So Much to Tell

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Critically acclaimed by the international press for her innate musicianship, radiant voice, and a sovereign stage presence far beyond her years, Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman is in great demand as a concert artist and opera singer. So much to tell, on the CBC Records label, is Ms. Brueggergosman’s debut CD, accompaniment by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra conducted by the legendary Roy Goodman. The title of the CD, So much to tell, comes from the text of Dickenson’s "Dear March, come in!" Just as Copland felt a connection to the poetry of Dickinson, so too did Samuel Barber have an affinity for the texts of James Agee, and far from simply writing "popular songs", George Gershwin’s works contain a rich melodic and harmonic language. Two added bonuses include Barber’s Serenade for Strings and a wonderful ghost track.

So Much to Tell, Music, Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Roy Goodman, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Measha Brueggergosman, 20th/21st Century Occasional Music, Chamber, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Vocals, Music Theater, Musical Theater, Solo Voice(s) and Orchestra, Vocal

Gilbert & Sullivan: Patience
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The best ever version

The Golden Cast of D'Oyly Carte!

The Definitive Recording

Gilbert & Sullivan: Patience
Philip Potter , Kenneth Sandford , Mary Sansom , Jennifer Toye , and D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Gilbert & Sullivan: The Gondoliers

ASIN: B0000041VE
Release Date: 1989-07-21

Tracks:

Overture
Act One: Twenty love-sick maidens we
Act One: Still brooding on their mad infatuation
Act One: I cannot tell what this love may be
Act One: Twenty love-sick maidens we
Act One: The soldiers of our Queen
Act One: If you want a receipt for that popular mystery
Act One: In a doleful train two & two we walk all day
Act One: Twenty love-sick maidens we
Act One: When I first put this uniform on
Act One: Am I alone & unobserved?
Act One: If you're anxious for to shine
Act One: Long years ago-fourteen, maybe
Act One: Prithee, pretty maiden-prithee
Act One: Though to marry you
Act One: Let the merry cymbals sound
Act One: Now tell us, we pray you
Act One: Heart broken at my Patience's barbarity
Act One: Stay, we implore you, before our hopes are blighted
Act One: Your maidens hearts, ah, do steel

Tracks:

Act One: Come, walk up, and purchase with avidity
Act One: We've been thrown over, we're aware
Act One: And are you going a ticket to buy?
Act One: Hold! Stay your hand!
Act One: True love must single-hearted be
Act One: I hear the soft note of the echoing voice
Act One: But who is this, whose god-like grace
Act One: List Reginald, whilst I confess a love
Act Two: On such eyes as maidens cherish
Act Two: Sad is a woman's lot who, year by year
Act Two: Silvered is the raven hair
Act Two: Turn, oh turn in this direction
Act Two: A magnet hung in a hardware shop
Act Two: Love is a plaintive song
Act Two: So go to him & say to him
Act Two: It's clear that the mediaeval art
Act Two: If Saphir I choose to marry
Act Two: When I go out of the door
Act Two: I'm a Waterloo House young man
Act Two: After much debate internal, I on Lady Jane decide

Customer Reviews:

The best ever version.......2002-06-07

The wonderful cast transports you to the realms of Gilbert and Sullivan, to make you feel that you are experiencing a first night in 1881! John Reed, as Bunthorne, an aesthetic poet is superb, camp, subversive and a complete fraud. If anyone is not aware, the story of the opera is based upon the idiosyncracies of the Aesthetic movement in England of the 1880's and Gilbert used the public parodies of his friend Oscar Wilde as his major source. The rest of the cast, chorus and orchestra , under the long experienced 'Goddie' are superlative and make for one of the finest line-ups in D'Oyly Carte history. Revel and enjoy, for this is quite the best.

The Golden Cast of D'Oyly Carte!.......1999-04-13

My wish had always been to see John Reed and the D'Oyly Carte Company in a performance of Patience. My mother had done so, remarking that, 'You'd need patience to watch it', she was coloured in her opinion, since she wanted to see 'The Mikado', but had gotten the wrong tickets! The recording, made in 1961, is superb in every detail. You are with the cast, on stage, in the auditorium, it is such a 'live' performance. The dialogue is delivered exquisitely, whilst the singing is uniformerly of the highest standard. I recently portrayed 'Bunthorne' and throughout my performances, I felt that I was continuing the legacy of Gilbert and Sullivan. All the past history of performers were there. I feel that Patience is a magical Savoy Opera. Do not miss the opportunity to own such a definitive performance. Maybe the subject of the 'Art Nouveau' periodof Victorian England is dated, but as one critic has already stated, every generation 'throws up' its poseures, to be knocked. 'Ah, me! lack aday!' BUY IT!

The Definitive Recording.......1998-12-09

For those who prefer the traditional Savoyard renderings of the G&S canon, this is far and away the best recording of this parody of the cult of celebrity. John Reed leads the cast as a delightful Bunthorne, and the recording contains all of the opera's dialogue. "HMS Pinafore," "The Mikado," and "The Pirates of Penzance" may be better known, but "Patience" is deserving of a wider audience.

Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

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Goodall's Siegfried
"Do you know what Wotan wills?"
Slow and steady wins the race
Absolutely better than you think, the best of Goodal's Ring!
Better than you might think....

Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
English National Opera
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
Wagner: The Rhinegold
Wagner: The Valkyrie
Wagner: Siegfried
Wagner: Die Walküre

ASIN: B000056KNC
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Tracks:

Act I.: Prld - Barry Tuckwell
Act I., Scene 1: Wearisome Labour! - Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 1: Hoiho! Hoiho! - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 1: Well, There Are The Pieces - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 1: A Whimpering Babe - Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 1: Much You've Taught To Me, Mime - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 1: I Found Once in The Wood - Gregory Dempsey/Alberto Remedios
Act I., Scene 1: And Now These Fragments - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 1: He Storms Away! - Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 2: Hail There, Worthy Smith! - Norman Bailey/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 2: I Sit By Your Hearth - Norman Bailey/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 2: What You Needed To Know - Norman Bailey/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 2: The Fragments! The Sword! - Gregory Dempsey/Norman Bailey

Tracks:

Act I., Scene 3: Accursed Light! - Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 3: Hey There! You Idler! - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 3: Have You Not Felt Within The Woods - Gregory Dempsey/Alberto Remedios
Act I., Scene 3: Give Me These Pieces - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 3: Notung! Notung! Sword Of My Need! - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act I., Scene 3: Hoho! Hoho! Hohi! - Alberto Remedios/Gregory Dempsey
Act II.: Prld - Barry Tuckwell
Act II., Scene 1: In Gloomy Night By Fafner's Cave I Wait - Derek Hammond-Stroud
Act II., Scene 1: To Neidhohl By Night I Have Come - Norman Bailey/Derek Hammond-Stroud
Act II., Scene 1: Not My Plan! - Norman Bailey/Derek Hammond-Stroud
Act II., Scene 1: Fafner! Fafner! You Dragon, Wake! - Norman Bailey/Derek Hammond-Stroud/Clifford Grant
Act II., Scene 1: Now, Alberich! That Plan Failed! - Norman Bailey/Derek Hammond-Stroud
Act II., Scene 2: We Go No Further! - Gregory Dempsey/Alberto Remedios
Act II., Scene 2: So He's No Father Of Mine - Alberto Remedios

Tracks:

Act II., Scene 2: Could I But Know - Alberto Remedios
Act II., Scene 2: See My Mother - Alberto Remedios
Act II., Scene 2: Ha Ha! At Last With My Call - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant
Act II., Scene 2: Who Are You, Youthful Hero - Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios
Act II., Scene 2: The Dead Can Tell No Tidings - Alberto Remedios/Maurine London
Act II., Scene 3: Hehe! Sly And Slippery Knave - Derek Hammond-Stroud/Gregory Dempsey
Act II., Scene 3: Tarnhelm And Ring, Here They Are - Alberto Remedios/Maurine London/Gregory Dempsey
Act II., Scene 3: Be Welcome, Siegfried! - Gregory Dempsey/Alberto Remedios/Derek Hammond-Stroud
Act II., Scene 3: You Lie There Too, Mighty Dragon - Alberto Remedios/Maurine London
Act III.: Prld - Barry Tuckwell
Act III., Scene 1: Waken, Wala! Wala! Awake! - Norman Bailey
Act III., Scene 1: Strong Is Your Call - Anne Collins/Norman Bailey
Act III., Scene 1: You Unwise One, Learn What I Will - Norman Bailey
Act III., Scene 2: I See That Siegfried's Near - Norman Bailey

Tracks:

Act III., Scene 2: My Woodbird Fluttered Away - Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 2: Young Man, Hear Me - Norman Bailey/Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 2: Child, If You Knew Who I Am - Norman Bailey/Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 2: With His Spear in Splinters - Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 3: Here in The Sunlight - Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 3: Come, My Sword! - Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 3: Hail, Bright Sunlight! - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 3: Siegfried! Siegfried! Glorious Hero! - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 3: And There Is Grane, My Sacred Horse - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios
Act III., Scene 3: Oh! I Cared Always - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios

Customer Reviews:

Goodall's Siegfried.......2007-06-22

This is completely worth it. Other reviews aptly pointed out everything good, and this *is* good--brilliant. Alberto Remedios is the best Siegfried I've ever heard, and Rita Hunter is a stunning and convincing Brunnhilde. If I could give this more than five stars, I would.

"Do you know what Wotan wills?".......2007-06-12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Karl Bohm: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

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

Goodall: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Rhinegold (Part 1): Wagner: The Rhinegold
-The Valkyrie (Part 2): Wagner: The Valkyrie
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

Marek Janowski: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

James Levine: Der Ring Des Nibelungen

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

Slow and steady wins the race.......2007-02-07

Yes, we all know that Reginal Goodall's Wagner is VERY deliberate (read slow) at times. When I heard the late Rita Hunter singing in Sydney in the 80s, I asked her about working with Maestro Goodall, she said he was one of the most thorough and demanding conductor's you could wish to work with.

For me, this whole cycle is desert island material because the English translation is just superb. Fine singing and marvellous playing from the ENO orchestra.

Absolutely better than you think, the best of Goodal's Ring!.......2005-05-03

As good as his die Walkure is, Goodall's Siegfried is even better. For me this is the most difficult opera of the entire Ring and Goodall pulls it off with honors indeed. Remedios is a wonder! Wish we had had him in the Met Ring Cycles of the past decade. Hunter again is a wonder with beauty and strength of tone. Once more I enjoy Bailey. I found That Alan Blyth in Gramophone 5/01 and I seem to appreciate him. It would seem that Goodall gives this opera all the wonderful performance it needs. Not an easy show to pull off. This recording absolutely belongs in any Wagnerian's collection. Had I been at this live performance, I definitely would not have fallen asleep and would have regretted its coming to its inevitable end. And the orchestra rises to the occasion splendidly. From Siegfried's climb to Brunhilde's rock until the end of the duet, the orchestral playing is rich, very moving bordering on the monumental just because it is live and thus more of a risk than a studio recording. Hunter is nothing short of stunning. The duet alone makes the recording a must have. Too bad artists are not fully appreciated until we no longer have them around to enjoy. Thank God this is on CD to be enjoyed at the listener's command.

Better than you might think...........2002-03-17

I had to think more than twice before purchasing this recording, especially since it isnt at a budget price, but I dont regret having done so. Wagner's original German language opera sung in English might seem more like a novelty recording (or a horrifying experience to hardcore Wagner fans) than a serious approach to the music, but surprisingly it works (for the most part). For the listener who doesn't speak and understand German this is a great way to understand Wagner's opera, as the connection between text and drama is made clearer--though I sometimes wish the singers diction and pronunciation were a bit clearer--but hey, its still opera and a complete English only libretto is included (along with a scene by scene summary of the drama, a summary of the preceding two operas, and an essay and photos of this particular project). Overall the orchestra and conducting is up to par and the sound is clear, balanced, and spacious, the only annoying thing being the audience clapping after the end of each act--its a live 1975 recording. While this is no substitute for the original in German, think of it as a great resource ... to understanding Wagner's opera cycle for listeners without the time or inclination to learn German.

Average customer rating:

I judged this album for myself and enjoy it a lot.
Measha Maligned
Can't Take It Anymore
So Much to Apologize For
Doubled over in pain

So Much to Tell

Manufacturer: Cbc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Extase - Measha Brueggergosman
William Bolcom - Songs of Innocence and of Experience (William Blake) / Slatkin, University of Michigan School of Music
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs

ASIN: B00068NVFC
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Tracks:

Nature, The Gentlest Mother
There Came A Wind Like A Bugle
The World Feels Dusty
Heart, We Will Forget Him
Dear March, Come In!
Sleep Is Supposed To Be
Going To Heaven!
The Chariot
Knoxville: Summer Of 1915
I. Un Poco Adagio
II. Andante Con Moto
III. Dance
Embraceable You
By Strauss
I've Got A Crush On You

Album Description

Critically acclaimed by the international press for her innate musicianship, radiant voice, and a sovereign stage presence far beyond her years, Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman is in great demand as a concert artist and opera singer. So much to tell, on the CBC Records label, is Ms. Brueggergosman's debut CD, accompaniment by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra conducted by the legendary Roy Goodman. The title of the CD, So much to tell, comes from the text of Dickenson's "Dear March, come in!" Just as Copland felt a connection to the poetry of Dickinson, so too did Samuel Barber have an affinity for the texts of James Agee, and far from simply writing "popular songs", George Gershwin's works contain a rich melodic and harmonic language. Two added bonuses include Barber's Serenade for Strings and a wonderful ghost track.

Customer Reviews:

I judged this album for myself and enjoy it a lot........2006-11-07

Too many haters reviewing this woman. I read all the reviews and then listened for myself after hearing Ms. Brueggergosman sing with the San Francisco Symphony live. I think she sounds lovely here too.

Measha Maligned.......2006-10-19

I bought this disc for a couple of reasons: I love the Barber songs, and I enjoy Copland a lot. Recordings of "Knoxville" aren't thick on the ground, so every new one demands attention. And then I read the reviews here.

Vocal collectors are often malicious in their criticism of artists they dislike (I have been known to speak colorfully of singers) but the complete unfairness of several of the "reviews" to be found here is really quite surprising. I don't think I can recall a single reference to vomit rising, let alone two in a single hit piece. So what's actually on this disc?

This is a beautifully produced, perfectly placed, intrinsically beautiful voice of considerable size and heft. It is lustrous and healthy. While it is characterful and has plenty of "face," it reminds this listener of the voice of the young Leontyne Price, whose recording of "Knoxville" with the composer is so justly famous. Ms. Brueggergosman is an excellent musician with an intelligent, unfussy way with the texts. The supporting artists are much more than adequate, and the recorded sound is fine.

I cannot claim to enjoy the Gershwin pieces, but since this material isn't of much interest to me--and since I have little experience of how its typically presented by a serious singer--I can't criticize these performances apart from saying they sound perfectly respectable. The Copland songs are radiantly lovely, certainly among the best recordings of these available. The "encore" spiritual is magnificent a capella singing, full of deep feeling and sincerity. This genre has been accepted for so long as American art song--at least since the time of Marian Anderson, followed by Price, Norman and so many, many other outstanding artists--to find it dismissed out of ignorance here is painful.

This young soprano should have a magnificent career. I look forward to hearing her for many years.

Can't Take It Anymore.......2006-01-19

My roomate has been playing this CD for 10 minutes, I just can't take it anymore. 2 words, this album stinks. Okay, that was three words, I normally do not lie, however this music is driving me to drink. I lie when I drink, just note that this review is the exception, it is the truth!

So Much to Apologize For.......2005-11-23

OK, I read the mixed reviews, and like others have noted I decided to pick up this CD based on the content (Hello, huge Barber fan over here). I am going to focus on reviewing the reviews, not the album, I believe the negative reviews summarize my feelings on this album and do not want to waste your time bringing up the downfalls of this album again.

Initially I thought that the negative reviews seemed contrived and sarcastic. Coupled with the fact that they were bunched up got me thinking that they were "plants" by rival artists. Then I bought the CD and have a completely different opinion, the good reviews are probably the plants.

The negative reviews are all posted on or near a Tuesday, much like this one. My theory is that when the record stores launch new CDs on Tuesdays (as they do every week) this CD ends up in the bargain bin and then in some poor person's living room.

Bottom line is pass this CD up, no matter what day of the week you happen to stroll by this in the bargain bin.

Doubled over in pain.......2005-11-23

Let me be honest I am anything but an opera afficianado but I do like good music. I bought this on a whim. When I got home I slipped into my basket chair and slipped on my bose headphones and turned up the music. That is when the unfortunate event occured. I doubled over in pain because of the horrendous singing. This proves once again that Canadas major export of lame a%$ singing needs to be shipped back over the border.

Puccini - Madam Butterfly / Cheryl Barker, PO, Yves Abel [in English]

Average customer rating:

A touching English Butterfly

Puccini - Madam Butterfly / Cheryl Barker, PO, Yves Abel [in English]
Giacomo Puccini , Yves Abel , Cheryl Barker , Paul Charles Clarke , and Simon Birchall
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Turandot (Chandos Opera in English)
Verdi: La Traviata
Puccini - La bohème / Haymon · O'Neill · Opie · McLaughlin · A. Miles · Dazeley · Shore · PO · Parry
Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin / Te Kanawa · Hampson · Rosenshein · Gedda · Sir Charles Mackerras [in English]

ASIN: B00005QF3K
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Tracks:

Act I: Introduction - Cheryl Barker
Act I: 'So The Walls And The Ceiling...' - Ann Taylor/Stuart Kale
Act I: 'I Think Your Honour's Smiling' - Jean Rigby/Ann Taylor/Stuart Kale
Act I: 'It Can't Be Much Further Now!' - Gregory Yurisich/Stuart Kale/Ann Taylor
Act I: The Whole World Over - Ann Taylor/Gregory Yurisich
Act I: 'Fate Can't Crush Him' - Ann Taylor/Gregory Yurisich
Act I: 'Is The Bride Very Pretty?' - Gregory Yurisich/Stuart Kale/Ann Taylor
Act I: 'True Love Or Fancy' - Ann Taylor/Gregory Yurisich
Act I: 'See Them! They're Climbing The Summit Of The Hill!' - Gregory Yurisich/Cheryl Barker/Gregory Yurisich
Act I: 'We Are Honoured' - Cheryl Barker/Ann Taylor/Gregory Yurisich/Stuart Kale
Act I: 'The Imperial Commissioner' - Stuart Kale/Ann Taylor/Cheryl Barker/Simon Birchall
Act I: 'Oh, Indeed, My Friend, You're Lucky!' - Gregory Yurisich/Cheryl Barker
Act I: 'Come, My Beloved' - Ann Taylor/Cheryl Barker/Stuart Kale
Act I: 'My Fate I Have To Follow' - Cheryl Barker
Act I: 'Silence! Silence!' - Stuart Kale/Roland Wood/Cheryl Barker
Act I: 'Congratulations' - Roland Wood/Ann Taylor/Gregory Yurisich/Frances Brett/Clive Bayley/Stuart Kale
Act I: 'Dearest, My Dearest, Weep No More' - Roland Wood/Ann Taylor/Jean Rigby
Act I: 'Evening Is Falling...' - Roland Wood/Ann Taylor/Jean Rigby
Act I: 'Child, From Whose Eyes The Witchery Is Shining' - Ann Taylor/Cheryl Barker
Act I: 'Ah, Love Me A Little' - Cheryl Barker/Ann Taylor
Act II Part I: 'Izaghi Izanami' - Jean Rigby/Cheryl Barker
Act II Part I: 'One Fine Day' - Cheryl Barker

Tracks:

Act II Part I: 'Come, Let's Enter' - Stuart Kale/Gregory Yurisich/Cheryl Barker
Act II Part I: 'Yamadori, And Has your Unrequited Love Not Yet Released You? - Cheryl Barker/D'Arcy Bleiker/Gregory Yurisich/Stuart Kale
Act II Part I: 'Now, At Last!' - Gregory Yurisich/Cheryl Barker
Act II Part I: 'Just Two Things I Could Do' - Cheryl Barker/Gregory Yurisich
Act II Part I: 'This Child! This Child, Then!' - Cheryl Barker/Gregory Yurisich
Act II Part I: 'Do You Know, My Darling' - Cheryl Barker
Act II Part I: 'I Must Be Going' - Gregory Yurisich/Cheryl Barker/Jean Rigby
Act II Part I: 'Ah! Ah!' - Stuart Kale/Jean Rigby/Cheryl Barker
Act II Part I: 'Look, It's A Man-of-war!' - Jean Rigby/Cheryl Barker
Act II Part I: Flower Duet: 'Shake The Cherry Tree' - Cheryl Barker/Jean Rigby
Act II Part I: Humming Chorus - Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
Act II Part 2: Prelude - Jean Rigby/Cheryl Barker
Act II Part 2: Daybreak Over Nagasaki - Jean Rigby/Cheryl Barker
Act II Part 2: 'It's Morning' - Jean Rigby/Cheryl Barker
Act II Part 2: 'Who Is It?...' - Jean Rigby/Ann Taylor/Gregory Yurisich
Act II Part 2: 'I Know For Such Misfortune There Is No Consolation' - Gregory Yurisich/Jean Rigby/Ann Taylor
Act II Part 2: 'Farewell, Oh Happy Home!' - Ann Taylor/Gregory Yurisich
Act II Part 2: 'Then Will You Tell Her?' - Ann Taylor/Jean Rigby
Act II Part 2: 'Suzuki, Where Are You?' - Cheryl Barker/Jean Rigby
Act II Part 2: 'You, Suzuki, You're Always So Faithful' - Cheryl Barker/Jean Rigby
Act II Part 2: 'Viper! I Want You To Answer' - Cheryl Barker/Jean Rigby/Gregory Yurisich/Ann Taylor
Act II Part 2: 'Your Little Fluttering Heart Is Beating' - Jean Rigby/Cheryl Barker
Act II Part 2: 'Death With Honour Is Better Than Life With Dishonour' - Cheryl Barker

Amazon.com

This performance, the only one available in English, is problematic. Best is Yves Abel's leadership of the orchestra, which sounds wonderful, imbuing Puccini's lush score with just the right exoticism and emphasis. But aside from Gregory Yurisch's fine Sharpless, the singers don't please. Paul Charles Clarke as Pinkerton is lacking stylistically and vocally, and as Butterfly, Cheryl Barker sounds under strain and never pretty. While she has the power and feeling for the big second-act climax (the sighting of the ship), she never for a moment sounds fragile or girlish, not even in the all-important early scenes. English or not, this set isn't in the running. Stick with Callas or Scotto in Italian, and follow the libretto. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A touching English Butterfly.......2002-03-27

Anyone familiar with Cheryl Barker's Butterfly will be interested in hearing this recording. I have heard her in the role twice - in Auckland and London - and her voice has filled out as the years have gone on. She hasn't a large italianate soprano; the sound is too slender somehow. Yet there is the paradox - it has great carrying power and a decent cutting edge to make itself heard above the orchestral climaxes. What really impresses is the sense of vulnerability and moral strength she imparts, making sense of the big moments of the secong act. The sound in Act one is gorgeous (and a super D flat in theentrance aria) and she differentiates impressively between the child-bride and the embittered woman of the two acts.

She is surrounded by a mixed supporting cast. Jean Rigby is maternal, warm and affecting as Suzuki. Gregory Yurisich makes Sharpless' dilemma more understandable than usual, rather than being completely ineffectual. Paul Charles Clarke perhaps illustrates Pinkerton's arrogance with a degree of vocal swagger, but the sound is rough-hewn and unlovely save for some moments in the love duet. Stuart Kale's Goro is suitable ingratiating and oily.

Abel's conducting is the other chief draw of this set. That he has experience of the score in the theatre means that his pacing is really superb, and the lush orchestration is given its due, the potent intermezzo during the overnight vigil sounding suitably ominous.

Product Description

Tracks:1. My Morning Jacket - Run Thru;2. Stellastarr - In the Walls;3. Longwave - Tidal Wave;4. Kings of Leon - Spiral Staircase;5. Vue - She's Sweet.Limited Edition Compact Disc EP.