Bidu Sayao: Opera Arias and Brazilian Folksongs

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Bidú Sayão's silvery, impeccably tuned voice was small in size, but rich in nuance, shading, and emotion. Her recording of the Villa-Lobos Bachiana Brasileira No. 5 is justly famous, unmatched for lightness and sensuality. Few have dashed off the Jewel Song from Faust with similar insouciance or imbued the last phrases of Manon's "Adieu , notre petite table" as touchingly as Sayão does here. Her French song interpretations glow with charm and style, and a previously unreleased snippet from Ravel's L'enfant et les sotilèges makes one regret she never recorded the entire role, Sony's transfers are more lifelike and three dimensional than previous issues. A delectable disc. --Jed Distler

Tracks:

Bachiana brasiliera no.5 Aria
Romeo et Juliette: Je vieux vivre
Faust: Roi de Thule
Faust: Jewel Song
Manon: Je suis encore tout etourdie
Restons ici: Restons ici...Voyons, Manon
Adieu, notre petit table
Obeissions
Si mes vers avaient des ailes
Chanson triste
L'Enfant Prodigue: L'annee en vain chasse
De fleurs
L'Enfant et les sortileges: Toi, le couer de la rose
Si tu le veux
Le Nelumbo
Folk Songs Of Brazil: Nigue-nigue-ninhas
Folk Songs Of Brazil: Capim di Pranta
Folk Songs Of Brazil: O kinimba
Folk Songs Of Brazil: Sao Joao da ra Rao
Folk Songs Of Brazil: Engenho Noval
Folk Songs Of Brazil: A Casinha pequenina
Folk Songs Of Brazil: Meu boi barroso
Folk Songs Of Brazil: Ogunde uarere

Amazon.com

Bidú Sayão's silvery, impeccably tuned voice was small in size, but rich in nuance, shading, and emotion. Her recording of the Villa-Lobos Bachiana Brasileira No. 5 is justly famous, unmatched for lightness and sensuality. Few have dashed off the Jewel Song from Faust with similar insouciance or imbued the last phrases of Manon's "Adieu , notre petite table" as touchingly as Sayão does here. Her French song interpretations glow with charm and style, and a previously unreleased snippet from Ravel's L'enfant et les sotilèges makes one regret she never recorded the entire role, Sony's transfers are more lifelike and three dimensional than previous issues. A delectable disc. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

mesmerising.......2007-05-10

I first heard her voice on a Met compilation and became intrigued enough to buy this CD.
I love her voice...its so simple, unfussy and pure and yet so very unique. you know its her from the first few notes on.
I love her Manon, probably more so than Sills or Fleming. Her voice reminds me of De Los Angeles, but is different.
I'm glad I was introduced to this great, stylish and classy singer.

great stuff.......2007-01-24

I don't consider myself much more than a novice when it comes to opera; but I'm a musician, and I'd like to think I know good music when I hear it.

This is good music!

I've only recently become aquainted with Bidu Sayao, but I have to say that all the accolades I've read from the "experts" are well deserved. There is a character that shines through these recordings. And the recordings themselves are warm and pleasant, considering they come from mono shellac sides from another era.

There's something really special about this "vintage" music that seemingly cannot be replicated in modern recordings; an ethereal quality that's hard to explain, clearly belonging to the age from which it came. We are greatly enriched by its preservation!

Brazilian's Soprano.......2005-08-26

Excellent, amazing, recommend.

(excelente para conhecermos melhor uma das mais importantes e conhecidas sopramos de todo o mundo)

The most charming voice you will ever hear!.......2004-07-19

Bidu Sayão is considered the best Brazilian soprano ever and certainly one of the most taltented singers of the 20th century. Do you want to know why? This disc contains some important selections of Sayão's wonderful artistry. It includes arias and songs from French repertoire, in which Sayão is even in our days considered the most perfect example of French singing and style, some lovely Brazilian folksongs and her legendary recording of the Cantilena of Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5. It's a very good selection for every listener, since it shows Sayão's perfect vocal technique and sincere and moving interpretation. We have a joyful "Je veux vivre" as well as a heartbreaking "Adieu, notre petite table". Ah, but the true show here is her Bachianas Brasileiras. I'm absolutely sure you will never hear a better interpretation of this song! Sayão could sing from the most lyric parts and the most wonderful pianissimi to the most incredible coloraturas with no difficulty. Actually, she had exactly what I would call "perfect vocal technique", since it never, I mean, never fails. Her voice was small, but so carefully trained that it amazes me more than many big voices I heard. It's always pure, sweet and charming.

Dont' miss this singer who was maybe the best lyric soprano of the first half of the 20th century. If you are interested in listening to good music sung by a legendary voice, you really need to buy it!

Perfection!.......2003-12-16

There is a tremendous sincerity and perfection present in this CD. The Villa Lobos has attained classic status and should be owned by serious collectors. I have not heard No. 5 surpassed yet. Rosa Ponselle wrote in her biography that Sayao's pianissimi were "unequalled in my experience", the finest she had ever heard. Mind you, Ponselle heard them all including that Spanish Diva that made a career of singing softly. However, in Sayao's voice they have meaning are used to emotional effect superbly. Otherwise, the voice is so finely tuned that this old mono recording often gives a studio effect.

Bravo Madame Sayao!

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