A Quiet Thing; David Daniels & Craig Ogden

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
On this record, David Daniels, one of our finest, most sought-after countertenors, adds a wide variety of styles, from Italian bel canto, popular classics, and American art- and folksongs to his signature Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. He appears to be equally at home in all of them, naturally adapting his vocalism, phrasing, diction, and delivery to each idiom, while his uniquely beautiful voice retains its pure, floating quality and intense expressiveness. His astonishing breath control lets him spin and sustain endless phrases; his middle range is dark and warm, his top bright and radiant. (Hearing those ringing E-flats, Es and Fs from a male voice never ceases to surprise.) The program seems aimed at including something for everybody, but reversing the usual route, arrives at the European 15th century by way of the American 20th, opening with John Kander's title song and songs by Alec Wilder, Harold Arlen, and Leonard Bernstein, who is represented by the frighteningly contemporary anti-war protest "So Pretty" and a song from "Mass." Three beautiful Spanish Renaissance songs and three famous English songs by Dowland and Purcell are followed by three luxuriously romantic, intimately caressing ones by Bellini; the program ends with three popular favorites, two American, one French. The only false note is struck by two overly familiar versions of "Ave Maria": Gounod's, a skillful extraction of a fine melody from Bach's C-major Prelude (sung here in D-flat), and Schubert's, a setting of Ellen's prayer from Sir Walter Scott's "Lady of the Lake." Craig Ogden's otherwise excellent guitar arrangements of the original piano and lute accompaniments are less successful here; the texture is too thin to support and sustain the intensity of the music. --Edith Eisler

Tracks:

A Quiet Thing
Blackberry Winter
So Pretty
My Shining Hour
Pampano Verde
Con Amores, La Mi Madre
A La Caza
Come Again, Sweet Love
Flow, My Tears
Music For A While
Vaga Luna, Che Inargenti
Malinconia, Ninfa Gentile
Ma Rendi Pur Contento
Ave Maria
A Simple Song
Ave Maria
Beautiful Dreamer
Shenandoah
Plaisir D'Amour

Amazon.com

On this record, David Daniels, one of our finest, most sought-after countertenors, adds a wide variety of styles, from Italian bel canto, popular classics, and American art- and folksongs to his signature Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. He appears to be equally at home in all of them, naturally adapting his vocalism, phrasing, diction, and delivery to each idiom, while his uniquely beautiful voice retains its pure, floating quality and intense expressiveness. His astonishing breath control lets him spin and sustain endless phrases; his middle range is dark and warm, his top bright and radiant. (Hearing those ringing E-flats, Es and Fs from a male voice never ceases to surprise.) The program seems aimed at including something for everybody, but reversing the usual route, arrives at the European 15th century by way of the American 20th, opening with John Kander's title song and songs by Alec Wilder, Harold Arlen, and Leonard Bernstein, who is represented by the frighteningly contemporary anti-war protest "So Pretty" and a song from "Mass." Three beautiful Spanish Renaissance songs and three famous English songs by Dowland and Purcell are followed by three luxuriously romantic, intimately caressing ones by Bellini; the program ends with three popular favorites, two American, one French. The only false note is struck by two overly familiar versions of "Ave Maria": Gounod's, a skillful extraction of a fine melody from Bach's C-major Prelude (sung here in D-flat), and Schubert's, a setting of Ellen's prayer from Sir Walter Scott's "Lady of the Lake." Craig Ogden's otherwise excellent guitar arrangements of the original piano and lute accompaniments are less successful here; the texture is too thin to support and sustain the intensity of the music. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Star-crossed Crossover.......2007-03-13

There are many fine ways to hear David Daniels -- the Handel arias CD for instance, or the unique and wonderful performance he delivers on the DVD of Handel's Theodora. This CD, as other reviewers have declared, is half wonderful, half awful. "Innocent" music has to be sung by innocent voices. The Berlin Philharmonic can't play mariachi, Mick Jagger can't sing Danny Boy, and David Daniels shouldn't sing Shenandoah.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-01-29

My problem with this disc has nothing to do with David Daniel's singing; rather it has to do with the line-up of songs. Some of them simply do not suit his voice. I really don't want to hear him singing:"My Shining Hour"-"A Simple Song"-"Beautiful Dreamer" or "Shenandoah"; and I'm not really fond of hearing the "Ave Marias". Not that he didn't do justice to them;he did! But the remainder of the selections were perfect for him and I think the contrast between the 2 genre is hard to take. The great songs on the album are great indeed:the 3 songs by Bellini;the 2 songs by Dowland;2 songs by Purcell and Martini's "Plaisir d'amour". I would still buy the album for these songs alone for they are performed with skill and emotion.

Crossing Over in Dreamy Style....David Daniels Scores Again.......2004-08-05

When I realized Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand covered the first two songs on this CD, I had to admit I was a bit worried that "A Quiet Thing" would be one of those crossover albums that famous opera singers need to do to please their management companies. But leave it to countertenor David Daniels to continue venturing into new territory for his rarefied voice type. Although Baroque-loving traditionalists may balk at his choice of repertoire this time, he paints a broad musical canvas along with guitarist Craig Ogden, encompassing American folk, English and Spanish renaissance, Italian bel canto, two versions of "Ave Maria", and even some Tin Pan Alley. This could have been an unwieldy smorgasbord for a lesser singer, but never underestimate Daniels' vocal dexterity, incredible coloratura and superb taste. Daniels and Ogden have really turned this program into a cohesive vision full of simply beautiful music wonderfully realized through voice and guitar - probably the best such coupling I have heard since Kathleen Battle and Christopher Parkening's "Pleasures of Their Company" more than a decade ago.

Standout tracks include Alec Wilder's melancholy "Blackberry Winter", a contemporary piece which ranks right up there with any of Daniels' much-revered Handel arias; John Dowland's "Come Again, Sweet Love", so familiar yet perfect for his voice; the one-two Americana sequence of "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Shenandoah"; and the title track by John Kander, which he sings with a languid quality that adds dimension to its original meaning. Such flights of vocal beauty make one wonder when he will tackle the Sondheim songbook. This is a terrific album, ideal for those who want an introduction to not only the countertenor voice but also the artistry of David Daniels.

Reveries.......2004-04-04

A QUIET THING: Songs for Voice and Guitar is a unique, idiosyncratic, irresistible collection of songs that span from contemporary melodies from Broadway to English lute songs to versions of Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod and Schubert) to American folksongs. And as if this variety of communication weren't enough, these songs are performed by countertenor par excellence David Daniels and the subtle and sensitive guitarist Craig Ogden. Both performers are intensely musical, intuitive interpreters of poetry and melody line and offer popular ballads from the stage of today with as much sincerity as bel canto songs of Bellini and the other-worldly Dowland and Purcell. For those unfamiliar with the countertenor oeuvre then this is a beautiful introduction to that vocal quality. David Daniels is internationally celebrated for his resurrecting the original countertenor roles in Handel operas and his voice has more power on the opera stage in this unfamiliar vocal range than those many regular tenors. Not being a fan of crossover recordings (big opera stars singing Broadway show tunes) I admittedly approached this album with reservation. But listening to these two men changes all that. Here in this aptly titled collection Daniels proves that his soft and quiet range is just as admirable as his 'big role arias'. The collaboration between Daniels and Ogden is clear and pitch perfect and the result is a recital - no, salon - of intimately communicated moments. An album to treasure.

Food for the Soul.......2004-03-02

Having everything from Marylin Manson and The Offspring to Rossini and Offenbach in my CD collection, I'm certainly not a die-hard classical music fan. Driving home one night (stuck in peak-hour traffic) I heard "A Simple Song" (tack 15 from this album) on the radio. It was just so simple, so peaceful and joyous. I had never heard of David Daniels, but I bought the album and have listened to it constantly. It is superb. Even if you think you don't like the counter-tenor (male alto) voice, try this album, you won't regret it.

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