Potpourri

On this CD:

1. Five brass Voices
Composed by Emmanuel Ghent

2. Sonata for cello & piano
Composed by John White
Performed by John White

3. Reading Session
Composed by Elliott Schwartz
Performed by Barney Childs

4. Fantasy for flute & piano No 2
Composed by Leo Kraft
Performed by Sue Ann Kahn, Andrew Willis

5. Fluxions
Composed by Victor S. Tecayehuatzin

Customer Reviews:

For lovers of mal canto, this is without equal........2004-11-11

"Homophone" was originally the name of a record label inaugurated in 1905, its first release being a disc by the Wagnerian tenor Ernest van Dyck. At this time Van Dyck was far past his prime, and Gregor Benko continues this tradition (that of "singers in decline") with his new incarnation of the Homophone name.

"The Muse Surmounted", Homophone's first offering, is an uproariously funny excursion into what I would label "mal canto". Each singer in this collection set her own substandard for vocal art, and each one is presented in transfers that allow the holes in one's technique to shine through. Brightly.

The disc opens with an "overture" of sorts, a "Carmen" potpourri by the original Homophone Orchestra. If you like your Bizet with slap-tongued baritone saxophones and your Toreadors to boast to a fox-trot beat, this one's for you.

Next in line is a certain Rosalina Mello, in a "fado portugues" that is rendered in a tone reminiscent of a cat in heat. She also approaches several high A's in this piece with a long-discarded vocal technique known as "portamentissimo". Better put Garfield outside before giving Mme. Mello a listen.

Next we encounter Alice Gerstl Duschak, a long-time teacher at Baltimore's Peabody Conservatory. Benko's (excellent, I might add) program notes state that she was a teacher of Jessye Norman, and I might add that Gerstl Duschak's voice, as represented here, had no sideways.

The name Betty-Jo Schramm was hilarious enough for me - before hearing the track, I could picture her in pigtail and poodle skirt. According to Benko, she was a pioneer in the early-music movement, singing the music a half-tone lower than we normally hear it today. However, she failed to cue the orchestra in on her innovation.

Tryphosa Bates-Batcheller, another favorite of the producer, cut her precious few discs at the same Melotone studio where her more famous predecessor, Florence Foster Jenkins, sought to perpetuate her art. And what an art it is. She is represented with a Meyer-Helmund song and an American folk song. Edith Helena at 81 sang better than this.

My favorite - at least for now - is Natalia de Andrade, a rather interesting character, who imposes upon the role of Manon a rather distinctive tritone tremolo reminiscent of the dearly departed Mrs. Elva Miller. It takes a life of its own, creating a somewhat minimalist rhythmic shift and will cause you to reach for the tequila. Perhaps she already had.

Olive Middleton, beloved diva assoluta of the La Puma Opera Workshop, is represented with her beloved "Miserere" from "Trovatore" her alleged high C ringing rather clearly through the speakers.

A lovely surprise was the discovery of Norma-Jean Erdmann-Chadbourne, who is in fact the "Jenny Williams" of the Victor "Faust Travesty". If you thought her final trio from Faust (sung as a duet) with her partner "Thomas Burns" (actually Ellis Chadbourne, listed here as Thomas Garcia - he had to change his name a lot) was simply the living end of opera finales, just you wait until you hear their Tomb Scene from Aida.

A certain Sylvia Sawyer, who evidently actually filled in a few mezzo-soprano roles on some early-fifties opera LPs, offers an Aida excerpt (Amneris) that, although shows no gross lapses of pitch, taste, or intonation, is a precious textbook example of bland mediocrity combined with indifferent attention to the peculiars of Italian pronunciation. One wonders if the Capitol label thought to check the Yellow Pages under "mezzo-sopranos" when casting for this Aida album.

From the lamented Remington label comes the "Tosca from Hell", an infamous performance by Vassilka Petrova.

Madame Mari Lyn (although the program notes claim that she was a woman, and a widow to boot, I swear I think this person was a drag queen!) gives her special vocal rendition of "Una voce poco fa". [Later research on the part of this writer revealed that she was, in fact, a she. Mea culpa.]

The most disturbing performance on the disc is a 1980 performance by socialite and trophy-wife Sari Bunchuk Wontner, who gave staged performances of "Traviata" in her home - with full casts and orchestra. (One hell of a Tupperware party, don't you think?) Of course, art imitates life, and she was Violetta. Secretly taped from a live performance (presumably by a "former friend"), this first-act scene defies description. She is often several beats ahead of or behind the orchestra, she may be as much as a third off of the key in either direction, and the whole affair sounds as if she had a flask of Cuervo hidden behind each prop. A year after this performance, she fell overboard from her yacht. Perhaps she was rehearsing for a future Tosca.

Surely the best-known name included is that of Florence Foster Jenkins, arguably the most famous of the daffier divas. The track, a Cosme McMoon decomposition entitled "Valse Caressante", is not included in the Victor reissue of dear Flofojen's legendary Melotone discs; in fact it is not included in the Jenkins discography in the magazine "The Record Collector". This rather long affair seems to find the diva, the pianist, and the flautist all on a bad day, with the result being a performance that is cheaper than a home perm and twice as curly on your hair.

The last track is a recording of Jenkins' accompanist, Cosme McMoon, reminiscing about his musical life with our dear Flofojen. Benko also clears the air, after careful research, about the "Cosme McMoon was actually Edwin McArthur" rumor. Buy the CD to find the answer.

This is also a first-class prodution, with attention to quality in presentation. The program notes alone are worth the price of the CD. Benko has carefully researched these singers, often waiting years for leads to information. In fact, a picture of Natalia de Andrade arrived after the disc went to press, and it is posted on the Homophone website. Our poor Manon looks for all the world like trailer trash showing up for a Jerry Springer taping.

Another picture of interest to many will be the penultimate photo - a picture of Cosme McMoon, radiant in a 70s combover, flanked by ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER at the 1974 Mr. Universe Contest, during the time he had given up his music career and was managing a male bordello.

This will be The Party Album of the New Millenium. Buy it.

Average customer rating:

very pleasant
Great music, great value!

Spohr: Clarinet Concertos Nos. 1 & 3

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Spohr: Clarinet Concertos Nos. 2 and 4; Fantasia and Variations, Op. 81
Stamitz: Clarinet Concertos, Vol. 1
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Crussell: Clarinet Concertos
Krommer: Clarinet Concertos Opp. 35, 36 & 91

ASIN: B0000013WD
Release Date: 1995-03-21

Tracks:

Clarinet Concerto No. 1 In C Minor, Op.26: Adagio - Allegro
Clarinet Concerto No. 1 In C Minor, Op.26: Adagio
Clarinet Concerto No. 1 In C Minor, Op.26: Rondo: Vivace
Clarinet Concerto No. 3 In F Minor: Allegro moderato
Clarinet Concerto No.3 In F Minor: Adagio
Clarinet Concerto No.3 In F Minor: Vivace non troppo
Potpourri For Clarinet And Orchestra In F Major, Op. 80: Larghetto
Potpourri For Clarinet And Orchestra In F Major, Op. 80: Allegro - Allegretto

Customer Reviews:

very pleasant.......2005-10-19

These are well-played versions of these well-crafted works. The playing and recording quality are good. This composer wrote high quality music and these pieces are certainly representative. I would not describe this as an essential CD however. This stuff has a strong similarity to many other contemporaneous music. Probably most recommendable to those with a strong interest in Spohr or clarinet.

Great music, great value!.......2001-10-03

This is a nice recording. Very engaging music, well played, well recorded. If you like the clarinet, you'll like this CD. For the price, it's a great buy.

Hummel: Potpourri; Adagio and Rondo alla Polacca; Violin Concerto in C; Piano Variations

Average customer rating:

Hummel: Potpourri; Adagio and Rondo alla Polacca; Violin Concerto in C; Piano Variations

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Hummel: Piano Concerto in C major, Op.34
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Hummel: Piano Concerto in E major, Op. 110 / Concerto for Piano & Violin, Op. 17 - Howard Shelley / Hagai Shaham / London Mozart Players
Hummel: Complete Piano Trios
Hummel: Piano Works

ASIN: B0002NRRC4
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Tracks:

Grave - Andante Con Moto - Allegro Con Brio -
Adagio Con Moto -
Ronda Alla Polacca
Larghetto
Allegretto - Larghetto
Finale. Vivace
I. Allegro Risoluto - Rallantando
II. Adagio
III. Rondo

Average customer rating:

ur-new grass
Bluegrass Supergroup
A Landmark Album!!

A Potpourri of Bluegrass Jam
Muleskinner
Manufacturer: Dbk Works
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00009P1O8
Release Date: 2003-08-19

Tracks:

Muleskinner Blues
Blue And Lonesome
Footprints In The Snow
Dark Hollow
Whitehouse Blues
Opus 57 In G Minor
Runways Of The moon
Roanoke
Rain And Snow
Soldier's Joy
Blue Mule

Customer Reviews:

ur-new grass.......2006-02-21

This fine disc is an early link in the chain between the Byrds and what eventually became progressive bluegrass. Well worth knowing.

Bluegrass Supergroup.......2004-03-03

To my knowledge this marks the third release of this landmark recording. It was first released by Warner Bros. in 1973. Then after it went out of print, the indie label Ridge Runner rereleased it in 1978. And now we have this new edition. There are no bonus tracts, no demos or previously unreleased material, just the original eleven songs.

In 1972 when recording for this album began, the five core members of the group had just recently left their previous bands. Clarence White (lead guitar), of course, had just left the Byrds. Richard Greene (fiddle) and Peter Rowan (guitar, vocals) had parted ways with Seatrain. Bill Keith (banjo) had left Kweskin's Jug Band. And David Grisman (mandolin)had split from Earth Opera. They were joined by bassist John Kahn and drummer John Guerin, transforming themselves into the first bluegrass supergroup.

The album kicks off with a rollicking version of "Mule Skinner Blues" that has White's Telecaster crackling and popping and Greene's fiddle propelling this classic along at lightning speed.

Several songs are taken from Bill Monroe's repertoire. (Not surprising since both Rowan and Greene played with the master in the mid-Sixties.) These include "Blue and Lonesome," "Footprints in the Snow" and the instrumental "Roanoke," which Keith ignites with his stellar banjo playing leaving the rest of the band to hang on for dear life.

On the other instrumental, the classic fiddle tune "Soldier's Joy," White, Grisman, Keith and Rowan display their skills on their respective instruments as they share lead breaks.

Of the handful of originals, the Grisman-penned "Opus 57 in G Minor" showcases what he would later dub "Dawg" music as he fuses bluegrass and jazz. The other two originals were written by Peter Rowan: "Runways of the Moon" (co-written with fellow Seatrain alum Jim Roberts) is very reminiscent of late-era Byrds, and the album closer "Blue Mule," offers Peter's eye-witness account of what "really" happened that day at the racetrack between Molly and Tenbrooks.

This would be Muleskinner's lone release (Clarence White was killed by a drunk driver months after the album's release), but it's a classic. Any serious fan of bluegrass needs to add this to his collection. ESSENTIAL

A Landmark Album!!.......2003-08-22

It's so good to see this record available on CD!!! Muleskinner was perhaps bluegrass' one and only supergroup, featuring mandolinist David Grisman (well known for his solo work and pairings with Jerry Garcia), guitarist and former Byrd Clarence White, banjo master David Keith (Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys & Jim Kweskin's Jug Band), and folkster Peter Rowan (also a Monroe alumnus). This band, augmented by a drummer and bass player, do some fine versions of many chestnuts including "Muleskinner Blues" (an early sixties hit for the Fendermen). I heartily recommend this fine reissue!!

Average customer rating:

FILTER- Issue 10, Spring 2004, review by Chi Tung
Solution to your hopelessness.
Minor New Romanticism
Baby Dayliner ROCKS!!!
Good looking guy

High Heart & Low Estate
Baby Dayliner
Manufacturer: Brassland Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Critics Pass Away
Yellow House
The Good, the Bad & the Queen

ASIN: B0000YHIWO
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Tracks:

Raid!
Hoodlums In The Hit Parade
Party Scenes
Madeline
Beat Downs
High Heart & Low Estate
Can't believe
Lullabies
Dead Ladies
I'll Be Your Counterpart
Funeral Dirge
Shah With That

Customer Reviews:

FILTER- Issue 10, Spring 2004, review by Chi Tung.......2006-09-08

FILTER- Issue 10, Spring 2004, review by Chi Tung

High Heart and Low Estate
There's somethin' indescribably cool about having the keyboard as your most trusty instrument. Twiddle all the electrofuzz that you want, or go to town on the rotating voices effect, trying your darndest to f__k it all up, and you're still left with a steady strain of open-faced melody. Of course, it also helps when you're blessed with Baby Dayliner's Ian-Curtis-meets-Tom-Jones voiceover to keep everything from splattering together and making us think it's electroclash gone awry (again). In fact, to label
High Heart and Low Estate as anything at all would be to misrepresent its manifold influences- the descriptive coyness of Ben Folds in the opener `Raid,' the Belle and Sebastian wistfulness of `Madeline,' and The Streets' perverse street wisdom in `Hoodlums in the Hit Parade.' The slicker-than-rick barbs and surprisingly understated insights tell me that here's a man who has no problem with the piano being mightier than the sword. Because really, what's the use of a sword without rapier wit?
-Chi Tung

Solution to your hopelessness........2005-04-24

Baby Dayliner was once a full band but has devolved into a one-piece over time. Now, Baby Dayliner is simply Ethan Marunas, a guy with a terrific voice I think is similar to the likes of Ian Curtis, lead singer of the 1980s British post-punk band Joy Division. Marunas is paired with what I believe is a synthesizer and a cheap drum machine.

Put the three together and you find a marvelously catchy electronic pop sound. He has taken on the different styles of dance, pop, and rap, and created one of the best albums of 2004.

Although Marunas does dabble with rap on one or two songs (depending on what you consider "rapping") on the album, the previous reviewer(s) has taken this way too seriously. Saying that this album is a hilarious album from beginning to end is a grotesque exaggeration. Also, I don't think he really "ripped off" any band when he wrote any of these songs.

All in all, the album is a gorgeous work that I feel anyone can appreciate, from the smooth sounds of "Raid!," to the (surprising) bossa nova that is "Madeline," to the (needless to say) absurd rap parody "Shah With That," I think it is a Five Star, A+ CD, and you should buy it.

Minor New Romanticism.......2004-08-14

Brooklyn's Ethan Marunas (aka Baby Dayliner) is a lo-fi electroclash troubadour on his debut, High Heart & Low Estate. He dabbles, embarrassingly, with rap convention and hip-hop rhythms. He's the whitest rhymer you could imagine. Luckily, most of his tunes are more indebted to the brighter sides of New Order, Duran Duran and, for a more modern comparison, Franz Ferdinand. In fact, his real talent lies in reinventing the melodies of the new romantics. Opener "Raid!" is an ace New Order rip. "Funeral Dirge" is like Modern English tune played with two fingers on the piano. "Lullabies" has a melancholy melody reminiscent of prime OMD. After that it's hit or miss, and decidedly minor.

Baby Dayliner ROCKS!!!.......2004-05-19

This CD is hilarious, Hoodlums in the Hit Parade is the funniest outlook of rap I've heard. The last song is entertaining as well. I think this may have been more sucessful as a complete parody CD, but some of the songs aren't that entertaining. All and all worth a listen to get a few laughs.

Good looking guy.......2004-04-24

This is a band that grew up admiring 69 Love Songs by Magnetic Fields. It's a one-man band in fact. Baby Dayliner is a lot better looking than Stephin Merritt. Don't hate him because he is beautiful. This is rocking electro funk on most of the record. I heard that he dances around like Chromeo and Har Mar Superstar. That would be something to see. It's a little karaoke with a little style. It's the Momus for the 21st Century. Most of the songs meander in the realms of love and hopelessness. It's not like we are laughing at Baby Dayliner. It's earnest. It's wanting. Find this guy a significant other. Actually we do laugh sometimes. Please love this guy now. You will feel better about yourself.

Mauro Giuliani: Potpourris Nos. 1-3; Sonata Eroica; Variations

Average customer rating:

Brilliant!

Mauro Giuliani: Potpourris Nos. 1-3; Sonata Eroica; Variations

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Music of Giuliani

ASIN: B0009SQC82
Release Date: 2005-07-19

Tracks:

Sonata Eroica, Op. 150
Variations on 'Nume Perdonami, Se In Tale Istante'
Potpourri No.2, Op.28
Grand Potpourri No.3, Op.31
Potpourri No.1, Op.26
Fughetta, Op.113
Six Variations On 'I Bin A Kohlbauern Bub', Op.49

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant!.......2006-02-15

This is a recording of several large scale works, some seldom heard like the Potpourris and Fughetta, some well known like the Gran sonata Eroica and the Variations. The Gran Sonata Eroica is played magnificently. Marco Tamayo's unlimited reserve of technique contributes not only the requisite interpretive virtuosity to the piece but also manages to convey the grand and heroic characteristic of this sonata. The Potpourris are wonderful pieces, and similar to the Rossinianas in that they are comprised of many, many beautiful themes no doubt popular in their time. The themes are strung together and developed with Giuliani's ornate and flourished style allowing Tamayo to display his command and intimate knowledge of Giuliani's guitar works. Listening to this recording is truly enjoyable: the music is charming, virtuosic, and played by a truly brilliant virtuoso whose technique is dazzling, powerful, and profound.

Average customer rating:

Salon Orchestra Favourites Volume 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Salon Music at Schumann's Bar

ASIN: B00004T6KO
Release Date: 2000-06-13

Tracks:

Drunt' In Der Lobau
Serenade No.1 'Kubelik-Serenade'
Tango
Brise De Mer
II Bacio
Sie Horen Paul Lincke - Potpourri: Berliner Luft/Es War Einmal/Im Walzerrausch...
Serenata
Poeme
Spiel Auf Deiner Geige Das Lied Von Leid Und Lust
Mattinata
Wien, Du Stadt Meiner Traume
El Relicario
Die Millionen Des Harlekin - Serenade
Die Schlittschuhlaufer
Melodie in F

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Variations
Giuliani , and Gallen
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Miguel Llobet: Guitar Music

ASIN: B00006669X
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

Variations On A Theme From The Opera Fanchon, Op. 88
Variations On A Theme By Paisiello, Op. 4
Variations On Folies D'Espagne, Op. 45
Variations On A Theme By Handel, Op. 107
Variations On A March By Cherubini, Op. 110
Pot-Pourri Nazionale Romano, Op. 108
Variations On A Them From Rossini's Opera Tancredi, Op. 87

Kurt Weill: Life, Love, & Laughter--Dance Arrangements, 1927-50

Average customer rating:

SAIL ON, KURT!
Not at All Vile Weill
ELEVATOR MUSIC

Kurt Weill: Life, Love, & Laughter--Dance Arrangements, 1927-50
H.K. Gruber , and Palast Orchestra
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ein Freund ein Guter Freu
Krokodile und Andere Hausfreunde
Wochenend und Sonnenschein
Superhits Präsentiert Vom Palast Orchester
Threepenny Opera

ASIN: B000055YBR
Release Date: 2001-02-12

Tracks:

Mile After Mile
Bilbao Song
Stay Well
Life, Love And Laughter
My Ship
Green-up Time
The Little Gray House
Blues Potpourri
September Song
All At Once
Le Roi d'Aquitaine (Waltz)
Foxtrot Potporri
Alabama Song
Lied Der Jenny
Speak Low
It Never Was You
What Good Would the Moon Be
Tango Ballade
Kanonen-Song

Amazon.com

Here's a disc of 19 familiar and unfamiliar Kurt Weill songs arranged for dance band and played by an expert group of specialists in Roaring Twenties band music. They're led by singer-conductor-composer H.K. Gruber, whose previous recordings include Weill's Die Dreigroschenoper. The result is a start-to-finish delight. From the first notes, you're beamed back in time to one of those sleek transatlantic passenger liners, sitting in an art deco ballroom watching elegant couples in tuxedos and ball-gowns swirl by while the band plays hits from Weill's German and Broadway triumphs. Sure, the venom is leached from the originals, but who needs agitprop when you're on a dance floor? The arrangements are by a variety of hands, hired by Weill's European and American publishers with his approval to get more mileage from his musical theater works. They're delightfully square rhythmically and formulaic in transferring Weill's music to conventional dance bands, but the music still holds up and is fun to hear in its new clothes. A special treat is the eight tracks with Max Raabe, whose light tenor and falsetto singing preserve the spirit of Weill's songs, as well as perfectly mimic the boy band singers of times gone by. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

SAIL ON, KURT!.......2006-04-23

I wouldn't take offence here oh, Weill purists! These reconstructions are charming and harmonically reverent to their originals, more than could be said for many versions of the Weill Songbook through the decades, including Lou Reed's friendly `adaptation' of the September Song's chord progression and melodic line!

Shoenberg and Webern expressed their disdain of Weill's music; curiously, Arnold had also disclosed a secret wish of having his own audiences walk back home "whistling his tunes", oh, don't ask why... You can certainly whistle, hum and sway your partner now, as the transatlantic's bouncy dancehall sails on just as Kurt, Lotte and the lot of them did when escaping the lethal hounds of early 30s Berlin.... the-next-little-dollar bound.

Not at All Vile Weill.......2001-08-13

The ever versatile HK Gruber has done it again digging up these gorgeous dance arrangements for Weill's music--proving, if anything, Weill's versatility. Anyone familiar with the Capriccio historical Weill recordings will be aware of the long tradition of dance bands taking Weill's music as the lead for dance music or pop music incarnations (all the way up through the more obvious appropriations familiar to Americans: Mack the Knife and September Song). Hardly MUZAK arrangements (listen to the delicate violin in track 17's "What Good Would the Moon Be" to hear what I mean), this generous helping of 19 songs offers a chance to see Weill through a delightfully different but entirely compatible lens. Max Raabe provides the ideal vocal compliment on 8 of the tracks, his tenor floating effortlessly into his head voice suggesting a "period" sound reminiscent of Bing Crosby. The import title for this disc is "Charming Weill," and that modest adjective expresses the least of its virtues.

ELEVATOR MUSIC.......2001-05-23

This is a very strange CD: why would anyone want to take the quirky rhythms and melodies of the great Kurt Weill and "tame" them into dance arrangements? Certainly one has listened to (& even perhaps admired) dance arrangements of composers from Victor Herbert to Cole Porter to Jerry Herman, but these are all, if you will, main stream composers-- men whose music sounds good in original Broadway or Hollywood arrangements and just as good (or almost as good) as played by a dance band...think "Begin The Beguine" as done by Fred Astaire on film or "Begin The Beguine" done by Jo Stafford with the Paul Weston Orchestra.

But Weill was an innovator: a man who can still be listened to experiencing the thrill of something fresh and new. One immediately thinks of his collaborations with Bertolt Brecht in Germany: "Threepenny Opera" and "The Rise & Fall Of The City of Mahagonny" or "The Seven Deadly Sins", etc. his American opera, "Street Scene" with Langston Hughes or his American musical plays: "One Touch of Venus" with Ogden Nash or "Love Life" with Alan Jay Lerner, etc. The songs on this CD all deserve great recordings from the "Alabama Song" to "September Song" but they turn into a kind of flattened elevator music instead of having fresh interpretations or even more traditional ones. What happens is that the longing in "What Good Would the Moon Be" and the romance of "Speak Low" and the raucousness of "Bilbao Song" are all much too similar and much too easy.