Christmas In The City

Christmas In The City

ASIN: B000AB9OG0

Track Listings

1. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

2. Baby It's Cold Outside

3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

4. The Christmas Waltz

5. The Christmas Song

6. I'll Be Home For Christmas

7. Christmas Time Is Here

8. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

9. Blue Christmas

10. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

11. When My Heart Finds Christmas

12. White Christmas

13. My Favorite Things

14. What A Wonderful World

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Cool, romantic and elegant are just a few words to describe this swinging collection of light-jazz holiday favorites. Whether relaxing by the fire, entertaining friends or enjoying the fun on Christmas day, these timeless melodies will lift the spirits and set the perfect mood.

Tracks:

The Man from Snowy River (Bruce Rowland)
The Winds of War (Bob Cobert)
Blue Velvet (Angelo Badalamenti)
Witness (Maurice Jarre)
Raising Arizona (Carter Burwell)
Pee Wees Big Adventure (Danny Elfman)
Halloween (John Carpenter)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (Charles Bernstein)
The Fly (Howard Shore)
RoboCop (Basil Poledouris)
The Empire Strikes Back (John Williams)
The Right Stuff (Bill Conti)
The Final Conflict (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Abyss (Alan Silvestri)
Brainstorm (James Horner)
Peggy Sue Got Married (John Barry)
My Left Foot (Elmer Bernstein)
The Dead (Alex North)
Stanley & Iris (John Williams)
The Milagro Beanfield War (Dave Grusin)
Driving Miss Daisy (Hans Zimmer)

Tracks:

Steel Magnolias (Georges Delerue)
Unforgiven (Lennie Niehaus and Clint Eastwood)
Raggedy Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Grifters (Elmer Bernstein)
Green Card (Hans Zimmer)
City Slickers (Marc Shaiman)
Father Of The Bride (Alan Silvestri)
While You Were Sleeping (Randy Edelman)
Babe (Nigel Westlake)
The Adventures Of The Great Mouse Detective (Henry Mancini)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (Laurence Rosenthal)
The Secret Garden (Zbigniew Preisner)
A Little Princess (Patrick Doyle)
Rudy (Jerry Goldsmith)
Iron Will (Joel McNeely)
Memphis Belle (George Fenton)
Eye Of The Needle (Mikl)
Total Recall (Jerry Goldsmith)
Back To The Future Part III (Alan Silvestri)

Tracks:

To Die For (Danny Elfman)
The Player (Thomas Newman)
Black Robe (Georges Delerue)
Medicine Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
2001 (Alex North)
Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire (Joel McNeely)
The Crow (Graeme Revell)
Blade (Mark Isham)
The Omen (Jerry Goldsmith)
Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann)
Scream (Marco Beltrami)
The Sixth Sense (James Newton Howard)
Xena: Warrior Princess (Joseph LoDuca)
Air Force One (Jerry Goldsmith)
Starship Troopers (Basil Poledouris)
The Matrix (Don Davis)
The Iron Giant (Michael Kamen)
Youve Got Mail (George Fenton)
A Little Romance (Georges Delerue)
Pleasantville (Randy Newman)

Tracks:

Sunset Boulevard (Franz Waxman)
L.A. Confidential (Jerry Goldsmith)
Rounders (Christopher Young)
The Score (Howard Shore)
The Replacements (John Debney)
Gone In 60 Seconds (Trevor Rabin)
The Bourne Identity (John Powell)
Rush Hour 2 (Lalo Schifrin)
XXX (Randy Edelman)
Die Hard (Michael Kamen)
The Last of the Mohicans (Trevor Jones)
Moby Dick (Christopher Gordon)
The Mists Of Avalon (Lee Holdridge)
Cleopatra (Alex North)
Life As A House (Mark Isham)
Emma (Rachel Portman)
In The Bedroom (Thomas Newman)
Cast Away (Alan Silvestri)
One True Thing (Cliff Eidelman)
Unfaithful (Jan A.P. Kaczmarek)
Far From Heaven (Elmer Bernstein)
Ice Age (David Newman)
Shrek (Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell)

Customer Reviews:

A good value.......2007-05-17

I wasn't expecting to have 4 discs for this price, and the music is a quality selection of film music, giving a good scope of the genre, and a very listenable transfer.

The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann.......2006-07-25

This collection is bound to capture your heart and evoke a tin ear on successive tracks. I found much to like and some duds - easy to skip over.
Very good value.

Good mix of film music.......2006-07-02

Good mix of films!
I'm a big fan of this soundtrack music and will be looking for more CD's like this.

A mixed collection of movie music.......2006-02-23

For the price, this CD is a great bargain. The musical selections, as you might expect, are mixed in quality ranging from extraordinary to so so, the balance being worthwhile and interesting. Sonically the CD is excellent.

Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens.......2006-01-06

I have been listening to great scores for many years and this collection is truly inspirational in so far as the choice of different scores takes you on a journey of listening pleasure matched by only a few collections.The price is incredibly reasonable for hours of listening pleasure. Don't pass this one up

The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs

Average customer rating:

The Price Club
A living legend
not your daddy's old timey spiritual
Immaculate Vocals of Leontyne Price
Great Gospel Stuff

The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Leontyne Price: The Ultimate Collection
Leontyne Price Christmas Songs Chants de Noel.Weihnachtslieden Wiener Philharmoniker Herbert Von Karajan
Spirituals in Concert
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Spirituals

ASIN: B000003FWE
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit - Various Artists
Let Us Break Bread Together On Our Knees - Various Artists
His Name So Sweet - Various Artists
'Roun' About The Mountain - Various Artists
Swing Low , Sweet Chariot - Various Artists
Sit Down, Servant - Various Artists
Were You There - Various Artists
He's Got The Whole World In His Hands - Various Artists
Deep River - Various Artists
Honor! Honor! - Various Artists
My Soul's Been Anchored In De Lord - Various Artists
On Ma Journey - Various Artists
A City Called Heaven - Various Artists
Ride On, King Jesus - Various Artists
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free - Various Artists
Sinner, Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass - Various Artists
Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Various Artists
There Is A Balm In Gilead - Various Artists
Let Us Cheer The Weary Traveler - Various Artists
Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit - Various Artists
My Way Is Cloudy - Various Artists
Nobody Knows The Touble I've Seen - Various Artists
I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray - Various Artists

Tracks:

Holy, Holy, Holy - Leontyne Price
Lead, Kindly Light - Leontyne Price
Blessed Assurance - Leontyne Price
Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
What A Friend We Have In Jesus - Leontyne Price
Amazing Grace - Leontyne Price
The Lord's Prayer - Leontyne Price
Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior - Leontyne Price
The Church's One Foundation - Leontyne Price
Bless This House - Leontyne Price
I Need Thee Every Hour - Leontyne Price
Schlesische Volkslieder: Fairest Lord Jesus - Leontyne Price
I Wonder As I Wander - Leontyne Price
Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
Porgy And Bess: Summertime - Leontyne Price
America The Beautiful - Leontyne Price
Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing - Leontyne Price
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God - Leontyne Price
Battle Hymn Of The Republic - Leontyne Price

Customer Reviews:

The Price Club.......2005-04-28

"I am here," said Leontyne Price when interviewed as she opened the new Metropolitan Opera with Samuel Barber's underrated ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, "and you will know that I am the best and will hear me. The color of my skin or the kink of my hair or the spread of my mouth has nothing to do with what you are listening to." Back in the 1960s Price was one of the greatest divas in all of opera, and it wasn't just her voice but her magnificent stage presence, combined with her social activism. All of the above come into play in this collection of secular songs and ditties, some of them traditional plantation chanties and others, art songs and a scattering of pop music. And some of them, like Gershwin's "Summertime," cross the ever-permeable boundaries between Broadway and classical. These recordings were made at different times in Price's career, and her voice, while always angelic, has different shadings and reaches a different range of timbre in each separate recording date, but there is no question that, as time goes by, she is able to impart a richness of life experience noticeably absent from some of her earlier work.

"Ave Maria" sounds heavenly no matter which way you slice it, and as for "I Wonder As I Wander," it brings tears to your eyes. If you have a heart that's beating you will be moved by this rendition. "Ein feste Burg" is pretty strong, but Price seems more comfortable with the traditional spirituals, though perhaps it is the slightly off-kilter sounds of the Ambrosian Singers (what a name) who back her up on many of these tracks, that detract slightly from the experience. Compare "Lead Kindly Light" for a clear sense of what constitutes authority vs. what is a wee bit overproduced. If you had this compilation, and perhaps one of Leontyne Price's Christmas albums, you could attain nirvana any time you wanted to, just flip a switch and close your eyes, let her lift you up on wings of song.

A living legend.......2005-03-10

Leontyne Price (still alive) and already passing into immortality amongst vocal artists, both classical and popular. Leontyne Price stands at the pinnacle of her classical art, but those who only know her work in La Forza del destino or the Verdi Requiem are in for a heart rending treat with this album where Leontyne Price goes home to her roots in Mississippi and gives an unabashed account of the classic spirituals she sang as a young woman. Like John Mc Cormacks rendering of Irish songs there is a personal longing and devotion expressed here that reveals a side of the artist not known in the bulk of their "classical" repetoire. A sense of going home like Citizen Kane's rosebud, or as Dorothy Gale observes at the end of the Wizard of Oz "everything I could ever have wanted was right in my own backyard "

not your daddy's old timey spiritual.......2004-06-23

Agreed this is a good cd for a beautiful voice, but this is not, repeat not, for someone who wants to hear that old-timey religious fervor that you think of when you've been to a Black Baptist hand-clapping, standing, swaying, and singing service.

Immaculate Vocals of Leontyne Price.......2003-12-31

IMMACULATE, SUPERB vocal range and style! There's no other words that can complement Miss Leontyne Price's vocal arrangements. Miss Price's voice is strong, and shrills very nicely to the instruments played on many songs listed on this double CD which is a joy to treasure; every song listed are songs I was raised to hearing and singing. Miss Price is the reason why many of these songs remain in popularity and presently used. Miss Leontyne Price has been incredible in many of her past performances. This is my fourth CD of Miss Price and I am glad to own this particular CD forever and ever. Many thanks to the executors who found this remarkable album and upgraded it to a CD format! **Angi**

Great Gospel Stuff.......2001-04-12

This is a great CD. The only problem I have with it is that on some of the selections there is a boy's choir screaming in the background, and this takes away (a bit) from her performance. That said, her best selections are those that are either unaccompanied or those where her voice is not buried. Songs that strike me are - His Name So Sweet, He's Got The Whole World, Were You There, I Wonder as I Wander, Lift Every Voice and Sing, and my all time favourite Summertime. Enough said.

Average customer rating:

The amazing Jessye Norman
Amazing Grace
Superb! As Always, superb!
Uplifting and Timeless
Why was I such a fool?

Amazing Grace: Jessye Norman

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

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Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Jessye Norman Classics

ASIN: B00000413L
Release Date: 1991-09-12

Tracks:

Amazing Grace: Amazing Grace (traditional)
Amazing Grace: Gesu Bambino
Amazing Grace: Ave Maria (Op. 52 No.6)
Amazing Grace: Sweet Little Jesus Boy
Amazing Grace: Let Us Break Bread Together
Amazing Grace: There's a Man Going Round
Amazing Grace: Mary Had a Baby
Amazing Grace: Panis Angelicus
Amazing Grace: Greensleeves
Amazing Grace: Great Day
Amazing Grace: Steal Away
Amazing Grace: Were You There
Amazing Grace: Calvary
Amazing Grace: City Called Heaven
Amazing Grace: Give Me Jesus
Amazing Grace: O Divine Redeemer
Amazing Grace: He's Got the Whole World
Amazing Grace: Amazing Grace (traditional)

Customer Reviews:

The amazing Jessye Norman.......2007-06-18

Oh what a joy to listen to one of the richest voices of our time! A truly great singing legend. Breathtaking depth and effortless power!

Amazing Grace.......2007-05-08

Don't Know. Holder had a CD of Ludwig con Beethoven! Awaiting the real thing.

Superb! As Always, superb!.......2003-12-27

There's not enough words that can express how wonderful Miss Jessye Norman's vocal talent is. What a wonderful opera diva! I thought the George Bizet's Carmen (CD) was magnificient but then when I got this (CD), I was thrown back. The range and style in "Ave Maria" is splendid, so is "Let's Break Bread Together," "Amazing Grace," and many more songs found on this CD. Miss Jessye Norman, Ms. Leontyne Price, Miss kathleen Battle, Miss Joan Sutherland are top opera divas on my list. So you know I have a fine taste of hearing great vocals; you can't go wrong in purchasing this CD. It's a treasure to listen to.

Uplifting and Timeless.......2003-09-08

Jessye Norman is one of my favorite opera singers. I hope that she may release another CD of Gospel songs very soon. We have waited too much!!! How about to revisit Marian Andersons' Gospel recordings!!!

Why was I such a fool?.......2003-06-17

Okay, if you look at my other recommendations, you'll see that I'm a conservative. So, before my full embrace of the classical vocal artistry, and when I was just beginning to grasp politics (I'm only 21 now), I heard a beautiful voice and rejected it because it was singing at the inauguration of Bill Clinton.

I've learned a little since then. I've learned to ignore an artists political leanings, because they don't tell you much about quality (contrast the Republican South Park creators Matt Parker and Trey Stone with the Democrat Robert Redford). I've also learned to (sometimes) listen to the recommendations of friends. And well, after a friend heard me laud Reneé Fleming, Kathleen Battle, and Leontyne Price, she told me I needed to try Jessye Norman. So I did.

Jessye Norman here offers here own takes on many of the most-loved (i.e. trite) pieces in the religio-classical tradition. She renders one of my own favorites, "O Divine Redeemer", with great beauty. When other reviewers mention shivers on the spine, I can only nod. As a wonderful introduction to Ms. Norman, the great spirituals and hymns, or repudiation of foolish artistic discrimination, I highly recommend this CD.

Average customer rating:

excellent entertainment

The Christmas I Love

A Christmas Collection That Is Just Plain Fun

Wonderful; marvellous

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL

The Christmas I Love
Andre Rieu , and Johann Strauss Orchestra
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Pop Instrumental & Easy Listening | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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Tuscany

At The Movies

The Homecoming

The Vienna I Love, Waltzes From My Heart

Romantic Moments

ASIN: B0000041OB
Release Date: 1997-10-21

Tracks:

O Daughter Of Zion
White Christmas
Sleigh Ride
From Heaven High I Come To You: Tomorrow's The Day Children/Gloria In Excelsis Deo...
Ave Maria
Transeamus
Softly Falls The Snow: Ring Out Little Bell/O Come Al Ye Faithful
Evening Prayer (From Hansel & Gretel)
Jingle Bells
Lullaby: O Sweet Child Jesus/Let Us Be Happy And Jolly
Mille Cherubini In Coro (Lullaby)
Christmas Rose
The Four Seasons: Winter: Largo
O Christmas Tree: The Little Drummer Boy/Lullaby
Every Year A New: Oh, How Joyfully/Never Have The Bells Sung More Sweetly
Dearest Believe Me
Come Little Children
The Christmas Concert: Pastorale
The Holy City
Silent Night

Customer Reviews:

excellent entertainment.......2007-01-20

I thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas DVD . I want to buy more of Andre Rieu.

The Christmas I Love.......2007-01-10

I was very pleased with the CD and would recommend it to everyone.

All of Andre Rieu's music is very enjoyable to listen to.

A Christmas Collection That Is Just Plain Fun.......2005-11-19

Sometimes I think the only person who is happy that Public television is financially challenged, other that certain legislators who believe that it is too liberal and the culmination of all that is evil, is Andre Rieu. Now don't get me wrong, this happy Dutch musician who models himself after Johan Straus is not a cruel or vindictive person. At least from what I can tell he's not, but let's face it. If PBS did not have financial woes, Andre Rieu, one of its favorite stars, would not have received the exposure he has, and his sales in the United States would probably be next to nothing. Of course for anyone who has ever seen one of his extravaganzas, we would be missing something enjoyable. He's musically sound and he knows how to entertain, and quiet frankly, though some classical purists may cringe at his name, I don't believe the composers whose music he uses are rolling in their graves because it's become popular once again.

Of all his concerts and CDs, I enjoy THE CHRISTMAS I LOVE the most. The jitterbug version of "Jingle Bells" shows that an old tune can produce new tricks. His arrangement of "The Holy City" (a.k.a. "Jerusalem") is almost as moving as when it is performed with a vocalist. The recording has a number of medleys that include favorites from all over Europe show how Christmas has such an international flair. For me, however, this album provides true variety. Many of the carols are not familiar to Americans, so we hear something different yet also authentic to the holiday season.

I'm surprised that there have not been other Rieu Christmas discs. He's an original musician and a consummate showman, so I'm sure there's more he could do with holiday music, but maybe he knows he has a classic with this collection and it will stand the test of time.

Wonderful; marvellous.......2000-09-30

Andre Rieu proves again he is the best of the best! I bought this CD in october 1997, a few weeks before Andre's concert In Quebec city. In this CD, you'll find all the classics of Christmas. They are well played because Andre and his orchestra know how to bring us the atmosphere of Christmas. The desing of the CD is well done. If you,re looking for good music, please try this CD You'll enjoy it. If you have the occasion to see his Christmas concert on TV, watch it. It's very beautiful.

This his not the first CD made by Andre. In 1992, he released "Spielt Die Schonten Weihnachtslieder".

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.......1999-08-18

Another wonderful Andre Rieu CD. All the Rieu recordings and videos are a breath of fresh air - a joy to the soul.

Average customer rating:

Simply the best copy of Rutter's Requiem!
Requiem
Absolutely Beautiful
A glorious piece
Rutter brought me into the 20th century with this recording.

Rutter: Requiem

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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John Rutter: Requiem
Be Thou My Vision
Rutter: Gloria
Requiem & Magnificat/Rutter, Cambridge Singers

ASIN: B00008OP1S
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Tracks:

Requiem Aeternam
Out Of The Deep
Pie Jesu - Elin Manahan Thomas
Sanctus
Agnus Dei
The Lord Is My Shephard
Lux Aeterna - Elin Manahan Thomas
Arise, Shine
Come Down, O Love Divine
Musica Dei Donum - Karen Jones
A Clare Benediction
Go Forth Into The World In Peace
Toccata In Seven
Variations On An Easter Theme For Organ

Album Description

Produced by the composer himself, this is the first recording of the original ensemble version of John Rutter's radiant Requiem. Written in 1985, the work is not a conventional setting of the Requiem Mass but comprises a personal selection of texts from the Catholic liturgy and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. John Rutter maintains intimate ties with Clare College and many of his anthems are left as a musical legacy to the college. Among these are two simple, tender Blessings: Go forth into the world in peace, dedicated to the choir on the eve of its first tour to America; and A Clare Benediction, written as a gift to Rutter's alma mater. This recording is dedicated to the memory of Christopher Rutter.

Customer Reviews:

Simply the best copy of Rutter's Requiem!.......2007-06-27

In my opinion, this copy of Rutter's Requiem is the best one available. The orchestra does not overpower the chorus. The soprano soloist, Elin Manahan Thomas, is sublime.

Requiem.......2006-07-07

This CD has some of the most beautiful sacred music I have ever heard. Though a requiem is focused on a person's death, Rutter's Requiem leads you to consider the living Christ. "Requiem aeternam" and "Sanctus" are both uplifting and worshipful, and "Toccata in seven" is pure fun.

Absolutely Beautiful.......2006-06-09

Beautiful is one of those words that I don't use often and I don't use lightly, but this recording of John Rutter's Requiem and other choral works is worthy of description with the full weight of the word. All seven movements of his magnificent requiem are flowing with rich, delicate beauty. Rutter uses the full palate that the orchestra and the chorus has to offer such as the light sustained oboe throughout "The Lord is My Shepherd" and the bellowing low cello in "Out of the Deep." It's cool to hear a mix of Latin and English texts throughout the work. The soprano solo on "Pie Jesu" is breathtaking and the work closes with the sonorous, harmonicaly rich "Lux aeterna." The "Sanctus" is triumphant and the incredibly haunting "Agnus Dei" sends chills up the spine. The main theme introduced in the first movement is just beautiful. I am sure that if I heard Rutter's Requiem performed live and well, it would certainly bring tears to my eyes. It is a simply beautiful piece of music and is very well interpreted on this album. There is an excellent attention to the text and the shape of the phrases. A truly wonderful recording.

As for the other works on this album, they are just as impressive. The bombastic, sonorous "Arise, Shine" has enough G-force to plaster you to the back of your seat. It is wonderful to listen to the dialog between the chorus and the flute in "Musica Dei donum." "A Clare Benediction" is absolutely beautiful, as is "Go Forth into the World With Peace." The chords in "Come Down O Lord Divine" are incredible.

As for the organ pieces, the "Toccata in Seven" is bright and exciting, though a little heavy in some sections. The epic "Variations on an Easter Theme" is just astounding. Rutter takes us through a labyrinth of harmonic and rhythmic variation on a simple theme with wild obligados, fierce runs, dynamic shifts, tense harmonies, argumentative counterpoint and lyrical melodies. This is an amazingly exciting piece with two organists using all eight of the appendages between the two of them to make some amazing music.

This is quite a great collection of great sacred music from one of the best composers around today. Not to mention, you cannot beat Naxos' value. For under 10 bucks, this CD is a must.

A glorious piece.......2005-12-16

--Music--
Rutter's Requiem was written in 1985. In Catholic liturgy, a requiem is a Mass for the Dead, and as such involves strong tones both of mourning and loss as well as elements of hope and eternal life as reflected in Christian belief. Rutter states that, like Brahms and Faure, there are elements that depart from the traditional lines of a Catholic requiem. Rutter takes some of the texts from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Both the first and second movements, Requiem aeternam and 'Out of the Deep', set very dark, low, sombre tones. The use of strings at the beginning of 'Out of the Deep' is very effective, together with funeral-dirge like vocals. This contrasts greatly with the Pie Jesu, light and spiritual. The Sanctus is almost playful in aspect, and the Agnus Dei and Lux aeterna draw the listener higher and higher into the fullness of expectation of God's presence.

--John Rutter--
Rutter was born in London and educated at Clare College, Cambridge. This was where his career as a composer, arranger and conductor began. His early work was with groups at King's College Chapel at Cambridge as well as the Bath Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra. He has worked for the BBC providing music for educational series such as 'The Archaeology of the Bible Lands', until in 1979 he began forming the Cambridge Singers, and has continued a remarkable career of performance and recording as their director ever since.

This recording is produced by Rutter, but is performed by the London Sinfonia, a group that he has worked with but is not the usual Cambridge Singers. This performance compares favourably with Rutter's own group, with areas in which there is greater subtlety and depth.

Rutter brought me into the 20th century with this recording........2005-10-01

Prefering Classical, Baroque, & Romantic Music and particulary Requiems, I only gave this recording a chance because I could not find another requiem at the time, shortly after my parents had died. Having sung a few of Rutter's compositions in university I knew of his quality and flavor. To my surprise and complete amazement this piece and this particular recording was an incredible salve on the deepedst of open wounds. To this day, 10 years later, this is one of my top ten favorite albums. I have heard other renditions of Rutter's Requiem, however, none have had the intensity that this one has had, conducted by John Rutter, himself.

I feel this is the greatest of Rutters compositions and as of now , this is the best production of his Requiem I have heard yet. IMHO

Average customer rating:

Can I give it more than 5 stars? Sublime.
It will become part of your Xmas
Shockingly beautiful...
It doesn't get any better than this.
Superb Christmas Cd From A Sublime Soprano,Ms.Norman!

Jessye Norman - Christmastide
George Frideric Handel , Christmas Traditional , Felix Mendelssohn , Adolphe Adam , Research Composer , Franz Xaver Gruber , Jr. Hopkins John Henry , Anonymous , John Francis Wade , Robert de Cormier , and Jessye Norman
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Norman, Jessye | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

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ASIN: B0000040YQ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Christmastide: O Come, O Come Emanuel
Christmastide: Once In Royal David's City
Christmastide: Unto Us A Child Is Born
Christmastide: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Christmastide: Good Christian Men Rejoice
Christmastide: O Holy Night
Christmastide: The Holly And The Ivy
Christmastide: See Amid The Winter Snow
Christmastide: I Saw Three Ships
Christmastide: This Christmastide
Christmastide: Coventry Carol
Christmastide: In The Bleak Mid-Winter
Christmastide: Silent Night
Christmastide: Angels We Have Heard On High
Christmastide: We Three Kings Of Orient Are
Christmastide: Joy To The World
Christmastide: Adeste fideles
Christmastide: Amen

Customer Reviews:

Can I give it more than 5 stars? Sublime........2006-12-01

It's a treat to play year after year December after December. I love the order of the songs, the lavish orchestral acompaniment, and the boy choir supporting Jessye Norman's astonishing voice. A beautifully produced CD, by far my favorite Christmas album.

It will become part of your Xmas.......2005-12-04

It's a reference. Start your Christmas season with this CD.
Jessye is perfect as always.
The harmonization is another pearl in this work. The balance between her voice and the boy's choir completes the ambience.
Pay special attention to "See Amid the Winter's Snow"

Shockingly beautiful..........2005-12-04

This album is shockingly beautiful. Norman's voice is amazing. The first track alone brings tears to my eyes. This is one of my favourite Christmas albums of all time. If you like Jeysse Norman and you like beautiful, sacred Christmas music, then you should also check out Jeysse Norman At Notra Dame.

It doesn't get any better than this........2005-08-22

This is one of the most perfectly beautiful recordings of any kind in existence. The pure glory of Jessye's voice is enhanced by the moving, glowing arrangements and thrilling accompanying performances. You will not find a better Christmas album, this is a true work of love and art in the spiritual realm. While it fills your ears with resplendant sound it fills your heart with love and hope.

Superb Christmas Cd From A Sublime Soprano,Ms.Norman!.......2003-08-22

Christmastide is heavenly listening!Excellent sound & glorious arrangements.Jesseye Norman was in stupendous voice while making this recording.I listen to it every christmas,and I'm taken away every year by Jesseye's tremendous achievement.Her O Holy Night brings me to tears.She sings with much joy and with much sacred intensity too.Bringing an unigue interpretation to every single track on this album.Christmastide is destined to become a classic,thanks to Ms.Normans supreme contribution she brought to the making of this album.

Average customer rating:

Little known but wonderful
Rare Rimsky-Korsakov well done.
A great collection for Rimsky fans. (And if you're not a fan, you will be.)
As complete and good a collection as you're likely to find.
Excellent compilation

Rimsky-Korsakov: Suites

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Grieg: Complete Music with Orchestra
A. Glazunov: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 8
The Essential Borodin
Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works
Strauss: Orchestral Works

ASIN: B000000ACB
Release Date: 1992-04-03

Tracks:

May Night - Overture
The Snow Maiden: Beautiful Spring
The Snow Maiden: Dance Of The Birds
The Snow Maiden: The Procession Of Tsar Berendey
The Snow Maiden: Dance Of The Tumblers
Christmas Eve: Christmas Night - Ballet Of The Stars - Witches' Sabbath And Ride On The Devil's Back - Polonaise - Vakula And The Slippers

Tracks:

Mlada: Introduction
Mlada: Redowa: A Bohemian Dance
Mlada: Lithuanian Dance
Mlada: Indian Dance
Mlada: Procession Of The Nobles
The Invisible City of Kitezh: Prelude: A Hymn To Nature
The Invisible City of Kitezh: Wedding Procession
The Invisible City of Kitezh: Tartar Invasion And Battle Of Kerzhenets
The Invisible City of Kitezh: Death Of Fevroniya And Apotheosis Of The Invisible City

Tracks:

The Golden Cockerel: Introduction And Dodon's Sleep
The Golden Cockerel: King Dodon On The Battlefield
The Golden Cockerel: Queen Of Shemakha's Dance; King Dodon's Dance
The Golden Cockerel: Wedding Feast; Death Of King Dodon; Finale
The Tale Of Tsar Saltan: Tsar's Departure And Farewell
The Tale Of Tsar Saltan: Tsarina Adrift At Sea In A Barrel
The Tale Of Tsar Saltan: The Three Wonders
The Tale Of Tsar Saltan: The Flight Of The Bumble Bee

Amazon.com

Rimsky-Korsakov's operatic suites used to be standard repertoire, but like so much attractive and colorful music, it seems that recording has absolved orchestras of the need to play them live! It's a rare day that you will find such lovely works as the Christmas Eve or Snow Maiden suite in the concert hall, so by all means invest in this comprehensive collection and enjoy them at home. This was the first project in Neeme Järvi's epic collaboration with the Scottish National Orchestra, and as is so often the case in such instances, everyone really plays their collective hearts out. Even Chandos outdoes itself in providing sound of speaker-shattering impact. A great set. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Little known but wonderful.......2007-06-03

When was the last time you sat down and listened to Sheherazade? Have you ever heard it at good volume on good equipment? I thought not. So that's one thing to do. And now even better news: Rimsky-Korsakov wrote much great music in operas which have remained unknown to Western audiences. Here is a little of it in orchestral suites - good performances and sound and at a reasonable price. May it be the beginning of a delightful new journey into Russian opera!

Rare Rimsky-Korsakov well done........2006-07-19

Actually I was already familiar with some of the selections--most notably "Procession of the Nobles" from "Mlada" and "Dance of the Tumblers" from "The Snow Maiden". Thus I had a standard of quality from which I could compare the unfamiliar music.

Every piece sparkles. Rimsky-Korsakov's music is, generally, a study in elegance. Every note of these suites proves it. Frequently, when you hear music that is seldom performed, you discover WHY it isn't done. That does not apply here. I think it is a shame that I have not heard most of this music before.

Neeme Jarvi and the Scottish National Orchestra do a wonderful job performing all these suites. I whole-heartedly recommend this recording.

A great collection for Rimsky fans. (And if you're not a fan, you will be.).......2005-08-19

I have fond feelings for this collection. It was my introduction to the Chandos label and to conductor Neemi Jarvi, and I was bowled over. Since that time, recording just about every piece of music written by Western composers has apparently reduced some of Jarvi's enthusiasm, because his later recordings are often not as just-right as his Rimsky performances herein. But these performances are everything they should be. Jarvi and his Scottish orchestra stress the sparkling colors and the near-classical leanness of Rimsky's orchestrations. No Wagnerian bloat, no Brahmsian bottom-heaviness here. Rimsky seems to return to Berlioz as his orchestral paradigm, I always think.

I was immediately attracted to the Christmas Eve Suite, which I hadn't heard before; it builds to a wonderful climax in the tempo of a polonaise. Move over, Piotr I. Tchaikovsky--this music is a great change from chestnuts out of the Nutcracker (a pretty lame pun, but I'll let it stand).

However, Christmas Eve is not the only pleasure these discs provide. Jarvi offers first-rate performances of the lovely May Night, Rimsky's finest overture, as well as suites from the Golden Cockerel, the Snow Maiden, and Mlada, which contain some of Rimsky's most memorable music: the Dance of the Tumblers, the Procession of the Nobles, the Wedding Feast and Death of King Dodon. Great stuff.

And then there's Chandos' recording: incredibly clean and wide-ranging, with just the right sense of hall sound. I'm still impressed every time I listen.

As complete and good a collection as you're likely to find........2003-08-02

Over a 35-year period, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote fifteen operas, all but a handful of them still in the active Russian repertoire. A few of them have even gained something of a foothold recently in the U.S., with Valery Gergiev and his Kirov Opera company performing them on tour. For those seeking orchestral works of Rimsky-Korsakov beyond Sheherazade, the Great Russian Easter Festival Overture, and, perhaps, Capriccio Espagnol and the 2nd ("Antar") Symphony, a logical place to start is with the orchestral suites he fashioned from several of his better-known operas (covering nearly half of his operatic output).

For those so interested, my first - and highest - recommendation goes to this Chandos boxed set, with Neemi Järvi conducting the Scottish National Orchestra (as it was known in 1984, when this recording was made; it is now the Royal Scottish National Orchestra). With the possible exception of some incidental music from Sadko and The Tsar's Bride, this set contains virtually all of the most popular orchestral music from Rimsky-Korsakov's better-known operas.

Over the years, Järvi has developed somewhat of a reputation for "recording everything in sight," not always with the most effective of results. But here, in what the editorial reviewer identifies as his first recording session with the SNO, he has done a splendid job all around, bringing out the often gorgeous coloristic effects of the music, with an orchestra that fully does justice to the performance requirements, and with stunning sound captured by the Chandos engineers.

Particularly noteworthy are the suite from Mlada (with its dramatic "Procession of the Nobles" march), the atmspheric and magical music from The Invisible City of Kitezh, and the better-known suite from The Golden Cockerel. In all of these suites - and in the balance of the boxed set as well - Järvi and the SNO capture the orchestrational genius of Rimsky-Korsakov with perfection: brilliant brass, shimmering strings, nicely-detailed woodwind playing, as is seldom heard from all too many Russian orchestras.

This was clearly an auspicious debut album for Järvi and the SNO, an orchestra that he would direct in many recordings over the following decade or so. And, though not inexpensive, it is the single finest (and most complete) album of Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestral suites from his operas that I have had the pleasure of hearing.

Recommended without reservation.

Bob Zeidler

Excellent compilation.......2000-09-07

I concur that this is an excellent set, performed exquisitely by Jarvi and the Scottish National Orchestra. The comprehensive liner notes refer to the Procession of the Nobles from the Mlada Suite as "splendid." Indeed it is, a tour de force of orchestration that has few peers. The panache with which it is performed here is a touchstone for the quality of the entire set.

Tracks:

Cantata No. 81: Jesus schlaft, was soll ich hoffen
Cantata No. 112: Zum reiner wasser
St. Matthew Passion: Erbarme dich, mein gott
Cantata No. 12: Kreuz und krone
Messiah: He Shall Feed His Flock
St. John Passion: Es Ist Vollbracht (English)
Christmas Oratorio: Bereite dich, zion
City Called Heaven
Lord, I Can't Stay Away
Heaven, Heaven
Trampin
Oh What A Beautiful City
Were You There?
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
I Don't Feel No-Ways Tired
Deep River
Go Down Moses
My Soul's Been Anchored In The Lord

Amazon.com

Marian Anderson's rich contralto tinged with sadness touched the hearts of many and made her one of the most-loved American singers. She's probably best known for her spirituals on recordings made in the twilight of her career. In these good transfers, she sings an ample selection of those favorites made in her prime, the late 1930s; they're no less touching and made even more compelling by the freshness of her voice, which is just as fresh in the Handel and Bach arias from the Messiah, St. Matthew Passion, and more. - -Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

CELEBRATE Marian Anderson's powerful, liberated voice with JOY!.......2006-03-25

On April 9, 1939, the voice of Marian Anderson shook my whole being unforgettably. She began her concert by singing our nation's hymn, "Our Country 'Tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty,"
a prayer for all to give voice to.

Two events that took place on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., had a profound effect on my life. In a minister's family any political discussion was usually 'careful'. But when the Daughters of the American Revolution ruled that Marian Anderson could not give a concert in their Constitution Hall my parents spoke passionately about Anderson's rebuff, and then praised First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to the skies for her immediate response which was to invite Marian Anderson to sing at the Lincoln Memorial.

What happened had charged the air with electricity. The hush was palpable. To listen we were limited to the radio, but we would see the newsreel before many days.

All this is an introduction to this CD which shows the power and range of Marian Anderson's talents. Among these offerings are several from cantatas, and some 'spirituals' - - and I mention the familiar because they make me feel as though I am truly in her presence once more: The 23rd Psalm; "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd"; "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child"; "Deep River"; and "My soul's been anchored in the Lord."

The latter could be said to describe both Marian Anderson and Martin Luther King. I have felt the unshakeable presence of each, Marian with her glorious contralto, Martin with his baritone. Noone could miss the reality of justice & faith overcoming hate & ignorance. Reviewer mcHAIKU can still feel the impact, and their influences on my life have been part of me for decades.

Timeless performances.......2005-12-08

Marian Anderson suffered from several circumstances, but always endured them, it appeared, with grace and dignity. She suffered from being black at a time when black persons were not taken seriously as classical artists, and she was simply not allowed to sing in many venues. She was forbidden the stage of the Metropolitan Opera until past her prime (1955). After she became an icon of the civil rights movement, her reputation as a singer became overshadowed. Miss Anderson's treatment by her own countrymen for much of her life was an abomination, but it had nothing to do with music. Modest as she was about all aspects of her life, I don't think she would want her artistry relegated to a footnote in social history!

This is a fine collection of Marian Anderson's singing in oratorio and spirituals. None of her wonderful opera arias or lieder are here, and those call for a separate volume. Miss Anderson stood out from many great singers in her fine understanding of the subtle differences among all of these genres. She used different tone colors and types of vocal production for each of them, as appropriate, a nicety seldom enough observed today. In other words, she was no "belter." We have singers nowadays making millions for yelling at the top of their lungs, and sometimes making multi-millions for trying to out-yell their colleagues in giant arena events closely simulating cattle-call competitions. Perhaps one needs to meditate quietly for an hour or so before attempting to share the more inward and spiritual artistry of Marian Anderson.

From the first selection here (out of over 72 minutes of music included), "Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen" from Bach's Cantata No. 81, one can only marvel at the tonal beauty, depth of feeling, immediacy of communication, and technical accomplishment of the great contralto. In this aria, the long-held word "schläft" is not just thrilling as a piece of vocalism, but does just what Bach meant it to: express the gentle, timeless, cosmic-yet in this case ominous-slumber of the Savior. Seldom, outside of Miss Anderson's singing, have these Bach arias so risen above the "sewing-machine" school of performance. Her style is freer and warmer in the spirituals, which no one but Paul Robeson sang as impressively. There are eleven of them here, though not her most famous, "He's got the whole world in his hands." That too must be acquired elsewhere, as is easily done. There are no cheap shots in this anthology, just great performances of great music with no playing to the grandstands.

My favorite singer.......2005-09-27

This is a great CD. Despite the obvious technical limitations at the time of original recording, the sound quality on this CD is really good. I love Marian Anderson (as a contralto myself,I strive to be like her)and I think this CD does her justice. It's great to hear the range of her vocal talent. The combination of opera and spirituals is wonderful. The songs also vary in vocal range. I was happy to hear a collection of songs that showcased the strength of her voice at its lower and upper ends. Overall, I'd say this was an excellent CD.

Honest Transfer of Great Material from 78s.......2001-03-24

There are eleven spirituals on this CD, but it opens with a stunning traversal of seven sacred selections from the Baroque era, six selections of Bach and one of Handel. Ms. Anderson's sweetness, sincerity and artistry are complemented nicely by a young Robert Shaw conducting the RCA Symphony Orchestra (you can clearly hear the later Shaw of the Bach B Minor Mass in places, and the selection from the St. Matthew Passion is a haunting reminder that Shaw was never able to commit a complete Matthew to disc for posterity, though it was his favorite work and its recording a goal in his life - but I stray). What the Baroque selections lack in the latest in musicological authenticity they more than make up for in heartfelt simplicity and directness. It's Baroque music for the ages, and it may move you to tears.