1 comments about Symphonic Sondheim: Don Sebesky Conducts the London Symphony Orchestra.

1. This is a marvelous collection of music. It includes Sondheim's most famous and popular melody, "Send in the Clowns" from a "Little Night Music", this CD version using only the strings. One of the best selections. The show premiered February 25, 1973 at the Sam S Shubert Theatre (from the CD insert). The insert contains details on each selection. There is also a written introduction to the CD written by Don Sebesky that points out that the CD contains no sung lyrics. You're certain to listen from start to finish.

1 comments about Best of Lena Horne.

1. Having celebrated her 90th birthday in June, the legendary Lena remains an iconic figure with a long career dating back to her period as a dancer in the famous Cotton Club revues during the Thirties before moving on to become a solo singer with appearances with the Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway Orchestras. In Hollywood during the 40's, she sparkled in the 20th Century Fox musical melodrama STORMY WEATHER while her memorable MGM screen musicals included CABIN IN THE SKY, TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY and WORDS AND MUSIC. Later she triumphed as a supper club entertainer with stage work in JAMAICA (1958) and her 1981 one woman show, THE LADY AND HER MUSIC adding kudos to a fabulous career.
   
   Despite involvement with the US Civil Rights Movement during the Sixties, Lena recorded some lively albums with one disc of this excellent overview devoted to tracks from three United Artists albums (FEELIN' GOOD, LENA IN HOLLYWOOD and/SOUL) released in 1965/66. Songs include up-tempo versions of new songs ON A WONDERFUL DAY LIKE TODAY, FEELIN' GOOD, HELLO YOUNG LOVERS and THE BOY(GIRL) FROM IPANEMA with tasty ballads I WANNA BE AROUND, SOFTLY AS I LEAVE YOU and a notable reading of Lennon and McCarthy's AND I LOVE HIM providing fine contrast. Fresh reinventions of oldies and goodies SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, and WILLOW WEEP FOR ME join movie songs MOON RIVER, IT HAD BETTER BE TONIGHT and IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD, with a more contemporary viewpoint proving no problem when Lena zips through the rhythmic machinations of I GOT A WORRIED MAN, Bacharach and David's WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE and a bluesy UNCHAINED MELODY.
   
   Thirty years later, Lena's voice had mellowed and despite some loss of power, the necessary element of style, perfect phrasing and innovation still remained intact with the added attraction of an older and wiser reflection on life which transferred to some Blue Note albums and the second disc dips into some outstanding cuts from WE'LL BE TOGETHER AGAIN, AN EVENING WITH LENA HORNE, BEING MYSELF released during the 90's and SEASONS OF A LIFE in 2006. Of the songs, DAY FOLLOWS DAY has Johnny Mathis on board for a samba-styled opus and PRELUDE TO A KISS is just one of several tracks which reappraise the Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn legacy. Lena also grabs Sondheim's current OLD FRIEND but whether in recording studio or before an audience, generally prefers to look back, choosing AUTUMN IN NEW YORK, THE LADY IS A TRAMP and other standards, with naturally a reworking of her signature song, STORMY WEATHER to conclude the disc.
   
   Other compilations may offer recordings from Lena's earlier work, but this excellent budget-priced review of her later career is a satisfying opportunity to appreciate her forward-looking approach which does much to confirm why she has enjoyed such longevity as an amazing entertainer.

5 comments about Fantasma De La Opera - Mexican Version.

1. Mexican audience is proud for this work, the first adaptation in Spanish of this spectacular masterpiece.
   Congratulations to all company who made possible this fine performance.
   We remember the time when this Phantom of the Opera was in Mexico City, from December 1999 to January 2001. The recording is a very good souvenir.



