Yes I Do

1. Overboard

2. I Can See Arkansas

3. Even the Nights Are Better

4. You Sure Know How to Make a Memory

5. Oh Yes I Do

6. Some Days It Rains All Night Long

7. Roots and Wings

8. If I Ever See You Again

9. Wrong End of the Rainbow

10. Everyday

11. Si Jamais Je Te Revois (If I Ever See You Again)

Tracks:

Overture
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Cotton Blossom: Niggers all work on d Mississippi... (Stevedores, Gals, Queenie, Steve, Pete, 1st Mincing Miss, 2nd Mincing Miss, Beaux, Girls & Boys)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Cotton Blossom: 'Andy!!!...' (Parthy, Windy, 1st Mincing Miss, 2nd Mincing Miss)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Cap'n Andy's Ballyhoo: 'Here comes the Show Boat parade!...' (Boy, Girls, Boys, Andy, Parthy)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Cap'n Andy's Ballyhoo: 'Hey Julie...' (Pete, Julie, Steve, Parthy, Andy, Ellie)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Cap'n Andy's Ballyhoo: 'It's a man...' (Ellie, Ravenal, Vallon)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Where's the Mate for Me?: Who cares if my boat goes upstream... (Ravenal, Magnolia)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Make Believe: Only make believe I love you... (Ravenal, Magnolia, Vallon)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Ol' Man River: 'Oh, Joe!...' (Magnolia, Joe, Men)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Two - Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man: 'What cher doin' all by yourself, Miss Nola?...' (Queenie, Magnolia, Julie, Joe, Servants)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Three - Life on the Wicked Stage: Why do stage struck maidens clamor... (Ellie, Girls)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Three - Till Good Luck Comes My Way: The man who ventures with chance... (Ravenal, Men)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Four - Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun': Mis'ry's comin' aroun'... (Queenie, Women, Joe Magnolia, Julie, Men, Solo Bass)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Four - Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun': 'Take her up, Rubberface!...' (Andy, Julie, Steve, Magnolia, Parthy, Ellie, Windy)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Four - Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun': 'Hello, Windy...' (Vallon, Andy, Magnolia, Steve, Julie, Windy, Ellie, Parthy)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Four - Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun': 'You needn't all look at us...' (Steve, Colored Chorus, Andy, Parthy, Magnolia, Ellie, Frank)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Four - Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun': 'Looks like a swell...' (Andy, Parthy, Frank, Ravenal, Julie, Magnolia, Steve, Joe)

Tracks:

Show Boat: Act One, Scene Five - I Would Like to Play a Lover's Part: Her face is fair to look upon... (Boys, Girls, Ellie, Frank)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Five - I Might Fall Back on You: Little girl, you are safe with me... (Frank, Ellie, Girls)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Five - Queenie's Ballyhoo: 'Is de theatre fillin' up, Cap'n Andy?...' (Queenie, Andy, Colored Chorus)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Six - Villain Dance
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Seven - You Are Love: 'That you, Nola?...' (Ravenal, Windy, Magnolia, Parthy)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Eight - Finale Act One: Oh tell me, did you ever!... (Firls, Boys, Chorus, Andy, Women, Men, Negro Women, Magnolia, Parthy, Vallon, Pete)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene One - At the Fair: When we tell them about it all... (All, 1st Barker, Boys, Girls, Chorus, 2nd Barker, Men, 3rd Barker)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene One - Why Do I Love You?: I'm walking on the air, dear... (Magnolia, Ravenal, Chorus, Andy)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene One - In Dahomey: Dyunga doe!... (Dahomey Villagers, White Chorus)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Three - Convent Scene: Alma Redmptoris Mater... (Nuns, Mother Superior, Ravenal, Kim)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Four: 'All right, Jake...' (Jim, Jake, Julie)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Four - Bill: I used to dream... (Julie)
Show Boat: Magnolia's Audition - Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (Reprise): Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly... (Magnolia)
Show Boat: Magnolia's Audition - Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (Reprise): 'Whaddaya say, boss?...' (Frank, Jim, Magnolia, Jake)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Six - Trocadero Opening Chorus: Let's make the new year... (Chorus)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Six - Apache Dance
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Six - Goodbye, My Lady Love: So you're going away... (Frank, Ellie)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Six - After the Ball: 'Ladies and Gentlemen...' (Jim, Drunk, Andy, Magnolia, A Man, All)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Seven - Ol' Man River (Reprise): Ol' Man River... (Joe)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Seven - Hey, Feller!: When you yen for a gent... (Queenie, Chorus)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Eight - You Are Love (Reprise): 'That you, Nola?...' (Ravenal)

Tracks:

Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Nine: Cottom Blossom (Reprise): Cotton Blossom... (Chorus)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Nine - It's Getting Hotter in the North: Now up in the northern land... (Kim, Chorus)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Nine - It's Getting Hotter in the North: 'Say, Cap'n Andy...' (Frank, Ellie, Andy)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Nine - Finale Ultimo: 'Hello, Gay...' (Andy, Hope, Ravenal, Girl, Man, Magnolia, Old Lady, Chorus)
Show Boat: Appendix - Pantry Scene (Act One, Scene Two; deleted - 1927): 'What cher doin' all by yourself, Miss Nola?...' (Queenie, Magnolia, Julie, Joe, Servants)
Show Boat: Appendix - Waterfront Saloon Scene (Act One, Scene Three; deleted - 1927): 'Number four, black!...' (Voice (off), Ravenal, Loungers, Gambler)
Show Boat: Appendix - Yes, Ma'am (Act One, Scene Three; unused - 1927): Bet your hat... (Girls, Ellie)
Show Boat: Appendix - Kim's Imitations (Why Do I Love You?): (Act Two, Scene Nine; Ziegfeld Production - 1927): Why do I love you?... (Kim, Chorus)
Show Boat: Appendix - Dance Away the Night (Act Two, Scene Nine; London - 1928): Music in the air... (Kim, Girls, Boys)
Show Boat: Appendix - A Pack of Cards (Act One, Scene Six?; unused - 1927): One night as I sat by my fireside so weary... (Magnolia)
Show Boat: Appendix - The Creole Love Song (Act One, Scene Seven; unused - 1927): 'That you, Nola?...' (Ravenal, Windy, Magnolia)
Show Boat: Appendix - Out There in an Orchard (Act Two, Scene Four; unused - 1927): There was a sun sinking slowly in the west... (Julie)
Show Boat: Appendix - Gallivantin' Aroun' (Universal Film - 1936): Liza Matilda HIll... (Magnolia, Chorus)
Show Boat: Appendix - I Have the Room Above Her (Universal Film - 1936): 'Seems to me I've seen that stocking someplace...' (Ravenal, Magnolia)
Show Boat: Appendix - Ah Still Suits Me (Universal Film - 1936): 'Joe! Dere you go again!...' (Queenie, Joe)
Show Boat: Appendix - Nobody Else But Me (Act Two, Scene Nine; 1946 Revival): I was a shy, demure type... (Kim, Chorus)

Amazon.com

John McGlinn's sprawling, monumental three-CD set is about all the Show Boat any listener could ever ask for. In an obvious labor of love, McGlinn reconstructs the show as it ran on opening night, November 15, 1927, including every song, the original orchestrations, and all underscored dialogue. The most significant restoration is the dark choral number "Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun'," as Show Boat's serious subject matter helped establish its place as the most important turning point in the history of American musical theater. McGlinn also adds an appendix that includes songs cut before opening night and every song subsequently written for the show's many productions, most notably the love duet "I Have the Room Above Her," written for the 1936 film. (The recording is also available in a one-disc reduction called the "Broadway Show Album.")

Rest assured this 221-minute blockbuster is not just dry scholarship; it's also terrific listening, with McGlinn conducting a dynamic London Sinfonietta and a strong cast including Frederica von Stade as Magnolia, Jerry Hadley as Ravenal, Teresa Stratas as the tragic Julie, Bruce Hubbard as the worldly wise Joe, Karla Burns as Queenie, and David Garrison and Paige O'Hara as the comic couple Frank and Ellie. And of course the songs by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II are among the most glorious ever written: "Ol' Man River," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," "Make Believe," "Why Do I Love You," "Bill," "You Are Love," and "Life upon the Wicked Stage." Also included are exhaustive production notes, a history of the show, a detailed synopsis, and a libretto. John McGlinn's Show Boat is a staggering achievement and a recording for the ages. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

An American Treasure.......2007-03-03

When PBS showed the 1989 Paper Mill Playhouse production of Showboat, my five year old daughter fell in love with musical theater. To this day we never miss a production of Showboat, West Side Story, Music Man, Oklahoma or the rest of the great American musicals. These 3 discs are the closest you can ever hear to the original in 1927 and the recordings are leaps and bounds above any movie version or revival cast. Listening to Bill or Make Believe you almost want to cry at what Kern and Hammerstein were able to create.

I defy anyone to come up with another Broadway production that has three songs in a row better than Make Believe, Ol' Man River and Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (West Side Story's Maria, America and Tonight are the best three in a row of a movie musical) and it's a shame that no movie version of Showboat can compare to this version. The first act is full of songs that are as good as any ever sung on a stage and I can't think of another production with a first act that compete against the big 3 plus Cotton Blossom, Where's The Mate For Me, Life On The Wicked Stage, Till Good Luck Comes My Way, Misry's Comin' Aroun', You are Love, Act One finale and Why Do I Love You?. You just don't want to have the music stop.

If you don't like opera you won't like this version. Sung the way Kern and Hammerstein wrote them, you can't help but feel the operatic nature of these songs. Tough noogies because Showboat is above all an opera disguised as a Broadway play and no sweetening should be allowed.

The four leads are all superb, Frederica von Stade as Nola especially. The booklet contains the complete libretto and allows a different way to appreciate the music.

If you buy just one version of Showboat you need this one. If you have other versions of Showboat you need this one. As a matter of fact, anyone with ears to hear needs this version. A true American treasure.

DON'T DESPAIR. IT'S BEEN REISSUED!!!!!.......2006-11-16

One of the great recordings of musical theatre ever. Although it's no longer available on EMI Angel, it was reissued in October, 2006, as an EMI Classic's "Great Recordings of the Century." It's been "Digitially Remastered at Abbey Road Studios from the Original Masters" and "noise-shaped via the Prism SNS system for optimum sound quality." If ART remastering does for this recording what it has done for other EMI Classics in my library, then it should sound superb. However, I understand the booklet is not as detailed as the one in the original 3-disc release.

Thank you, EMI.

I would hope other labels would follow suit and remaster and reissue other examples of classic American musical theater. It would be a pity if our children, grandchildren, and future generations were unable to savor "110 in the Shade" or "Little Mary Sunshine" or . . . . . . . . . (fill in the blanks.)

An American tragedy...........2006-02-06

This is the first of the great American musical plays, and probably remained unchallenged until the mid-1950s when West Side Story appeared. The term "musical comedy" does not apply. The few laugh lines are subsumed by the terrible sense of loss and disaster that work throughout the story. At its core is homelessness, the destruction wrought by racism, bad choices, human weakness, and reconciliation. The cast?--this was one of the few crossover recordings I've ever heard that actually worked. The trio of Jerry Hadley, Frederica von Stade, and Teresa Stratas is a marvel; Stratas in particular seems to have had a patented Dark Cloud that shadowed her. It's perfect for Julie Dozier Laverne. And the late Bruce Hubbard brings a magnificent dignity and voice to Joe--his singing of "Ol' Man River" amy not efface Paul Robeson, but can stand beside it.

Gorgeous!.......2005-08-26

Simply gorgeous! The most unforgetable music and the best voices! An album for all time!
M. J. Conrades

Defective disc........2005-08-15

I received this item on July 27, 2005. I played it on my portable CD player and found out that Disc 2 of the set was defective. It kept on skipping on my CD player. So, I returned it for a refund.

Average customer rating:

Pictures of the Gone World

Manufacturer: Synergy Ent
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Poetry | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Spoken Word | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0007GAEMG
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Tracks:

Away Above A Harborful
Just As I Used To Say
In Hintertime Praxiteles
In Paris In A Loud Dark Winter
Not Too Long
And The Arabs Asked Terrible Questions
Yes
Sarolla's women In Their Picture Hats
'truth Is Not The Secret Of A Few
For All I Know Maybe She Was Happier
Fourtune
And She Like A Young Year
It Was A Face Which Darkness Could Kill
So
Funny Fantasies Are Fewer Never So Real As Oldstyle romances
Three Maidens Went Over The Land
Terrible
London
With Bells For Hooves In Sounding Streets
That Fellow On The Boattrain Who Insisted
Heaven
Crazy
Dada Would Have Liked A Day Like This
Picasso's Acrobats Epitomize The World
The World Is A Beautiful Place
Reading Yeats I Do Not Think/Sweet And Various The Woodlark

Average customer rating:

"The death-doomed alone are destined to look on me."
Breathtaking, powerful, accessible, not just an alternative
Absolutely Breathtaking!
A powerful reading of the most moving opera in the Ring.
The power of Wagner's music drama is now fully accessible

Wagner: The Valkyrie

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Wagner: The Rhinegold
Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
Mozart - Don Giovanni / Garry Magee · Cullagh · Banks · Plazas · Shore · Tierny · PO · David Parry

ASIN: B00004YU6Z
Release Date: 2000-11-28

Tracks:

Act I: Prld - English Nat Opr Orch/Reginald Goodall
Act I, Scene 1: The Storm Drove Me Here - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 1: This House And This Wife - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 1: Evil Fortune's Never Far From Me - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 2: There He Lay, Feeble And Faint - Margaret Curphey/Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 2: Through Field And Forest - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 2: Friedmund No One Could Call Me - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 2: The Neidings Raided Again - Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 2: So The Norn Who Dealt You This Fate - Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 2: I Know A Troublesome Race - Clifford Grant
Act I, Scene 3: A Sword Was Pledged By My Father - Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 3: Are You Awake? - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 3: My Husband's Kinsmen - Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 3: Yes, Loveliest Bride - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 3: Winter Storms Have Vanished (Siegmund's Spring Song) - Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 3: You Are The Spring - Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 3: Oh Sweetest Enchantment - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 3: The Stream Has Shown My Reflected Face - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 3: Siegmund Call Me, And Siegmund Am I! - Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 3: Siegmund, The Walsung, Here You See! - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey

Tracks:

Act II, Scene 1: Go Bridle Your Horse, Warrior Maid! - Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 1: Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! (Brunnhilde's Battle Cry) - Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 1: The Usual Storm, The Usual Strife - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
Act II, Scene 1: Pretend That You Don't Understand! - Ann Howard/Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 1: Now It's Come To Pass! - Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 1: So This Is The End Of The Gods And Their Glory - Ann Howard
Act II, Scene 1: You Never Learn What I Would Teach You - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
Act II, Scene 1: What Must I Do? - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
Act II, Scene 1: Hiaha! Hiaha! Hoyotoho! - Rita Hunter/Ann Howard/Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: Fricka Has Won The Fight - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: When Youth's Delightful Pleasures Had Waned - Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: She Refused To Reveal More About It - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 2: There's More To Tell - Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: Yet One Can Accomplish What I May Not - Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: But The Walsung, Siegmund - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: Then Siegmund Must Fall In His Fight? - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: I Give You My Blessing, Nibelung Son! - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 2: No, Have Mercy - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey

Tracks:

Act II, Scene 2: So I Obey His Command - Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 3: Rest Here For A While; Stay By My Side! - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Act II, Scene 3: Away! Away! - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
Act II, Scene 3: Where Are You, Siegmund? - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
Act II, Scene 4: Siegmund! Look At Me! (Announcement Of Death) - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios
Act II, Scene 4: And If I Come - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 4: Then Greet For Me Walhall - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 4: Woe! Woe! Sister And Bride - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 4: Two Lives Now Lie In Your Power - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 5: Charms Of Sleep Are Sent To Still - Alberto Remedios
Act II, Scene 5: I Hear Your Call - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Act II, Scene 5: Wehwalt! Wehwalt! - Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey

Tracks:

Act III, Scene 1: Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! (Ride Of The Valkyries) - Katie Clark/Anne Evans/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Shelagh Squires/Anne Conoley
Act III, Scene 1: Shield Me And Help - Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne Evans/Sarah Walker...
Act III, Scene 1: Hear While I Tell You - Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne Evans/Sarah Walker...
Act III, Scene 1: Pray Suffer No Sorrow For Me - Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne...
Act III, Scene 1: Fly Him Swiftly, Away To The East! - Rita Hunter
Act III, Scene 1: O Radiant Wonder! (Parting Salute) - Margaret Curphey
Act III, Scene 1: Stay, Brunnhild! - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
Act III, Scene 2: Where Is Brunnhild? - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
Act III, Scene 2: Weak-Spirited, Womanish Brood! - Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 2: Here I Am, Father - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 2: No More Will You Ride From Walhall - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
Act III, Scene 2: Did You Not Hear What I Decreed? - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
Act III, Scene 3: Was It So Shameful - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: I Know So Little - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: You, Who This Love Into My Heart Revealed - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: You Indulged Your Love - Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: Unworthy Of You This Foolish Maid - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: You Fathered A Glorious Race - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: In Long, Deep Sleep - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
Act III, Scene 3: Farewell, My Valiant, Glorious Child! (Wotan's Farewell) - Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: These Eyes So Warm And So Bright - Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: Loge, Hear! Come At My Call! - Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: Magic Fire Music - Norman Bailey

Customer Reviews:

"The death-doomed alone are destined to look on me.".......2007-06-12

Okay, so we have the Solti, Bohm, Karajan, Levine, Janowski, Goodall, and Sawallisch Rings on the market (I haven't listened to the other Ring recordings yet, sorry to say). And all of these leave me to one conclusion: the many differences lead me to believe that all of these ring sets have their own authenticities and setbacks. And here they are:

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 Rhinegold (Part 1): Wagner: The Rhinegold
-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

Breathtaking, powerful, accessible, not just an alternative.......2005-05-03

This is one of three Walkure's in my collection: the very underrated Leinsdorf, the thrilling Boehm and this one with Goodall. I believe Goodall is right up there with the best of them. Remedios, Hunter and Bailey sing beautifully and with sufficient drama. I'll go out on a musical limb and say I believe Bailey is one of the finest Wotan's on disc. Many will disagree but I think he has the measure of the role, the power to pull it off and a burnished timber that never becomes coarse under powerful climaxes... Remedios may well be the star of the trilogy along with Hunter and Bailey. His Siegmund is beautifully sung and his Siegfried by the way, is no mean stint either. Would that we had tenors that could sing Siegfried without sounding stretched beyond their limits. I am continually puzzled by the bad reviews that the orchestra playing receives from ARG, Classics Today and a few others. The ENO is not a Concertgebouw or Vienna Philharmonic but I think they play beautifully, a few clinkers notwithstanding. For a live show, they do a pretty d..... good job. THe sound from both orchestra and singers is exceptionally fine. This set belong in your collection if you like Wagner and, Die Walkure, in particular. If I had been at the performance in the 1970's I would have come home very happy, satisfied and richer for the experience.

Absolutely Breathtaking!.......2002-09-13

I had long cringed at the thought of this magnificant masterpiece recorded in English. Even after reading several rave reviews on this cylce that I've read by authoritive Wagnerites and critics, I was still skeptical. Finally, I decided to add Goodall's 'Ring' as my third complete cycle (after Solti & Bohm) for one reason: because it was in English and I felt it would enhance my understand of 'The Ring.' In fact, after achieving that "higher understanding" I was planning on selling this set on Ebay. That was, of course, before I heard this magnificant recording.

During the course of my research on 'The Goodall Ring' most of the praised seemed to heighten around 'Siegfried,' which is my absolute favorite of the cycle. That also helped to seal the deal. As the critics said, 'Siegfried' under Goodall is excellent, but not as monumental as Solti's reading, which IMHO is the greatest recording of 'Siegfried.'

The set that stands out, to me, in 'The Goodall Ring' is this recording; The Valkyrie. It is absolutely breathtaking. Not only is it my favorite of this set, it is my favorite Valkyrie recording period (I am very familiar with Boehm's, Solti's, Karajan's, Furthwanglers, Levines, and others). Alberto Remedios (Siegmund here and Siegfried in the last two operas) is truly magnificant. It is the best Siegmund I have heard on disc (and his Siegfried rivals Windgassen). Coupled with Margaret Curphey (Sieglinde), you get the most beautiful and moving duo I have heard on record. The duet in Act I is simply glorious. You also get the bonus of Norman Bailey's triumphant Wotan (and Wanderer too). He has such command and prescene. He sounds like a God. Throw in Rita Hunter, who holds her own as Brunnhilde, Goodall's miraculous conducting, and excellent playing by the orchestra and it all adds up to a stunning recording.

I can only say that in a way it's a shame this set is in English. Were it not, I believe Goodall's 'Ring' would be one of the most talked about, popular, and sought after complete recordings of the cycle. I can only say that I am so happy that I finally opened up to opera recorded in a different language than written.

I have fallen completely in love with Goodall's entire cycle. And, I have fallen in love with 'The Ring' all over again.

A powerful reading of the most moving opera in the Ring........2001-08-30

This performance of *Die Valkure,* the second and most popular opera in Wagner's Ring Cycle, is musically splendid. Its special significance, however, is that it is sung in English. An English performance of the Ring is perhaps more important than that of any other opera(s), because Wagner's libretti are suffused with his ideas about society, fate, justice, and love. Even if (at times) you need to read along to understand what the singers are saying, *hearing* the lyrics in English is truly stirring in a way that performances in your non-native language cannot match.
A particular stand-out on this recording is the Wotan. His timbre, diction, and delivery perfectly embody the troubled god who tries desperately, and in vain, to keep the world under his control. His angst and wrath are utterly convincing.

The power of Wagner's music drama is now fully accessible.......2001-01-30

I have never been a fan of opera in translation, but I must say that Andrew Porter's rendering of The Ring in English is amazing. He uses modern, not archaic, English, and the word choice is so very earthy and Germanic that the noble yet somewhat severe atmosphere of the Teutonic myths is conveyed perfectly. The sound, in other words, is an elegantly Germanic, and totally appropriate for the music and the Story it tells. It is not true that you can't understand the English anyway, because you can understand if you care to pay any attention at all. The translation is lucid, and so it the marvelous singing that conveys it.

Goodall's sense of music drama is lush, and takes some getting used to after the crash-and-burn Solti set, but after a time or two it seems just right. Goodall is not always slower than the rest, either; for example, the famous Ride of the Valkyries that begins Act III is quicker than Solti's surprisingly slow and heavy account. It is the most exciting that I have heard--and I have heard quite a few--but it is not so fast that the power is lost in favor of urgency.

This is not an urgent Die Walkure, and it is all the better for it. Goodall takes the time to actually tell the story, and is sensitive to the drama's needs over what could be called convention. For example, Wotan's Farewell doesn't thunder out after Brunnhilde's final declamation, like in so many recordings; rather, Goodall's interpretation is more dreamy, mysterious, and appropriately trance-like, in keeping with the action on stage.

I own the complete Solti Ring, but I must say I will be the first in line to get each new installment of this remarakable Ring as soon they hit the shelves. If you are new to Wagner, and are willing to make the plunge into a complete Ring, then start with this one and see if you want to continue. This recording is definitely one of the great Rings, and the superb translation will open up the work in ways that following the libretto just won't. I promise that you won't be able to put this one away easily. Get it!

I Met You, My Love
Average customer rating:

Top of the line - incredible!

Long-awaited follow-up to "Dark Eyes"

ANOTHER WONDERFUL ALBUM FROM DMITRI

Dmitri at his best

Hvorostovsky in his Milieu

I Met You, My Love
Hvorostovsky , Orbelian , and Moscow Chamber Orchestra
Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Dmitri Hvorostovsky in Concert 1998

ASIN: B00006DU10
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Tracks:

I Met You, My Love
No, It's Not You I Love So Fervently
Only Once
Bright Is The Night
I Remember The Charming Sound Of The Waltz
O, If Only I Could Express In Sounds
Do Not Awaken Memories
The Coachman's Song
In The Wide Open Field
The Lonely Coach Bell Rings
Misty Morning
But I Love You, Nevertheless
The Troika Speeds, The Troika Gallops
The Autumn Wind Moans Mournfully
At The Fateful Hour
I Loved You
The Weeping Willows Slumber
You Cannot Understand
Shine, Shine, My Star

Customer Reviews:

Top of the line - incredible!.......2007-05-13

If I could give this 100 stars I would do it. Since my trip to Russia in 2006 I "discovered" Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and have since purchased much of his music on CDs and DVDs. All tracks on this particular CD are incredibly beautiful - beyond imagination. Mr. Hvorostovsky was rightfully chosen the "Best Singer of the World" when he was a young man. His lush, full baratone voice is, as the young generation says, "to die for". He has an impressive range, and one can tell he feels music deeply by the nuances in his singing. This CD is one of my favorites of his singing.

Long-awaited follow-up to "Dark Eyes".......2003-01-04

Ever since "Dark Eyes", one of the first albums of Dmitri Hvorostovsky, came out, I've been wishing for the baritone to record more Russian romances. Looks like Delos is more committed to preserving this magnificent voice on record more than Philips did. After all, "Dark Eyes" had a lot of orchestral music, though wonderfully performed by Ossipov orchestra, it effectively reduced the sang material by some about 15 minutes or so. This is certainly not the case here. Well oven an hour of excellent singing is recorded (close-miked) with no interruptions. The songs themselves are the ones most often performed as encored by Russian singers. While baritones or basses have the strongest claim to them, most likely stemming from a long Russian tradidion of low male voice solo, tenors and even mezzo-sopranos have performed some of those to great acclaim.

The absolute hardest thing about performing these songs is not to make them sound sappy, vulgar, or over-done. Of all Russian singers who dealt with this material, I most often think of bass Boris Shtokolov, who sang them with utmost care. Dmitri does just that here. His care for the texts is what strikes me first while listening to "I Met You", a reflective serenade to love long lost. While all songs are spectacularly presented, I would like to mention "Misty Morning" and "I loved you". Like the title song, they are both filled with gentle melancholy, and sang with great tenderness and feeling. Some high-energy items, such as "Troika" seem just a little out of place, but the voice is a sheer pleasure to listen to. In "Oh, Could I in Song Tell My Sorrow", there's a strange change from traditional "your heart would break" to "my heart would break". I am not sure as to why this was done, particularly since the Cyrillic texts are absent.

In liner notes, Hvorostovsky explains the dedication of this album to his father, a chemical engineer, who managed to convey his love for the classical music and Russian romances to his son. I think all fathers need to learn from this man. Wondrous results stem from right upbringing!
The only minor quibble I have is the cover picture. It seems like the producers wanted to target exclusively the female part of the audience by using lots of shades of red color and lots of subdued candlelight. Well, I am sure there are lots of Dmitri's fans among men, particularly those of us who study voice, so I wish Delos would not make the cover so extravagant.
The engineering of this album, though, is very appropriate. The voice is placed well above orchestra (conducted with perfection by Constantine Orbelian) and each word is clearly heard. Together with Verdi Arias recording this shows that Delos engineers are fully capable of capturing the voice of this size and beauty well on record, something I doubted when listening to an otherwise lovely album of Neapolitan Songs.
I am sure non-Russian speakers will enjoy this CD just as much as Russians. After all, we all feel the same, and Dmitri's exceptional talent just makes it easier to communicate across cultural barriers.

ANOTHER WONDERFUL ALBUM FROM DMITRI.......2002-10-11

Once again, Dmitri Hvorostovsky has done another beautiful album. I'm completely thrilled with his last three releases on the Delos lable--the Verdi Album, the Passione di Napoli album and this new Russian love song album. As I have previously indicated on my review of his Passione di Napoli album, I've been a fan of his since his very beginnings in opera, and I do feel that he is truly in his vocal prime.
This album is for the "romantic at heart". The songs are beautiful as is the singing. All I can say of this endeavor is Bravo!!
I'm truly grateful that Hvorostovky's recording career was extended by the Delos lable!!

Dmitri at his best.......2002-10-09

What a treat this CD is. I've been waiting years for the great Hvorostovsky to record another album of Russian folk music, and this is arguably his best collection of that genre to date. Recorded in August, 2001, Hvorostovsky has never sounded better, and the sound quality admirably complements his rich, velvety baritone. Unlike his earlier collection of Neapolitan songs for the same label (DELOS), the recording balance between singer and orchestra will please everyone this time. Furthermore, the CD benefits from stylishly idiomatic arrangements, some fine conducting from Constantine Orbelian, and the sympathetic support of both the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and the Russian folk music performers, the Style of Five.

The 19 songs on the CD are described as "Old Russian Romances", or in professional music terminology as "Russian Domestic (Household) Romances". These are passionate songs of love, "often against the background of vast, empty Russian landscapes with long roads under foggy, gray skies", as the liner notes tell us. Hvorostovsky's dark, expressive baritone is ideally suited to such music, and Dmitri aficionados will no doubt recognise two songs from his earlier CDs of this genre, the haunting title track and the wistful "O, If Only I Could Express In Sounds". The latter was featured on his best-selling 1991 "Russian Romances" CD for Philips, but here - if anything - his singing is even more poetic than in earlier days. Comparing the two versions, one is immediately aware of how much freer Hvorostovsky's top notes are on the latest CD, with his upper register showing none of the slightly constricted quality that occasionally marred the earlier CD. This is the voice of a mature artist, and it is rare indeed to hear such committed singing from the soul.

As if the above wasn't enough, the CD comes with translations, generous liner notes, and an alluring cover photo of the handsome Siberian.

Hvorostovsky in his Milieu.......2002-08-31

This is Hvorostovsky at his finest. His magnificent rich creamy baritone is not taxed. He makes you sigh at beauty of his high
mezzo-voce notes, held endlessly, and trailing off to nothingness. The songs themselves are lovely-sad ballads of lost love for the most part, with a few catchy little ditties thrown in for a change of pace.

As crossover discs go, this one is one of the best. A fabulous singer at his prime, singing the songs of his childhood memories.

Tracks:

Say It With Music Remember Blue Skies
Top Hat White Tie And Tails How Deep Is The Ocean (How High
This Is The Army Oh How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning Soft
Whatll I Do Always The Song Is Ended (But The Melody Lingers
The Piccolino Cheek To Cheek
White Christmas
The Girl That I Marry Say It Isnt So Mandy
Give Me Your Tired Your Poor God Bless America
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes Yesterdays
Ive Told Every Little Star The Song Is You
The Night Was Made For Love She Didnt Say Yes All The Things
Look For The Silver Lining They Didnt Believe Me Long Ago (A
I Dream Too Much The Jockey On The Carrousel
Why Was I Born The Way You Look Tonight Who
Make Believe Bill
Why Do I Love You You Are Love Ol Man River
Fascinatin Rhythm
Mine
The Man I Love
Embraceable You Soon
I Got Rhythm
Bess Oh Wheres My Bess
S Wonderful
Maybe
Someone To Watch Over Me Oh Lady Be Good
Embraceable You
Strike Up The Band
Begin The Beguine
All Through The Night
I Concentrate On You
I Love You
Night And Day
In The Still Of The Night
Ive Got You Under My Skin
Blow Gabriel Blow
Just One Of Those Things (Bonus Track)
Hallelujah Time On My Hands
Tea For Two
Carioca
Without A Song
More Than You Know
Orchids In The Moonlight
Sometimes Im Happy I Know That You Know
Through The Years Drums In My Heart
Malaguena
La Cumparsita
Mexicana Medley
Yours (Quiereme Mucho)
Siboney
Caminito
Adios
No Taboleiro De Bahiana
The Moon Of Manakoora
Lotus Land
Kashmiri Song
Jamaican Rhumba
Flamingo
Poinciana (Song Of The Tree)
Andalucia
Sweet Leilani (Bonus Track)
Frenesi (Cancion Tropical) (Bonus Track)
Show Boat
South Pacific
Slaughter On Tenth Avenue
An American In Paris
Porgy And Bess

Album Description

The multi-faceted Andre Kostelanetz left his mark on the music world as an acclaimed conductor/arranger/accompanist. His most notable contribution is the creation of the Easy Listening genre, done by bridging the gap between Classical and Pop music. Highlights on this 6 CD box set include Irving Berlin's 'Cheek To Cheek', George Gershwin's 'The Man I Love' and Jerome Kern's 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes'. Includes 3 bonus tracks 'Just One Of Those Things' (Cole Porter), 'Sweet Leilani' (from Waikiki Wedding) & 'Frenesi' (Cancion Tropical). Standard jewel cases housed in a deluxe wooden box w/hinged lid (approx. 6 x 5''). Collectables. 2003.

"C'est ca la vie, c'est ca l'amour": French Operetta Arias

Average customer rating:

Enchanté, Mlle Graham!
excellent singing, not so great programming
A CD full of scrumptious French chocolates!
REYNALDO AND SOME LIGHT STUFF
C'est magnifique!!

"C'est ca la vie, c'est ca l'amour": French Operetta Arias
Reynaldo Hahn , Andre Messager , Susan Graham , Yves Abel , and City of Birmingham Symphony
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Artist Portrait: Susan Graham

ASIN: B00005UW0Z
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Tracks:

"C'est ca la vie, c'est ca l'amour" (Moises Simons, from Toi c'est moi, 1934)
"J'ai deux amants" (Andre Messager, from L'Amour masque, 1923)
"Yes" (Maurice Yvain, from Yes, 1928)
"Si vous saviez" (Arthur Honegger, from Les Aventures du roi Pausole, 1930)
"O mon bel inconnu" (Reynaldo Hahn, from O mon bel inconnu, 1933)
"Je ne vois rien..Lorsque je n'etais qu'une enfant" (Andre Messager, from Fortunio, 1907)
"Les hommes sont biens tous les memes" (Andre Messager, from Coups de roulis, 1928)
"Air de la Lettre" (Reynaldo Hahn, from Brummell, 1931)
"L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" (Andre Messager, from Passionnement, 1926)
"Vois-tu, je m'en veux" (Andre Messager, from Les P'tites Michu, 1897)
"Etre adore" (Reynaldo Hahn, from Mozart, 1925)
"Je regrette mon Pressigny" (Andre Messager, from la Petite Fonctionnaire, 1921)
"Amour, amour, quel est donc ton pouvoir" (Andre Messager, from Les Dragons de l"Imperatrice, 1905)
"Mon reve" (Andre Messager, from L'Amour masque, 1923)
"C'est tres vilain d'etre infidele" (Reynaldo Hahn, from O mon bel inconnu, 1933)
"C'est pas Paris, c'est sa banlieue" (Reynaldo Hahn, from Ciboulette, 1923)
"Vagabonde" (Moises Simons, from Toi c'est moi, 1934)

Amazon.com

This record presents the esteemed opera singer and French music specialist Susan Graham in a new light. French operetta began with Jacques Offenbach (creator of The Tales of Hoffmann) in the 1850s; his ability to blend sweet lovely melodies with bitter political satire made him and the form famous, and composers all over the world have emulated him ever since, including those represented on this disc. Most of them, though popular during their lifetime, are hardly known today. The most familiar are Arthur Honegger and Reynaldo Hahn, though not primarily as operetta composers; the latter contributes some of the loveliest music.

The arias on this program are thoroughly appealing and very different, ranging from frothy creampuffs to almost operatic dramas, from ingenuous simplicity to ironic sophistication. As one might expect, the texts, all written from a woman's point of view, focus on the relationships between men and women in all their infinite, subtle variety. Susan Graham uses her very beautiful voice and captivating charm to bring out the teasing humor, the intimacy, passion, joy, and regret in words and music. One song is a trio, but since no other singers are mentioned, one assumes that she covers all three parts! The first song is the only one in which the singing is artificial and exaggerated, as if Graham were feeling her way into the style. The orchestra is very good, but some of the arrangements are overloaded. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Enchanté, Mlle Graham!.......2004-11-13

Though it's fair to say that the stunning title track reaches a creative standard unmatched by any of the later items (no wonder it comes first), this is still refreshing stuff, which will bring out the slumbering Maurice Chevalier in us all. Anyone who can hear it without wanting to grab the nearest straw hat and proclaim "Zank 'eaven for leedle girrrrrlz" is a tougher man than I am, Gunga Din.

Refreshing stuff, but seldom flippant. Other than the X-rated Honegger song (who'd have thought sober-sided Artur H had a bawdy streak in him?) and the subtler but still eyebrow-raising Maurice Yvain number "Yes", the prevailing atmosphere is often surprisingly operatic. Surprising at any rate to me, since I can't recall hearing most of this material before. Reynaldo Hahn sometimes does a rather good Richard Strauss impersonation, as in "O mon bel inconnu", which suggests a Gallic version of ROSENKAVALIER's final trio.

Presumably Miss Graham sings all the vocal parts of this piece in a multi-tracking arrangement, but it would be nice to have been told in the booklet note whether this was the case. The short playing time deplored by Joy Fleisig is also a nuisance, since one wants even more of the same. Miss Fleisig rightly censured, in addition, the white-print-on-purple-background design which some graphic-design-school genius decided to employ for the lyrics' translations. So no fifth star for this review. The release remains a pretty enchanting (not to say enchanté) production, even if a native French singer would have cultivated - as native French singers will - an edgier, more acidic timbre than Miss Graham's warm, sonorous, very slightly cloudy tone. Altogether a splendid supplement to heftier and more austere listening.

excellent singing, not so great programming.......2002-10-02

A delightful album by Graham, who has apparently been cast as a French expert...but I wish there had been a few more uptempo numbers on here, so many of them are slow that it almost detracts from the sparkle of her singing. Great performances and sound, though.

A CD full of scrumptious French chocolates!.......2002-09-03

When one thinks of 'French operetta', the composer that most often springs to mind is Jacques Offenbach. However, the generations of operetta composers that came after him also produced some wonderful music. Unfortunately, although these works were very popular in their time, they are virtually forgotten today. Apart from Andre Messager, the best known names on this anthology, Reynaldo Hahn and Arthur Honneger, are better known for other types of work, and most of the other composers are unknowns. Susan Graham, perhaps the finest American mezzo-soprano of our time, is to be commended for bringing these sweets out into the open once again.

Graham is a singer very much in the mold of Frederica von Stade - like von Stade, she is best known for trouser roles such as Octavian and Cherubino, but she has done some wonderful work in French music, especially as a recitalist. Her voice is firm and lustrous with an easy, sopranoish top, her phrasing is exquisite, and her French is excellent. By turns Graham is funny, ironic, sensual, wistful, charming, and heroic.

Most of the music on this CD was written between 1920 and 1935, although one selection here is from as early as 1897. The music actually has greater similarity to 'modern' musical comedy than to traditional operetta. Of course, the primary theme of these works is the travails of women in love - either they struggle with their (often illicit) passions - in one case attempting to invoke Joan of Arc! - or muse on the perfidy of men. My favorite song on the disc is the title track, a delightful samba take on 'Carmen' (from Cuban-born Moises Simons' 'Toi c'est moi') with a verse that sounds quite a bit like the 'Habanera' - only in this version, Carmen murders Escamillo! It actually occurred to me while listening to this disc that Graham might make an excellent Bizet Carmen on records or in a small theater. By the way, the 'Carmen' connection shows up again in a song entitled - you guessed it - 'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle'!

Other tracks which I love are `Yes', wherein a French woman goes to England knowing only that word and gets her self married - and more, and `O mon bel inconnu', where three women get letters from the same man (their husband, father, and employer respectively) through the lonelyhearts column. Thanks to the miracle (?) of multi-tracking, Graham gets to sing all three roles, and her `voices' blend together gorgeously. And in the final track, 'Vagabonde' (also from 'Toi c'est moi') is a delightfully whirling 'impatient, quivering, impulsive' plea from a woman who wants to find a man willing to marry before her 'orange-flower' wilts (wink, wink).

Despite the light tone of most of this music, there are several moments of high drama. `Lorsque je n'etais que enfant' is an aria from Messager's `Fortunio' where the heroine, berating herself for toying with her boyfriend, reminisces of her purer and more innocent childhood. Graham is back in her usual trouser-role territory for the heroic `Etre adore' from Hahn's `Mozart', where the composer effuses over Paris and willingly sacrifices his soul to be adored by its people. There is also sweet nostalgia and regret, such as in 'Je regrette mon Pressigny', 'Vois-tu, je m'en veux' and 'C'est pas Paris, c'est sa banlieu'.

Actually, the only track that I don't like is 'Si vous saviez' from Honneger's 'Les Aventures du Roi Pausole', which ironically enough is Graham's favorite. The aria, where the wife of a polygamous potentate begs her husband to sleep with her more than once a year, is meant to be sensuous but just drags. I suspect this his Honneger's fault, not Graham's.

The French-Canadian Yves Abel is an ideal conductor for this repertory. He has a strong affinity not only for French opera but also for comedy and light music in general; the latter two qualities were very evident at a Metropolitan Opera `Il Barbiere de Siviglia' this year. I also remember a fine performance of `La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein' he conducted with his company L'Opera Francais de New York and Stephanie Blythe. Under his baton the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra plays just like a French ensemble.

The documentation has full texts and translation of all the material and a fine essay on the works and the composers by Patrick O'Connor. Unfortunately, there is no biographical information for either Graham or Abel. Also, some people might have problems reading the white type on purple background for the translations (the type for the essay is the normal white-on-black), although I did not. As usual, my complaint about many modern CDs, especially those produced by Erato, applies here - there is less than an hour of music on a medium that can hold almost 80 minutes. I think it is unlikely that Graham and Abel couldn't find more good music in this vein, or even that they ran out of recording time. And speaking of Erato, I think it is a crime that that parent company Warner Classics dismissed not only Graham but many other fine operatic artists like Jose Cura, Daniel Barenboim, and Barbara Frittoli. At least the man now in charge of Warner regrets Graham's dismissal and is negotiating a new contract with her.

I am glad that so many star singers today are championing French rarities - not only Graham but also Roberto Alagna and Vesselina Kasarova, among others. I would recommend this not only to lovers of opera and operetta but also to fans of more 'popular' French music like Edith Piaf's and Jacques Brel's, or even to admirers of the American musical. It doesn't matter by which road you come to it - this material is delightful and the presentation is flawless. Most importantly, it is clear that everybody involved with the making of this disc had a great time, and anyone who listens to it will as well.

REYNALDO AND SOME LIGHT STUFF.......2002-08-02

SUSAN GRAHAM had me an addict of her voice with her marvelous songs of REYNALDO HAHN,a treasure that i cherish.This FRENCH OPERETTA ARIAS is still a good cd,but lighter and fluffier.Not surprizingly, i consider the HAHN arias the highlight of this record.It seems to me that SUSAN has real affinities with the composer of CIBOULETTE and O MON BEL INCONNU.O MON BEL INCONNU and ETRE ADORÉ are wonderfully sung and are worth the price of the cd.I did not completely enjoy the first 4 numbers,although i should say that they are correctly done.Maybe i simply can't accept the fact that SUSAN can sing humourous stuff.Well that's my problem isn't it?I have the original version of J'AI DEUX AMANTS sung by YVONNE PRINTEMPS and the comparaison gives advantage to SUSAN.

C'est magnifique!!.......2002-06-29

Graham has never been better in this disc of delightful French operetta arias. A must for fans of the artist. And I dare you to get that opening track out of your head!!

Average customer rating:

Thoroughly enjoyable album that should have been a big hit....
Overlooked classic from 1991

Yes I Do
Anne Murray
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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As I Am
You Will
Straight, Clean & Simple/Talk It Over In The Morning
Anne Murray

ASIN: B000008IR6
Release Date: 1991-08-27

Tracks:

Overboard
I Can See Arkansas
Even the Nights Are Better
You Sure Know How to Make a Memory
Oh Yes I Do
Some Days It Rains All Night Long
Roots and Wings
If I Ever See You Again
Wrong End of the Rainbow
Everyday
Si Jamais Je Te Revois (If I Ever See You Again)

Customer Reviews:

Thoroughly enjoyable album that should have been a big hit...........2005-08-30

I have just begun listening to Anne Murray again after a long absence, and I would have to agree with the previous reviewer by saying that this is a very good album. The album was produced by Jerry Crutchfield, who was Tanya Tucker's long-time producer, and the production values are tight, solid and top-notch. There really isn't a bad song on the whole album. "I Can See Arkansas," which was the album's primary single, is quickly becoming a favorite, and is reported to be a personal favorite of Anne's. "You Sure Know How To Make A Memory" is a lovely song about enduring matrimonial love, and I've long been a fan of "Some Days It Rains All Night Long," previously recorded by Terri Gibbs. A very good album; buy it if you have even a remote interest in Anne's music.

Overlooked classic from 1991.......2005-01-14

By the time this album was released, it seems that the public enthusiasm for new releases from Anne had diminished somewhat. Loyal fans bought the album anyway and were treated to one of the best albums that Anne has ever recorded. For proof, just listen to her covers of Some days it rains all night long (previously recorded by country singer Terri Gibbs, best remembered for Somebody's knocking), Overboard (T Graham Brown) and Even the nights are better (Air Supply).

The other songs, mainly ballads, are somewhat obscure but all of a high quality including the title track (co-written by Beth Nielsen Chapman), If I ever see you again (for which Anne also recorded a French version, also included here), Wrong end of the rainbow, I can see Arkansas, You sure know how to make a memory, Roots and wings and Everyday (not a cover of the Buddy Holly classic, this appears to be an original)

If you enjoy Anne's music and are interested in more than just the hits, this is well worth tracking down.

Average customer rating:

A bargain collection of showtunes

Golden Greats: Greatest Broadway Hits

Manufacturer: Golden Greats
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005USEJ
Release Date: 2002-02-26

Tracks:

Ouverture - Orchestra
Something Wonderfull - Dorothy Sarnoff
Doin' What Comes Natur'lly - Ethel Merman
Life Upon the Wicked Stage - Colette Lyons
So in Love - Patricia Morison
You'll Never Walk Alone - Jan Clayton, Christine Johnson
Bill - Carol Bruce
Hello, Young Lovers - Gertrude Lawrence
Bloody Mary - Male Chorus
I Can't Say No - Celeste Holm
This Was a Real Nice Clambake - Jan Clayton,
Oklahoma! - Alfred Drake
Sue Me - Vivian Blaine, Sam Levene
Woman Is a Sometime Thing - Edward Matthews
Some Enchanted Evening - Ezio Pinza,
I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' - Todd Duncan, Todd Duncan
Guys and Dolls - Douglas Deane, Stubby Kaye, Johnny Silver
It Ain't Necessarily So - Lawrence Tibbett
Make Believe - Jan Clayton
Wonderful Guy - Mary Martin
They Say It's Wonderful - Ethel Merman
When the Children Are Asleep - Jean Darling, Eric Mattson
More I Cannot Wish You - Pat Rooney, Sr., Pat Rooney, Sr.
Puzzlement - Yul Brynner
I Got Lost in His Arms - Ethel Merman

Tracks:

Overture...Summertime - Anne Brown
Why Can't You Behave? - Lisa Kirk, Harold Lang
Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man - Carol Bruce
There's No Business Like Show Business - Chorus
If I Were a Bell - Isabel Bigley
People Will Say That We're in Love - Alfred Drake, Joan Roberts
Bess, You Is My Woman Now - Anne Brown
Luck Be a Lady Tonight - Robert Alda
Shall I Tell You What I Think of You? - Gertrude Lawrence
Girl That I Marry - Ray Middleton
Nobody Else But Me - Jan Clayton
Carousel Waltz - Orchestra
Dites-Moi - Barbara Luna
Ol' Man River - Kenneth Spencer
Summertime
Many a New Day - Joan Roberts
Blow High, Blow Low - Murvyn Vye
It Takes a Long Pull to Get There - Edward Matthews
You've Got to Be Carefully Taught - Billy Tabbert
We Open in Venice - Alfred Drake
I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair - Mary Martin
Who Do You Love, I Hope? - Kathleen Carnes, Robert Lenn
I've Never Been in Love Before - Robert Alda
Tom, Dick or Harry - Lisa Kirk
I Whistle a Happy Tune - Gertrude Lawrence

Tracks:

New York, New York - Lynn Murray, Lynn Murray
Almost Like Being in Love - Marion Bell, Dave Brooks, David Brooks
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered - Vivienne Segal
Beat out Dat Rhythm on a Drum - June Hawkins
How Are Things in Glocca Morra? - Ella Logan
Old Devil Moon - Ella Logan
South American Way - Carmen Miranda
September Song - Walter Huston
This Is the Army, Mister Jones - Irving Berlin
Takin' a Chance on Love - Ethel Waters
My Heart Belongs to Daddy - Mary Martin
Anything Goes - Jeanne Aubert & The Four Admirals
You're the Top - Jeanne Aubert & The Four Admirals
I Get a Kick Out of You - Ethel Merman
Night and Day - Fred Astaire
I Got Rhythm - Red Nichols & His Orchestra
Someone to Watch Over Me - Gertrude Lawrence
Fascinatin' Rhythm - Adele Astaire, Fred Astaire
Strike Up the Band - Red Nichols & His Orchestra
Makin' Whoopee - Eddie Cantor
Heatwave - Ethel Waters
Easter Parade - Clifton Webb
She Didn't Say Yes - Peggy Wood
I've Told Every Little Star - Mary Ellis
Johnny One Note - Lynn Murray, Lynn Murray

Album Description

Import exclusive, budget price compilation featuring Broadway classics like 'You'll Never Walk Alone', 'Summertime', & There's No Business Like Show Business', performed by Ethel Merman, Gertrude Lawrence, Celeste Holm, & many more. 75 tracks in all. Standard double jewel case. Disky. 2001.

Album Details

3 CD set

Customer Reviews:

A bargain collection of showtunes.......2005-08-19

This bargain collection of showtunes is highlighted by the composition of Kurt Weill and the uniquely rolling tongue of Colette Lyons. I have a complaint about this compilation. It includes "Ol' Man River", but it excludes Al Jolson's rendition of "Ol' Man River." Otherwise, this collection gives you ample bang for your buck.

Average customer rating:

Alfred Deller - Portrait of a Legend

Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001L1B7Y
Release Date: 2004-06-08

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I've been thinking about the way smooth music goes.

The Makers of Smooth Music
Tom Ardolino Presents: The Makers of Smooth Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000Q44V8M

Customer Reviews:

I've been thinking about the way smooth music goes........2007-06-27

The full title of this CD is "Tom Ardolino Presents: The Makers of Smooth Music (MSR Madness Vol. 2)". MSR Madness Vol. 1 was titled "The Beat of the Traps" and was released on vinyl only. But fear not, 12 of the 16 tracks from The Beat of the Traps are included here, with the remaining 4 tracks included on the MSR Madness Vol. 3 CD. So, what the heck does MSR Madness mean anyway? Well, MSR Records was the leading producer of song-poem records. Okay, so what are song-poems? They are lyrics which have been set to music for a fee. Typically, the service was promoted through small display ads in popular magazines, comic books, tabloids, men's adventure journals and similar publications with a headline reading (essentially) Send in Your Poems - Songwriters Make Thousands of Dollars - Free Evaluation. The term lyrics was avoided because it was assumed potential customers would not understand what the term meant. People who sent their poetry usually received notice by mail that their work was worthy of recording by professional musicians, along with a proposal to do so in exchange for a fee. The melodies were either improvised or recycled and musicians often recorded dozens of songs per recording session using minimal resources, often in one take. The recordings were then duplicated on 45 RPM vinyl singles or compilation LPs with dozens of other songs by amateur lyric writers. Copies were sent to the customer. Promises that they would also be sent to radio stations or music industry executives were rarely if ever kept -- partly because the recordings would not have been taken seriously by professionals. The practice played off the intense desire of unsophisticated people to realize their ambitions of making money from writing popular songs. In the 1990s, some record collectors "rediscovered" these recordings. The main attraction of them is how kooky some of them are. Some these songs have really bizarre lyrics and off-kilter performances. If you enjoy hearing oddball music, you'll probably get a kick out of this CD.

Music Album:

Music Album