Romantic Warrior [Original recording remastered]

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Originally released in 1976, Return To Forever's Romantic Warrior could be described as the high-water mark of jazz fusion's commercial popularity, reaching a spot on the Billboard charts and garnering the group a fanatical following of fans attracted to the band's technical prowess and bombast. Released on the heels of the breakup of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Romantic Warrior still sounds like a standard-bearer for jazz fusion, full of flashy solos and complicated arrangements that seem like collages of different moods, meters, and tempos. The album is much closer to the progressive rock of Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, or King Crimson than anything from the jazz realm. Return to Forever's rhythm team of bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White, who gives the group a subtly funkier sound than most of their contemporaries. Still, it's pianist Chick Corea, using a veritable arsenal of keyboards and effects, and guitarist Al DiMeola, only 21 at the time of this recording, who define Romantic Warrior as a fusion landmark. This reissued edition comes with improved sound and a brief reminiscence by Corea in the liner notes. --Ezra Gale

Romantic Warrior,Return to Forever,Sony,Fusion,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Post-Bop

Average customer rating: Chick, Al, Lenny, & Stanley, PLEASE Return To Forever !!! Return to Forever A great buy for any lover of this band The Knights-errant Of The Fusion Sound Fusion meltdown

Romantic Warrior Return to Forever Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: No Mystery Where Have I Known You Before Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy Elegant Gypsy Birds of Fire ASIN: B00004HYLF Release Date: 2000-02-08

Tracks:

1. Medieval Overture
2. Sorceress
3. The Romantic Warrior
4. Majestic Dance
5. The Magician
6. Duel Of The Jester And The Tyrant (Part I & Part II)

Amazon.com

Originally released in 1976, Return To Forever's Romantic Warrior could be described as the high-water mark of jazz fusion's commercial popularity, reaching a spot on the Billboard charts and garnering the group a fanatical following of fans attracted to the band's technical prowess and bombast. Released on the heels of the breakup of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Romantic Warrior still sounds like a standard-bearer for jazz fusion, full of flashy solos and complicated arrangements that seem like collages of different moods, meters, and tempos. The album is much closer to the progressive rock of Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, or King Crimson than anything from the jazz realm. Return to Forever's rhythm team of bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White, who gives the group a subtly funkier sound than most of their contemporaries. Still, it's pianist Chick Corea, using a veritable arsenal of keyboards and effects, and guitarist Al DiMeola, only 21 at the time of this recording, who define Romantic Warrior as a fusion landmark. This reissued edition comes with improved sound and a brief reminiscence by Corea in the liner notes. --Ezra Gale

Customer Reviews:

Chick, Al, Lenny, & Stanley, PLEASE Return To Forever !!!.......2007-06-08

What can I say to do justice to this masterpiece of an album.

The previous reviews go deep into each songs so I want to share what is was like to have discovered this music in my High School years. I wore out my vinyl, then my cassette tape, and my last CD copy of this insane album. And to think that Al Di Meola was just 21 at the time...

I had the pleasure to see them at Universal Amphitheatre in North Hollywood (now called Gibson Amphitheatre) when I was in High School. Although a bit past my time, I was lucky enough to find older friends into RTF and other great music of the 70's explosion of incredible musicians and collaborations.

Bunch of us saved up some money for the tickets (among other mind enhancing materials) and managed to get good seats, in front of Lenny White, who oddly set up his batteries to the left of the stage.

I'm a guitarist primarily so I was interested in seeing Al doing his demonic leads but ended up mesmerized by Lenny White's endless rolls and phase-effected drum sound. These guys were so adept at their instruments, I can see the creativity just oozing out of them as they improvised through the evening, featuring most of the Romantic Warrior album and some of their previous hits, with full command of their instruments and facial expressions.

The concert was so influential for me that I had gone head-long into the world of Jazz Fusion and my guitar playing also changed direction from Robert Fripp / Eno to the world of Jaco, Al, John "Mahavishnu", Allan Holdsworth, & Gambale.

There are only few vinyl albums I've worn out over the years and this is one of them. It is truely one of the best Chick Corea albums of all time.

It still sounds fresh and causes me to start air drumming in my car, despite the funny looks from the other cars.

Enjoy !

Return to Forever.......2007-05-14

My husband LOVES this album and didn't think it existed on CD anywhere. He was SSOO happy to get it. We both are Chick Corea fans.

