Melissa White

You get what you want from this. All of the epic music from Peter Jackson's 2005 King Kong film. Highly recommended to hardcore fans.

While I expected a certain amount of powerful action music--in keeping with the fact that King Kong is an action film--I felt this cd soundtrack focused excessively on action music, and that the touching and beautiful selections in the film's more tender scenes were woefully ignored. They are there, but in what feels to be abbreviated forms, as though the powers behind the cd decided to add them as a brief afterthought. If you found the more sensitive music in the film is what drove you to consider the cd (as I did) then you'll find this cd too abrasive for too long to just enjoy easy listening. The quality of the musical compositions is not lacking--it's good action music--but this is not a cd comfortable to listen to for long periods. If you are producing a back yard play, and need some pounding action music that goes on and on, then this cd is for you. They ought to release a secondary cd that contains only full-scale versions of the beautiful instrumentation present in more sensitive scenes. Now THAT'S a cd I'd enjoy.

I watched the Extended Deluxe Edition of King Kong recently. When the opening credits ran I knew I HAD to get the soundtrack. I found it here and ordered it. When I recieved it I was very pleased. It has become one of my favorite scores by Newton Howard.

After Lord of the Rings collaborator Howard Shore had his fully written score rejected due to the ever popular "creative differences" in Peter Jackson's film, James Newton Howard stepped in and had about a month and a half to write a monumental amount of music. He stepped up to the challenge and wrote a blowout score that awes and amazes at each turn. I can only imagine what kind of score he would have come up with if he had a much longer period of time to write the score, but in any case, he succeeds all the same.
King Kong has an established theme throughout the score, represented by a 7-note motif that is both ominous and bold. It is featured whenever the big ape is on screen, as well as when he is somewhere lurking about on the island. Since the film takes place in the 1930s, Howard wrote some period music in many cues of the first half of the score, which feature appropriate pianos and jazzy woodwinds.
As the crew makes their way to the island, the music shifts into a more ominous and more action-oriented approach, as they try to survive and capture the beast. The music throughout the majority of the second half of the album is awe-inspiring, resilient, and frankly breath-taking. The orchestra is strident, the chorus is bold, and the percussion is propulsive. "Tooth and Claw" is a very impressive action-oriented track with plenty of fast-paced, heavy brass lines, whirling strings, and racing percussion. The "awe-factor" is present in most of the cues, such as "It's Deserted", where you can only imagine viewing the island for the first time as the ship nears its destination.
The grand finale consists of "The Empire State Building" as well as "Beauty Killed the Beast" (not how the Disney film ended as you may recall...). Here the orchestra and chorus give everything they've got, building and building to an emotional and powerful climax as the great beast falls to his demise.
This is one of James Newton Howard's finest works, which proves that he is one of the best composers out there. A highly recommended score with 74 minutes of outstanding music. You would be a fool to pass this one up!!

Not the best score I've ever heard. Certainly not bad, some tracks were very nice. Unfortunately, a good deal of them are too action-oriented for my liking, or simply boring. The best piece of music from the film, the beautifully haunting female chorus played over the spider pit scene (best part of the movie!), is sadly nowhere to be found on this disc. I don't doubt Howard's talent as a composer, but the music for King Kong, sadly, doesn't have the same bite as the movie.

HMMMM....LET'S SEE. WHY DON'T WE RECORD FOR THE FIRST TIME THE ENTIRE ENCHANTING SCORE TO 'FINIANS' RAINBOW' THAT SATIRICAL 1947 SWIPE AT RACIAL INTOLERANCE AND GREED AND CONSUMERISM. OKAY, SO FAR SO GOOD. NOW, LET'S HIRE A CRACKERJACK CAST OF PERFORMERS TO INTERPRET THIS LIGHT-HEARTED AND DELIGHTFUL SCORE. OH DARN! WE RAN OVER-BUDGET, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO HIRE A ORCHESTRA-LET'S NOT WASTE STUDIO TIME-LET'S TINKLE THE ENTIRE SCORE ON A CUPPLA PIANOS.(MAYBE NO ONE WILL NOTICE THAT THIS FIRST COMPLETE RECORDING OF 'FINIANS RAINBOW' SCORE HAS BEEN ROBBED OF ITS' SOUL AND REPLACED BY TINKLE, TINKLE, PLUNK, PLUNK.) THE TWO STAR RATING IS FOR THE PERFORMERS WHO ARE LEFT STRANDED BY PENNY-PINCHING PRODUCERS.

Have to be honest. I've got dozens of Broadway musical recordings, along with loads of 'em by lounge-singers and ballad performers. The performances here are, for the most part, nothing special; in fact, most of the male voices are kind of "stinky." Sorry, guys. Singer, Steve Ross ("I Have Dreamed"), does have a very unusual voice, I'll give him that. But, but, but........the only male singer (Patrick Quinn) placed in the only romantic duet ("People Will Say We're In Love") has a voice much more suited to Broadway comedic roles---nothing romantic-sounding about it.

The girls come off better. Maureen McG. is her reliable self, and Judy K. and Debbie G. are their normal and known selves.

In the end, I recommend saving your money for better done songs from Broadway.

****

We love this album! The songs are soothing but not saccharine, invigorating but not forced. Our four year old loves to dance to it and I can't get the songs out of my head so it ranks ten/ten on our scale.

This wonderfully performed collection of familiar songs from the once vibrant Yiddish culture of Eastern Europe is a great addition to my music library. While many of the songs are classics which I remember well from my childhood, the sweetness and elegance of the presentation by Counterpoint add significantly to their impact. Even though most of the European Jewish community was destroyed in the holocaust, these wonderful melodies survived to inspire us today, and to remind us that all was not lost. The arrangements, harmonies and solos are marvelous, and the Yiddish and Hebrew pronunciation are flawless.
It's obvious that a lot of work by some very talented people went into creating this album. Listening to it brings back many bittersweet memories that stir my emotions - It is my sincere hope that Counterpoint will continue to perform such music in the years to come.

What makes this collection of melodies unique is the marriage of traditional tunes with the less frequently heard songs of resistance and longing from the dark time of the Holocaust.
The beautifully arranged and performed vocals are, by turns, haunting and spirited, mournful and whimsical, taking the listener through the full range of emotions. To hear Counterpoint in concert is an unforgettable experience. This equally stirring CD will leave you feeling just as proud and uplifted, as expressed by the closing words of the final song (Zog Nit Keynmol)..."We are here!"

This collection of Hebrew and Yiddish songs, arranged by Counterpoint conductor Robert de Cormier and Viktor Ullmann, offers a unique view into Jewish life of the shtetl to the Nazi-used Czech town of Terezin and the underground Jewish resistance of WWII. From the "young widowed mother sitting by the cradle" in "Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen" ("Raisins and Almonds"), to the uplifting "Zog nit Keynmol" ("Never say that you are on the Last Road"), the 25 songs on the CD are superbly performed by Counterpoint. Skillful instrumentals accompany a first-rate choral group, and the stylistic arrangements retain the flavor of the genre. "When the rabbi danced" deserves a place in any collection.

I don't speak Yiddish. I am not a child - or relative - of Holocaust survivors. But this CD resonates for me in a unique way. I keep it in my car CD player and play it over and over. The evocative cumulative effect of the quality of Counterpoint's voices, the arrangements and the obvious poignancy and humor of the lyrics is hypnotic. I've given the CD as gifts to friends- to both Jews and non-Jews -and have not only received enthusiastic thanks and praise for the CD, but requests for information on how to buy more for their friends and family!

I was thrilled (though not surprised) to hear that even in this very early recording of An American Concerto, Melissa White's incredible technical virtuosity as well as her passionate musicality is quite present. This recording forshadows the incredible talent she has cultivated thus far and one can only imagine how much more successful she will become. I look forward to hearing more of her stunning performances.