Reviews (14)

Wakes you up instead
This CD was supposed to be soft, easy music that would help you go to sleep.I did go to sleep almost immediately but not because of the music--I was just very tired.However, the music actually woke me up a couple of times when it got just a little louder.Maybe it's me, but I didn't find this product to do as promised.

Music for Life
Thanks to the Philips Set Your Life to Music series, we don't have to set aside a concert hour to experience great music.Beethoven at Bedtime gives us the music when we need it to enrich our quiet moments.As with the other titles in this series, the performance is pure and sensitive enough to satisfy the most intellectual listener.One has only to read the list of artists and listen to the clips.What a treasure!

musical morphine
this album will definately put you out unless youre manic or all cranked up or something.but why go to sleep? youd miss out on a bunch of beethovens most beautiful music ever written.and being as how hes only the second of 7 musical geniuses ever,no true music lover can be without this many spleandored collection.its got all the great slow songs beethoven did on it like the "moonlight sonata" used on the beatles song "because" and the video game "shadow man".im sure youve heard it somewhere."for elise" is another easily recognizable song.it was on the movie "bill and teds excellent adventure".theres some more musical bliss with his violin piece and even the all important "pathetique sonata".thats the real clencher.if youre not pretty drowsy after that beautiful but utterly sedating ditty perhaps you should seek out a drs prescription before you play it because youre an isomniac.it will put most anybody out though and is plum full of a number of the most beautiful songs ever! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bagatelle for Keyboard    2. Chamber    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Classical Music    6. Concerto    7. Keyboard    8. Piano Concerto    9. Quartet for Four String Instruments    10. Romantic Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    11. Romantic Symphony    12. Symphonic    13. Violin Concerto   

Editorial Review

Back in the days when the forces that controlled television actuallycared about art, it was perfectly normal to see original plays and live musicalperformances right in your living room. In 1950, Menotti was commissioned towrite an opera for television, and on Christmas Eve, 1951, Read more

Features

• Cast Recording

Reviews (15)

The only one to buy!
This recording is absolutely the best!Even my 8 and 4 year old daughters love it!We listen all the time!

The first "Amahl" and the best
Source: Studio recording made with the original cast on January 4 and 10, 1952.
Wonderfully enjoyable
I have always loved this work, and when ever it is performed where I live, I enjoy going to see it. Menotti really understood how to make English opera sing. This recording is truly exciting, and it is very touching when the wisemen finally appear. My only complaint is the diction, particularly of the mother. There are times her singing resembles nothing more than shouting and screaming. The tone, or quality, of her voice is fine, very lovely in fact, but her words are lost in the torrent of sound. Her character is much like the character of the mother in Hansel and Gretal, and reflecting much of the same feelings. Menotti wrote music that was very excellent in providing these feelings, but with them is required the ability to understand what the woman is stressing over. Sadly, her diction was not good. It is interesting to use children in opera, and very few composers have done it well (aside from a children's chorus). Menotti is super at knowing when to tone things down so a child's sound can be heard. The other composer who works well with children is Brittan. Though the music written for Amahl is simple, best suited for a child, it is very touching. This is truly a wonderful recording of this wonderful work. Sadly, it is not seen as often anymore as it once was, while having Hansel and Gretel as the perennial Christmas treat is still going strong and well all over the place. This is an opera written for Christmas, and it is sad that it is overshadowed by one of fantasy. For those who have never experienced American opera, this is the first choice, in my view, when approaching it. You won't be disappointed. The work is short, and it is touching in a very "Dickensian" way. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American 20th/21st Century Opera    2. Christmas / Chanukkah    3. Christmas Music    4. Classical    5. Opera    6. Opera/Operetta   

Editorial Review

Richard Rodgers always considered Read more

Features

• Soundtrack

Reviews (26)

Response to David Pabian's review below
Response to David Pabian's review: Gummed up a beautiful soundtrack album
This overblown "completeitis" has got to stop.Some of the stupidist mistakes of this movie, e.g., the prelude in heaven with Billy cleaning stars, are lovingly included here - where, if the actual credits music needed to be used (arguable), it could've been faded into, without MacRae's whistling and spittin' on stars.The original, beautifully played, soundtrack album Carousel Waltz is now relegated to Appendix status, and terrible sonics accompany dancers' footstomping in the "new" expanded musical sequences, taken directly from the soundtrack.There was a reason soundtrack recordings were studio (and sometimes studio-for-recordings-only) performances.The proportions were right, the timings were correct for an overall BALANCED listening experience.These gawdawful expanded editions, often with dialogue thrown in, completely throw off those balances.An argument might be made for expanded sequences appropriate to CDs longer playing time than the standard L.P. 45min., but possibly only if those sequences were still available in their original studio-recorded, pre release-print mix.In this recording, and the Oklahoma! and King and I new expanded soundtracks, the touted "restored" segments sound like the recordings I made as a kid off of 16mm films by sticking my reel-to-reel jack into the audio output.Yucch!This is, for my money, still the most beautifully sung recording of this work (except for Barbara Ruick's cutesy cutesy 50s schtick), beautifully orchestrated, wonderfully realized.The censors made them drop "The Highest Judge of All," possibly the best song in the score, and actually the definition of who the character of Billy Bigelow is.But then it was also cut in the '94 revival - most likely because of the ineptness of the actor who played Bigelow (his "Sililoquy" is beyond painful, his 'voice' giving out about halfway through).It's a shame if the original soundtrack album of "Carousel" is no longer available.And a quick word on one of the above reviews:This is not the first time the complete Carousel Waltz is heard in stereo.There were two previous CD remasterings of the original soundtrack whereon it was included.And the reprise of "If I loved You" was part of every soundtrack release, mono and stereo.

Disappointed in Virginia
This recording is a disappointment.Yes, the singing of MacRae and Jones is beautiful, and I even like Didier Deutsch's liner notes. Shame it's all ruined by the remastering.What a disaster!When one considers the beautiful, demo-calibre remastering that RCA has done with its mid-fities recordings of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra and Saint Saen's Symphony No. 3, there seems no excuse for the painful sound of this CD.I can forgive the slight tape hiss that appears in a few portions.It's the shrill tonality of the entire disk that robs the performances of their beauty. Then there's the editing.Please explain why on a CD (not a DVD), a full 20 percent of the disk is devoted to to the sound of dancers clumping around the sound stage.I don't know if there's a better recording of Roger and Hammerstein's masterpiece, perhaps the folks at Angel will try again. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cast Recordings    2. Music Theater    3. Musical Theater    4. Musicals    5. Pop    6. Soundtrack    7. Soundtracks    8. Soundtracks & Film Scores   

Reviews (5)

Amazing
What a great CD. I can't even put into words how relaxing it is to listen to this after a long day. Just sort of puts you at ease with the world in a time when serenity is so often torn from our hands.

Absolutely outstanding compilation!
I truly find this compilation of fifteen different arrangements consisting of piano, orchestra, flute, guitar, vocal, etc. to be of absolute profound quality. This is a brilliant and creative assortment and it magnifies my appreciation for the Cannon in D. The listener is provided with over an hour of exquisite, listening pleasure and it is most enjoyable. I have much admiration for the various symphonic orchestras and I also enjoy listening to the flute played by James Galway on track two, the piano duo on track three, and the shakuhachi and koto quintet on track eight. My only suggestion is that the appearance of the Cd should reflect the professional quality of the music contained therein. The animal drawings just may not appeal to some buyers.

Various interpretations of a beautiful piece of music
This is the only classical music I own, and I purchased it because Pachelbel's Canon in D is the most beautiful piece of music I have ever heard.I fell in love with Canon when I heard my first haunting rendition of it featured in the movie Ordinary People.Later, when I heard it as a selection during a marriage ceremony, I made sure to check the program for the title and artist so that I could use it at my own wedding.Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Chamber Music    3. Chamber Music & Recitals    4. Classical    5. Classical Collections-Composer Desc.    6. Classical Music    7. Keyboard    8. Miscellaneous    9. Miscellaneous Music    10. Miscellaneous Vocal Music    11. Quartet for Four String Instruments    12. Quartet for Keyboard and Three String Instruments    13. Transcription    14. Transcription for Keyboard    15. V/A Compilations    16. Vocal    17. Vocal Music   

Features

• Soundtrack

Reviews (20)

Blast! Re-release ruined the value of this CD.
If in the future you find yourself with a valuable CD, sell it before the re-release comes out. Oh well.

At Last
I had wanted this soundtrack when it was originally released but couldn't get it.Now that I have it and have listened to it,I am thrilled with it and hope this release means the DVD series of the TV show won't be far behind.Admittedly, I am a soundtrack junkie and a lot of my favorite music is on soundtracks.This one is different since the hauntingly beautiful and uplifting musical score is a backdrop for the readings by Ron Perlman.His voice does justice to the words of Shakespeare, Cummings, Wordsworth and the other authors.Don't expect a resounding musical score, but do expect some of the most beautiful recitations you've ever heard.My own favorites are "Longing" by Matthew Arnold and "You Darkness" by Ranier Maria Rilke.If you loved the TV series and the premise behind it, this is a "must have" for your collection.

Waiting a long time !
My cassette of this album is practicaly worn out. So happy to have the cd now. Its my favourite soundtrack. Now if they would just release the tv series on dvd. Thanks Ron Pearlman. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Film    2. Film Music    3. Miscellaneous    4. Miscellaneous Music    5. Pop    6. Soundtracks & Film Scores    7. Television Soundtrack    8. Vocal    9. Vocal Music   

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (8)

My Favorite Candide!
FINALLY after years of waiting the 1974 revival is available on CD! It does not have the best voices or the best sound and it doesnt have Barbara Cook, but what it lacks in those categories it makes up for in its youthful exhuberance and sense of fun! Its also the only production of the show to have a long run on Broadway. You also get to hear the story on this recording (at least what would fit on the double LP released back in the 70's) adapted by Hugh Wheeler which is very funny with something to offend everyone! The energy level on this recording is off the charts and the youthful performers are all on the mark. June Gable as the Little Old Lady steals the show. Her soliquoy about her various travails is sidesplitting funny (she's interrupted before she can get to the story of her lost buttock!) Her accent will have you in stiches (this piece is not on other recordings). My only complaints? The first cd ends rather awkwardly in the middle of the I'm So Easily Assimilated number (surely they could've found a better place to break?) and the pictures from the production included in the LP version are not reproduced here. (WHY NOT?) So if you never purchased the LP, you'd have no idea of the innovative production design. Still it doesnt make the recording any less enjoyable. You wont be bored listening to this, that's for sure!

A WEAK CANDIDE . . . STILL
In Arthur Laurents' libretto for Gypsy, one of the strippers says of another: "Try Mazeppa, everyone else has!"There must be something in the musical Candide that makes everyone want to try it. There's another recording out, bringing the count now to more than a half dozen, which is not bad for a show that was a complete fiasco when first produced.. There have been three productions on Broadway, a couple at Lincoln Center, and seemingly every light opera and musical regional company has taken a whack at the show.
How refreshing to hear again
In order to understand this wonderfully refreshing version, one must read the "Candide"...it is NOT dusty and tired (as opposed to most the opera house versions...) It is alive with youth, creativity and vibrancy.Buy it!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cast Recordings    2. Opera    3. Operetta    4. Pop    5. Showtunes / B'way   

Editorial Review

Itzhak Perlman is the greatest living exponent of the Romantic, sentimental style of violin playing. As in his reading of the Brahms concerto, he shows sovereign mastery in these accounts, which are characterized by intense emotion and heated expression (Perlman's warm vibrato and carefully placed portamentos quickly give him away), but are also gripping in the quiet, meditative pages. The first two sonatas' relationship to songs could easily be guessed from the way Perlman plays them in a single, seamless line, marked by soaring climaxes and tender, haunting pianissimos. The treatment sometimes does seem a bit premeditated, but it is so compelling as to sweep aside any criticism. In this 1983 recording (sonically superior to Perlman's later remake with pianist Daniel Barenboim, for Sony), the violin sounds slightly forward, though not unpleasantly so. Warm, supportive, lyrical playing from Vladmir Ashkenazy rounds out a marvelous offering. Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (6)

these are really good sonatas
These three sonatas are in my opinion some of the best compositions of Brahms.They are wonderfully tunefull and each sets a distinct mood (although all three are somewhat melancholic).The interaction of the violin and piano is just fantastic and Perlman and Ashkenazy pull it off well.Sound quality is great as well.

Brahms
I bought this for my college age daughter's music class and I am enjoying it as well.Violin music, of any sort, is enjoyable to listen to and this one is a wonderful addition to a music library.

Finest Brahms
I've always enjoyed Brahms' chamber works more than his symphonies. Somehow his intent comes off more clearly; the desperation and anger and melancholy of the music is more exposed, as if juggling an entire orchestra in the composition could dull the edges of these emotions. Of course the quality of any piece is tied with the quality of the performers (who invariably stamp then with their own personalities), and here we have a brilliant union: Perlman and Ashkenazy play flawlessly. Perlman's tonality is clear and sonorous, but never treacly; it still maintains the edge that these pieces require. From the sweet lilting melodies of the first sonata to simmering violence of the third, it is a commanding performance. The piano part in these works is equally demanding, and Ashkenazy is more than a match for Perlman's virtuosity.Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber    2. Classical    3. Classical Composers    4. Classical Music    5. Orchestral & Symphonic    6. Violin with Keyboard   

Editorial Review

Two of John Rutter's most popular large-scale choral works are paired in this bargain-priced CD. Requiem, his first composition written without being commissioned, is a convincing affirmation of Christian doctrine on death and eternal life. It is also a substantial and sincere work that strives to be widely appealing while preserving a spiritual context centered on themes of light and consolation. Highlights include "Out of the Deep," its modal tune and harmonies giving it the flavor of a spiritual, and the wonderfully gentle and restful 23rd Psalm. Rutter personalizes his Requiem by adding movements not traditionally part of the Requiem Mass--passages from the 1662 Read more

Reviews (22)

Two glorious pieces by Rutter
This recording of the Cambridge Singers has them recording pieces composed by their own director, John Rutter.The Magnificat is Rutter's version of a standard piece of liturgical music, an intersection of old and new.This was recorded at one of the Cambridge Singers' favourite venues, the Great Hall of University College School, London; the Requiem was recorded in 1986, and the Magnificat in 1991.
John Rutter at his best
I love this album.After singing 'Requiem' several years ago, it brought it all back to me.Amazing soloists, superb sound, the next best thing to hearing it live (or performing it myself).A must have for any John Rutter fan, or choral singer.
Music has never reached sublimity such as this
Truely, what other words can one use?When I first heard this, i was doing my homework after this years superbowl at about midnight.i was done celebrating the patriots win, and i had to get forth on my homework.. I was listening on the radio, and i heard this peice.I leaned back, closed my eyes, and let the notes come to me. Of course i have also studied the works of many other composers, and this has come to be my second favorite requiem mass. (mozart's is my favorite) and i implore all who read this to get this cd, because you will be blown out of your mind, especially with the sweet melody of the first movement but its allgood. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber Music & Recitals    2. Choral    3. Classical    4. Classical Composers    5. Magnificat    6. Requiem/Requiem Section   

Reviews (32)

**Superb**
I absolutely love this album --the music resonates with one's soul.Even if you don't have a cello fetish as I, you can't go wrong with this album.It offers a wonderful range from adagio to allegro.....A true musical feast.I especially enjoy Butterfly's Day Out and First Impressions.Dolce...

True Americana
This music is a must for all ears...you will dream of day's gone by...

Looking for more like this album?
Melanie White and other reviewers have wondered what else out there might be similar to "Appalachia Waltz." I highly recommend Oliver Schroer's double-disc "O2". Same fusion of folk fiddle idiom and classical violin. In places astoundingly brilliant. Lovers of Bach will see many influences here (yet I wouldn't call Schroer's work derivative.) In the liner notes, Schroer talks about making his work not just polyphonic but also fractal--funny thing is, the more you listen, the more "fractal" it sounds. Unbelievable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appalachia    2. Chamber    3. Chamber Music    4. Chamber Music & Recitals    5. Classical    6. Classical Artists    7. Classical Crossover    8. Classical Music    9. Miscellaneous    10. Miscellaneous Music    11. Progressive Bluegrass   

Editorial Review

This performance is also available on Deutsche Grammophon in an earlier,mid-price incarnation, but this version is clearly the one to own, since theremastered sound is a definite improvement over previous issues. Herbert vonKarajan always did a good job with this symphony, and his performances are quiteconsistent, even down to the very backward-balance of the chorus. By generalconsensus, though, this is the best of them. Read more

Reviews (29)

Absolutely amazing
This is a great interpretation of the piece (which is admittedly my favorite piece of all).The tempi are faster than other recordings, but the orchestra never really lags or slows down.The level of musicianship throughout are exactly what you'd expect from one of the world's leading orchestras.
If One Must...
Knowing that this reviewer's view of this internationally popular favorite of every concertgoer is that of a curmudgeon, this recording is as acceptable as any of the ones available. Herbert von Karajan is at the helm of the trusty Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Singverein, and a cast of soloists that are the envy of any conductor - Gundula Janowitz, Hilde Rossel-Majdan, Waldemar Kmentt and Walter Berry, stalwarts all and obviously veteran performers of this regularly programmed piece.The interpretation is brisk and lively and yet lingers over the inner two movements that gives some solace between the sandwich ends of the first and fourth movements.It is a fine recording.
First time I have ever switched preferences for a symphony
I have almost always stuck by the first recordings I buy for classical music. The only exceptions being the cheap Laserlight cd's I would buy in high school and college.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Orchestral    5. Romantic Overture for Orchestra    6. Romantic Symphony    7. Symphonic   

Reviews (7)

Pleasant backdrop
As a child growing up in the city of Salem, known for it's working class backbone, I was the only kid I knew who had been to Symphony Hall more than Fenway Park. Going in to Boston for the symphony's open practices was what I lived for. It gave me a true appreciative, although untrained ear. The one lasting lesson is that while you may not notice good classical music,EVERYONE notices bad classical music. And this is NOT bad classical.
Musical soothing of the soul
I have been a fan of Baroque music since childhood (and I'm not all that old either). But I've only started reading the Patrick O'Brian books in the last few months, since it was announced that my favorite actor, Russell Crowe, was about to star as Captain Jack Aubrey in the Peter Weir movie. I am reading the books in order, and am currently on "HMS Surprise," so what else could be a more perfect accompaniment than this CD? Aubrey is such a multi-layered character, filled with imperfections and bad puns, however he has a great love for music and he plays the violin quite well. Often paired with ship's surgeon Dr. Stephen Maturin on the cello, music is a great release for this sea captain, and the pieces on this CD are fine representations of what Aubrey might have played while on assignment or heard when on land. The selections by Hadyn, Locatelli, Handel, Boccherini and Leclair are pleasant, soothing compositions that are complex and varied enough that they are not redundant, and range from peaceful to nimble. While listening to the CD, I could vividly imagine Jack Aubrey below decks in his cabin and asking Maturin to strike up a tune with him. And then they begin an Andante or an Allegro, allowing Aubrey to set aside his absolutely awful puns and jokes so he can clear his mind and relax. Considering some of the battles he's involved himself in so far in the series, he definitely needs it. Reading his adventures while listening to these charming pieces will relax you as well, and definitely take your imagination to some wondrous places in an era of great change.

Afloat on a sea of relaxation
I like Mozart. I really do, and I used to put on a piano concerto or two over dinner when I had guests aboard.Read more

Subjects:  1. Baroque Sonata da camera    2. Chamber    3. Chamber Music & Recitals    4. Classical    5. Classical Collections-Artist Desc.    6. Classical Music    7. Miscellaneous    8. Miscellaneous Music    9. Trio Sonata    10. Two String Instruments with Keyboard/Continuo   

Editorial Review

The international crossover success of tenor Andrea Bocelli has spawned any number of imitators on both sides of the Atlantic. But this collection of romantic arias and duets with violinist-conductor Lorin Maazel (who also arranges and helms the London Symphony Orchestra here) proves once again that the classical canon still offers ample room for compelling reinvention without nettlesome pop affectations. In reviving a genre (violin and vocal) largely dormant since the days of Caruso, Bocelli has taken some rewarding liberties with Rodrigo's "En Aranjuez can ta amor" and forged Liszt's familiar Liebestraume No. 3 into "Sogno D'Amore" with new, self-penned lyrics. Maazel's warm, evocative violin obligatos and sensitive, sympathetic arrangements infuse this tenor's showcase not only with unabashed romance, but as their lively romp through Tosti's "Malia" demonstrates, a sense of joyous fun. An album for romantics of all ages and persuasions--and one that gratifyingly demonstrates that crossing over is hardly the same as selling out. Enhanced CD includes a mini-documentary with comments by Bocelli and Maazel, as well as links to a more comprehensive interview with the tenor. Read more

Features

• Enhanced

Reviews (36)

Simply beautiful!
I wont repeat what others with positive reviews already said. Just know that none of Bocelli's CD's have ever disappointed me, and if you are looking for as fine a piece of work as possible (thus far), THIS and "Romanza" are it.

Average Bocelli at best
I bought this Bocelli album because I truly wanted to hear him perform "Plaisir D'Amour," one of my all time favorites.While I do love Bocelli I wasn't completely impressed with the entire CD.This is not the best I've heard from Andrea and his voice is not great throughout the CD.I do enjoy it though.He's one of the few artists I can listen to these days without getting a headache.

Chill the wine and dim the lights
Ah, romance! Sweet, stirring violins, Bocelli's beautiful voice soaring effortlessly as he holds note after note to perfection... Sentimento is a wonderfully realized collection of romantic arias that sweeps us along into that mystical place we all need to be at times, a place of beauty and timelessness, where romance and sentiment seem ever so right and where the cares and worries of the world are nudged ever so gently into the background. If you have a heart of stone, you might not like this one, but to the rest of us, this is a work of art. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Art Song (General)    3. Classical Artists    4. Classical Music    5. Classical Vocals    6. French Romantic Opera    7. Opera    8. Solo Voice(s) and Orchestra    9. Vocal    10. Vocal Music   

Editorial Review

The people who felt betrayed when Linda Eder covered several pop songs on 2002's Read more

Reviews (152)

the best female singer of the great american standards.
i am turning 60 years old this year. i went to my 1st.broadway
The powerful and beautiful voice of Linda Elder
A great selection of songs.Tremendous amount of energy in Linda's voice.I just love it.

Linda Eder shines with her Broadway album
Wow! Linda Eder has an outstanding voice.She sells Broadway in the styles of Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand.After hearing this you will want more. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Contemporary    2. Music Theater    3. Musical Theater    4. Musicals    5. Pop    6. Pop Vocals    7. Popular Music    8. Rock/Pop    9. Show Tunes    10. Showtunes / B'way    11. Solo Voice(s) and Small Ensemble    12. Vocal    13. Vocal Music   

Reviews (31)

Fresh and Vibrant..this opera ROCKS!
I hold a degree in vocal performance and have performed opera for years. I have spent years honing and perfecting the art of classical song and interpretation. That said, I am thrilled to hear a fresh new take on all the old favorites. These performers are completely dedicated, and highly talented musical artists. Several have studied at Julliard, and other top music schools. They know the rules...and they know how to break them! I enjoy their artistry and energy immensely. The "business" of classical music is frustrating and daunting to so many gifted performers. The majority of those who spend years and thousands of dollars pursuing this career end up working a 9-5 job somewhere and losing the dream. How GREAT that this group has discovered a wonderful niche, a way to use all of their training in a way that breaks down barriers and appeals to everyone! Hopefully they are making a good living doing it! They deserve that. I especially enjoy their little inside musical jokes as they "fight against the machine". This group likes to mix things up. A woman singing a traditionally man's aria, and vice versa. Track one, "Overture", grabs your attention and holds on. (I would like to hear more instrumental like this on future albums). Their interpretaion of "When I Am Laid in Earth" (an aria I have personally considered dull and monotonous) is stunning. I was pleased the Italian pronunciation is so accurate. (AnnMarie Milazzo needs to work a bit on her French, and sometimes her voice is strident, but most will not begrudge, since her intensity and breath control in "Habanera" more than makes up for it). Tyley Ross steals the show, though, with his spot-on vocal technique, rich sound and artistic commitment. This is an album for anyone. Those who love classic rock and roll will get a kick out of it (several great nods to "Queen", "Abba", and similar) and for those who appreciate the classical works, it is a guilty pleasure and fabulous fun! Buy it!

Awesome group :-)
These guys are great.They have taken some operetic songs and updated them and made them modern and sometimes a little funky and haunting and different.I guess if you are a purist, you may not like this, but for someone like me who doesn't like opera (but can somewhat tollerate it), it's given me a new perspective.
Great for opera fans and non-fans alike
I saw this group on the Miss USA pageant and decided right away I had to have their CD!As a classically trained pianist and vocalist, I find their style a wonderful break from the usual rigidity normally associated with performing classical music.The vocals during "Nessun Dorma" are so soothing and easy to listen to, and the rock and roll tint given to the opening track make you want to get up and dance!I think it's wonderful when obviously talented musicians like EVOC take music like this and make it their own.For non-fans of opera this could be a great introduction to the genre without compromising its integrity.(One analogy would be: if opera is medecine for the soul, this CD is the candy coating that makes it easier to swallow.)I'm normally an insufferable purist when it comes to tinkering with the classics, but the versions contained in this album stay very true to the original orchestral scores (while adding additional lyrics here and there, or changing them ever so slightly, like "O Mio Babbino Caro" being sung by a guy).If all you're asking for is to be able to recognize the original songs in these arrangements, you will not be disappointed! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. British Baroque Opera    3. Classical Crossover    4. French Romantic Opera    5. German/Austrian Classical Period Opera    6. Indie Rock    7. Italian 20th/21st Century Opera    8. Italian Romantic Opera    9. Opera    10. Pop    11. Rock    12. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (6)

Good selection
I bought this CD to use in my classroom as listening examples.I'm not just a super big fan of some of the performances, but they are all good and for the price you can't beat it.That's why I gave it 5 stars.It's worth more than it costs by far.

thunderous applause

Good Music at a Great Price
I bought this CD mostly for "Entry of the Gladiators," which everyone will recognize as classic circus music. The performance on this CD(by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops) is the best available version of Entry of the Gladiators. The rest of the CD offers mostly excerpts of classical music. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th/21st Century Ballet    2. Ballet    3. Band    4. Baroque Suite/Partita for Orchestra    5. Chamber Music & Recitals    6. Classical    7. Classical Collections-Artist Desc.    8. Classical Music    9. Concert/Brass/Marching Band Music    10. Etude for Keyboard    11. French Romantic Opera    12. German/Austrian Romantic Opera    13. Italian Romantic Opera    14. Keyboard    15. March for Band    16. Opera    17. Orchestral    18. Orchestral Music    19. Polka for Orchestra    20. Romantic Orchestral Music   

Editorial Review

Bela Fleck is one of the greatest five-string banjo players performing today. Beginning in the 1970s, he honed his lightning-fast chops performing bluegrass, then moved on to contemporary jazz and fusion sounds. With this album, he broadens his horizons once again by performing an entire program of classical music transcriptions. Reminiscent of classical guitar albums by John Williams (who makes a guest appearance here), the disc traverses a wide range of repertoire--from Chopin mazurkas to Bach's Two and Three Part Inventions. Throughout, Fleck displays a feathery touch on his banjo, and his instrument offers a pleasant, brassy tone with very little twang. The technique he displays on Read more

Reviews (42)

Another Bela Fleck Masterpiece!
Who knew there could be classical banjo. It may sound dumb to some of you, but Bela Fleck pulls it off perfectly.I prefer the jazz fusion of his work with the Flecktones, but that does not mean this is not brilliant.Technically speaking, Bela and all of his collaborators are the best around, and who can argue with the songwriting of the classical composers(no one openly insults Mozart).If you haven't heard Bela Fleck, here's some advice.Get one of his Flecktones albums if you're into jazz, rock, or funk, this if you like classical, and his Newgrass Revival, Strength in Numbers, or Sam Bush stuff if you're a bluegrass fan.

Definitely a Winner
It is apparent to my ears why this CD won a Grammy. It takes familiar classical music pieces and puts the distinct Bela Fleck style on them. The pairing of the banjo with different instruments makes this album texturally interesting for the ear and one does not tire of the selections, even if they are familiar. My favorite pairing is the marimba with the banjo. The liner notes are interesting, as is Bela's story on how difficult it was to make the album. It was definitely worth his time and the listener's .

Soul Food
This is exquisite! The best of human experience encoded on a simple CD disk. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baroque Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    2. Bluegrass    3. Cello Solo    4. Chamber    5. Chamber Music & Recitals    6. Classical    7. Classical Crossover    8. Classical Music    9. Classical Period Variations for Keyboard    10. Duo for Two String Instruments    11. Etude for Keyboard    12. Invention for Keyboard    13. Keyboard    14. Mazurka for Keyboard    15. Progressive Bluegrass    16. Romantic Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard    17. Sinfonia for Keyboard    18. Suite/Partita for Keyboard    19. Violin Solo    20. Violin with Keyboard   

Editorial Review

Claudio Arrau considered the Read more

Reviews (32)

Returning the "night" to the night piece
Arrau's playing of the Chopin nocturnes emphasizes the extent to which these wonderfully well-crafted works belong to the realm of the night in all its Romantic mystery and, especially, longing (what an odd-seeming word for the 21st century!). Despite what some have claimed, his exquisite rubato is always musically justified and recalls Chopin's pupil Mikuli's comment that "Chopin's rubato possessed an unshakeable emotional logic.It always justified itself by a strengthening or weakening melodic line, by exaggeration or affectation." Always observing a fine cantilena, Arrau repeatedly works wonders in these marvellous pieces, making each into its own unique little self-contained variegated musical universe. In doing so, he fully realizes Liszt's apt depiction of Chopin as "a divine aristocrat, a feminine archangel with prismatic wings!"

Don't know what to make out of it
I've always had mixed feelings about Arrau's playing. While at times it can be indescribably beautiful and revealing, which is often the case with his sublime, if controversial, interpretations of Liszt, Arrau nonetheless seems to lack the necessary technique (I don't think that's the case) or the proper understanding to play certain works. Even though his uncanny ability to grasp the spirit of each composer whose music he plays is widely stressed, I think he's not that respectful of Chopin's music on this record - he does turn it into something else. To be sure, Chopin's works are obviously open to various interpretations and it would be risky to finger such or such pianist as having reached the 'true', 'real' Chopin - no one knows exactly what Chopin sounded like and the best we can do here is guessing - but this openness can't be understood as meaning that anything goes, that one interpretation is as good as the other, that there are no bounds or limits to interpretation. Here I think Arrau overasserts himself at the expense of what we know about Chopin's musical identity, as it were, though we can surely be proven wrong in the future. Who knows?

Undisciplined Sentimentality
Claudio Arrau takes vast artistic licence here.He is not playing what Chopin wrote, but an abstraction all his own.I know this to be true as I have studied and mastered all of Chopin's nocturnes.Chopin required his pupils to play accurately and in strict time, only adding rubato as was fitting.He despised arbitrary rubatos taken to the extreme, or dragging.Arrau does plenty of dragging. All of the runs are loose, unpolished, metrically uneven,
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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Composers    3. Classical Music    4. Coll. of Character/Single-Movement/Misc. Works for Keyb.    5. Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard    6. Impromptu for Keyboard    7. Keyboard    8. Nocturne for Keyboard