Mrs. Brown (1997 Film) [SOUNDTRACK]

Product Details
Audio CD (July 15, 1997)
Original Release Date: July 18, 1997
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Soundtrack
Label: Milan Records
Condition: Used (Like New)
Rating: #####
Availability: In Stock
Price: RM27.00


Track Listings
1. The Walk On The Moors
2. The Swim
3. Queen Victoria And John Brown
4. The Loch
5. The Fight
6. The First Ride
7. Tha Assassination Attempt
8. Typhoid Fever
9. The End Of The Loch
10. Brown And The Pony
11. The Pipes: All The Blue Bombersare O'er The Border
12. Loch Nagar
13. After The Dance
14. Politcal Intrigue
15. The Promise
16. No Toast For Brown
17. The Closing


"Mrs. Brown" is a lovely score, but it is very somber and dignified, and can be very heavy. The most light-hearted track is 'The Swim.' The music makes Victoria very alive, for she was very somber in the film.


Average Customer Review: ###

Mozart - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) [Highlights]

Product Details
Audio CD (August 1, 1996)
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Import
Label: Dg Imports
Condition: Used (Very Good)
Rating: #####
Availability: In Stock
Price: RM26.00


Track Listings
1. Ouvertüre
2. Act 1. No. 2. Arie. Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja
3. Act 1. No. 3. Arie. Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön
4. Act 1. No. 4. Rezitativ und Arie. O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn! - Zum Lieden bin ich auserkoren
5. Act 1. No. 5. Quintett. Hm, hm, hm
6. Act 1. No. 7. Duett. Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen
7. Act 1. No. 8. Finale. Es lebe Sarastro
8. Act 1. No. 8. Finale. Ja, stolzer Jüngling
9. Act 2. No. 9. Marsch der Priester
10. Act 2. No. 10. Arie mit Chor. O Isis und Osiris
11. Act 2. No. 14. Arie. Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen
12. Act 2. No. 14. Arie. Morden soll ich?
13. Act 2. No. 15. Arie. In diesen heil'gen Hallen
14. Act 2. No. 17. Arie. Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunden
15. Act 2. No. 17. Arie. Seihst du Tamino
16. Act 2. No. 20. Arie. Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen wünscht Papageno sich
17. Act 2. No. 21. Finale. Bald prangt, den Morgen zu verkünden
18. Act 2. No. 21. Finale. Du also bist mein Braeutigam?
19. Act 2. No. 21. Finale. Papagena! Weibchen! Täubchen! / Pa-pa-gena! / Pa-pa-geno!
20. Act 2. No. 21. Finale. Nur stille, stille, stille! / Die Strahlen der Sonne vertreiben die Nacht


I've heard just about every recording of Zauberflote from Toscanini and Beecham in 1937 (both of whom, for some bizarre reason, use the heavy dramatic tenor Helge Roswaenge as Tamino) to the present, and have had different favorites at different times, most notably the first Solti version with Deutekom, Burrows, Prey and Talvela and the Armin Jordan version with Jo, Orgonasova, Winbergh and Hagegard, but all have had faults either in pacing, the casting of certain key roles (the dreadful Pilar Lorengar as Pamina with Solti), etc. In recent years I've acquired a video version from German TV circa 1974 with a wonderful cast, Edith Mathis, Cristina Deutekom, Nicolai Gedda, William Workman and Hans Sotin, conducted by Horst Stein. Yet none of these performances quite prepared me for what I heard on this Gardiner recording: perfect tempi, superb orchestral texture, a forward momentum that helps keep the second act moving, and a cast of light-voiced but superb singers who follow all of Mozart's written instructions and, by doing so, bring their roles--and the opera--to life in a way I have never heard before. From first note to last, this "Flute" is conducted like a long, detailed, multi-movement symphony in which all the disparate elements congeal with perfect harmony. Even the Three Ladies, who usually bore me to death, sing with a rhythmic liveliness and perfect vocal blend that absolutely astonished me. This is all the more surprising to me since I usually don't like Gardiner's Mozart: I often find it rushed but not detailed, with singers sometimes inadequate for their roles. Here, however, he scores a perfect 10. My only quibble, and it is a small one, is that bass Harry Peeters has a pronounced vibrato in places, especially in the final scene where he sounds as if he is running out of voice; but that is a small price to pay for a performance that totally avoids the "romantic" crust that big-voiced singers and power conductors have brought to Zauberflote over the years. This recording was as great a revelation to me as the Colin Davis "Idomeneo," which I also highly recommend.


Average Customer Review: ####

Mozart: Don Giovanni

Product Details
Performer: Roger Soyer, Heather Harper, Geraint Evans, Helen Donath, Luigi Alva.
Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Audio CD (November 8, 1991)
Number of Discs: 2
Label: EMI
Condition: Used (Very Good)
Rating: ####
Availability: In Stock
Price: RM31.00

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Track Listings

Disc 1

1. Overture
2. Act 1. Scene 1. Notte e giorno faticar
3. Act 1. Scene 1. Non sperar, se non m'uccidi
4. Act 1. Scene 1. Lasciala, indegno!
5. Act 1. Scene 1. Leporello, ove sei?
6. Act 1. Scene 1. Ah! del padre in periglio
7. Act 1. Scene 1. Fuggi, crudele, fuggi!
8. Act 1. Scene 2. Orsù, spicciati presto
9. Act 1. Scene 2. Ah, chi mi dice mai
10. Act 1. Scene 2. Madamina, il catalogo è questo
11. Act 1. Scene 3. Giovinette che fate all'amore
12. Act 1. Scene 3. Ho capito, signor, sì!
13. Act 1. Scene 3. Là ci darem la mano
14. Act 1. Scene 3. Fermati, scellerato!
15. Act 1. Scene 3. Ah, fuggi il traditor!
16. Act 1. Scene 3. Non ti fidar, o misera
17. Act 1. Scene 3. Povera sventurata!
18. Act 1. Scene 3. Don Ottavio, son morta!
19. Act 1. Scene 3. Or sai chi l'onore
20. Act 1. Scene 3. Finch'han dal vino
21. Act 1. Scene 4. Batti, batti, o bel Masetto
22. Act 1. Scene 4. Presto, presto, pria ch'ei venga
23. Act 1. Scene 4. Tra quest'arbori celata
24. Act 1. Scene 4. Bisogna aver coraggio
25. Act 1. Scene 4. Protegga il giusto cielo
26. Act 1. Scene 5. Riposate, vezzose ragazze
27. Act 1. Scene 5. Venite pur avanti
28. Act 1. Scene 5. Ecco il birbo
29. Act 1. Scene 5. Trema, trema, o scellerato!

Disc 2

1. Act 2. Scene 1. Eh via, buffone, non mi seccar!
2. Act 2. Scene 1. Ah taci, ingiusto core!
3. Act 2. Scene 1. Deh vieni alla finestra
4. Act 2. Scene 1. Metà di voi qua vadano
5. Act 2. Scene 1. Vedrai, carino
6. Act 2. Scene 2. Sola, sola in buio loco
7. Act 2. Scene 2. Mille torbidi pensieri
8. Act 2. Scene 2. Ah, pietà, signori miei!
9. Act 2. Scene 2. Il mio tesoro intanto
10. Act 2. Scene 4. Calmatevi, idol mio!
11. Act 2. Scene 4. Non mi dir
12. Act 2. Scene 5. Già la mensa è preparata
13. Act 2. Scene 5. L'ultima prova dell'amor mio
14. Act 2. Scene 5. Che grido è questo mai?
15. Appendix. Dalla sua pace
16. Appendix. In quali eccessi, o Numi
17. Appendix. Mi tradì quell'alma ingrata
18. Act 2. Scene 5. Or che tutti, o mio tesoro
19. Act 2. Scene 5. Questo è il fin

__________________________________________________________

This is a very inexpensive Don Giovanni done by Barenboim in the early Seventies. It's better sung than his remake on Erato, and the cast is good for that time. It represents what you could have heard at Glyndebourne on a summer evening outside London. Geraint Evans sounds a bit old as Leporello, the Commendatore is woolly, and the Donna Anna isn't always on pitch, but everything else works. Barenboim uses a relatively reduced orchestra but conducts in romantic style, often with slowish tempos. He was young a the time, but his idol Furtwangler conducted this opera quite slowly by modern standards, which must have influenced Barenboim's ideas. One big negative is that squeezing the opera on two CDs involved some cuts, mostly in recitatives and various additions that Mozart made for the Prague premiere.

Here is a rundown of the cuts: Now, it is not unusual for recitatives in Mozart operas to be shortened, and the practice doesn't upset me greatly, but there is a difference between trimming something and cutting it off entirely; and for the most part, that is what happens here. The recitatives in Don Giovanni are not filler; they are an important part of the action, as well as part of the characters' identities, and omitting them for the purpose of squeezing this recording onto two CDs is false economy. At times, the effect is ridiculous: the graveyard scene, for example, has been reduced to "O statua gentilissima" (3:36). Arias follow hard upon each other with an annoying abruptness--both musically and in terms of the editing, which doesn't disguise the hatchet job. Inconsistently, "Dalla sua pace" and "Mi tradì" (plus its recitative) are included in an appendix at the end rather than in their appropriate places within the opera--as if textual authenticity had any relevance at all in such a heavily cut recording! Apparently the original release also included the frequently cut scene in act II in which Zerlina shaves an unwilling Leporello. This, too, is missing from this new reissue. Clearly, it is no replacement for the original version.

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Average Customer Review: ###

Moll Flanders [SOUNDTRACK]

Product Details
Composer: Mark Mancina
Audio CD (June 4, 1996)
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Soundtrack
Label: Polygram Records
Condition: Used (Very Good)
Rating: ####
Availability: In Stock
Price: RM26.00


Track Listings
1. Moll: Moll of Flanders
2. Mrs. Allworthy: Devil Woman
3. Artist
4. Hibble: Hibble's Tale
5. Flora
6. Full of Grace - Sarah McLachlan
7. Bell Nuit, O Nuit d'Amour - L'Orchestre de La Suisse romande
8. Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068: Allegro - Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
9. Concerto in C, RV 425: Allegro & Largo - Pepe Romero
10. Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048: Air - English Chamber Orchestra
11. Water Music, Suite No. 1 in F major: Hornpipe and Andante - Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
12. Moll: Moll Reprise


This is a wonderful soundtrack of both classical and contemporary tracks. The most outstanding of the original scores are "Moll of Flanders" and "Moll's Jig," which has a Celtic feel to it. There is also a great Sarah McLaughling song, and the classical tracks near the end of the CD cover some of the best composers of all time.
I have listened to the music from this soundtrack many times since and the feelings that it brings out are still the same, beauty, grace, love and passion. There is a very lovely selection of songs here and I highly recommend this CD.


Average Customer Review: ####

The Merchant Of Venice [SOUNDTRACK]

Product Details
Audio CD (January 11, 2004)
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Soundtrack
Label: Decca
Condition: Used (Like New)
Rating: ####
Availability: In Stock
Price: RM24.00


The Merchant of Venice is brought to life by the music of composer Jocelyn Pook and the extraordinary voices of singing sensation Hayley Westenra and counter-tenor Andreas Scholl. The Merchant of Venice original score CD (Decca) is a beautiful, stirring collection of old and new music, brought to life through old instruments, superb performers and original recordings. Baroque violin, lute, theorbo, qanun, cornet and sackbuts were some of the exotic instruments used in this music. Jacqueline Pook researched the instruments and tunes of this era. She has a blend of medieval, baroque and renaissance elements which is striking. The Baroque Singers add their voices to the extraordinary music.


