| 1. Krisztusom Kívüled... Reggeli Imádság (Christ, No One Else... Morning P |
| 2. Szól a Kukuk, Szól... Párosító (The Cuckoo Calls... Children's Pair Wis |
| 3. Ne Aludj el... Hajnalkiáltó Ének (Don't Fall Asleep... Girl's Pre-Weddi |
| 4. Hej, Dunna, Dunna... Zoborvidéki Lakodalmas, Ágyvivésnél (Hey, Feather |
| 5. Hajnal Hasad... Hajnalkiáltó Ének (Dawn Is Breaking... Girl's Pre-Weddi |
| 6. Hej, Madár, Madár... Zoborvidéki Bájolás (Hey Bird, Bird... Love Incant |
| 7. Hej, Révész, Révész... Menyasszonykikéro (Hey Ferryman, Ferryman... Ask |
| 8. Adjátok, Adjátok... Lakodalmas (Give Us, Give Us... Wedding Song) |
| 9. Patakot Folyóvíznek Hívják... Menyasszonysirató (They Call the Stream R |
| 10. Segélj el... Koszorúköto Ének (Help Us Go _ Girls Song for Making Brida |
| 11. Gömöri Muzsika (Gömör Music) |
| 12. Az Árgyélus Kismadár... Gyertyavivésnél (Little Bird Árgyélus... Ancien |
| 13. Elmegyek, Elmegyek... Gömöri Muzsika (I'm Leaving, I'm Leaving... Music |
| 14. Katnanóták... (Soldier's Songs) |
| 15. Aludj el... Altató (Go to Sleep... Lullabye) |
| 16. Amott Van Egy Nagy Ház... Rabének (There Is a Big Building... Prisoner' |
| 17. Ráolvasás Igézet Ellen... (Incantation for Breaking a Spell) |
| 18. Jaj, Párocskám... Sirató (Oh My Spouse... Grieving Song) |
| 19. Megszabadultam Már... Halottas Ének (I Am Already Freed... Funeral Song |
| 20. Krisztus Ki Vagy Nap És Világ... Esti Imádság (Christ You Are Day and W |
Little Bird,Gyongyi Ecsi,Fono Records,Hungarian,Int'l & World Music,Pop,Russia / Eastern Europe,World Music
Average customer rating:
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You Are My Little Bird
Elizabeth Mitchell Manufacturer: Smithsonian Folkways ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000GKZN9M Release Date: 2006-08-29 |
Tracks:
- Little Liza Jane
- Whos My Pretty Little Baby
- Zousan (Little Elephant)
- Little Bird, Little Bird
- Three Little Birds
- What Goes On
- Pom Na Tu Ri (Springtime Outing)
- Buckeye Jim
- Peace Like a River
- Los Pollitos (The Little Chicks)
- Winters Come and Gone
- Little Wing
- Lily Pond
- The North Wind
- If You Listen
- Down in the Valley
- Grassy Grass Grass
Product Description
This CD features homespun renditions of songs by Woody Guthrie, Bob Marley, The Velvet Underground, Vashti Bunyan, Gillian Welch, and more. Elizabeth Mitchell stands consciously and directly in the tradition of children's music that Folkways has carried for nearly 60 years. Her lovely voice brings a fresh sound to cherished American folk songs and other melodies from around the world. In a peaceful yet powerful way, she reintroduces us to the songs we thought we knew so well. This CD is 34 minutes and includes a 28 page booklet. Includes songs such as Little Liza Jane, Three Little Birds, and Buckeye Jim.Amazon.com
Elizabeth Mitchell is to children's music what a band like True Love is to indie rock: an insider's darling. Which can only mean one thing: any day now, she's going to blow up huge. You Are My Little Bird, Mitchell's third kids' CD and her first on the well-respected Smithsonian Folkways label, hews closely to the folkie-but-never-hokey sensibility she laid out so beautifully on the first two records. Here are 17 short, soft, sweet, homespun-sounding songs, some of them easily recognizable ("Peace Like a River," "Three Little Birds," "Down in the Valley"), some of them inexplicably obscure (Neil Young's "Little Wing," Gillian Welch and David Rawling's "Winter's Come and Gone," Francois Hardy's magical "If You Listen"). Throughout, even on tracks where her young daughter joins in, Mitchell's warm whisper of a voice compels a close listen, not just because the production is so spare you can practically feel her breath on your cheek but because there's something in her phrasing that suggests an old, wise soul. Miraculously, the bird concept never gets clunky; two exotic foreign-language songs--one Korean and one Japanese--help, but the real credit belongs to this all-around superb disc's sole stab at the subversive: Mitchell's stamp on "What Goes On," the Velvet Underground favorite, practically sails off the disc with its sunniness. --Tammy La GorceCustomer Reviews:
Perfect for kids/adults alike..........2007-07-08
Another great choice for kids and adults!.......2007-06-24
Hasn't left our CD changer since we got it.......2007-06-05
I adore this CD .......2007-05-19
Very sweet album.......2007-05-09
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You Are My Sunshine
Elizabeth Mitchell Manufacturer: Little Bird Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00007LB2W Release Date: 2002-12-10 |
Tracks:
- So Glad I'm Here
- Skip To My Lou
- Ladybug Picnic
- Hey Bo Diddley
- Crawdad
- Alphabet Dub
- Car Car
- Ooby Dooby
- You Are My Sunshine
- Goin Down the Road
- Black Jack Baby
- Jubilee
- Here Comes My Baby
- Three Is the Magic Number
- Froggy Went A Courtin
- Irene Goodnight
Amazon.com
Elizabeth Mitchell is a smidge less locked into the no-frills folkie formula on You Are My Sunshine than on her debut, You Are My Flower. In fact, if you subtract the A-list collaborators (and, OK, the dulcimers, mandolins, and human beat boxes), Mitchell starts to look a lot like the female Dan Zanes. The same rootsy sensibility rules both artists' recordings, as does a reverence for tried-and-true folk tunes ("Good Night Irene," "Skip to My Lou") and clean production. More significantly, slivers of Zane-like adventurousness shine through here: "Alphabet Dub" set the ABCs to a reggae beat; "Hey Bo Diddley" tips its hat to the rock & roll pioneer; and the kids are called in to spice up "Crawdad." Counting kids' artists who are genuinely cool still requires fewer than 10 fingers, but with Flower and Sunshine, Mitchell proves she's among the elite. --Tammy La GorceCustomer Reviews:
Charming, Catchy, Timeless Tunes you WANT to have in your head all day!.......2007-07-13
lovely listening.......2007-04-13
happy, gentle music.......2007-01-10
Love it!.......2006-12-31
You Are My Sunshine.......2006-12-22
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Man of La Mancha: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Album (Original 1965 Broadway Cast)
Mitch Leigh , Joe Darion , Richard Kiley , and Joan Diener Manufacturer: Decca Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005A8KE Release Date: 2001-03-06 |
Tracks:
- Overture
- Man Of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)
- It's All The Same
- Dulcinea
- I'm Only Thinking Of Him
- I Really Like Him - Joan Diener
- What Do You Want of Me - Joan Diener
- Little Bird, Little Bird
- Barber's Song/Golden Helmet
- To Each His Dulcinea (To Every Man His Dulcinea)
- The Impossible Dream
- The Combat (Previously Unreleased Reissue Track)
- Dubbing (Knight of the Woeful Countenance) - Joan Diener
- The Abduction
- Aldonza - Joan Diener
- A Little Gossip
- Dulcinea (Reprise) /The Impossible Dream (Reprise) /Man of Mancha (Repr - Joan Diener
- Finale (The Impossible Dream) - Joan Diener
Amazon.com
Man of La Mancha, the show that introduced "The Impossible Dream" to the world (and lounge singers everywhere), was the hit of the 1965 Broadway season. Richard Kiley is magnificent in his career-defining performance as the deluded wannabe knight Don Quixote. His leading lad Joan Diener sings the role of the kitchen wench Aldonza with just the right balance of dignity and vulgarity. Irving Jacobson turns in a fine comic performance as the Don's faithful squire, Sancho Panza. The score, with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, was revolutionary in its time. The orchestra had no violins--just brass, woodwinds, percussion, and flamenco guitars. Man of La Mancha is one of Broadway's most inspiring musicals and it well deserves its high reputation. --Michael SimmonsCustomer Reviews:
Check out Other Versions. Don't be swayed by Others' Reviews........2007-06-09
After that test, I have to agree with the reviews here that Richard Kiley is the superior Don Quixote. Domingo's voice is, of course wonderful, but Kiley acts the role better on the CD and Domingo's accent is a major distraction.
