Souvenirs

Track Listings

1. Overture to Candide

2. Tonada

3. Apanhei-Te Cavaquinho

4. Summertime

5. Cumparsita

6. Strutting Butterflies

7. Bunde Tolimense

8. Blues

9. Ragtime Dance

10. Summer Music

11. Pombinha Voou

12. Os Pombinhos

13. Soul

14. Semblanzas

15. Goin' Home

16. Souvenir de Porto Rico

17. Muskrat Ramble

18. Carolina Shout

19. Shenandoah

20. Tournament Galop

Tracks:

Part Of The Plan
Illinois
Changing Horses
Better Change
Souvenirs
The Long Way
As The Raven Flies
Song From The Half Mountain
Morning Sky
(Someone's Been) Telling You Stories
There's A Place In The World For A Gambler

Customer Reviews:

awesome.......2007-03-09

One of the classics. Joe Walsh on guitar, Don Henley singing back-up vocals--are you kdding. This is an awesome CD.

Fogelberg is timeless.......2006-11-10

There is nothing like classic Fogelberg. It is always relevent and restores the soul.

BUY THE REMASTERED VERSION INSTEAD.......2006-11-03

Just wanted to point out that you should buy the remastered version of this album, which has been released as a twofer with "Homefree", the only albums of his that have been remastered so far. I urge you to support this release instead of buying the old non-remastered versions. It's high time all of Dan's old albums get remastered. After all, this is 2006!

Dan's Best.......2006-04-23

I first heard Dan singing background vocals on the Jackson Browne album "Late for the Sky". I was 16. I went out and bought this album (which I STILL have!!) even though I had never heard it. I had the pleasure of seeing Dan open for the Eagles at the Spectrum in support of this album in Phila, in 1974; I was a junior in high school. They all joined in on "Best of My Love" and it just blew mw away. He had this really interesting piece of cloth on his piano. Few people had heard of him prior to this album. This is by far his BEST album. It is more rock and roll than the rest of his sappy later work in the 80's and a true songwriting gem. I can remember singing "Morning Sky" in my friend's Ford on the way to school. You have to listen to it over and over.. "Someone's Been Tellin' You Stories" had a sly sexual rhyme in it that was not played on radio at that time. The musicianship on this album only serve to enhance the quality of the songwriting. This was the most raw of Dan's albums, and by ar, the most superior. Sadly, Dan is now fighting advanced prostate cancer (check out his website). Let's hope he will make a full recovery and record and tour again soon. This is a must have for anyone who is a fan of any 1970's rock and roll.

Wysteria question.......2005-12-02

Debbie, Wysteria is on Home Free and now it's stuck in MY head! Not that that's a bad thing... Dan Fogelberg music brings back many wonderful memories/feelings for me. Souvenirs is great but if I had to be shipwrecked with only 1 Fogelberg album it would be Phoenix.

Average customer rating:

The King of Countrypolitan
Souvenirs
Vince Gill
wonderful
High lonesome . . .

Souvenirs
Vince Gill
Manufacturer: Mca Nashville
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music

New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Country | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

When Love Finds You
These Days
I Still Believe in You
Next Big Thing
When I Call Your Name

ASIN: B000002OZD
Release Date: 1995-11-20

Tracks:

Never Alone
Never Knew Lonely
When I Call Your Name
Liza Jane
Look At Us
Take Your Memory With You
Pocket Full Of Gold
The Heart Won't Lie
Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away
I Still Believe In You
No Future In The Past
Tryin' To Get Over You
One More Last Chance
I Can't Tell You Why
I Will Always Love You

Customer Reviews:

The King of Countrypolitan.......2007-05-01

Vince Gill managed to carve out a long-lasting career in country by bucking the system that established so many country stars in the 90's. He never wore a hat. He rarely jumped to cliches when songwriting, and he always allowed his voice to convey the message of the song. Nowhere is that more emphasized than on "When I Call Your Name." It invokes the sound of timeless country, yet at the same time it utilized the slick production values that was turning Country Music into the dominant force of that decade (think George Strait and Garth Brooks).

The same goes for "I Still Believe in You" and "Look At Us," two of so many heartbreak ballad classics that Gill released on his first three MCA Nashville albums. Like "When I Call Your Name," they were CMA Song of The Year winners, and epitomize the silky smooth delivery that Gill has perfected. It's also why his duets here, with Dolly Parton on "I Will Always Love You" and Reba McEntire on "The Heart Won't Lie" (originally on a McEntire album), find his voice nestling perfectly with his singing partners. He makes feeling sad feel so good.

Gill is also adept at the country shuffle, like on "Liza Jane." Gill himself called this song his attempt at writing an Eric Clapton song ala "Lay Down Sally," and it showcases Gill's superb guitar chops. (Often overlooked next to his singing and songwriting.) Same goes for "Take Your Memory With You."

But the Oklahoma born Gill is still a California Country boy at heart (after all, he started his career with Pure Prairie League), and the moment that highlights that is his cover of "I Can't Tell You Why." His contribution to the tribute album "Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles" brings the Eagles' country sensibilities to the center and surrounds it with Gill's ever-so-sensitive singing, connecting the 90's country boom to its core audience of yuppies for whom the urbanized country called to them like "Hotel California."

Vince Gill's "Souvenirs" remains his best anthology, covering his most fertile period up to 1995. While there are a few more since then, this remains my favorite.

Souvenirs.......2006-12-06

Vince Gill has one the most unique voices in country music. He has a great range and can hit the high notes that few male artists can reach. Even though "Souvenirs" is not a greatest hits CD as such, it contains some of his very best. Included are "Never Knew Lonely", "When I Call Your Name", "Look At Us", "I Still Believe in You", and "Tryin' to Get Over You" which is a sad song with powerful words. Also included are 2 duets with superstar female artists Reba McIntyre and Dolly Parton. Reba joins him on "The Heart Won't Lie" while Dolly joins in with "I Will Always Love You". While not all of his greatest hits are on this CD it is well worth the price. This CD is highly recommended for all county music and Vince Gill fans.

Vince Gill.......2006-11-10

If you are a country music fan then this album is a must. This is the first album of Vince Gill's that i purchased, i've since purchased another three. His music and voice are just so good, that you just want to play it over and over again. This album is money well spent.

wonderful.......2006-11-02

Vince Gill has an amazing voice, and this album showcases it very well. Several of his best songs including "Tryin' to Get Over You," "I Still Believe in You," "Never Knew Lonely," and "Don't Let our Love Start Slippin' Away" and included on this great album. If you are a fan of Mr. Gill, you will love this album. It is a must-own too. I recommend it thoroughly.

High lonesome . . ........2006-06-24

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since this fine anthology of Vince Gill's earliest songs was first released, but it's a classic and sounds as good - even better - today as it did in 1995. Many excellent comments about this album have been made here already, and I'm seconding them with a nod to my favorites on the album:

Vince had a hand in writing most of the songs here, but the one that's the best recording for my money is the smooth-jazz crossover sound of the Eagles' "I Can't Tell You Why." Next is the wonderful rendering (and redemption after Whitney Houston murdered it) of Dolly Parton's heart-rending "I Will Always Love You." Her voice in a duet with Vince on this song is a perfect match of pure vocalizing.

Vince's high, clear voice seems best suited to songs of loss and yearning, and they comprise the majority of these songs, ranging from the starkly sad "When I Call Your Name" and the aching-sweet "I Still Believe in You." The up-tempo, rollicking "One More Last Chance" seems almost out of place in the company of such heart-felt musical ruminations.

The emotional quality of these songs is reflected in the awesome range of instrumentation, arrangements, and musicianship. There is a bit of honky-tonk, some country rock, and lots of pure country with soul-piercing roots touches. This is just a fine, essential album by a country great.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful, beautiful music!
A very powerful performance
Shock treatment
Doesn't quite make it
An exuberant blazing Gottchalk interpretation

Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Piano Music

Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Galops | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Mazurkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Gottschalk: A Night in the Tropics
A Gottschalk Festival
Gottschalk: Piano Music for 2 and 4 hands
Piano Music of Louis Moreau Gottschalk: 26 Complete Pieces from Original Editions
Gottschalk: American Piano Music

ASIN: B00008OP1W
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

Le Banjo, Fantaisie Grotesque, Op. 15
Bamboula, Danse De Negres, Op. 2
Le Bananier, Chanson Negre, Op. 5
La Savane, Ballade Creole, Op. 3
Tremolo, Grande Etude De Concert, Op. 58
La Jota Aragonesa, Caprice Espagnol, Op. 14
Manchega, Etude De Concert, Op. 38
Souvenirs D'Andalousie, Caprice De Concert Sur La Cana, Op. 22
Souvenir De Porto Rico, Marche Des Gibaros, Op. 31
L'etincelle, La Scintilla, Op. 20
La Gallina, Op. 53
Suis-moi!, Caprice, Op. 45
Pasquinade, Caprice, Op. 59
Tournament Galop
The Dying Poet, Meditation
The Union, Paraphrase De Concert On The National Airs Star Spangled Banner, Yankee Doodle, And Hail Columbia, Op. 48

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful, beautiful music!.......2007-07-07

Listening to this Gottschalk CD hs been a truly rewarding experience. We listen to it everyday, so I'm sure we will be purchasing more of his music.

A very powerful performance.......2006-12-15

June 7, 2003
This is a very powerful performance by Licad, the first in a long
while. I had a chance to compare her recording with an earlier
recording of Gottschalk's piano works by another (relatively unknown)
pianist, and I must say that the latter recording pales miserably
in comparison to Licad's. Listening to Licad play in this recording,
I can't help but be reminded of Vladimir Horowitz's piano performances
during his heyday. Licad and Horowitz have very similar touch, intensity,
technical prowess and dynamic range. There are 16 piano works works in
this recording, and I must say that all are top caliber performances,
with the possible exception of track #9, Souvenirs de Porto Rico,
Marche de Gibaros, Op.31, where Licad seems to have missed a few
notes and desynchronized the rhythm in a few places. My favorites
are tracks #5 (Tremolo, Grande Etude de Concert), #7 (Manchega,
Etude de Concert), and track #14 (Tournament Galop); in the last
one, you can almost see and hear the horses galloping around the
race track. With the price ... this recording is a genuine steal.
However, I am still waiting to hear Licad play a Liszt, Brahms,
Prokofoiev or Bartok, where I believe we can really hear Horowitz
come alive.

Shock treatment.......2005-04-11

There are plenty of other pianists who have played Gottschalk's music. These include Eugene List, Alan Mandel, John Arpin, Alan Marks, Philip Martin, and my favorite, Michael Lewin.

This disc has a very good selection of Gottschalk's music. Still, I do not always like Licad's interpretations of his works. Nor is her playing especially clean.

Le banjo, an excellent piece, is played too fast. Give this lady a speeding ticket! Bamboula is played unusually slowly, and there are even a couple of presumably intentional minor errors in rhythm in it. I think it is okay to play parts of it slowly, as Licad did, for dramatic effect, but I am not overly impressed by her performance of it.

When we reach another fine piece, La Savane, the intentional errors in rhythm get worse. I have never heard La Savane played like this before, and I don't like it.

Next is Tremolo. I think Licad does a fine job on this one, both technically and interpretively. And I also like her interpretations of Manchega and The Dying Poet.

Souvenir de Porto Rico is perhaps Gottschalk's best work, and it is technically very difficult. This would have been a great opportunity for Licad to show that she can handle the task. But she chose to do otherwise. It is disappointing.

Most of this disc is simply not Gottschalk as it ought to be played. If someone unfamiliar with Gottschalk wanted to listen to a CD with some of Gottschalk's best works on it, I'd normally recommend one with this set of pieces. But I certainly wouldn't recommend this. I'll give it two stars just for Tremolo, and one more for shock value.

Doesn't quite make it.......2003-11-11

Cecile Licad is a fine pianist, but she's not right for this. Maybe she's trying to put too much "Artistry" into these instead of virtuosic fire, although perversely she plays some pieces too fast. This is still quite nice, considering the low price, but don't throw away your old Leonard Pennario LP's.

An exuberant blazing Gottchalk interpretation.......2003-09-19

Ms. Licad's Gottchalk interpretations on her latest CD is a pioneering effort in presenting the essential Gottchalk. She could have opted for the "safe and traditional " molded from other previous interpretations. But on this CD, she has opened a whole new world about the possibilities of Gottchalk's music who typifies the wondrous cultural influences here in the United States. Her performance is riveting, exuberant, blazing,virtuosic and always with a keen individual musicality that manages to always pay homage to what is essentially Gottchalk's. That is a feat in itself. I highly recommend this CD which should be CD of the Year.
Noel

Average customer rating:

Best of Janis Ian
Souvenirs
great but we need more
Brilliant but sometimes controversial folk-rock singer
Souvenirs - Best of the "Best ofs"

Souvenirs: Best of Janis Ian 1972-1981
Janis Ian
Manufacturer: Festival Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Folk | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Between the Lines
Folk Is the New Black
Breaking Silence
Aftertones
Billie's Bones

ASIN: B0002QPRSM
Release Date: 2004-08-23

Tracks:

Stars
Jesse
From Me to You
At Seventeen
In the Winter
Belle of the Blues
Love Is Blind
Will You Dance?
Miracle Row
Maria
Party Lights
Do You Wanna Dance?
Silly Habits
Other Side of the Sun
Fly Too High [From Foxes]
Jenny (Iowa Surprise)
Mechanical Telephone
Passion Play

Album Description

A singer/songwriter both celebrated & decried for her pointed handling of taboo topics, Janis Ian enjoyed one of the more remarkable second acts in music history; after first finding success as a teenager (in the mid-60s), her career slumped, only to ente

Customer Reviews:

Best of Janis Ian.......2007-05-12

I recently heard Janis on a Saturday Night Live Show from 1976 and I bought this CD and have since purchased a second CD of her's. Her lyrics are profound and this lady can sing! I would recommend this CD to everyone.

Souvenirs.......2007-01-03

The title says it all.This is a great Cd of an Artist and time mostly forgotten.

great but we need more.......2006-10-12

tough to give more stars to this collection when it includes only two songs from her finest album: Between the Lines (two great songs but there are at least another three songs that shouldve been included) bottom line this shouldve been a two disc set, whats there is great though

Brilliant but sometimes controversial folk-rock singer.......2005-08-25

Janis Ian began her recording career with a song (Society's child) about an inter-racial relationship and followed up with an album of protest songs. Those recordings are not included on this compilation covering her later recordings, but they can be found separately.

Between 1974 and 1979, Janis recorded four classic albums (Stars, Between the lines, Aftertones, Night rains) from which most of the tracks here are taken. Those albums featured many of the great songs we remember her for including Jesse (a top ten American hit via a Roberta Flack cover), At seventeen (a top five American hit for Janis), Love is blind (a Japanese number one hit), Will you dance (another big Japanese hit), Fly too high (featured on the soundtrack of Foxes and a minor UK hit) and The other side of the sun (another minor UK hit).

Following those albums, Janis diversified into acting and writing but continued to record great music. When Canada legalized single-sex marriages, Janis seized on the opportunity to marry her lesbian partner there in 2003.

Forget all the controversy and just listen to a brilliant folk-rock singer who never achieved the same level of success as Joan Baez, Judy Collins or Joni Mitchell but who certainly deserves to be considered alongside those outstanding singers. If you enjoy their music, give Janis a listen. This compilation provides a great introduction to her music.

Souvenirs - Best of the "Best ofs".......2005-02-11

This really is an excellent "Greatest Hits" collection! It includes the very best from each album and even "Mechanical Telephone" an excellent song from Janis' quirky "Uncle Wonderful" '80's album. I am so glad Janis included "Will You Dance" and "Love is Blind" in this collection. They were huge chart toppers in Japan. The "Up 'til Now" 17 Greatest hits album had to be tailored twice with alternate cuts to cater to Japanese audiences. The only suggestion I could make to improve this album was to add "Restless Eyes", not instead of, but in addition to "Passion Play" which is also an excellent song from that album! Time constraints probably had something to do with that decision. The pictures of Janis are gorgeous too! Buy this CD and you will probably start building a Janis Ian collection!

Average customer rating:

What an awful album
Outstanding
Prine Lite
Audio paradise
Mellow Prine

Souvenirs
John Prine
Manufacturer: Oh Boy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Singer Songwriters | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Fair & Square
John Prine
Bruised Orange
Sweet Revenge
Diamonds in the Rough

ASIN: B00004YR4C
Release Date: 2000-10-31

Tracks:

Souvenirs
Fish And Whistle
Far From Me
Angel From Montgomery
Donald & Lydia
Christmas In Prison
Storm Windows
Grandpa Was A Carpenter
The Late John Garfield Blues
Blue Umbrella
Six O' Clock News
People Puttin' People Down
Sam Stone
Please Don't Bury Me
Hello In There

Amazon.com

When John Prine wrote and recorded the likes of "Hello in There," "Angel from Montgomery," and "Souvenirs" in the early '70s, he came across like a Social Security recipient in a young man's body. As he revisits those tunes and more favorites from his salad days, the wisdom Prine possessed as a twentysomething troubadour seems all the more remarkable. The raison d'être for Souvenirs may be rather prosaic. Prine rerecorded 15 early classics so that he could own master recordings of a bunch of songs from his first three albums, as well as a few stragglers from the late '70s and early '80s. But the flatteringly spare arrangements and Prine's wizened delivery only add weight to these heavy-hearted folk tunes. "It took me years to get those souvenirs / And I don't know how they slipped away from me," Prine sings on the title track, a remnant from 1972's Diamonds in the Rough. Well, John, they didn't slip away at all; they're still shining like gems under a layer of dust. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

What an awful album.......2007-02-04

Even as a die hard John Prine fan, I've been disappointed with his efforts over the last 10 years. When Souvenirs came out, I thought it was redundant. Anybody can re-record their own stuff. I was afraid I'd think it a pale comparison of the original recordings. Boy was I right! I bought this album finally, to finish off my collection and what a stinker it is. Most of the selections have already been revisited on Live on Tour - where they were excellent. Even though it can be fun and interesting to hear the artist play the same song a little differently, Souvenirs doesn't do it for me.

Outstanding .......2005-04-18

Here's a CD both for Prine fans and for the uninitiated. For fans you get fifteen of his finest songs recorded anew in quiet, almost acoustic arrangements that only enhance the intimate stories he tells of misfit lovers, forgotten seniors and broken war vets. For people who've been missing out on Prine all these thirty odd years, Souvenirs is a perfect introduction and incentive to dive more fully into a great observer and teller of human stories. Best: Souvenirs, Angel from Montgomery, Donald and Lydia, and Grandpa Was a Carpenter. But on this CD the best is only slightly better than the excellent rest.

Prine Lite.......2004-12-26

John Prine's albums are usually "warts and all" affairs, and that's one of his charms. But Souvenirs is different, this is an older, wiser, more mellow Prine singing here. He's smoothed out the rough edges, making his material more accessible.

This CD would be a great introduction to John's music for those who are not that familiar with his work. It features many of his best songs, with simple arrangements, performed in a laid back style. I think all Prine fans should buy Souvenirs for their friends, then they might understand why we love this man's music so much.

Audio paradise.......2004-11-02

I don't recall ever hearing more beautiful acoustic guitar picking than on the title track. Wonderful, revealing new versions of his most beautiful songs. I found the new renditions moving and eye-opening, particularly on Souvenirs and Six O'Clock News, but they're all gems. An essential addition to any John Prine collection.

Mellow Prine.......2003-04-22

If you are a John Prine fan, you will have to have this one.
It's all of John's best songs recorded in a bit slower beat, with better production and instrumentation than the original recordings. Usually, I don't care for re-recorded former songs, but this is a definite exception. If you've heard the originals, you will love these. They reveal John's growth
as a performer. These songs deserved this touch up.
Thanks John.

American Classics: Barber: COMPLETE PUBLISHED SOLO PIANO MUSIC

Average customer rating:

Barber: genius; Pollack: great, but not as great as John Browning
A variety of emotions
Samuel Barber's Piano Music
What's the rush?
Barber at a bargain

American Classics: Barber: COMPLETE PUBLISHED SOLO PIANO MUSIC

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Samuel Barber: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2
Barber: School for Scandal/Symphonies 1 & 2
Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915
Barber: Violin Concerto, Op. 14; Souvenirs (Ballet Suite), Op. 28; Serenade for Strings, Op. 1; Music for a Scene from Shelley, Op. 7
Barber: Violin Concerto; Cello Concerto; Piano Concerto

ASIN: B00000GV5P
Release Date: 1998-12-15

Tracks:

Sonata for Piano, Op 26: Allegro energico
Sonata for Piano, Op 26: Allegro vivace e leggiero
Sonata for Piano, Op 26: Adagio mesto
Sonata for Piano, Op 26: Fuga: Allegro con spirito
Excursions, Op 20: Un poco allegro
Excursions, Op 20: In Slow Blues Tempo
Excursions, Op 20: Allegretto
Excursions, Op 20: Allegro molto
Nocturne, Op 33: Moderato
Three Sketches: Lovesong: Tempo di valse: Allegretto
Three Sketches: To My Steinway (To No.220601): Adagio
Three Sketches: Minuet: Tempo di minuetto
Interlude I ('For Jeanne'): Adagio, ma non troppo
Ballade, Op 46: Restless
Souvenirs, Op 28: Waltz: tempo di valse, Allegro con brio
Souvenirs, Op 28: Schottische: tempo si Schottische, Allegro ma non troppo
Souvenirs, Op 28: Pas de deux: Adagio
Souvenirs, Op 28: Two-Step: Allegro molto
Souvenirs, Op 28: Hesitation Tango: Con moto
Souvenirs, Op 28: Galop: Allegro molto

Customer Reviews:

Barber: genius; Pollack: great, but not as great as John Browning.......2007-05-29

This CD includes a mini biography of the composer and a short description of each piece, which is always a plus. I am still amazed he wrote those 3 sketches at such a young age! Barber's music is always lyrical, even when it sounds a-tonal. While John Browning is the most popular interpreter of Barber's music, Pollack also does a wonderful job. The only problem I have is his playing of the Nocturne, op. 33, because he plays it very heavily and too fast, much unlike a nocturne should be.

A variety of emotions.......2006-11-16

This CD collects all the published piano music of Samuel Barber, including the highly regarded masterwork SONATA, OP.26. The SONATA, in four movements, goes from the severe in the first movement to the openly joyous in the second; the third movement builds slowly to a mighty grumbling before just as slowly resigning itself to a quiet resolve. The final movement is all energy, requiring great technical prowess, which pianist Daniel Pollack has. It's an excellent performance.

Some of the other pieces, though less demanding, are most enjoyable. The four EXCURSIONS explore "regional idioms," including boogie-woogie, the blues, and country roots (this last is delightful). The four SOUVENIRS show Barber at his most humorous: the Waltz is laugh-out-loud charming, and the Hesitation Tango is just that - and very compelling. This is an excellent CD all around, from the varied and intelligent music of Barber to the assured, lyrical interpretations by Pollack. Highly recommended.

Samuel Barber's Piano Music.......2003-11-26

Samuel Barber's(1910 --1981) music is lyrical, romantic, and accessible. But his music still manages to be challenging. As is the case with many American composers, Barber tried to develop an American voice by combining art music with American themes derived from jazz and American popular culture. Again, Barber wrote in an accessible way using sophisticated 20th century compositional techniques.

Although he did not compose a great deal of music for solo piano, much of what Barber did write is outstanding. This disc on the budget-priced Naxos label includes all of Barber's published solo piano music performed by Daniel Pollack. Pollack knows and plays this music well indeed. He performed Barber's piano sonata at the First International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 1958. The CD includes detailed, insightful liner notes by Victor and Marina Ledin.

Barber's piano sonata op 26 (1946) is the highlight of this disc and is a work that has become an important part of the piano repertory. The work is in four movements, and in it Barber uses an expansive musical vocabulary which includes serial composition. The work is romantic and virtuosic and immediately appealing. Vladimir Horowitz championed this music and it has been recorded many times.

The sonata opens with a two-note falling figure with the second note heavily accented that becomes the basis for the opening allegro movement. Throughout the first movement, loud, virtuosic passages alternate with quieter sections, with feathery piano writing in the instrument's high register. The two-note figure is prominent at the end of the movement with a shift in accent to the first note of the pair. The second movement is a short, light scherzo which picks up on the quieter portions of the first movement. The third movement, an adagio, is spare and minimalist. It rises to a large climax before the music falls away pensively over a walking bass. The last movement is a fugue which begins rapidly and quickly develops to a frenzied, cataclysmic conclusion.

The other extended works on this CD are two piano suites. The first suite, "Excursions" Op. 20 (1942-1944) was also championed by Horowitz. It consists of four movements based upon American jazz and popular song. The first movement features a syncopated theme with repeated notes over a boogie-woogie theme in the bass. The second movemement develops as a blues, with a slow-drag theme that becomes more prominent as the movement progresses. It reminded me of a Gershwin piano prelude. The third movement consists of a lyrical, rippling theme in a moderate tempo which undergoes brief variations. The final movement is a foot-stomping barn dance. The movement reminded me of a conservative Charles Ives.

The other suite in this collection is titled "Souvenirs", op 28 (1951-1952) It consists of six short dance movements. (Barber used it for a ballet.) I loved this piece. It is deliberately anachronistic in character and is a throw-back to a hotel-style elegance just before WW I. In listening to this suite, I tried to think of the tone it intended to convey. Some people find this music light and frivolus while others find it ironic. I heard it as loving, but detached and a bit distant. Barber is trying deliberately to recreate a musical experience in an idiom that is no longer his. I think the tone is affectionate, with the music played straight (rather than satirically), but with a distinct feeling of looking back. Thus the title, "Souvenirs".

There are a number of short pieces on this CD including three sketches dating from Barber's 13th year. I enjoyed the Nocturne which is highly chromatic (op. 33) and the late Ballade, Op. 46 among these short works.

This disc is part of the Naxos "American Classics" series. It will allow the listener to get to know some great works of 20th century American piano music.

What's the rush?.......2003-10-22

I can't tell if the overly fast tempi on much of this recording is so all the works could be jammed onto one CD, or if Mr. Pollack was dared to see how fast he could go. To be fair, he starts the Sonata at the metronome marking in the score (which some performers do not) but he doesn't keep it there. He pulls back tremendously in the second theme, then rushes through much of the closing theme so quickly as if to suggest that hearing the notes is not the important part. I'm impressed at how fast he can play certain parts (and the scherzo), but what honestly is the point? Passages in the development and coda are reduced to a blurry mash. Along with this he punches many notes (first and third movements), especially in the base, that have no need for added emphasis. Barber provided enough angularity to this piece that just playing it gets the message - and the music - across. The fourth movement, I will concede, is as admirable as any other performance.
The rest of the works on the CD fare better - in areas where a change in tempo might be tasteful, Mr. Pollack seems invariably to push ahead but it doesn't sabotage anything as badly as the Sonata.
Despite the tempting price, a newcomer to Barber's piano output would do better to buy John Browning's recording and come back to this one later for a different viewpoint.

Barber at a bargain.......2001-09-10

Daniel Pollack has a special relationship to this music. He premiered Samuel Barber's Piano Sonata in the Soviet Union, and played it to wildly enthusiastic acclaim during the 1958 Tschaikovsky competition. That was the year Cliburn took the Gold medal, but Pollack was also a winner, and was very well received.

I am very familiar with the Sonata. I performed it at my senior piano recital in college. I also had the pleasure of playing most of the Sonata for Daniel Pollack when I competed in a college-based piano competition. It was a special pleasure for me to learn how intimately he knows this piece. Pollack plays the Sonata with tremendous energy, brilliance and passion. The recorded sound of this Naxos CD is bright and a little too resonant for my taste. Still, the performance is thoroughly exciting, sometimes to the point of being overwhelmingly powerful (for example, at the end of the fugue).

I own eleven recordings of the Barber Piano Sonata on CD or LP. Although Pollack's is not my first choice, his playing is so exciting and powerful that I regard his performance as special and worth having. My favorites are Cliburn and Horowitz. My other recordings include Garrick Ohlsson, Willis Deloney, two by John Browning, Leo McCawley, Earl Wild, Peter Lawson and Ruth Laredo. It would be difficult to rank these performances, as they all have something special to commend them. Pollack's passion and abandon stand out in this group.

The other Barber works are less familiar to me, and so I am less able to comment on them. They seem beautifully played and, again, only hampered a little by the overly resonant sound.

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1, Op. 9: Allegro ma non troppo
Symphony No. 1, Op. 9: Allegro molto
Symphony No. 1, Op. 9: Andante tranquillo
Symphony No. 1, Op. 9: Con moto Passacaglia
Piano Concerto, Op. 38: Allegro appassionato
Piano Concerto, Op. 38: Canzone: Moderato
Piano Concerto, Op. 38: Allegro molto
Souvenirs, Op. 28: Waltz
Souvenirs, Op. 28: Schottische
Souvenirs, Op. 28: Pas de deux
Souvenirs, Op. 28: Two-Step
Souvenirs, Op. 28: Hesitation-Tango
Souvenirs, Op. 28: Galop

Amazon.com

Both major works on this release are rarely performed and rarely recorded--but they shouldn't be. The First Symphony can stand right beside Aaron Copland's Third Symphony and Roy Harris's Third Symphony. In fact, Barber's has more complications than either of the other works, but is structurally and tonally their equal. The Piano Concerto was itself premiered by John Browning, who had considerable input on the work, along with a last-minute suggestion in the final movement from the great Vladimir Horowitz that allowed a human being to actually play it. It's no cakewalk and should have more currency than it does. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Two very worthwhile Barber revivals.......2006-06-13

Leonard Slatkin was the house conductor of American music in the Eighties for both EMI and RCA. Along iwth his premiere recording of the Corigliano Sym. #1, this revival of two major Barber works was Slatkin's finest hour. American symphonies around WW II rested on the shoulders of serious-minded composers now rarely played (Walter Piston, William Schuman, David Diamond, Roy Harris), and in that less-than-towering landscape the Barber First sounded confident, propulsive, optimistic, and full of song. What could be better? The work was played everywhere and recorded by no less than Bruno Walter.

If its idiom now seems dated, I don't think it matters much. The work's original strengths are still present, particularly Barber's haunting aria for oboe in the slow movement. This composer was never one for structure, but at 21 min. the symphony has no time to wander and makes a great first impression. Slatkin's reading is engaging and has the benefit of gorgeous sonics from BMG.

The Piano Concerto, at half an hour, does wander too much, and at times when no ideas occur to him, Barber thorws in fingering frills and pointless ornamentation. John Browning, the dedicatee, was at his height when he premiered the work in 1962. Since then his career has waned. I can't tell why given how beautifully he plays here, with both power and lyricism. Barber ventures a shade more into modernism, with clashing dissonances between piano and orchestra, and the effect is more bracing than the symphny. the high point of the concerto is the slow movement, where the melody and its devlopment are quite mysteriously woven. It's a shame that the piano concerto couldn't be ten minutes shorter, because it is otherwise a piece that draws you in.

John Browning's Barber Concerto is First Rate!.......2001-03-28

To have John Browning's interpretation (the concerto was written for him) on digital format is a priceless treasure. Samuel Barber was a devoted fan of Browning, and it would seem that Browning had an incomprehensible understanding of Barber's music. This collaberation makes for an exciting recording of an incredibly complex piece of music! The performance of the Symphony is straightforward and uncomplicated, though it lacks the luster of the Concerto performance. Overall, 5 stars!

Valuable for Barber devotees.......2000-06-14

Barber's Symphony No. 1 is an early yet mature work of unrelenting seriousness, melodic richness and genuine power. Though not entirely free of cliche, this is a very heart-felt and satisfying 21-minute work, in four loosely connected movements.

The Piano Concerto strikes me as being less inspired, more of a work to admire than to love. Certainly Barber doesn't lavish the same lyrical affection on the piano that he did on the violin or the cello in his respective concerti for those instruments; by design, the piano concerto does not exploit the piano as a vehicle for showy display. For me, the angular motif introduced by the piano at the beginning of the first movement wears out its welcome, so often it is repeated. The second movement is more lyrical, more like the Barber of "Adagio for Strings" vintage. The third movement is high-energy and percussive with a skillful interplay between soloist and orchestra.

The encore is Souvenirs, an incidental work of "pure nostalgia" for piano duet. Slatkin joins Browning at the piano here and they make the music sound completely improvisatory, like they're making it up as they go along. It's a delightfully lightweight but inventively melodic suite.

All in all, this is a disc that Barber enthusiasts will want. With good sound and performances, it can certainly be recommended to a broader range of collectors as well.

Breathtakingly beautiful symphony, performance matches!.......2000-01-27

The Piano Concerto is well done, with excellent contributions from all parties. If you are expecting something like Barber's Violin Concerto played on the piano, you will be disappointed; however, if you approach the work without any preconceptions, you stand to be greatly rewarded.

Souvenirs isn't my favorite Barber, but it is well played by Browning and Slatkin at the keyboard.

However, the disc offers quite a find to me, and that is the performance of the symphony. Barber's composition is thrilling and gripping in both I and II, while III and IV (note that it is a one mov't work divided into four parts)have Barber's trademarks of lyricism and power. I and II are appropriately executed by the performers, while III is especially beautiful, with a wonderful solo oboe and a hushed string accompaniment reminiscient of Dvorak's Sym. 9, mov't II (also the same vein as the similarly-scored slow mov't of Barber's Violin Concerto? Same idea!), with an overwhelming transition to IV, a Passacaglia that makes you believe in the form. Slatkin and St. Louis leave simple professionalism behind to reach a transcendence in playing and interpretation of this work that is stunning. The contribution of the solo oboe in III is remarkable, as is the responsiveness of each player/section to the music, playing like chamber musicians. The transition to III is not only emotionally overwhelming, but packed with goosebumps and a tear. Their performance of IV convinces you that the tear was not shed in vain, and the more should be coming! (Okay, maybe that's over the top, but this music and performance really move me!). While charges of pedestrian interpretation and matter-of-fact, too brisk tempi can be sometimes levelled against Slatkin, here is hardly the case. Slatkin has the music unfold oganically, with perfectly-timed climaxes. I don't know how else to say it, but such advocacy for Barber is immensely gratifying. The performances are perserved in excellent sound, with the quality work done again by J. D. Sachs and W. Hoekstra.

Barber enthusiasts, here you go........1999-12-04

John Browning, for whom the concerto was written brings Barber's imprimatur to this recording, along with great energy and sensitivity. The last two movements are ethereal and exhilirating, respectively. This piece displays some of the thorny modernity for which Barber is not so well known. The Symphony, an earlier composition, is also performed with great power by the orchestra under Slatkin's direction. If Brahms can be seen as the heir to Beethoven, combining Romantic sentiment with classical rigor, Barber picks up this thread in this symphony, a one movement (with four sections) piece built with great economy around a single theme. The finale, a passcaglia, recalls Brahms' fourth symphony. The slow movement is trademark Barber lyricism, while the scherzo is a bit spikier and quite exciting. Slatkin is becoming a premiere interpreter of American music and the more I hear, the more I'm impressed with him. For anyone who wants to get a little more in-depth than the Adagio and the Violin concerto, this is an excellent place to start.

Average customer rating:

Perfect Release of a two-fer
Finally "Alone" on CD!
Terrible sound and terrible packaging
JUDY AT HER BEST with SPECTACULAR SOUND!
Garland the Great

Judy in Love & Alone
Judy Garland
Manufacturer: S&P Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Miss Show Business/Judy
That's Entertainment!/I Could Go on Singing
The Best of the Capitol Masters: The London Sessions
Live in Paris
Classic Garland: Capitol Years 1955-1965

ASIN: B0000641C8
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Tracks:

Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
This Is It
More Than You Know
I Am Loved
I Hadn't Anyone Till You
I Concentrate On You
I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
Do I Love You?
Do It Again
Day In-Day Out
By Myself
Little Girl Blue
Me And My Shadow
Among My Souvenirs
I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
I Get The Blues When It Rains
Mean To Me
How About Me
Just A Memory
Blue Prelude
Happy New Year
Then You've Never Been Blue (bonus track)

Customer Reviews:

Perfect Release of a two-fer.......2004-11-20

The person who wrote the review below is wrong : the "Alone" album was recorded and released in mono sound, in 1957. "Judy in Love" was Garland's first album recorded and released in stereo, in 1958.

The sound on this disc is spectacular. The original session tapes were used, for the best sound possible. It is glorious sound here, folks.

Pehaps the person that wrote the review below is thinking of the previous two-fer of "Judy in Love" from England, a few years back, paired with the "Judy" album. That CD sounded very flat and dry.

Get this new and improved disc, and you'll love it.

Finally "Alone" on CD!.......2003-10-01

I just received this Judy "double bill" and I can only say it's GREAT!! "Alone" was always one of my favorite Judy albums, and I am more than pleased to have it on CD now. The sound is not stereo, as another reviewer point out, but it never was recorded in stereo. I have the old vinyl, and that's mono too, but also pretty worn, after all these years. The liner notes actually are pretty good too. The original covers are reproduced, with the original liner notes reprinted, AND some fresh liner notes about this re-issue. There, you can read that the "alone" recordings are from 1957, and that "Judy in Love" is from 1958, and was her first stereo album for Capitol.

So why is "alone" my favorite Judy album? Maybe simply because it was one of my first encounters with Judy, when I was 17 years old. I didn't realize at the time that the selection of songs is pretty unusual. It's not the repertoire she sang a lot in her live and TV shows. I love the mostly subdued pathos on this album, although she does belt it out occasionally, in her own inimitable way. The songs are about 'surviving on your own', and some times about finding your inner strength, in a bittersweet way. The album is not very cheerful, but it does make me feel good, in a sentimental way. The arrangements are very good, just right, in the 'proper' fifties style. The strings have a very warm quality, which wasn't always the case in those days. There is also a beautiful large choir singing in the background on some tracks.
Some of the songs are very unknown, which makes this album special too. Happy New Year, for instance, is a beautiful torch song, written over a very slow version of Old Lang Syne in minor key; a real gem of a song! Blue Prelude is also a great song, so don't be discouraged by the titles you may not know.
All in all, a 'must have' for any Judy fan, but also a wonderful introduction if you want to get acquainted with Judy's singing. "Judy in Love" is an excellent example of her warm joyful singing, while "Alone" gives you all those wonderful torch songs. A balanced package, with a passionate Judy in great voice!!

Terrible sound and terrible packaging.......2003-06-27

Let me rant. This CD has 2 albums on it. 1 is mono and the other stereo!? I have these albums on records and they are both stereo. I feel ripped off. Also, these albums do not sound anywhere like the records in quality. In fact, they sound very boring and lacking of any sort of life. Judy did very big, exciting production numbers and the sound on this CD makes them sound stale and dead. I returned this CD and demanded my money back. The store clerk said I wasn't the only one. Thumbs way down.

JUDY AT HER BEST with SPECTACULAR SOUND!.......2002-05-11

JUDY IN LOVE is perhaps Garland's greatest studio album. A superb collaboration with Judy in wonderful voice, and arranger Nelson Riddle at the top of his form. Inexplicably, this album is only now making its CD debut in the U.S. Capitol Records seemingly had no interest in releasing it themselves, so they've sublicensed it to S&P Records, who have done a terrific mixing and remastering job. Comparing the sound to a recent UK import is overwhelmingly impressive. The UK release sounds mediocre, and this new issue belies its having been recorded 44 years ago.
JUDY IN LOVE is paired with her monaural ballad album ALONE, which was arranged and conducted by Gordon Jenkins. The two albums together are a distinct contrast and yet only show the versatility and mastery of Garland. The highlight of the ALONE tracks is Jenkins' schmaltzy, yet irresistable I'VE GOT A RIGHT TO SING THE BLUES. ALONE was previously issued on CD by Capitol years ago, but has been long out of print, so this collection is a dream come true for Garland fans.

The 5 Star rating is for the recordings and the way they've been beautifully produced. It does not, however, represent a true rating for the package itself, which has been saddled with awful,
amateurish liner notes which are so poorly written that it's a blatant insult to Garland. What a shame the producers who took such care in creating such a great sounding album, didn't bring the same kind of excellence to the accompanying package. This should not detract anyone from buying this CD, but buyers looking for an interesting commentary on the legendary lady and these specific tracks will have to go elsewhere.

Garland the Great.......2002-05-02

A beautiful compilation of two classic, original "Judy" albums. These are two of the six studio albums she recorded for Capitol in the fifties, and these are probably the best. While Judy's vocal tone is not at its best on "Judy in Love", the song selections and her interprative genius make up for the slight vocal imperfections. "More Than You Know", "I Am Loved" and "By Myself" are absolute delights, and are clearly definitive versions of these songs. In addition, the ballads shine with passion and tenderness. "Alone" is mostly filled with similarly tender songs, and on this one Garland is in fine, full voice throughout. "Little Girl Blue" is a particular standout, and the addition of the never before released "Then You've Never Been Blue" is a special treat for fans and newcomers. Popular singing doesn't come any better than this.

Average customer rating:

Easy does it
really nice atmospheric dreamy pop

Sonic Souvenirs
Dean & Britta
Manufacturer: Jet Set Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Alternative Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

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

4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

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

Back Numbers
Words You Used to Say
Close Cover Before Striking
Luna - Tell Me Do You Miss Me
Pup Tent

ASIN: B0000D1FL9
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Tracks:

Your Baby (Can't Stand the Rain)
Hear the Wind Blow (Down Moonlight Mile)
Knives from Bavaria (Spoonful of Fun)
Moonshot (Myths of Heaven)
Ginger Snaps (And Sugar Winks)
Your Baby (Lets You Down Gently)

Customer Reviews:

Easy does it.......2005-08-18

As seductive as drugs, sunday morning, opium for music lovers, this release celebrates simplicity. Clear harmonies. Swing with finesse, too.

really nice atmospheric dreamy pop.......2004-01-13

So far, I'm really loving this new release, which is Sonic Boom's remixing of several songs from Dean & Britta's last album.

Tracks:

Je Fais Semblant
J'M'attendais Pas oi
Panne de Mncolie
Lettre au P No
Vaconte-Moi
Adieu
Gosses en Cavale
Va OVeux
Notre Plus Beau Visage
Ot Les Rs
Peuple Impopulaire
Ma Maison de Papier

Album Description

2006 album. Further details TBA. RCA.

Album Details

Over the Course of his 20 plus Years in Film and Music, Bruel Has Grown to Become One of the Most Important French Media Artistes. This Album Could Indeed Be the Pinnacle of his Career. Bruel Composed Every Song Himself, Pouring Over his Personal Notebooks and Memories from Throughout his Life, Drawing Inspiration from his Family and Films, from the Laughter to the Tears and Looking Hopefully Torward the Future. With Songs Like "va Où Tu Veux", "je Fais Semblant", "Gosses En Cavale", "où Sont Les Rêves" and "ma Maison De Papier", Bruel Presents a Masterpiece of French Pop that Will Not Be Soon Forgotten.

Customer Reviews:

Très beautifull!.......2006-07-02

This cd is delicious! It's relaxing and the French lyrics are really great to listen to. Je Fais Semblant is the greatest (I think) but they're all a star themself.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Recommended Music:

No Limit: Complete Best Of [Import]

Voice [Import]

Symphony 5 / Exegi Monumentum

Music: You Can't Go Home Again/Disavowed/Treach Battle Beat

The Simpsons: The Yellow Album

Undaground Legend [Explicit Lyrics]

Viva Santana

The Sounds of Science

Together We'll Fade Away

The Spinning Girl

Unsupervised

The Years: Georgian Traditional and Popular Songs

What It's All About

Nowhere

Easy Action

1. Overture to Candide
2. Tonada
3. Apanhei-Te Cavaquinho
4. Summertime
5. Cumparsita
6. Strutting Butterflies
7. Bunde Tolimense
8. Blues
9. Ragtime Dance
10. Summer Music
11. Pombinha Voou
12. Os Pombinhos
13. Soul
14. Semblanzas
15. Goin' Home
16. Souvenir de Porto Rico
17. Muskrat Ramble
18. Carolina Shout
19. Shenandoah
20. Tournament Galop