K-Gr 6—Four-time Grammy nominee Richard Perlmutter turns in another great performance featuring 13 classical piano pieces with the help of pianist Grant Gershon and vocalists Elin Carlson, Jennifer Barnes, Jonathan Mack, and Michael Geiger. To Chopin's "Funeral March," he sings about "Poor Uncle Joe" and his "dead" car. The clever "A Piano Is Stuck in the Door" feature the lyrics for Joplin's "The Entertainer." And for Brahms's "Lullaby," he sings "I Can't Sleep" due to an annoying fly. In "Voyage to the Moon," a rocket is launched into space to Debussy's lovely "Clair de Lune." More silly songs include "La De Da Sonata" (Sonata in C Major, Mozart), "My Little Chicken" ("Chopsticks," de Lulli), "Minuet for My Pet" ("Minuet in G," Beethoven), "Mozart Makes Kids Smart" ("Alla Turca," Mozart), "The Pony Express" (Wild Rider, Schumann), and others. Following the songs, all of the pieces are repeated as instrumentals only. This recording features excellent vocal and instrumental performances and an perfect balance of upbeat and soothing numbers.—Beverly Wrigglesworth, San Antonia Public Library, TX
In this beautiful, heartrending, yet horrifying film, North Koreans tell their stories of imprisonment, sexual slavery, torture, murder, and escape to China or South Korea during the nearly 50-year regime of Kim Il Sung (1912—94). The interviews are illustrated through the interspersion of dance sequences, archival news footage, and drawings. Particularly interesting are the North Korean propaganda films celebrating Kim Il Sung as God and showing in the face of mass starvation happy workers, elaborate military displays, and the creation of a new flower in 1988 in honor of the 46th birthday of Kim's son and successor, Kim Jong Il. A valuable time line traces 20th-century events in Korea. Bonus features include previously unreleased footage of camp refugees. This mesmerizing film displays excellent production values and is highly recommended for Asia collections.—Kitty Chen Dean, formerly with Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY
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