Luscious voice and excellent selection
930044
Elina Garanca has made an excellent selection of arias including some rarely heard pieces.  It is one of those CDs that I simply must play over and over for the pleasure it gives.  I recommend it highly.
296531
There have been several fine recordings of Rameau's brilliant keyboard works on CD, my previous favourites being those from Kenneth Gilbert and Scott Ross - both quite hard to find these days, but with a more recent and highly regarded 3-disc set from Pieter-Jan Belder still readily available. This present one, though, from Jory Vinikour, is superb. He plays the Premier Livre Suite in a minor, the Suite in e minor from 1724, the Suite in D, and the Nouvelles Suites in a minor and in G, as well as a number of transcriptions from the Pices de Clavecin en Concert and a terrific bonus at the end which I'll come back to in a moment.

The Chicago-born harpsichordist, now based for some years in Paris, has mastered the French baroque style to perfection. He plays a modern copy by Thomas and Barbara Wolf of a Nicolas Dumont (Paris) instrument of 1707, quite closely recorded with a vivid presence that suits the music well. There are so many brilliant and delightful pieces here, that I can only mention a very few of my own favourites such as the Rigaudon I and II (track I/15), Les Niais de Sologne (I/21), Gavotte et Doubles (II/7); La Poule (II/11) where Vinikour beautifully captures Rameau's take on the hen's idea of rhythm so entirely different from our own; Les Sauvages (II/13) from "Les Indes galantes", L'Enharmonique (II/14) remarkably "modern" in its adventurous harmonies, and the panache, brilliance and invention of L'Agaante (II/18).

The closing work on the second disc brings us a final delightful bonus in the form of Balbastre's keyboard transcription of Rameau's scintillating overture to "Pigmalion" - played here with such  dash and energy that you really feel the sculptor has already fallen in love with his sexy statue, so desperate is he to apply those last few impatient hammer-and-chisel strokes so he can get down to the vital business he clearly has in mind for his artistic creation. It's one of many examples here, in these two well-filled 78-minute discs, of the freshness, energy and spontaneity, the bouncing, springing rhythms of Vinikour's playing and the caprice, wit and sheer imagination of Rameau's invention. And yet, for me, it is the thoughtful, contemplative passages that strike home even more deeply in Vinikour's renditions of Rameau's music - such as the extended Allemande (II/1), the Sarabande (II/3) and the gently-building and increasingly lively Gavotte avec Doubles (II/7) - and where, for me at least, Vinikour is at his very best.

This, then, is a beautifully organised and contrasted programme, greatly enhanced by Jory's own excellent booklet notes - detailed, enlightening, helpfully explaining musical terms and conventions where appropriate. Altogether, a terrific baroque tour de force.
1797975
This recording of the Magnificat and the Cantata, Wachet auf, sounds ideal to my ears. The conducting here flows with grace and taste.  The sound of the orchestra has sparkle and, yet, there is richness to the melodic lines.

The chorus and soloists for both are appropriately magnificent.  Fischer-Dieskau has a beautiful voice it resonates with clarity and feeling.  I could say the same things of all the soloists.  They all produce clear ringing sound and maintain beautiful lines.  They all sound stress-free and their sound seems effortless. The contralto, Hertha Topper, has a great low voice with very beautiful high notes.  Peter Schreier, the tenor in the Cantata, his diction is so clear that I can distinguish the German though I don't speak it, and his voice comes across with power and purity.  Ernst Haefliger, the tenor in Magnificat, has a deeper sound than Schreier, and he also sounds just right to me.  The two sopranos, Edith Mathis and Maria Stader, perhaps do not have the size of voice as the other soloists but they both produce wonderful sound.

And I tip my hat to the chorus--Wow.

I love this recording.
251910
Prior to listening to this CD, I was not really familiar with any of Minnie Riperton's recordings. But, after listening to it a few times, I fell in love with it. Minnie Riperton had a wonderful voice that remains unmatched to this day. All of these recordings were released before my time, but they hold up as classic material compared to the stuff that is being  released today. With such an amazing voice, I cannot help but imagine how far she could have gone. Every song on here has the potential to be one of my favorites, but the tracks that I enjoy the most are: Perfect Angel, Memory Lane, Can You Feel What I'm Saying, Here We Go, Inside My Love and Give Me Time.
4310612
Dare I suggest that given a good conductor, an enthusiastic, well-trained choir and a competent orchestra, this piece is not that hard to pull off on disc? I mean no disrespect to the music or the performers by saying so, but I own three equally good recordings and know of half a dozen more which give similar pleasure. Either that, or it has been very lucky on disc; either way, this is another fine addition to the discography. The sound is clean and vivid, Mehta paces everything beautifully and the soloists are first rate - especially Sumi Jo (although her sustained lower notes are not as secure as other sopranos' - it's in the stratosphere that she excels). Bo Skovhus is in the same mould as Hken Hakegrd: a virile, incisive bariton-martin with an extended upper range, although I think the older artist still has the edge in the Mata recording. I like Kowalski's alto version of the roasted swan-song, although for real vocal thrills I commend John Aler's full-voice account (again on the Mata disc): an extraordinary feat, as it never sounds strained, just pained! A third way of doing this "aria" is Gerhard Unger's method on the famous de Burgos recording: he slips into falsetto when required. I like all three ways of doing it, but admire and enjoy Aler most of all. De Burgos also employs two different baritones: one for the more robust, declamatory bits and another for the laments with the higher tessitura; that works too, especially with two such good singers as John Noble and Raymond Wolansky. That recording also has the lovely Lucia Popp, whose sustained breath is a thing of beauty, but Barabara Hendricks and Sumi Jo are equally impressive in their different ways. The best choir of all is de Burgos' New Philharmonia Chorus but there is a fair amount of tape hiss in the pre-digital 1966 recording and all three choirs on all three discs are committed and exciting. I am going round in circles here: what I am saying is that you could be happy with any of the three I mention (Mata, de Burgos or Mehta), though I would, if pushed, opt for the Mata as my favourite. A welcome libretto is provided, despite this being a budget edition - which is more than any other bargain version I know, so I won't moan about the few misprints in the Latin...
3376097
I have just watched and listened to the whole Weihnachtsoratorium (Christmas Oratorio) on DVD, performed by John Eliot Gardiner, the Monteverdi Choir, and the English Baroque Soloists.

The soloists are excellent.

The Alto, Bernada Fink, has a nice, warm voice, perfect diction, and gives a beautiful, vehement performance.  Sometimes just a little too dramatic for my tastes, actually.

The Soprano, Claren McFadden, is a lovely African-American woman whose voice suits the soprano part very well.  She contributes a great deal to the atmosphere of the work (performed in a beautiful Baroque Weimar church), though she has to compete in my mind with some favorites that are well established: Ruth Zeisak, with Ralf Otto, and Lynda Russell with Harry Christophers.

The Tenor / Evangelist was Christoph Genz, a young man of great charm, who delivered a beautiful performance throughout, the Evangelist parts of it from the beautiful baroque pulpit.  [He pronounced Jesu as "Djesu," rather than "Yesu," and I wonder whether that is common.]

The Bass, Dietrich Henschel, is fascinating to watch and listen to, but I rather prefer a less dramatic, more lyrical performance in the Bass department.  Still, Herr Henschel's performance, personal preferences apart, is practically faultless.

The instrumentalists are, as always with the English Baroque Soloists, brilliant.  The brass was incredible, both the first trumpet, as well as the three of them together.  The violin duet in the Tenor aria in Cantata 4 was just perfect.  (The notes explain that the long melismatic sections on the word 'Leibe' were the descendants of a phrase that described serpents in the original secular cantata of which this piece is a 'parody'.)  The cello, the oboes, the baroque flutes (sounding very much like recorders), they were all just wonderful. In addition, they are delightful to watch.

Gardiner makes a special effort to bring each movement to a perfect close, and the final chord is always beautifully played and ended.  Listen to this, when you watch the DVD.  (Gardiner conducts with his hands, without a baton, choirmaster-style.)

The choir -- it was fascinating to actually see the choir, or at least this manifestation of it.  I had always imagined the choir consisting of a bunch of upper-middle-class Brits.  But they looked perfectly ordinary people, of all shapes and sizes, not dominated by any one type, except that perhaps there were possibly a few more Germans there than there might have been in the usual Monteverdi Choir.  Discipline was almost perfect, yet the choir clearly enjoyed their singing very much.  (This was the first performance on their pilgrimage, and morale was still very high.)

Extras.  (You can hardly sell a DVD without these, nowadays.)  Each of the two disks has a documentary at the end, featuring Gardiner.  On Disk 1, he talks about his motivation for the pilgrimage in general, and he talks about Bach (and Mozart and Beethoven).  On Disk 2, we see actual visits to particular churches and locations in the Thuringia and Saxony areas, especially the Thomaskirche and a nearby fortified church of Posset, I believe, close to Leipzig (a "best-kept secret").  This little church has a functioning organ that appears to date several hundred years.  Don't miss this segment!

Intangibles:

Gardiner is very persuasive in his enthusiasm for what he was doing, about Bach, and his pleasure in performing Bach.  His team consists of people who really live the music, and this comes out strongly in the DVD.  The reception from the church live audience is at first a little laconic, but it was evidently recorded over at least a couple of days, and the later performances were received very well.  Visually very satisfying, and auditorily also.  I'm very thankful to the earlier reviewers on the Bach Recordings List who persuaded me to buy this DVD.

Arch
2706895
A wonderful collection of arias and scenes from recordings made by the wonderful artists who were Metropolitan Opera regulars in the late 1950's and early 1960's.  All of them recorded for RCA Victor, and this wonderful  vocal bouquet is fairly representative of the singing they did during their  vocal heydays, though a couple of them were a little past theirs at the  time they did these recordings.  Some of the highlights:Jussi Bjoerling's  historic "Nessun dorma" from the wonderful complete  "Turandot" recording; Anna Moffo's fragile "Un bel di"  from the complete recording of "Madame Butterfly"; Birgit  Nilsson, with steel and javelin in her laser-beamed voice, singing a  spectacular "In Questa Reggia" from the "Turandot"  recording noted above; Renata Tebaldi, in exquisite voice, singing  "Signore, ascolta" from the same "Turandot" recording;  Zinka Milanov, perhaps a shade past her best days, nonetheless singing a  beautifully controlled "Visi d'arte" from her complete  "Tosca" recording; Roberta Peters performing the Mad Scene from  her complete "Lucia" recording; Leontyne Price's opulent voice  wrapping itself around "Tacea la notte placida" from her first  complete "Trovatore" recording.  Remaining contributions from  Franco Corelli (a poorly articulated "Flower Song" from  "Carmen, Rise Stevens (well past her prime in the aria from Gluck's  "Orfeo"), and Leonie Rysenek (vocally and dramatically unsuited  to the "Macbeth" scene) are somewhat less auspicious.  Still,  there is much to savor and admire on this recording, and at the mid-line  price, it can't be beat.  Enthusiastically recommended for all opera  people.
93612
Wonderfully diverse selections !  Domingo's range and his choices of singing partners is a pleasure to listen to.
I hope he does another soon.
4777784
I got this CD as a gift from Dan Taylor himself and he would be happy to know that it has become one of the most cherished CD's in my vast collection.  As much as I enjoyed Paul Agnew's wonderful recordings of  English lute songs, Taylor's raw sincerity and subdued eloquence in the  rendition of these songs probably surpass even Agnew's silken polish.  The  title line for my review comes from Gramophone, I just couldn't resist  borrowing it because it is so apt!  Most of the songs on this disc (in  fact, all but one) are plaintive and sentimental.  The choice is fitting  because the pure fluid tone of Taylor's voice seems ideally suited to slow  melodic lines such as these.  I find Taylor's voice to be absolutely  remarkable.  To my ears, it combines the platinum radiance of David Cordier  with the velvety opulence of Michael Chance - a rare combination indeed.  As if the beautiful voice was not enough to spark interest, Taylor's  singing here is also technically secure and lyrically expressive, ever so  lightly adorned with tasteful ornaments.  The emphases are all the more  potent because they are sparsely used.  For example, the second repetition  of "Learn to condemn light" in Flow my tears is startling in its  sudden roughness... I will never be able to listen to this song again in  anybody's performance without expecting them to repeat that same  modulation.  To me at least, this is how these songs should be sung.  gkolomietz@yahoo.com
1350067
What a delightful surprise!  I had no knowledge of this music before this purchase, and I can hardly believe it is so very pretty.  This is a sort of anthology of Martucci's shorter pieces, and they are all interesting and pastoral, even a bit languorous.  The singing with orchestra is not at all operatic, but more like sweetly yearning songs.  The orchestral portions are well written and played.  The recordings come from various sessions and are just a bit uneven, so some sound better than others but none are bad.  I've already listened all the way through twice on the first day.  Utterly charming stuff.
1470210
Dreamland by Madeleine Peyroux showcases her talents beautifully. Madeleine has a gift that enables to sing just about anything she wants to and make it sound like a symphony. Predictably, Madeleine performs quite well on this album; and that's grand. Yes, there are some similarities between Madeleine and the great Billie Holiday; fortunately for us both ladies chose to share their talents with us. The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is very nicely done as well. There's plenty to like here!

"Walkin' After Midnight" shines like silver and gold when Madeleine sings it; and that musical arrangement is terrific without ever stealing the show away from Madeleine. "Walkin' After Midnight" is a strong first number and it makes you want more right away. Madeleine sounds just perfect. She's right in her natural element; and that music is lovely. Madeleine makes a few quick tempo changes that impress me quite a bit and she never sings a superfluous note! "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter" by Fred Ahlert and Joe Young was always one of my very favorite classic pop vocal tunes. "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter" features Madeleine putting her own stamp on this ballad and she sings this wearing her heart on her sleeve. In addition, that musical arrangement for "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter" is very interesting--it may startle you a bit at first because it's different from what people are used to hearing for this song; but after a couple of listens it quickly grew on me and now I rather like the music that goes with Madeleine's vocals.

"La Vie En Rose" gets a fine treatment that would make Edith Piaf proud; "La Vie En Rose" stuns me with its beauty and it certainly is a major highlight of this album. "La Vie En Rose" is truly a timeless ballad. Great! "A Prayer" again has Madeleine performing at her very best; and that percussion enhances the music quite a bit. "A Prayer" is quite a number and I think it too is a highlight of this album.

"Muddy Water" puts Madeleine Peyroux squarely front and center--and I certainly have no complaints about that! "Muddy Water" gets the royal treatment from both Madeleine and the musicians and I really like this song. "Dreamland," the title track for this album, gets another fine arrangement and Madeleine performs this faultlessly. I like those key modulations, too! Madeleine's "Dreamland" comes from a lot of hard work.

"Reckless Blues" by Bessie Smith has a great piano arrangement; and Madeleine Peyroux ends the CD performing "Lovesick Blues."

Dreamland by Madeleine Peyroux really scores a big goal in my book! I'm extremely impressed and I highly recommend this album for Madeleine's fans as well as fans of jazzy, bluesy types of music. This album also makes a great place to start if you're just becoming familiar with the talents of Madeleine Peyroux.
4907786
Joyce DiDonato has a strong following among those who appreciate great singers who can move from the opera stage onto the recital platform and offer as much drama and intelligence to 'songs' or lieder (or canciones!).  This album, Pasin!,  is transcendent in that it ably demonstrates how this very fine artist can traverse a large repertoire with consummate ease.  Knowing that she will be singing Octavian in SF Opera's 'Der Rosenkavalier' (with Miah Persson's Sophie and Soile Isokoski's Marschallin) this June shows that she is already considered among the intelligentsia of singers.  But here is a collection of Spanish music that allows her to flex her range from her usual mezzo-soprano into the higher stratosphere this music requires.

Few other singers have been able to bring these infectious songs to light (at least not since Victoria de los Angeles and a few others), but here DiDonato, well partnered by Julius Drake at the piano, offers an abundant assortment of some of the finest canciones.  Pasin! is a most appropriate title for this collection: Fernando Obradors' 'Canciones clsicas espaolas, Enrique Granados' 'Elegia eterna', 'La maja dolorosa', and 'No lloris ojuelos', Joaqun Turina's  'Poema en forma de canciones', Manuel de Falla's  '7 Popular Spanish Songs', Xavier Montsalvatge's complete 'Canciones negras', and Rossini's 'Canzonetta spagnuola - En medio a mis dolores'.

DiDonato's vocal timbre and range are astonishingly fine and she sings this repertoire as if to the manner born.  This is yet another excellent CD from an important artist of our time.  Highly recommended.  Grady Harp, April 07
4872195
One curse of an audiophile is often music purchases are made on a single track or the sonic worth of a particular mastering. As a consequence, I have a stack of CD's that are not that musical.
This SACD is recorded with the warmth, detail, depth and spatiousness one would expect from the Chesky label. The wonderful surprise is Rebecca's crystalline voice floating in the phantom center channel with a blend of celtic folk music that  truly appeals to me.
The open and natural rendition of Spanish Harlem is simply stunning, and I am sure has been used at many hi-end audio shops to sell gear.  The double bass is tight, the piano and guitar are not smeared, and the shaker is 7-10 feet back from center stage. Kaleaka, You Got Me and remember me are three songs that are truly enjoyable to listen to simply for the melody and the lyrics.
Normally I click through a CD quickly to find songs that are immediately interesting. I found that I listened to the entire disk, skipping to the end of only two songs. Following this, I put the player on repeat for several hours.
I realize i am a little late discovering her, and many probably know her more for her films, but she has made an instant fan. I am afraid I cannot compare this to the CD version, as I only bought the SACD.
Definitely a worthy addition to any collection.
1992486
When this showed up in my mailbox, I went straight to my cave and spent a very pleasant afternoon listening to this beautiful voice.  This is not the forum for dicussion of who was the best(as some think).  Dame Joan was a great talent and I enjoy her music as I also enjoy her contemporarys. I liked the selections, and I am picky about the audio quality which is very good on this cd.  I say buy this you will enjoy it.
18030
Listening to the great Pavarotti is simply wonderful. A clear, strong voice and with a peculiar expressivity, dazzles us with this selection of magnificent arias from the Verismo era. They stand out for their beauty Cilea's arias "The dolcissima effigie" and "L'anima ho stanca" from the opera Adriana Lecouvreur... divine music...and listen to him sing the last three legendary Puccini arias is glorious. The National Philharmonic Orchestra simply superb. A great cd.
4475921
I do not consider myself an operatic expert by any means, but I have attended performances at the Met many times,as well as having seen Mr. Levine perform.  This compilation is truly an extraordinary performance. The costumes, staging and scenery are outstanding. The vocals are clear, crisp and tastefully done. I would have enjoyed it if the selections were somewhat "more popular", but having said that, this 2-DVD set is well worth the expense...possibly becoming a collectors item in the future. A very nicely written program guide is provided.
3966152
Kiri Te Kanawa's voice on some of the selections, such as Autumn Leaves, is sublime. Wonderful CD