Britten: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Advantages: Great fun
Disadvantages: Bizarre

..., Benjamin Britten's settings of Shakespeare's words from A Midsummer Night's Dream are given the remix treatment, one in an Asian fashion (called the 'Houseboats of Kashmir' mix) and the other in a more obviously Western pop fashion which includes some wonderful flourishes from a few brass instruments. The pure voices of Christine Anu, David Hobson et al float along on top of the remixed music to create an intriguing fusion of old and new. It shouldn't work, but the different styles work together beautifully. I haven't talked in depth about all of the tracks, but quite frankly, you'd be bored out of your mind if I had! I can't find anything substantial to say about mixes of 'Angel' from Romeo and Juliet (beautiful), and 'Os Quindos de Ya Ya' from Strictly Ballroom (fun). That about sums them up, though I do enjoy them both. The only real... Read review

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Advantages: The Original and Best
Disadvantages: None

...“Albert’s Mum took a stick, whacked him on the thingummyjig. Albert hopped round the shop, squeaking like a tilly pig!” Emmie, Cis, Harry, Act I Scene II “Are Loxford girls all whores?” Lady Billows UPDATE 8.15pm - I am reliably informed that Collins Classics have gone off the market, and the release mentioned in the competitor versions below has been released at £9.99 by Naxos. Even so, the Britten/Pears version STILL represents better value in every way! I’m making a passionate case here for this 1947 Benjamin Britten masterpiece as the greatest comedy opera written in the English language. If your experience of Britten extends little beyond “Young Person’s Guide” in your schooldays, and you want to try something new, you won’t be disappointed. Don’t be put off by the idiom of Britten’s music – although it was written... Read review

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Advantages: Brilliant album
Disadvantages: None

...This CD is Dream Theaters ninth studio cd and they seem to get better with every cd they make. One good thing being each dream theater cd has a new and different sound to the last and theres no exception here. In the Presence Of Enemies Part 1: This is part 1 of the epic that is In the Presence Of Enemies. Part 2 is the last song on the cd. This part of it is mostly instrumental and shows off how good dream theater are musically. Labrie doesn't come in till about 5 minutes into the song and then the song starts to pick up. This is a brilliant opener to the cd. Forsaken: This song is one of the softer, more catchy songs on the cd, much like I Walk Beside You from the previous cd in that it sounds radio friendly. The main riff of the song has to be one of the best guitar riffs on the cd. Song has a really catchy chorus, I would... Read review

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