Sallie Chisum Remembers Billy the Kid

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Though American, Barbara Bonney has spent most of her career in Europe and, up until recently, never saw the need to sing in English. But this collection is entirely in English, featuring the title piece written for her by Previn--sort of a tone poem for voice, nice but not great--plus Samuel Barber's more familiar Hermit Songs, Dominick Argento's Six Elizabethan Songs and Aaron Copland's Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson. It's one of her best recordings and a big step in the gradual evolution of an artist who began as another pretty-voiced soprano and is becoming one of the most memorable recitalists of her generation. --David Patrick Stearns

Tracks:

Sallie Chisum Remembers Billy The Kid
Twelve Poems Of Emily Dickinson: Nature, The Gentlest Mother
Twelve Poems Of Emily Dickinson: There Came A Wind Like A Bugle
Twelve Poems Of Emily Dickinson: Why Do They Shut Me Out Of Heaven?
Twelve Poems Of Emily Dickinson: The World Feels Dusty
Twelve Poems Of Emily Dickinson: Heart, We Will Forget Him!
Twelve Poems Of Emily Dickinson: Dear March, Come In!
Twelve Poems Of Emily Dickinson: Sleep Is Supposed To Be
Twelve Poems Of Emily Dickinson: When They Come Back
Twelve Poems Of Emily Dickinson: I Felt A Funeral In My Brain
Twelve Poems Of Emily Dickinson: I've Heard An Organ Talk Sometimes
Twelve Poems Of Emily Dickinson: Going To Heaven!
Twelve Poems Of Emily Dickinson: The Chariot
Six Elizabethan Songs: Spring
Six Elizabethan Songs: Sleep
Six Elizabethan Songs: Winter
Six Elizabethan Songs: Dirge
Six Elizabethan Songs: Diapenia
Six Elizabethan Songs: Hymn
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: At Saint Patricks Purgatory - Samuel Barber
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: Church Bell At Night - Samuel Barber
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: St. Ita's Vision - Samuel Barber
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: The Heavenly Banquet - Samuel Barber
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: The Crucifixion - Samuel Barber
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: Sea-Snatch
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: Promiscuity - Samuel Barber
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: The Monk And His Cat - Samuel Barber
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: The Praises Of God - Samuel Barber
Hermit Songs, Op. 29: The Desire For Hermitage - Samuel Barber
Vocalise - Andre Previn

Amazon.com

Though American, Barbara Bonney has spent most of her career in Europe and, up until recently, never saw the need to sing in English. But this collection is entirely in English, featuring the title piece written for her by Previn--sort of a tone poem for voice, nice but not great--plus Samuel Barber's more familiar Hermit Songs, Dominick Argento's Six Elizabethan Songs and Aaron Copland's Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson. It's one of her best recordings and a big step in the gradual evolution of an artist who began as another pretty-voiced soprano and is becoming one of the most memorable recitalists of her generation. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

A soprano must!.......2007-01-08

This collection of songs is very helpful for sopranos--all of you will need to know these pieces at some point!

Excellent album, with some minor quibbles.......2005-08-13

One of my first experiences as an accompanist was to play the Argento Elizabethan songs, and ever since I've had a special affinity for them. That alone was my reason for purchasing this particular disc, and the fact that the Barber Hermit Songs were here was a major bonus!

Bonney does a beautiful job with all the sets presented here, and Previn delivers a perfectly complimentary accompaniment to Bonney's soaring tone.

One thing I found interesting about Bonney was her frequent use of straight tone. I can't verify if she's chosen to do so for interpretive reasons, but there are occasions in all the sets (esp. the Barber and Argento) where I find that it sticks out. In general, her tone is always beautiful, and the lack of vibrancy doesn't affect the pitch or flow of the line. It's a very minor issue, but I feel compelled to mention it for those who may not be expecting this stylistic detail.

At any rate, the repertoire is amazing, and I think this disc is almost essential as the Rubinstein disc I reviewed elsewhere on Amazon. I'm not letting my issue with Bonney's vibrancy take away from the 5-star rating. :)

I like it!.......2002-03-04

I bought this cd a while ago. The reason I bought it is because Barbara Bonney is my favourite artist. I think she sings beautifully in this cd. But for the repetoire, I think it's a litte bit too contemparory for me and I am not really into that. Still, I think she did an excellent job in this recording! It's really worth buying!

International, and yet local.......2001-02-20

Mrs. Bonney, born in America but with several years in Europe is able to give us the best of the two worlds.

The CD is a masterpiece of fantastic singing and with heart and the freedom that Mr. Previn adds to his piano playing.

I bought the CD based in the recommendation of the Gramophone magazine, and again they are right.

Previos review gives a good overall picture of the performance

Buy it!

Bonney Changes Course.......1999-09-13

This recording marks a new high for Bonney. While her silvery tone and lyricism have always been more than suffcient to captivate her listeners, Bonney takes risks on this disc like never before. She has a maturity and depth to her sound that makes one realize that her older recordings were more shallow in retrospect. Not only is she willing to step out of the box so many sopranos fall into: of wanting to sound "pretty" all the time; she is aggressive and surprisingly edgy in her interpretations of the Barber set, shockingly frank in the Argento, and convincingly ominous in the closing Previn vocalise. With this disc, Bonney has truly established herself as a force in vocal music, and as the definitive American singer today.

André Previn - Diversions · Songs / Fleming · Bonney · Wiener Phil. · LSO · Previn

Average customer rating:

Previn, Bonney and Fleming

André Previn - Diversions · Songs / Fleming · Bonney · Wiener Phil. · LSO · Previn
André Previn , Renée Fleming , Barbara Bonney , Wiener Philharmoniker , and London Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005AX5W
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Tracks:

Diversions: I. Prologue - VPO/Andre Previn
Diversions: II. Passacaglia (Slow) - Peter Schmidl/Franz Bartolomey/Gunter Federsel
Diversions: III. (Fast) - Wolfgang Tombock Jr/Gotthard Eder
Diversions: IV. (Slowly) - Michael Werba/Martin Gabriel/Meinhart Neidermayr
Sallie Chisum Remembers Billy The Kid - Barbara Bonney/Moray Welsh
Vocalise - Barbara Bonney/Moray Welsh
The Giraffes Go To Hamburg - Renee Siebert
Three Dickinson Songs: I. As Imperceptibly As Grief - Renee Fleming/Andre Previn
Three Dickinson Songs: II. Will There Really Be A Morning - Renee Fleming/Andre Previn
Three Dickinson Songs: III. Good Morning Midnight - Renee Fleming/Andre Previn

Amazon.com

André Previn's long and distinguished career as a conductor has overshadowed his work as a composer and pianist, but this disc of "diversions" lifts the curtain, offering a fair sampling of Previn's output. The Diversions show his flair for colorful orchestration--in both scurrying, energetic writing and bitter-sweet lyrical material. Sallie Chisum Remembers Billy the Kid, a prostitute's account of the celebrated outlaw (with a text by The English Patient author Michael Ondaatje), is sung beautifully by Barbara Bonney, who is joined by cellist Moray Welsh for the haunting Vocalise. Renée Fleming, star of Previn's opera A Streetcar Named Desire, takes the honors in The Giraffes Go to Hamburg. It's a piece on animal suffering, whose quirkiness probably requires a Fleming to bring it off. She rounds off the disc with Previn at the piano for Three Dickinson Songs, notable as much as anything else for his sure feel for instrumental color. The third song, the beautiful and atmospheric Good Morning Midnight, makes a superb end to the program. If it leaves you wanting more, perhaps the record company will be a little more generous next time than the 56 minutes it gives us on this collection. --Keith Clarke

Customer Reviews:

Previn, Bonney and Fleming.......2001-11-12

To say that Andre Previn has had an eclectic musical career would be an understement. He has written movies scores ("Two for the Seesaw"), opera ("A Streetcar named Desire"), played jazz piano and composed symphonic music. In his "Diversions/Songs" he has written both a suite in four movements and 2 long songs: one, sung by Barbara Bonney based on Michael Ondaatje's poem about Billy the Kid and the other sung by Renee Fleming based on Isak Dinesen's "Out of Africa."
All of the music is quite beautiful and in the Suite in particular you can hear echoes of all his former musical lives: jazz, blues, etc. The Dinesen piece was written especially for Ms. Fleming and in it.. she shines. Her tone is bright yet very human and womanly....a little sexual even. Bonney also acquits herself well in the Billy the Kid piece. This is a perfect CD for those just beginning to appreciate Classical music: it's accessible on a very basic level because of it's surface beauty yet sophisticated, diverse and complicated enough to please those with a history of enjoying classical music.

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