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Born

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical
by: Bond

August 25, 2003
I'm a hardened, dyed-in-the-wool classical music lover. I have hundreds of classical cds and maybe one shelf of what you'd call pop.

This cd, as has been said, is not classical. Oh sure, the tunes are familiar, but there's a disco beat to them and they've been heavily arranged. When I first saw this group, I did wonder if they were following the lamentable modern trend of looks over talent.

But you know what? I actually really enjoyed it. These ladies can play. Very well, in fact. It's perfect if you like classical, but are in the mood for something a little wilder, or maybe if you are not at all into classical but want to dip your toe in the water.

In short, this was the first Bond album I bought. I now ... Read More:

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Amore

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical
by: Andrea Bocelli

December 04, 2006
Andrea Bocelli simply has one of the most beautiful voices in the world. Amore is a collection of fine love songs, which Bocelli sings absolutely beautifully. These tracks are really suited to his style - they just sound so rich and you can really feel the emotion in his voice. The production on this album is equally great and Amore really is one of the most beautiful albums of the year.

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Ikon

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical
by: Sixteen

April 03, 2006
It has to be said that there is little more versatile as the human voice as an instrument. This proves the point beyond measure.
Clarity, emotion and total respect for the piece are in abundance throughout the album.
Wonderful.

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Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical
by: Ibrahim Ferrer

May 24, 1999
From the first track 'Bruca Manigua' (which you will replay over and over) to the last. This album is simply Unbelievable. I only discovered Buena Vista with the free Movie cd with my Sunday Times a couple of weeks ago and Ibrahim Ferrer is just an undiscovered Legend in my books. Well, up till the last few years of his life. GET THIS!!!

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Ode To Freedom - The Berlin Celebration Concert [1989]

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical
starring: Klaus Konig, Sarah Walker, Jan-Hendrik Rootering, Leonard Bernstein, June Anderson
directed by: Humphrey Burton

July 03, 2006
The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989. On Christmas Day 1989, only six weeks later, due to the organizational skills of Leonard Bernstein (and others) an historic concert of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was given in the Schauspielhaus in the former East Berlin with instrumentalists and singers from a number of different countries. These included orchestra members from the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Orchestra of the Kirov Theater of Leningrad, the London Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and the Orchestre de Paris. The choruses were those of Bavarian and Berlin Radio as well as, unusually, the Children's Choir of the Philharmonie Dresden. Soloists were June Anderson (soprano, American), Sarah Walker (mezzo, British), ... Read More:

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Sweeney Todd

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

May 28, 2007
Although the amazon site includes the wrong sound samples above (they are from the LaPone revival), this item is indeed the original cast recording with Lansbury and Cariou. Even better, it's been remastered and includeds 2 bonus track not featured on the original (and much more expensive) RCA double disc. What a find!

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Una Mattina

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical
by: Ludovico Einaudi

September 06, 2004
Absolutely beautiful! I was first interested by Einaudi's work after hearing Dietro Casa in the concluding scenes of This Is England. Waited a couple of minutes and the credits revealed the artist and song. I haven't stopped listening to his work since. I am gutted to realise that he has recently been to the Royal Albert Hall, and that i missed it. Here's hoping for a hasty return to England...

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Mansell - Requiem for a Dream

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical
from: Nonesuch

November 06, 2000
Of course the much-heard Requiem theme is absolutely brilliant, and this soundtrack centres largely upon that theme. It combines the wonderful ringing of the string quartet with electronic beats and mellower moments and this creates quite a unique soundtrack. It's highly recommended! In my opinion, it could have branched out a bit more. I ADORE the main theme of course but I think more variations on it would have been good - so much could be done with it and sometimes I felt the tracks didn't go far enough to expand on the original thematic content, but it's still a great CD.

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The Best of Vanessa Mae

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical
by: Vanessa-Mae

March 10, 2003
I'm not against pop/classical albums and artists per se, because I quite like to hear some of the world's greatest tunes given a good roll-over, but Vanessa Mae's contributions to the genre have always seemed far too forced and mechanical.

She is undeniably a gifted and technically brilliant violinist, and she is shown at her best when letting rip on Bach's Toccata, I'm A-Doun, Storm and Devil's Trill. However, Vivaldi's Four Seasons is such an overworked piece and the two movements included here are coarse and lacking in any musical feeling, certainly nowhere near the league of Kennedy for ostentation or Vengerov for warmth. And I'm sorry but her own compositions (Destiny, Aurora, Solace) are so bland they could be TV test card music.

Above ... Read More:

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Sky

Childrens Toy Shop > Classical Music > Classical
by: Sky

February 26, 2008
The front cover of Sky's debut album from 1979 proudly headlines the cast of top quality musicians that comprise its membership. Musicianship was never going to be an issue for the band that attempted to fuse rock with classical music. Ultimately, the music is sometimes one genre and sometimes the other, but never both. Nor is it ever totally convincing as rock. Despite the electric guitars and drums, classical values preclude the edge or soul of authentic rock music. Yet 'Sky' is a lovely album on its own terms. 'Westway', 'Cannonball' and ex-Curved Air Francis Monkman's five-part opus, 'Where Opposites Meet' represent the modern style, while 'La Danza' and the much-covered 'Gymnopedie No 1' are dragged out of the past. The Monkman-Gomm composition, 'Carrillon', is ... Read More: