Adams, John

TV Land Presents: Favorite TV Theme Songs
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • memories
  • TV Theme Songs
  • TV themes
  • Deja Vu
  • Batman and Munsters
 TV Land Presents: Favorite TV Theme Songs
Cyndi Grecco , and Jones, Jack
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006EXIL
Release Date: 2002-08-20

Tracks:

  1. I Love Lucy Theme - Wilbur Hatch
  2. Dragnet - Ray Anthony
  3. The Twilight Zone - Rod Open
  4. Bonanza - Al Caiola & His Orchestra
  5. The Andy Griffith Theme - Earle Hagen
  6. The Ballad Of Jed Clampett - Earl Scruggs
  7. The Addams Family (Main Theme) - Vic Mizzy
  8. Munsters Theme - Jack Marshall
  9. The Ballad Of Gilligan's Isle - Morton Stevens
  10. Green Acres - Eddie Albert
  11. Jeannie - Hugo Montenegro
  12. Batman Theme - Neal Hefti
  13. (Theme From) The Monkees - The Monkees
  14. Star Trek (Main Title & Closing Theme) - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
  15. Mannix - Lalo Schifrin
  16. Hawaii Five-O - Mort Stevens & His Orchestra
  17. Theme From The Brady Bunch - The Brady Bunch
  18. Come On Get Happy - The Partridge Family
  19. Those Were The Days - Carroll O'Connor
  20. And Then There's Maude - Donny Hathaway
  21. Good Times - Jim Gilstrap
  22. Movin' On Up - Oren Waters
  23. The Rockford Files - Mike Post
  24. Them From S.W.A.T. - Rhythm Heritage
  25. Happy Days - Pratt & McClain
  26. Making Our Dreams Come True - Cyndi Grecco
  27. Chico And The Man - Jose Feliciano
  28. Welcome Back - John Sebastian
  29. What's Happening!! - Henry Mancini
  30. Barney Miller - Jack Elliott
  31. Charlie's Angels - Jack Elliott
  32. Love Boat Theme - Jack Jones
  33. Angela (Theme From 'Taxi') - Bob James
  34. It Takes Diff'rent Strokes - Gloria Loring
  35. Theme From Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys) - Waylon
  36. Theme From Magnum, P.I. - Mike Post
  37. The Theme From Hill Street Blues - Mike Post
  38. Theme From Dynasty - Bill Conti
  39. Theme From 'Greatest American Hero' (Believe It Or Not) - Joey Scarbury
  40. Thank You For Being A Friend - Cynthia Fee

Album Description

TV Land brings you 40 of your favorite evening show theme songs. Highlights include 'Happy Days', 'The Greatest American Hero', 'Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)', 'Laverne & Shirley', 'I Dream Of Jeanie', 'I Love Lucy', 'Welcome Back, Kotter', 'The Love Boat', 'Hawaii Five-O', 'The Golden Girls' and many, many more. 2002. Rhino.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars memories.......2007-02-22

This cd is excellent it has a lot of very good music and true to the original sound, Am getting a lot of enjoyment,highly recomended

5 out of 5 stars TV Theme Songs.......2007-01-13

This is a great CD for people who watch a lot of TV -especially TV LAND and reruns of old shows when shows had actual theme songs. I took the CD to work and everyone loved trying to figure out what show the songs were from.

3 out of 5 stars TV themes.......2006-07-05

Not all what I expected, not all of the tunes are the original recordings you remember as the TV themes.

5 out of 5 stars Deja Vu.......2006-02-17

Listening to these familiar themes as performed by the original artists certainly brings back wonderful memories! I was particularly pleased, not only with the quality of the pieces, but with the actual performances themselves, just as we remembered them!

3 out of 5 stars Batman and Munsters.......2005-09-08

Despite what I've read in many of the other reviews, Batman and the Munsters ARE NOT the original versions that we heard on the intros to the shows themselves. To hear the original themes for those songs, go to the TV Land Theme song home page.
1776 (1969 Original Broadway Cast)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Before Sondheim's COMPANY and after MAN OF LA MANCHA...
  • Overrated Tony Award Winner
  • Brilliant, Definitive and Remarkably Accurate!
  • Saw this on Broadway
  • Quite a premise
 1776 (1969 Original Broadway Cast)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. 1776 (Restored Director's Cut)
  2. 1776: The New Broadway Cast Recording (1997)
  3. Shenandoah (1975 Original Broadway Cast)
  4. 1776: A Musical Play (Penguin Plays)
  5. Camelot (1960 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B0000027WJ
Release Date: 1992-05-19

Tracks:

  1. Overture - Orchestra
  2. Sit Down, John
  3. Piddle, Twiddle And Resolve/Till Then
  4. The Lees Of Old Virginia
  5. But, Mr. Adams
  6. Yours, Yours, Yours
  7. He Plays The Violin
  8. Cool, Cool, Considerate Men
  9. Momma Look Sharp
  10. The Egg
  11. Molasses To Rum
  12. Is Anybody There
  13. Finale

Amazon.com

Evidence that one can make a musical about anything, Exhibit A: 1776. As one might expect, the whole concept of making a musical about the creation and signing of the Declaration of Independence was greeted in the late 1960s with, well, ridicule. The show debuted on Broadway in 1969, and three years later, when its run finally ended, it was its producers who had the last laugh. In addition, it toured for an additional two years and beat out Hair (in 1969 yet!) for a Tony Award. This recording, with the original Broadway cast, includes many of the same actors who went on to star in the film, the version with which most audiences today are probably familiar. One notable exception is Rex Everhart, who replaced Howard da Silva at some performances and on this recording. But there's still William Daniels as John Adams, though in some cases his performance is more subdued than it was on film. Musically, 1776 is an odd creation, considering when it came into being. As one might expect, there's a lot of fife and drum going on, especially in the opening number and during "The Lees of Old Virginia." For those less than familiar with the plot, it hinges on the idealism of Adams, who's trying his best to back up the American Revolution with some legislative action, and spends much of his time arguing with either the Continental Congress or God, as in "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve": "A second flood, a simple famine / Plagues of locusts everywhere / Or a cataclysmic earthquake / I'd accept with some despair / But no, you sent us Congress / Good God, sir, was that fair?" (One could argue that he gets further with God.) While not entirely historically accurate, and containing some rather peculiar numbers (Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams sitting around debating what their new country's national bird is going to be ranks among the oddest), there's no questioning 1776's staying power. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Before Sondheim's COMPANY and after MAN OF LA MANCHA..........2007-04-30

For me, 1776 is a great companion to MAN OF LA MANCHA as one of the most entertaining AND intellectually worthy amalgams of music, lyrics, book, theme, plot, characterizations and dialogue to ever come out of pre-1970's Broadway musical theatre. Each song is like a little gem, and displays the broad range of emotions and ideas with which 1776 brims. Satiric, romantic, hilarious, heartbreaking, disturbing, dark, inspiring, thoughtful, humane, and even a little bawdy, the songs glide and tromp all over the map, as does the show itself. As with LA MANCHA, 1776 broke open the Broadway musical, making it a pitch-perfect example of what can truly make a musical more than a toe-tapping time killer... while never becoming tedious, pompous, windy, or dull. If anything, it crackles with suspense.

And as to the reviewer who was shocked that it would win out over HAIR? Listen to "Mamma Look Sharp" or "Molasses to Rum to Slaves" to hear exactly the play's political and often-unflattering ideological landscape. This was definitely a Vietnam-era play whose content was as disturbingly pertinent, then, as it is, now. And, despite all of this, the score and play never become leaden or preachy. On the contrary, each performance is a gem, and each character is witty and unique. Who knew that history could be a passionate and fun adventure?

1 out of 5 stars Overrated Tony Award Winner.......2006-06-16

How could this musical win the Tony award having as a competitor a play like HAIR which - for many people - stands as an emblematic theatre piece of the 60's? Who remembers a tune out of this musical? On the contrary, "Aquarius", "I Got Life" or "Walking in Space" are still popular and they play all over the world. Even ZORBA and PROMISES PROMISES - both candidates for the award in the same year - have songs that are still remembered. 1776 may wake up patriotic feelings to American listeners which is quite understandable but the music and songs are old-fashioned, overrated and awfully boring.

5 out of 5 stars Brilliant, Definitive and Remarkably Accurate!.......2005-12-18

1776 has become an institution, thanks to the motion picture which was made of this original Broadway show, and which starred most of the cast from the theatrical production. It gets rerun every July 4th week on some movie channel or local station!

William Daniels IS John Adams to many people, and even though the story of the birth of the United States probably wasn't this lyrical and lively, Composer Sherman Edwards was historically accurate in the facts of the tale.

In addition to learning about the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this is also love story... in fact two love stories, with John Adams and his wife Abigail, separated by circumstance and interacting only in his mind, and Thomas Jefferson and his wife, Martha, here, played by the big throated (and now legendary) Betty Buckley.

There is also a sense of fraternity, with the members of the Continental Congress grappling with the concept of breaking away from a tyranical ruler. And even though you know the outcome, the story is still filled with tension and excitement in the mechanics of it. Just how DID this country get formed?

The disc's liner notes explain the show's libretto and give you some rare behind-the-scenes info about the creation of the musical, the challenges it faced before becoming the standard that it now is, and a bit about the amazing Mr. Edwards, which is a story worthy of being told as well.

It's an Independence Day must!

5 out of 5 stars Saw this on Broadway .......2005-11-12

Saw this show, with original cast, on Broadway in '69 and it has stayed with me ever since then. Every time I listen to these songs, I laugh. The historical figures (done with some tongue-in-cheek) are highly entertaining and even better if you see the movie. I would recommend the dvd for a great, lighthearted evening, and good family entertainment. You can't miss with this one! A winner on all fronts.

4 out of 5 stars Quite a premise.......2005-07-20

Though it seems an odd choice to write a musical about, it works well. The whole thing seems a bit dated now, it still has great songs. Most dimpressive song, definately "Molasses to Rum". I gave it 4 stars for THAT song.
1776: The New Broadway Cast Recording (1997)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • From someone who despises American musical theater
  • A Mans Show
  • Who knew Mr. Data had it in him?
  • I Love It!
  • SURPRISINGLY TERRIFIC
 1776: The New Broadway Cast Recording (1997)

Manufacturer: Tvt
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. 1776 (Restored Director's Cut)
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  3. 1776 (1969 Original Broadway Cast)
  4. 1776: P/V/G Vocal Selections
  5. Shenandoah (1975 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000000GU0
Release Date: 1997-12-16

Tracks:

  1. ACT I: Sit Down, John - Brent Spiner/Michael X. Martin/Richard Poe/Tom Aldredge/John Herrera/Tom Riis Farrell...
  2. ACT I: Piddle, Twidle and Resolve - Brent Spiner/Orch/Mark Mitchell
  3. ACT I: Till Then - Brent Spiner & Linda Emond/Orch/Mark Mitchell
  4. ACT I: The Lees of Old Virginia - Merwin Foard/Pat Hingle & Brent Spiner/Orch/Mark Mitchell
  5. ACT I: But Mr. Adams - Brent Spiner/Pat Hingle/Paul Micheal Valley/John Herrara & Daniel Marcus/Orch/Mark Mitchell
  6. ACT I: Yours, Yours, Yours - Brent Spiner & Linda Emond/Orch/Mark Mitchell
  7. ACT I: He Plays The Violin - Lauren Ward/Pat Hingle & Brent Spiner/Orch/Mark Mitchell
  8. ACT I: Cool, Cool, Considerate Man - Michael Cumptsy/Orch/Mark Mitchell
  9. ACT I: Momma Look Sharp - Erik J. McCormack/Macintyre Dixon & Joseph Cassidy/Orch/Mark Mitchell
  10. ACT II: The Egg - Pat Hingle/Brent Spiner & Paul Michael Valley/Orch/Mark Mitchell
  11. ACT II: Molasses to Rum - Gregg Edelman/Orch/Mark Mitchell
  12. ACT II: Compliments - Linda Emond/Orch/Mark Mitchell
  13. ACT II: Is Anybody There? - Brent Spiner/Orch/Mark Mitchell

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars From someone who despises American musical theater.......2007-06-04

Okay... wow.

In the Brent Spiner Fangirl Legal Contract, it specifies that said fangirl must purchase any and all vocal recordings containing said Brent Spiner (and that she will not, in any way or at any time, mention how much he sounds like Judy Garland on steroids). Which is why I purchased this CD.

He... ripped... into... this... part. That's the only way I can put it. I was floored from start to finish.

The work, as a whole, is something of a consuming thing. Be prepared to sit in silence for a few minutes after you're done with this one, because after hearing the whole thing, silence will be the only followup that does it justice.

3 out of 5 stars A Mans Show.......2006-07-24

For anyone looking for male songs, or a male show to put on, this is the soundtrack for you. It has great ballads as well as big chorus numbers for the male sex. However the subject matter just didnt grab me by the throat and make me love it. History isnt my thing. That being said, the music and lyrics are great, and worth the money. This is a good one to get if your interested in broadway, but not the Rodgers and Hamerstein style. My favorite songs are "Molasses to Rum" and "Momma Look Sharp."

5 out of 5 stars Who knew Mr. Data had it in him?.......2006-07-05

I saw this musical in NYC and have never been so moved by a Broadway show before. Brent Spiner has a lovely yet commanding voice that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck in parts - you so believe in the rightness of his convictions as Adams. All the performances are first rate, but Spiner really shines.

The argument can be made that this musical was "of its time" meaning the 1960's, but I think the songs still hold up as they entertain as well as educate us. Much of the lyrics and dialogue are authentic.

Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars I Love It!.......2006-02-27

The soundtrack will make you laugh, cry and sing along. You'll have goosebumps as you hear the songs of the men and women involved in the creation of our country.

5 out of 5 stars SURPRISINGLY TERRIFIC.......2006-02-23

As a PURIST fan of ORIGINAL musicals, and not one who enjoys all the revivals (which indicates a lack of current writers...no surprise), I was AMAZED at how GOOD this revival is on recording. I am sorry I missed the show in New York.
John Adams - Harmonielehre · The Chairman Dances · Tromba lontana · Short Ride in a Fast Machine / Sir Simon Rattle
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Terrific Big Big music
  • A Must-Have For Lovers of Contemporary Classic Music
  • I bought this because it sounded so good on the radio
  • Rattle and roll
  • A Finely Tuned Harmonielehre
 John Adams - Harmonielehre · The Chairman Dances · Tromba lontana · Short Ride in a Fast Machine / Sir Simon Rattle
John Adams , Simon Rattle , Jonathan Holland , Wesley Warren , and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. On the Transmigration of Souls
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ASIN: B000002RU2
Release Date: 1994-04-12

Tracks:

  1. Harmonielehre: Part I.
  2. Harmonielehre: Part II. The Anfortas Wound
  3. Harmonielehre: Part III. Meister Eckhardt And Quackie
  4. The Chairman Dances: Foxtrot For Orchestra
  5. Two Fanfares: Tromba Lontana - Jonathan Holland
  6. Short Ride In A Fast Machine

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Terrific Big Big music.......2007-05-15

Harmonielehre

I heard the St. Louis Symphony womp this puppy out at Carnegie Hall and it's just as great on this CD by Rattle et co. Vast, intricate, sailing, imaginative.

Buy it.

5 out of 5 stars A Must-Have For Lovers of Contemporary Classic Music.......2007-03-28

This CD is a collection of some of the greatest pieces of contemporary classical music by one of the world's greatest living classical composers. The works herein are highly accessible in their intense rhythms, explosive energy, and original construction. It's difficult for me to heap enough praise on these works and this CD.

5 out of 5 stars I bought this because it sounded so good on the radio.......2007-02-06

I heard The Chairman Dances and went right to Amazon to order this. This ia a lovely little gem of a CD, and it is so pleasing to find John Adams, another great modern American composer. I'm also a fan of composers such as Christopher Rouse, for example, and Joe Leniado Chira is my cousin. Modern composers are a precious resource that we should explore, demand more of and nurture. We afficianados would like to see symphony orchestras and ensembles giving more attention to the modern genre. Meanwhile, John Adams has impressed me with this disc. The Chairman Dances is my favorite. I can just see Chairman Mao doing a vigorous foxtrot to this, and Tricky Dick feeling jealous. This might be the music that opened China to the West.

5 out of 5 stars Rattle and roll.......2007-01-12

Slouching back in the old easy chair I was very tempted to write an eloquent review after listening to this recording but why bother, no I
think I'll just go back and listen to it again. Care to join me ?

5 out of 5 stars A Finely Tuned Harmonielehre.......2006-04-02

Should any friend ask what CD to obtain to begin an appreciation for the music of one of our greatest living composers, John Adams, this superb disc with Simon Rattle and the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra would surely be at the top of the list. Rattle has selected the various sides of Adams' thoughts and offers performances that are sparkling and rich and very well performed.

For inclusiveness Rattle has elected excerpts from one of Adams operas, 'Nixon in China', in the facile and gently humorous yet tender 'The Chairman Dances', foxtrot for orchestra. For sheer showmanship there is the 'Tromba Lontana, fanfare for orchestra', and the often performed 'Short Ride in a Fast Machine, fanfare for orchestra'.

But the glory of the recording of course is the magnificent orchestral 'symphony' from 1984-85, the 'Harmonielehre'. Though this work has multiple recordings, not the least one being the premiere recording with Edo de Waart and the San Francisco Symphony, Simon Rattle brings to the work his usual insight into architecture that allows the listener to appreciate the splendors of each of the three sections.

But this listener, though long a champion for this masterwork, was still amazed to hear just how magnificently composed is 'Harmonielehre', hearing a live performance with John Adams conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The acoustic of Disney Hall allowed the huge percussion section of drums, gongs, bells, keyboards, triangles, etc and manipulations of each of these sections in the odd ways in which Adams achieves his effects to truly shine. Watching the performance enhances the auditory splendor. Rarely has the emotionally loaded aspect of the work been so revealed. One can only hope that Adams will record this performance to share the miracle. Grady Harp, April 06
John Adams: The Dharma at Big Sur/My Father Knew Charles Ives
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • beautiful
  • Breakfast cereal vs. real accomplishment
  • Fantastic
  • Adams gets his groove back...
  • New tricks from the old dog...
 John Adams: The Dharma at Big Sur/My Father Knew Charles Ives

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
  2. Philip Glass : The Voyage: An Opera in Three Acts
  3. Osvaldo Golijov: Ainadamar
  4. Steve Reich: Phases
  5. Music of Peter Lieberson: Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto

ASIN: B000HRMDT2
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Tracks:

  1. The Dharma At Big Sur: II. Sri Moonshine

Tracks:

  1. My Father Knew Charles Ives: I. Concord
  2. My Father Knew Charles Ives: II. The Lake
  3. My Father Knew Charles Ives: III. The Mountain

