Calm as the Night

Track Listings

1. Calm as the Night

2. Lullaby

3. Sincerity

4. Dream Waves

5. Cradle Song

Editorial Reviews
customer
"I fell asleep before the first song was even finished. It works!"

customer
"I have not heard the entire CD yet as I just fall asleep to it."

Album Description
Calm as the Night is a solo harp CD for deep relaxation and sleep. Each of the five 10-minute songs starts slow and continually gets slower and s-l-o-w-e-r. This is the musical principle of entrainment: our bodies synchronize with the music's rhythm and gently move through four stages:
1. Pain Distraction/Focus on the Music
2. Reflection
3. Meditation
4. Sleep

Calm as the Night

Customer Reviews:

Uneven quality but great value.......2007-04-30

Brilliant Classics has found a niche with their extremely low-price multi-disc collections of the work of a single composer or performer. The Bach, Mozart and Chopin Complete Editions are legitimately considered to be artistic and economical triumphs. But the Masterworks series are more uneven. Currently available from Amazon France at about a buck per CD, they're still a bargain for those interested in quickly building a music library. But it's worth keeping a few things in mind. Unlike the Bach and Mozart Editions, these are not always historically informed performances. In this Mendelssohn set, the Hanover Band puts in a cameo (in Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage), but most of the ensembles use modern instruments, techniques and proportions. This doesn't always work out, as in the case of the ponderously heavy recordings of the String Symphonies by an apparently full complement of Gewandhausorchester Leipzig strings (Mendelssohn likely wrote these early works for a much smaller group). The caliber of the performances varies too, ranging from good to poor, and from marquis musicians such as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to a few Dutch who-dats. The chamber musicians generally acquit themselves well (though the Octet recording is marred by an engineering flaw in the last movement, distortion, at least on my copy). But the symphonies suffer from some substandard performances, such as the Italian Symphony's live recording with not only audience noise but also ensemble flaws such as a distracting clarinet squeak in the first movement's recapitulation. Another strike is the lack of program notes. Brilliant's Complete Editions provide a booklet or CD-ROM with program notes, but here you'll need to do your own research.

Despite these shortcomings, this set is still good value (at least at Amazon France's current price of 31 Euros). And it's a fine way to become acquainted with Mendelssohn's music.

A superb collection of Mendelssohn.......2007-03-24

Let me preface this by saying that most of these works were not new to me - I own many other Mendelssohn CDs and have enjoyed his compositions for some time now. Also, this set is available much cheaper elsewhere, particularly from European retailers.
The symphonies are well-performed. 'Reformation' is an inspired live recording. The 12 string symphonies, written in Mendelssohn's youth, are also included. The concertos are exceptional - the violin concerto is as good as you'll find anywhere. The oratorios Elijah and Paulus are included, as well as the complete chamber works and a diverse assortment of choral works. The last few discs include the Lied ohne worte, the epic organ sonatas, and excellent renditions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Fingal's Cave. While there are a few sketchy performances in the choral and chamber works, the performances and recordings are generally very solid, and the body of work couldn't be better.

Average customer rating:

Don't Remeber THIS "Alamo"
Defending the Alamo
Excellent CD
Enjoyable a-typical score
None Better

The Alamo

Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Alamo (Widescreen Edition)
Three Roads to the Alamo: The Lives and Fortunes of David Crockett, James Bowie, and William Barret Travis
The History Channel Presents The Alamo
Remembers the Alamo
Glory: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

ASIN: B0001NBN6G
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Tracks:

Flesh And Honor
300 Miles Of Snow
What We're Defending
El Bexareno
La Zandunga
Who Took Their Loved Ones
Listen To The Mockingbird Sing
The Evacuation Of Bexar
The Calm After The Storm
The Visitation Of Saint Ursula
Quiet Mountain
They Ain't Bear
Bonham's Ride
Sell Our Lives Dearly
Night Falls On The Alamo
Deguello De Crockett
The Last Night
The Battle Of The Alamo, Part 1
The Battle Of The Alamo, Part 2
The Battle Of The Alamo, Part 3
The Battle Of The Alamo, Part 4
The Battle Of The Alamo, Part 5
The Battle Of The Alamo, Part 6
The Death Of Crockett
Runaway Scrape
Blood, Or Texas

Amazon.com

Carter Burwell cut his film scoring teeth on many a Coen brothers movie, quickly gaining a reputation for a quirky, human-scaled inventiveness that informed everything from jazz and folk to orchestral music and even the well-timed nod to Morricone. That often introspective sensibility is well paired to director John Lee Hancock's revisionist take on the legend of San Antonio's fabled doomed fortress, which focuses more on the conflicted human dimensions of its characters than familiar cardboard, pop culture heroics. Burwell's use of orchestral pomp is deliberate and decidedly restrained; more often the composer leans on spare, evocative passages of simple, though ever-inventive folk-based music (like the elegiac "Quiet Mountain") played by various combinations of guitar, banjo, and violin. Vintage traditional Mexican and American tunes are also given their atmospheric due via Jennifer Hammond's and Craig Eastman's arrangements of "La Zandunga" and "Listen to the Mockingbird Sing," respectively. But its Burwell's own peculiarly modernist instincts that inform both tradition ("Crockett's DeGuello") and his own masterfully understated cues, particularly the bleak, almost gothic emotional landscape of his six-part "Battle of the Alamo Suite" and its bittersweet coda, "Blood or Texas." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Don't Remeber THIS "Alamo".......2006-07-21

When making another version of a film that has already been made producers,directors,performers,and score composers are too often tempted to "do it differently",as if by twisting and turning a basic premise they will succeed..The classic film version of"The Alamo"is and remains the John Wyane version,which was nominated for several academy awards.Granted,the John Wyane version had little to do with actual history,but,then again,the purpose of the film industry has always been to entertain,not to teach..John Wyane,who produced and directed,as well as being the star of that film chose Dimitri Tiomkin to score his film.
Tiomkin,and old-line symphonic genius,provided a magnificent score,at once adventurous and poingnant..
The people responsible for this version of"The Alamo"decided to teach,rather than entertain,and,at the same time attempted to be politically correct as well.Thus,the mythic aspects inherent in the John Wyane version were replaced by morally ambiguous nonsense,and heroics were more or less eliminated in favor of a rather desperate survival theme,coupled with some added imperialistic touches with the addition of the Sam Houston charecter as a major player along with Bowie,Crockett,and Travis.
The people responsible for this film ,having many fine symphonic-oriented composers to choose from instead opted for minalmism by Carter Burwell..One can hardly imagine,for instance,a five-star gourmet meal served on a foam plate,with plastic knife and fork.Likewise one can hardly imagine a would-be epic western (even if it is very revisionist)bearing a score that plays like a new-age snoozer...But this is exactly what Burwell has given us...There are no epic themes here...There is an enormous orchestra credited as having participated in this project however when one listens to the finished product one is hard-pressed to HEAR any evidence of this participation.
John Wyane's script called for a lot of action on-screen,and Tiomkin obligingly provided very suitable musical themes..
The script for this new film does not call for very much action,even short-changing the audience during the final battle scene by shooting it in near-darkness,and underscoring it with a dirge-like monotone.
This new film was"troubled"from the very start.Ron Howard was supposed to direct but he didn't.The cast was shuffled around several times.Some "Main"charecters were eliminated entirely ,although thier traces continued to show up in the trailers released for this movie..While on the subject of the trailers for this film,the music used in them was 110% better than the Burwell claptrap..Scenes featured in the trailers were actually NOT in the finished film.The film was scheduled for a christmas opening,a slot usually reserved for top-of-the-line oscar contenders,and was then,suddenly yanked,and later released in April,where it died a much-deserved death after about a week in theatres,a colossal flop.
The film was terrible,and part of this is due to the Burwell score which is terrible-plus.

