Flower [CD-single] [Import]

1. Flower

2. This Is My Life - Go Go Mix

3. This Is My Life- Original Version

4. This Is My Life - Live Version

Flower,Naohito Fujiki,Pony Canyon,World Music

Average customer rating: The End of the Big Voice? Fla Gator Lady 20 Great Tenor Arias Plesantly surprised... Absolutely Agree About Corelli

Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco... Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Flotow | Flotow, Friedrich von | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Leoncavallo | Leoncavallo, Ruggiero | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Meyerbeer | Meyerbeer, Giacomo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Ponchielli | Ponchielli, Amilcare | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: The Most Famous Opera Duets The Most Famous Opera Arias Paul Potts [United Kingdom]: One Chance The #1 Opera Album The Best of Italian Opera ASIN: B000007OTX Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

1. La Boheme: Che gelida manina
2. Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
3. Carmen Bizet: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Flower Song)
4. Luisa Miller: O! fede negar potessi .. Quando le sere al placido
5. La Traviata: Lunge da lei ... De' miei bollenti spiriti
6. Martha: M'appari
7. Giordano: Amor ti vieta
8. L'Africaine: Mi batte il cuor .. O paradiso
9. La Favorita: Favorita del re . . . Spirto gentil
10. Werther: 'Pourquoi me reveiller'
11. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: 'Morgenlich leuchtend in rosigem Schein'
12. Les Contes d'Hoffmann: O Dieu! De quelle ivresse
13. TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
14. Pagliacci: Recitar! ... Vesti la giubba
15. Il Trovatore: Di quella pira
16. Aida: Se quel guerrier .. Celeste Aida
17. TOSCA: Recondita armonia
18. L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
19. La Gioconda: Cielo e mar!
20. Turandot: Nessun dorma

Customer Reviews:

The End of the Big Voice?.......2007-04-16

This CD, which is truly fine overall, reminds me of Marilyn Horne's lament that we have probably seen the end of the big voice and it makes me sad. I agree with the reviewer who refers to "microphonies". And more justice could be done to Bjorling's voice with a better transfer. But at some point, music becomes a matter of taste and I prefers singers who have the instrument and the support and the training, whether formal or not, to just let fly and take a chance on making a mistake. Domingo can be wonderful and so can his musicianship but he tends to be so stiff. I have to wonder at the virulence and asperity with which some people go after Pavarotti. It's true that late in his career he made some questionable recordings but the answer to that is simple: don't buy them. At his best, he belongs for all time in the top echelon of tenors. I love this CD and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys great (big) voices.

Fla Gator Lady.......2007-01-12

Highly recommend this CD with these beloved arias of the greatest tenors in opera. I have owned this CD for a couple of years and purchased another for a friend who always requests that I play it ... perfect for listening in the car, dinner, bridge games, relaxation ... just so perfect. You won't be disappointed in this one.

20 Great Tenor Arias.......2007-01-09

A great disc,combination of the greatest tenors of the 20th century and some of the most beautiful music ever written in any century,a must addition to any opera lovers collection.

Plesantly surprised..........2006-01-14

I don't remember how I found this CD the other day surfing through the "Amazon" such as it is, but I did. I listened to a few clips provided & on the strength of that, I purchased this CD.

First it is a great buy. A booklet with pictures of each tenor, a small bio, the year recorded and TRANSLATIONS of each aria are provided. This is really nice. It seems more & more that translations are being left out. Being a former opera singer, I may know most of the words, but sometimes it's just nice to read along (sometimes it's just nice to listen too).

Being on the Decca label, there is admittedly quite a few Pavarotti selections. Out of 20 selections, he has 6 of them. But I love Pavarotti, so this is no problem for me. These are all early recordings & his voice is magnificent! Being a singer, I still marvel at his ability to sing "All'armi!" on a high D and still say the 2nd syllable "mi" on such a note! WOW. There is also of course his very sweet, impassioned and lyrical turn as Rodolfo in "La Boheme" as well as the lesser known (although I still have it on casette) "La Favorita" which has a particularly high tessitura.

Also featured are a young Plácido Domingo singing a VERY nice "Flower song/ La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" from Carmen. He usually sounds too pushed for me on the top notes (as one might expect from a Pavarotti fan, I like free top notes) but in this recording he is pretty darn fabulous. He also sings an aria from "Tales of Hoffman/Les Contes d'Hoffman" and I have always felt that he, like Neil Schicoff, were well suited to this role.

Lamentably there are only one selection each from Carreras, Correlli, Monaco, Aragall & Kollo. Especial kudos to the young recording they feature for Aragall. He had a very free and nice high tenor well suited to Verdi. Of course as his career went forward with the natural darkening of his voice and the "heavier" roles, he did start to develop a wobble. But this recording is before that. His top, his phrasing are all beautifully done in his featured aria from "La Traviata."
Mario del Monaco's "E lucevan le stelle" is hauntingly beautiful and has such a wonderful pianissimo in it that it makes you just want to gasp for beauty's sake. I now know every tenor I've heard sing this aria was trying to emulate what he did.

This is a great CD because it does bring together on one CD some of the greatest singers of the 20th/21st century. Bergonzi, di Stefano, Björling, in addition to the previously mentioned artists is quite an impressive collection. I'm sure there's only one of each for Carreras, Aragall (I believe they are formerly EMI/Angel artists) and perhaps some of the others because they are "imported" from another label. There's so much Pavarotti on this CD because he IS a Decca artist.

A highly recommended CD, affordable, not the usually obscure and unpolished artists that are sometimes found on compilations. Plus acutal linear notes and translations. Nicely done, Decca!!!

Absolutely Agree About Corelli.......2005-05-27

Franco Corelli's "Nessun Dorma" is still the best of them all - clear, passionate, and exciting. (And those final two notes...! Gives me chills just to think of it.) I was fortunate enough to see him live in both "Turandot" and "Romeo and Juliet" a year before his retirement, and he was still a Calaf and a Romeo to die for... as, of course, Liu and Juliet did! As it is, I tend to buy compilations depending on how much Corelli they include - though Bjorling is a strong second, and I have happy memories of Domingo. Long live the Golden Age of Operatic Tenors!

