December Songs

Clay Ruede (Performer), Steve Kenyon (Performer), Maury Yeston (Composer), Larry Hochman (Conductor, Performer), Brian Miller (Performer), Stan Cramer (Performer), Michael Nicholas (Performer), Martin Agee (Performer), Isabelle Georges (Performer), Maury Yeston (Artist)

Product Details

• Performer: Clay Ruede, Steve Kenyon, Larry Hochman, Brian Miller, Stan Cramer, et al.
• Conductor: Larry Hochman
• Composer: Maury Yeston
• Audio CD (March 7, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: P.S. Classics
• ASIN: B000E8N93I
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #227,781 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
From PS Classics, the label that released the Grammy-nominated cast album of Maury Yeston's Nine: The Musical (not to mention the acclaimed Maury Yeston Songbook), comes this new recording of December Songs, Yeston's ravishing retelling of Schubert's Winterreise: part song-cycle, part cabaret piece, part music theatre showstopper. The singer: French-born Isabelle Georges, who performed the work to great acclaim during a three-month engagement at the Theatre du Renard in Paris during the winter of 2004-2005. The album will feature a new orchestration by Larry Hochman (Spamalot, A Class Act, Jane Eyre), and includes the world premiere recording of a new Yeston song, "Strange."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Adequate performance, unfortunate orchestration, April 10, 2006

By	J. A. Kawarsky "jaktg" (New Hope, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Oddly strange recording. Very clear voice. Unclear why the English version uses a new orchestration by Larry Hochman, when called for, and the new French translation is needed at all. As for interpretation. Fine. And that's the problem. It's all just fine. No better, no worse.

Better suggestion: The Harolyn Blackwell recording of these with better orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick (Mr. Hochman's make the orchestrational error constantly called "masking" and tis irritating".) Blackwell has beautiful voice and interp. skills. Recording entitled "Strange Hurt" also includes great cycle by Ricky Ian Gordon.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must, April 13, 2006

By	JMB Paris France "JMB" (Paris France) - See all my reviews

Isabelle Georges has a really lovely voice that fits perfectly with Yeston's words and music. The french translation, made by the french poet Boris Bergman is full of poetry, of images that show you the distress of this woman. Stan Cramer plays perfectly the piano. This record is worth 5 stars.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, Beautiful, Haunting, February 7, 2007

By	Christopher H. Merrell "CHM" (Denver, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Song Cycle December Songs.
A beautiful journey.
Haunting and beautiful.
Complex and simple.
Introspective.
Full Bodied and soaring.
Grounding.
Emotional.
-- Chris Merrell