Sephardic Songs

On this CD:

1. La vida es un pasaje
Composed by Sephardic Traditional
Performed by Alegria Ensemble

2. Una matica de ruda
Composed by Jewish Traditional
Performed by Alegria Ensemble

3. Los dos amantes
Composed by Sephardic Traditional
Performed by Alegria Ensemble

4. Morenica a mí me llaman
Composed by Sephardic Traditional
Performed by Alegria Ensemble

5. El raptor pordiosero
Composed by Sephardic Traditional
Performed by Alegria Ensemble

6. Ventatas altas tienes tú
Composed by Sephardic Traditional
Performed by Alegria Ensemble

7. De edad de kinze anyos
Composed by Sephardic Traditional
Performed by Alegria Ensemble

8. Ven verás y ven veremos
Composed by Sephardic Traditional
Performed by Alegria Ensemble

9. Nani, nani
Composed by Jewish Traditional
Performed by Alegria Ensemble

10. El sueño de la hija del Rey
Composed by Sephardic Traditional
Performed by Alegria Ensemble

11. Alta, alta, va la luna
Composed by Sephardic Traditional
Performed by Alegria Ensemble

Sephardic Songs, Music, Jewish Traditional, Sephardic Traditional, Ensemble Alegria, Classical, Classical Collections-Artist Desc., Folk Song, Orchestral & Symphonic, Symphonic, Symphony, Vocal, Vocal Music

Ninna Nanna: Lullabies (1500-2002)
Average customer rating:

An exquisite gem of a desert island CD

Sweeping, seductive, and superlative!

Mesmerizing music for the heart

La Ninna Nanna

"Stunningly beautiful" is an understatement

Ninna Nanna: Lullabies (1500-2002)
William Byrd , Jordi Savall , and Hesperion XXI
Manufacturer: Alia Vox Spain
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Lux Feminae

Du temps & de l'instant

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Diáspora Sefardí

Bella Terra

ASIN: B000071XAC
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Tracks:

Anon. (Purtugal): Cancao de embalar: Jose embala o menino
Anon. (England): Lullaby: My little sweet darling
Anon. (Greece): Berceuse: Dors mon bebe
Anon. (Sefarade): Berceuse Ladino: Nani, nani
Anon. Berbere: Berceuse Amazigh
William Byrd: Lullaby: Come, pretty babe
Tarquino Merula: Canzonetta spirituale sopra la nanna: Hor ch'e tempo di dormire
Anon. (Alicante): Mareta, mareta no'm faces plorar
Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752-1814): Chanson d'une maleureuse mere: Dorsmon enfant
Modest Mussorgsky: La Chambre des enfants (1870): Avec la poupee
Anon (Israel): Berceuse hebraique: Noumi, noumi yaldati
Arvo Part: Berceuse de Noel (2002)
Max Reger (1873-1916): Maria Wiegenlied: Maria sitzt am Rosenhag
Manual de Falla (1876-1946): Nana: Duermete, nino, duerme. Canciones populares (1914)
Darius Milhaud: Berceuse hebraique: Dors, dors (1925)
Federico Garcia Lorca: Nana de Sevilla: Este galapaguito (1930)
Arvo Part: Berceuse Estonienne: Kuus, kuus kallike (2002)
Anon. Catalogne: Cancao de Bressol: La mare d e Deu

Amazon.com

This is a formidable collection of lullabies, spanning 500 years, 18 of them (from almost as many countries) in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Catalan, English, and more, each one lovely, each one in its own idiom. Some are anonymous; others are by composers as different as Byrd, Mussorgsky, Milhaud, and Arvo Pärt. The disc shouldn't be listened to in one setting--no matter how interesting they are, they're still lullabies and can mellow the listener into torpor--but in three-or-so chunks, the contents are fascinating. Figueras can make her sound move from folk to classical, from a mother who is passionate about her child's safety to one who merely wants to entertain into slumber. The anonymous Greek lullaby (track 3) contains the oddest little vocal quirk--a whipping up of the tone at the close of some phrases--which only an artist like Figueras could pull off. And Savall and soloists accompany on various instruments--flute, harp, viols, etc.--with pianist Paul Badura-Skoda playing on three of the lullabies. The CD is a wonderful tour of the world through the centuries with only one subject in mind: sleep. And sleep is something, after all, that takes up a third of our lives. This CD keeps getting sweeter the more you listen. Recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

An exquisite gem of a desert island CD.......2005-06-09

Every time I catch sight of a Vox Alia CD with its distinctive packaging I find resistance is futile and I end up buying it. This gorgeous collection of lullabies delivered much more than I had ever dreamt possible.

What gives this CD its magic is the fact that this is music making amongst friends and family. In fact the record label is Jordi Savall's own, Monserat Figueras is his wife, and Arianna Savall his daughter - so it really is an all family affair. The whole of Hesperion XXI play like they know each other intimately and we are just privileged eavesdroppers who were lucky enough to have overheard them. If some of the major record labels are increasingly marketing their music like MacDonalds hamburgers then this is like being invited to dine at a lovely family run Spanish restaurant. There is a heartwarming homeliness here the majors could never emulate in a hundred years. So it is entirely appropriate that this should be a collection of lullabies, for this is a celebration of family intimacy of the most deeply poetic and affectionate kind.

The selection of music might strike a casual listener as being unusual - exotic is a better term - yet they are all so instantly attractive that I think this would make a lovely gift (especially given the beautiful booklet that comes with it) to a child, a mother, a partner, a friend, a music lover; even people who know nothing about the composers here would surely be enchanted. I was particularly delighted by the reviewer who wrote that her daughter listened to this at night - oh, how fortunate it would be to grow up with music like this with its imaginatively chosen collection of music from so many countries and centuries - you would carry this music in your heart for the rest of your life! Amongst the songs is a Greek song, a Catalan song, a 16th century English song, a song by William Byrd, Max Reger, Moussorgsky as well as two by Arvo Part, both of which carry dedications to Monserat Figueras, Arianna and Jordi Savall (in the photograph reproductions of the first pages of the handwritten score Arvo Part has written in German 'gewidmet an...' if you were wondering where this info comes from).

Typical of the CD is how difficult it is to hold back a tear listening to Reger of all composers - I would have never thought it possible, especially when it would have been simply all too easy to choose some all to well known Schubert Lied, but here it is, they have picked Reger and it is PERFECT. Yet that is only one gem amongst so many more here. I am speechless, for this CD is indeed a rare treasure made for people who truly love beautiful music making - a CD to cherish and to weep for joy over.

I should add that as usual from Vox Alia the recorded sound is audiophile quality, and a notch above what you get from about 95% of record labels. In my opinion they even surpass some boutique audiophile labels like Linn, which is really saying something. So if you love to luxuriate in rich sound this will fit like a glove.

If you fall in love with this recording please, please may I suggest you BUY it for someone you love, rather than burning it, just as a way of saying 'thank you' to this family of musicians. This is a family run label rather than some huge impersonal coorporation and I have seen too many private boutique record firms go bust over the years, so please help ensure that these artists continue to make lovely recordings such as this one.

I am adding this CD to my desert island collection.

Sweeping, seductive, and superlative!.......2004-01-14

Figueras offers the listener a triumphant collection of evocative songs. Let's dispense with a possible concern. This CD is sub-titled "Lullabies". Anyone going to sleep listening to Figueras should see either a hearing or a brain specialist. While they may pacify children, adult listeners will be exhilarated by the sweeping range of her voice and exquisite presentation. Figueras' expressive style simply transcends descriptive praise. From soaring appeals to the heavens to quiet, soothing reassurances, she demonstrates the magnitude of her evocative skills. One can sense constrained passion in each song as she moves from one culture to another through the collection. That one of the pieces was commissioned for this collection is further proof of the extent she provides the listener - she's not confined to neither time nor place.

What is most clearly manifest in this musical anthology is Figueras' professionalism and her Catalan background. Unlike the operatic divas who have deigned to release popular renditions, she demonstrates how someone who truly understands the music of mountain villages or plains communities in any nation can elevate even the most "common" music. The selections range over five centuries or more, reinforcing the impression that nothing exceeds the capacity of her elegant voice to convey feeling to the enraptured listener. Each of us will likely settle on a favourite selection. Predictably, my own is a Catalan piece of an anonymous composer. Perhaps because the lullaby is in her native tongue, the richness of Figueras' rendition evokes intense emotional response. Would that i'd been born a Catalan!

Alia Vox was launched to give fresh impetus to the recordings of Figueras, her husband Jordi Savall and the groups they have created together. This CD will remain a testimony to their efforts to produce the highest quality discs. The sound is excellent, clearly imparting voice and background instruments alike. With 18 selections from a variety of eras and locations, the notes for this CD are extensive. The text of each tune is given in the original and seven other languages. Could scholarship and the universality of music be given finer endorsement? [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Mesmerizing music for the heart.......2003-10-18

Rarely has there been a more beautiful collection of lullabies than those presented in Ninna Nanna. Clearly a labour of love of Montserrat Figueras and her family, it brings together songs that mothers have been singing to their infants over the centuries - whatever their culture or language. "It is like food for the young child" reflects Montserrat Figueras in her dedication, the most intense reflection of affection and tenderness.

Lullabies in this collection, come from cultural backgrounds as diverse as Russia, Morocco, Greece, England and, of course, the Iberian Peninsula. They span from the Renaissance to contemporary music. Most of the musical versions have been masterly arranged by Jordi Savall, suited to fit the extraordinary voice of his wife. We also find some arrangements by well-known composers such as Moussorgski, Reger or de Falla.

Being lullabies, the songs show similarities: above all their tunes are beautifully soft and melodious. Yet, the tunes show considerable diversity in rhythm and tonality. Some are melancholy and almost haunting, others joyful and jubilant. Montserrat Figueras' voice is, as always, in a class of her own, radiating with richness and intensity. The music touches the deeper cords in the listener's consciousness. Her voice is superbly and sensitively accompanied by Hesperion XXI, the accomplished team of musicians under the leadership of Jordi Savall.

The informative booklet accompanying the CD is well presented and includes the songs' texts in eight languages, including the original. This is a CD you will not get tired to listen to many times, whether you play it for your children, your family and friends, or just for yourself. [Friederike Knabe, Ottawa, Canada]

La Ninna Nanna.......2003-08-17

Very few times in life we can be transported back to share such deep experiences as that of holding a child in your arms while singing a lullaby. This CD is exceptional not only because of the high quality of the production but also by the deep emotions that each song carries. A true gift for all those of us that need to stop and enjoy a moment of peace!

"Stunningly beautiful" is an understatement.......2003-05-31

I bought this as a gift for our daughter, and it works great; but I also can't stop listening to it myself day and night, having nothing to do with her bedtime and nap times. If one wants to go to sleep, it works beautifully for that; or if one wants to stay up and pay attention to every wonderful nuance, it also works for that. Or if it's just on as background music, it changes any room to a place of comfort and home. Montserrat Figueras here sings in at least twelve different languages, in music spanning 500 years, and puts it all across with heartfelt directness. What more difficult musical task could there be than all the above, together? But she does it.

This disc is really a family affair: Figueras and Savall, plus their daughter who also sings and plays, and their son who took the photos; plus their friends and colleagues, among the most imaginative and soulful players alive. Extraordinary. And the new music composed by Arvo Part for this album: it's proof that music can objectively make a person weep.

And the booklet: a gorgeous presentation with full background information, photos of the sessions, and each song is given in translation to eight or nine languages! (The original, plus eight more translations if different.)

The only thing you can't do is play this in the car, while driving around to lull the child with the motion. Oh, that works great for the child, but it's the driver's concentration we should be worried about. There is no way to keep one's mind safely on the road while this CD is on.

Tracks:

El rossinyol
El testament d'Amelia
Adios meu homino
Mina nay por me casare
Tengo que subir
Ahi tienes mi corazon
La vi llorando
Ya se van los pastores
Campanas de Belen
Jaeneras que yo canto
A dormir ahora mesmo
Granadinas
Hincarse de rodillas
Cancion de trilla
Parado de Valldemosa
Nik baditut
Andregaya
Din, dan, boleran
Mariam matrem
Ay, triste vida corporal!
Que es mi vida, preguntais?
Porque es, dama, tanto quereros?
No me llames segalaherba
Ay, luna que reluces
En esta larga ausencia
Molinillo que mueles amores
Confiado jilguerillo
Seguidillas religiosas
Cancion de cuna
El jilguerillo con pico de oro
El canape

Tracks:

Ah, el novio no quiere dinero
Coma la rosa en la guerta
Estavase la mora
Aquel rey de Francia
Damos gracias a ti, Dios
Sobre Baca estaba el rey
Ay que non hay!
Rosa das rosas
Maravillosos e piadosos
Tres moricas m'enamoran
Paseabase el rey moro
Dime a do tienes las mientes
Si no's huviera mirado
Dexo la venda
Puse mis amores
Aqui me declaro su pensamiento
Pues que me tienes
Gentil dama, non se gana
Mi querer tanto vos quiere
Una hija tiene el rey
Una matica de ruda
Si la noche se hace oscura
Pastorcico, non te aduermas
Ay triste que vengo
No soy you quien la descrube
Pase el agua, Julieta
Aquel caballero, madre
Duelete de mi, Senora
De Antequera salio el Moro
De los alamos vengo, madre
Enfermo estaba Antioco
Dame acogida en tu hato
Morenica, dame un beso
Senora, si te olvidare
De donde venis, amore?

Tracks:

La rosa enflorece
Ven querida
Adio, querida
Durme, durme, hermozo hijico
Paxaro d'hermosura
Avrix, mi galanica
Irme quiero, la mi madre
Ya viene el cativo
Yo m'enamori d'un aire
Una matica de ruda
Anda, jaleo
Los cuatro muleros
Las tres hojas
Los mozos de Monleon
Las morillas de Jaen
Sevillanas del siglo 18
El cafe de Chinitas
Nana de Sevilla
Los pelegrinitos
Zorongo
Romance de Don Boiso
Los reyes de la baraja
La tarara
El combat del somni: Damunt de tu, nomes les flors
A l'ombra del Lledoner: Canco de grumet
Canciones negras: Cancion de cuna para dormir a un negrito
Cuatro madrigales amatorios: De los alamos vengo, madre
Coleccion de tonadillas: Callejeo
Coleccion de tonadillas: El tra la la y el punteado
Seis canciones castellanas: No quiero tus avellanas
Seis canciones castellanas: Jota
Panxolina
Tu pupila es azul
Cantos populares espanolas: Malaguena
Cantos populares espanolas: Granadina
Cantos populares espanolas: El Vito
Cantos populares espanolas: Pano murciano
Clavelitos
Adios, Granada
Madrigal

Tracks:

Coleccion de tonadillas: Amor y odio
Coleccion de tonadillas: Callejeo
Coleccion de tonadillas: El majo discreto
Coleccion de tonadillas: El majo olvidado
Coleccion de tonadillas: El majo timido
Coleccion de tonadillas: El mirar de la maja
Coleccion de tonadillas: El tra la la y el punteado
Coleccion de tonadillas: La maja de Goya
Coleccion de tonadillas: Las currutacas modestas
Tres majas dolorosas: Oh muerte cruel!
Tres majas dolorosas: Ay majo de mi vida
Tres majas dolorosas: De aquel majo amante
Goyescas: La maja y el ruisenor (Rosario)
'La vida breve': Vivan los que rien! (Salud - Act 1)
'La vida breve': Alli esta! Riyendo! (Salud - Act 2)
'Acis y Galatea': Confiado jilguerillo
El tripili
Llorad, corazon
Iban al pinar
No lloreis, ojuelos
Mananica era
Mira que soy nina
Gracia mia
El pano moruno
Seguidilla murciana
Asturiana
Jota
Nana
Cancion
Polo
'La Tempranica': Zapateado (La tarantula e un bicho mu malo)

Customer Reviews:

The most noble voice.......2004-05-28

Victoria de los Angeles' voice not only has a silken quality and fascinating glow to it but it is one of the most regal, noble sounds you'll ever hear. She illuminated those moments of quietness, gentleness and noble, feminine pride and elegance like no other soprano before and after her. This release of her "Spanish Songs" has never been surpassed. The songs of her homeland seem to have been written for her beautiful instrument alone, she fills every piece with special beauty and charm, religious flair and beautiful, noble simplicity. Buy this recording and see why Victoria is one of the best sopranos ever having come from Spain.

PURCHASE THIS JEWEL WHILE YOU CAN.......2002-01-08

FOR A LONG TIME "SONGS OF SPAIN" HAS BEEN MY FAVORITE ALBUM OF CLASSICAL, POPULAR, SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS (CHRISTIAN AND SEPHARDIC) SPANISH SONGS. DE LOS ANGELES DEFIES A RIVAL IN THIS GENRE. DE LARROCHA, SORIANO AND ZANETTI PROVIDE UNEQUALED ACCOMPANIEMENTS. THE RECORDINGS ARE SECOND ONLY TO LIFE PERFORMANCES. I UNDERSTAND THAT EMI INTENDS TO TAKE THIS SET OUT OF PUBLICATION. PURCHASE THIS JEWEL WHILE YOU CAN! I JUST PURCHASED MY THIRD SET FROM AMAZON AND I TREASURE IT AS MUCH AS MY FIRST!

luminous artistry from a genius.......2000-12-26

the vocal artist of vocal artistsdisplays her absolutely gorgeous voice and musical understanding of spanish feeling with a warmth that is unmatched anywhere.the only thing better was to hear her in person!

A special Dignity and an Unfailing Beauty of Voice........2000-09-17

This set offers four generously-filled CDs comprising almost 140 Spanish songs from Victoria de los Angeles' repertoire. To all of them she brings a special dignity and an unfailing beauty of voice. The earliest recordings date from 1950 and the last is the items she sang at the opening of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Yes, you will find the ubiquitous "Clavelitos!" here, and a later version of "La maya el ruisenor" from "Goyescas". The enclosed booklet provides illuminating notes by Lionel Salter, who also translated many of the texts which are also included. Accompanists include Gerald Moore and Alicia de Larrocha, and Victoria de Los Angeles provides a guitar accompaniment herself in one song. The last track of all, a zapateado from a zarzuela, recorded live in New York, must almost have brought the house down.

Life of the Worlds: Journeys in Jewish Sacred Music

Average customer rating:

Life of the Worlds: Journeys in Jewish Sacred Music

Manufacturer: Five Souls Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Jewish & Yiddish Music | Folk | Styles | Music

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Tuning The Soul: Worlds of Jewish Sacred Music
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ASIN: B000172L72
Release Date: 2003-12-03

Tracks:

Ha'aderet Veha'emunah/LeKhay Olamim - Yemen
Le'El Adir Neranenah - Afghanistan
Bati Legani - Eastern Europe
Kinah Lekhurban Gan Eden - Eastern Europe
Sephardi Yerushalmi Khatsi Kaddish - Jerusalem/Spain
Navah Tehilah - Afghanistan
Hayoshevet Baganim - Yemen
Eyn Keloheynu - Morocco
Modeh Ani/Elohay Neshamah - Salonica
Eli Shema Koli - Morocco
Reb Nachman's Niggun - Ukraine
Hishtapkhut Hanefesh - Belarus
Niggun of the Alter Rebbe - Belarus
Ve'erastikh Li - Salonica
El Mistater - Poland
Ashrey - Eastern Europe/Spain
Yemeni Shema - Yemen
Grandfather Sang a Song - Eastern Europe

Amazon.com

The modern-day traditional Jewish music revival is filled with artists exploring klezmer's Eastern-European roots, but you'll hear no clarinet and little violin on cantor/educator Richard Kaplan's Life Of The Worlds. Although these are traditional songs, there is a broad range of the Diaspora represented on his second album, including Afghani, Spanish, Moroccan, and Algerian traditions. Kaplan dives into the sacred and the secular, the prophetic and the exultant, finding commonalities amongst different tribes and fusing them together. Musical accompaniment comes in the form of an occasional flute, piano, and violin as well as Moroccan clay drums, oud, dumbek, and other pre-modern-era instruments, but the instrument at the center of each song is Kaplan's voice--his high baritone majestically soars, quavers with sensitivity, and rings out with joy. To hear him sing solo versions of traditional Niggiun is to hear a world-class master savor the multifaceted nuance of each note and transcend the concept of song, turning it into religion and high art. --Tad Hendrickson

Album Description

A remarkable collection of vocal performances of Jewish sacred music from the Middle East, Andalusia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia - songs of exultation, longing, love, and Divine immanence - accompanied by an ensemble of masterful musicians.