Average customer rating: The beautiful gift of opera... Pretty darn good The Opera #1 Opera Album Excellent assortment Great Selections

The #1 Opera Album Giacomo Puccini , Giuseppe Verdi , Léo Delibes , Georges Bizet , Umberto Giordano , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Richard Wagner , Gioachino Rossini , Alfredo Catalani , Jacques Offenbach , Ruggiero Leoncavallo , Charles Gounod , Gaetano Donizetti , Pietro Mascagni , Antonin Dvorak , Richard Bonynge , Herbert von Karajan , Alberto Erede , Lamberto Gardelli , Giuseppe Patane , John Mauceri , Zubin Mehta , Charles Dutoit , Gyorgy Fischer , Riccardo Chailly , Istvan Kertesz , Leone Magiera , Evelino Pido , Gianandrea Gavazzeni , Renée Fleming , Cecilia Bartoli , Luciano Pavarotti , Jussi Bjorling , and Renata Tebaldi Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | 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Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Most Famous Opera Duets The Most Famous Opera Arias The Best of Italian Opera The Best Opera Album in the World...Ever! Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco... ASIN: B000059RXO Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

1. Carmen: Act 1: Prld - LPO/Sir Georg Solti
2. La Traviata: Brindisi: Libiamo, Ne'lieti Calici - Luciano Pavarotti/Joan Sutherland/London Opr Chor/Terry Edwards
3. La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina - Luciano Pavarotti
4. Lakme: Flower Duet: Dome Epais Le Jasmin - Joan Sutherland/Jane Berbie
5. Fedora: Amor Ti Vieta - Jussi Bjorling
6. Carmen: Habanera: L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle - Tatiana Troyanos/John Alldis Chor/John Alldis
7. Nabucco: Chor Of The Hebrew Slaves: Va Pensiero - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hills
8. Le Nozze Di Figaro: Dove Sono - Kiri Te Kanawa
9. Rigoletto: La Donna E Mobile - Luciano Pavarotti
10. Lohengrin: Bridal Chor: Treulich Gefuhrt Ziehet Dahin - Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor/Walter Hagen-Groll
11. Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro - Renata Tebaldi
12. Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: Largo Al Factotum - Leo Nucci
13. La Wally: Ebben?... Ne Andro Lontana - Angela Gheorghiu
14. Madama Butterfly: Humming Chor - Wiener Staatsopernchor/Norbert Balatsch
15. Carmen: Flower Song: La Fleur Que Tu M'avais Jetee - Placido Domingo
16. Les Contes D'Hoffmann: Barcarolle: Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'Amour - Joan Sutherland/Huguette Tourangeau/Chor De La Radio Suisse Romande, Pro Arte De Lausanne Et Du...
17. Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle - Placido Domingo
18. Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di - Mirella Freni
19. Les Pecheurs De Perles: C'est Toi... Au Fond Du Temple Saint - Gregory Cross/Gino Quilico

Tracks:

1. Die Walkure: The Ride Of The Valkyries - Wiener Phil/Solti
2. Le Nozze Di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete - Cecilia Bartoli
3. Pagliacci: Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba - Luciano Pavarotti
4. La Boheme: O Soave Fanciulla - Mirella Freni/Luciano Pavarotti/Roland Panerai
5. Il Trovatore: Anvil Chor: Vedi! Le Fosche - Chicago Sym Chor/Margaret Hillis
6. Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai - Jose Carreras
7. Don Giovanni: La Ci Darem La Mano - Lucia Popp/Tom Krause
8. Mattinata - Andrea Bocelli
9. Faust: Soldiers' Chor - Ambrosian Opr Chor/John McCarthy
10. L'elisir D'amore: Una Furtiva Lagrima - Roberto Alagna
11. Turandot: Signore, Ascolta! - Montserrat Caballe
12. Don Giovanni: Champagne Aria: Finch'han Dal Vino - Bryn Terfel
13. Cosi Fan Tutte: Trio: Soave Sia Il Vento - Renee Fleming/Anne Sofie Von Otter/Michele Pertusi
14. Il Trovatore: Di Quella Pira - Luciano Pavarotti/Joan Sutherland/London Opr Chor/Terry Edwards
15. Tosca: Vissi D'arte - Kiri Te Kanawa
16. Carmen: Toreador Song - Jose Van Dam/Tatiana Troyanos/Norma Burrowes/Jane Berbie/Thomas Allen/Pierre Thau/John Alldis...
17. Madama Butterfly: Love Duet: Vogliatemi Bene - Mirella Freni/Luciano Pavarotti
18. Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo - Nat PO/Gianandrea Gavazzeni
19. Rusalka: O Silver Moon - Renee Fleming
20. La Boheme: Si. Mi Chiamano Mimi - Angela Gheorghiu
21. Turandot: Nessun Dorma - Luciano Pavarotti/John Alldis Chor/John Alldis

Amazon.com

The labels that are now gathered under the Universal Classics umbrella have a pretty impressive scorecard in the area of classical compilations. We've seen The Greatest Opera Show on Earth, The Yellow Guide: Classical Music, Best of the Millennium, and now there's The No. 1 Opera Album. But that's no surprise, since Universal has some of the finest interpreters in its catalogue to draw from. This two-CD set (at the price of one), for example, brings together the likes of Cecilia Bartoli, Renée Fleming, Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Georg Solti, Herbert von Karajan, and many more. Yet the other key to a successful compilation is canny anthologizing, and here again, you have a nice selection to give you a smattering of opera's heavyweights from the Italian, German, and French repertory (there's even a step outside the standard framework with an aria from Dvorák's lovely Rusalka). Ranging from 1959 to 1997, the choices from back catalogue will doubtless be the entry ticket for many into this grandest of the arts. --Sarah Chin

Customer Reviews:

The beautiful gift of opera..........2007-07-17

This 2-CD set is absolutely wonderful! You can close your eyes and feel like you're actually at the opera, listening to those beautiful voices bringing tears to your eyes. Nessun Dorma still stirs up emotions in me, no matter how many times I hear it. Great examples of opera to give someone wanting to get interested in this style of music.

Pretty darn good.......2007-07-04

This CD set has a lot of familiar music on it, so if you're a newbie, you might want to try starting with this. There are some great pieces on the first CD. I usually don't even make it to the second.

The Opera #1 Opera Album.......2007-06-07

The music is wonderful. The production is terrible!! The sound fades in and out and is very scratchy in some places.

Excellent assortment.......2007-05-12

I'm not a big opera fan but I wanted to expose an assorted selection for my kids. This was perfect since it included several recognizable selections.

Great Selections.......2007-03-31

This Cd, has the very best of Opera
covering mainly from the classcal
to the to the romantic periods, a most
memorable selection here is Leo Nucci
in a lagendary performance of Rossini's
"Largo al Factotum" from "Il Barbiere di Seviglia"
also Andrea Bocelli in his performance of Leoncavallo's
memorable "Matinatta" here in an orchestrated version.
Indeed some of opera's most loved arias are in this recording
various conductors, orchestras, and soloists. All in their
very best. Indeed a five-star recording...

Average customer rating: Can't go wrong Most Famous??? Only one song knew well The Most Famous Opera Duets Good selection of opera highlights

The Most Famous Opera Duets Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Delibes, Leo | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Donizetti, Gaetano | C to G | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Puccini, Giacomo | M to P | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Strauss, Richard | Q to T | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Wagner, Richard | U to Z | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Vocal Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | U to Z | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Ludwig, Christa | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Price, Leontyne | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Scotto, Renata | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Most Famous Opera Arias The Best of Italian Opera The #1 Opera Album Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco... Rapture: Opera's Most Heavenly Moments ASIN: B000002SCA Release Date: 1994-04-12

Tracks:

1. Les Peurs des perles Act 1 - Au fond du temple saint
2. Madama Butterfly Act 1- Vogliatemi bene, un bene piccolino
3. Le Nozze di Figaro Act III - Sull'aria - Le Nozze di Figaro
4. La Traviata Act I - Un di, felice, eterea
5. Lucia Di Lammermoor Act I - Ah! Verranna a te sull'aure
6. Tristan und Isolde Act II - O sink hernieder, Nacht der Liebe
7. Carmen Act I - Parle-moi de m
8. Die ZauberflAct I - Bei Mern, welche Liebe F
9. Lakmct I - Viens, Mallika
10. Rigoletto Act I - il sol dell'anima
11. Der Rosenkavalier Act II - Mir ist die Ehre wilderfahren
12. Don Giovanni Act I - Li darem la mano
13. La Boh Act IV - O Mimi, tu pi torni
14. Il Trovatore Act IV - Miserere...Quel suon, quelle preci

Amazon.com

This is a misnomer--not all of these duets are all that famous--but it's a fine compilation nonetheless. You'll hear selections from Bizet's The Pearl Fishers (Nicolai Gedda and Ernest Blanc at their most elegant French), Madama Butterfly (Carlo Bergonzi and Renata Scotto--an impassioned pair), Lucia di Lammermoor (a classy Alfredo Kraus and Edita Gruberova), the lovely Lakme duet, The Presentation of the Silver Rose from Der Rosenkavalier (with the earnest Christa Ludwig and the other-worldly Teresa Stich-Randall), and a fine Trovatore "Miserere" (with Leontyne Price and Franco Bonisolli singing up a storm). There are many others, too--a veritable cornucopia of couplings--and a treat for the opera lover. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Can't go wrong.......2007-07-14

This is a really great CD for the price. It has many of the famous Arias on it and although the singers may not be the best out there they are certainly very good. This is cheaper than the price of a take away lunch; you can't go wrong with this CD.

Most Famous???.......2007-05-14

The title of this cd is misleading and I found myself wondering whose list did they use. That is not to say that there aren't some real treasures included here. The duet from Lakme is lovely in every way, Mady Mesple in particular, very beautful and very french, and far superior to Sutherlands hooty approach. Scotto and Bergonzi are superb, the Tristan and Isolde of Vickers and Dernesch truly other worldly, and the presentation of the rose duet with the young Ludwig and the astonishing Teresa Stich- Randell had me playing it over and over and I still can't believe it, but the most famous??? This cd is definitly worth buying, and I hated giving it only 3 stars but if you're talking most famous you could fill a couple of cd's with Puccini, not to mention Verdi, Mozart, etc. before Bizet's Les Pecheurs des perles, beautiful as it is, made the most famous list.

Only one song knew well.......2007-05-14

I should have done more research. The last song is the only one I could easily recognize. Live and learn.

The Most Famous Opera Duets.......2007-01-05

This seller truly makes a purchaser confident in the product as well the time in which is promised.

Thanks again!!!!!

Good selection of opera highlights.......2006-11-04

Super performances by famous opera artists of the 20th century, most of them no longer performing and some of them deceased. I enjoy having their voices available at home.

Average customer rating: Opera for Aficianados as well as Newbies superb! beatiful music Best Opera CD ever Rapture

Rapture: Opera's Most Heavenly Moments Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Academy of Ancient Music | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: The Most Famous Opera Duets The Most Famous Opera Arias The #1 Opera Album Amor--Opera's Great Love Songs The Best Opera Album in the World...Ever! ASIN: B00006L3K2 Release Date: 2002-10-08

Tracks:

1. Casta Diva - Renee Fleming
2. Barcarolle - Edita Gruberova
3. Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana - Maria Chiara
4. Intermezzo - Herbert Von Karajan
5. Letter Duet - Edith Mathis
6. Che Faro Senza Euridice - Grace Bumbry
7. Va Pensiero - Giuseppe Sinopoli
8. Una Furtiva Lagrima - Gosta Winbergh
9. Porgi Amor - Gundula Janowitz
10. Humming Chorus - Ambrosian Opera Chorus
11. Soave Sia Il Vento - Kiri Te Kanawa
12. Overture (Excerpt) - Philharmonia Orchestra
13. Un'aura Amorosa - Hans-Peter Blochwitz
14. Un Bel Di - Mirella Freni
15. Depuis Le Jour - Montserrat Caballe
16. La Ci Darem La Mano - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
17. Quando Le Sere Al Placido - Placido Domingo
18. Mir Ist So Wunderbar - Lucia Popp

Tracks:

1. Flower Duet - Joan Sutherland
2. The Pearl Fishers Duet - Bryn Terfel
3. Lascia Ch'io Pianga - Kiri Te Kanawa
4. Prelude - Bayerisches Staatsorchestra
5. O Silver Moon - Renee Fleming
6. When I Am Laid In Earth - Tatiana Troyanos
7. Miserere - Placido Domingo
8. Vissi D'arte - Mirella Freni
9. Intermezzo - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
10. Softly Awakes My Heart - Grace Bumbry
11. Ombra Mai Fu (Largo) - Bryn Terfel
12. Pilgrim's Chorus - Chorus Of The Bayreuth Festival
13. Ruhe Sanft - Kiri Te Kanawa
14. Flower Duet - Teresa Berganza
15. Entr'acte - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
16. Mira O Norma - Marilyn Horne
17. Hochsten Heiles Wunder - Chorus Of The German Opera Berlin

Customer Reviews:

Opera for Aficianados as well as Newbies.......2007-06-11

If you are looking for peaceful, beautiful music this is for you. It is a delightful mix of some of opera's most memorable moments. Long time opera fans will be familiar with most of the arias and newcomers to opera will recognize music that has become identified with movies and commercials.

superb! .......2007-05-12

If you love wonderful operatic moments then this cd is a great buy for all of the wonderful and spectacular music on it. You get two cds for the price of one great opera cd, and all of the talented singers that were taken and put on these tracks do definate justice to all of the composers listed. A great cd to add to your collection especially if you are an aspiring singer or a student in music. Absolutely Fantastic!

beatiful music.......2007-02-23

former reviews are no exaggeration, this is the most beautiful music I have come across. I have many opera CDs but this is one I never tire of.
I listen to the CD everyday and it is always soothing, uplifting and inspiring. I wish I could find another as wonderful.

Best Opera CD ever.......2007-02-16

I have orderd plenty of classical CD's and DVD's on this webside.
Most were phantastish but this one is the best.
I listen so often to this CD that it should have grooves.
I never get tired of it.
I recommend this CD highly.
Roswitha

Rapture.......2007-01-24

Wonderous---Melodious----
This compilation of Opera's finest moments is positively wonderful!!!!Unquestionably the best buy I have made in Opera Music..No kidding,I have trays full of CDs covering every facet of Opera,but none as beautiful...A full 2 1/2 hours of the best of the best....Heavenly Moments says it ALL...I vote 6 stars!!!!!

Average customer rating: Good Blend My Favorite Choral Composer whitacre Choral excellence Spine tingling

Eric Whitacre: The Complete A Cappella Works, 1991-2001 Manufacturer: Arsis Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Eric Whitacre: Cloudburst and other choral works Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna, etc. / Salamunovich, Los Angeles Master Chorale Morten Lauridsen: Lux aeterna The Music Of Eric Whitacre Nocturne ASIN: B00008YJET Release Date: 2003-04-29

Customer Reviews:

Good Blend.......2007-05-17

If you are trying to decide between this recording and "Cloudburst," pick this one. The female voices do not have that shrieking quality that they do on "Cloudburst" and the soprano soloist from the BYU Singers is fantastic.

I do prefer the faster pacing of some of the pieces on the "Cludburst" recording, but this one is better all around.

My Favorite Choral Composer.......2007-03-09

Taken as a whole, Eric Whitacre is my favorite choral composer. I have to listen to his music at least once a week. As far as student choirs go, BYU does a stunning job for the most part. The few minor mistakes do not detract from the music. This is an essential album in my book.

whitacre.......2007-01-25

I bought this CD because it included the piece "Lux aurumque", which I feel must have been inspired because it transforms the listener into another realm. The other pieces are well done, too, but none reach me in the same way as "Lux aurumque". I love the tight overlapping harmonies and suspensions.

Choral excellence.......2007-01-07

I asked for, and received, this recording for Christmas based on the excellence of prior BYU performances and having really enjoyed performing Cloudburst in the past. This recording does not disappoint. It excels on every level. The choral writing is compelling and the performance of the BYU Singers is simply amazing. I've been around choral singing for many, many, years and the level of achievement here is stunning. Based solely on hearing recordings and seeing their recorded concerts on PBS, I would recommend anything from the BYU choral department.

Spine tingling.......2006-12-29

I was VERY suprised to hear this kind of sound from a college choir! The blend of the choir and the emotion behind the music is enough to give anyone goosebumps. From the soaring harmonies of "Water Night" to the subdued tenderness of "Sleep" to the playfulness of "Leonardo" this disc has something for everyone. A guaranteed Best Buy!

Average customer rating: This is a great album Great CD Hooked Not bad, vocals are severely lacking however EAST VILLAGE OPERA CO.

The East Village Opera Company Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Puccini | Puccini, Giacomo | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: The Opera Band Defined Beyond Imagination Opera Band La Donna ASIN: B000AMJE3W Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

1. Overture (Redux)
2. Nessun Dorma (Redux)
3. Flower Duet (Redux)
4. La Donna E Mobile (Redux)
5. Un Bel Di (Redux)
6. Au Fond Du Temple Saint (Redux)
7. O Mio Babbino Caro (Redux)
8. Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana (Redux)
9. Che Gelida Manina (Redux)
10. Habanera (Redux)
11. When I Am Laid Earth (Redux)
12. E Lucevan Le Stelle (Redux)

Customer Reviews:

This is a great album.......2007-04-26

I never liked opera before. I guess it's all about how the music is presented. The performances are top-notch, and taken from real operatic classics, but the way it is done makes it very nice to listen too. If you can only get one album of this genre, this is the one to get!!!!

Great CD.......2007-03-16

I enjoy this different kind of opera music. Very nice and still giving you the feeling of the opera it self but in more modern way.

Hooked.......2007-03-15

I love this CD. I have it in my car, and now know practically all of the Italian words by heart. Infectious and uplifting. Good tears and fun listening.

Not bad, vocals are severely lacking however.......2007-02-28

I love music. I especially love classical music. When I find musicians who have taken classical music and presented it in a new way, I'm always excited. EVOC has done exactly that with these tried-and-true opera classics. The orchestrations are wonderful and the musicians obviously very talented. The vocalists, however, sometimes really don't deliver. All in all, it's a fun CD and I will certainly enjoy listening to it again and again.

EAST VILLAGE OPERA CO........2007-02-13

I SAW THEM ON T.V. AND HAD TO HAVE IT - JUST A REFRESHING TREATMENT POF OPERA

Average customer rating: Not as good as Elizabeth's You Are My Sunshine cd Even nanas love it! Not my favorite Great cd kids and adults love it! Great Music

You Are My Flower Elizabeth Mitchell Manufacturer: Little Bird Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music Folk Music | Children's Music | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: You Are My Sunshine You Are My Little Bird Catch the Moon (Book & CD) Songs to Grow on for Mother and Child Catch the Moon ASIN: B000067VOO Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

1. This Little Light of Mine
2. You Are My Flower
3. John the Rabbit
4. 1 Day, 2 Days, 3 Days Old
5. Freight Train
6. Shoo-fly
7. Little Sack of Sugar
8. Rock and Roll
9. Jingle Bells
10. Lovers Lane
11. Sylvie
12. Pony Boy

Amazon.com

Elizabeth Mitchell goes with what she knows on You Are My Flower. Here a selection of sturdy, old-fashioned songs are delivered with a clear, clipped voice accompanied by a single guitar. The result is an album most parents would make for their own kids if they possessed Mitchell's talent. Mitchell delivers unsullied renditions of songs from the oeuvres of Woody Guthrie, Elizabeth Cotten, and the Carter Family, and tosses in a version of "Jingle Bells" that would be welcome in June. Pop the CD in and a lovely, simple, peaceful vibe swells inside. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Not as good as Elizabeth's You Are My Sunshine cd.......2007-05-12

All the songs are really great, but it's not as entertaining as the Your Are My Sunshine cd. Elizabeth Mitchell has a great voice and makes it easy and fun to listen to kids' music.

Even nanas love it!.......2007-05-12

My 2 year old grand daughter loves Elizabeth Mitchell. Every time we talk on the phone we sing "Freight Train" and "Shoo Fly". Elizabeth Mitchell is intentional in her love and respect of kids. Her music is simple and sweet. It is totally void of merchandising and her appeal crosses generations. I ordered "You Are My Flower" for myself!

Not my favorite.......2007-04-07

I have all of Elizabeth Mitchell's CD's and this one is my least favorite. There are a couple of cute songs on there, but we hardly ever listen to it, b/c my son absolutely loves her other CD's better (Little Bird & You are my Sunshine). If you're deciding which one to get, I'd go with the two above that I mentioned!

Great cd kids and adults love it! .......2007-01-18

I just heard about EM and I love it so do my kids. It is very pleasant to listen to she has a beautiful voice. There is one bad son - it sounds just like somebody forgot to stop recording while her kids were playing but other than that 1 I love it.

I hate Amazon though becuase I put things in my shoppin bag in early Decmber and each week they went UP in price as it got closer to Christmas. THe shipping took a while and everything seemed to come in separate boxes. I have had better luck with Ebay or other retailers through Amazon.

Great Music.......2007-01-12

Elizabeth Mitchell is kids music that adults can listen to over and over again without losing their minds. My daughter is a year old and we have been listening to Elizabeth Mitchell since she was born and we are not tired of it yet. We have all her cds and our favorite is her latest release, You Are My Little Bird.

Average customer rating: Messin' with Success Nothing Exciting I agree with Murat Excellent chronicle of The Flower Kings sound

The Road Back Home The Flower Kings Manufacturer: Inside Out Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Sweden | Scandinavia | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Going Off On One (2DVD/CD) Fear of a Blank Planet Angling Feelings Systematic Chaos Angular Perceptions ASIN: B000QEILLK Release Date: 2007-06-26

Tracks:

1. Cosmic Lover
2. A Kings Prayer
3. Stupid Girl
4. Cosmic Circus
5. Babylon
6. Paradox Hotel
7. World Without A Heart
8. Church Of Your Heart
9. Vox Humana
10. What If God Is Alone
11. Starlight Man
12. Grand Old World
13. The Road Back Home
14. Cinema Show

Tracks:

1. Ghost Of The Red Cloud
2. Painter
3. I Am The Sun (part 2)
4. Different People
5. Little Deceiver
6. Chickenfarmer Song
7. The Rhythm Of The Sea
8. Touch My Heaven
9. Life Will Kill You
10. Monkey Business
11. Compassion
12. The Flower King
13. Stardust We Are

Album Description

The Road Back Home is the first `Best Of' compilation by the now legendary Swedish progressive rockers. The Road Back Home features 27 classic Flower Kings tracks which have been personally hand-picked and re-mastered by the band's founder and driving force, Roine Stolt, giving the listener a unique and comprehensive front-row look into band's evolution and creative process. The compilation also features a previously unreleased cover version of the classic Genesis song, Cinema Show.

Customer Reviews:

Messin' with Success.......2007-07-03

First off, I absolutely love the Flower Kings and anxiously await their next release. This one though.....
OK, let me get this off my chest first - why, oh why would you play with the perfection that is the original "Church of Your Heart"? When I saw this on the CD's pre-release playlist on the TFK website, I was counting the days until it arrived just to hear a remastering of this song. (I think all TFK fans can agree that while "Stardust We Are" is one of the best albums of all time, it is also one compressed sonic mess). But instead of a nice clean remastering, we get a complete remix, and, gasp - an entire section of the song - a critical section in my eyes - is totally gone! Disappointed hardly covers it.
And therein lies the problem, for me. Most of these songs weren't just remastered, they were remixed as well. Instruments are added or taken away, changing the complexion of the songs in someways good but mostly not. For the most part, the new productions just don't stand up to the old. Several tunes, like "World Without a Heart" sound lifeless, are missing key instrumental parts (where is the lovely piano part in WWAH?) or have had the sometimes rough edges dulled down until they don't have the same impact the originals did.
Roine evidently has disdained the use of reverb for the new mixes, and for me, this new "dry" sound doesn't serve this type of music well.
Overall, it WAS a somewhat fun first listen, and of course the songs are pretty much wonderful anyway, but while there are great moments, I can't imagine listening to this one again anytime soon.
Having said that, thanks Roine for the effort - the liner notes are indeed exceptional, and maybe there is hope that you'll find time to go back and remaster (but NOT remix) the classic TFK albums like Stardust We Are, Flower Power and Rainmaker. Wouldja, please????

Nothing Exciting.......2007-07-02

The Flower Kings (Roine Stolt) take some of their shorter progressive rock tracks and re-mix and remaster them. The chosen list is pretty good and covers their entire career up to this point. The extra, never released track "Little Deceiver" from the Rainmaker sessions is nothing special.

The remixing doesn't seems to improve the songs much and actually seems to make them 'softer.' I word I could use is 'pillowy'....almost giving some of the slower parts of songs a new-age feel to them (not a good thing in my opinion). The punch of the original songs is missing, replaced by a broadening effect to fully take up the sonic range. Another point of dissapontment......should you really mess with "Church of Your Heart?" The classic Flower Kings song has been truncated and the dramatic key change at the last part of the original version is gone. That was the part of the song that got me hooked on the song in the the first place. Also "I am the Sun part II" seems to be truncated as well, and again, the best part of the song, in my opinion, is missing.