Track Listings
1. With Wand'ring Steps - Andreas Scholl
2. Her Gentle Spirit
3. Ghetto
4. Blessing of the Boat
5. Synagogue Cantors
6. Portia
7. How Sweet the Moonlight
8. Song for the Bassanio
9. Feast (Propiñan de Melyor)
10. Bassanio's Palazzo (Tarantella)
11. Ring Returned - Hayley Westenra
12. Subdued Wedding
13. Courtroom Drama - Andreas Scholl
14. Jessica Escapes
15. Bridal Ballad - Andreas Scholl
16. Banquet for Shylock (Tourdion)
17. Unsuitable Suitors (Folias)
18. Song in Brothel ("Paseábase el Rey Moro")
19. Spectacular Procession
20. Fie Fie Gratiano
21. Bassanio Opens the Casket
22. Shylock Broken
23. Last Words
24. Floor of Heaven
25. You Drop Manna
26. With Wand'ring Steps [Recorder Version]


To an untrained ear this score is exquisitely beautiful. A piece of music that is atmospheric, moving, lyrical, hypnotic at times and seems to combine the old with the new. Jacquelyn Pook has written a magical score and sometimes that is all you need. Highly recommended.


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The Mask Of Zorro: Music From The Motion Picture

Product Details
Audio CD (July 7, 1998)
Original Release Date: July 7, 1998
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Soundtrack
Label: Sony
Condition: Used (Very Good)
Rating: #####
Availability: In Stock
Price: RM28.00


Track Listings
1. Plaza of Execution
2. Elena and Esperanza
3. Ride
4. Elena's Truth
5. Fencing Lesson
6. Tornado in the Barracks
7. Confession
8. Zorro's Theme
9. Mine (Montero's Vision)
10. Stealing the Map - Marc Anthony, Tina Arena
11. Leave No Witnesses...
12. Diego's Goodbye
13. I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You


Don't expect to find the aural sequel to James Horner's epic score to Titanic on The Mask of Zorro. On Zorro, Horner flavors his orchestrations with flamenco, lets some instruments have their solo turns, and goes for a distinct Latin flavoring on most tracks. In the theater it's a rare treat--the composer bridges the gap between the Zorro of long ago and the prerequisite sweeping orchestrations of today's cinema. A variety of influences--everything from his work on Willow to the frenzied stomping of Michael Flatley--seemingly creep into the work. Unfortunately, the vocals of Marc Anthony and Tina Arena on "I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You" (Zorro's equivalent to "My Heart Will Go On") stick out like a sore Anglo thumb amid the rest of this fine score.


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The Man In The Iron Mask [SOUNDTRACK]

Product Details
Audio CD (March 10, 1998)
Original Release Date: March 10, 1998
Number of Discs: 1
Format: Soundtrack
Label: Milan Records
Condition: Used (Good)
Rating: #####
Availability: In Stock
Price: RM20.00


Track Listings
1. Surrounded
2. Heart of a King
3. The Pig Chase
4. The Ascension
5. King for a King
6. The Moon Beckons
7. The Masked Ball
8. A Taste of Something
9. Kissy Kissie
10. Training to be King
11. The Rose
12. All Will Be Well
13. All For One
14. Greatest Mystery Of Life
15. Raoul And Christine
16. It is a trap
17. Angry Athos
18. Raoul's Letter
19. The Palace
20. Raoul's Death
21. The Queen Approaches


The directing debut of Braveheart scribe Randall Wallace adapts the Alexandre Dumas classic for Leonardo di Caprio and--well, at least it doesn't hit an iceberg. The first full score by sometime Hans Zimmer collaborator Glennie-Smith is one of those instances of a composer outwitting his film material. Utilizing the fusion of the electronic, symphonic and choral music familiar from Zimmer's best work, Glennie-Smith manages the impressive feat of sounding classical and contemporary in the same moment.


Average Customer Review: #####