American Composers Orchestra

On this CD:

1. Symphony No. 5
Composed by Francis Thorne
Performed by American Composers Orchestra
Conducted by Dennis Russell Davies

2. Fire and Earth and Water and Air for orchestra
Composed by Nicolas Roussakis
Performed by American Composers Orchestra
Conducted by Paul Lustig Dunkel

3. Symphony No.1
Composed by Elliott Carter
Performed by American Composers Orchestra
Conducted by Dennis Russell Davies

Tracks:

Rhapsody in Blue
An American in Paris

Customer Reviews:

Gershwin/Bernstein: Rhapsody In Blue and American In Paris.......2007-01-16

In my opinion you just can't go wrong with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. I have many of their recordings in addition to many recordings of other orchestras; some great, some not so much...but the New York Phil is cosistently great. This recording is a superb example of Gershwin's writing, thoughtfully reproduced by a fine orchestra. Both the brashness of the pieces and the subtleties are interpreted well by Mr. Bernstein and the orchestra. The soloists are nothing other than excellent. The brass section is easily as strong as the Chicago symphony's famous section, and the strings intonation is superb. The pathos and the humor of both pieces are readily projected by this sensitive orchestra and conductor. I couldn't recommend this recording higher!

A glorious tribute!.......2006-11-22

To play Gershwin accurately demands from the player, the absolute domain of an invisible taste, unsaid in the score. Few pianists (and Bernstein is among them) were able to convey the listener, this savoir vivre, humor, elegance, that idiomatic atmosphere that plainly justifies your effort.

To my mind, there just have been five pianists who have surmounted this peak: Oscar Levant, Jesus Maria Sanroma, Eugene List, Earl Wild and Leonard Bernstein.

So, under any pretext you should miss this invaluable musical gem.

A Truly Great Performance.......2006-08-19

I originally found this record in a used record store and purchased it for $1. This was not too long ago. After listening, i could not believe that this record only cost me $1 and that some idiot actually sold this to a used record store without listening first. I have never heard a performace of Rhapsody In Blue that is as powerful and heartfelt as this one. Bernstain melts into the piano, resulting in a performance that outshines so many Gershwin performances that exist. On the other side of the record is An American In Paris, a textbook tone poem, and i mean this as a great compliment. The images of Paris and a partially homesick/partially jubilant American strolling along exude from every note. When i found these great performances on CD, i snatched up a copy as quickly as i could. GET THIS RECORD. It is truly a Great Performance.

GLORIOUS!.......2006-07-21

This review refers to "Great Performances: Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue/An American In Paris"(CD)

Well, how can you go wrong when Leonard Bernstein, with the help of the Columbia Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, conducts(and performs brilliantly on piano)these two George Gershwin greats.You just can't. Even the quality of the CD is excellent.

Rhapsody will carry you away to some other place for a while. From that very first bluesy note, Bernstein and Orchestra will have you wrapped up in all it's jazzy glory. It's music that defines the word greatness and it's THE song I would pick (if I could only pick one) that exemplifies the masterfulness of American composers.

An American In Paris is wonderful. The feeling of a tourist on the loose in Paris is expertly portrayed through this recording. The highs, the lows and all the delights. I felt a part of it all(and I'm a long way from Paris!)

Now, if you have read any of my other CD reviews, you know that right about here is where I complain ,and sometimes even take a star off of my rating, when a CD is too short(considering how easy it is to get music elsewhere these days). But I have to say, even though the total time on this CD is only about 35 minutes, what a glorious 35 minutes it is.
Rhapsody a wonderful 16:26 and American In Paris a Yummy 18:22.
It's music that never gets old. It stands the test of time, and many repeated playings.

So you may want to keep a copy of this in your car. A great way to start your day. Listen on the way to work, and you'll have that "what? me worry?" attitude. Also fabulous for destressing on the way home from a long days work.It just seems to make everything okay.

As I said the CD has a nice quality. It also has a booklet with some notes on how Gershwin came to compose these songs.

Gershwin performed by Bernstein..it was meant to be!
Enjoy it...Laurie

The Definitive Version and Good Sound Quality!.......2006-06-06

This ADD recording has surprisingly good sound quality for an older recording that hasn't been remastered. The performance by Bernstein and both the Columbia Symphonic and the NY Philharmonic on the pieces is simply breathtaking. You'd be hard pressed to find better interpretations of these Gershwin masterpieces. The only problem with this album is that it's very short and although would have been the perfect length on an lp or cassette as it was originally, it seems to be a waste of cd space here. Sony should probably remaster this and add some tracks like perhaps "Porgy and Bess" to make it a better value proposition. I hope they re-release a remastered version on mini-lp sleeve replica packaging too.

Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully American
A Gersh-winner
Interesting... but I think I'd prefer a good Gershwin interpreter
Gershwin's playing overated
The jazzy Gershwin. What a CD!!!!!!!

Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Vol. 2
Essential George Gershwin
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris
Levant Plays Gershwin
George Gershwin: Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000005J1I
Release Date: 1993-11-09

Tracks:

Sweet And Lowdown
Novelette In Fourths
That Certain Feeling
So Am I
Rhapsody In Blue
Swanee
When You Want 'Em, You Can't Get 'Em...
Kickin' The Clouds Away
Idol Dreams
On My Mind The Whole Night Long
Scandal Walk
An American In Paris

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully American.......2007-05-14

I've had a copy of this CD for years and love it. The power and optimism of the music is really quite remarkable... regardless of who or what is actually playing here. The arrangement of Swanee is light but rich with major chord trains like you just want to go marching around the room. And American In Paris leads you on a swaying, dischordy journey the deeper you go, as the narrative begins to trade delicacy for passion. (and I love renditions where you can hear the MUSIC and the instruments don't get in the way, like four-voice midi versions of Bach which reveal the eloquence).

When I listen to this CD now, and which is most surpring to me, I hear a profound pride in America - back "before." I play it when I have people over and we put burgers on the grill. This CD is the song of sitting in my back yard with the clouds blowing by and for the moment things feel OK.

"Before" - OK, there is no old perfect Amercia; but I'm thinking of the time before we learned to distill petroleum into toxic pollution, before pride meant vanity and thuggery, before hate-filled invective became public amusement, and before presidents went to war because it was good for business.

A Gersh-winner.......2007-01-07

George Gershwin had a long association with the mechanical device known as the player piano. At the age of ten, Gershwin used a neighbor's pianola to teach himself how to play, by very slowly pumping the foot pedal that advanced the hole-punched rolls, and placing his fingers on the depressed keys. His parents were so impressed by his abilities they enrolled the boy in formal piano studies when he turned 13. Thus, an American genius was born.

The existing films of Gershwin (who died of a brain tumor at age 38 in 1937) show him to be a virtuoso at his instrument. His 1924 acoustic recording of Rhapsody In Blue (with the Paul Whiteman orchestra) is further evidence of this. But no film or recording has what is contained within the album GERSHWIN PLAYS GERSHWIN: THE PIANO ROLLS, and that is-- full fidelity range.

The CD comes in a standard jewel case packaged in a heavy paper slipcover. Biographical liner notes are included along with details on the rolls. The earliest performance in this set is from 1916, made when Gershwin was an 18-year-old song plugger. My favorites here are "Swanee," from 1920, and "An American In Paris," from 1933, which is undoubtedly one of the last significant piano rolls ever made.

Gershwin's dynamic performances are not in the least obscured by the few extra notes added to the piano rolls (such practice was standard in those days). Listening to these recordings is like sitting next to this brilliant man, observing his fingers fly over the keys as he plays some of his best work.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 60:36

Interesting... but I think I'd prefer a good Gershwin interpreter.......2006-05-14

Composers are not necessarily the best performers of their own work. A songwriter's songwriter like Jules Shear or Jimmy Webb comes to mind -- surely the best representations of their songs are on other artist's albums.

This album is charming in its own way -- a taste of the music and performance style of a bygone era. Someone complained that these rolls were edited. So what? I'm going to review the final product, now how it was made. Do you eat sausage? Ask not what's in it!

I like to listen to this CD in short bits -- a few songs at a time. For some reason I find it to be fatiguing if I listen for more than 20 minutes or so. I'm not absolutely sure why this is so. Possibly the meter is just a little too metronomic on many of the songs. This lends a "mechanical" quality to the performances.

Additionally, I felt that the dynamic range was restricted. The music does get louder and softer, because of the piano rolls themselves and because of the computer programming used to read the piano rolls -- the dynamics were deliberately adjusted by the record producers in some spots, if I read the liner notes correctly. And yet. And yet. Still these songs do not dynamically "breathe" fully in and out the way they ought to. I find this disappointing, but I think it has something to do with inherent limitations in piano roll recording technique. I'm guessing.

Taken for what it is, it is an interesting concept, and the sound quality is very pleasant. The performances are very good for piano rolls, but fall short of what a good interpreter could do. Take, for example, the Rhapsody in Blue from Woody Allen's Manhattan soundtrack. Listen specifically to the piano part -- the dynamics and variations in rhythm. This is not by any means the best performance of Rhapsody, but it is better than the Gershwin rolls.

Gershwin's playing overated.......2006-04-09

After I heard this cd I bought Gershwin plays Gershwin on the naxos label which arn't piano rolls. Any pianist can tell that many of these rolls are heavily edited and can't be played by a pianists with two hands. On the naxos album that has some of these same songs Gershwin's actual playing doesn't sound very good. Many of Gershwins contempories such as James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, Luckey Roberts and even Zez Confrey were much better pianists than he was, however they didn't have his melodic gifts as a composer. I would recommend Artis Whodhouse's
transcriptions of Jelly Roll Morton's piano rolls (on the same label) instead because most of those are exactly how he played them and in my opinion Morton was a better musician in every way than Gershwin.

The jazzy Gershwin. What a CD!!!!!!!.......2006-02-23

I got this CD as a gift. I am all for the austrogerman post- romantic music and as imagined Gershwin is not my favourite composer. I know him from his best known works such as the 'Rhapsody", the 'American' and his great songs. This CD is a treasure as mentioned from other reviewers of this site. Gershwin full of passion, his music being jazzy to the very end and that great feeling you get after a great live performance is present all over the length of this 'treasure'. No question about the presence of the music. Not to be missed

Average customer rating:

like a never ending horse ride
Theatrical and Accessible
A good showcase of Glass' virtues - and vices!
An excellent introduction to Glass' music
a good place to begin if you've never heard any Glass

Glass: Violin concerto

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004SYG9
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Tracks:

Company: I - Ulster Orch/Takuo Yuasa
Company: II - Ulster Orch/Takuo Yuasa
Company: III - Ulster Orch/Takuo Yuasa
Company: IV - Ulster Orch/Takuo Yuasa
Vn Con: I - Adele Anthony
Vn Con: II - Adele Anthony
Vn Con: III - Adele Anthony
Akhnaten: Prld - Ulster Orch/Takuo Yuasa
Akhnaten: Act II, Scene III: Dance - Ulster Orch/Takuo Yuasa

Amazon.com

Philip Glass's signature doom-and-gloom minor sonorities and shifting rhythms scintillate and eddy under the touch of Adele Anthony and the Ulster Symphony. The solo line in the Violin Concerto is at odds with a unified orchestra throughout, and Anthony's romantic tone draws the listener in for an exploration of the texture, grain, and fiber of Glass's structural minimalism. The Ulster Symphony's rendering of Company and Akhnaten, under the leadership of Takuo Yuasa, forms brilliant darts of tonal color. As a musical adaptation of Samuel Beckett's prose of the same name, Company's dark ruminations are appropriate for the text's depiction of a solitary figure lying on his back in the dark. The orchestra seems aware of their repetitious mechanical task in performing these works, yet this human awareness is what makes Glass's orchestral work so compelling. --Alexis Odell

Customer Reviews:

like a never ending horse ride.......2007-07-11

if you're looking for music that sounds like a soundtrack for a movie you'll forget in 5 minutes, buy this disc. this music is really bad. at one point a violin line sounds like a vivaldi rip off, and you know what stravinsky said about vivaldi: "vivaldi was a very boring man who wrote the same concerto over and over." in a nutshell, glass's compositions sound like a second year piano student playing appegiated triads over and over and over and over............

Theatrical and Accessible.......2007-01-03

Albeit Glass is not for everyone (my girlfriend says he sounds like an alarm clock) but his minimalism (or more accurately, as he prefers, "theatre music") is accessible, simple and passionate. Glass provides marvelous music that sustains emotions for long amounts of time. His works are ideal for creative work (such as writing or painting) and I find that they are extremely inspirational and motivate me to draw or write sonnets.

A good showcase of Glass' virtues - and vices! .......2006-03-14

Glass' violin concerto is the core of this selection and the reason why I bought it. Glass can be magnificently meditative at his best and Tasmanian Adele Anthony pulls this out brilliantly with the sort of pure tone and crisp playing this piece needs.

The problem is with the accompanying pieces. Company, which precedes and the two excerpts from Akhnaten, which follow, are fine in their way. In fact the Prelude to Akhnaten is one of the finest pieces of one of the finest operas of recent times. It's just that the trouble with Glass is that be can be so... well, repetitive. The filler works sound too much like the Violin Conerto to be paired successfully with them. If Naxos were to pair this off with something suitably mellow by another contemporary composer - say Rutter or Pärt - they'd have a much stronger proposition.

As a Belfast man born and bred, I might be biased, but the Ulster Orchestra and their principal guest conductor Takuo Yuasa gave a good enough account of themselves here, and given the super budget price of this CD, the competition would have to be something special to justify the extra cost.

An excellent introduction to Glass' music.......2006-02-27

I am a huge Philip Glass fan. At the same time, I realize that his work is not for all tastes. Working in the minimalist style, Glass' music is a unique sound experience. For those who are not familiar with his music, Naxos publication of Company, his Violin Concerto, and the overture and dance from Akhnaten, is a great, nonthreatening introduction to this composer. Company is a collection of four short pieces that are meditations on death, played by a string quartet. His Violin Concerto is the highlight of the CD, and the Second Movement is to date one of my favourite pieces of his.

a good place to begin if you've never heard any Glass.......2005-12-29

My first encounter with the Glass Violin Concerto was in the form of a dance piece devised by the fringe choreographer Mavin Khoo.The Glass worked brilliantly within this context but i doubted it would stand on it's own without the marriage with movement.
I was proven wrong as i've found the whole piece arresting from start to finish.Glass's trademark minor key arpeggiations sound marvellously idiomatic on the soloist and the slow movement is deeply affecting without being sickly sweet in any way.
Quite unexpectedly (I generally go for the more hard line modernist stuff)i've been won over so this Naxos CD is definitely a good place to start if you've never heard a piece of this guys music.
'Company' and the 'Dance' from Akhnaten are rather plodding by comparison with the Violin concerto but the Akhnaten prelude has a mysterious aura which immediately alerts ones attention.

Average customer rating:

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Very engrossing
Glass Deepens With Two Dramatically Resonant Pieces
Defies the theory that Glass's orchestral works are weak

Philip Glass: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3

Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000675OJE
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Tracks:

I.
II.
III.
IV.
I.
II.
III.

Album Description

Marin Alsop • Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Philip Glass (b.1937): Symphonies nos. 2 & 3

Though he prefers not to be labeled a 'minimalist' composer, that is the style with which Philip Glass is most associated. His compositions, however, though bearing certain tradmarks, employ a great range of techniques. This adaptive ability contributes to his success as a composer of music ranging from string quartets to largescale orchestral works and mammoth film scores. Marin Alsop conducts her Bournemouth symphony orchestra in these amazing performances of the Second and Third symphonies of legendary American composer Philip Glass. The grand Second Symphony was comissioned by the Brooklyn Acadamy of Music and premiered there in 1994 by Dennis Russell Davies. Also a commissioned work, the Third Symphony is composed for chamber orchestra, and thus bears an intimacy that is brilliantly suited to a smaller ensemble. In both the epically-proportioned Second Symphony and the smaller-scale Third Symphony, Glass returns, in his own way, to his roots at the Juilliard School, writing polyharmonies, rousing finales, and fully-formed symphonic paragraphs. They are true symphonies in scope, structure and seriousness of purpose. Marin Alsop comments on this recording: "Conducting and recording the music of Philip Glass is the completion of a circle for me. I first met Philip Glass in the late 1970s when I started playing violin on some of his recording projects. The new music scene in Manhattan was one of my major inspirations at that time, so working closely with Philip and his ensemble was a dream come true. I had not seen Philip since the mid 1980s until he attended an all Glass concert that I conducted in London. Like his music, it felt like the contuniation of an old friendship, only changed in a simple but profound way."

Customer Reviews:

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......2007-07-11

placing this disc under the genre of classical is like puting kenny g's discs in the jazz section. if the music on this disc represents modern classical, we as a country have set our sights too low. granted, it's moody and pretty, but that's what new age music is (and that's what this is at best). the lines between classical, soundtrack, and new age have become too blurred. classical music is SERIOUS music with INTERESTING NON REPETETIVE HARMONY and COUNTERPOINT. this sounds like some dude jamming on a synthesizer doing bong hits.

Very engrossing.......2005-08-08

I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to sections 1 through 4 of symphony #3 several times in the day since I got this CD. These tracks are very engrossing and makes one think of the soundtrack from an adventure saga where there is a continuous rhythm of travel.

Symphony number 2 is less interesting to me but for the price the symphony #3 tracks are great.

Glass Deepens With Two Dramatically Resonant Pieces.......2005-04-23

Along with his colleague John Adams, Philip Glass is the most familiar of the modern minimalists. Yet like Adams, Glass seems to be building a greater communicative sense with each new work I hear. These two symphonies were composed in the early nineties, and Naxos is now providing a 2003 recording of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra led by the insightful Marin Alsop. This is the same group of artists that played the wonderful version of Adams' "Shaker Loops" this past year, and this recording of Glass' works equals that one for dramatic insight and virtuosic preciseness.

A strings-only piece, Symphony #3 (23:58) has four conventional movements which build in drama and texture. It contains many of Glass' signature sounds with mono-tonal melodies that spiral in larger and larger circles and chords that feel like they are beating down an urban thunderstorm of clandestine activity - jabbing, throbbing, chugging - as they do in the second movement. Yet the music reflects some of his most gentle work especially in the first and third movements. There is an unexpectedly beautiful violin solo in the middle of the third movement that runs initially counter to his quietly driving sequential style until they eventually meld together. The drama turns fiery in the last movement as it broadens into an exciting albeit measured gallop, at the same time not sacrificing the virtuosity of the expert playing by the Bournemouth string section.

Symphony #2 (43:14) is a larger scale piece that makes dramatic sense to be played after the third, as it is a more ambitious work. It slowly builds in intensity with very broad strokes that deepen and darken when it comes to the bass-lines and the repetitive use of contrasting woodwinds. There is a vividly harrowing sense of adventure to the first movement that this section would not be inappropriate to be used as background movie music for a daring escape aboard a hot air balloon crossing the Alps. There is more of an orchestral sense to the second movement and an increasing ambiguity in tone that heightens the drama considerably with yet a new set of pronounced textures. The finale has almost a battle-cry exuberance but with a swooping, sinuous dramatic power with the addition of brass and even bells to the strings and woodwinds. The last movement truly feels like the culmination of what Glass has presented before in both symphonies.

Beautifully recorded at "The Concert Hall, Lighthouse, Poole" in Dorset, UK, this recording verifies that Glass' oeuvre is more than his famous operas often in collaboration with Robert Wilson. Producer-engineer Tim Handley has done an excellent job of keeping the impeccable sound in check throughout. And like the Adams recording, this one sells for the ridiculously bargain basement price of $6.98. Strongly recommended.

Defies the theory that Glass's orchestral works are weak.......2004-12-26

I bought this CD simply on impulse (it was on sale for $5.99) but it turned out to be a rewarding purchase. I have always thought of Glass's great works to be his operas and smaller pieces (Glassworks etc.) but the pairing of these two powerful orchestral works makes you wonder if his symphonies are underrated (and certainly underperformed). Alsop creates a unified structure that makes a more compelling case than the previous recording of the 3rd (I don't have any comparison for the 2nd). Bournemouth, as everybody knows, is a fine orchestra, but really shines when Alsop asks them to provide a little more 'oomphh' than is usually called for in Glass works. No serious contemporary collector should miss this set, and at the price I'd buy one for a friend.

With a Song In My Heart (from the 1952 film)/ Pal Joey (with 1952 cast members)

Average customer rating:

with a song in my heart/pal joey sound tracks
With A Song In My Heart CD
A Jane Froman double feature.
"Pal Joey's" Pal
another great twofer from DRG

With a Song In My Heart (from the 1952 film)/ Pal Joey (with 1952 cast members)

Manufacturer: Drg
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Binding: Audio CD

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Jane Froman: With A Song In My Heart / Yours Alone - Original Recordings 1930-1952
My Heart Speaks
I'll Cry Tomorrow
I'll Cry Tomorrow
Susan Hayward Double Feature: Smash-Up/Tulsa

ASIN: B0000AGWH6
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Tracks:

Opening
It's A Good Day
Tea For Two
Blue Moon
That Old Feeling
Embraceable You
Get Happy
I'll Walk Alone
They're Either Too Young Or Too Old
I'm Thru With Love
An American Medley
WIth A Song In My Heart
Overture
You Mustn't Kick It Around
I Could Write A Book
Chicago
That Terrific Rainbow
What Is A Man?
Happy Hunting Horn
Bewitched
Pal Joey
The Flower Garden Of My Heart
Zip
Plan You Now, Dig You Later
In Our Little Den
Do It The Hard Way
Take Him
Bewitched (Reprise)
Finale

Album Description

First time collection on CD! This Jane Froman package features the 1952 Broadway Revival of "Pal Joey" (where Jane provided the lead vocals for Vivienne Segal) along with the original soundtrack to "With Song in My Heart" - the 1952 film starring Susan Hayward in the life story of Jane Forman (Jane provided vocals for the film). The classic Rodgers & Hart "Pal Joey" album also features a standout performance from a young Elaine Stritch singing her showstopper "Zip." Digitally Remastered.

Customer Reviews:

with a song in my heart/pal joey sound tracks.......2007-03-31

I actually was so pleased to see a CD available because I have been longing for the movie "with a song in my heart" to become available on VHS and then on DVD, and it never has, so now at least I can enjoy the songs from the movie. The cast track from Pal Joey was just an added bonus.

With A Song In My Heart CD.......2007-03-19

I saw the film, "With A Song In My Heart" when I was twelve or thirteen years old and have wanted the sound track for many years. As an impressionable teenager in the 1950s, I have collected over time many of the films from that time on VHS or DVD, to satisfy my memories of the period. I regret that this particular film is not available on VHS or DVD, but, this CD is the next best choice. It is really enjoyable to hear the richness and depth of the voice of Jane Froman, who was one of the best singers of the time. I can still recall many scenes from the film and this CD revives the memories so well.

A Jane Froman double feature........2006-09-16

This DRG CD pairs two recordings starring Jane Froman.

WITH A SONG IN MY HEART

Susan Hayward played Jane Froman in the film but Froman herself dubbed the vocals. This album of songs was originally issued as a 10" Lp. None of the tracks are taken from the film: They are all studio re-recordings. Later, Capitol re-released it as a 12" LP with two extra songs added. It is that expanded [program included here. Froman is in great voice, though the orchestrations are overly lush and string heavy. Still, the songs include such standards as "It's a Good Day", "Get Happy", and "Embraceable You" making for an enjoyable mini-concert.

PAL JOEY

Capitol's cast album of the 1952 revival has long been a collector's item. The original Lp was deleted in 1960 and did not resurface until Broadway Angel released it on CD (briefly) in 1993. As the stars of the revival Harold Lang and Vivienne Segal had already made a studio cast album for Columbia - an album that helped inspire the revival - they were unable to re-record their songs for Capitol, and the label turned to Jane Froman and Dick beavers to fill in. The revised orchestrations sound dated now, but here is a chance to hear Elaine Stritch singing "Zip" and to enjoy the lusty voice of Helen Gallagher early in her career.

In the end it's the WITH A SONG IN MY HEART selections (making their debut on CD here) that make this CD worthwhile. For PAL JOEY the studio recording (available from SONY) is preferable, however if one is so inclined you can assemble your own cast album of the '52 revival by combining tracks from both releases.

"Pal Joey's" Pal.......2006-07-30

While the legubrious and over-orchestrated songs from the film "With a Song in My Heart" are typical of their era (and Jane Froman's stilted renditions are what once stood for emoting) the "Pal Joey" cast recording is an absolute delight. The orchestrations are bouncy and jazzy in a way that has long been forgotten, and the performances (except for the aforementioned Ms. Froman, whose Vulgnarian renditions are at times quite disconcerting, and who hits the sonic notes like lazer beems but misses the emotional ones by a country mile) are exceptional. Helen Gallagher deserved her Tony from the evidence of this recording, with Elaine Stritch not far behind her. But the overall impact surpasses any recording of "Joey" including the historic one that lead to this revival. There's energy, intensity and a whole lot of fantastic song writing (leave it to to Rogers and Hart) to satisfy any musical theater fan. A must have for anyone who loves "Old Broadway."

another great twofer from DRG.......2004-01-21

Jane Froman was one of the top vocalists of her era. Froman's greatness is celebrated in this new 2-on-1 album, which comprises the film soundtrack of WITH A SONG IN MY HEART as well as the 1952 Broadway revival cast album of PAL JOEY.

WITH A SONG IN MY HEART was the life story of Jane Froman, with the lovely Susan Hayward in the lead role. Froman herself supplied the singing for the film. Numbers include "It's a Good Day", the bittersweet and humorous "They're Either Too Young or Too Old", "Blue Moon", "Get Happy", "Tea for Two" and "I'm Thru with Love".

The 1952 Broadway revival of PAL JOEY was the result of the huge success of a studio album released by Columbia the year before (which featured Vivienne Segal reprising her original role of Vera and Harold Lang as Joey). Segal and Lang headlined the new revival with Helen Gallagher (SWEET CHARITY, HAZEL FLAGG) as Gladys Bumps and Elaine Stritch (ON YOUR TOES, GOLDILOCKS) as reporter Melba Snyder.

Having already recorded their roles for the Columbia album, Segal and Lang saw little need in re-recording them for the revival album on the Capitol label. Instead, the roles of Vera and Joey were covered by Jane Froman and Dick Beavers.

The cast album suffers on many levels. First, the absence of Segal and Lang is quite distracting, and secondly the new Overture can't even compare with the scintillanting original.

The Columbia studio album is the version to buy in addition to this, though both albums have their strong and weak points. As per usual, Elaine Stritch brings her impressive and formidable comic timing to the fore in the show-stopping "Zip", and Helen Gallagher's silvery voice is perfect for "That Terrific Rainbow".

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man
From Four Dance Episodes From 'Rodeo': Saturday Night Waltz
From Four Dance Episodes From 'Rodeo': Hoe-Down
From Old American Songs: Simple Gifts
Appalachian Spring: Variations On A Shaker Hymn
From Music For Movies: Grovers Corners (From Our Town)
From Billy The Kid: Introduction - The Open Prairie
From Billy The Kid: Street In A Frontier Town
From Billy The Kid: Mexican Dance
From Billy The Kid: Gun Battle
From Billy The Kid: Celebration (After Billy's Capture)
From Billy The Kid: The Open Prairie Again
From Billy The Kid: El Salon Mexico
Appalachian Spring: Very Slowly
Appalachian Spring: Allegro
Appalachian Spring: Moderato: The Bride And Her Intended
Appalachian Spring: Fast: The Revivalist And His Flock
Appalachian Spring: Allegro: Solo Dance Of The Bride
Appalachian Spring: Meno Mosso
Appalachian Spring: Doppio Movimento: Variations On A Shaker Hymn
Appalachian Spring: Moderato: Coda

Customer Reviews:

Best of the the popular Copland..........2004-12-26

Here's a great introduction to the popular music of Aaron Copland. When "Fanfare for the Common Man" begins, sparks of recognition will fly for most listeners. This song has been everywhere: presidential inaugurations, the olympics, commercials, movies, etc. Some flatten it as hopelessly clichéd, while others find it moving and inspiring. Copland also reprised it in the finale of his Third Symphony. Arguably Copland's most famous piece, "Appalachian Spring" closes the CD. In between, more great Copland: excerpts from 'Rodeo' (apparently the beef lobby has appropriated "Hoe-Down" as one of their themes); a great vocal rendition of "Simple Gifts" and a large chunk of another of Copland's best known works: "Billy the Kid". The only confusing piece is the "Variations on a Shaker Hymn" from Appalachian Spring when the entire Appalachian Spring is already included. Seems slightly redundant.

Though most of the pieces on this CD were written in the 1930s and 1940s, they tend to evoke the old west. With titles such as "Rodeo" and "Billy the Kid" this shouldn't surprise too many people.

Copland went on to compose more dissonant and twelve tone compositions later on in his career. These obviously weren't as popular with the public in general as the pieces on this CD. Nonetheless, if this disc whets the appetite, a foray into Copland's less popular works will yield much. It will help to expose the totality of Copland's output. This disc only represents a small portion of his work. Regardless, this disc is a great starting point for getting to know one of the United States' best known composers of the twentieth century.

A Great American Album.......2004-02-13

This is a great album representing true patriotic American music. Songs like "Hoe-Down" are lively and energetic and give rememberance to what one can imagine as the true American spirit.

Must have this one..........2002-09-17

I like all types of music, I wanted this album because I liked the song "RODEO" that is used on the beef commercials. This CD has made me into a Copland fan. It has many great songs. If you want a CD that says "I am an American." This is it. I am sending copies to a friend in Bombay and Tel Aviv. This is who I am put to music.

Average customer rating:

Muffled
Somewhat disappointing.
Gershwin At His Best in Hearts!
The best America has to offer!!

George Gershwin: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002A1T
Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

Strike Up The Band
Rhapsody In Blue
Prelude No. 1
Piano Concerto In F
An American In Paris
Prelude No. 3
Medley From Porgy And Bess
Fascinating Rhythm
Lullaby
Promenade (Walking the Dog)
Cuban Overture

Customer Reviews:

Muffled.......2006-11-03

This is a decent enough recording, but it's not anywhere near the best that I have heard. The Andre Previn/LSO recording is much better mixed; at times it seems like there's a muffle on the mikes, or that you're hearing it from a distance.

If I wanted good, dynamic background music, I'd do this. If I wanted to really listen to the music, I'd pick another version.

Somewhat disappointing........2003-09-10

I bought this for the full-length rendition of Rhapsody in Blue. I found the brass too tinny sounding, and the rhythm off in a few places. I like the snippet of this song on the "Best of the Milleneum" CD much better.

Gershwin At His Best in Hearts!.......2003-03-19

To someone who came along as a teenage boy in the mid-1940's, this CD has the elements of authenticity, even surprise, musical history, highly intense performances, and ways evoking memories of emotional highlights of my Youth. When mediocre orchestra 1st tackled Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" at Smoky Mtn Music Camp we were preparing for Sunday's outdoor Concert. Pianos were played by two friends who've presided Music Dept at Carson-Newman College in East Tennessee. In the Trombone section was a skinny kid with too much hair and too big an ego! When our esteemed conductor began the opening bars the Clarinet Soloist, my close friend Danny Boy slide-up the chromatic scale with fleurish. He later became a NC Doctor! He likely plays clarinet for his own amazement in someone's Dixieland Band!

On this wondrous CD there are historic names like Bernstein, Kostelanez, John Williams and Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductors. Andre Previn, Yo-Yo Ma and Sarah Vaughan as Soloists. I would have a hard time choosing which may be called my favorite! It would depend on the day they are playing in my car... traveling to Columbia Seminary classes or GA Diagnostic Prison for lunch with Chaplain friends! I often sing along with the Rhapsody as I did in 1949 when Oscar Levant soloed with Chattanooga Orch. My very young wife was playing in the first violin section! Still today I am totally wiped out when anyone as intensely romantic as Sarah Vaughan sings "Summertime" or "I Loves You, Porgy!"

Is it not amazingly wondrous that someone could create so much enjoyable music in his short lifetime of 39 years? I never wish to part with this all-time favorite 10-Star Recording!
Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

The best America has to offer!!.......1999-03-09

This is the best collection of his songs i have ever heard. That's probably because it features conductors like John Williams and Micheal Tilson Thomas. My personal favorite is the allegro agitato from the Concerto in F. I have other recordings of this song, but none of them can even come close to matching the excitement of this one.

Average customer rating:

A Great Addition to the World Premiere Recording
At Long Last!

Howard Hanson: Merry Mount

Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000OQDRZA
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Amazon.com

This is the first modern recording of Howard Hanson's opera. A broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera in terrible sound, where it was premiered in 1934, is available in Europe, but this recording makes it redundant. The opera, based on a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, concerns the clash between New England Puritans, with their rigid religiosity, and a group of Cavaliers who come to their town and scandalize everyone with their Maypole dancing and merry-making. There is an interrupted Indian massacre, a scene in Hell for the town's fanatical preacher, Wrestling Bradford, and a self-immolation at the opera's close. While it's good to have such a fine recording of this work available - and this performance, with Richard Zeller as a passionate Bradford, the remarkable Lauren Flanigan as Lady Marigold (the object of Bradford's desire), and a fine cast of American singers, is nothing if not superb - it is impossible to avoid the fact that the work is bloated, lacks true melodies, relies too heavily on repeated drumbeats for effect, and does not offer any appealing vocal writing for the principals. The music adds up to something vaguely cinematic and, more vaguely, true background. It's clearly a work that was probably better seen than just heard. This recording was taken from two concert performances in 1996. It will be of interest to fans of American opera who should not expect a forgotten masterpiece. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A Great Addition to the World Premiere Recording.......2007-06-12

For a number of years in the 1920s and 30s, the MET opera was looking to premiere *the* American opera, in a period where American culture wanted to exert its identity separate from European influences and culture. This was a time of isolationist ideology wedged betweeen two world wars. After a number of unsuccessful commissions, one opera finally emerged in the mid 1930s that had promise: Howard Hanson's Merry Mount.

The premiere of Merry Mount brought such an enthusiastic response from the audience, that applause broke out on several instances in the middle of acts, often after a rousing chorus. And the shocking progression of events in the second act floored the audience then as well as listeners today.

As noted in other reviews, another recording of the opera exists, also produced by Naxos, but is unavailable in the US due to legal issues with the release of any live recordings of MET operas from the time. By today's standard, the recording quality is poor, but the engineering on the recording is phenomenal enough when taken into context: it was on mid-1930s 78 rpm acetate and metal discs. Yet about all scratches and surface noise is absent, though there are still dents in the recordings that make an unfortunate explosion at times.

Levine, in his editorial review, says that this recording makes the earlier one redundant; I would differ. The premiere performance is scads better in orchestral and vocal quality than the Schwartz/Seattle Symphony recording. The premiere features Lawrence Tibbett, who executed the main role with both focal force and dramatic passion. His expression creates the character of Bradford. Gota Ljunberg also has a stellar performance of Marigold, and the Metropolitan Orchestra produces a reading of the opera score that tops about every recording I've heard of the Merry Mount Suite.

Thus, I find this new recording as a compliment to the other. For those not interested in acquiring both CDs, I would of course recommend the Schwartz CD because of its sound quality.

Schwartz's recording is also performed live, and that being about ten years ago. It was not performed as a full-blown stage opera, and the vocal performance quality is set back a bit because of this. The roles don't hold the passion and character development that the earlier one does, and the recording is free from the "additional" expressions of gasps, shouts, etc... from a staged performance that add to the drama. Yet, the vocal quality is by no means poor, and Scwartz's interpretation is equivalant to the quality of his other Hanson recordings. And with Scwartz's performance being live, there are moments of applause.

The music itself may appear relatively simple to some, and yet it is captivating. Many of the orchestral techniques Hanson uses for effect were innovative for the time, and if we are worn out by them, it is only because of their abuse by many lesser composers since. While the highlights of the opera are the choruses (especially the Hellish Rendezvous), Hanson does write several good arias, such as in the last scene for Marigold.

So what happened to the opera? While enjoyed by the audience, the critics were less merciful, and as has happened to so many enriching pieces of music throughout history, the opera fell victim to the saber of criticism, and has only been rediscovered recently. In addition, Hanson's music was influenced by Scandinavian style, so was to some not a true American opera. Still, in most written discussions of great American operas, even brief discussions, mention is made of Merry Mount alongside Susannah, Porgy and Bess, Baby Doe, Amahl, Candide, and Vanessa.

My primary disappoint with this recording is the absense of a libretto. While the scene synopsis is good, I've longed for a libretto; it is available in neither this recording nor the earlier one. And even the synopsis is nothing new, as it is the same synopsis given in the earlier recording. This is my main reason for giving four stars instead of five, but I still offer my deep thanks and gratitude for the present recording. It has helped me hear parts of the orchestra I couldn't hear in the other recording, and has broadened my comprehension of the earlier recording. While I wish the strengths of each recording could be brought together for a stellar performance, I am glad for the strengths of each; not much is left lacking between the two.

In addition, for those familiar with the earlier recording, you'll be pleased to know this new recording has more music; the prelude to Act III is now 7:30 instead of 1:29. There is a 'forest' chorus in addition to a more dramatic and longer development of the Indian war theme.

Now that Merry Mount has a clear-sounding recording available, I have but one more request for the record industry regarding forgotten American operas: will we have the chance to hear Douglas Moore's Pulitzer Prize-winning Giants in the Earth?

This recording is highly recommended for lovers of romanticism, tonality, passionately engaging music, and sweeping Scandinavian styles of Sibelius and Atterberg.

At Long Last!.......2007-06-08

Have you ever listened to Howard Hanson's Merry Mount Suite and wished there was more of it. If so, you need to buy this 2-disc set of the most complete and best sounding recording of the full opera. The Suite kind of compiles and summarizes much of the best music in the opera but there is a lot more fine music as well as many variations on themes included in the Suite.

Is it a great opera!? I wouldn't know. I am not particularly a fan of opera and opera makes up a very small portion of my collection. But I really like Hanson, and I love this opera. And my collection does include 4 versions of this opera.

This is first commercial recording of Merry Mount. Naxos has also issued a recording, available in Europe, but apparently not in the USA, of the premier performance of the opera, the Metropolitan Opera broadcast of February 10, 1934, with Lawrence Tibbet, but the sound on that is bad for its time. If you want to hear how the leads sing their rolls and listen to their performances, you can do it, because if you want to listen to those singers, you have undoubtedly listened to others of their recordings of the period and can make the mental adjustments necessary to enjoy their performances. In that case the 1934 recording is recommended to you. But if you want to hear what the orchestra is doing, it is a real stretch, even if you are used to listening to orchestral recordings from the early 1930's or even acoustic orchestral recordings, as I am. In 1955, Hanson conducted several concert performances of Merry Mount at the Eastman School of Music with students and faculty performing the singing and orchestral parts. An experimental stereo recording of (at least) one of the performances was made at the time. I suspect it was done by the Mercury recording team since Hanson recorded exclusively for Mercury at the time--and it sounds Mercury-like. This recording was never released commercially--and hopefully the masters are in the Mercury vaults--but some copies were made, perhaps for Hanson and the performers, and copies do exist. It is worthy of commercial release, especially as a composer's recording. It is a wonderful performance, but Hanson made some significant cuts, and also added a scene--what this Naxos release of the Seattle performance calls Act III, Scene I. This scene does not appear in the original libretto or in the Premier recording. When the Seattle Symphony did its two dress rehearsals and two evening performances back in 1996, the opera was broadcast either live or tape-delayed. At least one someone recorded that off the radio, unfortunately in mono, and that recording has also been circulated somewhat, but its sound pales in comparison to this long delayed official issue of the Seattle performances. If you have that, you still want this. And this performance is probably somewhat different, being taken, apparently, from the two evening performances, whereas the broadcast is probably just one evening or the other. There were also performances by the San Antonio Opera with Beverly Sills as Lady Marigold in 1964, directed by the composer, I believe, and by Rochester's Opera Under the Stars in 1976 with the composer present, but apparently not conducting. I know of no recordings of those two performances. Hanson also recorded about 35 minutes of excerpts from the opera about 1964, released on Mercury LP and long out of print, and the Suite from Merry Mount, currently available on a 4 disc Mercury box set which is most highly recommended and which also contains his first 3 symphonies and a variety of other shorter works. That Mercury recording of the Suite also includes on a separate disc Hanson doing a lecture/demonstration/deconstruction/reconstruction of the themes, orchestral colors, and construction of the music in the Suite which is quite fascinating as well as beautifully and naturally recorded.

This Seattle Symphony version has slightly more very minor cuts than the Tibbet version, but includes the extra scene that Hanson apparently added years later, so it is the most complete version, as well as being the best recorded and only one readily available in the United States. The orchestral writing is very important and always clear. The singers and chorus are quite clear and their voices are always well balanced with the orchestra. The opera contains much beautiful orchestral and choral writing. I wouldn't presume to speak about the quality of the operatic writing, but there is much beautiful music there, too. And Hanson's music is so powerful that one really grows to care about the characters and their plight, even the aptly named Wrestling (with his personal demons) Bradford. Despite the clarity of the voice recording, it is still really helpful to have a libretto (though no performance I am aware of follows the original exactly), but unfortunately, that is long out of print, probably for decades. Mine dates from 1933 and cost 50¢ when new (I paid considerably more and counted myself lucky). When the performances were done in Seattle, rather than passing out a libretto, supertitles were used which presumably followed the performance exactly. Naxos should get rights to make a transcription of the supertitles available online or by mail order since they don't include a libretto with the discs. However, the summary of Merry Mount that they do include in the booklet is the best I've seen and really enhances one's enjoyment of the opera.

Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue/Cuban Overture/Porgy and Bess Suite/An American in Paris

Average customer rating:

As good as any Rhapsody
Good intro to Gershwin - Great gift
Outstanding performance and sound engineering
The Finest Recordings of These Four Selections
Gershewin is the Master of Mixing Jazz and Big Band

Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue/Cuban Overture/Porgy and Bess Suite/An American in Paris

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000001GEK
Release Date: 1993-06-15

Tracks:

Rhapsody In Blue
Cuban Overture
'Porgy and Bess' Suite
An American In Paris

Customer Reviews:

As good as any Rhapsody.......2006-11-11

I've also got Bernstein and Wild and this Rhapsody is as good as any of them. But the real reason to buy this recording is for the couplings--which are far better than the rest. The Cuban Overture absolutely ROCKS.

Everybody gives you "American in Paris" with the Rhapsody, but, come on, Porgy & Bess AND the Cuban Overture vs. Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite or the Piano Concerto in C? No contest!

Good intro to Gershwin - Great gift.......2006-08-05

Bought this CD for our 7-year-old daughter for her birthday. She loves it. Certainly didn't listen to it once and set it aside. She even takes it in the car.

In short, it's a nice performance of some of Gershwin's best work. Very enjoyable.

Outstanding performance and sound engineering.......2005-10-24

I am not a sound engineer but, clearly something was done outstandingly right in the production of this CD. I have listened to this CD on several different stereo systems with the same result: crystal clear sound that gives the impression that the instruments are right in front of you. I would add that I do not have an SACD version of this CD, nor an SACD player, nor a hi-end expensive stereo system. Nevertheless, the sound quality of this CD was noticeably superior to that of the recordings of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and American in Paris that I have with Bernstein and Ormandy conducting. Part of the superior sound quality of this recording is due to its being digital, whereas Bernstein and Ormandy were recorded in analog. However, I have hundreds of other CDs that were recorded digitally and comparatively few have a sound quality that is as fresh, sharp, and, simply put, as outstanding as the one on this CD.

In addition to the freshness and immediacy of the sound, the playing of both the orchestra and of Levine as the piano soloist in Rhapsody in Blue are the best that I have heard amongst my various recordings of this work. I had never heard James Levine as a pianist before, only as a conductor, and was very pleasantly surprised at the excellence of his performance. There is a real joyful dynamic energy on this CD, together with a quality that is not apparent on the other recordings I own of Rhapsody in Blue - a feeling of playfulness, and even humor. I got the distinct feeling as I listened to this CD (several times, and always with great pleasure) that the orchestra and conductor/pianist were thoroughly enjoying themselves. All of the selections on this CD radiate with outstanding musicianship coupled with tremendous energy and love of life. This is one of my desert island CDs. I give it my highest recommendation.

The Finest Recordings of These Four Selections.......2004-03-13

George Gershwin (1898-1937) first made a name for himself as the composer of one memorable popular song after another--songs that have proven remarkably durable and have entered our collective consciousness to become "great standards" by which others are judged. In 1924 he began to leap the gulf between "popular" and "serious" music, and between 1924 and his untimely death in 1937 he created a number of famous works--but although he is regarded as a genius today, it was not so at the time. For then as now, "serious" composers and critics were an insular group, and many considered his fusion of jazz, strong melodic lines, and symphonic treatments at best pretentious, at worst common.

In the wake of Gershwin's untimely death, many of his works underwent a facelift of sorts, with various composers reworking the material in an effort to give it more snob appeal: the original arrangements were touched up, retoned, and in general fiddled with--and today it is almost impossible to find a recording of a Gershwin piece recorded as originally written. But here Chicago Symphony conductor James Levine accomplishes the impossible, restoring four major Gershwin pieces to either original or near-original condition.

The great reason to purchase this CD is "Rhapsody in Blue," which will come as a revelation to listeners accustomed to hearing the piece awash in strings, for here it is returned to all the sharp edged, strident, and jazzy glory of the original 1924 Ferde Grafe arrangement for the Paul Whiteman orchestra. And it is stunning, clean, a true period jewel that is ultimately the definitive musical statement of the Deco era; hearing it performed in this stripped-down original version is akin to seeing a beautiful gemstone purged of a vulgar setting and restored to true brilliance.

Also notable are "Cuban Overture" and "Catfish Row," both of which are performed essentially as Gershwin created them. "Cuban Overture" has never been one of Gershwin's most popular concert pieces--but listening to it here one is hard pressed to know why; certainly less melodic than other Gershwin constructions for orchestra, it is nonetheless a magical thing that combines a sense of ocean and tropical flavors to tremendous effect. "Catfish Row," of course, is drawn from Gershwin's opera "Porgy and Bess"--but should not be confused with the various suites typically heard, for it was actually arranged by George Gershwin himself and offers a pleasing (and to my mind far superior) variation on these oft-heard themes.

Unfortunately, not all of the original arrangements survive. (Liner notes indicate that even "Cuban Overture" is slightly effected in this regard.) The arrangements for "An American in Paris" received an overhaul around 1947; the originals have been lost forever, and it is performed here very much as we are accustomed to hearing it. Still, Levine and company give it tremendous style and substance in execution, and without knowing what the original arrangements were like we would be hard pressed to fault them in the performance.

Whatever the case, when it comes to these four selections, and particularly so re the legendary "Rhapsody in Blue," this is the recording to have. Everything here is flawless--and very often unlike anything you've previously heard when approaching these works. Strongly recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Gershewin is the Master of Mixing Jazz and Big Band.......2001-12-26

Gershwin lived a short life but the pieces he made are marvelous. His fusion of jazz of big band creates a unique sound that is very pleasing. Listening to a Rhapsody in Blue, or An American in Paris always gives the feeling of a big bustling American city in its prime, full of rich color and glamour. Uneven, busy syncopated rythyms by the brass and percussion add the sense of the workaholic society of America during its time. It's the old timely sound to it all that makes Gershwin's so songs irresistable to the ear. Cuban Overture sounds equally robust and majestic, complete with native Cuban percussion, and the "Porgy and Bess" Suite, while operatic and huge in proportion, doesn't stray far from its jazz roots. The Chicago Symphony played the music with gusto and vigor, and James Levine thoughtfully interpreted each piece with the utmost care the way Gershwin had intended it. I highly recommend this piece to anyone with a fine taste in the big band, all-American sound. Of all the music I've heard, Gershwin's music sounds the most American of them all.

Average customer rating:

Clara Rockmore Rocks!
Amazing Album
Lost, but still priceless

Lost Theremin Album

Manufacturer: Bridge Records, Inc.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000KJTGNI
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Product Description

Long regarded as "The Queen of the Theremin," Clara Rockmore's virtuosity as the world's leading exponent of the theremin, was commonly acknowledged during her long and successful career. Intimately involved with Leon Theremin in the development of the instrument, Clara Rockmore's career as a thereminist had her performing with major orchestras and with her sister, the legendary pianist, Nadia Reisenberg. The Rockmore/Reisenberg duo is heard on this CD in 13 never-before released tracks, recorded in 1975. Also heard here are three tracks with the accompaniment of a cello ensemble, and one with the accompaniment of the much admired Argentine composer/guitarist, Jorge Morel. This recording comes with a booklet which includes numerous historic photographs of the performers, as well as excerpts from an interview conducted by Robert Sherman, in which his mother, Nadia Reisenberg; his aunt, Clara Rockmore; and the electronic pioneer Robert Moog discuss their lives and the background of their involvement with the theremin and its creator, Leon Theremin.

Customer Reviews:

Clara Rockmore Rocks!.......2007-05-18

Clara Rockmore's theremin artistry comes forth beautifully with this achingly lovely collection of classical music. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the theremin as a musical instrument and for the classical music lover in general.

Amazing Album.......2007-03-22

I've got a couple of Clara's other CD's and this one is just stellar. There are two standouts - Estrellita and Summertime that show the incredible artistry of both Clara and her equally talented sister Nadia Reisenberg in something other than classical music. I wish more people would discover Clara and Nadia's work - they're both under appreciated if you ask my humble but accurate opinion (LOL).

The booklet that comes along with the CD is quite funny and very loving as it's written by Clara's nephew/Nadia's son who brought this gem to life.

This is definitely a CD to add to the collection.

Lost, but still priceless.......2007-03-03

Although Clara Rockmore is universally acclaimed as one of the best musicians of her era, very few of her performances were ever recorded. An aspiring violinist, she took up the strange and wonderful Theremin when physical problems forced her to give up the violin. She invented a method for playing the radical new instrument, and her classical concerts gave the instrument respectability.
In keeping with her style, all the material on this CD is classical in nature, often somber or serious in tone. And while these recordings were made long after her heyday, the performances are still top rate examples of Theremin playing and her discipline and passion for the material is clearly undiminished by time.
Her few earlier recordings had long been an inspiration to several generations of Thereminists. This set of recordings enlarges the available corpus of her work tremendously. Let us hope it inspires as many new musicians as the first round!

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Music Track

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