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Agnus Dei II/Choir of New..

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical > Classical
from: Erato

April 28, 1998
I happened upon this album while looking for some choral works for a church choir. Not schooled in the literature, I had never heard of Tomaso Albinoni. His Adagio ("Beatitudes") is a choral emotion feast in Italian style, the likes of which I have never heard before. Unless...did the Coppollas (pere et fils) use it in the soundtrack to Godfather 3? I'm not sure. Great piece. The rest of the album is okay. Standard fare.

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West Side Story

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical > Classical
by: Original Broadway Cast Recording

September 22, 1998
Recorded just days after WEST SIDE STORY opened on Broadway this original cast disc is one of the best from the golden days of Goddard Lieberson at Columbia Records. He knew exactly how to translate a stage musical to records. The prologue needed more excitement so he added the sonds of the gang members and had the orchestra increase the tempo. Not every note would fit (the Lp was very long for its day: 57 minutes!) so some trims were made here and there but done with such skill that they are hardly noticed. On the other hand, the entire "Somewhere" Ballet is heard here. It was not used in the movie.

Some people prefer the movie soundtrack for its beefier orchestrations. It too is a very fine recording of the score. ... Read More:

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Out Of Africa

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical > Classical
by: Soundtrack

January 01, 1990
Beautiful film music in many respects, but at times perhaps a little too "sweet" and Hollywoodish for some tastes.

Another issue is one can object to is the "idealization" of African through this music -- as did Dances With Wolves music idealize the U.S. Western frontier -- from a distinctly Northern European standpoint. For myself, this is not particularly an issue, as the movie stands on its own as a work of art (and clearly does take a mostly European perspective), so does not have to be culturally African...

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Magnificat/Cantata Bwv51

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical > Classical
from: Universal Music Group

March 17, 2008
God is always present in our life, in fact He is the permanent witness of our actions. We, sinners, are constantly measured and weighed by God and yet all our actions are under our sole responsibility. This gives to the music a great density, a real sense of fate and tragedy, particularly in the « Quia fecit mihi magna » (The almighty has done great things for me...) with the bass. There is no escape for our mistakes. There is no possible hiding place. Our mistakes are weighing heavily on us. And yet joy, happiness are possible in our live provided we do what we are supposed to do and our good deeds are also under our sole responsibility. Hence Bach is able to reach perfect joy in this Magnificat because he celebrates our freedom to do what is good. That ... Read More:

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Maria Callas - At Covent Garden 1962 and 1964 (1962)

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical > Classical
starring: Maria Callas

July 23, 2002
The 1962 appearance is more like the best of. We hear:
Verdi: Don Carlo (Atto IV) Tu che le vanita
Bizet: Carman
Prelude
Jabanera (Acte I)
Entr'acte (Acte III)
Séguedille (Acte I)

Watching Maria adds a detention missed in

Puccini's Tosca (alto II), 1964 will hold your attention; however I am glad that there are subtitles as I only knew the story form secondary sources. Dennis Wicks as Sciarrone looks like Arty Johnson. This is a long scene however it is not the complete story. So as with the 1962 section this is the best of.

The advantage to this recording is that there are no commercials it gets down to business. The disadvantage is the recording is not well focused.

Be sure to ... Read More:

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Torchwood

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical > Classical
by: Ben Foster & Murray Gold

October 14, 2008
The 1962 appearance is more like the best of. We hear:
Verdi: Don Carlo (Atto IV) Tu che le vanita
Bizet: Carman
Prelude
Jabanera (Acte I)
Entr'acte (Acte III)
Séguedille (Acte I)

Watching Maria adds a detention missed in

Puccini's Tosca (alto II), 1964 will hold your attention; however I am glad that there are subtitles as I only knew the story form secondary sources. Dennis Wicks as Sciarrone looks like Arty Johnson. This is a long scene however it is not the complete story. So as with the 1962 section this is the best of.

The advantage to this recording is that there are no commercials it gets down to business. The disadvantage is the recording is not well focused.

Be sure to ... Read More:

Average Rating:

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On the Other Shore

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical > Classical
from: Azica

January 01, 2008
The 1962 appearance is more like the best of. We hear:
Verdi: Don Carlo (Atto IV) Tu che le vanita
Bizet: Carman
Prelude
Jabanera (Acte I)
Entr'acte (Acte III)
Séguedille (Acte I)

Watching Maria adds a detention missed in

Puccini's Tosca (alto II), 1964 will hold your attention; however I am glad that there are subtitles as I only knew the story form secondary sources. Dennis Wicks as Sciarrone looks like Arty Johnson. This is a long scene however it is not the complete story. So as with the 1962 section this is the best of.

The advantage to this recording is that there are no commercials it gets down to business. The disadvantage is the recording is not well focused.

Be sure to ... Read More:

Average Rating:

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Summa/Sym 3/Fratres/Trisagion

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical > Classical
by: Jarvi, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra

March 04, 2003
It's hard to imagine a finer recording of Pärt's orchestral works. The selection of pieces is excellent (and quite extensive), the orchestra is well-balanced and well-blended, and the tempi are chosen with the utmost sensitivity. The damp, cathedralesque ambience of the recording may tend to drain some of the expressive quality out of the strings, but these solemn, mystical works sound very much at home in such an environment. I prefer these recordings even to the famous 'Tabula Rasa' disc on ECM.

Most of these pieces are in Pärt's minimalistic "tinntinnabuli" style, but the 3rd Symphony will be a pleasant surprise to those listeners familiar only with that side of Arvo Pärt's oeuvre. It's a sprawling, full-orchestral setting of archaic polyphony, ... Read More:

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Classic Archive: Alexis Weissenberg

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical > Classical
from: Medici Masters

June 24, 2008
It's hard to imagine a finer recording of Pärt's orchestral works. The selection of pieces is excellent (and quite extensive), the orchestra is well-balanced and well-blended, and the tempi are chosen with the utmost sensitivity. The damp, cathedralesque ambience of the recording may tend to drain some of the expressive quality out of the strings, but these solemn, mystical works sound very much at home in such an environment. I prefer these recordings even to the famous 'Tabula Rasa' disc on ECM.

Most of these pieces are in Pärt's minimalistic "tinntinnabuli" style, but the 3rd Symphony will be a pleasant surprise to those listeners familiar only with that side of Arvo Pärt's oeuvre. It's a sprawling, full-orchestral setting of archaic polyphony, ... Read More:

Average Rating:

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Comp Emi Recordings

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical > Classical
from: EMI Classics

January 22, 2008
It's hard to imagine a finer recording of Pärt's orchestral works. The selection of pieces is excellent (and quite extensive), the orchestra is well-balanced and well-blended, and the tempi are chosen with the utmost sensitivity. The damp, cathedralesque ambience of the recording may tend to drain some of the expressive quality out of the strings, but these solemn, mystical works sound very much at home in such an environment. I prefer these recordings even to the famous 'Tabula Rasa' disc on ECM.

Most of these pieces are in Pärt's minimalistic "tinntinnabuli" style, but the 3rd Symphony will be a pleasant surprise to those listeners familiar only with that side of Arvo Pärt's oeuvre. It's a sprawling, full-orchestral setting of archaic polyphony, ... Read More: