Bernstein: Arias & Barcarolles; Barber: School for Scandal Overture; Gershwin: American in Paris

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Gerard Schwarz leads a scintillating performance of An American in Paris, especially admirable for the way it reveals orchestral detail that usually escapes notice. This version also contains three minutes of music that until now totally escaped notice because Gershwin cut them before the first performance. As heard here, they certainly don't weaken the piece. The playing is bold, colorful, and wonderfully crisp, and--as always when John Eargle is the engineer--it is captured in a recording of ideal spaciousness and high impact. --Ted Libbey

Tracks:

Suzel, boun di...
L'amico Fritz, Atto 2: Tutto tace
Manon, Acte 3: Je suis seul! . . . Ah, fuyez
Toi! Vous! . . . Oui, c'est moi! . . .
Manon, Acte 3: N'est-ce plus ma main
Anna Bolena, Atto 2: Al dolce guidami castel natio
Don Pasquale, Atto 2: Tornami a dir
La Belle Helene, Acte 1: Au Mont Ida, trois deesses
West Side Story, Act 1: Only you . . .Tonight
Il se fait tard . . .
Faust, Acte 3: O nuit d'amour
Louise, Acte 3: Depuis le jour
Les Troyens, Acte 4: Nuit d'ivresse
La Boheme, Atto 1: O soave fanciulla

Customer Reviews:

Poor mix .......2006-02-20

There is no climatic piece in the whole album. It appears it was gathered selections...by that I mean, somebody said "oh let's use this one and this one..." The selections just drift from one to the next and carry little emotional impact on this listener. Yet I love Angela, but Roberto is second rate. Overall, not much on here to remember.

a fine example of two shining opera stars.............2005-10-28

How perfect is it that tenor Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu are a madly in love, married opera couple with voices like angels? I remember when this album first came out in the mid-1990s. At the time, I didn't have a CD player, and their album was a motivation for me to get one, if that says anything about how much I LOVE both of them, as well as the music samples I first heard on NPR.

Alagna's resonance is clear, but, never piercing. Gheorghiu's clean-sounding soprano is expressive, but never shrill, and exhudes a warmth, as well as a softness, when she attacks the really high notes. What sets Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu apart from the pack of young opera stars is their own original, highly energetic and sincere interpretations of popular opera duets, featured here. They include "Tonight" from West Side Story (which I really wouldn't consider opera, but, more an example of musical theatre), and "O soave fanciulla" from La Boheme. I guarantee that listening to this album will make you fall in love with these two wonderful singers.

A musical marriage made in heaven!.......2003-12-01

In the early 1990s I began following the careers of two immensely talented young singers then on the verge of international stardom. The French tenor Roberto Alagna wowed Covent Garden audiences as Romeo and Rodolfo, and had received rave reviews throughout Europe. The splendid Mimi of Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu enlivened an otherwise lackluster 1994 Metropolitan Opera broadcast, and an astounding triumph at Covent Garden as Violetta followed. I had often longed for these two splendid young artists to sing together, and I got my wish in spades when it was publicly announced that they were madly in love - this disc was recorded 6 months before and released in the U.S. 4 days before their real-life marriage. While I and many opera fans are hopeless romantics who are delighted by such things, what really matters is that their VOICES are married. Let's just say that I have heard other singers who are either married or otherwise romantically involved who do not have nearly the rapport that these two people do. They are supremely sensitive to and supportive of each other's artistry and even more importantly, are ultimately the servants of the composer.

Alagna's sweet, warm, earthy tenor and Gheorghiu's velvety, starlit soprano blend so perfectly that it often seems one voice is coming out of two mouths. Nowhere is this more true than on the triumph of the disc, 'Nuit d'ivresse' from Hector Berlioz's 'Les Troyens'. This is a good candidate for the best joint recording they have ever made and is certainly their best individual duet recording. While it is usually sung by a tenor with a heavier voice and a mezzo-soprano, the sheer lyricism of their voices renders this music utterly ravishing - I have never heard this piece sung more beautifully. And how many typical operatic 'love duet' albums would include something this rare? Their 'one voice' quality is also evident in 'Tornami a dir' from 'Don Pasquale', a triumph of heady sweetness, and again, not exactly standard fare. Throughout these selections, and indeed the entire album, we hear superb dynamic sensitivity and gorgeous pianissimo singing, and everything is sung with such dramatic intensity and immersion in character that you think you're hearing a live performance and not a recording. About the only quibble I have is that Alagna's diction in both French and Italian is so perfect that Gheorghiu's comes up a bit short by comparison.

The Cherry Duet from 'L'Amico Fritz' which begins the album is full of sweet affection and wistfulness. In the Saint Sulpice scene from 'Manon', Gheorghiu is irresistibly seductive and tender and Alagna believably torn between Des Grieux's pain at Manon's betrayal and his love for her. Some may actually prefer this version of the duet to the slightly more 'verismo' and less subtle rendition of their complete recording under Antonio Pappano. The Garden Scene from 'Faust', albeit not quite as intense as in their recent Metropolitan Opera performances, is still a triumph of French style, sensitivity, and drama, again with absolutely gorgeous pianissimo singing, this time at 'Eternelle!'. This should be no surprise to anyone who has heard them sing 'Romeo et Juliette'. And, of course, these masters of Gounod's version of 'Romeo and Juliet' also make something special of Bernstein's. I don't believe I've ever heard 'Tonight' more beautifully and musically sung - and as Gheorghiu pointed out in an interview, this is not 'easy' music to sing. The only problem here is that 'West Side Story' is more about Anglo/Puerto Rican culture clash than about family feuds, and so it hurts somewhat that the singers have the wrong (and more importantly, too similar) accents. Nevertheless, their English is clear and understandable, and as usual they mean every word they sing. The disc concludes with a radiant 'O soave fanciulla', where Rodolfo's and Mimi's romance is off to a tender and teasing start.

In addition to the six duets, each singer has two solo arias. Alagna's first is a splendid 'Ah, fuyez douce image', where he not only begins the aria pianissimo, but he makes more of the words than just about any tenor since Georges Thill. He follows this with a rollicking version of Paris' Entrance from 'La Belle Helene'. While not even Alagna can negotiate the B flat octave leaps with the ease of Jussi Bjorling (in his unsurpassable 1938 Swedish-language recording), he has the considerable advantage of native French speech, and a far better appreciation of the piece's humor. Gheorghiu has surpassed her two solo selections since making this recording - the 'Al dolce guidami' on her 'Casta Diva' bel canto disc and the 'Depuis le jour' on her live Covent Garden recital - but these versions demonstrate her ravishing top, command of legato, and extraordinary emotional expressivity.

Richard Armstrong (the music director of the Scottish Opera, who also conducted Alagna's solo debut album) is with his singers all the way and he has the Covent Garden Orchestra play gorgeously . In particular, his molding of the orchestral line and color in the Berlioz is very impressive. Excellent documentation, with full texts and translations, by British vocal collector John Steane. Although this is focused (as it should be) on the music rather than the singers, there is also brief biographical information on both Alagna and Gheorghiu, which none of their subsequent EMI CDs have had.

In short this album is a triumph from beginning to end and an absolute must for any lover of the human voice, absolutely giving lie to the common whine of 'all the great singers are gone forever'. Of course, you'll also have to buy Alagna's and Gheorghiu's complete opera recordings, their equally stunning Verdi duets CD, and too many individual solo albums to count. Almost anything either of these splendid artists do, separately or together, is worth buying and devouring. They're a Golden Age all by themselves!

A Nice Collection, But Something's Missing.......2003-11-09

Since Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu are opera's favorite lovebirds, and real life husband and wife, it is not inconceivable that EMI would release a disk of arias and duets featuring the couple. The disk is reasonably good. It has the standard duets such as "O Soave Fanciulla" from LA BOHEME and "The Cherry Duet" from L'AMICO FRITZ as well as a few lesser known pieces that make the disk interesting. The Broadway stage is also included in a duet from Leonard Bernstein's WEST SIDE STORY. As beautiful as Bernstein's music is, it somehow does not fit in this recording. The two do a reasonably good job, both as soloists and together, but the disk lacks power. The two fail to generate the energy on this disk that the two seem to have on television and in video performances. Their acting abilities surpass many "Golden Age" stars, but their music, while technically good, fails to generate the same excitement as a Corelli--Price, Pavarotti--Freni, or a Callas--Di Stefano pairing would generate. None-the-less, the recording is not bad, and it will certainly be pleasing to fans of the two.

Perfection.......2001-12-06

This is lovely from beginning to end. These two singers really know how to put together a recital CD. It's always satisfying no matter how often I listen to it. The selections they sing are well suited to their voices. It's a pleasure. I can't recommend this CD enough. It's truly a shared program with neither one overwhelming the other. They each get their solo turns and the duets are wonderful.

Renée Fleming - I Want Magic! ~ American Opera Arias

Average customer rating:

All-American Fun
A great listening pleasure. Better than some other selections
I wish I could give more than 5 stars
This music needs a lot less diva
Bringing American opera to the forefront

Renée Fleming - I Want Magic! ~ American Opera Arias
George Gershwin , Carlisle Floyd , Leonard Bernstein , Douglas S. Moore , Bernard Herrmann , Gian Carlo Menotti , Igor Stravinsky , Samuel Barber , André Previn , Metropolitan Opera Orchestra , James Levine , and Renée Fleming
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Renée Fleming
Renee Fleming - The Beautiful Voice ~ Gounod, Lehaair, Orff, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Strauss
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Renée Fleming: Bel Canto
Renée Fleming - Signatures ~ Great Opera Scenes / Sir Georg Solti

ASIN: B00000AFR4
Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

Wuthering Heights: I Have Dreamt
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: The Letter Song
The Medium: Monica's Waltz
Porgy And Bess: Summertime
Porgy And Bess: My Man's Gone Now
Candide: Glitter And Be Gay
Susannah: Ain't It A Pretty Night
Susannah: The Trees on the Mountains
The Rake's Progress: No Word From Tom ... I Go, I Go To Him
VANESSA: He Has Come, He Has Come
A Streetcar Named Desire: I Want Magic!

Amazon.com

Like Dawn Upshaw's The World So Wide on Nonesuch, this program is such an inviting cross section of American opera of the last 50 years, you wonder why more of it hasn't been recorded. Composers include Carlisle Floyd, Douglas Moore, Samuel Barber, and Gian Carlo Menotti, whose childlike "Monica's Waltz" from the otherwise lurid opera The Medium is a highlight. Old favorites are here, such as Gershwin's "Summertime." And new favorites, too: Andre Previn's forthcoming "A Streetcar Named Desire" graciously offers Straussian lushness and bitonal wind-instrument details suggesting Blanche DuBois's mind departing from reality, all sounding remarkably true to Previn's pre-World War II upbringing in Berlin. This dramatically alert arioso isn't so melodically memorable but makes all necessary dramatic points eloquently. Though she performs vividly throughout, Fleming often lets her vocal tone overwhelm articulation of the words--a middling drawback. And comedy is not her thing: Bernstein's "Glitter and Be Gay" is way too hammy. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

All-American Fun.......2007-01-01

I love this CD. It's so incredibly American. It features American lyric soprano Renee Fleming singing American opera arias. Ms. Fleming is capably accompanied by the Met orchestra, America's best opera orchestra, conducted by another distinguished American, Maestro James Levine. The only way this CD could be more American is if it were released on July 4th, with two baseball tickets included. I'm grateful that Decca made this release.

This CD starts out very strong with a gorgeous aria "I have dreamt" from "Wuthering Heights". I've never seen this opera nor heard of this opera. If the opera is half as good as the aria, I would love to see it. Renee cruises through "The Letter Song" from "The Ballad of Baby Doe" with heartfelt interpretation. "Monica's Waltz" is not one of my favorite arias in the world, but Ms. Fleming sings it beautifully.

Here's where we depart, and the reason I gave this CD only 4 stars. First, Renee sings two arias from "Porgy and Bess": "Summertime" and "My Man's Gone Now". Renee's voice is way too rich and lush for these arias. Listen to Renee sing it, then listen to the gold standard, Leontyne Price. You'll see what I mean. Renee's rendition of "My Man's Gone Now" was just way too pretty. The score calls for some extended glissandos, which are supposed to be wails of grief. Renee sang the glissandos beautifully, but no grief was in sight. Her next choice "Glitter and Be Gay" from "Candide" is just not a good choice for her. I think even Renee would tell you that a voice like hers is just not right for Cunegonde. This aria (and role) calls for a smaller voice. [...].

Then Renee reminds me of why I love her in the first place, by returning to two arias from "Susannah", a signature role for her. Her performances of "Ain't it a pretty night!" and "The trees on the mountains" are too good for words. She completely understands this role, and communicates the mood in these arias right through your speakers. Just imagine how good it must be live!

Renee closes with "No word from Tom" (The Rake's Progress), "He has come, he has come!" (Vanessa), and "I want magic! (A Streetcar Named Desire). I wish more opera companies would produce "The Rake's Progress". This is a wonderful opera by an "adopted" American composer, Igor Stravinsky. The aria from "Streetcar" is kind of an odd choice to close this CD, but Renee did premiere the role of Blanche in this Previn piece with the SF Opera. So maybe it's not so strange after all.

Highly recommended for fans of Renee Fleming, and those who need to add some good old American opera to round out their Puccini collections. This is a nice performance record by a woman surely destined to be one of the greatest lyric sopranos in history.

A great listening pleasure. Better than some other selections.......2006-04-05

'I Want Magic' sung by superstar mezzo Renee Fleming, backed by James Levine and his Metropolitan Opera Orchestra follows the same pattern of severa of Fleming's other releases, in that there is one widely known and very familiar piece (Gershwin's 'Summertime' from 'Porgy and Bess') plus many less familiar pieces.

The theme of all the pieces is that they are arias from American operas, all in English. And, I get a lot more from this selection than I do from, for example, her recording of Shubert Lieder. One thing I learn is how totally typical is Leonard Bernstein's piece from 'Candide', which sounds like it stepped right out of a production of 'The Fantasticks'. Gershwin's two great songs, on the other hand, are icons of American music and even Herrmann's movie song from Wuthering Heights makes Bernstein's song sound ordinary.

But, the album is really all about Fleming's realization of these songs, which is simply nothing less than spectacular. While I tend to prefer hearing works 'in situ', Fleming's talent is so great that hearing her do eleven pieces out of context is worth it. The album is also more interesting than the average collection of Lieder in that it has the backing of a major American dramatic orchestra.

Better than average Fleming choice.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars.......2005-09-30

This recording is truly wonderful! I really feel that American composers have written some incredible things. I think that American opera is much better than British opera, with the exception of Benjamin Britten. My favorites on this track are actually all of them, but if I had to choose, I would pick: "No word from Tom" (The Rakes Progress, Stravinsky), "Ain't it a pretty night" (Sussanah, Floyd), "Glitter and be Gay" (Candide, Bernstein), and my absolute favorite "Monica's Waltz" (The Medium, Menotti). This is such a great album. Some of Renee's diction isn't completely clear, but that's opera. In order to acheive a beautiful sound, especially in English, certain vowels need to be altered. ESPECIALLY for the soprano voice. When singing so high, certain vowels and consonants need to be altered a bit. Anyway, it's an incredible album!!

This music needs a lot less diva.......2005-09-18

Renee Fleming has a glorious voice, and there's not a note here that isn't ravishing. Decca's engineers have caught the voice very well, and Levine's conducting is all it could be. The problem? Well, having her sing Summertime and My Man's Gone NOw was a bad idea, not only because both are cliches. Felming has a hard time sounding emotionally natural. She tends to apply her incredible voice with diva-like self-consciousness and play-acted emotion far too often.

Which means that her CD recitals are hit-and-miss. Glitter and Be Gay is a disaster here because she tries to be funny and winds up being self-conscious and embarrassing. But the big aria form Susannah, a role Fleming sings at the Met, is perfect. I expected a lot more adventurousness from this American collection, since Felming is, after all, an American singer. But it's mostly overplayed, like Puccini in English, sobs and all. I enjoyed the voice, but after a while the mannerisms became tiresome.

Bringing American opera to the forefront.......2005-01-20

American opera is not as well-known to many people because it can be complex, both musically and dramatically, and requires amazing vocal technique to sing things that sound simple. Fleming's recording highlights some familiar arias (the Susannah arias, for example) as well as some that are almost unknown. If you are an opera fan, and especially if you want to learn more about American opera, this CD is a great place to start. My favorite: Glitter and Be Gay, from Bernstein's Candide. Wow.

Carreras · Domingo · Pavarotti ~ Favorite Arias by the World's Favorite Tenors

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One Of The Best
outstanding CD and great introduction to these great works

Carreras · Domingo · Pavarotti ~ Favorite Arias by the World's Favorite Tenors
Giacomo Puccini , Gaetano Donizetti , Giuseppe Verdi , Umberto Giordano , Ruggiero Leoncavallo , Jules Massenet , Richard Strauss , Pietro Mascagni , Francesco Cilea , Eve Queler , Lorin Maazel , Emerson Buckley , Michael Tilson Thomas , Sir John Pritchard , Giuseppe Patane , Zubin Mehta , Leonard Bernstein , James Levine , Luciano Pavarotti , Placido Domingo , Jose Carreras , and Ingvar Wixell
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
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José Carreras Sings Catalan Songs

ASIN: B0000027IG
Release Date: 1991-07-02

Tracks:

Fedora: Amor Ti Vieta
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una Furtiva Lagrima
Lucia de Lammermoor: Fra Poco A Me Ricovero
La Traviata: De' Miei Bollenti Spiriti (Domingo)
Rigoletto: Questa O Quella
Rigoletto: La Donna E Mobile
TOSCA: E Lucevan Le Stelle
La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina
Gianni Schicchi: Firenze E Come Un Albero Fiorito
Madama Butterfly: Addio, Fiorito Asil
Pagliacci: Vesti La Giubra
Andrea Chenier: Un Di All' Azzurro Spazio
Andrea Chenier: Come Un Bel Di Di Maggio
Le Cid: O Souverain, O Juge, O Pere
Der Rosenkavalier: Di Rigori Armato Il Seno
Iris: Apri La Tua Finestra!
Luisa Miller: Quando Le Sere Al Placido
Adriana Lecouvreur: L'Anima Ho Stanca
Turandot: Non Piangere, Liu!
Turadot: Nessun Dorma

Customer Reviews:

One Of The Best.......2005-08-07

This album has got to be one of the best compilations in its genre. If you are into male opera singers, specifically tenors, then you should definitely buy this CD. Imagine their hearty expressive voices coming out of your home stereo system. It might make you cry! (in a good way)

outstanding CD and great introduction to these great works.......2000-05-12

These three are amazing and this CD gives you a great introduction to their talent. The music is soothing and relaxing. The Arias chosen for this CD are awesome, however my only complaint would be that most of them are short (2 to 3 minutes). There are few arias that are longer (more than 4 minutes). I found the short arias to be a bit distracting because I'd just start relaxing into a song and then it would be over. Notwithstanding, a great CD and definitely worth owning.

