My Gods [Import]

1. Once Again Late At Night

2. High Drama

3. Never Satisfied

4. Someone Somewhere

5. My Gods

6. This Spring

7. In My Blood

8. Hamburg Night

9. Right Back At You

10. True Love

11. Oh My Love

12. Heading Force

My Gods,Laakso,V2,Rock

Average customer rating: I would order from you again. Loved it!!! good variety and feeling Sour Concepts Living Elaborate Lives...

Elton John And Tim Rice's Aida (1999 Concept Album) Jimmy Johnson , Juliet Haffner , Regis Iandiorio , Tony Kadleck , Elena Barere , Blackwell, Virgil , and Clark, John Manufacturer: Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music 1990s | By Decade | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Aida (2000 Original Broadway Cast) Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida: The Making of the Broadway Musical The Muse: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Made in England A Single Man ASIN: B00000IFTH Release Date: 1999-03-23

Tracks:

1. Another Pyramid - Sting
2. Written In The Stars - Elton John/LeAnn Rimes
3. Easy As Life - Tina Turner ft. Angelique Kidjo
4. My Strongest Suit - Spice Girls
5. I Know TheTruth - Elton John/Janet Jackson
6. Not Me - Boyz II Men
7. Amneris' Letter - Shania Twain
8. A Step Too Far - Elton John/Heather Headley/Sherie Scott
9. Like Father Like Son - Lenny Kravitz
10. Elaborate Lives - Heather Headley
11. How I Know you - James Taylor
12. The Messenger - Elton John/Lulu
13. The Gods Love Nubia - Kelly Price
14. Enchantment Passing Through - Dru Hill
15. Orchestral Finale - Elton John

Amazon.com

Following hot on the heels of their enormously successful collaboration for The Lion King, Elton John and Tim Rice have once again culled their talents to create another Disney contemporary musical, based this time on Verdi's opera Aida. The album, recorded by some of the biggest talents of pop, country, and R&B, features songs from the stage show, which recounts the well-known tale of a love triangle further complicated by slavery, royalty, and the armed forces. John duets to great effect with country crooner LeAnn Rimes, the enchanting Janet Jackson, and the lovely Lulu of To Sir with Love fame. Lush and lively, the soundtrack hits a hoot of a (decidedly not highbrow) high point with the infectious pop of the Spice Girls warbling the merits of undergarments on "My Strongest Suit" ("Always wear underwear/Anytime, anywhere"). Lenny Kravitz funks things up with "Like Father Like Son." Shania Twain's husky emoting makes a fine pop ballad of the brief "Amneris' Letter." "Not Me" chronicles the goodness of love as Boyz II Men coo dreamily, their harmonies nestling into John's sumptuous score. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

I would order from you again........2007-01-27

Product arrived in a timely manner in new condition, still wrapped in plastic. Thank you.

Loved it!!!.......2006-09-07

I'm so impressed with this album for several different reasons.
3) It's Elton John
2) I loved all but two of the songs!
1) I usually hate the original broadway cast albums and movie soundtracks. They don't do the songs justice. They usually have chopped up versions of the songs and include unnecessary dialouge.

I'd love to see every musical (broadway or movie) done this way!
I appreciate the b'way versions, but I don't want to listen to them in my car...

good variety and feeling.......2004-06-24

This is a very good CD. "Written in the Stars" is an extremely emotional song, and it is my favorite on the album. I would like to see the show on Broadway, but I have to say I don't think it can be too much better than this CD

Sour Concepts.......2003-06-29

It takes so much to try to get a musical to make its way upon Broadway. Sometimes you really need to understand how to make it really happen within the passion of the storytelling music. In that case with Elton John, he nearly seemed to make it with Aida. While the music for Broadway always seems to have at least something completely mgaical and a dash of power in it. Sometimes, you really need to understand it, to make it happen, and others don't see it from the start. Although Elton John has had great music for years, at least once in a era, something goes a little flat.

The 1999 Aida, was not a studio album from Elton, but a preview from what was happen on Broadway. The various artists record contains so many different artists in the record including Tina Turner, Boyz II Men, Dru Hill, and the upcoming Heather Headley. Before Heather made it as a singer, she made it right here in Aida, on this record. The only decent song that was a hit was Written In The Stars, which Elton performed with Leann Rimes. The song was also the last song Elton cracked Billboard's Top 40. Still, there really wasn't a lot of enjoyment within most of the record, and it fell into a sleeper. Considering that Elton is already planning on making another smash musical on Broadway, hopefully he'll do better with the concept record.

When it does come to making it on Broadway, it isn't really anything exciting, unless it truly is a smash, and Aida is a smash on Broadway, just not the record. Still, if you're a die hard fan of Aida, buy this record. Otherwise, it could be a hitless miss.

Living Elaborate Lives..........2002-11-02

Aida was Elton John and Tim Rice's baby, providing a concept soundtrack album before even setting the stage on fire, the tracks are generally sweeping show ballads.
Elton teams up with several lovely and talented ladies, in LeAnn Rimes, Janet Jackson, and Lulu. "Written In The Stars" could be a vocal gladiator battle, the way LeAnn and Elton sing it. Janet and Lulu prove themselves as more mellow duet partners.
Kelly Price makes "The Gods Love Nubia" her own, the song is tied up in soul with her voice being smooth as silk. The far too short "Amneris' Letter" shows off Shania Twain's voice to perfection also. Pop culture phenomenon the Spice Girls turn "My Strongest Suit" into the most obvious pop stomper of this set. Another strong point is Heather Headley's solo "Elaborate Lives". A rich ballad, Headley recently embarked on an R&B singing career with the track "He Is". The legendary Tina Turner provides a fiery perfomance, her track being the powerful "Easy As Life" with Angelique Kidjo.
Duds are also present, Sting and Dru Hill's tracks are admitted stinkers. James Taylor, Boyz II Men, Sherie Scott, and Lenny Kravitz also deliver perfomances on the album. This album is well put together, with strong tunes and a short-list of superstars presenting them. A fun buy.

Average customer rating: Not worth buying! Don't waste your money Perfect for "drop the needle" style tests A CD with Attention Deficit Disorder This sucks...

Only Opera CD You'll Ever Need Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bellini, Vincenzo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Boito, Arrigo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Flotow | Flotow, Friedrich von | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | 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ASIN: B000003GA0 Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

1. Antony & Cleopatra: 'Give Me My Robe' - Leontyne Price
2. Fidelio: 'In des Lebens Fruhlingstagen...' - Ben Heppner
3. Fidelio: Act II Quartet: 'Ach, du bist gerettet...' - Deborah Voigt
4. Norma: 'Casta Diva' - Rosa Ponselle
5. Candide: 'Glitter And Be Gay' - Harolyn Blackwell
6. Candide: 'Make Our Garden Grow' - Jerry Hadley
7. Carmen: Flower Song - Placido Domingo
8. Carmen: Habanera - Rise Stevens
9. Carmen: Toreador Song - Robert Merrill
10. Les pecheurs de perles: Duet: 'Oui, c'est elle, c'est la deesse...' - Robert Merrill
11. Mefistofele: 'Ecco il mondo' - Samuel Ramey
12. La Wally: 'Eben, ne andro lontana' - ONLY OPERA CD YOU'LL EVER NEED
13. Lakme: Bell Song - Lily Pons
14. L'Elisir d'Amore: 'Una furtiva lagrima' - Tito Schipa
15. Lucia di Lammermoor: 'Chi mi frena in tal momento...' - Carlo Bergonzi
16. Lucia di Lammermoor: 'Spargi d'amaro pianto' - Anna Moffo
17. Martha: 'M'appari tutto amor' - Jussi Bjoerling
18. Porgy & Bess: 'Summertime' - Leontyne Price
19. Porgy & Bess: 'Bess, You Is My Woman' - William Warfield
20. Andrea Chenier: 'Come un bel di di maggio' - Ben Heppner
21. Romeo et Juliette: Juliette's Waltz; 'Je veux vivre' - Ruth Ann Swenson
22. Salammbo: Aria - Kiri Te Kanawa
23. Hansel & Gretel: 'Suuse, liebe Susse - Helen Donath
24. I Pagliacci: 'Vesti la giubba' - Enrico Caruso
25. Cavalleria Rusticana: 'Viva il vino' - Jussi Bjoerling
26. Cherubin: 'Lorsque vous n'aurez rien' - Dawn Upshaw
27. Manon: 'Ah! Fuyez, douce image' - Richard Crooks
28. Cosi fan tutte: 'Come scoglio immoto resta' - Leontyne Price
29. Don Giovanni: 'La ci darem la mano' - Edith Mathis
30. Don Giovanni: 'Deh! vieni alla finestra' - Ezio Pinza
31. Don Giovanni: 'Non mi dir' - Carol Vaness
32. Le nozze di Figaro: 'Non piu andrai...' - Alan Titus
33. Le nozze di Figaro: 'Porgi, amor' - Carol Vaness
34. Le nozze di Figaro: 'Deh vieni, non tardar' - Bidu Sayao
35. Die Zauberflote: 'Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon' - Fritz Wunderlich
36. Die Zauberflote: Der Holle Rache - Zdislawa Donat
37. Die Zauberflote: Papageno - Papageno Duet - Christian Boesch
38. Boris Godunov: 'I v ljutomgore, nisposlannom Bogom...' - Alexander Kipnis
39. Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle - Montserrat Caballe
40. La Gioconda: 'Cielo e mar' - Beniamino Gigli
41. La Boheme: 'Che gelida manina' - Giuseppe Di Stefano
42. La Boheme: 'Mi piaccion quelle cose...' - Licia Albanese
43. La Boheme: 'Fremon gia nell'anima' - Luciano Pavarotti
44. La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz Song - Judith Blegen
45. Gianni Schicchi: 'O mio babbino caro' - Angela Gheorghiu
46. Madama Butterfly: 'Ah, ti serro palpitante' - Placido Domingo
47. Madama Butterfly: 'Un bel di' - Leontyne Price
48. Manon Lescaut: 'Donna non vidi mai' - Jussi Bjoerling
49. La rondine: 'Chi il bel sogno di Doretta - Anna Moffo
50. TOSCA: 'Recondita armonia' - Placido Domingo
51. TOSCA: 'Vissi d'arte' - Irina Oudalova
52. TOSCA: 'E avanti a lui...' - Zinka Milanov
53. TOSCA: 'E lucevan le stelle' - Mario Lanza
54. Turandot: 'Signore, ascolta' - Renata Tebaldi
55. Turandot: 'In questa reggia' - Birgit Nilsson
56. Turandot: 'Nessun dorma' - Jussi Bjoerling
57. Dido & Aeneas: 'When I Am Laid In Earth' - Leontyne Price
58. Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Largo al factotum' - Robert Merrill
59. Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Una voce poco fa' - Roberta Peters
60. Samson et Dalila: 'Mon coeur s'ouvre' - Christa Ludwig
61. The Bartered Bride: 'Wenn ich das einmal erfahre' - Teresa Stratas
62. Elektra: 'Agamemnon' - Inge Borkh
63. Der Rosenkavalier: 'Ist ein Traum' - Erna Berger
64. Salome: 'Nicht in der Welt...' - Inge Borkh
65. Eugene Onegin: Lenski's Aria - Placido Domingo
66. Eugene Onegin: Tatiana's Letter Scene - Leontyne Price
67. Aida: 'Celeste Aida' - Jussi Bjoerling
68. Aida: 'Ritorna vincitor!' - Leontyne Price
69. Aida: 'Gloria all'Egitto' - John Alldis Choir
70. Aida: 'O patria mia' - Leontyne Price
71. Un Ballo in Maschera: 'O docezze perdute! O memorie...' - Robert Merrill
72. Don Carlo: 'Dio, che nell'anima infondere' - Placido Domingo
73. Ernani: 'Emani, involami' - Leontyne Price
74. La forza del destino: 'Or muoio tranquillo...' - Robert Merrill
75. La forza del destino: 'Pace, pace mio dio' - Zinka Milanov
76. Nabucco: 'Va, pensiero' - Oleg Reshetkin
77. Otello: 'Credo' - Tito Gobbi
78. Otello: Willow Song - Leonie Rysanek
79. Otello: 'Niun mi tema' - Jon Vickers
80. Rigoletto: 'Qesta o quella' - Alfredo Kraus
81. Rigoletto: 'Caro nome' - Anna Moffo
82. Rigoletto: 'La donna e mobile' - Jan Peerce
83. Rigoletto: 'Bella figlia dell'amore' - Alfredo Kraus
84. La Traviata: Brindisi - Montserrat Caballe
85. La Traviata: 'Di provenza' - Sherrill Milnes
86. La Traviata: 'Sempre libera' - Eleanor Steber
87. La Traviata: 'Addio del passato' - Anna Moffo
88. Il Trovatore: Anvil Chorus - Moscow Classical Chorus & Ensemble
89. Il Trovatore: 'Di quella pira' - Placido Domingo
90. Il Trovatore: 'Tacea la notte placido - Leontyne Price
91. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: 'Morgenlicht leuchtend' - Set Svanholm
92. Die Walkure: Ride Of The Valkyries - Staatskapelle Dresden
93. Die Walkure: Wotan's Farewell - Lawrence Tibbett
94. Siegfried: Song Of The Forest Bird - Norma Sharp
95. Gotterdammerung: 'Starke Scheite schichtet mir dort' - Kirsten Flagstad
96. Lohengrin: Bridal Chorus - Robert Shaw Chorale
97. Lohengrin: 'In fernem Land' - Lauritz Melchior
98. Tannhauser: 'Dich teure Halle' - Waltraud Meler

Customer Reviews:

Not worth buying!.......2007-05-29

I found this recording basically worthless. It contains only very short excerpts of the song. Not enough to get into and enjoy!

