Lesley Garrett

One of the most beautiful opera recordings I have heard in a long time, the choral work and quality is outstanding.Mozart: The Magic Flute

This English production of Mozart's The Magic Flute is part of Chandos' "Operas in English" series. It was a shock when after years of searching I had finally found a production of The Magic Flute in English. The orchestra and the conductor (Sir Charles Mackerras) are brilliant. The singers are also great. Barry Banks Tamino is splendid (as was his Ottavio in Chandos' Don Giovanni.) Rebecca Evans is also very good. Elisabeth Vidals' queen is very good but lacked the sympathy and maliciousness to play the part. Simon Keenlyside's Papagano is wonderful. The three ladies (Majellah Cullagh, Sarah Fox, and Diana Montague) are very good and very believable. Sarastro (John Tomlinson) is excellent. John Graham-Hill's Monostatos is very good/conniving. My verdict: buy this set if you like to see operas translated- and perfectly at that.

Lives up to the big wrap in BBC music.of course Mckerras is an aussie!

Mozart's Magic Flute has stood on its own merit through the ages and needs no comment from this or any other reviewer. It is an opera written of and in a period where what was expressed made sense to the librettist and the intended audience, and independent of the libretto, where musical expression was practiced as an art form that took into account both beautiful fully developed melody and the affect that melody would have on the listening audience. In this regard Chandos delivers a faithful two-CD set with Sir Charles Mackerrars conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra, accompanied by a strong English-singing cast that gives this Magic Flute verve and a sense of excitement that is a joy to listen to in every respect. While it is Opera in English, the listener should be aware that the soprano voice has difficulty making the English translation any easier to understand than had it been sung in German. A good example of this can be found in the aria of soprano Elizabeth Vidal, in "The wrath of hell is burning . . .". Does it detract from the delight of the aria? Not in the least. Ms. Vidal's aria is delivered with stunning beauty, accompanied by a rich and sensitive orchestra throughout. To the extent it's worth mentioning, it is only to point out that the accompanying booklet, which does contain the libretto, is a handy guide to keep nearby if understanding all the words is important. The male baritone and bass voices, on the other hand, seem to be perfectly suited for translation, and listening to baritone Simon Keenlyside, singing the role of Papageno, the bird catcher, and bass John Tomlinson, singing the role of Sarastro, Priest of the Sun, are good examples of how the lower register just seems to come across better in English.
As with all the Chandos Opera in English recordings I have listened to, the hallmark of this series is crisp and flawless delivery, due probably as much to the fact that it is a digital recording as to the fact that the emphasis on perfection is so obvious from all involved. An effort is clearly being made to make opera understandable; care is being taken to fit the libretto in English to the score so that it fits seamlessly; and the performers - singers and orchestra -- are clearly taking that mandate seriously. Technically, this is a strong offering with much to commend it above all others. As noted, it is a wonderfully produced set that is a treat to listen to in stereo. I played this set on both my home stereo, and on my computer, with enhanced speakers and sub-woofer, and found the experience being closer to the speakers, listening on my computer, a far more enjoyable experience. It is easy to see why this set received the "Editor's Choice" from Gramophone. It is a delight in every sense, and a technically superb rendering of a classic opera that is of such high quality that it is really the only one to own.

If you are a member of the Brotherhood, then this CD is for you.
Buy it, it's a great work of art by our brother Mozart.

Many of these prior reviewers complain that the abundance of operas and vocals degrate this compilation. They don't know what they're talking about. These genres are what made Classical music popular in it's age. In that era the forum for showcasing "classical music" was operas! Hence why most of these works are lost in the shuffle. Most of us know Mozart and Beethoven's compositions by ear but there are so many other great composers that existed and these CD's will show you but a PIECE. But, fair warning, these CD's show only a small fraction of the whole movement (song). If you truly dig the genre you're in for a treat, investigate!

This CD is the first thing I ever returned to Amazon. It is an inferior product--selections cut off abruptly before the end, volume fades and returns in the middle of a cut...production values are pure schlock here. Maybe I should have expected as much from such a sophomoric title.

I purchased this CD because I am new to Classical Music and thought this would be a good introduction CD. There is some wonderful music on this CD. The only problem I have with this CD is every other track is Opera of one form or another. As a new listener I found that after the Opera tracks I felt I had been yelled at and it was a distraction to the other music contained on the CD. I now know to hit the skip button on my CD player just about every other track. I only gave it 3 stars because I felt put off by the vocal tracks. I believe that when someone is new to Classical Music they do not think of Opera. If you don't mind hitting the skip button a lot or if you like Opera this CD is for you!

This is a nice recording for folks who don't know much about classical music, and would serve as a wonderful introduction. It covers centuries of great music in a very listener-friendly format. I am sure that I will use this CD in my music classroom. For a seasoned classical music lover, however, the CD proves a bit frustrating, including only segments of masterworks (not even the entire movement of the Holst). I bought the CD for a few recordings, which I truly enjoy and make the CD a worthwile purchase. But I found (and I think that most classical musicians will find) that I already had many of these works in their entirety.

This is a fine collection of classical songs for those that have little experience with classical music. Howver, I truly love it.

This is a really fabulous collections of songs. There is a great balance of old and new. This isn't a collection from one single genre and the diversity keeps the mix interesting. It's great to hear songs that wouldn't normally be noticed while a movie is playing and it's also great to hear those easily recognizable tunes from popular movies.

Face it, the appeal of TV theme songs is their familiarity. You know every sound in your favorites. You won't find any of that here. Some of these aren't even close to the originals. A lot are performed on cheap, lifeless digital synths. All of them sound like tired run-throughs of the music. There is no apparent interest on the part of the performers, so why should any listener be interested?

The Mission Impossible theme is performed well.
The Fireball theme is actually much improved on this version. I prefer the orchestra and the vocals over the original.

As a musician myself, I know too well that one of the most important ingredients in ANY performance (live or recorded) is passion. The recordings here generally lack the same passion and sheer drama of the originals. Much of the instrumentation has been reduced to a cheezy, thin, plastic synthesized replica. The performances are simply a watered-down lackluster version of the classic originals. If it were not for the sheer volume of tracks compiled here, I would have rated the comp only "one star".

The sound quality for this collection isn't much better than the samples offered by Amazon.

I have watched almost all the shows that are on these 4 cd's. Many were made before I started watching TV. Most I've seen once or twice before.

I have always enjoyed all of Ms. Garrett's albums, and this one is no exception. If you enjoy a truly beautiful soprano voice, and an album with terrific production values, you'll love this album.

Silva America presents a lady with the gusto in life and music "DIVA: SOPRANO AT THE MOVIES", featuring one of the favorite sopranos in the Classical World today Lesley Garrett...Britain's favorite star comes up with this 1991 reissue, and at a special price will be a sure fire winner.

On this album we have twelve outstanding selections with The Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Andrew Greenwood and recorded at The Hit Factory (London), December 1990/January 1991...with the following performances coming your way.
LA WALLY (rarely performed complete)
LAKME (duet became famous for a British Airways commercial)
THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO (full of life, love and games)
FAUST (jewels for her left by the Devil)
LA BOHEME (performed in the film "Moonstruck", one of my favorite films and favorite Puccini Operas)
RUSALKA (featured in the film "Driving Miss Daisy")
GIANNI SCHICCHI (featured in the 1986 film "A Room With A View")
SONGS OF THE AUVERGNE (melody introduced in Laurence Olivier's "Henry V")
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE (award winning Italian/Russian "Dark Eyes" with Marcello Mastroianni)
CARMEN (1952 film "Carmen Jones" with Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandrige)
TALES OF HOFFMAN (featured in 1948 "The Red Shoes")
KISMET (1955 film featuring Howard Keel, Dolores Gray and Vic Damone)

Take a bow Phillip Thomas (producer), Reynold da Silva and James Fitzpatrick (executive producers), David Stone (album release supervisor) and Silva Screen for this reissue...as Miss Garrett states - making opera accessible and presenting the best music to the widest audience possible is the goal in her musical career...thank you Lesley for sharing your God given talent!

Total Time: 49:00 on 12 Tracks ~ SIL 3012 ~ (6/07/2005)

When the BBC production of The Little Prince was playing on our local public TV station two years ago, I was sick on the couch--sick enough that I was there to see it 4 times as it was repeated over the week. I suspect I had West Nile, because in addition to various roving physical symptoms, I was in a slightly odd, emotionally reflective state of mind for days--during which this musical score of The Little Prince simply engraved itself into my head. Eventually recoverying from pining over the eventual demise of my '81 Subaru and again able to stand up and not pass out, I ordered this CD and the music to this day elicits a quiet wonder unique from any other favored music I enjoy. Something very special about this seemingly simple work.

Portman herself describes this as a "children's opera". It is full of children's voices, and, as one result of this, is so charming that one can easily underestimate its other qualities: its wit, its inventiveness (the duet between the adult soprano and the boy treble is especially unusual), and the sense it evokes of soaring, yearning flight. The libretto is beautifully judged, and the whole captures wonderfully the mirage quality of the book. A lovely, haunting, moving work.

An opera lover must be heartend when a major film composer decides to write an opera. It's doubtless less financially rewarding than writing film music, but still composers are drawn to this parallel form of musical story telling.

Unlike alpha-male symphonic film composers like John Williams or James Horner, Rachel Portman's scores have always maintained a certain delicacy--a certain distance from the writings of the old masters, and here she provides us with many charming and beautiful scenes. A smaller orchestra is employed, and much of the music has an impressionistic quality, with many plaintive solos for flute and oboe. Truly lovely melodies also emerge from the essentially through-composed work.

Yet Ms. Portman's unfamiliarity with operatic writing also shows through. First and foremost, I had a certain feeling of monotony. Each scene is beautifully scored, but how many times can one sing "Danny Boy" befoe one becomes sick of it? There was very little musical distinction between scnes. Secondly, the orchestral writing was much finer than the vocal writing, which often seemed repetitious and unimaginitive.

The fact that a boy soprano sings the lead shows a break with operatic tradion. In the end, this seems very much like a children's opera...though one that, like the beloved book upon which it is based, deals subtly with the meaning of love and death.

This version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's final effort seems to hit just about all the right notes, as it were. Recorded sound is fine and the singing of all the roles is at least adequate, the conducting and orchestral performance being somewhat more so.

Minor quibbles: I guess it has become fashionable, but why include the two somewhat anemic songs Mr. Rodgers added on his own to the film version of the show? They add nothing to the story, except to stop it dead. They were written for the film because the film's storyline was significantly (and correctly, in my opinion) altered from the original book, reducing much of the Max and Baroness parts, including their songs. This left room for a couple of new songs to be sung by Julie Andrews. Apparently, Producer/Director Robert Wise shrewdly knew exactly what he had in Miss Andrews. These two songs aren't awful, of course. After all, they were written by Richard Rodgers, although lyricist was never his strong suit. They just aren't part of the original fabric, if you will. Everything must come to a screeching stop so these two songs can be popped in.

On the plus side, I found just about everyone in the cast to be in good form. No real weaknesses. Some are even better than the others, like, of course, Connie Fisher, slightly light of voice but more than characterful enough to make up for it, and Alexander Hanson, who is refreshingly solid as the Captain and yet actually quite touching when called upon to sing. Well done.

However, one more itzy-bitzy little quibble if you don't mind: Someone should have taken Neil McDermott (Rolfe) aside and explained to him this wasn't another episode of "East Enders" and therefore could do without the quite noticeable British accent. Not being a Brit myself, I have no idea what region the accent represents (This isn't "My Fair Lady", you know). But, at least to my ears, it is jarring. However, I am sure he looked fine in the part, which I am also sure was a major consideration.

So, buy this CD if you want. You probably won't be sorry. But there are others you should certainly consider as well.

I originally bought this CD without much knowledge of this revival. Being a die-hard Rodgers and Hammerstein fan, I am always curious and willing to buy new recordings of their works (I mean let's face it, they sure aren't coming up with any new works, so this is the next best thing). I was pleasantly surprised at how well this album was recorded.
Connie Fisher is absolutely wonderful to hear as Maria. Her voice is clear and youthful. The rest of the cast is in fine form, especially the Captain. I'm pleased to see that they opted to combine scores and include the original broadway songs "No Way To Stop It" and "How Can Love Survive" and the movie songs "I Have Confidence" and "Something Good". The opening Preludium, however, sounds like its Mother Superior with her singing Nuns. The balance is off and it really is noticable.
The biggest surprise was the orchestrations. At some points, the orchestrations are true to the Broadway show and at other points, they use the movie orchestrations. Whoever made that decision (which I'm sure Andrew Lloyd Webber had a say in that), did the right thing.
All in all, this is a worthy addition to your collection. In some ways, the Sound of Music never sounded better.

Here is the cast album for the 2006 London Palladium production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC. It features the radiant young Connie Fisher in the leading role of Maria. Ms Fisher famously won the role in the British reality TV programme "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?", where several unknowns competed for audience votes, in order to gain the lead role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic (based on the memoirs of Maria Augusta von Trapp).

Connie Fisher proves to be a fine choice for Maria. She perfectly embodies all the youthful zest of the postulant-turned-governess. Her singing is energetic and uncomplicated, yet she manages to convey so much within the material. In particular her "I Have Confidence" and "Do-Re-Mi" are very appealing. She convincingly makes the emotional journey from naive young girl to confident wife and stepmother.

Alexander Hanson is a solid presence as Captain Georg von Trapp. He was a late replacement for Simon Shepherd (after producers felt his performance was lacking); and delivers much more than a cardboard cut-out portrayal of a stern martinet widower. His "Edelweiss" is quite affecting. Playing the role of the world-weary Baroness, Lauren Ward brings some cheeky comedy to "How Can Love Survive?", and has some more time to shine with "No Way to Stop It" (an insightful number where we see how much Georg differs in attitude from his passive countrymen).

Opera great Lesley Garrett is sublime as the Mother Abbess, with her commanding reading of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" certainly one of the major highlights for this disc. She also has fun dueting with Connie Fisher in "My Favourite Things" (a lot of people still forget that in the stage version, this is a duet for Maria and the Mother Abbess). Playing Liesl, the eldest of the von Trapp brood, Sophie Bould manages to distinguish herself with a charming "Sixteen Going on Seventeen".

The overall quality of this album is fantastic, and this version includes some instrumental pieces ("The Grand Waltz", and the Entr'acte), that were not featured on earlier recordings of the score. This is most probably the most complete edition of this score to date.

This was the final collaboration between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, after Hammerstein succumbed to cancer shortly after the show opened on Broadway in 1959. While Mary Martin was the original Maria onstage, most people instantly think of Julie Andrews as the quintessential Maria because of the hugely-popular 1965 movie version. Connie Fisher gamely steps past these hallowed theatre greats to become a fresh, new Maria with lots of charm and appeal. This new SOUND OF MUSIC is a real winner.

[Decca Broadway/Really Useful Records B0008514-02]

When I first heard that Andrew Lloyd Webber was redoing the Sound of Music. I just about fell out of my chair. The sound of music was the first musical I watched and it is truly a Childhood icon for me.
I want to first say that this recording is absolutely spectacular. The music is absolutly stunning. It feels like the orchestra is right there in front of you.

The songs you will see on the list may seem out of order, but this is how they originaly did it. Also, there are two "new" songs. These were actually cut from the orignal script when the movie was made. Also The infamous song THE SOUND OF MUSIC is in it's full version.

Finnally the singing. I love connie fisher as Maria. She nails the part, she is a different Maria then Julie Andrews, but in the song I HAVE CONFIDENCE is absolutely hilarious. Also she nails DO RE MI and in MY FAVORITE THINGS. Also the lady that plays the mother abyss does an amazing job in CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN. The kids are adorable. Unfortunely, some songs are missing, but that is ok.

The Best songs are

~THE SOUND OF MUSIC (really great!)
~MARIA (really funny)
~I HAVE CONFIDENCE (HILARIOUS!)
~DO RE MI (CRANK IT UP!!!)
~MY FAVORITE THINGS (CUTE!)
~THE LONELY GOATHERD (MY FAVORITE)
~CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN (REALLY SPECTACULAR)
~NO WAY TO STOP IT (FUNNY AND VERY SAD)
~CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN (REPRISE) (AMAZING)

I hope you buy this. It is a must for any person who loves music. Get it for your kids.

The music fits the story. Geoffery Burgon is a good composer.

Only the first several tracks are Narnian. The rest are other compositions by Burgon.

I didn't look close enough at the track list before buying this. I was very excited to see a soundtrack of the BBC versions of The Chronicles of Narnia, since I love the music in them (not to mention the movies in general). Unfortunately, the Narnia music is only the first 7 tracks.

The whole CD has great music, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been expecting the whole thing to be Narnia. A lot of the other music on it reminds me of Sherlock Holmes music. It is a great CD, and I definitely recommend it...but don't expect a full CD of Narnia music.

I never get tired of hearing this narnia music over and over again. Mr. Burgon really captures the heart and soul of Narnia through his music. In opinion, it easily surpasses the new film music at times (both Tumnus themes are very good).

I did not care for all the choral (enya-like) music from the new film, and this music has none of that.

It's hard to follow up Scott Morrison's perceptive review of this new 'Cosi fan tutte' in English. My reaction on several fronts, however, isn't as enthusiastic. I agree that Thomas Allen is the very model of a smiling, knowing Don Alfonso, but I'd also add that Lesley Garrett's Despina is almost as good in recitatives, which makes the sly chicancry between them the wittiest thing about this performance. The four young lovers sing quite well, but they aren't funny or, for that matter, very alluring. Toby Spence has a hard edge to his tenor and effortful legato, which works against Mozart's melting melodic lines. The two women sound rather alike, but that's no matter. Fiordiligi's murderously difficult aria, 'Come scoglio (here translated as "Like a fortress"), is negotiated too carefully by Janice Watson, but she makes it through with conviction surpassing sheer vocal talent.

As for Mackerras, he takes the whimsical overture in a punchy fashion with sharp thwacks on the timpani at the climax -- not my favorite way with this bubbling, humane, relaxed, and civilized score, but he is dramatically effetive, and the period orchestra plays expertly (admittedly, I'd rather hear more vibrato, rubato, and expressivity). Mr. Morrison rates Mackerras as ann eminent Mozartean, but I'd lower him to a skillful professional, and that holds true here: I wish I were more moved. I generally go out of my way to avoid Mackerras anywehere but in Janacek operas, but even a non-fan like me must concede that he shapes Cosi from scene to scene very well.

As for the translation, the original, an 1890 version by the Rev. Marmaduke Browne (why aren't we naming baby boys like that anymore?), is decidedly prim. John Cox has added modern quips, some in bad taste (would even the cynical Da Ponte praise his two soldiers as 'well endowed'?), the overall result being rather hybrid. But the rhymed couplets manage not to sound like Gilbert and Sullivan too often -- always the trap when yoou try to English a verse libretto -- and there are genuine smiles when Allen and Garrett take center stage.

In all, I came up wth four stars, just like Mr. Morrison, and believe that any Mozart lover will have a good time with this bargain-priced set.

There is no more eminent Mozartean these days than Sir Charles Mackerras, the 88-year-old Australian conductor. He has recorded 'Così fan tutte' before -- Mozart - Così fan tutte / Lott · McLaughlin · Focile · Hadley · Corbelli · Cachemaille · Sir Charles Mackerras -- but this time around there are two major differences: it is sung in English and the pit band is the original-instruments Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Some people object these days to singing an opera in any but its original language, but I'm not one of those. Think of opera sung in English as the noble forebear of today's supertitles; and of course one can't have supertitles in an audio recording. The singers in this performance do a pretty good job of making the sung words understandable. Particularly outstanding in this regard is Sir Thomas Allen as Don Alfonso, and what he does with da Ponte's (or should I say John Cox's clever updating of Marmaduke Browne's English) words is a marvel of both diction and acting. For those moments when the words can't be quite made out, Chandos does, thankfully, supply a complete English libretto. As for the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, they are among the very best original-instrument ensembles of the day and they give Mackerras the kind of joyous sound he must surely have wanted. One notes that he allowed principal instrumentalists to add their own ornaments and these are generally delightful.

As for the main characters, all but one are simply magnificent, very nearly the equal of any of the principal singers I've ever heard on earlier recordings. But there is one exception: Lesley Garrett, as Despina, is not in complete control of her vocal apparatus and there is some degree of threadiness and straining, as well as some over-the-top hamminess in her vocal acting. The two main women, Janice Watson as Fiordiligi and Diana Montague as Dorabella, are all one could ask. I had, when I saw the cast list, some apprehensions about how these two singers would do -- they are, after all, a bit, erm, mature for their roles -- but I needn't have worried. Both are in fresh, supple voice and the blending of their voices is a joy to behold. The two men, Toby Spence as Ferrando and Christopher Maltman as Guglielmo, are equally good as the ladies' tender lovers and as the fake Albanian soldiers, Leander and Philander. The recorded sound on this set is just slightly reverberant to my ear but one has no difficulty picking out individual strands of the musical texture or the words of the singers.

So who is this recording for? Well, I suppose for those who have one or more recordings of the original language version, this set is superfluous. But for those coming to 'Così' for the first time, this one could very well be the best possible introduction to this witty opera the understanding of whose repartée is such a necessary part of its impact. And for those who collect Così recordings, this one should not be passed by. I should point out that at the time of this review Amazon is only charging about $26 for this three-CD set, quite a bargain for a new recording. Chandos has not skimped on the presentation, either. There are a fine essay about the opera by Mike Ashman, an interview with Mackerras and a helpful synopsis, as well as the full English libretto.

Scott Morrison