Rich in London [Import]

Rich in London [Import]

ASIN: B0009S8ETW

Track Listings

1. Dancing Men

2. Word

3. St. Mark's Square

4. That's Enough

5. Little Train

6. Two Bass Hit

7. Theme From "Love Story"

8. Time Being

9. Buddy Rich Speaks

Tracks:

Dancing Men
Word
St. Marks Square (A Special Day)
That's Enough
Little Train
Moment's Notice
In a Mellow Tone
Milestones
Watson's Walk
Two Bass Hit
Theme from "Love Story"
Time Being
Buddy Rich Speaks

Customer Reviews:

One Of The Best Buddy Rich Albums Available!.......2007-03-09

If you are a Buddy Rich fan, even slightly, you NEED this CD! This is one of the BEST Buddy Rich Albums EVER put together! By the time your done listening to this CD, you'll swear you were in the room when they recorded it! It is Buddy at his best and a fantastic band to boot! Very, VERY entertaining! GREAT jazz! A MUST have! Although it will be twenty years in April since we lost Buddy, listen to this CD and you will say "LONG LIVE BUDDY RICH!"

Are you a TRUE Buddy Rich Fan?.......2007-01-23

If you are a true Buddy Rich fan or even if you just appreciate how an fifteen piece band can play so intricately as to sound like they were all born together, then this is a must have collection of songs. The recording is excellent and the acoustics in the club (Ronnie Scott's jazz Club in London) are perfect for hearing all of the nuances of the band and, of course, Buddy's playing.

Buddy shines on every song and the charts are very complex and present a true picture of just how good the band really was. The solo by Buddy on Time Being is breath-taking in its complexity and precision. It is definitely one of the best solos that Buddy has ever put on record and I have heard them all.

Even jazz lovers who are not drummers, as I am, will enjoy this album primarily because the charts are very complex and utilize intertwining intricate intrstrumentation. The sound within the club makes you feel as though you are there listening to a true jazz band rather than sitting at a concert in an auditorium with all of the background echo.

If you are a TRUE Buddy Rich fan you have to have this CD! There is no question about it. Buddy is at his best here and so is the band.

L.Webb
Houston, TX

Best of the RCA recordings - 4.5 stars.......2006-12-13

This CD represents the U.S. release and is impressive, first for it's sound quality, a notch or two better than the RCA studio efforts and arguably a match for some (not all) of the Dick Bock-produced sessions on Pacific Jazz, and secondly for the charts, some of the most complex ever performed by any edition of a Buddy Rich Big Band (and that's saying something!). While not all of the charts are a blazing success, enough of them are that this CD is a must for any drummer's collection, and no big band collection would be complete without it (I find this recording to be of particular note because of the infamous Fibes snare drum being used throughout). In high regard is the opener, Dancing Men, along with the Gillespie/Lewis composition Two Bass Hit, taken at a tempo faster than any subsequent recording of the chart that I'm aware of. While the solo's by the leader are all noteworthy, I get my thrills listening to Buddy back the band, and am simply astonished at the 'duet' that he and his bass player perform on Dancing Men - truly a tour de force of drumming skill. The inclusion of Kathy Rich and friends in a vocal performance with the band is an interesting follow-up to her debut as a teenager, and the famous Buddy Rich Speaks is included here - I just wish there was more, hence my FOUR STAR+ review and rating. Superlatives aside, the guy was simply the best.

Buddy Rich - "Rich in London".......2006-02-24

This cd comes from Buddy's regular visit to Ronnie Scott's club in London, I was there for two of the five nights he played and it was magical. I have the record (a double LP - cd's hadn't been invented at that time!)so I was a little disappointed that the cd did not have the same amount of music as the record. Having said that the selection on the cd still represents the best of what was played that week. Buddy (and the band) were 'on fire' and the results can be heard on this excellent recording. A must for Buddy fans!!

