Voice From Heaven

On this CD:

1. I Puritani, opera Act 2. Aria. O rendetemi la speme...Qui la voce sua soave...Vien diletto'
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by Turin RAI Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Basile

2. I Puritani, opera Act 2. Aria. Qui la voce sua soave...Vien diletto'
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini

3. I Puritani, opera Act 2. Cabaletta. Vien diletto
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by Luisa Tetrazzini

4. Norma, opera Act. 1. Aria. Casta Diva
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by Turin RAI Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Basile

5. Norma, opera Act. 1. Aria. Casta Diva
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by Turin Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chorus with Gina Cigna
Conducted by Vittorio Gui

6. Il Trovatore, opera Act 1. Aria. Tacea la notte placida...Di tale amor
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi

7. Il Trovatore, opera Act 1. Aria. Tacea la notte placida...Di tale amor
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Rosa Ponselle

8. Il Trovatore, opera Act 4. Aria. D'amor sull'ali rosee
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi

9. Il Trovatore, opera Act 4. Aria. D'amor sull'ali rosee
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Rosa Raisa

10. Aida, opera Act 3. Aria. O cieli azzurri
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi

Conducted by Guido Picco

11. Aida, opera Act 3. Aria. O cieli azzurri
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Renata Tebaldi
Conducted by Antonino Votto

12. Tosca, opera Act 2. Aria. Vissi d'arte
Composed by Giacomo Puccini

Conducted by Umberto Mugnai

13. Tosca, opera Act 2. Aria. Vissi d'arte
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Claudia Muzio

14. Tristan und Isolde, opera, WWV 90 Act 3. Finale. Dolce e calmo
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Turin RAI Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Arturo Basile

15. Tristan und Isolde, opera, WWV 90 Mild und leise
Composed by Richard Wagner
Performed by Philharmonia Orchestra with Kirsten Flagstad
Conducted by Issay Alexandrovich Dobroven

Tracks:

Haunted Heart
River
When Did You Leave Heaven?
You've Changed
Answer Me
My Cherie Amour
In My Life
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
Wozzeck/The Midnight Sun
Liebst du um Schit
My One And Only Love/This Is Always
Can do Amor
Psych
Hard Times Come Again No More

Amazon.com

While countless fans flock to see soprano Renee Fleming's performances of the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro because she's got the voice and the dramatic ability to handle such meaty roles, the versatile singer throws her fans a curveball on Haunted Heart, singing popular standards and ballads as well as a few altered classical pieces. In her liner notes, Fleming calls this album a "look back at the road not taken" -- she played a weekly gig in a jazz club while in school. Nonetheless, her feel for the material here is undeniable. Interestingly, she drops her voice a full octave from her usual tessitura, and the change reveals a robust gospel-oriented approach filled with dramatic breaths and moans. The lyrical Fred Hersch (piano) and the idiosyncratic Bill Frisell (guitar) provide support, and both are adventurous jazz players who create subtle and uniquely haunting backdrops. It adds up to an interesting cross-section of ideas well carried off by the generous talents of all involved. --Tad Hendrickson

Interview with Renee Fleming
Renee Fleming speaks about recent projects, including her memoir The Inner Voice and her recent Handel CD, in our interview.

Customer Reviews:

Sublime and ridiculous.......2007-06-13

The sublime: much of the artistry of this recording is about sound, and the subtle blending/responding of voice with guitar sounds and / or piano sounds. It is in the sensitive musical interplay between the artists where this effort shines. Definitely not recommended for road trips!

The ridiculous: Fleming ended the majority of most phrases in most of the songs with a guttural of some sort which for me becomes irritating to the point of distraction. These punctuations are mostly quite awful: really tasteless, clumsy, and overused big time and I'm amazed at how this ever got released. Without these ersatz testifyin' noises this CD would be stunning.

So, if you have the ability and inclination to edit out this garbage from your perception as you listen I think you'll be glad you experienced these artists at work together. (Unfortunately I'm not up to it).

Eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwww.......2007-06-06

Ugh. Like a manufactured home vs. a stick-built house, Fleming's manufactured (aka "training and technique") blues voice compares unfavorably to other jazz/blues singers/lounge acts. Would not, COULD not, listen to this recording straight through--one big long, breathy, minor key train wreck in the making. Took the CD on a road trip and had to pull over and remove from queue--either that or drive into a wall.

Better than I thought it would be.......2007-04-10

I have to admit, Haunted Heart was a lot better than I thought it would be,especially her recordings of "River", "The Moon's a Harsh Mistress, "My Cherie Amour" and "In my life".
I think this is the most artistically successful recording of Pop/Jazz by a classical singer. I enjoyed it even better than the Anna Sophie Von Otter'/ Elvis Costello CD.
The perspective I am coming from is that of a classical singer who started out as a pop singer/songwriter. I perform and teach cross-genre but love a world class instrument such as Flemming's
I wanted to get the perspective of a friend who used to sing jingles and is also a trained singer but is usually critical of any attempts that opera singers make at crossing -over.
My friend is very familiar with Flemming's voice, but did not recognise it in this context when I played the CD for her. Her reaction was very complimentary, although she did comment that the diction was a bit strange.
She then played it for her brother a well known jazz singer and arranger who had a somewhat negative reaction.He found the singing to be overly dark and round. He prefers a cleaner more 'spoken' approach to this style of singing. I understand this perspective and therefore personally prefer Ella to Sarah as well, but let's not get too picky. Obviously, Rene Flemming is of the Sarah Vaghan School of jazz singing, which is not too shabby.

I will continue to enjoy this CD and will wait for another opera diva to top this one. But, somehow I think the next really good CD of Pop/ jazz from an opera star will also come from Rene.

To those who have been unreasonably mean and negative towards her, I can only say you are not fit to polish her shoes!

Brava Renee.......2007-04-09

This talented woman can sing anything. I really enjoyed this cd with the lights turned down and a glass of wine to relax after a very stressful day at work. Renee could definitely have another singing career outside of opera should she choose. Hearing her drop that gorgeous voice down one octave rivals the best chanteuses in the business - Cassandra Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Regina Belle, Sarah Vaughan, etc. This cd of different musical styles reminds me of Nina Simone and Cassandra Wilson, two great singers whom could interpret any song genre and make their versions special. I loved all the songs and the standouts here are "Haunted Heart", "River", "My One and Only Love", "My Cherie Amour", "Cancao do Amor", and Beatles "In My Life", and "Hard Times Come Again No More".
I hope Renee keeps recording whatever catches her fancy because I'll certainly always listen.

Art is always new. .......2007-03-10

Renee Fleming is an artist bringing us something new, and beautiful. The poor will always be with us as manifest in those who resent other's movement from their established zones. Renee Fleming is a great female voice with accomplishments her detractors will never have, but in their dreams.

I welcome Renee's elan demonstrated with her recent recordings, Love sublime with Brad Mehldau, and Haunted Heart with Fred Hersch and Bill Frissell. Bravery, fun, and talent combined by artists and for people who are listening. Hearing long time favorites Mehldau, Hersch, and Frissell is all the more sublime.

Average customer rating:

Not the best.
What a magnificent Heritage
A Review
Heritage, The Irish Tenors
Tattered Tenors

Heritage

Manufacturer: Razor & Tie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Irish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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Live in Belfast

ASIN: B0001FVEVI
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Tracks:

The Harp That Once
Red is the Rose
Off to Philadelphia
Golden Jubilee
Little Brigid Flynn
Fields of Athenry
I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen
My Heart Will Go On
The West's Awake
Danny Boy
Song for Ireland
Dublin Medley (Dublin Can Be Heaven/Rocky Road to Dublin)
South of the Border
Whiskey in the Jar
The Parting Glass
God Bless America

Customer Reviews:

Not the best........2005-03-02

I bought this CD with high hopes. I absolutely loved the first one, the one recorded live. This one was a disappointment though. The guys songs are good and their voices are in good form but it was missing something...feeling, I guess. The live concert version can make me cry and laugh it's so sung with feeling, but this is just singing. I just felt it lacked feeling. I guess that's why I was disappointed with it.

What a magnificent Heritage.......2005-01-22

I highly recommend this album to all fans of Irish music. This is the last album with Ronan as a memember and it is one of their best. Ronan's "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen" is wonderful, so too is Finbarr's "South of the Border". The theme from the Titanic "My Heart Will Go On" is the best version since Celine Dione's. My favorite track is Anthony's "The West's Awake" . One point to note is that this group is one of the few out there who can perform live with an equally good recorded sound. Having listened to them at Meadowbrook NH the night of Ronan's farewell I can assure you that live or recorded they have a fantastic sound. I highly recommend this CD to all fans of Irish music.

Isaac Chute

A Review .......2004-10-30

I have never really been a fan of Traditional Irish Music and had never even HEARD of the Irish Tenors....That is until a friend of mine introduced me to the recording of "Live In Belfast" Instantly, I was hooked. I have become addicted to a lot of these songs. Especially the goofier ones they sing. like "Phil the Fluther" and "Courtin in the Kitchen" When Heritage was released I was estatic....As I had loved all the songs they had released before. Even though they recycled some of their songs. I loved the way they re recorded "Red Is The Rose" with Finbar in place of John and also "Fields Of Athenry" I Found this version to be better than the other one. I found it really bizare that they would sing "My Heart Will Go On" as that is not an Irish Song...Ireland was where the Titanic sank. but still. I really enjoyed listening to it. "South of the Boarder" and "Golden Jubilee" along with "Little Brigid Flynn" were quite entertainingly cute. I really enjoyed Anthony's "The West's Awake" and "The Parting Glass" and "The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls" I would, too also love to see Anthony put out a solo album.

Heritage, The Irish Tenors.......2004-09-30

This is another delightful effort by Anthony, Finbar and Ronan.
My favorite songs were "Off to Philadephia" (Anthony) and "My Heart Will Go On" (Finbar). I didn't even mind the repetition of some songs heard on past CDs - but wondered about it, until I learned of the departure of Ronan Tynan. I am curious to see the kind of arrangements they have included on their new CD, due to come out later this year, which they made upon the return of John McDermott. John is a Canadian of Celtic descent, whose voice, though pleasant in a folksy way, does not seem to blend as well with Anthony and Finbar as did Ronan's trained vocals. I would be very pleased to see Anthony make a solo CD, including such ballads as (my all-time favorite) Bantry Bay and some of the wonderfully playful Irish ditties he sometimes performs at his solo concerts.

Tattered Tenors.......2004-08-20

When the Irish Tenors burst upon the public scene not too many years ago, they were heralded as a refreshing change in the sea of musical mediocrity. The original trio of McDermott, Kearns and Tynan thrilled us with their exuberance and vocal virtuosity and frankly, I miss that. (Please note: since I originally wrote this review the threesome has changed to McDermott, Kearns and Wright with Tynan having left the group).

As one of their latest efforts, "Heritage" is an "okay" album, but it certainly lacks the freshness and fun of the Irish Tenors' earlier efforts. Of course, there are notable exceptions such as Kearns' roguish "Off to Philadelphia", the sprightly "Golden Jubilee" and the beautiful "The West's Awake" solo by Kearns. Wright's "Little Brigid Flynn" is downright fun but his "South of the Border" is oddly out of place. With too many recycled songs and a little too little Anthony Kearns, I personally found "Heritage" to be the weakest effort in the generally stellar Irish Tenors' discography.

The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs

Average customer rating:

The Price Club
A living legend
not your daddy's old timey spiritual
Immaculate Vocals of Leontyne Price
Great Gospel Stuff

The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Spirituals

ASIN: B000003FWE
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit - Various Artists
Let Us Break Bread Together On Our Knees - Various Artists
His Name So Sweet - Various Artists
'Roun' About The Mountain - Various Artists
Swing Low , Sweet Chariot - Various Artists
Sit Down, Servant - Various Artists
Were You There - Various Artists
He's Got The Whole World In His Hands - Various Artists
Deep River - Various Artists
Honor! Honor! - Various Artists
My Soul's Been Anchored In De Lord - Various Artists
On Ma Journey - Various Artists
A City Called Heaven - Various Artists
Ride On, King Jesus - Various Artists
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free - Various Artists
Sinner, Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass - Various Artists
Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Various Artists
There Is A Balm In Gilead - Various Artists
Let Us Cheer The Weary Traveler - Various Artists
Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit - Various Artists
My Way Is Cloudy - Various Artists
Nobody Knows The Touble I've Seen - Various Artists
I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray - Various Artists

Tracks:

Holy, Holy, Holy - Leontyne Price
Lead, Kindly Light - Leontyne Price
Blessed Assurance - Leontyne Price
Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
What A Friend We Have In Jesus - Leontyne Price
Amazing Grace - Leontyne Price
The Lord's Prayer - Leontyne Price
Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior - Leontyne Price
The Church's One Foundation - Leontyne Price
Bless This House - Leontyne Price
I Need Thee Every Hour - Leontyne Price
Schlesische Volkslieder: Fairest Lord Jesus - Leontyne Price
I Wonder As I Wander - Leontyne Price
Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
Porgy And Bess: Summertime - Leontyne Price
America The Beautiful - Leontyne Price
Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing - Leontyne Price
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God - Leontyne Price
Battle Hymn Of The Republic - Leontyne Price

Customer Reviews:

The Price Club.......2005-04-28

"I am here," said Leontyne Price when interviewed as she opened the new Metropolitan Opera with Samuel Barber's underrated ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, "and you will know that I am the best and will hear me. The color of my skin or the kink of my hair or the spread of my mouth has nothing to do with what you are listening to." Back in the 1960s Price was one of the greatest divas in all of opera, and it wasn't just her voice but her magnificent stage presence, combined with her social activism. All of the above come into play in this collection of secular songs and ditties, some of them traditional plantation chanties and others, art songs and a scattering of pop music. And some of them, like Gershwin's "Summertime," cross the ever-permeable boundaries between Broadway and classical. These recordings were made at different times in Price's career, and her voice, while always angelic, has different shadings and reaches a different range of timbre in each separate recording date, but there is no question that, as time goes by, she is able to impart a richness of life experience noticeably absent from some of her earlier work.

"Ave Maria" sounds heavenly no matter which way you slice it, and as for "I Wonder As I Wander," it brings tears to your eyes. If you have a heart that's beating you will be moved by this rendition. "Ein feste Burg" is pretty strong, but Price seems more comfortable with the traditional spirituals, though perhaps it is the slightly off-kilter sounds of the Ambrosian Singers (what a name) who back her up on many of these tracks, that detract slightly from the experience. Compare "Lead Kindly Light" for a clear sense of what constitutes authority vs. what is a wee bit overproduced. If you had this compilation, and perhaps one of Leontyne Price's Christmas albums, you could attain nirvana any time you wanted to, just flip a switch and close your eyes, let her lift you up on wings of song.

A living legend.......2005-03-10

Leontyne Price (still alive) and already passing into immortality amongst vocal artists, both classical and popular. Leontyne Price stands at the pinnacle of her classical art, but those who only know her work in La Forza del destino or the Verdi Requiem are in for a heart rending treat with this album where Leontyne Price goes home to her roots in Mississippi and gives an unabashed account of the classic spirituals she sang as a young woman. Like John Mc Cormacks rendering of Irish songs there is a personal longing and devotion expressed here that reveals a side of the artist not known in the bulk of their "classical" repetoire. A sense of going home like Citizen Kane's rosebud, or as Dorothy Gale observes at the end of the Wizard of Oz "everything I could ever have wanted was right in my own backyard "

not your daddy's old timey spiritual.......2004-06-23

Agreed this is a good cd for a beautiful voice, but this is not, repeat not, for someone who wants to hear that old-timey religious fervor that you think of when you've been to a Black Baptist hand-clapping, standing, swaying, and singing service.

Immaculate Vocals of Leontyne Price.......2003-12-31

IMMACULATE, SUPERB vocal range and style! There's no other words that can complement Miss Leontyne Price's vocal arrangements. Miss Price's voice is strong, and shrills very nicely to the instruments played on many songs listed on this double CD which is a joy to treasure; every song listed are songs I was raised to hearing and singing. Miss Price is the reason why many of these songs remain in popularity and presently used. Miss Leontyne Price has been incredible in many of her past performances. This is my fourth CD of Miss Price and I am glad to own this particular CD forever and ever. Many thanks to the executors who found this remarkable album and upgraded it to a CD format! **Angi**

Great Gospel Stuff.......2001-04-12

This is a great CD. The only problem I have with it is that on some of the selections there is a boy's choir screaming in the background, and this takes away (a bit) from her performance. That said, her best selections are those that are either unaccompanied or those where her voice is not buried. Songs that strike me are - His Name So Sweet, He's Got The Whole World, Were You There, I Wonder as I Wander, Lift Every Voice and Sing, and my all time favourite Summertime. Enough said.

English and Italian Renaissance Madrigals

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A "Regular People" Review
Not stilted but powerfully alive
Better at Italian than English

English and Italian Renaissance Madrigals

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000031WJ8
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

Cantiam Lieti Cantiamo
E D'Un Bel Matin D'Amore
Quella Bella E Biancha Mano
Una Leggiadra Nimpha
Venite Amanti Insieme
Divini Occhi Sereni
Con L'Angelico Riso
Madonna, Il Tuo Bel Viso
Fuggi, Fuggi, Cor Mio
Si Liet' E Grata Morte
Se La Dura Durezza
Ahime, Ahime, Dov'E 'L Bel Viso
Madonna, S'Io V'Offendo
II Bianco E Dolce Cigno
Donne, Venete Al Ballo
Morir Non Puo Il Mio Cuore
Se La Mia Vita
Mia Benigna Fortuna
Ancor Che Col Partire
O Sonno
Chi La Gagliarda
Madonna Mia Fa
Medici Noi Siamo
Quando Sara Mai Quel Zorno
Matona, Mia Cara
Tre Ciechi Siamo

Tracks:

O Grief Even On The Bud
When Lo By Break Of Morning
April Is In My Mistress' Face
The First Part
The Second Part
Sweet Nymph Come To Thy Lover
The First Part
The Second Part
Miraculous Love's Wounding
Adieu Sweet Amarillis
Weep O Mine Eyes
The Silver Swan
The First Part
The Second Part
Since Robin Hood
Fire And Lightning
Strike It Up Tabor
See, See, The Shepherds' Queen
Come Sable Night
Sweet Suffolk Owl
In Nets Of Golden Wires
Draw On Sweet Night

Customer Reviews:

A "Regular People" Review.......2007-03-20

So I was on a Renaissance kick for a while and picked this up, first of all, great value. I enjoy listening to a few of these every now and then but can't take too much at once, check out the previews and if you interested, go for it!

Not stilted but powerfully alive.......2005-02-24

My idea of stilted is to sing these madrigals in the phony, glee-club RP style endured for so many years, that made precious, quaint curiosities of them. The Elizabethan pronunciation on this CD is an eye and ear-opener. We may appreciate how much of that speech actually endures in regional accents in both the US and UK. More importantly, this CD brings us the sounds of the long-forgotten English human beings of the Renaissance, people who drank, fought and screwed, who brought us Shakespeare and the King James Bible. I love this recording.

Better at Italian than English.......2003-07-25

A stilted style and even more stilted attempts at Renaissance-English pronunciation make the English Madrigal disk a terrible disappointment. All emotional content -- the mellow, lumimous melancholy with flashes of fire that characterizes English music at its best -- has been drained in this attempt to kill, skin, and stuff these madrigals in order to present them as museum pieces. The pronunciation problem is particularly galling -- if these songs are going to be made incomprehensible to modern English speakers, where, then, is their cultural home?

Tracks:

Shenandoah
Brother Can You Spare A Dime?
Early In The Morning
The Lordly Hudson
At Howard Hawks' House
Holding Each Other
The Lass From The Low Countree
Recuerdo
Nocturne
Sure On This Shining Night
Fur (Murray The Furrier)
Over The Piano
Black Max (As Told By The De Kooning Boys)
Slugging A Vampire
Two Little Flowers
General William Booth Enters Into Heaven
The Lamb
I Wonder As I Wander
At The River
Long Time Ago
Lean Away
American Anthem

Customer Reviews:

okay.......2007-01-05

I heard wonderful things about this recording... but was a little disappointed. It is good, but nothing spectacular.

A promise about to be fulfilled.......2006-12-17

Not all of EMI's Debut seeries make it to the U.S., but since this one features an American singer, it did (as did the one featuring rising pianist Jonathan Biss). Nathan gunn is certainly well kn0wn now, after high-profile Met appearances in The Magic Flute and Harbison's An American Tragedy. The past few years have seen him mature, even though his voice will never be heroic. Gunn is very well suited to songs, although he makes a moving (and physically handsome) Billy Budd.

Her he sounds a little stiff, and he cannot carry off the numbers that re comic (Bolcom's Fur) or popular (Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?), but his straightforward masculinity works extremely well in Gene Scheer's Holding Each Other, he has enough poetry for Barber's Sure on This Shining Night, and just enough savoir faire for Rorem's Early One Morning. The voice itself isn't intrinsically beautiful, which may in the end mean that Gunn falls behind young counterparts like Gerald Finley and Simon Keenlyside, both of whom he resembles. Even so, this is a nice debut, and one can say that gunn's promise is being fulfilled.

Amazing collection - amazing voice........2006-02-22

Nathan Gunn has chosen a collection of mostly obscure songs and has applied his remarkable baritone voice to music not usually in the operatic repetoire. What results is a CD of depth, some humor, and extraordinary listenability. It's nice to see one of my favorite opera stars branch out. Bravo!

Amazing recordings.......2006-01-02

I first listened to this recording at the recommendation of a voice teacher and I am eternally grateful. I strongly recommend this album. Nathan Gunn is an extremely talented singer. As a singer myself (also a baritone like Nathan Gunn) I find much in his voice to model.

Nathan Gunn has an extremely beautiful voice, superb technique and execution, and has a very natural sound. There is an old steriotype of opera as sounding forced or artificial, but Nathan Gunn does a great job of avoiding this. He does a great job of communicating the "story" of the song to the listener, and I frequently found myself taken to the world of the song. Listening to many of his songs are like opening a good book and Nathan Gunn takes you there.

Highly recommended.

First Rate Singing!.......2005-12-20

I only recently discovered Mr. Gunn, but after hearing this recording, it makes me wonder why his name has eluded me for so long. Simply put, Nathan Gunn sings like a god! His voice is pure, and hypnotically beautiful to listen to. Turn on this CD and you will be wrapped in the most luxurious blanket of sound--his phrasing is impeccable, and his dynamics are wonderfully varied without being affected. His recording of Barber's "Nocturne" is haunting. "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" shows he isn't afraid of low notes, and the ending has some of the most spectacular high notes I've ever heard from a baritone. The Copland songs are also well done, as are the two John Jacob Niles selections. I wasn't familiar with Gene Scheer's songs prior to this CD, but they are all quite remarkable, though most especially "Lean Away" and "American Anthem." This is the best addition to my CD collection in a long time. I'm only saddened by the fact he doesn't have more recordings available. Mr. Gunn, I know you're busy with your opera schedule, but for those of us who can't make it to New York to see you in person, please record another CD!

Average customer rating:

Inspirational!
hymns we sang in church

Abide With Me

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000024236
Release Date: 1996-06-10

Tracks:

Praise, My Soul, The King of Heaven - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
All Glory, Laud and Honour - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
Day of Resurrection - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
O God, Our Help in Ages Past - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
Praise to the Holiest in the Height - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
Praise to the Lord - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
Church's One Foundation - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
Crown Him With Many Crowns - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
Now Thank We All Our God - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
Abide with Me - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
O Praise Ye the Lord - Choir of King's College, Stephen Cleobury
Drop, Drop, Slow Tears - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
Glory Be to Jesus - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
There Is a Green Hill Far Away - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
According to Thy Gracious Word - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
Holy Father, Cheer Our Way - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
Glory to Thee, My God, This Night - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks
On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry - Choir of King's College, Sir David Willcocks

Tracks:

Onward, Christian Soldiers - Huddersfield Choral Society, Wyn Morris
Lord's My Shepherd - Huddersfield Choral Society, Wyn Morris
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah - Huddersfield Choral Society, Wyn Morris
All People That on Earth Do Dwell - U.S.A.F. Protestant Chapel Choir, West Ruislap, England,
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - U.S.A.F. Protestant Chapel Choir, West Ruislap, England,
Forty Days and Forty Nights - U.S.A.F. Protestant Chapel Choir, West Ruislap, England,
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded - U.S.A.F. Protestant Chapel Choir, West Ruislap, England,
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today - U.S.A.F. Protestant Chapel Choir, West Ruislap, England,
Head That Once Was Crown'd With Thorns - U.S.A.F. Protestant Chapel Choir, West Ruislap, England,
Rock of Ages - Choir of King's College, Maurice Vinden
Eternal Father, Strong to Save - Choir of King's College, Maurice Vinden
All Things Bright and Beautiful - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
Be Thou My Vision - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
Be Still, My Soul - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
King of Love My Shepherd Is - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
Let Us With a Gladsome Mind - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
For All the Saints - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
O Worship the King - Choir of Paisley Abbey, George McPhee
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus - Choir of King's College, George Guest
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence - Choir of King's College, George Guest
Spirit of Mercy, Truth, And Love - Choir of King's College, George Guest
Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us - Choir of King's College, George Guest
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise - Choir of King's College, George Guest
Jesu, Lover of My Soul - Choir of King's College, George Guest
Jerusalem - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Choir of King's College, ,

Album Details

Compiled Here Are Fifty of the Most Beloved Hymns Performed by Three of England's Most Distinguished Choirs. Every Selection Here is Sung in an Appropriately Dignified Manner and If You're Up for Over Two Hours of Consistently Well-rendered Quintessentially English Treatments of These Vernacular Favorites it Simply Doesn't Get Any Better Than This.

Customer Reviews:

Inspirational!.......2004-10-08

Majestic hymns sung with British accents. A great combination! I haven't noticed any objectionable sounds on my copy.

hymns we sang in church.......2003-02-16

i grew up in a traditional presbyterian church that had a pipe organ. i wanted a cd of many of the hymns that we sang in church sung by a choir and accompanied by a pipe organ. this cd fulfilled my wishes perfectly. the hymns are performed in a very straight-forward fashion with no show-boating or excess flourishes which is exactly what i wanted. this is not gospel music but what i refer to as liturgical music to indicate that it is religious music but not gospel music. i would give it 5 stars but there is a slight hiss. other than that the recording quality is very good.

Amazing Grace: The Songs Of The Reagan Memorial

Average customer rating:

Great CD

Amazing Grace: The Songs Of The Reagan Memorial

Manufacturer: Martingale
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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More Than 50 Most Loved Hymns
James Taylor at Christmas
Wintersong

ASIN: B000679MWO
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Tracks:

Amazing Grace - United States Air Force Band
America the Beautiful - United States Army Band
God Bless America - United States Marine Band
Battle Hymn of the Republic - United States Air Force Band
Be Still, My Soul
Jerusalem - Eric Wyse
Faire Is the Heaven
Ave Maria
Going Home - United States Air Force Band
Navy Hymn (Eternal Father) - United States Marine Band
National Hymn (God of Our Fathers) - United States Marine Band
Abide with Me - Eric Wyse
Nearer, My God, To Thee - United States Air Force Band
Amazing Grace
Taps - United States Marine Band

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2007-03-19

Great CD - Even if you are not ex military you will enjoy it.

Average customer rating:

A superb evening of Ives, the best in decades
Something of a disappointment
a wonderful summary
Ives is Ives
The Mood of Time

Ives: An American Journey
Michael Tilson Thomas , Charles Ives , San Francisco Symphony and Chorus , and Thomas Hampson
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ives: Symphony No. 2 & Symphony No. 3/Bernstein Discusses Charles Ives
Charles Ives: Symphony No. 2 / The Gong on the Hook & Ladder, or Firemen's Parade on Main Street / Tone Roads No. 1 / Hymn: Largo Cantabile, for String Orchestra / Hallowe'en / Central Park in the Dark / The Unanswered Question - Leonard Bernstein / New York Philharmonic
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Ives: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4/Hymns
Ives: The Symphonies / Orchestral Sets 1 & 2

ASIN: B00005UED6
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

From The Steeples And The Mountains
The Things Our Fathers Loved
The Pond (Remembrance)
Memories
Charlie Rutlage
The Circus Band
The "St. Gaudens" In Boston Common
Putnam's Camp
The Housatonic At Stockbridge
In Flanders Fields
They Are There!
Tom Sails Away
Fugue From Symphony No. 4
Psalm 100
Serenity
General William Booth Enters Into Heaven
The Unanswered Question

Amazon.com

Michael Tilson Thomas is an expert Ivesian. His 1970 recording debut was with Three Places in New England, still available from DG. Here, he redoes the work with the interpolation of a chorus singing the poem on which the last movement, "The Housatonic at Stockbridge," is based--unusual, not as effective as the orchestral version, but fascinating. Tilson Thomas cites Ives's desire for performers to creatively shape his music, and this disc vindicates his editorial liberties by making Ives's surprising music even more unpredictable. The choral contributions are fine, too, but baritone Thomas Hampson steals the show with seven songs that display his empathy with Ives's varied styles and the range of the composer's music, from cowboy songs to touching elegies. The way Hampson bellows a Brooklynese "Coytin" (for "Curtain") at the end of the first song of Memories is worth the price of purchase. Here's a disc to be entertained by, and moved as well. The recording was made at SFS concerts, and we're privileged to share the audience's experience. A must-have for Ivesians and the curious. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A superb evening of Ives, the best in decades.......2005-12-18

Tilson Thomas's PR team should put out a ocntract on me; I rarely express enthusiasm for him. So let me bow especially low to this superlative 1999 concert of Ives as viewed from his most melodic, least revolutionary perspective. This is Ives as recording angel of ice cream socials and Fourth of July parades.

In the Seventies MTT made good but not exceptioanl recordings of Ives's major orchestral works. Here he concentrates on songs and orchestral bits and pieces, except for the extended Three Places in New England, which is x-rayed with exceptionally detailed sonics. Thomas Hampson secures his position as the best singer of American songs with highly dramatized, unbuttoned singing--his Charlie Rutlage, a Texas-accented elegy for a fallen cowpoke, and the familiar General William Booth Enters Into Heaven are instant classics. Chorus and orchestra enter in the spirit of bumptious good cheer, and overall a good time was had by all, even though the crowd was sent home sobered up by the supernaturally melancholy Unanswered Question, which never fails to send a shiver through the listener.

Something of a disappointment.......2004-01-12

I was very much looking forward to the latest Ives recording from Michael Tilson Thomas, whose reputation as an Ives specialist began with his first recording of the Three Pieces in New England, made in 1970 when the conductor was only in his mid-20s. That this disc came some way from living up to my expectations is perhaps due to a combination of over-optimism, uneven performances and what I feel is a less-than-ideal selection of works.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the opening of the disc: a fine performance of the craggy, dissonant brass and percussion work From the Steeples and the Mountains, a highly impressive miniature which swells from its dissonant opening to a climax where sound seems to echo off in all directions. However, I'm less convinced with the rest of the purely-orchestral program: this reading of Ives' classic Three Pieces of New England lacks a little of the gracious flowing lines of Tilsom Thomas' earlier 1970 recording; in addition the experiment of adding a recently-found choral part to the finale merely demonstrates how right the composer was to leave it out. For his extract from the Fourth Symphony, Tilson Thomas chooses the slow movement fugue. I am guessing this choice was to emphasise the "accessible Ives", but this is by far the weakest movement of the work (it was in fact arranged from the first movement of Ives' then 20-year-old First String Quartet), and even a good performance--as here--can't entirely hide up its conservative, almost academic writing. That perennial Ives classic The Unanswered Question, which closes the work, is an infinitely finer work, but unfortunately Tilson Thomas cannot match the transcendence of his own--distinctly slower--Chicago Symphony Orchestra recording from 1986.

The rest of the disc concentrates on various incarnations of Ives' bewildering variety of songs, and as a result comes into partial competition with what is to my mind one of the finest Ives discs around--a recording of selections from the songs and the sets for orchestra with Susan Narucki, Sanford Sylvan and Music/Projects London under Richard Bernas (if you're an Ives fan and don't have this disc, I suggest you rectify this immediately). The songs are extremely uneven in quality--ranging from trivial kitsch to outright masterpieces--and their styles vary just as much.

Most of these songs appear here in orchestral garb, but in three of them Tilson Thomas accompanies Thomas Hampson's baritone on the piano himself. The salon song The Things our Fathers Loved is one of the examples of irreparable kitsch, but rather better is the bipartite Memories which switches from camp to sentimental at its midpoint. In contrast, Tom Sails Away is one of Ives' finest songs, but in this recording its effect is compromised by Tilson Thomas' rather insensitive playing in the piano part.

The Pond (Remembrance)--another of Ives' finest songs--appears here in a version for women's chorus and orchestra. This transcendental homage to the composer's father is in fact much more subtle and rhythmically complex than it appears at first, and it has appeared in a bewildering variety of versions (three of which appear on the Bernas disc mentioned earlier). Similarly restrained in means is John Adams' careful baritone-and-orchestra version of the touching song Serenity: it's well-judged and well-sung here, and Adams avoids the pitfalls that David Del Tredici walks into in his entirely unnecessary orchestration of In Flanders Fields.

By contrast, Charlie Rutlage is an absurdly over-the-top piece of cowboy kitsch that disintegrates into violent discords as the words describe Charlie's death: this voice-and-orchestra version isn't half as good as Sanford Sylvan's voice-and-piano reading on the Bernas disc. Similarly eccentric is The Circus Band, a bizarrely outrageous confection for chorus and orchestra (based on an early orchestral march) that lacks some of the lustre of similar Ives effects. The bizarre Ives is also at work They are There! This near-hysterial rant (not actually as militaristic as it sounds at first) is heard in a chorus-and-orchestral version that lacks something of the sheer outrageousness of Ives' own voice-and-piano recording (even though Tilson Thomas takes an effort to try to copy the style of that reading).

The chorus-and-organ setting of Psalm 100 ("Make a joyful noise unto the Lord") is an intriguing piece of writing that well merits its exposure here, though it can't match General William Booth Enters Into Heaven for sheer unbuttoned craziness. This setting of Vachel Lindsay's poem, heard here in a version for baritone, chorus and orchestra is one of Ives' most endearing creations: its remarkable mix of modernism, bizarre wit and sentimentality, topped off with the sudden introduction of a hymn tune at the climax, is typical of the composer at his best. Unfortunately, this performance misses out on the last edge of hysterical ecstasy that is so necessary for the work to have its full impact (in my opinion it's easier to bring off in the voice-and-piano version).

I realise I am perhaps being overcritical of this disc, but it seems to me that a disc by such a fine Ivesian as Tilson Thomas should be held to a very high standrd. Though I was personally disappointed by this recording, it may well appeal to those who know little of the composer: however, I fear that Ives specialists are likely to be underwhelmed.

a wonderful summary.......2002-12-21

Charles Ives has always been a puzzle to me. From time to time I have listened to his music with a complete lack of resolution. Did I actually like it? Is it just an American marketing phenomena? Would we hear as much of him if he were, say, an Australian composer? I am still totally uncertain, but I love this CD for its variety of styles, variety of forces and general good humour. If you are immediately dismissive of Ives, can I suggest you start with the two songs called 'Memories'? Have a listen to this CD with an open mind - you may not like it all - even most of it - but one thing is certain and that is that this is not run-of-the-mill music.

Ives is Ives.......2002-06-15

I grew up on movie soundtracks and scores from the likes of Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tiomkin, Alex North and others. We have lost many of these composers but not their music they have left us through the years. That's a gift to all of us. I have been slowly looking at "20th century" composers from the "classical" arena to enhance my listening pleasure and my nature or "quest" to always seek out music that I am certain I must have passed over. I discovered Charles Ives after reading up further on Aaron Copland and his foray into many diverse areas of musical composition. One door opens another. Ives' name and compositions seem to have come up frequently. So far Charles Ives' music doesn't have the melodic quality of Copland or many contemporaries yet it does seem to have roots resulting in American musical motifs very strangely orchestrated resulting in some twisted profoundness. What attracts me is how Ives' music almost seems as if it were composed for film. Ives is Ives as I have found out. I enjoy this recording. It is strange, contemplative and definitely esoteric. Abrupt turns abound but that is the strength of Ives.

The Mood of Time.......2002-06-15

This collection of Ives compositions is exceptional. This CD makes for very good listening. I play it when I am alone in the car. The pensive music realy captures the mood of time.