points to consider regarding negative comments you may encounter in other reviews:
* This is a digital recording from an analog master. Lack of quality in the recording does not imply a lackluster performance.
* This is a complete collection. Some similarity is due to Joplin re-exploring melodic themes. But some is due to the fact that these are "rags". One might as well complain that all 50's doo-wop (or all 70's disco) sounds the same.
* Many pieces of the period exhibit formal musical structures, such as the marches of John Phillips Sousa. (Both Sousa and Joplin performed at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.) Actually, Joplin is responsible for extending the formal boundaries of ragtime to concert waltzes (Bethena) and opera (A Guest of Honor, Treemonisha)
* This is probably one of the few collections which will include selections from "Treemonisha". It is my understanding that after the initial release, one of Joplin's descendants made a copyright claim that was upheld in court. (I presume the issue was that Joplin had to finance "Treemonisha" himself, and therefore the customary performance clearances did not cover those selections.)
For ragtime students and enthusiasts, this is a "must-have" collection at a very affordable price.
A dis-service to Joplin.......2006-02-01
The pianist does not play Joplin's pieces "as written", the piano is of poor quality, and not properly in tune.
This is emphatically NOT the set to buy. A far better set, beautifully annotated and well played on a good concert grand piano, is the complete works played by Guido Nielsen on the Basta Label.
This set is a dis-service to Joplin and his music. He deserves better, and gets it elsewhere.
Unique .......2004-10-19
Great set.......2001-10-16
I was shocked to see that one reviewer thought it all sounded the same. How silly. All of Frank Sinatra's music sounds like Frank Sinatra. All of Led Zeppelin sounds like Led Zeppelin. So, if the songs were drastically different, I would question if the same author composed them. As it is, though, each song on this set is fantastic!!
I don't know that I have heard of Richard Zimmerman, and I was a little leary as to what I would be getting, I certainly was impressed. Without a doubt the best renditions of "Weeping Willow" and "Bethena" I have heard, and at least a dozen songs I didn't know Joplin wrote.
Without a doubt, this album is fantastic. A very good price, as well.
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Rodgers & Hammerstein: Songbook for Orchestra (Orchestral Suites)
Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003CXQ Release Date: 1992-01-28 |
Tracks:
- Oklahoma!
- Carousel
- State Fair
- South Pacific
- The King And I
- Cinderella Waltz
- Flower Drum Song
- The Sound Of Music
Customer Reviews:
Irresistible.......2005-07-29
Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals dominated Broadway in the 1940s and 1950s, and American musical theater has produced no more consistently eloquent and durable voice than Richard Rodgers. From his fertile genius flowed a surprising number of memorable songs, many of which have passed into and become an accepted and beloved part of modern American culture.
This well-filled CD (77:36) features symphonic arrangements (all but two by Robert Russell Bennett) of the music from Oklahoma (1943), Carousel (1945), State Fair (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), Flower Drum Song (1958), and The Sound of Music (1959). All the great tunes are here in suites from each musical that average 10-12 minutes in length. The arrangements are expert: rich, varied, and colorful. The performances are polished, idiomatic, and irresistible; Kunzel and this orchestra are thorough masters of this kind of material. And Telarc's sound (recorded 1991) is state-of-the-art (engineer Michael Bishop deserves to take a bow).
In short, there's nothing here to cloud your listening pleasure (the only quibble I can imagine is that some of your favorites may not last long enough), so it's hard for me to envision anyone with ears and a taste for music who wouldn't enjoy this CD. Warmly recommended. Finally, if you like this one as much as I do, you might want to know that the same team has produced a companion volume, the Lerner & Lowe Songbook for Orchestra.
"Some Enchanted Evening" with Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops.......2003-12-26
This CD has all the scores arranged chronologically. The OKLAHOMA! suite that opens this disc promises a feast for the senses, Kunzel ably evokes the territory's "bright, golden haze" in the way he conducts the various excerpts, until you feel the atmosphere of the country charm of the show, and the love-affair between Curly and Laurey. Then, in CAROUSEL, he ably evokes the pathos of this tragic R&H masterwork, especially in the truncated Waltz, but he leads a wonderfully melodic "June is Bustin' Out All Over" and a devotional "You'll Never Walk Alone." Although this suite does not include Billy's pivotal Soliloquy, it includes "If I Loved You" as an expression of his love for Julie, and within minutes you could be soaked in the ups and downs of the show's mood.
After a brief STATE FAIR suite, with sweeping renditions of "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing", we are brought into the disc's showstopping highlights. These highlights are the excerpts from SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. But yet Kunzel conducts the rest of the disc until the various suites amount to a series of showstoppers. These three suites present wonderfully-arranged versions of their many familiar classic songs, with well-played solos. The SOUTH PACIFIC suite presents the songs in chronological order, yet preserves the atmosphere of the show at the same time. Kunzel ably brings out the romance in "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Younger than Springtime," and contrasts it with the exotic and dreamlike "Bali Hai'i" and the comic "There is Nothing like a Dame" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair". Although the suite ends quietly with a reprise of "Dites-Moi" rather than the reprise of "Some Enchanted Evening," within minutes we are swept into the KING AND I suite. Kunzel ably brings out the Oriental pathos in this score, and he captures the warmth of Anna's rapport with the King's Siamese children in "Getting to Know You", and with the King himself in "Shall We Dance." There is also romance in the love ballads "I Have Dreamed" and "We Kiss in a Shadow." Similarly, in the selection from THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Kunzel conducts this until the orchestra soaks itself in the atmosphere of this Austrian R&H score. This SOUND OF MUSIC suite has more of a feel of the score compared to the bonus track on Sony's reissued version of the Broadway recording. You can almost feel as if you are following the progress of the Trapp family and how it lifts its spirits with the joy of music. Kunzel gives us a soaring version of the title song, and spirited versions of "Do-Re-Mi" and "My Favourite Things." He balances it with the open-air quality of "Edelweiss" and "The Lonely Goatherd." Although this suite could have included "Something Good," the love ballad written for the film, the three recollections of the songs that were cut from the movie only last for a while. And, the towering version of "Climb Every Mountain" crowns this portion of the disc, and this sumptuously-produced recording. But, I should also mention the infectuous FLOWER DRUM SONG medley, where Kunzel turns this underrated score into a work of art, until it convinces you to buy the cast recording. And, don't forget about the brief CINDERELLA WALTZ, too, when Kunzel conducts it magically, until you feel like you are in the company of Cinderella and the Prince. He is able to show how this R&H score marked a comeback for R&H after the failiures of Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream.
Overall, this glorious Rodgers and Hammerstein recording is guarunteed to make you want to pucker your lips out for a whistle or sing along (to paraphrase another revew for Kunzel's Disney Spectacular disc) - even if this recording is music only, and as long as you know the words to the songs (and you might know a large handful of them already.) There is always a certain magic in this fine CD that makes you feel like you're sitting in the theatre watching these musicals, until it makes you feel like it is truly, to borrow two R&H song titles, "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Something Wonderful" to be in Kunzel's company for this R&H offering. It would certainly be one recording that could make you feel willing to buy the complete cast recordings of the shows. And I guaruntee that it will make you feel willing to pull out your existing copies of the cast recordings to listen to them again. I also guaruntee that it will be a cornerstone in any Rodgers and Hammerstein collection, just as it is in mine. Recommended heartily to any Rodgers and Hammerstein enthusiast and to fans of Erich Kunzel's work. And, you can play it while reading the Richard Rodgers biography, Musical Stages, until Rodgers himself would count this as his favourite disc in the afterlife.
By the way, most of the arrangements for the suites on this CD were done by the veteran R&H orchestrator Robert Russell Bennett, and it surely adds to the appeal of this recording. This itself is enough to amount to the icing on the cake, since Kunzel conducts them well on here, and since this recording still allows the suites to have the original theatrical atmosphere. And, although this recording is like the Mauceri collection of the Rodgers & Hammerstein overtures in compiling orchestral suites of Rodgers & Hammerstein, I think that I like the Kunzel recording even more because Kunzel has more magic in his conducting of these suites.
Excellent!.......2003-04-08
Great Arrangments.......2001-09-02
Music Album:
