Maria de Buenos Aires [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com's Best of 1998
Composed more than 30 years ago, this "little tango opera" remains a work of stunning originality. Indeed, the alchemy achieved here by tango master Astor Piazzolla--whose avant-garde, quasi-symphonic meditations on this vital dance form have achieved renewed popularity--and librettist Horacio Ferrer involves a particular amalgam of music and surrealist poetry that is part cabaret, part smoky Sprechstimme, and ultimately sui generis. Violinist Gidon Kremer and a tight ensemble of colleagues show keen empathy for this symbolist allegory of an ambiguous, archetypal journey of the soul. --Thomas May

Amazon.com essential recording
City gives birth to girl. City loses girl to shadowy underworld. City reunites with girl's spirit. That is the story of María de Buenos Aires, a 30-year-old Spanish-language operetta composed by Astor Piazzolla, the foremost proponent of modern tango. This recording was encouraged by violinist Gidon Kremer, resulting in an elegant new arrangement (down from the original eleven musicians to eight, including the late Piazzolla's beloved bandoneon) and the appearance of Horacio Ferrer, who... read more

Maria de Buenos Aires [Live]

Tracks:

Revirado
Fuga y misterio
Milonga del angel
Decarissimo
Soledad
La muerte del angel
Adios Nonino
Libertango
Verano porte
Michelangelo '70
Buenos Aires hora cero
Tangata

Amazon.com essential recording

Like his frequent partner, Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Emanuel Ax has become infatuated with the tangos of Astor Piazzolla. Ax sought out pianist Pablo Ziegler, a long-time member of Piazzolla's ensemble, to make these arrangements and perform them with him. With his innate musicianship and Ziegler as a tutor, Ax has entered wholeheartedly into the world of the New Tango. These performances have just the right feeling for rhythm and color. Whether you need an album of Piazzolla on two pianos is another question. I'd say get some of Piazzolla's own recordings first. But for piano tango this album is a total success. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2005-07-16

There is a certain intensity in Piazzola's music that is hard to describe. It can be very powerful and nostalgic at the same time, very energetic and extremely mellow. Rumor has it that when Piazzola was studing music, his teacher pesuaded him to go back to his natural instrument, the bandoneon, as Piazzola had proven to play it with a special sensitivity.
While played in the bandoneon , Piazzola's music reaches all its Argentinean identity and character, but in the piano- in this case two of them- his music transforms and gets a richness that is really imppresive. I can't imagine two better piano players to deliver the passion of Piazzola's music. Emmanuel Ax and Pablo Ziegler are amazing together. Los Tangueros is a classic for all the Piazzola fans.

Typical Piazzolla...Extraordinary.......2003-03-05

The quintessential Piazzolla is presented here in a rapturous performance by several artists in their own right. I was attracted to this recording because I play the piano and the idea of Emanual Ax and Pablo Ziegler (another one of those classical-Tango joint venture a la Yo Yo Ma) performing Tango was too much to pass up.

The transcriptions are very, very good. In fact, though one can readily distinguish the sound from the classic Tango ensemble, the music is seamless. It works! Of particular interest is "La muerte del angel". One wishes that the "angel" trilogy could be presented in one package instead of spread out over several recordings. And speaking of transcripts, a German firm now distributes piano versions of Piazzolla tangos in three volumes.

While I'm wishing, it would be great if someone recorded the entire body of Piazzolla compositions in one collection.

A Christlike Performance.......2000-08-02

I was unfamiliar with Emanuel Ax, very familiar with Pablo Ziegler, and ultra familiar with the work of Astor Piazzolla, so I decided to give this CD a try. The only disappointment is that there are only 12 songs on this recording. It must have been difficult for Piazzolla acolyte Ziegler to decide which of the hundreds of worthy Piazzolla compositions to record. In the end, he did a great job not only in selecting a variety of Piazzolla styles, but also in selecting those which fit his conception of this project. Its hard to choose a favorite here though if pressed, I'd name the stately Soledad followed closely by the equally majestic Tangata. Ziegler's arrangements are impeccable. He proves that a lot of music can spring from two pianos with no other instrumentation needed when the arrangements are right. I heartily recommend this album not only to Piazzolla fans, but to fans of the piano. I hope that Ax and Ziegler soon offer an encore to this Christlike performance.

superb playing of great music.......1999-08-07

Piazzola does for tango what Gershwin did for the blues. And there is no better medium to hear what Piazzola is up to than these splendid arrangements for two pianos. Emanuel Ax, of course, is one of America's best living pianists. With Ziegler, he forms an unforgettable team. Highly worthwhile.

Average customer rating:

Simply Breath-Taking
full of energy worth savouring
Versatile virtuoso outshines musically uneven material
A Towering Musical Achievement
Beautiful Harp Album

Crossing the Stone

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Free

ASIN: B0000AM6IX
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Tracks:

Mountain Dance
Harpers Bizarre
James
Crossing The Stone (Tros Y Garreg)
Prelude From Partita No. 3
Third Movement From Electric Counterpoint
Eternal Dream
The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba From Solomon
Cafe Vamp Latino
Spain
Buenos Aires Hora Cero
Clair De Lune
Prelude In C/Ave Maria
Thingamujig
Suo Gan
Palladio (1st Movement)

Customer Reviews:

Simply Breath-Taking.......2007-03-05

Being a harpist myself, I can truly admire Catrin Finch's talent, style and choice of music selections for her first album.

Some songs are truly a revelation for the harp as an instrument using New Age style accompaniment, while there are still pieces with a classical vibe.

Well Done!

full of energy worth savouring.......2004-12-13

The artist is able to deconstruct the traditional image of harp as an instument. The texture and the hue of the music is rich and full of lustre. very creative and versatile.

Versatile virtuoso outshines musically uneven material.......2004-02-01

There's a reason Charles, Prince of Wales, revived a long-dormant (since 1871) tradition and presented Catrin Finch a Royal Appointment as his harpist. At age 23 she is a remarkable talent, with pristine technique and a fluency in the languages of both classical and contemporary music.

If only the material on her debut disc were equal to her talent.

While Finch is extraordinary, the music is a mixed bag of modern jazz/pop tunes, re-tooled classical favorites, and several hit-and-miss arrangements by Finch's musical partner, composer Karl Jenkins.

It's all starts and stops, ups and downs. In the jazz/pop genre, Dave Grusin's infectious "Mountain Dance" and the relaxed groove of Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays' "James" are perfectly suited for harp, while Chick Corea's "Spain" just never catches fire. Among the contemporary, experimental compositions, Jenkins' minimalist but tuneful "Harpers Bizarre" is far more interesting than Steve Reich's "Third Movement from Electric Counterpoint" - a tedious ostinato that never develops into anything. In a more traditional vein, "Crossing the Stone," taken from Jenkins' double harp concerto, is a rich, lovely setting of a Welsh folk tune, but two other selections from the concerto - "Eternal Dream" and "Caf? Vamp Latino" - don't relate musically at all. And while Finch, unaccompanied, is flawless on Bach's "Prelude from Partita No. 3," her performance of Handel's "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" is marred by the decision to include some noisy Middle Eastern percussion, as is Debussy's "Clair de lune" by an intrusive, soporific voice-over.

On the upside again, Bach/Gounod's "Ave Maria" and the Welsh lullaby "Suo Gan" team Finch nicely with solo voices (though countertenor Terrance Barber's vibrato is perhaps an acquired taste), and Jenkins' "Thingamujig" is a fun, lively jig.

Concluding the album, the first movement of Jenkins' "Palladio" (featured for years in TV commercials for DeBeers diamonds) in a dull dance remix has none of the energy of the original version for string quartet and is a totally gratuitous inclusion.

From Finch's liner-note comment that "I've never really been stuffy about classical music ... I'm open to everything, really," it's apparent that some tracks are an attempt to make a "classical" instrument more accessible to listeners of contemporary music. Again, Finch is terrific, but listeners would be better served by a recording of the harpist that displays her virtuosity in a single genre - whether classical, contemporary or experimental - instead of this hodgepodge.

Give the performer five stars, the material two, and look forward to hearing this talented young artist for many years to come.

