Janice & Jayne

1. Have a Little Faith

2. Jezabel Kane

3. Sweetest Love

4. Cold Comfort

5. Everyday

6. Less Than Zero

7. Heart Break Train

8. Crush

9. Love Is Back in Style

10. Holding on to Hope

Tracks:

Sweet Peace
Be Still, My Soul
Peace Like a River
All Things Bright and Beautiful
Lord Is My Shepherd
This Is My Father's World
Wayfarin' Stranger
Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Deep River
Lamb
Child's Prayer
It Is Well With My Soul
Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep
Gaelic Blessing
Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends
Come, Let Us Anew

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-06-14

This CD is a must have for any Mormon Tabernacle Choir fans. The music is very reverent and gentle, and should also appeal to those not from the LDS church, seeing as how most of the music is common to the wider Christian community. This CD is a fantastic addition to any music collection.

A few bright spots, but also some disappointments.......2007-01-19

It Is Well With My Soul is one of my favorite-favorites and that is the main reason why I bought the CD; it turned out to be a huge let down on this album, they rearranged it so much that I almost didn't recognize it. Be Still My Soul is another reason why I bought it and it's good, but not great. Swing Low Sweet Chariot is where it starts to get good. The last two songs "Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends"
and "Come, Let Us Anew" are very good reasons to buy this CD, they each have truely powerful passages and make the CD worth having. The Mormon Tabernacle Choirs 2006 release entitled Then Sings My Soul is by far the best that I've heard from them.

This CD Deserves SIX Stars!.......2005-11-05

However, the rating scale has a limit of five. I own over 700 CDs of virtually every type of music. Peace Like A River belongs in a class by itself! I've never written a review before but, after listening to this STUNNING performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, I feel compelled to share my praise with that of the five other reviewers. If I were limited to one word, I would use the word "SUPERB" to describe this beautiful and moving CD. SIX stars for Peace Like a River! BRAVO!!!

every good adjective .......2005-08-06

This album is all beauty and solace. The singing is pristine, the arrangements lush and often stirring--never saccharine. As with the previous reviewer, my first listing of "Peace Like a River" brought me to tears (especially "Peace Like a River," the sopranos in "Swing Low," and the bagpipes in "Thou Gracious God"). Buy this one.

Fabulous!.......2005-05-29

The perfect recording to help you recover from a long, hard day. Showcasing the MTC's "new" sound in contemporary choral arrangements with its own orchestra and conductor, "Peace Like a River" brought tears to my eyes in selection after selection during my first listen -- and I'm not normally an emotional person! The title song together with "Deep River," "Swing Low" and "Be Still My Soul" are alone worth the cost of the recording. Get this one!

Average customer rating:

Best of Philip Glass

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000LPRHSW
Release Date: 2007-03-05

Tracks:

Lighting
Facades
Evening Song
A Gentleman's Honor
Hymn To The Sun
Metamorphosis Four
Open The Kingdom
Dance Ii
Glasspiece No. 1
Changing Opinion
Opening
Floe
Knee Play
Funeral Fo Amenhotep
Wichita Sutra Vortex
Forgetting
Dance Ix
Dam

Album Description

2007 import-only two CD set released to coincide with the innovative and influential composer's 70th birthday. Throughout the years, apart from his own releases, Glass has been involved with scoring soundtracks, producing albums by other esoteric artists as well as more conventional acts plus inspiring and influencing generations of fans and peers. This thoughtfully compiled collection contains 18 tracks including 'Lightning', 'Metamorphosis Four', 'Glasspiece #1', 'Wichita Sutra Vortex', 'Changing Opinions' and more. Sony/BMG.

Album Details

2007 Issued Double CD Anthology of Recordings by One the Most Influential Classical Composers of the 20th Century Commemorating his 70th Birthday.

Average customer rating:

Absolutely the BEST !
Great for bringing a child into this world
CD like new
The Sweetest Music
This is my new all-time-favorite CD!

Consider the Lilies
Anonymous , Mack Wilberg , American Anonymous , Janice Kapp Perry , Malcolm Archer , Stephen Harrison Paulus , John Longhurst , Carl J. Jr. Nygard , Crawford Gates , Roger Hoffman , Clay Christiansen , Richard L. Elliott , and Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Manufacturer: Mormon Tabernacle
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Peace Like a River
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Choose Something Like a Star
Spirit of America

ASIN: B00008VGLL
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Tracks:

For the Beauty of the Earth
O Holy Jesus
Morning Has Broken
As the Bridegroom to His Chosen
I Sing the Mighty Power of God
He Shall Freed His Flock
My Shepherd Will Supply My Need
Lord Bless You and Keep You
I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus
Rejoice the Lord Is King!
Jesu, The Very Thought Is Sweet
Pilgrim's Hymn
I Believe in Christ
God So Loved the World
This Is the Christ
For I Am Called Thy Name
Consider the Lillies

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely the BEST !.......2006-05-31

Our church choir sang a few of these songs which I loved, so I decided to order it. It is a very sweet, gentle, inspiring collection of music. Many times when you get a CD, you are fortunate to find 2-4 on there that you really like enough to play regularly. But on this one, every song is wonderful. This music is so spiritually uplifting and peaceful that you will want to play it regularly. Some if may bring some tears it is so beautiful. John Rutter has a way with this type of music. You will probably want to be giving some of these cd's away to those you love.

