Seventeen-track anthology focuses mostly on their popular 1963-66 recordings, including "Deep Purple," "Whispering," "Stardust," "All Strung Out," several lower-charting items, and some LP tracks. They milked the "Deep Purple" formula too many times, but this is enjoyably frothy pop, and "All Strung Out" is a genuinely soulful, accurate approximation of Phil Spector's work with the Righteous Brothers. The disc also includes Stevens's 1959 solo single "Teach Me Tiger," a bizarre cover of "I Love How You Love Me" (with battling bagpipes and fuzzy guitars), and one undistinguished track each from 1985 and 1996.
Tasmin Little's 2013 release on Chandos is an exploration of lush and lyrical music for violin and orchestra, composed by the leading British composers of the early 20th century, and it is an album of remarkable depth and beauty. Opening the program is the Concerto for violin & orchestra by E.J. Moeran, which sets the mood for the disc with its long-breathed, melancholy lines and pastoral atmosphere. While this is a technically challenging work that shows Little to her best advantage as a virtuoso, listeners may come away from the piece recalling its sweet ambience more than its flashiness. The same could also be said for Frederick Delius' Légende, Gustav Holst's A Song of the Night, and Ralph Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending, all three of which provide tests for the violinist's skills, yet are filled with such gorgeous music that listeners may only remember the general opulence of the scores. Also included are premiere recordings of Roger Turner's arrangements of Edward Elgar's Chanson de matin, Chanson de nuit, and Salut d'amour, which in orchestration, mood, and style fit the rest of the album nicely.
Greatest Hits is a 1982 compilation of hits by the Australian band Little River Band. The album was digitally remastered and repackaged with six additional tracks in an expanded edition in 2000.
Australia's Little River Band was one of the most successful groups to emerge from down under. With the perfect sound via Glenn Shorrock's relaxed voice alongside the smooth flow of the guitar and keyboard work, LRB's polished style was draped all over radio throughout the late '70s and early '80s. This compilation from their most lucrative years contains all their chart hits, plus the sneaky-sounding "Down on the Border"…
Melodious and charming, The Cunning Little Vixen is a work rooted in Czech history and folk music; a sentimental journey through the cycles of life. For Sir Simon Rattle, it's a deeply personal and emotional work. "It's the piece that made me want to become an opera conductor… and still one of the pieces that reduces me to tears more easily than any other," says the LSO's Music Director. Recorded with an outstanding cast during semi-staged performances, this recording is the second in an LSO Live series showcasing acclaimed collaborations between Rattle and the celebrated stage director Peter Sellars. Towering fanfares open Janácek's Sinfonietta, an ode to the composer's hometown of Brno in the now Czech Republic. It's a portrait composed for a national celebration of Slavic culture, with Janácek's love of musical tradition evident in dancing strings and celebratory brass.
Handel’s Italian oratorio seems to offer a great deal of fascination to continental-based ensembles presumably because the Italian texts make the works easier to perform well with non-Anglophone singers. But there are significant differences, between this work and the later oratorios. The later works use choruses and have quite strong narrative and moral elements. The English Oratorios were written for mainly English-trained singers whose style was expressive rather than virtuoso; in them the older Handel aimed for a new style.
"Little Wonder" is the desire to regain the intimate size that is the essence of their duo Petra and Ferruccio, vocals and bass. Among the 11 cover of the album is "Is This Love" where for the first time, the duo approaches the reggae of Bob Marley, here totally transformed, "Practical Arrangement" Sting "modern classic" example of sophisticated pop. There are also references to song writing Italian and foreign "an old mistake" of Paolo Conte and a beautiful and intense reworking of a song of Gilbert Becaud as "Quand il est mort the poete". Between the covers of famous songs Italian stands the brilliant French version of "Same beach, same sea" entitled "Tout s'arrange Quand on s'aime" and then "You're strong father" famous children's song brought to success by Gianni Morandi.