Don't waste your money.......2007-01-18

This is the worst purchase I have ever made. It is a truly dreadful piece of work.I was so disgusted with it that I threw it into the trash can.

Perfect for "drop the needle" style tests.......2006-11-19

If you want to hear full recordings of arias, then this disc is not for you. It plays only tidbits of 99 arias. Contrary to the title, this is definitely not the only opera disc you'll ever need. You shouldn't take it seriously. This disc has next to no value for an opera neophyte. But for opera fanatics, there has never been a better test of your knowledge of operatic repertoire and singers. It's a great challenge for opera buffs. Sit down with your opera loving friends for an hour, play this disc, and try to be the first to identify the singer, composer, opera, and piece. If you're a music professor, this disc would make for an awesome pop quiz. Find out how well your students really know their opera repertoire.

A CD with Attention Deficit Disorder.......2006-10-02

I don't know anyone who would enjoy this CD. It will drive opera fans nuts with a hundred exerpts that run about 30 seconds each, then fade out without the singers even finishing a single verse. It's more like an index of arias, or a volume of teasers that hucksters might use to sell opera CDs.

I never realized how much Bernstein's "Glitter and be gay" sounded like Delibes' "Bell Song" until I heard 35 seconds of one, followed 23 seconds of the other.

Maybe the TV show 'Jeopardy' could use this CD. 'What is "Hush little baby don't you..."??'

What a waste of beautiful voices and great music. 38 seconds of Enrico Caruso, followed by 31 seconds of Jussi Bjoerling, followed by 38 seconds of Dawn Upshaw.

My copy is going to go sailing into the wastebasket as soon as I finish this review.

This sucks..........2006-03-31

I should only blame myself for not checking out more reviews... this is a CD filled with short, little snippets of great operas songs... and I mean SHORT, LITTLE snippets of 30 seconds or so, each. Don't buy this CD... it is a complete rip off... and that is saying ALOT since it is only $4.00... Again, my fault for not reading the reviews but I trusted that something called a "Music CD" would actually have complete songs... What else does this company offer? A "Music CD" that only has the intros or applause tracks to great songs...?

Move on to something else... Amazon has a great selection... just not this one.

Average customer rating:

Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Collectors Edition) (Box Set) Manufacturer: Delta ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. 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Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set] Masters of Classical Music (Box Set) ASIN: B00008L428 Release Date: 2003-02-13

Average customer rating: Britten's lesser operas? Britten's lesser operas

Britten Conducts Britten: Operas 2 Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Brannigan, Owen | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Bainbridge, Elisabeth | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Britten, Sir Benjamin | A to B | Featured Composers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Britten Conducts Britten: Operas 1 Britten Conducts Britten Britten Conducts Britten Janácek: Operas Delius: A Village Romeo and Juliet ASIN: B000654OU6 Release Date: 2005-03-15

Customer Reviews:

Britten's lesser operas?.......2007-05-29

Of course it's all a matter of taste. I find most of Britten's operas first class with no exception. 'Gloriana' is an under-recorded jewel, full of melody and emotion. 'Turn of the Screw' a masterpiece of claustrophobic sense. 'Rape of Lucretia' full of chamber sensibility. And the performances cannot be bettered.
Need I say more? DECCA is paying an enormous service to collectors with these releases, especially those who have a real concern with storage space. They deserve 10 stars, if available.

Britten's lesser operas.......2007-05-13

I loved Britten's Operas 1. So I snatched this item up right away. It's o.k. but not as good as the first collection. Death in Venice was the only opera on these discs that I really cared for. It's every bit as good as the Hickox version so if you already have one there's really no need to buy the other. As for the other operas they're nowhere near as good as Billy Budd, Peter Grimes, or Albert Herring. For those just discovering Britten's operas start out with the first boxed set.

Average customer rating: THE HAPPIEST MUSICAL THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN . . . . .

Olympus on My Mind - The American Cast Recording Manufacturer: Jay Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Curtains (2007 Original Broadway Cast) Tarzan - The Broadway Musical (Original Broadway Cast) Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Oh, Brother! (1981 Original Broadway Cast) Seventh Heaven (1955 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B00005Y8ZT Release Date: 1996-11-19

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Welcome To Greece
3. Heaven On Earth
4. The Gods On Tap
5. Surprise!
6. Love - What A Concept
7. Wait 'Til It Dawns
8. Enter The Husband
9. I Know My Wife
10. It Was Me
11. Back So Soon
12. Wonderful
13. At Liberty In Thebes
14. It Must Have Been Jove
15. Jupiter Slept Here
16. Something Of Yourself
17. Olympus Is a Lonely Town
18. A Star Is Born
19. Mine Eyes Have Seen
20. Heaven On Earth

Customer Reviews:

THE HAPPIEST MUSICAL THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN . . . . . .......2006-08-14

This one is a hoot!

Don't ask me to explain the plot of OLYMPUS ON MY MIND, for as some character in some show once said, "It defies description." Barry Harman (book and lyrics for ROMANCE, ROMANCE) received Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Direction of a Musical and for Outstanding Book, "suggested" by Heinrich von Kleist's play of 1807, "Amphitryon," which may or may not have been "suggested" by Moliere's earlier version of the Greek myth. (The plot is as complicated and as convoluted as the previous sentence.) At any rate, Jupiter lusts after the beautiful mortal Alcmene and poses as her husband, Amphitryon, in order to seduce her. Mistaken identities abound and double-entendres fly freely, aided and abetted by Harman's witty and literate lyrics and Grant Sturiale's ". . . bubbly score, which suggests Rodgers and Hart with a pop-rock undertow." (Stephen Holden, in his review of the 1986 Original Off-Broadway Production) When Amphityron arrives home from the war, not knowing that Jupiter has just spent the night with his wife, Alcmene sings "Back So Soon?" and then proceeds to tell him in great detail how "Wonderful" he was last night, rather like poetry, ". . . especially the fourth and the seventeenth time." The slave, Sosia, having been barred from his own house and bed by Hercules, in the guise of Sosia, declares to his master,""It Was Me." And Delores only needs the mention of a constellation to break into "A Star Is Born" big production number. "Big" being relative, considering the size of the cast. Great fun.

(Holden) "From its firecracker-like opening number, 'Welcome to Greece,' in which a smirking Greek chorus of three men - 'Tom, Dick and Horace' - and a doll-faced, out-of-step chorus girl, 'Delores,' arrive to set the scene, the new musical OLYMPUS ON MY MIND percolates with an old-fashioned sense of naughty musical-comedy fun. Delores's ineptitude, it turns out, is part of the merriment. Periodically throughout the evening, she models the wares of the show's fictional producer, Murray the Furrier, whose name glows in lights at the rear of the stage." Opening night saw the marvelous Ron Raines (LEADING MEN DON'T DANCE) in the dual roles of Jupiter & Amphitryon, Emily Zacharias as Alcmene, Jason Graae as Hercules, Peggy Hewett as Charis, Lewis J. Stadlen as Sosia, and Faith Prince as Delores. By the time the recording was made in October, 1987, the equally marvelous Martin Vidnovic (Tony Nominee, 1981, BRIGADOON; 1984 Drama Desk Award Winner for BABY) was Jupiter/Amphitryon; Susan Powell, his wife; Nancy Johnson, Charis; Frank Kopyc, Sosia; and Joyce De Witt ("Three's Company"), Delores. Only Jason Graae remains from the opening night cast.

David Abers of the Bristol Riverside Theatre calls OLYMPUS ON MY MIND "the happiest musical this side of heaven," and he may well be right. Hal Serra's wonderful "stringless" orchestrations and the small cast of 10 make the show an excellent choice for community theaters and small colleges. I can't imagine anyone, except for the very prudish, not having a great time on OLYMPUS.

Highly recommended.

Average customer rating: Decent Quality, But a Little Rushed Decent, but not exciting Decent, but not exciting Sounds good to me. Wonderful Selection

The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music (Box Set) Manufacturer: Delta ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. 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Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Bargain Box Sets | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Bargain Box Sets | Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set] Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series ASIN: B000001VUG Release Date: 1994-07-14

Tracks:

1. Toccata In D Minor: Toccata In D Minor (1709) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
2. Canon In D: Canon in D (1698) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
3. Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, 1st Movement: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, 1st Movement (1721) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
4. Water Music, Suite No. 2 In D: 4.1 1st Movement - 4.2 Alla Hornpipe - 4.3 Minuet - 4.4 Lentement - 4.5 Bourree - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
5. Trumpet Tune And Air: Trumpet Tune And Air (1685) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
6. Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D: Air - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
7. The Four Seasons - Spring: The Four Seasons - Spring (1725): 7.1 Allegro - 7.2 Largo e painissimo - 7.3 Allegro Bela Banfalvi - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
8. Adagio: Adagio (1730) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
9. Mandoline Concerto In C, RV 425: 9.1 Allegro - 9.2 Largo - 9.3 Allegro - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)
10. Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor: Minuet and Badinerie (1721) : - 10.1 Minuet - 10.2 Badinerie - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 1 (1685-1730)

Tracks:

1. Messiah: 'Hallelujah' (1742)
2. 'Orpheus and Eurydice': Dance Of The Blessed Spirits (1762)
3. 'Christmas Oratorio': Sinfonia In G (1734)
4. Violin Concerto No.3 in G: Violin Concerto No.3 In G, 1st Movement (1775)
5. 'Xerxes': Largo (1734)
6. Flute Concerto In G 'La Notte': VI. Allegro (1731)
7. 'Solomon': Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba (1749)
8. Oboe Concerto In D Minor: Oboe Concerto In D Minor, 2nd Movement (1731)
9. Concerto grosso In A Minor Op.6 No.4: 9.1 Larghetto affettuoso - 9.2 Allegro - 9.3 Largo Piano - 9.4 Allegro
10. Violin Concerto No.5 In A, 2nd Movement: Violin Concerto No.5 In A, 2nd Movement (1775)

Tracks:

1. Eine kleine Nachtmusik: 1st movement (1787)
2. Piano Concerto No. 21 in C: 2nd Movement (Elvira Madigan)
3. The Marriage Of Figaro: Overture (1786)
4. Flute Concerto No. 2 In D: 2nd Movement (1778)
5. Piano Sonata In A (1778): Rondo Alla Turca
6. Don Giovanni: Overture (1787)
7. Horn Concerto No. 3 In E Flat: 2nd Movement
8. Piano Concerto No. 23 in A: 1st Movement (1786)
9. The Marriage Of Figaro: March (1786)
10. Serenata Notturna: 10.1 Marcia. Maestoso - 10.2 Menuetto - 10.3 Rondeau. Allegretto

Tracks:

1. Symphony No. 40: 1st Movement (1788) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
2. 'Moonlight' Sonata: 1st Movement (1801) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
3. Symphony No. 94: 'Surprise' ,2nd Movement (1791) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
4. The Magic Flute: Overture (1791) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
5. Fur Elise: Fur Elise (1810) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
6. String Quartet In C: Emporor's Hymn - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
7. Symphony No. 5: 1st Movement (1808) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
8. Clarinet Concerto In A: 2nd Movement (1791) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
9. Minuet In G: Minuet in G (1796) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)
10. Trumpet Concerto In E Flat: 3rd Movement - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 4 (1788-1810)

Tracks:

1. The Barber Of Seville: Overture (1821)
2. Symphiny No.8 In B Minor: 'Unfinished' 2nd Movement (1822)
3. Spring Song: Spring Song (1841)
4. Polonaise In A, Op.40 No.3: 'Military'
5. Rosamunde: Ballet Music In G
6. Der Freischutz: Overture (1820)
7. Ave Maria: Ave Maria (1825)
8. Symphony No.4 In A: 'Italian', 1st Movement (1833)
9. Traumerei: Traumerei (1838)
10. German Dance No. 1: German Dance No. 1 (1811)

Tracks:

1. A Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March (1843) - 100 Masterpieces
2. Liebestraum No. 3 In A flat: Liebestraum No. 3 In A Flat (1847) - 100 Masterpieces
3. Nabucco: Overture (1842) - 100 Masterpieces
4. The Merry Peasant: The Merry Peasant (1848) - 100 Masterpieces
5. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (1847) - 100 Masterpieces
6. Lohengin: Prelude to Act 3 (1850) - 100 Masterpieces
7. La Traviata: Prelude to Act 1(1853) - 100 Masterpieces
8. Tannhauser: Arrival Of The Guests At Wartburg (1845) - 100 Masterpieces
9. Violin Concerto In E Minor: Violin Concerto In E Minor, 2nd Movement (1845) - 100 Masterpieces
10. Poet And Peasant: Overture (1846) - 100 Masterpieces

Tracks:

1. Orpheus In The Underworld: Overture (1858)
2. Melody In F: Melody In F (1858)
3. Les Preludes: Les Preludes (1854)
4. Waltz In A Flat: Waltz In A Flat (1865)
5. The Force Of Destiny: Overture (1862)
6. I Love You: I Love You (1864)
7. The Bartered Bride: Overture (1866)
8. The Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle (1864)
9. Tritsch Tratsch Polka: Tritsch Tratsch Polka (1858)
10. Light Cavalry: Overture (1866)

Tracks:

1. Piano Concerto No. 1 In B Flat Minor: 1st Movement (excerpt) (1875) - 100 Masterpieces
2. Cradle Song: Cradle Song (1868) - 100 Masterpieces
3. The Moldau: The Moldau (1875) - 100 Masterpieces
4. The Valkyrie: Ride Of The Valkyries (1870) - 100 Masterpieces
5. Peer Gynt: Morning (1876) - 100 Masterpieces
6. Carmen: Les Toreadors (1875) - 100 Masterpieces
7. Coppelia: Notturno (1870) - 100 Masterpieces
8. Marche Slave, Op. 31: Marche Slave, Op. 31 (1876) - 100 Masterpieces
9. L'Arlesienne: Intermezzo (1872) - 100 Masterpieces
10. The Blue Danube: Waltz (1867) - 100 Masterpieces

Tracks:

1. Eugene Onegin: Polonaise (1878) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
2. Symphony No.9 'From The New World': 2nd Movement (1893) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
3. The Nutcracker: Waltz of the Flowers (1892) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
4. Capriccio espagnol: Alborado (1887) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
5. The Last Spring - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
6. Slavonic Dance No. 2: Slavonic Dance No. 2 (1886) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
7. The Sleeping Beauty: Introduction (1889) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
8. Twilight Of The Gods: Siegfred's Death And Funeral March (1877) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
9. Songs My Mother Taught Me: Songs My Mother Taught Me (1880) - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9
10. Emperor Waltz - 100 Masterpieces Vol. 9

Tracks:

1. Also sprach Zarathustra: Fanfare (1896)
2. Symphony No.5: Adagietto (1902)
3. Finlandia: Finlandia (1899)
4. Dance Of The Bumble Bee: Dance Of The Bumble Bee (1900)
5. 'Thais': Meditation
6. Pomp amd Circumstance: March No.1 (1901)
7. Humoresque: Humoresque (1894)
8. Valse Triste: Valse Triste (1903)
9. Vienna Blood: Vienna Blood - Waltz (1899)
10. Bolero: Bolero (1928)

Customer Reviews:

Decent Quality, But a Little Rushed.......2002-09-20

I have to agree that this is a good collection of music for the money, especially if you are a novice at the Classics like me. Each disc covers a 40 year period with an hour of music and a little bit of history in the cover slip. However, there were some oddities that made me question the quality of this product. First, a few of the songs seemed like the conductor was hurrying them along so the songs on a disc would add up to exactly one hour -- where's the love? I know I'm a novice, but there are just some songs that are so famous that you can pretty easily tell when they are being butchered or compressed. Second, the quality of the product was suspect. Some of the discs looked like they were manufactured in 1990 and some in 1994. The older ones just had the titles on the discs and the newer ones had a screen-printed color change with no information. They couldn't even use the same type of Jewel Case throughout the collection. In total, it's good for beginners and the money, but not much else.

Decent, but not exciting.......2002-09-01

Not bad, but not a perfect as well. The music selection is very questionable for my taste. The performers are not always very suitable for specific masterpieces. It is inherently, just because such mix of names cannot be bad ;). If I will compose such set a lot of forgotten things should take their place.

Decent, but not exciting.......2002-09-01

Not bad, but not a perfect as well. The music selection is very questionable for my taste. The performers are not always very suitable for specific masterpieces. It is inherently, just because such mix of names cannot be bad ;). If I will compose such set a lot of forgotten things should take their place.

Sounds good to me........2002-07-25

Bought this CD to calm and relax myself after a hard days work. CD seems like a great collection to me. It's got a lot of songs that I recognize and some that I don't. It does sooth me a bit after the the many stresses of everyday life.

I'm not really a classical music nut like "Frasier Crane" so I'm not sure how much merit I can bring to the table with this review. But I think it's great..!!!

Wonderful Selection.......2001-05-13

Some of the world's truly finest musicians perform some of the all time greatest and most loved musical masterpieces. The CD makes for easy and peaceful listening of an evening.

Average customer rating: ISSUE RESOLVED ON THE EUPHRATES Enjoiyable, but lacking, too.

Handel: Belshazzar Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Minuets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Pinnock, Trevor | ( P ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Samson Handel: Alexander's Feast Handel - Joshua / Kirkby, Bowman, Oliver, Ainsley, George, The King's Consort Handel: Solomon Handel: Radamisto ASIN: B0001ZWGHY Release Date: 2004-06-15

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Vain, Fluctuating State Of Human Empire!
3. Thou, God Most High, And Thou Alone
4. The Fate Of Babylon, I Fear, Is Nigh
5. Lament Not Thus, Oh Queen, In Vain!
6. Behold, By Persia's Hero Made
7. Well May They Laugh/Oh Memory! Still Bitter To My Soul
8. Opprest With Never-Ceasing Grief
9. Dry Thoes Unavailing Tears
10. Be Comforted: Safe Though The Tyrant Seem/Methought, As On The Bank Of Deep Euphrates
11. Now, Tell Me, Gobrias
12. Behold The Monstrous Human Beast
13. Can You Then Think It Strange
14. Great God! Who, Yet But Darkly Known
15. My Friends, Be Confident
16. All Empires Upon God Depend
17. Oh Sacred Oracles Of Truth!
18. Rejoyce, My Countrymen
19. Sing, Oh Ye Heav'ns!

Tracks:

1. Let Festal Joy Triumphant Reign!
2. For You, My Friends
3. The Leafy Honours Of The Field
4. It Is The Custom, I May Say, The Law
5. Recall, Oh King! Thy Rash Command
6. They Tell You True
7. Oh Dearer Than My Life, Forebear!
8. By Slow Degrees The Wrath Of God
9. See, From His Post Euphrates Flies!
10. You See, My Friends, A Path
11. Amaz'd To Find The Foe So Near
12. To Arms, To Arms! No More Delay!
13. Ye Tutelar Gods Of Our Empire
14. Let The Deep Bowl Thy Praise Confess
15. Where Is The God Of Judah's Boasted Pow'r?
16. Call All My Wise Men

Tracks:

1. A Singony (Allegro Postillions)
2. Ye Sages! Welcome Always To Your King/Alas! Too Hard A Task The King Imposes
3. Oh Misery! - Oh Terror! - Hopeless Grief!
4. Oh King, Live For Ever!
5. No! To Thyself Thy Trifles Be
6. Yet, To Obey His Dread Command
7. Oh Sentence To Severe!
8. Oh God Of Truth! Oh Faithful Guide!
9. You, Gobrias, Lead Directly To The Palace
10. Oh Glorious Prince!
11. Alternate Hopes And Fears
12. Fain Would I Hope
13. Can The Black Aethiop Change His Skin?
14. My Hopes Revive
15. Bel Boweth Down!
16. I Thank, Thee, Sesach
17. A Martial Symphony
18. To Pow'e Immortal My First Thanks
19. Be It Thy Care, Good Gobrias
20. Great Victor, At Your Feet I Bow
21. Say, Venerable Prophet
22. Tell It Out Among The Heathen
23. Yes, I Will Build Thy City
24. I Will Magnify Thee

Customer Reviews:

ISSUE RESOLVED ON THE EUPHRATES.......2005-06-19

One question I might find among the more difficult in my life would be - which is my favourite Handel oratorio? I suspect that my answer would generally be 'the one I heard most recently', and that, as I write this, is Belshazzar. It is a magnificent thing, a heavenly thing. It has taken me longer than it should have to come to an appreciation of what makes Handel the phenomenon - as a genius, as an artist, as a craftsman - that he is, but I am comforted to reflect that no less a genius than Haydn, at the age of nearly 70 gaining a more thorough knowledge of Handel in performance, was driven to say that he felt a mere apprentice. In his sense of how to pace a dramatic narrative, in his instinct for how to use the human voice in song and above all in chorus, in the matchless flexibility and adroitness he displays at word-setting and in the audacity of his melodic and harmonic effects I can think of nobody who can approach Handel on his own terms.

Belshazzar was not a great success at the box-office, although this may have had more to do with difficulties in the casting than because it was deemed insufficiently biblical for oratorio, which seems to have been the fate of Hercules. It seems to me to be perfectly well described as oratorio in other ways too, with (for one thing) the extensive use of the chorus that we find in, say, Samson but not in Hercules. The one passage that cries out for visual effects is of course the apparition of the moving finger itself. Even here the composer can go a long way with sheer power of suggestion, by the strange unaccompanied violin figure creeping upwards and the frightened brevity of the vocal numbers. Otherwise for me Belshazzar is as much an oratorio as Samson is. It has the same librettist too, the crusty and formidable Jennens, who had also collaborated with Handel on Saul and on Messiah itself. Jennens' full text is not provided, but I think if you read the synopsis first and then follow the work from the headlines to each number you will have no difficulty in catching the words, so clear is the enunciation by soloists and chorus alike. As usual, Handel was driven to make alterations to the score for practical reasons. He had been a little concerned about its length, roughly 2 hours and 50 minutes in this performance, but where he wishes to be expansive he gives us full measure - two arias in Act I scene 4 take well over 7 minutes each. The liner-essay (a good one, by Anthony Hicks) goes into the issue of the version of the score used here, and I personally have no problem with it.

I have no faults to find with the performance in any way. Pinnock is an established specialist, the instruments are period instruments and vocal cadenzas at the end of the arias are kept minimal. Anthony Rolfe Johnson, James Bowman and David Wilson-Johnson are tried and trusted Handel singers and at their best here, and Nicolas Robertson and Richard Wistreich in the smaller parts are every bit as good. The part of Cyrus is a soprano part, taken by Catherine Robbin, and when I thought I heard just one touch of strain in `Destructive War' in the final scene she makes up for it instantly in her superb duet with Arleen Auger in the following number. Auger as Nitocris the mother of Belshazzar has the biggest part, and she covers herself with glory all the way through.

The recording is perfect, and when I saw an aria entitled `Destructive War, thy limits know' near the end I felt a sharp sense of irony in the year 2005. Cyrus, Handel, Jennens, you should all have been living at this hour.

Enjoiyable, but lacking, too........2004-08-16

This 3CD set of George Frederic Handel's (1685-1759) "Belshazzar", from Archiv Production, a division of Universal Music, is proof again that transfer from vinyl to tape to disc brings with it improvements in listening that make the purchase a worthwhile addition to anyone's listening library. Written in 1744, "Belshazzar" is an oratorio in the operatic style that is wonderful oratorio, but lacking the true depth one expects to hear in an opera. London opera audiences of Handel's day agreed, as both "Belshazzar" and Handel's other offering of the period in the same style, "Hercules", were not terribly successful. Instead of the scheduled 24 performances only 16 were given and Handel never offered a full season of oratorio again. The Libretto by Charles Jennens (1700-1773) is, as the production notes say, meant "not only to show the fall of Babylon but to show it as a fulfillment of divine prediction and to confirm the biblical testimony by reference to classical history." There's only one problem, as good a quality as the CDs are, it is not possible to follow the full libretto and the accompanying booklet includes no text, which is a shame. I think the listening experience would have been increased immeasurably if one was able to follow the text of what is being sung. Nonetheless the dramatic narrative is fluid and even, and the English Concert and Choir provide nice balance to the less full vocal passages, as in Disc 3s "Oh Glorious prince", cut 10. There is enough of this throughout to keep one's interest, but disappointing if what one expects is another ""Messiah".

Average customer rating:

Highlights From Disney On Broadway Various Artists Manufacturer: Disney ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Disney Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Lion King (1997 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B00005Y1ZM Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

1. Beauty And The Beast: Belle - Susan Egan
2. Beauty And The Beast: Be Our Guest - Gary Beach
3. Beauty And The Beast: If I Can't Love Her - Terrence Mann
4. Beauty And The Beast: Beauty And The Beast - Beth Fowler
5. The Lion King: Circle Of Life - Tsidii Le Loka
6. Be Our Guest
7. The Lion King: They Live In You - Samuel E. Wright
8. The Lion King: Can You Feel The Love Tonight - Jason Raize
9. Strongest Suit
10. Easy as Life
11. Written in the Stars
12. The Gods Love Nubia

Amazon.com

Disney has been a relatively late comer on Broadway, but it's been hitting pay dirt since the stage version of Beauty and the Beast opened to critical acclaim and commercial success in 1994, followed by The Lion King and Aida. While Aida was the only original stage creation, the other two featured new songs that were not in the movies. In addition, Disney worked with some of New York's finest theatrical talent. In hindsight, hiring Julie Taymor to stage The Lion King was a stroke of genius, but it really was a daring gamble at the Time. Likewise, Beauty and the Beast gave talented theater singers like Terrence Mann and Susan Egan a chance to shine in meaty roles. Disney groomed talent as well: Heather Headley was cast in a supporting part in The Lion King before moving on to the title role in Aida. All three shows are represented on this CD (with a companion book due in October 2002), making for a perfect introduction to their best-known songs. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Average customer rating: Great collections, with poor quality sound The Greatest Collection Of Romantic Era Music Somewhat lacking

The Top 100 Masterpieces of Classical Music, Vol. 6-10 Manufacturer: Delta ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Brahms | Brahms, Johannes | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Delibes, Léo | ( D ) | 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 Grieg, Edvard | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Liszt | Liszt, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by 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Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wagner | Wagner, Richard | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Nocturnes | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Romantic 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Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: Masters of Classical Music (Box Set) Classical Moods Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set] Best of the Millennium: Top 40 Classical Hits 25 Classical Favorites ASIN: B000001W12 Release Date: 1995-11-01

Tracks:

1. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1843: Wedding March, From 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
2. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1847: Liebestraum No. 3 In A Flat - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
3. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1842: Nabucco - Overture - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
4. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1848: The Merry Peasant - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
5. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1847: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
6. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1850: Lohengrin - Preldue To Act 3 - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
7. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1853: La Traviata - Prelude to Act 1 - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
8. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1845: Tannhauser - Arrival Of The Guests At Wartburg - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
9. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1845: Violin Concerto In E Minor, 2nd Movement - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
10. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1842 - 1853: 1846: Poet And Peasant - Overture - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES

Tracks:

1. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1858: Orpheus In The Underworld - Overture - Various Artists
2. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1858: Melody In F - Various Artists
3. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1854: Les Preludes - Various Artists
4. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1865: Waltz In A Flat - Various Artists
5. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1862: The Force Of Destiny - Overture - Various Artists
6. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1864: I Love You - Various Artists
7. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1866: The Bartered Bride - Overture - Various Artists
8. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1864: Barcarolle, From 'The Tales Of Hoffman' - Various Artists
9. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1858: Tritsch Tratsch Polka - Various Artists
10. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1854 - 1866: 1866: Light Calvary - Overture - Various Artists

Tracks:

1. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1875: Piano Concerto No. 1 In B Flat Minor, 1st Movement (excerpt) - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
2. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1868: Cradle Song - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
3. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1875: The Moldau - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
4. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1870: Ride Of The Valkyries - From 'The Valkyrie' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
5. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1876: Morning, From 'Peer Gynt' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
6. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1875: Les Toreadors, From 'Carmen' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
7. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1870: Notturno, From 'Coppelia' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
8. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1876: Marche Slave, Op. 31 - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
9. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1872: L'Arlesienne - Intermezzo - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
10. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1867 - 1876: 1867: The Blue Danbue - Waltz - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES

Tracks:

1. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1878: Polonaise, From 'Eugene Onegin' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
2. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1893: Symphony No. 9, 'From The New World' - 2nd Movement - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
3. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1892: Waltz Of The Flowers, from 'The Nutcracker' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
4. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1887: Alborado, From 'Capriccio Espagnol' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
5. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1886: The Last Spring - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
6. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1886: Slavonic Dance No. 2 - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
7. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1889: The Sleeping Beauty - Introduction - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
8. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1877: Siegfried's Death And Funeral March, From 'Twighlight Of The Gods' - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
9. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1880: Songs My Mother Taught Me - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES
10. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1877 -1893: 1889: Emperor Waltz - TOP 100 MASTERPIECES

Tracks:

1. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1896: Also sprach Zarathustra - Fanfare - Various Artists
2. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1902: Symphony No. 5 - Adagietto - Various Artists
3. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1899: Finlandia - Various Artists
4. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1900: Dance Of The Bumble Bee - Various Artists
5. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1894: Meditation, From 'Thais' - Various Artists
6. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1901: Pomp And Circumstance - March No. 1 - Various Artists
7. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1894: Humoresque - Various Artists
8. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1903: Valse Triste - Various Artists
9. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1899: Vienna Blood - Waltz - Various Artists
10. The Top 10 Of Classical Music 1894 - 1928: 1928: Bolero - Various Artists

Customer Reviews:

Great collections, with poor quality sound.......2003-01-09

I expected to listen to great professional classical orchestra ...for this classical music collection, but the quality of the music is not too good.

There are a lot of great music collections, but they will sound better when they record it right.

It is good when you just want to have more classical music, but for a CD, the sound quality is like a [poorley made] CD.

I give 3 stars for this product.

The Greatest Collection Of Romantic Era Music.......2002-09-05

The Top 100 Classical Music series is a must have for novices of classical music, or someone already into the classics but wishes to amassa an "essentials" collection. This particular cd's span the Romantic Era, and although the 19th century saw much more music than what is covered on these recordings, this is nevertheless a brilliant and essential body of works. The Wedding March of Mendelsshon's Midsummer Night's Dream (played in weddings all over the world I'm assuming), Franz Lizst Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (The Looney Tunes Theme Music by the way) and other jewels of the era, such as the Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss, the operetta overtures of Franz Von Suppe, Verdi's preludes to such operas as Nabucco and La Traviata, Wagner's intense, dramatic music for his Ring of the Nibelung operas, regarded as the epitome and the zenith of Romantic Era opera, and the music of other composers such as Tchaikovsky, Bizet, Sibelius, Rimsky Korsakov and many others. I highly recommend this cd to anyone wanting to sample and taste what Romantic Era music was all about. Five stars all the way.

Somewhat lacking.......2001-03-28

(referring to the entire collection)

The collection is well designed for introducing the listener to a large variety of music, with its broad range of composers and types of music. However, the interpretation of the music is hardly existant, and many of the pieces sound rather dull and uninteresting. Some lively pieces are played too slowly, and nearly all of them without emotion, keeping the set out of reach from being included in a true classical collection. Despite all that, the sheer number and range of pieces (along with the low price) make this a collection well suited for the new classical listener.

Average customer rating: A Rose By Any Other Name... "Thus I salute the stronghold, safe from dread and dismay! Free at last! I Love This Recording The Goodall Ring - 1975 - Restored and Remastered

Wagner: The Rhinegold English National Opera 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: Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English) Wagner: The Valkyrie The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English) ASIN: B00005B550 Release Date: 2001-05-22

Customer Reviews:

A Rose By Any Other Name..........2007-07-02

The figure of speach may not be completely correct in this instance, but, well, I hope you get the point. In any case, for a Dutch speaking person, like I, to hear 'The Ring' in a language other than the original German feels - almost shockingly(?) - natural. Certainly, this modern English translation, to me, is as least immediate, and probably even more immediate, than the original (archaic) German text. And in music drama, immediacy is essential. Maybe it is also the wonderfully natural translation, I don't know, but it works for me, the Ring in English.
But most of the credit has to go to the music, the singers, and the recording as such. I believe that this (originally analogue) remastered recording has one of the best recorded sounds and acoustics of any Ring, studio or 'live'. It is wonderfully clear but warm, kind of velvety (very unlike Solti), with beautifully natural balaces between voices and orchestra. Audience noises can be heard (including a delightful little ripple of laughter) but never really obtrusively so, thankfully. And I love the thunderclap-sound effect when Donner strikes his hammer against the rocks - very tastefully done, and lending extra power to the scene.
All the time one reads in reviews everywhere of the very slow speads at which the music is conducted by Sir Reginald Goodall. Well, that may be so, but I, for one, am certainly endeared to Sir Reginald Goodalls 'caressing' of the music, as a result of which wich the Leitmotifs come out more clearly than ever. The slow - but nonetheless very concentrated, and always involved - playing has, to me, an almost mesmerizing effect. Certainly, compared to many other recordings, the music may sound stretched almost beyond breaking point. But in the end, I think it is really just that: a matter of speed, no more. The concentration never falters and the dramatic arc never saggs. There is live 'music magic' going on here, I feel, even if the English National Opera Orchestra may not be (as precise or as diciplined as) a Wiener Philharmoniker or a Bayreuther Festspielorchester. Certainly, Sir Reginald Goodall must have loved this music and these opera's: one feels a slowly beating but constant loving pulse that energizes the drama and the music.
But we also have the singers. And what a great singers! While the best may be yet to come (with Alberto Remedios as Siegmund and Siegfried, and Rita Hunter as Brunnhilde), we here, in The Rhinegold, already have one of the most commanding of Wotans (Norman Bailey, with wonderful burnished timbre). Also, Emile Belcourt stands out as a wonderfully sleek but full-voiced Loge. Derek Hammond-Stroud's Alberich may not be as black as Gunther von Kannen's (for Barenboim), for example, but there is enough anguish, frustration and anger to lend his character a convincing reality and depth. And the giants too, are a winning pair. Especially Fafner (Clifford Grant) is as imposing and powerful as one may ever wish.
With all the rave reviews, here and elsewhere I can't wait to hear The Valkyrie, (especially) Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods. This certainly is a winning 'Ring', to be kept alongside any other 'great' recorded 'Ring' out there, IMHO. To me, it can hold its own alongside any other favorite recordings.
Please, sample this Ring (try for example the Chandos website for fragments of all of the music) and decide for yourself. Highly recommended.