WOW!!!.......2006-02-08

GODDAMN this is good!!!!! Own it! Love it!! Try to sit still in your seat during the finale of "Time Being"

Average customer rating:

a voice teacher and early music fan
Mad dogs and an Englishman called Ian
Coward the Composer, Quite Charming without the Camp
COWARD'S THEATRE SONGS

Noel Coward Songbook
Ian Bostridge
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Ian Bostridge - Songs of Faure, Debussy & Poulenc
Songs of Noel Coward
Perspectives
Mad About the Boy
Schubert: Winterreise

ASIN: B00006HM8Z
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Tracks:

I Travel Alone
Parisian Pierrot
Poor Little Rich Girl
World Weary
Mary Make-Believe
A Room With A View
Dance, Little Lady
If You Could Only Come With Me
I'll See You Again
Zigeuner
The Dream Is Over
Any Little Fish
Twentieth Century Blues
Mad Dogs And Englishmen
Let's Say Good-bye
Something To Do With Spring
The Party's Over Now
Someday I'll Find You
Never Again

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-03-25

I have always admired the nonchalant and somewhat dry humor of Noel Coward lyrics, not to mention the interesting twists and turns that his music often takes, I admire Ian Bostridge for attempting his songs and doing a "bang-up" job of it! A quote from Ian Bostridge prior to making this recording:"My first concern while contemplating a disc of Noel Corward songs was finding a voice for them,,,,,,We need to remember that, in Coward, we have not only a formidable playwright and screenwriter, but also the English equivalent of Irving Berlin or Cole Porter". After I heard this from Bostridge (on an interview on ABC) I began to appreciate the songs much more than previously.There is much philosophising going on as in "I Travel Alone" and some are quite humorous as in "Mad Dogs and Englishmen". One has to listen more than once to get it all, but it's worth the time. And I definately think that Ian found the voice to sing them.Do I prefer Bostridge singing classical??Of course!!!!!But I still enjoy a break now and then and I'll take this disc for that reason.

Mad dogs and an Englishman called Ian .......2005-09-02

I must say that I approached this album as a fan of Ian rather than Noel Coward (and admittedly still don't really have a good idea of who the man is). So in terms of Ian's singing, I like it a lot. He has a wonderfully dextrous voice and a clear tone, complemented by Jeffrey Tate on the piano and the soprano Sophie Daneman for several numbers.

Generally I find myself unable to appreciate the work of classical singers who do crossover albums, but Ian is an exception. It has been said elsewhere that he may lack a robustness in his voice, but here in fact, one would not wish for an overpowering tenor. He isn't at all overblown, unlike many other singers in crossovers. The lightness of his voice lends a kind of intimacy to these recordings, as if he were singing in a café or an at-home musical evening.

The material is, of course, a departure from Schubert, &c., but he handles it well. However, I do think that he has a better emotional feel for the 19th century German romanticists and the 20th century British classical composers (i.e. Britten). This recording is pleasant but it seems to me to lack the emotional depth of Ian's Schumann in particular - a perceived deficiency that might lie with the composer Coward rather than the performer.

I like to listen to this CD when I want to listen to Ian sing, but am not in the mood for his more serious/depressing recordings (a la Schubert & Britten). The lyrics are pretty inane, the same goes for the songs themselves - melodically speaking - but Ian makes them special. So four stars.

Coward the Composer, Quite Charming without the Camp.......2002-11-18

I love this CD. I have a collection of Noel Coward performing his major songs, and I found it entertaining, but frankly I was never much drawn to it after the initial novelty wore off. I never really appreciated Coward as a composer because his campy persona and limited vocal talents got in the way. I bought this CD as a gift for a big Coward fan, and I am ashamed that I have not yet given it to him because I enjoy it so much. Bostridge is a really fine tenor. The beauty and subtlety of his voice bring out the beauty of Coward's melodies and the wit of his lyrics without overwhelming them with a heavy and mannered "classical" style, which is the bane of most such "crossover" CDs. The CD is also beautifully recorded. Outstanding songs include "I Travel Alone," "Parisian Pierrot," "World Weary," and "A Room with a View." Bostridge also has just the right touch with the goofier songs like "Mad Dogs and Englishmen," "Something to do with Spring," and "Any Little Fish." I highly recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys witty cabaret songs in general and Coward in particular. It really did give me a new and greater appreciation of Coward's considerable talents as a composer.

