Compete Studio Recordings [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Compete Studio Recordings [Original recording remastered] [Import]

ASIN: B0002UJK6I

Track Listings

1. Ain't Misbehavin'

2. Oriental Tones

3. Jitterbug Waltz

4. Tia Juana

5. I Used To Love You (But It's All Over Now)

6. Muskrat Ramble

7. Deep Henderson

8. Keep Your Temper

9. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?

10. Ain't Misbehavin' (Alt Take)

11. Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now

12. Ain't Cha Glad?

13. Sheltered By The Stars (Cradled By The Moon)

14. Viper's Drag

15. Blue Turning Grey Over You

16. Alligator Crawl

17. Take It From Me

18. Clthesline Ballet

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Remastered reissue for the jazz piano great. Definitive. 2004.

Tracks:

Overture - Orchestra
Many Moons Ago - Harry Snow
An Opening For A Princess - Joe Bova and Ensemble
In A Little While - Allen Case, Anne Jones
Shy - Carol Burnett, Joe Bova And Ensemble
Sensitivity - Jane White, Robert Weil
The Swamps Of Home - Carol Burnett, Joe Bova And Ensemble
Normandy - Harry Snow, Matt Mattox, Anne Jones
Spanish Panic - Jane White
Song Of Love - Carol Burnett, Joe Bova And Ensemble
Quiet - Jane White And Ensemble
Studio Dialogue - Carol Burnett
Happily Ever After - Carol Burnett
Man To Man Talk - Matt Mattox, Joe Bova
Very Soft Shoes - Matt Mattox And Ensemble
Yesterday I Loved You - Allen Case, Anne Jones
Nightingale Lullaby - Ginny Perlowin
Finale - Joe Bova, Matt Mattox, Jack Gilford And Ensemble

Amazon.com

Based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale The Princess and the Pea, Once Upon a Mattress opened in May 1959 and was a solid success, if not a huge blockbuster. It did well enough, in any case, to warrant a 1997 revival starring Sarah Jessica Parker. The show was far from revolutionary, but it provided a really fun vehicle for a cast of top stage personalities, including black actress Jane White, who played Queen Aggravain (a part originally written for comedienne Nancy Walker) in whiteface. But of course, Once Upon a Mattress's heart and soul was Carol Burnett, who, in her Broadway debut created the part of Princess Winnifred and delivered two of Mary Rodgers's best songs, the hilarious "Shy" and the spunky "Happily Ever After," which sounds a bit like Jule Styne at his most rhythmic. Burnett's timing and performance remain as sharp as they were 40 years ago. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

"Mattress" CD was excellent.......2007-01-09

I've really enjoyed this CD. I only wish the play was available on DVD.

an oldie but a goodie.......2006-03-15

Loved Carol Burnett then and love her now. This original cast CD is a lovely trip down memory lane.

Nothing like the original -- .......2006-01-30

No offense to any of the subsequent "Freds" but Carol Burnett OWNS this role. The recording is as fresh and funny as anything being done today and this is the version musical theatre fans should have in their library. Get it.

Awesome.......2006-01-22

My school did this musical last year (Spring 2005) and I had never heard of it before, so I bought both the Revial and the Original Cast Recordings. Fell in love. I was Sir Harry and loved both songs that I sang in. In my opinion, those are the two best songs in the entire musical, but then again, I'm biased.

Once Upon A Mattress OCR is by far the best out there. Don't get me wrong, the Revival Cast did a wonderful job (soundtrack at least) But There is something about Carol Burnett. She was meant to sing be Fred. But one thing that I didn't like is that "The Minstrel, the Jester & I" wasn't in this recording. But that is really the only problem I had with this.

My fav songs include:
In a Little While (because I sang it)
Yesterday I Loved You (again, I sang it)
Many Moons Ago
Shy

Would I recomend this CD? YES I WOULD!! I would shout it from the rooftops that people should by this CD! It's a funny, quaint little musical that people need to know about. I LOVE IT!

I saw the original on Broadway.......2005-12-19

Once Upon a Mattress was one of the first Broadway shows that I ever saw and I was totally mesmorized and laughed so hard that my side hurt. Carol Burnett was the perfect person to play Fred and it was one of those magical performances that stays with you for a lifetime. The original cast album captures the fun and spirit of the show.

Later during the run of the show a friend of mine joined the chorus and when we talked about the experience, he told me that the joy that was on stage was similar to that felt by the cast and that was apparent on the album. They especially liked working with Ms. Burnett as she was a giving and caring actress.

I recommend this album to anyone who wants to spend some time just feeling good.

Average customer rating:

Brigadoon, the London cast
Brigadoon - the audio recording
Pure Magic!
Brigadoon 1991 Studio Cast
Beautiful Recording of a Beautiful Musical Score

Brigadoon (1991 London Studio Cast)
John McGlinn , Alan Jay Lerner , Brent Barrett , John Mark Ainsley , Rebecca Luker , Donald Maxwell , Judy Kaye , and Frederick Loewe
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Brigadoon
Brigadoon (1957 Studio Cast)
Brigadoon (1947 Original Broadway Cast)
Camelot (1960 Original Broadway Cast)
Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000002SK0
Release Date: 1992-10-20

Tracks:

Ov - London Sinfonietta/Vernon Midgley
Once In The Highlands - Ambrosian Chor/John McCarthy
Brigadoon - Brent Barrett/Gregory Jbara/Ambrosian Chor
Vendors' Calls/Down On MacConnachy Square - Ambrosian Chor/John McCarthy
Waitin' For My Dearie - Rebecca Luker/Rosie Ashe/Lynda Richardson
I'll Go Home With Bonnie Jean - John Mark Ainsley/Ambrosian Chor
Dance - London Sinfonietta/Vernon Midgley
The Heather On The Hill - Brent Barrett/Rebecca Luker
The Love Of My Life - Judy Kaye
Jeannie's Packin' Up - Ambrosian Chor
Come To Me, Bend To Me - John Mark Ainsley
Dance - John Mark Ainsley
Almost Like Being In Love - Brent Barrett/Rebecca Luker
Entrance Of The Clans - Ambrosian Chor
Wedding Ceremony - Frank Middlemass/John Mark Ainsley/Jackie Morrison
The Wedding Dance - Ian Caley/Ambrosian Chor
Sword Dance/End Of Act One - Ambrosian Chor/Jackie Morrison/Colin Forsythe
The Chase - Ambrosian Chor/Donald Maxwell/Ian Caley/Brent Barrett
There But For You I Go - Brent Barrett/Rebecca Luker
Glen Scene Opening/My Mother's Weddin' Day - Judy Kaye/Ambrosian Chor
Dance - Ambrosian Chor/John McGlinn
Funeral Dance - Ambrosian Chor/John McGlinn
From This Day On/Farewell Music - Brent Barrett/Rebecca Luker
Change Of Scene/Reprises/Change Of Scene - Ambrosian Chor/Brent Barrett/Rebecca Luker
Finale - Mark W. Smith/Brent Barrett/Sussanah Fellows/Rebecca Luker/Gregory Jbara/Ambrosian Chor/John Mark...

Amazon.com

Lerner and Loewe's classic Brigadoon shines in this 1991 studio recording led by celebrated conductor John McGlinn three years after his stunning reconstruction of Show Boat. Broadway stars Brent Barrett (Chicago) and Rebecca Luker (revivals of The Music Man and The Sound of Music) star in this fairy tale about the Scottish village that appears for one day each century. Favorite songs include "I'll Go Home with Bonnie Jean," the gently lilting "Heather on the Hill," "Come to Me, Bend to Me," the standard "Almost Like Being in Love," the comic "Love of My Life," and the yearning "There But for You Go I," and the 79-minute running time allows for plenty of dance music and underscored dialogue. The booklet includes an essay on the show, an interview with the original director, a detailed synopsis, and lyrics, dialogue, and even stage directions from the original 1947 production. Brigadoon doesn't get much better than this. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Brigadoon, the London cast.......2007-02-21

This album is beautiful. The arrangements and the singing are beyond compare. As a director, it gives some fresh ideas for musicality and arrangement. I appreciate another venue from which to enjoy this wonderful musical!

Brigadoon - the audio recording.......2007-02-14

Far better to listen to the music than see the movie! The voices were beautiful, especially on "There But For You Go I."

Pure Magic!.......2006-08-02

How wonderful to have a complete, beautifully performed recording of this great (and somewhat forgotten) show. When it opened it was slightly overshadowed by Rodgers and Hammerstein (who around this period had South Pacific and The King and I running simultaneously), but what a gem of a musical. Don't go by the truncated film, except for the breathtaking dancing of Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse, it's whittled down to 5 songs from the broadway score and hugely disappointing. You can even tell all the sets are painted backdrops.
But this recording is a charmer and couldn't be cast better. Rebecca Luker and Brent Barret are perfect as Tommy and Fiona. And Judy Kaye runs away with the recording with her comic turns.

Turn up the volume, sit back and get lost in Brigadoon!!

Brigadoon 1991 Studio Cast.......2005-08-14

I am no theatre critic, and I have never seen Brigadoon on the stage, nor have I heard the original Broadway cast recording. The MGM musical was my only reference point, until I bought the London revival CD.

In the MGM musical, one hears the prelude and the title song in full, at least in the beginning. In the 1991 revival, they talk all through the title song, beginning and end. It happens to be a sublime piece of music and lyric, beautifully suited to the story, and I would rather hear it in its entirety.

The sound quality of the 1991 revival CD is poor. The dialogue, though not a major part of any musical recording, is muted in comparison to the volume used in the songs. In the original cast recordings of, say, Man of La Mancha, Annie, and 1776, the sound is studio quality and there is no trouble hearing the spoken word.

The website where I located this CD described it as a "concert recording," and presumably they wanted to preserve the sound of a live stage production. I did not realize the sound quality was not going to be equal to any of the original cast Broadway recordings I have ever heard. Purchasers should be aware of this.

Once I got over the difference in the production sound, the numbers were done well. The MGM musical, of course, had to omit quite a bit of song and story, but people may be better off with the original Broadway cast recording to obtain the numbers not found in the MGM version. Gene Kelly didn't have much of a voice, but it seems he sung "The Heather On The Hill" with more sincerity and feeling than did Brent Barrett. Kelly seemed to be less concerned with the number as a vocal performance, which was not his forte in any case, and this rendered his performance less of a musical abstraction. Mr. Barrett, however, sung with more feeling in "Come to Me," a song omitted from the MGM production.

Beautiful Recording of a Beautiful Musical Score.......2004-09-27

A wonderful, relatively new cast recording of this classic American musical. The songs are, of course, simply lovely. Some of the orchestrations sound a little hokey (for some reason, "Heather on the Hill" sounds more like a square dance than the gorgeous tune I remember Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse dancing to in the film version of "Brigadoon"), but the songs certainly stand the test of time, and manage to reflect the show's "adult fairy-tale" charm. Isn't it about time someone brought this warhorse back to Broadway? Guess we'll have to be patient. In the meantime, this album is a more-than-sufficient substitute. (For the sake of comparison, pick up a copy of the MGM movie soundtrack of "Brigadoon" starring Gene Kelly. While Mr. Kelly's vocal limitations are pretty obvious, the orchestrations are beautiful and, in my personal opinion, far outshine the understandably "stagey" orchestrations on this and other live cast recordings.)

M-G-M's Brigadoon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1954 Film) ~ Frederick Loewe
Price: $10.99

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
9 used from $8.25

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful: Can't get these songs out of my mind, June 20, 2000I picked up this recording on a whim, and now I can't put it down! The songs are simply beautiful. Whether they were arranged to overcome Gene Kelly's vocal limitations, to accomodate the movie's emphasis on dance -- versus singing -- or simply to compliment the gorgeous melodies, the orchestrations are sublime and have a surprisingly contemporary sound, especially considering the recording dates back to 1954. "Heather on the Hill" has never sounded better. I'm not crazy about "Almost Like Being in Love" (I think I overdosed on this one about thirty years ago), but even it's quite tolerable on this recording. Among the most pleasant surprises are songs such as "There But for You Go I" and "From this Day On" that were cut prior to the movie's release: What on earth were the powers-that-be at M-G-M thinking? Guess we'll never know but thank goodness someone had enough sense to save these precious recordings.

Average customer rating:

Superb Saigon
1989 London Cast is much better that this CD
A must for any Miss Saigon fan!!
Superb
Fantastic

Miss Saigon (1995 Studio Cast)
Alain Boublil
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Making of "Miss Saigon"
Miss Saigon (Original 1989 London Cast)
Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical (1997 Original Broadway Cast)
Les Miserables (1987 Original Broadway Cast)
Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000002SM0
Release Date: 1995-11-14

Tracks:

Overture: Back Stage Dreamland - The Orch/Kevin Gray/Sonya Swaby/Emy Baysic/Sylvia Dohi/Rona Figueroa/Lydia Gaston/Margaret Gates...
The Heat Is On In Saigon - Kevin Gray/Emy Baysic/Sylvia Dohi/Rona Figueroa/Lydia Gaston/Margaret Gates/Zoie Lam...
The Movie In My Mind - Sonya Swaby/Joanna Ampil/Emy Baysic/Sylvia Dohi/Rona Rigueroa/Lydia Gaston/Margaret Gates...
The Transaction - Hinton Battle/Kevin Gray/Peter Cousens/Joanna Ampil/Company
The Dance - Peter Cousens/Joanna Ampil/Kevin Gray
Why God Why? - Peter Cousens
This Money's Yours - Peter Cousens/Joanna Ampil
Sun And Moon - Joanna Ampil/Peter Cousens
The Telephone Song - Peter Cousens/Hinton Battle
The Deal - Peter Cousens/Kevin Gray
The Wedding Ceremony (Dju Vui Vai) - Peter Cousens/Joanna Ampil/Emy Baysic/Sylvia Dohi/Rona Figueroa/Lydia Gaston/Margaret Gates...
Thuy's Arrival - Charles Azulay/Peter Cousens/Joanna Ampil
The Last Night Of The World - Joanna Ampil/Peter Cousens
The Morning Of The Dragon - Tito Abeleda/Alan Ariano/Norman Kauahi/Ray Santos/Francis J. Cruz/Juan P. Pineda...
I Still Believe - Joanna Ampil/Ruthie Henshall
Back In Town - Kevin Gray/Joanna Ampil/Charles Azulay/Tito Abeleda/Alan Ariano/Norman Kauahi/Ray Santos...
Thuy's Death/ You Will Not Touch Him - Charles Azulay/Joanna Ampil/Company
If You Want To Die In Bed - Kevin Gray
Kim & Engineer - Kevin Gray/Joanna Ampil
I'd Give My Life For You - Joanna Ampil/Company

Tracks:

Entr'Acte - Orch
Bui Doi - Hinton Battle/Chor
The Revelation - Hinton Battle/Peter Cousens/Ruthie Henshall
What A Waste - Kevin Gray/Company
Please - Hinton Battle/Joanna Ampil
Chris Is Here - Junix Inocian/Hinton Battle/Kevin Gray/Joanna Ampil
Kim's Nightmare - Thuy's Ghost/Joanna Ampil/Peter Cousens/Hinton Battle/Company
Room 317 - Joanna Ampil/Ruthie Henshall
Now That I've Seen Her - Ruthie Henshall
The Confrontation - Ruthie Henshall/Peter Cousens/Hinton Battle
The American Dream - Kevin Gray/Company
Finale - Joanny Ampil/Peter Cousens

Customer Reviews:

Superb Saigon.......2007-01-26

Wonderful to be able to catch the entire essence of Saigon. The highlights are good but, to be able to catch EVERY aspect of the show.....is amazing. Completely suggest for any diehard fan!

1989 London Cast is much better that this CD.......2006-12-15

Lea Solonga will always be Miss Saigon. Not putting her on this CD is a crime.

A must for any Miss Saigon fan!!.......2006-08-20

Miss Saigon is my favorite all-time musical! I was hesitant when buying this recording because in my mind Lea Salonga is and always will be Kim! But I was pleasantly surprised. Joanna Ampil as Kim holds her own. While she doesn't have the vocal range of Lea, she has a beautiful, crisp voice which she uses to emote the emotional turmoil of Kim. She expresses herself in a way that makes you feel her love, pain and anguish and in turn she makes this part her own. The rest of the cast is superb (especially the amazing Ruthie Henshall as Ellen) but make no mistake, this show belongs to Ampil!

I also fell in love with some of the material left out of the LCR. There a beautiful bridges and songs which enrich the story. "Back in Town" stands out for me because of the gorgeous melodies. Anyone who has fallen in love with the story of "Miss Saigon" will appreciate these added gems! This cast recording is definitely worth a listen!!

Superb.......2006-06-30

This 1995 studio recording is fabulous. While I don't necessarily prefer it entirely over the original cast recording, there are elements to this recording that are over and above the original.

Joanna Ampil, while delightful as Kim, lacks Lea Salonga's essence. There are moments I find her, how shall I say it - too much? - even when the score calls for drama. Perhaps it is the over enunciation of certain words, or perhaps it is my yearning for Salonga's angelic, crystal clear rendition. I might have preferred Toronto's Ma-Anne Dionisio on this recording as well. Kevin Gray, as The Engineer, is nothing short of thrilling. He was fabulous on stage and just as magical on this CD - lending a greasy, snake-like feel to the role. Hinton Battle and Peter Cousens disappoint slightly (what is it with Peter Cousens' heartless, cold reading-esque "You shouldn't be here"?); Sonia Swaby a perfect Gigi; but Ruthie Henshall - beyond words! What I would have given to see her and Lea Salonga in New York. And perhaps the most wonderful performance on this CD is that of Charles Azulay's - his Thuy is deeper and much more complex than the original Thuy.

The extra music and lyrics suddenly provide the bridge between gaps found in the OLC. For example, in the original recording, on disc one, it goes straight from Kim and Ellen's beautiful ballad, "I Still Believe," straight into the Engineer's shrieking, "Are you waiting for them to kill me? Did you not get what he said? There's a big screw loose inside you - I will rip it out of your head!" Even having seen the show, I'd forgotten what the moments in between were - what was the Engineering going on about? On this complete recording is a vital part of the show - a powerful explanation of Kim and Thuy's past, and an essential look into the very things Thuy himself hopes for, as well as the man he has has become. Also, whereas the OLC finishes disc one at This Is The Hour, the studio recording goes straight into I'd Give My Life For You, providing us with the Entr'acte on the second disc.

The finale is an improvement as well. While seemingly shorter, it is undoubtedly more forceful and significant. The heart is the same; but there's less of Kim "praying" to her parents and more of her concentrating on her very last moments with Tam, the very one who has "sustained her for miles."

The music of Miss Saigon is captivating, capturing the very essence of Kim and Chris' doomed love, as well as the shattered fantasies of the other characters. It is all at once heartbreaking, hopeful, and soaring. A lovely addition to any music theater lover's collection.

Fantastic.......2006-05-21

After listening to the OLC all my life, I was desperate to see the show, but it had closed in London. But then something amazing happened - Cameron Mackintosh announced a new touring production. Off I went, and it was not disappointing. I immediately invested in the CSR, eager to know the parts omitted from the OLC, and again, it was certainly not disappointing.

First of all, like the Les Miserables CSR, there is much more 'voice acting', (in lack of a better term), such as shouts in 'The Heat is On' and more screams in 'The Fall of Saigon'. When I listened to it, it felt like I was there, in the action. I could see the show play out in front of me.

The cast is also fantastic, and I enjoy Joanna Ampil's performance as Kim just as much as Lea Salonga's, as well as strongly favouring Peter Cousens as opposed to Simon Bowman, whose vibrato is just too much to bear someatimes. And Kevin Gray, well, fantastic! He really brought out the sinister character of the Engineer, stealing the show in my opinion. Sonia Swaby is a nice alternative as Gigi, (with somewhat of a 'cleaner' voice than the OLC), and Thuy is excellent also, providing an intense performance. The only weak link in my opinion is Hinton Battle as John, who, though he plays the American G.I. aspect of the character well, his ad libs in Bui Doi are simply awful, (a shame as it is one of my favourites).

As for the orhcestrations...well, the orchestrations don't seem to be too different from the original, but obviousley feel fuller.

