Buy Beethoven Operas

Review by Morgan’s Mom:

I am a HUGE fan of the original Beethoven’s Wig. I think the premise is brilliant: instead of following the tired formula of simply collecting “important” classical pieces into CDs aimed at children, take those pieces and give them clever lyrics for the kids (and their parents) to sing along with. Much of what I liked about the original Beethoven’s Wig was the way the lyrics managed to be silly and yet at the same time convey some real information about either the song, the composer or both.

If Beethoven’s Wig 2 has a fault, it’s simply that it isn’t quite as clever or entertaining as the original. First, I think Richard Perlmutter did a better job of selecting the classical pieces for the first disc. More of the songs are upbeat and seem “made” for singing along to. Beethoven’s Wig 2 starts out strong with the Light Cavalry March, La donne e mobile and In the Hall of the Mountain King, but the middle of the disc switches gears and seems to lag in comparison to the bright opening. Moreover, the lyrics just aren’t as consistently clever in Beethoven’s Wig 2. While I love “Stuck in the Saddle Again” and “It’s the Same Every Verse,” I think several of the other songs (such as “Dvorak The Czechoslovak”) try too hard to impart “important” information about the composer at the expense of maintaining the sense of humor and fun that typifies the Beethoven’s Wig series. Finally, while the first CD ended with a literal bang (“1812 Overture,” aptly re-titled “Tchaikovsky’s Cannonball”), the second ends with the Wedding March – a decent enough piece re-titled “Wow What a Wedding Cake,” but not nearly the big finish of the first Beethoven’s Wig.

Despite all this, I still give Beethoven’s Wig 2 four stars simply because I believe it’s one of the very best ways to introduce children to classical music and make it an exceptionally enjoyable experience. Kids of all ages will definitely want to hear this disc over and over, and while it might not live up to the incredibly high standards of the first Beethoven’s Wig, it’s still much better than many of the other children’s music CDs out there.

Review by Darren:

Richard Perlmutter’s “Beethoven’s Wig 2″ is a rare and special type of album. Ostensibly, it is a children’s album full of Mr. Perlmutter’s sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, often witty, but always-intelligent lyrics, sung over famous classical pieces. The strength of this album, however, lies in its broad appeal and lasting power. “Beethoven’s Wig 2″ is great for your 5 or 6-year old, who will love Permutter’s kid-friendly delivery and engaging stories. However, a 8 or 9-year old child will also love this album, being able to catch many more of Perlmutter’s witticisms and puns. As a parent you will love the fact that your children are being exposed to, and more importantly, being engaged by Classical music (the original instrumental performances are also included on this album). As Perlmutter embeds quite a bit of musical history and factoids into many of the songs (i.e. “Dvorak the Czechoslovak” is a fantastic 3-minute summary of the great Czech composers life in America and how it, in part, inspired his famous Humoresque No. 7) you may learn a thing or two about Classical music yourself. Where else can you find an album that is appealing both to you and your children, exposes you to great music, teaches you, and most importantly makes you laugh and smile?

Review by PennsylvaniaMartha:

For some crazy reason, I went on a big opera-compilation-CD buying binge a few months ago. Impressed by the highly positive reviews, this 2-CD set was one of many such purchases I eagerly made at that time.

Well, time has passed, the dust has settled — and now I find that this is one of only TWO of all those compilation CDs that I still love to listen to frequently (the other is the amazing bargain CD, The Most Famous Opera Duets).

I highly recommend this beautiful compilation for those times when you feel a yearning for beautiful, transporting music, but don’t want to commit to listening to an entire opera. Put this on, close your eyes, lean back, and prepare to be swept away! This is a truly special music experience for a very reasonable price. Treat yourself!

Review by Robin Currier:

Are there people in your life who just don’t “get” opera? This CD is a fantastic introduction to opera for people who are not familiar with it. You could think of this CD as being the “best of the best” or at least as a collection of the easiest to listen to hits.It would take a heart of stone not to melt when the Flower Duet from Lakme is playing. Even though these numbers are already familiar to me, I never get tired of hearing them, and I play this CD over and over. In fact, since my car has a CD-changer, I just leave this CD in all the time and switch over to it whenever I’m feeling stressed.Great collection by great artists, this CD is really a treasure.

Review by F. Behrens:

More than just a promotional sampler, the Naxos (8.555037-38) contains not only 2 CDs crammed with 39 excerpts from that company’s seemingly bottomless catalogue, but also a 762 page book. The text offers plot summaries of almost every important opera and many of far lesser renown (Delius’ “The Magic Fountain,” Mascagni’s “Iris,” for example), a brief biography of the composers, a glossary, and finally a discography. The recorded examples are in chronological order from Monteverdi to Korngold. The entries in the book, however, are in alphabetical order–so be careful to look for “Zauberflote,” not “Magic Flute,” and so on. Of course, Big Names do not appear on many Naxos opera sets; but this set is an introduction to that vast area of culture and is meant to be an educational (and of course a promotional ) device. Nevertheless, many of the selections on the CDs are beautifully sung, a very few lack characterization (the arias from”Don Giovanni” and “Nozze di Figaro” for two). But at this incredibly low budget price, who can complain? As soon as I saw what this set had to offer, I immediately ordered a copy as a seasonal gift for a friend who wants to “get into” opera. I could think of no better gift. There is a sister set titled (8.555319-20) that uses the same format. There are 2 CDs with 36 selections from Gregorian Chant to Glass. The 562-page book gives us the major facts about “the Great Composers and Their Greatest Works, ” a glossary, and a 45-page list of classical music heard in films. The discography is included in the composers section. Again, the value of this set as an educational tool is enormous and well worth the extremely low price Naxos is asking.

Review by Tony Prince:

This is, by far, the best introduction to opera on the market. It also contains some gem performances for anyone who already has a serious opera collection. Several tracks on this collection of mostly Eastern European singers rival those of their Western counterparts. This is a collection for EVERYONE – from the opera novice to the person who has long collected all the major Western stars. At this price, it’s the best opera bargain in the world. GET IT NOW!!! Thank you, Naxos! I hope that some of these Eastern European singers at last get the attention they deserve.

Review by David R. Bannon, Ph.D.:

Mezzo Karen England and Soprano Rebecca Knight’s debut, supported by perceptive and idiomatic accompaniment, is a solid and impressive recording. The instrumentalists play with great boldness and precision and present the classic works as vibrant music to be taken seriously, not just period pieces. These compositions pose a range of challenges to the singers. England and Knight respond to the arrangements’ disarming freshness and originality with a ready and penetrating intelligence. While they muster ample virtuosic agility of lyric warmth as required, it is their dramatic sense that is most compelling. Knight flings herself passionately into the emotional torrents of “Chanson Boheme,” while she delivers her own lyrics in the charming “Ode II Joy” from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with a confident fervor. England sings with pure, attractive tone; her voice has maturity, depth and flexibility, and her diction is impeccable. All of these songs are of interest in giving us another aspect of each composer’s work. Many are achingly lovely — Catalani’s “Ebben?…” and the stirring Cohen/Lew arrangement of “Un bel di,” are worth the price of this CD alone. This recital provides abundant evidence that opera (and its babes) has much to offer modern audiences. David R. Bannon, Ph.D.; author “Race Against Evil.”

Review by Ogopogo:

WOW!!! These Babes have produced one absolutely gorgeous album. There won’t be superlatives enough to justify an adequate description. If you love opera and pop music you won’t be disappointed!
The Opera Babes are Karen England (mezzo soprano) and Rebecca Knight (soprano). Together their voices produce one exquisite sound. They have taken several great classics and combined them with pop music for a sound you won’t soon forget. Ms. Knight also provided the beautiful lyrics for ‘There’s a Place’, based on Dvorak’s 9th symphony, and ‘Ode II Joy’, based on you know who. I’m confident that both Dvorak and Beethoven would approve. I also must note that the arrangements are equally as gorgeous. THIS IS ONE AMAZING RECORDING!! And at the new artist debut price, this disc is a steal!

Review by Robert Macedo-Alves:

I always held Bernstein as the best conductor of american composers (his recordings of music by Aaron Copland is better than Copland’s recordings). However, his Beethoven used to lack intensity and ‘pathos’. But this ninth is different. The performance is excellent – and we can feel the spontaneity of the ‘live recording’ effect. The Vienna Philarmonic sound is completely sumptuous and overwhelming, especially at the climax of the last movement. This is the Best Beethoven recording ever made by Bernstein. His recording with the NYP is not as intense.

Review by A. Del Rosario:

I am no music expert, but the kind of passion that Bernstein draws here from the Vienna PO and from his singers, in particular Gwyneth Jones, does not depend on expertise for recognition. In addition, the recording is very good.If I were to recommend one of the versions I know of this work to a classical music neophyte, this is the one I would choose.