A Show of Hands

1. U Can't Hold No Groove...

2. More Love

3. Lotta Stuffis?

4. Vision

5. Overjoyed

6. Live for Peace

7. Show of Hands

8. Not Like the Other

9. Justice

10. Medley/Some Day My Prince Will Come/Misty/A Night in Tunisia/Vix Blues

11. Radio W-00-10

12. Classical Thump

13. Keep Chargin'

14. Me & My Bass Guitar

15. Words of Wisdom

A Show of Hands,Victor Wooten,Compass Records,Contemporary Jazz,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop

Jazz

Music

jazz

music

Average customer rating: I just like this live cd ! A worthy addition to the live canon... One star for Witch Hunt Rush's weakest sounding live album Rush's weakest live album

A Show of Hands Rush Manufacturer: Island / Mercury ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Canada | North America | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Pop General | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Progressive Rock | Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Progressive Rock | Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Hold Your Fire Power Windows Exit...Stage Left All The World's A Stage Different Stages: Live ASIN: B000001ET1 Release Date: 1997-07-01

Tracks:

1. Intro
2. The Big Money
3. Subdivisions
4. Marathon
5. Turn The Page
6. Manhattan Project
7. Mission
8. Distant Early Warning
9. Mystic Rhythms
10. Witch Hunt (Part III Of Fear)
11. The Rhythm Method (Drum Solo)
12. Force Ten
13. Time Stand Still
14. Red Sector A
15. Closer To The Heart

Customer Reviews:

I just like this live cd !.......2007-04-17

I have read many reviews on this cd, many are two or three stars rating.
For me, this live cd is just great. The choice of songs is not perfect but is there a live cd or a best of containing every songs you would have chosen ? Again, I like this cd very much and it is an easy five stars rating for me. Good job Neil, Alex and Geddy !

A worthy addition to the live canon..........2006-05-14

Rush's tradition of releasing a live album after every fourth studio release continues with "A Show of Hands". Unlike the wretched "Exit Stage Left" which was plauged by terrible recording problems, this albums avoids the problems which make "Exit" nearly unlistenable. Unlike "Exit" and the masterful "All the World's A Stage" which present one live show, "A Show of Hands" presents cuts from different concerts and tours.

As an attempt to show case different tours, it lacks the cohesion and sustained energy that make a "Rush in Rio" and "R30" such triumphs. As an anthology of different shows, the shifts between the different concerts is often jarring.

It's absurd to label this as the "worst" Rush live album--since its clearly far superior to "Exit, Stage Left." (And "Exit's" problems are not performance-related, but as I note above, technical.)

As a matter of personal preference, I like a live album to be of one show, a snapshot, so to speak, of a band's work and spirit at a single moment in time.

For the new Rush fan I would not recommend it. "Different Stages" would be a much better intro to their live work. It showcases their more recent work as well as the pre-"Hemispheres" albums on that fantastic third concert disc.

All of that having been said, "A Show of Hands" should be in every serious Rush fan's collection. It is really completely inaccurate to describe Rush's 80's oeuvre as "the synth period" since the use of synths began with 1976's "2112". The shift is gradual and doesn't support the label the period is too often given.

As a sampling of their live shows in the 80s, it does a good job. To repeat, I would have preferred one show but the anthology approach does provide a more global perspective on one of the most successful concert acts of the last thirty years.

Rush also has has more consecutive gold and platinum albums than any other band--excepting only the Beatles and Rolling Stones (in the that order).

One star for Witch Hunt.......2006-03-25

This is easily the worst Rush album ever made. The versions aren't that bad, the songs just aren't that good. Still I could elevate a rating to 3 1/2 stars if they just had a more even representation of the 4 albums it's supposed to represent.

As others have already suggested, the biggest problem is the whole album seems to be Power Windows and Hold Your Fire. Only three songs from Signals and Grace Under Pressure is deplorable. The album is short enough they could've added a couple more songs easily.

Signals should have included:
1. Subdivisions
2. The Weapon (as the fear trilogy)
3. New World Man

Grace Under Pressure:
1. Distant Early Warning
2. The Enemy Within (as the fear trilogy)
3. Red Sector A
4. last half of Red Lenses (with YYZ and Rhythm Method drum solo in the middle)

Power Windows:
1. Big Money
2. Manhatten Project
3. Marathon
4. Territories

Hold Your Fire:
1. Force 10
2. Time Stands Still (only because it was a single, shudder)
3. Turn the Page
4. Mission

And as out of cycle songs:
1. Witch Hunt (only so they can do the whole Fear trilogy)
2. 1/2 of YYZ (only so they can include it in the drum solo going into the last half of Red Lenses)

Leave out Closer to the Heart, swap out Mystic Rhythms for Territories; add Analog Kid, New World Man, The Enemy Within, and YYZ/Red Lenses. I haven't timed that, but if that's too long for an 80-minute CD, I would say Marathon, Mission and Red Sector A, in that order are expendable. Now you've got a fair representation of the four albums. It's still PW and HYF heavy, but it's at least respectable.

Rush's weakest sounding live album.......2005-11-29

Rush's A Show of Hands was first released in January of 1989.
The album was recorded during various stops on the band's Power Windows and Hold Your Fire tours.
The sound of this live album was worse than Exit...Stage Left. If you watch the live video and compare to this, the mix on the video was better than on the album and the mix of the album is why it is four stars.
The album does have some highlights like Marathon, Turn the Page, Manhattan Project, Mission, Mystic Rhythms, Witch Hunt and Time Stand Still.
Some of the others like The Big Money, Distant Early Warning and Red Sector A were way better on 2003's Rush in Rio(why fans detest this album is beyond me) and Subdivisions and Mystic Rhythms are way better on R30.
I didn't like the cheesy Simmons drums on the Closer to the Heart performances from 1984-93, thankfully Neil went back to the acoustic drums on this track for the Test For Echo tour forwards and the best versions of Closer are on Different Stages and Rush in Rio IMHO.
Force Ten was better on the Japanese version of Different Stages and the new R30 CD/DVD set and The Rhythm Method was edited on A Show of Hands, if you watch the video they play YYZ as a lead in into the solo, it is missing on the album.
This live album did modest peaking at #21 and went Gold(just like every Rush album before it).
Recommended but buy Different Stages and Rush in Rio or the new R30 instead!

Rush's weakest live album.......2005-06-21

A Show of Hands is Rush's third live album and while it is a nice live album, it's the worst one they ever released. First of all, the sound is sub-par when compared to all the rest (yes, even All the World's a Stage). Secondly, this is around the time Geddy's voice began to change to the lower, rougher version he sings with today. And third, a lot of great cuts were left off of this that are on the concert video. I have a bootleg of the entire show that most of this album was compiled from, and it's far superior. However, this is a good slice of live 1980's Rush for the casual or hardcore fan who won't or doesn't want to pursue any bootlegs and who is content with what's on here. Some cuts are really good, but overall, I'd buy this live album of theirs last if you're completing your collection.

Average customer rating: nothing short of genius Bought it... never got it. the bass players Holy Grail! Excellent album of only bass. The most amazing solo bass cd up till now!

A Show of Hands Victor Wooten Manufacturer: Compass Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Funk Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music Jazz Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Funk Rock | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Jambands | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Yin-Yang Soul Circus M² Live in America The Best of Victor Wooten: transcribed by Victor Wooten ASIN: B000002030 Release Date: 1996-02-20

Tracks:

1. U Can't Hold No Groove...
2. More Love
3. Lotta Stuffis?
4. The Vision
5. Overjoyed
6. Live For Peace
7. A Show Of Hands
8. Not Like The Other
9. Justice
10. Medley
11. Radio W-00-10
12. Classical Thump
13. Keep Chargin'
14. Me & My Bass Guitar
15. Words Of Wisdom

Customer Reviews:

nothing short of genius.......2007-03-04

With "A Show of Hands", Victor Wooten has made something very near the ultimate bass experience. He makes the 4 string bass sound like an entire full fledged orchestra and displays bassplaying skills I would've thought impossible before hearing this album. He takes slapping and tapping to a new level with this CD. It will definitely leave all bassplayers impressed if not awestruck.

A 4 string bass is the only instrument used on the album bar vocals on some tracks, but it never gets boring or constipated. Non-bassplayers or even non-musicians who listen to this album often find it enjoyable as well. That fact alone is a great testament to mr Wootens amazing level of artistry and dedication to his instrument.

Bought it... never got it........2005-09-22

I'm sure it was a mere communication problem, but after purchasing the Victor Wooten CD, waiting the approriate time to recieve it, having a notice saying it would arrive in a few weeks more due to back-order issues, then only to recieve another notice saying sorry for the mix up, we have neve had it in stock.... was a bit of a bummer. hopefully next time back-stocked items won't be available for purchase.

the bass players Holy Grail!.......2005-06-09

Holy Mother of G-D!!!!!Not since Jaco has a bassplayer come along and set the bassplaying world on its a** like this!!!Arguably the greatest bass album ever!

Excellent album of only bass........2005-02-09

I'm 12. I play bass. I'm not very good. Victor Wooten is a huge inspiration to me, though, to 'keep chargin'. (it's in track 13)


Anyway, once you listen to a crazy track like Classical Thump, you'll wonder how many bassists are playing on the album. It's surprisingly only Victor and four strings. (I really wish I had gone to see Bela Fleck and the Flecktones when I had the chance. But I guess this is the next best thing to seeing Vic live.) I like the medley of jazz standards, the title track, a very nice cover of Overjoyed, The Vision, U Can't Hold No Groove, and More Love; they are all very well made tracks with a raw-sounding feel to it.

So why is it 4 stars instead of 5?

When I got this, I looked forward to 15 tracks of nothing but Victor's bass, because I heard he was spectacular. The problem is, some of the tracks are a few seconds long of useless stuff. Like Radio W-00-10, what is that? I felt I was ripped off as I only had half the tracks of actual music. But, the actaul songs are so good that I didn't mind the other junk.

So, in conclusion, this is an album you will be hooked on. He is probably the greatest bassist in the world. If you say otherwise; think of this; can you fathom a better bassist than Victor Wooten? Most likely not; he is awesome.

Get this;

if you play bass
if you like bass
if you like Victor Wooten
if you like Bela Fleck
if you like great music
if you like music with a raw feel played by one guy and four strings
if you want to know the greatest bassist ever
if you've seen Bela Fleck live

-and-

if you want to hear a spectcular music experience.

The most amazing solo bass cd up till now!.......2005-01-29

What do you get when you take a Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, Bootsy Collins, and a Lennie Breau and fuse it in one style? You get none other than the great Victor Wooten. Having seen him live is an experience for any music fan. It will still blow you away to see how he plays his stuff live. I have his other cds and they are not as spectacular. (Exception of Live in America) Why? well he experiments quite a bit and uses new ideas, which is good, just not as interesting to me as this compilation of great songs virtuosity.

Average customer rating: Life changing! Astounding! Fluently in motion

A Show of Hands Victor Wooten Manufacturer: Vanguard Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Yin-Yang Soul Circus What Did He Say? Bass Extremes Live: Steve Bailey & Victor Wooten The Best of Victor Wooten: transcribed by Victor Wooten ASIN: B000B837U6 Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

1. U Can't Hold No Groove...
2. More Love
3. Lotta Stuffis?
4. Vision
5. Overjoyed
6. Live for Peace
7. Show of Hands
8. Not Like the Other
9. Justice
10. Medley/Some Day My Prince Will Come/Misty/A Night in Tunisia/Vix Blues
11. Radio W-00-10
12. Classical Thump
13. Keep Chargin'
14. Me & My Bass Guitar
15. Words of Wisdom

Customer Reviews:

Life changing!.......2007-01-09

This is life-changing music. It has changed my 15-year-old son's (nicknamed Bassist) life. For me, with no such talent, I just have to be wise enough to step up the volume control (particularly during "U Can't Hold. . ." and "Classical Thump".) And, for me--when the stereo is off--I get to hear my son do Victor Wooten. That has changed my life.

Astounding!.......2006-04-23

The first time I saw Vic Wooten was during Bela Fleck's Three Who Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Tour. I was sitting in amazemnet...I never thought someone could play that ggood. There were people sitting next to me that were bass players & were amazed. One guy said to me that he didn't know whether he should go home & play his bass or just throw the thing out the window.
Anyways, A Show of Hands is Vic on bass alone with just some vocals. It's done in 1 take with no overdubs. He seem to combine Stanley Clarke's percussive genius with Jaco Pastorius melodic geniousn the tracks with this album. Also, incorporates a lot of triplets & it sounds like you are hearing 2 to 3 basslines at one time.

Fluently in motion.......2005-11-19

This album is absolutely amazing. Victor Wooten is the absolute best bass player to ever live. Nothing I can say will persuade you to buy this if you don't appreciate great talent. From the first track to the final all you hear is phenomenal hands making the most beautiful notes come out of a bass guitar.

My favorite track is "Classical Thump" it is just hard to believe that someone is capable of creating such speed with their hands and when you see him do it he flows with such ease across the neck and strings with extreme fluentry(sp) of motion.

Average customer rating: Magic of love Filled with musical gems TOO LONG !!!!!!!!!!! GERSHWIN'S TALENT Ga Ga for Gershwin

An American in Paris (1951 Film Soundtrack) George Gershwin , Gene Kelly , and Oscar Levant Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music 1990s | By Decade | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Singin' in the Rain (1952 Film Soundtrack) (Deluxe Edition) Singin' in the Rain (1952 Film Soundtrack) Gene Kelly At Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: 'S Wonderful - Motion Picture Soundtrack Anthology Easter Parade: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack For Me And My Gal: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ASIN: B0000033JE Release Date: 1996-07-16

Tracks:

1. Main Title (An American In Paris/'S Wonderful/I Got Rhythm) - MGM Studio Orchestra
2. Paris Narration/Left Bank (Themes From An American In Paris) - MGM Studio Orchestra
3. Nice Work If You Can Get It (Outtake) - Georges Guetary
4. Embraceable You - MGM Studio Orchestra
5. By Strauss - Gene Kelly, Georges Guetary, Mac MacLain, Grace Stark, Pete Roberts
6. Street Exhibit - MGM Studio Orchestra
7. I Got Rhythm - Gene Kelly, MGM Children's Chorus
8. But Not For Me - Benny Carter & His Orchestra
9. Medley: Do, Do, Do/Bidiin' My Time/I've Got A Crush On You/Love Is Here To Stay - MGM Orchestra
10. Someone To Watch Over Me - Benny Carter & His Orchestra
11. Medley: My Cousin In Milwaukee/A Foggy Day/The Half-Of-It Dearie Blues/But Not For Me (Outtake) - Oscar Levant
12. Tra-La-La - Gene Kelly, Oscar Levant
13. I'm No Enemy (Love Is Here To Stay) (Outtake) - MGM Studio Orchestra
14. Love Is Here To Stay - Gene Kelly
15. Medley: What Time Is It?/Love Is Here To Stay (Reprise) - MGM Studio Orchestra, Gene Kelly
16. (I'll Build A) Stairway To Paradise - Georges Guetary
17. I've Got A Crush On You (Outtake) - Gene Kelly
18. Love Walked In (Outtake) - Georges Guetary, Oscar Levant
19. Medley: We Would Get Married (Love Walked In) (Outtake)/I Don't Think I'll Fall In Love Today... - Oscar Levant, MGM Studio Orchestra
20. Concerto In F (3rd Movement) - Oscar Levant, MGM Studio Orchestra

Tracks:

1. Painting Montage (Tra-La-La/Love Is Here To Stay) - MGM Studio Orchestra
2. Kiss Me (Outtake) - MGM Studio Orchestra
3. 'S Wonderful - Gene Kelly, Georges Guetary
4. Lise, I Love You ('S Wonderful/Love Is Here To Stay) - MGM Studio Orchestra
5. Strike Up The Band (Extended Version) - MGM Studio Orchestra
6. Liza (Complete Version) - Oscar Levant
7. Medley: Oh, Lady Be Good/'S Wonderful - MGM Studio Orchestra
8. Medley: That Certain Feeling/Clap Yo' Hands - MGM Studio Orchestra
9. I've Got A Crush On You (Outtake) - MGM Studio Orchestra
10. I Got Rhythm (Extended Version) - MGM Studio Orchestra
11. Tra-La-La (Outtake) - MGM Studio Orchestra
12. But Not For Me - Georges Guetary
13. Utrillo Did It (Love Is Here To Stay/An American In Paris/Nice Work If You Can Get It) - MGM Studio Orchestra
14. An American In Paris Ballet (Extended Version) - MGM Studio Orchestra
15. Finale (An American In Paris) - MGM Studio Orchestra
16. Painting Montage (An American In Paris) (Deleted Version) - MGM Studio Orchestra
17. Main Title: An American In Paris (Alternate Version - Outtake) - MGM Studio Orchestra
18. Adam Cook Monologue (How Long Has This Been Going On?) (Extended Version) - Oscar Levant
19. Nice Work If You Can Get It (Partial As Used In Film) - Georges Guetary, Oscar Levant
20. Third Prelude (Outtake) - Oscar Levant
21. My Cousin In Milwaukee (Outtake) - Oscar Levant
22. A Foggy Day (Outtake) - Oscar Levant
23. The Half-Of-It Dearie Blues (Outtake) - Oscar Levant
24. But Not For Me - Oscar Levant
25. Bidin' My Time (Outtake) - Oscar Levant, Saul Chaplin
26. 'S Wonderful (Reprise) (Outtake) - Gene Kelly
27. Finale (Alternate Version - Outtake) - MGM Studio Orchestra

Amazon.com essential recording

This is a considerably expanded version of the soundtrack album to Vincente Minnelli's Oscar-winning film. With two discs and 100 minutes of music (much of which is presented for the first time), these original session masters are highlighted by the MGM Studio Orchestra, Oscar Levant, Benny Carter, and Gene Kelly, all of whom perform such memorable Gershwin tunes as "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Love Is Here to Stay," and "S'Wonderful." Just about all of the material has a monotonously mono sound, but Levant's version of "Concerto in F" is included here for the first time in true stereo. Along with several Levant improvisational piano solos based on Gershwin's music, there are also some outtakes as well as extensive production and historical notes. --Joseph Lanza

Customer Reviews:

Magic of love.......2007-03-10

Nothing but Gene and George: the hard work and the happiness in music, conducting by the magician Vince.
Noone is better, noone could do better.
American masterpiece with european feelings.

Filled with musical gems.......2004-02-17

This comprehensive edition is a must have for fans of the movie and of the Gershwins. The outtakes, contrary to the first review above, are excellent. Gene Kelly offers a wonderful vocal of "I've Got a Crush on You" and his short riff on "'S Wonderful" is almost like an acoustic version, much different than the over-the-top duet in the movie. And the Oscar Levant piano pieces are as close to George sitting down at the keys as we're going to get.

TOO LONG !!!!!!!!!!!.......2002-06-17

I would not suggest buying this version of this sondtrack!!! The underscores and the extra tracks that are not featured in the film are not neccesary. Rhino records puts the extras out to jack up the price of the CD (making one LP into 2 CDs).
I would buy the ORIGINAL CAST SOUNDTRACK released by MGM records. You will enjoy this version ever so much more without all the extras!!!

GERSHWIN'S TALENT.......2001-08-12

Many agree that the talented George Gershwin is a fabulous pianist, and alongside Ira, he helped to create some of the most beloved music ever. After viewing the movie that was filled with song and dance, I was pleased to discover that the soundtrack was readily available. The plot of An American in Paris mainly focuses on the lives of three friends and their dreams in addition to the romance that they encounter in the most popular European city. Gene Kelley is a struggling artist who soon falls in love, and the many songs in this cd express his emotions. Who wouldn't want to dance to Gershwin's spectacular tunes such as "Embraceable You?" These original songs included in this two cd set are well worth the price. Furthermore, "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise" is a true favorite with unique lyrics. Don't miss out on this must have cd collection.

Ga Ga for Gershwin.......2000-12-13

Nearly every popular Gershwin tune is represented here, either as an instrumental, a vocal, or a production number. I am not a big fan of the film, but the soundtrack is fabulous. There are some stereo tracks here, too. Yet another triumph in the Turner/Rhino soundtrack collection of MGM films.As a sidenote I would like to thank Rhino for their extremely co-operative staff. When I bought this CD I opened up the very extensive booklet and was disappointed to find that due to an error on the assembly line I had received an insert that had some pages repeated and others deleted. I contacted Rhino and they sent me a new booklet which arrived within a week! That's what I call excellent customer service. The really neat thing is the fact that I have both booklets. The flubbed copy is sort of a collector's item to me.

Average customer rating: Funny Face: 'S Paradise somewhat dissapointing "Paramount's only MGM Musical" This album is truly enjoyable FUNNY FACE really is "S'Wonderful"!!!

Funny Face (1957 Film) Ira Gershwin Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Nostalgia | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Tin Pan Alley | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Funny Face Music From The Films Of Audrey Hepburn Gigi: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Breakfast At Tiffany's: Music From The Motion Picture Score Oh, Kay! (1955 Studio Cast) ASIN: B00000472J Release Date: 1996-04-23

Tracks:

1. Overture; Funny Face/'S Wonderful/Think Pink - Fred Astaire/Audrey Hepburn/Kay Thompson
2. How Long Has This Been Going On? - Audrey Hepburn
3. How Long Has This Been Going On? (Instrumental) - Fred Astaire/Audrey Hepburn/Kay Thompson
4. Funny Face - Fred Astaire
5. Bonjour, Paris! - Fred Astaire/Audrey Hepburn/Kay Thompson
6. Clap Yo Hands - Fred Astaire/Kay Thompson
7. He Loves And She Loves - Fred Astaire
8. Bonjour, Paris! (Instrumental) - Fred Astaire/Audrey Hepburn/Kay Thompson
9. On How To Be Lovely - Fred Astaire/Kay Thompson
10. Basal Metabolism - Fred Astaire/Audrey Hepburn/Kay Thompson
11. Let's Kiss And Make Up - Fred Astaire
12. 'S Wonderful - Fred Astaire/Audrey Hepburn

Customer Reviews:

Funny Face: 'S Paradise.......2007-03-23

I was never a real `fan' of musicals until I saw Funny Face. Even then, it took a second viewing for it to really sink in. While not as exuberant as Singin' in the Rain or as grandiose as My Fair Lady, it holds a special place in Audrey Hepburn's heart as one of the most enjoyable performances of her career--and it shows. Audrey only had to play herself to portray Jo, the pearl trapped inside the shell of self-doubt. In many ways, this mirrored her real life at the time. Reflecting her desire for something light after the grueling War & Peace of 1955, the film is bursting at the seams with energy throughout.

Sound quality-wise, the recording does leave a little to be desired. Though not pulled directly from the film as some may indicate, but rather the recording sessions that make up the film's soundtrack, it is identical to what you'll hear while watching it. This would be a prime candidate for a remaster.

On to the tracks! If you're reading this review, you have probably seen the film, but I feel like writing a bit for each one as a reminder.

1) Overture: Funny Face/'S Wonderful/Think Pink

Welcome to Funny Face! As the track begins, the listener expects an orchestral arrangement of the highlights; however, Fred Astaire politely interjects. We're treated to a slightly up-tempo and jazzier version of the title track, which melds into a dreamlike choral interpretation of "`S Wonderful". Also included is Kay Thompson's classic "Think Pink," which makes you wonder why it didn't receive a track of its own.

2) How Long Has This Been Going On?

A close tie with Moon River as my favorite vocal performance of all time from Audrey Hepburn, "How Long..." encapsulates the essence of Jo at the beginning of the film. Endearingly melodramatic, it is a very meticulous performance that places importance in every word, their pace, and placement. The orchestral interlude late in the song brings up the memory of Jo's unforgettable scene dancing with herself and the hat left behind in the wreckage of her bookshop.

3) How Long Has This Been Going On? [Instrumental Reprise]

A short postscript accompanies the performance involving a delicate clarinet lead following the melody of the title lyric, floating on a soft backdrop of intermittent strings.

4) Funny Face

Earning its distinction as the lightest and most unassuming number on the record, the title track melds the ballroom elegance and zest of its music with the silly, cheerful spirit of its subject matter: "You fill the air with smiles, for miles and miles and miles." My favorite part of the song is the step-ladder ascent of the strings, climbing up the scales at the climax--perfect!

5) Bonjour, Paris!

My favorite song on the record! "Bonjour, Paris!" is a boisterous, energetic production; in a word, BIG. It starts out with what sounds almost like the beginning to a national anthem, and leads into a snippet from the film--Jo, Dick, and Maggie display a false air of indifference to Paris upon arrival, perhaps to impress one another with their worldliness. Once separated, their true tourist curiosity is revealed. Thus begins a romanticized jaunt into Paris led by our three explorers, starting first with Dick: "I want to step out, down the Champs-Elysées..." Conspicuously (and deliberately) left absent is the Eiffel Tower, recognized by our three protagonists later in the song: "There's something missing, I know; there's still one place I gotta go," whereupon they discover the same "strictly tourist" nature in each other and embrace it. If this song doesn't put a smile on your face, I'm afraid there's little hope that anything will.

6) Clap Yo' Hands

If each of our three stars has a signature performance on the album, "Clap Yo' Hands" is unequivocally Kay Thompson's. A spicy mixture of swing, jazz, and blues, peppered occasionally with scat vocals for good measure, the track is perhaps the most uncharacteristic and unexpected. It fits into the story through Dick and Maggie posing as the flamboyant, country-fried pair from "Talluh-hassee" in order to gain admittance to the empathicalist gathering. In the middle of the song comes one of my favorite moments in the film: after the brash "ringa dem bells" section, the music comes to an immediate halt. What directly follows is a light, lilting melody accompanied by a hilarious synchronized jig by the actors: "Why, we's the two most friendly vibrations you ever seen." Thompson proves herself to be a force to be reckoned with vocally, demonstrated by the surprisingly high note she hits at the end. Another track sure to make the surliest of surlies crack a smile.

7) He Loves and She Loves

The most romantic song on the album, "He Loves and She Loves" is an ethereal, nearly percussion-less expression of Dick's falling in love with Jo, structured around a clever conjugation theme that reminds me all too well of my foreign-language class days. The delicate orchestral interlude, to allow for the dance, sharpens into a climax in a decidedly dissonant way, resulting in one of the albums few flaws. However a single, wistful violin saves the day and tastefully leads the listener to the close of the song.

8) Bonjour, Paris! [Instrumental Reprise]

Ira Gershwin presents us with a snappy jazz-fusion interpretation of "Bonjour, Paris," barely over a minute, and headed up by a marimba and saxophone leads. A light, brush-like snare drum and the occasional piano contribution are the supporting actors. If you didn't know better, you'd swear this was a Mancini piece written for Breakfast at Tiffany's.

9) On How to Be Lovely

"On How to Be Lovely" is the cutest track in the list. Featuring Thompson and Hepburn, it is an ambitious mid-tempo stage number with less emphasis placed on the band as compared to other songs to accentuate the vocal performances. Thompson's character, Maggie, takes on an almost motherly role to Jo (her parents are left a mystery to the viewer), demonstrating how to be "lovely" when she gets her first taste of fame. Maggie sings her teachings to the budding model, which are then repeated by Jo in true pupil fashion. Their two vocals occasionally meet into a pleasant harmony, and the "doo-wee-oo" sections prove to be delightfully charming.

10) Basal Metabolism

The only true instrumental on the album (barring, of course, the short instrumental reprises), "Basal Metabolism" is at first a disjointed exploration of avant-garde jazz. It is loosely based around the melody of "How Long Has This Been Going On," and conjures up images of a dimly lit, cigar smoke-filled gentleman's club. A minute or so into the song, as demonstrated in the film, a bass string is lifted at an exaggerated height and released, which begins a pluck-pluck rhythm, slowly evolving into a high-energy swing-jazz rendering of the song "Funny Face."

11) Let's Kiss and Make Up

Though the placement of this song belies its appearance in the chronology of the film, I feel the decision to place it as essentially the last song is well merited--for some reason, it just feels right that way. As I mentioned before, each of the stars had their signature moment in the soundtrack, and this is without a doubt Fred Astaire's. It shows his sweet nature, both on camera and off, and his incredible dance routine in the film proved to audiences this old favorite still "had it." The song has lovely flowing sections as well as staccato stop-start rhythms that are reflected in his dance steps. Midway into the song, the melody turns to an alarming tone indicative of a Spanish bullfighter, humorously acted out by Astaire.

12) `S Wonderful

And this, folks, is the icing on the cake. A dreamy, feather-light melody reminiscent of "He Loves and She Loves," it is a love song that plays upon the slang of those who speak too fast to let articulation catch up: `S Wonderful, `S Marvelous that you should care for me. As Dick and Jo have their final dance in the chapel yard, the orchestra takes over the last half of the song, culminating in an extravagant finish.


Above all, if you're anything like me, the soundtrack to Funny Face will make you happy, no matter what mood you're in. I can't think of any other recording that has such an effect on me. We need to be reminded every so often not to take life too seriously.

somewhat dissapointing.......2006-05-31

I agree mostly with the other reviews, but am amazed that none mentions the glaring omission from this soundtrack Kay Thompson's show stopping number "Think Pink". It is even more disappointing when one realizes how this soundtrack was created. Taking the people who sung the songs in the movie into a recording studio, and re-recording the score, with a full orchestra behind them, is the way some motion picture soundtracks are created. Sometimes, as in the case of "Funny Face", sound engineers simply lift the musical numbers from the audio track of the film, and transfer them onto new tape to create the soundtrack one buys in the stores. So, what you hear at home on your stereo is exactly what you hear when you watch the film.
This being the case with "Funny Face", how easy it would have been to transfer Kay's wonderful number. I could have understood if they'd re-recorded it and she was unavailable, but since all they had to do was take a song already recorded and transfer it, I cannot. If you haven't seen the film, watch for this tune early in the picture and you will see what I mean, and perhaps you'll be as disappointed as I am at the decision to exclude it from the soundtrack, and will understand why I can only give 3 stars to an album I would have otherwise given 5 to.

"Paramount's only MGM Musical".......2006-04-10

Paramount Studios made attempts @ musicals but could NEVER achieve the magic made consistantly by MGM, except this time. (Maybe having MGM's Astaire, Thompson, Donen, Edens, etc. didn't hurt). A delicious confection for any Musical fan. You can't go wrong with such class and grace and EXPERTISE on every level. ENJOY!

This album is truly enjoyable.......2005-02-08

This album represents one of the last of the Hollywood musicals.It is a very enjoyable soundtrack with the beautiful music of George Gershwin,the dancing of Fred Astaire,and the stunning presence of Audrey Hepburn. There are some very interesting songs that this album has;one of them,'How long has this been going on' is sung none other than Audrey herself,and she does an admiringly good job singing it.There is another song that Audrey and Kay Thompson sing-'On how to be lovely'-this song sounds fantastic. Beautiful music,beautiful dancing, and beautiful actors-what a perfect combination!I highly recommend this movie,and I'm sure you'll agree,you'll like it as much as I do.

FUNNY FACE really is "S'Wonderful"!!!.......2003-11-26

FUNNY FACE is still regarded as one of the most enjoyable movie musicals ever made, with a top-notch cast headed by Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson and Audrey Hepburn, with a perfect Paris location. The soundtrack album of the film is a particular delight.

Fred Astaire croons and breezes his way through numbers like the Title Song, "S'Wonderful" and "Let's Kiss and Make Up". Legendary song-stylist and arranger Kay Thompson (who had also worked as a vocal coach to many of the big M-G-M musical stars) brings down the house with her show-stopping "Think Pink", as well as her engergetic 11 o'clock number "Clap Yo' Hands". She later instructs Audrey in the finer points of womanhood in "On How to Be Lovely".

Audrey Hepburn is charming as Jo Stockton, the 'dowdy, bookish intellectual shopgirl' (as she was referred to in the original ad campaign for the film), and sings an affecting version of "How Long Has This Been Going On?", and joins Astaire and Thompson for "Bonjour Paris!", a fast-paced valentine to the City of Lights.

FUNNY FACE has been reissued here complete with the original Verve logo and liner notes. The remastering job is quite patchy, though lovers of this soundtrack will just be happy with having it in their collections.

Average customer rating: The Best Recordings of George Gershwin's Piano Improvisations

Gershwin Plays Gershwin Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Tin Pan Alley | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls The Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Vol. 2 Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde Reflection Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris ASIN: B000053HK5 Release Date: 2001-01-16

Tracks:

1. Swanee
2. Sweet And Low Down
3. That Certain Feeling
4. Looking For A Boy
5. When Do We Dance?
6. Do-Do-Do
7. Someone To Watch Over Me
8. Clap Yo' Hands
9. Maybe
10. My One And Only
11. 'S Wonderful - Funny Face
12. Rhap In Blue
13. Prld No.1
14. Prld No.2
15. Prld No.3
16. Rhap In Blue: Andante
17. Second Rhap

Customer Reviews:

The Best Recordings of George Gershwin's Piano Improvisations.......2006-08-09

This low priced CD is the greatest presentation of George Gershwin's incredible improvisational skill, reworking his popular hits of the day into complex arrangements that can hold the interest of the 'most discriminating music lover.' These disc recordings are much more lifelike than the well known piano-roll CDs. On this Cd Gershwin's filled-in tenth cords in his left hand along with his consecutive four-note chord spreads to the octave with his right, cross rhythms, and virtuoso embellishments give the piano arrangements a full sound. The recording of 'Swanee' is a small 1919 group recording of the Van Eps Quartet with a young George Gershwin at the piano and Nathan Glantz on the saxaphone. The Van Eps Quartet plays in a yiddish sounding style which accents Swanee's rooting in yiddish music. The next recordings are of George Gershwin at the piano recorded in 1926 and 1928. This CD also includes the 1924 Paul Whiteman orchestra recording of 'Rhapsody in Blue' with the composer at the piano. The arrangement was shortened to about 9 minutes in order to fit onto the two sides of a 78rmp record, but I think this is the best recording of 'Rhapsody in Blue' ever recorded, because this was recorded when 'Rhapsody in Blue' was New, Exciting, and Full of Life. This recording lets the humor that was originally intended by Gershwin shine through. His own recording of his three preludes is the best rendition of the popular preludes. Gershwin stands as the best performer of his own works, and this CD is the best example of his own playing. The improvisations of his show tunes on this CD are much more fleshed out than his brief radio recordings available elsewhere, although I recommend trying to find all of his recordings. Gershwin's solo piano arrangement of the Andante section of Rhapsody in Blue is another opportunity to hear George play his own material. The last recording on the disc is a 1931 rehersal of 'Second Rhapsody' which George Gershwin had recorded onto disc by NBC for him to listen to. Once again, George Gershwin is the best interpreter of his own works, and this CD is the best document of Gershwin playing Gershwin.

Average customer rating:

Fascinating Rhythm: The Complete Music for Solo Piano by George Gershwin Manufacturer: Hyperion UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Impromptus | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Operas | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Operas | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls Gershwin: Piano Music The Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Vol. 2 ASIN: B00000J80E Release Date: 1999-06-08

Average customer rating: Cello Music

Gentle Dreams: The Best of Julian Lloyd Webber Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bruch | Bruch, Max | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Franck, César | ( 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 | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Grainger | Grainger, Percy Aldridge | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Massenet | Massenet, Jules | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Saint-Saëns, Camille | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vangelis | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Villa-Lobos, Heitor | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Villa-Lobos, Heitor | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Flute | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Guitar | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Similar Items: Cello Moods Julian Lloyd Webber plays Andrew Lloyd Webber Unexpected Songs Lullaby Cello Adagios ASIN: B00012ASS6 Release Date: 2004-01-13

Tracks:

1. The Girl From Ipanema
2. Kheira's Theme
3. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
4. Duo
5. Air Of A G String
6. Meditation
7. Siciliana
8. Cradle Song
9. Lullaby
10. Beau Soir
11. Berceuse
12. Music Of The Night
13. Bachianas Brasileiras No.4 (Preludio)
14. Clair De Lune
15. Sea Murmurs
16. Song For Baba
17. Gentle Dreams
18. Pie Jesu
19. Kol Nidrei

Tracks:

1. Your Song
2. Ave Maria
3. Brigg Fair
4. Nocturne
5. Songs My Mother Taught Me
6. Chanson De Matin
7. Panis Angelicus
8. Elegie
9. Cello Concerto (Adagio)
10. Jackie's Song
11. Ave Maria
12. Shepherd's Lullaby
13. Un Apres-Midi
14. Adagio
15. Le Cygne
16. Adagio
17. Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
18. Theme From The South Bank Show
19. The Flight Of The Bumble-Bee

Customer Reviews:

Cello Music.......2007-03-09

I had better expectations from this cd, but on the whole the music is great. Julian Lloyd Webber is a great cello player and the arrangements are very good. and is worth the money as it is a double album

Average customer rating:

Clap Hands! Here Comes Rosie! Rosemary Clooney Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000SM6ZL8 Release Date: 2007-09-03

Tracks:

1. Clap Hands! Here Comes Rosie!
2. Everything's Coming Up Roses
3. Give Me the Simple Life
4. Bye Bye Blackbird
5. Aren't You Glad You're You
6. You Got
7. Too Marvelous for Words
8. Something's Gotta Give
9. Hooray for Love
10. Mean to Me
11. Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
12. It Could Happen to You
13. Makin' Whoopee

Average customer rating: All you need to know: Great performance - poor editing Best available? Maybe, but not best ever. A Timeless Holiday Classic, Masterful Recording Perfect Nutcracker From A Perfectionist Ballet Conductor

Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Complete)/ Serenade in C Major/ Dorati Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Divertimentos | Serenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Opera & Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music Similar Items: Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Adam - Giselle (complete ballet) ~ Offenbach - Gaîté Parisienne ~ Strauss Graduation Ball / Fistoulari, Dorati Moussorgsky: Picture at an Exhibition/Chopin: Etude in F major/Waltz in A minor The Sleeping Beauty Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 1-6 ASIN: B0000057L5 Release Date: 1991-08-09

Tracks:

1. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Arrival In Fairyland
2. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Festival In Honor Of The Children And Prince Charming - Character Dances (Divertissement)
3. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Chocolate (Spanish Dance)
4. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Coffee (Arabian Dance)
5. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Tea (Chinese Dance)
6. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Russian Dance (Trepak)
7. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Dance Of The Toy Flutes
8. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Dance Of The Clowns
9. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Waltz Of The Flowers
10. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Dances Of The Sugar Plum Fairy And Prince Charming : Pas de Deux

Tracks:

1. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 10. Scene: Arrival In Fairyland
2. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 11. Scene: Festival In Honor Of The Children And Prince Charming
3. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 12. a) Chocolate (Spanish Dance)
4. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 12. b) Coffee (Arabian Dance)
5. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 12. c) Tea (Chinese Dance)
6. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 12. d) Russian Dance (Trepak)
7. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 12. e) Dance Of The Toy Flutes
8. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 12. f) Dance Of The Clowns
9. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 13. Waltz Of The Flowers
10. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 14. Pas de Deux
11. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 14. a) Dance Of Prince Charming
12. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 14. b) Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
13. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 14. c) Coda
14. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: 15. Waltz Finale And...
15. The Nutcracker, Op. 71: Apotheosis
16. Serenade For Strings In C Major, Op. 48: 1. Andante non troppo - Allegro moderato
17. Serenade For Strings In C Major, Op. 48: 2. Walzer. Moderato. Tempo di Valse
18. Serenade For Strings In C Major, Op. 48: 3. Elegie. Larghetto elegiaco
19. Serenade For Strings In C Major, Op. 48: 4. Finale (Tema Russo). Andante - Allegro con spirito

Amazon.com

Mercury's legendary recordings, made in the 1950s and '60s to exacting engineering standards--many of them mastered using 35mm magnetic film--also captured some of the best performances of the orchestral repertoire, performances that hold up today against the digital competition. Antal Dorati's sprightly Nutcracker is a classic, reveling in the sumptuous orchestral color and the score's irresistible danceability. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

All you need to know:.......2006-05-23

Since it was recorded on 3-track 35mm film, the sound quality has been well preserved in The Nutcracker. Serenade for Strings, which is an even older recording, also sounds fine, but Dorati's interpretation is not as good as some of the more recent, more sensitive, more sonorous recordings. The audio splices in The Nutcracker are very obvious sometimes, and really detract from the listening experience once you notice them. Dorati is usually an ideal Tchaikovsky interpreter, as evidenced by his uproarious version of the 1812 Overture, but in this case, he charges through this score with overzealous tempi. The famous Trepak is unsettlingly (and undanceably) fast, and many of the quieter movements barely lack the magical tenderness they deserve.

Recommendation: Look elsewhere, if only because of the splices.

Great performance - poor editing.......2006-02-13

How frustrating. Like the other reviewers, I found Dorati's conducting masterful to the nth degree. Many details were revealed and the music (while not always dancable) was well paced, beautiful, exciting, and full of life. My problem with this recording lies in the many audible splices in the editing. Surely the Mercury team could have done better. One of two would not have been such a bother, but they occur repeatedly and are quite obvious, even on a substandard car system. Overall, the recording is very much worth having, but you may find these splices rather bothersome after repeated listening.

Best available? Maybe, but not best ever........2005-01-24

Beware. Dorati made two LPs of Nutcracker with the Minneapolis Symphony. One of them showed Dorati at his best, where you could hear the strings sing -- changing vowel sounds -- even more beautifully than in his incomparable recording of the 1812 Overture with the same orchestra. This CD uses the cover art of that all-time-best, but it is actually the other Dorati-Minneapolis Nutcracker. It's very good, but it's not on a level with the one they took that cover art from.

A Timeless Holiday Classic, Masterful Recording.......2002-12-18

Antal Dorati was the Toscanini for ballet music as well as Tchaikovsky's music. In the 60's and 70's, he conducted all over Europe and recorded LP's for distribution in America. This Nutcracker was orginally an LP, the Nutcracker in its entirety with the addition of Tchaikovsky's Serenade For Strings. There are many fine interpretations of the beloved Christmas classic, one of which Charles Mackerras' version strikes us as the best. But Dorati has precision and perfectionist zeal that makes the score to the ballet sound more true to the Russian spirit that Tchaikovsky blended with European elegance and symphonic treatment. Sentimentality was always Tchaikovsky's strong points, endowed with musical genius and tonal color and lavished attention to every individual instrument.

The original liner notes for the LP are to be found here, documenting the life of Tchaikovsky and the background for his creating the ballet based on E.T.A. Hoffman's dark fairy tale, The Nutcracker. It is the tale of Clara, how one evening at a family Christmas party she was given a Nutcracker as a toy, how it magically comes to life and defeats the Mouse King and his minions. Clara is whisked away into the magical dream world of Act 2. Through divertissements, dance sequences with no plot to further the story, she encounters Spanish dancers, an Arab dancer, Chinese dancers, Russian Trepak dancers and an incredibly sweeping, romantic Waltz of Flowers. There is solo for the Nutcracker who has become a Prince by Act 2 and a pas de deux between him and Clara. The Pas De Deux is without question, the most romantic, intense and symphonic number in the whole ballet, evoking a climatic union of beauty and that dark fatalism that seems to permeate a lot of Tchaikovsky's music. For the Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky used celeste, a variation of the piano instrument, in the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and was very proud that the other Russian composers, Mussorgsky and Borodin had not beat him to it.

This is the best recording avaible and it is a bonus that it comes with a well orchestrated Serenade For Strings, a melodic, well structured piece of string music that Tchaikovsky wrote as a tribute to the Countess Von Meck who inspired his music and sponsored him financially. It is light, it is dark and it is rich in string symphonic style. Tchaikovsky's music is at best the most romantic and inspiring of his time. Kudos for the producers of this fine recording.

For years, I have been a collector of ballet music and have taught dance as well. Tchaikovsky was a brilliant man, a tortured man, whose sexuality was forbidden by Russian law and who out of the depths of his pain, forged the most beautiful and most seriously romantic music of the nineteenth century, finding himself the equal to Beethoven.

Perfect Nutcracker From A Perfectionist Ballet Conductor.......2002-10-29

Dorati's 60's orchestration of the beloved Christmas-oriented ballet from the Russian romantic Tchaikovsky is the greatest recording out there. There are a humber of reasons why this recording is quality. First of all, the conductor is Antal Dorati, the twentieth century's foremost ballet conductor of all time. He was an effective, brilliant perfectionist who demanded fiery passion and pathos in all his music, since he was true to Tchaikovsky's original intentions. The Nutcracker is played so many times during Christmas, it has become a background cliche for tv commercials and movies. The Russian Dance, or Trepak, is the most popular of the dances, as well as the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Young ballet dancers love the Nutcracker, as well as young and old audiences. It is full of magic, wide-eyed wonders and excellent dancing to excellent music. Particularily impressive on this recording are all of Act I (unfortunately the voices in the sequence of the Waltz of the Snowflakes are a choir of adult women soprano voices rather than the traditional children's voices), the Arabian Dance, Spanish Dance, Trepak, a different, more passionate and precise Waltz of the Flowers (it does not sound as lingering and elegant as most orchestrations), and the incredible Pas De Deux, which sounds absolutely breathtaking. I agree with the music fan from San Francisco and the Tchaikovsky fanatic reviewer Tchaikjp, who happens to be an acquiantance. Five Stars well deserved. Perfect.

Jazz Music:

1. Aco dei de Madrugada (One Morning I Waked Up Very Early)
2. Adventure in Sounds Isolation [Import]
3. After the Storm
4. All Mornin' Long
5. All Paths Lead To One
6. Alone [Import]
7. Anders Bergcrantz Quartet [Live] [Import]
8. At Shelly's Manne-Hole [Live]
9. Balance
10. Big Band in Concert 1957-58 [Live]

Jazz Music

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