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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Audio CD
... but for listening it's pretty nearly a bust. Two full hours of nicely orchestrated music, some amount of rhythmic interest, lots of big-movie-music effects, lots of uninspired melodies, blandness galore, nothing to offend anyone. The self-adoring booklet notes by Davis talk about his use of genuine Near Eastern and Asian characteristics but there's actually very little to be heard that sounds even remotely genuine. It's too much to ask for an arm-chair listener to sit through this much blandness at one sitting. As for excerpts, there may be a few one would like to hear again -- such as the neat Handelian chaconne (what is Handel doing in Aladdinland?) -- perhaps even enough to make up a twenty-minute concert suite. But, please, Carl Davis, stick to writing movie music; I liked what you did for 'Topsy Turvy' and for Abel Gance's silent film, 'Napoléon.' And perhaps if I'd been in the audience for the Scottish Ballet's 2000 presentation of the evening-length ballet 'Aladdin' I would have liked that.
The Malaysian Philharmonic (here under the composer's direction) is one of the success stories in the relatively recent Asian love affair with European classical music. Founded in the late 1990s and with players from twenty-five countries, it is a fine orchestra that has been making dozens of recordings, here given sparkling sound. Play on!
Scott Morrison
The Malaysian Philharmonic (here under the composer's direction) is one of the success stories in the relatively recent Asian love affair with European classical music. Founded in the late 1990s and with players from twenty-five countries, it is a fine orchestra that has been making dozens of recordings, here given sparkling sound. Play on!
Scott Morrison
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Do you like light classical film scores? Do you like the music for a good traditional pantomime? Do you think that decent classical music stopped being produced at the end of the 19th century? If you can answer `Yes' and do not require your music to be original or inventive Carl Davis may have produced just the sort of music you like. You may not need to read the rest of this review.
The man is clearly pleased. In his liner notes he tells us what a wonderful opportunity being asked to write this music was for `the traditional Nutcracker slot', and he praises the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra for their performance.
So, is Carl Davis able to crack nuts with the best of them?
The opening theme `The Power of the Lamp' sounds like the theme tune for Star Trek Voyager . Well, we are meant to be going on a voyage.
By twenty minutes in I am looking at my watch. There is nothing offensive about this music. There is nothing much about it at all. It lacks enough ideas to hold the attention, and lacks any original ways of articulating the ideas it has. I wasn't expecting something wildly avant-guard from this composer, but I was expecting better than this. For instance, surely he could have done something more original with the oriental themes here? It's not as if he hasn't got plenty of time. He has chosen to spread himself out over two hours fifteen minutes.
The longer I listen to these two discs the more I appreciate how valuable my time is - for doing other things. It isn't that there is nothing irredeemable here. There are some pleasant snatches of music, and the music does slowly improve as it unfolds. But any originality? One of the strongest ideas on the second disc is a theme that through periodic repetition over an hour slowly reveals itself as a pale copy of Dvorak during his American period. Some tension is created as it battles with the Star Trek, sorry, Power of the Lamp theme.
All is not lost. No doubt a 40 minute orchestral suite could be produced from this Ballet Score which would fare much better on CD. The recording of such a suite would have been kinder to the reputation of Carl Davis and the ears of his audience.
The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra has given us a brilliant performance and the sound engineers have excelled themselves. Sometimes an excellent performance can flatter otherwise forgettable music, but not here. Much as the view of the Emperor's new clothes would not be improved by putting him on a catwalk under stage lighting, so this brilliant performance only highlights the naked ordinariness of the music the orchestra is playing.
Two stars. And they belong to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the sound engineers.
The man is clearly pleased. In his liner notes he tells us what a wonderful opportunity being asked to write this music was for `the traditional Nutcracker slot', and he praises the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra for their performance.
So, is Carl Davis able to crack nuts with the best of them?
The opening theme `The Power of the Lamp' sounds like the theme tune for Star Trek Voyager . Well, we are meant to be going on a voyage.
By twenty minutes in I am looking at my watch. There is nothing offensive about this music. There is nothing much about it at all. It lacks enough ideas to hold the attention, and lacks any original ways of articulating the ideas it has. I wasn't expecting something wildly avant-guard from this composer, but I was expecting better than this. For instance, surely he could have done something more original with the oriental themes here? It's not as if he hasn't got plenty of time. He has chosen to spread himself out over two hours fifteen minutes.
The longer I listen to these two discs the more I appreciate how valuable my time is - for doing other things. It isn't that there is nothing irredeemable here. There are some pleasant snatches of music, and the music does slowly improve as it unfolds. But any originality? One of the strongest ideas on the second disc is a theme that through periodic repetition over an hour slowly reveals itself as a pale copy of Dvorak during his American period. Some tension is created as it battles with the Star Trek, sorry, Power of the Lamp theme.
All is not lost. No doubt a 40 minute orchestral suite could be produced from this Ballet Score which would fare much better on CD. The recording of such a suite would have been kinder to the reputation of Carl Davis and the ears of his audience.
The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra has given us a brilliant performance and the sound engineers have excelled themselves. Sometimes an excellent performance can flatter otherwise forgettable music, but not here. Much as the view of the Emperor's new clothes would not be improved by putting him on a catwalk under stage lighting, so this brilliant performance only highlights the naked ordinariness of the music the orchestra is playing.
Two stars. And they belong to the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the sound engineers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
I'm Sure It Makes a Fine Ballet ...
24 Nov 2006
Format:Audio CD
... but for listening it's pretty nearly a bust. Two full hours of nicely orchestrated music, some amount of rhythmic interest, lots of big-movie-music effects, lots of uninspired melodies, blandness galore, nothing to offend anyone. The self-adoring booklet notes by Davis talk about his use of genuine Near Eastern and Asian characteristics but there's actually very little to be heard that sounds even remotely genuine. It's too much to ask for an arm-chair listener to sit through this much blandness at one sitting. As for excerpts, there may be a few one would like to hear again -- such as the neat Handelian chaconne (what is Handel doing in Aladdinland?) -- perhaps even enough to make up a twenty-minute concert suite. But, please, Carl Davis, stick to writing movie music; I liked what you did for 'Topsy Turvy' and for Abel Gance's silent film, 'Napoléon.' And perhaps if I'd been in the audience for the Scottish Ballet's 2000 presentation of the evening-length ballet 'Aladdin' I would have liked that.
The Malaysian Philharmonic (here under the composer's direction) is one of the success stories in the relatively recent Asian love affair with European classical music. Founded in the late 1990s and with players from twenty-five countries, it is a fine orchestra that has been making dozens of recordings, here given sparkling sound. Play on!
Scott Morrison
The Malaysian Philharmonic (here under the composer's direction) is one of the success stories in the relatively recent Asian love affair with European classical music. Founded in the late 1990s and with players from twenty-five countries, it is a fine orchestra that has been making dozens of recordings, here given sparkling sound. Play on!
Scott Morrison
Ballet Surprise
2 Sep 2007
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I did not realize that there was a ballet called ALADDIN. Well, the Malaysian Orchestra must have done justice to Mr. Carl Davis. The ballet is beautiful and another one in my books to stage.
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