The album was recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Barry Wordsworth. This is a valuable addition to the cello-and-piano literature (many of these pieces would be ideal singly or in small groups for student recitals), and taken as a whole it's a luxuriant hour of melody. Philips Classics 1 Lloyd Webber Plays Lloyd Webber is a 1989 album by British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber interpreting songs written by his older brother, the popular musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. From the age of 16, he practised for five or six hours a day. Julian Lloyd Webber was joined by Cherie Booth, wife of then UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, at the launch of the Sargents Practice -a-thon at Morley College in London, 28 January 2002. At 13 he decided that he wanted to become a professional cellist. What it all adds up to is the elusive feeling that you're not listening to transcriptions at all. Julian Lloyd Webber began playing the cello when he was four. The engineering, at the acoustically very fine Wyastone Leys estate in England's Monmouthshire region, is unimpeachable. The presence of pianist John Lenehan, an Ireland specialist, contributes to the whole effect, as does the inclusion of Webber's wife, cellist Jiaxin Cheng, on a couple of tracks. Webber did most of the arrangements himself, and they're nicely calibrated to the wondrous sounds of his 1690 Stravidarius. The collection of 21 songs by Delius and the closely related (at least in the song realm) John Ireland includes some unknown melodic gems, such as the early "Birds in the High Hall Garden" of Delius, which inspired the whole project on Webber's part. This release by British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, however, shows every sign of being a labor of love, and it's an exception to the rule. EMI's sound is clear and warm, though the balance is a little manipulated to favor the harp, and other instruments come in and out of focus through variable mixing in the ensemble pieces.Instrumental arrangements of art songs often seem to strike at the balance of music and text that's at the heart of any good song, and are generally best enjoyed in small doses. Aside from that one miscalculation, this is a gentle, soothing album that works well as background music. However, Michael Ball's theatrical performance on the final track breaks the carefully established mood, and his singing is so close-up, breathy, and gushing that even listeners favorably inclined toward sentimental music will feel embarrassed. Even the quaint tracks that feature Steáfán Hannigan's pipes and Pete Lockett's exotic percussion have a quiet charm that complements the program's mellow tone. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic. To celebrate the album release, were giving away a pair of tickets to the show, plus a personalised video and signed poster from Carrie Hope Fletcher Order. Rather, it is a fairly lavish collection of arrangements of traditional, classical, and popular music, ranging from folk songs and familiar nineteenth century pieces by Chopin, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Schubert, among others, to accessible modern fare by Astor Piazzolla, James Horner, and Andrew Lloyd Webber (whose Unexpected Song from Song and Dance inspired the title.) For the most part, the disc is pleasantly lyrical and atmospheric the elegant harp playing of Catrin Finch and subtle piano accompaniments by John Lenehan and Pam Chowhan add a dreamy quality to the selections that sorts well with Lloyd Webber's romantic style. Discover Julian Lloyd Webber Plays Andrew Lloyd Webber by Julian Lloyd Webber released in 2001. A quick scan of the contents of Unexpected Songs shows that Julian Lloyd Webber is still quite active as a crossover artist, and that this 2006 release is more than a conventional recital of cello favorites.
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