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Common Ground
(more) »rank: 47696by: Paul Winter Consort
: essential recording:For the past 30 years, Paul Winter has been the foremost exponent of integrating sounds from nature into environmental-themed music to espouse an optimistic kinship with Planet Earth's myriad creatures. Fusing animal callings with jazz, orchestral, and choral arrangements, folk, and world music, Common Ground is a cohesive concept album with more than its share of beautiful music. Winter's mimicry and accompaniment of wolf and whale on soprano sax is eloquent, though the human vocal passages sometimes verge on a sanctimonious folkiness. His 'best of' collection, Wolf Eyes (which features various versions of about half of Common Ground's selections), is a ...
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Verdi - La Traviata / Cotrubas · Domingo · Milnes · Bayerisches Staatsorchester · Carlos Kleiber
(more) »rank: 15235by: Giuseppe Verdi, Carlos Kleiber, Ileana Cotrubas, Placido Domingo, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Sherrill Milnes, Bruno Grella, Walter Gullino, Giovanni Foiani, Alfredo Giacomotti
: essential recording:The best Traviata on disc? If not, it's within hailing distance. No true Verdian would want to be without Callas's 1955 live recording, and it's hard not to love those starring Moffo, Caballe, Scotto, Sutherland, and de los Angeles among others. But this set offers the best all-round combination of excellent sound, fine singing, and dynamic conducting. Ileana Cotrubas is a wonderfully spontaneous Violetta, conveying the passion and vulnerability of the character. Only Callas among her starry rivals on disc can match Cotrubas's emotional and vocal mastery here. Domingo sings with ardor, and Milnes uses his beautiful voice to good effect ...
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Promises, Promises (1968 Original Broadway Cast)
(more) »rank: 15743by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Jerry Orbach
: :In the late '90s, Burt Bacharach--thanks to a boxed set, new collaborations, and numerous reissues--just keeps popping up. And for good reason: his music is nostalgic, filled with great melodies, and instantly recognizable. For many, he's the essence of pop. Promises, Promises, the composer's 1968 Broadway collaboration with lyricist Hal David, is based on the 1960 Billy Wilder film, The Apartment, written by Neil Simon. Jerry Orbach's performance as Chuck Baxter is powerful (it also won him a Tony Award), and though some of the music in Promises, Promises is dated, it's simply infectious. As Fran Kubelik, Jill O'Hara (Hair) performs reflective numbers ...
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Wintersong
(more) »rank: 64701by: Paul Winter Consort
:Album Description:WINTERSONG is a collection of international tributes to the season, with traditional songs and circle dances from England, Scandinavia, Italy, France and the Appalachian Mountains.
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Silver Solstice
(more) »rank: 28562by: Paul Winter
:Album Description:Since 1980, the Grammy (R) Award-winning Paul Winter Consort has celebrated the Winter Solstice, the seasonal rite of passage, with a musical feast from the cornucopia of cultures and creatures of the world, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. To commemorate their 25th Annual Winter Solstice Celebration, Living Music has released a new box-set entitled Silver Solstice, featuring the Consort and a host of special guests. Silver Solstice presents the entire performance of the 25th celebration, plus 10 tracks from previous years' solstice events totaling 142 minutes of music. The package includes 2 stereo CDs, and also ...
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Journey to the Amazon
(more) »rank: 111711by: Sharon Isbin, Paul Winter, Thiago de Mello, Laurindo Almeida, Antonio Lauro, Agustin Barrios-Mangore, Gentil Montana, Isaias Savio, Leo Brouwer, Benito Canonico, Pixinguinha
:Album Description:Since 1980, the Grammy (R) Award-winning Paul Winter Consort has celebrated the Winter Solstice, the seasonal rite of passage, with a musical feast from the cornucopia of cultures and creatures of the world, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. To commemorate their 25th Annual Winter Solstice Celebration, Living Music has released a new box-set entitled Silver Solstice, featuring the Consort and a host of special guests. Silver Solstice presents the entire performance of the 25th celebration, plus 10 tracks from previous years' solstice events totaling 142 minutes of music. The package includes 2 stereo CDs, and also ...
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Missa Gaia/Earth Mass
(more) »rank: 128700by: Paul Winter
:Album Description:Since 1980, the Grammy (R) Award-winning Paul Winter Consort has celebrated the Winter Solstice, the seasonal rite of passage, with a musical feast from the cornucopia of cultures and creatures of the world, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. To commemorate their 25th Annual Winter Solstice Celebration, Living Music has released a new box-set entitled Silver Solstice, featuring the Consort and a host of special guests. Silver Solstice presents the entire performance of the 25th celebration, plus 10 tracks from previous years' solstice events totaling 142 minutes of music. The package includes 2 stereo CDs, and also ...
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Canyon
(more) »rank: 80347by: Paul Winter Consort
: essential recording:This is Winter's first attempt at harnessing the vast inspiration he felt upon exploring the Grand Canyon. Why he mixed into this collection tracks recorded at the church St. John the Divine in New York is unknown--the tracks are harmonious meanderings that please the ear but don't come close to matching the power and awe he brought forth on location in the canyon. Tracks like 'Raven Dance,' 'Bedrock Cathedral,' and 'River Run'--with their natural echoes and sounds of nature--tap into nature's wondrous beauty that Winter has been so moved by throughout his career. 'Bedrock Cathedral's' beautiful French horn with its ominous ...
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Icarus
(more) »rank: 77172by: Paul Winter Consort
: essential recording:This 1972 classic captures saxophonist Paul Winter and his ensemble at the height of their improvisational powers. Winter was one of the first artists to incorporate such exotic instruments as the sitar and tabla into his music and the result was memorable chamber jazz-folk played in the wonderfully experimental, post-hippie way only Winter and his merry band could. The title track, one of guitarist Ralph Towner's compositions, became famous for its pensive melody and soaring soprano sax. 'Whole Earth Chant' is a piece that foreshadows New Age artists like Loreena McKennitt with its echoing tribal drums interwoven with ominous distorted guitar. ...
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Solstice Live!
(more) »rank: 16020by: Paul Winter
:Album Description:The Paul Winter Consort's legendary annual 'Winter Solstice Whole Earth Christmas Celebration,' in the world's largest Gothic cathedral, New York's St. John the Divine. A world music festival, with twenty guest artists from around the world, SOLSTICE LIVE! captures the adventure and drama of this musical journey through the longest night of the year.