My two favourite tracks are Back in Town/You will not touch him, as it's great to see it in its full form, (this bit also got me the most emotionally in the theatre, not Bui Doi or the ending, this bit), and The American Dream, with the dance section intact! I do however favour the original orchestrations for the dance section, (heard on 'The Heat is on' VHS), to the slinky saxaphone on this CD). I also love 'The Fall of Saigon'.

One thing mentioned alot when regarding Miss Saigon is the lyrics. Many complain about their simplicity, but apart from some occasional comically horiffic rhymes, ('first stop Bangkok, then I roam, cross that ocean white with foam'), I don't think the lyrcis are terrible at all.

What makes Saigon most special for me, (along with Phantom, Les Mis and Cats), is that I was in love with the music long before I ever saw the show, so it wasn't the helicopter, the cadillac, or the Ho Chi Minh statue that wowed me. It was the music, and this CD is a perfect testament to the fact that British (well, French/British in thisnd for making grown men across the world cry like babies, ;-). case), musicals don't depend on scenery after all. Bravo Boubil & Schonberg for a fantastic show, a

The Original: Complete Studio Recordings

Average customer rating:

Fresh from the fifties
Great Jazz
A Neglected Master and his greatest group
A great set of tunes

The Original: Complete Studio Recordings
Chico Hamilton Quintet
Manufacturer: Lone Hill Jazz
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Man from Two Worlds
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The Dealer

ASIN: B000ERU98C
Release Date: 2006-03-13

Tracks:

Nice Day
My Funny Valentine
Blue Sands
Sage
Morning After
Jonalah
Chrissie
Wind
Gone Lover (When Your Lover Has Gone)
Ghost
I Want to Be Happy [Live][*]
Spectacular [Live][*]
Free Form [Live][*]
Walking Carson Blues [Live][*]
Buddy Boo [Live][*]
Stella by Starlight [Live][*]
Bark for Barksdale [Live][*]

Album Description

The original Chico Hamilton Quintet was one of the last significant West Coast jazz bands of the cool era. Consisting of Buddy Collette on reeds (flute, clarinet, alto, and tenor), guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Carson Smith, and the drummer/leader, the most distinctive element in the group's identity was cellist Fred Katz. The band could play quite softly, blending together elements of bop and classical music into their popular sound and occupying their own niche. Most of these performances were formerly quite rare and never reissued before. Highly recommended to jazz historians and to listeners who enjoy classic cool jazz. Packaged in a Digipak. Lone Hill Jazz. 2006.

Customer Reviews:

Fresh from the fifties.......2007-05-10

The Chico Hamilton Quintet sounds as cool and fresh as ever, showing characteristic inventiveness in instrumental textures, rhythm, counterpoint - suave and refined.

Great Jazz .......2007-03-21

When I was in Collage I listen to a Jazz radio station in Long Beach California. (The Jazz Knob) There was a program called "Sleepy's Hollow" which introduced me to Chico Hamiltion. I then bought this album and many others to follow. Over the years I lost in moving my whole collection of 50's jazz. Now with this purchase I have finally able to enjoy the music of my college days. This smooth jazz features Chico on drums using only the solf mallets. I have never forgotten "Blue Sands" and "My Funny Valentine" and now enjoy them again.

A Neglected Master and his greatest group.......2007-03-09

There have been several Chico Hamilton Quintets, all including wonderful musicians, but to my ears, this is the very best. A young Jim Hall on guitar, Buddy Collette on reeds, Carson Smith originally on bass, Chico on drums and Fred Katz on cello. Cello? Yeah, jazz cello. Soft, understated, melodic and yet hard swinging music all the time. Chico was a great drummer and we all know that Jim Hall became one of the absolute greatest guitarists in the history of jazz. If you love jazz, buy this CD. If you love warm melodic music, buy this CD. If you love fantastic mood music, buy this CD. Okay, just buy this CD. It is one of the great ones.

A great set of tunes.......2007-01-22

I heard an excerpt from this CD on NPR one morning...had to pull over and write down the artist. Ordered it at my first opportunity, and have enjoyed every listening moment. If you like jazz, this is a great choice!

Phantom: The American Musical Sensation (1992 Studio Cast)

Average customer rating:

ACCURATE-NO UNIQUE-YES!
Phantom
It Was Okay
A truly excellent musical
Another Phantom

Phantom: The American Musical Sensation (1992 Studio Cast)
Maury Yeston
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Phantom Vocal Selections
Phantom of the Opera [1990 TV Mini Series]
Grand Hotel: The Musical - Broadway Cast Recording
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ASIN: B000003FGT
Release Date: 1993-04-27

Tracks:

Overture
Melodie De Paris
Paris Is A Tomb
Dressing For The Night
Where In The World
This Place Is Mine
Home
The Music Lessons/Phantom Fugue
You Are Music
The Bistro:SIng/Paree Is A Lark/Christine's Obligato/As You Would Love Paree/Finale
Who Could Ever Have Dreamed Up You
Entr'acte
Without Your Music
My True Love
My Mother Bore Me
You Are My Own
Finale:You Are Music

Customer Reviews:

ACCURATE-NO UNIQUE-YES!.......2007-04-15

THE YESTON AND KOPIT STAGE VERSION IS NOTHING LIKE LEROUX'S NOVEL, BUT THE MUSIC WAS WONDERFUL! WITH HITS LIKE MELODIE DU PARIS, HOME, AND YOU ARE MUSIC THIS VERSION WOULD BE A GREAT OPPONENT TO ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER! TOO BAD HIS CAME OUT FIRST SO NOW EVERYONE IS BIASED TO IT...ANYWAYS, THIS VERSION IS VERY ENJOYABLE, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

Phantom.......2007-02-19

This is a great musical! It is too bad it rarely shows. The songs are great too!

Melodie de Paris - It has a smooth melody that rocks back and forth! It truly is the "Melodie de Paris"

Paris is a Tomb - This one has a dark melody to it. It is not my favorite one on the CD.

Dressing for the Night - This one is jumpy. It's like a fun-filled melody.

Where in the World - This was a good song! This is one of my favorite songs on the CD! The Phantom was looking for a girl with a nice voice.

This Place is Mine - This is a another jumpy song. Carlotta's voice is a little animated. I think it is just part of her role.

Home - This is my 2nd favorite! It has a smooth melodie that just makes you want to sing along with it!

Phantom Fugue - This song is fast. I find this one really fun to listen to!

You Are Music - This one has a nice melody to it. It didn't hit #1 though.

The Bistro - This is my 3rd favorite! "Sing!" has a nice melody. It doesn't last long. "Paree is a Lark" is sung by Carlotta. It is the same animated voice. "Melodie de Paris (reprise)" is just as nice as the first "Melodie de Paris"!

Who Could Ever Had Dreamed Up You - This song is #4 on my list. Phillipe didn't really thrill me. I liked Christine's part though!

Without Your Music - This would have to be #5 on my list. Richard White (The Phantom) does good for this song! There is nothing wrong with it!

My True Love - This is one of the #1's on my list! I love the melody. I listen to this one all the time!

My Mother Bore Me - I love the melody in this one! This is another #1 on my list!

You Are My Own - This is obviously, the last #1 on my list! It is a nice song. It is also sad because Erik is dying. Gerard is telling Erik how he is his father.

You Are Music (reprise) - This is the song where Erik dies. This is the saddest song on the CD. It is another #2 on my list.

This is a great CD! I highly recommend it! If I could, I would give it more than 5 stars.

It Was Okay.......2005-10-19

I bought this on a wing, hoping a little more than I got. I saw the women for Christine as Mariane Paroo in THE MUSIC MAN at Bass Hall, and loved her. So I looked at her biography and saw this. I bought it and was a bit dissapointed. The music is good, but not exactly memorible. So if your wanting a change from Webber, this is the thing to get. If your expecting spmthing close to Webbers version, look elsewhere.

A truly excellent musical.......2005-09-09

It is a shame to learn that Kopit and Yeston purchased the rights to the Pantom of the Opera but were usurped by Andrew Lloyd Webber as it was in the public domain in Enland. Otherwise, we would have this marvelous music to listen to as much as we now listen to Webber's work. In a way we are fortunate that Webber's work can be heard as well as Yeston's work as the latter was allowed to publish in the US. Still, it is sad to realize that the public mainly ignores this work as they think first, that it even exists and second, that it is inferior to the Webber's work. The fact is that Phantom is excellent in its own right and has great songs such as "Home", "Melodie de Paris" and "Who Could Have Dreamed Up You". I highly recommend it to anyone.

Another Phantom.......2005-08-17

I'm quite happy with this masterpiece. Glad to hear something different than Webber's Phantom.

The Boys from Syracuse (1997 Studio Cast)

Average customer rating:

More Classic Rodgers & Hart
Not Syracuse New York after all
beautiful new recording of the Rodgers and Hart smash-hit!
A slightly dissenting opinion
an absolute delight

The Boys from Syracuse (1997 Studio Cast)
Richard Rodgers , Lorenz Hart , Debbie Gravitte , and Rebecca Luker
Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Babes In Arms (1999 City Center Encores! Cast)
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Babes In Arms (1989 Broadway Revival Cast)
Boys from Syracuse

ASIN: B000000PL8
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Overture
Prologue
I Had Twins
Dear Old Syracuse
What Can You Do With A Man?
Falling In Love With Love
The Shortest Day Of The Year
This Can't Be Love
Reprise: This Can't Be Love
Reprise: The Shortest Day of the Year
Finale Act I: Let Antipholus In
Ladies of the Evening
He and She
You Have Cast Your Shadow On The Sea
Come With Me
Big Brother
Twins Ballet
Sing For Your
Oh, Diogenes
Finale Act II: "This Can't Be Love"

Customer Reviews:

More Classic Rodgers & Hart.......2007-06-26

This is another show all music theatre lovers should know. This recording does it justice.

Not Syracuse New York after all.......2006-03-06

This famous American musical well deserves to be remounted commercially, though those familiar with Shakespeare (or the Australian musical The Venetian Twins) may find it strangely familiar. This is a terrific recreation of the style and performance of the original score and the series it is part of deserves support for giving exposure to some rarely staged shows. Not that its songs are not famous in their own right - but you do tend to hear them and think "so that's where that comes from". A must have if you are a serious music theatre fan.

beautiful new recording of the Rodgers and Hart smash-hit!.......2003-10-28

THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE is one of the more delighful offerings in the Rodgers and Hart canon. It features some of the most beloved songs ever written for the Broadway stage. This recording is from the acclaimed 1997 concert-reading from the Encores! series.

Rebecca Luker (THE SECRET GARDEN, THE MUSIC MAN), Davis Gaines (THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, SWEENEY TODD), Sarah Uriarte Berry, Julie Halston (GYPSY), Debbie Gravitte and Malcolm Gets, all superb Broadway talents, lead the strong cast.

The musical, based on Shakespeare's COMEDY OF ERRORS, originally opened on Broadway in 1938. This is the first time since then that the show has featured the original orchestrations, restored and played to perfection by the Coffee Club Orchestra, led by Rob Fisher.

Rebecca Luker dazzles and scintillates with "Falling in Love with Love"; Debbie Gravitte belts out "Oh, Diogenes" in her own grand style, whilst Davis Gaines and Sarah Uriarte Berry sing the ballad "This Can't Be Love" (later added to the film score of Rodgers and Hart's JUMBO). Luker, Gravitte and Berry also sing a dizzying rendition of "Sing For Your Supper", arguably one of the score's high-points.

This album is a must-own for fans of this gorgeous show and its candy-box score. Highly-recommended.

A slightly dissenting opinion.......2002-06-10

What is right about this album is almost enough to make me understand why everyone on this page so unreservedly raves about it. The performers are great, the women more so than the men, both seperately (Rebecca Luker in "Falling In Love WIth Love" and the reprise of "The Shortest Day of the Year," Sarah Uriate Berry in her duet and reprise of "This Can't Be Love," and Debbie Gravitte in "What Can You Do With a Man?" "He and She," and especially "Oh, Diogenes!") and together in the showstopping trio "Sing For YOur Supper". The completeness of the recording and the restored original orchestrations are a great bonus. And there is plenty of energy and fun to be found. But there isn't quite enough to disguise the fact that this score doesn't quite approach the greatness of the Rodgers and Hart scores for such shows as Pal Joey, On Your Toes, and Babes In Arms. Those shows had one great song after another, or at the very least great tunes supplemented by ones that weren't on their level but were perfectly pleasent and agreeable in their own right. This show's score has plenty of great songs, including the above mentioned as well as "Dear Old Syracuse," "You Have Cast YOur Shadow On the Sea," and the touching "Big Brother," but there are a few noticeable misses, made all the more dissapointing when one considers Rodgers and Hart's reputation and repertoire. The opening shows the pitfalls that can be encountered in the attempts to integrate a musical; is is dull exposition instead of a great song that also eases the audience into the story. "Ladies of the Evening" and "Come With Me" are one-joke songs, and Hart doesn't seem to try too hard to come up with enough of his trademark quick and clever rhymes to allow us to forgive that. And the Act I finale, "Let Antipholus In," must be extremely funny in the context of what's going on in the show (A synopsis in the liner notes would have been helpful) because just listening to the title being repeated over and over and over again drove me to distraction. It is great that Encores! is producing concert versions of vintage, rarely performed musicals such as these to allow their scores to be heard and appreciated by a new generation. Much of what is here makes for a great recording, but when one considers that we are dealing with Rodgers and Hart, the odd misfire in the score is enough to make for a less than completely wonderful experience.

an absolute delight.......2002-04-16

This is one of the best show recordings I've ever heard; marvelously performed and heavenly to the ear. I couldn't stop smiling, listening to it. There isn't now, nor was there ever, a song writing team that compares with Rodgers and Hart, and this recording is a perfect tribute. Wonderful.

Average customer rating:

History in Lyrics
Great show Great songs
OMG AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME
VERY powerful
I was there!

The Civil War (1998 Studio Cast)
Frank Wildhorn , and Jack Murphy
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Civil War: The Nashville Sessions (1998 Studio Cast)
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The Civil War
Jekyll & Hyde - The Gothic Musical Thriller (1994 Concept Cast)
Little Women The Musical (2005 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00000DP1V
Release Date: 1999-01-05

Tracks:

Prologue - Charlie Daniels
Brother, My Brother - Michael Lanning
Lincoln: The Better Angels Of Our Nature - James Garner
By The Sword/Sons Of Dixie - Broadway All Stars
Tell My Father - Kevin Sharp
My Name Is Fredrick Douglas - Danny Glover
Freedom's Child - Hootie & The Blowfish
Missing You (My Bill) - Deana Carter
If Prayin' Were Horses - Cheryl Freeman And Michel Bell
Virginia - Gene Miller
The Day The Sun Stood Still - Travis Tritt
Oh, Be Joyful! - Broadway All Stars
Frederick Douglass: The Destiny Of America - Danny Glover
Father How Long? - Michel Bell
Reprise: Brother, My Brother - Michael Lanning
A Nurse's Diary - Linda Eder
I Never Knew His Name - Linda Eder
Still I Rise - Dr. Maya Angelou
River Jordan - Bebe Winans

Tracks:

Lincoln: The Bottom Is Out Of The Tub - James Garner
How Many Devils? - Broadway All Stars
Old Gray Coat - Trace Adkins
With These Hands - Amy Grant & Bryan White
The White House At Night - Ellen Burstyn
A Candle In The Window - Linda Eder
Greenback - Dr. John
Sojourner Truth: Ain't I A Woman? - Dr. Maya Angelou
Someday - Patti Labelle
Regimental Drummer - Michael English
I'll Never Pass This Way Again - Tracy Lawrence
Lincoln: Letter To Mrs. Bixby - James Garner
Five Boys - Betty Buckley
Judgment Day - Shiloh
Sarah - Carl Anderson
The Honor Of Your Name - Trisha Yearwood
Northbound Train - John Popper & Friends
Last Waltz For Dixie - John Berry
In Great Deeds - Charlie Daniels
The Glory - Michael Lanning, Gene Miller, Linda Eder And Choir

Customer Reviews:

History in Lyrics.......2007-01-10

I greatly enjoyed this score. The songs gave a broad perspective of human feeling in that awful time and some of the lyrics break your heart. I wish I could have seen the play and, when I told a friend (who is somewhat of a history buff) about it, she wanted to know if there was a video! Unfortunately, there is not. Thanks for a great experience.

Great show Great songs.......2006-08-09

Saw the show under the new name of for the glory in gettysburg..some of the stars that did the cd was in the gettysburg show....It was a great show...and the songs were great

OMG AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME.......2006-07-20

I saw this amazing show while in Gettysburg where it is now called FOR THE GLORY and believe me they need to put this back on broadway! The music is so moving yet its so modern it really catches the younger crowd. Getting this cd just brings me back to the theatre where I experienced this awesome musical!

VERY powerful.......2006-06-23

I saw this in NYC. I have this on CD and on my iPod. This is the most powerful album I ever heard. This album really communicates the pain everyone felt during the Civil War. Hootie and the Blowfish's song, "Freedom's Child", sounds like a rallying cry for all black people living in that difficult time. Linda Eder is her usual exemplary self and Amy Grant, Trisha Yearwood, Carl Anderson and other artists add to the experience. This is an excellent compliation which balances country, pop and even narration and a bit of rock, with Shiloh's track, "Judgement Day." In total, this is an extremely highly recommendable album, featuring 39 tracks of good, solid music.

I was there!.......2006-02-21

I am completely in love with this music because I was in THE CIVIL WAR musical and was able to work with the music first-hand. The affects used in our version of the play - the screens, the tents, the battles, the lighting, the orchestra - made this play come to vivid life. I loved the Civil War time period to begin with, but the words in these songs just made me shiver - they force you to realize that this war actually happened, and real people were caught in the middle of it. This music is a masterpiece that should never be filed away.

The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin (2007 Studio Cast)

Average customer rating:

The chameleonic LaChanze shines in this bubbly score

The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin (2007 Studio Cast)

Manufacturer: Ghostlight
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000NOKAQ2
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

Welcome To My L.A.
Sweet Chitty Chatty
Smile, Smile
Dance Class
The Stake
Sticks & Stones
Pass The Flame
War Is Not Good
Brave New World
Give It Up
Belle Of The Ball
Beautiful Bright Blue Sky
Legacy
Who's That Bubbly Black Girl
Secretarial Pool
Pretty
Director Bob
Come With Me
Granny's Advice
Listen!
There Was A Girl

Album Description

The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, with music & lyrics by Kristen Childs; the story - what's a black girl from sunny southern California to do? White poeple are blowing up black girls in Birmingham churches. Black people are shouting "Black is beautiful" while straightening their hair and coveting light skin. Vivea Stanton's answer: Slap on a bubbly smile and be as white as you can be! In a humorous and pointed coming of age story spanning the 60's through the 90's, Viveca blithely sails through the confusing worlds of racism, sexism and Broadway showbiz until she's forced to face the devastating effect self-denial has had on her life.

Customer Reviews:

The chameleonic LaChanze shines in this bubbly score.......2007-04-12

With "The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds her Chameleon Skin," LaChanze seems to be single handedly taking every musical role that calls for an African-American woman to face adversity and age 30+ years or so over the course of a couple hours. After "Dessa Rose" and her Tony-winning performance in "The Color Purple," she proves again that she can pull this aging trick with aplomb (well actually this show predates the others, it's just the recording that's new). I've said it before-- she's a formidable singer-actress.

What's different about this show, with its autobiographical touches by composer-lyricist Kirsten Childs, is that the adversity here does not involve slavery, poverty, or abuse, but rather the difficulties faced by middle class black women finding their way in a world where accusations of "acting white" leave lasting scars as they struggle to find an authentic self. It's refreshing to have this point of view portrayed-- and Childs's music is original and catchy. It shifts skillfully in different ways-- from a sort of pastiche as the story moves from the 60's to the 90's, to some jazzy moments and a lot of interesting rhythms.

The story basically tells of Viveca "Bubbly" Stanton, who grows up in a middle class family during the civil rights era in L.A. and then goes on to become a dancer in New York. Her sunny personality is challenged by the harsh realities of racism, something she deals with, but refuses to accept. Some of the most insightful songs include the ones that handle this in original ways: The pitter- patter of "Sweet Chitty Chatty," in which Viveca, as a child, asks her (white) talking doll why "men throw bombs at kids like me in churches in Birmingham," The dance rhythms of "The Skate," in which a junior high age Viveca successfully integrates the various ethnicities at her school, and "Brave New World," in which Viveca brings home a white boyfriend to her mother (in a nicely unpredictable touch, Viveca's mom doesn't angrily dismiss the relationship outright, but instead just shares her concerns and tells Viveca she'll be there "to break the fall.").

While the show's musical voice and point of view feel fresh, it relies a little too heavily on choruses-- disembodied voices of nobody in particular. Only Viveca emerges as a true character, but a couple songs for two male love interests--"Beautiful Bright Blue Sky" and "Come With Me"-- are notable, even if they feel a little thankless, rather than moving the plot or defining characters. There is an episodic feel to the songs at times, instead of a continually developing plot, and Viveca's final declaration of "keeping it real" feels a bit forced.

Still, this is a musical recording worth checking out-- Childs obviously infused the show with a lot of her own experiences growing up, and her soul-bearing, along with the estimable LaChanze, make for an undeniably affecting listening experience.

Dreamgirls in Concert (2001 Concert Cast)

Average customer rating:

Dreamgirls 2001
Not the real "DREAM" experience
Absolutely brilliant!
Amazing!!!!!!
One Night Only

Dreamgirls in Concert (2001 Concert Cast)
Henry Krieger , Audra McDonald , Brian Stokes Mitchell , Emily Skinner , and Darius de Haas
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dreamgirls (1982 Original Broadway Cast)
Dreamgirls: Music From The Motion Picture [2-CD Deluxe Edition]
Dreamgirls
Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast)
Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00005Y4P4
Release Date: 2002-02-26

Tracks:

I'm Looking for Something, Baby
Goin' Downtown
Takin' the Long Way Home
Move (You're Steppin on My Heart)
Scene: Fifty bucks says the Dreamettes don't win
Fake Your Way to the Top
Scene: It ain't working, Marty
Cadillac Car
Cadillac Car (On the Road)
Cadillac Car (Recording Studio)
Scene: I don't believe they can do that
Steppin' to the Bad Side
Scene: I'm working on a long shot
Party, Party
I Want You, Baby
Scene: I'm a woman now
Family
Scene: What are you doing to that girl?
Dreamgirls
Press Conference
Heavy
Walkin' Down the Strip/Scene: Las Vegas
It's All Over
And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going

Tracks:

Opening Act II: Dreams Medley
Scene: Effie White is the best singer you're gonna find
I Am Changing
Vogue Sequence
When I First Saw You
Ain't No Party
I Meant You No Harm
The Rap
I Miss You, Old Friend
One Night Only
One Night Only (Disco Version)
I'm Somebody
Hard to Say Good-bye
Dreamgirls (Reprise)

Amazon.com

A Chorus Line may be better known, but Dreamgirls was a towering achievement for director Michael Bennett. Loosely based on the Supremes' story, the 1982 musical told a typical show-biz tale of fame, backbiting, and survival. As is often the case for one-night only events, the cast in this concert version (recorded in New York on September 24, 2001) is led by an eye-popping assortment of Broadway powerhouses: Lillias White (The Life), Audra McDonald (Ragtime, Marie Christine), and Heather Headley (Ragtime). McDonald reveals a previously undisclosed comic streak, while Headley confirms her status as a rising star. Reprising the role of Effie Melody White (created by Jennifer Holliday), White belts the classic "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." But the beauty of Dreamgirls is that it's so packed with catchy, Motown-influenced R&B numbers that each lead can sink her teeth into some prime material and get a turn in the spotlight. This double-CD set really makes you wish you'd been there when the show was recorded: you can hear the crowd going berserk at times, and the temptation is strong to do the same thing in the comfort of your living room. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Dreamgirls 2001.......2007-06-27

This was the worst reproduction of Dreamgirls that I ever heard. I was so disappointed the CD went into the garbage. This is one CD that I would not sell to the public because I expect so much and get so little.

Not the real "DREAM" experience.......2007-04-04

Forget about the film sountrack. Get this CD set. And it's far better than the original cast recording which goes lacking. More songs and more everything that makes a live performance just what it is. Live (compared to film where anything can be done to enhance a performance!) -- the energy, the excitement and the performances make this a rare treat for anyone wanting to share in the real DREAM experience.

Isn't a full Broadway revival long over due. But wait: I've heard rumors that a rvial may be "in the works. I certainly hope so. Maybe this time it will receive the Tony award it deserved in the first place.

Absolutely brilliant!.......2007-01-28

There is atleast 5 new songs on this album that were not in the movie! These girls kill it I mean they are just amazing singers, and this all live! This is needed for any Dreamgirls fanatic like me! You are gonna love it! Enjoy! love live laugh :)

Amazing!!!!!!.......2006-12-04

As a theatre lover, this recording is amazing. I actually prefer this recording to the OBC. Sheryl Lee Ralph is okay, but can't touch Audra's Deena. The first time I heard Ms. White's "And I Am Telling You..", goosbumps all over my body. The only weak cast member in my opinon is Heather Headly. Vocally, she just isn't there. Too much Aida, not enough Dreamgirls. But all in all, a great live recording of a great show.

One Night Only .......2006-07-19

I was lucky enough to attend this One Night Only concert performance of Dreamgirls and it was a night I will never forget!! The cast was brilliant and the cd is as good if not better than the Broadway cast recording because it is the entire show not just the songs. Bravo to everyone involved !!!

Notre Dame de Paris (2000 Studio Cast) [Epic]

Average customer rating:

Too many love songs on this CD
Please buy the French version
An appalling translation sinks great musical
Phantastic warm spirit-driven epic
Not as good as the French, but that would just be impossible!

Notre Dame de Paris (2000 Studio Cast) [Epic]
Garou , Richard Cocciante , Luc Plamondon , Tina Arena , and Celine Dion
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris
Seul
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Garou

ASIN: B00004HYKW
Release Date: 2000-02-22

Tracks:

Live For The One I Love
The Age Of The Cathedrals
The Refugees
The Bohemienne Song
Belle (Is The Only Word)
My Heart If You Will Swear
Torn Apart
The Bells
The Pagan Ave Maria
Your Love Will Kill Me
Moon
God You Made The Word All Wrong
I'm A Priest
The Birds They Put In Cages
Cast Away
Live For the One I Love
Dance My Esmeralda

Amazon.com

With the British in a bit of a dry spell in the late 1990s, it's fallen to the French to produce Europe's pop-rock blockbuster musicals. Following in the footsteps of the Boublil-Schönberg spectacles is Notre-Dame de Paris, which opened in its title city in September 1998, toured through France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada, and produced two top-selling albums. This take on Victor Hugo's classic novel features music by Richard Cocciante and lyrics by Luc Plamondon (Starmania), translated into English by Will Jennings ("My Heart Will Go On," "Up Where We Belong"), and tells a tragic tale of love and lust among Quasimodo (the raspy-voiced but effective Garou), the gypsy woman Esmeralda (Australian pop singer Tina Arena, whose timbre might remind you of Lea Salonga), the priest Frollo (Canadian Daniel Lavoie), the dashing captain Phoebus (Steve Balsamo), and his fiancée Fleur-de-Lys (Natasha St-Pierre). This talented cast (different from the one that opened in Las Vegas in January 2000) will premiere in London in May 2000 and includes numerous members from the Paris companies. Making a brief appearance is frequent Plamondon collaborator Celine Dion, whose performance of the opening track was included on her greatest hits album. This disc compiles 63 minutes of the show's appealing tunes, most notably "Live for the One I Love," "The Age of the Cathedrals," "Belle (Is the Only Word)," and "My Heart if You Will Swear"--pop-rock with a slight Gallic accent and a nod to such genre landmarks as Jesus Christ Superstar and Chess. Also included are lyrics, a brief synopsis, and color photos. Incidentally, Notre-Dame de Paris might someday find itself in competition with another developing project: Disney's latest screen-to-stage translation, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a less gritty version of the same story line. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Too many love songs on this CD.......2006-08-20

If I want love songs, I can listen to top 40.

For musical theatre, I prefer drama, though Broadway almost inevitably throws some romance in.

This CD is dominated by love songs.

Furthermore, this CD seems like a compilation of songs, rather than the entire story, so they do seem like just love songs absent strong characterisation.

Please buy the French version.......2006-07-13

When we listen to opera, we don't really worry ourselves with the translation (although it is nice to have). So it should be here. It's really too bad this musical/modern opera just couldn't be presented here in the original French. I'm afraid this may come off as elitist, but hey, the original is SO SO SO much better than this!

Tina Arena (Esmeralda) may have a fantastic voice. Unfortunately, you won't be left with this impression when listening to this CD. There's a harsh edge to her performance that is almost unpleasant. Her phrasing is poor. To add insult to injury, the acoustics are not spectacular, and the whole performance just absolutely does NOT come alive at all. The French recording is immeasurably better than this. When you listen to the French recording, you are just drawn into the whole story. And, if you know the story (do a little reading about the musical-- it's not necessary to read the Victor Hugo novel) you will have an idea what's happening while they're singing. (If you pick up the DVD you'll get the entire libretto (in French) and English subtitles.)

Anyways, this is just flat-out not so good. I don't mind the actual lyric translation. . . I haven't listened carefully enough to find offense with the actual choice of words the translator chose. It's really the music, the performances, and the acoustics. Noa-- who is Esmeralda in the French version-- has an incredible voice. All of the cast is fantastic. The English version is just NOT GOOD.

One more thing: It is difficult to find the unabridged 2 CD complete performance in French. It is available to download at some sites. If you can find that, rather than the one-CD abridged French that is available here, try to do that. There is something amazing about listening to the entire thing in chronological order. It's just one of the most beautiful pieces of music that I've heard.

Addendum: I've listened to this a few more times. I DO think that Garou, Daniel Lavoie, and Bruno Pelletier are STILL incredible on this version. They bring their same beautiful voices to the English roles of Quasimodo, Frollo, and Gringoire. However, Tina Arena's Esmeralda is really enough to ruin the entire score. Her voice is absolutely unpleasant as Esmeralda. There is no sweetness to it. Both Noa and Helene Segara are so much better. And, Steven Balsamo as Phoebus is only okay. Patrick Fiori has a rich lush tenor when he sings Phoebus' part in the French version. Steven Balsamo-- who'll you'll hear here-- is only half as good.

Lastly, after seeing the translation of the French on the DVD version, I have to say that I don't really mind the English word translation on this English version. My husband would actually laugh a bit when reading the English translation when we were watching the show. Here, the words and melodrama are toned down a bit. Not a lot, mind you-- it is a tragedy, but a little. If you have seen the English subtitle translation on the dvd (think the song Belle, specifically), and then listen to the translation here, it's really not as bad as you might think when reading these reviews.

An appalling translation sinks great musical.......2006-04-17

This mangled version of the wonderful French original demonstrates the importance of lyrics to the success of a rock opera. A production like this one, with avant-garde, minimalist sets and costumes, stands or falls on the quality of the music, lyrics and performers. While the French version was nearly flawless (brought down somewhat by the less-than-stellar performance of Helene Segara, who in any case does not sing on the cast recording), the English falls short of the mark. Sadly, even the excellent cast can't save the boring, unsubtle, and often ungrammatical lines that replace the powerful original lyrics. Rhymes of the "hell/tell/sell" sort abound, and the translator's preference for rhyme over meaning often results in completely unwarranted character changes (such as Phoebus being uncharacteristically concerned with damnation during "Belle", apparently because the word "hell" rhymes with "well"...) The translation manages two seemingly self-contradictory errors: it is both excessively literal, and insufficiently precise. The latter is a real problem, as others have noted, not only because the vagueness of meaning dilutes the power of the lyrics, but also because it makes the show sound repetitive.

Esmeralda on this recording is sung by Tina Arena; another mistake. She is a talented singer with a powerful voice, but her style and timbre do not match Garou's, nor does she have sufficient vocal expressivity to pull off this role. The music is not especially difficult in a technical sense, and relies more on the artist's ability to express emotion. Tina Arena certainly hits the notes with all she's got, but her Esmeralda lacks the charisma and tragedy intended for this character.

There is one good reason to buy this CD: it does have a slightly different song selection than the French cast recording. In particular, "The Birds They Put In Cages" is a lovely piece of music and, even in this imperfect rendition, is worth hearing. However, unless you absolutely must have this music in English, you would probably do better to get the complete Original Cast Live version of the French production.

Phantastic warm spirit-driven epic.......2006-03-03

Me, evangeilst for the youth, this imagination got from these songs of 'Notre-dame De Paris' would be very helpful to drive them to love the pitiable.

So, if possible, I want to procure the manuscipts(sheets of music) of these songs.
Could you please duide me for my above need?

Not as good as the French, but that would just be impossible!.......2005-11-29

It's true, the English lyrics are a far cry from the original French, but in all fairness to Will Jennings, this must've been a difficult son-of-a-b to translate. With such a poetic and brilliantly written original, how do you keep the essence of the story, make it sound good AND make it all rhyme at the same time? Often, the perfect words simply aren't there in English. Most of the stuff is too poetic and simply doesn't translate. As a result, it's true, some of the lyrics are HORRIBLY awkward, like in "Bohemienne"...
French: "Je suis fille de grands chemins"
English: "I was born on a road that bends"!!!!

Anyway, I saw the original for the first time the year it came out, and have seen it three times since then (and it just came back to Paris for a limited time!). As soon as I found out there was an English version, I couldn't wait to check it out. I was not disappointed. For the most part, it's pretty well done. Just don't listen to the French first. And like some already pointed out, even if you don't understand the French, it'll still sound a lot better.

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Jazz Music

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