CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Titanic (1997 Original Broadway Cast)

by: Maury Yeston, Judy Blazer, Brian d'Arcy James

Release Date July 01, 1997
I'll admit it: I was coerced into participating in a local production of Titanic The Musical recently and while I never had, nor do I have any desires to perform on stage, I almost reluctantly fell in love with this incredibly moving story that involves an absolutely amazing musical score. I played Benjamin Guggenheim, who along with some of the most famous millionaires in the world (John Jacob Astor, George Widener and the Thayers, literally the Bill Gates and Donald Trumps of their day) died as the Largest Moving Object on the earth slipped beneath the waves, April 15th 1912.

First, one major difference between this re-telling of one of the greatest maritime disasters of all-time and others, there really isn't any two or three ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers & Hammerstein

by: Bernadette Peters

Release Date June 10, 2002
If someone had played this album and asked me who was singing, I doubt that I could have identified the artist correctly. Gone is the "kewpie-doll" sound that is typical of Bernadette Peters; and it plays very well.
I do not understand other reviewers who rate a recording low, because the songs have been recorded before. Always, a fresh interpretation helps to appreciate the music--if it is worthy of being recorded again, and Rodgers & Hammerstein certainly is. This album features some of the R & H classics, like "If I Loved You" (in my opinion, the best track on the album, and one of the best recordings of this tune) and "Out of My Dreams," as well as come less familiar, like "So Far," a really under-appreciated piece from "Allegro," ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Bright Eyed Joy: The Songs of Ricky Ian Gordon

by: Audra McDonald, Dawn Upshaw, Todd Ellison, Judy Blazer, Ted Sperling, Kenneth Burward-Hoy, Jesse Levy, Lawrence Feldman, Darius de Haas

Release Date April 24, 2001
Ricky Ian Gordon is a very talented composer and poet, and the songs on "Bright Eyed Joy" display his magnificent gifts. There is not a contemporary composer who has his talent of fitting text to music, and the singers on this disc bring his compositions alive. Track 17, "Once I Was," will make you weep!

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

The Punisher

from: Perseverance Records

Release Date November 15, 2005
This is a pretty good soundtrack. I remember seeing the movie at the theatre in 1989. The music reached at and grabbed you. The soundrack is now here. This gets high marks.

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Jarhead

from: Decca

Release Date December 06, 2005
I am reading all the negative reviews of this soundtrack, and most of them mention the absence of Kanye West's "Jesus Walks." One reviewer gives the album one star because he was "misled" into buying the album.

Um, hello? This is an instrumental score for the film! NOT a Various Artists soundtrack! This is, you may have noticed, an album that falls under the name of Thomas Newman! If anyone bought this expecting other music, then it's entirely their own fault. It even says on the front: "MUSIC BY THOMAS NEWMAN."

That said, I'd also like to correct Amazon on something - they said this is Newman's third outing with Mendes, the other two being "Shawshank Redemption" and "American Beauty."

Shawshank was directed by Frank Darabont, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Copland: Appalachian Spring Suite

from: Reference Recordings

Release Date November 11, 1998
I am reading all the negative reviews of this soundtrack, and most of them mention the absence of Kanye West's "Jesus Walks." One reviewer gives the album one star because he was "misled" into buying the album.

Um, hello? This is an instrumental score for the film! NOT a Various Artists soundtrack! This is, you may have noticed, an album that falls under the name of Thomas Newman! If anyone bought this expecting other music, then it's entirely their own fault. It even says on the front: "MUSIC BY THOMAS NEWMAN."

That said, I'd also like to correct Amazon on something - they said this is Newman's third outing with Mendes, the other two being "Shawshank Redemption" and "American Beauty."

Shawshank was directed by Frank Darabont, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Chesne: Symphony No. 3

from: Chezworks Records

Release Date August 01, 1995
I am reading all the negative reviews of this soundtrack, and most of them mention the absence of Kanye West's "Jesus Walks." One reviewer gives the album one star because he was "misled" into buying the album.

Um, hello? This is an instrumental score for the film! NOT a Various Artists soundtrack! This is, you may have noticed, an album that falls under the name of Thomas Newman! If anyone bought this expecting other music, then it's entirely their own fault. It even says on the front: "MUSIC BY THOMAS NEWMAN."

That said, I'd also like to correct Amazon on something - they said this is Newman's third outing with Mendes, the other two being "Shawshank Redemption" and "American Beauty."

Shawshank was directed by Frank Darabont, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Leon Levitch: Ricordo di Mario; Fantasia for Oboe and Strings

from: Cambria Records

Release Date January 23, 1996
Leon Levitch, a native of Yugoslavia born in 1927 studied with many marvelous composers in the contemporary era such as Darius Milhaud, Roy Harris and Marion Castlenuovo-Tedesco. He has written two symphonies, chamber works for flute and sonatas for strings and piano in addition to the material on this disk. The CD was recorded in 1991 and runs for 59 minutes.

The sounds of the flute, oboe, piano and strings playing challenging music together are picturesquely beautiful. However, the first time or two around, a listener may not be able to hear or feel the beauty because of sounds which may seem dissonant. But on more careful listening one will come to appreciate the beautiful pieces and their performances in this clear, crisp sounding CD. The sound ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Leon Levitch: Ricordo di Mario / Fantasia for Oboe and Strings / Quintet for Flute and Strings and other works

from: Bay Cities

Release Date September 11, 1993
Leon Levitch, a native of Yugoslavia born in 1927 studied with many marvelous composers in the contemporary era such as Darius Milhaud, Roy Harris and Marion Castlenuovo-Tedesco. He has written two symphonies, chamber works for flute and sonatas for strings and piano in addition to the material on this disk. The CD was recorded in 1991 and runs for 59 minutes.

The sounds of the flute, oboe, piano and strings playing challenging music together are picturesquely beautiful. However, the first time or two around, a listener may not be able to hear or feel the beauty because of sounds which may seem dissonant. But on more careful listening one will come to appreciate the beautiful pieces and their performances in this clear, crisp sounding CD. The sound ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Copland: Appalachian Spring Suite

from: Reference Recordings

Release Date December 17, 1993
Leon Levitch, a native of Yugoslavia born in 1927 studied with many marvelous composers in the contemporary era such as Darius Milhaud, Roy Harris and Marion Castlenuovo-Tedesco. He has written two symphonies, chamber works for flute and sonatas for strings and piano in addition to the material on this disk. The CD was recorded in 1991 and runs for 59 minutes.

The sounds of the flute, oboe, piano and strings playing challenging music together are picturesquely beautiful. However, the first time or two around, a listener may not be able to hear or feel the beauty because of sounds which may seem dissonant. But on more careful listening one will come to appreciate the beautiful pieces and their performances in this clear, crisp sounding CD. The sound ... Read More: