Barnes & Noble
The celebrated musical composer collects his finest on one aptly titled CD, including songs from Cats, Phantom, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and more, as sung by Streisand, Charlotte Church, Sarah Brightman, and Michael Crawford.
Barnes & Noble
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has a gift for melody that works both in the confines of the musical theater and in the greater pop music airspace. In the tradition of the great Broadway composers of the past, his songs have taken on independent life as standards that beg to be interpreted by all manner of singers. Gold proves their durability and popularity. Here, tunes from such Broadway blockbusters as Evita, Phantom of the Opera, and Sunset Boulevard retain their grand appeal even when taken from the context of the original productions. While some are sung by the performers that made them famous (Michael Crawford’s “The Music of the Night”; Patti Lupone’s “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”; Betty Buckley’s “Memory”), others are reinterpreted by popular mainstream vocalists including Barbara Streisand and Tom Jones. Whether interpreted by the likes of Sarah Brightman or Donny Osmond, the songs sound terrific, their powerful, memorable melodies making indelible impressions once again.
William Pearl