Amazon.com

This is a splendid addition to the Adams discography, one that follows him from New England to California. Dharma at Big Sur is a concerto for electric violin. It begins by evoking the West's sun and easy living, but this is more than a musical piece of nature-painting. It rambles ambiently for a while before landing in an Indian raga, jazzy mode and ends with a type of heavenly good-naturedness. The electric violin is played by Tracy Silverman; a sixth string allows for the sonorous tones of the cello. The other work, presented on a second CD (so as to avoid culture shock?) is My Father knew Charles Ives, which, while apparently untrue, lets us know that Ives's New England sound and his wacky one-on-top-of-the-other methods will be found here, and, indeed, they are. It pays homage to some of Ives's music (the trumpet from his "The Unanswered Question" is clear here), but more than that, in its various sections ("The Lake;" "The Mountain") it evokes the nature of New England as picturesquely as Ives does, and parallels Adams's California in Dharma A pair of fascinating works, at times a bit thorny, but well worth it. --Robert Levine

Album Description

Featuring two highly-acclaimed commissioned orchestral works, The Dharma At Big Sur and My Father Knew Charles Ives, performed by the BBC Sumphony with Adams himself conducting. While panoramic in scope, these multi-part pieces are also deeply personal in nature. Described as "autobiographical sound memories" by the BBC, they evoke the well-traveled American composer's east coast/west coast life and wide-ranging musical education.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars beautiful.......2007-03-09

I'm a pianist and i find The Dharma at Big Sur to be one of the most beautiful pieces i've ever heard. The Ives piece is good, but i'm not too crazy about it.

3 out of 5 stars Breakfast cereal vs. real accomplishment.......2007-01-08

I don't think John Adams should be canonized so early. The idiom he's chosen to write in, tonal minimalism, has now survived long enough to show up early critics who accused it of repetitiveness, sterility, and kitsch. But the shadows of banality linger far too often over Adams and Glass, the most popular minimalists commercially speaking. I have no allegiance to atonality or the advanced modernism of, say, Ligeti and Lutoslawski, but on the other hand, I don't want chewable breakfast cereal that goes down easy and leaves a few minutes of sugqary aftertaste.

To my ears, the two works here are quite different in quality. Adams's concerto for electric violin, Dharma at Big Sur, sounds like musical wallpaper, its easy-to-swallow mellowness bordering on junk. My Father Knew Charles Ives, however, is an honest attempt to assimilate Ives, himself an expert in collage, into an updated collage. What's the point of a collage of a collage? On the surface it's a silly enterprise, a bit like cutting a Cubist painting up into small squares. But Adams displays great ingenuity throughout, and I'd say that he's hitting a note somewhat higher than John Corigliano, for example, with some prospects that this coloful, varied work will not date as badly as Corigliano's has. The full resources of a large orchestra are used, and the patchwork includes many Ivesian elements--marches, patriotic songs, mysterious faraway atmospherics--that still work in this reworking. Certainly there's no doubt that Adams has matured into a master of what he wants to accomplish, and if my ears tell me that one piece is piffle while the other is memorable, future audiences and critics will be the judge.

5 out of 5 stars Fantastic.......2007-01-03

John Adams never ceases to amaze and this latest release is as good as they come. "Dharma," a concerto for electric violin and orchestra, is extraordinary: full of colorful, brilliantly inventive orchestrations, soaring melodies, and rich harmonic contours, it is a grand and glorious bear-hug of a score. Tracy Silverman is the dazzling soloist. "My Father Knew Charles Ives" is equally magnificent and rather more personal. References to Ives abound, but you don't necessarily need to be familiar with his output to appreciate Adams's; of special note should be the haunting second movement and the beautiful (surprising) coda of the third.

4 out of 5 stars Adams gets his groove back..........2006-12-21

My Father Knew... is little more than a skillful if somewhat bland symphonic Ives pastiche, but John Adams sort of gets his groove back in The Dharma At Big Sur -- a rhapsodic, rambling, and rather trippy fantasia for electric violin and orchestra. It's not very polished and it's actually a little tacky... and that's exactly what's great about it. (Hey, why on Earth did Nonesuch release less than an hour of music as a two CD set? tsk-tsk...)

5 out of 5 stars New tricks from the old dog..........2006-11-21

The music of John Adams has always been both distinctively personal and at the same time evocative of numerous other kinds of music. In that regard, it's Post-Modern in the best sense of the word: able to combine old things in new and provocative ways. If there were echos of 1940s Big Bands in Adams' "Fearful Symmetries," and a near-quote from Stravinsky's "Song of the Nightingale" in Adams' "Slonimsky's Earbox," then this new double CD is a continuation of that trend. The source for Adams' collage technique is clearly Charles Ives: what made "The Transmigration of Souls" into such a beautiful piece is the use of Ivesian techniques of collage to create a deeply American music of profound emotional impact. So "My Father Knew Charles Ives" is the latest manifestation. I would caution buyers who don't know Ives' "Three Places in New England" that you almost need to know that work before you hear Adams' piece to understand how fully Adams has modeled his music on Ives. The Dharma at Big Sur is a double homage as well. The first movement is inspired by Lou Harrison (who was my teacher) and the second movement by Terry Riley (who's a friend), so it was interesting to hear how Adams managed to be himself while evoking the work of two other composers. My only quibble with this beautiful sounding and looking disk is the wastefulness of issuing it on two CDs. Even if Nonesuch only makes you pay the price of a single CD, the two works together are barely an hour long, and it just seems a little over the top to put each work on its own CD. But hey, I guess if they were issuing MY music that way, it wouldn't seem overdone.
Gilbert & Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Wonderful Production
  • Quality but Staid
  • Solid and Traditional
  • The Best of Many, Many Recordings
 Gilbert & Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by SullivanAll Works by Sullivan | Sullivan, Arthur | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Brannigan, OwenBrannigan, Owen | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
OperettasOperettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
The Decca Records StoreThe Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. The Pirates Of Penzance Or The Slave Of Duty
  2. Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado / WNO · Mackerras
  3. Gilbert & Sullivan: H.M.S. Pinafore / Mackerras, Welsh National Opera
  4. Gilbert & Sullivan: HMS Pinafore
  5. Gilbert & Sullivan; The Mikado

ASIN: B00008LJEV
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Tracks:

  1. Overture
  2. Pour, Oh Pour The Pirate Sherry
  3. When Fred'ric Was A Little Lad
  4. Oh, Better To Live And Die
  5. Oh, False One, You Have Deceived Me
  6. Climbing Over Rocky Mountain
  7. Stop! Ladies, Pray! A Man!
  8. Oh, Is There Not One Maiden Breast
  9. Oh, Sisters, Deaf To Pity's Name, For Shame!
  10. Poor Wand'ring One!
  11. What Ought We To Do, Gentle Sisters, Say?
  12. How Beautifully Blue The Sky
  13. Stay, We Must Not Lose Our Senses
  14. Hold, Monsters!
  15. I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General

Tracks:

  1. Oh, Men Of Dark And Dismal Fate
  2. Hail Poetry, Thou Heav'n Born Maid!
  3. You May Go, For You're At Liberty
  4. Pray Observe The Magnanimity
  5. Oh, Dry The Glist'ning Tear
  6. Then Frederic
  7. When The Foeman Bares His Steel
  8. Now For The Pirates Lair!
  9. When You Had Left Our Pirate Fold
  10. Away, Away, My Heart's On Fire
  11. All Is Prepared
  12. Stay, Fred'ric Stay!
  13. Ah, Leave Me Not Pine Alone And Desolate
  14. Oh, Here Is Love And Here Is Truth
  15. No, I'll Be Brave
  16. Sergeant Approach
  17. When A Felon's Not Engaged In His Employment
  18. A Rollicking Band Of Pirates We
  19. With Cat-Like Tread
  20. Hush! Hush! Not A Word
  21. Sighing Softly To The River
  22. Now What Is This, And What Is That
  23. We Triumph Now
  24. Away With Them, And Place Them At The Bar
  25. Poor Wand'ring Ones, Though Ye Have Surely Strayed

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful Production.......2006-02-27

It is almost imposible to find a flaw in this production. Valerie Masterson is wonderful as Mabel, John Reid is fantastic as the Very Model of a Modern Major General, Donald Adams makes a great pirate king & Owen Branigan's Police Sergeant is Superb.
Well worth buying but it is best if accompanied by the libretto so you can get the most of Gilbert's dialogue.

3 out of 5 stars Quality but Staid.......2005-05-30

For newbies: *Pirates* is indeed one of the most pleasurable of the G&S shows. While not the most satirical, not the most ambitious, it is perhaps the most perfectly realized. Particular treat: wonderful music and lyrics for the chorus.

For newbies: the D-Carte Company produced the premieres of the G&S operettas with Gilbert and Sullivan. Until some point well into the 20th c (1980's?) the company performed and recorded the repertory. Thus, there is a rare historical cachet to anything D-Carte.

The Good on this recording: a sly, sonorous, and expressive Police Sgt; sensitive duet singing by Frederick and Mabel; anchoring tempi; a strong chorus.

The Bad on this recording: J. Reed as Major-General is really hard for me to listen to...his instrument is dreadful AND he manages to not be amusing. On the whole I think sounds as if the cast has been performing this show for decades. There is dignity here, but little light or life. I'm not looking for some tarted-up reimagining, but it all strikes me as stodgy.

4 out of 5 stars Solid and Traditional.......2005-05-20

Despite its old production date, the music is loud and clear - no static, scratching, distortion, etc. that you can get some from old productions.

This production is a solid, regular performance. Excellent voices, English accents, original (as far as I know) dialogue, etc. No surprises at all.

I haven't heard the other versions that are available; but this one sets the standard.

5 out of 5 stars The Best of Many, Many Recordings.......2004-03-11

The cast is first-rate. John Reed is in very good form. Owen Brannigan (replacing the usual George Cook) is for me the greatest Sergeant. Brannigan, also found on many of Benjamin Britten's opera recordings, has the bass voice the role requires (I do not feel it should be sung by baritones) and his dialogue remains the standard. I've always enjoyed Donald Adams and his Pirate is also the standard. Potter, Masterson and Palmer are very good.

The ensemble and orchestra conducted by Godfrey create a very exciting, sparkling performance. This is the recording I grew up with and no other has beaten it yet.

All dialogue is included. No updates or major cuts.
John Adams: Complete Piano Music
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • John Adams very well done
  • American Master
 John Adams: Complete Piano Music

Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by AdamsAll Works by Adams | Adams, John | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Character PiecesCharacter Pieces | Short Forms | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
PianoPiano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. John Adams: The Dharma at Big Sur/My Father Knew Charles Ives
  2. Glass: Heroes Symphony; The Light
  3. Dirty Little Secret
  4. John Adams: Violin Concerto; John Corigliano: Red Violin "Chaconne"
  5. Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 60; Guitar Concerto; Khrimian Hairig

ASIN: B000M2DNO6
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Tracks:

  1. Phrygian Gates
  2. American Berserk
  3. China Gates
  4. Hallelujah Junction

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars John Adams very well done.......2007-06-12

I found the John Adams: Complete Piano Music to be very interesting and gives one a fine
appreciation for the music of John Adams. Would be a well worthwhile additon to your
CD library.

5 out of 5 stars American Master.......2007-03-20

This is a fine album. It is especially wonderful given its low price tag. Adams proves again and again that a composer can be innovative without completely sacrificing aesthetic awareness. The pianists play some tough rep quite well. Thank you to Naxos for continuing to put out intereting discs.
Naive & Sentimental Music
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • No Masterpiece, But Good Stuff
  • Postmodern Polyphony
  • Flash and No Substance
  • thousands of notes for no apparent reason...
  • Still Searching
 Naive & Sentimental Music
John Adams , David Tanenbaum , Esa-Pekka Salonen , and Los Angeles Philharmonic
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by AdamsAll Works by Adams | Adams, John | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
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More Titles at Least 20% OffMore Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
All Classical Music BlowoutAll Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Adams, JohnAdams, John | ( A ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
InstrumentalInstrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. On the Transmigration of Souls
  2. Road Movies
  3. John Adams - Harmonielehre · The Chairman Dances · Tromba lontana · Short Ride in a Fast Machine / Sir Simon Rattle
  4. Century Rolls
  5. John Adams: The Dharma at Big Sur/My Father Knew Charles Ives

ASIN: B00005UW1A
Release Date: 2002-07-30

Tracks:

  1. Naive and Sentimental Music
  2. Mother of the Man
  3. Chain to the Rhythm

Amazon.com

Dedicated to conductor (and fellow composer) Esa-Pekka Salonen, John Adams's Naïve and Sentimental Music is an awe-inspiring work of ambitious scope. It seeks to tackle the polarity between the naïve and the sentimental artist (the former oblivious to her place in nature, the latter preoccupied with location in the order of things) and uses wild juxtapositions to advance Adams's investigation. A wafting flute and harp open the three-part, 44-minute piece, but they are overcome by lurching brass, rumbling percussion, reedy woodwinds, and a palpable urgency. The second movement, "Mother of the Man," is, by vivid contrast, an almost ambient piece, floating on broad-stroked violins, bowed vibraphone, bell-struck percussion, and David Tannenbaum's textured guitar work. And then comes the final movement, "Chain to the Rhythm," the most recognizably minimalist excursion in what amounts to a symphony--in every way but its name. Cells of sound, oboes, cellos, vibraphones jut out as clarinets oscillate and twitter. There's a shimmer, a stammering vibrational effect, and a return to the first movement's growing urgency. Has the naïve artist discovered, anxiety-ridden, the insurmountable pressure of the sentimental artist? It's for the composer to know and the listener to find out. In any event, Naïve and Sentimental Music stands out singularly as Adams's most astonishing large-scale instrumental work, a piece that demands repeated listens and never disappoints. --Andrew Bartlett

Album Description

The album is 48-minutes of Adams most ambitious symphonic work to date performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Nonesuch Records. Slipcase. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars No Masterpiece, But Good Stuff.......2007-04-10

Naive and Sentimental Music is not the masterpiece that Harmonielehre is. Although they employ similar orchestral forces and have similar compositional structures, the former doesn't reach the kind of tension or exuberance that the latter achieves. Nevertheless, there's also a lot of beautiful music here, and if you're a fan of John Adams you will probably find this piece worthwhile.

4 out of 5 stars Postmodern Polyphony.......2006-06-12

Reading this bunch of intelligent reviews for John Adam's work is a great experience. No one seems to be bored by this score and the music intonates lots of different feelings.

Personally I find this music a masterpiece. Not because of all the obvious skill displayed from composer and performers alike. Nor because (as most agree) the orchestration is perfect.

What I think the core of this artistic achievement is John Adams ability capture the Zeitgeist of 1999. It is as if the optimism, all the hype and drive of the 1990s found its way into his score. This is very much music for a certain place at a certain point in history.

Adams also turns this upside down when melancholy and irony takes over in the last movement. There is a ambivalence at play not heard in many film scores (nor in most music at all).
The analogy with Mahler is obvious - a classical composers takes the simple and perhaps sentimental pop idiom then turns it into monument of his time.
John Adams is - I think - the better composer, but the fate of his music (and its critics) will be very similar indeed.

1 out of 5 stars Flash and No Substance.......2006-05-28

As a composer I do actually admirer Adams' skill as an orchestrator and I do like his 'Harmonium' best for it's 'naive' very American(to a British ear) beauty which has a lovely sense of unfolding harmony.
Unfortunately a lot of his music-and this cd is included-is to me just flash technique.Flash,showy and yes-impressive orchestral writing.BUT there seems to be no real substance here.The first and third movement start very nicely indeed.But as other reviewers have said the music quickly loses direction and descends into more complex showy(percussion driven) music as if he is trying to show off his technique.It lacks any real depth.It reminds me of much current film music that is very brilliant highly skilled complex orchestral writing but with not much real musical worth.That is forgiveable because it is written to enhance action on screen.But this ain't no great symphony.His Chamber Symphony is also highly praised but again it's all flash technique to me and not much else.Fast Ride,Loopalooza,Grand Pianola,Century Rolls all to me are brilliant technically flash pieces BUT with no real musical core.
Danielpour suffers from this shallowness too-he is again a brilliantly skilled guy.
There is a relentless tediousness to these movements-almost as if he is scared of rests!


2 out of 5 stars thousands of notes for no apparent reason..........2006-01-23

The following is from my review of a live performance of Naive & Sentimental Music by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. All comments apply equally to this recording.

*********

Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen is conducting tonight, and he trots onstage displaying the "boyish good looks" and "hip wardrobe" that are inevitably mentioned whenever you read about him. The first half of the program is Naive and Sentimental Music by John Adams, which I am particularly looking forward to. I was obsessed with musical Minimalism during my formative geeky teenage years, especially the Holy Trinity of composers Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and John Adams. I wore out my LPs of "needle stuck in the groove" Minimalist classics such as Glass' Einstein on the Beach and The Photographer, Reich's Music for 18 Musicians and Octet, and Adams' Harmonium and Shaker Loops. I've also continued to listen to the newer music by all of these composers (with varying degrees of disappointment) here in the "laser beam stuck in the aluminum" CD era. John Adams has certainly made out well for himself in the "establishment" orchestra and opera world over the years, becoming perhaps the most performed and applauded contemporary composer out there right now. (Interestingly, though, his "official" website is awful compared to Phil's and Steve's...)

A massive orchestra is assembled on the stage for the nearly hour-long Naive and Sentimental Music, including a rogue's gallery of percussionists playing such exotic instruments as almglocken, high anvil, Chinese gongs, "ranch" triangles, and sleigh bells. The usual full complement of brass, strings, and winds are also joined by two harps, piano, celeste, guitar, and -- as if Adams couldn't get all the sounds he wanted from the 100+ other instruments on stage -- a Kurzweil synthesizer.

There's something I've noticed listening to quite a few newly composed orchestra works over the years: beware of huge percussion sections -- more often than not, it turns out the composer is trying to compensate for a lack of melodic and harmonic interest by throwing in as many gadgets, toys, and strange sounds as possible to keep things "interesting." Unfortunately, Naive and Sentimental Music confirms this observation.

The first movement begins with the awkwardly amplified guitarist (who is actually one of the CSO's string bass players) strumming chords rhythmically and accompanied by flutes and strings attempting to establish a very unmemorable melodic line. More and more instruments join the mix playing what are probably various permutations of that feeble melody, those percussionists keep busy back there running back and forth between different instruments, and Esa-Pekka tries to hold it all together with curious but entertaining arm gestures. You get the idea that this all sounded cool when Mr. Adams pressed play on his expensive MIDI music software set-up, but that real human beings are being asked to do some pretty strange inhuman things and that there are probably more time signatures and polyrhythms going on here than anybody should ever have to keep track of. It keeps building and building, yet just sitting there making lots of noise and not really going anywhere... and then it's over.

