Songs of Innocence [Limited Edition]

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
This Album is Dedicated to Children. It Mixes Original Compositions from De Courson and Gubitsch with Traditional Chants and Kids Chants from Egypt, China, India, Spain, England, France, South America,africa and Hongaria. Features the Symphonic Orches.

Tracks:

Stay Awake
Over The Rainbow
What A Wonderful World
Moon River
Somewhere A Star Shines For Everyone
Prelude In A
Once Upon A Summertime
My Love Goes With You
Edelweiss
Sonata No.8
Bye-Lo
It Is Well With My Soul
Now The Day Is Over

Amazon.com

The Innocence Mission have, over the course of a decade, created a half dozen albums which celebrate small pleasures, fragile details and the wistful edges of life. As the title suggests, Now the Day Is Over offers a set of lullabies. The dozen covers and one original were not all written as bedtime reveries, but it's a testament to the graceful nuances Don and Karen Peris that such a familiar song as "What A Wonderful World" can bring out the twinkling stars of nighttime with heartfelt purity. Free of embellishments, either internal or studio created, Karen's vocals are at once magical and direct. The trio has done much more than to simply streamline or slow down these selections, they've found the core of each number and built around it only that which is necessary. -- David Greenberger

Customer Reviews:

Innocence Mission is an appropriate name.......2007-06-02

Not the worst cd I have and certainly not offensive. However, lacks depth, character, and content. Could be good for the kids. Bought it because I fell in love with a track I heard on Radio Paradise. Overall I could have spent the money in other ways.

Sickenly too sweet.......2007-05-12

I am new to the Innocence Mission. We have a one year old baby, so a friend gave us this CD as a gift. For me, Karen Peris's voice has the "nails across the blackboard" effect on me. She has no range and her voice is cloying. I am not expecting rock 'n roll or anything like that, but I just cannot find anything attractive in her voice. She absolutely "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," a classic and a song that I want to associate with my relatively unspoiled childhood. Oh well, different strokes for different folks.

absolutely love this album.......2007-01-12

I play this album as part of my daughter's bedtime routine. I absolutely LOVE it. Has such a beautiful calmness to it. And as I sit their rocking with my daughter before I put her in her crib, it often brings both smiles to my face and tears to my eyes.

I Love You, Innocence Mission........2007-01-04

In the winter of '89-'90, I picked up The Innocence Mission's eponymous debut on cassette one evening in a mall in Muncie. During my solitary rural Indiana backroads return to Taylor Univ., I was introduced to the delightfully solid intangibility of these troubadours of Heart, Soul, and Mind. I wanted Don and Karen Peris to mother and father me, or to marry Karen, or to be a brother or sister of one, to experience in my life the meaningful connections that in song resonated on and strong without dwindling into the inevitable nihilism that so much of art does nowadays. (Soon realized they were Catholic Universalists or something like that.)Fan for life.

And so, I kept up with their oeuvre. Enjoying the experimental phases of beauty along with the return to simple folk beauty. "Bright as Yellow", on "Glow", piqued the world's interest on the "Empire Records" soundtrack. They toured at least a little with Lilith Fair one year. I found later they've done a blatantly spiritual album "Christ Is My Hope", and that Don (genius of guitar understatement/suggestion) has a couple of his own albums out. I still need to get those 3.

Anyway, the idea of a lullaby album from The Innocence Mission is so perfectly obvious that I never expected it. I mean, she sang songs to her "Someday Coming Child" (on "Umbrella") years before she birthed!

It is as perfect as it could be. Minimal in performance, maximal in effect. (With 3 little boys, I'm a connoisseur of artfully-lulling lullaby albums. Get the Disney Lullaby Album too--no, really--Greg Diakun and Fred Mollin create real art right under DisneyCorp's nose.)

Finally, Karen can sing me to sleep--and my family too.

works beautifully.......2006-10-18

I am a mother of twins and this CD was given to us as a gift. My babies fell asleep to this time after time and it was pleasant listening for both mom and dad. I plan on giving this as a gift to all my new parent friends.

