Obscur [Import]

Product Description
Gothic collection on a 3-CD set featuring Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Sisters Of Mercy, Killing Joke, Fields Of Nephilim, Front 242, Nick Cave, Lacuna Coil, Virgin Prunes and more. The set also includes 7 rare videos. Digipak. EMI. 2004.

Tracks:

Faust: 'Le veau d'or'
La Damnation de Faust: 'Mephistopheles' Serenade'
Mefistofele: 'Ecco il mondo'
The Demon: 'Ne plach', ditya'
Patrie: 'Pauvre martyr obscur'
Thais: 'Voila donc la terrible cite'
Don Quichotte: Act V (Complete) - Massenet
Prince Igor: 'Ni sna, ni otdykha'
Boris Godunov: 'Dostig ya vysshei Vlasti'
Boris Godunov: 'Uf, tyazhelo! Dai dukh perevadu'
Das Rheingold: 'Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge'
Die Walkure: Wotans Scheidegruss und Feuerzauber
The Emperor Jones, Op. 36: 'Standin' In The Need Of Prayer'
Goethe: 'Pesnya Mefistofely o blokhe' - Mussorgsky

Customer Reviews:

Well sung and varied repertoire from a legend........2005-09-21

I first heard London as Wotan in a recording of das Rheindgold under Solti. I remember the voice as if resembling molten lava containing vast amounts of energy yet never too quick to release it. The voice was magnificent! When I read that its owner was passed his prime at the time of recording the role, I got quite excited and looked forward to getting to know this voice at the highpoint of its years portraying ( as is it is nicely put) gods and demons.

I value this CD mostly as a historic document of an artist not too well known, because I am missing the emotional build up and thus my own emotional engagement in the music. This is ofcourse often the case with anthologies such as this.

This being said, as I tread my way through more and more complete productions of operas I can see myself coming back to this recording comparing styles, textual insights and ofcourse the vocal techniques used by the different singers in the arias.

It does not sound as if George Londong did anything half heartedly and I believe his renditions are most definately to be reckoned with.

Terrifying, Thrilling, Gorgeous!.......2003-08-29

George London is my idol as far as singing goes. I'm a bass-baritone, myself and I've always admired him. I particulary love the Mussorgsky and Wagner selections. The 'Clock Scene' was absolutely terrifying and the two Wagner songs were majestic and powerful.
London could take any song and do amazing things simply because of the sheer vocal quality of his voice. Not to mention his great acting ability.

Satanic!.......2003-07-14

This is an excellent collection of a some of London's best roles, plus the recordings are clear and lively. His voice is very focused and totally overwhelming. While his "Le veau d'or" can't compare to that of Christoff, London still makes for a great devil.. and his acting is superb. It's unfortunate that they didn't include London's Scarpia (see the 1960 recording of Tosca with Tebaldi and del Monaco) or one of his villains from the Tales of Hoffmann. This CD is a necessity for all fans of one of the century's finest bass-baritones and actors!

Average customer rating:

George London in Good Voice
THE Heldenbaritone

Famous Voices of the Past
George London
Manufacturer: Preiser Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Spirituals
George London In Concert

ASIN: B000084T6T
Release Date: 2003-06-24

Customer Reviews:

George London in Good Voice.......2007-06-13

I first heard George London singing the lead role in "Don Giovanni" with the San Francisco opera, about 45 years ago. In all the time since, I have never heard a better baritone, and the gasps from women sitting near me indicated that he projected enormous appeal to others as well. I was greatly pleased to find a recording of some of his arias. My memory proved to be accurate. It is only too bad that complete opera recordings are not available; of course later performers would only suffer by comparison.

Too bad the pieces are so short. Anyone who wants to hear the best baritone of the 20'th century can get at least a taste.

THE Heldenbaritone.......2006-01-29

George London's wide repertoire from Mozart over French and and Russian Romanticism to Wagner is very well represented on this record. He fills every aria with great emotion and drama, audially portraying the respective characters with his thrilling presence.

London's voice was one of the most unique in the history of singing. It was astonishingly dark in timbre for a bass-baritone (in fact he sounded more like a bass), yet he managed to reach the F-sharp and even G without any strain. It was also an extremely powerful voice, able to be heard even through the greates orchestral waves. Besides the power and voluptuosness of its sound, it was also remarkably beautiful and velvety in texture. I would count him to the great vocal wonders of all time, next to Caruso, Ruffo, Ponselle and Björling !

Yet I must say , that he sounds a little "bottled up" at times, when singing piano and mezza voce. But at last not everyone singer is perfect (some just get pretty close) !

I'd recommend this recording to anyone who loves the great music of the romantic era and wants to hear it sung as best as it can be. The sound quality is totally acceptable, even if it isn't as clear and "sanitary" as present day studio CDs.
In contrast to some prominent critics opinions, such as Jürgen Kesting, George London symbolizes a monument in opera and the vocal artform !
If you buy this great cd and before thought that Samuel Ramey, James Morris, John Tomlinson, Simon Estes, Jóse van Dam and other modern day Heldenbaritones are about as good in their Fach as any, you're about to get a new definition of Heldenbaritone ! Trust me, it's worth the price !

Mompou: Cants magiques No1-5; Cançó i dança No1

Average customer rating:

charming enigmas
More Monpou, please!
Out of Nowhere
overlooked gems...
At last something beutiful...

Mompou: Cants magiques No1-5; Cançó i dança No1

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Stephen Hough's Spanish Album
New York Variations
York Bowen: Piano Music
Stephen Hough's English Piano Album
Stephen Hough's New Piano Album

ASIN: B000002ZZP
Release Date: 1997-08-12

Tracks:

Canzion y Danza 7 (1944)
Prelude 1 (1928)
Cants Magics (1917): Energic
Cants Magics (1917): Obscur
Cants Magics (1917): Profond : Lent
Cants Magics (1917): Misterios
Cants Magics (1917): Calma
Cancion Y Danza 5 (1942)
Prelude 5 (1930)
Charmes (1920 - 1): ...Pour Endormir La Souffrance
Charmes (1920 - 1): ...Pour Penetrer Les Ames
Charmes (1920 - 1): ...Pour Inspirer L' Armour
Charmes (1920 - 1): ...Pour Les Guerisons
Charmes (1920 - 1): ...Pour Evoquer L' Image Du Passe
Charmes (1920 - 1): ...Pour Appeler La Joie
Canzion Y Danza 8 (1946)
Prelude 7 (1931): Prelude 7 ('Palmier D' Etoiles') (1931)
Trois Variations (1921): Theme
Trois Variations (1921): Les soldats
Trois Variations (1921): Courtoisie
Trois Variations (1921): Nocturne
Canzion y Danza 3 (1926)
Prelude 9 (1943)
Dialogues I And II: Plaintif
Dialogues I And II: Modere
Canzion Y Danza 1 (1921)
Prelude 10 (1944)
Paisajes (1942-1960): La fuente y la campana
Paisajes (1942-1960): El Lago
Paisajes (1942-1960): Carros de Galicia
Canzion y Danza 9 (1948)
Prelude 6 (1930): Prelude 6 (pour la main gauche) (1930)

Customer Reviews:

charming enigmas.......2003-11-08

What lovely, mysterious music! Mompou's little pieces are often startlingly short, even inconclusive, yet his haunting, minimal, unresolved harmonics and contrasts both surprise and entice. Despite the tracks' actual durations, the frequently slow tempos create a sense of expanded time, as a few sparse notes and a few enchanting/evasive scraps of melody advance with a laconic deliberation that approaches a condition of reticence; and that bespeaks this music's quiet sorcery--Mompou's ability to capture something like reticence in musical notation. These are alluring, ambiguous works.

And Stephen Hough is simply one of our great pianists, in good company with Uchida, Perahia, and Goode. His faultless articulation lends commanding voice to his responsive, thoughtful readings. Hyperion's transparent recorded sound places one beside this fine interpreter as he awakens Mompou's charming enigmas.

More Monpou, please!.......2003-05-20

I became aware of Monpou's compositions when I heard just a snippet of a song in "Star Trek: Nemesis." I looked on the credits and the song being played was a Canzione #6 by Federico Monpou. I had never heard of Monpou, but his sound is a bit like Satie or Poulence (two French composers, contemporaries.) Monpou is Spanish.

If you like Satie and impressionistic music for solo piano, you'll love this.

Out of Nowhere.......2001-12-06

I purchased this CD on a whim, the description of "Spanish Impressionism" intrigued me. It has quickly become one of my favorite CD's of solo piano music. This is like Satie, yet harmonically more progressive. Full of tonal and dynamic contrasts reminiscent of Debussy. Stephen Hough's playing charmed me from the very beginnning with his delicate and refined playing. His use of the pedals is perfect, great sustain but never overboard, which gives Mompou's music the perfect airy tone. Where has this composer been all my life? It's like my discovery of Delius. This is music to relax by, to daydream to.

overlooked gems..........2000-06-27

Mompou's music is overlooked but worth discovering. If you enjoy Ravel or Faure and have a love for finely chiselled or sculpted little gems of music, this CD and others of Mompou's work will interest you greatly.

Ignore the "spanish" influences you may have read about his music- his music (the converse of Ravel's for example) is more French inspired (while a lot of Ravel's is of spanish influence).

At last something beutiful..........2000-06-23

for me to listen to other than Ravel. Shimmering, crystelline music, so very pure.

Average customer rating:

Fine Album!
Francoise Is Strong as Ever
class, style, and enduring beauty
Beautiful
francoise is back and YES she's still got it!

Clair Obscur
Françoise Hardy
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

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La Question
Soleil
The Vogue Years
Et Si Je M'en Vais Avant Toi
Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp

ASIN: B00004T2QG
Release Date: 2000-04-13

Tracks:

Pulsque Vous Parlez En Voyage
Tous Mes Souvenirs Me Tuent (Tears)
Celui Que Tu Veux
Clair-Obscur
Un Homme Est Mort
Duck's Blues
I'll Be Seeing You
Tu Ressembles A tous Ceux Qui Ont Eu Du Chagrin
La Pleine Lune
So Sad
La Saison Des Pluies
Contre Vents Et Marees
La Verite Des Choses

Album Description

2000 studio album for the French pop icon, featuring Jacques Dutronc, includes the first single 'Pusique Vous Partez En Voyage' a duet with Jacques Dutronc as well as duets with Iggy Pop-'I'll Be Seeing You', Etienne Daho-'So Sad' and Oi-'Celui Que Tu Veux'. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.

Album Details

New 2000 Album from Ex Icon of the 60's. features Covers from Eric Clapton, Mireille, Mikado, Everly Brothers as Well as Duets with Iggy Pop, Jacques Dutronc.

Customer Reviews:

Fine Album!.......2005-05-07

Francoise Hardy wrote and recorded a long string of fine songs and albums in the sixties. I always enjoyed her voice and the usually simple arrangements of her songs, often with her acoustic guitar in the foreground.

It seemed that by the end of the 1960's she disappeared from the charts and radio-stations; at least outside her native France. Fact is, that she has released new albums regularly since then, but I think ferw people was aware. I thought she had more or less left the music scene, when I heard her duet of "The End" with Damon Albarn and Blur in 1995 - a great recording.

This album, released in 2000, was at first more or less a disappointment for me. Most of it sounded pretty much as easy listening - polished production etc. Eventually I discovered that there was actually a great variety of muscial styles.

Francoise Hardy still writes a great deal of her material, and songs like "Tu resembles a tous ceux qui ont eu du chagrin", "Duck's blues" and "La saison des pluies" are highlights on the album, and probably the ones that come the closest to her 1960's style. I also enjoy her cover of the Everly Brothers' "So Sad", her duet with Iggy Pop "I'll Be Seeing You" and most important: her voice sounds a good as ever!

Francoise Is Strong as Ever.......2003-11-27

In case there was ever any doubt that Francoise Hardy could put out great material during a recording career that predates the Beatles and the Stones, this album should lay all naysayers to rest. Francoise's love of song, her impeccable taste, and her tribute to the early rock music that grabbed her on English radio make this album an ecclectic walk through what is best about all music. Unlike her mostly original material, this album mainly pays hommage to her 20th century influences while giving us glimpses of the discerning genius she is determined to remain. Since the album is like a love letter in a general sense, it's fitting that the opening track, Puisque Vous Partez en Voyage, is a duet with her husband Jacques Dutronc - a romantic lounge classic replete with the lovers' witty repartee as the music ensues. The sullen Django Reinhardt jazz guitar classic, Tous Mes Souvenirs Me Tuent, is a follow up that adds great texture and warmth to the melange of styles. The album then takes a turn for the sultry with Celui Que Tu Veux, Francoise's duet with OI - a song that breathes romance in equally jazzy minor 7th chords during which Francoise answers her male counterpart with a falsetto "di di di di." But probably the strongest new track on the album is Duck's Blues, an Alain Lubrano acoustic groove that echoes the instrumental twists of much of the album with Francoise painting her contemplative lyrics over the top. Perhaps for Francoise's own amusement, she includes a version of the much covered I'll Be Seeing You (in English of course) with punk icon Iggy Pop. Though it's hard to conceive of as anything but campy, this track lends credence to the occasional necessity of musical icons joining forces if, at the least, as some melodic footnote in the journal of a two great careers. La Pleine Lune is another brilliant representation of Francoise and Alain Lubrano's succesful collaboration - melodic, dreamy country blues guitar etched beneath a voice that skillfully carries the mood in plaintive, thoughtful tones. So Sad, the Everly Brothers' gem is included mainly because it was the one song Francoise could pinpoint that gave her the itch to sing and ultimately record. Though the interpretation is softer and more muted, it urges the listener to send a big thank you to Phil and Don for sparking one of the greatest talents of this modern era. Claire Obscure is an album with a focus on what has come before, but there are so many hints as to what Francoise is capable of. La Saison des Pluies and La Verite des Choses are both lyrically hers, both ballads of the most downtrodden order, but so melodically clever with their swooning vocal twists that in the end one gets the impression that Francoise still has so much more to share with us.

class, style, and enduring beauty.......2002-11-26

The decades go by, and Francoise Hardy remains my favorite female pop singer. This CD, which is a recent offering by this great star, has some true gems on it, and is what "easy listening" should be; relaxing but at the same time immensely interesting...this is a CD that will not go stale on you.

Hardy sings 4 duets:
2 are in English; the oldie "I'll Be Seeing You" with Iggy Pop, and the Everly Brothers hit "So Sad" with Etienne Daho, and I find them both charming.
"Celui que tu veux" is with Ol, a French-Cameroonese singer-songwriter, and this track has a marvelous funky sound, with Ol also on guitar, and "Puisque vous partez en voyage", is with her husband Jaques Dutronc, and has some deliciously smooth and sultry spoken parts.

"Une homme est mort", which she adapted from the original by Jose-Maria Cano is a big favorite, as is the title song, which she co-wrote with Kahil Chahine, who also did the soft, exquisite instrumentation.
Hardy co-wrote 3 other tracks, with Alain Lubrano: "Duck's blues", "La verite des choses", and the most experimental piece on the CD, "La pleine lune".

The booklet insert has all the lyrics in French, and total time is 48'14.
Mellow and fine through and through, there isn't a song on this album that isn't a delight...yet another winner from this exceptional artist.

Beautiful.......2000-08-26

Except for the duet with Iggy Pop (who tries to be a crooner who can take liberties with rhythm and melody, but ends up sounding hesitant) this is a superb CD. This is gentle, pleasant music; Hardy's beautiful voice is accurate and delightful; the whole presentation is well polished.

francoise is back and YES she's still got it!.......2000-06-03

no, it doesn't sound like her sixties recordings. the new record has modern production touches: francoise hardy TODAY. but all the great qualities of her music are here! she still writes beautiful melodies. and she has an un-erring ear for picking those written by others. her voice is still there, still beautiful, and still great. a must for francoise fans... fans of ALL her musical eras. if you've never heard of francoise, start with a "vogue" greatest hits or "comment de dire adieu". then get "clair-obscur". two english language cuts, on "clair", are class acts. first a duet with iggy pop on the old chestnut "i'll be seeing you". simultaneously beautiful, funny, and eerie! also she sings, with etienne daho, the old everly brothers number "so sad to watch good love go bad". this lovely french singer STILL has a profound love for the beautiful early american pop/rock-and-roll. back in the sixties, in addition to her own wonderful compositions, she was recording songs by the everlys, as well as buddy holly, elvis, and carole king. another great moment on clair-obscur is her update of her own "tu ressembles a tous ceux qui ont eu du chagrin", originally on her "soleil" record. clair-obscure is great from beginning to end. BUY IT!

Average customer rating:

Ah ze life of ze tortured French Artiste!

Collection of Isolated Tracks 1982-1988
Clair Obscur
Manufacturer: Apocalyptic Vision
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000006XLW
Release Date: 1995-01-01

Customer Reviews:

Ah ze life of ze tortured French Artiste!.......2000-06-27

This collection contains a variety of the band's works from the 80's. Like other self consciously tortured artists (i.e. Virgin Prunes) Clair Obscur is a hit or miss band. In their best moments, their dark, wry sense of style shadows contemporary music mocking all of the things you hold dear. At their worst they present an unlistenable mess, burdoned by their arrogant pretentiousness. This album showcases all of these elements. The first half of the album contains dark, post-punk dirges. The most notable song on this part of the album is "Froh" which sounds like it came straight off of a Bauhaus album. There is also an instrumental version of their utterly cold "hit" "Die Kinder Sind Allein". But mostly these are rough works that lead to the band's parody of modern life, shown on the second half of the album in fine form. Amongst these is the theatrical, bitter rant "Smurf in the Gulag" which is followed by the similarly brooding "Till the Morning Light". The album is closed out by one of their many versions of "Blume" featuring a tortured French Artiste singing to what sounds like a disco version of a Death In June song. Make of it what you will.

Average customer rating:

In Out
Clair Obscur
Manufacturer: Apocalyptic Vision (Ger)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005YIP
Release Date: 1995-06-01

Average customer rating:

Play
Clair Obscur
Manufacturer: Apocalyptic Vision (Ger)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005YIQ
Release Date: 1995-06-01

Average customer rating:

Rock
Clair Obscur
Manufacturer: Apocalyptic Vision (Ger)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005YIS
Release Date: 1995-04-28

Average customer rating:

Clair Obscur
Lavilliers
Manufacturer: Musicrama/Koch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DZSI
Release Date: 1997-09-23

Average customer rating:

Mompou, Vines and Falla

Manufacturer: Telos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000DFLP
Release Date: 1998-11-01

Rock Music:

Rock Music