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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This is music to dream by. Designed to bring out the singing quality of the cello, the program comprises folk music of many lands, art songs, arias from opera and operetta, and instrumental pieces. All of the 20 numbers except Fauré's "Sicilienne," which the composer himself transcribed for cello, are arrangements. All are slow, lyrical, similar in mood and very repetitious, both motivically and strophically. The dynamics, except for an occasional mild build-up, are subdued; every piece ends in a fade-out. Contrast is limited to instrumental colors, including electronics, and idiomatic rhythms. Julian Lloyd Webber is a fine cellist; his style and temperament seem eminently well suited to this music. His tone is beguilingly sweet and flawlessly pure, but, staying mostly in the middle range of the cello, it lacks nuance and inflection. The intensity of his vibrato varies only in one piece, where he puts swells on all the long notes: Schubert's famous "Serenade," whose simple melody hardly calls for it. He is mightily abetted by some splendid partners, most notably harpist Catrin Finch and pianist John Lenehan, both of whom made several of the arrangements. The record's title comes from the closing number, part of a piece written for the cellist by his brother, Andrew Lloyd Webber, performed here as a song. --Edith Eisler
Product Description
With an overall calming and relaxing theme, and the repertoire ranging from the core classical to interpretations of contemporary writers, Unexpected Songs, his 40th album, will appeal to a wide audience. The title track is composed by his brother, Andrew, and part of the musical Song And Dance and features a special vocal guest appearance by multi-platinum recording artist Michael Ball. Another highlight is the cello arrangement of 'Koyal (Songbird)', originally by producer / songwriter / DJ and orchestral composer Nitin Sawhney, who established himself as one of the UK's leading scorers for film and television. Catrin Finch, the 'Queen of Harps' joins him on several tracks, providing an enchanting accompaniment.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ultra soothing unexpected tender gems of musical beauty,
By
This review is from: Unexpected Songs (Audio CD)
The songs in this album are terrific. Nothing can be written to describe how great they are, so I suggest you listen to the samples.
I bought this album for my father's birthday and he tells me that he has to listen to it every single night to go to sleep. What initially drew me to this album was a remake of "A Gift of Thistle" from the Braveheart soundtrack by James Horner. If you know that piece, listen to Webber's clip and you'll see how this arrangement flows so nicely and succeeds in accentuating the strengths of the piece. I usually don't like remakes of originals but this one is an exception. All songs are acoustic except the title track "Unexpected Song". Total of 20 tracks, well worth it.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unexpected Songs.,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Unexpected Songs (Audio CD)
This is a very beautiful CD. Julian Lloyd Webber expressive cello playing, moves you to tears. All the supporting artists are excellent...I like to play this CD as I go to sleep at night. The gentle and comforting tracks send me off to sleep in no time!
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