A Towering Musical Achievement.......2003-10-29

While biographies disguised as reviews are tiresome, some background is in order, in this case. At the age of 23, Catrin Finch has been playing the harp for 18 years. She was appearing on British television and with major orchestras by the time she was 10, and was appointed the Royal Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales (a.k.a. Prince Charles) at the age of 20. Bottom line: This lady has more than enough credentials to be regarded as a major musical talent.

But does having a long list of credentials translate to making a great album? In this case, you bet it does. On "Crossing The Stone," Catrin Finch combines piles of technical expertise with surprising and even stunning musical choices. Sure, she covers classical music (such as Bach's 'Prelude from Partita #3' and Handel's 'The Arrival of The Queen of Sheba') brilliantly, but you'd expect that from an alumnus of The Royal College of Music. But would you expect to hear a piece by jazz pianist Dave Grusin done on the harp? How about music by guitarist Pat Metheny, or a Chick Corea composition?

Catrin Finch is an incredible talent, and she has created a beautiful, eclectic album that demands (and will receive) repeated listening. Unfortunately, it's also an album that you probably won't find in your local music store. This album has not received a lot of publicity, and I have yet to walk into a CD store and find it sitting on the shelf. Save yourself a lot of tedious shopping: buy it here and now.

Beautiful Harp Album.......2003-08-26

I first heard Catrin Finch on a free sample CD I received and when I listened to it, I couldn't believe that the instrument that she was playing was the harp! It was so vibrant and full of life. It felt like I had opened the windows and let the sun shine in. The harp is the world's oldest - and most difficult instrument, but in Ms. Finch's power it is sounds both contemporary effortlessly played. It is a wonderful buy for any appreciate of music, and the most electric harp album ever produced.

Average customer rating:

Tango at its best
Mixed emotions
Impressive collection. A MUST have.
Fabulous!
tango y mucho mas........

A Passion for Tango

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002SKH
Release Date: 1994-07-19

Tracks:

Mi Buenos Aires Querido/Payadora
Cafetin De Buenos Aires
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Customer Reviews:

Tango at its best.......2001-01-26

Sexteto Mayor has moved the old tango to today's music values, without loosing the essence of the tango, the 2x4 rythm. It combines then two things, highly professionally executed music with the virtues of the Argentine tango. A perfect combination. Even if you are not a tango fan, you should not miss this one. This CDs reflects a performance that has today over 500 presentations around the globe, from China to Albulquerque, from Turkey to San Diego, and has performed in the best theatres and music center around the world. Do not miss it.

Mixed emotions.......2000-07-20

I admit it, when it comes to tango, I tend to be a purist. Therefore, I still have a hard time accepting many of the latest "fusion" trends such as certain songs found in this CD which are not real tangos [e.g. "Ojos negros" a traditional Russian song, played in a tango tune] as well as the "bilingual" versions of some traditional tangos (sung with a pathetic accent, reminiscent of the early days of Julio Iglesias, I might add!)] The orchestra however, sounds wonderful, exceptionally balanced and very assertive.

Impressive collection. A MUST have........1999-10-31

Sexteto Mayor has been known for years in Argentina as being some of the best in tango interpreting and playing. This production meets all expections. This is Argentinian Tango at its best. Great examples were chosen for this CD, I buy it often to give to friends that want to know about my Argentinian origins.

Fabulous!.......1999-06-04

Sexteto Mayor is a MUST HAVE in every tango lover's collection. This is authentic Argentinian tango at its best!

tango y mucho mas...............1999-03-27

Excelente música para alguien con una vida moderna, ancioso de recordar el pasado....!

Average customer rating:

In reply to Daniel Pinkerton's review
Overwhelming and Addictive
Can words do justice to such Genius? Let me try....
No lo pude creer
Kremer's "Maria": A Free Adaptation

Maria de Buenos Aires
Astor Piazzolla , Horacio Ferrer , and Gideon Kremer
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000DBW8
Release Date: 1998-09-29

Tracks:

Maria de Buenos Aires: Part One: Scene 1: Alevare
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part One: Scene 2: Theme Of Maria
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part One: Scene 3: Lame Ballad For A Crazy Hurdy-Gurdy
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part One: Scene 3B: I Am Maria
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part One: Scene 4: Carriegan Milonga For The Child Maria
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part One: Scene 5: Fugue And Mystery
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part One: Scene 6: Waltzed-Poem
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part One: Scene 7: Accusation Toccata
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part One: Scene 8: Canynegue Miserere Of The Old Gutter Thieves

Tracks:

Maria de Buenos Aires: Part Two: Scene 9: Funeral Countermilonga For The First Death Of Maria
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part Two: Scene 10: Tangata At Dawn
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part Two: Scene 11: A Letter To The Trees And The Chimneys
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part Two: Scene 12: Aria Of The Psychoanalysts
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part Two: Scene 13: Romanza Of The Drunken Poet Goblin
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part Two: Scene 14: Allegro Tangabile
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part Two: Scene 15: Milonga Of The Annunciation
Maria de Buenos Aires: Part Two: Scene 16: Tangus dei

Amazon.com's Best of 1998

Composed more than 30 years ago, this "little tango opera" remains a work of stunning originality. Indeed, the alchemy achieved here by tango master Astor Piazzolla--whose avant-garde, quasi-symphonic meditations on this vital dance form have achieved renewed popularity--and librettist Horacio Ferrer involves a particular amalgam of music and surrealist poetry that is part cabaret, part smoky Sprechstimme, and ultimately sui generis. Violinist Gidon Kremer and a tight ensemble of colleagues show keen empathy for this symbolist allegory of an ambiguous, archetypal journey of the soul. --Thomas May

Amazon.com essential recording

City gives birth to girl. City loses girl to shadowy underworld. City reunites with girl's spirit. That is the story of María de Buenos Aires, a 30-year-old Spanish-language operetta composed by Astor Piazzolla, the foremost proponent of modern tango. This recording was encouraged by violinist Gidon Kremer, resulting in an elegant new arrangement (down from the original eleven musicians to eight, including the late Piazzolla's beloved bandoneon) and the appearance of Horacio Ferrer, who wrote the libretto, to perform the role of Goblin (or El Duende), the narrator. Ferrer's textured spoken baritone brings a weary romance to the work, contrasting with Julia Zenko's robust María, who can enunciate pizzicato syllable-for-syllable runs without losing the meaning of her phrases, and who trills her r's with an emphasis equal parts street-wise and regal. For much of the operetta, María is actually the shadow spirit of María, cursed to wander the city; if Zenko's ethereal María seems more passionate than most mortals do, one must assume that Ferrer approves of the interpretation. The ensemble is exceptional, with particular emphasis given to Vadim Sakharov's jazzy piano and Kremer's elegiac violin. The production shows a tremendous amount of emotional restraint, in contrast with the María on Milan Records. At times, Ferrer's phantasmagoric poetry proves hysterically surreal. Who else, besides perhaps Woody Allen, could have composed an "Aria of the Anyalysts" in which María confronts her memories. --Marc Weidenbaum

Customer Reviews:

In reply to Daniel Pinkerton's review.......2003-11-23

I know it may be a little late to correct this mistake, but I'll do it anyway.
María de Buenos Aires was composed (for an 11 musicians ensamble), first played and recorded in 1968. This original version was published in Argentina by Trova Ediciones Musicales (on LP as TL-20/2; reissued on CD as 5013 and 5014), and was never published in other countries (except for a 1990 edition in Spain by Alfa, AFCD-14/15).
In November 1987, the operita was completely rearranged (and in a certain sense, "re-composed") for an homage to Piazzolla, and staged at Theatre Municipale de Tourcoing. This arrangement not only included about 30 musicians and more than five singers, but also altered the original parts of the work; the intended effect was somewhat more "operatic" than the original. Unfortunately, _this_ one was the only available version in most countries until 1998.
In consequence, Gidon Kremer's version IS based upon the original, and NOT the Milan one. I do not certainly love this Desyatnikov's rearrangement; I think that the original percussion and drums really added to the sound, and it seems that the bandoneón can't reach here the intense feeling of the original, despite its technicial perfection. Anyway, I can't deny the relevance of this album; it's still the only available version of the original operita in most countries, and I certainly think that María de Buenos Aires is Piazzolla's masterpiece, even when not his most complex work.

Overwhelming and Addictive.......2002-06-18

Since I started listening to this masterpiece, all the other music I used to like seems flat and stale. Piazzola-you swine-give me back my Bach, Beethoven, Britten, Weber...rant...snarl...

Can words do justice to such Genius? Let me try...........2002-02-28

Piazzolla's "Maria of Buenos Aires" is a work of great genius created by one of the finest and most natural composers of all time. This is music that will transfix the listener and create a powerful musical and emotional intensity. While words cannot fully describe the beauty and awe of this music I will attempt to elucidate my impressions of this outstanding production:

"Maria" written some thirty years ago is a key work which successfully combines Tango idioms with Opera to create something of great power and emotional force. Piazzolla's music and Uruguayan poet Horacio Ferrer's words combine to form a evocative mood and melancholic story around our tragic heroine, the eponymous Maria of Buenos Aires.

This is a two-CD set, well presented with the Spanish libretto and translations into various other languages including English and German. The packaging is excellent such that this would make a very presentable gift. Being a double CD with some 100 minutes of music this is a substantial work and one which handsomely repays repeated listenings.

For those of you who have not previously been exposed to the music of Astor Piazzolla I would comment that he is, in the opinion of many, one of the leading composers of the last century. As well as being prolific in his output he possessed in abundance the ability to create and arrange beautiful music with a profundity and integrity that bears comparison with any other. Not for him the avant-garde musings of other composers - Piazzolla's creativity ran so deep that he did not need to resort to the esoteric. His music is both accessible and clear but always new and reinventing itself. His music ran from his pen almost as fast as he could write it down - he was a true natural.

Only Piazzolla had the ability and vision to create a sustained work of Tango music at this level of quality. The musical material is of the highest standard and contains much deeply moving music. Horacio Ferrer's contribution is less easily measured especially given the rather challenging Spanish vocabulary and imagery he uses. The story is rather impressionistic involving Maria dying twice (now that really is tragic!) and works better on an emotional than a logical basis gelling with the Tango propensity for tragedy and loss.

The original Piazzolla version of this work was rather different to the current arrangement which has a very classically oriented approach based largely on strings. Use of the bandoneon (Piazzolla's weapon of choice) is substantially reduced and a greater emphasis has been put on strings, especially 'Cello. Gidon Kremer, the arranger, band leader and violinist has added greatly to the work by interpreting it with enormous sensitivity and taste. I saw a production of "Maria" in London two years ago and the arrangement was very mediocre but Kremer's production is in a much higher league and top marks to him for bringing the essence of Piazzollas music and drama into such a clear perspective here. For those interested in following Piazzolla's music through it is worth noting that Kremer is an excellent interpreter of Piazzolla's music having produced a number of excellent CDs. In the case of "Maria" the classical background and sympathy with Piazzolla's compositions gel particularly well in this production given the scale of the work and the resources required to sustain the production.

Much, possibly even all, of this music are so poignant that they will reach into your soul and remain with you. All of this production is music at the highest level of creativity and humanity; it starts nigh on perfect and never dips below that high level, Piazzolla seemed incapable of producing "filler" in his music.

This is is amongst the greatest music of the last century regardless of genre. For those looking for truly great music I cannot recommend this CD highly enough. I urge you to buy it and immerse yourself in it.

No lo pude creer.......2002-02-06

No pude esperar hasta tener la grabacion en mis manos. Desde que lo escuche solo deseaba tener una copia. La lleve a casa y mi esposa dijo al escucharlo, "oh, es Piazzolla". En efecto, es y no es. Sin duda el alma de Piazzolla esta en este trabajo asi como la presencia de Maria-Tango, una obra que ahora solo me falta verla en uno de los teatros de Buenos Aires, cuando vuelva de visita a esa querida ciudad, para tener una vivencia completa. Recomiendo este trabajo y veran, desde el primer tema, que no es una recomendacion simplemente formal.