Actually we've only just begun... now it's time for the second movement, "Mother of the Man," which we learn from Mr. Adams' (really really long) program notes is a "gloss on Busoni's Berceuse elegiaque." That poor bassist-turned-guitarist is front and center again here, strangling all of his notes. Bowed vibraphone is featured prominently, setting an ethereal mood and promting everyone to nudge their companion and point at the stage -- "Look at that... they're playing the vibes with violin bows... isn't that cool?" Things meander along pleasantly here, occasionally becoming dissonant but mostly floating in an almost New Age-y bliss. Fellow audience members are nodding off in droves, and frankly I consider joining them a few times... The low brass chords concluding this movement are particularly lovely, but frankly you can enjoy this same kind of mood in about half the time by simply listening to Busoni's Berceuse elegiaque instead.

As is customary at the end of every slow, quiet movement performed at Orchestra Hall, the audience coughs, hacks, shuffles, and converse amongst themselves in the most obvious way possible. It would almost be funny if it weren't so embarrasing... do the audiences do this in L.A. too, I wonder? And what about Finland? Esa-Pekka offered no clues...

At last we arrive at the final movement, "Chain to the Rhythm" which lives up to the probably unintended masochistic implications of its name. This is a real "garbage pizza" of a loud and clattery mess where Adams empties out everything in his bag of tricks including repeated clarinet eighth-notes fading in and out ripped right from the pages of Reich's Music for 18 Musicians. The percussionists are running around beating the sh*t out of everything in sight, brass players and blatting out chords all over the place, the poor string players are fiddling around with endless ostinatos, and Mr. Salonen is doing a modern dance worthy of Martha Graham. For the first time that I could see, the Kurzweil synthesizer lady finally does something for a couple minutes, but even her amplified instrument can't be heard above all the clutter. The guitarist looks happy to be sitting this one out, and after thousands of notes have been hurled at us for no apparent reason, the whole thing suddenly stops. Several people leap to their feet shouting "Bravos" and whistling so loud you'd think the Bears had just made it to the next round of the NFL playoffs, while the rest of us clap politely and can hardly wait to get a cocktail during intermission to soothe our frayed nerves and throbbing eardrums.

1 out of 5 stars Still Searching.......2004-12-19

The earlier music of John Adams has been some of the most touching and engaging music to me, and it remains in my regular listening repertoire. With the "Chamber Symphony" being one of my all time favorite works of Adams from years past, I have increasingly lost interest in his most recent music.

His recent "Naive and Sentimental Music" is, unfortunately, no exception to this trend. While everyone else raves about this new work, this piece feels overblown and meandering. Being one for really giving it all I can, it seems that this piece will not do it for me, and this is after hearing it performed live and having listened to the CD at least 15 times.

Somehow, it seems I am one of an extremely small number of listeners (perhaps the only one) who does not enjoy this work, unike the rest of the current concert audience. I have had a similar experience with "On The Transmigration of Souls".

Nonetheless, Adams still has an exquisite command of the orchestral palette, and his music exudes the energy and atmosphere of a true master able to unfold a musical intention with conviction. Where his intention takes this listener is not anywhere very intriguing or moving.

I am still searching in his new work for the journey his earlier work is still able to take me on.
Symphonic Rock
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Absolutely Pure & Beautiful
  • Symphonic Rock
  • pleasant easy listening
  • Excellent CD
  • luke
 Symphonic Rock

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Orchestral PopOrchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Music of ABBA, Beatles & Queen
  2. Kashmir: The Symphonic Led Zeppelin
  3. Us and Them: Symphonic Pink Floyd
  4. Riders on the Storm: The Doors Concerto
  5. Best of Symphonic Pop

ASIN: B0002T7ZM0
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Tracks:

  1. Come Away With Me (originally by Norah Jones)
  2. Yellow (originally by Coldplay)
  3. Here With Me (originally by Dido)
  4. Millennium (originally by Robbie Williams)
  5. Hero (originally by Enrique Iglesius)
  6. What Can I Do (originally by The Corrs)
  7. Flying Without Wings (originally by Westlife)
  8. Everybody Hurts (originally by REM)
  9. Every Breath You Take (originally by The Police)
  10. Let It Be (originally by The Beatles)
  11. A Whiter Shade Of Pale (originally by Procol Harum)
  12. Nights In White Satin (originally by The Moody Blues)
  13. Candle In The Wind (originally by Elton John)
  14. Imagine (originally by John Lennon)

Tracks:

  1. Beautiful Day (originally by U2)
  2. Champagne Supernova (originally by Oasis)
  3. Handbags & Gladrags (originally by Stereophonics)
  4. Why Does It Always Rain On Me (originally by Travis)
  5. Livin' On A Prayer (originally by Bon Jovi)
  6. Layla (originally by Derek & The Dominos)
  7. Stairway To Heaven (originally by Led Zeppelin)
  8. Bat Out Of Hell (originally by Meat Loaf)
  9. Run To You (originally by Bryan Adams)
  10. China In Your Hand (originally by T'Pau)
  11. Torn (originally by Natalie Imbruglia)
  12. Bittersweet Symphony (originally by The Verve)
  13. Good Vibrations (originally by The Beach Boys)
  14. Bohemian Rhapsody (originally by Queen)

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Absolutely Pure & Beautiful.......2005-10-31

If you buy no other classical music, buy this collection. CD 1 (Relax) is perfect for dinner, quiet entertaining or just soft music while you're working. From "Come Away With Me", to "Whiter Shade of Pale" to "Knights in White Satin"... each piece is it's own movement - and moved you will be... Perfect for a romantic evening. CD2 is more robust, but equally entertaining. "Layla", "Livin On A Prayer", Stairway to Heaven", "Run to You" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" - you owe it to yourself to hear these licks performed by the RPO.

5 out of 5 stars Symphonic Rock.......2005-07-25

It really isn't rock, but it is a very pleasant presentation of popular music, rendered in creative ways by a full symphony orchestra. It sounds like the orchestra had a great time making these CD's.

3 out of 5 stars pleasant easy listening.......2005-07-19

It's not extremely interesting music, but nice background, relaxing and pleasant with full orchestra. Not a bad buy at all!

5 out of 5 stars Excellent CD.......2005-03-20

I received this as a present and at first I wasn't sure if I would like it because I don't like some of the original songs, but there's something about hearing the orchestra play that makes me like all of them. Just try it out.

1 out of 5 stars luke.......2004-12-12

well, if you like elevator music then you should get this cd. if not then dont waste your time, its lame. big time lame. just listen to the audio samples im so glad i didn't waste my money on this piece of crap.
The Ultimate Gilbert & Sullivan Collection
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Well worth the price
  • Not Exactly "The Ultimate" Collection...
  • Where's the chicks?!?!
  • Not quite the ultimate....
  • Great Music - Questionable Selection
 The Ultimate Gilbert & Sullivan Collection
Arthur Sullivan , Isidore Godfrey , Royston Nash , New Symphony Orchestra of London , Royal Philharmonic Orchestra , Colin Wright , Donald Adams , George Cook , Gillian Knight , Jean Hindmarsh , Jeffrey Skitch , John Ayldon , John Reed , Joyce Wright , Kenneth Sandford , Lyndsie Holland , Owen Brannigan , Pauline Wales , Peggy Ann Jones , Thomas Round , Valerie Masterson , and D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by SullivanAll Works by Sullivan | Sullivan, Arthur | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Brannigan, OwenBrannigan, Owen | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
London Philharmonic OrchestraLondon Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
OperettasOperettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
The Decca Records StoreThe Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan
  2. Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury
  3. Topsy-Turvy - The Music of Gilbert & Sullivan: From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  4. Topsy-Turvy
  5. The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan

ASIN: B000007OU0
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

  1. H.M.S. Pinafore: We Shall Sail The Ocean Blue
  2. H.M.S. Pinafore: I'm Called Little Buttercup
  3. H.M.S. Pinafore: My Galant Crew, Good Morning
  4. H.M.S. Pinafore: I'm The Monarch Of The Sea
  5. H.M.S. Pinafore: When I Was A Lad
  6. H.M.S. Pinafore: Nevermind The Why And Wherefore
  7. H.M.S. Pinafore: Kind Captain, I've Important Information
  8. H.M.S. Pinafore: Carefully On Tip - Toe Stealing
  9. H.M.S. Pinafore: For He Is An Englishman
  10. The Pirates Of Penzance: I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major - General
  11. The Pirates Of Penzance: When A Felon's Not Engaged In His Employment
  12. The Pirates Of Penzance: With Cat Like Tread
  13. The Sorcerer: My Name Is John Wellinton Wells
  14. The Gondoliers: Take A Pair Of Sparkling Eyes
  15. Patience: If You're Anxious To Shine
  16. The Mikado: If You Want To Know Who We Are
  17. The Mikado: A Wand'ring Minstrel I
  18. The Mikado: Behold The Lord High Executioner
  19. The Mikado: As Someday It May Happen
  20. The Mikado: Three Little Maids From School Are We
  21. The Mikado: The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze
  22. The Mikado: Here's A How - De - Do!
  23. The Mikado: From Ev'ry Kind Of Man Obedience I Expect
  24. The Mikado: A More Humane Mikado Never Did In Japan Exist
  25. The Mikado: The Criminal Cried As He Dropp'd Him Down
  26. The Mikado: The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring, Tra La
  27. The Mikado: On A Tree By A River A Little Tom Tit
  28. The Mikado: There Is Beauty In The Bellow Of The Blast
  29. The Mikado: For He's Gone And Married Yum-Yum

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Well worth the price.......2006-04-13

I love this CD. No, despite its name it is not the "ultimate" collection, as scarcely could be expected from a single CD. It is heavy on Mikado, as others have stated. It leaves out things I would have included and includes things I would have left out. But the performances are wonderful, traditional and all you expect from G&S. Considering the low price, it is well worth including in your G&S collection ... as PART of your collection. After the disappointment of the godawful Opera World video series (Don't buy it!) this CD is a joy and a relief.

3 out of 5 stars Not Exactly "The Ultimate" Collection..........2004-12-23

It seems that a collection of Gilbert & Sullivan music that has the name "The Ultimate Collection" in its title would boast a wide range of music, but I found the selection disappointing. Half of the tracks are songs from The Mikado, and the other half is divided between five... yes, FIVE other operettas. This means that the representation from each operetta is awfully scant. I would have liked to see less Mikado and more of everything else, and perhaps some highlights from the more obscure operettas (Princess Ida and The Sorcerer, namely).

In addition, while most of the music is very well performed, some of the vocalists either go a bit overboard or, at the very opposite end, seem to lack expression. For example, this Nanki-Poo (in The Mikado) seems to be overly occupied with vibrato. Katisha's voice is annoying, and The Mikado's low voice often seems to lack feeling and humor. The other idiosyncracies, like the very frightening evil laughing during "A More Humane Mikado" and hissing during "Three Little Maids" really bug me.

Then again, I'm new to Gilbert and Sullivan, and was introduced to the music through the Topsy Turvy soundtrack, which has a noticeably less operatic style, and hardly includes "stage noise"... so perhaps all this is the norm. Do listen to the tracks for yourself, though, before you purchase the CD. Personally, I find that the Topsy Turvy soundtrack, while considerably less ecompassing, is much lighthearted and easier listening.

2 out of 5 stars Where's the chicks?!?!.......2003-05-15

It wouldn't be G&S if not for the ladies - so where are they? How could they leave out Mabel's aria - or Josephine's!? The only female aria included on this disc comes from Mikado, which is the least exciting (if G&S could be un-exciting) of the three! Everything else on the recording is great, but I am still quite disappointed.

5 out of 5 stars Not quite the ultimate...........2002-03-25

This is a great collection, but unfortunately it doesn't have songs from all the works of G&S. Most notably, there is nothing from the "Yeoman of the Guard". I still reccommed it however as John Reed is wonderful!!

4 out of 5 stars Great Music - Questionable Selection.......2002-02-05

It's an ongoing challenge to find a recording of Gilbert and Sullivan that combines premium musicality and great theatrical performance. This recording is a true gem on both fronts. My only complaint is that for a "Best of" collection, this compilation is Mikado-heavy and scarcely touches on highlights from other masterpieces, particularly The Pirates of Penzance. This would be my favorite G&S CD of all time, of only it included tracks like "When the Foeman Bares his Steel," "Poor Wand'ring One," and "Dry the Glist'ning Tear," but then again, I guess there's no real consensus as to which are Gilbert and Sullivan's best works, and there are too many to fit on one CD.

Music Composers:

  1. Alain, Jehan
  2. Albeniz, Isaac
  3. Albert, Stephen
  4. Albinoni, Tomaso
  5. Alkan, Charles-Valentin
  6. Allegri, Gregorio
  7. Andriessen, Louis
  8. Antheil, George
  9. ApIvor, Denis
  10. Argento, Dominick

Music Composers

Music Composers