Anyone have the following concept recordings?

[Cyndawg]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 4:59pm

Hi,

I enjoy the music of Ricky Ian Gordon. I was wondering if anyone can tell me their thoughts on the following recordings:

ONLY HEAVEN
DREAM TRUE
ORPHEUS & EURIDICE

Was thinking about purchasing them, but wanted some feedback first.

Thanks!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 5:01pm

Boy, it's posts like this that really make me feel like an idiot. I've never heard of them, or him.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 5:09pm

Me neither

[JOak]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 5:12pm

The only thing I know about him, is that he won a Sondheim Award.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 5:24pm

I've never heard of him, but a quick Google search makes me want to know more - particularly about Green Sneakers.

[tazber]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 5:54pm

He's got a unique style that has more in common with LaChuisa than Lippa.

I personally have never warmed up to any of his work, but people who love it really love it.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 5:59pm

I remember hearing a live recording of a staging of Dream True some time ago and thought the score was marvelous. I've been meaning to pick up some of his recordings, but have felt no urgency. Def more LaChuisa than Lippa, but from what I recall Dream True called to mind older off-Broadway scores like William Finn's stuff or Brownstone.

[DooWahDiddy]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 8:26pm

I'm really surprised you guys haven't heard of him. That's not meant to be snooty or highbrow or anything; I'm just genuinely surprised. He has four songs on Audra McDonald's album "Way Back to Paradise", and he's the first composer mentioned in Bill Finn's "Ballad of Jack Eric Williams (And Other Three-Named Composers)" in Elegies.

[starspangledjenny]

Posted: 9/6/10 at 11:59pm

He's great. One of my favorite composers. His music is very intricate and I'm sure can be off-putting to some. He writes very operatically, he's written a lot of art songs. If I were you I would definitely pick up Green Sneakers, it's amazing how much you can have your heart wrenched in one short hour. He also takes a lot of poems and sets them to music.