Voice of an Angel

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Those leery and weary of tasteless crossover need not shudder at the sight of this disc, which has sold over half a million copies in Europe. There's none of the softcore kiddie porn that came with Vanessa-Mae or the heavily packaged faux romanticism of Andrea Bocelli. (That of course doesn't necessarily mean that you'll want Voice of an Angel.) This 12-year-old Welsh soprano is so uncloyingly cute and has such an appealing personality (with just enough touch of cheek) that you'd almost rather have her as a dinner guest than on your CD player. Her small, attractive, sometimes unstable but always sincere soprano perhaps went to the top of the British charts because it clicks into the boy-soprano choir tradition so prevalent there, especially since many of the selections are sacred items such as "The Lord's Prayer" and "Ave Maria." And Church may pick up some fans thanks to the tail end of Celtic chic, with the Welsh folk songs and the rendition of "Danny Boy." But this promises to be yet another short-lived media phenomenon, rather than the beginning of a lengthy career. --David Patrick Stearns

Tracks:

Ave Maria (new recording)
La Wally (from Time To Say Goodbye)
Winter Light (new recording)
Anytime, Anywhere (from Eden)
Alhambra (new recording)
Lascia Ch'io Pianga (from Eden)
Dans La Nuit (new recording)
Serenade/How Fair This Place (from La Luna)
O Mio Babbino Caro (new recording)
La Luna (from La Luna)
Pie Jesu (new recording)
Figlio Perduto (from La Luna)
Nessun Dorma (new recording)
Bailero (from Eden)
Time To Say Goodbye (New solo version--previously unavailable)

Amazon.com

Have some friends who still haven't discovered what the Sarah Brightman fuss is all about? You'll find the perfect introduction to make converts of them all in Classics, so they'll have no more excuses to remain clueless. Sporting a Botticelli-inspired image of the platinum-selling soprano on the cover, Classics is a classy anthology including highlights from three of Brightman's chart-topping releases along with seven new tracks. Songs personally selected by the diva as her favorite classical interpretations are culled from her previous blockbusters: Time To Say Goodbye, Eden, and La Luna. And whether you're a fan already in the fold or one in the making, the new material here shows the diva at the top of her form, in new renderings of "O Mio Babbino Caro" and "Nessun Dorma" (accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic)--fascinating displays of the operatic confidence she's developed over her career. Other new offerings include a touching version of Schubert's "Ave Maria,' "Winter Light," a fresh take on her signature song "Pie Jesu" (from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem). "Alhambra" and "Dans La Nuit"--a real treat, bathing the listener in Brightman's silky, sensuous vocalism--add two original titles to her famous adaptations of classical melodies to new lyrics (using Chopin's haunting E major Etude in the latter case). All told, a lovely affirmation of the directions Brightman has boldly taken in her career to date. -Sarah Chin

Amazon.com

Sarah Brightman Photos

More from Sarah Brightman

Time to Say Goodbye
Diva: The Singles Collection
Eden

Diva: The Video Collection
Live from Las Vegas
La Luna (Live in Concert)

Customer Reviews:

Sarah's Best Easy Listening CD.......2007-03-15

Sarah Brightman's talent is limitless. Her soprano and/or alto voice is among the best and she lets it show in 'CLASSICS'. CLASSICS is a beautiful, easy listening, and peaceful CD. CLASSICS is one to listen to in tranquil or relaxing moments. "CLASICS" is a collection of great pieces of music written by great composers (Shuburt, Handel, Chopin, Puccini, and the like). I have listened to CLASSICS about 15 times now and it always puts me in a quiet and peaceful mood (I am ~50 years old).

Best Brightman CD.......2007-02-07

A classical composition which showcases the beautiful voice of Sarah Brightman. A timeless CD which will continue to be a favourite over the years.

Sarah Brightman is a Classic.......2007-01-02

Sarah Brightman is at her best in "Classics." From Dvorak's "Rusalka" (Opera B.203) to Beethoven's haunting Op 52, slow movement (Symphony #7), Brightman's voice and lyrical style are a joy. I particularly enjoy her performances of Schubert's Ave Maria and Andrew Lloyd Weber's Pie Jesu. This is a great add to my collection of serious music.

Not The Best - Not the Worst - From Sarah Brightman.......2006-12-30

After purchasing this CD for my iPod for iTunes, I must say that I'm a little bit dissapointed. 7 new recordings and 8 old ones, ones that I already happen to have. I do like the fact that they're all on one CD! Some of her new recordings, including, "Ave Maria", "Winter Light", "Alhambra", "Dans La Nuit", and the new recording of "Pie Jesu" are just too breathy for my taste. It seems as with every changing CD, Sarah's voice changes. I'm not saying that the result is bad; it actually gives the songs more of a dream like quality, but I'm used to the younger, more Andrew Lloyd-Webber integrated Sarah. Scooping continually occurs in new recordings of "O Mio Babbino Caro", and "Nessun Dorma". In some tracks from La Luna, like "Figlio Perduto", Sarah's voice is TOTALLY dominated by harmonizing recordings that sound almost mechanical.

OVERALLY - The new songs sound O.K. and the old recordings are just as good as they were back then. This album is still a great buy!

Nice Cover.......2006-12-27

I'm a heterosexual guy who's not an opera aficionado - I only mention these facts because I seem to be right in the bull's-eye of the target market for this product. Sarah B. has a nice voice and she's pretty. Both of these are featured prominently on this CD. The cover and several pages in the insert are devoted to what must have been a very long and expensive photo shoot (and Photoshop) of a semi-clad Sarah looking marvelous. (The CD also comes with a flyer so you can buy various Brightman "Classics" apparel - perhaps not for the heterosexual male).

As far as the music goes: not bad, not great. I don't claim to have the most discerning ears for this sort of music, but everything was OK by me. However, the pieces on the CD with which I'm somewhat familiar, such as "O Mio Babbino Caro," didn't sound quite as good as other versions I've heard (and that includes by Charlotte Church, not just opera stars). Also, the solo version of "Time to Say Goodbye" didn't sound nearly as good to me as the duet with Bocelli.

In sum, there were 3-4 songs I liked enough to rip to MP3s - which is enough so that I didn't feel ripped myself...

Jerry Hadley - Golden Days - Tenor hits from the Golden Age of Operetta

Average customer rating:

Jerry Hadley - Golden Days - Tenor hits from the Golden Age of Operetta

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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In the Real World
Famous Opera Duets
When I Grow Too Old to Dream
A Song of Naples - Neapolitan Songs
Send in the Clowns: The Ballads of Stephen Sondheim

ASIN: B000003FQQ
Release Date: 1994-08-16

Tracks:

Song of the Vagabonds
I'm Falling in Love With Someone
Streets of New York
Neapolitan Love Song
Desert Song/One Alone
Every Day Is Ladies' Day with Me
Donkey Serenade
Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
Drinking Song
When You're Away
I Love to Go Swimmin' With Wimmin
I Might Be Your Once-In-A-While
Marianne
Serenade
Indian Summer
When I Grow Too Old to Dream
Gypsy Love Song
Golden Days - Jerry Hadley, Mario Lanza

Average customer rating:

One of the best ever!
Kristen Chenowith
Has its moments
Great CD!
This woman has what it takes, and then some...

Let Yourself Go
Kristin Chenoweth , Jule Styne , George Gershwin , Richard Rodgers , Jeanine Tesori , Kurt Weill , Jerome Kern , Vincent Youmans , Ricky Ian Gordon , Richard Dworsky , Lawrence Ellington Duke / Brown , Harry Warren , Bobby Troup , Jason Alexander , Irving Berlin , Rob Fisher , and The Coffee Club Orchestra
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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As I Am
Still I Can't Be Still
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999 Broadway Revival Cast)
Leonard Bernstein's Candide (Great Performances)
WICKED: THE GRIMMERIE, A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT THE HIT BROADWAY MUSICAL

ASIN: B000059T4T
Release Date: 2001-05-29

Tracks:

Let Yourself Go
If
How Long Has This Been Going On?
My Funny Valentine
Hanging Around with You (with Jason Alexander)
The Girl in 14G
I'll Tell the Man in the Street
I'm a Stranger Here Myself
Nobody Else But Me
Nobody's Heart Belongs to Me/Why Can't I?
Should I Be Sweet?
He's Just an Ordinary Guy
Going to the Dance with You
On a Turquoise Cloud
You'll Never Know
Daddy

Amazon.com

Kristin Chenoweth won a Tony for the supporting role of Sally Brown in the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, made a memorably vampy Lily in the 1999 television film of Annie, and had an NBC sitcom created for her, Kristin! Now she grabs the spotlight in Let Yourself Go, her first solo recording. She mixes torchy standards ("My Funny Valentine," "How Long Has This Been Going On?") with Faith Prince-style sauciness ("If"), gets to show off her operatic and scat chops in the miniplay "The Girl in 14G," and shares a light duet with Jason Alexander (reviving his musical theater career post-Seinfeld). Perhaps her "Stranger Here Myself" isn't the weightiest you've ever heard, but this is an enjoyable album with a good deal of old-fashioned class, expertly accompanied by Rob Fisher and the Coffee Club Orchestra. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

One of the best ever!.......2007-04-24

Do I mean the best album or the best singer? You are correct if you said both! I saw Kristin Chenoweth on a PBS show "Broadway's Best at the Pops," (though it was not the first time I had heard her) and decided to check out the offerings here. This is a collection of the kind of music and performances I love. She has a great range, a precise pitch, and a great style that is at the same time true to the music and to herself. In an era when singers try to outdo each other re-interpreting the composer's original work, not usually with great success, she is a blessing!

Kristen Chenowith.......2007-02-26

I bought this CD for the Girl in 14G. Yes, it's that good...

Has its moments.......2007-02-19

After watching Candide endlessly and going to see Ms. Chenoweth in The Apple Tree, I was hungry for something more portable to listen to. At times this fits the bill, but what surprised me the most is how thin her voice comes across on this recording. Perhaps it was the joy of seeing her live that has ruined this listener; perhaps I need to upgrade my aging music system. Then again, maybe the recording is just not as good as Ms. C singing Bernstein or as good as staring at Ms. C command a Broadway stage.

Great CD!.......2007-01-19

I truly enjoy listening to this CD. Kristin Chenoweth's vocal style and abilities are very well-matched to the songs selected for this album. If you enjoy classic, older-style Broadway/popular tunes, I would highly recommend this CD. Ms. Chenoweth has a bright, expressive voice and does a fantastic job with this material.

As with any full-length CD, there are a couple of songs I am not as crazy about, but that has to do with the songs themselves, not Ms. Chenoweth's vocal performance. Overall, I love this album and have listened to it several times now, since receiving it as a Christmas gift last month.

This woman has what it takes, and then some..........2007-01-12

Kristin Chenoweth brings new life to some timeless Broadways tunes while introducing a few wonderful new ones. This high pitched vocal goddess effortlessly provides for a nearly flawless and easy listening experience. I definitly recommend this CD for anyone who enjoys jazz vocals, showtunes, or just a new spin on some old classics.

Average customer rating:

Middle of the road wedding music
just what I was looking for
Most Chosen Selections
Another Great Reference CD
A Nice CD

Bride's Guide to Wedding Music

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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1990s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Bride's Guide to Wedding Music, Vol. II
25 Wedding Favorites
Classical Wedding
Modern Bride Presents the Wedding Album
The Complete Wedding Album

ASIN: B000002SOG
Release Date: 1993-09-14

Tracks:

Three Lute Dances: Prelude: Courante
Sonata In E-Flat: Prelude: Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 In G: Prelude: Allegro
Water Music: Prelude: Suite No. 1- Air
Processional: Trumpet Voluntary (The Prince Of Denmark's March)
Te Deum: Processional: Prelude
Processional: Canon In D
Processional: Trumpet Tune
Lohengrin: Processional: 'Wedding March'
Cantata 147: Ceremony: 'Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring'
The Four Seasons: Ceremony: 'Spring' - Allegro
Ceremony: 'Ave Maria'
Five Mystical Songs: Ceremony: 'The Call'
Ceremony: 'Sheep May Safely Graze'
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Recessional: 'Wedding March'
Solomon: Recessional: 'Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheeba'
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 In F: Recessional: First Movement
Organ Symphony No. 5: Recessional: Toccata

Customer Reviews:

Middle of the road wedding music.......2007-01-20

I bought this cd because I had everything in my wedding planned to the last tiny detail except the ceremony music. All the songs on the cd are nice traditional wedding songs. I did not use any of the music from the cd, but I am glad I bought it because it helped me realize that traditional wedding music was not what I wanted. All and all a nice classical music cd but not for brides who really want a personal ceremony. BTW I went with Enya and Lorena McKennitt.

just what I was looking for.......2007-01-10

We wanted traditional wedding music and found it in this CD. I'm no music expert, but the arrangements and performances seemed fine. I would definitely recommend this CD for any bride looking for a concise collection of traditional wedding pieces.

Most Chosen Selections.......2006-03-13

As a wedding officiant, my wife and I are often asked to assist the couple with other services for their ceremony, such as music. For this, we have a very large selection in our music library to choose from. We have put together a catalog of cd's that we loan out to the couple for their review, and most often, their selections come from BRIDE'S GUIDE TO WEDDING MUSIC.

If you're planning a traditional or formal wedding on a budget, this cd has it all. There are even two selections of Wagner's "Wedding March" to choose from. Only two of the selections have vocals, the rest are all extraordinary instrumental selections.

Often, even around the house or in my car, I find myself listening to this cd. The music is soothing, refreshing, uplifting and most enjoyable. I recommend this cd over all other wedding music cd's.

Another Great Reference CD.......2006-01-09

This is a great compilation, CD, along with Bride's Guide to Wedding Music Volume 2, to use as a reference for some of the more popular wedding songs; just about everything on here is standard fare for weddings. All of the musicians are generally superb, and the sound quality is very good. However, this is most useful if you are playing the CD at your wedding, or using it as a reference CD to talk over potential music selections with an organist, a string quartet, etc. Like my review for Volume 2, I only gave it four stars based on practicality, not on quality. If it were just quality, I would give it five stars. I purchased this CD since I am in the process of making my own wedding CD (I am a professional, freelance violinist), and this was nice to listen to, even just as background music for dinner. BTW: beware of reviewers who don't use their names, especially "A music fan." This is most likely the producer of the "Wedding Traditions" CD and he slanders other CDs so his will look better. You'd think that in the wedding music business people would have better ethics, but unfortunately, that's not always the case. The best advice I can give, as a classical musician myself, if to take time to listen to the sound clips, and if possible, try to find them on iTunes where they might sound higher quality. This is the only real way of knowing whether the CD is right for you.

A Nice CD.......2005-12-30

This is a very nice CD.
Our daughter used some of the songs on this CD
and some of the songs that are on the
"Classical Wedding Traditions" CD for the wedding.
She also used many of the songs on the
"New Wedding Traditions Volume I" CD
Amazon is a great place to find good wedding music

The Military Band: Salute to the Services

Average customer rating:

Marching along
Traditional American marches
GREAT MUSIC!
Why not ZERO?
Great Military Music

The Military Band: Salute to the Services
Francis Saltus Van Boskerek , Robert M. Crawford , John Stafford Smith , John Philip Sousa , American Traditional , Joseph Franz Wagner , Charles A. Zimmerman , and Felix Slatkin
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | 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

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Sousa's Greatest Hits
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Music of the U.S. Armed Forces
America's Bugle Calls
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ASIN: B000006OGX
Release Date: 1998-06-02

Tracks:

Reveille
Salute To The Services: The US Field Artillery March
Salute To The Services: Anchors Aweigh
US Marines On Parade
Salute To The Services: US Air Force Song
Salute To The Services: Semper Paratus
Salute To The Services: The Stars & Stripes Forever
Salute To The Services: Semper Fidelis
Salute To The Services: National Emblem
Salute To The Services: El Capitan
Salute To The Services: Washington Post
Salute To The Services: The Thunderer
Salute To The Services: Under The Double Eagle
Salute To The Services: American Patrol
Salute To The Services: The Star Spangled Banner
Taps

Customer Reviews:

Marching along.......2007-05-12

I am a walker..(up to 15 miles per week) Having made this purchase... I now march along with Sousa and the other greats on this fine album....I heartily recommend it to all....as well as Amazon's timely and fairly priced services...

Traditional American marches.......2007-03-22

These are traditional American marches well played and stirring. The CD and case are of good quality, and the sound is excellent.

GREAT MUSIC!.......2007-03-11

This is an unusual Music CD to a great price.
Something to celebrate July 4 and our nation.
Highly recommended.

Why not ZERO? .......2007-01-27

I would give this one ZERO.....absolutely waste of money. The sound quality is terrible on my Made in Japan SONY / Kenwood / Panasonic CD / MP3 Players. Also, the collection of the noise is not all that impressive, I have seen much better calming peaceful MUSIC. Do not waste money, I think it is rediculous to have a band for military, How about a band for PEACE?

Great Military Music.......2007-01-11

The CD was just what I needed for a special memorial tribute to our service people that have passed on. The recording was clear and bright. The music selections were well performed and TAPS was especially evoking.

Average customer rating:

STILL THE BEST OF HER ALBUMS
We are reviewing his talent, not his toughts
Charlotte's Debut
The Best from Charlotte Church that You Will Ever Hear!
Charlotte church is the best

Voice of an Angel

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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Charlotte Church
Enchantment
Dream a Dream
Prelude: The Best of Charlotte Church
Our Favorite Things

ASIN: B00000I9CF
Release Date: 1999-03-16

Tracks:

Pie Jesu
Panis Angelicus
In Trutina
The Lord's Prayer
Jerusalem
Ave Maria
Psalm 23
I Vow To Thee, My Country
Danny Boy
My Lagan Love
Suo-Gan
A Lullaby
Amazing Grace
Three Welsh Bird Songs: Y Gylfinir/The Curlew
Three Welsh Bird Songs: Tylluanod/Owls
Three Welsh Bird Songs: Mae Hiraeth Yn Y Mor/There's Longing In The Sea
When At Night I Go To Sleep

Amazon.com

Those leery and weary of tasteless crossover need not shudder at the sight of this disc, which has sold over half a million copies in Europe. There's none of the softcore kiddie porn that came with Vanessa-Mae or the heavily packaged faux romanticism of Andrea Bocelli. (That of course doesn't necessarily mean that you'll want Voice of an Angel.) This 12-year-old Welsh soprano is so uncloyingly cute and has such an appealing personality (with just enough touch of cheek) that you'd almost rather have her as a dinner guest than on your CD player. Her small, attractive, sometimes unstable but always sincere soprano perhaps went to the top of the British charts because it clicks into the boy-soprano choir tradition so prevalent there, especially since many of the selections are sacred items such as "The Lord's Prayer" and "Ave Maria." And Church may pick up some fans thanks to the tail end of Celtic chic, with the Welsh folk songs and the rendition of "Danny Boy." But this promises to be yet another short-lived media phenomenon, rather than the beginning of a lengthy career. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

STILL THE BEST OF HER ALBUMS.......2007-05-03

This is the first of Charlotte Church's recordings, recorded back when she was still a normal, unspoiled 12-year-old Welsh girl. I first fell in love with her voice when I heard her singing "I Vow Thee My Country" on the radio about 8 years ago, and was blown away to find out that she was only 12 years of age!

I bought the CD shortly after that and have listened to it a bazillion times. Just recently, I decided to pull it out again and found myself enjoying it just as much now as I did then. She was probably in her best vocal form in this CD, before her voice became "overtrained," and eventually, ruined by her "Crazy Chick" habits.

Among the standouts -- besides "I Vow Thee My Country" -- are "Amazing Grace," "Ave Maria," "3 Welsh Bird Songs," "My Lagan Love," "Suo-Gan," "A Lullaby" and, of course, her signature song, "Pie Jesu." At the time, I thought she had the potential of becoming one of the greatest sopranos of all time once she reached adulthood. Sadly, this has not been the case, and her latest album, "Tissues and Issues," is a reflection of how far she has fallen both vocally and in her personal life.

If you buy only one Charlotte Church album, this would definitely be it.

We are reviewing his talent, not his toughts.......2007-04-25

This CD is excellent, I can't believe N Arey put one star because of this issue.
What a shame.

Charlotte's Debut.......2007-04-03

This is just a beautiful album -- beautiful, beautiful music. The first time I listened to it, I didn't like it very much. I was coming off a coffee rush with a splitting headache and it made me wince every time she hit a high note, but over the past few days it's really grown on me, and I like most of the songs on the CD. I was suprised by which songs really touched me the most. I'm a Christian, so I expected to like sacred songs such as The Lord's Prayer and Amazing Grace the best, but I find that I Vow To Thee My Country and Jerusalem stand out to me the most. (I'm moved to all but tears by the former). Danny Boy and Panis Angelicus are also remarkably well done. The Welsh Bird Songs are boring -- but at least the album has a strong finish with "When at Night I Go to Sleep". Charlotte did a great job. Beautiful music from a gifted little girl.

The Best from Charlotte Church that You Will Ever Hear!.......2006-11-28

This CD is simply amazing! I can honestly tell you that this is the best from Charlotte Church that you will ever hear! Her voice in this stage in her career is so mezmerizing and well-trained! Soon after her second album, which was self-titled, her voice began to deteriorate, probably because of her constant smoking and drinking. Now, we've reached a low point in Charlotte's career, in which she has now been donned the "Crazy Chick", and her latest CD, entitled TISSUES and ISSUES, is a major flop. More recently, Charlote mocked the Catholic Church, calling the Pope a "Nazi". She currently has her own television show, and in one episode, Church pretended to be a nun, and got "high" on Communion Waffers that were stamped with a smiley face, which resembles the drug ecstacy. She also broke open a statue to find Communion Wine, and placed her gum on a model of the baby Jesus. Honestly, you cannot find blame with the 12-year old Charlotte, for I'm sure that she never would do such an offensive thing! (My best advice for getting back at her is not buying her new album).

Anyways, back to the album. Charlotte's first four tracks are amazing! "Pie Jesu" was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, originally for his wife, Sarah Brightman. I prefer Charlotte's version of Sarah's because Charlotte's voice does not show too much vibrato. If you listen to Sarah's version with Paul Miles Kingston, the boy soprano, from THE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER COLLECTION VOL.1, you'll hear the difference! "Panis Angelicus" is amazing, and Church even sang it to the Pope! (Not the recent Pope, but the Late Pope John Paul the II). The third track, "In Trutina" - which means "In Balance", is from Bizet's Carmen, which is beautiful. Compared to Brightman's version, Charlotte has much less vibrato. "The Lord's Prayer" is simply beautiful! Jerusalem is also a magnificent work. "Ave Maria" is amazing, with soaring vocals. I don't prefer this version of "Ave Maria" because it's "Ave Maria, Ave Maria, Ave Maria" over and over again. I much prefer the "Ave Maria" by Schubert, which Brightman sings very well. However, this version is still in my favorites. "Psalm 23" is beautiful! "I Vow to Thee, My Country" is a sort of dragged-out piece, but I still enjoy listening to it. I don't prefer it because the song stays in the same key and the same notes are sung all the time! The next piece is "Danny Boy", which is OK. To me, it seems as though Charlotte and the orchestra are always out of sync, but I'm not sure. Plus, this piece is in minor! I'm not too happy about that. "My Lagan Love" is a beautiful piece, with clear vocals and lyrics. "Suo-Gan" is an awesome piece. In fact, a choir that I was once enrolled in sang this song, although it was in English. "Amazing Grace" speeks its title, which is AMAZING! The next three tracks are from "Three Welsh Bird Songs". They're in a foreign language, and I have no clue what they say, but they are wonderful all the same. The last piece, "When At Night I Go to Sleep" is beautiful, but I find it too short!

Overall, this album is great. Besides a few tracks that aren't my favorite, I'm sure that any loyal Charlotte Church fan will buy this CD and will stick it in his/her collection. Please - boycott against TISSUES and ISSUES - It isn't the greatest album anyways, with drawn-out yuckie ballads and too-hyped up pop tunes.

Charlotte, I hope you can read this! I loved you when you were a Classical singer, but now, I can't stand to look at your music! God gave you a gift, Charlotte, and you kicked Him in the face! Just remember this when your record sales for TISSUES and ISSUES flop!

Charlotte church is the best.......2006-08-14

This is the beginning of Charlotte Church. It came out like in '99. I was so amazed by her voice that I had to go and get the cd. Wow, her voice is amazing and always will be in my opinion. Even, though she has a pop album out I still like it. Also plan on buying it too. There are so many good songs on the cd. It's hard to choose because her voice is angelic. For some people who think she has a kind of boy/girl voice- don't know what their talking about. Listen closely the next time you play it. I'm starting out in singing opera and Charlotte is my role model. There is no voice like her yet, even Hayley Westerna, who also has a beautiful voice...can't be in Charlotte Church's shoes. Hopefully, she'll go back to her classical music or just do both.

Show Boat (1988 Studio Cast): Von Stade; Hubbard; Hadley; McGlinn

Average customer rating:

An American Treasure
DON'T DESPAIR. IT'S BEEN REISSUED!!!!!
An American tragedy....
Gorgeous!
Defective disc.

Show Boat (1988 Studio Cast): Von Stade; Hubbard; Hadley; McGlinn
Frederica von Stade , Jerome Kern , Jerry Hadley , Bruce Hubbard , Teresa Stratas , David Garrison , Leslie Fyson , John McGlinn , and London Sinfonietta
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Carousel (1987 Studio Cast)
Pal Joey: 1995 Original New York Cast Recording
Lady, Be Good! (1992 Studio Cast Recording)
Kiss Me, Kate (1948 Original Broadway Cast)
Oh, Kay! (1994 Studio Recording)

ASIN: B000002SJL
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Overture
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Cotton Blossom: Niggers all work on d Mississippi... (Stevedores, Gals, Queenie, Steve, Pete, 1st Mincing Miss, 2nd Mincing Miss, Beaux, Girls & Boys)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Cotton Blossom: 'Andy!!!...' (Parthy, Windy, 1st Mincing Miss, 2nd Mincing Miss)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Cap'n Andy's Ballyhoo: 'Here comes the Show Boat parade!...' (Boy, Girls, Boys, Andy, Parthy)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Cap'n Andy's Ballyhoo: 'Hey Julie...' (Pete, Julie, Steve, Parthy, Andy, Ellie)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Cap'n Andy's Ballyhoo: 'It's a man...' (Ellie, Ravenal, Vallon)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Where's the Mate for Me?: Who cares if my boat goes upstream... (Ravenal, Magnolia)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Make Believe: Only make believe I love you... (Ravenal, Magnolia, Vallon)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene One - Ol' Man River: 'Oh, Joe!...' (Magnolia, Joe, Men)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Two - Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man: 'What cher doin' all by yourself, Miss Nola?...' (Queenie, Magnolia, Julie, Joe, Servants)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Three - Life on the Wicked Stage: Why do stage struck maidens clamor... (Ellie, Girls)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Three - Till Good Luck Comes My Way: The man who ventures with chance... (Ravenal, Men)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Four - Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun': Mis'ry's comin' aroun'... (Queenie, Women, Joe Magnolia, Julie, Men, Solo Bass)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Four - Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun': 'Take her up, Rubberface!...' (Andy, Julie, Steve, Magnolia, Parthy, Ellie, Windy)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Four - Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun': 'Hello, Windy...' (Vallon, Andy, Magnolia, Steve, Julie, Windy, Ellie, Parthy)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Four - Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun': 'You needn't all look at us...' (Steve, Colored Chorus, Andy, Parthy, Magnolia, Ellie, Frank)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Four - Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun': 'Looks like a swell...' (Andy, Parthy, Frank, Ravenal, Julie, Magnolia, Steve, Joe)

Tracks:

Show Boat: Act One, Scene Five - I Would Like to Play a Lover's Part: Her face is fair to look upon... (Boys, Girls, Ellie, Frank)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Five - I Might Fall Back on You: Little girl, you are safe with me... (Frank, Ellie, Girls)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Five - Queenie's Ballyhoo: 'Is de theatre fillin' up, Cap'n Andy?...' (Queenie, Andy, Colored Chorus)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Six - Villain Dance
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Seven - You Are Love: 'That you, Nola?...' (Ravenal, Windy, Magnolia, Parthy)
Show Boat: Act One, Scene Eight - Finale Act One: Oh tell me, did you ever!... (Firls, Boys, Chorus, Andy, Women, Men, Negro Women, Magnolia, Parthy, Vallon, Pete)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene One - At the Fair: When we tell them about it all... (All, 1st Barker, Boys, Girls, Chorus, 2nd Barker, Men, 3rd Barker)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene One - Why Do I Love You?: I'm walking on the air, dear... (Magnolia, Ravenal, Chorus, Andy)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene One - In Dahomey: Dyunga doe!... (Dahomey Villagers, White Chorus)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Three - Convent Scene: Alma Redmptoris Mater... (Nuns, Mother Superior, Ravenal, Kim)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Four: 'All right, Jake...' (Jim, Jake, Julie)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Four - Bill: I used to dream... (Julie)
Show Boat: Magnolia's Audition - Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (Reprise): Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly... (Magnolia)
Show Boat: Magnolia's Audition - Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (Reprise): 'Whaddaya say, boss?...' (Frank, Jim, Magnolia, Jake)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Six - Trocadero Opening Chorus: Let's make the new year... (Chorus)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Six - Apache Dance
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Six - Goodbye, My Lady Love: So you're going away... (Frank, Ellie)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Six - After the Ball: 'Ladies and Gentlemen...' (Jim, Drunk, Andy, Magnolia, A Man, All)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Seven - Ol' Man River (Reprise): Ol' Man River... (Joe)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Seven - Hey, Feller!: When you yen for a gent... (Queenie, Chorus)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Eight - You Are Love (Reprise): 'That you, Nola?...' (Ravenal)

Tracks:

Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Nine: Cottom Blossom (Reprise): Cotton Blossom... (Chorus)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Nine - It's Getting Hotter in the North: Now up in the northern land... (Kim, Chorus)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Nine - It's Getting Hotter in the North: 'Say, Cap'n Andy...' (Frank, Ellie, Andy)
Show Boat: Act Two, Scene Nine - Finale Ultimo: 'Hello, Gay...' (Andy, Hope, Ravenal, Girl, Man, Magnolia, Old Lady, Chorus)
Show Boat: Appendix - Pantry Scene (Act One, Scene Two; deleted - 1927): 'What cher doin' all by yourself, Miss Nola?...' (Queenie, Magnolia, Julie, Joe, Servants)
Show Boat: Appendix - Waterfront Saloon Scene (Act One, Scene Three; deleted - 1927): 'Number four, black!...' (Voice (off), Ravenal, Loungers, Gambler)
Show Boat: Appendix - Yes, Ma'am (Act One, Scene Three; unused - 1927): Bet your hat... (Girls, Ellie)
Show Boat: Appendix - Kim's Imitations (Why Do I Love You?): (Act Two, Scene Nine; Ziegfeld Production - 1927): Why do I love you?... (Kim, Chorus)
Show Boat: Appendix - Dance Away the Night (Act Two, Scene Nine; London - 1928): Music in the air... (Kim, Girls, Boys)
Show Boat: Appendix - A Pack of Cards (Act One, Scene Six?; unused - 1927): One night as I sat by my fireside so weary... (Magnolia)
Show Boat: Appendix - The Creole Love Song (Act One, Scene Seven; unused - 1927): 'That you, Nola?...' (Ravenal, Windy, Magnolia)
Show Boat: Appendix - Out There in an Orchard (Act Two, Scene Four; unused - 1927): There was a sun sinking slowly in the west... (Julie)
Show Boat: Appendix - Gallivantin' Aroun' (Universal Film - 1936): Liza Matilda HIll... (Magnolia, Chorus)
Show Boat: Appendix - I Have the Room Above Her (Universal Film - 1936): 'Seems to me I've seen that stocking someplace...' (Ravenal, Magnolia)
Show Boat: Appendix - Ah Still Suits Me (Universal Film - 1936): 'Joe! Dere you go again!...' (Queenie, Joe)
Show Boat: Appendix - Nobody Else But Me (Act Two, Scene Nine; 1946 Revival): I was a shy, demure type... (Kim, Chorus)

Amazon.com

John McGlinn's sprawling, monumental three-CD set is about all the Show Boat any listener could ever ask for. In an obvious labor of love, McGlinn reconstructs the show as it ran on opening night, November 15, 1927, including every song, the original orchestrations, and all underscored dialogue. The most significant restoration is the dark choral number "Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun'," as Show Boat's serious subject matter helped establish its place as the most important turning point in the history of American musical theater. McGlinn also adds an appendix that includes songs cut before opening night and every song subsequently written for the show's many productions, most notably the love duet "I Have the Room Above Her," written for the 1936 film. (The recording is also available in a one-disc reduction called the "Broadway Show Album.")

Rest assured this 221-minute blockbuster is not just dry scholarship; it's also terrific listening, with McGlinn conducting a dynamic London Sinfonietta and a strong cast including Frederica von Stade as Magnolia, Jerry Hadley as Ravenal, Teresa Stratas as the tragic Julie, Bruce Hubbard as the worldly wise Joe, Karla Burns as Queenie, and David Garrison and Paige O'Hara as the comic couple Frank and Ellie. And of course the songs by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II are among the most glorious ever written: "Ol' Man River," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," "Make Believe," "Why Do I Love You," "Bill," "You Are Love," and "Life upon the Wicked Stage." Also included are exhaustive production notes, a history of the show, a detailed synopsis, and a libretto. John McGlinn's Show Boat is a staggering achievement and a recording for the ages. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

An American Treasure.......2007-03-03

When PBS showed the 1989 Paper Mill Playhouse production of Showboat, my five year old daughter fell in love with musical theater. To this day we never miss a production of Showboat, West Side Story, Music Man, Oklahoma or the rest of the great American musicals. These 3 discs are the closest you can ever hear to the original in 1927 and the recordings are leaps and bounds above any movie version or revival cast. Listening to Bill or Make Believe you almost want to cry at what Kern and Hammerstein were able to create.

I defy anyone to come up with another Broadway production that has three songs in a row better than Make Believe, Ol' Man River and Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (West Side Story's Maria, America and Tonight are the best three in a row of a movie musical) and it's a shame that no movie version of Showboat can compare to this version. The first act is full of songs that are as good as any ever sung on a stage and I can't think of another production with a first act that compete against the big 3 plus Cotton Blossom, Where's The Mate For Me, Life On The Wicked Stage, Till Good Luck Comes My Way, Misry's Comin' Aroun', You are Love, Act One finale and Why Do I Love You?. You just don't want to have the music stop.

If you don't like opera you won't like this version. Sung the way Kern and Hammerstein wrote them, you can't help but feel the operatic nature of these songs. Tough noogies because Showboat is above all an opera disguised as a Broadway play and no sweetening should be allowed.

The four leads are all superb, Frederica von Stade as Nola especially. The booklet contains the complete libretto and allows a different way to appreciate the music.

If you buy just one version of Showboat you need this one. If you have other versions of Showboat you need this one. As a matter of fact, anyone with ears to hear needs this version. A true American treasure.

DON'T DESPAIR. IT'S BEEN REISSUED!!!!!.......2006-11-16

One of the great recordings of musical theatre ever. Although it's no longer available on EMI Angel, it was reissued in October, 2006, as an EMI Classic's "Great Recordings of the Century." It's been "Digitially Remastered at Abbey Road Studios from the Original Masters" and "noise-shaped via the Prism SNS system for optimum sound quality." If ART remastering does for this recording what it has done for other EMI Classics in my library, then it should sound superb. However, I understand the booklet is not as detailed as the one in the original 3-disc release.

Thank you, EMI.

I would hope other labels would follow suit and remaster and reissue other examples of classic American musical theater. It would be a pity if our children, grandchildren, and future generations were unable to savor "110 in the Shade" or "Little Mary Sunshine" or . . . . . . . . . (fill in the blanks.)

An American tragedy...........2006-02-06

This is the first of the great American musical plays, and probably remained unchallenged until the mid-1950s when West Side Story appeared. The term "musical comedy" does not apply. The few laugh lines are subsumed by the terrible sense of loss and disaster that work throughout the story. At its core is homelessness, the destruction wrought by racism, bad choices, human weakness, and reconciliation. The cast?--this was one of the few crossover recordings I've ever heard that actually worked. The trio of Jerry Hadley, Frederica von Stade, and Teresa Stratas is a marvel; Stratas in particular seems to have had a patented Dark Cloud that shadowed her. It's perfect for Julie Dozier Laverne. And the late Bruce Hubbard brings a magnificent dignity and voice to Joe--his singing of "Ol' Man River" amy not efface Paul Robeson, but can stand beside it.

Gorgeous!.......2005-08-26

Simply gorgeous! The most unforgetable music and the best voices! An album for all time!
M. J. Conrades

Defective disc........2005-08-15

I received this item on July 27, 2005. I played it on my portable CD player and found out that Disc 2 of the set was defective. It kept on skipping on my CD player. So, I returned it for a refund.

Vision: The Music of Hildegard von Bingen

Average customer rating:

A very different style of Hildegard
ONE WORD- 'AWSOME"
Very different. Hauntingly beautiful
"Every Element Has A Sound" ~ Heavenly Visions Of A Medieval Mystic
SUPERB MODERN CLASSIC

Vision: The Music of Hildegard von Bingen
Richard Souther , Emily van Evera , and Sister Germaine Fritz
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy
Feather on the Breath of God
Hildegard von Bingen: Voice of the Blood
Hildegard von Bingen: Heavenly Revelations
Luminous Spirit

ASIN: B000002SL6
Release Date: 1994-11-01

Tracks:

Praise For The Mother
Only The Devil Laughed
Vision
Song To The Mother
The Living Light (Instrumental)
Wherever
For The Virgin
For The Creator
This Honorable Fame
The Anointing (Instrumental)
For The Trinity
The Chalice
Divine Love
The Flower Gleams
From This Wicked Fall
Living Fountain
Vision: Full Length

Amazon.com

"Vision--The Music of Hildegard von Bingen"? Make that "Hildegard--the Dance Remix." (Yes, it has been used on the dance floor of at least one New York City nightclub.) What else can you call it when Richard Souther takes the stark, ecstatic plainchant of the 12th-century abbess and adds heavily produced electronic trance-and-dance tracks? Souther's additions aren't bad in themselves--they are a bit New Age-y, yet danceable in a druggy 3:00-a.m. kind of way--but slather them over Hildegard's spare, intense chant melodies and the effect is perverse, if not just silly. Don't blame poor Emily van Evera--she is a fine interpreter of Hildegard, and EMI simply asked her to record some unaccompanied solo tracks of the abbess's music and send in the tapes; she had no idea what was going to be done with them until this disc came out with her name on it. This shows up in the final product: the gently fluid pulse van Evera applied to Hildegard's music (which would make perfect sense in the a cappella performance she thought she was giving) feels completely disconnected from the rigid rhythms inherent in Souther's electronic accompaniment. Now, there are a number of customer reviews, below, from listeners who like this title a great deal--have a look at them, check out the sound clips, and by all means get this title if you're interested. But, if you're curious about Hildegard, go to the recording that made her famous eight centuries after her death: A Feather on the Breath of God. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

A very different style of Hildegard.......2007-01-30

This CD isn't quite the shining example of Hildegard's music, but it isn't dissapointing either. The new-agey music and the chanting go well together, but at times the mix is a little akward, and it is those moments when it seems that the vocals are just stamped on top of the music that takes away from this album. Otherwise, the music is pretty rich and conjures epic and heavenly images. I'd have to side with the 'purists' on this one: if you're a stickler for authentic sounding Hildegard music, go for the other albums such as Luminous Spirit because this one might come across as a little weird.

ONE WORD- 'AWSOME".......2006-12-15

I have been a fan of music since before I was born it seems- I have almost all of her music- but this is the star on the night sky- people keep trashing this album /cd- I think this is the best of her visions/music and if you want to be swept away on clouds of tone and dance with angels of light then BUY this cd- I love to darken the house , light the candles and let this one spin again and again- listen closely to " for the virgin' it will make you want to play this over and over again-also this entire cd was recorded in the catacombs- how spiritual is that, music/thought/words/visions from years turned to dust and stone- may this cd bring you back to a time when the world was innocent and gentle/have played this along with Enigma and people can not get enough of this cd!!!!!!!!!!

Very different. Hauntingly beautiful.......2006-03-01

I bought VISION, THE MUSIC OF HILDEGARD VON BINGEN without even hearing it first. I couldn't resist the album's cover art and the premise of recording the chants of a 12th century nun with modern original scores. I was delightfully surprised at how well the experiment works. The tracks are absolutely beautiful and haunting. In listening to one of the chants accompanied by an almost jarring drum beat, I felt as if I were dropped deep into a dense African jungle where a safari of large powerful natives are escorting small white hooded nuns to some mysterious lost city. A very different, very intriguing, very fine work.

"Every Element Has A Sound" ~ Heavenly Visions Of A Medieval Mystic.......2006-01-29

Hildegard Von Bingen (1098-1179), 12th century Benedictine nun, abbess and mystic wrote some of the most heavenly spiritual chants, psalms and canticles in the history of the Catholic Church. Compositions that are so unique and universal in appeal that they were embraced by the 'New Age Movement' more enthusiastically then they were originally by her own Church.

Similiar yet subtly different from the lofty, remote gregorian chants sung in the monastery, the music of Hildegard is much more accessible. Her experience of the 'Divine Mysteries' is conveyed in more emotional and earthy tones, thus linking the higher aspirations of the soul with the passionate nature of the human heart.

'Vision' was performed and recorded within the stone walls of St. Andrew's Church in Toddington, England, an almost perfect location to capture the medieval atmosphere of Hildegard's compositions. The female voices involved in this project are a sharp and welcome contrast to the all male gregorian choirs most of us are more familiar with.

Truly a mystical musical experience has been captured on these 17 exquiste tracks. For the spiritual seeker in all of us!

SUPERB MODERN CLASSIC.......2005-10-26

SOARING, ETHEREAL voices are followed by haunting, vaguely Middle Eastern new age sound. HILDEGARD meets ENIGMA. It works. The purists make no room for this kind of interpretation of Hildegard but I remind you that the Louvre built a separate museum to house the Impressionist art not because they were so valued but because they did not consider it serious art and would not put it under the same roof with the classics. Time made buffoons of them. Listen to the sound clips and judge for yourself.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic!
Loved the movie, love the score
4.5 Stars for The Greatest Game Ever Played
One of Brian Tyler's best

The Greatest Game Ever Played
Brian Tyler
Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Dreamer
The Legend of Zorro
Oliver Twist
Munich
The Great Raid (Score)

ASIN: B000ASDGHQ
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

Main Title Overture
Immigrant's Theme
Determination
The Amateur
Broken Dreams
A Call To Arms
The Greatest Game Ever Played
Dog Leg
Angel
Invitation
Broken Dreams Reprise
Ouimet Trails By One
Ride The High Country
Indecision
Heads Turn
The Game Is Afoot
An Unlikely Outcome
A Chance Encounter
And Then There Were Three
Ride The High Country Reprise
True Valor
A Quiet Dignity
Duel
Showdown
Sunset
Angel - Dawn Upshaw
The Band Played On - Amick Byram
Hello Hello Who's Your Lady Friend? - Joe Jackson
End Title Overture

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!.......2007-01-09

As a movie soundtrack fan, I was immediately drawn to 'The Greatest Game Ever Played,' and when I got it just a few weeks ago, I wasn't dissapointed.
At first it sounds much like James Horner's 'Legends of the Fall,' but it is by no means a repeat of it. It is a beautifull soundtrack on it's own, with many different themes that keep it exciting. The music has the same early 1900's feel as the movie while stil maintaining a variety of music styles; from soaring strings to intense violin pieces to period vocals like "And the Band Played On." Like the movie, it has a very inspirational feel, and I would definately recommend it to anyone, whether fans of the movie or soundtrack lovers.

Loved the movie, love the score.......2006-03-17

I saw The Greatest Game Ever Played in the theater and became enchanted with this film, based on the true story of Francis Ouimet, a low-class amateur golfer who emerges from complete obscurity to win the U.S. Open. By the end of the movie, I realized how much I was enjoying the music and decided that I just had to buy the soundtrack.

As I have listened to this soundtrack again and again, I've been captivated by this music. The beauty and power of Brian Tyler's composition is most impressive. As an intent listener, I've been deeply moved by the expansive musical landscape that is covered in this soundtrack. The central motif, a majestic and magnanimous melody which forms the essence of the main title, is woven into tracks throughout the disc, tying everything together as part of a musical (and theatrical) storyline. Indeed, it seems like an incomplete experience if I don't listen to the entire soundtrack, start to finish, in sequential order. If you take the time to do that, you'll find it's a very rewarding listen.

4.5 Stars for The Greatest Game Ever Played.......2006-03-11

This was an excellent 10 dollar purchase from iTunes, to put it mildly. As much as I loved Tyler's The Final Cut, Darkness Falls, Timeline and Constantine scores, this tops them all. It's a loving tribute to the main character of the film and good ol' fashioned film scoring in general. I haven't seen the movie and therefore cannot comment on wether or not it works in the context of the film. I can, however, say with great pleasure what a joy it is to listen to as a solo album.
The album picks up with the main title track, and what a great track it is. Some people will say it is Horner reminiscent, and while many themes on this CD do remind me of James Horner's best work, I actually think the closer resemblance is John Debney. I'm serious - this score is in many ways similar to The Passion of the Christ. It has pounding drums and wonderful percussion and isn't afraid to go all out with the string and brass section. It's a thrilling, heroic, melodramatic and operatic score that I've enjoyed listening to repeatedly. A highly recommended score for anyone who enjoys breathtaking and moving and powerful and heroic sometimes lighthearted and always thrilling music.
cheers
KZ

One of Brian Tyler's best.......2005-10-01

Brain Tyler says of this score that "the orchestral music was influenced by the popular music of the end of the 19th Century and the start of the 20th Century - Debussy, Sibelius, Strauss, and Mahler. To me, the sound we know as 'American' was a combination of the styles of so many of these great European composers." As far as I'm concerned, this score was a lot more influenced by James Horner -- certain bits sound strikingly similar to Legends of the Fall. But don't let that put you off, because the rest of the bits don't. This score is beautiful, lively, energetic, exciting and ebullient Americana throughout -- an odd contrast to Tyler's last score, the dark beast that was Constantine. Despite the occasional "nods" to Horner, though, Greatest Game Ever Played is one of Tyler's best and most thoroughly enjoyable scores, well orchestrated and well recorded also. If it's not quite Children of Dune, it's certainly better than his best since, such as Timeline and The Final Cut, on par with his other score for Bill Paxton, Frailty, though obviously in a very different genre and with a very different sound. So if you're a fan of Brian Tyler or good, uplifting, exciting film music in general, definitely check out this score.

American Dreamer: Songs of Stephen Foster; Thomas Hampson; Jay Unger; Molly Mason

Average customer rating:

It's Dreamy
My Favorite Composer of all time
An American classic from Hampson that brings smiles and tears
OMG!!! More than 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 stars, one of the best album in the world!!!
It's simply lovely

American Dreamer: Songs of Stephen Foster; Thomas Hampson; Jay Unger; Molly Mason
Thomas Hampson , Jay Ungar , Molly Mason , Garrison Keillor , David Alpher , Mark Rust , Michael Parloff , Peter Ecklund , John Kirk , Arnold Kinsella , and Stephen Foster
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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$9.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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Song of Home
Song of America
Harvest Home
Civil War Classics
Stephen Foster Song Book

ASIN: B000002SK7
Release Date: 1992-10-20

Tracks:

Opening Solo Violin
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Hard Times Come Again No More
The Voice Of Bygone Days
Foster Favorites Medley (Ring, Ring The Banjo (1851) Oh! Susanna (1848) Camptown Races (1850)
Open Thy Lattice, Love (1844)
Beautiful Dreamer (1864)
That's What's The Matter
Old Home Medley (Old Folks at Home (1851) My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night (1853)
Molly! Do You Love Me? (1850)
Sweetly She Sleeps, My Alice Fair (1851)
Comrades, Fill No Glass For Me (1855)
Dancing On The River (Nelly Bly (1850) The Glendy Burk (1860) Angelina Baker (1850)
My Wife Is A Most Knowing Woman (1863)
Gentle Annie (1856)
Linger In Blissful Repose (1858)
Ah! May The Red Rose Live Alway (1850)

Customer Reviews:

It's Dreamy.......2007-01-10

This is a very wonderful recording of Stephen Foster by a master singer.
Foster's songs are of a more innocent and naive time in the American psyche, a time that it would not hurt us to remember, given the wretched brutality of American culture today (something you'll appreciate after listening to this recording).

The songs are beautifully sung by Mr. Hamspon, and the musical accompaniment with piano, mandolin, tuba, banjo, etc. seems a perfect setting for this period music. I enjoyed the musical interludes of Foster songs (not sung by Mr. Hampson), such as "Oh, Suzanna", "My Old Kentucky Home", and "Camptown Races." They are foot-stompin' and finger-snappin' good in a non-syncopated way.

Mr. Hampson's voice is so beautiful, and he has done such a wonderful job with these song's you'll just have to hear it, and when you do, tell me that you're not dreaming.

I remember reading a quote by John Phillip Sousa that decried the use of syncopation in American popular music. I never understood it until listening to this recording. The richness and intensity of American popular music (as experienced in the work of Stephen Foster) has been lost.
Everything has to be so cool today, thanks to syncopation, and "cool" really means no emotion.

If emotion is what you want, emotion is what you'll get with Stephen Foster's songs. It was a time when the death of loved ones (especially those who died in their youth) was experienced more often (see "I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair" and "Gentle Annie"). And we were not protected from the vicissitudes of fate by myriad government programs, modern medicine and universal prosperity (see "Hard Times").
Husbands and wives had their differences then, as today, (see the amusing song "My Wife is a Most Knowin' Woman") The passion of the Civil War (Foster was a Unionist),is reflected in a wonderful, fun song, "That's What's the Matter."

If you love good music, and you have heart which can be stirred, and you love your country, this is for you.

I love this recording. It has opened up the door to my "beautiful dreams," dreams of bygone days, lost love, and whatever else we pine for.

I wanted to buy several copies for my friends, but somehow I felt that the impact of this recording was so personal, that it could not be shared with others. Not that they couldn't enjoy it, but that I could not begin to share the intense emotion and reverie stirred in my heart by these beautiful songs.

My Favorite Composer of all time.......2006-08-20

Growing up playing his stuff on piano, I love the instrumentality of this CD..the violins give off that wail that he speaks of..I am not sure what it is about Stephen Foster but these verses..grab me like no other..there is so much sensitivity to it..

I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair
Born like a vapor on the summer air
I see her tripping where the bright streams play
Happy as the daisies that dance on her way
Many were the wild notes her merry voice would pour

but the violins in this CD make this CD the best out there..
FYI should you be into astrology Stephen Foster is definition of Cancer...Sun and Moon conjunct in Cancer with mars in Scorpio..i love his lyrics..almost to the point of obsession..

An American classic from Hampson that brings smiles and tears.......2006-07-17

Stephen Foster was the greatest American composer of sentimental parlor ballads--he so perfectly imitated folk songs that his music wound up turning into them. In an age of home music-making and later of families sitting around the radio, Foster's songs were a staple, often performed by crossover artists from opera like Lawrence Tibbett. Those were plump, ripe styles of singing, highly flavored by church hymns.

In this 1992 collection of 17 Foster favorites, plus a few rareties, Hampson drops the platform manner and goes straight for heartfelt sincerity. His tone is plain yet sweet, his expression intimate. He is accompanied by instruments redolent of the Victorian drawing room (guitar, fiddle, upright piano), and the mood they create brings tears and smiles of remembrance. This music is embedded in America's genes, and it's wonderful to realize that every note is still alive and throbbing with feeling.

OMG!!! More than 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 stars, one of the best album in the world!!!.......2005-11-25

Simply one word, WOW!!!
Thomas Hampson's voice is simply fantasic. His voice is very different from regular operatic baritone voice, very sweet, and rich. I really cant believe an operatic baritone can sing folk song like THIS good, in my opinion he sounds even better than his opera works in this album. His voice and the background music matches perfectly, the outcome would move u to tears, and u can feel the origin of MUSIC. This album really shows what the word MUSIC means, and the songs simply just ALL beautiful. I like his "beautiful dreamer", "my life is well knowing woman", and "jeanie with the light brown hair" the most. When I listen the songs I would just imagine that I am in the world of past USA, and I can feel the life of the ppl in the past USA~ just like watching an old classic movie, it would touch ur heart and fall in love with this album.

It's simply lovely.......2004-12-14

I didn't know Stephen Foster (I thought): wrong: Oh Susanna, etc, I knew, but had no idea who the composer was.

This CD is a revelation. The melodies are so beautiful, as are the poems, and Thomas Hampson just brings them to life as wonderfully as ever. I especially love "Beautiful Dreamer" - it gives me butterflies - and "My wife is a most knowing woman" - the way he makes the voices and the indignation is just brilliant. If one needed reminding what a brilliant singer Mr Hampson is - this disk does it.

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