"Thus I salute the stronghold, safe from dread and dismay!.......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 Valkyrie (Part 2): Wagner: The Valkyrie
-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

Free at last!.......2004-09-18

I've enjoyed listening to the Ring cycles by Solti, Bohm, and Furtwangler, but my pleasure has always been dampened by the necessity to follow the dramas with a German/English libretto. This performance freed me from that burden and allowed me to listen to the Ring with my ears alone for the first time. And what a delightful experience it was! I found I could understand about half the words the first time through. but that was enough for me to understand what the characters were saying and concentrate on Wagner's great music. Some of the characters (Loge and Alberich, for example) are almost perfectly comprehensible, while others (Fricka in particular) might as well be singing in German. The sound itself is superb, with perfect balances between orchestra and voices. Goodall's conducting is famously slow (about half an hour longer than usual), but he is never slack and he reveals a wealth of detail in the orchestration. The singers are a mixed lot, with Loge, Alberich, and Mime particularly effective. Bailey is hardly the grandest of Wotans, but he is solid and convincing. In any event, for us non-German listeners, this recording is a real treat. I would not recommend it as a first Ring (Bohm is a good choice, though some of his tempi are rather hectic), but as a supplement to a recoding in the original language, it is hard to beat. Give it a try! As for me, I'm ready to go on to "Die Walkure" (pardon me, "The Valkyrie").

I Love This Recording.......2002-04-05

I was a little suspicious when approaching this English-language version of Das Rhinegold. I was considering assembling this as my third RING set (behind Solti and Levine) and had listened to THE VALKYRIE (Die Walkure) with a little initial disappointment. Although the live sound quality was very interesting, the tempo was much slower than I was used to and thus a little disconcerting, and the English words were harder to understand than I had hoped. Nevertheless, I persevered and listended to THE RHINEGOLD (probably my favorite of the four RING operas, although I know this puts me in a minority) and was amazed. Best of all, after listening to this album I revisited the Goodall VALKYRIE and discovered a new appreciation! Now the Goodall set ranks as one of the best I've heard. It just needed to get under my skin a bit.

What's so good about it? Three things stand out for me: First, the slow tempi that were a litle rough at first actually allow, upon repeated listenings, a new discovery and understanding of Wagner's unfathomable genius. Every nuance is slowed down just enough to be fully accessible. Second, the modern English translation really does make this a different experience...my initial mistake was thinking that English lyrics could allow me to listen to this as background music, and that's not the case. However, if one devotes the same attention to this as a German recording, the time wil be richly rewarded. Finally, the smaller orchestra creates an almost chamber music-esque setting, which compliments the music in an undefinable way. Despite being in English, this is almost more Germanic than original-language recordings.

I still probably wouldn't get this as the first foray into Wagner's RING (I still think Solti or Levine are the choices for that). But for someone who already has some familiarity with the work, this will provide a lifetime's enjoyment. Cudos to Chandos for resurrecting these recordings!

The Goodall Ring - 1975 - Restored and Remastered.......2001-06-08

I have been curious about this for years. When I saw the packaging, I wondered whether this was the same Ring that has been kicking around for a couple of decades from the Sadler's Wells performances of the mid-70s. News flash: It's the same. However, the box says that it's been re-mastered with something called 24-bit digital mastering. Since I never heard the old records, I have no idea if this is better. Judged on its own, the sound is terrific. This live recording really places the listener in the theater with clarity and authentic spaciousness. So often, a live recording will capture the audience up close, then the orchestra, then the singers, cataloguing every throat being cleared and every bow being tapped. Somewhere in the distance, the singers voices follow their heavy tread over the stage. Not here. There is an intimacy to the sound here that approximates sitting in about the tenth row back in a large hall. It doesn't sound like the opera's being played in your room; it sounds as though your room has been transformed into a medium sized theater. I found it uncanny.

As to the experience of the drama in English, that too is remarkable, at least for someone like me whose home-tongue is English. The drama takes on an immediacy that I have never experienced before. This factor alone is why you should explore this Ring. I can't overemphasize the impact on me that this recording had on me because it was in English and because it was well-acted. Surely this is what Wagner meant, at least dramaturgically (obviously allowing that you can't actually see the action).

Overall, the singing is competent, and in some places, it's excellent. None of the cast really stands out musically. Norman Bailey's wobbly Wotan could have certainly benefitted from a deeper, richer tone. Still, and perhaps more importantly, he creates a god who is clearly unsure of where the moral highground is, even when he's standing on "an open space on a mountain summit." Everyone, for that matter, is dramatically convincing, especially Emile Belcourt (Loge) and Derek Hammond-Stroud (Alberich) and Robert Lloyd (Fasolt), all of whom, by the way, have excellent diction. And speaking of diction, I almost could have done without the libretto when the men were singing. Not so with the women, whose diction was uniformly wanting.

Goodall's pace is notoriously glacial. Still, it's interesting to hear it parsed in this way, and I never had the feeling that I was going to fall off the world. Which is to say that the tempos were deliberate, not affected. This was definitely a labor of love for RG and the English National Opera. The orchestra is a little thin sounding, and perhaps, not entirely up to the score. Occasionally a horn mis-blew and a cello creaked. This is unavoidable in live performances, I suppose. Still, there is a surprising sense of smallness to the ensemble, even though there's never a moment when the balance between singers and players is lost. As a result, the overall effect is a balance of clarity and urgency that is clearly the upside of Goodall's idiosyncratic "vision" of the score. Not a huge or "erotic" sound, but always committed, intelligent, and sometimes impassioned.

For all of its flaws, this is an astonishing and, for me, an indispensible recording because it made me listen to this opera with new ears. While it's not the most lyrically pleasing recording (Karajan) or musically authoritative (that would be Solti, IMHO), dramatically, this Rhinegold excells any recording I know of. I will definitely buy the rest of the set.

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