Instruments include: oud, ney, kanun, Egyptian accordian, violin, mandolin, dumbek, doira, riqq, Yemenite can, tar, saz, clarinet, mey (Turkish duduk), tilinca (Rumanian shepherd's flute), piano, string bass, balaban (Klezmer drum set), cimbalom, and a chorus of voices.

Among many special songs, the CD features an 'eco-lament' (ecological lament) based on lament melodies for the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. It is called "Lament on the Destruction of the Garden of Eden" (Kinah Lekhurban Gan Eden), and updates the use of these tunes to mourn the wounding of our larger temple, Gaia - Mother Earth.

LIFE OF THE WORLDS contains 18 songs, 77 minutes of music, and contains a 32-page booklet which includes informative song descriptions; all texts are provided in transliteration, English translation, and in Hebrew or Yiddish.

Tracks:

I. Surge, Propera Amica Mea
II. Descendi In Hortum Meum
III. Ego Dilecto Meo
Yo M'Asento En Mi Ventana
Rex Solomon
Hebrew Cantillation (Uri Tsafon)
Awake, North Wind
Hebrew Cantillation (Shir Hashirim)
Shir Hashirim
Hebrew Cantillation (Hinach Yafah)
O Ecclesia
Hebrew Cantillation (Yonati B'Chagvey)
Dodi Li
Osculetur Me
Hebrew Cantillation (Hishbati Etchem)
Dilectus Meus
Hebrew Cantillation (Kol Dodi)
Una Matica De Ruda
Set Me As A Seal Upon Thy Heart

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Singing But Possibly Lost Soon
A world tour of some fine songs
Her songs go around the world and to the heart
Sheer Enchantment
Not bad

My World
Johann Paul Aegidius Martini , Giovanni Battista Pergolesi , Ottorino Respighi , Ruggero Leoncavallo , Manuel de Falla , Xavier Montsalvatge , Erik Satie , Leo Delibes , Francis Poulenc , Edvard Grieg , Robert Schumann , Franz Schubert , Richard Strauss , Tiberiu Brediceanu , Enrico Mezzetti , George Cavadia , Antonin Dvorak , Franz Liszt , Manos Hadjidakis , Sephardic Traditional , Young-Sup Choi , Akira Mitake , Jaime Ovalle , Nicholas Brodszky , Angela Gheorghiu , and Malcolm Martineau
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

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Songs by Mahler, Handel & Peter Lieberson
Diva

ASIN: B0000069D9
Release Date: 1998-04-07

Tracks:

Piacer d'amor
Se tu m'ami
Nebbie
Mattinata
El pano moruno
Canto negro
Je te veux
Les Filles de Cadix
Les Chemins de l'amour
Solveigs Sang - Peer Gynt, Op.23
Widmung - Myrthen, Op. 25 No. 1
Du bist wie eine Blume
Standchen
Zueignung
Mult ma-ntreaba inima
Cantec de sirena
Umbra
Kdyz mne stara matka - Ciganske Melodie, Op. 55 No. 4
Oh! quand je dors
Pai efiye to treno
Durme kerido hijico(Traditional Sephardic)
Guriwoon Geum Gang San
Kawa no Nagare no you ni
Azulao
Be My Love

Amazon.com

The cover is a bit much: Angela Gheorghiu descending from an airplane in a glamorous 1950s suit suggesting she's the reincarnation of Maria Callas. And in the notes, the fabulous Romanian soprano tells of her jet-setting life and how this international program of songs reflects that. She's not quite as versatile as she would like us to believe, but she's the real thing, singing with a strength of conviction and depth of musical understanding that overrides lapses in style. Many singers would just sail through Poulenc's tuneful Les Chemins de l'amour, for example, but Gheorghiu shows what guts it has. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Singing But Possibly Lost Soon.......2005-08-22

This recording contains 25 beautiful works by composers from various regions of the world. Angela Gheorghiu's artistry is excellent. She is not only expressive, but she possesses the ability to demonstrate dynamics without losing control of the breath support. Gheorghiu's ability to crescendo and decrescendo on a given pitch is impressive because her tone stays clear regardless of what she is doing. Respighi's Nebbie is a good example.
Additionally, The short Greek piece shows that Gheorghiu can be rather versitile. Her voice becomes almost one that is not easily recognizable in the lower register. It's almost chest voice singing to me. This is just another of Gheorguiu's amazing abilities.
Her pianist is also excellent. He plays with much sensitivity and is a joy to hear. He has the touch of few gifted accompaniests today.
If you like Gheorghiu, I highly recommend this CD especially since there seem to be only several available copies of the recording out there. I certainly hope that more copies will become available and that this recording will not disappear as some already have in today's market.

A world tour of some fine songs.......2004-12-26

Ms. Gheorghiu undertakes a lot with this CD, some very disparate literature in a passel of different languages. I think she succeeds quite wonderfully. Her Italian, French, and German pronunciation are quite good (and one assumes her Romanian as well). More importantly, she carries off the songs effectively. Schuberts Ständchen is very nice as is Schumann's Du Bist wie eine Blumen. I can't speak much about the Asian songs, some have apparently found fault with her Japanese and Korean pronunciation. I can understand that, but I'm willing to cut her slack on that. The Hadjidakis song is marvelously done. She remarks in the liner notes that it doesn't even sound like her voice, and I concur. Turn up the volume, and at the very end of the song, you can hear her exhale as she finishes. No, not part of the music, but is somehow conveys the sense of melancholy inherent in the song. Sometimes compilations like this don't work, but in my mind, this one certainly does.

Her songs go around the world and to the heart.......2001-06-08

On this 'diva on a world tour' CD, Angela Gheorghiu sings splendidly in a wide variety of styles, from art song to folk song to cabaret song, and even goes slightly into the pop genre, proving that 'crossover' can indeed sound wonderful from a singer of integrity. It doesn't hurt that she has what is probably the most beautiful soprano voice of our time, from a serene, splendid top to a rich and very sexy bottom. Her superb technique is shown by beautiful control of tone and dynamics, especially gorgeous pianissimi. Of course, she is much more than just a `beautiful voice'. Gheorghiu brings the same intensity, total commitment, attention to detail and nuance to her song interpretations as she does to her operatic ones, often with a quietness and introspection that opera usually doesn't require. She not only varies her vocal style, character and even her sound perfectly to each song, she also proves to be an adept linguist, singing 25 songs in 13 (!) languages. While I'm not familiar enough with all the languages to judge her handling of them, anything that Gheorghiu sings in a romance language is wonderful. This includes not only her native Romanian but also French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Ladino (the language of Sephardic Jews, mostly medieval Spanish). She paints words - and entire musical worlds - with the skill of a true artist and rarely fails to touch the heart and soul.

The best track on the disc, without question, is Respighi's 'Nebbie'. Gheorghiu not only brings out all the agony of this character but actually uses her voice to create a frozen landscape of desolation and hopelessness. I also was very taken with her interpretations of two 'arie antiche' that proceeded this - the familiar 'Plaisir D'Amour' sung here in Italian, and a sad, introspective rendition of 'Sei tu m'ami', which makes a nice contrast to Cecilia Bartoli's more outgoing and mischevious version. There is also a wonderful rendition of the famous Sephardic lullaby `Durme kerido hijico'. I always admire a `star' singer who introduces new or obscure repertory for a wider audience to fall in love with, and Gheorghiu does this with 3 hauntingly beautiful Romanian songs. The Greek song is the best of many songs where she gets to display her aforementioned mezzoish lower register - her voice is almost unrecognizable. Other highlights include `Solveig's Song', `Chemins de l'amour', `Oh! Quand je dors', `Je te veux', `Azulao' (where she seems to be conjuring the song up from the depths of the earth) and most appropriately to her own life, the Japanese pop song where she sings about the joys of traveling the long road with her lover beside her. The disc ends with a splendid rendition of 'Be My Love', capping the recital with a spectacular high C and proving once and for all that this song is hardly just tenor-only property.

My only qualm is that while Gheorghiu's renditions of Schubert and Schumann songs are by no means bad, she has a great deal of competition in this repertory and her renditions don't come quite as special as those of others, or of the other songs on this CD. I think `Zueignung' in particular needs a more heroic sound than she gives it here. Also, I was a bit spoiled for 'Guriwoon Geum Gang San' by hearing Hei-Kyung Hong sing it - she actually IS Korean and brings more deep and specific feeling to this song than Gheorghiu can. I'm also slightly disappointed that she does not include any English (as opposed to American) songs, considering how much she loves working in England and how popular she is there.

Malcolm Martineau plays beautifully and is an accompanist of imagination and sensitivity. His affinity with Gheorghiu is shown by the fact that her singing of 'Azulao' was at his suggestion. He seems to becoming a latter day Gerald Moore in the way that he accompanies so many singers so well in such widely varied repertoire and brings out their best, although I do not know if he posssesses Moore's gifts for explaining the music to the audience. I hope he and Gheorghiu work together again, despite the fact that they are now primarily based at different record companies.

The documentation includes an essay by Gheorghiu herself on the songs and how they relate to the joys of her peripatetic existence,as well as full texts and translations. One possible error - I believe they translate a different verse of 'Les Filles du Cadix' than Gheorghiu actually sings. I also like the cover and interior photos of Gheorghiu - they show her as a smart, strong, confident world traveller, not a submissive sex object the way so many other female classical singers appear in their CD booklets. By contrast, the photos of her actually taken at the recording session show her as a complete 'un-diva' in a cartoon character T-shirt.

While I am delighted about the many opera recordings, both complete works and solo recitals, that Gheorghiu plans to make over the next several years, I really hope she commits much, much more song literature to disc. It is certainly the best way for her to develop an artistic identity separate from her equally splendid husband Roberto Alagna (although it doesn't take a genius to figure out who 'Je te veux' and 'Be My Love' are aimed at!). For the sheer variety, depth, and skill of her interpretations, she could become the 21st century's equivalent of Victoria De Los Angeles. The first priority is a disc of Romanian songs, and I hope she also records more material from the surrounding area (Hungary, Czechoslavkia, Greece, etc). Based on her performance of 'Canto Negro', I want her to record the entire Montsalvatge cycle - can you IMAGINE what she could do with 'Ninghe, ninghe'? Perhaps more Sephardic songs? Kurt Weill's French songs? 'Les Nuits D'Ete'? 'Sheherezade'? The list is endless and mind boggling.

Sheer Enchantment.......2000-03-25

I'll be brief. After listening to this CD on and off for nearly a year, I find that the rougher, less interesting moments that came up when I first bought the disk have faded, and that from start to finish I have a new Desert Island Disk to accompany my favorites of years past. Buy it, then give it time to work its magic and for your erotic center to familiarize you to this sexy voice. The same goes just as strongly for Gheorghiu's glorious ARIAS album with Mauceri. This is more quickly taken in but as time passes it is like having Angela's fingers stroking your back. All right, stroking your sympathetic ganglia.

Not bad.......1999-04-23

In this CD, at first I listened to KAWA NO NAGARE NO YOU NI. I'm a Japanese, so I interested in how Angela Gheorghiu singing it. After the song finished, I'm so sorry because she couldn't singing this song so well. I don't know about other song, but as a Japanese, I'm so disappointed. But, this disc's concept is very good.

Average customer rating:

A glorious heritage, well sounded
a Hispanophile and Judeophile
hauntingly beautiful simplicity
A Fabulous collection!

Songs of The Sephardim

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Jewish & Yiddish Music | Folk | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Sephardic Romances
Sephardic Experience, Vol. 2
Ladino Love Songs: Bride Unfastens Her Braids, the Groom Faints
Sephardic Journey
Jews of Spain: A History of the Sephardic Experience

ASIN: B000001Q6I
Release Date: 1993-08-31

Tracks:

Los gayos empesan a cantar
Una ija tiena el rey
La prima vez
Puncha, puncha
A'har noghenim
Era escuro
Seu shearim
Esta monta'enfrente
Una pastora
Morena me Llaman
Nani, nani
A la una yo nac
Scalerica de oro
Yo m'enamori
Dos amantes tengo la mama
Una matica de ruda
Los bilbilicos
Ir me quero
Hija mia
Durme, durme, hermozo hijico
Avre tu puerta cerrada
Noches, noches
Partos trocatos
En la mar hey una torre
Esta Rachel la estimoza
Cuando el rey Nimrod
Adio, querida

Customer Reviews:

A glorious heritage, well sounded.......2005-10-05

This music has a distinctive Spanish flavour to it - the guitar introduction on the first track is unmistakably Spanish; this is a tradition that dates back to the time before Columbus discovered the 'new' world, which ironically was the same year Ferdinand and Isabella issued their edict of expulsion to the Jews in Spain. The Sephardic Jews took their musical traditions with them when they left, such that the Spanish influences in their culture permeated the Jewish communities in other parts of Europe.

There are all sorts of music on this disc, that covers the whole range of pieces from the Sephardic culture - there are love songs, lullabies, and storytelling songs. Women feature prominently in the stories, and most likely in the composition, of many of the pieces here. Many pieces, however, have come down to the present time without composer/author credits. These could be the songs of many Mediterranean cultures; that they are Jewish is indicated in some of the details of the lyrics rather than the style of music itself. References to Hebrew Scriptures in certain ways, and certain Jewish customs and officials (such as the Moel, the one who performs circumcision) indicate the kinds of details present here.

La Rondinella makes use of wind and string instruments, most likely the same kinds of instruments used by the folk singers who would have been the original performers. Included here as performers are Paul Bensel (recorder, crumhorn, percussion), Howard Bass (lute, guitar, harp, percussion), Rosalind Brooks Stowe (treble viol, vielle, percussion), and Tina Chancey as a guest artist (treble viol, vielle, rebec, kamenj, recorder, percussion), with the alto vocals of Alice Kosloski. La Rondinella was established in 1987 in Washington D.C. as a group dedicated to older styles of music such as Sephardic, English, Scottish and Italian music.

The performances here are simply stunning, and remarkable in the fullness of sound and one with so few players. The care and spirit infused into the performances is wonderful. The emotion is very strongly present, particularly in pieces that give a sense of longing and wandering, a very well-known feeling among the Sephardim.

a Hispanophile and Judeophile.......2005-08-24

This is a great album. The pieces are both instrumental and sung, with a range of themes. There are both lively and slow pieces on this album. The voices are clear, the harmonies are lovely, and with the lyrics, the words are fairly easy to follow and understand. If you already speak Spanish, you will find it easier to understand the medieval Castilian and so that knowledge provides a way in, but if you just like music and are interested in Jewish traditions, that offers an alternative route into the music.

hauntingly beautiful simplicity.......2000-02-05

A jewel of a recording. Alice Koslozski teamed up with La Rondinella for several more recordings of Sephardic and Spanish Renaissance songs, but this one, the first, is the very best: they are all technically excellent, but this CD has the best song selection.

La Rondinella produces great earthy and colorful Medieval timbres. Kozloski's mezzo singing is lyrical and moving, some where on the spectrum between lieder singer and folk singer.

The songs have a hauntingly beautiful simplicity - they are a relevant today as they were 600 years ago. The booklet contains all the Ladino texts - if you know a little Spanish, they are quite understandable.

A Fabulous collection!.......1999-04-03

This is a collection of songs that covers the broad spectrum of love, loss, hopes, and dreams. This music truly is expressed from the heart. It is interpreted by an excellent group of musicians who attempt successfully, I believe, to express the emotions and music of this particular era. This is a must-buy for anyone who is a serious collector.

Sephardic Songs: Romances Sefardies - Noches

Average customer rating:

Sephardic Songs: Romances Sefardies - Noches
Francoise Atlan
Manufacturer: Buda Musique
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Jewish & Yiddish Music | Folk | Styles | Music

Klezmer | Folk | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000001NAQ
Release Date: 1998-02-03

Tracks:

Skalerika De Oro
Nani, Nani
El Duque De Gandia
Aman Minush
Ay Kalelumbror
Poco Le Dach La Mi Consuegra
Galeas-Oud, Voix
Las Escuegras
El Rey Que Muncho Madruga
La Mujer De Terah
Moche Salyo De Misraim
Ah Sinora Novia, Abajes Abajo
Buena Semana
A. Levia Mi Amor-La Novia Remilgada
B. La Galana Y La Mar
Noches Noches
Juego De Siempre
La Mala Suegra

Average customer rating:

A Gem Of A CD - Magnificent Music!!
Lovely Voice and Music
Beautiful music
Separdic Songs of Love & Hope

Sephardic Songs of Love & Hope
Judy Frankel
Manufacturer: Global Village
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

Israel | Middle East | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Tresoros Sephardis
Stairway of Gold: Songs of the Sephardim

ASIN: B000008FS7
Release Date: 1995-10-19

Tracks:

Los Bilbilicos
Tres Hermanicas
Alta, Alta Va La Luna
Puncha La Rosa
La Vida Do Por El Raki
Bendigamos
A La Una
El Dio Alto
Morena
O Mis Hermanos
Fiestaremos
Avram Avinu

Customer Reviews:

A Gem Of A CD - Magnificent Music!!.......2003-06-15

Judy Frankel's CD, "Sephardic Songs Of Love And Hope," is a magnificent collection of beautifully arranged music and song. She was taught most of these songs in the Oral Tradition by Sephardic Jews who now reside in the U.S. One of the reviewers compares Ms. Frankel's voice to Joan Baez, and I agree, to some extent. However I think Judy's voice is stronger with much more depth. She sings from the heart and has the ability to deeply move her listeners.

Some of my favorites cuts are: "Alta, Alta Va La Luna," ("High, High Goes The Moon"), a song from Rhodes - Ms. Frankel is accompanied by drums and the music has a definite Greek flavor; the beautiful and melancholy Israeli love song, "Puncha La Rosa;" a Turkish party song, "La Vida Por El Raki," (I'd Give My Life For Raki); the exquisite Spanish hymn "Bendigamos;" and the poignant "O Mis Hermanos," ("O My Brothers"), a memorial to those lost in the holocaust.

I highly recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys authentic folk music. You certainly do not have to be Jewish to enjoy this to the max!

Lovely Voice and Music.......2002-02-13

Judy Frankel's voice reminds me of J. Baez, fluid yet strong
reaching the high notes easily. Her songs are mesmerizing, the
sound transcends any language barrier. Timeless is one word
I would use to describe her music, as I would have enjoyed
this cd as easily decades ago as I do now.

Beautiful music.......2000-03-11

This music is very beautiful, and I highly recommend it

Separdic Songs of Love & Hope.......2000-01-22

Beautyful adaptation of ancient songs, sang by many generations of Spanish Jews. Moving expression of love for jewish heritage, romance and aspirations. 'O Mis Ermanos' stands out with its sad beauty, mourning the holocaust of the Sephardic Jews of Greece during WWII. Great singing and playing of acustic guitar. You can see an additional review by Mira Shani (my daughter)on the web.

Average customer rating:

Cælestia

Manufacturer: MCD World Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

Jewish & Yiddish Music | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

International | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00029CP4S
Release Date: 2004-03-08

Tracks:

Alleluia Psallite
Buena Semana
Ha Mavdil
Mediterranean Haleluya
Regina Caeli
Ani Le Dodi
Yedei Rashim
La Consagracion De Moses
Bendigamos Al Altissimo
Halelu Haleluya
Rorate Caeli (I Modo)
Nana De Salonika
Luz Azul

Sepharad: Songs of the Spanish Jews in the Mediterranean and the Ottoman Empire [IMPORT]

Average customer rating:

Sepharad: Songs of the Spanish Jews in the Mediterranean and the Ottoman Empire [IMPORT]

Manufacturer: Bmg Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music

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

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000001TZJ
Release Date: 1996-10-15

Tracks:

Balkans/Ottoman Empires: Una Ramika De Rud/Una Matika De Ruda/Una Matika De Ruda (Wedding Song)
Balkans/Ottoman Empires: A Kasar El Rey (Romance)/Anderleto (Lullaby)
Balkans/Ottoman Empires: Morikos (Lullaby) Bosnia
Balkans/Ottoman Empires: Nani Nani (Lullaby)
Mittelmeer/Mediterranean: Quien Huviesse Tal Ventura/Gerineldo (Romances)
Mittelmeer/Mediterranean: Abenamar (Romance)
Mittelmeer/Mediterranean: La Rosa Enflorese (Romance)

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