2. When I first started listening to this recording of Phantom, I was confused. Christine (Irasema Terrazas) and Raoul's (Jose Joel) voices didn't seem to fit my previous ideas of their roles. Christine's voice needs to be beautiful and easy to listen to, and Raoul's need to have a presence about it, while still maintaining a sweet color. At times, Terrazas's vibrato sounds sharp and even shrill to my ear, and I was immediately disappointed by Joel's entire approach. After a moment of consideration, it all made more sense to me, though. If one listens to this recording in remembrance of Leroux's original story, the characters' voices fit quite well. Yes, in the novel, Christine is a young teenager, but she also is a prodigy under the direction of the Phantom; so we can assume that even though Christine is a teen, she must be able to technically dethrone Carlotta. Irasema Terrazas's voice does this.
   
   As for Raoul, Jose Joel's execution of the role might sound wimpy or even childish compared to other Raouls such as Steve Barton or Patrick Wilson. Again, back to Leroux's novel, we see that Raoul is described as a slight individual of twenty-one years that looks as if he were eighteen. Even though Joel's voice is a sharp contrast to that of other mainstream Raouls, his performance fits well into the novel's picture of the viscount.
   
   Whether or not the castors considered the novel in their choosing of Christine and Raoul, we can justify their choices by using this logic.
   
   When placing the Mexican Phantom (Juan Navarro) under speculation, we find that his performance is without major conflict with most other popular conceptions of the Phantom. In my opinion, Navarro's performance is almost equal with Michael Crawford's. Crawford, the original Phantom, wins my preference simply for the fact that he sings the role in English and because he sounds a little more ghost-like.
   
   But this is Lloyd Webber's musical, not Leroux's novel, you argue. That's a good point; under that view Terrazas and especially Joel might not be perfect for their parts. I admit this isn't my favorite recording, but I wanted to shed some light on my thoughts of the Mexican cast.
   
   In the end, this recording is a very good literal interpretation of Leroux and Lloyd Webber's works. It will please people who have a preference for more operatic renditions. The Mexican recording also provides a nice change for those who have worn a hole in their original recordings.



3. My 24 yr old grandson requested this for xmas. His main language is English and he has the English version. But he is extremely proficient in Spanish and said the Spanish version is great! He prefers it to the English version.



4. This spanish'version El Fantasma de la opera is a wonderful "adaptation" from the original english version The phantom of the opera. The voices of the singers have the same powerful than in the english version. Except for Raoul who, when he sing, seem to miss some powerful in is voices sometimes. But except this, it's a very, very good cast!



5. This recording gives a very new latino flare to phantom of the opera.... My favourite subject in school is spanish (and french), and when I saw they made a CD of my fovourite show in Spanish I had to get it.....
   
   The voices are stunning, and although some translations are a little off, its still very fun to learn your favourite show in a different language (durmiendo me conto, en sueños fue.... hahaha so cool)
   Juan Navarro is a very different kind of phantom but his voice is very very powerful, and perfect for a spanish phantom, Irasmesa Terrazas has an angelic voice and although not quite on par with sarah brightman is very impressive.....
   This CD is very moving and I enjoyed getting a new taste of my beloved phantom, if you're a "phan" you should get this CD, if you're into languages you should get this CD, either way its very nice.... (now if only they sold a french recording in America), I enjoyed every second of this CD well worth what I paid for it!!!!

5 comments about Christmas Album.

1. What can you say, if you love burl ives, you'll love his christmas cd! how can you not! it's burl ives singing christmas! can it get any more merry!!



2. My assessment of this CD ranges right around the middle of those giving it 5 stars and the one reviewer who went as low as 1 star. Certainly, it's far from the best album of Christmas music ever released by Burl which, in my humble opinion at any rate, is his 1965 Decca LP Have A Holly Jolly Christmas.
   
   This one, which first came out on CD in October 1995 with this cover, and was re-released in September 2000 with a different cover, mixes narration with vocals, with tracks 5, 6 and 10 being solely narratives. There are also 12 tracks, not 11 as indicated. Although they indicate that track 11 is a Medley of Thy Rebuke from The Messiah, and Behold, written by the well-known orchestra leader Robert Mersey, it's simply the former, with Behold located at track 12.
   
   The sound quality for this material, all recorded in 1969 when Burl was 59 years of age and in great form, is excellent. The liner notes, however, are limited to four brief paragraphs written by author Fred Flanagan.
   
   A better bet on CD for traditionalists would be the Geffen release The Very Best Of Burl Ives which contains his three tunes from the 1964 animated TV show Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, the other two being Silver And Gold and A Holly Jolly Christmas.
   
   That last, incidentally, was his only Christmas charted single, first hitting # 13 on the Billboard Christmas charts in 1964 on Decca 31695 b/w Snow For Johnny (which never seems to be included in any of his compilations). It charted again at # 29 in 1968, and in 1998 a new version went to # 30 Adult Contemporary from the 1996 album Rudolph, Frosty And Friends Favorite Christmas Songs on Sony Wonder 67766. Another hard-to-find on CD.



3. Our favorite Christmas albumn is "Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives and we adore his many folk song albumns too. Burl has such a unique voice and a wonderful delivery that makes him one of a kind. I gave 10 "Holly" CDs to people for Christmas this year. We are HUGE Burl Ives fans. Having said that, I was a little disappointed in this albumn. I actually felt bad for him because it would seem that he just couldn't muster enough singing out of his voice and he narrates many of these songs. He was pretty old when he made this albumn. I don't mind some narration and I WANTED to enjoy this CD, but I didn't. We will continue to wear out our "Holly Jolly Christmas" CD but this one will probably get once-a-Christmas-season playing, if that. Maybe it will grow on me and I'll feel differently years from now, but in retrospect, I wish I hadn't purchased this CD. Sorry, Burl.



4. santa mouse makes me wanna drink a 40 whilst stumbling around the christmas tree!burl always knew how to take any man,woman,or child on "a trip so light and airy"!!!!



5. This CD was everything and more than I had hoped for. It brought back great memories of Christmas with my children. It felt like old times decorating the tree listening to Burl Ives singing the Christmas classics as only he can.

4 comments about The Best of Johnny Mathis (1975-1980).

1. Johnny Mathis is an exceptional popular singer, one of our country's finest. He delivers a quality performance every time, and often enhances a song with his singular style. Johnny Mathis is a safe bet when it comes to buying his recordings.
   
   This is a fine, but uneven collection of Johnny's "best." It never errs in performance, but in the quality of the songs themselves. There are mostly outstanding songs here: "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," "What I Did For Love," "You Light Up My Life," "99 Miles From L.A.," "When a Child Is Born," and "With You I'm Born Again." "Just the Way You Are" is also an outstanding song, but I would have preferred it to be a solo Mathis performance instead of a duet with Deniece Williams.
   
   The remaining songs did not make much of an impression on me, even his duet with Jane Oliver ("The Last Time I Felt Like This"). It's too bad that Columbia/Sony didn't include Johnny's disco version of "Begin the Beguine," which was incredible!



2. Johnny Mathis remains a great star who can lead his audiences wherever he wants them to go using his beautiful voice to reach out to his audience. I am always impressed by Johnny's ability to vocalize flawlessly; his voice is rich, strong and full of warmth at all once.
   
   The album offers a number of highlights. "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" is a duet Johnny performs with Deniece Williams; and they never sounded better! Deniece's singing perfectly complements Johnny's vocals. "What I Did For Love" comes from the Broadway musical entitled A Chorus Line. I really like the way Johnny sings this with a lot of sensitivity.
   
   "You Light Up My Life" is another big hit from the 1970s; and Johnny's rendition is a passionate one. Johnny's excellent diction makes his singing even better. "99 Miles From L.A." gives Johnny a chance to cover a song by Art Garfunkel; and Johnny Mathis never misses a beat. The strings work well on "99 Miles From L.A.," too.
   
   "Just The Way You Are" is another excellent duet with Johnny and Deniece Williams; their cover of this classic Billy Joel hit is very easy on the ears! Good use of the piano, too, on "Just The Way You Are."
   
   "With You I'm Born Again" proves Johnny's can deliver a ballad with true warmth and deep sensitivity; and "The Last Time I Felt Like This" really gives us the perfect ending for this album.
   
   Johnny Mathis remains a huge star and he deserves all the recognition he still receives. There are very few who can deliver a ballad the way Johnny can; and it's a pleasure to listen to the songs on this album.



3. His VOice is still strong after all of these years.these SOngs Reflect his Ability in doing many styles.This is A Great Disc that Captures Johnny Mathis in the mid-70's to the start of the 80's.He adds his own touch to these songs.



4. The ageless wonder gives you the best of several types of music in this compilation from Columbia records. If you like duets, his #1 hit "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," is here along with the theme song from "Same Time Next Year," (Last Time I Felt Like This) that he recorded with Jayne Oliver. Johnny includes his love of Broadway by offering music from "Chorus Line," and many have hailed his version of the top 40 hit "99 Miles From L.A." better than Art Garfunkel's. One of the best songs on the album is "The Best Days Of My Life," the title song from a previously released effort. Arranger Jack Gold put the orchestration to most of these songs. He blends just the right amount of instrumentation with the enduring voice of an American gem---Johnny Mathis. There is not a clinker in this bunch! By the way, Mathis fans can look for Johnny's 2000 tour with dates already booked in Galveston, Memphis and Madison, Wisconsin.

No comments about Berlin Lieder.

5 comments about Unsung Musicals (Studio Cast).

1. Greetings,
   
   I am one of the few who actually got to see "The First" -- a musical about Jackie Robinson.
   
   I do not have this CD but wish it had the title song from "The First" ...don't think it exists anywhere. I actually still remember some dialogue/lyrics from it and would like to hear it/read the words again.
   I also would like to know if any version or scenes from the play are available to do in a school. Anybody?
   Have a nice day!



2. This is not so much a review as a rebuttal; I was the orchestrator for this album, MISSGYDER's assertion of totally synthesized sound is totally incorrect: the charts were played by 4 reeds, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, harp, percussion, drums, keyboards, and a string section. I sorry the sound didn't meet the approval of the reviewer labeled MISSGYDER, but I can testify to the reality of the orchestra, the players, and my scores which are at the Library of congress.



3. I was given this for my birthday, along with Unsung Sondheim, my favorite composer. I was excited, and a little bit skeptical because I've NEVER heard of these musicals. Once I started though, I was hooked. I want sheet music to so many, they're fun to sing along to, or just to listen to they great singer/actresses they got. My personal favorites are Smile, Sherry, Ragtime Romeo, and Silverware. I recommend this for all Broadway Babies and theatre buffs like me!



4. Unsung Musicals is a great idea, presenting songs from shows that didn't get their due on Broadway. However, the production of this CD is very poor, using poorly synthesized instruments and cheesy drum tracks. I could have recreated these sounds using a home software program, they're so bad! The songs themselves are good, but the album is so horrid in terms of listening value that you'd be embarrased to put this in your CD player. I recommend this CD only for students and professionals in the music theatre world as a way to learn songs you wouldn't normally hear, but other than that, I can't recommend it.



5. Just because a musical was not successful, that doesn't mean that there were no good songs in it (pardon the double negative). These selections may be songs that are not well known from shows in the same category, but some of these are real gems, sung by fine show singers. My favorites are "Smile" (from Smile), "Ragtime Romeo" (The Vamp), "Sherry!" (Sherry!), and "She's Roses" (Drat! The Cat!).

5 comments about The Frogs / Evening Primrose (2001 Studio Cast).

1. I truly enjoy this recording of The Frogs. The complex yet small chorus makes each voice distinct. Each time I listen I hear something new. I also hear reminiscents of later works. I'm not as pleased with the Evening Primrose section, but admire NPH for tackling that character at a fairly young age.



2. I already own the original Broadway cast to The Frogs (Nathan Lane, Roger Bart), so all I have to say about that part of the CD is that there are not that many songs. Sure there are a lot of numbers, but a lot are just dialogue. The Broadway cast has a lot more songs. However, Nathan Lane and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Good cast.
   
   Evening Primrose is very good! I adore Neil Patrick Harris, meaning that three/four songs are amazing. The female is also very good. Instead of the last four songs being a bonus, I think that the last four songs are the best while The Frogs is a bonus.
   
   If you like Neil Patrick Harris, BUY IT! Or if you like any other cast member in this show...



3. This recording is arguably one of Sondheims greatest! The Frogs, which appears here with a brilliant cast (Nathan Lane, Brian Stokes Mitchell among others) is one of Mr. Sondheims oddest pieces of theater. Although it was recently revived on Broadway with a new book by Mr. Lane and that recording is probably better, the entire first half of this recording (which is The Frogs) is brilliant for nostalgias sake and for the amazing expierence of the music itself. Mr. Sondheim has created such music for The Frogs! Very grandiose and stunning!
   
   But it is really the final four tracks on the album (The Evening Primrose) that shines. The Evening Primrose is also an interesting Sondheim show but this one is quite possibly worth the price of the album itself. This recording (the only LEGAL one i know of) of the show is... well... perfect. The music is Sondheim at his best, the singers (Neil Patrick Harris plays the lead) are terrific and it just sounds glorious!
   
   The Frogs might be an interesting and entertaining reason to purchase this album but it will The Evening Primrose that will make you scream with joy!



4. Contrary to other reviwes posted I will tell you that the Evening Primrose on the Mandy Patinkin Cd "Dress Casual" IS the "Primrose" to own. This one was in my opinion under acted and undersung. While Mandy Patinkin is always over the tip, Ms Peters is one of the best Interpreters of Sondheim's works and the orchestration on this is much darker and deep, like the subject matter of the piece. I found this whole CD lacking, given that just like the "Dress Casual" I bought it only for the "Evening Primrose" selections. Thank the GODS for CD Burners so I can compile my own best of Sondheim CD.



5. I find the Evening Primrose here much better than that on "Dress Casual." Firstly, because the two performers--Neil Patrick Harris and Theresa McCarthy--are both amazing singers. Also, because both of these performers are younger and thus, their voices are more "youthful". For this musical, in particular, "youthfulness" is important; Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin are simply to mature to effectively do these parts. I find Neil Patrick Harris, in particular, absolutely superb, and his version of "Not While I'm Around" (on the NYP Sweeney Todd recording) is far and away the best I have ever heard (except for LuPone's dismal British accent). This Evening Primrose alone is worth the price of the CD.

2 comments about Forbidden Broadway: The Hit Musical Revue (1982 Revue Compilation).

1. When I was in college and hopelessly bored with class, I would "lampoon" songs for the heck of it. I should have submitted my songs to the Forbidden Broadway series (FB, FB Vol. 2, FB Vol. 3 and FB Strikes Back!). This first one is not as funny as the next three, but as professionals who get better with their next works, the series gets progressively funnier. This first CD opened the door to musical irreverence. What makes it great to listen to is that the quality of the singing voices of the artists are comparable to any Broadway artist. I suspect that they came from there and ventured out to this unusual type of entertainment.

   You should enjoy the "Don't Cry For Me Argentina (lampooning Patty Lupone vs. Barbra Streisand vs. Madonna) and the Audition Sequence (lampooning They're Playing Our Song). You don't have to have extensive familiarity with the musical itself, but it would help to know the history of Broadway artists.

   If you've got a penchant for irreverence and are able to laugh at yourself, this CD is for you.




2. If you've ever seen the movie Pirates of Penzance, auditioned for a show or wondered what an Ethyl Merman/Mary Martin duet would sound like, you'll like this CD. Nothing is sacred to Alessandrini & company--they spoof Webber, Sondheim, Fosse, Carol Channing, Catholic musicals, you name it. The singers imitate voices so well it's frightening (though the Linda Rondstadt impersonation is a little on the mean side). Be sure to bring your sense of humor when you listen to this CD.

4 comments about Orpheus and Euridice.

1. A second release from Ghostlight Records is Ricky Ian Gordon's Orpheus & Euridice. As he has with works like My Life With Albertine and "Dream True," Gordon demonstrates in this "song cycle in two acts" that he can musicalize longing in ways that both touch and startle.
   
   The myth on which the piece is based, of course, concerns Orpheus' trip to the underworld to retrieve his love, Euridice. After charming this world, as he has Earth, with his music, he may lead Euridice out of Hades, but he may not look at her. She is unaware of this deal and on their trip, she believes that he is ignoring her. When he finally gives into her demands, she disappears, and he mourns with music so ugly that the creatures of the underworld rend him to pieces.
   
   Gordon's cycle is sung by only one voice (Elizabeth Futral's gorgeous soprano) and played on clarinet (Todd Palmer as Orpheus) and piano (Melvin Chen). Gordon's lyrics for the piece are marvels of verbal economy and emotional depth. After Orpheus has looked at his love, "Song Two" contains only the lyrics:
   
   "I am not
   part of anything
   now."
   Yet the song lasts just over two and a half minutes, and, in Gordon's music, one simply feels Euridice's evaporation and the disappearance of the connectedness she once enjoyed
   Throughout, Gordon's music, which could be (incorrectly) described as simple tonal exercises, has the ability to surprise and jolts listeners into actively participating in the piece. It's a vibrant dramatic piece and one senses the potential for its potency onstage through the pictures of director/chroegrapher Doug Varone's work for the Lincoln Center production that are found in the booklet accompanying the Ghostlight CD.
   
   Both Orpheus and Euridice and Happy End are important additions for any serious musiclover's CD shelf.



2. Orpheus & Euridice
   CHORAL AND SONG
   GORDON, Orpheus & Euridice
   Orpheus Ascending!
   
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   At first, one might think Orpheus has given up his mythic lyre for a clarinet in Ricky Ian Gordon's haunting two-act song cycle Orpheus & Euridice. But Gordon means something a lot less literal and more poignant here; the clarinet is not so much the instrument Orpheus plays as the sound of his inner music - his longing, joy and pain. And in the hands of clarinetist Todd Palmer, the point is beautifully made.
   
   In 1995, Palmer approached Gordon with the suggestion that he compose a piece for clarinet, soprano and piano, a modern answer to Schubert's Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (The Shepherd on the Rock). At the time, Gordon's partner was dying from AIDS, and the composer wasn't sure he was up to the assignment. Then one morning, Gordon woke up with the inspiration to cast Palmer and his clarinet as Orpheus, grieving a Euridice plagued with a virus rhat takes her away. The piece was first staged at Cooper Union in Manhattan in 2001; the current recording is based on Gotdon's expansion of Orpheus, as staged by Doug Varone at Lincoln Center in 2005.
   
   Gordon claims to have written the libretto in one hour, but there's nothing facile about it. Graceful, soulful, inspired and personal, it sets the Orpheus story in a modern context. This couple gets a little more time on earth than the fabled pair - plus a house, a garden and a chance to dance (an interlude in which pianist Melvin Chen sets the clarinetist Palmer free). Soprano Elizabeth Futral delivers the story's third-person narracion with full emotional involvement, as well as singing the song Orpheus wrote for Euridice, "I am parr of something now."
   
   When death takes Euridice away, Orpheus follows her to a hell "you had to pass through. Like life, you had to traverse through the night / To circumnavigate the light." He makes his deal and brings her back but of course cannot resisr looking back any more than any grieving lover can resist looking back. Euridice disappears, and Orpheus is torn apart - would that this CD could let us see Doug Varone's choreography. Music born of grief and sorrow becomes its own consolation. Taking a myth that is irresistible to composers, Gordon has written a song cycle that makes great theater. In this recording, Futral's voice is ripe with yearning, and pianist Melvin Chen is sharp and tuneful - but it is Todd Palmer who proves that a clarinet can charm the gods as it revives the soul.- Rick Hamlin, Opera News, 1 March 2007



3. Ricky Ian Gordon's Orpheus and Euridice is so intimate and private
   that one almost feels intrusive commenting on it. Orpheus, which recently received its world premiere in Lincoln Center's
   "Great Performers" and "American Songbook" series, was written as a response to the illness and death of Gordon's
   partner. All composers drawn to this Greek legend are surely in some way attracted by the bereavement, guilt, and
   grieving that the myth explores, not to mention the fact that Orpheus himself is the virtual embodiment of music and its
   grieving that the myth explores, not to mention the fact that Orpheus himself is the virtual embodiment of music and its
   power to move, heal, and restore. Gordon has clearly been stirred by all that, reshaping the basic material in original ways
   to make his own statement.
   What began as a modest request from clarinetist Todd Palmer for a companion to Schubert's ballad The Shepherd on the
   Rock eventually developed into a 70-minute theater piece that, like the Schubert song, calls for soprano, clarinet, and
   piano but also adds a troupe of dancers. The soprano doubles as Euridice and a narrator, Orpheus exchanges his lyre for a
   clarinet with no loss of musical eloquence, and eight dancers represent the Furies, blessed spirits, and, in the end, a
   moved audience of wondering humanity. Both Gordon's text and music are couched in an accessible idiom of disarming
   lyrical directness, a cleverly disguised faux naïveté that always resolves dissonant situations with grace and a sure sense
   of dramatic effect--the mark of a born theater composer.
   Not many new works, especially one with these unusual requirements, get such a magical first performance in which
   every element seems so perfectly integrated. As directed and choreographed by Doug Varone, the action is in constant
   movement--even the pianist (Melvin Chen) and his instrument are whirled about the stage at certain key moments.
   Soprano Elizabeth Futral as Euridice and Palmer as Orpheus perform their regular musical duties to maximum effect
   while joining in the dance without a suggestion of hesitation or awkwardness. The otherworldly nature of Allen Moyer's
   gray gauze settings and Jane Greenwood's pale costume designs couldn't be more to the point. Orpheus and Euridice is a
   fragile creation, and it was lucky to be born with such tender care.



4. While researching new composers (specifically anyone who was following in the tradition of Stephen Sondheim) I was blessed to come across Ricky Ian Gordon. I was familiar with his work that Ms. Audra McDonald had presented in her "Way Back to Paradise" album but had yet to investigate further into his art.
   
   Luckily I found "Orpheus and Euridice."
   
   The poetry is evocative in it's own right, the music brings us to a deeply personal world within it and the ensemble that has been presented to us has taken this piece and made it's glorious passages soar.
   
   It is quite obvious that Mr. Gordon has found a personal connection his writing. Ranging from playfull to heartwrenching the listener finds themselves taken to a whole new level of expression that we won't find very often in the world of music today.
   
   I should warn those reading that this music is not deeply rooted in traditional tonality. It seems that Mr. Gordon has taken a directional cue from Sondheim and is branching out to the capabilities of music beyond the usual palette of popular music. If you are more accustomed to traditional broadway music I would suggest spending some time enjoying the wonderful work of Stephen Sondheim and Adam Guettel, specifically pieces such as Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music and The Light in the Piazza. Once you have become accustomed to pieces such as those then I would greatly encourage you to explore this work. Believe me that this piece is worth the investment.
   
   I hope you find as much beauty and enjoyment in this CD as I have.