Gluck: Paride Ed Elena

On this CD:

1. Paride ed Elena, opera in 5 acts, Wq. 39
Composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck
Performed by Arnold Schoenberg Choir / Orf Choir and Symphony Orchestra with Franco Bonisolli, Ileana Cotrubas, Gabriele Fontana, Sylvia Greenberg, Peter Jelosits

Tracks:

Ave Maria
Vocalise
Melancholy Rose
L'Heure Exquise
O Del Mio Dolce Ardor
Charmed By A Rose
In The City
Get Off My Land
Dite Oime
Bachianas Brasileiras No.5
Maria's Dream (Instrumental)
Bonus Track

Customer Reviews:

Breathtaking.......2006-12-17

I bought this CD before it was even well-known, though I wonder how many people even know about it right now. This is truly a gem of a find. The fusion of electronica and opera is amazing and the vocals are haunting and beautiful. I have had several friends listen to this CD and all of them fall in love with it, just like I did when I first heard it. I have since bought Operatica: Shine and the more recent Operatica: Christmas Classics and I can truly say I am just as pleased with both follow-up albums. I listen to a variety of music and have a large collection, and this is one of my favourite CDs! Bravo to the creators, composers, vocalist(s) and artists that brought this compilation together.

operatica "o".......2005-09-19

I have this album and think it is unusually beautiful, innovative, a woman with a lovely voice.

Why is she not mentioned or given the credit she deserves, it would appear she is some kind of a secret!

Maureen O'Flynn is only mentioned in the booklet of credits in the jewel case itself, why?
Enter her name in the search in CDNOW and it comes up blank! Why?

First few songs are good, the rest are???.......2004-02-13

First few songs are good, but the rest of the album is no good!

This is the pits. . . the absolute pits.......2003-08-23

Maureen O'Flynn is a perfectly good singer, but whoever thought this "marriage" of opera and pop was a good idea is the same guy that thinks John Tesh is a great composer. People have simply stopped listening seriously to music, and it is a real shame. This recording is for the scrap heap. The accompaniment is cheesier than a big wedge of provolone. There isn't a single live musician in the studio with this young lady. The people who think this is good music are the same ones that aren't bothered by the prospect of a canned sound track in a Broadway show or the "pop stylings" of Charlotte Church. Go out and find some REAL MUSIC, people! It's there if you look. As the great American composer Charles Ives wrote: "Open your ears!"

Adding To My List Of Vices: A Continuation.......2003-05-05

When coupling sounds from two opposing polarities into one another and blending them into the perfect texturization of harmonics, one has to have a few things that fit nicely together in order to succeed. One has to first have a musical stylization that works when placed into an arena that isn't normally associated with its feel, making sure that the seams that could be ripe for the picking aren't taken advantage of. Next, one has to make sure that the voice behind the work, if there is a vocal combination in the work at all, is something that will work smoothly and will not let the vehicle of sense assailment down. Otherwise, the end result is painful and the art, it is merely noise. This is especially true when one is trying to fit a glove on the hand that isn't accustomed to wearing it, making certain that the fit is right and that the end result isn't too rudimentary because something was overlooked.

With Operatica: "O" Volume 1, the components come together fabulously and the seams don't really show at all except on the rarest of occasions (two songs out of eleven by my count, and perhaps that's more beat than anything), throwing a mixture of motions into a vocally moving ocean that would, on many occasions, be seen as items that wouldn't fit together. Here, the beautiful voice of Maureen O'Flynn mixes the operatic sounds I had never truly experienced into a sea of electronic beats, ambient rhythms, speaking pianos, and other vessels to compose the perfect structure. This takes a classical form and introduces it to a world that paints new scenes that couldn't have been painted otherwise, letting its audience ingest a spectrum of thoughts that they wouldn't intake normally. I, myself, was stunned to find that I was instantly addicted to the release, listening to it over and over again and wondering where Opera had been all of my life. Honestly, being a child of electronic music that drifts into heavier organisms of feeling, I never thought I would ever think such thoughts.

Tracks:

Caro mio ben
Lungi dal caro ben
Malinconia, ninfa gentile - Bellini
Qual farfalletta amante - D. Scarlatti
Ad una stella - Verdi
Lascia ch'io pianga - Handel_
Per pieta, bell'idol mio - Bellini
O del mio dolce ardor - Gluck
Star vicino
Se Florindo e fedele
Non t'amo piu
Intorno all'idol mio
La promesa - Rossini
La Capinera
O del mio amato ben
V'adoro pupille - Handel_
Vaghissima sembianza
Ridente la calma - Mozart
Alma del core
Nel cor piu non mi sento

Customer Reviews:

Slow, tuneless, boring........2007-07-13

This, that horrible collection of pop tunes, her prayers and her xmas carols are the Sumi Jo recitals I deliberately did NOT buy. Until the bitter end, I suckered to the reviews, craved some more of that wonderful singing and bought the pop crap and now this. I do not like art songs (except some Mozart), particularly not art songs to a piano accompaniment. If you do (and if you say you do, I'll doubt you), dig in, this is your meat and potatoes. Her voice is beautiful (it always was), the music is not.

Bettered by the real thing.......2007-03-21

I discovered the wonder that is Sumi Jo after I kept remarking to myself "Wow", every-time I played an operatic compilation and this one track came around - same track each time - hers! So, I sought to hear more and bought this CD, for no other reason than it was the only one Tower stocked. Sadly it seems that Sumi Jo is a little slow in receiving her rightful invitation to stand on the main podium. In my opinion, she is about as good as it gets, and certainly has a rightful place alongside the greats of Callas, Horne, Hendricks et al.
Well, what can I say, I love this CD, her voice is fluid and elegant, sharp but not cutting, well formed and with a force that can be projected or held, it's a wonderful CD on so many levels and one I have never grown tired of listening to each morning, what a great way to start the day! As an introduction to operatic arias I would certainly recommend this as I am sure it would surprise and enchant even the most hardened of sceptics who think that "Opera is not for me", or that there was no life after Callas.
This afternoon I was very fortunate to have 5th row seats at her spring recital, here in Japan, and what a truly awe-inspiring performance. A genuine world-class soprano Sumi Jo certainly is. Today's repertoire ran from Handel, Vivaldi, Benedict, Strauss, Bellini to Verdi. Singing comfortably in FOUR languages she delivered a performance that the CD in now way prepared me for. A performance that brought her four encores, numerous standing ovations and thunderous applause from a usually reserved (Japanese) audience. Besides her obvious musical talents I have to say that I found her to be such a marvellously warm and appreciative human being who was genuinely appreciative of her audience and I can't wait to get out there and listen to more of the joy that is Sumi Jo.

Sumi Jo tackles Belcanto.......2006-11-03

Coloratura soprano Sumi Jo delivers another delightful album, focusing on arias and pieces from the Italian chamber music composers (Giordani, Bellini, Rosa, Caldara, Cesti, etc.). While I believe Sumi Jo is better-suited to the French composers (see her album "Les Bijoux" on the Erato label), she proves her mettle here by delving wholeheartedly into a section of opera which a lot of sopranos do find quite difficult, the belcanto pieces are an artform in themselves.

In particular, her readings of "Star vicino" (Rosa), "Alma del core" (Caldara), and "Intorno all'idol mio" (Cesti) are chill-inducing. Supported by Vincenzo Scalera on the piano, the feather-light voice of Sumi Jo glides through these pieces with enviable skill. A beautifully-presented album.

