Spare me the snobbery of the Educated Musical Person, Please!
921708
I will concede that this disc does not contain the optimum cut for each of the compositions on it, but the gems are worth the price of admission.

What was he thinking? We don't know, because the liner notes are essentially non-existent. At least three of the selections are only in the loosest sense involved with the concept of the Virgin Mary. Bernstein's "Maria", "Mary had a little Lamb", and Mawby's "Ave Verum Corpus" (which I happen to like) just don't seem to fit in the "Myth of Mary".

The premise of the selection is not explained, but by inference, we can deduce that the editor wanted to bring to us a selection of atypical compositions on the theme of Mary, the Mother of God, in the Christian tradition.

Aside from the obviously conforming cuts to the theme (Schubert's composition, sung by Ms. Bonney is quite excellent), I found many of the cuts very pleaasing.

The "Agur Maria" (#3) is sung in the Basque language. I have never heard any Basque sung, and although I cannot understand a word of it, it sounds like many another folk song in many another language. It pleases me that I can relate to a language that dates its roots to pre-Roman times in Spain.

Verdi's "Ave Maria" (#6) from the Quattro Pezzi Sacri, is one of my personal favorites, and I think the editor included it because it doesn't get a lot of exposure. It is composed on the Enigmatic Scale, which is historically not used very often. If you have never heard this piece, it alone is worth the price.

The "Canticas de Santa Maria" (#10) are based on prayers from the Iberian Peninsula from the 1100's or so. Some of these were written in Proto-Portugese. This was an interesting time for music in this place, and the Arabian influence is apparent in the cuts the Editor chose. Ladino music, a particularly Hebrew version, also also came from the Iberian area at this general time.

The TigerLillies (#13) are beyond my appreciation at this time. It appears they are a caberet group that has reached some acceptance in Europe. However, the words they sing do follow the theme, albeit in oppositon to the traditional concepts.

"Yo Soy Maria" (#7), is a cut from a Tango Operetta, which has found wide acceptance in fans of Tango and South American music. The themes of the songs are most definatly within the definition of the album, and I am grateful to the Editor for including this piece. I have never heard of a Tango Operetta before.

#14, Ave Maria, appears to be a Trumpet solo. I don't get why it was included, since there are no words being sung.

As to the Chanticleer version of Beibl's "Ave Maria" (#15), I personally do not find it "lush", but rather much too slow and lugubrious. I am a singer myself, and many groups pay so high a respect to the composer's intentions that it seems to me that the vitality is ground out of the performance. I certainly mean no disrespect to Chanticleer, they are more technically perfect and spot on pitch than I, but as a listener, I would be more pleased with a little more risk taking. This having been said, the Biebl piece is also one of my favorites, and if you haven't heard it yet, it alone is worth the price of the disc.

I recommend this disc to be listened to and purchased, if you, like me, appreciate being challenged to investigate areas of music that are new to your experience, and are not necessarily the traditional paths. I am not always looking for the "optimum cut" for each composition, as though there were a perfect recording that negates all others. I like to see Performers and Editors step out from the sureness of conformity to take chances now and then, and I will take the gems and new directions in exchange for the mistakes and "boners" every time. (Mawby's "Ave Verum" doesn't fit, but Greig's "Ave Maris Stella" by I Fagiolini, a South African group, makes the journey worth it, for me.)
3388356
Ghastly. I guess I was prepared: I found Harles previous album on the same label,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Terror-and-Magnificence/dp/B000004CWM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Terror and Magnificence</a>, pretty appalling already. Its even worse here. Harle as a composer writes New Age pop, New Age meets World Music, New Age meets Hollywood, pop meets folk dance, pop meets Villa Lobos Aria from Bachianas Brasileiras (track 4) and he even enlists a childrens choir  not the Westminster choir, no, really a kids choir, The Children of the New Brighton Primary School, Wirral, Merseyside (is that where his kids went to school?) to make it really mawkish (track 1). Generous servings of Hollywood siruppy violins (pour lots of gravy to hide that the meat is rotten), no string is left unpulled, no sentimental trick unplayed. It leaves me appalled as much as puzzled that such a great performer of contemporary music should have such abysmally poor taste when composing. Is that the music he likes?

Okay, reading the other reviews, there is apparently a public for this, and that's fine with me. I just want to warn those who, like me, came here attracted by Harle's work as a performer of contemporary music, and expecting, perhaps, that Harle would compose music similar to what he plays (and he plays a great variety of style, from accessible-easy listening like Nyman to intractable contemporary like Birtwiste): BEWARE! A sense of duty made me sit through all this, but its the worst disc Ive heard (Im choosy) since mistakenly being sent a CD of German beer songs (see my review of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Toscanini-Conducts-Mendelssohn-Weber-Strauss-Dvorak-and-Mussorgsky/dp/B002ZDAGFE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Toscanini Conducts Mendelssohn, Weber, Strauss, Dvorak and Mussorgsky</a>).
4201221
I recently streamed this release out of sheer perverse curiosity since I would never listen to anything with Bocelli in it. His inclusion alone disqualifies it for further consideration. But it must also be said that the singing of Ren&eacute;e Fleming is, to put it mildly, distasteful and grotesque. Listen to her 'Libera me' where her blues-jazz-informed phrasing makes her sound as if she is seeking a different kind of liberation, of which kind I don't know. I'll leave it to your imaginations. But musically, her interpretation (and an interpretation it is) is unacceptable, for she has removed all manner of piety from or even respect for the music. It is imperative that the willfully ignorant and the naive and unknowing be properly guided and directed to recordings of the work that truly matter and that do justice to the music and its context. There are of course a good number of exceptional Requiems that have been released over time. One of them is the historical Tullio Serafin from Rome, recorded in the 1930s. I will skip many commendable others but not before naming the two recordings of the work with soprano Cheryl Studer: with Riccardo Muti/La Scala and with Claudio Abbado/Vienna. In my opinion, she is even better for Abbado. Listen to her 'Libera me' and then tell me if anything more heart-rending, sublime or beautiful exists. But please don't just skip to the 'Libera me'. To summarize: There is a time and place for everything, I suppose. But there is no place for slumming in this most venerable of Requiems. It is airtight. In 'Summertime', maybe, but not here.
1232446
I myself am a jazz pianist and this repeated commenting on charles mingus's technical skill tells me just how shallow and no artistic the jazz community has become in this day and age. I guess leadbelly isn't worth a damn either because he cant play guitar like Django Rhinehardt. Jazz always has been,and always will be about what you have to say as a human being. The technical skill is a tool that is refined over a lifetime. If technical demonstrations are all that matters the one can go simply watch a carpenter build a house or listen to good classical music composer(although a large portion was improvised originally by the masters such as listz and chopin). Thats all ill say on that so as not to sound too inflammatory which mingus was often accused of; now i understand why at age 40. peace  jg
1892487
What is wrong with people?  I'm not going to comment on the 8th Symphony, as I haven't heard it yet, but the "throw away" piece on here, the one that is supposedly "forgettable" is in my insignificant and uneducated opinion, amazing.  I don't know how ANYONE who likes Schnittke can have such unfavorable opinions about some of his pieces like this one and Peer Gynt, when such a huge part of the composer's aesthetic and approach was to write material that is equally "heavy" spiritual and intellectualized as it is whatever the pretentious, boring snobs would like to label stuff like the Gogol/Census suite.  To quote the composer himself "The goal of my life is to unify serious music and light music, even if I break my neck in doing so."  Then again, what the hell do I know.  I guess I'm probably ignorant and I just don't get it.  Is it just a sequencing problem?  Perhaps it's that in placing this quirky piece next to the gravity of the 8th, it seems absurd and of very little significance.  I doubt it though.

Anyway, Nino Rota fans, as well as fans of Shostakovich's "light" music, will want to hear this so-called minor and insignificant piece, although this suite to me sounds much better than Shostakovich's stab at "light" music.  Also, check out Schnittke's ballet Peer Gynt for very cohesive, strong writing in a lighter tone that is quite the contrast to his more sprawling and meandering works that are more about showcasing the technical aspects of performance.  And also, be grateful that there were composers like Schnittke who realized that music has many facets and it need not be so serious ALL THE TIME.  Sheesh.
4681882
What a disappointment! If Eric doesn't care enough about his music (or his fans) to put out at least a mediocre album, why should his listeners continue to listen (or care) about his music? There are thousands and thousands of GREAT artists and bands who never get listened to; terrific and gifted musicians who never get the light of day because they are unknown, but guys like Clapton put out clap-trap crap like this and and add more money to their pile and never look back - and don't care!
A couple of the half baked reggae songs are just okay, and "Gotta Get Over" is an enjoyable straight ahead rocker, but the rest...I mean, if i want to hear "All Of Me" or "Born to Lose" and "Goodnight Irene" (!) I'll go back and listen to the MUCH superior versions by Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and The Weavers (respectively); why does EC think he can do these songs better than the originals - and why does he think anyone cares?!
What a shame....
4819105
Songs themselves are great!  But it's just intolerable to me as a music teacher to buy/play recordings that are by terrible singers!  ugh!  Unpleasant to listen to!
1573629
When I was in high school back in the late 60s, I had a good friend who, like me, liked most kinds of music and was interested in exploring any and all genres.  Except, in his case, he held what he called "Hootenanny Hoot" music in particular contempt.  Near as I could tell, he was referring to the folk music of the early 60s, and I gathered what irritated him was the sheer, unmitigated earnestness the young white, mostly college educated artists (and their fans) displayed.  I sort of understood where he was coming from but felt that he was being limited and limiting.  Yeah, even at that age, most of my favorite music had a kind of ironic distance, and that was true even when it was socially conscious.  But there was room enough in my universe for the overtly sincere, sometimes deadly earnest acoustic artists of the 1960s.  In small doses, it was actually something of a healthy corrective to the emerging political anger and the nihilism that dogged its heels even before the dawning of the 1970s.

I wonder what my high school friend would say about more recent folkies, like, say, Kim and Reggie Harris.  These are artists every bit as political (and, perhaps, "politically correct") as any of the emerging artists of the early 60s "folk scare."  But in Kim and Reggie's case, they ARE African-American, which even back then lent you some street cred among white h.s. and college students.

If it's contemporary folk music's (at least)occasional didacticism that is a turn-off for some, well, I'd just remind them that some of that just goes with the territory.  A great number of the non-superstar folk musicians I've met make a good part of their living--aside from concertizing--by developing educational programs for schools, libraries and churches.  Kim and Reggie Harris are no exception, and many of their recordings show some trace of that.  This thematic album, for instance, contains spoken, semi-dramatic segments that I'm sure they incorporate into their educational programs.  Plus the liner notes are chock full of information about the Underground Railroad, the code language used in some of the Negro spirituals and work songs that clearly serve a didactic end.

But, hey, nothing wrong with that, especially if you have the musical chops to back the "message" up.  Kim and Reggie do, in abundance.  They are such accomplished singers and musician that there is no question that this entire album could simply be appreciated on strictly musical terms.  Or people might enjoy the gospel numbers like "Swing Low," "Steal Away," or "Wade In the Water" as the spirituals they've come to know and love for their religious message.  But putting them in their historical and cultural context of the Underground Railroad--if done with real skill and artistry--can only enhance their meaning.

Kim and Reggie Harris are just the right people to pull this off.  There is nothing dry or pedantic about this album.  I won't say they make their "history lesson" painless exactly: learning more about this dark period in our nation's history can never be FUN, but by creating so many moments of real beauty in the telling of this harsh tale, they create an experience that begins to resemble transcendence.

I have no idea whether my high school friend is still quite so critical of didactic folk music these days as he was some 40 odd years ago.  But I wouldn't mind playing STEAL AWAY for him as example of how music can be socially conscious and still be a thing of beauty at the same time.  Or to put in another way, Kim and Reggie show us how music can be righteous, without being self-righteous.  And that's something.
417057
It's funny... I listen to a lot of John Zorn, early Frank Zappa, Mike Patton, and (original) Smile-era Brian Wilson stuff, so I don't even think twice about fragmentary music that changes every 10&ndash;45 seconds. When I heard this, it didn't even consciously occur to me how often the music changed, and I just sat back and enjoyed the pretty melodies and the general sense of fun. It wasn't until I started reading all the reviews that say things like "These guys must have ADD! This is nuts!" that I realized, yeah, I guess it does change direction pretty often compared to most music. Well, whatever. I guess it really depends on your temperment. Are you looking for music exclusively to soothe you or to dance to? Are you annoyed by music that strays too far from the reservation? Well then, this is probably not for you. If you want music to challenge and distract you, then pick this up by all means.

One more thing. There's nothing wrong with not liking this album. But calling it a "con game", and accusing people who do like it of being mindless sheep, suckered by trendy indie magazines, is the worst kind of snobbery. Do try to consider that people might honestly have different taste in music, and that just because they like something you don't doesn't necessarily mean they're stupid poseurs.
3901608
Charlie Parker and Lenny Tristano! Two of the sublime geniuses of jazz! The apex of hot and the acme of cool! And playing with an all-star band! How could it not be great!

But it isn't, at least to my ears. What I don't hear is "ensemble" - supportive interaction, shared musical insights. Bird plays, then Gillespie or Navarro or someone else plays, and meanwhile Tristano is there at the keyboard, a blind 'composer' amid the wrong festivity. Perhaps it's absurd to expect 'ensemble' from a Metronome  voted-on all-star cast. Other reviewers and critics talk about the 'mutual respect' between Parker and Tristano, and I have no reason to doubt that it existed. But what I hear on this CD suggests a respect at arm's length.

I've had this recording for quite a while but seldom listen to it. That's perhaps the most telling comment I can make about it.
2276123
Most lowly individuals are satisfied with the pitiful whining of talentless pop stars these days. They'll help a trashy album go platinum just because said pop star jiggles and dances provocatively, thinking nothing of the quality of the music on the disks that they purchase. But not this listener. Musical connoisseurs like myself are much more selective, waiting for the right mixture of bravado and raw talent that ignites our stereo systems. And we have found a champion in David Huntershampf.  What he does with a microphone onstage is almost obscene. He is a poor player, who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury. Signifying nothing.
The song "Hot Shot City" is particularly good.
939450
But unfortunately, I can't.

Now usually, I'm the first person one calls when they are wanting to listen to something a bit different.

I revel in finding new music, absorbing different genres, opening my mind in relation to music and just giving things a try.

I just can't for the life of me get past the nauseating voice of Joanna Newsom.  I agree that she is an impressive harp player, and her lyrics and songwriting are also above average, but I will not torture my ears just to get the instruments or the poignancy of the lyrics.

Of course, you'll say "Oh but you're just looking for the packaged pop sounds of Mariah, Britney and Whitney."  Trust me, I'm not.  I enjoy different, obscure, even acquired vocal abilities.  This is none of those.  This is nails down a chalkboard while babies scream, dogs whimper and a mosquito buzzes far too close to your ear.

NOISE.  Bad noise.  I am tempted to say that this album, and her other albums should come with a health warning and a free voucher to the ear, nose and throat clinic.

So all and all, enough with the PC bull.  Don't say you like it because you think you're doing yourself and the world a favour by encompassing all sorts of noises into your high and mighty musical collection.

Admit that she can't sing, and move on to something that doesn't damage your precious eardrums.

Please.
695676
Due to the out-pouring of positive reviews this has gotten, I decided to go with the consensus of the people! They seemed credible enough.. ::cough!:: big mistake!  Luckily, for Me since I did not go through Amazon to acquire this, it didn't take four to six weeks to receive it; if it would have, I would  be forced to punch myself in the genitalia repeatedly.  The album / song titles looked caustic enough, and I took the high praise into consideration, broke down and bought it.  The album would be close to perfect if it were an instrumental album; the music is definately there. These cats are bursting at the seems with talent, however the voice of the front-man Jason Miller needs to go. Imagine if You will, Queensryche set to industrial! ::wretch!:: These 14 rich melodies totally bastardized by the lead-singer's voice. The guy breaks into this very irritating vibrato like every 15 seconds. Its very nerve-wracking and, it does not allow You to fully appreciate the music. Its not only his vibrato that makes me want to drive off a cliff, though.. it is also the tone of his voice; it is too high and squealy, for its dark and foreboding musical counterpart.  If you happen to run across this used, its worth a listen; but paying full price + shipping might likely result in You, writing a review like this.
2730927
First thing's first: this product has a seriously annoying feature - the Etudes are grouped two to a track. So if you want to listen to Etude Op. 10, No. 2, for example, you have to wait for Op. 10, No. 1 to finish first.
Chopin's Etudes are literally "studies:" the point in playing them is to master a technique. They are not studies for the beginner - mastery of the techniques requires virtuoso ability, and Ashkenazy is certainly a virtuoso up to the task.
But Ashkenazy's playing, in places, leaves something to be desired. Jay Nordlinger once noted that his Rachmaninoff was a little too light, a little too delicate. I'll use that criticism as a starting point and say that some of these (Chopin's) Etudes could benefit from him phrasing so as to emphasize the darker and more "forceful" parts of the melody, and also having less of a "Look at how fast and how easily I can move through runs and scale-like passages" attitude. You'll notice this problem especially in the "Revolution" Etude (Op 10, No. 12). - In Ashkenazy's defense, Chopin did want his students to grace the keyboard with as little pressure on keys as possible; maybe pianists are supposed to glide over the keys in these Etudes. You have to do that to a certain extent just to play the Etudes. -
But when I really think about it, I think about how I would (and actually do) play some of these Etudes. I know there are places where, if I'm performing, I want less of an "impressionistic" sound and more of a "definitive" sound. And I know how to get that sound. Why doesn't Ashkenazy do the same?
4237343
First of all, I am rather disgusted with the extremities of reviews of Miss Church's CD. It is true that those who are writing spiteful reviews come across as nothing but jealous, but those who rave for the most part have an obvious lack of vocal training or knowledge of good critical assessment.  Simply being a "music lover" doesn't mean a thing when it comes to assessing an artists overall skill, because the way a voice sounds is unimportant compared to the technique that gives that voice its foundation. C.C. has a very lovely sound that falters on few occasions. However, it worries me that she has such a mature sound at her age because it is physically impossible for her rich vibrato to be natural, as her vocal instrument is still very immature. And when the voice is forced to have a certain type of sound that has not yet naturally occured (esp. when vibrato is purposely created),damage IS occuring the whole time, although you may not feel or hear the damage for a few years. YOu cannot compare other child musician prodigies of instruments like the cello or piano to one of the voice because those are not instruments that must mature over a period of many (about 15-25) years starting at puberty (which would render Church's voice about 2 years old, at most).  Undoubtedly, C.C. is ahead of most other singers of her age in stage presence, talent, and vocal control.  However it is that present Control that could give this singer a very short-lived career, a fact that I hope she becomes aware of before her voice is permantely damaged. If you buy this CD, which is certainly pleasant to listen to, it should be simply for entertainment and not as any kind of model or example of good, healthy vocal technique.
3075526
I can accept people not liking or even hating certain Zappa albums but to be so utter hateful and moronic to review all Zappa's albums with the same mindless reviewtext... I mean, there's no way this guy has heard all Zappas albums (especially since they are so different from each other)and come off with the same conclusion. Please remove his unprofessional ramblings from the site.
1090232
Ok, so this isn't a review for this CD in particular but I feel that it doesnt really matter as how I suspect all of This gentleman's cds probably sound the same. I have to listen to "piano for stress relief" by this guy. On repeat, with another Gem of a "stress relief " cd at work, on repeat everyday, for 6 hours straight. Yeh Yeh, I can smell it in your hair, Your thinking " Oh Gee Whiz, that sounds great, I wish my work would let me listen to that everyday!" no, you dont, what is wrong with you?  Sure this stuff may be relaxing if you listen to it once every decade, but constantly, its almost enough to drive you insane, which is why I am here on amazon writing a review, bored (and out) of my mind.

thanks for listening, amazon. ha