George Winston, Meryl Streep - The Velveteen Rabbit (Special Edition) (1984)

Tracklist

01. The Velveteen Rabbit (Beginning)
02. Christmas
03. The Toys
04. The Skin Horse
05. Nana
06. Lullaby
07. Spring
08. Summer
09. Summer Evening - The Rabbit Dance
10. Alone
11. Shabbiness Doesn't Matter
12. Anxious Moments
13. Loneliness - The Fairy
14. Flying
15. Returning
16. The Velveteen Rabbit (Ending)
17. The Velveteen Rabbit (Instrumental)
18. Christmas (Instrumental)
19. The Toys (Instrumental)
20. The Skin Horse (Instrumental)
21. This Magic Called Real (Instrumental)
22. Lullaby (Sandman) (Instrumental)
23. Spring (The Velveteen Rabbit) (Instrumental)
24. Summer (Instrumental)
25. Summer Evening (Instrumental)
26. The Rabbit Dance (Instrumental)
27. Alone (Instrumental)
28. Shabbiness Doesn't Matter (Instrumental)
29. Anxious Moments, Pt. 1 (Instrumental)
30. Loneliness (Instrumental)
31. Anxious Moments, Pt. 2 (Instrumental)
32. Flying (Instrumental)
33. Returning - The Velveteen Rabbit (Instrumental)
34. Night Thoughts (Bonus Track)

George Winston's spare but expressive style spans chilly pieces like the opening track and "Christmas," which borrows from "Carol of the Bells," to warmer, more contemporary-sounding compositions such as "Lullaby," the ripplingly lovely "Spring," "Summer Evening/The Rabbit Dance," and the twinkling "Loneliness/The Fairy." Meryl Streep's narration, delivered in a crisp British accent, is also remarkable, shifting from the Velveteen Rabbit and the boy's guileless characters to the cheeky wild rabbits to the gruff Nana without ever sounding overly theatrical. With just Streep's voice and Winston's piano, the duo creates a beautifully realized version of this story of love's transformative power. The second, instrumental half of the album spotlights Winston's restrained but lovingly crafted solo piano compositions. As both a refined children's album and a thoughtful collection of solo piano pieces, The Velveteen Rabbit remains extraordinary.

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