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Luciano Pavarotti: The Best (Farewell Tour)
(more) »rank: 308from: Decca
: :Anyone discovering this album who had never heard or heard of Luciano Pavarotti would immediately recognize greatness, a one-of-a-kind, one-per-generation (maybe) talent and personality that commands attention, respect, and yes, even love. These 35 selections are an astonishing achievement: Taken, for the most part from the tenor's prime--the 1970s and '80s (although there are four earlier and three from 2003)--what we hear is golden tone, impeccable diction, an innate sense of style and line and where the music should be going, absolutely natural phrasing, an evenness of production from C to (shining) C, and an ability to communicate warmth, passion, and the sheer ...
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Bach Violin Concertos & Gubaidulina ‘In Tempus Praesens'
(more) »rank: 601from: Deutsche Grammophon
:Album Description:Anne-Sophie Mutter's new recording combines the popularity of Bach with the radiance and intensity of the contemporary composer Sophia Gubaidulina. Gubaidulina's In tempus praesens receives its world-premiere recording; the work was commissioned by Ms.Mutter herself. This is also Anne-Sophie Mutter's first Bach recording for Deutsche Grammophon. The Bach Concertos reunites Mutter with the Trondheim Soloists, with whom she recorded the Vivaldi Four Seasons. Also available is a deluxe version of this recording that presents this CD in a hard bound book format that features the essay in various languages and additional photographs of the artist.
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25 Classical Favorites
(more) »rank: 669from: Vox (Classical)
:Album Description:Anne-Sophie Mutter's new recording combines the popularity of Bach with the radiance and intensity of the contemporary composer Sophia Gubaidulina. Gubaidulina's In tempus praesens receives its world-premiere recording; the work was commissioned by Ms.Mutter herself. This is also Anne-Sophie Mutter's first Bach recording for Deutsche Grammophon. The Bach Concertos reunites Mutter with the Trondheim Soloists, with whom she recorded the Vivaldi Four Seasons. Also available is a deluxe version of this recording that presents this CD in a hard bound book format that features the essay in various languages and additional photographs of the artist.
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25 Mozart Favorites
(more) »rank: 1573from: Vox (Classical)
: :This is an astonishing collection of works - or parts of works - by Mozart that covers almost every aspect of his creative output: symphonic, religious music, concerti (for piano, horn, violin, clarinet, flute), chamber music, serenades (for strings; winds), a couple of opera overtures and more. Those who know and love Mozart's music will not need this, but it's a great introduction, a great overview. The selections are well-chosen and interestingly organized, with familiar pieces splrinkled among some not-so well known. A good primer. --Robert Levine
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Sarah Brightman Classics
(more) »rank: 885by: Sarah Brightman, Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni, Francisco Tarrega, George Frideric Handel, Fryderyk Chopin, Sergey Rachmaninov, Giacomo Puccini, Antonin Dvorak, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Marie Canteloube, Francesco Sartori, Paul Bateman
: : Sarah Brightman Photos       More from Sarah Brightman Time to Say Goodbye Diva: The Singles Collection Eden Diva: The Video Collection Live from Las Vegas La Luna (Live in Concert) Amazon.com:Have some friends who still haven't discovered what the Sarah Brightman fuss is all about? You'll find the perfect introduction to make converts of them all in Classics, so they'll have no more excuses to remain clueless. Sporting a Botticelli-inspired image of the platinum-selling soprano on the cover, Classics is a classy anthology including highlights from three of Brightman's chart-topping releases along with seven new tracks. Songs ...
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O Holy Night / Luciano Pavarotti / Special Deluxe Edition (Decca)
(more) »rank: 565from: Decca
: : This CD is a compilation of (mainly) devotional music sung by Pavarotti when he was in or near his prime, most going back, gloriously, to 1976. Precisely what Orfeo's lament (from the Gluck opera) is doing in a recital called 'O Holy Night' is beyond me, but the rest of the selections are well chosen. The title song is gorgeously enough performed to be worth the album's asking price, the tenor's voice ringing out with great clarity and beauty, and the selection from Rossini's Stabat Mater is even more thrilling, with its ascent to high D flat near its close. Verdi's 'Ingemisco,' ...
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Time to Say Goodbye
(more) »rank: 1166by: Sarah Brightman, London Symphony Orchestra
: : Sarah Brightman Photos       More from Sarah Brightman Classics Diva: The Singles Collection Eden Diva: The Video Collection Live from Las Vegas La Luna (Live in Concert) Amazon.com essential recording:Fans of small, pretty-voiced soprano Sarah Brightman will not be disappointed by this CD. In addition to some pop songs, Brightman sings high-flying excerpts from Orff's Carmina Burana, Puccini's 'O mio babbino caro' (performed better by almost any other operatic soprano elsewhere), and 'Alleluia' from Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate. One might call this a crossover disc; others might just see it as a recording featuring a pop singer with ...
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25 Beethoven Favorites
(more) »rank: 2852from: Vox (Classical)
: : Sarah Brightman Photos       More from Sarah Brightman Classics Diva: The Singles Collection Eden Diva: The Video Collection Live from Las Vegas La Luna (Live in Concert) Amazon.com essential recording:Fans of small, pretty-voiced soprano Sarah Brightman will not be disappointed by this CD. In addition to some pop songs, Brightman sings high-flying excerpts from Orff's Carmina Burana, Puccini's 'O mio babbino caro' (performed better by almost any other operatic soprano elsewhere), and 'Alleluia' from Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate. One might call this a crossover disc; others might just see it as a recording featuring a pop singer with ...
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
(more) »rank: 991from: Reprise / Wea
: :Score composer Howard Shore has informed this first installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy with his distinctly modern sensibilities. Revolving loosely around a brief, heroic brass theme, this epic is infused with a powerful rhythmic thrust and a musical range that encompasses centuries (from the Renaissance pastoralism of 'Concerning Hobbits' to the fiery, Prokofiev-influenced drama of 'A Knife in the Dark'). Key to the score's sense of mystery and magical place are the rich choral passages that are interspersed throughout, some so ominously gothic they make The Phantom Menace's 'Duel of the Fates' sound almost sunny by comparison. Enya's contributions ('The ...
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Braveheart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(more) »rank: 1599from: Decca
: :A 1996 Academy Award nominee for Best Dramatic Score, Braveheart is one of composer James (Titanic) Horner's most accomplished works. Utilizing the full range of the London Symphony Orchestra, the Choristers of Westminster Abbey, and a small ensemble of traditional folk instrumentalists, Horner largely eschews the bombast typical of the genre and cuts a more emotionally complex--and satisfying--musical course through this 14th-century tale of betrayal and rebellion. This album presents ample evidence of why Horner is currently at the peak of his profession. --Jerry McCulley
