Stephen Schwartz Album

Stephen Schwartz | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 27, 1999)
• Original Release Date: July 27, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B00000JNO8
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,108 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Beautiful City/Day by Day [From Godspell]

2. Corner of the Sky [From Pippin]

3. Lion Tamer [From the Magic Show]

4. Just Around the Riverbend [From Pocahontas]

5. West End Avenue [Magic Show]

6. Blame It on the Summer Night [From Rags]

7. Colors of the Wind [From Pocahontas]

8. No Time at All [From Pippin]

9. With You/Gifts of Love (From Pippin/The Baker's Wife)

10. Stranger to the Rain (From Children of Eden)

11. Meadowlark [From "The Baker's Wife"]

12. Fathers and Sons [From Working]

13. Chanson [From the Baker's Wife]

14. In Whatever Time We Have

15. Out There [From the Hunchback of Notre Dame]

16. When You Believe [The Prince of Egypt]

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It'd be easy to excuse anyone for thinking that Stephen Schwartz only writes religious musicals. After all, his most famous show is still Godspell, and his works surfacing most prominently in 1998 were the revival of Children of Eden and the DreamWorks film The Prince of Egypt. The Stephen Schwartz Album covers a wide range of work, however, including all of the above, earlier major works (Pippin, The Magic Show, and The Baker's Wife), and his Disney films with composer Alan Menken, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. (The Disney films and Rags are the only shows represented for which Schwartz wrote lyrics but not music.) This all-new 1999 recording features a number of talented artists from the Varèse Sarabande stable, including Christiane Noll, Susan Egan, Kristin Chenoweth, and Guy Haines. While many of these songs might be heard to better effect elsewhere, the album is a consistently good 65-minute package of gems, and especially noteworthy is the composer's own moving rendition of "Fathers and Sons." Schwartz also provides the song-by-song liner notes--a nice touch. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old Broadway Meets New Broadway in a Great Way, April 26, 2000

By 

"kenyie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stephen Schwartz Album (Audio CD)

THE STEPHEN SCHWARTZ ALBUM highlights the best moments of this proflic writer of musical theater, including PIPPIN, THE MAGIC SHOW, CHILDREN OF EDEN, and his Disney efforts. However, what makes this collection so strong are two important elements: the sweeping orchestrations and the excellent performers. The compilation of performers represent the present and future of the musical theater, including Susan Egan, Emily Skinner, Alice Ripley, Christiane Noll, and Brian D'Arcy James. Furthermore, their wise interpretations of Schwartz classics are complemented by dazzling orchestration work which highlights the most musical qualities of this lyricist and librettist.

Schwartz's work is earthy and emotional. It is best representated by Marin Mazzie's dazzling interpretation of "With You/Gifts of Love," Laura Benati's "A Beautiful City/Day by Day," and the love duet "In Whatever Time We Have." However, the most surprising track offers Schwartz's own rendition of his personal "Fathers and Sons" from WORKING. His performance brings the lyric and the emotion of this excellent song to the surface. Considering Schwartz is the musical mastermind behind 30 years of musical theater, maybe his wise performance may not be so surprising after all.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Song A Hit...and More, December 27, 2000

By 

George Dellagiarino (Reston, Va. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stephen Schwartz Album (Audio CD)

This CD is one of the best compilations I have ever heard. Not only are all of the artists stars in their own right, but you know most of the songs already without hearing them. You know "Beautiful City" and "Day by Day" from "Godspell", you know "Corner of the Sky" from Pippin, your kids introduced you to "Colors of the Wind" from "Pocahontas", "Out There" from "Hunchback of Notre Dame", and "When You Believe" from "The Prince of Egypt". Get the picture? There are also some gems that are not quite as well known but are certainly just as good. Songs like "In Whatever Time We Have" from "Children of Eden" and two songs, "Chanson" and "Meadowlark" both of whom I enjoyed so much that I went out and bought the cast album of the show that they came from ("The Baker's Wife"). This is one of my favorite albums and, if you are like me, it is one that will not be far away from your CD player. Enjoy!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Album, Great Singers!, February 22, 2000

By 

Robert Lopez (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stephen Schwartz Album (Audio CD)

I found the STEPHEN SCHWARTZ ALBUM to be a great collection of songs with incredible singers. The few songs I could do without are "Beautiful City", "Corner of the Sky", "Stranger to the Rain" & "Colors of the Wind", but the rest are incredible. Christen Chenoweth of You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, sings "Lion Tamer" with vibrant youth and sincerity. Silly to say but after hearing her I really believe she wants to be one! Christaiane Noll (Jekyl & Hyde, Ain't Nothin But the Blues) surprises with her heartfelt "Just Around the Riverbend". Listen for the last note which is belted, unlike the disney version. What can I say about Alice Ripley? (of Side Show, Les Miserables) Her voice is absolutely phenomenal. She turns the fairly easy "West end Avenue" into a belt song. Just listen. Marin Mazzie (Ragtime, Kiss Me Kate) Enchants with her golden voice with a combination of 2 songs, "With You / Gifts of Love". Susan Egan (Beauty and the Beast, Cabaret) sings the belt song "Meadowlark" with finesse but falls short to Patti LuPone's rendition (Who sing's it better?) but it is a good one at that. Now a real treat is to hear Stephen Schwartz sing himself. "Fathers and Sons" always brings tears to my eyes. Emily Skinner (Side Show, Jesus Christ Superstar) sings "Chason" with style and ummph. She has a certain way of singing that grabs your attention. A great duet with Brain D'Arcy James (Titanic) & Luba Mason (Jekyll& Hyde) "in Whatever Time We Have" although Brian seems to outshine Luba at times. I'm not familiar with Jason Daniely but listen to how unbelieveably long he holds the note at the end of "Out There"! The same goes for Ann Marie Milazzo. Who are those two? Anyway, great album, for those who appreciate divas and belters, it's a sure winner.