5 comments about One Chance.

1. A friend sent me the YouTube segment of Paul winning the 'Britain's Got Talent' show and I knew I wanted to hear more. I am not a major fan of opera music but I like it now and then and this cd by Paul is definitely one I will listen to often. I hope he does more.



2. What were they thinking to put out an album like this from the man who wants to sing opera? This is an odd assortment of songs with only Nessun Dorma from opera. And what's with singing pop songs in Italian? Did they not have enough opera songs that Paul was good at so that they had to take other songs that he knew and make them sound like opera? Then to include the hymns (O Holy Night and Silent Night), which Paul does okay with, but have been done far better by many singers. The worst stinker on the album is the Spanish version of My Way. Also Paul has an interesting way of pronouncing MUSIC. He sings "Moo-Sick", rather that "Mew-Sick" as most of us say it in the song Music of the Night. Paul has a way of going deep into the soul (or something like that) and bringing people to tears with his songs. (Yes, me too.) He is not the best singer, but with that way of getting to people in a very deep way, he will succeed. Give the man 10 stars, but this recording doesn't rate much more than 3 or 4. It's a shame and I truly hope this is not the "one chance" for Paul Potts to shine. I honestly believe he will shine if they do a good job on future albums.



3. this guy has an amazing voice. I bought this CD and I still get chills every time I listen to it. It's BEAUTIFUL - you'll see!



4. My mother requested this CD by Paul Potts and loves it very much. He does have a great voice and seems to sing not just as an action in itself but is singing with enlivened passion and joy behind it. I leave this good review on behalf of my mother who loves Paul Potts' beautiful voice.



5. I gave the Paul Potts CD, One Chance as a gift for Mother's Day. My mom said that she and my dad enjoyed listening to it as they traveled in the car. She commented that Paul Potts, "has an amazing talent."

5 comments about Italia.

1. This CD is amazing, so well done...love the title track with Andrea Bocelli even though I have no clue what he is singing about...after a day at work, I slip this CD into my car's CD player and my frustrations melt away...lovely, lovely music...



2. ItaliaWhen I Fall in Love
   Both of these CD's offer beautiful instrumental music. Very classy sound. I enjoy listening to this talented jazz artist.



3. I don't think I could add much to the other reviews except to say this: I listen to this CD every day! For me, that's saying a lot!



4. This a exciting fusion of Itlain influence and jazz. Melodic, great to listen to any time of the day



5. I love this CD! After hearing it I bought 2 others. Italia is a blend of haunting and sultry songs. A great CD to fall in love to! Botti fans will not be disappointed.

5 comments about Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac.

1. AHN TRIO
   LULLABY FOR MY FAVORITE INSOMNIAC
   
   The Ahn Trio is comprised of three sisters born in Korea and educated in the U.S.A. at the prestigious Juilliard School. They play piano, violin and cello and their deep-roots in the classical tradition are clearly evident. But consistent with their last two albums, their fifth CD, Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac (Sony-BMG-RCA), finds them playing everything but traditional classical repertoire. They try their hand at "My Funny Valentine," David Bowie's "This Is Not America," a Brazilian number, a couple of folk songs, and several film themes.
   
   In addition, the Ahn Trio is joined by folk singers, DJ-beat-masters, Czech musicians and even a Korean rapper. The Ahn Trio's instruments stay in the forefront on the first dozen songs, but fade a bit into the background on the four bonus tunes which are remixes of four of the first selections using club beats and grooves. Several of these compositions were covered by the Ahn Trio on previous albums (these are different versions, however). The first three-fourths of the CD comes across (as the title suggests) as a recording of lullabyes and softer songs for dreaming, loving and relaxing, so be prepared the first time the bonus tracks come on because they are much more beat-oriented.
   
   The Ahn Trio must be commended for their continued experimentation. They bring a lot excitement to classical music, which can use some shaking up from time to time. Whether you call it neo-classical, contemporary classical, classical crossover or modern classical, this is some of the best, most refreshing and most invigorating out there.



2. The Korean-born, Julliard-trained Ahn sisters (violinist Angella, pianist Lucia and cellist Marcia) present Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac, an album that revitalizes common conceptions 21st century classical music with its unique blend of old and new. Incorporating elements of new age, jazz, pop, folk, minimalism, lounge, hip-hop and more into traditional styles, their latest album Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac transcends barriers as a refreshingly unique creation. The track list (including eight brand-new recordings) is "Dies Irie", "Magic Hour", "My Funny Valentine", "Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac", "Big My Secret", "All I Want", "Heart Asks Pleasure First", "Dream", "Oblivion", "Song on the Land", "This Is Not America", "Solitary Singer", "Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac (Tao of Sound Remix)", "Song on the Land (DJ Spooky Remix)", "This Is Not America (Superdrive - This Is America Mix)", and "My Funny Valentine (Ra.D - My Funny Baby Mix)". The club remix tracks especially stand out since they are the result of international sound designers working their magic with some of the Ahn sisters' most popular tunes. A rousing tour de force of classical music like never heard before.



3. I have enjoyed Ahn Trio concerts for many years, and was lucky to have been able to hear several pieces from this disc prior to its release. LULLABY FOR MY FAVORITE INSOMNIAC shows off how versatile the Ahns are as artists, and how versatile and far-reaching their music is. I particularly enjoyed the pieces written for the Trio by the talented composers Kenji Bunch and Ron Yedidia. The title track is terrific! On another note, I have been pleased with how easily this entire collection - especially tracks like "All I Want," their collaboration with pop/rock artist Susie Suh, and DJ Spooky remixes "Heart Asks Pleasure First," and "Song on the Land" - has blended into my itunes playlists containing music from many different generes. This an imaginative collaboration. I admire their dedication to new work and their approach to making classical music accessible. LULLABY FOR MY FAVORITE INSOMNIAC will fit into any music collection.



4. The new CD from the Ahn Trio is simply amazing. Since I purchased it, I think I have listened to it almost everyday! It is the perfect CD for "challenged relaxation." I am able to have a wonderful listening experience with fabulous music and be relaxed at the same time.



5. Well I bought this hoping for some good crossover music, what I got instead is what most of Vanessa Maes music sounds like. That's right, music that sounds like 'rap' or could almost be considered rap. I'm not sure if the following is true, but by watching the Amazon video the Ahn Trio claim this music as their own, so it must be new and exclusively written for them right? I'm not so sure, although I never heard any of this elsewhere. The first twelve tracks sound OK, meaning they're tolerable, but that's it. There's nothing really deep here, in fact it sounds and appears, as by judging by the length of each piece and of course listening to it, that each track probably only took an afternoon(probably less) to write. Tracks 13-16, the so called bonus tracks, is the worst music I have heard out of all the music I've bought this year.
   
   I thought this was the Ahn Trio, how come there is other instruments like guitar and beeping electronic noises and horrible singing other than just the trio? I think this would sound a lot better if they just left it to the trio and dumped the new age sound effects and the awful singing. No wonder few crossover albums are released anymore, they're all just bad.

1 comments about Air on a G String.

1. Russell's tone always amazes me and his technique is impeccable on this CD as usual.

5 comments about Kapell Rediscovered.

1. The first thing that's amazing about these recordings is that they exist at all. As for the music... wow... There is sensitivity and passion which reaches through the years and the technical limits of these recordings to touch us. But what really amazes me is that even with the extraneous noises, I can still hear incredible clarity and precision in his playing.
   
   One of the important skills of a pianist is to make the melody sing beautifully above the other notes, which frequently come across as a wave, blur or rumble of notes, especially in 19th Century music. In Kapell's playing on these recordings, not only do the melodies sing, but every single note plays a precise role with clarity, even in the Chopin Scherzo. It has given me a better musical understanding of these pieces than ever before.
   
   I've rated this only 4 stars because it is not something I listen to over and over just for pleasure, because of the noise. But it is certainly something all music buffs and especially piano students would do well to listen carefully to.



2. This set is revelatory, not only for those who honor the name of William Kapell, but for any listener who yearns for truly probing interpretations of the repertoire. It was always assumed that the Australian broadcasts were recorded, and now, thanks to those committed to making these performances publicly available, the world can now hear the last artistic utterances of a great genius who was literally days from his death. Kapell had forceably enlarged his repertoire to include probing interpretations of J.S. Bach, Schubert, Chopin Mazurkas, and Mozart, in a way that seemingly indicated he knew he had a limited amount of time to create his lasting artistic credo. On the other hand, he was 31 years old when he died, and the interpretations heard on this disc are those of a young man, a young artist, who would have plumbed even greater depths, had he lived longer. When one listens to this wonderful cross section of repertoire representing Kapell's choices of what would represent him in the broadest, truest manner on his Australian tour, one must conclude that he occupied a very large place in the history of performed music, even at his age. Do not miss the opportunity to own this set.



3. When I first heard that these recording by William Kapell were available I thought they might have been part of an archive found by an Australian Broadcast Corporation. The reality was a bit disappointing in that Kapell's final performances were preserved in an off-the-air recording made by a music enthusiast. I had to conclude that the quality of the recordings could only be abysmal, despite that we owe a debt of gratitude that these performances were preserved.
   
   I was curious, however, and purchased the records and, yes, the sound played over our stereo system reminded me of the worst recordings from the 1930's. I did find that listening through headphones made the sound more bearable. There also were some gaps in three of the recordings that were filled by using other earlier recordings by William Kapell: a gap at the end of the third movement of the Third Piano Concerto, the closing bars of Gates of Kiev and the first movement of the Bach Suite.
   
   The performances are wonderful and demonstrate Kapell's range of expression from the delicacy of Mozart to the dissonances of Prokofiev. The Mussorgsky is magical; the subtle shadings of the Suite bergamasque are marvelous to hear. The Chopin, particularly the Scherzo, is played with great passion and energy. The second disc hold music Kapell had never recorded: Debussy's Suite bergamasque, Chopin's Barcarolle and Scherzo No. 1, and Prokofiev's Sonata No. 7. When one considers that Kapell could be alive today the shortness of his time is brought all the more into focus and the music on these discs becomes all the more precious and remarkable. It is difficult to assign stars to this collection. The sound may be poor but the performances are priceless. So the reason I have assigned 5 stars is due to the importance of the final performances of William Kapell.



4. After listening to a recording of one of William Capell's performances on the radio and being enchanted by it, I was excited to read that a CD of his Australian concerts performed shortly before he died was available. There is no doubt that the playing is extraordinary, and perhaps he is indeed, to quote a radio commentator, the best pianist of the 20th Century. But the recording itself is difficult to listen to because of the background noise and hiss, which has not been cleaned up. But if you are an ardent William Capell fan, you probably will want to have this added to your collection. I plan to send this CD to the radio commentator who admires him so much. I just can't listen to it again. I wish the producer had been able to clean up the sound. Pity.



5. I have been an ardent admirer of William Kapell for years and thought that it was time for me to put my "two cents" in.I have collected all
   I could get my hands on.Not just Kapell recordings but newspaper clippings,and even publications featuring his letters and work diaries.
   Now to the recording at hand.I could easily become an "arm chair" sound
   engineer like some of the other reviewers,but I wont.I am just so grateful
   and full of joy that these recordings are available at all.I am also grateful to William Kapell for how he suffered for his art with all of his hard work.The great ones make it look and sound so easy.I continually
   gain so much from hearing these interpretations,and I hope that the well
   is not totally dry as far as undiscovered recordings. BRAVO!!!

5 comments about Chant.

1. I was eager to order Chant I after reading the positive reviews. I.m fascinated with the middle ages and many reviewers mentioned how relaxing the chants were.And in fact, in my enthusiasm I ordered the Chant II CD also. To me, all these songs sound the same, plaintiff and monotone. Frankly, they give me a headache. I think one Gregorian chant on a mix chant CD would have been Plenty. One not to mention Two Gregorian chant CD's was a big mistake:(
   Make sure you really like Gregorian chants before ordering this!



2. This CD is very pretty. A nice CD to play around Easter time, which I did. The voices blend beautifully making it great for a meditation practice, massage, or even for yoga during asana time or even final relaxation.



3. Great CD, best music to study with, sleep with, or just relax. And it's Holy too! Great gift, very classic.



4. The CD was received on time and in excellent condition. I use the CD in the evenings to slow me down and get me in a relaxed mood.



5. It is a true to life portrail of the medieval prayer form.
   
   Some things are ageless.

5 comments about Carreras · Domingo · Pavarotti: The Three Tenors in Concert / Mehta.

1. Arrived in fine time. Knew what I was getting, based on several viewings and listenings on PBS. Met my expectations. Good quality of used CD.



2. The talent of these men is wonderful. Carraras is not my favorite but the CD is worth every cent to hear Domingo and Pavarotti. I have given this CD as a gift several times to share these beautiful voices with my friends and family. Everyone should cherish every note Pavarotti sings since he won't sing again.



3. How can anyone not love the magical sound of the three tenors in concert, Carreras-Domingo-Pavarotti. A must for any collection



4. Carreras · Domingo · Pavarotti: The Three Tenors in Concert / Mehta I was traveling on an Interstate at nighttime when I first listened to this CD. The singing and music are exquisitely beautiful such that one feels transported from a tiresome road trip.



5. 
   There will never be another Pavarotti,but his performance on this cd was magnificient. The other two tenors were great too.

5 comments about Bach: The 6 Unaccompanied Cello Suites.

1. Not exactly sure what I would do without these recordings. A world without Bach: a scary thought. My pulse slackens a bit each time I put these on. Relaxing, sure, but also tremendously moving. A perfect antidote for the trivial drone, distraction, and bustle of our post-capitalist world. No need to go buy new-age computer glitch world-music ambience; this is sonic therapy, written centuries before we needed it.



2. Yo-Yo Ma is one of the greatest cello players of all times and he's playing Bach. Is there really anything left to say? I think not :)



3. I admit that I had initial misgivings about this product in light of the widespread renown of Mstislav Rostropovich. But I did some comparison, courtesy of YouTube clips which had surprising sound quality. I came to prefer the more personal and intimate rendition consistent with Yo-yo Ma's style. I suppose, at the end of the day, there is no point arguing taste. The qualities that make Yo-yo Ma's playing uniquely his own just happen to lend themselves well to my personality and current state of mind, which does not detract from the greatness of Rostropovich on the cello.
   
   With regard to Bach's work itself, the Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, I am in awe. I have heard parts of this set at one time or another. Perhaps the most famous would be the first movement prelude of suite no. 1 in G major, having been used for TV ads and such. If you are a fan of Bach, this set is further demonstration of his versatility and genius. The sound quality is excellent, having a mild reverberation, which perfectly complements the cello as an instrument, Yo-yo Ma as a performer, and the suites themselves as stunning examples of music of any age.



4. this one's for me - couldn't find in the big record stores- yay amazon. quick delivery, good price, great condition



5. YoYo Ma awoke an entire generation to Bach with this recording. Listening to Ma play these works is truly a stunning thing.
   
   Bach is THE master who demands attention and requires another master to play his work correctly and with emotion. In the hands of a technician, Bach can be all dried up and too mathematical. In the hands of a master such as Yo Yo Ma, the concept of the Master living forever through his music becomes true. Bach is all about math. But, with only the math and none of the humanity, Bach can be cold-- and that would be an appalling thing.
   
   Bach's music is about the glorification of God and humanity and only the combination of technique, mathematics, and emotion can bring it alive and make it true. Bach is very challenging for every player on every instrument. Yo Yo Ma will forever be remembered for this 2 disc set. He introduced Bach to a new generation and made Bach seem cool again. But Bach has always been cool and always will be.
   
   Yo Yo Ma's Cello Suites set the standard for every Bach cello recording before or after, for better or ill. But this is no disservice to Mr. Ma. It is rather an acknowledgment of the power of his performance, the brilliance of his technique, and his very special and rare ability to bring the master alive and off the page to enrapture new audiences.
   
   Yo Yo Ma has done the world a service and Bach would certainly concur, I think.
   
   I had a friend in Massachusetts who lived next door to Yo Yo Ma. My friend could hear him practicing the cello at all hours. I said, "Oh how lucky you are!" He replied, "Well, it gets really aggravating after a while-- he's playing all through the night."
   
   I kindly replied, "You're a f****** moron."
   
   What a brilliant set this is by Yo Yo Ma. Anything that advances Bach into the public consciousness as this recording did and still does is a service to humanity. Superb.

4 comments about The Most Soothing Lullabies In The Universe.

1. very soothing for the unborn baby (decreases in-utero kicking) and the newborn baby (increases between-feedings time at night). highly recommended for any newly minted parents out there.



2. These lullabies are infact very soothing. I have filled an MP3 player for my princess w/ lullabies, classical music and the Nutcracker and it helps w/ keeping her asleep all night by shadowing all other noises in the house until morning. I would recomend anyone to get this cd not only for a small child but for anyone who has trouble sleeping. These beautiful classical mastepieces help anyone fall peacefully asleep*



3. A double CD with 20 really soothing classics played by real orchestras. Music not only for the unborn baby or child but but to relax mom and dad as well. Beautiful pieces!



4. This is a lovely CD for everyone. It is sincerely mellow with few exceptions and makes a soothing sound for the car (especially for long car rides). On the first of 2 cd's, the set up is a little odd. The first 2 songs are mellow and relaxing (just enough to help put a baby to sleep) then the 3rd song comes on like a thunderbolt and will wake the child if your not careful.

5 comments about Philip Glass - Songs & Poems for Solo Cello - Wendy Sutter.

1. This is quite unlike Philip Glass' minimalism music. It is lush and fluid, written for Wendy Sutter, whom he loves. It is obvious and lovely. The old cello she plays has a wonderful deep tone and she plays with controlled virtuosity and passionate feeling. Highly recommended. I am giving the recording as a gift to those who appreciate music.



2. There wasn't a single piece on this CD that I enjoyed. I love cello music but none of these selections were melodious and were an affront to my taste. I disagree totally with Greg Sandow's WSJ review. If I had heard this first I never would have bought it.



3. This album consists mostly of so-called 'poems' for cello solo. It is an interesting experience, although less lush in texture than the usual symphonic works by Glass, and less moving than solo efforts such as the solo saxophone album. The album ends with several tracks (some of which not released on CD hitherto) from Powaqqatsi. All in all, this is a valuable item in a Philip Glass's afficionado's collection, but will probably be of little use to other people.



4. The accuracy of the Cello is a clear challenge to the composer, who's work has been focsed on the precision of ensembles and percussion (including solo piano). Mr. Glass has accepted the challenge to go deep and created his most haunting work to date. The composition, performance and recording all come together in a way that reveals the soul that has been inside the machine driving his work all along.



5. We just listened to extended portions of this record on the radio and it is extraordinarily beautiful. We had trouble guessing what decade or century it might be from and were very surprised it was Philip Glass. The music is both lyrical and haunting, and beautifully played and recorded. Highly recommended, don't miss it if you enjoy cello.