Songs picked from newer releases (Adam + Eve and Paradox Hotel) are less affected by the mixing and come off much like the originals.

All-in-all, this is a good collection of Flower King songs, but the remixing doesn't seem that great of an improvement of the originals.

I agree with Murat.......2007-06-28

Thank you Murat, for the fine review. I agree with everything you mentioned. I give the album 5 stars; it's that good.

Excellent chronicle of The Flower Kings sound.......2007-06-26

The Road Back Home is a two-disc compilation album put together by Flower Kings leader Roine Stolt. Not only does it feature the band's relatively more compact and "easy listening" cuts, the songs have also been treated to a new mixing job by Stolt. Add to that several newly recorded guitar solos as well as some backing vocals by Roine Stolt and Hasse Froberg. Some of the numbers have just been remixed whilst some others also feature previously unheard passages, instrumentation, and vocal parts.

The song long-time fans will want to hear the most will probably be "Little Deceiver", a leftover from the band's Rainmaker sessions. It is an interesting experiment where the tune wanders off more into Dire Straits-goes-country territory, bringing forth a true solo statement from Stolt and Froberg who are responsible for everything this song has to offer: unusual harmony vocals, cool loops and sound effects, and steady, straightforward drumming.

Also new on the CD is the band's Genesis tribute "Cinema Show", originally recorded in 1998. Being one of the greatest Genesis songs ever, Stolt says the band was rather nervous while recording it, but the result is nothing short of mindblowing. The acoustic guitar tone, the layered melodies, the awesome vocal parts, and last but not the least, Tomas Bodin's mindblowingly beautiful key solo that not only honours Tony Banks' original work but also adds its own touch to it -- everything is phenomenal about this piece. As noted in the liner notes, that solo is testimony that "great keys can be played with emotion without a trace of blues or jazz".

It would be impossible and meaningless to describe each song on this compilation. After all, they all represent a different era of the band; and they are meant to be enjoyed best in their original context. However, the little nuances brought out in the mixing stage do warrant a mention. "Cosmic Lover", for instance, features new vocal and some clarinet addition as well as a heavier focus on rhythm. This brings out the funky aesthetic and underscores the brilliant Beatles-like vocal harmony. "Stupid Girl" has a brand new guitar solo; and truth be told, I can't choose which one I like better cause the new one is truly sublime. Also, the guitar solo of "A Kings Prayer", one of the greatest Flower Kings songs ever, is different. I love how the deep message is conveyed on this one amidst glimmering acoustic guitar notes and McCartney-like vocal arrangements.

The last few minutes of "Church of Your Heart" have been cut off, and rightly so. The result is a more direct and powerful tune driven by tons of organ work by Bodin and soaring harmonies by Hasse Froberg. The African tribal rhythms merge seamlessly with a gorgeous soprano sax arrangement on "Grand Old World" whilst "Monkey Business" proves once again why everything on Unfold the Future is gold. Jonas Reingold's fretless bass, Hasse Bruniusson's percussion rhythms, and Stolt's unmistakable guitars form the musical aspect of the otherwise tragic lyrical theme. Stolt's vocal part in the intro of "The Road Back Home" has been replaced by Hasse's more fitting singing -- perhaps the best Retropolis song with its melodic hook and blazing Hammond elements.

The songs with Pain of Salvation's Daniel Gildenlow providing backing harmonies have mostly been left untouched, such as "Starlight Man" and "Cosmic Circus", but you can still tell a remix was done on them. The somewhat cluttered soundscape layering of the former piece seems totally gone on the reworked version of "Different People" off of Stardust We Are. Unlike the original version, the piece has a stronger psychedelic centre here thanks to Stolt's meticulous remixing, and the melodious flow is more evocative. The backing voices have enhanced this cut greatly as well.

It doesn't matter whether you're a long-time fan or a new listener. Any Flower Kings fan should pick this up in a heart beat and hear these songs in their new format. If you have never heard any of Flower Kings' studio albums, on the other hand, then, depending on the songs you like the best here, you should go and pick it up impromptu. Once you're hooked, you'll want to have their entire discography anyway.

Kudos to Roine Stolt for not only compiling and remixing all these songs, but also for the detailed song-by-song analysis he offers in the liner notes. He even designed the booklet and cover art himself and added some photos as well. The packaging is superb -- it couldn't be any better.

I wish all compilation albums were this amazing.

Average customer rating: Beautiful score A gorgeous film score GREAT MUSIC. Never Gets Boring Great !!

House of Flying Daggers Shigeru Umebayashi Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Movie Scores | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Hero Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000 Film) Memoirs of a Geisha House of Flying Daggers The Last Samurai ASIN: B0006HC0R8 Release Date: 2004-11-30

Tracks:

1. Opening title
2. Beauty Song (Jia Ren Qu)
3. The Echo Game
4. The Peonyhouse
5. Battle in the Forest
6. Taking her hand
7. Leo's Eyes
8. Lovers - Flower Garden
9. No way out
10. Lovers
11. Farewell No. 1
12. Bamboo Forest
13. Ambush in 10 directions (Shi Mian Mai Fu)
14. Leo's Theme
15. Mei and Leo
16. The House of Flying Daggers
17. Lovers (Mei and Jin)
18. Farewell No. 2
19. Until the end
20. Lovers (Title Song)

Amazon.com

The films of director Zhang Yimou have a panoramic sweep to them that deftly creates a fantastical vision of ancient Chinese culture for the screen. Yimou's eye for color and sense of drama demands a score that conveys the emotion, tradition and action of his movies. Here Shigeru Umebayashi tells each part of the story with a mix of traditional flute, drums, string instruments and, to a lesser degree, orchestra and moody-sounding synthesizers. The lilting melody of "Lovers" is particularly effective, simmering with a passion that leaves no doubt about the tone of the scene; it comes back to dramatic effect at other times in the film as well--the soundtrack closes with a soaring version of it by soprano Kathleen Battle. Similar to but not as heavy as Tan Dun's occasionally overbearing work on Yimou's film Hero, Umebayashi leans toward the subtle for this love story, and the film is better for it. - Tad Hendrickson

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful score.......2006-11-13

I truly enjoy this CD. The music is enchanting, emotion-evoking, and powerful. I love to listen to it in order to relax before going to bed. I recommend this CD to anyone.

A gorgeous film score.......2006-09-24

"House of Flying Daggers" is one of my favorite Asian films from the past five years. One of the main reasons I love the film is the sumptuous classical film score by Shigeru Umebayashi. The classical score reminded me a great deal of the score for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". The operatic ballad by Kathleen Battle is stunning. I don't normally like most opera music but I definitely enjoyed listening to Kathleen Battle. This is a lovely cd to relax to with a hot cup of tea and a good book.

GREAT MUSIC........2006-05-18

Not only was House of Flying Daggers a wonderful movie, but the music was breathtaking. If for no other reason purchase the CD and enjoy Kathleen Battle's rendition of Lovers.

Never Gets Boring.......2005-12-25

This album has everything good music needs. It's driving, subtle, powerful and soft. It is a truly amazing work of art. It gets the emotions of the characters and the events of the story out perfectly. A ballet could be performed to this score.

Great !!.......2005-07-19

The music is wonderful, the two songs are one of the best I've heard...

Average customer rating: Not for the average listener A thoroughly enjoyable trip through Central Asia and a few other places. Silk Road Journey A Detailed Review From A Non-expert Music Lover Silk Road student

Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet Yo-Yo Ma , and Silk Road Ensemble Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan Obrigado Brazil Soul of the Tango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone ASIN: B0000641CG Release Date: 2002-04-16

Tracks:

1. Mongolian Traditional longsong
2. Legend of Herlen (Byambasuren Sharav)
3. "Blue Little Flower" (Chinese Traditional)
4. "Mido Mountain" (Chinese Traditional)
5. Moon over Guan Mountain (Zhao Jiping)
6. "Miero vuotti uutta kuuta" from Five Finnish Folk Songs (Michio Mamiya)
7. "Joiku" from Five Finnish Folk Songs (Michio Mamiya)
8. Avaz-e Dashti (Persian Traditional)
9. Habil-Sayagy (In Habil's Style) for cello and prepared piano (Franghiz Ali-Zadeh)
10. Blue as the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur (Kayhan Kalhor)
11. Chi passa per'sta strada (Filippo Azzaiolo)
12. Desert Capriccio (Music from the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon/Tan Dun) (Bonus Track)

Amazon.com

This disc introduces Yo-Yo Ma's latest and most ambitious adventure, the Silk Road Project. It explores the cultures that flourished along the Silk Road, the ancient trade route that for centuries connected Europe and the East. Founded by Ma in 1998, the project aims to create connections, mutual trust, and cultural interchange between people from different parts of the world through their only shared language: music.

This recording includes music from Mongolia, China, Persia, Japan, Iran, Azerbaijan, and an improvisation on an Italian Renaissance street song, performed by musicians from all those countries, as well as America, on both Eastern and Western instruments. Ma, who participates in every piece either as soloist or part of the ensemble, plays cello and a Mongolian "horse-head fiddle." There is also a Mongolian soprano, who sings a traditional song native to her region. For the uninitiated Western listener, the music requires some getting used to. Much of it is based on rhythmic ostinatos. The melodies use Oriental scales; the intonation is untempered; the music seems all color, texture, and atmosphere, without what might be called themes; and repetition takes the place of development. Contrast is achieved through sudden change, buildup by adding instruments. However, the music is often beautiful, delicate, dreamy, or peaceful; every listener will find his or her own favorite pieces. The playing is splendid, with much inventive improvisation. Inevitably, Ma's tone and personality stand out, but he never dominates in fact or spirit. The booklet offers essays by Ma and the project's musicologist, Theodore Levin, photographs of the players, and drawings of the Eastern instruments. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Not for the average listener.......2007-03-20

I was going to give it 2 stars, but then again i only listened to it once.
I was looking forward to this, but the music is plodding in many parts,
like a dreary symphony. There are fine moments, but I was looking for something a bit more accesible, rhymic, and lyrical. This is a mixed bag that seems to miss more often than hit.

A thoroughly enjoyable trip through Central Asia and a few other places........2007-03-15

I have just added this to my musical library and am enjoying it. From the first beat of the first note of Khongozurl's long song you are transported to central Asia - the land of horses and gers. Of all the pieces I was most interested in listening to the second piece - Legend of Herlen. This to me, was the real silk road. The morin khuur has a very rich and unusual tone that made we want to listen to the it over and over again. Each piece is different and reminds one of the many parts that make up the whole of central asia's culture be it music or diesel trucks competing for road space with camels. The music captures the variety that makes up the region. The Finnish Folksong tracks are a nice touch. I have a friend who was at a trade conference and met a man from Mongolia. Neither could talk to one another until they discovered a common language - Finnish! My friend's family is Finnish and his new Mongolian friend had lived for several years in Finland where he learned enough of the language to communicate. Listening to the Finnish Folksongs reminds me of the Finnish-Mongolian connection that my friend had described. It is a nice touch and complements the other pieces very well. Please don't neglect to read the information insert as this gives a wealth of information on the music and it's origins as well as some of the difficulties experienced by western players playing traditional middle Asian musical instruments. Ma's difficulties with his instrument are particularly interesing to read. The concludig track - Desert Capriccio is a very nice ending to a very rich musical experince. The music from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the perfect ending to this trip through central Asia. I highly recommend this CD to everyone.

Silk Road Journey.......2007-02-19

I saw a performance of the Silk Road Ensemble and was absolutely enthralled. So I bought the CD. But it was a big disappointment. It's not the type of music you can comfortably listen to in your living room - I'm sure it would be much more enjoyable in a concert hall. There was far too much that just sounded like "screeching" to me. However, some of the pieces that were much like what we heard at the performance were beautiful. So - a mixed review, but I disliked more than I liked.

A Detailed Review From A Non-expert Music Lover.......2007-01-12

In this review I will give my opinion on each of the 12 selections in this CD, and will also talk about some general themes related to the title "The Silk Road Project".

To anyone who has heard of the Silk Road in Ancient China, the title of this CD immediately brings up images of exotic peoples and their cultures in your mind. I think Yo-Yo Ma's efforts in creating such a culturally diversified recording are definitely welcomed in this era of globalization.

But after listening through this CD I felt that something was missing from the selections. One of the most important areas on the Silk Road is the Uyghur region in northwestern China. Their music is quite unique. Inclusion of their music in this CD would be really interesting. Also in this CD not all of the selections are chosen from those regions directly related to the Silk Road. So I guess the title is just a metaphor of "when strangers meet", but is not directly about the cultures along the Silk Road.

Now I will review each of the selections.

1. Mongolian Traditional Long Song

I am somewhat familiar with their culture and land. So to me this song is very beautiful and enchanting. One of the most important factors in conducting any cross-cultural communications is context! You really cannot take it out of context. The Mongolian Long Song might sound monotonous and drawling to a person who is more used to the Western tradition of chant, choral, or opera music. Yet if you know the traditional nomadic lifestyle of the Mongolian people on the vast rolling greens of the Mongolian grassland embellished with winding creeks and rivers, you would probably hear such long-singing voices reverberating between the green of the grass and the blue of the sky. The Mongolian people have some of the most beautiful songs that I know of.

2. Legend of Herlen

There are probably two broad categories of non-western ethnic musics. One is the authentic folksong tradition of the people, the other is westernized works composed by westernized local musicians. I guess Legend of Herlen might fall into the second category. It has some interesting tunes in it. But the overall listening experience is too dramatic. I guess the dynamics used in this piece might even go beyond the ppp and fff. In the Mongolian traditional music, dynamics are sometimes used quite dramatically, with sharp difference between two adjacent notes or phrases. So this piece here is probably not very surprising. Nonetheless I find it a little too dramatic, sometimes even disturbing. Again I am not familiar with the background of this piece, so that might explain the unusual drama.

3. Blue Little Flower

I am not sure what fusion should really sound like. But in this piece it does seem to me that a lot of musical traditions are intertwined in it: western music, Chinese folksong from Shaanxi, and probably Iranian or Indian drums. Somehow the only part of this song that I liked is the beginning line. It's very beautiful and delicate, reminding me of the theme music from the Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But it is westernized, not authentic Chinese folksong. If this is still not a problem, then the drum used in this piece does cause a lot of funny effects. The drum sounds so distinctive and it represents some of the central or western Asia cultures. The images such drum beats conjure up are very incompatible with this northwestern Chinese folksong. So in this piece there are at least three threads: western, Chinese, and Iranian/Indian (I am not sure which one). But they do not converge. There is also the funny part of the singing included in this piece. It is out of place and unnecessary. The singing itself is just too frivolous to me.

4. Mido Mountain

I like this piece, especially the part played by the Sheng. Again there are some elements that sound a little bit too foreign to me, especially the percussion part. They use the same percussion/drum in this piece as in the previous one. But the overall effect of the arrangement does sound authentic and pleasant to me.

5. Moon Over Guan Mountains

If you know that Zhao Jiping is famous for his scores for films, you will probably understand this piece better. But of course understanding does not mean you will like it. This piece falls into the second category that I described above. For a lot of non-Western countries, the influence of western music is definitely immense. Many local composers are trained in both the western tradition and the local tradition. But there is probably a general feeling among composers in these countries that western music is richer in theory and methods. Many of these composers will use themes from folk songs to compose westernized music. I will give this piece a B+. It does include some themes from northwestern China, which sound really unique. As I said in this CD there is no selection from the Uyghur region in China, this piece might make up for that, since some of the themes seem to me to be from that region. But this piece is still too dramatic too, like a film score.

6. Five Finnish Folksongs No. 3

I love this one! The theme melody is so beautiful, and maybe a little bit nostalgic, and maybe a little bit romantic also? But this piece is straightly western music. There is nothing ethnic about it.

7. Five Finnish Folksongs No.5

This one is ok, but not very impressive. The overall structure of this piece sounds like very loose. There is not memorable melody either. But it does not have the maddening drama like in the two pieces I have just talked about. This is good.

8. Avaz-e Dashti
I am not familiar with Persian music. But there are indeed some very Persian melodies in this piece. The instruments used in this piece are all traditional Persian instruments. Maybe this is why it sounds so authentic to me. I like the haunting, floating tunes in this piece. They sound very ethereal to me.

9. Habil-Sayagy

Again this piece falls into the second category like the Legend of Herlen and Moon Over Guan Mountains. Such music is probably interesting to the performers, since they can let loose their inner floodgate of emotions and resort to pure artistic connections. But the problem for such music is that they are just too dramatic, and it's really hard to understand them without fairly good knowledge of the context and their unique cultural backgrounds. I am sure all these three pieces might sound profound, meaningful, and artistic once we know the cultural backgrounds better. But for the general listener, they are too abstract and too emotionally charged. Another problem for such western-traditional combination pure art form of music is that tradition might be distorted and represented in the wrong way.

10. Blue as the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur

I like this one better that the previous one, especially the middle part beginning at around 5 min 30 sec into the music. The melody is quite unique, and memorable. The bassline is very interesting too. It conjures up the image of merchants traveling on camel back through the desert. The pulse of the bass sounds like the steps of camels walking. One the instruments used, I am not sure which one, santur or kemancheh, is quite successful in bringing out the authenticity of the music style.

11. Chi passa per'sta strada

This one has the same problem as the Blue Little Flower: it does not sound like anything! It is not Italian, nor is it Iranian, nor Chinese, nor anything else. What is it? Who knows. The ethnicity of world music is tied to their unique musical instruments closely. I remember there was one year the Chinese traditional orchestra had a New Year's Concert at Vienna, and when they played the Radetzky March at the end of the concert, I was quite unimpressed.

12. Desert Capriccio

Tan Dun is similar to the composers I mentioned above like Zhao Jiping. Tan's music is unique and interesting to both western and Chinese audience, because of the same thing: they are both unfamiliar with Tan's music. To the Chinese audience, his music sounds western, but to the Western audience, his music sounds exotic. Nonetheless I still like some of this music, like the Couching Tiger and Hidden Dragon. Some of the melodies are really great. Again this piece makes up for the lack of Uyghur music in this album, since the "desert" in this piece is in the Uyghur region. But the music is not Uyghur at all.

There you have it. That's all for my detailed review of this CD. I would give it a B+ for its efforts and some of the really good tunes. As I am not an expert, I might be wrong in many of the points that I make in this review. So feel free to comment on my review.

Silk Road student.......2007-01-05

Each story is complete within itself and offers insight into the life and hard times. I found the stories very believeable.

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