Hail to the Chief

Johannes Brahms (Composer), John Bacchus Dykes (Composer), Alice Hawthorne (Composer), Scott Joplin (Composer), John Knowles Paine (Composer), Philip Phile (Composer), Richard Rodgers (Composer), Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle (Composer), James Sanderson (Composer), Williams H. Santelmann (Composer), John [04] Stafford Smith (Composer), John Philip Sousa (Composer), Spoken Word (Composer), Johann II Strauss (Composer), Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Scottish Traditional (Composer), William H. Woodin (Composer)

Product Details

• Composer: Johannes Brahms, John Bacchus Dykes, Alice Hawthorne, Scott Joplin, John Knowles Paine, et al.
• Audio CD (January 11, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Altissimo Records
• ASIN: B0006SSP6C
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #113,547 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( P ) > Paine, John Knowles
  #14 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( S ) > Smith, John Stafford
  #66 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( S ) > Sousa, John Philip

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hail To the Thief!, August 5, 2005

By	Roger Kennedy - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Despite the fact that most of our presidents are not worth remembering in music; this is none the less an interesting CD. Altissimo! has done its usualy bit of culling through the Marine Band library to dig out enough appropriate pieces to put together on one CD. No original recordings here! We should be glad that its a full length selection of over 60 mins for a change, instead of the old 45 min. cheats in the past! Still, the different sound qualities of the various tracks is distracting at times.

Most labels when they combine different recordings together usually list the recording date and who conducted the band at that time. Altissimo! has not graduated to that level of professionalism in their products yet. Hence we just get The US Marine Band, not when it was recorded and who might be directing it!

Fortunately, the quality of the Marine Band is so good that it does not matter what Altissimo! does in putting together a CD. That said, the music provides an interesting chronology of ceremonial music played at the White House over the years. The linear notes are an improvment over the past, when little or nothing was provided. All and all, not bad from what we have come to expect from Altissimo!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hail to the Chief, February 2, 2005

By	George Barkman (Breinigsville, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Hail to the Chief is the latest of about twenty-seven CDs offered by "Altissimo!", which offer recordings of the USA's fine military service musical organizations. Until Altissimo!, these recording were very rare and just about impossible to find. Thanks to Altissimo! every one can appreciate and enjoy the fine music of these top-notch musical organizations.
The program in Hail to the Chief is a tribute to our presidents. It is a varied program that shows the depth of the music played by one of America's oldest, established in 1798, and finest musical organizations, the United States Marine Band. This CD contains twenty-one marches and other classical numbers from Sousa to Strauss to Tchaikovsky. Some of the music in the CD is rare and for this reason alone of interest to music history buffs. One of these selections is a recording of the "Star-Spangled Banner" using the earliest published arrangement (1814) of the anthem. Another is the "Solemn March" played at Lincoln's funeral. Also included a rarely recorded Sousa piece, "Easter Monday on the White House Lawn." There is also an historic 1906 recording of Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag."
The recording also contains excerpts from speeches made by five of our presidents four of which were from inaugural addresses. The program notes explain the musical selections and how each was of interest to the various presidents.
The only negative, and it is not with the CD itself, is that the program notes do not include recording dates, where recorded and who the conductor of the band was. I highly recommend this CD to all interested in the America's patriotic music as well as the serious collector of military music and those interested in the musical roots of our country.
George Barkman

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Altissimo! Release, January 12, 2005

By	Lee Silvi (Ohio) - See all my reviews

Listening to the latest CD from Altissimo! brought pleasure to my ears. Whether you like listening to ballads, waltzes, Hungarian Dances, or marches you will find something on this CD that you will love to listen to. This wonderful compilation presents the listener with music favored by 23 of our United States Presidents, and includes bonus tracks of excerpts from four inaugural speeches.