Great for bringing a child into this world.......2005-12-22

I had this CD on while in labor with my last child. We had a wonderful homebirth and what better then to have the spirit in our home with this music as we welcomed a brand new baby. It helped me relax and helped the birth be peaceful, calm, and spiritual.

CD like new.......2005-10-02

This CD was advertised as "like new" and it was -- in fact, it was still in the plastic wrapper. I couldn't have found a better deal or quicker service. Everything was great!

The Sweetest Music.......2004-06-07

I love this CD. My family and I listened to it over and over and over again, during the last few weeks of my mother's life. It has been a comfort to me in time of sorrow. Now it brings tears every time I listen to it. This music is like loving arms around me. It touches my soul. I've given so many away, I should have bought a case of them.

This is my new all-time-favorite CD!.......2004-04-22

I bought this CD because I had heard "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need" once and loved it. But it's just one of the many beautiful songs on this CD. I'm at a loss to describe what joy this music brings to me each time I listen to it. I carry it from house to car and back again so I can enjoy it wherever I am. I've given away several "Consider the Lilies" CD's to friends and relatives, something I've never done before. Anyone who is facing a serious challenge in life will be uplifted and comforted by this ethereal music.

Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury

Average customer rating:

The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan
Pure delight
Delicious G&S samplings abound here.
Fine Intro to G&S

Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury
Nicholas Folwell , Arthur Sullivan , Marie McLaughlin , Rebecca Evans , Anthony Rolfe Johnson , John Mark Ainsley , Alwyn Mellor , Anne Howells , Barry Banks , Eric Garrett , Felicity Palmer , Gareth Rhys Davies , Janice Watson , Julie Gossage , Neill Archer , Pamela Helen Stephen , Peter Savidge , Richard Stuart , Richard Suart , Richard Van Allan , Sir Thomas Allen [baritone] , Sir Charles Mackerras , and Welsh National Opera
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003D1Y
Release Date: 1996-01-23

Tracks:

A Wandering Minstrel I
Behold The Lord High Executioner!
Three Little Maids From School Are We
Braid The Raven Hair
The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring
On A Tree By A River, A Little Tom-tit Sang, 'Willow, Tit-willow'
For He's Gone And Married Yum-Yum
We Sail The Ocean Blue
I'm Called Little Buttercup
My Gallant Crew
When I Was A Lad
Things Are Seldom What They Seem
Never Mind The Why And Wherefore
Climbing Over Rocky Mountain
Poor Wand'ring One
How Beautifully Blue The Sky
I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General
When The Foeman Bares His Steel
Ah, Leave Me Not To Pine
With Cat-Like Tread
Is Life A Boon?
I Have A Song To Sing, O!
Were I Thy Bride
Oh, A Private Buffoon Is A Light-Hearted Loon
When A Wooer Goes A-Wooing
When I, Good Friends, Was Called To The Bar
A Nice Dilemma We Have Here
Oh, Joy Unbounded

Customer Reviews:

The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan.......2004-03-15

At the end of the 19th century (1870's, 80's and 90's) the compatible duo of librettist and composer Gilbert and Sullivan popularized the pre-Broadway entertainment of Savoy opera. These were light operas or operettas whose content was satire and comedy, full of bouncy melodies and beautiful singing, highly entertaining theatrical works staged at London's Savoy theatre. Gilbert and Sullivan did not always get along and in fact there was a time when they ended their professional relationship because personal conflicts surfaced. But they managed to create the world's most beloved light operas, over 40 of them. Their most famous are what I call the Big Three- The H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates Of Penzance and The Mikado. Other works include their first hit Trial By Jury, The Yeomen Of The Guard, Princess Ida, The Gondoliers, Patience and several others. A standard signature of Gilbert and Sullivan was in the colorful cast- a comic actor with a special kind of baritone voice, a canary-like and sweet-voiced coloratura or lyric diva, a mezzo soprano with strong chest register and a lyric tenor as the romantic hero. On this album, English conductor Sir Charles Mackerras, a popular figure in the classical music scene and opera, guides the Chorus and Orchestra Of the Welsh National Opera in generally well-delivered performances of excerpts from the operas The Mikado, The H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates Of Penzance, Yeomen Of The Guard and Trial By Jury. Although I feel that the recordings made by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, with Isodore Godfrey conducting and starring the best cast of the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire- the singers of the 60's and 70's- tenor Phillip Potter, soprano Valerie Masterson, baritone John Reed, Donald Adams and mezzo soprano Christine Palmer. Their version of the Pirates Of Penzance and the Mikado far outshine the Welsh National Opera in technical mastery and vibrant tone color.

But these are fine excerpts. Especially appealing is the famous and cheerful "Three Little Maids From School Are We", a trio that imitates Japanese style melody. Most of the Mikado does this, for it was inspired by Japanisme or the new fashion in Victorian England- everything Japanese, from prints to paintings to poetry. Gilbert and Sullivan simply "Japanized" their English operettas. The Finale "For He's Gone To Marry Yum Yum" is an ebullient and pleasant finale. Not featured here is the domineering and powerful Katisha, a figure who stands out in the Mikado.

The H.M.S. Pinafore is Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular work. The sea chanty "We Sail The Ocean Blue" opens the opera with appropriate atmosphere and it seems to fit perfectly with the other scene in which the Captain greets his crew and they sing his praises "My Gallant Crew..I am the Captain Of The Pinafore". A beautiful melody that seems to come out of a romantic Offenbach tune is "I"m Called Little Buttercup". The finale, not featured here, is also very engaging "For He Is An Englishman" which can almost resemble a British national anthem. The Yeomen Of The Guard was Gilbert and Sullivan's "serious opera" eventhough it remains very Savoyard. The plot deals with Tudor England and takes place at the London Tower. "I have a song to sing" makes use of what can be taken for an English ballad of the Renaissance. Trial By Jury, about the eccentric and hilarious activity of a court trial, has a sextet that although different in composition, has the sextet "Che Mi Frena" from Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor in mind. All in all, an excellent recording sure to delight young and old.

Pure delight.......2003-08-02

--Gilbert & Sullivan--
William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan were a match made in heaven, yet on earth their pairing seems even with hindsight a most unlikely coupling. Both were destined for other things, Gilbert in fact for decidedly non-musical careers. Introduced by a mutual friend, Fred Clay, the fledgling lyricist Gilbert met the military-band-leader's son Sullivan and together continued to conspire to inspire the delights of audiences from high Victorian times down to the present, as their work in musical theatre comedy continues to provide merriment throughout the English-speaking world and beyond.

--The Music--
This collection includes highlights from five of the most popular Gilbert & Sullivan operettas: The Mikado, HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, The Yeoman of the Guard, and Trial by Jury. The arrangements and orchestrations are delightfully energetic and clear; the characterisation and vocal qualities of the leads are perfect for their roles. The haughty if misplaced Lord of the Admiralty has the perfect combination of insecurity and pompous officiousness. The Plaintiff and the Defendant in the Trial are perfectly cast. This is a collection of highlights - at least three but no more than seven songs each, but this gives a good flavour of the music. The recordings on this collection come from complete performances by Mackerras and the WNO.

--Sir Charles Mackerras--
Mackerras is one of the geniuses of the twentieth century musical scene. Having a conducting career that includes the Hamburg Opera, the English National Opera (formerly Sadlers Wells Opera), and the Welsh National Opera (the performers for this piece), he has also conducted major orchestras on the continent of Europe and in the United States. The holder of many major awards and honourary doctorates, he has devoted much time and energy to the preservation and performance of eighteenth and nineteenth century music, as well the restoration of historical musical venues, such as the Estates Theatre in Prague, scene of the original production of Don Giovanni (Mackerras conducted the opera there to commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Mozart).

--Welsh National Opera Orchestra and Chorus--
The seeds of the WNO were planted in Cardiff during World War II by music lovers; the first performances occurred a year after the war's end, with Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci on the bill, with Faust the next night. Popular appeal was so great that the WNO was established, later adding choruses in both Cardiff and Swansea. The professional chorus was established in 1973, with a strength that matches the orchestra. They continue an ambitious performance schedule for recording and live events; Mackerras remains the Conductor Emeritus, as the WNO continues under the direction of Carlo Rizzi. The list of awards the WNO has won over the years is staggering - they are a world class institution by any measure.

--Other performers--
Notable singers such as Richard Stuart, Rebecca Evans, Felicity Palmer, John Mark Ainsley and Anne Howells lead the chorus with stunning vocals and clever characterisations of the parts they play. Many (such as Stuart and Evans) play the leading roles across several of the pieces of the disc.

--Liner Notes--
The liner notes give a good introduction and biographical information about Gilbert and Sullivan, as well as synopses of the five pieces presented here. It does not, unfortunately, include any information about Mackerras, the WNO Orchestra and Chorus, or the other special performers. It also does not include the lyrics to the songs. Were the quality of the CD not so great, this might cost it a star in rating.

--Overall Impressions--
I play this CD in my car, in my home and in my office frequently. It is a great sing-along work and a great comedic relief from the stresses of the day. The music is bubbly and clear; the recording quality is excellent and crisp. I recommend this to any Gilbert & Sullivan lover, any fan of musical comedy, opera and operettas, and anyone who delights in good music.

Delicious G&S samplings abound here........2003-05-06

The first thing I should be saying is "What an infectuous G&S CD." Indeed this is, with this fine sampling of the peppy and bright Mackerras series. I know I have praised its "Mercedes-Benz quality" elsewhere on these pages, but that doesn't stop me from saying that everyone is in fine voice. This generously filled CD may only focus on five operas, but at least you can savour a reasonable choice sampling of delights from each one. Of particular interest is Richard Suart's patter-baritone parts and the soaring lyric soprano of Rebecca Evans. The selection on this disc is filled with a mixture of familiar favourites and lesser-known gems such as the female choruses in Mikado and Pirates. Mackerras is a true G&S conductor, but one who always springs rhythms crisply, and adopts peppy tempo for the fast bits. The one drawback is that this selection is far too infectuous that you'll want to shell out money to buy the full 5-CD Mackerras cycle - an incredible bargain with most of the operas fitted onto one disc each. But still, this is at least a decent G&S sampling for beginners, capped with Steven Ledbetter's copious liner notes. It will leave you wanting to say "dammit I'm going to play it again."

Fine Intro to G&S.......2000-12-30

This is the perfect CD for those who may not be familiar with G&S, or for the initiated who want a smattering but don't have the mother of all CD changers. The difficulty with any G&S Greatest Hits CD is determining which pieces to leave off; while one could easily point to any number equally good bits, it would be difficult to argue about the quality of the choices included. The only problem, such as it is, is that after listening to it I am usually induced to go back and listen to the whole opera anyway. The Mackerras recordings are uniformly excellent. I have read elsewhere the criticism that they are too 'operatic' for light opera. If by this it is meant that the singers are too good, then I leave it to the discretion of the listener when the singing becomes too good to be enjoyable.

Brahms: A German Requiem (New English Adaptation)

Average customer rating:

Peaceful
typical
Can't not enjoy it
The best recording available today
Powerful Chorale Performance Brings Brahms' Masterwork to Life...in English!

Brahms: A German Requiem (New English Adaptation)

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Brahms: A German Requiem

ASIN: B000028TW5
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Tracks:

I. Blest Are They That Mourn
II. Behold, All Flesh Is As The Grass
III. Lord, Make Me To Know
IV. How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place
V. Ye Now Are Sorrowful
VI. Here On Earth Have We No Continuing Place
VII. Blessed Are The Dead

Amazon.com

The death of choral legend Robert Shaw in early 1999 came just before he was to have embarked on a much-anticipated recording: an adaptation into English of Brahms's deathless masterpiece Ein Deutsches Requiem. The present disc is based on Shaw's adaptation of the King James text to Brahms's score, which the conductor was in the process of fine-tuning before he died. Certainly it must have been a daunting task for conductor Craig Jessop to step into the shoes of his mentor (indeed, Shaw's own previous account of the original German-language version stands out as one of the high points in his vast recorded output), but he acquits himself admirably. This is a full-blooded performance, laying out a spacious canvas that is compelling in its grasp of structural sweep--this is after all Brahms's largest-scale work--and also lovingly attentive to local textural details: the rising harp chords in the final bars of "Blest are they that mourn" or the swelling chorus on "Death, O where is thy sting?" to cite just a couple. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is in glorious form, its special resonance captured with warm, present atmosphere here by Telarc's engineers. Janice Chandler sings seraphically--but not with distance--in the soprano's one movement, while Nathan Gunn's baritone solos emphasize vulnerability over darkness. Hearing the text in English only reinforces the universality and deep humanity of Brahms's message, his dual focus of resigned acceptance and comfort. The result is also a moving tribute to Shaw's legacy--and a testament to its abiding power. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Peaceful.......2007-01-12

I sang this while I was in college, in English, of course, so I wanted an English recording. It brought back many memories. The music fills me. It is haunting, but peaceful.

typical.......2006-07-20

This recording typifies recordings of masterworks by the mormon tabernacle choir and friends. It is, as usual, technically ok, and rather on the bland side. The diction, while sometimes clear, frequently features overprominent stress of consonants; a typical feature of amateur choirs. The soloists perform amicably with a strained sounding translation. The soprano sounds too adolescent at times for my taste. Mr. Gunn seems try too hard just to sound like a baritone to the sacrifice of a clearer upper register, although the tone in general is fairly pleasing.

Honestly, why base a translation on the KJ edition of the bible when Brahms went to all the trouble to avoid it in the first place? I do think an honest, but poetic, literal translation would much better serve the purpose. Anway, there are so many superior recordings of this work, and several in english as well, that I think it a waste to bother with this recording unless you have some personal connection to it, perhaps.

Can't not enjoy it.......2006-06-16

Yes, the chorus is loud, and the orchestra can be uneven (in the second movement, the trombones stick out incongruously in two measures during the great build-up to the repeat of the funeral march tune), but this is a such a great work one can't not enjoy it.

I am a little concerned about the English translation. It seems strange to say this, but Robert Shaw was not particularly qualified to work on it. As he admits in his notes, and this is quite remarkable, he never heard "A German Requiem" sung in English until 1996, just before he began work on this version. How could he not have heard the several fine English recordings of this work (including the good one done by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir itself in the 1960's)?

Brahms titled his work "A German Requiem" only because German was the language it happned to be sung in. He toyed with calling it, simply, "A Human Requiem", because he wanted it to be universally meaningful to all of mankind. (Notice how the verses he chose are not particularly Christian -- Jesus is never mentioned.) He picked Luther's translation into German (language not very different from what his listeners were using in 1865) because he wanted it to be immediately recognizable and meaningful.

Brahms's purpose is defeated by Shaw's dedication to the King James version, 400 years old, practically medieval English. I have sung this work in English several times, each time with a more modern translation. Fortunately I know the words of that translation so well that I substitute it in my mind whenever the chorus lapses into medieval-speak. At such times any fuzziness of diction is actually welcome.

The best recording available today.......2006-04-15

I sang in a performance of this work and as a result, became pleasantly obsessed with it, which led to listening to many recordings. This one is the best. Don't be put off by its not being in German; Brahms' motive in writing it in German in the first place was to make it accessible, and if you're an English speaker the English version will be more accessible to you. I know of no other work in which the music so perfectly and beautifully expresses the Biblical passages that are lyricized -- and I'm not even a Christian!
A shortcoming of many recordings of this work is for the soprano solo in the fifth movement to wax too dramatic and operatic. Listen to a few samples on line; you'll see what I mean. The movement expresses the purest, simplest feelings of grief and sympathy imaginable; it does not need dramatization. This recording gets it just right.

Powerful Chorale Performance Brings Brahms' Masterwork to Life...in English!.......2005-08-03

The world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir is 325 members strong, and the wall of sound from such a vocal force of nature is bound to be overwhelming. On this recording, they often overpower the Utah Symphony, but the combined effect is still quite moving with the sincere sense of emotional commitment from all concerned, and the singing is impressive. The piece performed here, Brahms' longest single work, is a deeply religious, offering solace to the bereaved with texts from the Bible and concurrently a painting a series of dramatic pictures with particular emphasis on messages such as man's insignificance before God and subsequent redemption by faith. Yet it transcends its spiritual elements to become a more universally humanist, secular work.

Musical director Robert Shaw translated the Brahms Requiem from the original German but sadly died less than three weeks before this 1999 CD was to be recorded. The associate director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the time, Craig Jessop, took Shaw's place for the recording and remained true to his predecessor's vision. The singing is strong, clear and well balanced among sections and between chorus and soloists considering the acoustic challenges of the Mormon Tabernacle's huge, unusual size and shape. Baritone Nathan Gunn does his usual stellar work on "Lord, make me to know" and "Here on Earth have we no continuing place", while soprano Janice Chandler shines on "Ye now are sorrowful". As the titles of the movements signify, the only compromise in the recording is the sometimes too literal translation of the text making for some awkward phrasing probably because Jessop was intent to stay true to Shaw's adaptation. At the same time, because the choir is so disciplined and synchronized, Brahms' writing does not ensure clear understanding of the words no matter what language is sung. Nonetheless, this is a fine German Requiem and well worth a serious listen.

A Robert Shaw Christmas - Angels on High

Average customer rating:

Beautiful
Robert Shaw Chorale
a perfect Ceremony of Carols!
Brilliant compilation
Didn't care for it that much

A Robert Shaw Christmas - Angels on High

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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O Come All Ye Faithful: Christmas Carols at King's College, Cambridge

ASIN: B000003D2M
Release Date: 1997-09-23

Tracks:

O Come, Emmanuel
Alleluia
The First Nowell
The Carol Of The Birds
Allon, Gay Bergeres
A Hymn To The Virgin
O Magnum Mysterium
Christmas Oratorio: Rejoice And Sing
Ave Maria
What Is This Lovely Fragrance?
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
Sing Lullaby
While By My Sheep
Christmas Oratorio: Break Forth, O Wondrous Heavenly Light
Heavenly Light
Adeste Fideles
Ceremony Of Carols: Procession - Hodie Christus Natus Est
Ceremony Of Carols: Wolcum Yole!
Ceremony Of Carols: There Is No Rose
Ceremony Of Carols: That Yonge Child
Ceremony Of Carols: Balulalow
Ceremony Of Carols: As Dew In Aprille
Ceremony Of Carols: This Little Babe
Interlude (Harp Solo)
Ceremony Of Carols: In Freezing Winter Night
Ceremony Of Carols: Spring Carol
Ceremony Of Carols: Deo Gracias
Ceremony Of Carols: Recession: Hodie Christus Natus Est

Amazon.com

In this beautifully chosen program of mostly a cappella arrangements, Robert Shaw and the Robert Shaw Chamber Singers deliver the Christmas story in tones of gentle and moving splendor. The carols and sacred settings recorded here are all of an intimate sort, and the rapturous, gently expressive realizations Shaw and his singers give them prove unfailingly appealing. Particularly moving is the newest work on the disc, a setting of "O magnum mysterium" by the American composer Morten Lauridsen. Franz Biebl's "Ave Maria" is another gem, as is the arrangement by Healy Willan of the French carol "What Is This Lovely Fragrance?" The offering includes a pair of chorales from Bach's Christmas Oratorio and two wonderful Christmas works by Benjamin Britten: "A Hymn to the Virgin" and A Ceremony of Carols, both well done, even if the sound of sopranos and altos (rather than boy trebles) in the latter takes some getting used to. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-02-16

The music is beautiful of course. The Robert Shaw Chorale is a high quality group of singers, and the arrangements they sing are really nice. Because of the age of the recording today's standards of equpment and tonal quality simply weren't available but the upgrade from analog vinyl was well-done. I shall look for more of these.

Robert Shaw Chorale.......2007-01-10

This is an excellent ablum. The music is lovely and quite varied. While there are many of the familiar favorites, there are also many new and different songs and the whole CD is a delight to listen to.

a perfect Ceremony of Carols!.......2005-12-22

This is the finest recording of Britten's A Ceremony of Carols I've ever come across, and there are plenty of versions to choose from. The King's College Choir rendition suffers from overstuffed acoustics, a constant with that choir, and their recording of Ceremony of Carols falls short in the requisite rhythmic clarity and intensity. The Christ Church, Oxford version is plodding, and lacks sparkle. Harry Christopher's The Sixteen come close, with marvelous sonics and ecstatic diction, but fall apart in the exacting 'This Little Babe' round with uneven cohesion, and strange stressed notes that ruin the waterfall effect so felicitously construed by Britten. I've not heard Britten's own conducted version, but he scrupulously insisted on boy trebles, and it's difficult if not impossible to conjure a more perfect rendering than the one given here by Shaw and his Chamber Singers. 'This Little Babe' is incomparable in each and all of its rapid fire contours, which is no mean feat. Mezzo-soprano Nanette Soles deserves special mention for incandescent singing on 'That Younge Child". The luminous pacing of 'There is no rose of such virtue' is notable, and to his credit Shaw employs the ecclesiastical pronunciation of the various Latin passages, unlike The Sixteen (and most other English choir recordings of this piece) who insist on an idiomatic British pronunciation of Latin, which offers nothing but distraction. Some will prefer boy treble singers, an attractive option, but for high musical values and the art they inevitably enshrine, it's impossible to be disappointed with this profoundly wrought version of Ceremony of Carols. Bach's 'Break Forth, O beauteous heavenly light' is just right, and I'd not heard 'Heavenly Light' by Aleksandr Kopylov; both are favorable additions to an excellent recording. Recommended.

Brilliant compilation.......2005-03-16

This is an absolutely outstanding collection of carols - some of them well-known, some of them obscure. As a choral singer, I've had the pleasure of singing many of these pieces, and I was delighted when I found them all in one place, and done by an ensemble so accomplished as the Robert Shaw Chamber Singers! It just isn't Christmas for me without this recording.

Didn't care for it that much.......2004-12-27

I prefer to hear the voices and the words of the carols, and this one has too much other sound (maybe even the use of massed voices); I have a hard time hearing what they are singing.

Average customer rating:

Explosive sounds from Argentina

Ginastera: Panambí; Estancia

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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

Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
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Geirr Tveitt: A Hundred Hardanger Tunes, Suites Nos. 1 & 4

ASIN: B000IY063E
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Tracks:

Moonlight On The Parana
Native Festival
Girls' Round Dance
Warriors' Dance
Scene
Pantomime Of Eternal Love
Guirahu's Song
The Sorcerer Approaches Guirahu/The Water Sprites Appear/The Sorcerer Hides
The Water Sprites Play
The Sorcerer's Cries
The Tribe Is Uneasy/Panambi's Prayer
Invocation To The Spirits Of Power
Dance Of The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer Speaks
The Girls' Lament
Tupa Appears/The Warriors Threaten The Sorcerer
Dawn
Scene I: Dawn: Introduction And Scena
Little Dance
Scene II: Morning: Wheat Dance
The Farm Labourers
The Cattlemen: Entry Of The Foals
The Townsfolk
Scene III: Afternoon: 'Triste' From The Pampas
Rodeo
Twilight Idyll
Scene IV: Night; Nocturne
Scene V: Dawn: Scena
Final Dance: Malambo

Customer Reviews:

Explosive sounds from Argentina.......2006-12-15

Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) ranks with Carlos Chavez, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Silvestre Revueltas as one of the best known (and most revered) Latin American composers. A native of Argentina, Ginastera was a "nationalist" composer who made use of his country's folk music and rhythms in many his works.

This newest addition to Naxos's LATIN AMERICAN CLASSICS series highlights two of Ginastera's earliest works, the ballets PANAMBI and ESTANCIA.

PANAMBI, Ginestera's opus 1 which was written in 1937, is based on the supernatural tales of the Guarani Indians from northern Argentina.

Brimming with suspenseful, dreamlike melodies and contrasting hard-hitting rhythms and audacious percussion, PANAMBI, something of a pagan pageant, can be easily considered the Argentinean version of THE RITE OF SPRING. In fact, I have never heard a "Stravinsky-influenced" piece sound more like Stravinsky than this. Indeed, this is not negative; Ginastera's intrinsic originality and Latin sentiment shine throughout PANAMBI even though Stravinsky's presence ever looms in the background.

More original (but no less exciting) is Ginastera's music from the ballet ESTANCIA written in 1941. Set on the vast, lonely Argentinean plains (the pampas), ESTANCIA a nostalgic glorification of the gaucho (cowboy) and of his difficult yet vigorous life.

The music of ESTANCIA is laden with Argentinean folk melodies and aesthetics, and even includes a part for bass-baritone. Like PANAMBI, there are slow, gloomy sections that seem to evoke the sprawling vastness of the pampas, but there are also moments of scintillating, percussive energy suggesting the work and play of the gauchos.

Unlike many of works from Ginastera's later period, PANAMBI and ESTANCIA avoid the severe atonality and aloofness of, for example, his two PIANO CONCERTOS (also available on Naxos).

While both pieces from the present disc can certainly be classified as "modernist," they retain a welcome accessibility that won't be a turn-off to people who usually eschew such music. Any fan of early Stravinsky or Prokofiev would relish these recordings.

And what recordings they are! Both ballets are impeccably recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra under the dynamic baton of the Uruguayan conductor Gisele Ben-Dor. Additionally, the bass-baritone Luis Gaeta is perfect in his turn as the narrator/soloist in ESTANCIA. His richly authoritative "Latin" tone adds authenticity and class to an already classy disc.

Another winning point for this recording is that the complete music from both ballets is presented; these are not just excerpts. (In fact, this CD features a world-premiere recording of the complete ESTANCIA music!)

All in all, this Naxos album is easily recommended.

Average customer rating:

Among the Very Best Ever!
Absolutely brilliant
it would be excellent set, but ....
Excellent set...with some slight drawbacks
Simply Amazing!!

