CANADIAN BRASS SUPER HITS

Let no Star Wars fan go home disappointed-this 2-CD soundtrack set brings you every note John Williams composed for one of the most anticipated films in recent history, from the opening fanfare to the last end credit! All 68 tracks are in order as heard in the film, two bonus tracks (with sound effects and dialogue) are included and more than 60 photos grace the pages of the 60-page booklet. A collector's dream!

Italian Opera Arias

Emanuel Ax has made the Haydn sonatas his own in recent years; certainly few "major label" pianists have bothered to explore these delightful works systematically, and Sony deserves credit for supporting him in his efforts. The results certainly make a powerful case for following where the artist leads (when, as here, the artist knows where he is going), for both this and Ax's previous Haydn discs have been excellent in all respects, and he has been very enterprising in his mixture of familiar and unfamiliar works.

The sonatas included here offer a typically broad representation of Haydn's range as a keyboard composer. The most famous of them is No. 49 in C-sharp minor, with its tragic minuet finale (here played with a powerful sense of barely muted grief). No other composer lavished so much attention on this simple dance form and discovered in it so much variety of expression. Note how appropriately Ax varies the pace of this dark piece as compared to the jaunty minuet finale of Sonata No. 34 in D.

Two sonatas in A-flat major, Nos. 31 and 35, open and close the program. No. 31 is a big work (nearly 20 minutes) and Ax plays it as such, with the bold contrasts of the broadly paced first movement and brilliant finale enfolding a poetic central Adagio. The concluding A-flat sonata brings the program to a very satisfying conclusion, its Moderato-Minuet-Presto sequence of movements providing a steady acceleration of excitement that Ax takes particular care to project effectively.

As a centerpiece, there's the big E-flat major Sonata No. 29, and here Ax avoids possible monotony between the opening Moderato and the ensuing Andante of nearly equal length. It's a beautifully paced performance, with a particularly jubilant account of the concluding Allegro di molto, one of Haydn's biggest sonata finales. The high-level recording sounds a touch bright in the loudest passages, but otherwise richly supports a program that will give listeners unalloyed pleasure.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Night and Day II

Original score composed by James Horner.
Producers: James Horner, Simon Rhodes, John Mellencamp, Michael Wanchic.
If composer James Horner's highest profile follow-up to his Oscar-winning music for TITANIC proves anything, it's that Horner is now the pre-eminent purveyor of scores for big budget films about ships in peril. The music itself is in Horner's usual accomplished but derivative vein, an eclectic mix of classical influences--echoes of Copland, Prokofiev, Mahler, and Rachmaninov--and film composers from Hollywood's Golden Age, in particular Ernest Gold.
The most interesting new wrinkle here is the occasional addition of rock instrumentation, which gives certain selections a vaguely world-beat feel (apparently in lieu of more specific New England sea shanties). John Cougar, however, seems an odd choice to sing the obligatory closing-title ballad; the song itself is pitched at the low end of his vocal register, and he sounds as vaguely uncomfortable with it as Bob Dylan did with his brief turn on "We Are the World."

The partnership of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan proved to be a potent force in the world of English comic opera. After an inauspicious start, the team produced many memorable, enduring masterworks during their 25-year collaboration such as 'Trial by Jury,' 'H.M.S. Pinafore,' 'The Pirates of Penzance,' and perhaps their most popular work, 'The Mikado.' The combination of Gilbert's brilliant wordplay, elaborate plot devices, and satirical bite with Sullivan's sympathetic, imaginative musical scores proved irresistible to audiences and their works continue to enchant, continually captivating listeners.
This collection offers selections from seven of their most popular works, brilliantly performed by the venerable D'Oyly Carte Opera Company whose history dates back to the original Gilbert and Sullivan productions. The troupe demonstrates an innate understanding and idiomatic command of the music and words and successfully conveys the sparkling charm of these works. A well-annotated booklet contributes to making this compilation an excellent introduction to Gilbert and Sullivan's "topsy-turvy" world.

Summer in the City (Live in New York)

Footlifters: A Century of American Marches

Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 6

Swing! (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

Original score composed by John Williams.
Producers include: John Williams.
Principally recorded at Sony Pictures Scoring Stage, Culver City, California. Includes liner notes by Alan Parker.
ANGELA'S ASHES was nominated for the 1999 Academy Awards For Best Original Score.
"Theme From Angela's Ashes" won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition.

Music composed by A. R. Rahman. Lyrics by Don Black.
Original cast includes: Raza Jaffrey (Akaash); Preeya Kalida (Priya); Ayesha Dharker (Rani); Raj Ghatak (Sweetie); Shelly King (Kitty); Raad Rawi (JK); Dalip Tahil (Madan); Ramon Tikaram (Vikram).
Recorded at Panchthan Record Inn, Chennai, India, Strongroom Studios, Olympic Studios, and Sony Music Studios, London, England between January and May 2002.

Wait for Me

Standing at the Edge