Bestsellers > Classical Music > Opera and Vocal
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God Bless America(more) »rank: 3744by: Mormon Tabernacle Choir
: :If you have a patriotic bone in your body, you'll find it hard not be stirred by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's God Bless America. This 69-minute collection offers 23 flag-waving standards, from 'America the Beautiful' and 'The Star Spangled Banner' to 'Shenandoah' and 'This Land Is Your Land.' These 1970s recordings tend toward the bombastic, with backing by the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Columbia Symphonic Band, and Philadelphia Orchestra, but they don't sound overly dated, and there's also an intimate a cappella version of 'When I First Came to This Land.' Richard P. Condie and Jerold ... |
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Gabrieli · Monteverdi · Vivaldi - Venetian Church Music / Taverner Consort, Choir & Players · Andrew Parrott(more) »rank: 8303by: Giovanni Gabrieli, Claudio Monteverdi, Antonio Vivaldi, Dario Castello, Giovanni Legrenzi, Antonio Lotti, Alessandro Grandi, Andrew Parrott, Choir & Players Taverner Consort
: :If you have a patriotic bone in your body, you'll find it hard not be stirred by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's God Bless America. This 69-minute collection offers 23 flag-waving standards, from 'America the Beautiful' and 'The Star Spangled Banner' to 'Shenandoah' and 'This Land Is Your Land.' These 1970s recordings tend toward the bombastic, with backing by the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Columbia Symphonic Band, and Philadelphia Orchestra, but they don't sound overly dated, and there's also an intimate a cappella version of 'When I First Came to This Land.' Richard P. Condie and Jerold ... |
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The Mozart Effect: Music For Moms and Moms-To-Be(more) »rank: 44459from: Children's Group
: :If you have a patriotic bone in your body, you'll find it hard not be stirred by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's God Bless America. This 69-minute collection offers 23 flag-waving standards, from 'America the Beautiful' and 'The Star Spangled Banner' to 'Shenandoah' and 'This Land Is Your Land.' These 1970s recordings tend toward the bombastic, with backing by the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Columbia Symphonic Band, and Philadelphia Orchestra, but they don't sound overly dated, and there's also an intimate a cappella version of 'When I First Came to This Land.' Richard P. Condie and Jerold ... |
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The 3 Tenors in Concert 1994(more) »rank: 11912from: Atlantic / Wea
: :It's not opera; it's not a pop concert; it's not Broadway. It's all of these and none of them. Once you accept the fact that this sequel to the original blockbuster concert recording is less about music and more about entertainment and the power of musical personalities, you can appreciate what you're hearing as an event--phenomenal and bizarre, momentous and frivolous. This is an occasion to celebrate the voices and egos of three huge superstars, and to have fun listening as Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras interact, bouncing lines off each other and ... |
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Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection(more) »rank: 10165from: Deutsche Grammophon
: :If you like your Wagner served up in bleeding chunks or if you're simply in a hurry to hear the tunes, then this compilation is for you. The performances, drawn from the Polygram (mainly Deutsche Grammophon) back catalog, are for the most part authoritative. They feature the likes of Herbert von Karajan, with the Berlin Philharmonic, and Karl Böhm, with the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra (and chorus), in extracts from recordings of complete operas, and conductors Giuseppe Sinopoli, Otto Gerdes, and Antal Doráti in some of the more familiar overtures and preludes. Singing, without which it ... |
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Mendelssohn: Elijah(more) »rank: 8233from: EMI Classics
: :If you like your Wagner served up in bleeding chunks or if you're simply in a hurry to hear the tunes, then this compilation is for you. The performances, drawn from the Polygram (mainly Deutsche Grammophon) back catalog, are for the most part authoritative. They feature the likes of Herbert von Karajan, with the Berlin Philharmonic, and Karl Böhm, with the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra (and chorus), in extracts from recordings of complete operas, and conductors Giuseppe Sinopoli, Otto Gerdes, and Antal Doráti in some of the more familiar overtures and preludes. Singing, without which it ... |
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Bach & Beyond - Gabriela Montero(more) »rank: 16268from: EMI Classics
: : Taking as her base 12 works of Bach, Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero proceeds to play variations on each. The works are familiar and most Classical fans will recognize their melodies instantly. But Montero, who is closer to a jazz improvisationalist than a classical pianist merely embellishing, alters rhythm as well as melody, and the results are invariably both surprising and delightful. The Presto from the Italian Concerto is positively wacky, but 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring' sticks to the piece's mood with truth and originality. Montero plays 'beyond' Bach with good taste and respect, ... |
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Puccini - Madama Butterfly(more) »rank: 7578starring: Mirella Freni, Plácido Domingo, Christa Ludwig, Robert Kerns, Michel Sénéchal
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Glass: Einstein on the Beach (1993 Recording)(more) »rank: 7445by: Robert Wilson, Michael Riesman
: essential recording:Although Einstein on the Beach is by definition an opera, Philip Glass's most famous work also transcends traditional music categories. Glass avoided all vestiges of plot in the piece and dug deep into his quiver of repetitions to create an artfully unnerving five hours of brilliance. The instrumental ensemble never exceeds five members, playing electric keyboards, saxophones, flutes, and a single violin. Furthermore, the music congregates around the upper registers, often darting through its loops at seemingly incredible paces. The chorus bears huge chops, creating a dense, if silkenly staccato, series of juts, ... |
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Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro(more) »rank: 14225starring: Schrott, Persson, Finlay, Pappano, Royal Opera House
: essential recording:Although Einstein on the Beach is by definition an opera, Philip Glass's most famous work also transcends traditional music categories. Glass avoided all vestiges of plot in the piece and dug deep into his quiver of repetitions to create an artfully unnerving five hours of brilliance. The instrumental ensemble never exceeds five members, playing electric keyboards, saxophones, flutes, and a single violin. Furthermore, the music congregates around the upper registers, often darting through its loops at seemingly incredible paces. The chorus bears huge chops, creating a dense, if silkenly staccato, series of juts, ... |

Where the NBA Dynasty series (the other initial entry is the slightly meatier Los Angeles Lakers: The Complete History) outdoes Ultimate Jordan is in the six playoff games--one for each year--as they were originally broadcast, minus halftime and commercials. Having the nearly complete game (usually running 90-100 minutes, from the TV introductions to post-game interviews) means you can skip straight to John Paxson's clutch basket or what was expected to be the final shot of Jordan's career. Or you can savor each game in its entirety, all the better to appreciate the artistry of Jordan in his three-pointer barrage against Portland or his "flu game" against Utah. You can see other great players too, of course, including Jordan's teammates--Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman--and those opponents unfortunate enough to face the Bulls--Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and others. Because these are all NBA Finals games, you won't see Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo or his 63-point coming-out party against Boston, but the 1990s Chicago Bulls were a team for the ages, and merely having their games--some of them all-time classics--available for home viewing is a major milestone in archived sports. --David Horiuchi

While last-minute heroics tend to be the standard by which we define excellence, there are many other moments that have left an indelible impression, many of them highlighted here. The video clips fall into 10 categories: Dunks, Alley-oops, Assists, Steals, Blocks, Teamwork, the Clutch Shot, Moves, Hustle, and Buzzer-Beaters. At the beginning of each section is a brief introduction. Before showing the top 10 dunks of all time, for example, we learn about the evolution of the dunk--from the first slam to the man who could fly, Michael Jordan--and we hear background commentary from NBA legends such as Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Dr. J, and Bill Russell. This video recalls familiar moments of NBA lore that you will want to own for countless repeat viewings. --Jeremy Storey