COWARD'S THEATRE SONGS.......2002-09-30

Sometimes musical artists should NOT attempt cross-over albums. I am a huge fan of Jessye Norman, Leontyne Price and Joan Sutherland, but their ventures into "popular" music were, at best, misguided and, at worst, heavy-handed and pretentious. Although Ian Bostridge does not embarrass himself, there is no question that he should stick to more "serious" music and leave musical comedy to other singers.

The theatre songs of Noel Coward take a very different kind of approach than Bostridge gives them. They need an actor who happens to be singing. Except for a very few of the songs on this CD (written by Coward for operettas instead of musical comedies) Bostridge's approach is absolutely without any character. All of these numbers are impeccably sung by Bostridge, but none of them are ever really acted. Coward's songs MUST be acted whether they were written in a comic or sentimental vein. The result is another misfired cross-over album in what otherwise is a splendid career.

Stop The World I Want To Get Off! (1995 London Studio Cast)
Average customer rating:

Really terrific

Lacks magic

NOT THE ORIGINAL VERSION, BUT BETTER THAN NOTHING

Not the Original Broadway Cast (as suggested by headline)

BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST ALBUM

Stop The World I Want To Get Off! (1995 London Studio Cast)
Anthony Newley
Manufacturer: Jay Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Broadway & Vocalists | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Stop the World - I Want to Get Off (Original Broadway Cast)

The Roar Of The Greasepaint - The Smell Of The Crowd (1965 Original Broadway Cast)

Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

Fiddler on the Roof (1964 Original Broadway Cast)

Finian's Rainbow (1947 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000005BGN
Release Date: 1996-10-01

Tracks:

Overture - Orchestra
The ABC Song - Chorus
I Wanna Be Rich - Littlechap, Girls
Typically English - Evie, Littlechap, Girls
Lumbered - Littlechap
Susan's Birth/Lumbered (Reprise) - Chorus, Littlechap, Evie
Welcom To Sludgepool - Chorus
Gonna Build A Mountain - Littlechap, Girls
Jane's Birth - Chorus
Moscow Music/Glorious Russia - Orchestra, Anya, Chorus
Meilinka Meilchick - Littlechap, Anya, Girls
Family Fugue - Littlechap, Evie, Susan
Typische Deutsche - Ilse, Chorus
Family Fugue (Reprise)/Nag, Nag, Nag - Littlechap, Evie, Susie, Jane, Chorus
Typische Deutsche (Reprise)/Nag, Nag, Nag (Reprise) - Ilse, Littlechap, Evie, Susan, Jane, Chorus
Entr'acte - Orchestra
New York Music/All American Music - Orchestra, Ginnie
Once In A Lifetime - Littlechap, Girl
Mumbo Jumbo - Littlechap, Chorus
Once In A Lifetime (Reprise) - Littlechap, Chorus
Welcome To Sunvale - Littlechap
Someone Nice Like You - Evie, Littlechap
What Kind Of Fool Am I? - Littlechap, Chorus
March Out Music - Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Really terrific.......2003-12-14

Clearly I'm in the minority here, but I really like this recording. Mike Holoway and Louise Gold don't equal the brilliant and authoritative performances of Newley and Quayle, but they do very, very well.

I'm puzzled by the hostility that the performances of Holoway and Gold have provoked from most of the other reviewers. And I would think that some of the Newley lovers would be pleased that that the people at JAY think highly enough of this score to have produced a complete recording of it, even if they didn't love the result. Instead, they seem affronted by the idea that anyone would dare produce a recording with someone other than Newley as Littlechap.

Holoway has a more pleasing voice than Newley, and his acting of the songs satisfied me completely. Obviously, Newley had an authority in these songs that no one else will ever have. But Holoway is excellent.

And I think that Gold is often as funny as Quayle. There are definitely places where Quayle is absolutely matchless, brilliant and beyond comparison. But Gold is very good.

This recording is well-conducted, the orchestra plays terrifically, the orchestrations sound fabulous, and the supporting cast is fine. And it contains the entire score.

I've heard almost all of the releases in the JAY Masterworks series, and I think this is one of the best. Some of the other reviewers seemed to have been upset that neither of the recordings featuring Newley and Quayle were available while this one was. Well, it seems strange to blame this recording for that. The people at JAY weren't keeping the other ones from being released.

In any case, the Broadway recording with Newley and Quayle is again available. I'm glad to have both.

Lacks magic.......2000-02-12

Newley was the magic. At the Broadway performance we saw in '63 and in the Album with Anna Quayle there was fresh energy and not a false moment. It's not entirely fair to compare but in comparison, this is stale and leaden...like the movie made of Stop The World (without Newley).

What else we might have written was already said exactly as we would have said it by Jeff Dunn in his review.

We gave three stars because it is still Newley and Bricusse and so it is still marvelous invention and worth a '...quick butcher's hook....'

NOT THE ORIGINAL VERSION, BUT BETTER THAN NOTHING.......2000-02-04

IF ANYONE IS LOOKING FOR THE ORIGINAL BWAY RECORDING ON CD,PLEASE CONTACT ME AND I WILL MAKE A COPY FOR YOU. YOU CAN REACH ME AT brubin@bigplanet.com

Not the Original Broadway Cast (as suggested by headline).......2000-01-29

Sorry to say that this release does not measure up to the 10/12/1988 Polydor 820 261 distributed by UNI and now out of print. I must heartily agree with Mr. Dunn (above). Bring back the Original Broadway cast!

BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST ALBUM.......2000-01-13

To start off with, I am an avid Anthony Newly fan and was really sadden by his death. I did get to see the original Broadway show. Unfortunatly, this new version does not match the original. Newlys way of putting over a song is missed. The songs seem to be sung much slower so the performers can sing the songs. It was Newlys show and when you listen to the original cast album, you can tell the difference. Lets hope they will reissue the origianl cast album again. It is an important Broadway musical and should be back on cd for the people who did not get a chance to get it when it was available. I'm glad I was one of the lucky ones. Did we really need another recording of Stop The World? I don't think so.

Best of Broadway: The Music of the Night

Average customer rating:

Best of Broadway: The Music of the Night

Manufacturer: Reader's Digest
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Broadway & Vocalists | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Soundtracks | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

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Similar Items:

Best of Broadway: The Impossible Dream
Best of Broadway: There's No Business
Best of Broadway: Anything Goes
Best of Broadway: Till There Was You
Best of Broadway: Tomorrow

ASIN: B00006314E
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Tracks:

The Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night
Fiddler On The Roof: Medley: Sunrise, Sunset / If I Were A Rich Man / Matchmaker, Matchmaker
The Gay Divorce: Night And Day - The Romantic Strings Orchestra
Very Warm For May: All The Things You Are - The Romantic Strings Orchestra
Lady, Be Good: The Man I Love - The Romantic Strings Orchestra
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend - Rita Williams
My Fair Lady: The Rain In Spain
Three Penny Opera: Pirate Jenny
Miss Saigon: The Last Night Of The World
Grease: Summer Nights
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Any Dream Will Do
The Music Man: Goodnight, My Someone

Average customer rating:

Wonderful... the next best thing to watching the movies!

Classic Broadway, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Deuce Boxed Sets
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Overture
You Did It
I Could Have Danced All Night
Wouldn't It Be Loverly
With a Little Bit of Luck
Rain in Spain
On the Street Where You Live
I'm an Ordinary Man
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face
Get Me to the Church on Time
Without You

Tracks:

Tradition
Matchmaker, Matchmaker
If I Were a Rich Man
Sabbath Prayer
To Life
Sunrise, Sunset
Now I Have Everything
Do You Love Me
Far from the Home I Love

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful... the next best thing to watching the movies!.......2002-08-21

This CD contains highlights from My Fair Lady:
1. Overture
2. You Did It
3. I Could Have Danced All Night
4. Wouldn't It Be Loverly
5. With a Little Bit of Luck
6. The Rain in Spain
7. On the Street Where You Live
8. I'm an Ordinary Man
9. I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face
10. Get Me to the Church on Time
11. Without You
and highlights from Fiddler on the Roof:
1. Tradition
2. Matchmaker, Matchmaker
3. If I Were a Rich Man
4. Sabbath Prayer
5. To Life
6. Sunrise, Sunset
7. Now I Have Everything
8. Do You Love Me
9. Far From the Home I Love
This CD (and volume one which has highlights from Cabaret and South Pacific) are great to sing along with, simply listen to, or have as background music at a party!

Average customer rating:

An AntiWar Masterpiece
Visceral power & beauty coupled with stunning performances!!
One of the best and most easily grasped of modern operas

Tippett: King Priam

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000000AXV
Release Date: 1995-11-14

Tracks:

King Priam: Prelude
King Priam: Hecuba: What Is It, Nurse?
King Priam: Priam: Old Man Of Troy, You're Welcome
King Priam: Hecuba: Then Am I No Longer Mother To This Child
King Priam: Priam: A Father And A King
King Priam: Priam: The Queen Is Right
King Priam: First Interlude - Nurse, Old Man: Thus Shall A Story Begin
King Priam: 1st Huntsman: The Bull Is Away Over There
King Priam: Paris: They Have Taken My Bull
King Priam: Hector: Father, He's A Shepherd Boy
King Priam: Priam: So I'd Hoped It Might Be
King Priam: Second Interlude - Nurse, Young Guard, Old Man: Ah, But Life, Life Is A Bitter Charade
King Priam: Helen, Paris: Ah, Ah ...
King Priam: Hermes: Divine Go-between, That's Who I Am
King Priam: Paris: Lady Athene, If I Honor You ...
King Priam: Paris: Lady Hera, If I Honor You ...
King Priam: Paris: Aphrodite, If I Honor You ...
King Priam: Hector: So You've Given Up Fighting!
King Priam: Priam: So Trojans Honor Menelaus ...
King Priam: First Interlude - Old Man: Hermes, Hermes, With The Winged Feet Come Quick!
King Priam: Achilles: O Rich-soiled Land
King Priam: Achilles: Why Are You Weeping, Patroclus?
King Priam: Second Interlude - Old Man: O, O, What A Threat To Troy
King Priam: Hermes: A Hero In Achilles Armour ...
King Priam: Hector: All Trojans, All Fought Bravely

Tracks:

King Priam: Serving Woman: Lady Andromache, Should We Not Light The Fire?
King Priam: Hecuba: Daughter Andromache, You Must Go Out ...
King Priam: Andromache: Did You Hear?
King Priam: Helen: Let Her Rave
King Priam: Hecuba: O That My Ears Should Hear Impiety So Gross!
King Priam: Andromache: Now You Shall Go
King Priam: First Interlude - Serving Women: No ... No ... No ... We Have It From The Runner
King Priam: Priam: What Is Happening?
King Priam: Young Guard: A Crime
King Priam: Nurse: The Soul Will Answer From Where The Pain Is Quickest
King Priam: Second Interlude
King Priam: Achilles: Priam! Here! What Is This?
King Priam: Priam: I Clasp Your Knees, Achilles
King Priam: Achilles: Old Man, I Am Touched
King Priam: Third Interlude -
King Priam: Paris: Where Is My Father, Where Is Priam?
King Priam: Chorus: Ah, Ah! Ah, Ah!
King Priam: Chorus: Ah, Ha, Ha, Ha
King Priam: Chorus: Ah, Ah!

Customer Reviews:

An AntiWar Masterpiece.......2002-08-26

Tippett and Britten were composers who, though very different in temperment and style, had many interests in common. One of the overiding concerns with both composers was the moral response to war and it's horrors. For Britten, the War Requiem and Owen Wingrave are his very clear moral response to war. Tippet, in his fashion is much more psychological in this work, which must rank as one of Tippett's best and most powerful operatic statements.

King Priam is a dramatic tour de force. Based on the Illiad as seen through the eyes of the Trojans, the work is a meditation on the inevitability of fate in mass movements like war. Priam, though illdisposed to the war, is unable to stop or control it as it takes both of his sons, his kingdom and then finally his own life. He emerges as a figure of moral power and grandeur, but ultimately as impotent and tragic. This libretto is one of Tippett's best and most clear statements.

Musically, Priam is a powerhouse, inaugurating Tippett's second major style. Priam is constructed in a mosaic style. Small chamber groups of instruments with defined musical content are assigned to characters. As the work develops, these small groups combine and recombine in a shifting maze of patterns that seems to endlessly reinvent itself. The music starts out as largely tonal, but the tonality breaks down as Fate takes over and dooms the Trojans. The work is never serial, but it takes an almost Bergian view of tonality, sometimes more and sometimes less tonal as the dramatic situation warrants. The vocal lines are mostly declaimed, but with moments of lyricism that are unfogettable, such as Priam's first aria, A Father and a King, or the beautiful scene between Priam and Achilles in the third act. And Achilles war cry at the end of act two is bone chilling!

This is a great performance of this piece. Many of the singers originated the roles and sing them with power and authority. Phillip Langridge is terrific as Paris. Robert Tear is a marvelous Achilles. David Aetherton conducts this difficult score with precision and a fine ear for balances.

This is a profound opera by a major 20th century composer. If you like Britten, you should own this as well. It is increasingly looking like Tippett's masterpiece.

Visceral power & beauty coupled with stunning performances!!.......2001-06-13

I bought this on a whim, having heard only the slightest bit of Tippett's orchestral music and none of his operas. I expected the music to be "difficult," and the performances stilted, but I was oh so wrong! Yes, this is definitely late 20th century music -- often dissonant and atonal, but it is utterly beautiful, emotionally moving music. I'm a huge fan of Britten's operas, and judge all modern opera composers by his standards, and (pardon my gushing) Sir Michael is more than up to the challenge. First of all, he takes on the daunting task of adapting the Iliad into a opera libretto and manages to compress the drama beautifully into 3 acts that tell the story imaginatively, comprehensively and in a wholly theatrical manner. Second, he uses the music to heighten the sense of character by giving each persona a unique style of vocal line and orchestration (yes, this is what all composers do, or try to do, but Tippett succeeds in a way few others do). Several of the characters are accompanied by solo instruments (bravura parts of concerto-like difficulty performed brilliantly) -- Achilles by solo guitar, Helen by solo cello, King Priam by violin, etc. Three characters form a sort of Greek chorus who comment on the action and bring a sense of questioning morality to the whole.

All of the solo singers are astutely cast and sing with amazing power. Standouts (difficult to single out any of them, they're all so brilliant): Phillip Langridge is first-rate as Paris, Priam's second son -- he sings with enormous power and pathos at the same time. Felicity Palmer is velvety sex personified as Helen. Norman Bailey as Priam has a raw edginess to his sound, which lends such a sense of reality to a man pushed to the edge by fate and his warring sons. The London Philharmonia gives a virtuoso performance, led sensitively and intelligently by David Atherton. The digital sound is crystal clear and beautifully engineered: the sound couldn't be better live at the Met! Take a chance on this one, and enter into an operatic world you will never forget.

One of the best and most easily grasped of modern operas.......1999-02-27

Contemporary opera was never the same after King Priam, a suitable irony given that the Opera is perhaps the most easily grasped by the listening public of the 5 Tippett Operas. Even so, the "crisis of King Prian" stylistically and emotionally is the germ-seed for the eccentrism yet to come in "The Knot Garden", "The Ice Break", and "New Year". Tippett's theme is the futility of choice and the nature of the impact of choice on humanity in the micro-sphere of the individual and the macro-sphere of the community and history. Tippett's unusual yet perfectly conceived recasting of the Iliad from the Trojan persepctive does more than summarize plot, but pauses to comment on the universal human potential implicit therein. A must-buy for Tippett fans and for anyone who likes opera, Greek Mythology, classical music, or a good story.

--Justin Laird Weaver

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