In the role of Aldonza - no contest. Julia Mingenes-Johnson's singing and performance on the Sony version is far superior to Joan Diener's. I didn't have to hear the tracks back-to-back to realize that. Ms. Diener's performance just grated on my ears from the beginning.
Bucking the crowd, I prefer Mandy Patankin's Sancho (Sony version) to Irving Jacobson's. I may be biased, having had more exposure to the Sony version, but Patankin seemed to be trying to inject a bit more feeling into the character. Jacobson, singing in an annoying, scratchy voice, came across almost like a cartoon trying to fit in among live characters. It seems like most people either like Patankin or hate him. Guess I'm one of the former.
The Orchestration does seem brighter/clearer in this version compared to the Sony version, but, in general, the tempo on most tracks seems slower than the same tracks on the Sony version. I preferred the up-tempo, Sony versions of "The Barber Song", "Little Bird, Little Bird", "The Dubbing" and "A Little Gossip".
In Summary: For Kiley's Don Quixote, you'll probably want this version, but for tracks featuring Aldonza (and maybe Sancho) you'll want to check out the Sony version. Since I have both disks, I will probably come up with a mix of my favorite tracks, in general, favoring the Sony disk but substituting the tracks that feature Richard Kiley's Don Quixote where I can.
beautiful music for a haunting story............2007-06-07
Man of LaMancha As Good As Ever.......2007-05-07
Don Quixote.......2006-09-14
I hated the idea. But when we began to play, he even had us watch the musical, I fell in love with the melody. The many songs of a man who believes the best in the world. YOu find that in Dulcinea, The Impossible Dream, etc.
From one maginificently rendered song to another, you can be lost in its melodic elegance.
My favorite song is the initial rendition of 'Little Bird, Little Bird'. It's a soft song, sung as a love ballad. In the musical you discover it's being sung to a local whore by a bunch of randy men. Despite that, I still like it.
This along with others are among the great works of the stage!
Magnificent voices.......2006-07-05
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You Are My Flower
Elizabeth Mitchell Manufacturer: Little Bird Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000067VOO Release Date: 2002-05-14 |
Tracks:
- This Little Light of Mine
- You Are My Flower
- John the Rabbit
- 1 Day, 2 Days, 3 Days Old
- Freight Train
- Shoo-fly
- Little Sack of Sugar
- Rock and Roll
- Jingle Bells
- Lovers Lane
- Sylvie
- 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 GorceCustomer Reviews:
Not as good as Elizabeth's You Are My Sunshine cd.......2007-05-12
Even nanas love it!.......2007-05-12
Not my favorite.......2007-04-07
Great cd kids and adults love it! .......2007-01-18
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
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Wicked Little High
Bird York Manufacturer: Narada ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000E5LF78 Release Date: 2006-02-21 |
Tracks:
- Had A Dream
- Remedy
- Wicked Little High
- Open Wider
- In The Deep (from the film, "Crash")
- Freedom
- Hold On, Im Coming
- Save Me
- Lovely Thing
- Come Be With Me
- Up In Flames
- Have No Fear
Amazon.com
With Wicked Little High, a familiar face looks set to become a familiar voice. A busy actress with a long list of credits--including a recurring role on The West Wing--Kathleen "Bird" York had a bit part in best picture winner Crash. More significantly, she wrote and performed the Oscar-nominated theme song "In the Deep" (an honor shared with co-writer Michael Becker). There's more where that mesmerizing number came from on the striking redhead's seductive Narada debut. Take the title track, for instance, in which York can't resist the charms of a Mr. Wrong who's like "the fifth drink before a long drive home," but "desire is such a wicked little high when the one you want is blind to you." Sounding like Sia's sexy older sister, York wraps her smoky alto around 11 other tales of lust and loss, including the Isaac Hayes-penned r&b classic "Hold On, I'm Coming"--a top 10 hit for Sam & Dave--here reinvented as blue-eyed soul with a trip-hop beat. On other tracks, she assumes the voice of a teenage runaway in the grips of young love ("Open Wider") and an elderly widow grappling with loneliness ("Save Me"). A revamped version of 2003's The Velvet Hour ("Freedom" and "Hold On" replace "Haunting You" and "Never Gonna Find Us"), Wicked Little High features contributions from producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Peter Gabriel) and guitarist Steve Caton (Tori Amos). --Kathleen C. FennessyCustomer Reviews:
Hauntingly Beautiful & Wickedly Wonderful.......2007-03-30
This is absolutely the best cd, anyone has put out in years; do yourself a favour & buy a copy for yourself , and copies for anyone you care about.
Splendid Feast for the Soul.......2007-02-12
Her voice seduces and relaxes, while enlightening. The moods are dark, but there is always a light at the end of the introspective tunnel. Magnificent. It is hard to categorize this music, filled with sophisticated imagery - a feast for the spirit, by way of the ear.
Fresh, Absorbing - A New Voice and Sense of Music.......2006-11-09
DELICIOUS FOOD FOR YOUR SOUL.......2006-09-22
c.d.
A musician that can also act.......2006-07-21
She also had a small feature role in the movie Crash, which featured her music side with the Oscar nominated song from the same movie.
Many times, I see a talented actor that has decent musical chops, but not one I would rush out to get their music.
I think you will be most impressed with Bird's music. I think she actually falls under the category of a musican who has acting skills.
Her music arrangements and band provide a variety of textures to her music and her voice is great. I think she joins a unique group of low key vocal musicians, such as Kiki Ebsen, that provide something of substains that is off the mainstream music stream.
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Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006O0NT Release Date: 2002-12-03 |
Tracks:
- Overture To 'Tannhauser'
- Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
- We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
- Hungarian Dance No.7
- The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
- Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
- But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
- The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
- The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
- Csardas Music
- The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
- The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
- Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
- The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
- Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
- Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
- The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
- Tzigane
- Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
- Caprice No.24
- The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
- Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
- Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
- Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
- Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
- The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
- The Violin Muted
- Clair De Lune
- The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
- Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
- The Pizzicato Violin
- Pizzicato Polka
- In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
- Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
- Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
- The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
- The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
- Hungarian Dance No.4
- Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
- The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
- Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
- Bolero
- Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
- Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
- Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
- Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
- Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
- Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
- And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
- Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
- The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
- Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
- The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
- Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
- Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
- The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
- Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
- Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
- Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
- The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
- Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
- Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
- Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
- Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
- Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
- To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
- Elfenreigen
Tracks:
- Introduction To The Viola
- Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
- Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
- Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
- Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
- Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
- The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
- Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
- The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
- Cypresses (No.9)
- The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
- Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
- The 'Period' Viola In Bach
- Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
- The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
- Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
- Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
- Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
- Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
- Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
- In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
- Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
- But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
- Elfentanz, Op.39
- Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
- The Protecting Veil (Opening)
- A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
- Flamenco
- Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
- Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
- It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
- Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
- It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
- Symphony No.9 (Finale)
- Introduction To The Double-Bass
- The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
- But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
- Elegy No.1 In D Major
- The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
- Capriccio Di Bravura
- Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
- The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
- Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds
Tracks:
- The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
- Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
- The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
- Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
- The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
- Sa'Dawi
- Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
- Chamber Music No.II
- The Piccolo - Aptly Named
- La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
- From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
- Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
- A Variety Of Techniques
- Chamber Music No.II
- Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
- The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
- From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
- Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
- An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
- Naelden, Naelden
- The Bachian Oboe
- Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
- Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
- Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
- The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
- The Swan Of Tuonela
- The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
- Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
- Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
- Bolero
- The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
- Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
- As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
- Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
- The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
- The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
- The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
- ...And Quite Low.
- Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
- The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
- Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
- But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
- Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
- Introduction To The Saxophone
- Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
- The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
- L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
- The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
- Bolero
- The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
- Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
- The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
- Sax-O-Phun
- The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
- Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
- The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
- Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
- Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
- And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
- Bolero
- The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
- Symphony No.3 (Opening)
- The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
- The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
- Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
- The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
- The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
- Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
- The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
- Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
- The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
- Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
- Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
- The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
- Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)
Tracks:
- The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
- Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
- The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
- Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
- The Ceremonial Trumpet
- Fanfare For The Common Man
- Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
- Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
- The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
- Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
- The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
- Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
- The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
- Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
- The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
- Billy The Kid
- The Trumpet As Character Actor
- Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
- The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
- Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
- The Birth Of The Trombone
- Aenmerckt Nu Hier
- The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
- Canzon 12 In Double Echo
- The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
- Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
- The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
- Hosannah
- The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
- Symphony No.5 (Finale)
- The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
- The Trombone As Caricaturist
- Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
- The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
- The Horn And The Hunt
- Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
- The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
- Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
- The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
- Walter Music (Minuet 1)
- The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
- Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
- Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
- The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
- Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
- The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
- Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
- The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
- Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
- The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
- Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)
Tracks:
- Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
- Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
- At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
- Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
- Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
- Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
- The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
- The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
- Den Hoboecken Dans
- Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
- Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
- No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
- Gymnopedie No.2
- The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
- Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
- More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
- Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
- Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
- Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
- A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
- Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
- The Birth Of The Bongo
- Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
- From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
- Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
- From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
- Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
- Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
- But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
- Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
- Taking Advantage Of Tunability
- Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
- The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
- Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
- Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
- The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
- Ravel And The Xylophone
- Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
- Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
- Introducing The Vibraphone
- The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
- The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
- Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
- Folk Dances
- The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
- Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
- Introducing The Tubular Bells
- Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
- A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
- Carmen Suite (Introduction)
- But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
- Introducing The Celeste
- The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
- Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
- Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
- Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
- A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
- The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
- Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
- The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
- Petrushka (Russian Dance)
- The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
- Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)
Tracks:
- Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
- Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
- But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
- Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
- The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
- An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
- Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
- Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
- Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
- Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
- Mahler's Sleighbells
- Symphony No.4 (Opening)
- A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
- Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
- Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
- Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
- National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
- And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
- And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
- The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
- The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
- The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
- The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
- The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
- The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
- The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
- The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
- There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
- The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
- Nocturnes
- Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
- The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
- The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
- The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
- The Oboe As Duck
- Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
- The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
- The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
- The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
- Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
- Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
- Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
- Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
- The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
- A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
- Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
- A Thunderstorm In A Million
- Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
- the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
- The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
- Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
- The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)
Tracks:
- The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
- Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
- A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
- Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
- Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
- String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
- The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
- String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
- The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
- String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
- The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
- String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
- The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
- String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
- The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
- Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
- Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
- String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
- The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
- Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
- Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
- In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
- In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
- In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
- Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
- And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
- The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
- Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
- Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
- A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
- Octet In F (Mvt 3)
- The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
- Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
- Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
- Canzon 28
- Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
- Symphony No.5 (Finale)
- From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
- Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
- Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
- The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
- Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
- When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
- Images (Gigues)
- A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
- Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
- The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
- Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
- Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
- Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
- A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')
Customer Reviews:
Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04
Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12
Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20
Frank's view.......2006-08-19
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08
The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!
I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.
The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.
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The Classical Child at the Opera
Manufacturer: Classical Child ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00000J29D Release Date: 2001-05-04 |
Tracks:
- Children's March [From Carmen]
- Doll Song [From Tales of Hoffmann]
- Anvil Chorus [From II Trovatore]
- Bird Catcher Am I [From the Magice Flute]
- Papagena! Papagena! Papagena! [From The Magic Flute]
- Pa, Pa, Pa, Pa [From the Magice Flute]
- Flower Duet [From Lakm
- Largo Al Factotum [From the Barber of Seville]
- Three Little Maids from School [From the Mikado]
- Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze [From the Mikado]
- Tit-Willow [From the Mikado]
- Brother, Come Dance With Me [from Hansel and Gretel)
- I Am the Little Sandman [from Hansel and Gretel)
- Children's Prayer [from Hansel and Gretel)
Album Description
OPERA IS FOR EVERYONE and so, The Classical Child At the Opera was created to give children a taste of the magic, majesty and humor of this glorious art form. Well-known songs and arias have been selected that appeal to young sensibilities, while easy-to-follow English translations bring these delightful stories and characters to life. Care has been taken by the singers to present the music in a way that is light hearted and accessible sometimes gentle, sometimes raucous, but always positive and engaging.Customer Reviews:
Excellent teaching tool.......2006-05-10
I have only one complaint about this CD.......2006-04-16
What every kid (and parent needs!).......2004-02-06
What's Opera Doc?.......2003-03-29
As much as I enjoy this album, I question the inclusion of the last three songs, which come from "Hansel and Gretel". The voices on the songs are of the overly florid nature, and I can see my daughter lose interest. I think it would have been more interesting to include more "Carmen," or arias from other such popular operas "Rigoletto" or "Aida". Or if the album needed to end on a slower note, the overcoat song from "La Boheme."
IAC, I have caught my daughter humming bits and pieces from the operas. Even I have managed to amaze people by correctly identifying the Flower Duet from "Lakme"! I strongly recommend this album.
Lots of Fun Music.......2002-11-29
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Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1992 Concert Cast)
Stephen Sondheim , Betty Buckley , Paul Gemignani , Patti LuPone , Liza Minnelli , and Bernadette Peters Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003FDW Release Date: 1993-02-23 |
Tracks:
- Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd--orchestra, Jerry Hadley ("Johanna"), Eugene Perry,Herbert Perry ("Pretty Women")
- Evening Introduction--Bill Irwin
- Loveland/Getting Married Today--Ensemble, Jeanne Lehman, Mark Jacoby, Madeline Kahn
- Waiting for the Girls Upstairs--George Lee Andrews, Michael Jeter, James Naughton/Love, I Hear--Michael Jeter/Live Alone and Like It--James Naughton
- Someone Is Waiting--Richard Muenz/Symphonic Sondheim: Barcelona--orchestra
- Being Alive--Patti LuPone
- Good Thing Going--The Tonics
- Losing My Mind/You Could Drive a Person Crazy--Dorothy Loudon
- Our Time--Boys Choir of Harlem/Children Will Listen--Betty Buckley
- Anyone Can Whistle--Billy Stritch
- Water Under the Bridge--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch
- Back in Business--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch, Ensemble
Tracks:
- Symphonic Sondheim: Comedy Tonight--Bill Irwin, orchestra
- Sooner or Later--Karen Ziemba
- Pretty Lady--Mark Jacoby, Eugene Perry, Herbert Perry
- Green Finch and Linnet Bird--Harolyn Blackwell
- The Ballad of Booth--Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber
- Broadway Baby--Daisy Eagan
- I Never Do Anything Twice--BETTY
- With So Little to Be Sure Of--Jerry Hadley, Carolann Page
- Not a Day Goes By--Bernadette Peters
- Remember?--Ron Baker, Peter Blanchet, Carol Meyer, Bronwyn Thomas, Blythe Walker (Quintet)/A Weekend in the Country--Kevin Anderson, George Lee Andrews, Mark Jacoby, Beverly Lambert, Maureen Moore, Susan Terry, Quintet
- Send in the Clowns--Glenn Close
- Old Friends--Liza Minnelli
- Sunday--Bernadette Peters, Broadway Chorus
Customer Reviews:
Great CD.......2006-08-06
Simply the Best.......2005-06-29
In a compilation of songs like this you're always going to have tracks that you prefer over others, but the majority of the renditions in this CD are great. This is simply one of the best collections of Sondheim out there. You get interpretations that span from "classical" (Green Finch), to bordering on insane (Anything Twice). This is to demonstrate how versatile this composer really is.
In my opinion, some of the best renditions are "Not a Day Goes By," "Anyone Can Whistle", "Girls Upstairs Medley," "Losing My Mind/Drive a Person Crazy," and "Weekend inthe Country." Makes me wish I had been there to witness it first hand.
If you love Sondheim and enjoy hearing Broadway performers, get this CD. A great recording.
Inconsistent, but mostly excellent.......2004-03-21
"Celebration" is not strong enough a word.......2003-04-30
I have been a major Sondheim fan for quite some time, and I finally obtained a copy of this album. I was blown away by the excellent cast and phenomenal selection of music. It is obvious how much work went into this production, considering that this is the live recording of a one time show, and it's flawless. The songs cover all of his shows with the exception of "Passion," which was released 3 years after this show. Also, the shows for which he wrote only lyrics are ommited, like West Side Story, Gypsy, etc. Thus, you can find material from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily we Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins.
There are two striking things about this CD (besides the music and performers themselves). First of all, some of the songs are completely stylistically reworked. The most obvious are "Good Thing Going" and "I Never do Anything Twice." Both are traditionally very ballady with a piano accompaniment, but here they have been redone as jazzy tunes. The result is excellent. Such reworkings demonstrate that Sondheim writes music for virtually any style, and in these cases, across several styles. It's a great example of his variety. The other interesting thing is how many songs have overlapping melodies of songs from different shows. Case in point, "Our Time" and "No one is Alone" are sung seperately by the Harlem Boys Choir and Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella in Webber's atrocious "CATS," although Buckley was excellent) respectively, and then combined. Putting these two songs together offer different meanings to each, and the music is only enhanced. Another example, the trio of "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs," "Love, I Hear," and "Live Alone and Like It" are sung in that order, and then the latter two are combined. Again, the meanings of the songs change, this time in an almost narrative style, and offering different takes on love in the same montage. Lastly (at least for this review, there are more), Dorothy Laudon's (the original Ms. Hannigan in Annie) combination of "Losing my Mind" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" is brilliant. Those who are familiar with these songs will wonder how exactly they fit, but trust me, they do. She swtiches back and forth between melodies to create a number that starts poignant and beautiful, and soon moves to become uproariously funny. Both the song reworkings and overlapping melodies of unrelated songs are all for the better.
I recommend this recording to anyone wanting to get better acquainted with some of Sondheim's best work, or those already familiar who want to hear a tour de force of phenomenal music. It has been said that Sondheim is a masterful lyricist (which he is), but lacks real talent for music. This CD is the final proof that such critics are wrong. His music may take a few listenings to get into, contrary to Webber or Wildhorn, but unlike those two, he doesn't cater to the audience. He challenges them to think outside of traditional musical theater in a glorious repertoise of shows that reach for a smarter, more sophisticated form.
A maginificent evening, a magnificent album.......2001-12-16
This wonderful double CD shows off the best and brightest of the musical theatre composer and it is, as one person put it, "an embarassment of riches." With songs from his finest works done in amazing arrangements (listen to that harmony in "We Had a Good Thing Going"!) combined with fabulous performers this is a Sondheim lovers delight.
My favorite song is, without a doubt, Dorothy Louden and her wonderful medley of "Losing My Mind" into "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" followed very closely by the recently departed Madeline Kahn singing "Getting Married Today."
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Florence Foster Jenkins & Friends: Murder on the High Cs
John Charles Thomas , John Charles Thomes , Robert Merrill , Alexander Kipnis , Ezio Pinza , Florence Foster Jenkins , Jack Barnett , Earl Cahn Sammy / Brent , Felicien David , and Leo Delibes Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000AE7AO Release Date: 2003-09-23 |
Tracks:
- Queen of the Night Aria [From The Magic Flute]
- Serenata Mexicana
- Musical Snuff Box
- Like a Bird
- Bell Song [Lakme Dub]
- Charmant Oiseau [Perle du Brl]
- Adele's Laughing Song [Die Fledermaus]
- Biassy [Prelude XVI]
- Valse Caressante
- Little Jack Horner - Alexander Kipnis
- Sing a Song of Sixpence - John Charles Thomas
- Blue Danube - Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra, Josephine Tumminia
- Little Old State of Texas - Ezio Pinza, The Sons of the Pioneers
- Fireman's Bride [Up in Central Park] - Jeanette MacDonald, Robert Merrill
- Song's Gotta Come from the Heart - Jimmy Durante, Helen Traubel
- Real Piano Player - Jimmy Durante, Helen Traubel
- Please Don't Say No [Thrill of a Romance] - Lauritz Melchior
Customer Reviews:
Must be heard to be believed.......2006-04-09
That said, the rest of the (non-Florence) cuts are mostly forgettable. More kitch than camp. Annoying music abounds but the in the realm of the truly, stupendously awful Florence Foster Jenkins remains in a class by herself. No one can really compete with Ms. Jenkins on her own camp grounds and there is no sense in trying. The one exception being the sung "Blue Danube" with Josephine Tumminia and the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra which falls in the "what could they have been thinking?" department.
Personally a little of this sort of thing goes a long way. The Faust Travesty on the RCA set holds a bit more interest (but not all that much). I think a more interesting compliation would consist of "straight" renderings of the various arias and pieces contrasted with Madame Florence's so the listener may fully savor what she achieves in these performances.
Florence gets five stars but the rest of it gets a minus one, so it ends up with four.
This is the definitive FFJ!.......2005-01-09
Sounds Like A Vacuum Cleaner Ingesting An Owl.......2004-10-15
In short, these rare Jenkins masterworks are amazing and hilarious. I can't recommend them highly enough to anyone even mildly curious about outsider music. Why the three star rating? It is certainly not due to Florence's participation, rather due to the packaging. The cover boasts "Florence Foster Jenkins and Friends." Little will most people suspect that the "friends" make up about half of the CD, and are totally unrelated to Jenkins except for possessing no musical talent. Some of the songs are merely boring (like the Jimmy Durante selections), and some are quite laughably funny like the dreadful "The Fireman's Bride," and "Please Don't Say No." Finally there is the real puzzler from the "what were they thinking?" file, "Little Jack Horner," an operatic retelling of the classic children's tale. The other reason I only give this disc three stars is because four of the nine Jenkins' songs are available on "The Glory (????) of Human Voice." I had expected different material on this CD.
The bottom line is that this CD is for Florence Foster Jenkins completists. (Ponder that.) People who want more exposure to Florence should buy her delightful "The Glory (????) of Human Voice," which I can't recommend highly enough.
comedy classic.......2004-05-27
The "joke", never funny, is now painfully shabby.......2004-03-07
The whole matter stinks of making fun of a person afflicted by illness. What a cruel species we were - and still are.
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Sings Sondheim
Mandy Patinkin Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00006JP2C Release Date: 2002-10-29 |
Tracks:
- Opening
- Lesson #8
- Another Hundred People
- When?
- Someone Is Waiting
- Johanna
- Green Finch and Linnet Bird
- Pretty Women
- Finishing the Hat
- If You Can Find Me, I'm Here
- Live, Laugh, Love
- Live Alone and Like It
- Everybody Says Don't
- Rich and Happy, Part 1
- Our Time
- Broadway Baby
- Rich and Happy, Part 2
- Uptown, Downtown
- Liaisons
- Send in the Clowns
- Live, Laugh, Love (reprise)
- You Could Drive a Person Crazy
Tracks:
- Free
- Company
- Waiting For The Girls Upstairs
- Pleasant Little Kingdom/Too Many Mornings
- Not While I'm Around
- All Things Bright and Beautiful
- It Takes Two
- In Someone's Eyes
- Beautiful
- Losing My Mind
- Take the Moment
- Sunday
Amazon.com
Recorded live at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia, this double CD is one heck of an extensive tribute to Stephen Sondheim. Backed only by Paul Ford on piano, Mandy Patinkin gets through nearly three dozen songs penned by the Broadway master. Some are obvious (excerpts from Sunday in the Park with George, in which the singer created the title role), others less so ("If You Can Find Me I'm Here" from Evening Primrose). Patinkin is often mocked for his shivering falsetto, but here, it's actually when his voice explores a lower register that it falters. What's more interesting is when he tackles songs usually sung by women, such as Follies' "Broadway Baby" and Company's "Another Hundred People" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy"--the latter hammed up so much that you can hear the chewing of the scenery. A distinctively mannered interpreter, Patinkin remains an acquired taste, but fans of his will be in heaven with this set. --Elisabeth VincentelliCustomer Reviews:
Patinkin Live.......2007-07-19
Sondheim recital.......2007-01-22
Also a very dissapointed fan.......2003-08-22
Adequate performance; poor entertainment.......2003-05-04
a very disappointed fan.......2003-02-05
But (much of) this recording is disappointing, mainly because Mr. Patinkin's voice in the lower range sounds muddled and forced, as though he's lost ability to control it (however, the more falsetto sounds are as clear and sharp as ever).
And I don't care for the format of this performance. Live recordings should have live audience reactions: one (often unrelated) song after another without applause had me wondering when--if ever--was the audience was going to be allowed to react.
Also, while I've never had the privilege of attending a Patinkin concert, I imagined that--above all-- he would be passionate. Perhaps he was. But what (mostly) comes across on the CD is a somber--almost technical--performance.
I hope he's healthy, that mixed quality of singing on this recording was just a fluke, and that his next CD will be a Five-star as all his previous ones have been
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