Portraits

1. And I Love Her So

2. Send in the Clowns

3. Washington Square

4. If

5. For All We Know

6. Aranjuez

7. Feelings

8. She

9. Cotton Fields/Swanee River

10. Theme from Love Story

11. I Believe/Ave Maria

12. Malaguena Salerosa

Portraits,Tony Sandler & Ralph Young,USA Music Group,Pop,Rock,Vocal Pop

Jazz

Music

jazz

Tracks:

A Song For All Seas, All Ships - Andante Maestoso - London Symphony Chorus
On The Beach At Night, Alone - Largo Sostenuto - London Symphony Chorus
Scherzo: The Waves - Allegro Brillante - London Symphony
The Explorers - Grave E Molto Adagio - London Symphony Chorus

Tracks:

Lento: Allegro Risoluto
Lento
Scherzo (Nocturne)
Andante Con Moto; Maestoso Alla Marcia; Allegro; Lento; Epilogue
Allegro Pesante - James Oliver Buswell IV
Adagio - James Oliver Buswell IV
Presto - James Oliver Buswell IV
Overture

Tracks:

Molto Moderato - Douglas Cummings
Lento Moderato - Douglas Cummings
Moderato Pesante - Douglas Cummings
Lento - Douglas Cummings
Allegro
Andante Moderato
Scherzo: Allegro Molto
Finale Con Epilogo Fugato: Allegro Molto

Tracks:

Preludio: Moderato
Scherzo: Prestso
Romanza: Lento
Passacaglia: Moderato
Explorer
Poet
Queen
Allegro Moderato - John Fletcher
Romanza: Andante Sostenuto - John Fletcher
Finale: Rondo Alla Tedesca - John Fletcher

Tracks:

Allegro
Moderato
Scherzo: Allegro Vivace
Epilogue: Moderato
Moderato Maestoso
Andante Sostenuto
Scherzo: Allegro Pesante
Andante Tranquillo

Tracks:

Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Prelude: Andante Maestoso - The Ambrosian Singers
Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Scherzo: Moderato; Poco Animato - The Ambrosian Singers
Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Landscape: Lento - The Ambrosian Singers
Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Intermezzo: Andante Sostenuto - The Ambrosian Singers
Spoken Introduction - The Ambrosian Singers
Epilogue: Alla Marcia Moderato (Ma Non Troppo) - The Ambrosian Singers
Fantasia (Variazioni Senza Tema)
Scherzo Alla Marcia (Per Stromenti A Fiato)
Cavatina (Per Stromenti Ad Arco)
Toccata

Customer Reviews:

A Great First Buy on Ralph Vaughan Williams........2007-06-05

Up until recently, I was only vaguely familiar with the music of British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. After reading the reviews and noticing the lower than usual price for this set, I thought I'd give it a listen. I'm definitely glad I did as this is some very beautiful music indeed.
All nine of Vaughan William's symphonies are included here along with four bonus pieces, the Concerto Accademico for Violin, the Bass Tuba Concerto, "Three Portraits from the England of Elizabeth" and the overture for the stage play "The Wasps".
Conductor Andre Previn definitely brings these works to life in a mighty way. The "Sea Symphony" is a real standout with its beautiful choral arrangements and orchestrations. Other standouts are the "Pastoral" third symphony and the dramatic Stravinsky-esque fourth symphony.
Indeed, all of the music here is something special and I'm very satisfied to have this set as my introduction to the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Like other reviewers have stated here, this is definitely a must-have collection and I can't think of a better way to start a Vaughan Williams library than with this.

A small footnote: After listening to the first movement of "A Sea Symphony", it may be quite possible that John Lennon sampled a small section of it for "Revolution 9" on the Beatles' White Album. The section in question occurs roughly 12 minutes into the first movement. It's very brief but it immediately stuck out once it was heard.

Vaughan Williams' wonderful music at last..........2007-04-21

Ralph Vaughan Williams was in my opinion one of the very greatest composers of music. Never content with what he had just written, but nevertheless staunch in his principles, over his lifetime he created a series of amazingly vital and original pieces. I could write many pages about these works, so will just say a little about my favorite of all, the incredible Symphony No 8 in D minor. Written at the extraordinary age of 86, the sheer musical inventiveness of this truly unbelievable piece is without equal and I include here all the "great" classical composers such as Beethoven, Brahms and the like. The first movement "Variations in search of a theme" is serious, thought-provoking and modern, yet unmistakably RVW. Its one of the most original first movements ever written ( owing nothing whatsoever to the classical tradition) and though asking more questions than it answers, is a movement even if you have never listened to any of RVWs music before demands attention and absolutely requires you to listen more. The second movement "Cavatina" is one of the most ghostly-beautiful slow movements ever written. The only thing I can really compare it with is RVWs own "The Lark Ascending" though for me this is a far more complex and challenging piece. I have listened to Barber's famous " Adagio for Strings", written at about the same time as this,and for me, this is an even greater and more moving piece - well Barber hadn't written the so-called "Pastoral" Symphony for practice had he ? The third movement is a typically gruff RVW scherzo. I can just see the old geezer galumphing round his garden complaining about his musicians, modern taxation, life in general... It's really funny and whenever can you say that of Mozart, Beethoven , Brahms and company...?The fourth movement is is ...how on earth do you describe this absolutely extraordinary finale. Part village band, part religious apotheosis, this is music truly not of the everyday earth which we inhabit, but something much more glorious, more astonishing... In this movement RVW uses just about every musical instrument known to man - he must have had enormous fun composing it... but the first entry of the celeste is the moment you all need to listen for.

André Previn has chosen some of the very finest of RVWs works to record on this set and for me this is his greatest testament as a conductor. His sheer (and somewhat amazing in itself as a jazz musician) love for RVWs music comes out tops here. A great recording and an absolutely tremendous bargain.

Previn & Vaughan Williams: An Excellent Coupling.......2007-01-10

I have some of these recordings on RCA Red Seal LPs from the late 1960's. I think it is one the best of three symphony cycles in my possession. The other two are Colin Davis/Sibelius and Herbert Blomstedt/Nielsen. Some of my RVW LPs are Adrian Boult and some are Andre Previn. I prefer Previn. Previn really digs into this music. My three favorites: #2 (London), #3 (Pastoral) and #5. It gives me goose bumps being able to listen to them without rice krispies in the background. Kudos to RCA for re-releasing these gems.

Can't get any better.......2004-07-19

If you've ever thought of getting all of the RVW symphonies but haven't, because of cost or what not, there are no more excuses. This is the best set ever. Previn and the LSO had a magical relationship 30 years ago, and no one has ever done these symphonies better. If you find some of them tough nuts to crack, don't worry; RVW isn't easy music, but it is well worth it. It's not supposed to be simple. The only caveat: analog sound. Now RCA was capable of great sound in the 1970's, and the sound is frankly better than the newer RCA series with Slatkin. But if superb digital sound is paramount, you won't go wrong with Handley's set with Liverpool. It's another top notch cycle. Still, I rate Previn tops in this music. RCA is to be commended for releasing this set, as well as the others in the series...check them out!

Comprehensive and Impressive Collection.......2004-04-07

Listen to the bold beginning of Ralph Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony, and you've captured the essence of VW at his best. This is the first of 9 symphonies by a composer who is surely England's greatest Symphonist. His essays in the form span the first half of the twentieth century, but include few of its radical elements. Vaughan Williams was a traditionalist throughout, and surely it was that conservative outlook that drew him to the symphonic form in the first place.

Listening to his second symphony, A London Symphony, one hears typical Vaughan Williams-almost entirely melodic in its conception, with lots of diatonic, modal or pentatonic writing, and a touch of chromatic harmony to flavour the melody. It's beautiful, and the music spans a wide emotional gamut from intense introspection to joyous celebration. Only in the 4th Symphony does VW really open himself to a more contrapuntal and dissonant style, and the consequence is that the composition becomes quite reminiscent of Prokofiev or Schostakovich, the two other great Symphonists of the time. Following the 5th Symphony, however, I feel that VW's artistic output suffers. The later pieces, with the exception of the 7th Symphony, Sinfonia Antarctica-based on music he'd composed for the film Scott of the Antarctic--lack the vigor and excitement of the earlier works. They're more introspective, perhaps as befits an older composer, but they don't speak to me as strongly as, say, the later symphonies of Mahler or Schostakovich. Perhaps it is that VW was resistant to change in his basic musical outlook, but by the 1950's, the diatonic/pentatonic ideas he frequented had become increasingly irrelevant. That VW was brilliant and a master craftsman is unquestionable, but he seemed to need new fuel for his compositional fires and was unwilling to consider the atonality of Schoenberg and his followers, the rhythmic vitality of Stravinsky and Bartok, or even the orchestral colours and dramatic juxtapositions of Gustav Mahler. There are still many moments of brilliance, but as a whole the later works move me less.

All of the performances by Andre Previn and the London symphony Orchestra are superb-no one plays this music better. With 9 Symphonies and four other orchestral works-the Concerto Accademico, the Tuba Concerto, the Wasps Overture, and Three Portraits from The England of Elisabeth-this collection is packed with value, and I can scarcely do it justice in the limited room I have. While the Concerto Accademico seems aptly titled and not terribly engaging, the Three Portraits are a gem of VW's work for television. Its worth the price for the first two symphonies and the Sinfonia Antarctica alone, everything else is just gravy--or perhaps I should say, baked beans on toast! All in all, a terrific deal.

Portraits Of Freedom: Music of Aaron Copland and Roy Harris
Average customer rating:

The True Spirit Of America

Great Lesser-known Masterpieces

James Earl Jones Is SUPURB

Great Fourth of July album

Perfect collection of patriotic fare.

Portraits Of Freedom: Music of Aaron Copland and Roy Harris
Aaron Copland , Roy Harris , Gerard Schwarz , Seattle Symphony Orchestra , James Earl Jones , and Seattle Chorale
Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Harris | Harris, Roy | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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Copland conducts Copland

Copland: Old American Songs/Canticle Of Freedom/Four Motets

Copland: Music for Films

Aaron Copland: Lincoln Portrait; Old American Songs

Copland: The Music of America

ASIN: B0000006YT
Release Date: 1994-05-03

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
Lincoln Portrait
Canticle Of Freedom
An Outdoor Overture
American Creed: Free To Dream
American Creed: Free To Build
When Johnny Comes Marching Home

Amazon.com

This is a mixture of choral and orchestral music by two great American composers, music that can only be described as patriotic. But don't let that keep you away from Copland's heartbreaking Lincoln Portrait or Roy Harris's much-neglected American Creed. James Earl Jones supplies the narration in Lincoln Portrait. American Creed is filled with Harris's usual open harmonies and melodic expansiveness and is actually a very complex triple fugue. The miking for this entire recording isn't as close to the orchestra or clear as it could be, but this is a great collection nonetheless. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

The True Spirit Of America.......2006-05-18

It is often the case that the true spirit of America can be found in the artists it has given the world throughout history. And no composer embodies our nation's spirit much better than Aaron Copland, as can be gauged on this Delos recording of works by him and fellow American composer Roy Harris, as performed by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra under music director Gerard Schwarz.

The true essence of patriotism, a term too often used for less-than-honorable ends by certain political operatives throughout history, is very evident in both Copland's and Harris' works. Harris is represented by the intensely proud two-part work "American Creed", and his 1935 overture "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", based on the famous World War I song. It is also evident in Copland's rarely heard "Canticle Of Freedom", which here is sung by the Seattle Symphony Chorale.

It is in the three popular Copland pieces--"Fanfare For The Common Man"; "Lincoln Portrait"; and "An Outdoor Overture"--that the best of America lies. The towering brass chorale of "Fanfare" symbolizes, as its title surely indicates, the ability of the common man to achieve the uncommon; while "An Outdoor Overture", written in the 1930s for the Manhattan High School of Music & Art, celebrates American youth. And then there's "Lincoln Portrait", with the words of our 16th president spoken by James Earl Jones, one of our country's greatest actors and voices, with great strength and authority, allowing us to know that while we may be the greatest nation on Earth, we can ALWAYS be better. Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony provide masterful performances throughout this stunning 1992 recording. This is highly recommended for anyone wanting to know the true spirit of our nation beyond the constant and often wreckless political rhetoric that so often abounds here.

Great Lesser-known Masterpieces.......2005-11-03

Portraits of Freedom is a CD featuring works by Aaron Copland and Roy Harris which have a special emphasis on democracy. Not just a "hack" American music CD, features include the very well known to some virtually unknown compositions making this a welcome addition to the Copland/Harris recorded music oeuvre.

Fanfare for the Common Man brings nothing new, but it is such a great miniature. Less recorded is the Lincoln Portrait. Copland opens with a slow triumphant fanfare melody which gives way to a faster "Camptown Races" melody and brilliantly weaves the two together. The piece ends with a dramatic reading by James Earl Jones.

Canticle of Freedom, rarely heard, features chorus. The music and text are interesting enough to wonder why it has been neglected. Along with the Outdoor Overture, Copland uses not only uses his trademark rhythms and harmonies, but dissonance is judiciously placed to give his music an American experience.

Roy Harris' American Creed and When Johnny Comes Marching Home are also rarely heard, nonetheless recorded. Harris' music is a bit more ponderous than that of Copland, and while Harris sticks with more classical formal designs, it is interesting to note the many harmonic and orchestration similarities which exist between the two composers. Harris' energetic "When Johnny..." is also very interesting, especially when compared to the more famous American Salute by Morton Gould.

The liner notes are voluminous accounts into the background of Copland. You really get the gist of how close he was to music and patriotism and how that evolved throughout the 20th Century. The Seattle Symphony plays well on this disk; you can tell they have a real feel of the music. While you can find better recordings of Fanfare and the Outdoor Overture, you can't beat this Lincoln Portrait, and you probably won't find the other works anywhere else, especially so well performed. Copland was serious about music and democracy and it shows in these works; the lesser known ones are greatly eclipsed by his more famous works, and so you probably have to be a Copland junkie to buy this CD. In that case, this will be an easy buy for you!

James Earl Jones Is SUPURB.......2004-10-02

I have listened to several recordings of the Lincoln Portait narrated by Henry Fonda, Carl Sandberg and Katherine Hepburn. James Earl Jones surpases all of them by a wide margin. Every word James speaks comes from his heart and it is a moving experience.

An interesting note: Every speaker since James reads the following line, "government of the people, by the people, and for the people." with the emphasis on the words "of", "by" and "for". When James reads it he shift the emphasis to the word "people" each time and it makes an impressive difference. He is masterful. I've must have played this piece at least 10 times since I received it a week ago.

Buy it!

Jeff

Great Fourth of July album.......2003-01-11

If you buy this CD, you'll probably do so for Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait." You won't be disappointed, either, for this is one of the best renditions of that particular symphonic war-horse in print. It's well performed, and James Earl Jones's majestic voice transcends the kitschier aspects of Copland's narration.

"Fanfare for the Common Man" is also here in all its brassy glory, although if you're like me you've heard it so often it gives you a headache. But in all likelihood you haven't heard the other Copland works on this CD: "Canticle of Freedom" and the seldom-performed "An Outdoor Overture." "An Outdoor Overture" is second-tier Copland -- a pleasant symphonic poem, nothing too remarkable. "Canticle of Freedom," on the other hand, exemplifies Copland's worst tendencies as a composer; most of it is just noisy and not musically interesting.

The real surprise here is Roy Harris's three-movement "American Creed," which is both inspiring and musically sound. It is a patriotic symphony that mostly avoids bombast, and it ought to be performed far more often. Harris is a much underrated composer, and this is one of his best works.

On the whole, this CD is a smashing good classical music collection for a Flag Day or Fourth of July holiday -- or for any time you just want to celebrate being an American.

Perfect collection of patriotic fare........1999-10-14

The inclusion of Copland's "Fanfare" and "A Lincoln Portrait" into a CD such as this is a no-brainer, but these recordings are the best of their kind--tremendous sound, and the quintessential narrator in Jones to complete it. Schwarz also blesses us with one of Copland's little-known choral works that sends a powerful patriotic message, and the "Outdoor Overture" is simply Copland at his jovial best at the prime of his composing career. The selected Harris works add further impact to the disc: the only recording available of "American Creed," along with Harris' unforgettable interpretation of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," round it out wonderfully. The Roy Harris works may be the true highlight of the disc--if that's possible. Another splendid job by Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony.

Average customer rating:

Fay Claassen made me happy

Two Portraits of Chet Baker
Fay Claassen
Manufacturer: Jazz'n Pulz
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Easy To Love
Lush Life
Surrender
Your Eyes
There's Something About You I Don't Know

ASIN: B000FJH57W
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Tracks:

Line for Lyons
Swinghouse
First Song
Turnstile
Walking Shoes
Ponciana
Jeru
Love Me or Leave Me
Godchild
Nights at the Turntable
Frenesi
Soft Shoe
Line for Lyons

Tracks:

I Fall in Love Too Easily
I Remember You
My Funny Valentine
Let's Get Lost
He Was Too Good to Me
Touch of Your Lips
Thrill Is Gone
Look for the Silver Lining
Retrato Em Branco E Preto
Almost Blue
Conception/Deception
Blame It on My Youth

Album Description

"A talented young singer who is definitely on an upward curve … one of the better big-band-with-vocalist albums of the year." -ALL ABOUT JAZZ

"Singer Fay Claassen pays respect to the American popular song in a jazz context that is entirely her own. Fay is worth hearing because of the sincerity with which she handles lyrics. She can scat in a solid, rhythmic way and also has an attractive, breezy voice." -DOWN BEAT

"Although Claassen swings, she isn't an aggressive or forceful sort of vocalist - her post-bop outlook is urbane, sophisticated, elegant, and refined." -ALL MUSIC GUIDE

"Fay Claassen has got a strong mezzo voice that can handle some of the most sinuous, difficult melodic lines I've ever heard. She improvises with élan and her interpretive ability is formidable. She's to singing what Audrey Hepburn was to the movies - elegant, effervescent, and always on a dangerously seductive yet graceful edge." -CADENCE

This double album, developed with the help of musicians who have worked directly with Chet Baker, highlights two periods: Chet Baker's instrumental work with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, and his vocal pieces. Fay Claassen's performances are graceful, elegant, smooth, and sophisticated - like Soesja Citroen, she is a Dutch jazz vocalist who has no problem with the English language! Considered by many to be the world's fastest-rising vocal jazz star, Claassen has recorded with well known jazz musicians including Mike Stern, Kenny Werner, Toots Thielemans, Joe Locke, and Steve Davis.

Customer Reviews:

Fay Claassen made me happy.......2006-12-05

Maybe I should start by mentioning that in my youth I was a great fan of West Coast jazz, especially of the music of Gerry Mulligan. I listened to the Gerry Mulligan quartet day after days and today I can still sing in unison every single note that Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker played on such famous tunes as "Line for Lions" and "Walking Shoes". So when I received and listened to the Fay Claassen double CD named "Fay Claassen Sings Two Portraits of Chet Baker" Fay hit the jackpot with me.

The CD was done in remembrance of Chet 75th birthday. Listening to the first CD, it is quite obvious that it is like a retake of the famous Gerry Mulligan piano-less quartet, but we have Jan Menu on baritone, Hein van de Geyn on bass, John Engel on drums and Fay taking the Chet's place on vocal.
Obviously the period that Chet spend with the Gerry Mulligan quartet was purely as a trumpet player, Fay sings Chet's parts, nearly note for note. Most of the famous Gerry Mulligan tunes are covered. It is also obvious that all four musicians know the music very well as sometimes it is just so uncanny how similar they sound to the
original quartet. Fay scats in unison with the baritone sax just like Chet did with his trumpet, the interplay between the two is just fabulous, just listen to Fay on "Swinghouse" and "Poinciana".
Well when "Walking Shoes" came on I just could not resist I joined in and sang in unison with them. It was so much fun!!!
Luckily for you this version does not appear on the CD.
The second CD is a different thing all together, Fay concentrate on Chet Baker vocal repertoire, with such tunes as "The Touch of Your Lips", "Let's Get Lost","I Fall in Love Too Easily" and even sings in Italian "Retrato em Branco epreto" ("Portrait in Black and White"). She sings very much in Chet style but uses a greater vocal range.
On this CD joining in are Jan Wessels on trumpet
playing in the style of Chet, and Karel Boehle on piano. The arrangements on the second CD are by bassist extraordinaire
Hein van de Geyn, he obviously has a great affinity with Chet's music having been Chet's bass player for many years.

It is a concept CD, but it works well and most of all made me happy like no other vocal CD I bought in a long long time.
Fay is outstanding, her vocal abilities are limitless, she scats,sings to perfection.
I cannot think of any other jazz vocal cd that can even come close to challenge this one for best of 2006

Average customer rating:

Can't add anything to the other reviews...
Kenton's arrangements are the best
Separated @ Birth?
where did all that sound come from?
Where has this one been?

Portraits on Standards
Stan Kenton
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sketches on Standards
The Romantic Approach/Sophisticated Approach
The Best of Stan Kenton
Adventures in Jazz
Cuban Fire!

ASIN: B00005JGRG
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Tracks:

You And The Night And The Music
My Reverie
I've Got You Under My Skin
Autumn In New York
April In Paris
How High The Moon
Crazy Rhythm
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
Baia
Street Of Dreams
Don't Take Your Love From Me
More Love Than Your Love
Alone Too Long
The Lady In Red
Under A Blanket Of Blue

Album Description

After a series of groundbreaking albums of adventurous new music, Stan Kenton took his band into the studio on July 8, 1953 to cut a 10" album of standards, uniquely arranged by Bill Russo,. "Portraits On Standards" proved a great success and re-enforced Kenton's jazz credentials. With soloists like Lee Konitz,, Zoot Sims, Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino and Sal Salvador, the band swung like mad. Added to the original 10" LP are 7 more standards from the period arranged by Kenton with soloists Art Pepper, Bud Shank and Laurindo Almeida.

Customer Reviews:

Can't add anything to the other reviews..........2007-04-05

This CD has been extremely well reviewed already, so there is really nothing to add, except another opinion that this is a five star album. Every track is delightful.

If I have a criticism of the Kenton band in general, it is that much of their output is probably better heard live or in concert than at home or in the office on CD. At times Kenton likes to get out the brass knuckles and hit you over the head with a barrage of sound. This does not apply to this album, which is delightfully mellow and relaxed and guaranteed NOT to give you a headache.

Kenton's arrangements are the best.......2007-03-18

As noted by the Amazon review, this album was originally not a full-sized LP, but 10", and featured the arrangements of Bill Russo. According to the liner notes, Kenton didn't usually like Russo's arrangements. Russo had studied with Lennie Tristano, and it showed. His arrangements were lighter, less emotional, and had a different texture. Russo convinced Kenton that he should arrange a "book" of dance tunes, and the first eight tunes on the album are those arrangements.

The rest of the album is made up of Kenton arrangements recorded at various times between 1951-1954, and you can hear the difference immediately. Kenton liked to write harmony for a section at a time, and his arrangements are typically more emotional, romantic and powerful.

In my mind, the best tracks on the album are Kenton's - "Street of Dreams", "Under a Blanket of Blue", and others are very powerful and beautiful arrangements. That's not to take anything away from Russo's charts. In fact, several of Russo's charts are also very good.

This band was filled with all-stars - Art Pepper, Conte Condoli, Frank Rosolino, Zoot Sims, Bud Shank, and many others, and the quality of playing is outstanding. Highlights include Pepper's solo in "Street of Dreams", Rosolino in "I've Got it Bad" and several others.

While this CD isn't ground-breaking Kenton, it is Kenton at his most musical - a great band, great tunes, and classic arrangements.

Separated @ Birth?.......2004-01-16

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD) look like Stan Kenton?

A good buy.

where did all that sound come from?.......2002-05-17

The other reviewers have said much already - the great personnel of the Kenton band in that era, those great Russo and Kenton ballad arrangements, the liner notes with personnel listings and arranger credits, the great treatments of classic tunes.
I would add that I couldn't believe the great sound quality of this particular remastering for cd! So crisp and clear! Was all that sound detail on the master tapes?? I have the original 10" LP with the first eight tracks of the cd. Man, what a difference! Its like Rossolino, Konitz, and the other soloists are right up there, front stage in the sound picture. I played through the album a second time with the volume rather high. Hope the neighbors dig Kenton! If they didn't they may now.
And after so many second or third rate compilations of Kenton stuff has been around for so long - this great release. Way to go Capitol!
I highly recommend this album to any Kenton fans or those who dig music of this genre!

Where has this one been?.......2002-04-11

I had never owned the LP version of 'Portraits' and bought this as part of a 'buy two for a better price' deal -- and I have listened to it repeatedly. The soloists are characterstically superb and the arrangement interesting enough to add new interest to songs of which any big band fan owns multiples.

While Kenton's band always delivers on the hard swinging numbers (Crazy Rhythm is a standout -- nice Lee Konitz solo), the slower pieces fare unusually well here. 'Street of Dreams' and 'Don't Take Your Love from Me' (superb Bud Shank solo) are mellow and sentimental without sleepwalking. Chris Connor on 'Baia' is a unique treat -- using her vocals in the best instrumental tradition.

'Autumn in New York', always a great tune, features a smooth trumpet by Buddy Childers that makes this version something special. The balance of the collection more than holds its own.

Tracks:

Rhapsody In Blue - George Gershwin
Yamekraw - Marcus Roberts
'I Got Rhythm' Variations - George Gershwin

Customer Reviews:

Blue Review.......2007-01-19

I enjoyed seeing the performance more than listening to the performance on the CD.

Exhilerating, Exhuasting, Amazing.......2006-06-01

Get ready to be blown out of your socks. Improvisation liberates these classics, revealing perhaps how stuffy written music can be. Wonderfully engaging. Marcus shares his genius for interpretation.

The blues-est Rhapsody in Blue.......2003-03-20

This has to be the most raucous, the most bluesy, the most improvisational Rhapsody in Blue ever recorded. And not all of the best improvisation is by Marcus Roberts. Wailing clarinets and wandering trumpets abound. And it is all in a spirit of the original, so much so that I believe jazz-loving Gershwin would have approved.

All of Gershwin's original music is there, but much of it is taken at unusual tempos -- speeded up, slowed down or synchopated -- with many additional minutes of improvisation that actually fit with the original. I'm usually a traditionalist, so I wasn't sure I really wanted to hear a 28-minute Rhapsody in Blue, figuring it probably had a lot of filler. It doesn't. This is music that makes me smile.

Oh yes, there are also two additional pieces, which are very good. The James P. Johnson piece is NOT stride piano, which threw me for a loop. But it IS a sort of answer to Gershwin's Rhapsody. Written just 3 years after the Gershwin original, it is also a multi-themed bluesy 20-minute mini-symphony. And there are the I Got Rhytm variations, which are catchy and inventive. But Rhapsody is what you're buying here, and it may be the best one I've ever heard.

Old tune with a lot of new invention.......2001-02-02

I wasn't expecting to be excited by another version of "Rhapsody" but thought it would be a good way get into Marcus Roberts... This version goes way beyond the classic. Ragtime, swing and a little Kansas City are all packed into this complete remastering. The results not only capture Gershwin's jazz/classical fusion but take the listener on a historical journey through jazz's pre-bebop days. Marcus excels at invention demonstrating continuously his complete mastery of piano influences, tones and colors.

Philip Smith, Principal Trumpet, New York Philharmonic

Average customer rating:

Philip Smith shines
Flawless
Good variety, superb performances
Top Notch!!
One of the finest trumpet-and-piano discs you'll hear.

Philip Smith, Principal Trumpet, New York Philharmonic

Manufacturer: Cala Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Orchestral Excerpts For Trumpet
David Hickman, Trumpet
From Moscow With Love
Trumpet in our Time
On the Twentieth Century

ASIN: B00000FDEJ
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Concert Piece For Eight Trumpets
Intrada
Lnde
Triptyque: Scherzo
Triptyque: Largo
Triptyque: Saltarelle
To a Wild Rose
Amazing Grace
Someone To Watch Over Me
Festival Fanfare For Eight Trumpets
Brass Music: Rondo For Lifey
Brass Music: Fanfare For Bima
Song For Cornet
Trio In E-Flat For Trumpet, Violin And Piano: Andante
Trio In E-Flat For Trumpet, Violin And Piano: Allegro molto
Trio In E-Flat For Trumpet, Violin And Piano: Adagio
Trio In E-Flat For Trumpet, Violin And Piano: Allegro molto
Two Portraits: Psalm
Two Portraits: Incantation
There's A Great Day Coming For Six Trumpets

Customer Reviews:

Philip Smith shines.......2007-07-01

We have here yet another installment of the CALA New York Legends series, and it is no less beautiful and superb than any previous. Philip Smith, the principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic for over 20 years now, with this album, fully shows why he was both given that position and how he has been able to maintain it with the respect of trumpet players worldwide. Indeed I recommend any of the albums from that series, and I think it must be something in the water because these New Yorkers are all phenomenal musicians, from Glenn Dicterow, to Jeanne Baxtresser, and on to Philip Myers and Joseph Alessi.

Philip Smith begins the album with a concert piece for 8 trumpets featuring other fabulous trumpet players of whom great things have also been heard. He then continues on with the Intrada written by friend/composer/pianist Joseph Turrin, which is rapidly becoming a popular recital piece among trumpet players despite its youth. The album then proceeds to two pieces well known to trumpet players for both their aesthetic values and also their difficulty. Smith plays Legend by Enescu and the Tomasi Triptyque with enviable beauty and technique. We are then treated to an American tribute where Philip Smith brings beauty and grace to such famous tunes known to all Americans such as Amazing Grace and Someone to Watch Over Me. We then have another multiple trumpet piece which is here a fanfare which again features New York's finest. We are then given the 2 remaining movements of the Brass Music chamber piece written by Bernstein, and which the remaining movements are included on the albums by Philip Myers and Joseph Alessi. Philip Smith then delights us with a gorgeous song for cornet. The highlight of this album is indeed here where the Trio for Trumpet, Violin, and Piano by Eric Ewazen is taken and given such beauty that it redefines the word. Ewazen's name is known well to any brass player for his chamber music, and this is his largest rising piece and is performed very frequently for a piece less than 15 years old, and listening to this performance, you are left in no doubt why. This "recorded recital" finishes up with two portraits and a jazzy piece, the portraits again a gift to us by Joseph Turrin, and "It's a great day coming" for six trumpets a well-known piece that shows us that Philip Smith, master of the orchestral trumpet can also handle himself well enough in the jazz setting as well.

This album is a wonderful argument in favour of everything that the 20th and 21st century chamber trumpet is. You would be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable or better performed disc of trumpet chamber music. Philip Smith's technique rivals that of any trumpet soloist (indeed he has soloed himself with the New York Philharmonic no less than 75 times in his career thus far), and his lyric playing is quite obviously supreme and seems almost to contain the beauty that one hears in the performance of a string master in his mastery of phrasing. Any trumpet enthusiast or performer should not under any circumstances be without this disc. Even if the trumpet isn't your cup of tea, I still recommend this disc, and indeed I have personally showed this one to people who do not like the sound of the trumpet who have themselves later gone and purchased this album for themselves. It's not the cheapest CD ever, this is true, but it is worth easily 4 or 5 other chamber trumpet CDs, so the price is still more than fair.

In short, an absolutely brilliant musical statement that is most essential to any brass player and highly recommended for any other chamber music enthusiast.

Flawless.......2006-04-06

Phil Smith's performance on this album is pure perfection. I have many albums that display a performer's dazzling technique, but few with equal artistry and musicality. Truly, this is a 'must have' for any collection.

Good variety, superb performances.......2005-08-12

Philip Smith collaborates with some other excellent trumpeters (including Fred Mills, Vince Penzarella, and Robert Sullivan) in this album. The Tomasi Triptyque is well executed, with good dynamics, articulation, and tone. Basically, you can't find fault with Smith's playing on any of these recordings. The Ewazen Trio is another good piece, showing off the warmth of Phil's playing. It's also good to hear the several large fanfare pieces, which allow all the guys to open up and blow. This cd will please trumpet aficionados and the regular listener.

Top Notch!!.......2002-06-12

This CD has quickly become one of my favorite trumpet CD's. Philip Smith is sensational. I particularly enjoyed the Enescu and the Ewazen. I heard the Ewazen on Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and quickly called to find out where I could purchase the CD.

One of the finest trumpet-and-piano discs you'll hear........2001-07-13

This is superb trumpet playing in solo and ensemble settings. I've never heard the Enesco "Legende" played better. Smith has a long history as a cornet and trumpet soloist with Salvation Army bands. He can sound alternately brilliant and mellow, stident and serene. This disc has changed my trumpet playing for the better and given me lots of enjoyment. Smith takes a simple song like "Amazing Grace" and makes something truly memorable of it. Truly gorgeous tone production and phrasing.

Kudos also go to Joseph Turrin for his excellent accompaniment. His compositions are first-rate too, especially the first of his "Two Portraits."

Tracks:

Cosi fan tutte: Temerari! ... Come scoglio
Cosi fan tutte: Ei parte ... Per pieta, ben mio
Cosi fan tutte: In uomini, in soldati
Le nozze di Figaro: E Susanna non vien! ... Dove sono i bei momenti
Le nozze di Figaro: Giunsi alfin il momento .... Al desio
Don Giovanni: Batti, batti, o bel Masetto
Don Giovanni: In quali eccessi ... Mi tradi quell'alma ingrata
Davidde penitente, K469: Lungi le cure ingrate
Exsultate, jubilate

Amazon.com essential recording

Bartoli, in her musical journey defying all stereotypes, paints multi- dimensional vocal portraits of these Mozart characters. From the most delicate pianissimo to the grandest forte, this superb recording leaves you breathless. While others struggle with Come Scoglio's vocal gymnastics and Dove Sono's challenging legato, Bartoli uses her dark timbre, impeccable coloratura and passionate phrasing to create a kaleidoscope of luscious, wildly exciting sound. The fire of Mozart, the "romantic" composer, is brought to life. Occasional breathiness employed for dramatic purposes serves only to seduce the listener even more. Other selections including Exsultate jubilate, Davidde penitente, and selections from Don Giovanni are merely terrific. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

A Truly Great Mozart Recital.......2003-05-24

If I could own just ONE Mozart recital disc, it would be this one. (Though Renee Fleming's Mozart collection is superb as well). I believe that the two arias for Fiordiligi in COSI FAN TUTTE included here are among Bartoli's very finest recordings to date. But all of the arias on this CD are memorably performed. Please buy "Mozart Portraits"!

Stars fell on Italy..........2002-08-14

...the day Cecilia Bartolli was born. Talk about blessed -- all this and such a versatile voice, too. Mozart would have been delighted.

However, I don't think she's perfect. Yet. This recording is, however. The orchestra has just the right timbre to complement the richness of her voice. And it is a rich voice. In fact, my main complaint is that I think she has outgrown Mozart's Susanna. Her voice is perfect for the Countess, and the rendition here of E Susanna non vien! is utterly charming and believable, with just the right touch of pathos.

The other aria that bothered me was the Batti, batti, o bel Masetto. She just sings it beautifully, of course, but it deserves more con fuoco at the beginning (she is, after all, begging to be beaten!) and more espansivo at the end, possibly with a touch of arrogance. Callas sang it that way once.

I prefer Kathleen Battle's Alleluia because she's more precise. Bartolli sings it "scorrevole." It's easy for her, as easy as a mother will sing a lullabye to a child. To me, this prayer needs vocal fireworks -- like an explosion of faith and gratitude. Bertolli can do it, she just chooses not to. That's why I can't fault her for it. After all, she made the album, it's her choice.

In all I really love this album and I love her voice. How wonderful it must be to have the ability to open your mouth and have such musical richness issue forth. The pleasure alone has to be worth all the work and effort it takes to make it that way.

The Best "Exultate, Jubilate".......2002-05-10

"Exultate, Jubilate" seems to be one of those works which every soprano records at some point in her career. Among others, I've heard recordings by Barbara Bonney, Sumi Jo, and Kathleen Battle. But if I had to choose only one recording of "Exultate, Jubilate" to content myself for the rest of my life, it would definetly be this recording - Cecilia Bartoli's. She sings gloriously, with such an infectious joy that I've never heard in the others (Sumi Jo comes close, but still too careful and measured). The orchestration is also great - big and full of gusto, just like Cecilia's voice.

I haven't listened closely to the rest of the disc, but from what I have, it is just as well done as the "Exultate, Jubilate" (especially the Countess's "Dove Sono" and Despina's humorous "In Uomini, in Soldati"). As one reviewer pointed out, this recital would have made Mozart proud - I heartily agree.

bravo bartoli!.......2001-10-21

this got me hooked on Cecilia Bartoli. I heard the Mozart Exultate Jubilate over the radio, every hair on my body upright & quivering with delight. She sings it like you dream to hear someone sing it. Heavenly! And then you disover the rest of the cd is like unpacking a treasure chest - one gem following the other. Don't just sit there, buy it :) For once in your life, you will NOT be sorry :)

Mozart would have been proud.......2001-02-05

It was Maria Callas who complained that Mozrt is too carefully sung by singers - as if they're on their tiptoes. Well, on this disc is a singer who doesn't sing as if she's on her tiptoes; she breaks all the steroetypes associated with Mozart's music (you know, the period style-followers and those who argue that Mozart should be sung lightly)and gives us a completely emotional portrayal of the composer's heroines. Of the many pieces represented, I found the two beautiful Giovanni arias most satisfying, although all are wonderfully sung. Batti, batti is sung with a delicateness that makes you feel like you're eating the sweetest chocolate and enjoying every moment of it. In quali...Mi tradi is sung with a grittiness that really portrays the true emotions of Donna Elvira, who is a broken woman - the feisty singing of the recitativo almost sounds like the vengeful Medea (but thankfully, it isn't quite that extreme). Every note Bartoli sings portrays some kind of emotion - she is a singer who really has a joie de vivre in her singing. Every note is a joy to hear because she is transmitting her own joy for singing. I have rarely heard such a natural commuinicator in singing, which I regard as the highest form of art. In Exsultate, jubilate Bartoli sings like the words - exalted and jubilant. The Alleluia is a sheer joy to hear. Everything on this disc is simply great. I have always said that music is about communication of emotions and this is precisely it. I am not just writing all sorts of superlatives because I'm a huge fan (I am a huge fan though), but because she fulfils the meaning of music through her singing and serves the composer as faithfully as she can. She is a singer that makes you feel great about living. There can't be many performers who can do that. Brava.

Average customer rating:

I Will Not Forget This CD!
Awesome God Praise
true worship that's simple and beautiful
Best Worship CD thus far...
Get ready to be inspired

First Circle
100 Portraits and Waterdeep
Manufacturer: Blue Renaissance
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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You Are so Good to Me
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ASIN: B00003G1N7
Release Date: 1999-12-14

Tracks:

Today
I Will Not Forget You
You Are So Good to Me
You Have Redeemed My Soul
Tender Mercy
Whatever Thing
Those Who Trust
I Could Run Away
Though I Feel Alone
Land of the Living
Put in Me
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Album Description

Enter the Worship Circle: First Circle is a unique praise and worship album. While most such recordings contain covers of the worship standards, this album features all original songs written by 100 Portraits and Waterdeep . What's more, the songs were recorded live and unplugged, and the instrumentation is composed solely of the jangle of acoustic guitars and the rhythms of hand drums. The result is a worship album for those dismayed or uninterested in the grandiose production and operatic vocals of typical praise and worship albums. Enter the Worship Circle :First Circle has a sound that is open and free-form, beautiful as a well-laid plan, but spontaneous as a sincere declaration of love.

Customer Reviews:

I Will Not Forget This CD!.......2006-06-06

This CD always makes it back into my CD player rotation. It is one of my favorite worship CDs for these reasons: it is raw but passionate and it is extremely catchy. Being a praise band, I have loved doing covers of I Will Not Forget You, You Are So Good to Me, You Have Redeemed My Soul, Tender Mercy, and I Could Run Away. These are some of the best praise songs of all time! This CD was recorded in a circle (thus the band name) and it is the best circle of the circles by far. I love the unique folksy songs and you can just picture the musicians playing in a circle with their eyes closed praising to the one true God above. Ben Pasley and Don Chaffer have written brilliant songs that will always find a place in my CD player. Only criticism is that the female vocals sometimes sound a bit whiny. But for the most part, everything sounds great and I wish there were more out their singing with such passion!

Awesome God Praise.......2004-11-02

100 Portraits and Waterdeep have an uncanny way of presenting music that sounds like something God would want to hear! They sing Psalms and praise in such a fresh and simple way. I just love this CD. The simplicity of the songs seems to enable a deeper connection to the Lord while I listen.

true worship that's simple and beautiful.......2003-02-07

'enter the worship circle' is a worship experience you don't want to miss! the lyrics are simple so you can catch on quickly. the music is simple [guitar, i think] and let's you focus on God rather than the music. the worship is so fresh and real that it just draws you in and encourages you to worship God. no fancy sound effects or instruments. there's also a booklet that gives you some advice on how to write your own worship music. it's an amazing cd :) a definite must-have!

Best Worship CD thus far..........2002-11-16

If you call yourself a Christian and have not at least heard this CD, you are truly missing out on real worship and intimacy with Jesus. 100 Portraits and Waterdeep have been absolutely filled with the Holy Spirit in the creation of this album. The songs are truly God breathed, coming from Divine inspiration. This CD will change your life! I cannot even begin to choose a favorite song...every single one is awesome! If you are really wanting to experience God in a way you never have before...get this CD! I recommend listening to it in your room alone; just let the words sing to your heart and you will have one of the greatest times in worship with our awesome Father. Just let God come and meet you half way....He wants to speak to you through this album!

Get ready to be inspired.......2002-02-27

I was so inspired by this album; the music, the emotion, the honesty and the simpleness of the rhythms and sounds. The instructions inside the jacket helped me to write many of my own songs. If you enjoy worshiping God, you'll enjoy this CD.

Average customer rating:

great country music
Portraits
'Portrait' of a great singer
Listen
Spiritual music

Portraits
Emmylou Harris
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years
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Bluebird

ASIN: B000002MKL
Release Date: 1996-10-08

Tracks:

Boulder To Birmingham
Before Believing
Love Hurts
In My Hour Of Darkness
The Angels Rejoiced Last Night
Sleepless Nights
Too Far Gone
If I Could Only Win Your Love
Till I Gain Control Again
One Of These Days
Together Again
Here, There And Everywhere
You're Still On My Mind
Sweet Dreams
Luxury Liner
Making Believe
Pancho And Lefty
Two More Bottles Of Wine
You Never Can Tell (Cest La Vie)
Easy From Now On

Tracks:

Hello Stranger
Everytime You Leave
Beneath Still Waters
Blue Kentucky Girl
To Daddy
Evangeline - Emmylou Harris & The Hot Band
Save The Last Dance For Me
Mister Sandman
And I Love You So
If I Needed You
Roses In The Snow
The Boxer
Wayfaring Stranger
Millworker
Dimming Of The Day
Heaven Ain't Ready For You Yet
Juanita
Born To Run
The Price You Pay
Sweet Chariot
That Lovin' You Feelin' Again

Tracks:

In My Dreams
Love Is
To Know Him Is To Love Him
The Pain Of Loving You
Farther Along
Angel Band
I Still Miss Someone
A River For Him
Heartbreak Hill
Icy Blue Heart
Gulf Coast Highway
We Believe In Happy Endings
West Texas Waltz
Rollin' And Ramblin' (The Death Of Hank Williams)
Casey's Last Ride
Hard Times
Calling My Children Home
Walls Of Time
When I Paint My Masterpiece
No Regrets

Amazon.com

Compared to her sometime singing partner Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris is not an especially distinctive singer or songwriter. She lacks the raw talent to match the towering high points of Parton's career, but at the same time Harris has managed to avoid the embarrassing lapses that have plagued Parton. Harris has exhibited a deep understanding of what makes the best country music endure and a stubborn refusal to accept anything less. You can comb through her 20 albums and never find an embarrassingly corny novelty number, a shamelessly maudlin weeper, or a less-than-flawless vocal. This box set gathers all her commercial hits, staples of her live shows, prime examples of her every phase, her best collaborations with other artists, and five previously unreleased tracks. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

great country music.......2007-05-24

This collection of music is very entertaining and worth the cost of the CD's.

Portraits.......2007-05-13

The product is what I expected. It arrived on time and in the condition advertised.

'Portrait' of a great singer.......2007-03-24

I remember buying an album back in the mid-1970's - Emmylou Harris' "Blue Kentucky Girl" - on a trip to Colorado, and eagerly waiting to get back home to play it. I was enthralled with her soulfully smooth voice back when I was a kid.

This collection features several selections from that album, but is an excellent overview of some of her finest work, including the Dolly Parton-Linda Ronstadt "Trio" days. "Portraits" contains some of my very favorite Emmylou tracks: "Roses In The Snow", "Millworker", "Two More Bottles Of Wine", "Luxury Liner", "Save The Last Dance For Me".

Some of her best duet work is here, too, including her early work with Gram Parsons.

Listen.......2006-10-27

Comparing Emmylou to Dolly is like comparing apples and oranges, and being a professor of writing, I feel I know a thing or two about making comparisons. Emmylou is a true artist and wonderful lyricist. That is, she not only knows exactly how to move the listener through unique, unbelievable and articulate vocalization (which is less constructed, more fluid and more organic than Dolly's twang ever could be), but she knows how to write a damn good song. Emmylou is one of the best female vocalists of our time. If one knows how to listen, and listening is an art, one will hear. Now let's all take a moment to listen and let this woman shine out.

Spiritual music.......2006-05-28

This lady brings out the soul in everything she touches. No disrepect to Dolly Parton but there's just no comparison - to my mind it's only the stuff very close to Dolly's heart and experience (e.g. coat of many colours etc) where she manages anything like this brooding angel.

Average customer rating:

PORTRAIT
To The Unknown Man.
Very good compilation
So, so...
Vangelis revealed

Portraits So Long Ago So Clear
Vangelis
Manufacturer: Polydor / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Themes
The City
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ASIN: B000001EJ8
Release Date: 1997-03-11

Tracks:

To The Unknown Man
Italian Song
Pulstar
La Petite Fille De La Mer
Alpha
I Hear You Now
I'll Find My Way Home
State Of Independence
Himalya
Conquest Of Paradise
Hymn
Antarctica
Sauvage Et Beau
Chariots Of Fire
So Long Ago, So Clear

Customer Reviews:

PORTRAIT.......2006-08-03

Forget the other clunky anthologies.This is the very best of Vangelis.It has everything you will ever want from 1969-1989. Just delete "Italian song" and you have it all. Much reccomended

To The Unknown Man........2005-10-02

Polydor compiles 15 select tracks from Vangelis's prolific career circa 1996. There are several best of discs out there now, but he is long overdue for a two or three disc, digitally remastered best of. If you do not own any Vangelis, then this compilation would be suitable. However, it misses great tracks that were featured on his 1989 compilation "Themes" (which also lacked key Vangelis tracks).

There were a few annoying features to "So Long Ago, So Clear", namely that all the tracks blend into one another making buring any particular track difficult because you would either get the ending of the last song or the beginning of the next one. Also, "Hymn" is a remixed version, which in my opinion, is not as good as the version on "Themes".

Otherwise, you have 15 decent tracks gathered together including some of his best work such as "Chariots Of Fire", "I'll Find My Way Home", "Conquest Of Paradise", "Antarctica" and "La Petite Fille De La Mer". I'd recommend getting "Themes" to round out your best of collection as it has some of his other best work. However, "Themes" is not digitally remastered, and I believe the only way to experience Vangelis's music is digitally remastered.

Certainly one of the greatest composers of modern times and a pioneer of new age/electronic music, even beginning before the godfathers of synthetic music, Kraftwerk. Someone needs to get permission from all the record labels and compile a smart two, three or four disc compilation, with no blending of tracks, all songs in their original album form, digitally remastered.

Very good compilation.......2002-12-26

This was the second CD I've got from vangelis, the first one was "Friends of Mr. Cairo" which wasn't instrumental and included Jon Anderson in vocals. The first impression that Portraits gave me was the quality of the sound: "I'll find my way home" (and the others) sounds much better on Portraits than on Friends of Mr Cairo (it's the same song, but after listening to it a lot in the old CD you'll hear the difference in the quality on this CD). That's because Portraits is remastered, each and every single track were restored from the original master tapes: they just sound as if Vangelis recorded these tracks in a digital studio yesterday night. Or better, it's like if a sound engineer traveled to the past with modern digital equipment and he hiden it in the studio where vangelis recorded those tracks. As a result, the sound is crisp, as never, and I can say that not always a remasterisation gets that good.

The second impression it gave me was the music, and how did Vangelis evolved over the years, you will hear that on this CD. It starts with old(I really mean old) songs like "To the Unknown man" which may be repetitive but that's the deal, does someone ever hear how repetitive "Boléro" from "Maurice Ravel" is?
Then I really get impressed with "La petite Fille de la Mer"("the little girl from the sea"). Each and every time I hear to that song I wanna cry. I don't understand how can an instrumental song make someone cry. I don't understand how can that make me cry, it is that beautiful? Yes, it is. Absolutely. Just hear to it and find out.
Then, well, now that I know many Vangelis albums, I really can't say if this is a good compilation or not. Let's say it is a good compilation just to find out what is vangelis (before getting in), so this CD will help you at least to know which era of vangelis you'll like, the old, the modern, the soundtracks or the songs with Jon vocals. After I concluded that every era in vangelis is good, I felt this album is not needed anymore. To make a really good vangelis compilation, you'll need to buy each and every album, buy an MP3 CD player, a CD burner, and take 1 day of your time to rip all the songs you want to hear into One and mighty CD with vangelis MP3 inside. Actually, yes, Vangelis is that good. You'll maybe need to burn more than one mp3 CD....

So, so..........2002-03-07

Personally, I think this a mixed bag of incompatible styles thrown together. I'd recommend you get Bladerunner's score, 1492's score, and Themes (for the Bounty tracks and a few other oddball ones here and there). Between the three of those you have what is, in my opinion, his best works. If you still want some of his more "new age" type electronic instrumentals and vocal tracks (with that odd-sounding singer), this one might be to your taste. I think if you're really into that stuff, though, you'll have a huge variety to choose from in his other albums and you should probably just start buying those. I mean, if you like that stuff, eventually you'll end up buying them anyway and this will just be redundant. The mastering on Portraits is top notch, at least.

Vangelis revealed.......2000-12-31

I don't know what Vangelis could possibly say in words that he hasn't said in music in this album. For a reputed recluse, this compilitation is very revealing, it's his statement to us, "Here I am". I don't think it coincidental that he begins with 'To the unknown man' and after he has taken us on a musical exploration of his life, he sends us on our way with a casual 'So long ago, so clear'.

In 'Portraits' the recordings are not organised chronologically. It's more like a developmental process beginning with his early work in sythesizers and electronic orchestration (see 'Pulstar' and 'Alpha'). There are selections hinting at personal growth also such as the childlike sounds of 'Italian Song' and the innocence of 'La Petite Fille De La Mer'. Collaborative works with Jon Anderson, who could be called the voice of Vangelis come next, and then we are treated to the grand and epic orchestral pieces. Tracks such as 'I'll find my way home' and 'State of Independence' no longer hint at personal development, they speak directly to self discovery, spiritual quests and growth. These themes are also woven into 'Conquest of Paradise' and 'Chariots of Fire' and tell me that 'Hymn' and 'Antarctica' don't make you contemplative.

I agree with the other reviewers who say that it is awkward to play individual songs out of sequence because of the bridging technique, but I think it's deliberate. To me the real enjoyment of this collection comes from listening to it in one sitting. Let Vangelis tell the story of his life in music without interruption. It's a beatiful story.

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