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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better than any other Pop Stars' Efforts, August 7, 2005
I'll admit that I dislike opera, and the only reason I was exposed to this work was because it was McCartney (and also, I suppose, because I love classical music). There are certain elements that are common to all good music, no matter what genre;one such is melody. McCartney has built a career on intoxicating tunes, and he doesn't stop here. I've listened to classical music for a long time, and these are some of the best melodies I've ever heard. McCartney doesn't seem too worried with "Oh, this is Classical, and my my, I mustn't disturb the English caste system of 'how things are supposed to be'". He basically just does what he does best, only he puts it into a classical context. I'm somewhat surprised he pulled it off so well for a first-timer, but then again, McCartney's works from very early on suggest an uncommon ability to write well in a multitude of styles. More so than John Lennon, he seems to be able to step outside himself and indulge in whatever role is needed to write a great song. If Lennon and McCartney had been actors and not Beatles, Lennon would have been a Sean Penn or Alan Alda or Gary Cooper-type, playing basically an extension of himself, but playing it passionately, and playing it very well. McCartney would've been more like Dustin Hoffman or Meryl Streep, with a broad range, amazingly different in every role.
McCartney's sophomore effort, "Standing Stone," was one I found very uninteresting. The next one, "Working Classical," is outstanding.
That stated, I find the first CD (the Oratorio is 2 discs) to be five-star, and the second to drag somewhat, about a 3 1/2. So let's call it a four or 4 1/2.
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12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The perfect link between pop and classical music, September 24, 1998
I will always remember the day I watched the premiere of Sir Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio on PBS. Of course I was a Beatle fan since the early '60s, indeed I followed Paul's career long after The Beatles' split. But one of the greatest joy was to witness this natural artistic evolution. Having myself followed the intricaties of pop music from the early Beatles to Tyrannosaurus Rex and Police, from Jimi Hendrix to Amazing Blondel and Steely Dan, from Cream to Bob Dylan and Sarah McClauhclan, from Tim Buckley to Frank Zappa and Manhattan Transfer, and the list goes on and on... one only wishes to take rest after 30 years of music exploration. What more soothing than getting back to a little classical music. And suddenly realizing that your very first idol does the same, goes even further and compose an oratorio starring Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Jerry Hadley, Sally Burgess and Willard White with the help of conductor and composer Carl Davis. And all through this most impressive work the music breathes with freshness and wonderful melodies without neglecting the orchestra and choirs' possibilities. Pop or 'classical', Sir Paul McCartney is certainly one of 20th Century's most prominent composers. "Not for ourselves, but for the whole world were we born. And we were born in Liverpool..." Paul McCartney
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
McCartney Classical, take one, November 9, 2003
By A Customer
Best to look at this now in hindsight. This is where McCartney began his Classical Music career - one can point to The Family Way soundtrack, the Eleanor's Dream score based on Eleanor Rigby's string accompaniment which is on Give My Regards To Broad Street, but this is where it begins in earnest. If you've heard the more realized works that followed (Standing Stone, the pieces on Working Classical or the work on Garlands for Linda), you will better appreciate this full length concert work in its proper context. It is not pop music. And it is not fully realized classical either, but it has its moments which are brilliant. Lyrically, it is comical at times and you have to wonder (aside from the Spanish Lesson) how much Sir Paul might have found "funny" at the time, especially hearing august operatic voices singing them. Melodically, phrases will stay with you long after the recording is over. There is some beautiful music here if you will give it a chance. If you are only interested in giving McCartney's classical writing an ear, try starting with Standing Stone or Working Classical (which includes quartet arrangements of many familiar songs).
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