Robert Shaw (5) (1916–1999)

My father and I used to listen to this back in the days of vinyl LPs. We weren't listening to hear an authentic reproduction of sea shanties; we were listening to a well-trained male chorus performing sea shanties. He was interested in the history behind the songs and we talked about that. Eventually I inherited the LP and replaced the worn-out LP with a CD.

The harmonies are brought out in these arrangements as the great male voices in the Robert Shaw Chorale perform the songs. The soloists show more are perfect for the selections. I never have trouble understanding the lyrics. Most of the songs are a capella; some have minimal accompaniment.

My favorites are hard to choose because I love them all from rollicking Blow the Man Down to the parting strains of Spanish Ladies. Ask me on a quiet day and I'd pick Lowlands; Goodbye, Fare Thee Well; Stormalong, John; and Shenandoah. Ask me on a bouncy day and I'd pick Whup! Jamboree; the sly A-Roving; the classic What Shall We do with the Drunken Sailor; and The Drummer and the Cook.

If you are looking for a more traditional performance of sea shanties, then you need to look elsewhere. If you love male vocal harmony, then check this recording out. show less

This is a detailed guide to Bizet's opera Carmen from the English National Opera Guide series. More detailed and more scholarly then the normal program notes you get when attending an opera, it is definitely not light reading. It offers a number of essays on a variety of topics starting with a detailed musical analysis of the evolution of Carmen from the book by Merimee to the opera from Bizet and his two librettists. It continues with a look at how Carmen challenged the normal repertoire of show more the Opera-Comique where it premiered.. This is followed by essays on it's worldwide performance history and the stories of many of the advocates for the opera after it was criticized at it's premiere.

The book includes a selection of the musical themes and a complete libretto in both French and English. What was particularly useful was the use of the libretto that included both detailed stage directions and the spoken dialog instead of the recitative version. A translation of the recitative version is also included although I found the spoken dialog version better at conveying the story. In fact, reading this libretto version made me realize how really clever the original libretto was for the opera.

This guide is not really suitable for someone looking for an easy introduction to the opera prior to seeing it for the first time but can easily be recommended to someone interested in getting a richer understanding of the opera. show less

This version with Risë Stevens came highly recommended by Jim Svejda, who is nothing if not opinionated. It's the only cd version I have and I hadn't compared it favorably against my LPs of Marilyn Horne, Tatiana Troyanos, etc. But now that it has been years since I've listened to the LPs (my turntable needing repair but is a 70s Garrard worth it?), it's sounding better to me. And Carmen is just sooo listenable. There's probably a reason it's America's favorite opera ... or was at one show more point. Jan Peerce is a bit annoying, for the same reason I find many opera singers annoying - the resonant nasal quality that sounds like they're singing for themselves instead of the back of the house. Maria Callas springs to mind. Terrific actress and in her early days sounded great. Why sing like you have a mouth full of marbles?
Anyway, good recording. Great opera for newbies, introducing motives and, like, other serious stuff. show less

When I sang in a church choir, I loved singing hymns and spirituals arranged by Robert Shaw/Alice Parker. Those arrangements were always perfect for the voice ranges and each section usually had something interesting to do vocally. I expected to love this CD when I ordered it and I do.

I love the harmonies among the voices and excellent diction of singers. You don't have to know the words to understand what is being sung. Some of these songs were new to me; others I had sung. My favorites show more are Wondrous Love, Bright Canaan, Ride on King Jesus, I Got Shoes, and Lord If I Got My Ticket.

If you enjoy choral music, I think you will like this CD. If you enjoy religious music, I think you would like it, too. If you like both, you may well love this recording. show less