Classical Desire

Track Listings

1. Bolero

2. Rondo Alla Turka

3. Sonata in B Minor BWV 1014: Andante

4. Suite in F Major: Air

5. Suite for Flute & Orchestra in a Minor: Overture

6. Andantino

7. Four Seasons - Autumn: Allegro

8. Wine Woman Song & Waltz

9. Symphony No. 41 in C "Jupiter": 1st Movement

10. Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor Op. 27 No. 2 "Moonlight": 1st Movement

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.

Rachmaninoff for Romance: Passionate Music for Love and Desire

Average customer rating:

Tear Time
The Beauty of Rachmaninoff
Applause
Beautiful
Rachmaninoff for Romance

Rachmaninoff for Romance: Passionate Music for Love and Desire

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Chopin and Champagne: Set Your Mood for Romance
Liszt for Lovers: Piano Dreams of Love and Passion
Tchaikovsky At Tea Time: A Refreshing Blend For Body And Spirit
Debussy for Daydreaming: Music to Caress Your Innermost Thoughts
Vivaldi for Valentines: Romantic Interludes for the One You Love

ASIN: B0000041DX
Release Date: 1995-10-17

Tracks:

Vocalise For Orchestra
Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini - 18th Variation: Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini - 18th Variation (Excerpt)
Symphony No. 2 in E minor: Symphony No. 2 In E Minor - Adagio
Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor: Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor - Adagio sostenuto
Prelude In D
Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor: Piano Concerto No. 3 In D Minor - Intermezzo (Adagio)
Symphonic Dance: Symphonic Dance - I. Non Allegro (excerpt)
Piano Concerto No. 1 In F - Sharp Minor: Piano Concerto No. 1 In F - Sharp Minor - Andante
Prelude In E-Flat
Piano Concerto No.4 In G Minor: Piano Concerto No.4 In G Minor - Largo
Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor: Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor - Allegro scherzando (Excerpt)

Customer Reviews:

Tear Time.......2007-05-09

Find your loved one, get some tissue and escape into a world of desire and fantasy. All ages will love this music. Tender, soft, and relaxing with the hint of being alive again.

Donald Lindsey

The Beauty of Rachmaninoff.......2006-11-10

This album contains some of Rachmaninoff's most beautiful and romantic music which should appeal to everyone, even if you're not a classical music fan. The performances are first rate and you may even shed a few tears listening to this very emotional music. These excerpts from some of Rachmaninoff's major works may induce you to want the entire compositions for your collection.

Applause.......2002-03-12

I'll add my applause to these reviews. It's an elegant collection of Rachmaninov pieces. Simply beautiful.

Beautiful.......2001-05-21

If you are a Rachmaninov fan, this CD is a must. Of all the CD's I have of Rachmaninov, this is my favorite. The orchestra's that perform capture the essence of what he composed. It is a beautiful CD guaranteed to please. As the back of the CD states, "Rachmaninov and romance go together like Romeo and Juliet"

Rachmaninoff for Romance.......2000-04-25

I purchased this CD primarily for Trac#2--Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini-18th Variation. I wasn't disapointed! The whole cd is very relaxing and definitly puts you in the mood. I thought the cd would contain only piano music but there are many well-orchestrated and dramatic tracs.

Four of a Kind, Music for Trombone Quartet

Average customer rating:

A must-have album for trombonists
Definitely worth buying.
These guys are trombone studs!
A must-buy for any trombone or brass enthusiast!
Superb! Fantastic! Perfect!

Four of a Kind, Music for Trombone Quartet

Manufacturer: Summit(Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

A Cappella | Folk | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Trombonastics
Four of a Kind 2
The Virtuoso Trombone
The London Trombone Sound
Cream of the Crop

ASIN: B0000038IV
Release Date: 1994-01-06

Tracks:

Achieved Is The Glorious Work
Fugue In D Minor
Andante
Poco Adagio
Poco Sostenuto
Intrada
Canone
Interludium
Corale
Intermezzo
Arietta
Toccatina
Ave Maria
Part I
Part II
Part III
Canzona
Dieu! Qu'il La Fait Bon Regarder!
Quant J'Ai Ouy Le Tabourin
Yver, Vous N'estes Qu'un Villain
Die Nachtigall
Langsamer Satz
Moderato Maestoso
Andantino
Minuetto
Choral
Scherzo
No More Blues

Customer Reviews:

A must-have album for trombonists.......2002-12-27

No instrument blends as well with one another as the trombone, and these four trombonists are among the best at what they do. Joseph Alessi, Scott Hartman, Mark Lawrence, and Blair Bollinger all exhibit great musicality.

Definitely worth buying........2000-05-05

I too must agree that these four gentlemen have produced a very fine album that covers a wide variety of genres. They had obviously put a lot of work into these particlular pieces and, even though all of them are branching out into solo careers, manage to work well as a group. My favourites are the Haydn, Serocki and No more Blues, even though (dare I say it) I prefer some interpretations by other quartets (eg. Triton Trombone Quartet playing the Serocki). I personally feel that the recording quality lets them down a bit at times. The 2nd & 3rd trombones in particular sound a little 'fuzzy' from time to time; whether that's the recording or perhaps their horn I can't say. Nevertheless I have been inspired once again to practice diligently upon listening to this CD. It's worth the money.

These guys are trombone studs!.......1999-11-21

Other players in my college trombone section kept recommending this CD to me, so I finally ordered it, and I'm very glad I finally listened to them. This is a must-have for the serious trombonist. After all, these are four of the not only best trombonists you'll hear, but best musicians also. "Achieved" is always a good one, along with the beautifully simple "Three Equali" and "Trois Chansons." Who would have thought that such fine soloists would perform so well as one unit, a true ensemble sound. Where else can you hear a guy hold out a high D-flat for about 20 seconds, or a trombonists squeelin high E's and double-high A's at the end? As a trombonist and aspiring performer, I say BUY IT!

A must-buy for any trombone or brass enthusiast!.......1999-09-23

Fantastic ensemble playing coupled with a beautiful selection of music make this CD one of the favorites in my collection. These gentlemen are truly some of the finest artists in their field.

Superb! Fantastic! Perfect!.......1999-03-12

I'm a trombone player, and I know what I'm talking about. These guys have been to schools such as Juliard in New York and have studied to become professional musicains most of there lives. In this CD they are right on top of things and don't miss a beat. My personal favorite is No More Blues, the last track on this particular CD. I tell ya, I couldn't be more extatic about four trombone players. These guys are top notch, and are way beyong the Canadian Brass if you ask me, and seeing as how I play the trombone, you might want to. These guys are perfect players, and almost couldn't be better. WOW about sums it up!

Gilles Apap and the Transylvanian Mountain Cowboys

Average customer rating:

Great CD
Music that makes you want to dance

Gilles Apap and the Transylvanian Mountain Cowboys

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

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

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

no piano on that one
Four Seasons
Enescu, Debussy and Ravel Sonatas for violin and piano
Leahy: Live From Gatineau, Quebec
Bach: Complete Sonatas & Partitas for Violin Solo

ASIN: B0000029PY
Release Date: 1996-10-01

Tracks:

Spanish Dance No. 1 From La Vida Brece, Act 2
Zella Zella
The Whistle
Two Guitars
March From The Love For Three Oranges, Op. 33a
Valse Triste (Sad Waltz)
Hora Romanesca (The Lesson)
Hora In B Minor
Csardas
Desire
Wunderbar Violin
Zina's Tune
Youri, You're In
Java Manouche
Hora Presta
Sabre Dance From Gayane
Gypsy Medley

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2000-09-18

This is one of my favorite CDs ever. I don't know much about classical music to know if this should be considered very good in classical music circles, but I know what I like hearing. It's amazing.

Music that makes you want to dance.......2000-07-10

This is a great CD, the playing is virtuosic and it's technically quite good. The slow tracks are also done skillfully with lots of variety in sound and interesting glissandos. I recommend it highly for classical and non-classical musicians alike- it's fun to listen to and the ensemble is pretty tight. Some of the folk tunes are so fast and with such a great beat it's hard to sit still while listening to this recording!

Average customer rating:

a voice teacher and early music fan
An American Voice of the Century
An Essential Barber Disc
Price sings songs and arias written for her!!!
Fab voice, OK music

Leontyne Price Sings Barber

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Sopranos | Voices | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Price, Leontyne | 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
Similar Items:

Barber: Knoxville Summer of 1915/Dover Beach/Hermit Songs/Adromache's Farewell
Leontyne Price: The Ultimate Collection
The Faces of Love ~ The Songs of Jake Heggie / Fleming, McNair, Larmore, von Stade, Forand, Cao, Clayton, Vaness, Asawa
Hermit Songs: High Voice
In Concert

ASIN: B000003FNF
Release Date: 1994-05-10

Tracks:

Hermit Songs, Op.29: At Saint Patrick's Purgatory
Hermit Songs, Op.29: Church Bell At Night
Hermit Songs, Op.29: Saint Ita's Vision
Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Heavenly Banquet
Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Crucifixion
Hermit Songs, Op.29: Sea-Snatch
Hermit Songs, Op.29: Promiscuity
Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Monk And His Cat
Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Praises Of God
Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Desire For Hermitage
Sleep Now, Op. 10, No. 2
The Daises, Op. 2, No. 1
Nocturne, Op. 13, No. 4
Nuvoletta, Op. 25
Knoxville: Summer Of 1915
Antony And Cleopatra: Give Me Some Music
Antony And Cleopatra: Give Me My Robe

Amazon.com

Early in her career, Leontyne Price formed an artistic liaison with Samuel Barber that resulted in his composing the female lead in Antony and Cleopatra for her. The disastrous premiere of that opera prevented Price from making a complete recording--a tragic loss in my opinion. She did record excerpts, however, and we at least have this disc to document these and the many other Barber works that she performed with incomparable artistry. Opera singing being what it is, Price didn't often have the chance to sing in English, so these performances are not only historically important, they are uniquely communicative as well. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-28

Samuel Barber(1910-1981), an American composer who studied piano, composition and singing at the prestigious Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Pa. His works adhered largely to a lyrical, Romantic style within a loosely Classical framework. He left a rich legacy of more than 100 songs(only 37 published) and 3 operas in addition to many instrumental works...
Only a few of Barber's song texts come from American sources; more often he chose the work of Irish or English writers. He was drawn to 'Knoxville: Summer of 1915', a reflection of the American poet James Agee, because for him it vividly evoked his own childhood. With hints of blues and gently shifting rhythms, "Knoxville" is a mature expression of Barber's artistry as a musical poet and a master of orchestral color.
"The Hermit Songs" were first performed by Leontyne Price, soprano, with the composer at the piano at the Library of Congress, Washington,D.C..pn October 30, 1953. They are a setting of anonymous Irish texts of the eighth to thirteenth centuries written by monks and scholars. They are small poems,thoughts or observations, some very short, and speak in straightforward, droll, and often surprisingly modern terms of the simple life these men led, close to nature, to animals and to God.
I think a brief quote from one of my favorite of these Hermit songs sums up the kind of prose contained in most all of them: from 'The Monk and his Cat' :Pangur, white Pangur, How happy we are Alone together, Scholar and cat. Each has his own work to do daily; for you it is hunting, for me study......'
The music on this disc is well executed, and if you are a Barber advocate, it's a great collection of his song material. I happen to like MOST of his music, but it's for me a 'mood ' thing. He was born very close to where I live, so I guess I feel a kinship of sorts. I do think that he is one of the 'greats' in contemporary music!

An American Voice of the Century.......2005-10-09

While there is no question that Leontyne's opulent voice - here young and lustrous in the "Hermit Songs" recital (1953!) would have been a magnet for any composer, her affinity for Barber is clear, and his for her. The studio recording of the "Hermit Songs" has a better acoustic, but this one is just as thrilling in interpretation, and a bit less studied - and it has the two James Joyce settings, as well.
The "Knoxville" is beautifully judged - soft and swinging to start, then opening up into the drama and poetry of the middle and late sections. The Eleanor Steber original commission will always set the standard, but Price expands it that much farther, with longer phrases, and an ineffable langour that both she and Steber identified as the "Southern" stamp on this music. It's universal, as far as I am concerned, but it exalts and breaks the heart at the same time. Agee and Barber drink from the same fountain here.
I have never heard the entire "Anthony & Cleopatra", again written for Price, so I can't judge the work as a whole, just these two numbers. I have a special affection for the first scene, however - "Give Me Some Music" shows Price, in her absolute vocal prime, complete mistress of color and mood, and the motive, "My man of men" reappears in her final, regal, death scene. When she sings "O happy horse/ who bears the weight of Antony!" - I swear, my hair curls, no matter how many times I hear it.
In short, gotta have it.

An Essential Barber Disc.......2002-03-13

What a fabulous collection of music by Samuel Barber. Leontyne Price is at her absolute best in the songs. The entire Hermit Songs are here with four others. These recordings are of particular interest since Ms. Price performs with Samuel Barber at the piano. It is interesting to compare these recordings to the latter ones sung by Cheyrl Studer with John Browning at the piano for tempo changes.

The recording of Knoxville: Summer of 1915 is arguable the best of those available. Ms. Price sings with great sensitivity and Thomas Schippers and the New Philharmonia provide excellent support. Ms. Price said that Knoxville reminded her of her own childhood, and her commitment to the music comes through. I have the recording of Knoxville sung by Eleanor Steber, who commissioned this work, but I have always regarded the Price recording as the one to have.

The two excerpts from Antony and Cleopatra are of great interest since Ms. Price sang the role of Cleopatra at the premiere in 1966. Her performance here, also conducted by Schippers, is wonderful. The transfer to CD of these recordings is excellent. Perhaps the only down side is that the Hermit Songs were performed before an audience so there is applause between each song. After a while, this becomes monotonous. This disc is a must for anyone interested in Barber's music, and in particular for Knoxville.

Price sings songs and arias written for her!!!.......2001-12-05

This CD on which Leontyne Price memorializes many of the songs and arias composed by Sam Barber with her in mind should be in every collection of those who appreciate Barber's vocal music and the magnificent voice of one of the world's greatest singers of the 20th century. The collaboration of Barber and Price on the "Hermit Songs" and others reveals the composer's affection for the singer and the singer's understanding of the dramatic intent of the word and music. Alone, Price's interpretation of "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" is worth the price of the CD; it is singularly exquisite and cannot be matched! Price brings unmatched beauty, power, and understanding to the arias from "Anthony and Cleopatra" -- an opera composed with her voice in mind. It is indeed sad that Price never recorded "Vanessa," nor the song cycle "Despite and Still," nor the hauntingly beautiful "Sure on this Shining Night." You will not be disappointed if you buy this CD.

Fab voice, OK music.......2001-08-07

What is it that everyone seems to adore about Samuel Barber's music for voice. The man clearly wrote some absolutely divine orchestral pieces, there's no disputing that. But his vocal work seems to be lackluster. Hermit Songs is an example of modern classical music at it's worst. Disjointed, unmelodic, and difficult to follow. Price who's diction is fabulous on the later Knoxville piece is mushy durin the Hermit Songs, her voice is young and fresh, but not particularly glorious. She does deserve praise however for her promotion of American Music

Knoxville 1915 is a much better piece than Hermit songs and has more lyrical moments, but it still sounds so modern. If it has just been an orchestral piece it might've been fabulous but that is unfortunately not the case. It's almost as if Barber wrote a piece for orchestra and wrote a seperate piece for voice and just joined them, whether they made sense together or not. Unlike Hermit Songs, Price's performance more than makes up for the lack of brilliance in the music. Her diction is amazingly clear, even Callas would be jealous and her voice soars, where the music allows her to at least.

The selections from A+C are worty enough, another unreal performance by Price, one wonders if there was a better interpretor of American Music ever, maybe Steber. These works are more traditional sounding and thus go over better, but they seem a bit bland, without Price infusing them with energy this listener would have lost interest

The Songs of Robert Burns / Songs of the Hebrides
Average customer rating:

Elegance in sound

Scottish Songs for a Lifetime

Simply exquisite!

Love and frustration

The Songs of Robert Burns / Songs of the Hebrides

Manufacturer: Dutton Labs UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music
Scotland | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Very Best of

The Tartan and Scottish Saturday Night

The Decca Years: 1955-1975

Kenneth Mckellar's Book of Hymns [Australia]

The Songs Of Robert Burns, Volumes 1 & 2

ASIN: B0006840KC
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Customer Reviews:

Elegance in sound.......2007-05-13

McKellar has one of the finest tenor voices I have heard. There is a range that is broad, while keeping a very masculine sound. I learned that he was trained classically and gave up opera after a season or two to do concert singing. These songs have lush or spare orchestral arrangements as the occasion demands. They are dramatic, even Hollywood-like, arrangements verging on schmalt, but a second hearing convinced me that he was among the finest tenors of the 20th century and the arrangements are "just right."

Scottish Songs for a Lifetime.......2007-05-12

If I was to be only able to carry one CD with me to a desert island, this one might be my choice. The poetry of Robert Burns is entirely inspiring. The vocal performance of McKellar is adequate to Burns' work. The orchestration is rich and appropriately simple. These songs will "stick to your ribs" and leave you longing for a visit to the old sod to personaly perceive the beloved ambiance they evoke.

Simply exquisite!.......2007-05-06

Who can sing like this today? Vocalion has done it again -- two of Kenneth McKellar's wonderful Decca recordings from 1961 and 1962 brought together for a wonderful vocal treat. There are things the lover of the English art song and ballad cannot be without -- Jennifer Vyvyan's lovely renditions of Michael Head's Foxgloves and Roger Quilter's Love's philosophy; Eileen Farrell's stentorian Sing to me by Sydney Homer; John Mark Ainsley's rhapsodic performance of Quilter's Go, Lovely Rose, and Kenneth McKellar singing Land of Heart's Desire, Sleeps the Noon in the Deep Blue Sky and Robert Burns' My love is like a red, red rose. Happily, these songs are preserved on this terrific release. McKellar had a wonderful, powerful and lyric tenor voice. His operatic and oratorio singing is moving on top of being very musical -- dynamics, portamento, etc., scrupulously observed and artistic; however, his sining of art songs, folk songs and ballads is exemplary and always, underscored ALWAYS moving and right on the mark. McKellar had a real affinity for this music and it simply erupts from the grooves (oops, I'm dating myself)!

The Songs of Robert Burns is lovely -- I defy anyone to listen to McKellar's rendition of My love is like a red, red rose, and come away without a tear in the eye. In my opinion, however, the true gem is the release of McKellar's Songs of the Hebrides. Vocalion includes McKellar's spoken introductions to these songs and it is incredible. One might think that it would sound trite, but McKellar is right on the mark and the introductions make the songs that much more memorable. Marjory Kennedy-Fraser is surely smiling down from heaven as this is the most beautiful and atmospheric recording of her Songs of the Hebrides. McKellar scales down his powerful voice for Land of Heart's Desire and it is ravishing. No one comes away unmoved. Again, who can sing like this today? I tried to think of any tenor or baritone singing today that could come close to this kind of a performance -- I could not think of one. Thank you Vocalion for bringing these performances back to light. Speaking of the recording, it is lush, with that beautiful early stereophonic sound preserved. For the lover's of the art song, ballad or folk song, you MUST have these performances.

Love and frustration.......2007-03-08

This recording has some wonderful Scottish songs by a super Scottish tenor. The difficult part for me is that I need the sheet music to go with one of the songs, but I had no luck locating it anywhere. There are other versions of the song ("My heart's in the highlands") available but none like this one. Is there any chance you could help me find it??

Sincerely,
Lyndall

Average customer rating:

Fine recital of neglected composer
Good Performance but the content?

Campion: Lute Music

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 Opera & Vocal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Dowland: Flow My Tears and Other Lute Songs

ASIN: B00000IXIZ
Release Date: 1999-06-01

Tracks:

Come Let Us Sound With Melody
Tune Thy Musicke To Thy Hart
Come You Pretty False-Ey'D Wanton
There Is None, O None But You
Sweet Exclude Mee Not
I Care Not For These Ladies
Though You Are Yoong And I Am Olde
Fire, Fire, Fire, Fire!
What Then Is Love But Mourning?
Shall I Come, Sweet Love, To Thee?
Beauty, Since You So Much Desire
What Is It All That Men Possesse?
The Sypres Curten Of The Night
Jacke And Jone They Think No Ill
It Fell On A Sommers Daie
When To Her Lute Corrina Sings
My Sweetest Lesbia
Her Rosie Cheekes, Her Ever Smiling Eyes
Faire, If You Expect Admiring
There Is A Garden In Her Face
Author Of Light
Never Weather-Beaten Saile
Most Sweet And Pleasing Are Thy Wayes
To Musicke Bent Is My Retyred Minded
Thou Joy'St, Fond Boy
Turne All Thy Thoughts To Eyes
Vaile, Love Mine Eyes
Miserere My Maker

Customer Reviews:

Fine recital of neglected composer.......2000-10-29

I'd agree with the earlier reviewer that this CD is for those who have already tried Dowland. However Dowland has been fortunate in the recording studio and Campion much neglected (this appears to be the only disc dedicated to him currently available) so Naxos deserve our thanks for having brought Rickards and Linell back together for a second disc. What is particularly encouraging is to find a whole disc of songs, not just a few raisins in a cake of viol music which is how Dowland and his contemporaries are normally represented. Not that I've anything against mixed recitals - the collaborations of Fretwork with Red Byrd are beautiful - but it tends to be the same better known songs.

The first recordings of early English music on the Naxos label (I'm thinking of Summerly's earlier recordings of Byrd, Tomkins, Gibbons) lacked texts, that has been corrected in later releases, including both this disc (timing 52:52), and the earlier Rickards Dowland recital (8.553381, 1997, timing 74:08). Sound on both discs is more than adequate.

Good Performance but the content?.......2000-02-01

I make no claims to being knowledable about the intricacies of this music. But if I were giving stars I'd give the performance four or five and the content...um...that's the hard part.

I bought this out of curiosity. Campion's lyrics turn up occasionally in anthologies of poetry and I was curious to hear the songs. I own Rickards and Linell's "Dowland: Flow my tears and other lute songs" and i play it often so I also wanted to know what Dowland's competition sounded like.

Firstly, the performance is of the same high standard as on the other disk. Which is good. Linell plays well and Rickards' voice is fine. The liner notes provide good background information as well as the words to the songs. The only real complaint I could have about the performance is probably related to production: The lute sounds small, thin and distant compared with, say, Bream's lute on "The golden age of English Lute music" or Lindberg's on "The complete solo lute music". This is true of the pair's Dowland recording as well but it may only be a drawback if you're trying to use the performances as a guide to playing the songs yourself. ( I was).

The real drawback to this recording though is the material. Play the Dowland and you're liable to find yourself humming odd snatches of the songs. Play the Campion and you're liable to have difficulty remembering any of the individual tunes. Nor do the lyrics redeem the music. He probably was a "better " lyric writer than Dowland (whatever that means) but music wise Dowland beats him hollow.

Tracks:

Beauty, Since You So Much Desire
Love Me Or Not
Your Fair Looks
Never Love Unless You Can
O Never To Be Moved
The Cypress Curtain Of The Night
Awake Thou Spring Of Speaking Grace
Come, You Pretty False-Eyed Wanton
So Tired Are All My Thoughts
Fire, Fire
Pined I Am, And Like To Die
Author Of Light
See Where She Flies
Fair, If You Expect Admiring
Shall I Come, Sweet Love, To Thee?
It Fell On A Summer's Day
Kind Are Her Answers
Beauty Is But A Painted Hell
Sweet Exclude Me Not
Are You What Your Fair Looks Express?
I Care Not For These Ladies
Never Weather-Beaten Sail

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-12-24

Thomas Campion (1567-1620) was a poet as well as a musician, and his songs definately reflect this ability, for they could just as well be read as sung. Philip Rosseter ( his friend) states that his 118 songs were "superfluous blossomes of his deeper Studies," no doubt referring to his Latin poetry , or perhaps medicine, which was his profession. What Campion did better than Dowland, or any other English composer of the day, was to "couple my words and notes lovingly together, which will be much for him to doe that hath not power over both." It is best to listen to them in order of priority to poem, melody and lastly singer. His melodies are simplistic and unadorned by shocking harmony designed to overpower the weight of the word itself. T.S. Eliot was in no doubt about Campion's quality:"except for Shakespeare, the most accomplished master of rhymed lyric of his time."
The performance of these songs by Drew Minter (countertenor) accompanied by Paul O'Dette (lute) is really quite outstanding. I must say that this disc is so much better than Minter's other disc of lute songs "Sweeter Than Roses". His voice had a much clearer tone quality and he did not get 'nasal' or 'edgy' as he is prone to do. He kept his voice light and distinct with very neat diction. When he goes for a loud full sound like Michael Chance or David Daniels his voice is not pleasant to hear. But this album is very good and his emotional investment into each song was excellent. Just a very good LISTEN!!!!

Serious Drawback.......2006-04-08

Elizabethan Songs. Twenty-two songs by Thomas Campion (1567 – 1620), performed by Drew Minter (countertenor) and Paul O’Dette (lute).
Recorded in November 1989 at Bethel United Church of Christ, Manchester, Michigan.
Harmonia Mundi. Originally issued as HMU 907023, now re-issued as part of the budget-price Classical Express series as HMCX 3957023. Total time: 58’23”.

Thomas Campion was a contemporary of both Shakespeare and Dowland and was a medical doctor who wrote poetry which he also set to music. Drew Minter performs twenty-two of these here with his inimitable coppery countertenor, a voice which is, in fact, very beautiful, but needs considerable getting used to if you are new to it. (Minter sings at alto pitch, but nobody would mistake him for a female!) He is accompanied by master lutenist Paul O’Dette, whose contribution remains fairly quietly in the background. The songs themselves are, of course, in Elizabethan English, making them rather difficult to understand. And this is where this CD suffers a serious drawback: the texts are not printed in the thin CD booklet; instead, there is a note saying that they can be downloaded from the internet, but when I tried to visit the site mentioned (on more than one occasion recently), the server was down, the address unknown. I nevertheless enjoyed listening, but without really knowing what Minter was singing so delightfully about. Campion’s melodies sound to my ear a little “samish”, and I occasionally found myself wishing that the program had been interrupted by a lute solo or two.

Pleasant recital of Dowland contemporary.......2001-03-28

There is little overlap between this Campion CD and the similar recital featuring another American countertenor, Steven Rickards, on Naxos. However if forced to choose between the two note that the Naxos release includes sung texts, while this one from Classical Express does not. On the other hand O'Dette is a more characterful lute player.

Previn - A Streetcar Named Desire / Fleming, Futral, Gilfry, Griffey, SF Opera, Previn

Average customer rating:

Well I had no expectations so...
Calling Leonard Bernstein
Renee Fleming - The Vivien Leigh of opera!
Excellent!
Misunderstood

Previn - A Streetcar Named Desire / Fleming, Futral, Gilfry, Griffey, SF Opera, Previn
André Previn , Renée Fleming , Elizabeth Futral , Orchestra of the San Francisco Opera , Rodney Gilfry , Anthony Dean Griffey , Matthew Lord , and Judith Forst Josepha Gayer
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Box Sets | Stores | Music

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

Previn - A Streetcar Named Desire / Previn, Fleming, Gilfry, San Francisco Opera
A Streetcar Named Desire: Vocal Score
Floyd: Of Mice and Men
Cold Sassy Tree
Bolcom - A View from the Bridge / Josephson, Malfitano, Turay, Lyric Opera of Chicago, D. Russell Davies

ASIN: B00000G3XH
Release Date: 1998-12-22

Tracks:

A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 1: 'They Told Me To Take A Streetcar Named Desire'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 1: 'Blanche!' I 'Stella! Oh Stella!'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 1: 'I Can Hardly Stand It'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 1: 'You Left! I Stayed And I Struggled!'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 1: 'I...I...I... Took The Blows On My Face'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 1: 'Hey Mitch! Come Back Here'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 1: 'You Must Be Stanley. I'm Blanche'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 2: 'Hiyah, Sweetheart'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 2: 'Let Me Enlighten You On A Point Or Two'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 2: 'Hello Stanley. Do You Mind?'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 2: 'Here! There Are Thousands Of Papers'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 3: 'Well, I Ought To Be Getting Home'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 3: 'Yes? Oh Hello'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 3: 'Stella!' - 'Stanley, That's my... What Are You Doing'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act One - Scene 3: 'Hmmm...' - 'Stella? Stella?'

Tracks:

A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Two: Prologue
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Two - Scene 1: 'Say, Blanche... Do You Happen To Know'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Two - Scene 1: 'Soft People Have Got To Shimmer And Glow'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Two - Scene 1: 'Ah Me... Ah Me... Come In'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Two - Scene 1: 'Don't You Love These Rainy Afternoons?'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Two - Scene 1: 'What's The Time? Come On, Mitch'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Two - Scene 2: 'Fraid You Didn't Have Much Fun'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Two - Scene 2: 'I Work Out With The Weights'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Two - Scene 2: 'Blanche... How Old Are You?'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Two - Scene 2: 'I'm Not A Boy, She Says'
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Two - Scene 2: 'He Was A Boy When I Was A Very Young Girl'

Tracks:

A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three: Prologue
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 1: What's All This For?
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 1: You Should Just Know The Line
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 1: What Time Is It?
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 1: Stanley, Tell Us A Joke
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 1: Stell, It's Gonna Be All Right
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 1: Yes... Don't Light These Pretty, Pretty Candles
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 1: Me And You When We First Met
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 2: Who Is It, Please?
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 2: It's Dark In Here
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 2: Real! Who Wants Real?
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 2: I Don't Mind Your Being Older
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 3: How About Taking A Swim
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 3: Take A Look At Yourself
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 3: Operator, Operator, Give Me Long Distance
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 3: Interlude
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 4: Damn Your Luck
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 4: I'll Wear The Cool Yellow Silk
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 4: I Can Smell The Sea Air
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 4: That Must Be Them
A Streetcar Named Desire: Act Three - Scene 4: These Fingernails Need To Be Trimmed

Amazon.com essential recording

This Deutsche Grammophon recording stems from San Francisco Opera's 1998 premiere production of André Previn's opera based on the harrowing Tennessee Williams play, with the composer himself at the helm of a strong and supportive cast. Previn's eclectic style embraces rather than challenges operatic conventions. He evokes Williams's New Orleans setting through loping, jazz-tinged motives and wistful, asymmetrical commentaries from solo winds and brass. By contrast, Previn reveals the protagonists' sense of longing and alienation by way of lyrical set pieces scored with lush economy. Philip Littell's libretto emerges at a leisurely gait, while the music underscores and follows the action with dramatic restraint instead of leaping center stage. Similarly, the cast's Southern accents are distinct but never distracting. Renée Fleming handles Blanche's taxing tessitura with effortless aplomb, although she sacrifices diction for tone in her middle register. Elisabeth Futral's light, agile soprano suits Stella's vulnerability to a fare-thee-well, while Rodney Gilfrey is careful to a fault in not letting Stanley Kowalski lapse into caricature. Most valuable player award, however, goes to Anthony Dean Griffey, who infuses Blanche's wooer Mitch with immense dignity and a sense of need. Stage noises and between-numbers applause may enhance the recording's sense of occasion, but they distract as much as those few niggling instances of thin string tone and shaky intonation. That's why God invented studio patching sessions. Still, Streetcar proves a solid achievement overall, priced at three discs for two, with full texts and annotations. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Well I had no expectations so..........2007-05-21

I'm gradually liking this opera. I've recently gotten into opera and I love 'streetcar' so I bought this. The music is great, and so is the singing. But the constant sing-talking is obnoxious, in my opinion. I know it doesn't bother some, so obviously this is a point-of-view thing, but to be honest I'd rather they just spoke or sang more of it than the sing-talk. There were moments when I would've preferred hearing just the background music. The story, though, is good, of course. If you like streetcar, check it out.

Calling Leonard Bernstein.......2004-09-17

Streetcar Named Desire is the most operatic of plays and one of my all-time favorite plays. I think it would make a terrific opera. But unfortunately this isn't it. Andre Previn's previous Musical Theatre works include several lackluster shows: Coco and Good Companions. They were both moderately agreeable but plainly derivative and neither one of them was successful.

I was hoping Streetcar would prove an exception. But for me it only confirms the shallowness of Previn's musical imagination. Once again we get a pale imitation of other people's work. This opera sounds like a rip off of Carlisle Floyd's Susannah--- accompanied by some phony, cliched 1950's jazz soundtrack music. This was the general consensus among critics when the show debuted and I concur.

Oh sure, there are some effective moments like Stella's bedroom music, Mitch's big aria and the finale--- but where is the real passion and beautiful melody this story cries out for? Renee Fleming is in splendid form as a singer but I am sorry... I just don't see Blanche Du Bois as a loud mouthed belter. For God's sake, she's supposed to be a fragile creature who has been crushed by the brutality of the world. If this is not made explicit, then all the pathos disappears and the power of this great work is lost. I'm afraid Fleming's Blanche is far too robust to be seen as fragile. Her acting skills are simply not strong enough to convince me that she is teetering on the twilight edge of reality. Fleming's Blanche seems like a cheesy hustler trying to con Mitch into marrying her.

Leonard Bernstein might have been able to create a masterpiece with this material but I'm afraid Previn is out of his league. He has all the right ambitions, but after watching and listening to this I have to agree with the majority of the original reviewers that he will never be known as anything but an "also-ran."

Renee Fleming - The Vivien Leigh of opera!.......2004-04-16

Not since Vivien Leigh's haunting interpretations of Blanche on the big screen and in theatres has Blanche been brought to life like this. I'm not a fan of modern opera but with this god-given cast nothing can go wrong. A recording to cherish and to adore! Also try to find the video, there is at least one!

Excellent!.......2003-10-31

This is an excellent recording of a very interesting work. I really enjoyed it. Unlike some, I have never seen the opera in performance, so I don't know how it worked. I have seen the play, and the now classic movie version. Whenever standard spoken theatre plays are rewritten as operas some of the touching moments change. The importance shifts, and the subtleties alter. That has happened even when the Great Verdi wrote his Shakespeare operas. The two types of works must be judged separately and one their own terms.

This opera is really quite beautiful, and the music quite exciting. The performers seem to work well together as a group and not a collection of egos and stars, which is so necessary for this story to work. Modern opera is a funny thing, for in many cases it is very alienating, it literally drives the listener/audience away because it is so foreign and the composers are so stuck on themselves and some theory of music they are trying to present they bore the audience completely. It is as if they are writing deliberately to spite those who would eventually make the opera last, the paying audience. This opera, on the other hand, does NOT do that at all. It engages the listener right from the start. True, it is more "traditional" in some ways than many modern operas (excepting a very new one premiered here in Calgary where I live, written specifically for our local opera company, Filamina; it even deals with a locally historical incident; sadly, since it has just had its world premier there is no recording of it available) but it is really completely modern.

Like other modern operas I have spoken of, I have to admit, it is not something that will grow on you. This one impresses right from the beginning, but if you are not into modern opera, it will leave you flat. It does have its "meandering" moments, like most modern opera have, and those are often even more boring than the pages of endless recitative one finds in Baroque opera. Fortunately, in this opera these moments are very rare and very far between.

My only complaint with this opera, and I guess with English opera in general, is the poor diction. The singers may as well sing in meaningless syllables for all the meaning one gets out of what they do sing. I don't understand it, for one can go to some super old and horrible historic recordings of singers at the turn of the century and their English is flawlessly easy to understand. I have recordings of Edward Johnson singing Canadian songs (and anthems) along with operatic music, and his English is so perfect and unmannered it is a real treat to hear and understand every word, particularly in ones own language (a treat only foreigners seem to have when listening to opera). Most singers of today, and it started before the complaints about Sutherland and her diction, simply make English sound like they are singing with a mouth full of mashed potatoes. Diction is so important in opera, and we have all come to expect it in other languages, but why it is allowed to be so poor in our own language is simply unacceptable. English is a funny language and has NO pure vowel sounds as other languages have. It is nothing but dipthongs, and to sing it correctly each and everyone of them must sound. Even in words that one thinks are Pure Vowels aren't if a little thought is put in. Until directors and singers stop singing English with the same pure vowels they learned as singing students (everything based on Italian) and learn to think through the dipthongs (like the old singers did) we will never understand the words, and thus we miss half the fun of the work. English also requires a far more "forward" sound. That is why the broadway belt was invented. Belting is not loud singing, or shouting, as is often thought. It is a form of singing, well supported with the breath like classical singing, but the dome or raised soft palat is not stressed. The tone if focused very heavily into the upper teeth/nasal area, but the tone is not "nasal." Broadway developed belting without really thinking, really. All it learned was the old "operetta" way of singing English, though pretty, made the words unclear, and the transition from speaking to singing too noticeable. To be understood clearly, that sort of forcus is necessary for English, and until singers start adding it to their way of singing, we will never understand a word of things when sung in English, and that in and of itself is one reason English opera, and modern opera like this is often disliked by the opera going public. The old adage and complaint about opera rings completely true, "you can't understand a thing they sing." Renee Fleming should have done much better in this than she did, as she was first before an opera singer a jazz singer. Of all the cast she should have known better what to do to be understood.

Still, you will either like this opera, or you won't, there is no middle ground. If you are not sure, borrow it from the library before buying it.

Misunderstood.......2003-06-01

First I must say that Renee Fleming renders a marvelously complex Blanche. Brava! Now down to business: While reading the other reviews posted here, I've noticed that much criticism stems from the fact that this is an adaptation of a play which didn't need improving. From my point of view, this work is not "Tennessee Williams set to music." It is an entirely different piece, using his words as a backbone, but leaving behind some ideas and highlighting in bold relief other concepts. Opera is rarely as subtle in its characterizations as legitimate theatre. Certain key elements of drama and character are retained for operatic adaptations because it is nearly impossible to musically portray the full complexity and nuance present in the spoken (and unabridged) word. Among the composers to attempt to convey through music the myriad emotions that may cross a stage actors face is Wagner, whose music is incredibly intense and rich but notoriously dense and difficult. Essentially, don't expect to see or hear a play set to music. Previn has created his own Streetcar here, and it shines in its own light.

Average customer rating:

Beyond Rossini
A Major Mezzo Voice AND Mind
Rising Star
Huzzah for this incredible American mezzo-soprano!

The Deepest Desire

Manufacturer: Eloquentia France
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Songs by Fauré, Hahn and Head; Arias by Rossini and Handel
Handel Operatic Duets ~ Amor e gelosia / Ciofi · Di Donato · Il Complesso Barocco · Curtis
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
Rossini: La Cenerentola
Handel - Hercules / Shimell, DiDonato, Spence, Bohlin, Ernman, Kirkbride, Christie, Les Arts Florissants, Aix-en-Provence Opera

ASIN: B000BTIU4I
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Tracks:

Extinguish My Eyes...
When My Soul Touches Yours...
Music I Heard With You
What Lips My Lips Have Kissed
A Julia De Burgos
Nature, The Gentlest Mother
There Came A Wind Like A Bugle
Why Do They Shut Me Out Of Heaven?
The World Feels Dusty
Heart, We Will Forget Him
Dear March, Come In!
Sleep Is Supposed To Be
When They Come Back
I Felt A Funeral In My Brain
I've Heard An Organ Talk Sometimes
Going To Heaven!
The Chariot
Prelude;The Call-More Is Required-Love
I Catch On Fire
The Deepest Desire
Primary Colors
Piccola Serenata

Customer Reviews:

Beyond Rossini.......2007-01-24

In this wonderful CD, Joyce DiDonato shows more facets of her extraordinary musicianship and considerable interpretative talents. Every review so far gives this CD 5 stars, and who am I to argue? If you are hungry for some mezzo fare, but are looking for something other than the usual "Una voce poco fa" and "Non piu mesta", this CD is for you. This is a very nice collection of American art songs, sung by brilliant American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.

I would like to build on the previous reviews, and add what this CD showed me. Joyce is an incredible musician in complete control of her instrument. She has all the dynamics; strong double fortes to floating pianissimos. Her vowels are beautifully forward, her diction impeccable. Her registers match, and the transitions between head and chest voice are seamless. All of her notes are well supported to the end. She can sing straight tone, and uses vibrato properly and intelligently as an effect. She's got technique to burn. When you combine this with dead-on artistic instinct and faithfulness to the text, you have something very special indeed. You will appreciate subtle changes in the coloration of her voice, always motivated by the text.

Her use of pianissimo straight tone is particularly effective in the last words (...silence everywhere) in the Copland song "Nature, the gentlest mother". Her vocal shadings were also very effective in the "I felt a funeral in my brain", also by Copland. It truly sounded like a nightmare verging on madness. Great stuff. I enjoyed the Copland "Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson" the most.

The Bernstein songs are also very well done, and they show off Joyce's dynamic control and her ability to find absolutely any note interval, no matter how obscure. The Jake Heggie songs are very cool compositions. These are very much ensemble pieces, and Joyce has great partners in Frances Shelly, flute, and David Zobet, piano. I found the opening of "Prelude" a bit disquieting, with the piercing (at times) flute solo. I can tell you that our cat, Pablo, didn't care at all for that opening passage. He was trying to sleep, and it made him flicker his right ear rapidly and give me a look of disdain. But, Joyce isn't the only musician on this CD who can change the coloration of their instrument. Frances Shelly shows us that as well. Beyond the opening passage, you'll note that the sonorities of Shelly's flute and Joyce's voice are very well matched. The ensemble work throughout the Heggie songs is superb.

Sit back and enjoy the career of this great mezzo-soprano, who is finally coming to Lyric Opera of Chicago. The best is yet to come for Joyce DiDonato.

Highly recommended.

A Major Mezzo Voice AND Mind.......2006-07-14

For those who have not have the distinct pleasure of hearing Joyce DiDonato on the concert stage, this very fine recital is an excellent introduction to a gifted artist, a Mezzo Soprano whose reputation in European opera houses is well established but whose exposure in the US is far too small.

As an indication that she is more than just a beautiful voice, DiDonato has elected to make her first solo CD a recital of songs and arias by American composers (think Susan Graham, Dawn Upshaw, the much missed Jan DeGaetani and Lorraine Hunt Lieberson and others) and be entirely successful on every front. Included on this CD are Copland's 'Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson', Jake Heggie's 'The Deepest Desire - Four Dramatic Songs of Praise', and Leonard Bernstein's haunting settings of Rilke poems as well as excerpts from his 'Songfest'. In each her diction is flawless, her intonation perfect, and the quality of every portion of her range is lusciously beautiful.

Joyce DiDonato is a communicator and we can only hope that as her operatic career blossoms in this country that she will continue to grace the recital stage with singing of the sublime intelligence with which she imbues these works. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, July 06

Rising Star.......2006-02-14

Having been thrilled by Joyce DiDonato's performance in La Cenerentola in Kansas City, I have been eager to find any recorded performance by her; thankfully, her Cenerentola is now available (not the KC production, but a good one), and her earlier recording of Handel duets is an absolute must. Now comes this wonderful collection of American art songs, few of them well known even to a fan of this art form. DiDonato shows the same acting ability and musicianship in these varied songs as she demonstrates on stage. She is not afraid to stretch her voice for dramatic effect, but never (to my mind) oversteps or overacts the texts. Copland's Twelve Songs of Emily Dickinson have been performed and are more familiar than either the Bernstein or the Heggie songs on this disc, but I would urge anyone who loves the modern art song (and is willing to add another voice to such treasures as Dawn Upshaw, Jan De Gaetani, or Cathy Berberian in this kind of repertoire) to acquire this outstanding disc; nothing on it will disappoint.

Huzzah for this incredible American mezzo-soprano!.......2006-01-23

Having just listened to the NPR interview with Mlle DiDonato, I immediately made a hard right in my aged 327,000 mile Toyota pick-up to visit a Tower Records store to see if anything by her was available. I discovered that "The Deepest Desire" had been released just a week previous, and purchased it immediately [sorry Amazon, I couldn't wait three weeks or so to receive it from your good offices]. This signature effort is a must for all who have eagerly awaited a passionate American mezzo-soprano who can dominate Europe!

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Recommended Music:

Shadows in the Air [DualDisc]

Shostakovich: Symphony No.14

Silverwood

Music: Omona Wapi

The Voice of the Future

Sonidero Mega Mix [Import]

Seule [Import]

The Spirit Of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974-1987

Shadows of Dreams

Survivor

Sotto La Luna [Import]

Sofa [Import]

The Actual Meaning [Explicit Lyrics]

Pierre Boulez: Rituel / Eclat / Multiples - Ensemble InterContemporain / BBC Symphony Orchestra

Midnight Mama

1. Bolero
2. Rondo Alla Turka
3. Sonata in B Minor BWV 1014: Andante
4. Suite in F Major: Air
5. Suite for Flute & Orchestra in a Minor: Overture
6. Andantino
7. Four Seasons - Autumn: Allegro
8. Wine Woman Song & Waltz
9. Symphony No. 41 in C "Jupiter": 1st Movement
10. Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor Op. 27 No. 2 "Moonlight": 1st Movement