Mike

Andrea Bocelli's voice carries deep to your soul with passion and power. Those who love classical compositions will truely enjoy the rare bold beauty in his voice.

This vocalist is incredible. What a joy to hear his interpretation of each song. It is wonderful to hear this cd over and over.

You read in some of Andrea's reviews how he overpowers the other singer in some of his duets - in my case this CD overpowers the other CD's in my CD Changer - it's hard to listen to other music once you hear this collection. Both my wife and I crank up the volume and by the end of the CD we have tears in our eyes and just play it again. We particulary like track 2 Sogno and track 5 Canto Della Terra. Next step would be to go out and buy a new sound system; I might burn out my 31 year old Marantz amplifier listening to this - I have already ordered his CD's Amore and his new CD Andrea.

This CD is just great. He has an incredible voice and uses it to send shivers down your spine!!

this is a singer that doesn't matter what he sings he just makes a masterpiece of anything

I greatly admire Sir Elton John's immense talent and extraordinary body of work. Always been a fan. Also been a Broadway musical buff since I was a wee lad. We saw the movie, and greatly enjoyed it, like almost anyone else who saw it, and now have tix to see Billy Elliot on Bway in late February, when my college freshman-who-dances daughter is on break.

So I got the cast recording and, after one listen, am deeply disappointed. I appreciate these strictly are book songs, with no meaningful context outside the mounted production, but they betray a seeming laziness, certainly by the neophyte lyricist Lee Hall. In sum and substance, they are simple to a fault, with little evidence of a rigorous imagination and intellect at work. Then again, Sondheim has spoiled us forever. He makes it seem as if anybody can do it, yet hardly anybody can do it well, as recent Broadway efforts painfully underscore.

Similarly, as much as I enjoyed seeing "Spring Awakening," the cast album doesn't fare particularly well on its own because the score is too much of a parasite to the book to exist outside the show's visual language. By contrast, as richly mounted as are shows like "Rent" and "Les Miserables," their scores are unfailingly sensual even after countless listens.

In both cases, SA and BE, melodic lines are minimal. The lyrics are serviceable at best in BE, a notch or three below the Jerry Herman school of surface slickness that sacrifices substance.

I'm hoping BE is one of those scores that improves with progressive listens and that the music will rise to the occasion of seeing the show. Perhaps after that, I'll appreciate the album experience more, as often is the case.

If not, I may well regret spurning my spouse's original suggestion of seeing "In the Heights" instead. There are precious few examples of Hollywood providing quality grist for the Broadway mill. I'm curious to see if Billy Elliot is an exception that proves the rule, or the rule that proves me a fool.

I thoroughly enjoy listening to the Billy Elliot CD. I can't wait to go to New York and see it

I typed "Billy Elliot Broadway Cast Recording" into Amazon's search field, and this album was the one that came up. But this is not the Broadway, but the London Original Cast. The cast list and the reviews going back to 2006 confirm it. Unless the product has been changed, and this IS the Broadway Cast Recording (and it's unusual for one to come out so quickly after a show opens), and something as odd as Amazon just using the London recording's descriptions and reviews is going on. I love this show, but would like it if buyers knew what they were getting. (Amazon should make it clear in the description.)

It's bloody brilliant. I'm about to see the NY staging and I wanted to get a taste for the music. Elton John's songs tell the narrative in a powerful and believable way and do a great job of setting the stage for what I hope are incredible dance sequences. Haydn Gwynne is a standout as Mrs. Wilkinson and Ann Emery almost steals the show in one number, "Grandma's Song." Other favorites include "Electricity," performed by the titular character and the deeply moving, "He Could be a Star." Definitely recommend the soundtrack.

I saw the play in London while I was on vacation two years ago and it was fantastic. The film is great but the music from the play is complely different. If you enjoyed the soundtrack from the film you must hear the cast soundtrack.

I didn't see this movie until several years after it had been released, but I immediately fell in love with it. And one reason was the songs. But by the time I went looking for the soundtrack, it was long out of print and therefore very expensive. But when Disney rereleased it, I bought it as soon as I could.

There are two main reasons I wanted to get it - "One More Sleep 'til Christmas" as sung by Kermit and "It Feels Like Christmas" by the Ghost of Christmas Present. Both songs are warm and rich as they share about the joys of Christmas. Frankly, either work outside of the movie. I'm surprised I haven't seen more people covering them.

And there are a couple of songs that work well in the context of the movie, too. "Scrooge" is a wonderful introduction to the character. As sung by the cast, it tells us exactly what we need to know about the main character. "Marley and Marley" is surprisingly funny considering it's one of the scarier moments of the traditional story. But it gets the point across with some humor.

And, like all soundtracks, there are several instrumental pieces. I count 6 of the 18 tracks. Scattered throughout, they really do invoke the feel of the movie even if you aren't watching it.

Two of the tracks, "Room in Your Heart" and "Chairman of the Board" were cut by the time I saw the movie. Frankly, they are my least favorite tracks here, probably because I never saw them in any context.

This will be yet another honored part of my Christmas music collection for years to come. If you like the movie, get it before it disappears again.

This is a great product and almost impossible to find anywhere else. I grew up watching this movie, and have been looking for the soundtrack for years and haven't been able to find it in any stores, so when I found it here it was great.

This has become a Christmas favorite in my home as well as it making a great gift to give. Love it

Happy with the product when it arrived, but it arrived a week after the scheduled time.

If you enjoyed the soundtrack while watching "A Muppet Christmas Carol" then you will love this and is a cute addition to anyone's holiday music collection..

As a 'phantom' fan, I've been to San Francisco to see the stage show. I hopped this video would at least be 'as good' as the stage show. I thought it was better, having told a more thorough story. The actors kept the music as good as the original stage show, but filled in all the blanks in the story. I would go so far as to say this video is better than the stage show.

The Phantom of the Opera music is masterfully written and full of all the drama and emotions that are placed within the music that tells a story of love, obsession, and revenge. Andrew Lloyd Weber's music is timeless!!!

THE MUSIC IS BREATHTAKING. I LOOKED EVERYWHERE FOR THE CD WITH NO LUCK. THEN I CHECK AMAZON.COM. THANKS AMAZON FOR MAKING MY DAY.



LCB

This is a wonderful soundtrack from the movie. I am obsessed with the movie and the soundtrack follows exactly as it is on the movie. With having 2 cds and the movie music is split, you can play your favorite song and section as often as you like. Great buy.

The music is very soothing and the soundtrack makes you think you are almost there. It is good to listen to and can relax you.

Oh, my! That voice! It will send you over the moon. Delightful CD!!

I loved this CD. But then, I have all of Andrea's CD's and could listen to his voice all day long regardless of what he is singing. The DVD was a mite disappointing, but I just wanted to hear his voice.

This admirable compilation includes part of the vast repertoire of this extraordinary and sensitive interpreter that has captivated and engaged the universal admiration all over the world.

In particular Il mare calmo della sera and La voce del silenzio are - to my view- the two most emblematic tracks in this golden album.

What else can be said about this respectable and beloved first-rate artist?

A genuine golden treasure that will enhance your invaluable musical collection.

I loved this music. It is so peaceful and relaxing and also very romantic. If you are a Bocelli fan you will love this CD.

What can you say about Andrea Bocelli that hasn't been said before! His voice is sheer magic! Excellent CD/DVD!!

Our family loves the Windham Hill Winter's Solstice series, and my son says this is his favorite. I don't know if I can choose a favorite, but Barbara Higbie's We Three Kings on this CD is absolutely gorgeous and makes this CD worth purchasing almost by itself. Of course, the other selections are beautiful as well. I recommend this CD without reservation--you will love it.

This is superb music, and that it is supposed to be "Christmas" music is almost beside the point. Yeah, it wouldn't be Christmas without it, but for me this disc can be a salve against the hostilities of an uncaring world. Such "therapy" need not always take place in December.

Windham Hill artists have a long tradition of coming up with very relaxing, chill renditions of holiday favorites as well as their own original seasonal music. All the music on this album brings to mind the most peaceful images of the winter season - a warming fire away from the bleak chill of winter; a snowy winter wonderland; simply being with the people you love most. This album is perfect for a quite evening away from anything and everything.

Continuing in the beautiful series of Winter's Solstice music, this CD contains traditional and non-traditional Christmas music. However, it should be played year around for its soothing and beautiful sounds.

The Windham Hill series (Winter Solstice) fhas been outstanding, featuring a sampling of their artists. You get a wide range of performers (Nightnoise, Turtle Island String Quartet, etc.) that you might not run into otherwise. The result is a superior collection for the holiday season, but not so overtly Christmas that you can't play it at other times.
I particularly like Øystein Sevåg's contribution. I can't rave enough about the beauty of these pieces. It's wonderful to play while entertaining, or to get you in the Christmas-card-writing mood, or just sit and soak it up while gazing at your twinkling tree lights.

The music of "Lord of the Rings" reminds me so much of Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle. Well, the entire story of LOTR reminds me of The Ring Cycle. But apples and oranges aside, the musical themes (or leitmotifs) here are dazzling. From the "Orc Industry" to "The Fellowship" to "Hobbiton", they all so diverse and so distinctive. I love every minute of it (except for some overly bombastic parts that are very irritating to the ears). Kudos to Howard Shore, and to Peter Jackson who hired Howard Shore.

With the release of the Complete Recordings, Peter Jackson and Howard Shore gave their fans the opportunity to return into the mystics of middle-earths music deeper than before. While the ordinary soundtracks only had some selected parts of this epic score, fans are now able to listen to every single note, Shore wrote for this fantastic trilogy. You are able to learn everything about the history of the music, with lots of informations about the different musical themes, which you can hear through the 3 hours of music.
A fantastic CD-Box!

my wife is a big fan of the movie. this music is right from the movie. It is not music inspired from the movie like some of those disapointing cd i have atained in the past. it's right from the movie so if you watch the movie you have heard the music before. I don't like the wall art that media player wants you to look at as the music plays but in a cd player it sounds great. It is exactly what you would expect.

Even if you don't like the films, this soundtrack will take you to Middle Earth.

Prompt shipping, item came as described. My husband LOVES it and couldn't be happier with it! I'll have to buy the rest of the recordings soon!

I'm completely in love with this album, both the performances and the music itself. I know there is a diversity of opinion about a group like Anonymous 4 performing music like this, and I can understand why. They don't do a typical "period" performance of the works, which usually comes out as dry as a stick and about as interesting (and yet still inaccurate somehow). But they also aren't ignoring what scholars have learned about performance practice either. They have managed to strike a balance between the two, and the performances come off as fresh, tasteful and engaging in a genre that has all but fallen off the map.

The music itself presents an interesting sound that will be largely unfamiliar to contemporary listeners. Many reviewers have remarked about the "raw" sound of some of the traditional shape note music, and they're not responding to the quality of the voices or lack thereof per se. Rather, this rawness comes from the compositional technique, namely, a preponderance of open intervals such as the fifth, fourth and octave, coupled with a modal-sounding avoidance of the 3rd and 7th degrees of the scale in the melodic lines. The first track is a typical example, and the sound here is open and raw because it's chock full of fourths, fifths, octaves and little else; the ringing effect is magnified by the group's consistently perfect intonation. These procedures are not modal in the strict sense, yet they do make one think of the Ars Nova of the 11th century and for the same reason. Compare that sound with track 9, "Return Again". This piece spends a lot of time emphasizing the interval of the third and the sixth, so it consequently sounds amazingly sweet and full in contrast.

Then there are the performances. The vocal sound is ravishing, polished with an almost lapidary care. Intonation is spot on, the ensemble is perfect even to the ornaments, breathing, and terminal consonants, and the presentation is highly energetic. The blend of the vocal colors is almost perfectly and very pleasingly matched. The group uses vibrato sparingly if at all, yet the vocal tone quality is unforced and open. They also make an effort to emulate the idiomatic ornaments and quarter-tone slides very convincingly. The only other group I know that comes up to this high level of accomplishment is Chanticleer, an all-boy group with a very different artistic focus.

