No comments about Classic Christmas, Vol. 1.

5 comments about Christmas Ep.

1. Why in the heck is Enya (sorry Enya, I do love all of your other albums) releasing an album with only 5 tracks and, the first two tracks are available for 99 cents each on Itunes. If you really want to hear some modern groups (bands from the 80's & 90's)sing some new renditions of Christmas classics then purchase "A Very Special Christmas: Volume 3" this has the Smashing Pumpkins, No Doubt, Enya (Oiche Chiun), Sting, and Blues Traveler, & many more.
   
   Oh, the song is a good song, just not worth the cost of the album so that's why I gave it 3 stars.



2. Why in the world would I pay 40 bucks for a cd with oly 5 tracks, let alone 4 of those tracks can be found on your other cd's.(And make a real Xmas cd next). And those of you who bought it and complaint afterward, well you're an IDIOT.
   
   I still love you Enya.



3. This is Enya's Christmas CD. It starts off with a beautiful rendition of "Silent Night" sung in Gaelic. The rest of the CD is also in Gaelic, other than the last track which is an instrumental. These songs are ok, but they don't seem to have anything to do with Christmas.



4. I am a HUGE Enya fan, and I felt that with this EP, it was definitely a good buy. The best thing about this CD is it has a couple songs of hers that ARE NOT on any of her albums. So, if you're like myself, you're better off getting this Single to complete your Enya music library.



5. What a rip off. Very little music for the money. Recycled music at that.

4 comments about Christmas Collection: 20th Century Masters.

1. This is a straight reissue of an earlier James Christmas collection called "Funky Christmas," except lower priced. The lower price makes it a real bargain, because this is a very memorable collection of Christmas music.

   These tunes are culled from three holiday albums JB released in '66, '68, and '70. There aren't many traditional favorites, but many of the originals are great. My favorite is "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto," which is aimed at the less fortunate children who often go without presents at the holidays. James was a the height of his social impact when he wrote and recorded this, and it transcends any race or class boundaries. It's about the spirit of giving, and James's key line is "Don't leave nothin' for me/I've had my chance, you see."

   This is a funky, soulful collection, perfect if you're looking for something that captures the spirit of Christmas but does so in rousing manner. Another highlight, "Sweet Little Baby Boy," which I believe was a hit single- JB's vocal is searing and passionate.




2. this is my favorite James Brown cd, this cd make me wonder why christmas isn't everyday.



3. I didn't even know James Brown did Christmas music til a friend turned me on to this collection. I love to buy 3-4 new Christmas CDs every year and I particularly like that this collection is mostly original stuff--not tired covers of the same old songs. There are 2-3 other James Brown CDs, but this one has it ALL and it's ALL worth listening to. Christmas is a time we need to enlarge our view and think of others. James Brown really tells what it's like to be poor and forgotten at Christmas.



4. Mostly original JB tracks that by certainly do not fall under the cheesy Christmas music category. Very enjoyable indeed.

5 comments about Mass of the Children.

1. I sing with my school choir, and was blessed to be able to perform the Mass of the Children with the school. It is a beautiful mass-- the lightness of the childrens voices with the power of the adult choirs make a moving and powerful mass. The orchestra is stunning, just enough to add beauty to the piece. Rutter's Mass of the Children is a must-have for any person who enjoys this type of music.



2. As an avid choral enthusiast, and having performed The Mass of the Children, I can say that this is one of Rutter's finest works. Without a doubt, Rutter truly allows his soul to shine through in this masterpiece. The children's choir is fabulous, and the music gives me chill bumps whenever I hear it. I highly recommend this album!



3. I contemplated on this 3-star rating for a bit, especially after reading all the 4- to 5-star ratings preceding this. John Rutter is a terrific and charismatic choral conductor and writer. His editing on Fauré's Requiem really galvanized the popularity of that work, not to mention his own very heart-felt Requiem setting as well. Speaking of Requiem settings, my bone to pick about the "Mass of the Children" work is such that it emulates (albeit in a heart-felt and sincere fashion) other large-scale works that involve orchestral, treble and mixed choruses, very specifically Benjamin Britten's unforgettable War Requiem. I couldn't help but feel a bit slighted by the last few pages of "Mass of the Children" and its much diluted rendition of the War Requiem's counterpart conclusion. I think those famliar w/ the Britten will know what I mean. It's hard not to draw a comparison because the similarities are striking yet determinedly contrived.
   
   In any case, I do understand that the participants and "target audience" are perhaps less lofty than that of the Britten. According to the score inscription, this was "written at the inviation of Peter Tiboris and MidAmerica Productions."
   
   There are other anthems on this CD that offer a nice addition. I think the Clare Benediction is a stand-out as a great latter-Rutter anthem, with a characteristically satisfying, fluent and "inevitable" cadences towards the end.



4. After being able to perform this piece myself, I know that is is just amazing! I reccomend it to anyobdy who likes spiritual, uplifting music.
   Nice work, Mr. Rutter!



5. My daughter is performing this work with her high school chorale. She is the main listener, and is totally enamored with this particular recording.

5 comments about Christmas II.

1. Although Alabama are well capable of rocking with the best of them, they chose not to on this collection of Christmas music. The tempo picks up on Rocking around the Christmas tree (a cover of the Brenda Lee classic) and Hanging round the mistletoe (more recently covered by Brooks and Dunn) but they do not go full throttle even on those songs. So this is one of those Christmas albums to play during quieter moments and it works very well on that level.

   Among the other songs, there are two old chestnuts - Little drummer boy and O little town of Bethlehem - on which Alabama sound exactly as you would expect them to sound. New tears eve 1999 is a track from their Twentieth century album. I don't think it was part of the album when it was first released in the nineties but it fits in well and I'm glad that it was added as a bonus track. I was young once too is a great father and son song. The other songs are a mix of love ballads and spiritual songs and make for very enjoyable listening.

   This is another great collection of Christmas music from Alabama, though I think their first Christmas album was even better. At the prices quoted, both of them are a real bargain.




2. Helps round out my Alabama collection. Shipped & received in good condition. Nice job in handling my order.



3. Was not aware they had a second Christmas CD and am very glad to get it.



4. I like this album, especially the song called "The Blessings", in which a man sings about how he is blessed to have a wonderful family and a generally wonderful life.
   
   I operate an online radio station on live365.com that is temporarily playing Christmas music and have added this to the playlist (www.live365.com/stations/allenkep67).



5. If you enjoy Alabama...then please DO treat yourself to this CD! We have experienced many happy moments during Christmases past listening to their original Christmas CD with 'Thistlehair, the Christmas Bear'...this one is as easy listening and as pleasant..if not even more so! I've already purchased several to give as gifts in early December 2008...just so family and friends can enjoy it as well!

5 comments about Peter Pan (2005 Studio Cast) - Leonard Bernstein.

1. This recording is a valuable addition to the music of Leonard Bernstein, but rather an embarassment in the scholarship of assembling a lost show. On the plus side, the music is enchanting, Linda Eder truly stunning in a mix of musical innocence and sophistication, and it is conducted and played quite well. On the negative side, Daniel Narducci's soft baritone has neither enough menace or comedy.
   
   As to reconstructing a lost score, the scholarship is not so hot: what actually existed from the original show and orchestrations? Who orchestrated what among the new pieces? As far as that goes, what of Trude Rittmann and Hershy Kay: who orchestrated what in the original? How does the size of the orchestra on the recording compare to the original production orchestration?
   
   On the music not used in the original, what pieces exist in full and what choices were made in completing others? The recording's notes are woefully inept.
   
   Why use the lovely, but over-inflated, arrangement of "Dream With Me" from the 1977 BY BERNSTEIN revue at the Chelsea Theatre instead of newly orchestrating the extant song sheet? The song, written for ON THE TOWN, needs to fit the song style of PETER PAN's incidental music and not turn into a concert number. In the original production, there were only two Mermaids singing "Neverland." Why a women's chorus with a bad top soprano?
   
   I've always felt the Bernstein score should be available for productions of the play, but this "edition" needs some thought before it's published or made available for performance.



2. For those familiar with the earlier recording of Bernstein's Peter Pan (Arthur/Karloff), the release of an expanded recording of this neglected Bernstein work is a real excitement. The tracks include an indepth study by Frey of the music score, in its wholistic beauty, including even small segments of under a minute. Other works are resurrected, originally cut from the final score; why they would cut "Dream of Me" is beyond me.
   
   However, Eder cast as Wendy does not sit well. Timid, motherly Wendy is not synonymous with big, broadway star. What should be simple songs, as they are written as well as should be sung, are instead aggrandized broadway hits. Yes, Eder has a gorgeous voice, but here a bit misplaced. I much prefer the casting of Wendy in the original recording. However, in favor of Eder, the CD is not replicating the narrative and non-music portions as did the original CD, so the work may as well be a set of disjointed pieces, not a flowing piece of arias and spoken scenes. Therefore, her portrayal of Wendy as a whole is not as crucial had there been a script to read.
   
   The "bonus track" reinstalled an appreciation for the thematic material of the second Chichester pslam. I'm left wondering if there are other restorations to be made from the abandonded "Skin of Our Teeth" project. Here, I have no qualms with Eder's interpretation; soft, delicate, flowing.
   
   This is certainly a hallmark in Bernstein recordings. A must for any Bernstein fan.



3. A fabulous recording-beautifully sung, beautifully conducted
   This world premiere recording of Leonard Bernstein's Peter Pan should win a Grammy. With a steller cast led by Broadway superstars Linda Eder and Daniel Narducci, and fabulously conducted by Alexander Frey (who restored and brought this lost masterpiece to life), this great music sings and dances for the first time. I'm absolutely enchanted and you will be as well.



4. Please allow me to add a few comments about this recording for which Kevin Killian, Michael G. Brennan, Larry Moore and others have already written excellent reviews. I am in total agreement with most of their observations, and a say a hearty "Amen" to Mr. Moore's input regarding the lack of information in the liner notes.
   
   This is not your ordinary PETER PAN, which you will see upon removing the disc from the case. You are now staring into the gaping jaws of a crocodile. Not nearly as popular as the Jule Styne/Betty Comden/Adolph Green version, and far darker, it's easy to understand why Bernstein's version is rarely staged. In fact, it's not really a musical, but rather a play with songs and incidental music. The handful of songs are all performed by Wendy, Captain Hook, and the pirates -- "none for Peter, none for Nana, none for John and Michael." Furthermore, two of the songs included on this recording ("Captain Hook's Soliloquy" and "Dream with Me") were dropped from the original production because they were too difficult for the stars. I guess Boris Karloff just didn't have the chops to sing Hook's "aria."
   
   Bernstein's incidental music also never made it to Broadway, perhaps because of its complexity and challenge to the average Broadway pit orchestra. Instead, Alec Wilder wrote new incidental music for the play.
   
   Alexander Frey conducts what is called the Amber Orchestra, which I assume is the orchestra of the Karlin Theater in Prague, Czechoslovakia, the ensemble he conducts as his "day job." Orchestra and conductor do great honor to the original orchestrations by Trude Rittman & Hershy Kay and also to the additional orchestrations of conductor Frey and others. But, like Larry Moore, I wish the liner notes would have told us who orchestrated what. (You can find all that information on archivmusic.com.) The voices were recorded in New York and later mixed with the orchestra. Broadway goes Eastern European! Similarly, not one, but two Eastern European orchestras ar heard on the recording of SHERRY: the Czech Philharmonic Chamber & the Bratislava Radio Symphony. Pity it's too costly to record orchestras in America.
   
   When it comes to writing music for the theater, no one comes close to Leonard Bernstein. There are multiple recordings of ON THE TOWN, WONDERFUL TOWN, WEST SIDE STORY, & CANDIDE and now we have Alexander Frey and the folks at KOCH Classics to thank for resurrecting and preserving this little known Bernstein score. In addition to Bernstein's Broadway scores, I enthusiastically recommend "The White House Cantata" (assembled from the score of 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE), "The Chichester Psalms," the chamber opera "Trouble in Tahiti," and any of the fine recording of his songs.
   
   I doubt if we'll ever see another composer who will write so beautifully for the American theatre.



5. There is much to recommend about this recording of Leonard Bernstein's incidental and vocal music written for the 1950 Broadway production of "Peter Pan," which starred Jean Arthur and Boris Karloff. Most (though not all) of the vocal music has been commercially recorded before, but the incidental music hasn't been, with one partial exception: track 20 -- "Tinkerbell Sick! Tinkerbell Lives!" -- contains a bit of ballet music from "On the Town."
   
   As is often the case with incidental music for plays, many of the numbers are quite short. Some of the music is nothing special and can't be said to represent Bernstein at anything like his best, but some is quite lovely.
   
   The orchestral performance here is generally very clean and the playing is nicely expressive. Conductor Alexander Frey deserves credit for that, as well for being the person who got this music back out there.
   
   Linda Eder sings Wendy's songs. (Peter doesn't sing at all in this version, which isn't really a full musical.) She understandably eschews her usual style to try to sound like an adolescent girl, singing mostly in head voice and with little vibrato. Because of this, I find her sound rather piercing and somewhat unpleasant at times. While she's putting forth a good effort that I have to admire, I do wish that she had managed to sound less piercing. It's not as if all adolescent girls sound that way when they sing.
   
   I also wish she had managed to convey a bit more specificity in her phrasing of the lyrics. When I listen to Marcia Henderson on the recording of the 1950 production, I hear someone who wasn't much of a singer but who knew how to convey lyrics.
   
   The other major soloist, Daniel Narducci, playing Captain Hook, sings quite well, but he isn't ideal casting. Boris Karloff on the 1950 recording makes much more of the words in the music that he sings (which doesn't include "Captain Hook's Soliloquy," heard on this recording but which was not in the 1950 Broadway production). And Karloff is funny. For one thing, he doesn't have a very pleasant voice so when he sings "Eat blood! Drink blood! Think blood! Dream blood!" to Bernstein's mellifluous melody and tries to sound beautiful, it's funny because he can't manage it. When Daniel Narducci sings it, he does sound beautiful, which is pleasant but less interesting. Narducci sings very nicely and he has the right general idea most of the time, but (as with Eder) his phrasing lacks specificity and he also lacks the sense of ridiculous seriousness that would make him funny.
   
   The male chorus of pirates performs well, but the rougher chorus in the 1950 recording is funnier and more characterful.
   
   "Neverland," a lovely choral number for women, sounds very pretty, but it might sound better still with a smaller chorus that conveyed the words more clearly.
   
   I don't want to be too negative about this recording, which I'm very glad to have. It's an important document, and everyone involved is talented and accomplished and puts forth a good effort. I'm just not sure that all of them were the best choices. Still, there's some very good music here, some of which hasn't been recorded before, so if you're a Bernstein fan, you're going to want this.
   
   Now I'll explain the "don't trust everything you read" statement above: In the booklet for this recording, Alexander Frey writes that "in the original 1950 production, most of the music was actually instrumental underscoring ... that had been composed by Alec Wilder." This is not correct. No music by Alec Wilder was heard in the 1950 Broadway production.
   
   Some time after this recording was issued, Garth Edwin Sunderland (one of the orchestrators credited on this recording) did correct this misinformation in an article that appeared in the Bernstein Society's publication, "prelude, fugue and riffs." Sunderland wrote:
   
   "For the original cast recording, Bernstein's instrumental numbers, for reasons unknown, were replaced with new cues by Alec Wilder (which has led to the misconception that Bernstein's incidental music was not used in the Broadway production)."
   
   A number of people knew all along that only Bernstein's music was heard in the production, among them the writer on Broadway musicals Ken Mandelbaum, who mentioned it in his online review of the recording. It's odd that both Frey, who was said to have done years of research to restore the score, and the people in charge of the Bernstein estate didn't know such basic information. If such a basic part of the research wasn't done, it's a little hard to trust that the rest of the work was done correctly.
   
   Making it odder is that elsewhere in the booklet, notes by Daniel Felsenfeld quote from opening night reviews that praised Bernstein for his (as one of the critics put it) "excellent musical accompaniment for the action." Surely if Wilder had written the incidental music, the critics would have mentioned Wilder (who was hardly unknown in 1950) as well as Bernstein. So it really is a bit of a mystery why Frey and the Bernstein people didn't realize that Wilder's music wasn't heard in the production.
   
   There's also an incorrect statement in Felsenfeld's notes. He writes that "Captain Hook's Soliloquy" was one of two vocal numbers not in the Broadway production "mostly due to lack of vocal ability on the part of the actors," but the aria wasn't even written till later, specifically for Lawrence Tibbett, who played Hook in a post-Broadway tour.
   
   And it would have been nice if the history of "Dream With Me" had been addressed. As Larry Moore mentions in his Amazon customer's review of this recording, there's reason to believe that it was written for "On the Town," although it was not used in that show. Bernstein wanted to include it in "Peter Pan," but it went unused there as well. When asked about the song many years later, Adolph Green, who wrote the lyrics for "On the Town" with Betty Comden, said that he and Comden wrote the lyric, except perhaps for a few lines that Bernstein may have contributed. Yet Comden and Green receive no credit in the booklet here.
   
   Also, Trude Rittman made important contributions to the score, but they are not mentioned in the notes, though at least she gets credit as one of the original orchestrators.

2 comments about Holidays & Special Times.

1. My multicultural class LOVES the song "A Man Named King." We would like to help it become a national theme song. It follows the spiritual genre and is one of those tunes that you cannot stop singing! We love the other holiday songs, but this is our favorite. How can we get this wonderful song some national exposure?



2. My first graders have enjoyed this song for many years when learning about MLK in January. The musical beauty of the song along with its deep emotion and optimistic message mesmerises the children in a special way. They seem to understand the story the song is telling before learning the lyrics or discussing its meaning within the class. Their little faces brighten up during the first half of the song and then wither towards the end of the song when "Martin sang no more..." Every teacher (K-2nd grade) I have shared this song with has had a similar experience with their students. I highly recommend this CD for this song alone. Greg & Steve are the best with young children's music!!!

4 comments about Christmas with Thomas Hampson.

1. Wow! This guy is terrific. All the other singers seem to have their own reinterpretations of the Christmas songs. That's OK too, but he sings them straight and with energy and style. You would not believe how many recordings of "O Holy Night" I listened to before I found this one. Joy, joy, joy.



2. The voice of Thomas Hampson is really wonderful, it is warm and light and clear. This cd is a good mixture of christmas song, but the interpretation of the german songs are not in the right tempo, especially the "O du fröhliche", it has to be the half of the tempo. "Tochter Zion" and "Macht hoch die Tür" is aswell to fast. The musical interpretation is brilliant.



3. Once in a while we come across a Christmas recording that is out of the usual silly lot to which we are subjected this season. No elevator music here. Actually Thomas Hampson interpretation is probably too much to stomach for those that just want the "feel good and be merry" holiday music. The artistry of Hampson shines, and the Hugh Wolff musical direction is flawless. Their combination brings the greatness of some of our oldest Christmas music reminding us that the inspiration is in faith, in love, in the hope of new beginnings. It is to their honor that they allow us a new look on things that we just took for granted. Be it an almost heart breaking "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas" when we suddenly think about those that will never be with us anymore; be it the awesome "Macht hoch die Tur" where even the agnostic in me recalls the days of faith and the meaning of Christmas; or be it the winsome rendering of "In dulci jubilo" that links us with the spirit of Christmas through ages, a tribute to the never ending freshness of this holiday. If there is one Christmas record that one can listen during the rest of the year, this is it.



4. Thomas Hampson has a wonderful lyric baritone voice and I love the music, so why only four stars? Most of the pieces are a little laid back for my taste. (Maybe the fact that I'm a Mario Lanza fan explains that.) Exceptions are Alleluia, O Holy Night, and Ding Dong Merrily On High. The orchestra plays with wit and taste, which is almost a given when they are conducted by Hugh Wolf. If you love Christmas music sung by a lower male voice, then this album is a must. Does anyone know if Erich Kunz's marvelous carols album is available yet on CD? For anyone who likes Thomas Hampson, Erich Kunz should be tried. His voice is similar to Hampson's voice and his affection for the music shines through. Hampson's vocals are clean and well-focused. This, as one reviewer said, is music for other seasons too.

5 comments about A Christmas Present.

1. Amazon was the only place I could find this CD by Merle Haggard. The music on this CD brings back fond memories of Christmas past. My mom would play this album all through the holidays and we knew every word to every song. I am so happy to have it again so that now I can play it for my daughter. Merle Haggard is very talented and this album contains some of his best. Take my advice, if you love country music, buy this album! You'll be glad you did.



2. This CD gets released over and over with different names and the songs in different orders. I consider it a must because it's got the best version of "Silver Bells". I collect Christmas CDs and make Christmas CDs for family, and so I've got a dozen versions and Merle's version has the best pacing and arrangement, a classic. (The other Merle holiday CD available through Amazon does not contain "Silver Bells".) Then, of course, it's got the other classic "If We Make It Through December".



3. This Christmas album by Merle Haggard was originally released in 1973. The first half features new songs written by Merle, the second half features traditional Christmas songs. The album's highlight is Hag's classic #1 Country hit "If We Make It Through December". The rest of his original songs aren't all that memorable. The older songs are decently done, but not done in a way to set them apart from the countless other versions of "White Christmas" and "Jingle Bells". But the CD is arguably worth getting just to have "If We Make It Through December".



4. This is such a great CD. I grew up listening to this every Christmas. And now my kids love it. They will especially love Bobby Wants a Puppy Dog for Christmas. I love that it has original songs. I get sick of hear Jingle Bells over and over again.



5. I heard this one song on the radio and knew I had to have it, it's a beautiful song and a great Christmas CD

5 comments about Christmas Shoes.

1. Such a bad song. I mean, SO bad. Beyond bad. Mind-bogglingly bad.
   Stupid lyrics, lousy music. Just bad.
   And for the record, I am a married mother of two and am active in my church. You don't have to be anti-Christian or a child-hater to know an incredibly bad song when you hear one. And since when is being something other than Christian a character flaw, anyway? For people supposedly filled with the Christmas spirit, some of these reviewers seem awfully judgemental and mean-spirited.



2. This collection from NewSong includes one of the saddest songs I've ever heard. It brought me to tears, and then minutes later the same collection brought me to giggles with the rendition of "The Grinch". A great add for the season.



3. This is one song that will be played in my home every Christmas as well as the DVD watched.
   This song has such a strong meaning! As many songs, only part of the message is understood or even overlooked.
   Yes, Christmas should be a joyous time, but for many it is not. So I guess all things related to Christmas should only be joyous and depressing should be ignored? There are too many families out there suffering or hurting, so why does a depressing song as it is discribed by some posts, need to be excluded? This song should make everyone realize there is someone not far from you that has it so much worse and Christmas is the perfect time to reach out to them. This is exactly how the movie ended...a scrooge reaching out with the 'Red Shoes.'
   
   As a parent if my child made a card, Christmas ornament, etc it meant so much to me as it should. The same goes for anyone with a child. It comes from their love....this child wanted his mom to have the 'Red Shoes' that she had stated made her feel beautiful. How can you not appreciate the struggle he went thru to get her those before she died?
   
   I find it obvious that some have not had to struggle or overcome tragedy yet, like the song. When you do the song will come full circle for you.



4. I LOOKED FOR THIS SONG "CHRISTMAS SHOES" FOR YEARS, THE WHOLE CD TURN OUT TO BE EXCELLENT.



5. The c.d. was received quicky but it must have been a used c.d. After just two playings of the c.d, it skipped on several songs. UGH!!!! Next time I want a new item. I was not told it was used and it did not state that it was used. Not a very good impression for a first time user!!!!