The Songs That Got Away

Irving Berlin (Composer), Leonard Bernstein (Composer), Jerry Bock (Composer), Vivian Ellis (Composer), Peter Greenwell (Composer), Marvin Hamlisch (Composer), Andrew Lloyd Webber (Composer), Frank Loesser (Composer), Giacomo Puccini (Composer), Sarah Brightman (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Sarah Brightman
• Composer: Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Jerry Bock, Vivian Ellis, Peter Greenwell, et al.
• Audio CD (November 16, 1999)
• SPARS Code: AAD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca Broadway
• ASIN: B000005S0R
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #74,829 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
For those Sarah Brightman fans who didn't spring for The Songs That Got Away when it was a pricey import, this domestic release will be a must-buy. Originally recorded in 1989 shortly after she achieved international fame in The Phantom of the Opera, the album spotlights obscure American and British musical theater songs that either were removed from shows or were "lost" when the shows themselves slipped out of the repertoire. (Of course, some of the songs aren't nearly as obscure as they were in 1989--the opening track, Stephen Schwartz's soaring "Meadowlark," has since been claimed by Liz Callaway, Patti LuPone, and Betty Buckley, while Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember"--well suited to Brightman's glasslike tones--is now recognized as one of his most gorgeous and haunting compositions.) Brightman performs well on this diverse collection of entertaining and often lovely songs, including an early draft of Frank Loesser's "Fugue for Tinhorns," here sung as a triple-tracked, lilting waltz, and the Puccini aria "Chi il bel sogno di doretta," which foreshadows her later, more ambitious crossover projects. There's also a tune from Jeeves by then-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber, who produced this album not long before he and Brightman divorced in 1990. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Brightman CD for a special reason!, May 12, 2000

By	E. Montoya (Geneva, Switzerland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Alright, I am a huge fan of Sarah Brightman's. I have almost all her CDs and have all the rest of the songs by way of mp3s. Okay, this CD was made right after her debut as Christine in PTO. Basically, this is at the height of her vocal richness and fullness. Sarah's voice was beautiful, a budding coloratura soprano in Phantom and here you can completely here the full and classical quality that can't be heard on any other CD except PTO Original Broadway or London Cast Recording. Everything afterward was after her voice lessons which took away her bright, full voice and left a breathy, somewhat dim voice. She can still sing beautifully but it's very light and very hard to hear on most of her new stuff including Dive, Eden, Fly, and Time to Say Goodbye. So basically, this is the only album you'll find where you can hear her fully. If you listen to Eden's Nessun Dorma by Puccini, the last note is drowned out by the accompaniment. I saw her in concert and she really does have this techno / electronic voice -- it's cool but not as beautiful as when she made this CD.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sarah got those songs back!, January 15, 2001

By	Anthony Morelli "Woofbear" (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I didn't really know what to title this review. The music is so different from what we're used to hearing from Sarah. The cd was created when Sarah and Andrew Lloyd Webber were together. "The songs that got away" is a collection of forgotten tunes of yesteryear, brilliantly written and perfect for Sarah's voice.

You'll only hear one operatic song. This song is "Chi il sogno di doretta". The opera quality in Brightman's voice is not very rich. Yet, this cd is beautiful in many ways.

The breakdown of the CD? Well, personally, track 1 "Meadowlark" has to be the best. As for the rest, the songs are either folk or broadway. This cd has a lot, variety-wise, recommending it to listeners with a "serious" ear.

Upon purchasing "The songs...", I already had the U.S. version of "Eden". My expectations were not met. I admit there was some disappointment. That's only because my ear for Sarah was much more operatic. Over time, the songs grew on me. I would have rated the cd 5 stars, but there are a couple of tunes I'm still not used to.

The material on "The songs..." is worth giving attention to. Some songs will take time to grow on you, like many artists' material does. Don't take my word for it. Buy this cd for the selection of material.

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28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addition to a SB collection, December 28, 1999

By	"gplechuck" (Maryland) - See all my reviews

For those of you used to Sarah's voice from her albums "Eden" and "Time to Say Goodbye", you're in for quite a shock. This album is 10 years old and Sarah's voice is very young here, similar to when she was in "The Phantom of the Opera". This CD is a collection of songs that "Got away" from musical theater for some reason or another. Some of the songs are truly enchanting, like "Meadowlark", "I Remember", and "Silent Heart". For others, it's easy to see how they got away. Not worth the $ I paid for it some 5 years ago, but now that it's been released domestically with a reasonable price, it's worth a shot.