Classical music reviews

I am new to the field of treble voices, though they have haunted me through my life. I just rec'd Angel Voices3, and was tearful from the first couple notes. This is what God hears, when God commands music be played. Except for the sparrow and the mourning dove, and the lil canary in the cage, I have not heard a sound like this that could lift me up spiritually and physically with such joy.
This exquisite sound is a peak experience, maybe because it only lasts 3-4-5 years, then it is gone. Liam O'Kane and the other fellows in this incarnation of this troup took me to a place I forgot. That of magic, boy giggling, secrets shared, and wonder, knowing I would never return.
Absolutely ,and untouchably exquisite. Pure magic. Perhaps when Jesus said "Suffer the little children to come unto me", he saw these eyes full of wonder and heard the songs they sung.
I want to know more, and know of no one personally who has been struck by this beauty. Except for buying more and more, perhaps purchasing cast off or less than this perfect a product, I know of no one to point me in the path of more and more and more of this. Am I too effusive? Sorry! There comes a time when the pure human voice outstrips the machinations of product hawkers.
I am so pleased that Angel Voices3 came into my life!
Recommendations? Please, I am open and ready!

I just can't get enough of the choirboys from St. Phillips's Church in London! Their new-age album "Libera" and the more traditional "Angel Voices" discs are THE most accessible treble voice recordings on the market. The instrumental backing is very fresh and subtle on Angel Voices III and lets the voices dominate. The music selection is an excellent mix of contemporary and traditional Christmas songs, with some of the classics done to new melodies - "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" sounding wonderfully new and very beautiful. Most of all, however, the boys' voices are just INCREDIBLE! Some of the best treble singing you will ever hear. Many people are only familiar with boys' choirs from the English cathedrals and the Vienna Boys Choir (although Billy Gilman has shown country music fans how good a boy can sing). Well, Angel Voices takes the sound into the recording studio, freshens the arrangements and the accompaniment, and produces music that will appeal more broadly than the traditional boychoir sound. I bought my copy of this CD from Amazon/UK just two weeks ago, and it's by far my favorite holiday CD. You can find the first two albums on Amazon/UK at a very good price. I recommend starting with Vol II. I've played these albums for family and friends, and they are all totally blown-away by the quality of the singing.

It is said that human voices are better music compared to any musical instruments, and this CD is the definite proof. With their heavenly voices, the St.Phillips Choir boys brings you to the land of serenity and offers you the peace of mind. This CD features 20 Christmas carols, some very popular, like White Christmas and The First Noel, but some seldom heard, like Saviour's Day and When a Child is Born. New song or not, the choir boys have added an innocent ambience to each song that absolutely touches the listener's heart. Also, some songs have their melodies modified in a way which make them all the more euphonious, like O Little Town of Bethlehem and While Shepherd Watch Their Flocks By Night. Walking in the Air is also an excellent piece, and the instrumental part is positively capable of sending you to tears. Having had so many Christmases and heard so many Christmas songs, many of the traditional ones are becoming banality to me. Angel Voices III, however, offers a brand-new and refreshing experience.

This CD is a jewel of the world of music. If you close your eyes, you can picture yourself in a European cathedral during Midieval times. This CD guarantees relaxation and comfort. It shall bring with it, elegance and class to any home. Buy this CD.

A splendid collection of orchestral religious music. Soothing, exquisite, and an excellent cross section. Brahms, Lloyd-Weber, Mascagni, Faure and many others with pieces selected for beautiful contemplative listening. A perfect musical elegy for rainy wintry days, lined with the glow of spiritual peace and hope. A gem of a CD - every friend of mine who has heard this CD wants it.

Karajan was right, Anna Tomowa-Sintow is a rare and wonderful artist. This adorable soprano has a creamy, full-toned spinto sound that can take her from Verdi to Wagner or from Strauss to Puccini with equal ease. But it is her sincerity, her big-hearted singing that sets her apart. It is a pity that Karajan didn't use her for his Ballo in Maschera recording, since she gives a compelling account of Amelia's first aria here.

This recital disc is among my favorite soprano recitals I own, and I have quite a few.. Tomowa-Sintow's voice is one of unique beauty. I have yet to encounter another voice that reminds me of her voluptuous timbre. She easily surmounts the lush phrases of Richard Strauss, and Wagner, and tackles the agility of Mozart's music with the same ease. I particularly love her in Verdi roles where she is able to make use of both the dramatic and agile aspects of her voice. The music chosen for this recital perfectly displays her versatility, her strengths. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to discover a soprano, or for those who are already familiar with Anna Tomowa-Sintow and want a disc that demonstrates her best singing.

I am of a mixed mind about von Otter, who tends to push every composer through the same style--very earnest, intense, with a push to every note, and sometimes too much of a slide into phrases. Here she hits the mark perfectly. She sounds as if immersed in Strauss's lavish, plush, self-inudlgent world. Korngold if anything makes that world seem austere, with his ultra-chromatic wanderings around the home key. To all of it von Otter responds with deep conviction, and I can't imagine anyone doing it better.

Can anyone listen to this disc and wonder why Anne Sofie von Otter is so popular? From the opening of "Das Rosenband" to the waning tones of "Sonett f�r Wien" her voice will make you glad you bought this disc and it will make you want to listen again and again. This is not just hyperbole.

For anyone looking for something a little different, the Korngold songs will introduce you to a composer whose music is too often overlooked and shouldn't be. ASvO and Bengt Forsberg can take credit for turning this reviewer into a dedicated Korngold fan and I'm sure I won't be the last. The two songs from Op. 14 -- "Sterbelied" and "Gefasster Abschied" -- are just a tease and you'll want to hear the other two songs in this cycle, though for them you'll have to turn to their two-disc set "Rendez-vous with Korngold". "Alt-spanisch" was originally sung in an English version in the film "The Sea Hawk" and its simple and moving melody will stay with you for days. "Sonett f�r Wien" turns the piano into a full orchestra. In short, Korngold was a master of composing for the voice and Anne Sofie von Otter proves it. Don't miss this one.

Anne Sophie von Otter is a superlative singer, and one of the great recitalists of our time. This disc of late Romantic songs is but another confirmation of her exquisite gifts, combining true musicianship with vintage artistic taste. Central to the success of her recordings is her continuing choice of pianist Bengt Forsberg as her musical collaborator. These two artists perform together with uncommon empathy and understanding. The Berg jewels are the finest things here; von Otter's singing is as clear as a starry night. If you've never connected with Berg's music, take a listen to the Seven Early Songs; the 'Liebesode' and 'Sommertage' are spun with gold. Just marvelous in every way! Korngold's voluptuous art songs are in many ways a world apart from his overbaked orchestral music and operas, measured and cadenced with space and care. Von Otter's rendition of the 'Sonnet for Vienna' contributes mightily toward justifying whatever quasi-renaissance Korngold's music may be enjoying at present. This is just damn perfect art; it would seem impossible to be disappointed with this disc! Check it out!

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

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

Malsteen does it again with his latest compilation. Awsome riffs, blazing guitars, soaring lyrics and the most unbelievable departure from his neo-classical style in a cover of Abba's Gimme,Gimme, Gimme, and his first flamenco instrumental Flamenco Diablo plus some of his old and new songs. Don't play it soft play it loud. An excellent album for any person looking for something new that really rocks.

An excellent representation of Yngwie's less American-known albums. The new songs are awesome...particularly the last two. He is still the master after all these years. My only complaint is there are too few songs from Alchemy. Also I think Braveheart or Facing the Animal should have been included as well.

The music on this wonderful CD is both entertaining and
educational! It's fun to hear Billy Murray sing about the
thrill of driving an automobile and flying when cars and
planes were just being developed ("In My Merry Oldsmobile",
"He'd have To Get Under..." "Come Take A Trip In My
Air Ship"). Considering many of these were recorded
acoustically right on to wax, Billy's fine voice is distinct
and his words are clearly heard. My favorites would have to
be "Yankee Doodle Boy", "The Grand Old Rag (You're A Grand
Old Flag)" (I remember singing those songs in kindergarden!)
as well as "Casey Jones". Whether you're a music historian
or just like to sing along barbershop-quartet style for fun,
GET THIS!

These are the kind of songs Grandpa sang in his men's choir. He would be delighted to know I bought this CD. he loved to hear me sing "Yankee Doodle Boy, and "Give my Regards to Broadway," as a tike. I may be Earth's youngest Billy Murray fan, at age 41--and I'm proud to say it. I just smile indulgently when my wife teases me about listening to this sort of music. This is a real window on the past in music, when everybody didn't sound just like everybody else.

Although the new year is just a few days old, this may well turn out to be one of my best purchases of 2004. Ask 100 people under the age of 60 who Billy Murray was and I doubt you will find anyone who has ever heard of him. This is really too bad because Billy Murray was the top recording star of the pre-1920 era He was the original purveyor of such classics as "Meet Me In St, Louis, Louis", "Give My Regards to Broadway", "By The Light of the Silvery Moon", "Pretty Baby", "That Old Gang of Mine" and a host of other tunes that baby boomers might recall were revived in their childhood by Mitch Miller. Incredibly, Murrays recordings have been out of print since the early 1940's. This collection, masterfully assembled by Archeophone Records of St. Joseph, Il. is stunning! These are the original recordings, in some cases nearly a century old, and the quality of these recordings is far better than anyone would have a right to expect. Murrays magnificent tenor voice is strong and clear on these recordings and one marvels at his dominence of the businss in that era. This collection includes many of his hits as a solo artist as well as tunes he recorded with the Haydn Quartet and the American Quartet, two of the great vocal groups of that period. Also included are duets with popular female artists of the day, Ada Jones and Aileen Stanley. My favorite cut on the entire disc is is a tune he recorded with Aileen Stanley "You've Got To See Mama Ev'ry Night". If you really want to get a feel for that era, put on this disc, close your eyes and let your imagination go to work. What a joy it is to hear the tunes our grandparents and great-grandparents listened to. The package also includes a beautiful 24 page booklet packed with photos and information. Kudos to Archeophone records for a project well done! I look forward to more releases from this company.

Antonietta Stella was a wonderful soprano with a large, full spinto voice, a voice type that is quite rare on today's opera stages. During her short time with the Met, she was overshadowed by Tebaldi, Milanov, and Callas. In retrospect, her relative neglect was not deserved. She had a major voice. It was creamy, focused, and quite large. Her forte top register was excellent and she could hit a high D-flat securely. However, she lacked Tebaldi's and Milanov's ravishing pianissimos, and her tone when singing softly was not as ravishing as Tebaldi's. Her voice, while pleasant, is not strikingly beautiful, nor is it as distinctive as Tebaldi's, Milanov's, or Callas'. It was unfortunate that she started out very early in opera. This led to her having a short vocal prime and experiencing vocal decline by her mid-thirties. If she had made her Met d?but in the early 1960s, when Callas was in vocal decline, Milanov was winding down her career, and Tebaldi was experiencing major vocal difficulties, instead of the year 1956, she probably would have lengthened her vocal prime and become a major star at the Met.

This CD consists of two recitals she recorded for EMI when she was at the height of her vocal prime, 1955. The Verdi selections were recorded in Italy in mono and the Puccini selections were recorded in London in stereo. Needless to say, the Puccini selections have better sound than the Verdi selections do. Stella sings exceptionally well on this CD. The listener immediately notices her full, round, steady spinto tone and crystal-clear Italian diction. She is expressive in all the arias on this CD. She has a strong chest register and uses it to nice effect on this CD. I will pick out a couple of arias on the CD to discuss.

Stella sings "Tacea la notte" wonderfully. I immediately noticed a story-telling aspect in her singing of this aria that is not evident in many other versions of this aria. It's too bad that she did not record "D'amor sull'ali rosee" for this recital. In the cabaletta, she hits a forte high D-flat. Her agility is pretty good, but she lacks the trills that make "Di tale amor" so wonderful to listen to. She deals with all the vocal difficulties in "Ecco l'orrido campo" excellently, and manages the climatic high C beautifully. She has the flexibility to sing the Bolero from "I vespri siciliani". All the grace notes are clearly articulated and she sings the runs at the end cleanly. She even hits a staccato high D-flat in this aria. However, she does not have a trill to give in this aria. The same goes for the "Ernani" aria. Her sense of fun while singing the Bolero is wonderful. In "Pace, pace, mio Dio", she could be a bit more dramatic. At the end, she nails the high B-flat, actually singing it rather than screeching it as so many other sopranos do.

The Puccini selections on this CD are just as good as the Verdi selections, maybe even better. Her "Sola, perduta, abbandonata" is heart-wrenching. I find it more intense, and therefore, more affecting than Renata Scotto's studio recording with Gavazzeni. Dramatically, her "Vissi d'arte" is not as good as Callas', but her high B-flat is rock solid and full. Stella sings a definitive version of "Laggi? nel Soledad". Both Dorothy Kirsten and Eleanor Steber come close in their live recordings of this aria, but Stella has a bigger voice than the both of them and she is a true spinto; the other two are lyric sopranos. Stella sings Minnie's aria with wonderful character and sincerity. The high C she nails at the climax is a gorgeous, full, absolutely steady note. In the three "Madama Butterfly" arias, she comes into her own. "Che tua madre" is sung with intense passion, "Un bel d?" with all the right dramatic shadings, and the Death Scene with intense, believable drama.

This CD is a great memento of a neglected soprano. I highly recommend it.

Antonietta Stella was a lyric-soprano in the best days of Callas-Tebaldi and their rivalry, that is in the fifties and sixties. Although she got less popularity than the Two Divas did, hidden behind their shadow, she also was the first class opera singer as much as the Two were. Her voice is quite similar to that of Tebaldi, Milanov or Tucci, but more lyrical. The DG studio recording of "Trovatore" conducted by maestro Tullio Serafin with a fully luxurious casting -Bergonzi, Cossotto, Bastianini, La Scala Orchestra and chorus-is one of the greatest recordings of the work. Unfortunately, in her two "Don Carlo"(EMI, mono-DG, stereo) and "Un Ballo in Maschera"(DG), she didn't meet nice tenors. But these sets are worth being listened thanks to great opera stars such as Bastianini, Cossotto, Gobbi, Christoff etc. Here, this TESTAMENT compilation album, now ranked at amazon.com, is her only recital album despite her dazzling operatic carrier that becomes a nice stimulus because nowadays very famous and popular singer's albums are made several times from the previously recorded materials. Every arias in this disk gives us a perfect gratification through the well-balanced sound quality and a good recording state from the 1st track till the last. Particularly, "Ernani, involami", "Laggiu nel Soledad" and "Senza Mamma" are the best singing ever. As a whole, she makes high level characterizations and her diction is absolutely examplary. Due to the CD's time limit, I feel the lack of Elisabetta's "Tu che le vanita..." & Violetta's "Addio del passato". In addition, I want to recommend a live recording "Attila" with Ruggero Raimondi. .... This is a "REAL MUST BUY".

It is hard to believe that the "Concertos for Strings" were lost for almost two hundred years (they were found accidentally, but fortunately, in 1926), because they are pieces where Vivaldi reveals all his musical mastery, putting on them a level of interest (characterized by an high degree of rythmic intensity and emotion) similar to that one imposed on his masterwork - "The Four Seasons". Superb music, indeed!

Just a word for the perfomances of Anner Bylsma and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra: excellent!

Definitively, a great record deserving to be listened urgently.

The agility of the soloist is matched by the radiance of Tafelmusik, the outstanding original instruments Baroque orchestra from Toronto. This is an excellent recording!