Kremer's "Maria": A Free Adaptation.......2000-01-04

The original "Maria de Buenos Aries" (as evidenced by the recording on Milan) is an interesting hybrid of classical opera (or perhaps oratorio--it's more like Stravinsky's "Histoire du Soldat" than conventional opera) and "The New Tango." It is the highly poetic and allegorical tale of Maria, the spirit of tango, and her life, death, and resurrection in the city of Buenos Aries. In the original, Piazzolla wrote soaring arias with his own particular brand of melancholy tango-based classical music as their basis. The new arrangement by composer Leonid Desyatnikov, done with the blessing and participation of librettist Horacio Ferrer, drains all the classical out of the equation, resulting in some very authentic sounding Piazzolla tango music, but a work that is far from the original "Maria" in style. Much more of the choral work is spoken rather than sung (and occasionally, spoken not quite in unison), and the chief soloists, Julia Zenko (Maria) and Jairo (everyone else), come out of the Argentinian tango tradition rather than a classical tradition. Zenko's supple alto smolders, but is a long way from the higher-pitched, operatically sung performance of the original.

This may not be a bad thing for some people; the present adaptation may, in fact be the perfect opera for people who hate opera. (You should, however, warn them about the Spanish narration spoken over a lot of the music.) The playing and singing are, after all, as superb as the other Kremer albums of Piazzolla's music. (The spoken choruses, particularly in the "Circus of Analysts" scene, are the one exception.)

Yet Kremer and Desyatnikov are ultimately guilty of hubris. The "arrangement" and many other musical decisions implemented radically alter the piece in ways that make it sound more like unadulturated tango music--yet that isn't what Piazzolla was aiming for. I'm sure I'll get used to it and cheerfully play it along with all the other Piazzolla in my CD collection, but it may ultimately be the one opera that I own two copies of--because the two available recordings of "Maria de Buenos Aries" are really recordings of two different works.

The Lost Days: Music in the Latin Style
Average customer rating:

Sensual, Spellbounding, and sheerly Sexy!!!

Haunting, bewitching: a real must have

Una voz opulenta

The Lost Days: Music in the Latin Style
Denyce Graves
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000071WDT
Release Date: 2003-01-21

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Yo Soy Maria
Soledad
Los pajaros perdidos
Haabia-Tupi
Plancha
Al alba, el bosque
Cancao do poeta do seculo XVIII
Los dias perdidos
Habanera de Lorraine
Estrella e lua nova
Plomada
Milonga sin palabras
Romanza de Denyce
Te vas de mi

Amazon.com

While it's tempting to call acclaimed diva Denyce Graves's exploration of Latin classical influences a crossover project, that label's pop lightweight connotations don't do justice to the powerful, often uncompromising performances contained herein. Indeed, Graves leans heavily on her collaborators (who include contemporary composers-arrangers-pianists Chucho Valdes, Eliane Elias, and Jose Maria Vitier, as well as arranger-pianist Pablo Ziegler) for both material and stylistic inspiration, creating a collection that's more concerned with true musical synthesis than it is with commercial exploitation. Even the works of Latin classical standard-bearers like Argentina's Carlos Guastavino, Brazil's Villa-Lobos, and Tango master Astor Piazzolla are cast in stark, contemporary arrangements that underscore both Graves's dramatic mezzo voice and the dusky, rhythmically charged dynamics of her quartet of confederates. Cuban great Valdes composed "Romanza de Denyce" especially for the project, further blurring the collection's boundaries between jazz, classical, and pop. If the listener is only familiar with the better-known Latin classical repertoire, this collection may open up some inviting new horizons. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Sensual, Spellbounding, and sheerly Sexy!!!.......2006-07-10

Denyce's warm and sensual Mezzo voice is truly spectacular when she sings the right rep. This latin album is literally right up her lane. She brings a dark color to the pieces that accentuates the text and the instrumentation. The singing is remarkably beautiful and the musicians play with an entrancing groove that makes you feel warm all over. I recommend just listening to this album while sitting outside in a park on a warm and sunny day. I believe that you will see the world completely differently. Way to go Denyce!!!

Haunting, bewitching: a real must have.......2003-11-27

This record is exquisite in all its elements: the Voice of Graves -voice with a capital V!-, the selections, the arrangements! For me it would take hours to try to decipher its mystery of seduction. A real must for those who love poetry, music and the marriage of both. A real must for lovers of Latin American music. A real must for the senses.
The first time I listened to the cd, it gave a jolt.
A lot has been said about Graves. She's a wonderful mezzo, with that rich black timbre in her low notes and her lovely lyric high ones. And never mind the language, she knows how to create magic around her.
However, although she's supposed to be the main attraction here, to me the composers steal the show from her.
I've been listening to good music, from opera to streetside, for decades now. And I had never heard anything like Plancha or Plomada, by Guastavino. They're simply astounding.
The Cubans come out very well. Their songs are simply irressistible. They own the gift of melody and harmony. Soledad is unforgettable.
But what haunts me the most is Milonga sin palabras. What a piece of art!

Una voz opulenta.......2003-01-31

Denyce Graves es una mezzo de voz carnosa, sensual, evocadora. En este disco de canciones en español y en portugués, la cantante hace lujo de una voz opulenta, muy femenina y de gran pasión. Las canciones están muy bien escogidas y los arreglos son de muy buen gusto. Desde mi perspectiva, la mezzo está más cómoda con el material en español, que resulta ser dominante en el disco, y la dicción es muy clara, lo que es admirable en una cantante de origen e idioma tan separados de la cultura latina. Sin embargo, aunque la dicción es muy clara, la principal falla de esta grabación es también el idioma mismo. Denyce Graves de pronto inicia con un español más que deseable y luego, de pronto, se atropella, dejándo una sensación de insatisfacción en el oyente; pensemos en "Los pájaros perdidos" (uno de los puntos más fuertes del disco) que empieza con una claridad y belleza admirables, que luego, en la parte central de la canción, se pierden cuando la cantante da algunos tropiezos con las palabras. Lo mismo ocurre con la primera pista de "Maria de Buenos Aires": en algunos pasajes la voz es muy clara, pero conforme adquiere fuerza y velocidad, se evidencia el trabajo no resuelto del idioma... pero a esto cabría agregar, a manera de disculpa, que lo mismo ocurre con las cantantes hispanas de ópera...

El disco muestra material conocido y añade algunas canciones prácticamente inéditas (donde se incluye una compuesta para la cantante), y en términos generales, Denyce Graves sale muy bien librada.

Tracks:

Jeeves and Wooster
Melodie
The Happy Home
None but the Lonely Heart
Hungarian Dance #6 in D
Songs My Mother Taught Me
Serenade Espagnole
Danse Espagnole
Playera
Malaguena
Lundu de Marqueza de Santos
Nesta Rua
Evocacao
Mood Indigo
Ballad of the Easy Life
Tango
Moritat (Mack the Knife)
Der Glocken Ruf
Simplemente... triste
Schreib mir einen Brief!
Milonga del Angel
Alegro Tangabile

Album Description

Viveza, one of the world's favourite salon groups does it again! With "Encore" this Canadian quintet brings alive salon music from Europe and South America with a freshness and vivacity that you have to hear to believe.

Salon music flourished in the 1920's and 30's, especially in the grand hotels. The repertoire of each ensemble was as varied as the patrons who frequented these fabled "palm courts." In an evening at the Ritz one was likely to hear music from Dvorak to Ravel, Lehar to Brahms or gypsy folksongs.

As you will discover with Viveza's Encore, the salon repertoire offers a cornucopia of tasty delights for your listening pleasure.

Customer Reviews:

A "Sequel" that Surpasses the Original.......2006-08-26

This album tops the previous "Viveza, Music in the Palm Court Style". The groups' inventiveness really shines in this CD. From a marimba version of Piazzola's "Milonga del Angel" to an absolutely smashing version of Moritat (Mack the Knife from Threepenny Opera), the selections are superb. I highly recommend this one!

Just Right for Internet Work.......2000-03-21

We have entertained ourselves with the video Jeeves and Wooster for the past two years. Since my wife and I played in classical orchestras, we greatly enjoy the quality and "just right" musical pace of the CD for office internet work stimulation. Now we ordered another copy for home entertainment.