Titanic: Music As Heard on the Fateful Voyage

Ian Whitcomb | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 10, 1997)
• Original Release Date: June 10, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B00000342D
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,235 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #21 in Music > Jazz > Traditional Jazz & Ragtime > Ragtime

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grammy Award Winning CD of period Titanic era music, February 27, 2004

By 

Jill Pat "JP" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Titanic: Music As Heard on the Fateful Voyage (Audio CD)

...this wonderful CD, "Titanic, Music As Heard On That Fateful Voyage." To any teenager who has had his mind rotted by years of listening to rock and rap it is literally impossible for them to be objective about the older, gentler, and more beautiful music from a bygone era which is represented on this CD. This is the type of music that was popular in 1912, and not the new age melodies of James Horner for the 1997 film, nor the other music heard by the orchestra in James Cameron's film. Ian Whitcomb did his research and was faithful to the style of music heard then, the kinds of instruments which were popular then, and even his interlinear notes are more interesting than any of the other Titanic CDs on the market.

My favorite pieces are the Music Hall numbers and Silver Heels, such lively renditions of these old favorites. Make no mistake about it: in a hundred years people will STILL be singing "Shine On Harvest Moon", while the garbage "music" popular with kids today will be long forgotten.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This, Folks, December 1, 2004

By 

Danielle Bennignus - See all my reviews

This review is from: Titanic: Music As Heard on the Fateful Voyage (Audio CD)

How happy I was to find this album - especially what with all of the "Titanic Movie Mania", and the film's awful theme song playing everywhere one went - well, here was truly a breath of fresh air. And even now, some eight years after its release, it's as wonderful as ever.

It probably doesn't hurt that I do have a great deal of interest in the Titanic's story, but more than that, I adore, infinitely, early jazz and popular music. And this album is a shining example of how beautifully that music can be celebrated, in the loving hands of artists who can recreate it with respect and authenticity. As well, this collection has been assembled by Ian Whitcomb, a legend in his own time. Mr. Whitcomb fits into that rare category of those artists strongly devoted to their craft, and his dedication to early jazz sparkles here.

Every selection is a gem, but some stand out particularly: "Glow-Worm", "The Mosquito's Parade", The Arcadians", "Shine On Harvest Moon", "That Mesmerizing Mendelssohn Tune", "Silver Heels", and, of course, the fabled "Songe d'Automne". Also, listen for the extra #24 track, "Ragging the Waves" - this could actually be my favorite on the entire album.

I also have to commend Mr. Whitcomb for his tremendous care put into the album's liner notes - he captures the personality of that great age, and depicts accounts rarely found elsewhere. And, of course, I strongly appreciate his greatly respectful tribute to Wallace Hartley, the leader of the Titanic's orchestra, and to Hartley's colleagues. These men were made heroic by their decision to play as the ship went down, and they were widely celebrated for many years after the tragedy. I sincerely hope that, as the years pass, their noble efforts are not forgotten. Thanks to Mr. Whitcomb, their memory is far less likely to fade.

And so, in conclusion, I very eagerly recommend this album to those who are: 1) Titanic historians and the interested, 2) Fans of early popular music, 3) Lovers of a fascinating story, and 4) The rest of the population. It's a unique and important album, worthy of ownership and many, many listenings.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As it really was!, September 4, 2006

By 

Batman's Kiss (Fillmore, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Titanic: Music As Heard on the Fateful Voyage (Audio CD)

We love this CD! We learned more about the real Titanic music from listening to the CD and reading the booklet inside. Imagine, all those pianos on the ship. . . and a real Aolean electric organ! What a surprise to hear that authentic organ music.

The music is gentle, but some pieces are lively, as you would expect from a variety of songs intended to be background music on the ship.

One of the best pieces is the complete "Dream of Autumn," obviously the last song the band played. Imagine the wireless operator hearing them continue to play this as he floated away! Simply amazing!

A nice touch is the small bit of piano music ending the CD. You can close your eyes and imagine the ship sinking, the end of an innocent era.

Thank you Ian Whitcomb and the White Star Orchestra for an excellent job!