Leonard Bernstein: A Jewish Legacy [Milken Archive of American Jewish Music]

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Leonard Bernstein: A Jewish Legacy [Milken Archive of American Jewish Music]

Manufacturer: Milken Archive
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ellstein: Great Songs of the Yiddish Stage 1 [Milken Archive of American Jewish Music]

ASIN: B0000DD77Y
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

Israelite Chorus - Rochester Singers
Invocation And Trance (From Dybbuk) - Barry Snyder
Psalm 148 - Angelina Reaux
Reenah - Rochester Singers
The First Waltz (Canon) - Barry Snyder
Cha-cha-cha - Barry Snyder
Hora - Barry Snyder
Yevarechecha - Aaron Miller
Halil - Bonita Boyd
Simchu Na - Rochester Singers
Oif Mayn Khas'ne - Jean Barr
Vayomer Elohim - Barry Snyder
Yigdal - Rochester Singers
Ilana, The Dreamer - Jack Gottlieb
Idele, The Chassedele - Jack Gottlieb
Yosi, The Jokester - Jack Gottlieb
Dina, The Tomboy Who Weeps Alone - Jack Gottlieb
Silhouette (Galilee) - Angelina Reaux
Hashkiveinu - Hans Peter Blochwitz

Amazon.com

Leonard Bernstein occupies a unique position in the music world for his protean, multi-faceted talents. His ability to draw on and absorb every cultural influence made him the ultimate eclectic, yet he eventually forged a style that was unmistakably his own. This record, which includes vocal, choral and instrumental pieces, some never recorded, performed or published, demonstrates that his Jewish heritage played a formative, lasting, decisive role in this process. The earliest, Psalm 148 (sung in English), written when he was 17, is steeped in an ultra-romantics style, especially Wagner's; it hardly contains a hint of the later Bernstein, but its innocent sweetness is infinitely touching. The longest, Halil, is a virtuoso piece for flute with piano and percussion, written 1981 in memory of a 19-year-old Israeli flutist killed 1973 in the Yom Kippur War. Also written for specific occasions and friends are Silhouette for Jennie Tourel's birthday and Three Wedding Dances for the marriage of Adolph Greene and Phyllis Newman. Excerpts from longer works include At My Wedding from Arias and Barcarolles, a description of a young fiddler playing for a wedding that is both funny and affecting, sung in Yiddish, a chorus from the ballet The Dybbuk, a section of Concerto for Orchestra. These, like several sacred selections--prayers, invocations, hymns of thanks and praise for various parts of the Service--are sung in Hebrew. The most substantial is Hashkiveinu, a prayer for peace, commissioned by the Cantor of a New York synagogue, for tenor solo, chorus and organ, featuring call and response, cantorial chanting and very daring harmonies and tonal juxtapositions. Bernstein later recycled some of this material for other, very different compositions, like films and musicals, perhaps indicating that he considered this style the connecting thread of his creative life. The performances are uniformly excellent; Réaux, Blochwitz and the pianists stand out. --Edith Eisler

Album Description

"What are the Jewish roots I long for?" wrote Leonard Bernstein as he pondered one of his many Jewish-inspired compositions. This unique collection of rarely heard works—including several world-premiere recordings—reveals many possible answers to Bernstein's question. Triumphal processions, mysterious invocations, intimate Jewish character portraits, rousing dances; all of these musical offerings present the great eclectic imagination of one of America's foremost 20th century composers.

Sumi Jo - Virtuoso Arias ~ Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer

Average customer rating:

I found her
THE BEST!!!!
A Great Showcase For The Great Soprano
Virtuoso Opera Star! The Sumi Jo Album To Own!
Acrobatic singing

Sumi Jo - Virtuoso Arias ~ Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Meyerbeer
Giuseppe Verdi , Gioachino Rossini , Gaetano Donizetti , Giacomo Meyerbeer , Léo Delibes , Vincenzo Bellini , Richard Strauss , Leonard Bernstein , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Young-Ha Yoon , Paolo Olmi , Sumi Jo , Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra , Anne Maugue , and Marius Constant
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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French Coloratura Arias
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ASIN: B000005EDE
Release Date: 1995-02-07

Tracks:

Il Barbiere di Siviglia: 'Una voce poco fa' (Rosina)
La Sonnambula (Act 2): 'Ah non credea mirarti' (Amina)
Lakme (Act 2, Scene 10): The Bell Song (Lakme)
Rigoletto (Act 1, Scene 13): 'Gualtier Maide...caro nome' (Gilda)
Giacomo Meyerbeer: 'Ombres legeres' (Dinora)
Gaetano Donizetti: The Mad Scene (Lucie)
Adriadne Auf Naxos: Zerbinetta's Aria
Leonard Bernstein: 'Glitter And Be Gay' (Cunegonde)
Die Zauberflote: 'Der Holle Rache...' (Queen of the Night)
Boribat

Customer Reviews:

I found her.......2006-12-27

I was looking for a complete recording of Zerbinetta's aria (I still don't know whether I have one, this one is 7 minutes long, 5 minutes were cut from Lucia's mad scene, I thought Zerbinetta's aria was much longer than 7 minutes), I had Gruberova singing it many years ago, but I cannot take her style and got rid of it. Sills (my main reason for buying the DVD) only sings part of it on "Made in America" which was disappointing, as was the entire DVD (all hints and glimpses and snippets, nothing, or very little, complete, very unsatisfying). So damnit just went through Strauss (ick, don't like any of the Strausses) on Amazon looking for the cheapest most likely to be complete recording of this aria and settled on the Sumi Jo. And my god what a jolt! This is the most beautiful new thing I've heard in years! She's another Pons. Good, clear, perfect separation of notes, wonderful range, warm beautiful voice, agile, wonderful Sutherland leaps to the last note of arias. This is it. This is wonderful. Just ordered 2 more of her albums. Should be here in a few days. A reviewer of another of her albums said she can't sing as fast as someone name Kirkby (or something), so immediately looked up Kirkby. Thought I'd found another jewel. Well, no. Kirkby specializes in Renaissance, Baroque and Classical music, mainly religious. That's out. But sigh maybe not. I only went through 3 or 4 or 5 pages of her stuff, then lost interest and stopped. Maybe a Meyerbeer or Donizetti popped up later. I'm not current with the world of music or any other art. No interest. Generally don't like it. And I stick pretty close to Sutherland, Sills, Callas (up to a point), and what Pons I can find. But this album is absolutely wonderful, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes coloratura singing.

THE BEST!!!!.......2005-09-24

No question about it.
Never have I heard such a pure, clean voice.
Perfect colorattura.

A Great Showcase For The Great Soprano.......2004-01-31

Born in Seoul, Korea, Sumi Jo was discovered by the famous and late conductor Herbert Von Karajan. His choices in singers has always been superb- he has been credited for launching the careers of such opera legends as Maria Callas and most recently Cecilia Bartoli. Sumi Jo is a singer of the lyric-coloratura department, but she is equally successfully in spinto, dramatic and bel canto repertoire. Her voice, immediately indicative of sweet youthfulness, passion and stratospheric high notes, can also belt out the long legato phrases of the bel canto operas of Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti. She is "opera fluent" in the languages of German, Italian and French. This album showcases her versatility. It would'nt be called Virtuoso Arias for nothing. These arias are indeed studies in virtuosity for voice. Let's take a look at some of them.

Rosina's Aria From Barber Of Seville: Rossini's Barber Of Seville was the most popular opera he ever wrote. The story tells of the courtship of Count Almaviva and Rosina, with the aid of the clever barber Figaro. Rosini's first aria, "Une voce poco fa" is a beautiful aria which not only shows off a singer's talents but also the character of Rosina herself. She is charming, docile but feisty and fiery. The role of Rosina was written for the mezzo soprano voice. In fact, most if not all of Rossini's heroines were mezzo soprano roles. This is because in Rossini's day, the tenor Manuel Garcia's daughters were employed in the opera and they were both mezzo sopranos. But the allure of Rosina's character has drawn even the most dramatic sopranos, among them Maria Callas. Other interpretors include Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills and mezzo soprano Cecilia Bartoli, who most efficiently sings the role with more closeness to the original Rossini mezzo soprano Garcia girls. Sumi Jo is able to inflect a "mezzo" voice in the singing but she embellishes passages with dazzling coloratura. It's a tour de force from Sumi Jo.

The Sleepwalking Scene From Sonnambula: Bellini's La Sonnambula is a bel canto opera if there ever was one. It was reportedly Queen Victoria's favorite opera. The story is about a beautiful village girl who falls in love, is temporarily estranged from her love but reunited for a happy finale. The Sleepwalking Scene is a close cousin of the Mad Scene. She momentarily loses grip on reality and revels in a hallucination while she sleepswalks across a bridge in the village. The first portions call for a sweet, lyric voice with long flowing lines. Sumi Jo impresses us with this ability. The last portions demand vibrant coloratura. Sumi Jo has the right stuff for this, as has been mentioned. She leaps with her voice, runs through scales and arpeggios beautifully and ends with squillo high notes.

The Bell Song From Lakme: Delibes' Lakme is a beautiful French opera, made famous by the greatest interpretor Madie Mesple. The Bell Song is a showcase for coloratura and for lyricism. Lakme tells the story of the Pariah's daughter, beginning with tenderness and romance, which is complimented with the romantic and exotic sound of the music and finalizes the aria with bird-like coloratura. Sumi Jo's coloratura is decorative and tasteful. She is a coloratura soprano in the tradition of such names as Lily Pons, Roberta Peters and Beverly Sills.

Gilda's Aria From Rigoletto: Caro Nome is a song about love. Gilda, Rigolettos' daughter, has made the mistake of falling in love with the decadent Duke who is disguised as Gualtier Malde, a music student. Gilda's aria expresses innocent love and exuberance. Sumi Jo's voice is perfect for this kind of role. She is young and her voice comes off as young. In addition, Sumi Jo is a beautiful woman. If she trains her voice for it any further, she might become a successful Verdi heroine. Perhaps Desdemona from Othello is next ? Or perhaps the more famous Violetta Valery from La Traviata ? A great aria in Sumi's hands.

The Mad Scene From Lucia is on here and it's delivery is close to perfect. Sumi comes off as tormented, melancholy and grieving. This is preferable to radical hysteria as some sopranos have made the mistake of doing. Her elegant phrasing matches the music and she tops off the scene with coloratura and high notes.

Zerbinetta's Aria From Ariadne: This aria is considered the most difficult aria for a coloratura soprano. Why that is I don't quite understand. The music is beautiful and flowing, as is the voice that Strauss' music was written for. The aria demands breath control and soaring high notes. Sumi Jo is able to do this perfectly, ranking as one of the divas of this type of singing with such names as Kathleen Battle and Natalie Dessay.

So there you have it. This is a must have for fans of Sumi Jo and fans of virtuosic singing. It is a superb album, despite what comments say, most likely from people who haven't even heard the album and how truly great it is.

Virtuoso Opera Star! The Sumi Jo Album To Own!.......2003-10-22

Korean soprano Sumi Jo has established herself as a remarkable and gifted lyric coloratura soprano in recent years. She has a vast following wherever she goes- whether she is touring Europe, performing in American opera houses or singing in her native Korea. Sumi Jo's good looks, winning personality and acting abilities add to her allure. She's almost the equivalent of Beverly Sills in many ways. Her legato and coloratura technique is thrilling. Her vocal embellishments in any coloratura role is exceptional. Plus, as mentioned, she can really act. I first had the privelege to watch Sumi Jo in a live performance at the Los Angeles Opera. She was performing as Olympia, the doll in Offenbach's "The Tales Of Hoffman." In addition to her vibrant coloratura roulades and passages, she was hilarious and easily won the audience. Among her many roles, she has performed as Rosina (Barber Of Seville), Queen of the Night (Mozart's Magic Flute and long considered her signature role), Lucia Di Lammermoor, Gilda from Rigoletto, Zerbinetta, Lakme, and various other bel canto heroines of Donizetti and Verdi as well as her touching performance as Mimi in Puccini's La Boheme. Sumi Jo has made it as a successful recording artist as well.These days, an opera singer with huge star power cannot dismiss the temptation of recording albums, sometimes in coloraboration with other singers or contemporary rock or pop singers. This album features the best of Sumi Jo in appropriately virtuoso arias from bel canto operas. Especially dazzling is her Zerbinetta and Lakme. I urge any fan of Sumi Jo to get this album. Viva the diva.

Acrobatic singing.......2003-04-20

I love coloratura singers and I find that Sumi Jo is one of the best... in this CD we can listen to different kinds of repertoire: from mozart to bernstein to a folk korean song.
in each track she shows her amazing skill in high and clean notes. If you buy ths cd you won't regret: sometimes you will take her voice for a flute for she is incredibly clean and effortless. In Lakmé aria you will listen at the end the best E sovracuto ever heard: it's clean, it's regular in the "vibrato", it starts and ends in the exact moment it should... wonderful. Glitter and be gay it's astonishing: it seems like she never stops climbing on higher and higher!!! Maybe queen of night's aria is a little bit slower than in other records and may sound less incisive, but it's always a pleasure listening to the perfect acrobatic singing of Ms Jo. With Natalie Dessay (who is even higher than Sumi, but less clear) Sumi is the best coloratura soprano of our times, and this CD shows her ability!

All My Heart: Deborah Voigt Sings American Songs

Average customer rating:

Mixed results
Like driving a Ferrari in a school zone.
Stellar Soprano Applies Her Considerable Talent to a Lightning-Quick, All-American Repertoire
May have a heart but what good is it if the artistic results are a void?
Great new context for Voigt

All My Heart: Deborah Voigt Sings American Songs

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Obsessions (Wagner & Strauss: Arias and Scenes)
Sacred Songs
Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski
Plácido Domingo & Deborah Voigt - Wagner Love Duets ~ Tristan und Isolde, Siegfried
My Name is Barbara

ASIN: B000AQACM0
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

The Side Show
Two Little Flowers
Down East
The Circus Band
Berceuse
At The River
The Children's Hour
Piccola Serenata
Greeting
So Pretty
In The Dark Pine-Wood
The Ivy-Wife
The Cloak, The Boat, And The Shoes
I Am In Need Of Music
To The Virgins To Make Much Of Time
This Heart That Flutters
Darkling, I Listen
Bright Cap And Streamers
The Half-Ring Moon
Pierrot
Cleopatra To The Asp
Evening Song
Ah, Love, But A Day
I Send My Heart Up To Thee
The Year's At The Spring

Amazon.com

This collection of American songs spanning 150 years shows Deborah Voigt, one of the world's leading sopranos, in a new light. She successfully achieves the transition from the larger-than-life operatic stage to the intimate world of song, especially in the more outgoing, dramatic pieces. Voigt enters into each composer's style with complete empathy. Charles Ives was an irrepressible maverick and a stylistic chameleon. Voigt captures the songs' hymn-like simplicity and irreverent rambunctiousness, though her voice is a bit too heavy for them. Leonard Bernstein's jazzy irony also needs more lightness, but the slow love songs are done beautifully. Voigt really comes into her own in Charles Griffes's lush impressionism, evoking the sultriness of Cleopatra and the rhythms of a Spanish dance, and Amy Beach's unabashed effusive romanticism. Composer Ben Moore is a child of our own time, born in 1960. He moves between many styles with natural ease. Set to great English and American poetry, some of his songs were written for Voigt, and she sings them to perfection. The splendid pianist Brian Zeger provides both leadership and support. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Mixed results.......2006-02-22

This is an interesting collection of American songs, but I don't feel that Ms Voigt sold these selections to me. She still sounds like an opera singer trying to squeeze a very powerful and large voice into smaller setting for these songs, with mixed success. She is much, much better than many of her fellow sopranos that tried such repertoire, but I feel that she only gets it right in Amy Beach and Griffes songs. And even there, she does not have a sound that would make every song recital fan happy.
And what's with the title of this album? I think she is a classy artist and deserves better than such silly title, her label probably came up with that.
Nice try overall, but I hope Ms Voigt will do more Strauss and Wagner from now on, not more songs like these.

Like driving a Ferrari in a school zone........2006-02-02

Like a lot of big operatic voices, Voigt is hard to capture on CD; her recordings of Wagner and Strauss excerpts are good, but they can't convey the experience of hearing her live in an opera house. And singing with only piano accompaniment, as here, she simply can't use most of the power in her voice. As sensitive as her performances are I can't help feeling that she's having to hold back. For American song sung with more delicacy and grace I would suggest Barbara Bonney or Dawn Upshaw (I can't agree with previous reviewers' suggestion of Cheryl Studer's Barber, though Hampson is wonderful on that set).

Stellar Soprano Applies Her Considerable Talent to a Lightning-Quick, All-American Repertoire.......2005-11-08

It's a shame that soprano Deborah Voigt hit her greatest notoriety last year for being fired by the Royal Opera House for being too fat for the title role of "Ariadne aux Naxos" by Richard Strauss. She subsequently lost eighty pounds but luckily none of her vocal prowess as can be heard to great effect on this intriguing collection of American songs, 25 in all and averaging a little over two minutes each. It would have seemed like a mismatch to apply her powerful voice - famous for her big Wagnerian roles - to sometimes delicate tunes. Voigt, however, confounds expectations with a surprisingly nuanced performance that showcases her interpretative skills on a diverse set of musical styles.

Similar to what countertenor David Daniels did with his 2003 disc with guitarist Craig Ogden, "A Quiet Thing", Voigt and pianist Brian Zeger have created a wide-ranging lyrical repertoire that encompasses significant vocal demands while remaining intimate in setting. In fact, both Daniels and Voigt cover Leonard Bernstein's anti-war lullaby, "So Pretty", with haunting aplomb. She also manages to dance effectively over the "Da-ga-da-ga-dums" of Bernstein's challenging "Piccola serenata". Voigt does wonders with the opening Charles Ives selections by not overplaying the innate sentiment of the tunes, in particular, soaring with the highly dramatic "The Children's Hour" by Longfellow and even covering the churchy warhorse, "At the River", with conviction.

There are eight highly individualistic songs by Ben Moore that stretch Voigt with bountiful results. The standouts of the Moore set are the English sea chantey-like "The Ivy-Wife" by Thomas Hardy, the lushly romantic "I Am in Need of Music" by Elizabeth Bishop; the sweeping "Darkling, I Listen" by John Keats; and the discordant waltz, "Bright Cap and Streamers", by James Joyce. For me, the highpoints of the recording are the last two sets by Charles Tomlinson Griffes and Amy Beach, both of whom tap impressively into Voigt's natural theatricality proven especially by her performances of Griffes's lush "Cleopatra to the Asp" and Bishop's rolling "I Send My Heart Up to Thee".

The one shortcoming of the recording overall is that the briefness of the songs does not really capitalize on Voigt's impressive dramatic capabilities in showcasing changes in characters she would have been allowed in her opera roles. For all the limitations it represents, this is a genuine recital album, and truly transcendent moments are fleeting at best especially given the variety of moods that need to be expressed in lightning-flash strokes. However, taken for the genre it represents, this is a stellar recording to appreciate a singer who is able to do more than Wagner and lose weight.

May have a heart but what good is it if the artistic results are a void?.......2005-10-31

The header says it all. Thumbs down all the way. Get instead the Samuel Barber double set with Cheryl Studer and Thomas Hampson if you wish to experience true heartrending Americana. As another reviewer put it, you get no gimmicks and no camp from these two distinguished artists.

Great new context for Voigt.......2005-09-30

It is great to hear Voigt in an American lieder recital. She is a top vocalist in her vocal prime. I think this is a lovely disc, and it really takes off especially with the songs of Ben Moore who has written many works just for Voigt. She tones down the volume of her sound and reins in the dramatic aspect of her soprano to give these songs a proper context and remains in service of them throughout the recital. Give this one a try! EMI - Release her Marshallin from Der Rosenkavalier, I think it would be wonderful. I know she just took on that role this summer.

Marilyn Horne - I Will Breathe A Mountain ~ Songs of Barber, Bernstein & Bolcom / Martin Katz, Tokyo String Quartet

Average customer rating:

Exceptionally moving
Horne brings these wonderful masterpieces to life!

Marilyn Horne - I Will Breathe A Mountain ~ Songs of Barber, Bernstein & Bolcom / Martin Katz, Tokyo String Quartet
Samuel Barber , William Bolcom , Leonard Bernstein , Marilyn Horne , Martin Katz , Tokyo String Quartet , Kikuei Ikeda , Kazuhide Isomura , Peter Oundijian , and Sadao Harada
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Horne, Marilyn | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000064Y9
Release Date: 1998-03-10

Tracks:

The Daisies, Op. 2 No. 1
A Nun Takes The Veil, Op. 13 No. 1
Bessie Bobtail, Op. 2 No. 3
The Secrets Of The Old, Op. 13 No. 2
Sure On This Shining Night, Op. 13 No. 3
Barber: I Hear An Army, Op. 10 No. 3
Dover Beach, Op. 3
I Will Breathe A Mountain: Pity Me Not Because The Light Of Day
I Will Breathe A Mountain: How To Swing Those Obbligatos Around
I Will Breathe A Mountain: The Crazy Woman
I Will Breathe A Mountain: Just Once
I Will Breathe A Mountain: Never More Will The Wind
I Will Breathe A Mountain: The Sage
I Will Breathe A Mountain: O To Be A Dragon
I Will Breathe A Mountain: The Bustle In A House
I Will Breathe A Mountain: I Saw Eternity
I Will Breathe A Mountain: Night Practice
I Will Breathe A Mountain: The Fish
My House
So Pretty
Greeting
Take Care Of This House
Rabbit At Top Speed
Sonnet: What Lips My Lips Have Kissed
Nachspiel
Dream With Me

Amazon.com

Though Horne is audibly at the end of her long and rich career, she did a good deed for American music with this disc, which consists of songs by Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, and a new song cycle by William Bolcom, from which the disc takes its title. Horne's voice has a quiver, a lack of center, almost as if it refuses to stop singing Rossini (Horne's lifelong specialty). However, it's worth buying for the Bolcom cycle, which is one of his best vocal works, typically an eclectic, natural outgrowth of Bernstein's style with Horne gamely employing a wide range of vocal techniques with more eloquence than one could hope for. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Exceptionally moving.......2003-10-16

This is AMERICAN SONGS at their most moving and emotional best, not to mention with great melody. Unlike a lot of American song literature (not broadway type, but "serious classical art songs"), these songs are actually quite beautiful, melodic, and can touch the heart of the listener easily. There is no strain to enjoy them. There is a bit of "sameness" between them, which is my only complaint about this recording; one piece starts to sound like another, especially if you are not listening carefully while listening. Even then, it is still very lovely.

It has been mentioned that Horne is now far past her prime, and that may be, but even far past her prime she is far better than most singers half her age. There is still vibrancy, life, and depth to her voice. It communicates on a very deep level. Martin Katz, her life long accompanist, is, as usual, a revelation as an accompanist. Unlike people think, the accompanist just doesn't play in the background, he is a very vital part of making a performance work. Accompaning singers is a very new art form, and many performers of earlier ages simply had very bad accompanist. With Gerald Moore we started to have people who knew how to support the singer, actually adding to the performance giving it depth and helping the singer shine. Now we are so used to good accompanist, and are so accustomed to their high level of performance, it is very easy to forget what they add.

Katz knows Horne well, and is fully aware of when she is having troubles supporting a phrase, or when she is in best voice. He gives so much to her awesome performance through his very sensitive way of playing this music.

I would recommend this for anyone to buy: fans of modern art songs, fans of Marilyn Horne, and simply fans of good singing.

Horne brings these wonderful masterpieces to life!.......1999-07-17

Throughout the Barber, Bolcom and Bernstein, Marilyn Horne uses her ability to combine technical definition with artistic movement and expansion. Having had the opportunity to see her perform this literature live was an emotionally elevating experience. The way Horne and Katz have reworked a few of the Berstein pieces brings new life and perspectuve to these already wonderful pieces. I highly recommend this recording for the casual classical listener, as well as, for the student that enjoys learning from a master through their art.

Average customer rating:

The fundamental things apply as time goes by........
Fascinating examples of Bernstein's later work

Bernstein: Arias and Barcarolles

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Von Stade, Frederica | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Bernstein: Arias & Barcarolles; Barber: School for Scandal Overture; Gershwin: American in Paris

ASIN: B000001GMC
Release Date: 1996-07-23

Tracks:

Arias and Barcarolles: Prelude
Arias and Barcarolles: Love Duet
Arias and Barcarolles: Little Smary
Arias and Barcarolles: The Love Of My Life
Arias and Barcarolles: Greeting
Arias and Barcarolles: Oif Mayn Khas'neh
Arias and Barcarolles: Mr. And Mrs. Webb Say Goodnight
Arias and Barcarolles: Nachspiel (Postlude)
Suite from 'A Quiet Place': Prologue
Suite from 'A Quiet Place': Sam's Aria
Suite from 'A Quiet Place': Trio
Suite from 'A Quiet Place': Jazz Trio ('Mornin' Sun')
Suite from 'A Quiet Place': Chorale
Suite from 'A Quiet Place': Postlude to Act I
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story': Prologue - Allegro moderato
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story': 'Somewhere': Adagio
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story': Scherzo: Vivace leggiero
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story': Mambo: Presto
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story': Cha-Cha Andantino con grazia
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story': Meeting Scene: Meno mosso
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story': 'Cool', Fugue: Allegretto
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story': Rumble: Molto allegro
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story': Finale: Adagio

Customer Reviews:

The fundamental things apply as time goes by...............2002-03-27

Leonard Bernstein was a legend in his own time and the music world is less for his absence. But here is a chance to sample the spectrum of this 20th century wonder. From the uncommonly American sound of West Side Story (Symphonic Dances) to the gentle, brooding introspection of Arias and Barcarolles not unlike this composer's mentor Gustav Mahler, we have on one CD a taste of why Bernstein will live beyond his lifetime. Gratefully these works are performed by consummate artists: Michael Tilson Thomas, Frederica von Stade, Thomas Hampson, London Symphony Orchestra. Add this mixture of late life esoterica and prime life showmanship to your collection of Bernstein's many recordings of the symphonic literature and you'll have a glimpse of the fundamental things........

Fascinating examples of Bernstein's later work.......2000-01-27

Arias and Barcarolles was one of Leonard Bernstein's last compositions; in fact, he fiddled with it for much of the last years of his life. A series of loosely connected musical vignettes, it is a fascinating exploration of dark, atonal music he hinted at constantly in all of his earlier work. Fascinating it is, but i cant really say its very enjoyable to listen to. The Love Duet, a fantastically existential song, is a real gem, and Little Smary and Mr. and Mrs. Webb Say Goodnight are also wonderful pieces, made all the better by the performances of Von Stade and Hampson. However, like all atonal music, other tracks get grating, and are worth listening to only as curiosities. The A Quiet Place Suite is another matter. The opera was a late expansion of Trouble in Tahiti, one of his best early pieces; it is labored in the extreme. (Stephen Sondheim once said of this opera that Bernstein had a bad case of "important-itis.") The only passages with any distinction are the ones from the earlier work. Also, this suite is a poorly orchestrated representation of the full score. Then the symphonic dances . . . it is painfully obvious that Bernstein didnt conduct this one. The tempos are all over the map, and the miking is terrible (in the Mambo, the tam-tams overpower the brass section at certain points.) The suite in the reisuue of the original score is far better. All in all, this CD is a valuable one to have; although not very enjoyable, it is very very interesting.

Leonard Berstein Arias & Barcarolles ¿ Songs & Duets

Average customer rating:

Superb Bernstein collection
I hope you like crazyness......

Leonard Berstein Arias & Barcarolles ¿ Songs & Duets
Leonard Bernstein , Michael Barrett , Steven Blier , Judy Kaye , and William Sharp
Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Peter Pan (2005 Studio Cast) - Leonard Bernstein
Songs from the Silver Screen

ASIN: B000001SCZ
Release Date: 1994-04-20

Tracks:

Some Other Time
A Little Bit In Love
Lonely Town
Storyette, H.M.
To What You Said
Carried Away
I Can Cook
Dream With Me
Prelude
Love Duet
Little Smary
The Love Of My Life
Greeting
Oif Mayn Khas'neh (At My Wedding)
Mr. And Mrs. Webb Say Goodnight
Nachspiel (In Memoriam)

Customer Reviews:

Superb Bernstein collection.......2003-12-22

The song cycle "Arias and Barcarolles" was Leonard Bernstein's last completed work. This recording documents the interpretations of the performers from the New York premiere: soprano Judy Kaye, baritone William Sharp, with Michael Barrett and Steven Blier on piano.

The piece is one of Bernstein's most successful concert works. All but one of the texts are in English and are by Bernstein (well, one is attributed to his mother, recreating a bedtime story she used to tell him when he was a child). The exception is "Oif Mayn Khas'neh" ("At My Wedding") for the baritone, from a Yiddish text by the poet Yakov Yitzkhok Segal, which Bernstein set in a way that creates a rather nightmarish atmosphere that you might not expect from reading the poem. Some of the pieces are for just one singer, while others are duets. There is no particularly obvious throughline holding the individual numbers together.

The music is in Bernstein's standard, eclectic concert-music style, with some twelve-tone sections but with other parts in a style not very diffferent from that of his musicals.

The performances are excellent. Judy Kaye has the ability, not often encountered, to sing this kind of music strongly while skillfully and clearly conveying both the words of the text and the feelings behind them. William Sharp matches her with powerful and disciplined performances, their voices blending well when necessary, and there is a palpable sense of communication between them in the duets.

The CD is filled out with songs and duets from musicals, as well as two selections from "Songfest," another Bernstein song cycle. Kaye really shines here, especially in the duet "Storyette H.M." from "Songfest," an exquisite "Dream With Me," and a swinging "I Can Cook Too." Sharp is also very good, if occasionally a little stiff in the musical-theatre songs, but particularly strong in the two selections from "Songfest."

This CD is a winner.

I hope you like crazyness.............2000-05-29

The Arias & Barcarolles were a little wierd. It really has no plot and the music follows up on the wierdness. Now this isn't funny obsurdity as you might think of in such shows as Monty Python. The awkwardness is more of a seriousness. As far as I can tell it appears to be about a couple and thier life; there strange awkward life with music. Be aware too that this entire CD has a piano opposed to an orchestra. This isn't bad. It's just another way to view these songs. The first 8 selections were good selections. Many of these songs will not be found on other highlights, and in then case of Dream with Me, won't even be found in a full length recording of the piece. Dream of Me is a wonderful song. The passion and intense emotion thrown into this work is almost overwhelming. It tops my favorite love song list. I Can Cook is quite jumpy and comical; very broadway-like. The two Songfest songs are deserving of their title. Very catchy tunes. The other On the Town songs are amongst the popular ones you've probaly heard before. A Little Bit in Love displays the mood and emotion of a simple childhood crush. Overall, I must say I do enjoy the first half of this CD more then the Arias & Barcarolles. There are a couple of songs I do enjoy from them like the lovely song about a new born baby.

Arleen Augér ~ Handel - Nine German Arias

Average customer rating:

Wonderful singer. Beautiful music

Arleen Augér ~ Handel - Nine German Arias

Manufacturer: Berlin Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

American Soprano
Haydn - Arias & Cantatas / Auger · H&H · Hogwood
Handel - Orlando / Bowman, Augér, Kirkby, Robbin, Thomas, AAM, Hogwood
Arleen Auger - Handel · Bach Arias / The Mostly Mozart Orchestra · Gerard Schwarz
Handel - Theodora / Peter Sellars · William Christie · Upshaw, Hunt, Daniels, Croft · Glyndebourne Opera

ASIN: B0000035S2
Release Date: 1996-01-23

Tracks:

1. Kunft'ger Zeiten Eitler Kummer - Arleen Auger/Peter Mirring/Dieter Zahn/Gunter Klier/Walter Heinz Bernstein
2. Das Zitternde Glanzen Der Spielenden Wellen - Arleen Auger/Burkhard Glaetzner/Matthias Pfaender/Walter Heinz Bernstein
3. Susser Blumen Ambraflocken - Arleen Auger/Peter Mirring/Dieter Zahn/Gunter Klier/Walter Heinz Bernstein
4. Susse Stille, Sanfte Quelle - Arleen Auger/Werner Tast/Dieter Zahn/Walter Heinz Bernstein
5. Singe, Seele, Gott Zum Preise - Arleen Auger/Peter Mirring/Matthias Pfaender/Dieter Zahn/Walter Heinz Bernstein
6. Meine Seele Hort Im Sehen - Arleen Auger/Burkhard Glaetzner/Dieter Zahn/Gunter Klier/Walter Heinz Bernstein
7. Die Ihr Aus Dunkeln Gruften - Arleen Auger/Peter Mirring/Dieter Zahn/Gunter Klier/Walter Heinz Bernstein
8. In Den Angenehmen Buschen - Arleen Auger/Peter Mirring/Matthias Pfaender/Walter Heinz Bernstein
9. Flammende Rose, Zierde Der Erden - Arleen Auger/Werner Tast/Matthias Pfaender/Walter Heinz Bernstein

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful singer. Beautiful music.......2007-04-17

As usual, A. Auger makes us feel in heaven. Good musicians. Great soprano. That's all...

Track Listings: