The Lorelei

Track Listings

1. Give Him the Ooh-La-La

2. He's a Right Guy

3. It Never Entered My Mind

4. Johnny One Note

5. You and the Night and the Music

6. Saga of Jenny

7. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

8. Leader of a Big-Time Band

9. In the Heart of the Dark

10. Lorelei

11. Dream With Me

12. I Love Paris

13. Katie Went to Haiti

14. Let's Go West Again

15. Ten Cents a Dance

16. I Got Rhythm

Tracks:

Liebestraum (Dream Of Love)
Waldesrauschen (Forest Murmurs)
Un sospiro (A Sigh)
Liebesbotschaft (Message of Love)
Widmung (Dedication)
The Maiden's Wish
My Darling
Die Loreley
Au Bord D'Une Source
Harmonies Du Soir
Les Jeux D'Eaux A La Villa D'Este
Sonata In B Minor - Andante Sostenuto
Isolde's Liebestodt

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Music for a Romantic Evening.......2005-12-15

The CD insert design of the Set Your Life to Music series might suggest that this is a collection "Classical Lite." However, while this compilation provides some Liszt's most well-known music, these beautiful and deep pieces should not be mistaken for "easy listening." These are wonderful compositions by a great composer, performed by musicians of the highest caliber (especially Claudio Arrau). This is music to close your eyes to while listening to and enjoying every note and every nuance of the performances.

Most of the selections are performed by Claudio Arrau, one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century, an acknowledged master of the Liszt repertoire and, furthermore, a pupil of one of Liszt's pupils. Arrau plays these selections with power, passion, sensitivity, and highly nuanced delicacy, depending on what a given passage calls for, as he takes the listener through the rising and falling tides of passion in Liszt's music.

The "non-Arrau" selections recorded by Misha Dichter, Wibi Soerjadi, and Zoltan Kocsis are also excellent. All the recorded selections, whether digital or analog, have very clear sound quality. Highly recommended, whether as an introduction to Lizst or to add to several other CDs of music by this great Romantic composer.

perfect dramatic piano.......2004-05-28

Both Liszt and Arrau are at their apogee in this CD. This is one the few piano cd's I've heard where Liszt's passionate genius is both appropriately frighteningly strong and beautifully tender (as many of his contemporaries noted 150 years ago). Arrau, always thoughtful, and with his emphasis on touch and color, and delicacy, penetrates to the heart of these sometimes breathtakingly orchestral piano sounds. This is lush arch-romantic piano with a huge nuanced sound, and a constant emotional ebb and flow (and sound volume) as powerful than any other composer of that tempestuous era I have heard. The cd is very clearly recorded with excellent dynamics. Every selection is strong and well chosen and the cd sets a very consistent brooding romantic mood. The best introduction to (and still my favorite) Liszt.

Arguably, one of the best classical pianists ever........2001-08-12

As soon as I heard the piano solo, Liebestraume, I immediately purchased this cd particularly because it contains some of the greatest piano pieces ever composed. During Liszt's lifetime, audiences were very appreciative of his talent and ability to express his emotions through the use of his piano. Influenced by Chopin, Franz Liszt ultimately achieved high status as a composer with the ability to play spectacular classical music. Some of the songs included possess titles about nature, and in one of the songs, the piano is played so brilliantly that it feels as if you're actually listening to fountains. Lovers of classical music should purchase this remarkable disc. And best of all, at a low price, this is a great bargain.

Average customer rating:

Brava Bonney!
A Beautiful Blend of Passion and Poetry

Songs by Robert & Clara Schumann

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Bonney, Barbara | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Mendelssohn: Lieder
Barbara Bonney - Fairest Isle
Exultate, Jubilate
The Radiant Voice of Barbara Bonney
Mozart: Lieder

ASIN: B0000042G4
Release Date: 1997-05-13

Tracks:

Myrthen, op.25: Widmung
Myrthen, op.25: Der Nussbaum
Myrthen, op.25: Die Lotosblume
Myrthen, op.25: Lied der Suleika
Er ist gekommen in Sturm und Regen
Liebst du um Schonheit
Das Veilchen
Lorelei
Mein Stern
Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Seit ich ihn gesehen
Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Er, der Herrlichste von allen
Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Ich kann's nicht fassen, nicht glauben
Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Du Ring an meinem Finger
Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Helft mir, iht Schwestern
Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: SFreund, du blickest
Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: An meinem Herzen, an meiner Brust
Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42: Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz getan
6 Lieder, op.13: Ich stand in dunklen Traumen
6 Lieder, op.13: Sie liebten sich beide
6 Lieder, op.13: Liebeszauber
6 Lieder, op.13: Der Mond kommt still gegangen
6 Lieder, op.13: Ich hab' in deinem Auge
6 Lieder, op.13: Die stille Lotosblume
Liederkreis, op.39: Waldesgesprach
Liederkreis, op.39: Mondnacht
Liederkreis, op.39: Er ist's, op. 79 no.24
Liederkreis, op.39: Sehnsucht, op. 51 no.1
Liederkreis, op.39: Mein Sch Stern!, op. 101 no.4
Liederkreis, op.39: Mignon, op 79 no. 29

Customer Reviews:

Brava Bonney!.......1999-12-04

I've listened to many recordings of "Fraunliebe", and although I still would not give up my precious disc with Lucia Popp's interpretation (now out of print), Bonney's interpretation is so moving on account of it's very convincing use of rubato. I listened to Bonney sing these songs (meaning "Fraunliebe" and some of Clara Schumann's) in Vienna. Her interpretation (especially through rubato) gave me the impression that she was not singing but speaking -- more specifically, speaking to *me*, about all the joys and sorrows of life. Of course I'm aware that she wasn't really doing so, but the effect was just magical. And now I enjoy that same impression every time I listen to this CD! Ashkenazy accompanies with utmost sensitivity, bringing out some voices which one doesn't usually hear. And yes, Clara Schumann's Lieder are beautiful in their own right. Has anyone noticed that "Er ist gekommen" resembles the D minor episode of the last movement of Robert's "Kreisleriana"? Also, Clara's "Mein Stern" resembles the chorale-like theme from the end of the penultimate movement of "Kreisleriana." Any musicologists out there who might know what to make of this? I know Clara and Robert were fond of quoting each other in their own compositions, so it's hard to imagine these cases being mere coincidences of musical invention...

A Beautiful Blend of Passion and Poetry.......1999-01-08

This CD is one of the most beautiful recordings of Schumann lieder I have heard to date. I recently wrote a paper for a music history class about Robert Schumann's use of "musical code" (imagery through musical motives) in the song cycle "Frauenliebe und Leben." During my research, I fell in love with the song cycle, which is a perfect blend of passion and poetry. I had listened to several recordings, but none paired piano and voice so well as Bonney and Ashkenazy have. "Frauenliebe und Leben" was meant to be a vocal/piano duet rather than merely a vocal solo with piano accompaniment, and they have captured the essence of the song cycle in that respect. Bonney's gorgeous, mellow voice and Ashkenazy's perfectly complementary, soulful interpretation give this album a truly "romantic" feel--both emotionally and musically. I highly recommend this album for lovers of "Frauenliebe und Leben." I plan to share this album with my accompanist as we prepare for my upcoming senior recital, in which I will perform this song cycle. Bonney and Ashkenazy's portrayal of "woman's love and life" is inspirational. Five stars, three thumbs up, and a big "WOW!" for this album.

Average customer rating:

Very good BUT....Improv in Liszt??
Liszt presented in all his magnificence
Lisztmania
Vital; impeccable; a treasure trove
Good - but where's the poetry?

The Best Of Liszt

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Liszt: Favourite Piano Works
Chopin: Favorite Piano Works
Liszt: The Two Piano Concertos; The Piano Sonata
Liszt: 10 Hungarian Rhapsodies
Liszt: The Complete Etudes

ASIN: B0000041D2
Release Date: 1996-02-13

Tracks:

Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Die Loreley
Hungarian Rhapsody No.11 In A Minor: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11 In A Minor
Harmonies poetiques et religieuses: No. 7 Funerailles
Schwanengesang: No. 1 Liebesbotschaft
Annees de pelerinage: Premiere annee: No. 4 Au bord d'une source
3 Etudes de Concert: No. 3 Un sospiro
Liebestraum No. 3 In A flat
Etudes d' execution transcendante: No. 3 In G Sharp Minor 'La campanella'
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 In C Sharp Minor
3 Etudes de Concert: No. 2 La leggierezza
Annees de pelerinage: Troisieme annee: No. 4 Les jeux d'eaux a la Villa d'Este

Tracks:

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 In C Sharp Minor
Fantasia On The Waltz from Gounod's 'Faust'
Valse oubliee No. 1 In F Sharp
Valse oubliee No. 2 In A Flat
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13 In A Minor
Annees de pelerinage: Premiere annee: No. 6 Vallee d'Obermann
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 14 In F Minor
Annees de pelerinage: Premiere annee: No. 7 Eglogue
Widmung
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 In D Flat

Customer Reviews:

Very good BUT....Improv in Liszt??.......2005-08-24

I find for the most part this is an excellent recording and "La Campanella" is breakthaking in its rhythmic dynamics and especially in the upper keyboard trills that are so much a part of this piece's intense virtuosity. I wish someone would reissue Gary Graffman's long out-of-print recording of this piece. I recall it being the best I ever heard.
Where I have serious reservations is in Dichter's playing of the etude "Un Sospiro". I am open to being corrected but where in the world did he come up with the insertion of a 4 or 5 bar improvisation before the recapitulation of the theme? I've never heard that before. But for overall GRAND Liszt playing, I agree with the on-line reviewers-nothing beats the Jorge Bolet recordings.

Liszt presented in all his magnificence.......2005-01-03

There are a ton of great, well-known pieces on this 2-CD set, and it's a fantastic deal! Very beautiful in all respects except that, I agree with the reviewer below--the DB range of playing is not as wide or dynamic as it should be. It would be better if it was a bit HARDER and more powerful!--this is essential for the passion and intensity that Liszt created. Also, Mephisto Waltz seems to have been shortened. But all in all, good collection at a good price.

Lisztmania.......2004-06-01

This Phillips label compact disc presents us with many fine works for piano by the incredible Franz Liszt (1811-1886) who together with Frederic Chopin revolutionzed the piano for the 19th century. On here are the Mephisto Waltz, Hungarian Rhapsodies No. 1-12, Etudes, Valses and transcriptions from Paganini's La Campanella and the Waltz from Gounod's opera Faust.
I like to think that the first cd, tracks 1-10 represents the softer side of Liszt. His friendship with Frederic Chopin influenced his lighter, romantic and nocturnal type of music, which are found in such works as Schwanengesang (Swan Song) "Un Sospiro" and Les Jeux D'Eux A La Villa D'Este. The second cd, tracks 1-10 represent some of the more dramatic and intense works for piano, among them the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C Sharp Minor, which opens the second cd. The work has been orchestrated, it's polyphonic festive mood has been used in the Looney Tunes cartoons. It is meant to describe the folk dancing of Hungary. The Fantasia on the Waltz from Gounod's Faust is incredibly demanding and sweeping, beautiful in this rendition. All the works are performed by the piano artist Misha Dichter. Although to be quite honest, this is not the best of Franz Liszt per se. It only provides us with high quality piano works. But Liszt was more than a radical new pianist, he was also a fine orchestral conductor. He invented the symphonic poem, or tone poem, which was greatly used in the 19th century, influencing such composers as Tchaikovsky, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. Why did'nt they have Liszt's great symphonic poems the Dante Symphony and the Faust Symphony ? Also the Dance Of Death Totentanz should have been here, also his fantastic piano concerto. These days, it's hard to find a great interpreter of Franz Liszt. So much of his music is out of this world. It feels like only an octupus with millions of hands and fingers would aptly play his complex, multi-melodic score.

Vital; impeccable; a treasure trove.......2002-10-17

I've lived with this CD, and similar Liszt CD's by artists of equal fame, for at least two years. My admiration -- my gratitude -- for this one rises with each listening. I believe that Liszt would be very grateful for these performances, could he hear them. It is difficult to imagine a pianist serving a composer more thoroughly than Dichter does here. There is no careless note, yet no faltering in momentum or vitality. Dichter has mastered the music, yet remains its servant. His performances of the few meditative pieces on this CD are as impeccable as his work on the many bravura ones; deeply felt, and tastefully expressed. This seems a treasure house to me; its length is 145 minutes. The engineers have depressed or compressed the dynamic range, I think; there is not enough difference between piano and forte for my taste... I am perhaps equally fond of Philips' 2-disc edition of Liszt's Annees de Pelerinage I-III, performed by Brendel and Kocsis, 289-462-312-2. Philips' 2-disc edition of Lizts's etudes, with Arrau and Magaloff, is of less interest to me at this time; I suppose this is my reaction to the compositions themselves.

Good - but where's the poetry?.......2001-05-11

A very good and recommended recording. The only thing I miss is more lyricism. Traditionalists may argue that lyricism has little place in Liszt, but look and listen! There are lots of beautiful melodic passages that need carefull attention to phrasing and tone. It would make this recording milder and sweeter to the ear. But as far as the virtuosity is concerned, no complaints. But don't forget, you can only be flashy for so long before it gets dull....!

Average customer rating:

A dream of delight - Barbara Bonney takes on Dichterliebe
A fresh approach to these works
Gorgeous Lyricism and Romanticism

While I Dream

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Barbara Bonney - Fairest Isle
The Radiant Voice of Barbara Bonney

ASIN: B00005Y268
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

Oh! Quand Je Dors
Comment, Disaient-ils
S'il Est Un Charmant Gazon
Enfant, Si J'etais Roi
Der Fischerknabe
Mignons Lied
Freudvoll Und Leidvoll
Der Du Von Dem Himmel Bist
Uber Allen Gipfeln Ist Ruh
Im Rhein, Im Schonen Strome
Die Lorelei
O Komm Im Traum
Dichterliebe, Op.48: I. Im Wunderschonen Monat Mai
Dichterliebe, Op.48: II. Aus Meinen Tranen Spriessen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: III. Die Rose, Die Lilie, Die Taube, Die Sonne
Dichterliebe, Op.48: IV. Wenn Ich In Deine Augen Seh'
Dichterliebe, Op.48: V. Ich Will Meine Seele Tauchen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: VI. Im Rhein, Im Heiligen Strome
Dichterliebe, Op.48: VII. Ich Grolle Nicht
Dichterliebe, Op.48: VIII. Und Wussten's Die Blumen, Die Kleinen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: IX. Das Ist Ein Floten Und Geigen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: X. Hor' Ich Das Liedchen Klingen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: XI. Ein Jungling Liebt Ein Madchen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: XII. Am Leuchtenden Sommermorgen
Dichterliebe, Op.48: XIII. Ich Hab' Im Traum Geweinet
Dichterliebe, Op.48: XIV. Allnachtlich Im Traume Seh' Ich Dich
Dichterliebe, Op.48: XV. Aus Alten Marchen Winkt Es
Dichterliebe, Op.48: XVI. Die Alten, Bosen Lieder

Amazon.com

Schumann's Dichterliebe cycle, set to poems of Heinrich Heine, describes the course of an ill-fated love from the perspective of the jilted male lover. Barbara Bonney stakes out her claim to this territory by affirming her right to break old boundaries, interpreting the songs as the woman's retelling of her old lover's painful tale. That leads to interpretive decisions such as draining the edgy anger from "Ich grolle nicht," singing it as "an introverted, self-deprecating love song." In context, this approach works thanks to Bonney's sensitive phrasing and lovely voice, though there's no getting around the ultimate distortion of the composer's intent or the continued superiority of male singers in this cycle. No such objections apply in some of the non-gender-specific songs, like "Im wundersch&oouml;nen Monat May," in which the poet sings of the blossoming of buds on trees and love in his heart. Bonney captures the verdant feeling beautifully and even in "Ich grolle nicht," where a barking baritone makes more sense of the meaning, her approach convinces while you're listening. The Liszt songs are nicely done as well. She sings them with great inwardness, paying attention to the verbal nuances but never at the expense of the musical line. Pappano's accompaniments are admirable. A fascinating and different recital. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A dream of delight - Barbara Bonney takes on Dichterliebe.......2006-07-27

Given that the Dichterliebe were intended for a male voice, we could rail against the transposition enabling a soprano voice to sing them. But transposition of music is so frequently done that it's not really the big no-no that many believe it to be. I'll add a caveat - to transpose an opera aria within an opera is indeed something that should not be done. A role is written for a particular type of voice in context, and its musical challenges are written for a particular type of voice in context. To distort this is to distort the composer's intentions. (Imagine, for instance, a contralto "Der Hoelle Rache" - Queen of the Night!)

But to transpose Lieder is indubitably done many times, and was done during the time of the composers. Granted, I believe that the composer's best intention for this cycle is achieved when a male voice sings it, but certainly hearing a soprano tackle it is exciting and different... and strangely attractive.

I loved the WAY in which Barbara Bonney approached this music. She is a sensitive and intelligent singer, and it shows in her performances. The voice itself is simply glorious, and it flows into the phrases and words like water from the heart of a stream.

There's nothing but praise for the Liszt songs on this album. From the exquisitely detailed "Oh quand je dors!" onwards, the listener knows he/she is going to hear delight after delight. This is the sort of repertoire that Barbara Bonney makes her own, and it's why she is one of the few sopranos today who can be called a genuine Lieder singer. Artsong singing is not as easy as it seems... It requires an ability to shine and capture the intrinsic heart of a song in miniature rather than on a grand scale.

This is a gem of an album.

A fresh approach to these works.......2003-10-15

I was hesitant to buy this cd as I couldn't figure how a woman, even one as talented as Barbara Bonney, could do justice to "Dichterliebe", written for the male voice. "What is she thinking", I thought. Well, curiosity got the best of me and I bought a copy. A very pleasant surprise, it works!

Gorgeous Lyricism and Romanticism.......2002-02-10

The best word to describe this recording is gorgeous. It's an unusual, demanding recital where this famous soprano's voice gets quite the workout.

The program is 12 songs by Lizst (4 in French, 8 in German) and Schumann's Dichterliebe song cycle. Let's start with the more satisfying Dichterliebe, which concludes the disc. This is almost universally interpreted by men, and Bonney's female predecessors in the cycle are limited to Lotte Lehmann in the 40s, and Fassbaender later on (I am not sure she ever took it into the studios). By contrast to these imposing performers, Bonney is decidedly feminine in sound and approach yet interpretively sound. The songs are rendered as indirect discourse: In the notes she says she imagined herself the poet's object of passion, relating the story of their involvement through his eyes. She brings beautiful sound, somewhat richer than we are used to from her, and in this cycle where harmonies are traded between voice and piano is blessed in an accompanist who draws her forth. I loved that "Die Rose, die Lilie" was taken at a frolicsome amble, not frantic the way we usually hear it. Throughout the disk, but especially in the gothic "Im Rhein, im heilgen Strome" she deploys a solid and attractive lower register, but that song does wind up getting the better of her, with the last two lines misjudged. "Ich grolle nicht" reveals shades of heartbreak, and her interpretation is deliberately much closer to the sorrowful tone of the original poem than Schumann's sarcastic-seeming setting is usually taken for -- the poet is not railing against a woman who has run off with a more glamorous suitor, but genuinely pitying the beloved who wears the "Diamantenpracht" of her nuptials in an unhappy arranged match (which makes more sense of "Es ist ein Flöten und Geigen"). "Ich hab' im Traum geweinet" is done with such immediacy (aided by the consistently lush but clear ambience of the recording), you really get the sense of eavesdropping. The otherworldliness of this, the 13th song, through the 15th lead very convincingly to the strangeness of the last song, where vocal heft is again demanded and delivered.

For me, the one big strike against this latest outing of Bonney's is that I am proof to Lizst's tumescent and psychologically flat Lieder. Some of them are downright exasperating. But what Bonney makes of them! She shrinks from them not at all, but meets them with fullness of tone and superb phrasing -- the only salvation for these often sprawling settings (the booklet notes point out that the later versions of the songs are for the most part used, where the hyperbole was somewhat reined in). I liked the French songs better ... the disc starts with a dreamy and rapturous "Oh! Quand je dors," and "Comment, disaient-ils" is expertly paced, contrasting the fretfulness of the men to the heartfelt responses of the women. Lizst's "Kennst du das Land" is an appalling piece of writing, with a pedestrian recapitulation of "Kennst du das Land, das Haus, den Berg?" at one point. Yet it gives enough of a foretaste of the Wolf that you think Ferenc might have a clue: Bonney, by the way, is ripe for Wolf's engrossing setting. "Du der von dem Himmel bist" is another clunker, but its pendant "Über allen Gipfeln is Ruh'" benefits from a quieter touch and Bonney's comfortable chest tones. Liszt's setting of "Im Rhein, im schönen Strome" -- a poem also used in Dichterliebe -- is a mask, content to remain purely descriptive of the scene whereas Schumann's moves eloquently from the aerial view of Cologne into the poet's heart. But the ballad "Die Lorelei" is very exciting, and the overblown first version of "Oh! quand tu dors" that concludes the set offers the interest of being done in a contemporary German translation by the composer Peter Cornelius.

Tracks:

Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'
Summertime
I Could Write a Book
It Never Entered My Mind
I Can Cook Too
Make It Another Old Fashioned, Please
If I Loved You
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
Thou Swell
I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen
There's No Business Like Show Business
South American Way

Tracks:

Shall We Dance
Ohio
Luck Be a Lady
Mack the Knife
There's a Small Hotel
Once in Love with Amy
Yodel Blues
Lazy Afternoon
There Must Be Somethin' Better Than Love
You're Just in Love
Now Is the Time

Tracks:

Impossible Dream
Love Makes the World Go 'Round
Try to Remember
Put on a Happy Face
I Say Hello
Happiness
She Loves Me
What Kind of Fool Am I?
Shy
Consider Yourself
Poor Little Person

Tracks:

Magic to Do
They're Playing My Song
I Don't Know How to Love Him
I Won't Send Roses
Good Morning Starshine
Don't Cry for Me, Argentina
Hard Candy Christmas
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
Won't You Charleston with Me?
Applause

Tracks:

Phantom of the Opera
Memory
On My Own
Muddy Water
How Could I Ever Know
American Dream
I Know Him So Well
Dr. Jazz
Me and My Girl
Suddenly Seymour

Tracks:

Mamma Mia!
Popular
Seasons of Love
Oh, the Thinks You Can Think
Whatever Lola Wants
Crazy
How Deep Is Your Love
Stars
People Like Us
I Go to Rio

Liszt: Liebesträume and Other Song Transcriptions

Average customer rating:

The romantic Liszt:
Add this to your Liszt

Liszt: Liebesträume and Other Song Transcriptions

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Liszt: The Canticle of the Sun
Liszt at the Opera II
Liszt Transcriptions of Berlioz, Chopin, Saint-Saëns
Liszt: Sonatas; Elégies; Consolations; Gretchen/Totentanz
Liszt: Pieces from Christus and St. Elisabeth; Polonaises de St. Stanislaus; Salve Polonia

ASIN: B000002ZRA
Release Date: 1993-03-04

Customer Reviews:

The romantic Liszt: .......2004-10-31

Romantic pieces, played with nonchalance and love! Sometime hurried, especially in slow section: does "ritardando" mean something or not?

Add this to your Liszt.......1999-09-17

The Liebestraume is so beautiful, words fail me right now. Worth the price of the CD. Another stunner from pianist Leslie Howard.

Average customer rating:

Bargain-priced invitation into Liszt's Musical World
The best of Howard's Liszt

Liszt: Piano Music

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Galops | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004RITA
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Customer Reviews:

Bargain-priced invitation into Liszt's Musical World.......2003-07-19

Leslie Howard's complete recording of Liszt's Piano Music is surely one of the great musical feats of all time, but not many people would have the desire or time to listen to the whole set. So it is a great thrill that Hyperion has made a 2 disk sampler set available for the rest of us!
It is beautifully packaged, competitively priced and includes interesting notes about Liszt and the works included by the performer himself.

Mr Howard has recorded 145 solo piano CDs, which includes the 95 CDs which make up the complete Liszt piano CDs.

The set includes many well-known pieces, as well as some interesting ones you may not be familiar with.

Highly recommended.

The best of Howard's Liszt.......2002-11-11

This CD, while fulfilling the intent of covering every aspect of Liszt's piano music, also covers all of Leslie Howard's Liszt interpretations and pianistic style. Howard is one of my favorite pianists, and his best playing by far is on his recordings of the Liszt transcriptions of the Beethoven symphonies, which are not included here. However, anyone who wants to get into Liszt should buy this CD before they do anything else. It really is all-encompassing.

Average customer rating:

Broadway Magic: Broadway 1968-1980

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music

4-for-3 Broadway & Vocalists | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Soundtracks | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Broadway Today: Broadway 1993-2005
Put on a Happy Face: Broadway 1959-1967
A Time of Hope: Broadway 1935-1946
Center Stage: Broadway 1947-1958
The British Invasion: Broadway 1981-1992

ASIN: B0007ZEO0K
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Magic To Do
They're Playing My Song (Hers)
I Don't Know How To Love Him
I Won't Send Roses
Good Morning Starshine
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Hard Candy Christmas
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend
Won't You Charleston With Me?
Applause

Average customer rating:

Gifts from musical theater heaven!
Tell Me More and more and more
Two restored little Gershwin gems

Tip-Toes/Tell Me More

Manufacturer: New World Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Lady, Be Good! (1992 Studio Cast Recording)
Strike Up The Band (1990 Studio Cast)
Pardon My English (1993 Studio Cast)
Oh, Kay! (1994 Studio Recording)
Girl Crazy (1990 Studio Cast)

ASIN: B00005RGM8
Release Date: 2001-10-30

Tracks:

Overture
Florida
Nice Baby
Looking For A Boy
Lady Luck
When Do We Dance?
These Charming People
That Certain Feeling
Sweet And Low-Down
Finale-Act I
Entr'acte
Our Little Captain
Looking For A Boy
It's A Great Little World!
Nightie-Night!
Tip-Toes
Finale-Act II
Overture
Tell Me More
Tell Me More
Shopgirls And Mannequins
Mr & Mrs. Sipkin
When The Debbies Go By
Three Times A Day
Why Do I Love You?
How Can I Win You Now?
Kickin' The Clouds Away
Finale-Act I
Love Is In The Air
My Fair Lady
In Sardina
Baby!
Finaletto-Act 2
Opening Ensemble
Ukelele Lorelei
Finale-Act II

Amazon.com

This two-CD set collects a couple of shows by George and Ira Gershwin. Both produced in 1925, the two musicals--Tip-Toes and Tell Me More--are fairly obscure and don't boast as many famous songs as contemporary Gershwin offerings such as Oh, Kay! and Lady Be Good. Still, they are bursting with wit, invention, and joie de vivre. Based on a 1998 concert production, Tip-Toes is delicious, and several songs deserve a place in the Gershwin pantheon: the ballad "Looking for a Boy," the love duet "That Certain Feeling," and the rousing dance number "Sweet and Low-Down." The score is also notable for its spectacular writing for duo pianos. Tell Me More is not as immediately accessible (indeed, it had the shortest run of any Gershwin musical, with 32 performances), but it's delivered with élan by its topnotch cast, which includes Sally Mayes, Christine Ebersole, Diane Fratantoni, and David Garrison. Under the expert musical direction of Rob Fisher (from New York's famed Encores! series), this double set is, of course, essential for Gershwin completists. In fact, just about any fan of zany Jazz Age artifacts should relish it. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

Tip-Toes, which made its Broadway debut on December 28, 1925, was produced by Alex A. Aarons and Vinton Freedley, who had been the producers of the Gershwins' smash hit Lady, Be Good! the year before. Attempting to repeat that success, they once again combined the same book writers, Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson, with the Gershwin brothers. Tip-Toes was well received by audiences and the press, and ran for 194 performances. It was given a subsequent production at the Winter Garden Theatre in London, opening August 31, 1926, running for 181 performances.

One of the most overlooked Gershwin shows, Tell Me More was also the most unlikely of Jazz Age musicals. In an era marked by lavish extravaganzas and brash star vehicles, Tell Me More, which opened on April 13, 1925, relied on charm, modesty, and an impish sense of humor. Because it failed to recoup its investment on Broadway, it was relegated to the list of Gershwin flops; because its score was largely forgotten, it has been widely regarded as a minor effort. In truth, it's a key show. As the only full-length collaboration between George and Ira Gershwin and B.G. DeSylva, it combines the delicacy and grace of the scores George had written earlier in the decade with DeSylva and the bold wit he had pioneered in partnership with his brother Ira four months earlier in Lady, Be Good! The best of both worlds, Tell Me More was a one-of-a-kind achievement.

Customer Reviews:

Gifts from musical theater heaven!.......2005-07-24

The restoration of several complete Gershwin scores in recent years has been a gift from the theater gods. These two shows lack the bite of "Strike Up the Band," "Of Thee I Sing" and other earlier releases, but they have no lack of the Ira's wit and George's effortless melodies. Upbeat tuners "Kickin' the Clouds Away" and "Sweet and Low-Down" are especially engaging, and the authentic-sounding orchestrations lend a nostalgic aura. The first-rate casts seem to be having the time of their lives.

Tell Me More and more and more.......2001-12-07

I bought this CD because I had seen the concert of Tip-Toes, which I found enjoyable if uneven: great songs in Act I and not much in Act II. But for me, the real revelation here is Tell Me More, a totally forgotten Gershwin musical from the Twenties. I only knew one of the songs, "Kickin' the Clouds Away," but this score hits all the right notes, from gently melodic to flat-out funny. And the cast couldn't be better. David Garrison and Christine Ebersole are hugely funny in the comic roles, tossing out their one-liners like the Broadway pros that they are. And what a delight to hear the romantic couple on one of these vintage recordings -- in this case, Diane Fratantoni and Philip Chaffin -- sing just like a real period couple: him with the creamy tenor voice and her with the boop-a-doop flapper sound. Their rendition of "Three Times a Day," a lovely ballad with a Kern-like flavor, is, for me, the highlight of this 2-CD set.

Two restored little Gershwin gems.......2001-11-10

Although the Princess shows of Kern, Bolton and Wodehouse back in 1917 tried to introduce a solid plot into the American musical comedy, the story lines still did not amount to much until "Show Boat " set the standard. So when George and Ira Gershwin opened with two musicals in 1925, the first was based on a mistaken-identity situation already a cliché in the genre (Bolton did the book); and the second (again with Bolton, plus B.D. de Sylva) was about the Florida land boom that also formed the basis of Berlin's "The Coconuts" the very same year.

Both "Tell Me More" and "Tip-Toes" were part of the discovery of many Gershwin manuscripts buried in a New Jersey warehouse; and we can be most thankful to New World Records for restoring the scores and bits of the dialogue in a two-CD boxed set (80598-2). The music is what you would expect from Gershwin: 1920s jazzy with that special core of Gershwin genius. Yes, a good deal of it sounds like Berlin and Kern--as did just about every other contemporary composer except Romberg (who sounded like Herbert). On the other hand, "Kickin' the Clouds Away" from the earlier show seems to be the inspiration for Berlin's "Shakin' the Blues Away" written two years later! "Tell Me More" also does not shy away from ethnic jokes (i.e., mistaking a request to disguise oneself as British for doing so as Yiddish) that do not offend at all. And if we moderns grow impatient with the rich bubbleheads of the F. Scott Fitzgerald crowd, they are still a breath of fresh air after the population of "Miss Saigon" and plays of that sort.

The game casts have voices just right for this sort of characterization and delivery. The "Tip-Toes" production is taken from the Carnegie Hall Concert version and is outstanding.

Tracks:

'Annees De Pelerinage' Second Year: Italy, S.161: Dante Son (Andante Maestoso...
'Annees De Pelerinage' Second Year: Italy, S.161: Sonetto No.47 Del Petrarca (Preludio Con Moto...
'Annees De Pelerinage' Second Year: Italy, S.161: Sonetto No.104 Del Petrarca (Agitato Assai...
'Annees De Pelerinage' Second Year: Italy, S.161: Sonetto No.123 Del Petrarca (Lento Placido...
'Annees De Pelerinage' Third Year: S.163: Les Jeux D'eau A La Villa d'Este: (Fountains Of The...
Ballade No.2 in b, S.171: Allegro Moderato - Lento Assai - Tempo I - Lento Assai - Allegretto...
Liebestraume (3 Notturnos), S.541: No.2 in E flat (2nd Version): ('Seliger Tod') (Quasi Lento...)
Liebestraume (3 Notturnos), S.541: No.3 in A flat: ('O Lieb, So Lang Du Lieben Kannst!) (Poco...
Conc Etude No.3 in D flat, S.144 'Un Sospiro': Allegro Affettuoso
Fant And Fugue in g, S.463: Fant (Grave)
Fant And Fugue in g, S.463: Fugue (Allegro)
Son in b, S.178: Lento Assai - Allegro Energico - Grandioso - Recitative - Andante Sostenuto...
Son in b, S.178: Fugue: Allegro Energico - Piu Mosso - Stretta Quasi Presto - Presto...
Die Loreley (Second Version), S.532: Nicht Schleppend
Harmonies Poetiques Et Religieuses, S.173: Funerailles: Intro (Adagio) - Lagrimoso - Poco...
Seventeen Polish Songs, Op.74 'Six Chants Polonais', S.480: My Joys (Nocturne) (Quasi Allegretto)
Mephisto Polka, S.217: Allegretto
Consolation No.3 in D flat, S.172: Lento Placido

Amazon.com

Earl Wild is a premier Lisztian, one of the great Romantic pianists of our age, claims easily confirmed by this two-disc set of major Liszt piano works recorded in 1985 and issued here in splendid sound. The attributes of Wild's playing are all present on these discs--a big, burnished tone, the technique to make even the most difficult works sound easy, and mastery of both subtle rubato and grandiloquent rhetoric, both indispensable for satisfying Liszt playing. We hear these immediately in the Dante Sonata, where Wild's brazen colorings and wide dynamic range capture Liszt's depiction of the poet's Inferno. And we hear those pianistic virtues at the end of the recital as well, with a gently flowing, poetic Consolation No. 3. The Sonata has been recorded by most of the century's great pianists, but Wild's interpretation is compelling by virtue of its flowing narrative approach--you feel he's telling a dramatic story that seethes with passion and has long chapters of philosophic reflection. Perhaps it's that storytelling aspect of Wild's Liszt that makes it so individual and at the same time so true to the Lisztian spirit. Everything on these discs is played at the highest level. Miss it at your peril. --Dan Davis

Album Description

Critics and audiences all over the world have praised Earl Wild's virtuosity and musicality. In a continuing celebration of his 85th birthday, Ivory Classics is re-issuing some of his most collectible and most admired performances of Franz Liszt's masterpieces. Available for the first time in remastered 24-bit high definition HDCD encoded sound!

Customer Reviews:

Untiring virtuousness!.......2006-04-05

At the moment to recall the great Liszt interpreters in the last Century, Earl Wild must be always included, due he not only is owner of a prodigious and subduing technique, but besides, he possesses that fundamental lyric flight, so necessary at the moment to play this Hungarian composer.

Overwhelming expressiveness, éclat, powerful spelling, flair and dazzling fingering make of this CD an absolute must for all those who want to know the minimum facets of these fireworks pieces.

Only Liszt did it better!.......2001-04-03

Okay, that might not be entirely true, but I'm very excited after listening to this 2-CD set of some of the best of Liszt's music for piano. We begin with the 'Dante' Sonata and end with the lovely Consolation no. 3. What's in between? Music of light and dark, angels and demons. The Sonata is played as I want it played--finally! And Earl Wild is telling a story here. But the power! the grace! the lyricism! I've been listening to a lot of Liszt this year, by several players, and I have to say that I'm going to buy as much Liszt by Earl Wild as I can get my hands on. Judging by these two discs, I place him pretty much at the top of the heap of Liszt players. They all have their strengths, yes, but there's something about Wild. I'd love to hear him play the Transcendental Etudes, the Years of Pilgrimage, Paganini Etudes, the Waltzes, the transcriptions... SO: buy this set and fall in love with Liszt again.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Patience [Import]

Piet Kee At The Concertgebouw

Soul Witness [Import]

I'm Getting Sentimental Over You [Box set]

Storm Bringer Ruler [Import]

Southern Grooves [Import]

Pianist Extraordinaire, Vol. 1 [Box set]

Peter Maxwell Davies: Works for Organ

Roving Journey Man [Import]

Pledge to My People

Songs From Northern Britain

Merengue en Carnaval Internacional

Lo Que Es el Amor

Ultimate Praise: I Love You Lord

Mantra Mode

1. Give Him the Ooh-La-La
2. He's a Right Guy
3. It Never Entered My Mind
4. Johnny One Note
5. You and the Night and the Music
6. Saga of Jenny
7. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
8. Leader of a Big-Time Band
9. In the Heart of the Dark
10. Lorelei
11. Dream With Me
12. I Love Paris
13. Katie Went to Haiti
14. Let's Go West Again
15. Ten Cents a Dance
16. I Got Rhythm