Secret of Helen

About the Artist
Although a new face to the Iranian music scene, Helen has managed to dazzle fans with her mesmerizing voice, great lyrics and dynamic musical style.

Secret of Helen,Helen

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Average customer rating: Horrible Techno Muzak with Beautiful Singing Not for the Opera purest... Opera meets contemporary music for sophisticated listeners buy this cd! Incredible music from opera's master composers

Aria Manufacturer: Koch Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Aria, Vol. 2: New Horizon Aria 3: Metamorphosis State of Grace II: Turning to Peace State of Grace Earthbound ASIN: B0002IQGF8 Release Date: 2004-08-10

Tracks:

1. Willow
2. Un Bel Di
3. Secret Tear
4. Dido
5. Pace Pace
6. Pamina Blue
7. Habanera
8. Home

Customer Reviews:

Horrible Techno Muzak with Beautiful Singing.......2007-06-21

This is a Dr. Jeckal and Mr. Hyde CD. The singing is so incredibly beautiful but it's totally ruined with synthetic background "music". The drum machine parts are so bad it's like listening to a joke from Saturday Night Live.

Not for the Opera purest..........2007-05-19

A doctor buddy of mine and I were working the ER one weekend and he put this CD on. Now, I love just about any kind of music EXCEPT Opera and Country music depresses me after a few songs. Now, this CD sure smacked of opera but I was not offended. In fact, the longer I listened, the more I liked it. I didn't much care for the treatment of Bizet's "Carmen" but that was the only song I didn't care for just because I loved the original classical and just didn't like this arrangement. I guess I was primed for this sound through Yanni's "Aria" from his Dare to Dream CD. Thus the blending of contemporary instrumental music with an operatic voice or voices was born.

As for the disappointed opera fan/reviewer, this IS NOT opera and it was never intended to replace or even imitate true opera. Paul Schwartz was exposed to the opera, orchestral symphonies, rock music and dance clubs that were all within walking distance from his home as a young man. He simply took the sounds that appealed to him and put them together. Thus this, his first effort, leans heavily on traditional classical music that is familiar to a great number of people. I personally found his second release, "Aria, Vol. 2: New Horizon", to be much more enjoyable. "Aria 3: Metamorphosis" was released five years after "New Horrizon" and shows a more matured sound and is highly enjoyable. Paul embarked on another venture through the "State of Grace" series during those five years which I haven't heard, yet. I love listening to all three Cd's with #2 and #3 being my favorites of the three. So if you are an opera purest, Paul Schwartz's "Aria" compositions are NOT what you are looking for. But, if you're a New Age enthusiast with even a little appreciation for classical music, then you'll probably enjoy this CD along with his other works.

Opera meets contemporary music for sophisticated listeners.......2006-11-12

I listen to this CD over and over again. Traditional opera voices backed by modern instruments makes for distinct music that appeals to sophisticated adult ears. You don't need to be an opera fan to enjoy this beautiful, unique style of music. A true opera fan below was disappointed, but after buying Aria, I became interested in opera and added a couple of authentic aria CDs to my collection.

buy this cd!.......2006-10-08

When i first heard this CD i hated it. i had heard about it from several people and decided to buy it. i actually bought the box set that has all three Aria cd's. As i checked this cd out, the woman ringing me up said this was the most beautiful thing she'd ever heard and told me i'd love it. i told her i was more of a metal fan. Here i was, a fan of Metallica and Danzig and Tool, buying opera!? i did like the programming on this cd. the drum beats are clean and accompany the music just right; not too loud and not too quiet. the vocals, which at first i didn't like, are really endearing and beautiful. Rebecca Luker sings many of the songs here. i enjoyed this cd more and more with each listen. I like the fact that the lyrics were translated in the booklet so i could understand the words. Bottom line: this is an excellent CD! i would recommend this to anyone. give it a few listens and let it take you. Ignore what you think you know about opera and let his music enter you and enchant you and speak to you. your heart and soul will thank you. let the vocals of Rebecca Luker wash over you and show you the true emotional range of the human voice.

Incredible music from opera's master composers.......2006-03-04

If I could give this CD 10 stars, I would certainly do so. Five stars is not sufficient to describe this wonderful work of art. I am an opera fan but I am certainly not offended by these contemporary arrangements which brings these wonderful works to a modern audience.

The selection "Willow" from Verdi's Otello is haunting and mystical. "Un Bel Di" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly soars. Other works from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas; or Mozart's The Magic Flute; or Bizet's Carmen are arranged to be unique and evoke the context of the original opera.

Rebecca Luker's voice is superb. The electonic approach to these classics updates them, but never replaces the originals. They were not meant to replace only to offer a unique approach to classics.

Average customer rating: Good stuff "Haunting" is a good word for it Traditional meets Modern Breathtakingly beautiful What a concept!

Aria Aria Manufacturer: Astor Place Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Ambient | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Aria, Vol. 2: New Horizon Aria 3: Metamorphosis Aria, Vol. 2: New Horizon Earthbound State of Grace ASIN: B000005EGR Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

1. Willow
2. Un Bel Di
3. Secret Tear
4. Dido - Michelle Ivey
5. Pace Pace - Michelle Ivey
6. Pamina Blue
7. Habanera
8. Home - Martin Loveday

Customer Reviews:

Good stuff.......2007-03-30

to listen to while lounging around the house. :) Very peaceful and soft.

"Haunting" is a good word for it.......2004-10-21

I find my favorite tracks are Dido, Secret Tear, and Willow, though I also like Pace Pace and other tracks. While looking for the lyrics for Dido, preferably in English, I tripped over Amazon's listing and these reviews. I WILL be going out to find Aria 2 and 3 right after work, because if 2 is even better than 1, I'd better not be doing anything else of importance when I listen to it. This first album is really great stuff, and now I know to look for more by Paul Schwartz. I can't get technical about the music, as I don't have that kind of expertise, but I can agree that these tracks are generally relaxing, and some of them REALLY speak to me. It would be nice if I understood what they were SAYING, so I'll continue my search for lyrics. :-D

Traditional meets Modern.......2004-06-21

Like every project composer Paul Schwartz takes on he bring it to life and this album is simply breathtaking! This may not be his best work ever but 'Aria' is his debut into the world of classical crossover and the material here shows great potential but with much room for improvement, and his growth as an artist has become apparent with every release thereafter. The sublime music he creates becomes more divine with each new endeavor and he's proven himself worthy of my attention time and time again, becoming a musician I deeply respect. His arrangements overtake me, filling me with the irrefutable beauty he provokes, causing my senses to soar as I close my eyes and allow the glorious sounds to seep in and release me into a momentary state of bliss.

"Secret Tear" was the first song I ever heard by Paul Schwartz and is probably my favorite on here but despite how many times I've heard "Un Bel Di" remade, aside from the operatic singing, the melody is distinctly his own with lovely Japanese strumming in the beginning and a jazzy saxophone that comes in after about 2-minutes of playing... Other highlights for me include "Willow" and "Dido", which are both positively gorgeous with lush strings and hypnotic beats (you can also hear a wonderful trance remix of the latter on DJ Tiesto's 'Summerbreeze'), and "Pamina Blue" is a hybrid of modern r&b and traditional opera with the primary vocalists being Rebecca Luker and Michelle Ivey throughout this album.

'Aria 2: New Horizon' is far better than this but fans of Paul Schwartz need this in their collection; however, good luck finding it new. I had to get mine used and it was a promotional copy that contained no booklet inside.

Breathtakingly beautiful.......2003-01-29

I recently got into Paul Schwartz's music in the past few months, beginning with "State of Grace". I absolutely loved that album, not to mention the concept of fusing classical and pop music together. The results simply takes my breath away. I moved on to "Earthbound", Paul's latest album which is another winner in my book. I didn't realize up until recently that I had already heard Paul Schwartz's work as a composer with his album "Aria". I kinda put that cd aside and allowed for other music to take hold of me in recent months. So I dug around in my massive cd collection and found my copy of "Aria" which I had purchased used at my favorite cd store. As I am listening to "Aria" for the first time in months, I immediately recognize Paul's work on this particular album. I can't really pinpoint my finger on Paul's sound but I definitely hear it here. On "Aria", the music is more classical with operatic vocals than what I'm used to hearing on "State of Grace" and "Earthbound" which are heavily influenced by pop music as well as classical music. The vocals are provided by Rebecca Luker and Michelle Ivey as opposed to Lisbeth Scott like on "State of Grace" and "Earthbound". And of course, Paul's choice in vocalists is impeccable. Both Rebecca and Michelle have absolutely stunning vocals. Musically, "Aria" is not my favorite Paul Schwartz album but it is still very good nonetheless. I jus prefer "State of Grace" and "Earthbound". I however enjoyed "Secret Tear", "Willow" and "Habenara" a lot. I am definitely a fan of Paul Schwartz's music and look forward to hearing more from him.

What a concept!.......2002-12-03

Maybe I've been living under a rock somewhere, but this music is all new to me and I'm blown away! Closing the gap in time and recognizing beauty in a relationship between the rhythms and sound effects of 21st century techno combined with the timeless passion of 19th century opera is an incredible concept! Equally balanced and not overpowering, it's the best of both worlds. This music will take you places if you let it! Even if you thought you'd never enjoy opera... this may change your mind!! Pace Pace mio Dio

Average customer rating: A Foreshadowing... Masterful Follow-up to The Scottish Lute

Highland King - The Scottish Lute, Vol. II / McFarlane Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Scottish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Celtic Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Scotland | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Celtic | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Scottish Lute A Distant Shore ASIN: B00000IGPB Release Date: 1999-03-23

Tracks:

1. The Wemyss Lute Book: I choyse to ly my lon
2. The Revolution Lute Book: Blew riben
3. The Wemyss Lute Book: Ladi ly nier mee
4. The Wemyss Lute Book: our last good night
5. The Wemyss Lute Book: generall Leslys goodnight
6. The Rowallan Lute Book: In ane inch I warrant
7. The Rowallan Lute Book: Untitled
8. The Rowallan Lute Book: Untitled
9. The Rowallan Lute Book: Maggae Hamfor
10. The Rowallan Lute Book: Katherines Bairdie
11. The Balcarres Lute Book: Tweedsyde
12. The Balcarres Lute Book: Cutte spoon and tree ladie - mr. macklauglans way
13. The Balcarres Lute Book: The canaries - the old way, in mr. mclaughlans fashion
14. The Balcarres Lute Book: I wish I were where Helen lyes
15. The Balcarres Lute Book: The highland king - Mr. mclachlands way
16. The Balcarres Lute Book: Port Athol - John Morisons way
17. The Balcarres Lute Book: I love my love, in secret
18. The Balcarres Lute Book: Jockie leaped over the dyke - mr. mclachlands way
19. The Wemyss Lute Book: Through the wood Laudie
20. The Wemyss Lute Book: Lilt milne
21. The Wemyss Lute Book: da miche manum
22. The Wemyss Lute Book: Ruthueins Lilt
23. The Wemyss Lute Book: fair and Louky
24. The Wemyss Lute Book: doun in yon banks
25. The Wemyss Lute Book: My lady binnis lilt
26. The Balcarres Lute Book: A Scotts tune
27. The Balcarres Lute Book: Where Will our goodman lye - mr. mclaughlans way
28. The Balcarres Lute Book: The newest scotts measure - mr. mclaugghlans way
29. The Balcarres Lute Book: Sweet Willie
30. The Balcarres Lute Book: I never New, I loved the
31. The Balcarres Lute Book: When she came in, she bobbed
32. The Balcarres Lute Book: Simon brodie
33. Anonymous The Rowallan Lute Book: Mary Betons Row
34. The Rowallan Lute Book: Current Tried
35. The Rowallan Lute Book: Over the Dyke Davie
36. The Rowallan Lute Book: Untitled
37. The Balcarras Lute Book: The horsemans Port
38. The Balcarras Lute Book: If thou wert my own thing
39. The Balcarras Lute Book: A gigge
40. The Balcarras Lute Book: The more discreet, the wellcomer
41. The Balcarras Lute Book: The lady Binnes lilt
42. The Balcarras Lute Book: Tarphicken
43. The Balcarras Lute Book: The New Highland ladie
44. The Balcarras Lute Book: Da mihi manum

Amazon.com

With 44 items on a disc running just under an hour, you know not to expect much depth in these many miniatures. But the unpretentious charm and occasional sophistication of these Scottish songs and dances are winning, especially since they have been carefully selected from several manuscript sources. McFarlane obviously loves this material, and he plays it with a great deal of imagination and flair. His emphasis for this collection is on rhythmic dances, but he has made sure to include enough softer, gentler melodies for contrast. And while some of the tunes could come from anywhere, quite a few have distinctive Scottish qualities. For those interested in the lute, this beautifully recorded disc is a treat, enhanced by uncommonly helpful and informative program notes by Kevin Bazzana. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

A Foreshadowing..........2004-11-24

As a long-time guitarist and fan of Scottish traditional music, I was amazed by this collection! If I didn't know better, I would have sworn I was hearing Tony McManus, Dick Gaughan, or even Mark Knophler in his more Caledonian moments. Truly, these selections from 17th and 18th century lute books cement the guitar's place in traditional Scottish music as solidly as that of the fiddle or even bagpipes (both of which didn't gain popularity until the 1600's anyway; and although most listeners are unaware, most of their repetiore of reels, jigs, and airs comes from the 1770's to 1850's, decades AFTER the music in this collection). Needless to say, their ARE tonal and technique differences between the lute and guitar, but the two instruments are very closely related in both respects and almost indistiguishable to many listeners. Thus, the mellow, haunting tunes here are a foreshadowing of the present day's great Celtic guitarists, but, much more than that, exquisite listening for their own sakes. To those who play guitar, I also recommend the available transcription book, although be aware it is in standard notation, not tab!

Masterful Follow-up to The Scottish Lute.......2001-08-21

The Baltimore Consort's Ron McFarlane has followed up his cd "The Scottish Lute" with a brilliant effort that surpasses this cd's predecessor. McFarlane's Lute work is superb and shows a great sensitivity to the material. Beyonds ressurecting the lute tradition in Scotland, he plays these selections with wonderful restraint. I find that early music either works well or fails completely. This cd is an unquestionable success. While the tunes do not have the sophistication of John Dowland, they are worthy in their own right of the listener's attention. A wonderful cd that is consistently enjoyable and rewarding for the listener.

Average customer rating: Urgently recommended despite some production missteps

Vaughan Williams: The Poisoned Kiss [Hybrid SACD] Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000DIGLL Release Date: 2003-11-25

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. No. 2. Opening Chorus: 'Secret Are The Sounds...'
3. No. 3. Scena. Gallanthus: 'What's That?'
4. No. 4. Scena. Angelica: 'Day Is Dawning'
5. No. 5. Duet. Gallanthus: 'It's Really Time...'
6. No. 6. Ensemble. Hob, Lob And Gob: 'Here We Come...'
7. No. 7. Duet And Chorus. Dipsacus: 'I'm A Sorcerer Bold'
8. No. 8. Duet. Amaryllus: 'It's True I'm Inclined...'
9. No. 9. Ensemble. Tormentilla: 'Hush, Lovely Cobra'
10. Amaryllus: 'Desist, Lest You Die!'
11. No. 10. Duet. Amaryllus: 'I Know We See...'
12. Amaryllus: 'Blue Larkspur In A Garden'
13. No. 11. Ensemble. Dipsacus: 'Who's In My Forest?'
14. Dipsacus: 'North Wind, South Wind'
15. Tormentilla: Angelica?
16. Amaryllus And Gallanthus: 'O, Come To Our Arms'
17. No. 12. Song. Tormentilla: 'O, Who Would Be...'
18. No. 13. Finale. Dipsacus: 'All Is Ready!'
19. No. 14. Introduction
20. No. 15. Chorus: 'Here We Come'
21. No. 16. Song And Chorus. Angelica And Flower Girls: 'By All The Powers...'
22. No. 17. Trio. Lob: 'Ho There!'
23. No. 18. Duet. Angelica: 'It Does Not Apear...'
24. No. 19. Trio. Third Medium: 'If You Want To Escape'

Tracks:

1. No. 20. Chorus: 'Tormentilla! Tormentilla!'
2. No. 21. Song And Duet. Tormentilla: 'There Was...'
3. No. 22. Ensemble. Amaryllus: 'Twas Here It Bade...'
4. No. 23. Serenade. Amaryllus: 'Dear Love, Behold...'
5. No. 24. Duet. Tormentilla: 'Sleeping Or Waking'
6. Tormentilla: 'You Must Not Kiss Me'
7. No. 26. Finale. Tomentilla: 'Too Dark For Me...'
8. No. 27. Introduction
9. No. 28. Trio. Mediums: 'Behold Our Mystic...'
10. No. 29. Ensemble. Empress: 'Monstrous Vision!'
11. No. 30. Ballad. Empress: ' When I Was Young...'
12. No. 31. Ensemble. Empress: 'You Can Leave Us'
13. No. 32. Duet. Tormentilla: 'Is My Love Alive?'
14. Empress: 'Love Breaks All The Rules...'
15. No. 33. Invocation. Empress: 'Imps And Demons'
16. No. 34. Ensemble. Empress: 'Come, O Gentle Powers'
17. No. 35. Duet. Empress: 'Can You, Can You Remember'
18. No. 36. Quartet. All: 'Love In A Hut...'
19. No. 37. Sextet. First Medium: 'Horrid Monster!'
20. No. 38. Duet. Gallanthus: 'It's The Proper Thing To Do'
21. No. 39. Finale. Chorus: 'Love Has Conquered!'

Customer Reviews:

Urgently recommended despite some production missteps.......2007-01-07

This premiere recording makes some very beautiful music available for the first time. The opera was first performed in 1936, and Vaughan Williams continued to make revisions into the mid 1950s. The music is representative of the composer's mature style. In the opera's later version given here, Evelyn Sharp's original book was revised by Ursula Vaughan Williams.

The Poisoned Kiss is a romantic comedy, a fairy tale about the triumph of true love over revenge. The opera is not through-sung; rather, the dramatic action is carried forward by dialogue in a manner reminiscent of Gilbert and Sullivan or the West End. At times, the witty, good-naturedly sarcastic text and playful rhyme schemes are reminiscent of Noel Coward.

The musicians are just about ideal. Hickox leads a luscious performance, capturing by turn the music's pastoral beauty and (not very threatening) irony. The singers are of uniformly high quality, with the characterization and fresh voices of James Gilchrist and Janice Watson as the young lovers deserving special mention. Anne Collins's fruity, wide-vibratoed contralto at times seems to be a musical caricature, but it works nicely in the role.

The production has two major flaws. First, the sound image is placed rather distant from the listener. I felt as if I were sitting towards the back of the auditorium and wanted to move up closer to the stage. The SACD's surround mode did add compensatory perspective and body to the sound, as well as a little extra punch to the thunder, cat shrieks, and other fairy-tale sound effects. The two-channel version sounded significantly flatter and more distant. Second, almost all of the dialogue has been omitted. It would have been enjoyable to hear the music in its dramatic context. Indeed, the abrupt juxtaposition of musical numbers that in performance would be separated by dialogue and a shift of dramatic tone is sometimes jarring. With less than an hour on each disc (and with singers who display such fine diction and acting skills), this is a major missed opportunity. Fortunately, the dialogue is printed in the libretto.

Despite these quibbles, this set is still urgently recommended!

Average customer rating:

Secret of Helen Helen Manufacturer: Avang ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B0000DESFZ Release Date: 2003-11-25

Tracks:

1. Baa Man Mimooni (Stay With Me)
2. Faghat Yekbaar (Only Once)
3. Arooseh Daryaa (Bride of the Sea)
4. Raazeh Helen (Helen's Secret)
5. Raghse Labkhand (Dance of Smiles)
6. Setaareh Taa Setaareh (Stars to Stars)
7. Hamvatan (Compatriot)
8. Setareh Taa Setareh (Instrumental)

Average customer rating:

Secret of Helen Helen ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00005Q3J4 Release Date: 2001-06-01

Tracks:

1. Ba Man Mimooni (Stay with me)
2. Faghat Yek Baar (Only Once)
3. Aroose Darya (Bride of the Seas)
4. Raaze Helen (Helen's Secret)
5. Raghseh Labkhand (Dance of Smiles)
6. Setaareh Ta Setaareh (Stars to Stars)
7. Hamvatan (Compatriot)
8. Setaareh Ta Setaareh (Instrumental)

Christian Music:

1. See Ya!
2. Sells
3. Shades of Purple + 1 [Import]
4. Shake Dat Thang [Explicit Lyrics]
5. Somewhere Deep in the Night
6. Soundtrack
7. Spark
8. Stay-Rod
9. Teen Spirit [Enhanced]
10. The ABBA Generation [Enhanced]

Christian Music

christian music

Christian Music

Mummydogs

Schubert: Männerchöre

Show Me the Money

Lucky Lucky Me

SUMMER IN PARADISE

The Answer

Tai Chi [Import]

Sex Packets

Summers in Rangoon

Somebody to Love

The Delivery Man

Sabroso [Import]

The Beat: Go-Go's Fusion of Funk and Hip Hop [Enhanced]

Haydn Greatest Classical Hits

The Hunter