Hamlet

Track Listings

1. Overture (Suite, No. 1)

2. Military Music

3. Fanfares

4. Palace Bells (Suite, No. 2)

5. Story of Horatio and the Ghost

6. Ball

7. Ghost (Suite, No. 3)

8. Hamlet's Parting from Ophelia

9. Palace Music

10. Arrival of the Players (Suite, No. 6)

11. Monologue (What a Rogue and Peasant Slave)

12. Hamlet's Monologue (To Be or Not to Be)

13. Royal Fanfare

14. In the Garden (Suite, No. 4)

15. Booth Fanfare

16. Poisoning Scene (Suite, No. 5)

17. Flutes Play

18. Ophelia's Descent into Madness (Song of Ophelia)

19. Ophelia's Insanity

20. Death of Ophelia (Suite, No. 7)

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Naxos announces the new Film Music Classics series, whose inaugural release is the first ever complete recording of Shostakovich’s film music to Hamlet. Written in the early 1960s for Kozintsev’s film, Shostakovich’s music for Hamlet is generally considered to be his best film score, with an absolute clarity of vision and containing some of his most intense music. The film won several film festival prizes, while the score was used for a number of ballets based on Hamlet. The eight-part suite compiled by Shostakovich’s friend Lev Atovmian in 1964 is the usual guise of Shostakovich’s music. However, for this unique recording the suite has been integrated with the original complete published score, which includes music not used in the final cut of the film.

Tracks:

1812 Overture, Op.49
Marche Slave, Op.31
Romeo And Juliet Fantasy Overture
Capriccio Italien, Op.45
Hamlet Fantasy Overture, Op.67

Customer Reviews:

Emotional and expressive Tchaikovsky without being lurid.......2006-06-16

What makes this generous (80 min.) CD welcome is that Bernstein, far from going over the top, proves himself a genuinely expressive Tchaikovsky conductor. There are no choirs or cannons in the 1812 Over.(church bells are overlaid in the finale, though), no saccharine underlining of melodies, and no faking the emotion to reach the grandstands. Bernstein was to the manner born in romantic music, so his Romeo and Juliet is exciting and heartfelt. The 1812 will feel a bit low-key to anyone who expects a circus act, but it's musically sound, in case that matters.

I'm not arguing that this CD contains any revelations, but these chestnuts are all very winning in Bernstein's hands. His Capriccio italien deserves better sound--it's a bit thin and tinny--but it dances and sings. My attraction was to the problematic tone poem, Hamlet, which Bernstein believed in eough to record a second time for DG with the Israel Phil. The classic Stokowski recording on Everest tops every critic's list, but Bernstein's sounds more natural in the lyrical sections and brings quite a few thrills in the bombastic rum-tum of this uneven work.

Average customer rating:

I am in a Box with Berlioz Box Sets
A superb set, well worth the price!
all the overtures *NOT*
A wonderful collection of Berlioz

Berlioz: Complete Orchestral Works

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Liszt: Works for Piano and Orchestra
Strauss: Orchestral Works
Bruckner: The Complete Symphonies
Grieg: Complete Music with Orchestra
Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works

ASIN: B0000041MZ
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 1. Rries, Passions (Largo - Allegro agitato ed appassinonato assai)
Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 2. Un bal (Valse: Allegro non troppo)
Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 3. Sc aux champs (Adagio)
Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 4. Marche au supplice (Allegretto non troppo)
Symphony Fantastique, Op. 14: 5. Songe d'une nuit du Sabbat (Larghetto - Allegro- Ronde du Sabbat: Poco menu mosso)
Tristia, Op 18 (excerpts): 3. Marche fune pour la derni sc d'Hamlet (Allegretto moderato)
La Damnation De Faust, Op. 24 (excerpts): Menuet des follets
La Damnation De Faust, Op. 24 (excerpts): Marche hongroise

Tracks:

Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 1. Le peur (Goethe, Duboys)
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 2. Choeur d'ombres (Berlioz)
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 3. Chanson de brigands (Berlioz)
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 4. Chant de bonheur (Berlioz)
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 5. La harpe ienne - Souvenirs
Lo ou Le retour a vie, Op. 14b: 6. Fantasie sur la Temp de Shakespeare (Berlioz)
Grande Symphonie fune et triomphale, Op. 15: 1. Marche fune (Moderato un poco lento)
Grande Symphonie fune et triomphale, Op. 15: 2. Oraison fune (Adagio non tanto - Andantino un poco lento e sostenuto)
Grande Symphonie fune et triomphale, Op. 15: 3. Apothe (Allegro non troppo e pomposo)

Tracks:

Harold en Italie, Op.16: 1a. Harold aux montagnes (Adagio)
Harold en Italie, Op.16: 1b. Harold aux montagnes (Allegro)
Harold en Italie, Op.16: 2. Marche des prins (Allegretto)
Harold en Italie, Op.16: 3. Snade (Allegro assai - Allegretto)
Harold en Italie, Op.16: 4. Orgie de brigands (Allegro frenetico - Adagio - Allegro, Tempo I)
Les Troyens arthage: Prelude From: Les Troyens arthage: Part II, Act III
Les Troyens (Act IV): No. 29: Chasse royale et orage - Pantomime
Les Troyens (Act IV): No. 32: Marche pour l'entrde la reine; No. 33: Ballets
Les Troyens (Act IV): -A: Pas des Alm
Les Troyens (Act IV): -B: Danse des esclaves
Les Troyens (Act IV): - C: Pas d'esclaves nubiennes
Rrie et Caprice, Op.8

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Introduction
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Prologue: 'D'anciennes haines endormies'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Strophe 1: 'Premiers transports que nul n' oublie'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Strophe 2: 'Heureux enfants aux coers de flamme'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part I, Rtatif et Scherzetto: 'Bientot de Romeo' - 'Mab! la messagere' - Bientot la mort est souveraine'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part II, Romseul - Tristesse - Concert eet bal
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part II, Grande f chez les Capulets
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part III, 'Ohe! Capulets! Bonsoir, bonsoir!'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part III, Sc d'amour

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Scherzo: La reine Mab ou la fdes songes
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Convoi fune de Juliette: 'Jetez des fleurs pour la vierge expiree!'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Romau tombeau des Capulets
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Finale. Choeurs et Rtatif du P Laurence: 'Quo! Romeo de retour!'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Finale. Air du P Laurence: 'Pauvres enfants que je pleure' - 'Mais notre sang rougit leur glaive'
Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17: Part IV, Finale. Serment de rnciliation: 'Jurez donc'

Tracks:

Beatrice et Benedict
Benvenuto Cellini
Overtures: Le roi Lear, Op. 4
Les Francs - juges, Op. 3
Waverley, Op. 1
Le corsaire, Op. 21
Carnaval romain, Op. 9

Amazon.com

Berlioz was the first Romantic master of the orchestra. His music hasn't been surpassed in terms of sheer brilliance and accuracy of effect. This set includes all of the overtures, the Symphonie fantastique, Harold in Italy, the Royal Hunt and Storm from Les Troyens, orchestral music from The Damnation of Faust and Romeo and Juliet, and the completely insane Grande Symphonie funebre et triumphale. Davis achieved his reputation as a conductor as a Berlioz specialist, and he proves an expert advocate on behalf of this stimulating, bizarre, and totally original genius. The recording quality, so critical in such colorful music, is also very good. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

I am in a Box with Berlioz Box Sets.......2004-02-22

First I ordered Hector Berlioz Complete Orchestral Works (Box Set) in a 6-CD set by Sir Colin Davis because orchestral is what I like best. That was in 2002. Now I have ordered The Berlioz Edition (Box Set)in a 24-CD Box Set by Sir Colin Davis because I like what I have heard of Berlioz by Davis. I will put this up for sale, and if it doesn't go I will consider putting The Berlioz Edition up for sale after I have heard it. As I said I am in a Box with Berlioz Box Sets and can't afford both.

A superb set, well worth the price!.......2002-08-16

For those of us who grew up in the 1950s and '60s, the music of Berlioz means Munch and Toscanini: Munch for his incendiary performances of "Symphonie Fantastique," "Romeo et Juliette," "Damnation of Faust," the Requiem and the overtures (among others), Toscanini primarily for his gorgeous reading of "Harold in Italy" but also for his versions of the Roman Carnival Overture and (for those who could find it) the "Romeo" with Gladys Swarthout. These readings had one thing going for them, which was a rhythmic impetus that made even the slow movements exciting. Unfortunately, for those of us who read scores, when we checked these versions against the music we found that Toscanini and Munch had fiddled a bit with tempi and bowing accents in an attempt to make the music more exciting. Is this so bad? Not necessarily, because these conductors had this music in their blood, they were presenting Berlioz as they had processed him over a lifetime of love, and so their fast tempi had little in common with the rattly, jangly readings often turned out by John Eliot Gardiner.

Sir Colin Davis was, and of this reading remains, the greatest Berlioz interpreter of the stereo/digital era. This is no mean feat when one realizes that he now has several competitors in the field, among them James Levine and Charles Dutoit, but in my view only the wonderful John Nelson (whose recordings of the Te Deum and "Nuits d'Ete" with Susan Graham are so wonderful) really comes close. And what makes Davis so great is that, like those legendary conductors of old, he really gets under the skin of Berlioz and makes him exciting while maintaining score tempi. Listen, for instance, to his "Symphonie Fantastique," still the benchmark modern recording after nearly 30 years. Davis also excels in his readings of the Overtures, music from "Les Troyens," and the Symphonie Funebre et Triomphale which grabs the listener and pulls him/her into its vortex of sound.

In the other two symphonies, "Harold in Italy" and "Romeo et Juliette," I sense a lapse of sorts: the slow music is conducted not necessarily too slowly, but with a certain Romantic mushiness bordering on easy listening. This, for me, robs the "Romeo alone" and "Scene d'amour" of its passion, though of course it is wonderful to hear the score in modern stereo instead of Munch's cramped mono, and for me Toscanini's second movement of "Harold," with its peculiar yet engaging walking gait, shall never be surpassed--and, unlike Munch, Toscanini somewhat transcended his mono sound because of the wonderful clarity and transparency of his orchestra. Nevertheless, if I were forced to I would live with this Davis set over my Munch and Toscanini recordings because of their overall warmth and excellent sound.

Other highlights include excerpts from "Lelio" sung superbly by pre-leukemia Jose Carreras (listen to him ascend fearlessly to those high notes--he hasn't done that in nearly a quarter-century!), dramatically astute singing by Patricia Kerns and John Shirley-Quirk in "Romeo," and marvelous interpretations of the Overtures (oh, and you can forget "Rob Roy"...Berlioz decided after one performance that he would never publish it or even bother revising it, hence it is not here). I do question the omission of the Requiem and Te Deum (after all, they ARE "orchestral works"), but with so many riches at such a low price, who cares? Liner notes are sparse, and this is a slimline box which means paper sleeves and no jewel boxes, but so what? For this much Berlioz, so beautifully sung and conducted, the composer himself would gladly have plunked down ...

all the overtures *NOT*.......2001-05-04

This isn't a "complete" recording of Berlioz' orchestral music - what about the 'Rob Roy' overture? Granted it recycles some of Harold in Italy, but still...

A wonderful collection of Berlioz.......2000-08-15

This incredible six CD set features all of Hector Berlioz's purely orchestral music conducted by the great Sir Colin Davis, widely regarded as one of the greatest living Berlioz interpreters. In addition to favorites such as Symphonie fantastique, Harold en Italie and Romeo et Juliette, the set also includes the lesser known Lelio and several other works. The works were recorded between 1965 and 1980, and the sound is wonderful and rich. His interpretations are also lively and full of energy, especially in the overtures.

The Romeo et Juliette included in this set is my favorite of all the recordings of it that I've heard, although I haven't yet heard Sir Colin's more recent recording with the Vienna Philharmonic. The recording of Lelio is also well done. Jose Carreras and Thomas Allen are the featured singers in Lelio's song movements, and the fantasy on Shakespeare's Tempest at the end of the work is fascinating indeed. If you've only heard Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique and want to hear more of his works, or are looking for a nice collection of classic Berlioz recordings, then take a good look at this set.

Once Upon a Time: The Essential Ennio Morricone
Average customer rating:

Excellence!

"his domain of film scoring is legendary ~ Ennio Morricone"

Once Upon a Time: The Essential Ennio Morricone

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Untouchables (1987 Film)

Film Music, Vol. 2

Once Upon A Time In The West: The Original Soundtrack Recording

Very Best of Ennio Morricone

Ennio Morricone - Film Music, Vol.1

ASIN: B0002V4YTU
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Tracks:

Once Upon A Time In The West: Man With The Harmonica
A Fistful Of Dollars
For A Few Dollars More
Days Of Heaven: The Harvest
The Five Man Army
Once Upon A Time In The West: Jill's Theme
The Men From Shiloh
Guns For San Sebastian: Overture
Two Mules For Sister Sara
A Fistful Of Dynamite: Duck, You Sucker
My Name Is Nobody
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: Main Theme
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: The Ecstasy Of Gold
Cinema Paradiso
Once Upon A Time In America: Deborah's Theme

Tracks:

The Untouchables: Main Theme
The Red Tent
The Sicilian Clan
Exorcist & The Heretic: Regan's Theme
Moses The Lawgiver
In The Line Of Fire
The Thing
Le Professionnel: Chi Mai
Hamlet
1900: Romanza
Casualties Of War: Elegy For Brown
Marco Polo
The Mission
Gabriel's Oboe
Ave Maria (Guarini)
On Earth As It Is In Heaven
Epilogue: The Falls

Customer Reviews:

Excellence!.......2007-04-22

These recordings range back to 1994, with a number of tracks being from Silva Screen's "Music from the Films of Clint Eatwood" compilation, with Derek Wadsworth conducting the City of Prague Philharmonic.

Those tracks are: "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", "A Fistful of DOllars", "For a Few Dollars More", and "Two Mules for Sister Sara". "In The Line Of Fire' also appeared on that CD, performed electronically by Mark Ayres.

The next bunch of tracks is from Silva Screen's 1996 compilation, "Cinema Paradise: The Classic Film Music of Ennio Morricone", which included the majority of tracks here such as the extensive The Mission Suite, The Untouchables, Casulaties of War, Once Upon a Time In America, 1900, Chi Mai, Marco Polo, Once Upon a Time In The West (two tracks), Cinema Paradise, and The Good the Bad and the Ugly - Ecstacy of Gold, mostly being conducted by Paul Bateman, with Nic Raine doing some of the conducting duties as well.

Hamlet is from Silva's 1997 "Cinema's Classic Romances" compilation, while "The Thing" is from Silva's 2001 "Essential John Carpenter".

A Fistful of Dynamite - Duck You Sucker is from 2002's Way Out West: Essential Western Film Music Collection Volume Two.

The remaing tracks were newly recorded in 2004 for this release:
Days of Heaven, Exorcist II, Guns for San Sebastian, Moses the Lawgiver, My Name is Nobody, The Five Man Army, The Red Tent, The Men From Shiloh and The Sicilian Clan.

Highly recommended.

"his domain of film scoring is legendary ~ Ennio Morricone".......2004-10-07

Silva America once again has outdone themselves with "Once Upon A Time:The Essential Ennio Morricone Film Music Collection", a double disc collection worth their weight in GOLD! ~ Morricone creates visual moods for each film he scores...action, adventure, mystery, romance, sentimental and suspense...the list could go on.

Ennio Morricone was born in Rome on October 11, 1928...attended the Santa Cecilia Conservatory...worked in various jazz bands, later a staff arranger and composer...an orchestrator in the '50s...scored films in the early '60s, then the WESTERNS and his name became a household word in the film industry ~ a new kind of western was on the horizon and Morricone was commissioned to score "A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS" [1964] for Sergio Leone featuring Clint Eastwood, spaghetti westerns were born ~ next "FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE" [1965] ~ and a bigger budget film "THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY" [1966], again featuring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and a third Eli Wallach whose performance was magical to watch on the big screen ~ violence and revenge gives Morricone an opportunity to feature electric guitars, flutes and jew's harp blending with a non lyrical chorus mixed with brass, strings, percussion with full orchestration that simply took your breath away...example is "ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST" [1968], featuring Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards and our hero Charles Bronson the mysterious harmonica player, director Sergio Leone's tribute to the American Western, pulled out all the stops ~ the Western was just a small part of Maestro Morricone's career, in the next paragraph take a gander of just what our icon of film music accomplished.

Our composer didn't stop there as "ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA" [1984], featuring Robert De Niro, James Woods and Elizabeth McGovern, another Sergio Leone film..."THE MISSION" [1986], featuring Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons and Aldan Quinn, is probably one of Morricone's crowning scores receiving an Academy Award nomination, very haunting and classical genre in substance..."THE UNTOUCHABLES" [1987], featuring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and Robert De Niro during the Al Capone '30s crime organization, Morricone conjures a powerful and dynamic arrangement of his unmistakable theme..."CINEMA PARADISO" [1988], featuring Phillippe Noiret, Antonella Attili and Pupella Maggio from director Giuseppe Tomatore as he recalls his early childhood, the score immediately captures your heart, so tender and compelling as Morricone can only deliver.

City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra featuring conductors Kenneth Alwyn, Paul Bateman, James Fitzpatrick, Nic Raine, Derek Wadsworth ~ Crouch End Festival Chorus featuring Choir Master David Temple ~ vocals performed by Charlotte Kinder, Marie Kopecka and Jill Washington ~ guitar, percussion and keyboards performed by Gareth Williams ~ all in all did a magnicent job in bringing the music of a composer who wrote for over 250 films, receiving recognition from the industry and fans which was long over-due ~ his work is in constant demand, scoring as many as over a half dozen films as year.

This collection contains an overlay of each cue in Morricone's distinctive style of legendary scoring ~ the man who made this possible, a tremendous asset to every project he undertakes is James Fitzpatrick [producer of the album] ~ symphonic suites with full orchestra fullfilling the "film-score-buffs" cravings for more of the same, just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 2-CD-Set ~ Silva America 1165 ~ (10/05/2004)

Average customer rating:

Some of Shostakovich's Most Profoundly Moving Music
Shostakovich As a Great Film Music Composer

Hamlet

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0001Z65FI
Release Date: 2004-06-15

Tracks:

Overture (Suite, No. 1)
Military Music
Fanfares
The Palace Ball (Suite, No. 2)
Story Of Horatio And The Ghost
The Ball
The Ghost (Suite, No. 3)
Hamlet's Parting From Ophelia
Palace Music
Arrival Of The Players (Suite, No. 6)
Monologue (What A Rogue And Peasant Slave)
Hamlet's Monologue (To Be Or Not To Be)
Royal Fanfare
In The Garden (Suite, No. 4)
Booth Fanfare
Poisoning Scene (Suite, No. 5)
The Flutes Play
Ophelia's Descent Into Madness (Song Of Ophelia)
Ophelia's Insanity
Death Of Ophelia (Suite, No. 7)
Hamlet At Ophelia's Grave
The Cemetery
The Duel/The Death Of Hamlet/Hamlet's Funeral (Suite, No. 8)

Album Description

Naxos announces the new Film Music Classics series, whose inaugural release is the first ever complete recording of Shostakovich's film music to Hamlet. Written in the early 1960s for Kozintsev's film, Shostakovich's music for Hamlet is generally considered to be his best film score, with an absolute clarity of vision and containing some of his most intense music. The film won several film festival prizes, while the score was used for a number of ballets based on Hamlet. The eight-part suite compiled by Shostakovich's friend Lev Atovmian in 1964 is the usual guise of Shostakovich's music. However, for this unique recording the suite has been integrated with the original complete published score, which includes music not used in the final cut of the film.

Customer Reviews:

Some of Shostakovich's Most Profoundly Moving Music.......2006-05-14

There was a time when the public looked down on classical music composers who deigned to stoop to writing film scores, and yet many of the finest composers of the 20th century were quite successful in producing quality music for the cinematic medium: Korngold, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Copland and Shostakovich to name but a few. When Shostokovich wrote this deeply profound and moody score for the 1963 Russian film 'Gamlet' he was in top form and the music that is brought to us in its entirety on this lengthy recording (59 minutes) by Dmitry Yablonsky conducting the Russian Philharmonic in a eight day recording session in Moscow in February 2003 offers some refreshing insights into the power of Shostakovich's compositional techniques.

From the sinister Overture, through military music and fanfares and palace balls, Shostakovich leads us into the mysteries that abound in Shakespeare's drama. The episodes of meeting the ghost, the inordinately appealing subtle music that accompanies Hamlet's famous monologues to the madness and death of Ophelia and the eventual death of Hamlet - all are orchestrated with such brilliance that the music sounds like a fresh introduction to Shostakovich. For example, he uses the harpsichord for Ophelia, allowing that odd keyboard sound to dwindle into insanity in a manner that sets this character apart from the rest of Shostakovich's musical style.

For those who love the symphonies and quartets of Dmitri Shostokovich this magnificently recorded CD should become a part of the library. It is not a minor work: it is some of this great composer's most personal writing. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, May 06

Shostakovich As a Great Film Music Composer.......2004-06-25

By my title I don't necessarily mean the FILM is great (I've not seen it) but the music certainly is. As far as I know we've not had the complete film score on CD before; there have been several recordings (conducted by Chailly and Previn, among others) of a suite from the score. This one does not have to take a back seat to any recording I've ever heard of the suite. And it contains music that we'd not otherwise hear, some of it extraordinarily evocative. More and more, with some recent widely distributed recordings, we are coming to know Shostakovich as a masterful film composer. Look for CDs of his music for 'The Great Citizen,' 'Pirogov,' 'The Gadfly, 'The New Babylon,' among others. Just as we remember Prokofiev for his ballet scores, we may come to remember Shostakovich just as much for his film music. And these are not the typical Hollywood-style scores; they don't sound so much like movie music as descriptive tone poems.

Dmitry Yablonsky conducts the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, a group that has been coming on strong in recent times; Yablonsky is their Principal Conductor and he certainly gets all one could ask for from them. The playing is alert and flexible, musical and suave, spooky and exciting. In the spooky passages (and there are some moments of real frisson in the scene with Hamlet's Father's ghost) I was actually made to feel eerily unsettled.

Some highlights of the score: The Ghost, The Ball, Arrival of the Players, Monologue ('What a rogue and peasant slave'), Monologue ('To be or not to be'), In the Garden, Death of Ophelia, and 'The Duel - Death of Hamlet - Hamlet's Funeral.' The latter is an emotionally evocative 7-minute tone poem that could stand on its own.

This CD also has a release on SACD which I have not heard. But on this plain vanilla CD the sound is demonstration quality, so I can only imagine what it must be like with surround sound.

Recommended.

TT=62:28

Customer Reviews:

Valuable compendium.......2007-01-24

This set is extremely valuable, not only as an overview of Dame Joans career but because it contains three complete LP sets that have been very hard to find. The sets are the 2 LP French opera (operetta) set, the Mozart album and the Wagner album. Although some of these do not show her to her best advantage (the Wagner set) they all have some very beautiful things and the French items are superb. The annotations and photos are interesting as well and there are some piano songs with Bonynge that are released here for the first time along with a scene from a live Covent Garden Norma.

Rareties available on CD at last!.......2006-03-29

While Joan Sutherland has recorded a number of impressive aria collections throughout the many years of her recording career, they tend to get lost in the shuffle of the countless reissues Decca/London has endlessly repackaged. While some of the original collections have appeared intact on CD--"The Art of the Prima Donna," "The Age of Bel Canto," "Love Live Forever" (her operetta collection that was originally titled "The Golden Age of Operetta"), to name a few--others are currently represented in the CD catalogue by only a few selections on discs that also include excerpts from complete opera recordings or duplicates of selections from other original collections. As a result, it has been impossible to assemble a CD collection of her recordings without a LOT of duplication, and some of the most interesting collections are still unavailable (e.g. "Command Performance" and "Serate Musicale").

While this newest set does include a lot of bits of this and that, ranging from her very first LPs to excerpts from complete recordings most Sutherland fans already have and a few "live" performances, what is perhaps most significant about it is that it features the complete contents of the "Sutherland Sings Wagner" LP--a real repertoire departure for her--and the double-LP album called "French Opera Gala" (in the U.S.--the British title was "Romantic French Arias"), neither of which, to the best of my knowledge, has been available on CD before. "Opera News" magazine once ran an article in which they asked various stars to name the one album that they felt best represented their artistry for future generations, and Dame Joan selected the "French Opera Gala," so for Sutherland fans, this is a long-awaited treat.

I'm not going to waste space saying how miraculous I consider Dame Joan's artistry. If you are familiar with her work already, you know whether you adore her or not; and if you aren't, this massive set is probably not the best place to start (that would be "The Art of the Prima Donna" album that introduced her to most listeners decades ago)--especially since this newest set doesn't contain the lyrics, a must for newcomers. Let's hope Decca/London gets around to releasing the rest of her recordings intact instead of endlessly scrambling and repackaging the same selections over and over.

Heavenly.......2006-01-31

I first heard of Dame Sutherland while on the internet while listening to a internet radio station. I was instantly a fan, her control, technique, and tone is perfectly executed and rivals the equally fantastic Maria Callas. She has a powerful voice and presence that will evoke every emotion from her listeners. Highly recommended to all Opera Diva fans.

WHO ELSE CAN SING LIKE THIS TODAY?.......2005-04-10

This is Decca's second multi disc evaluation of this fantastic singer's long career and many recordings. True that a lot on the first set is duplicated here, but there are a few exceptions here and there that make it a worthy addition. Of particular interest are the very early items of Handel and Italian baroque arias, some forgotten song recordings and a live performance of the duet from Norma. It can't be said too many times - who can sing like this today? For sheer vocalism it's hard to find anyone on the same wavelength. This set will give very young opera goers an idea of what they missed.

Average customer rating:

Varèse Sarabande à son meilleur!
A copy in every household . . .
A sampler feat. some of the greatest film scores in history.
"the man behind Varese Sarabande ~ Robert Townson"

In Session: Film Music Celebration
Robert Townson , Joel McNeely Jerry Goldsmith , and Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration
Music In Film (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)
The Incredible Film Music Box
The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection
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ASIN: B00005ABOI
Release Date: 2001-03-27

Tracks:

2001
Rebecca
Citizen Kane
That Hamilton Woman
Anna and the King of Siam
Captain From Castille
A Streetcar Named Desire
Viva Zapata!
The Trouble With Harry
Peyton Place
Vertigo
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
The Twilight Zone
Psycho
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver
Breakfast At Tiffany's
To Kill A Mockingbird
Marnie
Hamlet

Tracks:

The Agony and the Ecstasy
The Sand Pebbles
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Born Free
Fahrenheit 451
Patton
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Jaws
Midway
Superman: The Movie
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Somewhere In Time
Body Heat
Out of Africa
Platoon
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Taras Bulba
Agony and the Ecstacy (Main Title) - Jerry Goldsmith, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Sand Pebbles (Overture) - Jerry Goldsmith, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Moon and Main Title) - Jerry Goldsmith, National Philharmonic Orchestra
Playtime [Born Free Dub Mix II] - Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Frederic Talgorn
Road [From Fahrenheit 451] - Joel McNeely, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra
Patton (Entr'acte) - Jerry Goldsmith, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Tora! Tora! Tora! (Main Title) - Jerry Goldsmith, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Man Against Beast - Joel McNeely, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Midway (Main Title and End Title) - Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Rick Wentworth
Superman The Movie (Love Theme) - John Debney, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Enterprise [Star Trek: The Motion Picture] - Jerry Goldsmith, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Somewhere in Time (Theme) - John Debney, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Body Heat (Main Title) - The London Symphony Orchestra, Joel McNeely
Out of Africa (Main Title) - Joel McNeely, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Platoon (Theme) - Georges Delerue
Shadows of the Empire (Xizor's Theme) [Star Wars] - Joel McNeely, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Ride of the Cossacks [Taras Bulba] - Cliff Eidelman, Seattle Symphony Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Varèse Sarabande à son meilleur!.......2003-04-17

Robert Townson célèbre ici le 500ème cd à être édité par Varèse Sarabande en créant une compilation receuillant les nombreux réengistrements que Varèse Sarabande sut faire au travers des dernières années. Regroupant du matériel de Jerry Goldsmith, Bernard Herrmann, John Williams, Alex North et plusieurs autres, In Session propose un parcours éclectique au travers des années de compositions de chacune des bandes sonores présentées au sein de la compilation. Le voyage commence à avec la musique rejetée de 2001 d'Alex North, pour faire un parcours passant par Rebecca, Citizen Kane (Félicitons ici le FABULEUSE voix de la soprano Janice Watson et la direction impécable de Joel McNeely), Viva Zapata!, Psycho, The Sand Pebbles, Patton, Jaws, Platoon (Autre musique rejetée du regreté Georges Delerue, pastiche du célèbre Adagio pour cordes de Samuel Barber), Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (Musique composée par Joel McNeely pour le livre se déroulant entre The Empire Stricke Back et The Return of the Jedi) pour finalement clore avec Tara's Bulba. Il s'agit ici d'une sélection très riche, des morceaux d'une durée appréciable et d'une direction et d'une sonorité incroyable. Il s'agit ici d'un merveilleux cadeau de Robert Townson et Varèse Sarabande (Label qui célèbre en 2003 son 25ème anniversaire. Surveillez aussi la compilation de Varèse Sarabande (4 cds pour le prix de un!) qui verra le jour le 22 avril 2003) et c'est une compilation que toute personne sensible à la musique doit posséder! Chapeau Varèse!

A copy in every household . . ........2003-02-09

This disc is so chock-full of classic scores from classic films that every movie-and-music lover should own a copy. Thanks to Robert Townson for producing this collection and the entire Varese film score catalog. My favorite tracks from this disc are "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"; "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"; and "Midway".

A sampler feat. some of the greatest film scores in history........2001-09-06

Words cannot convey what a collection like this means to a film music collector such as myself. Varese Saraband has been releasing quality film scores and music for the last 20 plus years. My vinyl and CD collections burst with so much great stuff from Varese. One day I was looking in the bins of my local record store and noticed this little gem of a collection. I looked at it and saw a virtual cornucopia of the great film score cues for only $ (and 2 discs). So I purchased it and opened it up. Much to my surprise, the booklet is chock full of information about each scoring session and pictures to boot. I also learned more about some of these wonderful pieces as well. Well thanks to Mr. Townson and this nice collection, I plan to purchase some of the recordings these cues were released on since I don't own classics like Viva Zapata, Alex North's 2001, Superman (not the Varese version, I do have the other release), and Patton. Guess I will have to save a few pennies, but it will be worth it. I recommend this collection to anybody who wants to discover and learn about the history of film music. I also think it's a great listen from the first song to the last on both discs. My compliments to Varese on a great collection of classics (and keeping it under $).

"the man behind Varese Sarabande ~ Robert Townson".......2001-04-06

The music that this label releases is without a doubt in a class by themselves, always perfection. Here we have the 500th CD release from ~ "The Man Behind The Music" ~ Mr. Robert Townson. So much care is taken with each album, that you feel you are witnessing the birth of a newborn baby, and that may be just what it is.

For those of us who buy each album ~ people who work to create them ~ the artwork ~ musicians ~ and a list of some of the most talented composers and conductors ~ John Barry, Elmer Bernstein, John Debney, Georges Delerue, Cliff Eidelman, Jerry Goldsmith, Bernard Herrmann, Michael Lang, Henry Mancini, Joel McNeely, Alfred Newman, Alex North, Miklos Rozsa, Dimitri Shostakovich, Frederic Talgorn, Franz Waxman, Rick Wentworth and John Williams ~ and as always the sound quality and performances by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and National Philharmonic Orchestra is dynamically flawless and simply superb.

This economically priced 2-CD-Set ~ pure film score sampling ~ is worth it's weight in gold. One should not have a favorite from this vast collection, but if asked ~ it would be "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" (1962) composer Elmer Bernstein took it to the limit and beyond, the story-line, cast and score was the perfect marriage.

A big, big thank you to ~ Matthew Joseph Peak (cover/session photography) ~ Jonathan Allen, Geoff Foster, Bernie Kirsh, Mike Ross, Mike Sheady and Al Swanson (recording engineers) ~ Rich Breen (mastering engineer) ~ and for the extensive 28 page liner-note booklet featuring "behind the scenes" memories of these past 500 albums, may we look forward to future classics on the next 500 CD's from producer...ROBERT TOWNSON!

Tracks:

Artaxerxes: The Soldier Tir'd
Samson: Let The Bright Seraphim
Norma: Sediziose voci ... Casta diva ... Ah! bello a me ritorna
I Puritani: Son vergin vezzosa (Polonaise)
Semiramide: Bel raggio lusinghier
I Puritani: O rendetemi la speme ... Qui la voce ... Vien, diletto
La Sonnambula: Care compagne ... Come per me sereno ... Sovra il sen
Faust: O Dieu! que de bijoux ... Ah! je ris de me voir

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette: Ah! Je veux vivre
Otello: Mia madre aveva una povera ancella ... Piangea cantando
Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail: Martern aller Arten
La Traviata: E' strano ... Ah, fors'e lui ... Sempre libera
Hamlet: A vos jeux, mes amis
Lakme: Ah! Ou va la jeune Indue
Les Huguenots: O beau pays de la Touraine!
Rigoletto: Gualtier Malde ... Caro nome

Amazon.com

In February 1959, an unknown (well, comparatively) Australian singer appeared at Covent Garden in Franco Zeffirelli's new production of Lucia di Lammermoor and took the world by storm. The following year, Joan Sutherland went into the studio to record this reissued tribute to prima donnas of previous generations, illustrating along the way the bel canto tradition of which she was to become a leading exponent. The 16 excerpts on this digitally remastered double CD include several roles she had already sung or was on the verge of singing, from Gilda in Rigoletto, which she had sung at Covent Garden before her Lucia debut, to Norma. What a performance! The voice is fresh, remarkable in its beauty, and she makes it all sound so effortless, tossing off Handel's "Let the bright Seraphim" or the Jewel aria from Gounod's Faust as if they're the easiest things in the world. This sparkling selection of glorious singing demonstrates just why Sutherland was to remain at the top of her profession for the next 30 years and join those to whom she here pays tribute as one of the great singers of all time. --Richard Fawkes

Customer Reviews:

La Stupenda is stupendous on this recording. Don't miss it!.......2007-01-05

I originally bought "The Art of the Prima Donna" in 1963, when I was just a kid, after seeing Dame Joan's debut in "Norma" with the Vancouver Opera in October of that year, and I was completely bowled over by both her live performances and her recording. She made me an opera fan for life. I've worn out and replaced that miraculous recording since then, and now have a third version on CD.

I completely disagree with those who believe that Sutherland lost the gleam on her voice after 1961. It's true that she suffered for several years with intermittently poor diction and rhythmic lapses, but these were due to terrible medical problems and the results of serious operations that were required to restore her health. Later she recovered most of her vocal lustre and all of her enthusiasm for performing, and her diction steadily improved. Her fabulous technique remained intact until her retirement in 1990.

No singers sound as fresh at 50 as they do at 30. Just listen to how Callas sounded in her later years, when her voice had almost completely deteriorated, and her career was far shorter than Sutherland's. The fact is that Sutherland sang in public for forty years, without amplification and often in barnlike theatres, and yet she still sounded formidable when she retired. Just listen to her performance of the final aria from "Lucrezia Borgia" on YouTube. I heard her debut in that role, again in Vancouver, shortly before that Covent Garden performance, and can attest that she was still in fabulous voice at the age of 53 and her coloratura remained spectacular.

What "The Art of the Prima Donna" gives us is the memory of an unparalleled vocal phenomenon in her glorious youth, before her physical disabilities briefly interrupted her career. No singer since has created a recording that exhibits anything like the range, vocal beauty and versatility that Sutherland displayed on this historic recording--not Callas, nor Caballe, nor Sills, nor any of their recent imitators. The title of this recording was not an exaggeration. This is singing that truly revived "The Age of Bel Canto," to quote the title of another Sutherland recording. "The Art of the Prima Donna" and Sutherland's earlier recordings, if you can get them, constitute an invaluable legacy from an artist who truly restored the golden age of singing.

Sutherland is Amazing.......2006-06-29

The first thing I ever heard by Sutherland was the Bel Raggio and I was floored. The voice sounded huge but I wondered if it was a technicians trick. I heard her on stage many times. Recordings do NO JUSTICE to the hugeness of the voice. Her diction was weak and her line sometimes droopy but the warm, huge, fexible voice was amazing. I don't think she or anyone else was the Voice or Singer of the century- no voice or singer could sing every role in the repetoire. Sutherland could no more sing Brunnhilde than Flagstad could sing Lucia.

In her repertoire, JS was one of the greatest voices with an incredible technique and style that ever made recordings. This is a great CD - but some others which were issued on vinyl but to my knowledge not on CD help round out the Sutherland greatnes, viz., Command Performance, The Age of Bel Canto and the French Opera Album. She did a 2 disc set called "A Festival of Baroque Operas- There is an aria called "Barbaro, Barbaro" which is mind boggling for the speed and clarity of its coloratura. Even in 1977 at 51 yrs old her video performance of Lucrezia Borgia is amazing - it is one of the greatest performances she ever did- exciting, tender and again with that huge voice and flexibility. The last scene is amazing.

Flawless-NO Unique-WITHOUT A DOUBT!!!!!

A Phenomenal Historic Recording Newly Minted.......2005-10-08

There is not much to add to the encomiums of previous reviews. This is one of the most astounding vocal recitals, if not THE most astounding, ever recorded. It caught one of history's greatest singers in her absolute prime, before the well-known defects - mushy diction, cloudy tone, sliding into notes, enervated rhythmic sense - began to compromise her singing. (Well, ok, the diction here is not crystal clear, but mostly quite acceptable and MUCH better than it later became.)

One wonders if any other soprano in history ever sang so fast, so high and so loud while always preserving such a full, golden, round sound. Sutherland was a genuine vocal phenomenon, and even those who don't generally care for her singing surely must find their jaws on the floor repeatedly during this recital. Every selection has something treasurable. My personal favorites: "A soldier tir'd," "Bel raggio lusinghier," "Qui la voce," "Come per me sereno," the "Hamlet" Mad Scene, the Bell Song, and "O beau pays."

The remastering is superb, enabling us to hear Sutherland's voice in all its pristine glory. The engineers have even managed to mitigate the rumble of Underground trains (the Picadilly Line?) that were a perpetual problem in Kingsway Hall, although I was glad to hear that the loud yell in the distance one hears during the "Croce e delizia" section of "Ah, fors'e lui" is still there; by now it is an old friend, and I would miss it.

Canary in the silver mine .......2005-09-20

This is a good compilation, and Sutherland was captured at the right time, before she went completely mushy dictionwise and lost her vocal sheen. The remastered sound is very good, too, spectacular for a recording from the 1960s.
However, after digesting this CD for several weeks, I still have a mixed response to all these Stupendous vocalistics.
The beginning is the main sour note- Arne is tired, with often imprecise, behind the beat coloratura, quite unlike the rest of Sutherland's output, and Let the Bright Seraphim is unbelievably leaden- the orchestra in particular sounds awful, and clunky. I can't comment on ornamentation here because I didn't detect any. This is a poor man's Seraphim, only impressive if you never heard any other versions, and Sutherland's voice is wasted in this piece.
This CD really picks up with Casta Diva, a dazzling showcase for Sutherland's voice. I was very impressed with Sutherland's performance as Norma in this recording- what happened to her in later years, when her "acting" was limited to, as she herself described it, wearing a "generally pained expression" and singing without much color or feeling?
Pieces from I Puritani are great, then we get excellent Rossini, wonderful Jewel Song, and then sparkling Juliet and very effective, beautiful and dramatically involved Desdemona.
And then- another fly in the ointment, Marten Aller Arten. This is one of my favourite arias and I can be very unforgiving when it comes to its performance, plus I like Konstanze to be really angry and wired, which is sort of opposite of what Joan does. This is a pretty, chirpy Marten, and she works hard on her German- way too hard actually, she seems to be slowing down trying to pronounce it, and still "Ich verlache" and "mich" turn into "Ich ve-ayee" and "meeeh", plus she does not sound as secure on top as I would expect, with a metallic high C. She picks up at the very end, putting some feeling into the sound, then topples again... This is a hit and miss one.
Fortunately the rest of the CD is filled with sparklers more in Sutherland's vein. Violetta is really great, with a fantastic high E, Ophelia is nice, Lakme is vocally one of the best I have ever heard, the dull Meyerbeer aria is made interesting and shimmery- that fabulous trill is finally put to work after many tracks of underuse- and then it all ends with a most charming Gilda.
It's not the greatest vocal performance ever put on vinyl/plastic/megabites, but overall, a good, historical set to add to your collection of opera recitals and soprano specials.

Bel Canto from an angelic voice.......2005-04-19

There are only a few soprano-recitals that are absolutely essential and must be in every opera collector's collection. The art of the primadonna, does it qualify? Oh yes indeed and here's why. Joan Sutherland had one of the most brilliant and beautiful voices in recorded history, combine that with an excellent technique, high notes that sparkle like stars and coloratura of angelic quality and you get what Joan Sutherland was in 1961. To describe only a few favourites:

2. Samson, oratorio, HWV 57 Let the bright Seraphim
Composed by George Frideric Handel
with Joan Sutherland

A sparkling and intense interpretation of this well known yet hardly ever magnificently performed piece. Lucid, beautiful and technically impeccable.

3. Norma, opera Sediziose voci... Casta diva... Ah! bello
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
with Joan Sutherland

Surely her best studio-recording of this killer-aria. She is one of the few Normas who masters the recitativo without cracking or sounding strained, yet full of authority and intelligent drama. The Casta Diva itself is fluent, the make-or-break coloratura wonderfully executed. As for the cabaletta, not since young Callas in 1949 have I heard this piece sung so beautifully! Amazing high notes crown a cabaletta that broke more than one famous Norma before.

6. I Puritani, opera O rendetemi la speme... Qui la voce... Vien, diletto
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini

A Bellinian madscene at its finest. Once again only Callas in 1949 can be compared to this wonder of a recording. Callas too found darker colours and more intensity. (Dolore e passione as described in the score) Sutherland may lack these but she sings it with her own sense for drama which is uniquely sublime.

10. Otello, opera Mia madre aveva una povera ancella... Piangea cantando
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Joan Sutherland

An interesting and excellent choice. There are pictures of Joan Sutherland as Desdemona and what a pity that no complete recording of her performances survived. I find her Desdemona to be far more convincing than Tebaldi because she sounds more fragile and elegant, plus she has that silvery tone of innocence that I don't hear in Tebaldi's golden, sensual voice. Excellent in the floating lines, beautiful and tender in the cantabile.

16. Rigoletto, opera Gualtier Maldè... Caro nome
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
with Joan Sutherland

This can be compared to Maria Callas' live-performance of this piece and, being in excellent sound, might be preferred. (Callas was excellent in the studio as well, yet in 1955 she was less daring and defying) Stunningly intense in the cantabile and brilliant in the coloratura-passages. Far better than her famous performance with Pavarotti where she had lost the youthful, silvery sound that made her earlier Gilda so loveable.

I do not adore her as much in French opera and La Traviata or anything German but that doesn't mean that her singing was anything but amazing, just a personal preference. In short: Buy it and discover why Joan Sutherland is indeed La Stupenda!

Average customer rating:

Walton's music being discovered

Walton: Coronation March; Richard III

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000026D0H
Release Date: 2002-11-05

Tracks:

' Spitfire' Prelude And Fugue: Prelude
' Spitfire' Prelude And Fugue: Fugue
Scapino - Comedy Overture
Crown Imperial - Coronation March
Orb And Sceptre - Coronation March
Johannesburg Festival Overture
Capriccio burlesco
Hamlet: Funeral March
Richard III: Prelude
A Shakespeare Suite From 'Richard III': I. Fanfare
A Shakespeare Suite From 'Richard III': II. Music Plays
A Shakespeare Suite From 'Richard III': III. The Princes In The Tower
A Shakespeare Suite From 'Richard III': IV. With Drum And Colours
A Shakespeare Suite From 'Richard III': V. I Would I Knew Thy Heart
A Shakespeare Suite From 'Richard III': VI. Trumpets Sound

Customer Reviews:

Walton's music being discovered.......2007-01-15

Even at my advanced age, it's great fun to discover music that's new to me, and this CD presents lots of entertaining and listenable music that has been written in the lifetime of many of us. William Walton knew how to write rip-roaring "program" music.

Average customer rating:

A Classic Recording
A must for a Placido fan
Great for what it is
Certainly not ALLL the Essential Domingo
Solid, comfortable, familiar -- very good!

Essential Placido Domingo

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Very Best of
Por Amor
Bravo Domingo
De Mi Alma Latina
Placido Domingo: A Love Until The End Of Time

ASIN: B00064AEYW
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Tracks:

Nessun Dorma!
Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!.. Celeste Aida
Ch'Ella Mi Creda Libero E Lontano
Una Furtiva Lagrima
Quando Le Sere Al Placido
Bimba Dagli Occhi
Addio, Fiorito Asi
Ingemisco
Amor Ti Vieta
Sincero Amor
Ah! Tout Est Bien Fini-O Souverain, O Juge, O Pere
Apri La Tua Finestra!
E Lucevan Le Stelle
Firenze E Come Un Albero Fiorito
Di Rigori Armato Il Seno
Sole E Amore
Von Der Jugend
Di Quella Pira

Tracks:

Te Quiero, Morena-Jota
La Roca Fria Del Calvario (Romanze)
Por El Humo Se Sabe Donde Esta El Fuego
Granada
Andalucia
Serenata Tapatia
Adoro
Siempre En Mi Corazon
Malaguena
Dulcinea
The Impossible Dream (The Quest)
In Pace
Maria
Perhaps Love
Love Came For Me
A Love Until The End Of Time

Customer Reviews:

A Classic Recording.......2007-03-09

This was a great buy for me. The power and accuracy of Placido's voice are demonstrated well. Two CD's and 34 songs--just can't beat that for the price.

A must for a Placido fan.......2005-04-23

If you've continously listened to this master of tenors and said "wow, I like it, I want to listen even more of him", then raise it to 5 stars, which is the rating I personally give the CD; HOWEVER, if you've only heard him once or not at all, you might want to wait a while and get to know him and other tenors better. Why? Well, disc 1 is the "classical" disc, with arias from famous operas and choral pieces by Puccini and the like, but disc 2, the "modern" or "popular" disc, contains music that will leave you a bit puzzled, since it's is not for everyone; a lot of people have never heard zarzuela or tunes by Manzanero or Lecuona. In short, this disc is better suited for fans of Placido or people who want to know him better, if not, it still is a top choice, and this way you just might fall in love with him (well, his singing, not him literally).

Great for what it is.......2005-01-13

I agree with the previous poster that this does not contain his great dramatic stuff like otello/wagner, but the collection is a beautiful one. There are some great recordings here, and his crossover stuff(maria, Dulcinea, impossible dream) is very interesting. His opera is of course impecable and brilliant. Finally we get to hear Domingo's high C in Di Quella Pira, and its a good one. The zarzuela or spanish operetta type songs and are wonderful.

I found this to be beautiful and exhilirating to listen to.

Certainly not ALLL the Essential Domingo.......2005-01-03

I grew up with Placido Domingo. Not in the sense of being boyhood friends, but rather in the sense that he was part of my "Golden Age" at the Metropolitan Opera. Of the "Three Tenors" (more Marketing hype than useful grouping of three fine singers) Domingo was the most dramatic - the "heaviest" of the three. His repertoire extended well beyond the lyric - and that's why this collection is not all the "essential" Domingo, but rather offers an interesting look at the lighter, more lyric side of Placido Domingo. You won't find Lohengrin or Otello here, but you will find many of the more lyric tenor arias from Verdi, Puccini and Donizetti - to name a few.

There is an "edge" to Domingo's voice that perhaps accounts for his ability to transition successfully into the heavier repertory. I find that tonal quality particularly noticeable in this collection - and sometimes too pronounced. On the other hand, there are a few wonderful surprises. His "Una furtiva lagrima" from L'elisir d'amore is a stand out. Its rare you here a tenor with this much power sing the role. The duet "Bima dagli occhi" from Madama Butterfly with Renata Scotto, again casts Pinkerton with a quality tenor not often found in the opera house any more. I loved the selection from Gianni Schicchi - when is the last time you found Rinuccio cast with this size tenor voice - and the Italian tenor's aria from Rosenkavalier is a treasure from a recording currently out of print. And then there is one of Domingo's signature roles - Jack Rance in Puccini's La Fanciulla del West. No one sings Rance better than Domingo - and the excerpt from the complete recording finds Domingo at his very best.

Disk two is devoted to song - popular and classical. There is a fair amount of tripe - too much cross over (as in who needs to hear Domingo sing "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha - Broadway is not Mr. Domingo's genre). But there are some wonderful cuts as well - "Granada" is a Domingo encore specialty, and I was particularly struck by the song "In Pace" from the motion picture Hamlet - I never saw the film and was truly taken aback at how beautiful a song this is, and Domingo's voice soars.

I found the sound of these CD's a bit "tinny". Perhaps its the analogue to digital conversion, but I was disappointed in the overall sound. The album is badly mistitled "The Essential Placido Domingo". Certainly this is some of the essential Domingo - and some very wonderful examples of the lyric Domingo - but there is clearly a volume two to come - the dramatic Placido Domingo. But why wait - buy this fine collection, and then feast on some of the complete recordings such as Otello or Lohengrin.

Solid, comfortable, familiar -- very good!.......2005-01-01

Why wait to see if this reviewer enjoyed Sony's latest offering: I did, and so will you. Hats off to Sony for getting it right with this two CD, 34-song bonanza of Placido Domingo singing -- well, as the name implies -- the essentials, from opera to Broadway to Hollywood, in a mix that keeps its distance while holding it all together in a package that breeds enough familiarity to make even the most harsh tenor critic purr. The more clasical offerings are on the first CD and the more sentimental are on disc two. Interestingly, I found side two more seductive and subdued in tone, and enjoyed listening to Mr. Domingo's interpretation of such popular favorites as "Maria" from "West Side Story", "Dulcinea" from "Man From LaMancha" and a couple duets with John Denver (Perhaps Love) and Maureen McGovern (A Love Without End). The songs selected for side two actually did set a thematic tone. Readers of my reviews know that I place a high value on a CDs overall ability to present what is offered in a bundle that sets and keeps a mood. I usually ask two questions: is it consistent once the mood is set; and does it keep the listener in that mood throughout once established? Here, well, here, I break from tradition and profess some confusion. The mood on disc one is not thematic but ecclectic -- from solo's to duets, from live recordings to studio, from one orchestra to the next, from upbeat to mellow. Technically, while there is some difference in the overall sound quality while switching from one setting to another, it is something you would have to listen for to catch, and becaue of this doesn't amount to a serious flaw as presented. What saves disc one from my usual "tenor blahs" is Mr. Domingo's exceptional voice and the selection of songs chosen -- which, while altering between one mood and another, are all familiar enough that we listen with knowing ease to what we expect. This isn't the kind of CD you put on while holding a conversation with anyone, but rather one you would put on, close your eyes and listen to for its sheer technical achievement -- or more precisely for Mr. Domingo's talent. The voice is clear and strong and passinate and reflects Mr. Domingo's control of his range and interpretive skills. Listen to Verdi's "Ingemisco" with The London Symphony and Leonard Bernstein; Puccini's "Bimba Dagli Occhi" with Renata Scoto (he sings a couple meodies with Scoto) and Umberto Giordino's "Amor ti Vieta" from Fedora to get an idea of what I am referring to here. It took me a couple sessions with each side to settle down and appreciate what was offered. Hopefully this review will get you ready and you will enjoy it from the start. PJW

Hamlet: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1996 Film)

Average customer rating:

Hamlet sound track - Patrick Doyle
Beautiful masterpiece!!
Fantastic collaborations
Patrick Doyle's finest score
sudhir

Hamlet: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1996 Film)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000029V8
Release Date: 1996-12-10

Tracks:

The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': In Pace
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': Fanfare
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'All That Lives Must Die'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'To Thine Own Self Be True'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': The Ghost
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'Give Me Up The Truth'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'What A Piece Of Work Is A Man'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'What Players Are They'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'Out Out Thou Strumpet Fortune'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'To Be Or Not To Be'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'I Loved You Once'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'Oh, What A Noble Mind'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'If Once A Widow'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'Now Could I Drink Hot Blood'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'A Foolish Prating Nave'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'Oh Heavy Deed'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'Oh Here They Come'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'My Thoughts Be Bloody'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'The Doors Are Broke'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'And Will 'A Not Come Again?'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'Alas Poor Yorick'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'Sweets To The Sweet - Farewell'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'Give Me Your Pardon Sir'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'Part Them They Are Incensed'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'Goodnight, Sweet Prince'
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of 'Hamlet': 'Go Bid The Soldiers Shoot'

Customer Reviews:

Hamlet sound track - Patrick Doyle.......2006-03-10

I spent a lot of time trying to get hold of this CD but I must say I am mildly disappointed. I thought Patrick Doyle's music for Branagh's Henry V was brilliant and that was why I was determined to obtain this sound track as well. Henry V is not Hamlet in terms of theme and plot but I think the music here tends to be too low key and lacking in drive, unlike Henry V. It is still very good in places and clearly the work of an excellent composer, but not quite up to Doyle's previous standard.

Beautiful masterpiece!!.......2002-02-22

Patrick Doyle has truly composed an awesome piece of work. The score is so well done that you can feel the emotion coming through the music alone. This is by far my favorite soundtrack and I listen to it quite often.

Fantastic collaborations.......2001-06-12

Doyle fans are aware that he collaborates regularly with actor/director, Kenneth Brannagh. With the Hamlet score, he again writes powerful complementary music which also stands alone as worthy to be performed in concert. I would be interested to hear lengthier tracks such as accompanied the lengthy, but indeed beautiful and patient, movie. (The only mistake was Billy Crystal in the movie. I thought Robin Williams did fine work.) Although, I confess, this is my least listened to in my soundtrack collection, I do enjoy it, and believe it deserves accolades.

Patrick Doyle's finest score.......2000-06-26

This is certainly one of my top 3 Patrick Doyle scores and a towering achievement. The score unfolds like a great romantic symphony encompassing several moods from serenity and inner peace ("In Pace"), to violence and lush gothic undertones ("The Ghost", "Now, could I drink hot blood"), and a finaly sense of joyous celebration ("Fanfare", "What Players are they?"). After listening constantly to Mr. Doyle's scores for "Henry V", "Much ado about nothing" and "Frankenstein", I thought he could never top such achievements and somehow he did: "Hamlet" is a masterpiece of thematic inventiveness and dramatic power. The playing is wonderful and the engineering is very clear, taking full advantage of Air Lyndhurst's glorious acoustics. If you are a fan of british classical music or a Shakespeare fan (or even better, a fan of Patrick Doyle), don't pass up this CD. Great film music. No: great music. Period!

sudhir.......1999-12-02

the movie album is very good .and kate in the movie is very beatiful and she looks very good

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1. Overture (Suite, No. 1)
2. Military Music
3. Fanfares
4. Palace Bells (Suite, No. 2)
5. Story of Horatio and the Ghost
6. Ball
7. Ghost (Suite, No. 3)
8. Hamlet's Parting from Ophelia
9. Palace Music
10. Arrival of the Players (Suite, No. 6)
11. Monologue (What a Rogue and Peasant Slave)
12. Hamlet's Monologue (To Be or Not to Be)
13. Royal Fanfare
14. In the Garden (Suite, No. 4)
15. Booth Fanfare
16. Poisoning Scene (Suite, No. 5)
17. Flutes Play
18. Ophelia's Descent into Madness (Song of Ophelia)
19. Ophelia's Insanity
20. Death of Ophelia (Suite, No. 7)