Defending the Alamo.......2005-09-09

I enjoyed the film and, in particular, the intelligent and sensitive portrayal of David Crockett but...so much had been cut by the time it was released as a DVD in England. The soundtrack is pleasant enough so if you liked it on the screen you will enjoy the CD but we do not have the Deguello on its own, (but have the haunting duo with David Crockett's fiddle), and we do not have the saucy little tune played at San Jacinto. On balance, worth buying.

Excellent CD.......2005-06-22

This is an excellent CD. If you are interested in this CD you will love "Audio Tour of the Alamo and Old San Antonio of the Wild West". This CD will gudie you around the Alamo Battlefield in present day San Antonio sshowing yu the actual locations of events of the battle. To hear a sample of this audio tour go to
http:www.alamoaudiotours.com you can also purchase this CD here on Amazon.com

Enjoyable a-typical score.......2005-03-05

Most war movies have underscore's that pulse with energy and power of battle. Carter Burwell takes another course. His music is melancholy and some people have taken the celtic sounding music and complained out it but I found the music to be powerful and perfectly fitting with the movie. The Alamo is also enjoyable as a single listening experience although it does help to have seen the movie. I particularly enjoyed the track where Crockets fiddle is combined with the Mexican "Slit Throat" band. Overall, I found this cd to be enjoyable and it gets better every time i listen to it.

None Better.......2004-12-01

A few comments about the movie The Alamo, if you would indulge me for a moment. It is pertinent. I didn't have high expectations for this film, the trailers I saw made it out to be another larger-than-life, ain't-afraid-of-nothing, cliché-filled motion picture. We lived in San Antonio for several years, it is a great town filled with wonderful people. We visited the Alamo on several occasions. It is a holy place for Texans, sacred, and being "non-Texans" I am sure most of the locals felt we really couldn't appreciate or even grasp the significance of the place, the honor of those who fought and died there. I must admit it was all somewhat lost on me. Thus, I was fully expecting this movie to be overdone and nauseating, especially considering I am not the biggest fan of two of the lead actors (Billy Bob Thorton and Dennis Quaid).

OK, please bear with me, I will get to my point in a second. We ended up renting the film as I had heard the cinematography was sensational (it was). But my biggest surprise was the film itself. Not the script, not the actors, but the entire film. I can't really put into words how good it was, not perfect, but an excellent motion picture and probably an accurate depiction of the individuals and events as they occurred. And both Thornton and Quaid were exceptional...they deserve Oscars come January, and it will be a shame if they don't get them.

Now, concerning this soundtrack. To put it simply, if this CD isn't the best soundtrack winner for 2004, then there is a conspiracy going on. It isn't on Amazon's editors picks, nor the customer's favorites list, I chalk that up to being it was just recently released. However, it should be on both, and highly competitive for the top honors this year. It is simply that good. Carter Burwell set a new standard with the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou? and may have exceeded it with this one. The music here just puts the visualizations of the movie back into my head...the music retells the story as well as the images.

The bottom like is fairly straightforward, if you liked the movie than you owe it to yourself to get this soundtrack. There is absolutely no way you will be anything other than engrossed in it.

Average customer rating:

Calm as the Night
Tami Briggs
Manufacturer: Musical Reflections
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

My Peace I Give You
Touched by Angels
Blessings to You
Reflections: A Guided Meditation

ASIN: B00008MNCZ
Release Date: 2002-06-01

Tracks:

Calm as the Night
Lullaby
Sincerity
Dream Waves
Cradle Song

Album Description

Calm as the Night is a solo harp CD for deep relaxation and sleep. Each of the five 10-minute songs starts slow and continually gets slower and s-l-o-w-e-r. This is the musical principle of entrainment: our bodies synchronize with the music's rhythm and gently move through four stages:
1. Pain Distraction/Focus on the Music
2. Reflection
3. Meditation
4. Sleep

Average customer rating:

Ward Marston does it again

The Complete Johanna Gadski, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Marston
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Folk | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000JQF6
Release Date: 1999-08-10

Customer Reviews:

Ward Marston does it again.......1999-08-24

The soprano's essays into classical singing were vast and varied, and all represented here; glorious sonic echoes of the "Golden Age of Opera" as presented by one of the finest singers of her time. From Wagner to Verdi to Mozart and back again, Johanna Gadski's voice has been preserved as never before under Ward Marston's remarkably skillful remastering hands. Rare second takes, sometimes third takes, lieder, art songs and oratorio excerpts all ring out with with brilliance. Also included are the fascinating "Mapleson cylinders," maddeningly brief excerpts of actual performances at the Met in 1903, but thrilling just the same. This 3 CD set is a must for all interested in the history of classical singing, generously illustrated with rare photographs and notes.

Lucrezia Bori: The Victor Recordings (1925-37)

Average customer rating:

Excellent singing by a neglected artist

Lucrezia Bori: The Victor Recordings (1925-37)

Manufacturer: Romophone
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001S3K
Release Date: 1996-04-10

Tracks:

Louise: Depuis Le Jour
La Primavera D'or
Tales From The Vienna Woods
Cruz De Majo
Patotero Sentimental
Simonetta
Into The Woods (Unterm Fenster), Op.34 No.3 - Lucrezia Bori/John McCormack
Night Hymn At Sea (Sur La Grande Mer) - Lucrezia Bori/John McCormack
Night Hymn At Sea (Sur La Grande Mer) - Lucrezia Bori/John McCormack
La Boheme: Si Mi Chiamano Mimi
Tales From The Vienna Woods
Tales From The Vienna Woods
Il Bacio
Il Bacio
Caribiribin
Calm As Night - Lucrezia Bori/Lawrence Tibbett
Les Contes D'Hoffmann: Barcarolle - Lucrezia Bori/Lawrence Tibbett
Clavelitos
Amour Mouile: Valse D'oiseau
La Boheme: Quando Me'n Vo
La Traviata: Ah, Fors' E Lui
La Traviata: Follie, Follie... Sempre Libera

Tracks:

Madama Butterfly: Un Bel Di
Malaguena
Mignon: Connais-Tu Le Pays?
Mignon: Me Voici Dans Son Boudoir 'Gavotte'
La Violetera
Seguidilla
Don Giovanni: Batti, Batti O Bel Masetto
Don Giovanni: Vedrai, Carino
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Deh Vieni Non Tardar
Manon: Obeissons Quand Leur Voix Appelle 'Gavotte'
Manon: Adieu, Notre Petite Table
La Rondine: Ore Dolci E Divine
La Vida Breve: Vivan Los Que Rien
Il Segreto Di Susanna: O Gioia, La Nube Leggera
Jota - Lucrezia Bori/George Copeland
Acis Y Galatea: Confiando Jilguerillo - Lucrezia Bori/George Copeland
Amantes Chasqueaos: Jilguerito Con Pico De Oro - Lucrezia Bori/George Copeland
Don Quijote De La Mancha: Consejo - Lucrezia Bori/George Copeland
Malaguena - Lucrezia Bori/George Copeland
Seguidilla Murciana - Lucrezia Bori/George Copeland
Jota Tortosina - Lucrezia Bori/George Copeland
Copias De Curro Dulce - Lucrezia Bori/George Copeland
Canto Andaluz - Lucrezia Bori/George Copeland

Customer Reviews:

Excellent singing by a neglected artist.......2002-07-13

Highly feted in her day, soprano Lucrezia Bori went into a serious decline in popularity following her retirement. By the 1960s she was strictly in the province of specialty collectors, not nearly as well-remembered as Ponselle, Muzio or Flagstad.