For me, this is a near miss. I love von Otter's voice and her approach to all these songs. But the NDR orchestra falls short of the virtuosity both composers demand--after all, Mahler headed the greatest orchestra in the world, the Vienna Phil.--and Gardiner is totally out of otuch with Mahler style. But then, I am no fan of his, so others may tolerate his blandness better than I do.

We have the classic performances of Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and Ruckertlieder by Dame Janet Baker with Sir John Barbirolli, which are lush and done in broad colorful strokes on a wide emotional canvas. These songs under these artists are like a lush and colorful garden with all kinds of the most beautiful English roses in full and extravagant bloom; ravishing beauty.
And now we have these freshly pointed and finely colored performances by Anne Sofie von Otter with the NDR-Sinfonieorchester under Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Now, these are different interpretations. There are somewhat more understated colors here. But the emotion is there, alright! Anne Sofie von Otter, with her acute intellect, probes deeply into the many emotions of these complex songs, but also gives them a warm human core as well. One has to listen more carefully, because the artists here approach this music in a more refined and reserved way - without, I hasten to say, loosing any of the deeper meanings and emotions. Under these artists, these songshere are a collection of meadow saffrons in a shaded forrest, constantly touched by the the play of light and shadow falling through te canopy; unadorned, pure beauty.
Anne Sofie von Otter is able to offer the widest range of emotions and tone-colors while at the same time never loosing an intelligent grip. Therefore she may to some never sounds as 'humanly involved' as, for example, Dame Janet Baker. This may all have to do with the characteristics of a certain timbre or voice or with certain singing-techniques, but in the end what counts is how we as listeners feel the emotions. And every and any emotion can be colored in an infinite number of ways, depending the situation...
Both are legitimate views of these songs, and both are just as beautiful, because, in the end, when dealing with artists of this stature, the beginning and end of judging which might be the best performance is all a matter of different moods and tastes. Sometimes I want to stroll around the garden to revel in the ravishing beauty of the roses and sometimes I need a more contepletative walk through the forest to enjoy the slender meadow saffrons.
By the way, Zemlinsky's 'Maeterlink-Gesaenge' are here given freshly pointed performances as well, where von Otters voice is allowed to bloom to the full, perfectly matching the hauntingly melancholic mood of these Late-Romantic songs. I think this specific performance of these six songs can hold pride of place beside (or maybe they are even better than) the lush performance by Jard van Nes and the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest under Riccardo Chailly.
A wonderful album.

I won't pretend to be as eloquent as Bob was in his earlier review, but suffice it to say that it was that very recommendation that enticed me to give this disc a try.

I'm only a recent von Otter convert (now WHERE have I been?!), but am also a long-time Mahler fan, and have always considered the "5 Rueckert-Lieder" to be an indispensable part of any serious orchestral lieder collection, let alone Mahler library. Likewise, I join the ranks of many listeners who are "rediscovering for the first time" the incredible output of Alexander Zemlinsky. If your own sampling only includes the "Lyric Symphony" and a handful of the tone poems, then please add the "Maeterlinck Lieder" to your shopping list. They're more Mahlerian than Straussian, pay off handsome dividends from repeated listening, and deserve a more prominent position in the concert repetoire.

But, back to the disc at hand. Yes, Bob....this recording is worth the price for von Otter's rendition of "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" alone! Count the times you've casually had a recording on at home, perhaps while reading, and then becoming suddenly transfixed by what you're hearing. The music, the performer, the sound... all coming together in such a way as to make inattention impossible. This really is superb artistry in every way; put it right up there with Dame Janet Baker singing Schubert (or the very same Mahler!), or Jessye Norman's reading of Strauss' "Four Last Songs." At the close of "Ich bin der Welt...", I found myself lost in thought, with not a few tears. The balance of the readings presented are of an equally high level. Outstanding.

A final word about John Eliot Gardiner and the NDR Orchestra. I don't know what your plans are, John, but please! Don't let this be your final outing with Mahler! The orchestral cushion provided for Ms. von Otter is terrific, sensitively pointed and musically synched to every turn of phrase. It's an old reviewer's cliche to say this, but..."This is a disc to which I'll return with great pleasure."