25%
OFF
OFF
  | Boston Pops Orchestra, John Williams - NBC Presents: Summon the Heroes
| ||||||||||
| |
Average user rating:  | |
 The Real Spirit | |
| This album by John William and the Boston Pops is fantastic. It appeals across musical boundaries. Even those who do not usually listen to classical music will find it enjoyable. The title track is the first one on this CD and sets up a grandiose atmosphere. Then comes "O Fortuna," which conjures up the images of ancient heroes and battles and the coming storm of competition. There are twelve tracks in all, and the final one, "The Olympic Spirit" is transcendental. It has been played on classical music radio stations across the country over and over again. And rightly so. This is a wonderful album to listen to on any given day. | |
| Truly the Olympic spirit | |
| I cannot heap enough praise upon this CD. To put it succinctly, I think it captures the feeling of the Olympics better than the actual Olympics do. Lots and lots of John Williams on this CD (the composer, not the guitarist... how many other people have mistakenly bought a CD by John Williams the guitarist?), which was an excellent move. From the opening strains of his 1996 composition "Summon the Heroes" we listeners are transported to a world far removed from our own, a world where epic feats are routine and glory and honor are everywhere. This CD is valuable just because it contains all of Williams' Olympic music, but the real treat is the other selections: they match and even exceed the power of his compositions. "O Fortuna" is a classic, of course, and "Chariots of Fire" captures better than any other piece, I think, the feelings evoked by Olympian athletes. The Boston Pops Orchestra combines its usual pinpoint precision with its usual highly-charged emotive quality; it's up to the task of playing epic music. In particular, this CD has the best rendition of Shostakovich's "Festive Overture" I've ever heard, itself a fabulous inclusion. Are you getting my point yet? Buy this CD! Now! The true strength of the Olympics lie in their ability to connect spectators to something a little bit higher and more exalted than themselves; the same is true of this CD. | |
 Thanks For The Introduction To Mehdi | |
| I've always enjoyed Vangelis and this album is no exception, but while reading some of the customer recommendations posted on this page I discovered an artist by the name of Mehdi (pronounced meddie). After some investigation I found his site (SoothingMusic.Com) and listened to the samples...I also downloaded some of the free MP3 downloads that are available on Amazon.com. I was instantly blown away by the quality of this music and so I gave it a try and now that I have listened to his CDs several times I really must say that although I'm still a Vangelis fan I find Mehdi to be a tad more interesting. I have them both in my multi-disc CD player and love the way they compliment each other. I highly recommend that you give this artist a try or atleast just go listen to the samples, I have a feeling you'll be glad you did. | |
People who bought NBC Presents: Summon the Heroes also bought ... | |