I'm thrilled that Anonymous 4 has chosen to present a unique and almost unknown genre of music. The American musical heritage is much richer than is supposed, and this disc makes a case for its appreciation.

I purchased this CD the day after experiencing a performance by Anonymous 4. Friends had invited my husband and I to attend the concert, and I went blindly, having no idea what type of music I was about to hear. My mother had died earlier in the week, and I am convinced that the angels on stage that night sang just for my grieving heart. "Gloryland" continues to speak to my soul. The harmonies are beyond belief. The instrumental work is so closely aligned with the singers' voices that one cannot discern where either begins or ends. I commend this collection to anyone who is fascinated with the wonders of music and its ability to soothe and heal the human heart.

This group Anonymous 4 sings the finest interpretations of early, middle and late English and European compositions. They do indeed sound like they might be angels. The talent encompassed in the recordings of this excellent quartet are without peer.

I am responding to Peter Vogel's review that could well discourage potential buyers of this beautiful music. I realize that Peter went on to point out many compelling nuances. However, I have had albums that "all sounded the same"--and this is definitely NOT one of them. For anyone who thinks so, I would invite him/her to examine the perturbations of his/her own soul, asking whether they really require that music should swing wildly from one extreme to another just to feel that they are truly "alive." These songs only "sound the same" if you think that the colors of a rainbow all "look the same" because they shimmer & meld into one another even as you look and try to fix them in your memory. Do not hesitate to buy this beautiful album. I'm glad I did.

Amazing is the word for this record more than Gloryland. I have been touched by the lyrics and the voices. Coming from a different cultural background allows to understand very well the root information valid for everyone in the songs, hymns, etc they have selected for this record.
I will wait for the next record!

Never really cared for Mike Oldfield's previous works, I enjoyed Tubular Bells the song but not the Tubular Bells album. I own "The Best of" album but wasn't really inspired enough by that to purchase any of his other albums. So when I purchased "Music of the Spheres" I felt I was taking a real chance and might not enjoy it - fortunately I was wrong. Strong melodies are supported by orchestra and choir. It's like a sound track to a movie where they used only the most beautiful and melodic pieces. This is not Tubular Bells and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys beautiful orchestral music.

Heard this CD while traveling on tour in the UK. I was very taken with it, and bought it when I got home.
I can't believe how well it went with the English countryside as we traveled. Now it causes me to harken back to that trip!
The music, in my opinion, is very beautiful with lots of different instrumentation and voices. There has to something everyone would love on the album.

One of the best cd's i now own. This is an Orchestral venture that is a timeless piece of music that takes you on a journey of so many emotions. I feel it is the best creation Mike has composed. I write this so that Mike Oldfield receives more of the credit he so rightfully deserves. This cd has brought us much enjoyment and

I like Oldfield, I have all of his albums including this one, but "Music Of The Spheres" is just more of the same. Oldfield has been spinning his creative wheels for over a decade now. I'd say the last Oldfield album I really enjoyed was 1994's "The Songs Of Distant Earth". Since then, Oldfield has been doing variations on the same themes with "Music Of The Spheres" being pleasant, but as another reviewer said, not innovative.

Yes, Oldfield utilizes real instruments and an orchestra and opera singer, but when it's all said and done it's not memorable. Some tracks standout more than others, and for me that moment comes in the middle of the album with "On My Heart" and "Aurora". I know I'm going to be lambasted for what I'm going to say next, but I'd really like to hear Oldfield utilize singers again and make more pop albums like "Five Miles Out", "Crises", "Discovery", "Islands" and "Earth Moving" as much as many fans would gasp in horror. It's been almost 20 years since he tried his hand at making a pop album, and I still think Oldfield excels at making good pop songs.

So, "Music Of The Spheres" is merely a rote exercise. Pleasant, inoffensive, average Oldfield. It did not excite me as some of his past work has. Good, but not above average or great.

The latest of Mike Oldfield's work is a nice addition to his collection of music, definitely would recommend buying this cd!

I gave this, and several other Thomas movies, to my son for Christmas and he LOVED them! He is a big Thomas The Tank Engine fan and they never fail to deliver a great story that he loves to watch over and over again. =)