Tracks:

Louise: Depuis le jour
Manon: Gavotte: Obeissons quand leur voix appelle
Tales Of Hoffman: Barcarolle
Madama Butterfly: Un bel di vedremo
La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz Song
La Boheme: Si, mi chiamano Mimi
La Boheme: Addio di Mimi
La Boheme: Sono andati? ... Oh Dio, Mimi
Acis Y Galatea: Confiado jilguerillo
Don Quijote De La Mancha: Consejo
Sieto Canciones Populares Espanoles: Jota
El Jilguetro con Pico de Oro
Ciribiribin
Il bacio
Valse d'oiseau
Calm As The Night
La Primavera d'Or
Storiella del Bosco Viennese
Malaguenas
La Violetera
Clavelitos

Customer Reviews:

Engaging, lyrical performances.......2006-11-10

I actually came to own this CD because I'm a big fan of Charlie Chaplin. In particular, his tender masterpiece: City Lights. Charlie Chaplin wrote all of the music in that move with one exception - Jose Padilla's "La Violetera". This song Chaplin used as the theme for his blind flower girl. The melody is so beautiful and haunting, that I had to hear the entire song. It turns out that there are very few releases of this song available now. This disk is the only one with a recording from the time when Chaplin was filming his movie. I love Bori's rendition - I can't stop listening to it over and over and over again. The lyrics are those of a flower girl in Madrid, imploring young men passing by to purchase a violet for their girl. Beauty and love may be expressed for so little a sum through a flower....

Let me back up a bit and discuss this CD itself. You have to realize that this is vintage material from the late 1920s and the 1930s. The producers had a dilemma. They could try to suppress all of the hiss and surface noise of the 78 rpm records. But, in the process you would also lose the high notes of the soprano. Wisely, they chose to leave the high frequencies alone. If you want to suppress them, virtually all playback systems have a "treble" control, if not a full equalizer, so this is no disadvantage. Luckily, there is no detectable wow and flutter from warped disks.

About Bori's singing. It's musical, and tastefully done. It's not overblown with excessive vocal theatrics, or sentimentality as some of the early 1900s singers were prone to. She is an excellent musician. Yet, there is a detectable accent. In Hoffman's Barcarolle, which is sung in English, you've got to listen carefully to make out the words. But then, Lawrence Tibbett also is sometimes hard to make out. It may be their operatic technique of the time as well as the limited frequency response of the recording system. Tibbett seems to be a bass or baritone, and in combination with a soprano, a wide frequency response is needed.

Ironically, even though Bori was born in Spain, when I asked my Spanish speaking friends about the lyrics of "La Violetera", they noted that the Spanish was pronounced with a heavy accent also. Perhaps people knowledgable in Italian can tell us about her Italian pronounciation.

A word about the Italian opera snippets. I'm a nut about Puccini, especially Madame Butterfly. Un bel di is so critical to this opera, that it has to be done right. I'm stuck on Renata Tebaldi's rendition, which to my mind is the gold standard. Bori has a different view, which may take some getting used to. The notes do say that she rarely performed Butterfly in the USA, and so perhaps she was aware of her own problems with this aria. Tebaldi brings out the anguish and makes you cry. Bori seems a little more perfunctory.

Overall, this is quite a fun, musical CD with material that is not often heard today. I really enjoy this one.

Average customer rating:

Louise Homer

Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000000WXV
Release Date: 1993-01-21

Tracks:

Orfeo ed Euridice: Che faro senza Euridice
Gli Ugonotti: Nobil signori, salute
Le Prophete: Ah! mon fils
Le Prophete: O toi qui m'abandonnes
Samson et Dalila: Amour, viens aider
Samson et Dalila: Mon coeur s' ouvre a ta voix
Dearest
Sing To Me, Sing
Requiem
How's My Boy
The Song Of The Shirt
Mother Goose Songs
Banjo Song
Messiah: O Thou That Tellest
Die Allmacht
Babylon
Ring Out, Wild Bells
Les filles de Cadiz
May Day
Nancy Lee
Janet's Choice
Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt
Calm As The Night

Count John McCormack-The Final Recordings

Average customer rating:

A valuable collection.
A good sampling of the last days of an inimitable artist.

