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asv classical
asv classical
To order an item or view tunes, simply click on its "ItemCode"
ASV
| SEMPRINI / SERENADES (5511) |
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Prefaced by the lilting tones of his own composition Mediterranean Concerto and the romantic Italianate tones of his catchphrase 'Old ones, new ones', the eagerly-awaited weekly selection Semprini Serenades was for more tha two decades a synonym on British radio for easy Listening. While some highbrows may have scoffed, rating the programme sugary or 'anodyne', the musical arrangements were invariably melodious, as elegant and smooth as their immaculately attired presenter.
[Item Code: 57812 CD: $11.00] |
| VARIOUS ARTISTS / MOCK MOZART (5649) |
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It will not have escaped the attention of anyone remotely interested in music that 2006 is Mozart year; he was born in Salzburg 250 years ago. Recordings of his sublime music have of course been legion - but we can safely say that none compares with Living Era's tribute, Mock Mozart. It is described as a 'diverting collection of parodies, take-offs, send-ups, performances in good and bad taste, mixed with genuine tributes'. The title and tone are set by Peter Ustinov's extraordinary array of voices and noises, Mock Mozart, and continued by Victor Borge's perennially hilarious Mozart Opera. Adaptations range from Raymond Scott's lively In An 18th-Century Drawing Room to no fewer than four interpretations of Rondo alla turca (by Red Ingle, Henri Rene, Hazel Scott and Martha Eggerth & Jan Kiepura). Alec Templeton and Benny Goodman show us how Mozart Matriculates, and the wonderful Florence Foster Jenkins brings new meaning to the term 'off-key'. What would Mozart have made of it all? He would surely have relished the Comedy Harmonists' tender singing of 'Mozart's Lullaby' (oh, except that was written by somebody else!)
[Item Code: 59513 CD: $11.00] |
| KATHLEEN FERRIER / WHAT IS LIFE? (5536) |
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This 21 track CD of songs from 1945-52 encapsulates the artistry of the glorious-voiced contralto Kathleen Ferrier, some 50 years after her tragic early death. This CD features a poignant lament from "Orfeo" (her last stage role), as well as a Handel and Bach oratorio and much more. Two duets offer fine reminders of her partnership with soprano Isobel Baillie ("Sound The Trumpet"), and there are rarely heard delights in two delightful Handel pieces accompanied by Gerald Moore ("Spring Is Coming"). Musicians include Sir Adrian Boult, Dr. Reginald Jacques, Gerald Moore, Boyd Neel, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Phyllis Spurr and Bruno Walter.
[Item Code: 51973 CD: $11.00] |
| JAMES MELTON / SOUVENIRS (5585) |
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One of the finest American concert and operatic tenors of his generation, James Melton was typical of his era: forward-looking and mindful of the latest media-recordings, radio, cinema, his curriculum vitae reads like a test-card for crossover, the the new approach to entertainment in which he must surely be retrospectively viewed as something of a pioneer. Like his fellow-American near-contemporaries the baritone John Charles Thomas, and the tenor Richard Crooks, Melton sang in a forthright manner material odioucs, we are told, but a direct parallel with Crooks is hard to resist, as the careers of the two tenors present a number of similarities.
[Item Code: 58640 CD: $11.00] |
| LAWRENCE TIBBETT / STAR OF STAGE AND SCREEN (5385) |
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The great American baritone of Lawrence Tibbett (1896-1960) is recognized as one of the finest voices of the 20th century. A Metropolitan Opera principal for 27 seasons, he also enjoyed huge "popular" sales. This 21 track compilation sums up his artistry in opera, film & song, and features songs from 1926-35. Features songs with Lucrezia Bon & Helen Jepson.
[Item Code: 31312 CD: $11.00] |
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