Bit of a "one hit wonder", 07 Oct 2007
What a let down! I bought this for Nessum Dorma and found that the cupboard of his repertoire is actually pretty bare. Other than "Just one Cornetto" there aren't any big hits on this album. Surely they could have included the 1975 classic "everyone's a fruit and nut case"? More importantly, none of it is in english so i've no idea what he's on about.

That said, this guy can sing, proving, like Michelle McManus before him that being obese is no barrier if you have a decent voice. With the right material this guy could have a big career ahead of him. Maybe he should enter X-Factor, Simon Cowell could make him a big star.

THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 08 Sep 2007
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes

The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 07 Sep 2007

Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti's most popular performances. The word 'special' should really be included before the front cover's mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.

The album opens with 'Nessun Dorma', the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti's subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.

Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way'.

This is a fine example of Pavarotti's skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.

A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.




Pavarotti's finest, 16 Mar 2004
HE'S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL

Bit of a "one hit wonder", 07 Oct 2007
What a let down! I bought this for Nessum Dorma and found that the cupboard of his repertoire is actually pretty bare. Other than "Just one Cornetto" there aren't any big hits on this album. Surely they could have included the 1975 classic "everyone's a fruit and nut case"? More importantly, none of it is in english so i've no idea what he's on about.

That said, this guy can sing, proving, like Michelle McManus before him that being obese is no barrier if you have a decent voice. With the right material this guy could have a big career ahead of him. Maybe he should enter X-Factor, Simon Cowell could make him a big star.

THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 08 Sep 2007
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes

The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 07 Sep 2007

Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti's most popular performances. The word 'special' should really be included before the front cover's mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.

The album opens with 'Nessun Dorma', the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti's subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.

Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way'.

This is a fine example of Pavarotti's skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.

A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.




Pavarotti's finest, 16 Mar 2004
HE'S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL

A Timeless Duo!!!, 13 May 2002
Originally I had asked my husband to find just the Pink Panther soundtrack. To my surprise & now delight he came home with this instead. The first 12 tracks are just as wonderful as I remembered, with the delightful flair of Mancini's genius. ("It had Better Be Tonight" & "Tiber Twist" - always wonderful) However some of the tracks from the second film such as "The Greatest Gift" (instrumental), "Dreamy", & "The Orange Float" are splendid examples of a musical style that is still 'in-style'. This is a great CD to use at a fun dinner party with friends, a cool retro-cocktail party, or just a fantastic reminder that Mancini's creativity is - Timeless!

Bit of a "one hit wonder", 07 Oct 2007
What a let down! I bought this for Nessum Dorma and found that the cupboard of his repertoire is actually pretty bare. Other than "Just one Cornetto" there aren't any big hits on this album. Surely they could have included the 1975 classic "everyone's a fruit and nut case"? More importantly, none of it is in english so i've no idea what he's on about.

That said, this guy can sing, proving, like Michelle McManus before him that being obese is no barrier if you have a decent voice. With the right material this guy could have a big career ahead of him. Maybe he should enter X-Factor, Simon Cowell could make him a big star.

THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 08 Sep 2007
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes

The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 07 Sep 2007

Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti's most popular performances. The word 'special' should really be included before the front cover's mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.

The album opens with 'Nessun Dorma', the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti's subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.

Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way'.

This is a fine example of Pavarotti's skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.

A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.




Pavarotti's finest, 16 Mar 2004
HE'S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL

A Timeless Duo!!!, 13 May 2002
Originally I had asked my husband to find just the Pink Panther soundtrack. To my surprise & now delight he came home with this instead. The first 12 tracks are just as wonderful as I remembered, with the delightful flair of Mancini's genius. ("It had Better Be Tonight" & "Tiber Twist" - always wonderful) However some of the tracks from the second film such as "The Greatest Gift" (instrumental), "Dreamy", & "The Orange Float" are splendid examples of a musical style that is still 'in-style'. This is a great CD to use at a fun dinner party with friends, a cool retro-cocktail party, or just a fantastic reminder that Mancini's creativity is - Timeless!

The most comprehensive package of cinema music on offer, 18 Nov 2006
Cinema Century: A Musical Celebration of 100 Years of Cinema offers you the the most comprehensive package of the greatest musical songs to embrace their names in cinema history. This is a landmark celebration. In music retailing, you will not get any package that you offers the best and unique choice of high callibre music featured in movies. This takes some beating if you get what I mean. It is great value for money.

Cinema Century: A Musical Celebration of 100 Years of Cinema features three CDs of all the cinema songs which are a pleasure to listen and you can relive the magical and special moments of the greatest movies of all time. The list ranges from Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars, Taxi Driver,Gone with the Wind, Out of Africa, A Passage to India, Chariots of Fire, Raiders of the Lost Ark and many more.

If you love classical music, then this is an album which is well suited to your musical taste. It is real treat for anyone who loves smoothing and relaxing music.

Play it Again...?, 24 Nov 2004
Probably not. What a shame, given the excellent range of titles on this 3 disc package. It was very disappointing to discover that these re-recordings based on the original film scores are no match for the original soundtrack recordings. To give just three examples: Max Steiner's - of all composers - 'Gone with the Wind' is weak and lacks all the pace, fullness, vigour and drama of the original soundtrack recording. And the same can be said of '633 Squadron' which has none of Goodwin's almost breathless pace; 'The Great Escape' can only be described as plodding. Unfortunately, this lack of energy in the scoring is identifiable virtually throughout the collection. There is a lot to be said for original soundtrack recordings, because the studios put a huge amount of effort into the orchestrations to get them spot on to the mood of the film, so my advice has to be go for original soundtracks every time - digtally re-mastered or not.

Very good, 19 Jun 2004
To be honest it is hard to review this box set. I can understand Andrew_mcp's point of view, and often find myself irritated by conductors playing around with the original material, or as Andrew wrote, when a small orchestra is used. In the case of these CDs I was not actually disappointed. I think with enough volume the recordings sound as good as the originals (though of course with a new orchestra and conductor). There are a lot of songs here for not a lot of money, which is good news, and in general the songs are great. I think I've rated this four and not five stars because I feel that potentially the song choices could have been better. For example, there is a lot of John Barry here, but it would have been nice to have varying themes as opposed to the very similar Dances with wolves, Born Free, and Out of Africa themes (though these are excellent). I also feel that there is more music from films like the Mission that I would have liked to hear rather than just the one theme. To be honest though I am being picky, and this is worth buying for unique tracks like the stroke of genius that is Where Eagles Dare, not to mention the likes of Zulu and Colonel Bogey. The more classical tracks are evened out with things like Mancini's Pink Panther and Fiedel's Terminator. This is well worth it for anyone who likes classic films.

Disappointingly "thin" versions, 11 Nov 2003
I was hoping for the full orchestral experience, but compared to the original soundtracks (ok, my memory of them), many of these versions are distinctly uninspiring... or recorded on a day when half the orchestra was off sick.

The playing as such isn't at fault, and 3 CDs for the price has to be good value for money. But I honestly can't recommend this.

You get a lot for your money!, 21 Mar 2003
This CD arrived this morning and already I've listened to most of it and love it - music from some of my favourite films such as "The Godfather" all on the one compilation! Even though I haven't seen most of the films I still love listening to the music. I bought this along with another film music compilation, "The Classic Score" and with these two CDs I've got a bit of everything!

A notable absence is "Titanic" but because I've heard the Titanic music so much, I was actually rather pleased to see it had been missed out! I was very pleased to discover that the track from "Bridge On the River Kwai" is the fun marching tune that all the soldiers whistle to on the film!! There are some real cinema classics on here, such as "Lawrence of Arabia", "Ben Hur", "Jaws"... the list is endless! So, three CDs, over 3 1/2 hours of great film music - you can't go far wrong with this!

Bit of a "one hit wonder", 07 Oct 2007
What a let down! I bought this for Nessum Dorma and found that the cupboard of his repertoire is actually pretty bare. Other than "Just one Cornetto" there aren't any big hits on this album. Surely they could have included the 1975 classic "everyone's a fruit and nut case"? More importantly, none of it is in english so i've no idea what he's on about.

That said, this guy can sing, proving, like Michelle McManus before him that being obese is no barrier if you have a decent voice. With the right material this guy could have a big career ahead of him. Maybe he should enter X-Factor, Simon Cowell could make him a big star.

THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 08 Sep 2007
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes

The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 07 Sep 2007

Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti's most popular performances. The word 'special' should really be included before the front cover's mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.

The album opens with 'Nessun Dorma', the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti's subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.

Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way'.

This is a fine example of Pavarotti's skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.

A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.




Pavarotti's finest, 16 Mar 2004
HE'S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL

A Timeless Duo!!!, 13 May 2002
Originally I had asked my husband to find just the Pink Panther soundtrack. To my surprise & now delight he came home with this instead. The first 12 tracks are just as wonderful as I remembered, with the delightful flair of Mancini's genius. ("It had Better Be Tonight" & "Tiber Twist" - always wonderful) However some of the tracks from the second film such as "The Greatest Gift" (instrumental), "Dreamy", & "The Orange Float" are splendid examples of a musical style that is still 'in-style'. This is a great CD to use at a fun dinner party with friends, a cool retro-cocktail party, or just a fantastic reminder that Mancini's creativity is - Timeless!

The most comprehensive package of cinema music on offer, 18 Nov 2006
Cinema Century: A Musical Celebration of 100 Years of Cinema offers you the the most comprehensive package of the greatest musical songs to embrace their names in cinema history. This is a landmark celebration. In music retailing, you will not get any package that you offers the best and unique choice of high callibre music featured in movies. This takes some beating if you get what I mean. It is great value for money.

Cinema Century: A Musical Celebration of 100 Years of Cinema features three CDs of all the cinema songs which are a pleasure to listen and you can relive the magical and special moments of the greatest movies of all time. The list ranges from Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars, Taxi Driver,Gone with the Wind, Out of Africa, A Passage to India, Chariots of Fire, Raiders of the Lost Ark and many more.

If you love classical music, then this is an album which is well suited to your musical taste. It is real treat for anyone who loves smoothing and relaxing music.

Play it Again...?, 24 Nov 2004
Probably not. What a shame, given the excellent range of titles on this 3 disc package. It was very disappointing to discover that these re-recordings based on the original film scores are no match for the original soundtrack recordings. To give just three examples: Max Steiner's - of all composers - 'Gone with the Wind' is weak and lacks all the pace, fullness, vigour and drama of the original soundtrack recording. And the same can be said of '633 Squadron' which has none of Goodwin's almost breathless pace; 'The Great Escape' can only be described as plodding. Unfortunately, this lack of energy in the scoring is identifiable virtually throughout the collection. There is a lot to be said for original soundtrack recordings, because the studios put a huge amount of effort into the orchestrations to get them spot on to the mood of the film, so my advice has to be go for original soundtracks every time - digtally re-mastered or not.

Very good, 19 Jun 2004
To be honest it is hard to review this box set. I can understand Andrew_mcp's point of view, and often find myself irritated by conductors playing around with the original material, or as Andrew wrote, when a small orchestra is used. In the case of these CDs I was not actually disappointed. I think with enough volume the recordings sound as good as the originals (though of course with a new orchestra and conductor). There are a lot of songs here for not a lot of money, which is good news, and in general the songs are great. I think I've rated this four and not five stars because I feel that potentially the song choices could have been better. For example, there is a lot of John Barry here, but it would have been nice to have varying themes as opposed to the very similar Dances with wolves, Born Free, and Out of Africa themes (though these are excellent). I also feel that there is more music from films like the Mission that I would have liked to hear rather than just the one theme. To be honest though I am being picky, and this is worth buying for unique tracks like the stroke of genius that is Where Eagles Dare, not to mention the likes of Zulu and Colonel Bogey. The more classical tracks are evened out with things like Mancini's Pink Panther and Fiedel's Terminator. This is well worth it for anyone who likes classic films.

Disappointingly "thin" versions, 11 Nov 2003
I was hoping for the full orchestral experience, but compared to the original soundtracks (ok, my memory of them), many of these versions are distinctly uninspiring... or recorded on a day when half the orchestra was off sick.

The playing as such isn't at fault, and 3 CDs for the price has to be good value for money. But I honestly can't recommend this.

You get a lot for your money!, 21 Mar 2003
This CD arrived this morning and already I've listened to most of it and love it - music from some of my favourite films such as "The Godfather" all on the one compilation! Even though I haven't seen most of the films I still love listening to the music. I bought this along with another film music compilation, "The Classic Score" and with these two CDs I've got a bit of everything!

A notable absence is "Titanic" but because I've heard the Titanic music so much, I was actually rather pleased to see it had been missed out! I was very pleased to discover that the track from "Bridge On the River Kwai" is the fun marching tune that all the soldiers whistle to on the film!! There are some real cinema classics on here, such as "Lawrence of Arabia", "Ben Hur", "Jaws"... the list is endless! So, three CDs, over 3 1/2 hours of great film music - you can't go far wrong with this!

Another cracker for Kunzel & the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, 30 Mar 2007
Discovered this range of cd's quite by accident from a friend who is into hi-fi in a big way and had commented to me about the superior quality of these Telarc recordings - Boy was he right ! I now have all four of the 'space' themed discs by Erich Kunzel & the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra - Time Warp, Star Tracks, Fantastic Journey and this disc. All are fantastically recorded with the original digital master being transferred straight to cd. If you like your sci-fi films and appreciate quality orchestral recordings, buy these !

Outstanding Production, 06 Jul 2002
Discovering Erich Kunzel and the Cincinatti Pops has been one of life's happy accidents. This orchestra is the 'dog's whatsits', not a trace of anything to criticise in any department. Just listen to 'The Wrath of Khan';.. what fabulous trumpet playing (could it be Wynton Marsalis?). The recording is of Telarc's usual superb standard and makes many otherwise excellent productions sound 'flat' by comparison. Any lover of film music just HAS to have this disc! If anything, it is even better than Volume 1, and that IS an acheivement.

When you think of Henry Mancini, you inevitably think of either "Peter Gunn" or "Moon River". (Well, maybe "The Pink Panther"--but that became a cartoon show, so it doesn't count!) Breakfast at Tiffany's gave the world the latter tune, and that beautiful melody recurs throughout this soundtrack LP. The soundtrack doesn't include Andy Williams's hit single of "Moon River", but then neither did the film. It does, however, take you through the many moods of the film (and the exploits of Miss Holly Golightly), with an emphasis on Latin influences in the forms of "Latin Golightly" and "Moon River Cha Cha". --Bill Holdship

Bit of a "one hit wonder", 07 Oct 2007
What a let down! I bought this for Nessum Dorma and found that the cupboard of his repertoire is actually pretty bare. Other than "Just one Cornetto" there aren't any big hits on this album. Surely they could have included the 1975 classic "everyone's a fruit and nut case"? More importantly, none of it is in english so i've no idea what he's on about.

That said, this guy can sing, proving, like Michelle McManus before him that being obese is no barrier if you have a decent voice. With the right material this guy could have a big career ahead of him. Maybe he should enter X-Factor, Simon Cowell could make him a big star.

THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 08 Sep 2007
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes

The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 07 Sep 2007

Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti's most popular performances. The word 'special' should really be included before the front cover's mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.

The album opens with 'Nessun Dorma', the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti's subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.

Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way'.

This is a fine example of Pavarotti's skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.

A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.




Pavarotti's finest, 16 Mar 2004
HE'S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL

A Timeless Duo!!!, 13 May 2002
Originally I had asked my husband to find just the Pink Panther soundtrack. To my surprise & now delight he came home with this instead. The first 12 tracks are just as wonderful as I remembered, with the delightful flair of Mancini's genius. ("It had Better Be Tonight" & "Tiber Twist" - always wonderful) However some of the tracks from the second film such as "The Greatest Gift" (instrumental), "Dreamy", & "The Orange Float" are splendid examples of a musical style that is still 'in-style'. This is a great CD to use at a fun dinner party with friends, a cool retro-cocktail party, or just a fantastic reminder that Mancini's creativity is - Timeless!

The most comprehensive package of cinema music on offer, 18 Nov 2006
Cinema Century: A Musical Celebration of 100 Years of Cinema offers you the the most comprehensive package of the greatest musical songs to embrace their names in cinema history. This is a landmark celebration. In music retailing, you will not get any package that you offers the best and unique choice of high callibre music featured in movies. This takes some beating if you get what I mean. It is great value for money.

Cinema Century: A Musical Celebration of 100 Years of Cinema features three CDs of all the cinema songs which are a pleasure to listen and you can relive the magical and special moments of the greatest movies of all time. The list ranges from Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars, Taxi Driver,Gone with the Wind, Out of Africa, A Passage to India, Chariots of Fire, Raiders of the Lost Ark and many more.

If you love classical music, then this is an album which is well suited to your musical taste. It is real treat for anyone who loves smoothing and relaxing music.

Play it Again...?, 24 Nov 2004
Probably not. What a shame, given the excellent range of titles on this 3 disc package. It was very disappointing to discover that these re-recordings based on the original film scores are no match for the original soundtrack recordings. To give just three examples: Max Steiner's - of all composers - 'Gone with the Wind' is weak and lacks all the pace, fullness, vigour and drama of the original soundtrack recording. And the same can be said of '633 Squadron' which has none of Goodwin's almost breathless pace; 'The Great Escape' can only be described as plodding. Unfortunately, this lack of energy in the scoring is identifiable virtually throughout the collection. There is a lot to be said for original soundtrack recordings, because the studios put a huge amount of effort into the orchestrations to get them spot on to the mood of the film, so my advice has to be go for original soundtracks every time - digtally re-mastered or not.

Very good, 19 Jun 2004
To be honest it is hard to review this box set. I can understand Andrew_mcp's point of view, and often find myself irritated by conductors playing around with the original material, or as Andrew wrote, when a small orchestra is used. In the case of these CDs I was not actually disappointed. I think with enough volume the recordings sound as good as the originals (though of course with a new orchestra and conductor). There are a lot of songs here for not a lot of money, which is good news, and in general the songs are great. I think I've rated this four and not five stars because I feel that potentially the song choices could have been better. For example, there is a lot of John Barry here, but it would have been nice to have varying themes as opposed to the very similar Dances with wolves, Born Free, and Out of Africa themes (though these are excellent). I also feel that there is more music from films like the Mission that I would have liked to hear rather than just the one theme. To be honest though I am being picky, and this is worth buying for unique tracks like the stroke of genius that is Where Eagles Dare, not to mention the likes of Zulu and Colonel Bogey. The more classical tracks are evened out with things like Mancini's Pink Panther and Fiedel's Terminator. This is well worth it for anyone who likes classic films.

Disappointingly "thin" versions, 11 Nov 2003
I was hoping for the full orchestral experience, but compared to the original soundtracks (ok, my memory of them), many of these versions are distinctly uninspiring... or recorded on a day when half the orchestra was off sick.

The playing as such isn't at fault, and 3 CDs for the price has to be good value for money. But I honestly can't recommend this.

You get a lot for your money!, 21 Mar 2003
This CD arrived this morning and already I've listened to most of it and love it - music from some of my favourite films such as "The Godfather" all on the one compilation! Even though I haven't seen most of the films I still love listening to the music. I bought this along with another film music compilation, "The Classic Score" and with these two CDs I've got a bit of everything!

A notable absence is "Titanic" but because I've heard the Titanic music so much, I was actually rather pleased to see it had been missed out! I was very pleased to discover that the track from "Bridge On the River Kwai" is the fun marching tune that all the soldiers whistle to on the film!! There are some real cinema classics on here, such as "Lawrence of Arabia", "Ben Hur", "Jaws"... the list is endless! So, three CDs, over 3 1/2 hours of great film music - you can't go far wrong with this!

Another cracker for Kunzel & the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, 30 Mar 2007
Discovered this range of cd's quite by accident from a friend who is into hi-fi in a big way and had commented to me about the superior quality of these Telarc recordings - Boy was he right ! I now have all four of the 'space' themed discs by Erich Kunzel & the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra - Time Warp, Star Tracks, Fantastic Journey and this disc. All are fantastically recorded with the original digital master being transferred straight to cd. If you like your sci-fi films and appreciate quality orchestral recordings, buy these !

Outstanding Production, 06 Jul 2002
Discovering Erich Kunzel and the Cincinatti Pops has been one of life's happy accidents. This orchestra is the 'dog's whatsits', not a trace of anything to criticise in any department. Just listen to 'The Wrath of Khan';.. what fabulous trumpet playing (could it be Wynton Marsalis?). The recording is of Telarc's usual superb standard and makes many otherwise excellent productions sound 'flat' by comparison. Any lover of film music just HAS to have this disc! If anything, it is even better than Volume 1, and that IS an acheivement.

superb - enchanting - amazing - emotional and touching, 03 May 2002
this cd will make you sit back and really listen. the content is of the highest quality in selected choice. beautiful piano pieces in the highest of recorded quality. classics like The Music of the Night (Phantom Of The Opera) - Andrew Lloyd Webber
will have you whistling along, while others will bring tears to your eyes. well worth the money, cant wait for the next compilation (though i doubt that they could find many better tracks that this one). :)

Bit of a "one hit wonder", 07 Oct 2007
What a let down! I bought this for Nessum Dorma and found that the cupboard of his repertoire is actually pretty bare. Other than "Just one Cornetto" there aren't any big hits on this album. Surely they could have included the 1975 classic "everyone's a fruit and nut case"? More importantly, none of it is in english so i've no idea what he's on about.

That said, this guy can sing, proving, like Michelle McManus before him that being obese is no barrier if you have a decent voice. With the right material this guy could have a big career ahead of him. Maybe he should enter X-Factor, Simon Cowell could make him a big star.

THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE KING POTTS, 08 Sep 2007
Pavarotti is sadly gone but as if heaven sent by coincidence we have Paul Potts to walk in his shoes

The Best of One of the Greatest Tenors, 07 Sep 2007

Released in 1997 this 2 CD compilation contains 40 of Pavarotti's most popular performances. The word 'special' should really be included before the front cover's mention of guest stars for the voices, albeit only one track each, of Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli and the late Frank Sinatra. Their contributions make this a special album.

The album opens with 'Nessun Dorma', the piece which launched Pavarotti into worldwide popularity when it was used for the opening ceremony of the FIFA 1990 Football World Cup. Pavarotti's subsequent performance of this piece with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (during The Three Tenors Tour) on the eve of the World Cup final probably widened the appreciation of the general public to opera music more than any other performer of his generation.

Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli accompany Pavarotti on opera music by composers Mascagni and Morante, while Frank Sinatra helps teach Pavarotti the right way to sing `My Way'.

This is a fine example of Pavarotti's skill at crossing different musical genres while promoting, and succeeding in popularising, operatic music into general culture.

A great CD for Pavarotti fans and opera lovers.




Pavarotti's finest, 16 Mar 2004
HE'S BACK! This is a truly spiffing album! I was completely blown away! Pavarotti continues to be the most complete and absolutely superb opera singer around. As I was listening to it, my neigbours heard, and, even though they are of the rap kind, they came round to my house and listened, and they sheepishly admitted that they had been astounded by the marvelous music! Every single little bit is fantastic- congratulations Pavarotti! 10/10 WONDERFUL

A Timeless Duo!!!, 13 May 2002
Originally I had asked my husband to find just the Pink Panther soundtrack. To my surprise & now delight he came home with this instead. The first 12 tracks are just as wonderful as I remembered, with the delightful flair of Mancini's genius. ("It had Better Be Tonight" & "Tiber Twist" - always wonderful) However some of the tracks from the second film such as "The Greatest Gift" (instrumental), "Dreamy", & "The Orange Float" are splendid examples of a musical style that is still 'in-style'. This is a great CD to use at a fun dinner party with friends, a cool retro-cocktail party, or just a fantastic reminder that Mancini's creativity is - Timeless!

The most comprehensive package of cinema music on offer, 18 Nov 2006
Cinema Century: A Musical Celebration of 100 Years of Cinema offers you the the most comprehensive package of the greatest musical songs to embrace their names in cinema history. This is a landmark celebration. In music retailing, you will not get any package that you offers the best and unique choice of high callibre music featured in movies. This takes some beating if you get what I mean. It is great value for money.

Cinema Century: A Musical Celebration of 100 Years of Cinema features three CDs of all the cinema songs which are a pleasure to listen and you can relive the magical and special moments of the greatest movies of all time. The list ranges from Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars, Taxi Driver,Gone with the Wind, Out of Africa, A Passage to India, Chariots of Fire, Raiders of the Lost Ark and many more.

If you love classical music, then this is an album which is well suited to your musical taste. It is real treat for anyone who loves smoothing and relaxing music.

Play it Again...?, 24 Nov 2004
Probably not. What a shame, given the excellent range of titles on this 3 disc package. It was very disappointing to discover that these re-recordings based on the original film scores are no match for the original soundtrack recordings. To give just three examples: Max Steiner's - of all composers - 'Gone with the Wind' is weak and lacks all the pace, fullness, vigour and drama of the original soundtrack recording. And the same can be said of '633 Squadron' which has none of Goodwin's almost breathless pace; 'The Great Escape' can only be described as plodding. Unfortunately, this lack of energy in the scoring is identifiable virtually throughout the collection. There is a lot to be said for original soundtrack recordings, because the studios put a huge amount of effort into the orchestrations to get them spot on to the mood of the film, so my advice has to be go for original soundtracks every time - digtally re-mastered or not.

Very good, 19 Jun 2004
To be honest it is hard to review this box set. I can understand Andrew_mcp's point of view, and often find myself irritated by conductors playing around with the original material, or as Andrew wrote, when a small orchestra is used. In the case of these CDs I was not actually disappointed. I think with enough volume the recordings sound as good as the originals (though of course with a new orchestra and conductor). There are a lot of songs here for not a lot of money, which is good news, and in general the songs are great. I think I've rated this four and not five stars because I feel that potentially the song choices could have been better. For example, there is a lot of John Barry here, but it would have been nice to have varying themes as opposed to the very similar Dances with wolves, Born Free, and Out of Africa themes (though these are excellent). I also feel that there is more music from films like the Mission that I would have liked to hear rather than just the one theme. To be honest though I am being picky, and this is worth buying for unique tracks like the stroke of genius that is Where Eagles Dare, not to mention the likes of Zulu and Colonel Bogey. The more classical tracks are evened out with things like Mancini's Pink Panther and Fiedel's Terminator. This is well worth it for anyone who likes classic films.

Disappointingly "thin" versions, 11 Nov 2003
I was hoping for the full orchestral experience, but compared to the original soundtracks (ok, my memory of them), many of these versions are distinctly uninspiring... or recorded on a day when half the orchestra was off sick.

The playing as such isn't at fault, and 3 CDs for the price has to be good value for money. But I honestly can't recommend this.

You get a lot for your money!, 21 Mar 2003
This CD arrived this morning and already I've listened to most of it and love it - music from some of my favourite films such as "The Godfather" all on the one compilation! Even though I haven't seen most of the films I still love listening to the music. I bought this along with another film music compilation, "The Classic Score" and with these two CDs I've got a bit of everything!

A notable absence is "Titanic" but because I've heard the Titanic music so much, I was actually rather pleased to see it had been missed out! I was very pleased to discover that the track from "Bridge On the River Kwai" is the fun marching tune that all the soldiers whistle to on the film!! There are some real cinema classics on here, such as "Lawrence of Arabia", "Ben Hur", "Jaws"... the list is endless! So, three CDs, over 3 1/2 hours of great film music - you can't go far wrong with this!

Another cracker for Kunzel & the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, 30 Mar 2007
Discovered this range of cd's quite by accident from a friend who is into hi-fi in a big way and had commented to me about the superior quality of these Telarc recordings - Boy was he right ! I now have all four of the 'space' themed discs by Erich Kunzel & the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra - Time Warp, Star Tracks, Fantastic Journey and this disc. All are fantastically recorded with the original digital master being transferred straight to cd. If you like your sci-fi films and appreciate quality orchestral recordings, buy these !

Outstanding Production, 06 Jul 2002
Discovering Erich Kunzel and the Cincinatti Pops has been one of life's happy accidents. This orchestra is the 'dog's whatsits', not a trace of anything to criticise in any department. Just listen to 'The Wrath of Khan';.. what fabulous trumpet playing (could it be Wynton Marsalis?). The recording is of Telarc's usual superb standard and makes many otherwise excellent productions sound 'flat' by comparison. Any lover of film music just HAS to have this disc! If anything, it is even better than Volume 1, and that IS an acheivement.

superb - enchanting - amazing - emotional and touching, 03 May 2002
this cd will make you sit back and really listen. the content is of the highest quality in selected choice. beautiful piano pieces in the highest of recorded quality. classics like The Music of the Night (Phantom Of The Opera) - Andrew Lloyd Webber
will have you whistling along, while others will bring tears to your eyes. well worth the money, cant wait for the next compilation (though i doubt that they could find many better tracks that this one). :)

superb!, 13 Mar 2001
Superb music composed by Henry Mancini. Furthermore, Julie Andrews is at her best. If you have seen the film, this CD will bring back it to your memory. Don't miss 'The Shaddy dame from Seville' sung by Robert Preston and 'Le Jazz Hot'.