[Erato/Warner Music 3984-23300-2]

A promise fulfilled.......2004-10-28

This collection of famous Italian arias is in my opinion one of the greatest recordings of the decade. Jo finds a new style and colour for each song, be it hauntingly romantic or elegant, poised baroque. One of the most beautiful voices today. Do not miss this at all costs!

Loverly voice, perfect technique.......2003-04-04

I noticed her voice a couple of years ago on TBS TV station live concert in Korean. The applause for her was like thouder storm, and since then I remembered her forever.

There is no doubt about her voice and technique, which is one of the best among her peers today. But even in her best reviewed CDs and live performances, I always felt there is a little regret, which is the lack of passion. Behind her crystallike and gentle voice, I found the music is second to the technical showoff, or maybe I should say she is so perfect techincally that the music content was overshadowed. While, from another perspective, all her CDs can be perfect text books for students.

Gluck: Paride ed Elena
Average customer rating:

Paride ed Elena

The sounds that launched a thousand ships

A Refreshingly Elegant Platform for Fine Singers

Luminous beauty

Gluck: Paride ed Elena

Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances
German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Lamento

Cecilia Bartoli ~ Opera Proibita (Handel · Scarlatti · Caldara) / Les Musiciens du Louvre · Minkowski

Vivaldi: Bajazet [Includes Bonus DVD]

Handel: Radamisto

Gluck - Armide / Delunsch, Workman, Naouri, Podles, Beuron, Polegato, Kozená, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski

ASIN: B00099BPN8
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Tracks:

Overtura: Moderato Con Espressione/Allegro
Non Sdegnare
O Del Mio Dolce Ardor
Ballo (Andante)
Dall'Aurea Sua Stella/Ballo (Andante)
Spiagge Amate
Strainer, La Mia Regiona A Te M'Invia
Ma, Chi Sei
Felice Te
Nell'Idea Ch'Ei Volge
Ballo: (Allegro)
Ballo: (Andante)
Ballo: Maestoso
Ballo: Amabile Moderato
Ballo: Allegro
Si Presenti
Regina!
Forse Piu D'Una Belta
Tutto Qui Me Sorprende
Le Belle Immagini
Sinfonia: Maestoso
Prence, La Tua Presenza
Dalla Reggia Rilucente Scendi A Noi
Negli Strali, Nell'Arco Possente
Ballo: Aria Per I Atleti, Spiritoso
Non Piu
Lodi Al Nume
Per Te, Signor
Quegli Occhi Belli
Non Piu! Misero
Fingere Piu Non So

Tracks:

Sinfonia: Maestoso
Ballo: Chaconne/Gavotte/Chaconne
Temerario!
Vengo, O Regina!
Ah, Lo Veggo
Non Lontana
Si, Spietata
Di Te Scordarmi, E Vivere!
Lo Temei
Lo Potro
Elena A Me S'Asconde!
Donzelle Semplici
Consolati, O Regina
Opportuno Giungesti
T'Inganni, Il Tuo Destino
Va Coll'Amata In Seno
Che Udii?
Sempre A Te Saro Fedele
Sinfonia: Andante
Sinfonia: Allegro
Altri Mai Da Ignota Sponda
Vieni Al Mar
Presto Fugge La Belta
Sempre A Te Saro Fedele
Vieni Al Mar
Sinfonia: Andante
Sinfonia: Allegro
Vieni Al Mar
Altri Mai Da Ignota Sponda
Vieni Al Mar
Presto Fugge La Belta
Sempre A Te Saro Fedele
Vieni Al Mar

Customer Reviews:

Paride ed Elena.......2006-10-03

George Bernard Shaw said of Gluck (1714 -- 1787) that "the man is a great master". Shaw's dictum receives more and more corroboration, if any is thought necessary, with every release of a new recording of Gluck. This 2005 recording of Gluck's rarely-performed 1770 opera "Paride ed Elena" is a revelation indeed. Paul McCreesh conducts the Gabrieli Consort, on period instruments, and Gabrieli Players. A cast of four sopranos in the lead roles provides an inspiring listening experience.

Gluck was one of music's great reformers. In a series of three operas written for performance in Vienna with librettist Ranieri de'Calzabigi, the composer tried to strip down the florid style of opera of his day and to create works in which music and text combined for dramatic effect. In his musical programme, Gluck was a predecessor of Hector Berlioz, his great admirer, and of Wagner and Hugo Wolf. The two earlier Gluck-Calzabigi collaborations, Orfeo, and Alceste, are better-known than the third "Paride ed Elena". But this work is their equal.

The five-act Paride ed Elena tells the story of Paris's wooing and winning of Helen, then of Sparta, following his judgment in favor of Venus in the famous beauty contest of the goddesses. Paris's abduction of Helen, of course, became the cause of the Trojan War, but Gluck downplays this consequence for most of his opera. He focuses instead on the power of love and passion in both of his primary characters. Soprano Magdalena Kozena sings Paris in an appropriately impulsive, romantic style, while Susan Gritton, as the initially reluctant Helen, displays both coyness and the power of love and eros when it is awakened. Carolyn Sampson sings the part of Cupid, who appears in the opera in disguise as Erasto, a page of Helen's and functions as a go-between to promote Paris's suit. Gilian Webster makes a stormy appearance as the spurned Pallas Athena, foreboding the conflict between Greece and Troy at the end of the opera.

This opera is full of lovely music for orchestra, chorus, soloists and ensembles. Ir includes several extended ballets in the first and second act which would be a joy to see with dancers. Gluck wrote the recitiv sections for full orchestra, and McCreesh thus does not add a continuo accompaniment. The recitives blend seamlessly into the arias, giving a dramatically effective flow and minimizing the "statuesque" interpretations of Gluck found in some recordings. Many of the choral passages, and recitivs as well, are interspersed with melodic material and solos.

In a key scene of the opera, Paris accompanies himself on the lyre in a lovely, flowing melody in one of his first attempts to win Helen's heart. This scene reminded me of the related moment in Orfeo, when Orfeo sings with his lute to tame the furies of Hades. Paris has a number of exquisite love songs in addition, including "Le belle immagini" in Act II. Helen has several sharp arias in which she tries to rebuff Paris, including "Forse piu d'una belta (track 18, Act II) and her duet with Paris "fingere piu non so" (track 31, Act II). Helen weakens in her resolve to resist Paris in "Lo Portro" (track 10, Act IV), sings a stormy aria of men's betrayal "Donzelle simplici" (track 12, act IV), and ultimately surrenders to her feelings just before the appearance of Pallas Athena. The opera ends in a moment of peace and triumph as the new couple sail to Troy.

This recording of Paris ed Helena won deserved critical acclaim when it was released in 2005. I am pleased that it has attracted excellent reviews on this site from knowledgeable and devoted music lovers. Paul McCreesh and DG have done a great service in making Gluck's beautiful and lyric opera available to a wide public.

Robin Friedman

The sounds that launched a thousand ships.......2006-05-09

For several years, I looked at my Gluck recordings with dissatisfaction. I had two recordings of the Paride ed Elena, but neither was first-rate. They suffered either from stodgy conducting or from un-stylistic singing, and both failed to take flight with superb performances to enthrall me. Yet... they were the only two recordings of this opera.

When I saw this new recording, I could feel my breath catch in my throat. The line-up looked fantastic - Kozena and Gritton in the two lead roles, and Sampson in the smaller but important role of Amore! And listening to the recording was as blissful as I'd hoped.

The star of this recording, for me, is Magdalena Kozena. She is ardent, youthful, passionate and irresistible. Her voice has a quality that is difficult to describe - that sound which is often found in Slavic voices of the lighter type. It is not sourness, nor yet is it pain. It is not sorrow, nor tension. It is some astringency that shimmers with beauty and adds a literally terrific quality to the timbre, ensuring that Kozena's voice will not be mistaken for another's. It is a lovely voice, unique and obviously utilised with a great deal of intelligence and well-utilised drama.

Susan Gritton, a favourite singer of mine, is ravishing as the Elena. Her voice is a full-bodied Handelian lyric sound - that is, pure, rich, not overbearing, with a creaminess and purity not often found. It's a voice of considerable range, outstanding beauty, and superb flexibility. With a voice of this quality, it is hard to understand why Ms Gritton is not a household name. She is the finest Handel singer I've heard, and singing Gluck is no less ideal for her.

Carolyn Sampson as the Amore suffers a tad in contrast to these two outstanding singers. She seems to have lightened her voice considerably to sing this role, which is odd - her voice is already a lovely light lyric soprano. I wouldn't have thought it necessary for her to lighten her sound. At any rate, she is charming and often beautiful in the role, but I have heard her sing much more beautifully - in the complete Vivaldi sacred works produced by Hyperion, for instance.

The playing and conducting are magnificent. There is a gracious and elegant spaciousness in this performance which strike the listener as close to ideal as one could wish.

The recording has swiftly taken its place among my favourites. I unhesitatingly recommend it as an exquisite and suprisingly emotional recording of a very beautiful opera indeed.

A Refreshingly Elegant Platform for Fine Singers.......2005-06-22

Gluck is a composer of the late 1700s whose continuing fame rests on his operas 'Orfeo ed Eurydice', 'Alceste' and 'Iphigenie en Tauride', vehicles that require little staging and are usually included in the repertoire for showcasing exceptional singers. Now along comes 'Paride ed Elena" (Paris and Helen) and voila! - more of the lovely pure music this composer wrote so very well.

The plot of the opera is negligible - just the usual Paris/Helen/Troy story - but the writing is quite beautiful. Paul McCreesh conducts the Gabrieli Consort and Players in the style of the period and renders a transparent, beautifully embellished accompaniment for the soloists. Magdalena Kozena continues to impress with her silvery, well-focused voice in the role of Paris with Susan Gritton a light but effective Helen. The Amore (Cupid) of Carolyn Sampson finds just the right playful sound that lends this all female cast a nice balance.

Repeated listenings to this very fine recording will probably result in placing at least two arias ('Le belle immagini' and 'O del mio dolce ardor') in the same category as the 'Che faro' from Orfeo - as performed in the capable singing of Kozena. Though this is not a 'big dramatic' opera, it is a beautiful chamber piece and in the hands of this group of singers and players, 'Paride ed Elena' comes off as an important addition to the baroque repertoire. Recommended. Grady Harp, June 05

Luminous beauty.......2005-06-14

Gluck's fortunes have risen dramatically over the last decade, with new recordings of almost all his major operas and a few rarities too. "Paride ed Elena", his third and least known Italian "reform" opera, written for Vienna in 1770, is aptly described by Paul McCreesh in the booklet to this new recording as "buried treasure". The opera's relative lack of popularity might be due to the unusual plot. In many ways, "Paride ed Elena" is the polar opposite of Gluck's more famous musical dramas, which are tragic in feeling even if they have happy endings. The tone of the libretto is light and ironic, telling the story of the Trojan prince Paris' visit to Sparta to abduct the Greek princess Helen. Amore (Cupid) plays as big a role as he does in "Orfeo" in bringing the lovers together, but here he comes across as a cheeky, rococo matchmaker. The drama, such as it is, hinges on whether Helen will give in to Paris' seduction and, whatever her hesitations, we're never in much doubt what her final decision will be. Ironically, only in the ending is there any hint of tragedy. The goddess Pallas Athena appears descending on a cloud and angrily announces, not the usual happy resolution of the story, but the great disaster of the Trojan War which will result from Paris and Helen's elopement.

The opera might be virtually unknown but its music has gradually been seeping into public consciousness. In recent years arias from "Paride" have appeared with increasing frequency on opera recital discs, not least Magdalena Kozena's own "Le Belle Immagini" which took its title from one of the finest numbers here. Now we get a chance to hear them in context. From the plot summary, it's clear there's not much dramatic tension but there is plenty of eroticism. "There is a seething passion in 'Paride ed Elena'," says McCreesh, " and it hits all the harder for being understated." His reading reflects that understatement. Magdalena Kozena has a beautiful but delicate voice and she makes a rather restrained Paris, youthful but inward, most at home with the contemplative "Le belle immagini".Susan Gritton's singing is not always so mellifluous but her Helen is more passionate. Carolyn Sampson makes a pretty Amore. McCreesh's conducting tends towards the static; maybe because this was the result of an unstaged performance, it often verges on oratorio. Marc Minkowski might have given us a more dynamic - if wayward - reading and, for my money, no Gluck conductor today can compete with John Eliot Gardiner, who - it must be said - does have the advantage of almost thirty years' experience performing this composer. But the playing of the Gabrieli Consort is excellent and what McCreesh does very well is to bring out the luminous beauty of the score, which contains some truly wonderful moments, as anyone who has heard "Le belle immagini" or "O del mio dolce ardor" might expect. Paris' aria "Quegli occhi belli" is equally fine, a virtuoso seduction piece, accompanied by the harp like Orfeo's invocation to the Furies. The grand finale is another highlight, bringing back music heard in the overture to stunning effect This probably shouldn't be your first Gluck opera. Newcomers would be better to start with "Orfeo", "Iphigenie en Tauride" (Minkowski) and "Alceste" (Gardiner). But anyone who has become addicted to the composer's "beautiful simplicity" will have to have this fine new recording.

Anne Sofie von Otter - Opera Arias (Mozart, Haydn, Gluck) / Pinnock

Average customer rating:

A real gem on a great recording.
FANTASTIC!!! AN 18th CENTURY VOYAGE
A Charming Disc

Anne Sofie von Otter - Opera Arias (Mozart, Haydn, Gluck) / Pinnock
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Franz Joseph Haydn , Anne-Sofie von Otter , The English Concert , Paul Goodwin , Jane Coe , Anthony Robson , Anthony Halstead , and Colin Lawson
Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Otter, Anne Sophie von | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

For the Stars
Cecilia Bartoli - Gluck Italian Arias ~ Dreams & Fables
The Inner Voice : The Making of a Singer

ASIN: B000001GWW
Release Date: 1997-06-10

Tracks:

Opera Arias: 'Voi che sapete' Le nozze de Figaro
Opera Arias: 'Oh, del mio dolce ardor' Paride ed Elena
Opera Arias: 'In quali eccessi ... Mi tradi' Don Giovanni
Opera Arias: 'Non vi turbate' Alceste
Opera Arias: 'Dunque sperar poss'io - Il tenero momento' Lucio Silla
Opera Arias: 'Dolce d'amor compagna' La finta giardiniera
Opera Arias: 'Una donna como me' Il mondo della luna
Opera Arias: 'Ad un sguardo' Orlando paladino
Opera Arias: 'Batti, batti, o bel Masetto' Don Giovanni
Opera Arias: 'Vedrai carino' Don Giovanni
Opera Arias: 'Che puro ciel' Orfeo ed Eurideice
Opera Arias: 'Che farnza Euridice?' Orfeo ed Eurideice
Opera Arias: 'Deh socorri un'infelice' La fedeltremiata
Opera Arias: 'Ecco il punto - Non pifiori' La clemenza di Tito

Customer Reviews:

A real gem on a great recording........2007-02-27

I have to tell you how horribly upset I was to have this CD stolen from me by my friends (who dared not admit it!)
I bought this together with Ms. Bartoli's "Arie Antique". I love both discs to death.
Ms. von Otter has a very different timbre from Ms. Bartoli. However, in terms of singing, both artists were at their absolute peak in those two discs.
My favorite song on this disc, Gluck's 'Oh, del mio dolce ardor bramato oggetto', though also an Italian 'antique' composition, was NOT on Ms. Bartoli's disc. Ms. von Otter sung it with such soul and voice that I really wonder (increasing more so these days) if Ms. Bartoli could be as good!
I heard both their 'Voi che sapete', and must say that I preferred von Otter's, though Bartoli gave an almost equally good interpretation in her own Mozart album.
Having reacquired this lost album recently, I would add that Ms. von Otter's interpretations in the rarer Mozart operatic works are a real wonder. Compared with Ms. Fleming's Mozart album wherein contained a number of Mozart's rare works, the singing of Anne Sofie von Otter clearly is of a much more convincing standard. As the singer herself puts it: 'On passionate women and moustaches', undoubtedly this disc demonstrates the full musical capability of hers in both genres to a fascinatingly high standard.

FANTASTIC!!! AN 18th CENTURY VOYAGE.......2001-04-23

AN EXCELLENT VOICE! AND A VERY WELL THINK REPERTORY. I REALLY HIGHLY RECOMEND THIS BEAUTIFUL CD EITHER IF YOU LIKE THE GREAT VOICE OF VON OTTER OR THE CHARMING ARIAS OF MOZART, HAYDN AND GLUCK.

A Charming Disc.......1999-03-05

This collection finds Von Otter at top form and paired with a very sympathetic accompanist. (Would that Pinnock did more vocal pieces, his Haydn Mass is also lovely.) While I am not usually a fan of the scattershot recital approach, this one works. If you like either Von Otter (and how could you not?) or Pinnock, this disc is self-recommending.

Susan Graham - Mozart & Gluck Arias ~ Il tenero momento

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Voice, Great Selection
Extremely competent but not a permanent addition
An album that is very dear to my heart
Bland & Sleepy
Another American Singer That Shines

Susan Graham - Mozart & Gluck Arias ~ Il tenero momento
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Susan Graham , Harry Bicket , and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Susan Graham ~ Berlioz - Les nuits d'été
Susan Graham - La Belle Époque (The Songs of Reynaldo Hahn)
Susan Graham at Carnegie Hall
Artist Portrait: Susan Graham
Poèmes de l'Amour

ASIN: B000056BEZ
Release Date: 2001-02-06

Tracks:

Paride Ed Elena: Oh, Del Mio Dolce Ardor
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Non So Piu Cosa Son, Cosa Faccio
La Clemenza Di Tito: Parto, Ma Tu, Ben Mio
Iphigenie En Tauride: Non, Je N'espere Plus... O Toi Qui Prolongeas Mes Jours
Iphigenie En Tauride: O Malheureuse Iphigenie!
Iphigenie En Tauride: Non, Ect Affreux Devoir... Je T'implore Et Je Tremble
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete
La Clemenza Di Tito: Deh, Per Questo Istante Solo
Orphee Et Eurydice: Qu'entends-je? Qu'a-t-il Dit?... Amour, Viens Rendre A Mon Ame
Idomeneo: Non Ho Colpa
Orphee Et Eurydice: J'ai Perdu Mon Eurydice
Lucio Silla: Dunque Sperar Poss'io... Il Tenero Momento

Amazon.com

The "tender moment" of this collection's title comes from a stunning scene in an opera Mozart wrote as a teenager, Lucio Silla. It refers to the heightening of sensitivity and expectation that love, above all else, instills. But the Mozart example (with which the album ends) might also be taken as a metonym for the way in which the most powerful emotions, including love in all its guises, from ardor to lament, can intensify the moment. It's a process that opera itself tries to replicate through the wonderful alchemy of music, text, and character. In her second recording for Erato (following the extraordinary Ned Rorem anthology), American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham focuses on the "tender moment" as depicted by Mozart and Gluck. These two masters of opera aren't often paired, though each in his highly distinct, individual way insisted on elevating the genre beyond the level of frivolous entertainment and display that the century they shared found so tempting. Graham's program of six scenes from each suggests some striking moments of common ground in terms of the larger classical aesthetic, though the success of the whole enterprise is mixed. Certainly, Graham makes a case for the radiant beauty of Mozart's opera seria writing (her own operatic debut was in Lucio Silla), which still tends to be undervalued--as though it were simply a case of the composer being enchained by excessive genre "conventions." There's a magical balance between form and content, substance and decoration in "Parto" from La Clemenza di Tito (notable enough for Antony Pay's melting basset clarinet obbligato), and in the lengthiest selection (the last one, from Lucio Silla), though Graham here exposes the instability of her lowest register.

But to whatever extent Mozart and Gluck might intersect in sensibility, the latter conjures a remarkably different universe when he depicts love's loss and abandon. Somehow the scenes from Iphigénie and, especially, Orphée et Eurydice (in its French version here) don't register as stylistically different enough and they lack that strange, altogether Gluckian combination of objective purity with emotional extremity. And as Mozart's adolescent Cherubino, the kind of intensity that Graham conveys so convincingly on stage comes across a tad too contrived. On disc alone, not all of the selections can capture the spell Graham typically casts in live performance through her combination of singing, "emotional intelligence," and stage presence. Still, it's an intelligent program, and Graham has proved to be a winning exponent of period performance style (as in 2000's superb Alicina). The match here with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is a happy one. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Voice, Great Selection.......2007-01-10

This is one of the best vocal CDs released in the last several years. If you don't know Susan Graham's gift, this CD is the best introduction. I'd also recommend it if you're not especially an opera fan, but are interested in a very listenable introduction to top-notch singing. I've listened to this over and over, and have not filed the CD away for months.

The balance of material between Gluck and Mozart works surprisingly well. Graham eschews the showy and flashy, yet sings with extraordinary power and passion. The accompaniment is excellent, never getting in the way. The recording is almost perfect.

In short, a pleasurable CD that will improve the quality of your life.

Extremely competent but not a permanent addition.......2004-12-16

Very well-focalized, and an evenly produced sound (granted, there is no special color, nor low register) --- but the problem is the anonymous quality of the interpretations. If you want to truly understand Iphigenie's predicament in her aria 'O malheureuse Iphigenie', seek Janet Baker. Not a generalized torment beautifully sounded -- but a moment of tormented grandeur.

An album that is very dear to my heart.......2002-07-22

First my Dad dies unexpectedly and the September 11th attack happens two weeks later. A very unhappy and distressing time in my life. I spent much of this time alone at my parent's home sitting in their big garden on Sunday afternoons listening to this CD and drinking some wine. It helped me make sense of the world around me and my own world at the time - beauty and truth continue to exist even after the worst happenings. "Ô malheureuse Iphigénie!" perfectly reflected my feelings at the time.

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is fabulous, expressive and colourful - you'd never want to hear this music on modern instruments again after hearing them! Susan Graham's voice is expressive and has much pathos - without ever becoming melodramatic.
The repertoire is well selected and there is a very tasteful blend of known and less well known arias. I hope that Ms Graham makes another CD with the OAE again soon! I could stand another disc like this one!

This disc is also the perfect disc to buy with the Cecilia Bartoli Gluck disc. Ms Bartoli tackles Gluck's earlier opera seria arias - while Ms Graham mainly delves into the later reform opera arias - as well as some Mozart. I cherish both discs.

Please consider this CD for your collection.

Bland & Sleepy.......2002-01-02

I enjoy Susan Graham in performance and on CD (her Ned Rorem CD is excellent). This time I was disappointed by the bland and nearly featureless impression this left me with. It is pablum start to finish to my ears. And too...her weak lower register is exposed unflatteringly in this repertoire.

For a study in opposites, try Ewa Podles in the same repertoire and buckle yourself in for the ride.

Another American Singer That Shines.......2001-12-23

Susan Graham has wondeful mezzo voice and she has choosen a repertoire that suits it to a tee. Her creamy and pure tone illuminate the Gluck and Mozart arias in a such beautiful way. If you enjoy this you may want to try her recording of the Berlioz les Nuits d'ete, another group of songs that suit her voice so well. Ms. Graham represents along with Renee Fleming and Ruth Ann Swenson the best of the new American opera singers.

Average customer rating:

Which Hofmann?
Not to be missed
Good for collectors, but not for samplers
Dynamo of the Piano
An interesting listening study

Josef Hofmann

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polonaises | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Nonets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Andrei Gavrilov
Claudio Arrau 3 (III) (Great Pianists of the Century series) - Chopin / Debussy / Granados / Liszt / Mozart / Schubert (2 CDs)
Rudolf Serkin
Benno Moiseiwitsch
Samson François

ASIN: B00001X5AD
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Tracks:

D. 733: Marche militaire No. 1 In D
Erlkong
Lieder ohne Worte, Op. 19: 'Hunting Song'
Lieder ohne Worte, Op. 62: 'Spring Song'
Polonaise in A, Op. 40 No. 1 'Military'
Valse - Caprice In E flat
Fantasiestucke, Op. 12 No. 3: Warum?
Liebestraum No. 3 In A flat
Etude No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 120
The Sanctuary
Lyric Pieces, Op. 43: Butterfly
Lieder ohne Worte, Op. 67: The Bee's Wedding
Capriccio espagnole, Op. 37 (Abridged)
Minuet celebre In G, Op. 14 No. 1
'Annees de pelerinage': Tarantella
Waltz In E Minor, Op. Posth.
Waltz In A Flat, Op. 34 No. 1 'Valse brillante'
Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14 (Abridged)
La jongleuse, Op. 52 No. 4

Tracks:

Fantasie - Impromptu In C Sharp Minor, Op. 66
6 Chants polonais de F. Chopin: The Maiden's Wish
Berceuse In D Flat, Op. 57
Valse gracile
Birds At Dawn, Op. 20 No. 2
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 In C Sharp Minor
Etude de concert No. 1 : Waldesrauschen
Paride ed Elena: Gavotte In A
Polonaise No. 3 In A Op. 40 No. 1 'Military'
Pastorale e capriccio
Mignonettes: Nocturne
Waltz In C Sharp Minor, Op. 64 No. 2
Nocturne In F Sharp, Op. 15 No. 2
Prelude In C Sharp Minor, Op. 3 No. 2
Prelude In G Minor, Op. 23 No. 5
Melody In F, Op. 3 No. 1
Scherzo In B Minor, Op. 20 (Abridged)
Die Walkure: Magic Fire Music
6 Chants polonais de F. Chopin: My Darling
'Die Ruinen von Athen': Turkish March

Amazon.com

Before he became the brilliant and charismatic virtuoso to whom Rachmaninov dedicated his Third Piano Concerto, Joseph Hofmann was a child prodigy. He was also the first pianist ever to make a record: in 1888, at age 12, he sat on Thomas Edison's lap and played into a prototype of the cylinder machine. That was a year after his New York debut at the old Metropolitan Opera house had caused general amazement among the public and the critics, but had also brought the wrath of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children upon the heads of his promoters. A wealthy New Yorker put up $50,000 (the equivalent of at least half a million today) to see that young Hofmann was educated rather than exploited; he was sent off to study with Anton Rubinstein in Dresden, and made his adult debut in the U.S. at the acceptable age of 22. By then, he was a finished pianist, capable of producing cascades of notes with his small hands (Steinway built a grand with slightly narrower keys just for him) as well as extraordinary effects of color and delicacy. His virtuosity was all the more hair-raising for its elegance and seeming effortlessness.

One gets a good idea of all that from this sampler of Romantic miniatures and encore pieces recorded between 1903 and 1923 (mainly 1916-23), in rather primitive but nonetheless revealing sound. Hofmann's unerring sense of line and pace are much in evidence, but so are his pronounced rubato and, in certain selections (like Rubinstein's Valse-caprice in E flat), more than a few slips and wrong notes--the price one paid for being engaged with the music and taking chances. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Which Hofmann?.......2004-09-06

Hofmann - particularly late Hofmann - may be an acquired taste.
Despite having been the protégé of Anton Rubinstein, "the wonderful boy" was recognized from quite an early age as the exemplar of a modern style of playing - textually faithful, eschewing swooning or bombast. (See, for example, the references to Hofmann in Henry Lahee's wonderful survey from 1900, Famous Pianists of Today and Yesterday.)
Still, a number of younger colleagues expressed ambivalence. Horowitz was floored by Hofmann's keyboard command - everyone was - but he, Artur Rubinstein and Arrau, to name just three - seem not to have been terribly moved by Hofmann's musicianship.
But which Hofmann are we considering? His playing for the gramophone - as early as 1903 and as late as 1935 - was as disciplined as it was imaginative and dazzling. The late Harold Schonberg called it "perfection plus."
However, as Gregor Benko makes clear in his essays for the Marston reissues, Hofmann switched on what the pianist called a "spectacular" style for many public performances. This may sound cynical. Often it sounds terribly cynical. Hofmann was not speaking merely of the need to project in a large concert hall. In public performance - at least those performances we have from the late `30s and early `40s - the aristocrat often becomes a mountebank, lurching from the softest pianissimos to explosive fortissimos, rattling off passages or entire pieces even faster than Simon Barere boasted he could do.
Schonberg - and Hofmann's friend and admirer Rachmaninoff - reminded us that during this period Hofmann had many personal troubles, including a severe drinking problem. We must believe that at his greatest Hofmann played as scrupulously and with as much refined feeling in public as he did on many of his studio recordings, though his manner may have differed somewhat. And there are some marvelous live performances. The Rubinstein 4th from his Golden Jubilee concert beggars description.
So where does that leave us? As an introduction to Hofmann, I would recommend the early Columbia recordings, those he made somewhat later for Brunswick, and the American and British test pressings from 1935 - perhaps his greatest recorded playing. These are Volumes 3, 4 and 5 of the complete Hofmann series.
This Philips compilation draws from the earlier commercial recordings. It's a fine, economical introduction, but I would go for the Marstons. They are complete, the transfers are better, the notes superb, and the company is well worth supporting. Serious listeners will also want the ups and downs of the Golden Jubilee (Volume 2). The Chopin concertos in Volume 1 have some splendid moments, but the superlative (not spectacular; superlative) performance there is a fragment of the first movement of the E minor concerto performed in London -- far more poised and committed than its counterpart from New York. (I wonder if Hofmann played differently in America than he did in Europe? Some musicians - for instance, Mahler, Toscanini, Bernstein - for varying reasons apparently did.)
Having said all this, the entire Hofmann series is priceless. Heartfelt thanks to Gregor Benko and Ward Marston for making it available.

