Far Cry

1. Mrs. Parker of K.C. (Bird's Mother)

2. Ode to Charlie Parker

3. Far Cry

4. Miss Ann

5. Left Alone

6. Tenderly

7. It's Magic

8. Serene [*]

Far Cry,Eric Dolphy With Booker Little,Ojc,Avant-Garde Jazz,Free Jazz,Jazz,Pop,Post-Bop

Jazz

Music

jazz

music

Average customer rating: Inspirational! hymns we sang in church

Abide With Me Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Gibbons, Orlando | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Monk, William Henry | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sibelius | Sibelius, Jean | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sullivan | Sullivan, Arthur | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tallis | Tallis, Thomas | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Hymns Through the Centuries Hymns Triumphant 1 & 2 Praise to the Lord - Hymns From St. Paul's Cathedral Be Still My Soul: The Ultimate Hymns Collection The Music of St. Paul's Cathedral ASIN: B000024236 Release Date: 1996-06-10

Tracks:

1. Praise, My Soul, The King of Heaven - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
2. Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
3. All Glory, Laud and Honour - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
4. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
5. Day of Resurrection - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
6. O God, Our Help in Ages Past - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
7. Dear Lord and Father of Mankind - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
8. Praise to the Holiest in the Height - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
9. Praise to the Lord - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
10. Church's One Foundation - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
11. Crown Him With Many Crowns - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
12. Love Divine, All Loves Excelling - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
13. Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
14. Now Thank We All Our God - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
15. Abide with Me - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
16. O Praise Ye the Lord - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
17. Drop, Drop, Slow Tears - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
18. Glory Be to Jesus - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
19. There Is a Green Hill Far Away - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
20. According to Thy Gracious Word - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
21. Holy Father, Cheer Our Way - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
22. Glory to Thee, My God, This Night - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
23. Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
24. Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
25. On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks

Tracks:

1. Onward, Christian Soldiers - Huddersfield Choral Society, Wyn Morris
2. Lord's My Shepherd - Huddersfield Choral Society, Wyn Morris
3. Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah - Huddersfield Choral Society, Wyn Morris
4. All People That on Earth Do Dwell - U.S.A.F. Protestant Chapel Choir, West Ruislap, England,
5. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - U.S.A.F. Protestant Chapel Choir, West Ruislap, England,
6. Forty Days and Forty Nights - U.S.A.F. Protestant Chapel Choir, West Ruislap, England,
7. O Sacred Head, Now Wounded - U.S.A.F. Protestant Chapel Choir, West Ruislap, England,
8. Christ the Lord Is Risen Today - U.S.A.F. Protestant Chapel Choir, West Ruislap, England,
9. Head That Once Was Crown'd With Thorns - U.S.A.F. Protestant Chapel Choir, West Ruislap, England,
10. Rock of Ages - Choir of King's College, Maurice Vinden
11. Eternal Father, Strong to Save - Choir of King's College, Maurice Vinden
12. All Things Bright and Beautiful - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
13. Be Thou My Vision - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
14. Be Still, My Soul - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
15. King of Love My Shepherd Is - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
16. Let Us With a Gladsome Mind - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
17. For All the Saints - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
18. O Worship the King - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
19. Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus - Choir of King's College, George Guest
20. Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence - Choir of King's College, George Guest
21. Spirit of Mercy, Truth, And Love - Choir of King's College, George Guest
22. Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us - Choir of King's College, George Guest
23. Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise - Choir of King's College, George Guest
24. Jesu, Lover of My Soul - Choir of King's College, George Guest
25. Jerusalem - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Choir of King's College, ,

Album Details

Compiled Here Are Fifty of the Most Beloved Hymns Performed by Three of England's Most Distinguished Choirs. Every Selection Here is Sung in an Appropriately Dignified Manner and If You're Up for Over Two Hours of Consistently Well-rendered Quintessentially English Treatments of These Vernacular Favorites it Simply Doesn't Get Any Better Than This.

Customer Reviews:

Inspirational!.......2004-10-08

Majestic hymns sung with British accents. A great combination! I haven't noticed any objectionable sounds on my copy.

hymns we sang in church.......2003-02-16

i grew up in a traditional presbyterian church that had a pipe organ. i wanted a cd of many of the hymns that we sang in church sung by a choir and accompanied by a pipe organ. this cd fulfilled my wishes perfectly. the hymns are performed in a very straight-forward fashion with no show-boating or excess flourishes which is exactly what i wanted. this is not gospel music but what i refer to as liturgical music to indicate that it is religious music but not gospel music. i would give it 5 stars but there is a slight hiss. other than that the recording quality is very good.

Average customer rating: Early 1960s Classic Dolphy In All His Glory One of Dolphy's best Two young masters great, but could be better

Far Cry Eric Dolphy Quintet with Booker Little Manufacturer: Ojc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot, Vol. 2 The Quest Memorial Album: Recorded Live At The Five Spot Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot, Vol. 1 Out There ASIN: B000000YMC Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

1. Mrs. Parker Of K.C. (Bird's Mother)
2. Ode To Charlie Parker
3. Far
4. Miss Ann
5. Left Alone
6. Tenderly
7. It's Magic
8. Serene

Customer Reviews:

Early 1960s Classic.......2007-06-05

This creative set of "advanced hard-bop" (if this music can be characterized) has become one of my favorite jazz albums from the early 1960s (and I have many from this era). FAR CRY is mellower and more accessible than Dolphy's better known OUT TO LUNCH, recorded a few years later. It features the multi-talented Dolphy on alto sax, bass clarinet, and flute; Booker Little, one of my all-time favorite trumpeters; and a great rhythm section of Jaki Byard (piano), Ron Carter (bass), and Roy Haynes (drums). Dolphy and Little were a truly unique and wonderful front line pair. The disc includes 8 great songs--and no alternate takes! I am enjoying this CD more with each listen. The flute and trumpet harmonies on "Ode to Charlie Parker" are wonderful. Haynes' percussion is splendid throughout. An earlier reviewer suggested that the songs didn't really fit well together; personally, I don't find this a problem and enjoy the variety and contrasts on this album.

If you can find one (currently there are still a few available from Amazon 3rd-party sources), I heartily recommend the 20-Bit K2 remastered version. The older OJC (Original Jazz Classics) disc is the one listed here.

Dolphy In All His Glory.......2006-06-05

Even Charles Mingus, a tough critic of just about everything, couldn't find anything nasty to say about Eric Dolphy, referring to him as a saint, not just as a player but as a man. Dolphy was known to be incredibly dedicated; he would frequently disappear at parties only to be found practicing one horn or another on a fire escape or other private place. His early, and completely avoidable death, has added even more shine to his halo. Today he holds a well-earned seat in the pantheon of great ones likes Coltrane, Bird, Young, and Hawkins. However, his residence there is more the result of his astonishing technical virtuosity than his contribution to moving the music forward.

Dolphy could play anything with keypads, he had an almost Faustian brilliance. But the dirty little secret about Dolphy is that often he was doing nothing more than running up and down the stairs. One might marvel at his ability without being moved. His famous rendition of God Bless The Child, on bass clarinet, is only the most blatant example of this syndrome. He touches the melody as a child touches base when playing tag, runs up and down the stairs for a few minutes, touches base again, and repeats the cycle.

When he is at his very best is when he's most lyrical, and in Far Cry he really delivers the goods. The early tracks cook; providing lots of room for Booker Little to dazzle with his own technical prowess. Then, mysteriously, it's almost as if Booker Little leaves the building and Dolphy takes center stage. From there on out, you are treated to some of the most exquisite Dolphy solos ever recorded. The flute playing is especially select, (he has no rival when it comes to jazz flute), but the alto on Tenderly is astounding and the bass clarinet on It's Magic, while overdone, showcases Dolphy's command of the instrument and ability to stretch a melody brilliantly without abandoning it. Collecting Dolphy is a hit or miss proposition, he recorded a lot and there is inconsistency in both the material and performances. Here there is only gold. Highly recommended.

One of Dolphy's best.......2002-07-05

This is Dolphy at his best with up-beat energy that blows away the dolldrums. Listeners should immediately grasp its optimistic searching outlook.

Bird's Mother is wonderfully angular with great humor. The flute on Left Alone is as bluesy as a flute can be. What a wonderful tribute to the great Billie Holiday, who as we know sang nothing but the Truth.

Booker Little is one of the tragic losses that jazz endured, an immensly talented trumpet player who died in his early 20s. You can hear some of his best work here and he was the perfect horn player to work with Dolphy. And unfortunately, Dolphy was to die tragically a few years later.

Dolphy was a positive spirit that is always valuable when represented in music.

This is music that no music lover can afford to ignore.

Two young masters.......2001-11-15

This is the first of several collaborations between Eric Dolphy & the fated trumpeter Booker Little; it was recorded in December 1960, though it was oddly released only belatedly--in fact, it has a later catalogue number than the Five Spot recordings from July 1961. (The other date recorded by Dolphy & Little was _Out Front_, recorded under Little's name for a different label, Candid.) Listening to it again, I find it hard not to meditate a bit on Dolphy's ill-starred career. He was certainly recording at a ferocious pace in 1960-61, both as a leader & sideman--this is the best-documented period of his career, aside from the 1964 concert recordings with Mingus--& yet it's hard not to feel that Dolphy never really got a chance to create a music commensurate with his talent. He was a great _soloist_: but unlike Coltrane or Coleman, he never really got the chance to develop his music as a group music. Every disc of his has completely different personnel, often containing both bop players like Haynes & Persip & nascent radicals & innovators like Little, Carter, Byard &c. (in this Dolphy's output is comparable to early Charlie Parker discs, which mixed boppers with swing-era players). Prestige was clearly not an ideal base for his talents: they were perhaps hoping to get music in the vein of the extremely popular Chico Hamilton band, of which Dolphy was an alumnus, not a player whose inclinations were to the increasingly radical experiments of the 1960s avantgarde. Dolphy's most unconstrained work on Prestige was on the live Five Spot albums; after he was dropped by the label, he recorded almost nothing under his own leadership, but did turn out his most fully-achieved album at Blue Note (_Out to Lunch_, his most experimental album) & two other interesting dates for United Artists, which are again much more robustly experimental than any of his Prestige discs. As the oeuvre stands, it is as frustratingly but enticingly incomplete as Bix Beiderbecke's or Herbie Nichols': what remains is essential & terrific music, but it could have been much more.

Anyway, back to _Far Cry_. It's an album that's oddly organized, as it's split in three (slightly overlapping) sections. Tracks 1-3 are a loose meditation on the legacy of Charlie Parker, beginning with two Byard originals, a blues called "Mrs. Parker of K.C. (Bird's Mother)" (on which Dolphy plays bass clarinet) & the ballad "Ode to Charlie Parker" (flute). Both tracks are if anything features for the brilliant trumpet of Booker Little, who gets the most solo space. The 3rd track is "Far Cry", which Dolphy in the liner notes says is a summing up of Parker's legacy & how it stood 4 years after his death. This is a brisk, angular line played on alto--curiously it's exactly the same theme as "Out There", the title track of his previous Prestige LP. Perhaps he was dissatisfied with the first version?

"Far Cry" & "Miss Ann" are closely related, as slashing uptempo numbers for alto sax, & thus might be considered the 2nd part of the album. At this point the album takes a mysterious left turn: Booker Little, who up to this point has been if anything more prominent than Dolphy, doesn't play on the rest of the album, which is turned over to three standards. "Left Alone" is given a lovely flute rendition, & "It's Magic" is given a rather exaggerated, almost satirical reading on bass clarinet. The masterpiece here--& what really pushes this album into the front rank of the Dolphy canon--is "Tenderly", a 4-minute acappella alto-saxophone improvisation. It is not given a conventional chords-based reading, but instead treated almost like a classical cadenza: Dolphy hews fairly closely to the melody, but it is stated only in tiny fragments which open up into soaring arpeggios, loops & trills. This is one of the key tracks of the 1960s. I still find it tremendously moving after years of listening.

The CD reissue also includes a version of Dolphy's blues "Serene" (again, this was recorded earlier for Prestige, suggesting Dolphy was not happy with the previously released version). It's as strong as anything on the original album, & I don't know why it was left off the first time around.

great, but could be better.......2001-03-25

Nearly every song on this album is of 5 star caliber, but they don't seem to fit together very well. They don't seem to have any kind of connection with each other. The rhythm section is pretty good, but they are rather conservative on this album. As far as eric and booker go, this album contains some of their most wonderful playing. I think that a good way to describe eric's playing is exclamatory. It sounds like he is speaking through the horn. Sometimes it sounds almost as if he is inhaling through the horn rather than blowing. Little's blowing sounds somehow more sophisticated and intelligent than most trumpeters. All of the compositions are great. I am especially fond of "far cry" and the solo "tenderly." It's a shame that they both had to die so young.

Average customer rating:

Cry Tuff Dub Encounter, Chapter 3 Prince Far I Manufacturer: Pressure Sounds ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Jamaica | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music Dub | Reggae | International | Styles | Music General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music General | Reggae | Compilations | International | Styles | Music ASIN: B000RRUS94 Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

1. Plant Up
2. Back Weh
3. Conquest
4. Final Chapter
5. Shake the Nation
6. Homeward Bound
7. Low Gravity
8. Mansion of Invention

Average customer rating: A Comic-Opera Treasure! an obscure delight!

Dittersdorf: Arcifanfano, King of Fools Manufacturer: Video Artists Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Dittersdorf | Dittersdorf, Karl Ditters | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Anna Russell Takes On... Nabucco & The Magic Flute Anna Russell Again? The Anna Russell Album Encore? Hansel and Gretel: An Opera Fantasy ASIN: B000003LIK Release Date: 1994-12-12

Tracks:

1. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Overture
2. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Chorus - We've Traveled Far (Semplicina, Gloriosa, Garbata, Sordidone, Malgoverno, Furibondo)
3. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - Approach! What Is Your Name, Sir? (Furibondo)
4. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - With A Sword That Is Sterner Than Moses (Furibondo)
5. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - Unhappy Oddling (Gloriosa)
6. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - My Fair Skin, My Bare Chin (Gloriosa)
7. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - Was Ever There Insanity (Sordidone)
8. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - Snugly Hidden Safe From Prying (Sordidone)
9. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - Madness Beyond All Measure (Malgoverno)
10. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - When The Purse Is Clinking (Malgoverno)
11. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - There, Like A Vapor (Semplicina)
12. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - O Look So Woeful (Semplicina)
13. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - Such As She Seems To Be Frigid (Garbata)
14. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - Let's Sing, Let's All Be Jolly (Garbata)
15. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Recitative - For All Types Of Confusion
16. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act I: Aria - The Fierce One Lives Only For The Slaughter
17. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - I Beg You To Stop (Malgoverna, Gloriosa, Garbata)
18. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Aria - We Praise The Sun For Beauty (Malgoverna)
19. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - Bumpkin, Coarse-grained (Gloriosa, Garbata)
20. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Aria - If You Will Love Me, I Will Love You (Garbata)
21. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - No, They Cannot Persuade Me! (Gloriosa)
22. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Aria - Lovely Ladies, You Enjoying (Gloriosa)
23. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - Where's My Lover, Sweetheart (Sordidone)

Tracks:

1. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Aria - Sordidone, Be A Bunny
2. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - Are You Hiding? (Sordidone, Garbata)
3. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Duet - See Comely Phyllis Wander (Garbata, Sordidone)
4. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - Don't Come Near Me (Semplicina, Furibondo)
5. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Aria - The High And Mighty Lion (Furibondo)
6. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - Quiet At Last (Semplicina)
7. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Duet - Semplicina, Do You Hear Me? (Semplicina)
8. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Quartet - Ever More Bitter Shall Be My Raging (Gloriosa, Garbata, Malgoverno, Furibondo)
9. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Recitative - What Now? What New Forms Of Madness? (Gloriosa, Sordidone, Malgoverno, Furibondo)
10. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act II: Chorus - Long Live King Arcifanfano (Semplicina, Gloriosa, Garbata, Sordidone, Malgoverno, Furibondo)
11. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - Earth, Our Dearest, Good And Nearest (Sordidone)
12. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - That His Sowing Yield A Growing (Malgoverno)
13. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - What Has The Fool Committed (Malgoverna, Gloriosa)
14. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - Ask Of Beauty, She Will Answer (Gloriosa)
15. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - Hop And Stop It! (Furibondo, Gloriosa)
16. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - All Of This Planet, I Cry To Each Man (Furibondo)
17. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - What's Unleashed These Dreadful Roars? (Garbata, Furibondo)
18. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - I'm Simple And I'm Candid (Garbata)
19. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - What Mischief And Load This Purse Is!
20. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - Goddess Bright As Morning
21. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - Mother Always Used To Tell Me (Sordidone, Semplicina)
22. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - What A Lot I Need What I Need Lot's Of! (Sordidone)
23. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - May He Not Come To Harm (Semplicina)
24. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Aria - There's A Devil In A Ducat (Semplicina)
25. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - Gather, O Subjects, About Us (Gloriosa, Garbata, Semplicina)
26. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Duet - If You Marry Me (Semplicina)
27. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Chorus - With Curiosity All Aflame (Semplicina, Gloriosa, Garbata, Sordidone, Malgoverno, Furibondo)
28. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Recitative - Quiet, Please, We Implore You!
29. Arcifanfano, King Of Fools: Act III: Chorus - The Wise And The Mad Have Got One Word For Their Dwelling

Customer Reviews:

A Comic-Opera Treasure!.......2007-01-28

Dittersdorf is a sort of working-man's Mozart; in fact, this opera sounds similar to some of Mozart's early operas. But Mozart sought to break the rules and to explore new musical ideas; Dittersdorf is not an innovator...yet he is no less a master! This performance, too, is a materpiece of refined (not always!) comedy; the arias include some extremely difficult vocal leaps and trills, yet the primary joy is the witty verse. W.H. Auden (no less!) ramrodded this translation to English. And Anna Russell, famed for her "Analysis of Wagner's Ring Cycle" steals every scene she's in! Ad-libbing shamelessly, her introductory aria, all by itself, is worth more than the purchase price!

an obscure delight!.......2002-07-31

Eleanor Steber's image on the cover of this set caught my eye while rummaging through the cut-out bins of San Francisco on a recent opera whirlwind. What a lost treasure this performance is - recorded "LIVE" in NYC 1965! All the principles shine, their energy ebullient. Don't hesitate, buy it and smile before it disappears.

Average customer rating:

A Far Cry From Here Malcolm Holcombe Manufacturer: Purple Girl Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: I Never Heard You Knockin' Another Wisdom Not Forgotten A Hundred Lies ASIN: B000GYI2HI Release Date: 2006-07-18

Tracks:

1. No Danger Lifting Me
2. Who's Got The Time
3. Back in '29
4. A Long Way's This Mornin'
5. Spinnin' Roll On
6. Anna Rubyanne
7. Oh Precious Cargo
8. One Room At Night
9. Justice In a Cradle
10. Ev'ry Honest Word
11. Teachin' Michael Anthony
12. A Far Cry From Here

Product Description

Flow of conciousness songs and performances from the rootsy, blues and folk corridor.

Average customer rating: SQUASH 12 Masterworks My first look at this great musican did not disapoint. Hard to Recommend INCREDIBLE!

A Far Cry from Dead Townes Van Zandt Manufacturer: Arista ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: At My Window High, Low And In Between/Late Great The Highway Kind Legend Rear View Mirror, Vol. 2 ASIN: B00000JCNG Release Date: 1999-06-29

Tracks:

1. Dollar Bill Blues
2. To Live's To Fly
3. Rex's Blues
4. Sanitarium Blues
5. Ain't Leavin' Your Love
6. Greensboro Woman
7. Snake Mountain Blues
8. Pancho And Lefty
9. For The Sake Of The Song
10. Waitin' 'Round To Die
11. Many A Fine Lady
12. Tower Song
13. Squash

Amazon.com

Even in the 1990s, as he was finishing a lifelong quest to drink himself to death, Townes Van Zandt continued to write, record, and perform. After he died on New Year's Day, 1997, his last tapes started leaking out. There was The Highway Kind, a collection of live originals and studio covers, and Last Rights, a "CD documentary" of songs, stories, and interviews. All this belated work features a frail but unflinching voice haunted by its approaching rendezvous. Now comes this collection of 13 voice-and-guitar demos from 1989 through 1996 that Van Zandt's widow, Jeanene, turned over to producer Eric Paul, who tastefully fleshed them out with overdubs from a Nashville country-rock band. It's the most accessible of the man's posthumous releases, with Van Zandt revisiting some famous songs ("Pancho & Lefty," "For the Sake of the Song") and some obscure ones from a wearier but wiser perspective. He also reveals two unreleased tunes--the bouncy comic number "Squash" and the heart-shriveling "Sanitarium Blues," an autobiographical talking blues about his stay in a mental hospital. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

SQUASH.......2002-06-04

I have to say that for fans, "Sanitarium Blues" is worth the price of admission alone.

But alot of this material has been released many times before & any previous incarnation is far superior than what has been dressed up here. The overall impression is that of a corpse being dressed up in his Sunday best for an open casket funeral.

12 Masterworks.......2001-10-13

This posthumous compilation of Van Zandt's most stunning and, perhaps, popular works is marred only by the concluding, 13th song, "Squash". Would that Arista had left it off. It is easy enough, however, to edit this item out and end the session with "Tower Song". The various mixed reviews, above and herein, are a testament to the complicated legacy of Townes Van Zandt. Vanity Fair recently (November 2001) included TVZ in a very tedious, pseudo-ironic list - a so-called "Rock Snob's Dictionary". TVZ is listed for the ultra-gratuitous reason that he "exuded a hard-drinkin', ramblin'-man aura despite coming from a wealthy family" and "died a Harry Nilsson-like alcohol-related death in the 1990s". Basta. Given VF includes this useless fillip in an issue devoted to "Music" - with the usual line-up of self-absorbed rock and pop fixtures - more than proves the point that true artistic integrity is lost on the guardians of commercial success (excess). TVZ was the most pure manifestation of a 40-50 year process of acculturation in the country-blues-folk genre without ever breaking out of the cult-status, musician's musician half-nelson partly imposed and partly self-wrought. His early works, often uneven and full of experimental assemblages of various streams of musical Americana, are tough to assimilate without careful editing. For example, the re-issue (1996) of two early 1970s recordings - "High, Low and In Between" coupled with "The Late, Great Townes Van Zandt" - is full of junk and is no one's fault except TVZ. This new collection, "A Far Cry From Dead", on the other hand, is nearly flawless, with the exception of the 13th track, and Van Zandt's voice and guitar are complemented by an all-star cast of studio musicians that are, in fact, paying homage to TVZ, after his death, and his extraordinary odyssey through the outback of America's musical landscape. If you listen to the early version of, say, "To Live Is To Fly" and the version on "A Far Cry From Dead" you may well experience an aural epiphany - a collapse (implosion) of 30 years - with the innocence and purity of the early version colliding with the worldweariness of the latter. The deepening of Van Zandt's voice followed the deepening of his experience of the world and it is reflected, in a sublime manner, in the very simple, exquisite re-calibration of this one song illuminating the presence of time itself while riding far above in a place that time cannot touch.

My first look at this great musican did not disapoint........2000-07-05

After reading his name on the liner notes of other bands I finally bought this CD. I now see why this man has shaped the musical expresions of other artist. This is a good first look for those who want to see what Townes Van Zandt is all about. I have sort of grown tired of a lot of modern folk and blues artists because their music lacks the reality and struggle which comes out in older recordings of the first blues and folk artist, not Townes. Townes Van Zandt reminds me of other artist, but he refuses to sound like others. And he has songs with very personal and meaningful themes. His songs are often sad and beautiful. When I hear his songs I think life is hard but it is the best deal you got and you have to live it

There is a great version of To live is to Fly on this record. Better even than the Cowboy Jukies version

As well the Song Waiting around to die is a great song about what life is all about.

I rate this a 4 because In Pain and Abnormal are better records and have almost all the songs on this record. But if you want to hear a wide range of songs over this mans all too short career than this is a good introduction.

Hard to Recommend.......2000-05-12

I am very disappointed by this CD. After being enthralled with each of the TVZ songs on Lyle Lovett's "Step Inside this House" CD, I was eager to get my hands on some "real Townes" music. I don't know what went wrong, but "A Far Cry From Dead" is generally listless and void of any of the magic that I hear in Lovett's covers of TVZ songs. Is this CD merely an anomaly, or are all of the TVZ CDs this "un-listenable"? Not recommended for those wishing to "discover" TVZ.

INCREDIBLE!.......2000-02-28

Soul-wrenching vocals of old and new tunes posthumously released. The studio backup tracks enhance the songs without detracting from the feeling that comes from Townes' late-career gravel-like voice. Sanitarium Blues is a must hear for any Van Zandt affectionado.

Average customer rating: Timeless Early '60s Classic, in 20-Bit

Far Cry (20 Bit Mastering) Eric Dolphy Quintet with Booker Little Manufacturer: Prestige ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Caravan (20 Bit Mastering) Out There My Fair Lady (20 Bit Mastering) Chet Baker in New York (20 Bit Mastering) Poll Winners (20 Bit Mastering) ASIN: B00006EXD8 Release Date: 2002-08-20

Tracks:

1. Mrs. Parker of K.C. (Bird's Mother)
2. Ode to Charlie Parker
3. Far Cry
4. Miss Ann
5. Left Alone
6. Tenderly
7. It's Magic
8. Serene [*]

Customer Reviews:

Timeless Early '60s Classic, in 20-Bit .......2007-05-30

This creative set of "advanced hard-bop" (if this music can be characterized) has become one of my favorite jazz albums from the early 1960s (and I have many from this era). FAR CRY is mellower and more accessible than Dolphy's better known OUT TO LUNCH, recorded a few years later. It features the multi-talented Dolphy on alto sax, bass clarinet, and flute; Booker Little, one of my all-time favorite trumpeters; and a great rhythm section of Jaki Byard (piano), Ron Carter (bass), and Roy Haynes (drums). Dolphy and Little were a truly unique and wonderful front line pair. This disc includes 8 great songs--and no alternate takes! I am enjoying it more with each listen. The flute and trumpet harmonies on "Ode to Charlie Parker" are wonderful. Haynes' percussion is splendid throughout.

I heartily recommend grabbing one of these JVC 20-Bit K2 re-mastered versions (while they last). The engineers are listed as Shigeo Miyamoto and Tamaki Beck. There is a whole series of these, which are re-issues of the older OJC (Original Jazz Classics) series. I own at least 20 of them and am very pleased with the audio quality (clear, full, natural-sounding) on each.

Average customer rating:

A Far Cry from Dead Townes Van Zandt Manufacturer: Bmg Special Product ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Country General | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Country General | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Folk General | Folk | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Folk General | Folk | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music ASIN: B0009CTWRG Release Date: 2004-11-23

Tracks:

1. Dollar Bill Blues
2. To Live's to Fly
3. Rex's Blues
4. Sanitarium Blues
5. Ain't Leavin' Your Love
6. Greensboro Woman
7. Snake Mountain Blues
8. Pancho and Lefty
9. For the Sake of the Song
10. Waiting Around to Die
11. Many a Fine Lady
12. Tower Song
13. Squash

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

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Karl Bohm: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

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

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

Marek Janowski: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

James Levine: Der Ring Des Nibelungen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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