A great buy for any lover of this band.......2007-03-28

A great buy for any lover of this band

The Knights-errant Of The Fusion Sound.......2007-02-19

Not only is this 1976 release one of the defining studio albums in fusion, the album art was produced during the heady times of the music industry when the visual appeal through beautiful paintings also took center stage.

Chick Corea (k) shows the influences from Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman, without the overbearing pretentiousness that plagued the dynamic duo during the height of their careers. Al DiMeola (g) is only 21 years old at the time of the session and the rhythm section can't get much better with Stanley Clarke (b) & Lenny White (d).

Corea leads the group with some of his best work on Medieval Overture, with DiMeola showing amazing technical prowess during Sorceress. The title track sets the foundation for the best cut, the Yes-inspired Majestic Dance. The band performs some quiky tricks in The Magician and The Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant (Part I and Part II) - a great example of an arty 1970s song title - allows Clarke & White to get down with a funky sound.

Corea learned his musical lessons well as a member of several groups that Miles Davis used to define the new frontier of fusion. And that Return to Forever took the musical experience to another level makes Romantic Warrior a classic.

Fusion meltdown.......2007-01-29

This recording was undoubtedly the best fusion recording of it's time, maybe ever. Kudos to Chick Corea for bringing together probably the hottest group of modern jazz players ever and letting them shine. Al Di Meola is my absolute favorite fusion guitar player. Stanley Clarke is baddest bass player on the planet and Lenny White is the funkiest, grooving, slamming drummer I've ever heard. Not to mention Chick's pure keyboard genius. Each of them contribute compositions to this recording and the personalities comes through loud and clear.

Average customer rating: not to great Not so bad, 100 tunes for 4$ You get what you pay for. Now I know why there were no song samples to listen to ...

100 Favorite Patriotic Songs Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Foster, Stephen | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by MacDowell | MacDowell, Edward | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Smith, John Stafford | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sousa | Sousa, John Philip | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sullivan | Sullivan, Arthur | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | 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: America's Favorite Patriotic Songs United We Stand: Songs for America American Pride: Sixteen Stirring Patriotic Themes America's Bugle Calls Patriotic Country ASIN: B0000A1HT8 Release Date: 2003-08-12

Tracks:

1. America the Beautiful
2. All Quiet on the Potomac Tonight
3. Ballad of the Green Berets
4. On Top of Old Smokey
5. Coyote Warrior
6. Semper Fidelis
7. Breeze from Alabama
8. Onward Christian Soldiers
9. Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming
10. Patriot
11. Sweet Betsy from Pike
12. Marines' Hymn
13. America Is
14. When Johnny Comes Marchin' Home
15. Happy the Soldier
16. American Trilogy
17. Home Sweet Home
18. Washington Post March
19. Enraptured I Gaze
20. Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair
21. Yellow Rose of Texas
22. Over There
23. Simple Gifts
24. Liberty Bell
25. Star Spangled Banner

Tracks:

1. God Bless the USA
2. Yankee Doodle Dandy
3. Katy Cruel
4. I Vow to Thee My Country
5. King Cotton
6. Beautiful Dreamer
7. America
8. American Patrol
9. Mine Eyes Have Seen the Beauty
10. Mohican Dream
11. Red, White and Blue
12. Some Folks
13. Liberty Song
14. Pomp and Circumstance
15. Hail to the Chief
16. Bennington Rifles
17. Peace on the Battlefield
18. I've Been Working on the Railroad
19. Under the Double Eagle
20. Red River Valley
21. My Country 'Tis of Thee
22. Camptown Races
23. Wild Blue Yonder
24. Hands Across the Sea
25. Fanfare for the Common Man

Tracks:

1. Stars and Stripes Forever
2. Living in America
3. Home on the Range
4. Old Colony Times
5. Clementine
6. Invincible Eagle
7. Ring Ring de Banjo
8. Yankee Doodle
9. Largo from "The New World"
10. To a Wild Rose
11. Hail Columbia
12. Alexander's Ragtime Band
13. Gettysburg
14. Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
15. Capitan
16. Prairie Daughter
17. Little Brown Jug
18. Marching Through Georgia
19. Entertainer
20. Steamboat Around the Bend
21. Revolutionary Tea
22. Cassions Keep Rollin' Along
23. Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier
24. Amazing Grace
25. Grand Old Flag

Tracks:

1. God Bless America
2. National Emblem
3. Soldier, Soldier Won't You Marry Me
4. Anchors Away
5. Oh, Susannah
6. Tramp, Tramp, Tramp
7. Toast
8. Dixie
9. St. Louis Blues
10. Appalachian Spring
11. Bonnie Blue Flag
12. Old Hundreth
13. Swanee River
14. Battle Cry of Freedom
15. U. S Field Artillery
16. Sidewalks of New York
17. Chester
18. Auld Lang Syne
19. Kingdom Come
20. My Old Kentucky Home
21. Hail to the Spirit of Liberty
22. Battle Hymn of the Republic
23. Shenandoah
24. Abraham's Daughter
25. This Land Is Your Land

Customer Reviews:

not to great.......2007-04-04

We were disappointed with this CD, but for the price I guess we can't expect much. I didn't care for the new style presentation of the songs. I like a more traditional rendering.

Not so bad, 100 tunes for 4$.......2005-06-22

I red the comments of two other people who have bought this 4 CD BOX SET and it is not really so bad. I will even add that there are some excellent tunes. However, I must agree with the fact that few tunes seem to have been recorded 40 or 50 years ago, mainly when you hear the scratches of an old turntable but it is just 2 or 3 tunes. Furthermore, if you do not know American music, it is a good BOX SET to buy if you consider that you received 4 CD for 4$ including 100 tunes. On these 4 CD, I have heard some orchestration that I have never heard before and I consider that they are different but interesting. Any way, after hearing these 100 tunes, you will say to yourself that you like this tune, this other tune, this other tune and so on and you will be able to buy a more expensive CD with the tunes that you like. However, I have bought many CDs in the last few weeks and as you know, there are always some tunes that you like and some tunes that you do not like on every CD that you will buy. So, don't buy it at 25$ but at 4 or 5$ dollars, it is a very good choice for 100 tunes.

You get what you pay for........2004-07-04

You get what you pay for. The singers put their own spin on the singing of each song. If you didn't hear the words you would not recognize some of them. Even some of the music sounds like a bad recording of music played on a turntable. Definitely not worth the price.

Now I know why there were no song samples to listen to ..........2004-07-04

I wish this review had been here when I was thinking of purchasing it. I guess you get what you pay for. If you are thinking of buying this, you are better off recording your own CDs (or at least buying one that you can listen to a sampling of the songs). This album includes songs that were mere recordings of the songs playing on an old record player. It's almost so unbelievable that it is funny.

Average customer rating:

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Bargain Titles | Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music ASIN: B000003QWK Release Date: 1995-06-27

Tracks:

1. 'Solomon': Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba
2. 'The Four Seasons': The Spring: Allegro
3. Canon In D
4. Orchestra Suite No.2: Minuet And Badinerie
5. Bach: Allegro
6. Symphony No.104: Adagio; Allegro
7. Divertimento For Strings, No.1: Allegro
8. Piano Concerto No.5: Adagio un poco mosso
9. 'The Ruins Of Athens': Turkish March
10. Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Romanze: Andante
11. Marche Militaire No.1
12. 'The Hebrides' ('Fingla's Cave'): Overture
13. 'The Valkyrie': Ride Of The Valkyries

Tracks:

1. Slavonic Dances: No. 1: Presto
2. Slavonic Dances: No. 3: Poco Allegro
3. Slavonic Dances: No. 7: Allegro Assai
4. Slavonic Dances: No. 8: Presto
5. Coronation March
6. Entry Of The Gladiators
7. Serenade For Strings: Waltz
8. Samson And Delilah: Bacchanale
9. Piano Concerto No. 2: Adagio sostenuto
10. Russian And Ludmilla: Overture
11. Also sprach Zarathustra: Introduction
12. Symphonie Fantastique: March To The Scaffold
13. On The Beautiful, Blue Danube
14. The Firebird: The Palace Of Kashchei And His Enchantments Vanish - Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

1. 'Pictures at an Exhibition': Promenade
2. 'Pictures at an Exhibition': Gnomes
3. 'Pictures at an Exhibition': The Hut On Fowl's Legs (Baba Yaga)
4. 'Pictures at an Exhibition': The Great Gate Of Kiev
5. A Night On Bald Mountain
6. 'The Planets': Mars: The Bringer Of War
7. 'The Pines Of Rome': The Pines Of The Appian Way
8. Pavan For A Dead Princess
9. The Sorcerer's Apprentice
10. 'The Three-Cornered Hat': Dance Of The Miller's Wife
11. Scheherazade: Festival At Baghda; The Sea; The Ship Goes To Pieces Against A Rock Surmounted By A Bronze Warrior

Tracks:

1. Fanfare For The Common Man
2. 'Appalachian Spring': Variations On A Shaker Melody
3. 'Candide': Overture
4. 'West Side Story': Suite: I Feel Pretty; Maria; Something's Coming; Tonight; One Hand, One Heart; Cool; America
5. Rhapsody In Blue
6. Adagio For Strings
7. 'America': Variations
8. 'Rodeo': Hoe-down
9. Pomp And Circumstance: March No. 1
10. 'Gayane': Sabre Dance
11. 'Lieutenant Kije': Troika
12. 'The Love Of Three Oranges': March
13. 'Hary Janos': The Viennese Musical Clock

Average customer rating: Great compilation of a one-of-a-kind band Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans? Great place to start

Return to Forever Romantic Warrior The Dirty Dozen Brass Band Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music Similar Items: Buck Jump Open Up: Whatcha Gonna Do for the Rest of Your Life? Jazz Moods: Hot Live: Mardi Gras in Montreux Jelly ASIN: B000002AFV Release Date: 1997-05-06

Tracks:

1. Charlie Dozen
2. It's All Over Now
3. Georgia Swing
4. Voodoo
5. Don't You Feel My Leg
6. The Lost Souls (Of Southern Louisiana), Cortege...
7. Moose The Mooche
8. The Monkey
9. Gemini Rising
10. Open Up (Whacha Gonna Do With The Rest...)
11. Remember When
12. New Orleans Blues
13. When I'm Walking (Let Me Walk)
14. Old Rugged Cross

Customer Reviews:

Great compilation of a one-of-a-kind band.......2007-07-08

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a very unique and diverse jazz ensemble. First of all, they are some of the finest musicians of the New Orleans jazz scene, evidenced by their improvisation and out-of-this-world musicianship, in every single instrumentation. But besides being incredible musicians, they are just as wonderful performers. They are funny, appealing, and impressive. A vocalist adds a humorous tone to their already happy sound, and the product is perfect. Yet while the Dirty Dozen represents the original true spirit of New Orleans jazz in most respects, they remain very accessible by often incorporating elements of hip hop and funk into their music. "Return to Forever Romantic Warrior" is "Vol. 30" in Sony's "This Is Jazz" series, covering the greatest musicians of the jazz genre. It is a collection spanning their four Columbia albums. The selection is well chosen, selecting songs that represent the group very well. This disc is pure fun, beautiful New Orleans jazz, and some of the finest at that. Highly recommended.

Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?.......2006-01-15

To listen to the Dirty Dozen Brass Band is think about NOLA, and it's hard to do that without sharing in a sense of loss. Who knows if the rebuilt iteration will resemble the original, or be some dreadful "theme-park" salute to Americana?

NOLA was always a quirky place, a port, at times more like a European city than an American one, steeped in decadence and vice, sophisticated, full of life, good food, and most of all, full of fabulous music. For those of us who love jazz, particularly brass, NOLA enjoys almost mythical status.

If NOLA is a state of mind, transcending hurricanes, this CD plants you right in the center of it and holds you there for 66 very solid minutes, there is no waste at all. You get outrageously catchy funk like Charlie's Dozen, Moose The Mooche, Gemini Rising, Remember When, and New Orleans Blues - tracks so infectious you will cakewalk right out of your house. Voodoo takes you somewhere else altogether, that's the mystery of NOLA, and The Lost Souls Of Southern Louisiana is an episodic 14 minute voyage that just might stretch all the way back to Africa - simply amazing.

Nice of Dr. John to sit in on It's All Over Now. Some very sly comedy too, including The Monkey, which has sardonic commentary from the animal kingdom, and Don't You Feel My Leg. Closing it with a straightforward rendition of Old Rugged Cross is just perfect. A wonderful CD that grew from the Mississippi mud. Get it.

Great place to start.......2000-04-22

This album contains many of the Dirty Dozens best songs, and a must have. I just saw them Live at Fletchers in Baltimore, MD. last night. Amazingly good, much recommended

Average customer rating:

Beethoven-Lieder, Volumes 1-3 Ludwig van Beethoven , Peter Schreier , and Walter Olbertz Manufacturer: Berlin Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Beethoven: An die ferne Geliebte; Lieder Complete Beethoven Edition, Vol. 14: Misc. Chamber Works Beethoven: Folksong Settings Beethoven: Songs / Genz, Vignoles Complete Beethoven Edition Vol. 6 - Piano Works / Demus, Alder, Gilels, Mustonen, Kempff, Barenboim ASIN: B0000035S9 Release Date: 1995-07-18

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

Wagner: The Valkyrie Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Wagner: The Rhinegold Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English) The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English) Mozart - Don Giovanni / Garry Magee · Cullagh · Banks · Plazas · Shore · Tierny · PO · David Parry ASIN: B00004YU6Z Release Date: 2000-11-28

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes

CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.

Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.

Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.

Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: everything is slower than adagio moderato. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.

Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".

Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.

Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.

ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.

Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.

Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.

Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act One Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.

Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Bohm's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are found in this Ring. I can hear harps in Flight of the Valkyries! The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.

Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.

Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.

SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).

Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.

Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".

Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.

Levine: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's Ring.

Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.

-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.

Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).

Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."

Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.

Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).

-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm. Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Two exceptions, though: Robert Schunk doesn't sound heroic enough, and Jessye Norman for Levine's Ring doesn't sound young and innocent enough.

-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.

Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.

Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.

Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.

Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. I don't know Levine should've chose Kollo when he recorded his Ring.

-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").

Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.

Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.

Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.

Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.

-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.

Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.

Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.

Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent mime. He is equal to Schreier when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.

Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.

-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on in the Ring.

Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Still, it's satisfactory, and his "Ihrem ende eilen sie zu" gives great foreshadowing.

Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.

Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt depends only on imagination and deviousness, Stolze only vengeance and deviousness, and Windgassen only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.

Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.

Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Schreier. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.

-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings (maybe not in Swarowsky's version). Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm and Goodall. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.

CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the calculated Janowski, the relaxed Levine, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.


Sir Georg Solti: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sir Georg Solti

Karl Bohm: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

Herbert von Karajan: Der Ring des Nibelungen / Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic

Goodall: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Rhinegold (Part 1): Wagner: The Rhinegold
-Siegfried (Part 3): Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

Marek Janowski: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

James Levine: Der Ring Des Nibelungen

Wolfgang Sawllisch: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sawallisch, Bayerischer Staatsoper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating: Powerful Classical

Classical Blast Manufacturer: Denon Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Berlioz | Berlioz, Hector | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Holst | Holst, Gustav | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Honegger | Honegger, Arthur | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Janácek, Leos | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mussorgsky | Mussorgsky, Modest | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Prokofiev | Prokofiev, Sergei | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Most Uplifting Classics in the Universe Thunder & Lightning 25 Thunderous Classics ASIN: B00018U8VC Release Date: 2004-01-27

Tracks:

1. Sehr Breit
2. Finale
3. Finale
4. IV. March To The Scaffold
5. Festival In Baghdad/The Sea/The Ship Goes To Pieces On A Rock Surmounted By A Bronze Warrior (Shipwreck)/Conclusion
6. A Night On Bald Mountain
7. IV. Ode To Joy

Tracks:

1. Toreador March
2. Finale
3. Prelude
4. Mars, Bringer Of War
5. Intrada
6. Pacific 231
7. Montagues And Capulets
8. Finale
9. Finale
10. Great Gates Of Kiev

Customer Reviews:

Powerful Classical.......2006-06-08

This is a collectional of Powerful, Brassy, Percussive Classics. This collection is similar to Heavy Classix and Classical Thunder. The recordings are good and the performances wonderful. The liner notes however are practically non-existent. I have no idea who these performances are done by but they have a lot of bravura. This collection is good for those listeners who like their classical music loud!

Average customer rating: When Russian music was romantic.

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Arensky: Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovksy; Glazunov: The Seasons Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B000002SEC Release Date: 1996-08-13

Tracks:

1. Scheherazade, Op.35: Sym. Suite after; A Thousand and One Nights: I: The Sea and SInbad's Ship - John Geotgiadis
2. Scheherazade, Op.35: Sym. Suite after; A Thousand and One Nights: II: The Story of the Kalendar... - John Georgiadis
3. Scheherazade, Op.35: Sym. Suite after; A Thousand and One Nights: III: The Young Prince and the ... - John Georgiadis
4. Scheherazade, Op.35: Sym. Suite after; A Thousand and One Nights: IV: The Festival of Baghdad... - John Georgiadis
5. Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky, Op.35a - LSO/Sir John Barbirolli

Tracks:

1. The Seasons, Op.67: I: Winter: Introduction
2. The Seasons, Op.67: I: Winter: Variation I: Frost
3. The Seasons, Op.67: I: Winter: Variation II: Ice
4. The Seasons, Op.67: I: Winter: Variation III: Hail
5. The Seasons, Op.67: I: Winter: Variation IV: Snow
6. The Seasons, Op.67: II: Spring
7. The Seasons, Op.67: III: Summer
8. The Seasons, Op.67: III: Summer: Waltz of the Cornflowers and Poppies
9. The Seasons, Op.67: III: Summer: Barcarolle
10. The Seasons, Op.67: IV: Autumn: Bacchanale
11. The Seasons, Op.67: IV: Autumn: Petit Adagio
12. The Seasons, Op.67: IV: Autumn: Finale
13. Concert-Waltzes: No. 1
14. Concert-Waltzes: No. 2

Customer Reviews:

When Russian music was romantic........2003-04-26

EMI has put together a sensible - even seductive - set of reissues here. The music all dates from the last decades of the C19th when Russian composers still liked to reflect the exotic, the romantic and the fanciful in their music.

Evgeny Svetlanov conducts London orchestras in most of the works. His violin soloist and orchestra leader in "Scheherazade" is John Georgiadis. The Arensky variations, scored for strings and based on a Tchaikovsky song, is a work that tends to be overlooked by record collectors because, at 15 minutes, it always need to be lumped together with something bigger. Barbirolli makes a very good case for giving it serious consideration. Felicities of orchestration and luscious melodies abound in the Glazunov works.

I don't rank the "Scheherazade" recording as the best on the market, but it justifies inclusion in any collection as attractive as this.

Average customer rating: The epitome of experimental jazz/rock fusion! Best Recording Ever Made The peak of jazz fusion and prog rock Quite possibly THE best fusion album out there. Goes well with platform shoes, pet rocks, and gas shortages

Romantic Warrior Return to Forever Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: No Mystery Where Have I Known You Before Birds of Fire Enigmatic Ocean Visions of the Emerald Beyond ASIN: B00000273D Release Date: 1990-04-20

Tracks:

1. Medieval Overture
2. Sorceress
3. The Romantic Warrior
4. Majestic Dance
5. The Magician
6. Duel Of The Jester And The Tyrant (Parts I & II)

Customer Reviews:

The epitome of experimental jazz/rock fusion!.......1999-12-19

Probably the most talented fusion group to come out of the seventies; each musician is a master in his own right. Clarke's "The Magician" is the craziest song I've ever heard and the rest of the album is a genuine masterpiece.

Best Recording Ever Made.......1999-10-25

"Romantic Warrior" was not the best recording ever made. Probably. I haven't heard them all yet. But it is definitely one of the best. And if ever someone were to ask me about Jazz-Rock Fusion... I would siimply hand them this recording. It is flawless. It is exuberant. And it is timelessly delicious. But it is more than just extremely good jazz and rock. There is a pharmacopia of musical styles enough to please the classical ear as well. To really get the most out of it, I suggest listening to it at least six times. Listen one time through, focusing on each individual musician. The four of them are supremely talented, and each provide creative and virtuoso performances. After those four listens, listen again at how they weave together. By the time you get to the sixth, you are ready to interpret the music through your body. Dance, in other words. It is wondrously embodiable. Pure magic. Beautiful cover design too! I predict they will get back together. The cost of their not is too great.

The peak of jazz fusion and prog rock.......1999-10-14

What do people from SanAntone know from jazz anyway. The track, Majestic Dance is worth the price of admission alone. The rest is gravy. Al Di was God. Just try and keep up playing air guitar. The era is gone but the music lives on. Rebirth: Check out Vertu w/Stan Clarke, Lenny White and Ritchie Kotzen. RTF lives.

Quite possibly THE best fusion album out there........1999-07-26

The collaboration of Corea, Clarke, White and Di Meola is what I and many others refer to as the best group of Jazz musicians to ever grace the music industry. The crisp precision and creativity in Romantic Warrior make this album a masterpiece and a staple in any fusion repertoire.

Goes well with platform shoes, pet rocks, and gas shortages.......1999-07-23

A true test of a record's quality is how well it holds up over time. With some notable exceptions notwithstanding, this one flunks the test.

The main culprit seems to be Chick Corea and his state-of-the-seventies bank of sythesizers which sounds downright cartoonish at times. Some tunes inexplictably change on you just as they begin to groove, an RTF trademark, unfortunately. Clarke and DiMeola are darn fast, for sure, but how about a little feel in your playing once in while, guys?!!

Two songs are of merit, though: Sorceress does manage to keep its groove through the whole song and features some nice acoustic piano playing from Corea. The title tune is the best, though, because the musicians play "unplugged" and reveal some truly graceful playing that was so rare with this combo. Makes you wonder why they didn't stick to that format throughout the record.

If you're really nostalgic for mid-70's virtuoso rock fusion, you might spring for "Romantic Warrior". Otherwise, it will mostly wear thin fast.

Average customer rating:

Bachianas Brasileiras, No. 5 Manufacturer: Brana Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | 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 Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Pergolesi | Pergolesi, Gio Battista | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Alessandro Scarlatti | Scarlatti, Alessandro | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Schoenberg | Schoenberg, Arnold | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Villa-Lobos, Heitor | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Weill | Weill, Kurt | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances General | Villa-Lobos, Heitor | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B0002O38ZI Release Date: 2005-06-01

Tracks:

1. Alessandro Scarlatti - Le Violette
2. Giovanni Pergolesi - A Serpina pencerete from 'La Serva Padrona'
3. Giovanni Pergolesi - Confusa Smarrita from 'Catone in Utica'
4. W.A. Mozart - Das Traumbild, KV530
5. W.A. Mozart - Die kleine Spinnerin, KV531
6. Felix Mendelssohn - Auf Fldes gesanges
7. Fryderyk Chopin - The Handsome lad, Op. 74, No. 8
8. Fryderyk Chopin - Lithuanian Song, Op. 74, No. 16
9. Fryderyk Chopin - Dumka
10. Fryderyk Chopin - The Warrior, Op. 74, No. 10
11. Stanislaw Moniuszko - The Little Fish
12. Stanislaw Moniuszko - The Spinning Girl
13. Stanislaw Niewiadomski - Indele and Mendele
14. Richard Strauss - Staendchen, Op. 17, No. 2
15. Richard Strauss - Morgen, Op. 27, No. 4
16. Richard Strauss - Die Nacht, Op. 10, No. 3
17. Arnold Schoenberg Gigerlette
18. Arnold Schoenberg - Der genugsame Liebhaber
19. Kurt Weill - Youkali
20. Kurt Weill - Buddy on the Nightshift
21. Heitor Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5: Aria (Cantilena)
22. Heitor Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5: Danca (Martelo)

Product Description

If you have never heard Moniuszko’s songs or the rare Pergolesi arias, then this album is a must have. This beautiful collection of songs features the melodic works of Pergolesi, the quirky Polish songs of Niewiadomski and Moniuszko, Scarlatti’s beautiful setting of the poem, Le Violette and the popular title work, Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 by Brazilian composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos (who dedicated his 5th Piano Concerto to Ms. Blumental). The unknown repertoire and the profound musicianship make this album a particular collector’s item. Also, among this recital are two ensemble tracks. Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 is scored for soprano and 8 cellos and Pergolesi's aria ‘A Serpina pencerete’ is from the opera, ‘La Serva Padrona’ performed here by Ms Celine with the Rome Radio Orchestra under the baton of Alberto Zedda. This CD also provides an insight into the musical lives of Brazilian soprano Annette Celine and Polish/Brazilian pianist, Felicja Blumental. While their natural curiosity for lesser known classical music is evident, it also finds Ms Celine and Ms Blumental drawing on their Polish and Brazilian background and demonstrating their profound understanding of music from around the world. This is particularly evident in Ms Celine’s performance who seamlessly flows from one language to the next.

Pop Music:

1. Root Down [Live] [Original recording remastered]
2. 'Round About Midnight [Original recording remastered] [Special Edition]
3. Sapphire Blue
4. Smokin' at the Half Note [Live]
5. Smooth Jazz at Midnight
6. Soul Station [Original recording remastered]
7. Spread Love Like Wildfire
8. Straight, No Chaser [Enhanced]
9. Sunday at the Village Vanguard [Live]
10. Tears of Joy

Pop Music