Beethoven: The Complete Symphonies

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000003CVQ
Release Date: 1989-11-14

Tracks:

I. Adagio Molto/Allegro Con Brio
II. Andante Cantabile Con Moto
III. Menuetto/Allegro Molto E Vivace
IV. Adagio/Allegro Molto E Vivace
I. Adagio Molto/Allegro Con Brio
II. Larghetto
III. Scherzo: Allegro
IV. Allegro Molto
Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72

Tracks:

I. Allegro Con Brio
II. Marcia Funebre/Adagio Assai
III. Scherzo: Allegro Vivace
IV. Finale: Allegro Molto
I. Allegro Vivace E Con Brio
II. Allegro Scherzando
III. Tempo Di Menuetto
IV. Allegro Vivace

Tracks:

I. Adagio/Allegro Vivace
II. Adagio
III. Allegro Vivace; Un Poco Meno Allegro
IV. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
I. Allegro Con Brio
II. Andante Con Moto
III. Allegro
IV. Allegro

Tracks:

I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo (Awakening Of Happy Feelings Upon Reaching The Countryside)
II. Andante Molto Moto (Scene At The Brook)
III. Allegro (Cheerful Gathering Of Country Folk)
IV. Allegro (Thunderstorm)
V. Allegretto (Shepherd's Song: Happy, Grateful Feelings After The Storm)
I. Poco Sostenuto/Vivace
II. Allegretto
III. Presto/Assai Meno Presto
IV. Allegro Con Brio

Tracks:

I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo, Un Poco Maestoso - Robert Lloyd
II. Molto Vivace/Presto - Robert Lloyd
III. Adagio Molto E Cantabile - Robert Lloyd
IV. Presto - Robert Lloyd

Customer Reviews:

Among the Very Best Ever!.......2007-06-28

This Beethoven set, symphony by symphony, is simply one of the very best ever recorded. Christoph von Dohnanyi gives a powerful and translucent performances throughout this entire cycle. I agree very much with another reviewer that Dohnanyi's strength is in what seems to be his unwillingness to engage in "musical editorial" upon Beethoven. But perhaps in that regard Dohnanyi has so very much more to say about Beethoven than many other conductors. The music is vibrant, punctuated, lyrical, epic in scope and dynamically beautiful. As for the recorded sound, it is slightly unimpressive at lower volumes (perhaps because of Telarcs desire to avoid overprocessing the recorded sound, and thus preserving the musics natural dynamics). However if you love masterfully played Beethoven, you will want to turn this set up loud. And when you do, the sound, by nature of the performances, is thrilling and very natural sounding. This set was recorded in the mid to late 1980's at the height of the Cleveland Orchestras recording legacy. They are precise and powerful in execution of each symphony. There is not a weak moment in this set anywhere to be found. The cost is a little more than some (less than some newer sets) but worth every last penny!

Absolutely brilliant.......2003-07-03

I think another reviewer put it best: This is the only Beethoven symphony cycle in which I can listen and just hear Beethoven. All the other Beethoven conductors I've heard have, to varying degrees, let their egos get in the way of the music, to the point where I'm not sure how much of what I'm hearing is really Beethoven and how much is (insert conductor's name here). Dohnanyi, on the other hand, is a superb interpreter of what Beethoven intended his music to sound like, mainly because he keeps things direct and honest: there are no weird tempo variations, no out-of-place dynamic changes... no "ba-ba-baaaa-BUMMMMMMMMMMM"s for him, as someone else mentioned. He's just conducting what's on the page, and doing it extraordinarily well. The Cleveland Orchestra backs him up with a precision I haven't heard anywhere else. I use the phrase "tightly controlled" power a lot to refer to this particular orchestra: they don't try to blast a continuous wave of sound at you; rather, they snap it out in bursts. In addition, the orchestra plays with a polish, precision, and almost perfect balance for which I haven't found a match. The result is a Beethoven symphony cycle that's both powerful *and* precise, something I haven't found anywhere else: all other conductors err too far toward one side or the other. I do have to demote this cycle slightly for Telarc's sound, which--although very well done--does allow the brass to overshadow the other instrument groups slightly, most noticeably in the "Eroica." Fortunately, Dohnanyi is keenly aware of what every instrument family is doing and when each should be prominent, so the orchestral balance in each of these symphonies is well maintained anyway. I just can't say enough good things about this symphony cycle: listen to the whipcrack of a last note at the end of the first movement of the Fifth, for example, or the awesome, majestic second movement of that same symphony. Listen to the regal power of the entire "Eroica" as recorded here. Check out how jubilant the Fourth symphony (normally something of a throwaway) sounds under Dohnanyi's baton. Listen to the unusually boisterous peasants' dance in the Sixth. Note how hypnotic and woeful the slow movement of the Seventh becomes, or the lush, tender slow movement of the Ninth, or how awe-inspiring the Ninth's finale is, with its chorus just exploding out of the speakers. I could extend this list on and on, but I'm just babbling now. The point is, this sadly-underrated Beethoven symphony cycle is my cycle of choice. I won't go back to other interpretations now, and I bet if you try these interpretations out, you won't return either.

it would be excellent set, but ...........2002-10-14

the sound quality is very poor, so overbassed, muffled sound like this can be rarely heard....

Excellent set...with some slight drawbacks.......2002-08-09

This set of the nine symphonies are brilliant, and superlatively recorded. However, there are some orchestrative aspects that I don't really agree with, especially in the ninth symphony. However, to be fair, I must say that the tempo is suberbly gauged, textural boundaries and cadence points are much more clearly defined than any other version I've heard. The sheer immense grandeur of the work comes out very well. The solo quartet is admirable, although the vocal balance was better achieved in the Karajan 1963 version.
Dohnanyi's version of the fifth symphony is the finest that is currently available, with all the awesome power and stygian darkness, interspersed with flickering flames. The sixth symphony is beautifully executed, with a pearly, light and superbly clear texture. The seventh and eighth are..pretty good. The Karajan version does these two better.
Overall, the brilliant recording and beautiful execution make this set worthwile, but I would personally recommend buying it in conjunction with one or two others, specifically the Karajan 1963 version, so that you get a complete and impartial picture of these most monumental works.

Simply Amazing!!.......2002-04-08

Of all those complete sets of Beethoven symphonies out there, this is by far the one to get. It is not that well known (it tends to be over-shadowd by recordings by Karajan and all those other guys), but it deserves more credit than any other set out there. This is the only Beethoven symphony set in which I can listen to it and simply hear Beethoven. There's no weird interpretations, it's simply Beethoven. The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the best orchestras in the world, and they prove that in this set. The woodwinds are especially superb. None of the music seems to drag or to be too fast - it's just right (I'm a big fan of fast tempi - but you just can't complain in this set). The Orchestra is very crisp and tight at all times, which is rare in most Beethoven cycles. After every symphony is done, you always feel like your ears have been greatly rewarded. The sound quality is fine - I don't know what some of the others are complaining about. I can hear every section (including the low strings) with no problem. This set is a great treat for your listening pleasure. This set is without a doubt the best one on the market right now!

Average customer rating:

Wow!
Nigel Rules!

Nigel Kennedy's Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons [Complete]
Classic Kennedy

ASIN: B00006JKMD
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Tracks:

Vivaldi: Spring, Allegro (The Four Seasons)
Massenet: Meditation (Thais)
Satie: Gymnopedie No. 1
Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
Debussy: The Girl With the Flaxen Hair
Bach: Sonata for Solo Violin in C, Allegro assai
Kreisler: Praeludium and Allegro
Bach: Es ist genug, so nimm, Herr
Danny Boy
Scarborough Fair
Melody in the Wind
Monti: Scardas
Vivaldi: Autumn, Allegro (The Four Seasons)

Amazon.com

Violinist Nigel Kennedy long stopped annoying or surprising concertgoers and disc buyers with his looks and manners--the cover of this CD pictures him with red and blue paint on his face, and he's biting his violin. If that irritates you, his playing certainly will not. Here, two movements from Vivaldi's Four Seasons act as bookends to, among other pieces: a Satie Gymnopédie, exquisitely played, with lovely embellishments near its close; Vaughan Williams's floating Lark Ascending; a stunning, virtuosic Bach solo (never before released); a soft-edged Bach chorale; a soupy, sentimental "Danny Boy"; a slightly overwrought "Scarborough Fair"; a piece by Kennedy himself; and a few other surprises. Kennedy's tone is lush and warm, and his emotionalism almost never overwhelms the music. Greatest hits? More like greatest encores. But definitely a terrific 71 minutes of fiddling. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Wow!.......2005-09-28

When I got this CD to use for my "music appreciation" class that I teach to a small group of homeschooled students, I thought I might use just a few of these songs to listen to in class. But we will definitely be spending more time on the whole album--this is one of the best violin solo albums I've heard for a while, and Nigel Kennedy is one of the best violinists I've heard, ever. One can hear the energy and emotion in each song played. The arrangements are beautiful, and the choice of songs on the album are wonderful. This is one to actively "listen to". And yes, I'd love to see a live concert DVD!

Nigel Rules!.......2003-01-28

This is terrific, top to bottom! I can write for hours about the joys of Nigel live, the visual and musical daring, the goose in the arse of most orchestral experiences and the rapturous, clamourous, rock and roll reaction he elicits in the most staid of settings. Classical music was not ready and remains uncertain how to deal with him, mostly because he has the chops and the creativity first and foremost.
This collection underscores his remarkable repertoire. Be it Vivaldi, Beethoven, Kreisler, Elgar or Hendrix, Kennedy upends the expectations of one and all. His intensity is extraordinary, his playfulnesss on stage a joy, his interpretive skills incisive.
At this point, though, what would be even more welcome than this terrific collection, would be a DVD of the man himself in action. I can still hear the crowd at Philadelphia's Academy of Music howling, that's right, howling, for an encore. Sawalisch was not sure what to do. The Orchestra looked stymied. Out came Nigel with the fiddle attached to his forehead. He shouted at the audience that they were possibly further off their rockers than he and then asked if anyone in the orchestra knew any Willie Dixon. One of the double bassists did and they launched into "Gingerale Afternoon." Sheer genius, especially on the heels of Beethoven's volin concerto. Lu himself would have dug it immenseley.
Pick this disc up, then write to his label and insist on a DVD.

Average customer rating:

From Every Angle
Janice Borla
Manufacturer: Blujazz Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
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Nightmoves
Pilgrimage
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Tiger by the Tail

ASIN: B000JMK6TO
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Tracks:

Alone Together
Segment
Ask Me Now
Jazz Habit
Gentle Piece
I'll Take Les
Blame It on My Youth
Simone
Askew in the Cradle
Peace

Music Album:

Music Album