William Bolcom - Songs of Innocence and of Experience (William Blake) / Slatkin, University of Michigan School of Music

Average customer rating:

A supremely moving work of art
Enjoyable?
Remarkable performance
Thankyou...
An Excellent Example of Modern American Composition

William Bolcom - Songs of Innocence and of Experience (William Blake) / Slatkin, University of Michigan School of Music
Ilana Davidson , Nathan Lee Graham , Leonard Slatkin , Joan Morris , Carmen Pelton , and Nmon Ford
Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mendelssohn: The Complete String Quartets / Emerson String Quartet
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ASIN: B000641YZK
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

Introduction - Thomas Young
The Ecchoing Green - Combined Choruses
The Lamb - Measha Brueggergosman
The Shepherd - Peter 'Madcat' Ruth
Infant Joy - Marietta Simpson
The Little Black Boy - Nathan Lee Graham
Laughing Song - U-M Chamber Choir
Spring - Thomas Young
A Cradle Song - Linda Hohenfeld
Nurse's Song - Joan Morris
Holy Thursday - Combined Choruses
The Blossom - Measha Brueggergosman
Interlude - Orchestra
The Chimney Sweeper - Nathan Lee Graham
The Divine Image - Joan Morris
Nocturne - Orchestra
Night - Thomas Young
A Dream - Ilana Davidson
On Another's Sorrow - Combined Choruses
The Little Boy Lost - Carmen Pelton
The Little Boy Found - Nathan Lee Graham
Coda - Orchestra

Tracks:

Introduction - Orchestra
Hear The Voice Of The Bard - Nmon Ford
Interlude - Orchestra
Earth's Answer - Christine Brewer
Nurse's Song - Joan Morris
The Fly - MSU Children's Choir
The Tyger - Combined Choruses
The Little Girl Lost - Nmon Ford
In The Southern Clime - U-M Chamber Choir
The Little Girl Found - Combined Choruses
The Clod And The Pebble - Thomas Young
The Little Vagabond - Joan Morris
Holy Thursday - Carmen Pelton
A Poisin Tree - Nathan Lee Graham
The Angel - Ilana Davidson
The Sick Rose - Marietta Simpson
To Tirzah - Combined Choruses

Tracks:

The Voice Of The Ancient Bard - Nmon Ford
My Pretty Rose Tree - Chorus Men
Ah! Sun-Flower - U-M Chamber Choir
The Lilly - Thomas Young
Introduction To Part V - Orchestra
The Garden Of Love - Thomas Young
A Little Boy Lost - Carmen Pelton
A Little Girl Lost - Christine Brewer
Infant Sorrow - U-M Chamber Choir Soloists
Vocalise - Combined Choruses
London - Nathan Lee Graham
The School Boy - Linda Hohenfeld
The Chimney Sweeper - U-M Chamber Choir
The Human Abstract - Nmon Ford
Interlude: Voces Clamandae - Orchestra
A Divine Image - Soloists

Amazon.com

Bolcom's dream of setting Blake's poems to music began when he fell under their spell as a teenager; he worked on the composition of Songs of Innocence and of Experience on and off for 25 years, completing it in 1982. This live recording celebrates the 20th anniversary of the work's American premiere. Following an early edition of the poems that assigns them a different order from the customary one, he created nine movements to form "a series of arches." Blake's own principle of "contraries" and his use of many poetic traditions is a perfect counterfoil for Bolcom's eclecticism, which encompasses styles ranging from solemn chorales, lush romanticism, abrasive, dissonant modernism, to jazz, folk, country, and rock. His interpretation of the poems, which he calls "A Musical Illumination," is sometimes startling, but always interesting, highly personal, and unquestionably sincere. Some of the settings enhance and heighten the poems, entering deeply into their spirit and mood. Others seem at variance with them: "The Lilly," a peaceful, serene poem, set to crashing, aggressive music, is an extreme example, and some stratospheric, jagged soprano lines seem to add nothing to the text. For some of the most arresting, convincing settings, Bolcom uses his well-known and beloved cabaret style, sung to perfection by his wife and partner, mezzo-soprano Joan Morris. Indeed, the entire performance is beyond praise. The work calls for a whole army of participants: several choruses, including a children's choir, a dozen vocal soloists, a speaker, a harmonica player, a fiddler, and a huge symphony orchestra augmented by electronic instruments and extra brass and percussion. The last produce a large number of terrifying explosions, both between and within the songs, as well as fascinating sound effects, like imitations of running water, delicate tinkles, and ominous roars and rumbles. The singers are superb; the women contribute incredible coloratura leaps, melting lyricism, caressing warmth, while the men include a heroic tenor, a commanding baritone, and sometimes sung, sometimes spoken scatting. Leonard Slatkin holds his enormous forces together with total control and authority. --Edith Eisler

Album Description

William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience date from the turbulent period in English and American history when the United States was in its infancy. Occupying 25 years of William Bolcom's compositional life, his "musical illuminations," inspired by Blake's own wide panoply of poetic styles in the cycle, travel thrillingly from intense dissonance to folk, rock, and reggae to encompass the breadth of the Blakean spiritual universe.

Customer Reviews:

A supremely moving work of art.......2007-02-26

I am writing this not as a music critic but as someone who has enjoyed William Blake's poetry for most of my life. I bought this CD because of Blake's poetry. I realized that of late I had not been reading poetry or enjoying it as much as when I was younger. I became hooked right away and I have been playing this CD over and over again for more than a month. I can't listen to any other piece of music. Some of the pieces are better than others, but everything sung by Nathan Lee Graham is moving beyond words (at least any words I know). So I think anyone who enjoys poetry, the English language, history, ideas or the human voice will enjoy listening to this CD over and over again. This music has touched me like no other piece of music ever. I think the artists, particularly Nathan Lee Graham, should all become rich and famous. I was even thinking that A Divine Image should be released as a single. I think it would go to #1, with a bullet.

Enjoyable?.......2006-06-20

By what measure should we judge a piece of music? Should it be by its level of complexity? by its technicality? by the level of emotion it conveys, or does not? Or should a piece of music be judged solely upon whether or not we, as listeners, enjoy it?

Like it or not, music has almost always been judged by whether or not we, as listeners, enjoy it - but what gets factored into our personal enjoyment of a piece of music is many things, including, but not limited to, whether or not we appreciate its complexity, technicality, and how effective it is at conveying its purpose. When most people discuss music, when they talk about what they like or what they don't like, they often mention qualities of the music which suited them or which rubbed them the wrong way.

Bolcom's Songs of Innocence... is one such piece of music that I, as a listener, am confused over. I'm not sure if I like it, but I'm quite positive that I don't dislike or even hate it. As a whole, I find that I'm fairly displeased with the overall result, yet, on a closer inspection, I find that I am quite pleased with each of its parts; therefore, it's a bit of a paradox to find that I enjoy each and every part but not the summation its parts. The truth is, when looking at this piece of music as a whole, it utterly boggles the mind because it is, in truth, so large and it covers so much ground musically and lyrically that it's quite impossible to absorb it all in one sitting, in one listening. To just say that Songs of Innocence opens with a fairly standard aria surrounded by orchestral accompaniment and ends, over 2 hours later, with a reggae-sounding song is not enough because in between the beginning and end, Bolcom includes other genres ranging from rock, country, jazz, and soul...and of course, "classical."

This piece of music has been described as representing all of the 20th century's achievements in music in one fell swoop. But just because it does so, does that insinuate that it deserves to win a Grammy, as it did in 2006, and does it deserve the laud and praise it is receiving? A serious part of me wishes to say 'no' because I feel I've heard better pieces of music from the 20th century. Sure, Mahler's 9th Symphony does not capture the whole of the 20th century within its 1 1/2 hour grasp, neither does any of Shostakovich's or Robert Simpson's symphonies. And so, I'm forced to resign myself to the fact that Bolcom has created an astonishing achievement with this work.

But, as monolithic as it may be in size and in scope, there are moments when it does not feel entirely cohesive, and there are moments, during the latter half, when I honestly wanted the disc to hurry up and finish for no other reason than I felt like I was being presented the same material and the same concepts over and over and over again. However, in terms of technicality and complexity, Bolcom has taken a series of poems and created something wholly other and enjoyable out of them. He even does a fantastic job of conveying the emotion of each unique poem by arranging music around it that fits like a glove. Is it enjoyable to listen to? It is, for the most part, but, as I've already said, it can seem to run a bit long at times. On the whole, though, I do recommend this disc to anyone interested. If Bolcom is remembered for nothing else in 50-100 years, it will be this piece of music.

Remarkable performance.......2006-04-17

As a graduate of the University of Michigan (some time ago) who attended every single performance of both student orchestras while a student, I was eager to hear how the kids played in this Grammy performance. In short, the performance is simply magnificant.

This is not easy music to listen to or play and it is unlike any of the Bolcom music I had heard before. It has a multitude of styles, colors, tonalities, etc. With each listening, however, I hear and appreciate more of this complex piece.

The (professional) soloists are generally excellent with occassional poor diction. The chorus is outstanding, but the orchestra and music steal the show.

Thankyou..........2006-03-26

...to J. Scott Morrison, Grady Harp et al whose glowing reviews prompted me to buy this work by a composer I only otherwise knew by reputation. As I only purchased it today, I know it will be a CD that will require many further listenings. It's a veritable "crazy-quilt" of a work that traverses many styles and idioms. I was a bit reticent about buying a disc performed by music school students (I myself was one once) - not that I thought they wouldn't be talented, just maybe not quite good enough. I have put this (unwarranted) prejudice aside, however, as the performances are excellent. The vocalists in particular (all of them) are outstanding.
Altogether a thoroughly interesting and original piece of music.

An Excellent Example of Modern American Composition.......2006-02-17

I had the double pleasure of hearing a performance of this live in Ann Arbor AND purchasing the CD for subsequent enjoyment.

Bolcolm's composition, though somewhat dated (in the notes above you can see that this was actually written some time back) is still very fresh in 2006.

The use of seeming disparate forms of music (check out the raggae ending juxtaposed against some fairly depressing wording) has a "World Music" feel.

The University of Michigan Choirs, in spite of numbering over 400 on stage and on the CD still manage to produce a clear sound. A strong testimony to the quality of the directors of those choirs.

BRAVO- This truly deserved the recent Grammy recognition.

Average customer rating:

Great CD for listening or teaching
If you don't know Greg B. don't buy this one
Really like it
William Blake Covers

Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Greg Brown
Manufacturer: Red House
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001B85
Release Date: 1992-03-23

Tracks:

Introduction
The Lamb
Infant Joy
The Chimney Sweeper
The Ecchoing Green
Night
On Anothers Sorrow
The Tyger
The Angel
The Garden Of Love
Infant Sorrow
Holy Thursday
Ah! Sun-Flower
The Little Vagabond
A Poison Tree
London

Customer Reviews:

Great CD for listening or teaching.......2003-05-20

I think this is a wonderful CD for fans of Brown, Blake, or folk music in general. William Blake's poems set -- word for word -- to accordian, harmonica, pan pipes, mandolin, and guitar. Beautifully arranged. I have given this album as a gift to English majors and played it in class for students--a great resource for teachers. One English professor called the CD "dull" and found "every song the same." I suppose she has a point -- many of the songs do tend to blur together after a while -- but I think his covers of "Introduction" and "The Tyger" stand out very well. I think this would be a great CD for kids -- it's a pretty mellow album overall, great for nighttime listening -- and a fun way to introduce children to poetry.

If you don't know Greg B. don't buy this one.......2002-04-26

I purchased this CD 8 years ago because I had heard good things about Greg Brown. It is packed full of super cheesy songs and quickly turned me off. It wasn't until 2 years ago that I checked out Greg again and once exposed to his other albums I fell in love immediately. If you like super cheesy go ahead, but if you want to know what Greg Brown is about I recommend The Live One.

Really like it.......2001-06-26

Although Brown has said in many interviews that he'd rather forget this cd, I really liked it and it made me like evn more Blake's masterpiece. It's naive and touching and different from brown's output in general, although his great voice is still here.

William Blake Covers.......1999-01-06

A labor of love, not for his musical influences, but for some of the poetry that inspires Greg Brown's songwriting and his life. Sixteen of Blake's Songs of Innocence & Experience interpreted beautifully by Brown- I can no longer read the poems without humming the tunes. With exceptional guitar, mandolin, and violin arrangements, Browns barritone voice has more range than on more recent CDs. Brown has long been the voice of rural Iowa Joy, and rural Iowa Sorrow. Lucky to have one of us talking poetry along with the weather in the cafes. I listen to this CD as much as any of his others. One more thing- great CD cover with the Innocence of his sleeping daughter and almost refrigerator repairman Experience of Brown.

Average customer rating:

Truly lovely
Brilliant!
Not worth the money!
A Beautiful Voice
Buy!

Twilight and Innocence

Manufacturer: Arabesque Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Vivaldi Edition: Operas

ASIN: B00000B9O1
Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

Der Engel
Ich atmet' einen linden Duft
Auf Flugen des Gesanges
Oh, quand je dors
Le Bonheur est Chose legere
En Priere
Chere Nuit
Mondnacht
Wiegenlied
Giulio Cesare: V'adoro, pupille
Zdes' khorosho
Ya ne prorok
Wasserose
Wiegenlied
Litanei auf der Fest Allerseelen
St. Ita's Vision
Long Time Ago
The Little Horses

Amazon.com

Metropolitan Opera soprano Heidi Grant Murphy and her husband, the pianist and conductor Kevin Murphy (also of the Met), conceived the concept for this recording with guidance from their friend and Met colleague, Ken Noda. The intent was to convey a feeling of infinite tranquillity, reverie, dreaminess, and tenderness. Though the disk's packaging--including its title--may strike some as slightly drippy, the recording deserves high praise on musical grounds. The selection of repertoire is excellent, and as a result, the disk's overall feeling is one of serene continuity. As interpreter, Heidi Grant Murphy brings out the many subtly-shaded moods in this music, and her voice is stunning without calling undue attention to itself. It is by turns quiet, close, tender, and yielding. It's a special disk to have. --Gwendolyn Freed

Customer Reviews:

Truly lovely.......2006-08-23

Ms. Grant Murphy has an exquisitely tuned and toned soprano, and her husband, Mr. Murphy, accompanies and supports with great delicacy and musicality. The selections are wide-ranging and eclectic, and I found most of the disc utterly entrancing. Heidi Grant Murphy's voice is clear, high, pure and uniquely beautiful in timbre. I had the great pleasure of hearing her live in concert in 2005 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, in Mahler, and on the strength of that decided to purchase this CD. If pressed to find what I considered to be a weak spot, I would have to say that I did not find Ms. Grant Murphy's voice particularly suited to "O quand je dors", although the duo performance of that song was as thoroughly musically informed and well-conceived as any of the other selections included. I think this is quite a remarkable collection and I would definitely recommend it to lovers of art song.

Brilliant!.......2003-12-30

Seems like Laura, who gave a terrible review, is a bit jealous! She must have been competing with Heidi and was not picked. It is obvious she is terribly resentful of Heidi's beautiful voice and talent. Heidi's voice is angelic and peaceful. I highly reccommend all of her CD's. Her husband Kevin and she make a great pair and their talents are amazing! Keep them coming Heidi. As for you Laura, keep trying. Besides the attitude and resntment, you must not have the talent you thought you possessed.

Not worth the money!.......2000-11-26

Looking at the high praise this mediocre recording receives in the other reviews, I'm wondering whether I listened to the same one. I bought this recording with high hopes, but having never listened to her voice - I regret it. The material she performs is good (if somewhat standard), but her voice is really...weird. It has a Beverly Sills (past the golden years) wobble in it that she seems to think is a healthy vibrato. I know she was pulled out of Indiana U early for a Met contract, and I think they did her a disservice - her technique is horrible. She does have good control of her pianissimi, but as a whole, the recording is most disappointing. In the Rach, her fortes are frighteningly bad, almost embarassing. How does this woman sing at the met?

A Beautiful Voice.......2000-02-25

Heidi Garant Murphy is an exceptional singer. The magical tone of her voice is matched by intelligent musicianship. I recently (Feb 10) saw her as Sophie in Der Rosenkvalier at the Met. A wonderful performance, in which she was clearly the interpreter closest to what I think Strauss had in mind. She also had the most beautiful voice (although Fleming was also in excellent voice) This disc is another wonderful example or her singing. Kevin Murphy, who is her husband, provides a sensitive piano accompaniment. This disk is not background music. The sensitive interpretations require your complete attention to be appreciated.

Buy!.......2000-02-15

Judging from most reviews in the classical genre, I am not qualified to evaluate Twilight & Innocence for its technical merits, but let me say that Heidi Grant Murphy has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. The selections, and lovely piano accompaniment are a perfect showcase for her talent. I've worn out my repeat button on V'adoro, pupille...heidi and kevin, encore!

Average customer rating:

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME
a voice teacher and early music fan

George Frideric Handel: Esther

Manufacturer: CORO
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Samson

ASIN: B0001B0A94
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

Overture Andante - Larghetito - Allegro
Recitative Habdonah/Haman: " 'Tis greater far to spare"
Aria Haman: " Pluck root and branch from out the land"
Recitative Persian Officer: "Our souls with ardour glow"
Chorus: "Shall we the God of Israel fear?"
Recitative First Israelite: " Now persecution shall lay by her iron rod"
Aria: " Tune your harps to cheerfull strains"
Chorus: " Shall we of servitude complain"
Aria Israelite Woman: " Praise the Lord with cheerful noise"
Recitative Israelite Woman: " 0 God, who from the suckling's mouth"
Aria Second Israelite: " Sing songs of praise, bow down the knee"
Chorus: " Shall we of servitude complain"
Recitative Priest of the Israelites: " How have our sins provoked the Lord!"
Chorus: "Ye sons of Israel mourn"
Aria Priest ofc The Israelites: "0 Jordan, Jordan, sacred tide"
Chorus: "Ye sons of Israel mourn"
Andante
Allegro
Adagio
Allegro

Tracks:

Recitative Esther/Mordecai: " Why sits that sorrow on thy brow?"
Aria Mordecai: " Dread not, righteous Queen, the danger"
Recitative Esther: "I go before the King to stand"
Aria Esther: " Tears assist me, pity moving"
Chorus: " Save us, O Lord"
Recitative Ahasuerus/Esther: "Who dares intrude into our presence"
Duet Esther/Ahasuerus: " Who calls my parting soul from death?"
Aria Ahasuerus: "0 beauteous Queen, unclose those eyes!"
Recitative Esther: " If I find favour in thy sight"
Aria Ahasuerus: " How can I stay when love invites?"
Recitative Third Israelite/Fourth Israelite: " With inward joy his visage glows"
Chorus: " Virtue, truth and innocence"
Arioso Priest of the Israelites: " Jehovah, Crown'd with glory bright"
Chorus: " He comes, he comes to end our woes"
Recitative Ahasuerus/Esther: " Now, a Queen, thy suit declare"
Arioso Haman: " Turn not, a Queen, thy face away"
Aria Esther: " Flatt' ring tongue, no more I hear thee!"
Recitative Ahasuerus: "Guards, seize the traitor, bear him hence!"
Aria Haman: " How art thou fall'n from thy height!"
Chorus: "The Lord Our enemy has slain"

Album Description

Handel's oratorios vary greatly in their presentation. In many ways, Esther is a rarity;it is by far the most intimate, not surprisingly as it was composed for the Duke of Chandos. The Duke's Palladian palace near the village ofEdgware had not been completed in time for the first performance so this may have taken place (as did Acis and Galatea) in the intimate surroundings of a small church, St Lawrence, Whitchurch.

We decided, therefore, that we should attempt to convey that intimacy of performance on disc; so we performed in the round with microphones in the middle, the orchestra in front of me, the choir behind and the soloists alongside. The result is everything that chamber music should be where players and singers can enjoy every aspect of Handel's masterpiece.

"The 'sound' of Esther, superbly communicated in the recorded performance here, is pure enchantment... The choral singing has an exceptional grandure, and the instrumental playing a shimmering beauty. Among the soloists, none of whom is less than accomplished, Nancy Argenta and Michael Chance dominate... Both singers affirm a new golden age of Handel interpretation".

Customer Reviews:

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME.......2007-01-26

Esther is the first of Handel's oratorios by a good many years, written when he was 33 and enjoying the patronage of the Duke of Chandos. When he later became his own impresario and was running into trouble as a composer and producer of Italian operas he turned to oratorio as a strategic alternative, but at this early date his concern was to deliver staged entertainments for the Duke, and Esther, contemporary with the work that later gained the title Acis and Galatea, seems to have been just an unusually serious specimen of its type.

As often with Handel, there is no fully official version of the score, and this particular score may not even be fully complete from any point of view. The libretto seems to have been the work of someone in the frivolously named association of big literary figures called the Scriblerus Club, perhaps Dr John Arbuthnot, dedicatee of Pope's great poetic Epistle, but Pope himself may have had a hand in it too. As we have it here, the work breaks into two very asymmetrical parts. Scenes 1 and 2 start with a recitative lasting only seconds from Habdonah followed by a longer one in which Haman announces his onslaught on the Israelites, and from there on feature only anonymous participants. Esther herself and the other named characters make their appearance first in scene 4, but the change of tone occurs in scene 3. At this point the music gains gravity first in the chorus Ye sons of Israel with its extraordinary modulations and then in the striking aria O Jordan, Jordan. I myself feel that this weightier tone is maintained to the end, whether or not the writer of the liner note is correct in saying that the long final chorus with solos is out of proportion to its context.

Throughout - in the first part as well as in scenes 3-6 - the instrumental writing is vivid and varied, with an extraordinary pizzicato accompaniment to Tune your harps and then an even more extraordinary obbligato from the harp itself at Praise the Lord. The harpist is no less than Jan Walters, but sometime I would like to see the score and check out what seem some odd rhythmic interactions here between her and the soloist Nancy Argenta. There are no fewer than ten vocal soloists in a work lasting a little over an hour and a quarter, and a very distinguished bunch they are. I was particularly pleased to find Michael Chance in the countertenor role of the Priest of the Israelites as I admire the strength of his tone, but there is no real weakness among them, unless Lynda Russell as Esther has a couple of very slightly awkward high notes in Flatt'ring tongue, which must be a little nerve-wracking to sing as she has to find her note for herself unaccompanied at the start and later at the reprise. You will see some big names among the instrumentalists too, with Crispian Steele-Perkins on the trumpet making a predictably fine contribution towards the end, and of course with Jan Walters in that marvellous harp part early on. The chorus gets some wonderful work to do, and rises to it fully. I really am unable to worry about the proportionateness of the final chorus when I hear that incomparable Handelian build of tone, sung by 18 singers and sounding as if there were 100.

There is a good liner note by Graydon Beeks Jr, not perhaps the last word in lucidity (neither is the plot of the libretto come to that) but worth re-reading. Harry Christophers himself contributes a short foreword largely concerned with the recording process and highlighting the contributions of Mark Brown and Mike Hatch, his long-time technical collaborators. I was interested to see also the name of Geoff Miles in a role described as `editor'. What responsibilities this involved is not stated and perhaps I ought to know without being told, but I know the work of Geoff Miles as recording engineer from elsewhere and it gave me confidence just to see that he is involved in the proceedings, and the technical work is predictably excellent.

My collection of Handel oratorios is now almost complete, and what a wonderful musical experience they are. Each is unique in its own way, but Esther is unique in some very special ways, and I suggest that you do not wait until you are my age to get to know it.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-04-04

Handel began composing the oratorio 'Esther' in 1718. There is some confusion as to who actually worte the libretto for it, but the story follows very closely the biblical story of Esther in the Book of Esther in the old testament. The story tells of a plot of Haman, the Agagite (Michael George-bass) jealous and powerful vizier of King Xerses (Ahasuerus-Tom Randle-tenor) of Persia(485-464), to destroy in a single day all the Jews living in the Roman Empire. He is moved to this out of hatred for the Jewish servant Mordecai (Mark Padmore-tenor),who for religious motives refuses to render him homage. The day of the proposed massacre is determined by lot. Meanwhile, Esther,niece and adopted daughter of Mordecai, is chosen Queen by King Xerses. She averts the pogrom planned against her people and has the royal decree of extermination reversed against Haman and the enemies of the Jews. Mordecai replaces Haman, and together with Esther, works for the welfare of their people. As you can see this makes for an interesting Oratorio, which it truly is!
This is a "small" contribution compared to many of Handel's other works. However, it is not "small" in a musical sense. There is much creativity on the part of Handel as to orchestral scoring; he exploits his small orchestra and chorus in surprising ways, introducing new vocal and instrumental colours throughout the score, adding and subtracting instruments and voices in many and varied ways. This is a listening surprise as it moves along. And what a great performance on the part of the Christophers as well as some outstanding vocal soloists. Mark Padmore's (Mordecai) aria "Tune Your Harps to Cheerful Strains" was superb as was the Duet between Lynda Russell (Esther) and Tom Randle (Ahasuerus).But the aria that really drew me into the entire drama was sung by Michael Chance (Priest) "O Jordan, Jordan, sacred Tide." It was perfection itself!!!!The Chorus was extremely good and dictionally perfect. It is a great listening experience.

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Songs of Innocence and Experience
The Emotions
Manufacturer: Stax UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002F10SY
Release Date: 2004-08-02

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I Wanna Come Back
What Do You Do [#]
I Call This Loving You
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Any Way You Look at It
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Ain't No Sunshine
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Songs Of Lee Hoiby

Manufacturer: Composers Recordings
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005TX0
Release Date: 1995-06-20

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Beginning My Studies
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Songs of Innocence and Experience - Hope and Science

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Great If You Like Positive Electronica!

Songs of Innocence and Experience - Hope and Science
The Echoing Green
Manufacturer: A Different Drum
ProductGroup: Music
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Product Description

This double-disc is a re-mastered, re-release of two albums by The Echoing Green which have been out-of-print for several years. The "Hope Springs Eternal" album, produced by American synthpop legend Seven Red Seven, and the fan-only rarities collection called "Science Fiction" are available once again with eye-popping new artwork and a better sound for fans both new and old.

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Great If You Like Positive Electronica!.......2007-01-10

I just don't see any other music but electronica. And this group is way talented. Ive only been listening for almost two years and i cant believe how many albums and songs this group has manufactured! my life is real 'go' and busy a lot and these guys are what cause me to stay focused on positive and lifely like character.

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Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Jean Danton, Soprano: Songs of Innocence

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Danton Shines singing this wonderful Selection of Songs

Jean Danton, Soprano: Songs of Innocence

Manufacturer: Albany Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000049RH
Release Date: 1997-11-04

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Six Elizabethan Songs: Spring
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Three Songs Of Innocence: The Echoing
Songs About Spring: Who Know's If The Moon's A Balloon
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Songs About Spring: In Spring Comes
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Nocturnes: The Moon
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For A Sleeping Child - Lullabies & Midnight Musings: Wynken, Blynken And Nod
For A Sleeping Child - Lullabies & Midnight Musings: All The Pretty Little Horses
For A Sleeping Child - Lullabies & Midnight Musings: The Mother's Song
For A Sleeping Child - Lullabies & Midnight Musings: Some Time

Customer Reviews:

Danton Shines singing this wonderful Selection of Songs.......2006-08-17

How can a voice be both delicate and rich and robust at the same time? This is Danton at her best. Jean Danton's "Songs of Innocence" CD is truly delightful - one of the most enjoyable classical CDS I own. Her voice is divine and soothing to the ears, unlike some sopranos. Her range is incredible! Her lyrics are distinct and well-formed and her songs of choice are engaging and pleasing. I made a point to hear Danton live after hearing this CD and I was not disappointed. I am waiting for her next CD to come out -she is truly enchanting.

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