Not to be missed.......2003-11-03

You'll never hear playing so clean, polished, and technically perfect...modern pianists seem almost clumsy by comparison. Especially his Liszt is to die for; as a matter of fact his Tarantella is possibly my all-time favorite recording of anything. The Maiden's Wish and La Jongleuse are splendid too. In fact, although these are some of my favorite recordings ever, it's hard to know what to say about them because they are simply so perfect in both technic and understanding that they leave you breathless.

As for the bad sound...folks get over it...as for me, I know I'm silly but I kind of like it...it gives me a thrill as I remember just how many years this recording is taking me back over.

Good for collectors, but not for samplers.......2002-09-23

For an introduction to Hofamann, this volume is not the best. They contain mostly his earliest recordings (1910 to 1920) and they make for difficult listening. VAI and Marston Records' volumes of remasterings of Hofmann's later playing has better audio and better linear notes.

Dynamo of the Piano.......2001-12-25

First of all, I would part company with those who comment on the "recording quality" of a particular record. Naturally the sound technology was not advanced in those days, so the artist had to make do. Any listener who knows something about the piano should be able to get beyond this.

This CD should be bought by any listener interested in the golden age of piano giants. Rachmaninoff, whose name should be familiar as both composer and pianist to any piano afficoniado, actually preferred Hofmann's playing, especially in passages requiring clear fingerwork, to his own. Indeed, the clarity and lightness of Hofmann's fingerwork is astounding. Of particular note on this album is Chopin's Berceuse, arguably the greatest recording ever made of this particular piece. I will limit myself to describing his performance of this piece, since I think this is most indicative of the beauty of Hofmann's piano sound. The thirds are lighter and better articulated than Friedman's or Cortot's performances of the same piece. His tempos in general are held, with the addition of cleverly placed rubato. Hofmann's style for passagework can be called the "jeu perle" style, representing a touch in between legato and staccato which gives the passage a certain precise, smooth sound. His pedalling also is immaculate. Actually, he does not use very much pedal at all. He only uses it at junctures when it is absolutely needed, not to cover up poor technique and creating a sloppy "wet" sound which seems to be the dilemma of many modern pianists. In his several different recordings of the piece, the only place I consistently hear him using pedal is in the grace note/rolled chord variation of the theme, where the right hand's sound and harmony dictate it.

In short, buy this CD to get a glimmer of old school piano playing at its finest.

An interesting listening study.......2000-11-06

I would actually give this CD a 3.5, but you can't give out halfs. While his playing and his songs are phenomenal, the quality of the CDs is terrible. One would think that Sony would have taken the time to clean these CDs. While I admit it would be difficult since the songs were recorded between 1903-33, they could have cleaned it up. Hofmann's playing is absolutely amazing. Speaking from a pianist's p.o.v, how can he move his fingers that quickly? This is a CD for the music lover and classical collector....

Anne Sofie von Otter - The Artist's Album

Average customer rating:

One of my favorite recordings
Beautiful voice, beautiful music
Anne Sofie von Otter- The Artist's Album
A fantastic CD collection of arias!!
Amazing versatility and unparalleled emotion

Anne Sofie von Otter - The Artist's Album
Gustav Mahler , Johannes Brahms , Edvard Grieg , Richard Strauss , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Robert Schumann , Kurt Weill , Ture Rangstrom , Hugo Alfven , Maurice Delage , Gabriel Fauré , Franz Schubert , George Frideric Handel , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Claudio Monteverdi , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Gioachino Rossini , Hannover North German Radio Orchestra , Dresden Staatskapelle , Frankfurt Opera House and Museum Orchestra , John Eliot Gardiner , Reinhard Goebel , Trevor Pinnock , Marc Minkowski , James Levine , Cord Garben , and Ralf Gothoni
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Freni, Mirella | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Otter, Anne Sophie von | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Anne Sofie von Otter - Love's Twilight (Late Romantic Songs by Berg, Korngold, Strauss)
Anne Sofie von Otter - Schumann: Frauenliebe und -leben / Forsberg
Anne Sofie von Otter - Johannes Brahms Lieder
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson: Handel Arias
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs

ASIN: B00000613V
Release Date: 1998-04-14

Tracks:

Serenade
Sonntag, Op. 47 No.3
Elsk, Op. 67 No. 5
Meinem Kinde, Op. 37 No. 3
Gefasster Abschied, Op. 14 no. 4
Lust der Sturmnacht, Op. 35 No. 1
Dein Angesicht, Op. 127 No. 2
One Touch of Venus: I'm A Stranger Here Myself
Berlin im Licht
Vingar i natten
Skogen sover, Op. 28 No. 6
Lahore: Lahore: 'Un sapin isole se dresse'
La Bonne Chanson, Op. 61: 'La lune blanche luit dans les bois'
Der Wanderer an den Mond, D 870
An Silvia, D891
Il pianot di Maria: 'Giunta l'ora fatal' HWV 234: 'Se d'un Dio fui fatta Madre'
'Komm, liebe Zither' K. 351, 367
Don Giovanni: 'In quali eccessi' - 'Mi tradi', No. 21B: Accompanied Recitative And Aria
La Clemenza di Tito: 'Quello di Tito e il volto!', No. 18 Trio
L'Incoronazione di Poppea: 'A Dio Roma!, a Dio, patria! amici, a Dio!'
Ariodante: 'Tu, preparati a morire', Aria
Paride ed Elena: 'Oh, del mio dolce ardor': Aria
5 Lieder: Liebst du um Schonheit
Eugene Onegin: 'Kak ya lublyu pod zvuki pesen etikh' - 'Uzh kak po mostu, mostochku': Scene And Aria
La Cenerentolla: 'Nacqui all'affanno

Customer Reviews:

One of my favorite recordings.......2005-10-01

This recording is sublime!!! This is a compilation of Anne Sofie von Otter's favorite pieces. She chose such diverse and lovely music. Her diction is incredible. Her expressive voice moved me to tears in "A dio Roma," by Monteverdi. Her Handelian arias were also wonderful. My favorites from this CD are: all of the German lieder pieces, "A dio Roma" (Monteverdi), "Un sapin isole' se dresse" (Lahore), "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" (Weill), "In quali eccessi...Mi tradi" (Mozart), and "Non piu mesta" (Rossini). She is such an amazing Lyric Mezzo soprano. I love her so much. I also reccomend the Mass in C minor with Anne Sofie von Otter and Kiri te Kanawa, Cosi fan tutte with Renee Fleming (Mozart), and Ariodante (Handel). I strongly advise anyone to purchase this recording!!!

Beautiful voice, beautiful music.......2005-09-10

Superior quality recording! Gorgeous vocal production and sound. Terrific choice of material. Top of the line recording.

Anne Sofie von Otter- The Artist's Album.......2005-08-06

Some of the songs are a little too obscure for me, but I like her singing. However, I like Renee Fleming's singing better.

A fantastic CD collection of arias!!.......2005-01-06

Anne Sofie Von Otter's mezzo voice is amazing!! Her selections of Handel's Ariodante and Rossini's La Cenerentola were amazing!! This CD is amazing and if you're a huge fan of Von Otter, you should get this CD!!

Amazing versatility and unparalleled emotion.......2004-02-09

OK, so I own almost everything she's done. I am particularly fond of songs/lieder and, having listened to a great number of both male and female song singers, I can find no singer in the same universe. The intelligence of her approach, the control of her vocal color and vibrato to match the notes and lyrics, the playfulness with which she approaches the music are without equal.
This is an interesting disc and I didn't buy it until recently since I already had a lot of it and prefer songs to arias. But it was quite a revelation. The Handel and Weill are wonderful. For something completely different, try the Delage "Lahore" Track 12. Eerie and beautiful.
If Track #11, Skogen Sover, doesn't make you cry you have no heart. It may be the most beautiful use of the human voice I've ever heard. Listen carefully to the way she changes vowel sounds in the word 'juninatt' throwing in the 'n' both times so you barely hear it and it doesn't disrupt the vowel color change. At the end, turn up the volume and listen to her fade out with no vibrato until she's barely audible, then add just a touch of vibrato as she finishes with the final 't' of 'juninatt'.
There may be better aria singers, with some voices better for some types of opera. But this woman's incredible versatility is well-reflected here and a delight to listen to. Even a Rossini at the end, gynmastics and all. Has there ever been a singer with a wider repertoire matched with such gorgeous emotion? Now, if we could only get the UK version of this disc, with more and different offerings, here on Amazon USA...
A great intro to this powerful, emotional singer. Take it as a starter and buy the full discs that have the tracks you like best. You'll be captivated and not disappointed.

Average customer rating:

a voice teacher and early music fan
Outstandingly beautiful- a great legend in our time
Follow the Leider...For He Is David Daniels
Countertenors: They're not just for Baroque Anymore!
Beyond Gimmick

David Daniels - Serenade
Christoph Willibald Gluck , Antonio Caldara , Antonio Cesti , Franz Schubert , Ludwig van Beethoven , Antonio Lotti , Charles Gounod , Ralph Vaughan Williams , Francis Poulenc , Henry Purcell , David Daniels , and Martin Katz
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Handel: Opera Arias; David Daniels
Sento Amor; David Daniels;
A Quiet Thing; David Daniels & Craig Ogden
Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Été
Handel: Oratorio Arias

ASIN: B00004SRG1
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

Adelaide Op.46
Der Tod Und Das Madchen D531
Auf Dem Wasser Zu Singen D774
Nacht Und Traume D827
Adelaide D95
Selve Amiche, Ombrose Piante
O Del Mio Dolce Ardor
Intorno All'idol Mio
Pur Dicesti, O Bocca Bella
L'Absent
Ou Voulez-Vous Aller?
Absence
Ser
Orpheus With His Lute
Linden Lea
Hands, Eyes And Heart
C'est Ainsi Que Tu Es FP 121 (Metamorphoses No.2)
Priez Pour Paix FP 95
La Belle Jeunesse FP 42 (Chansons Gaillardes No.7)
Sweeter Than Roses
I'll Sail Upon The Dog Star
Evening Hymn

Amazon.com's Best of 2000

It's a truism by now that countertenors have made a notable comeback in our time, but David Daniels--Amazon.com's Opera & Vocal Artist of 2000--isn't about to rest on his laurels. As if his recent successes weren't enough to set him apart, on this recital album Daniels forays beyond the countertenor's stereotypical domain of the baroque to interpret lieder of Beethoven and Schubert, as well as French mélodies and Vaughan Williams. A stunningly beautiful disc. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-05-30

The German and French art-song developed in parallel,but although they shared the same creative process based on the two key elements of words and music, they are distinct one from the other in their aim. Beethoven was one of the first to usher in the 'Leid'. Between 1795 and 1796 he drew inspiration from Friedich von Matthisson for his cantata 'Adelaide'. In 1814 Schubert set the same poem for his own 'Adelaide'. More than three-quarters of Schubert's songs are nature pictures as is 'Auf dem Wasser zu singen' on this disc. Other composers included on this recording are:Caldara-Gluck-Cesti-Lotte-Gounod-VaughanWilliams-Poulenc and Purcell.This disc absolutely delighted me. I can think of only one other countertenor who could have "pulled off" the variety of songs Daniels performs on this album. Most of them are quite well-known at least to singers and actually could be considered trite but not the way David Daniels sings them. He is so skillful with strong tone production when needed and always perfect diction. I marvel at the way he can implement the highly dramatic Italian aria and then sing the light "wispy" French songs. My personal favorites are "Adelaide" by Schubert. "Ou voulez-vous aller?" by Gounod and "I'll Sail Upon the DogStar by Purcell. In fact, if you are a Daniel's fan you MUST hear the Dog Star!!!!!

Outstandingly beautiful- a great legend in our time.......2005-06-22

This is a truly unique voice. David Daniels has an opulent timbre which he uses here to achieve sheer excellence. As much as I hate for his career to be upstaged by anything, knowing that he was tutored by Marilyn Horne seems to establish her vocal qualities as a suitable metaphor. It's that rich, opulent tone and secure vibrato that you don't get with some mezzos, let alone countertenors. No thin-ness here; no `hoot' and nothing shrill. He still has control though, and produces clean, even tones where appropriate. Think of the dramatic requirements of `Der Tod und das Madchen' and the celestial purity of `Absence' or `Ser'- he more than merely achieves the standards, he surpassed them and has set his own seal of distinction.

The choice of songs/arias is itself brilliant and Mr. Daniels' technique needs high praise. As a very minor observation, his diction, though good, doesn't come across as completely idiomatic. This is a VERY minor issue though. The pianist, Martin Katz is very responsive to the style of singing. Mr. Daniels' ability to sustain a phrase with grace and beauty is matched by Mr. Katz's sensitive touch and timing.

In parting, I recommend the ethereal experience of `Orpheus with his lute' (my favourite). The words, a Shakespearean sonnet, are of a straightforward beauty and the melody is from another realm but the singing? Mr. Daniels vocal control and phrasing are exquisite and his tone is sublime. Close your eyes and listen to this one quiet evening. "In sweet music is such art, killing care and grief of heart. Fall asleep, or hearing die." A lute and a song- a simple combination; yet profoundly moving beyond the raging elements. Thank you David.

Follow the Leider...For He Is David Daniels.......2004-08-18

Countertenor David Daniels takes a breather from his beloved Handel arias this time around for a recording of sheer beauty and most often tranquility, all the more surprising given the wide variety of tempos and international breadth of the program spanning five centuries. German leider from Beethoven and Schubert sits alongside Italian baroque songs followed by alternating French and English art songs. The 22 selections, once again reflecting his consummate musical taste, require him to sing in four different languages, and this South Carolina-born and -bred singer handles the daunting task with complete ease.

The result is a seamless recital, and the disc flows like an unfolding dream starting with Beethoven's enchanting "Adelaide". Schubert's "Naucht and Traume" highlights the purity of his tone and is as perfectly performed as any of his most moving opera arias. The Gounod pieces, especially "L'Absent" and the title track, have a sonorous quality that feel very much like lullabies, the sole exception being the lively "Ou voulez-vous aller?". Poulenc's "La belle Jeunesse" continues along this vein, a whirling dervish of a number referred in the accompanying booklet as an "invitation to debauchery". But these tracks are more the exception as Daniels achieves a lovely sense of vocal beatitude throughout.

The standout tracks have to be the three beautiful and somewhat more contemporary-sounding Vaughan Williams songs capped off by "Hands, eyes and heart", short and poignant, it is my favorite moment on this recording. The Renaissance-era Purcell selections provide the appropriate ending though, in particular, "Evening Hymn" sparked by the growing melismas on the hallelujahs. Whether he exhibits an astounding vibrato or the purest of tones, the man knows how to use his incredibly flexible voice and apply it intelligently to each song. Martin Katz accompanies with great precision and completely recognizes the individual style each song requires. It makes for a perfect pairing between singer and piano. This is a recording to treasure.

Countertenors: They're not just for Baroque Anymore!.......2004-03-23

OK, so it's a bad pun. Shoot me.

But get this wonderful disc! Daniels talent is well-served by this varied program.. he goes beyond Handel to sing Beethoven, Gounoud, Vaughan-Williams.

Don't just buy this for the novelty of countertenor singing: the singing would be 5 star had any mezzo (Bartoli, van Otter) sung with this sensitivity. It's superb in every regard.

Beyond Gimmick.......2002-08-01

At first it seems odd...countertenors are supposed to stay within certain boundaries. We let them have Baroque music, and even Gluck, and of course we let them have 20th century things written specifically for them, especially Britten. But to hear a countertenor singing Schubert, Beethoven or French melodies goes against our expectations. So we think, this must be a gimmick. But then Daniels voice takes over and such questions disappear.

Daniels sings this music as if it was inteneded for the countertenor. His sensitivity to the intimate marriage of text and music is phenomenal and his tone is always light and lyrical. I prefer this to many overblown sopranos that I've heard. Daniels weaves a spell that few singers of any voice type can match.

The Gounod is particularly beautiful. I had not been familiar with Gounod's art song before, and I've been missing something. L'Absent brought tears to my eyes just as the best Melodie of Duparc or Faure. And he sings Schubert as if he was born to it.

Tracks:

Handel: Sta nell'lrcana (Alcina)
Purcell: Whem I am laid in earth (Dido and Aeneas)
Handel: Va tacito e nascosto (Giulio Cesare)
Gluck: Che puro ciel (Orfeo ed Euridice)
Gluck: Che faro senza Euridice (Orfeo ed Euridice)
Handel: Dopo notte (Ariodante)
Handel: Verdi prati (Alcina)
Handel: Where shall I fly (Hercules)
Gluck: O del mio dolce ardor (Paride ed Elena)
Handel: Ombra mai tu (Xerxes) Arie Antiche
Pergolesi: Se tu m'ami
Martini: Plaisir d'amour
Caldara: Selve amiche
Caccini: Amarilli mia bella
Paisiello: Nel cor plu non mi sento
Durante: Danza fanciulla

Customer Reviews:

My favourite mezzo-soprano.......2005-04-29

This is absolutely my favourite music! I am a huge fan of renaissance and baroque music and I also love Monica Groops beautiful dramatic mezzosoprano voice; so, this cd was a perfect choice. All the songs and arias fit well to Groop; I love the coloraturas in "Sta nell'ircana" and "Danza fanciulla"; "Che faró", "Plaisir d'amour" and other slow pieces are sung very softly and legatos are excellent. Many other mezzos have problems with vibrato; they use too much vibrato and their voice shake. Groop doesn't have this kind of problems. She also articulates quite well; I had no problem to hear the words of the recitativo in "Frondi tenere-Ombra mai fu". I also like Groop's skills to improvisate in Händel's arias, especially in "Ombra mai fu." My dream is to see Monica Groop on the stage in a leading role of a baroque opera.

I recommend this cd to anyone who likes old vocal music. If you liked Cecilia Bartoli's Se tu m'ami, you will like this too! If you don't like Bartoli's small voice, Groop is a very good alternative.

Just a great singing!.......2004-04-08

Professional singer myself (visit my web site-www.magdalenamoulson.com),I was surprised that I've never heard
about Monica Groop before.From the first notes I felt fascination for her amazing vocal technique and beautiful timbre of her voice.Effortless ,light singing , simple ,elegant style without fake affectation of some "world famous mezzos", makes this Cd a real found.Wonderful artist and great CD!
I think I will buy all Cd's of her!

SKIP Cecilia Bartoli--go straight to Monica Groop.......2004-02-29

This is some *gorgeous* and incredible singing. Monica Groop's delivery is honest, fresh, and welcome. If you want a recording of "arie amorose" I suggest this one or Janet Baker's. Since both Ms. Baker and Ms. Groop are fantastic singers, they needn't rely on annoying mannerisms like Cecilia Bartoli does. And we have only the record labels to thank for the Bartoli's success. Monica Groop has a rich, velvety mezzo sound. This CD is fantastic.

Amazing CD, I have been waiting for an album like this.......2002-03-04

This is a great album, very refreshing and relaxing, CD sound quality is excellent. Monica Groop's voice flies like an angel.
I can't stop listening to this CD. My boyfriend, who usually doesn't care for classical music, even likes it!

Stellar, LIquid Gold--DON'T MISS THIS ONE!.......2001-05-22

This CD is a revelation in a period when many of us cry for a REAL singer to emerge on the scene. Finnish singer Monica Groop has ALL the goods. A truly complete singer who defies categories or labels-though billed as a mezzo-soprano, she has no fear of the heights, sailing easily to high B's, beautifully, without effort. This woman is a true artist and should have the publicity and career that many LESSER singers have achieved.

Not since the celebrated artistry of the likes of Sutherland, Tebaldi, Callas, to name a few, have I been this taken with a singer. Groop's extremely varied and complete repertoire defies categorizing this singer as yet another "early music girl." She has complete vocal fluidity and ornamentation in all the right places-indeed her ornamentation and coloratura are accurate, impeccable and clear with a beautiful legato. No huffing and chugging here! Yet one can hear her other recordings: of Bach, Grieg, Sibelius, Brahms and Schubert lieder and song, and understand this is a voice full of beauty and tone, no "paring down" to wisps of flight and fancy for the Baroque and early music! Monica Groop sings with a warm, full and creamy tone that has golden shimmer and excitement.

This disc is one of the finest recital discs I have ever come across. It has moved to a place of honor on the same shelf as Sutherland's "Art of the Prima Donna." The selection of 6 Handel arias left me screaming for more! The pieces show beautiful lyric singing, astounding coloratura and simply breathtaking ornamentation. The orchestra, conducted by Juha Kangas is completely involved. Stylistic and musical playing are extraordinary, one example of which is the horn player fearlessly responding with like ornamentation and joining in the cadenza in the stellar "Vo tacito e nascosto" from Guilio Cesare. The additional pieces by Gluck, Purcell (Dido's Lament should go in the history books along t\with Jessye Norman's performance) are equally well performed and are a perfect complement to the Handel. Rounding out the disc are 6 pieces from "Arie Antiche" which have beautifully orchestrated by the conductor.