Where the Wild Things Are

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Maurice Sendak's influential children's book Where the Wild Things Are is given its second classical music treatment on this disc (an opera by Oliver Knussen is also available). Composer Randall Woolf's score for the American Repertory Ballet is filled with oddball touches and hints of jazz and funk. Voices heard through synthesizers add to the sonic strangeness, typically ending a track with the distorted sounds of a scolding parent. But for all the genre-fusing going on here, there are also gorgeous passages; the minimalism found in the electric-violin passage during "Max gets homesick and departs" is convincing, as is the nervous energy on track two ("Max misbehaves"). Images from the children's book and the ballet production grace the liner notes. This may be a far cry from Swan Lake, but fans of Sendak or modern ballet should check out this fun music. --Jason Verlinde

Where the Wild Things Are, Music, Randall Woolf, Julian Allen, Kitty Brazelton, Meg Busch, Wayne J. Du Maine, Sheldon Steiger, Ballet, Classical, Classical Music
Carmen (Sung in English)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • English is an asset and a drawback
  • You Will Love Opera After Hearing Carmen In English
  • A wholly credible "Carmen" -- finally!
  • I love Carmen!
 Carmen (Sung in English)
Bizet , Bardon , Gavin , Plazas , Magee , and Parry
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
OperettasOperettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Mozart: The Magic Flute
  2. The Barber of Seville / B. Ford, D. Jones, A. Opie; G. Bellini [in English]
  3. Verdi: La Traviata
  4. Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro
  5. Mozart - Don Giovanni / Garry Magee · Cullagh · Banks · Plazas · Shore · Tierny · PO · David Parry

ASIN: B00007JGRN
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Tracks:

  1. Prelude
  2. In The Plaza
  3. Just Look At That Delicious Morsel
  4. Here Come Our New Soldier Boys
  5. Jose! There Was A Girl Here Looking For You Just Now
  6. Off With You Old Soldier Boys
  7. Corporal! Sir!
  8. We Have Heard The Bell Summon Us To Meet Here
  9. Ah, Just Look!
  10. But Why Hasn't She Come, Our Carmencita?
  11. Love's A Bird Wild As Any Rebel
  12. Carmen! We Will Follow You High And Low!
  13. The Cheek Of It!
  14. Give Me News Of My Mother!
  15. Your Dear Mother And I Were Leaving Church This Morning
  16. I See My Mother's Face!
  17. Wait A Moment - I'm Going To Read The Letter
  18. Come And Help
  19. So, Corporal: Tell Me What Happened
  20. Well, Carmencita: What Do You Have To Say For Yourself?
  21. Where Are You Taking Me?
  22. There's An Old Bar In The City
  23. Careful - It's Lieutenant!
  24. Entr'acte
  25. From Far Away Mysterious Sounds
  26. Bravo, Bravo! More! Keep Dancing!
  27. Hurrah! Hurrah! The Torero!
  28. Who's That? It's Escamillo, The Bullfighter From Granada
  29. Hurrah! Hurrah! The Torero!
  30. You're Most Kind
  31. We'll Come With You, Senor Torero
  32. Toreador, Be Ready!
  33. At Last! We Got Rid Of Them As Quickly As We Could
  34. There's A Little Job That We're Starting!
  35. Being In Love Is Not A Reason

Tracks:

  1. To Bid You Welcome To Our Bar
  2. La La La La La La La La...
  3. Back To Camp!... Go At Once!
  4. That Flow'r You Threw To Me I Treasured
  5. No, It's Not Love At All!
  6. Hello! Carmen!
  7. Lieutenant Fair, It's True
  8. The Sky Above The Open Road
  9. Entr'acte
  10. Keep Going, Dear Old Friend, Kep Going!
  11. Right! Let's Stop For A While
  12. Shuffle! Cut Them!
  13. In Vain You Would Avoid The Bitter Things They're Saying
  14. You're Back!
  15. As For That Man, It Should Be Easy!
  16. Is This The Place?
  17. I Say That There's Nothing To Fear
  18. It's Him! I'm Sure It's Him Over There!
  19. Escamillo Is My Name, And I Come From Granada
  20. She Had A Lover Here
  21. Hola! Hola! Jose!
  22. You Should Take Care, Carmen
  23. Alas! Jose, Your Mother Is Ill
  24. Entr'acte
  25. A Few Cuartos! A Few Cuartos!
  26. Here They Come! Here They Come!
  27. If You Love Me, Carmen
  28. It's You! It's Me!
  29. Viva! Viva! What A Corrida!

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars English is an asset and a drawback.......2004-07-20

The best thing about this recording of Carmen is the libretto. Conductor David Parry penned this facile and dramatic English translation. He avoids the pitfalls of literal translation to achieve an idiomatic flow that matches the rhythm of the original lyrics. I use this as a reference libretto for any of the French Carmens.

Unfortunately, the performance suffers from being sung in English. The singers declaim their parts with such proper British diction that Carmen comes across as a school marm. The spoken dialog is delivered beat for deliberate beat and is dripping with reverb. It makes the plaza, tavern and mountain pass all sound like a sewer pipe.

This is a good first Carmen for someone trying to understand the work. The libretto itself is a good investment for further listening. For an enjoyable performance with an emphasis on character and action, I recommend Regina Resnik on the London Double Decker set.

5 out of 5 stars You Will Love Opera After Hearing Carmen In English.......2004-02-09

What a perfect introduction to opera. This newly released recording will surely get you hooked into opera. Carmen, a French opera by Georges Bizet, is the most recognizable and most popular in the opera world. It's famous melodies- the overture, the Habanera, The Toreador Song have all been featured in everything from cellular phone ring tones to Superbowl Commercial (last year's Superbowl with The "Opera In English" label has been making Italian operas into English for a number of years now. Also on the market are Verdi's La Traviata in English (with soprano Valerie Masterson as Violetta) Handel's Julius Caesar with Janet Baker and even Wagner's epic Ring Of The Nibeling sung in English. This is a terrific recording and I highly recommend it if you want to get into opera. Listen to this version first and then try the real, original French version Bizet had written. Patricia Bardon is sensational, sexy and dramatic as Carmen.

The real strength of this version is the dynamic drama. With the advantage of being sung in English, we get better insight on characters' emotions and motives, and we understand the drama a lot better. Carmen is all about great drama. Bizet drew the plot from the French writer Prosper Merimee's dark short story. Carmen is the ultimate femme fatale- a devil-may-care, sexy Gypsy living in Spain, seduces the conservatively raised soldier Don Jose, stealing him away from his fiancee, the passive Micaela, living a life of underground smuggling and rowdy taverns. "Habanera" and "The Gypsy Song and Dance" are very expressive of Carmen's extraordinarily liberal lifestyle. Don Jose, however, has fallen deeply in love- as he shows us in his song/aria "The Flower Song". But Carmen soon becomes tired of his constancy. Don Jose wants a committed, monogamous relationship with Carmen. But Carmen will not submit to love, since she is first and foremost a carnal creature. Eventually, she falls for the handsome Toreador Escamillo. Don Jose, consumed by jealousy, stabs Carmen at a bullfight after Carmen declares her love for Escamillo and rejects Don Jose's love. Don Jose's crazed, obscessive personality shines through in the English version as well. This tragedy has been done in English before so don't think this is the first time. Back in the 50's, there was a film, starring black actors "Carmen Jones" which was treated the same way as this opera- more like an English Broadway musical and with the dubbed singing voice of Marilyn Horne as Carmen. All in all, this recording is excellent.

5 out of 5 stars A wholly credible "Carmen" -- finally!.......2003-09-17

This recording really sells "Carmen" as a drama. Although I have two other recordings of this opera and have seen it performed several times, it never quite worked for me dramatically. But thanks to the fine performances, conducting, and translation here, I've become a "Carmen" convert. Producing a good English-language performance of a foreign opera, especially a warhorse like "Carmen," is much more difficult than it might appear. You need performers who not only can sing the parts (of course) but also can sing *English* and make it halfway intelligible and make it sound like English and make it dramatically convincing to English-speakers. The singers on this recording do an excellent job all around. Don't be put off if you don't recognize their names -- they are up to the task musically and (especially) in their acting. Admittedly, as with *all* English-language recordings, some passages are very hard to understand without reading along, but most of the time the words are clear and effective. I would recommend this recording to any opera beginner or opera lover, even those who normally turn up their noses at performances in translation.

4 out of 5 stars I love Carmen!.......2003-08-15

I do. I can think of no other opera with more melodic inventiveness, and few others with so sure a dramatic pulse. Carmen is popular and it thrills me to say that it is also a very good opera - not always true of popular things.

And what of this recording? Carmen sits well in English, so it is good to hear in translation, although some of the detais in the text jar. Escamillo refers to Jose as "my dear", which sounds rather peculiar, and the guide's line to Micaela: "it's not exactly inviting, is it?" sounds distinctly Middle England rather than Rural Spain. Some of the performers, not least Carmen herself, make the words work, although there are long tracts, especially with the chorus, where the language is distinctly indistinct.

The soloists are, by and large, strong. Patricia Bardon's deep, Handel-friendly voice adapts well to Carmen and she colours the music with phenomenal detail, sounding sexy and provocative from the start with an edge of pride and anger that emerges as the show goes on. She is out of her depth above the stave, though, and some extra top notes in the second act don't show her off to her best advantage. I have previously said that Julian Gavin is poorly served by recordings, though here he sounds much more even and gives a thrilling and musical performance (but his wooden spoken lines let him down). Mary Plazas is a lovely Micaela, rich-voiced and sincere (and word-perfect), but Garry Magee sounds miscast as Escamillo, lacking the ballast at the bottom of the voice to do justice to this tricky role.

The supporting cast is good (Mary Hegarty seems to do nothing but Frasquita these days!) but the really treasurable thing is the conducting. Stepping out of Italian Ottocento, David Parry turns his hand to this French Comedie with an appropriate lightness of touch. His pacing and handling of the set pieces is exemplary and the enrtractes go with a real swing.

A pleasure, then, for the Carmen naive or a novelty for the Carmen-acquainted. I nearly wrote Carmen-weary - but I don't think it's possible.
Where the Wild Things Are
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Where the Wild Things Are
    Agent Provocateur
    Manufacturer: Wall of Sound/Epic Agent
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
    AmbientAmbient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
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    Trip-HopTrip-Hop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
    Dance & DJDance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
    ASIN: B000006ZT4
    Release Date: 1997-05-05

    Tracks:

    1. Red Tape
    2. Spinning
    3. Agent Dan
    4. Kicks
    5. You're Nogood
    6. Sabotage
    7. Elvis Economics
    8. Sandpit
    9. Hercules
    10. Dumb
    11. Red Tape [the Janitor Remix]
    12. Agent Dan [Propellerheads Remix]
    13. Sabotage [Monkey Mafia Bastard Remix]
    14. Dumb [Mekon Remix]
    Where the Wild Things Are
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Where the Wild Things Are
      C-Mon & Kypski
      Manufacturer: Jammm Brand
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
      Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
      InternationalInternational | Imports | Stores | Music
      ASIN: B000MEYJ10
      Release Date: 2007-04-03

      Tracks:

      1. Where The Wild Things Are (Ft Sadat X)
      2. Bumpy Road
      3. Chocolat
      4. Spirits High
      5. Wildire
      6. Make My Day (Ft Pete Philly)
      7. Circus (Ft Amsterdam Klezmer Band)
      8. In & Out Of Day
      9. Chemical Mixture
      10. Attention
      11. Eyes On The Road (Ft Voicst)
      12. Changes (Ft Kain The Poet)

      Album Description

      C-mon & Kypski will be performing at SXSW & Coachella - and are getting airplay across the States. Where The Wild Things Are, the latest album from C-mon & Kypski, is literally crossing borders! They started as turntable wizards and were formed by their love for Hip Hop music. Through the years they have grown as artists and have been inspired by different kinds of sounds and genres. It is very clear that they are very good at letting their fantasies run free but are still able to focus on having a good melody. Recently, after two years of intensive touring (from Amsterdam to Istanbul, South by Southwest to Barcelona's Sonar Festival), they decided to record their album not in their own studio in Utrecht (the Netherlands) but to go to Morocco for inspiration. Over a period of four weeks they created what is now their third album, which was also inspired by the children's book by Maurice Sendak. The most concrete product of their journey is the single 'Bumpy Road' which retrieved it's name from the circumstances of the recordings. It is by far the happiest C-Mon & Kypski song till now, and irresistibly invites it's listener to explore the wide world.
      Where the Wild Things Are
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Where the Wild Things Are is Wild Fun
      • A WILD THING
      • from the composer
      • Strange and experimental can be a good thing
      		 Where the Wild Things Are
      Randall Woolf , Julian Allen , Kitty Brazelton , Meg Busch , Wayne J. Du Maine , and Sheldon Steiger
      Manufacturer: Composers Recordings
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      BalletsBallets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B00004WJMS
      Release Date: 2000-10-24

      Tracks:

      1. Ov: March Of The Wild Things
      2. Max Misbehaves And Is Sent To His Room With Out His Supper
      3. Max Creates A Jungle Out Of His Room And His Rag Dolls Come Alive
      4. He Sets Out On This Boat
      5. He Lands On A Mysterious Island, Suddenly The Wild Things Appear
      6. Max Declares A Wild Rumpus/The Wild Things Fall Asleep
      7. Max Gets Homesick And Departs
      8. And His Dinner Was Still Hot

      Amazon.com

      Maurice Sendak's influential children's book Where the Wild Things Are is given its second classical music treatment on this disc (an opera by Oliver Knussen is also available). Composer Randall Woolf's score for the American Repertory Ballet is filled with oddball touches and hints of jazz and funk. Voices heard through synthesizers add to the sonic strangeness, typically ending a track with the distorted sounds of a scolding parent. But for all the genre-fusing going on here, there are also gorgeous passages; the minimalism found in the electric-violin passage during "Max gets homesick and departs" is convincing, as is the nervous energy on track two ("Max misbehaves"). Images from the children's book and the ballet production grace the liner notes. This may be a far cry from Swan Lake, but fans of Sendak or modern ballet should check out this fun music. --Jason Verlinde

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Where the Wild Things Are is Wild Fun.......2003-04-29

      This is an example of the kind of exciting, original and fun music that I hope this period of music history is remembered for. I have not stopped listening to this CD since I got it. It is wild and beautiful from top to bottom with enough wit and melody to keep my toes tapping and enough complexity to keep my analytical composer's ears busy with something new each time. I highly recommend this CD to anyone who ever loved Where the Wild Things Are, as it is a really exciting way to revisit the story. I would recommend any of Randall Woolf's music to everyone, everything of his that I have heard has left me craving more, it is accessible to all listeners simultaneously and its very fresh, very today.

      5 out of 5 stars A WILD THING.......2002-03-11

      If you want to here an exciting and dynamic musical rendition of where the Wild Things Are, this work will please. Great for kids and even better for adults,

      TM

      5 out of 5 stars from the composer.......2001-04-11

      Hi. I wrote the music to the ballet, and wanted to share a review I found elsewhere on the Web:

      This is the music composed by Randall Woolf for a production by the American Repertory Ballet based on Maurice Sendak's classic children's book {-Where the Wild Things Are}. So technically speaking, this is theater music for a children's play. But it's so much more. Randall Woolf, one of the most promising young composers of the late '90s, wrote music that stands on its own and owes very little to the language of standard children music. The heavy guitar (electric), complex forms, sometimes very atonal modes and inventive arrangements turn Where the Wild Things Are into a delightful contemporary composition. The child universe is present through a highly imaginative world of sounds, the occasional use of danceable beats, simple melodies and heavily-treated voices appearing here and there. Although very serious writing can be seen throughout this suite, there is a refreshing lighthearted quality to it that will keep the children's attention while entertaining adults. Thanks to a perfect meeting between classical, rock and avant-garde music, this album is full of surprises. ~ Francois Couture

      5 out of 5 stars Strange and experimental can be a good thing.......2001-04-03

      I am a dancer who has had the opportunity to perform in this ballet version of Where the Wild Things Are. The music fits the story perfectly. Elecronic noises and jazzy beats create a surreal atmosphere that whisks you away deep into the land of the Wild Things. If you ever have the opportunity to see this contemporary ballet I highly recommend it. The music alone is interesting and well worth a listen.
      Knussen - Higglety Pigglety Pop! · Where the Wild Things Are / Buchan · Saffer · Hardy · Wilson-Johnson · London Sinfonietta · Knussen
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Delightful recording of a pair of fantasy operas
      		 Knussen - Higglety Pigglety Pop! · Where the Wild Things Are / Buchan · Saffer · Hardy · Wilson-Johnson · London Sinfonietta · Knussen
      Oliver Knussen , Rosemary Hardy , Lisa Saffer , London Sinfonietta , Mary King , David Wilson-Johnson , and Christopher Gillett
      Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      General ModernGeneral Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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      Similar Items:
      1. Knussen: Horn Concerto; Whitman Settings; Way to Castle Yonder
      2. Sofia Gubaidulina: 'Stimmen... Verstummen', Symphony in 12 movements; Stufen
      3. Toru Takemitsu: Quotation of Dream (20/21 series) - London Sinfonietta / Oliver Knussen
      4. Henryk Gorecki: String Quartet No. 3...songs are sung
      5. György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard

      ASIN: B00005A83C
      Release Date: 2001-06-12

      Tracks:

      1. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 1: Why Am I Longing To Be Away Somewhere
      2. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 1: You Have Two Windows
      3. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 2: Hello Little Lady
      4. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 2: If I Could Eat Experience
      5. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 3: You Must Be Going To A Very Terrific Place
      6. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Orchestral Interlude: The Journey To The Big White House
      7. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 4: Thank You Very Much For The Ride
      8. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 4: Are You All Right, Miss?
      9. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 5: Baby, Here Is Nurse
      10. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 5: Yum, Yum!
      11. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 5: Who Can Help Me?
      12. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 6: How Black It Is!
      13. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 6: Quiet In There!
      14. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 7: Now I Have Nothing
      15. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 7: Kleine Trauermusik
      16. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 8: Jennie!
      17. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 8: Orchestral Interlude: The Ride To Castle Yonder
      18. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 8: Hello, As You Probably Noticed
      19. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 9: Fanfare
      20. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 9: Fanfare II
      21. Higglety Pigglety Pop: Scene 9: Coda

      Tracks:

      1. Where The Wild Things Are: Overture
      2. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 1: Max
      3. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 2: Mama
      4. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 2: Change Of Scene
      5. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 3: Max's Room: Pantomime And Arietta 1
      6. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 3: Max's Room: Transformation And Arietta 2
      7. Where The Wild Things Are: First Sea-Interlude
      8. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 4: The Wild Things
      9. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 5: Coronation
      10. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 6: The Wild Rumpus
      11. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 7: Max Alone
      12. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 8: Parting
      13. Where The Wild Things Are: Second Sea-Interlude
      14. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 9: Max's Room
      15. Overture
      16. Scene 1: Max
      17. Scene 2: Mama - Cynthia Buchan, Mary K. King
      18. Change of Scene
      19. Pantomine and Arietta 1
      20. Transformation
      21. First Sea-Interlude
      22. Scene 4: the Wild Things - Mary K. King, Stephen A. Richardson,
      23. Scene 5: Coronation
      24. Scene 6: the Wild Rumpus
      25. Scene 7: Max Alone
      26. Scene 8: Parting
      27. Second Sea-Interlude
      28. Scene 9: Max's Room

      Amazon.com

      Maurice Sendak's children's books have won thanks from countless parents whose bedtime reading chores were turned to adult delights. Set to the adventurous music of Oliver Knussen, they'll appeal to lovers of sophisticated fantasy works like Ravel's L'Enfant et les sortileges. Higglety Pigglety Pop! is about Jennie, a dog who has everything except experience, which she finds in the mouth of a lion and then goes on to become a stage star. It's full of delightful orchestral sonorities and at least one conventional aria, Jennie's "Now I have nothing." The opera is swift and amusing, with the juicy role of Jenny done to perfection by Cynthia Buchan. Where the Wild Things Are is a wonderful romp about Max, the naughty boy whose room turns into a sea over which he travels to the island where the wild things crown him king before he escapes home to Mom and his favorite soup. The orchestra here carries the load, with extended interludes that include an evocative nocturnal journey and a dazzling wild rumpus by Max and the wild things (the name's a natural for a rock group). Performances are definitive under the composer-conductor's leadership. Vivid sound, too. Packaging includes a cardboard pop-up foldout album instead of a jewelcase. --Dan Davis

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Delightful recording of a pair of fantasy operas.......2001-07-03

      Another excellent release from the admirable DG 20/21 series, this time a co-production with BBC Radio 3. Oliver Knussen¡¦s double-bill of fantasy operas, HIGGLETY PIGGLETY POP! and WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, both based on books by Maurice Sendak, have been given wonderful performances here, which would surely appeal to many music lovers both young and old.

      Both operas deal with, in a humorous fashion, the quest for experience and adventure by a frustrated individual. In the more sparsely orchestrated HIGGLETY PIGGLETY POP!, a Sealyham terrier, Jennie, feels there must be something more in the world than the comfortable but idle haven in which she resides. She starts out on her journey, encountering a Pig-in-Sandwich-Boards, a Cat-Milkman, Rhoda the housemaid, a screaming Baby and a Lion on her way, before ending up as the new lead lady of The World Mother Goose Theatre. The opera ends with a hilarious performance of The World Mother Goose Theatre in the form of an opera within an opera.

      In WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, a naughty boy, Max, provokes his mother¡¦s anger and is sent to bed without supper. Alone, he fantasises about the wild woods and is transported to a forest, which is inhabited by some threatening and noisy ¡§wild things¡¨. Miraculously, Max is able to tame them into silence and submission and he even got himself crowned as king. Nevertheless, the boy soon finds himself missing his home and his mother and he returns amidst the rage of those fiends. Soon, he is back in his room with a tray on the table containing some hot supper.

      Knussen has created a fantastical and unique sound world for this diptych. While there are references, and even direct quotations, from Mozart, Tchaikowsky, Stravinsky and Mussorgsky, the music is definitely not a mere collage of different styles. It is, instead, remarkably coherent, wonderfully atmospheric and endlessly amusing, with different musical make-ups for the various characters. There is sufficient musical substance here to please those who would prefer to concentrate on the music instead of the drama. On the other hand, although the music is written in a rather avant-garde style, children should also be able to follow the plot and enjoy the fascinating and imagination-provoking soundscape. Indeed, the two works can serve as good introductions to the world of opera for children.

      The operas are brilliantly performed by the London Sinfonietta (conducted by the composer himself) and a fine team of vocalists that includes Cynthia Buchan as Jennie and Lisa Saffer as Max (as well as an assortment of roles in the first work). The supporting cast members (Rosemary Hardy, Christopher Gillett, David Wilson-Johnson, Stephen Richardson, Mary King, Quentin Hayes) are vocally superb and extremely vivid and characterful in their enactment of the various funny characters. The enthusiasm of the performers shows in every utterance and musical phrase. Even the packaging of this 2-CD set is a delight. What an enjoyable recording it is!
      Where the Wild Things Are---A Fantasy Opera Opera
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • the kid and adult's opera
      		 Where the Wild Things Are---A Fantasy Opera Opera

      Manufacturer: Arabesque Recordings
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      EnglishEnglish | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      OperettasOperettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      ClassicalClassical | Imports | Stores | Music
      Opera & VocalOpera & Vocal | Imports | Stores | Music
      ASIN: B000000T67
      Release Date: 1993-08-04

      Tracks:

      1. Where The Wild Things Are: Overture
      2. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 1 Max - Scherzino
      3. Where The Wild Things Are: Pantomime
      4. Where The Wild Things Are: Recitative And Humming Song
      5. Where The Wild Things Are: Coda - Reprise
      6. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 2 Mama - Scherzo
      7. Where The Wild Things Are: Trio
      8. Where The Wild Things Are: Scherzo - Reprise
      9. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 3 Max's Room - Pantomime And Arietta 1
      10. Where The Wild Things Are: Transformation
      11. Where The Wild Things Are: Arietta 2 (Rag)
      12. Where The Wild Things Are: Coda
      13. Where The Wild Things Are: First Interlude
      14. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 4 The Wild Things - Recitative And Musica Interna
      15. Where The Wild Things Are: Ensemble 1: Shouts
      16. Where The Wild Things Are: Pantomime
      17. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 5 Coronation - Transformation With Goat Dance
      18. Where The Wild Things Are: Ensemble 2: Chant (Procession On A Double Ground)
      19. Where The Wild Things Are: Corona
      20. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 6 The Wild Rumpus - Waltz - Mazurka
      21. Where The Wild Things Are: Esemble 3: Yawns
      22. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 7 Max Alone - Aria
      23. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 8 Parting - Ensemble 4: Whispers
      24. Where The Wild Things Are: Barbershop Quintet And Recessional
      25. Where The Wild Things Are: Second Interlude
      26. Where The Wild Things Are: Scene 9 Max's Room - Cadence

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars the kid and adult's opera.......2000-08-24

      By using the fantastic creatures of Maurice Sednak's fantasty world, Oliver Knussen has built a bridge between generations who would appreciate the world of opera. Casting coloratura soprano Rosemary Hardy (and boy does she go into the stratosphere) in the role of Max Knussen has vividly captured Sednak's fantasty world. This listener can draw connections with another opera based on children Ravel's "L' Enfant et les sortileges" but Knussen always retains 'his' voice. Not as dense as some of the polyphonic line writing found in Knussen's instrumental works, the opera still shines with his characteristic kaleidoscopic orchestration. The scene with Max battling the vacuum cleaner is clever and equally vivid (albeit the lack of the visual element). The listener can conjure a picture of the crazy vacuum cleaner out of control much like a child listening to a story told by a parent. Quite an accessible opera, the recording will have impact upon future listenings.
      New York Hardcore: Where the Wild Things Are
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		New York Hardcore: Where the Wild Things Are
        Various Artists
        Manufacturer: Blackout Records
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
        HardcoreHardcore | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
        1980s1980s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music
        1980-19891980-1989 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
        ASIN: B000003U5J
        Release Date: 1993-06-25
        Where the Wild Things Are
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          		Where the Wild Things Are
          Oliver Knussen
          Manufacturer: Arabesque
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD
          ASIN: B00000DOLB
          Release Date: 1992-05-04
          Nyhc:Where the Wild Things Are
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            		Nyhc:Where the Wild Things Are
            Various
            Manufacturer: Big Daddy Distributi
            ProductGroup: Music
            Binding: Audio CD
            ASIN: B00000DQ2K
            Release Date: 1992-07-14

            Track Listings:

            1. 50 Classical Highlights: Symphonies
            2. A Garland for Linda
            3. A Sense of Place
            4. African Sunrise/Manhattan Rave
            5. Aida (Sung in English)
            6. America the Dream Goes on [Soundtrack]
            7. Bach J.S: Famous Cantatas [Import]
            8. Bach: Ten Years Channel Classics
            9. Bach: Weihnachtskantaten (Cantates de Noël) / Jezovsek, Connolly, Padmore, Kooy
            10. Beethoven: Complete Sonatas Vol. 1 - Sonatas 1-10

            Track Listings

            track listings

            Track Listings

            Perfect Day

            Serenity: Satie

            Thursday Night in San Fransisco [Import]

            Motions and Emotions

            Singles [Import]

            The Best of the Larks

            Troy Cory Sings Rinky Dink POP - CD2320

            Tchaikovsky: Complete Works for Violin and Piano

            The Cape Breton Connection

            Solstice

            The Greatest Songs Ever Written (By Us)

            Summer Rapture (Shades of Jade, Vol. 2)

            Rojo & Roll: 20 Exitos de los Anos Felices [Import]

            Let the Truth Be Told

            Body and Soul