Count John McCormack-The Final Recordings

Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

General | Folk | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000000WQ6
Release Date: 1995-10-17

Tracks:

God Keep You Is My Prayer
At The Mid Hour Of Night
When I Awake
Down By The Sally Gardens
She Rested By The Broken Brook
Jesus Christ The Son Of God
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Silent Noon
The Street Sounds To The Soldiers' Tread
Loveliest Of Trees
While In The Moon The Long RoadLies
The Dawn Will Break
The Village That Nobody Knows
Praise Ye The Lord
Linden Lea
The White Peace
Little Boats
She Moved Through The Fair
No, Not More Welcome
The Green Bushes
Bantry Bay
Maureen (Irish Cradle Song)
Our Finest Hour
Our Finest Hour
Smilin' Through

Tracks:

The Devout Lover
Oh, Promise Me (Romanaza)
A Rose Still Blooms In Picardy
Jerusalem
A Rose Still Blooms In Picardy
Will You Go With Me
Night Hynm At Sea
Still As The Night
Off To Philadelphia
Come Back My Love
Here In The Quiet Hills
God Bless America
The Battle Hymn Of The American Republic
Interview And Conversation - The Gentle Maiden
I'll Walk Beside You
By The Lakes OF Killarney
Love Thee, Dearest, Love Thee
A Children's Prayer In Wartime
One Love Forever
Say A Little Prayer
Ave Verum Corpus
To Chloe
Waiting For You

Customer Reviews:

A valuable collection........2003-01-12

Admirers of this very major singer may well judge this to be the very best collection of John McCormack reissues on the market. It gathers together everything he recorded in the last twenty months of his singing life. Joining with accompanist Gerald Moore at London's Abbey Road Studios, he recorded sometimes as many as six items at a recording session.

Gerald Moore, in his autobiography, recalled that John McComack was averse both to rehearsing and to recording more than one take of each song. Of the dozens of items here, almost all derive from a first take. Only once was there a tiny error. It occurred in the song "The Green Bushes". Listen carefully, and you will hear John McCormack begin to sing "So sweetly she sang" before correcting it, in the nick of time, to "So sweetly sang she". There was never a chance to do another take, but fortunately the item was eventually issued after McCormack's death. Indeed, there are many items here that were issued posthumously, and at least six published here for the first time. A couple of duets with Maggie Teyte have had little or no circulation. One of them here sounds to be copied from a slightly faulty but perhaps only existing copy.

In the old-fashioned, sentimental and imprecise terminology of his day, McCormack sang from his heart, and aimed to touch the hearts of his hearers. It is fortunate that sound recording caught these performances so well, before emphysema silenced McCormack forever, and it is fortunate that Pavilion Records and supervisor Brian Fawcett-Johnston make them available today.

A good sampling of the last days of an inimitable artist........1999-04-21

By the time these performances were put to wax, McCormack's voice was twenty or more years past it's prime. But, unlike most classically trained singers, McCormack's vocal limitations appear to have encouraged a more musically adventurous approach to his singing. His later recordings have an immediacy and sponteneity that is absolutely unique to a singer of his era and training. His singing is, in fact, more like that of a "pop" singer, in that the voice takes a back seat to the phrasing, and ablility to convey a lyric with honest emotion instead of histrionics. The clarity of tone, and the ring of the high notes is gone in these recordings, but the "presence" of McCormack the songster is stronger than ever. The transfers are excellent, as we have come to expect from Pearl. While the fidelity is not what most expect from today's recording techniques, to my ear they are more satisfying. The voice is recorded up-front and very clearly, and we can revel in the knowledge that it was all originally recorded "honestly"; that is, without edits and without electronic alterations of any sort. McCormack was a great artist who never became boring. In this day of bellicose tenors who are content to sing the same repertoire in the same manner year after year, that is saying a lot. If McCormack's singing is new to you, do yourself a favor and get this one. Also pick up one of his youthful operatic recitals, and you will come to know just what a great performer and amazingly varied artist he was. Enjoy, for his like will probably not be heard again.

Music Review: