La Luna

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
La Luna is a 47-minute one-track trip through suspended electronica and ambiance from the Can founder, adding yet another piece to a career jigsaw spanning more than 35 years. Subtitled "An Electronic Night Ceremony," this is a tribute to the Goddess of the moon, La Luna. Czukay sets the scene with metallic drone and an omnipresent heartbeat kick drum. Using the prowess of poet and partner U-She, Czukay also intertwines her words of cosmic wisdom into this dense structure, and in doing so extends the plot of "Mirage" from his previous "Good Morning Story" long-player. This is an intense listening experience that avoids overproduction in exchange for the spontaneity created by a live session. Sparse but noteworthy. --Amazon.co.uk

Product Description
An Intense 47 Min. Soundscape with an Insistent Pulsing Throbas Its Heartpunctured by Poetry by U-She

La Luna,Holger Czukay,Tone Casualties,Avant-Garde,Electronic,Experimental Rock,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop

La Luna

Tracks:

Con Te Partiro
Vivere
Per Amore
Il Mare Calmo Della Sera
Caruso
Macchine Da Guerra
Le Tue Parole
Vivo Per Lei
Romanza
La Luna Che Non C'e
Rapsodia
Voglio Restare Cosi
E Chiove
Miserere-Live
Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro) - A Tribute To Henri Maske

Amazon.com essential recording

From his childhood on the family farm in rural Tuscany to the worldwide stage, Andrea Bocelli has achieved phenomenal success. His singing is only partially the point, and his fame owes much more to the aura of romance and the romantic archetype that's attached to him. Romanza is by far Bocelli's largest success, winning adoration thanks to the swooning vocals and the easy, sometimes lush, always pop-safe instrumental textures and melodies. As far as his opera chops go, Bocelli has won the approval of Pavarotti but likely will not wow enthusiasts. The upside is that Bocelli will likely grow the opera pie, convincing labels to take on more operatic projects. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Bias I Confess.......2007-07-06

I confess to loving Italian music and opera in addition to Rock & Roll, Country and music in general.

This music is good when you want to relax or have a lady over 40 you want to entertain.

An Italianized Englishman..........2007-06-01

Is the Devil incarnate." (Inglese italianato e un diavolo incarnate) Or so I've heard. I suppose the author (I read it in a copy of Machiavelli's The Prince) could be forgiven for not having heard Don Bocelli and Donna Brightman sing "Con Te Partiro" - can we now say Inglese italianata e un angelo incarnate?

The rest of the album is a collection of ballads, most of which suffer from weak or clashing instrumentals. An exception is "Macchine Da Guerra" which has a pleasant and comparatively strong piano accompaniment.

I'd like to thank Kenny McCormick of South Park, CO for turning me on to Don Bocelli.

Romancing the listeners.......2007-05-30

What a voice, it soars with the arias and bops with the more contemporary. Especially love the song about Caruso. Andrea is un cantante bello, un uomo bello! Turn this one up with the top down and let it sing you home.

Amazing!!!.......2007-05-18

I bought this cd again after losing my original copy that I bought the year it was released. Out of all my Bocelli cds this is my favorite. It has a good mix of classic opera with popera and really shows his abilities. I have used this cd to turn people on to opera and popera, and the results have been incredible! Once you hear him, you cannot deny his talent and passion. Simply AMAZING!!!

Andrea in the 90's.......2007-04-20

Andrea is incredible.His romantic poetry with music is unparalleled.The only downside to this album is the inescapable 90's feel.If you don't mind it,then buy this album.If you do,then buy 'Time To Say Goodbye'off iTunes and get Sogno,Andrea,or Cieli di Toscana.

Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour)

Average customer rating:

Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour)
Luciano Pavorotti
Luciano is the best!

Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Best of the Three Tenors
Romantica: The Very Best Of Luciano Pavarotti
Pavarotti: Greatest Hits
Amore: Romantic Italian Love Songs
The Best of Luciano Pavarotti: 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection

ASIN: B0007V5WB4
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

La donna obile
Una furtiva lagrima
"Libiamo ne'lieti calici (Brindisi)
Donna non vidi mai
Che gelida manina
O soave fanciulla
Mi batte il cor...O Paradiso!
M'appari
Quando le sere al placido chiaror d'un ciel stellato
Se quel guerrier io fossi!..Celeste Aida
Forse la soglia attinse
Recitar! - "Vesti la giubba"
Come un bel di maggio
Ah mes amis - Pour mon
Di quella pira
Nessun dorma!

Tracks:

Torna a Surriento
Santa Lucia luntana
La Danza
L'ultima canzone
Non t'amo pi
Mattinata
'O sole mio
'A vucchella
Core 'ngrato
Nel blu, dipinto di blu
Vivere
Il Canto
Caruso
Buongiorno a te
Ti adoro
E lucevan le stelle
Questa o quella (Ballata)
Parmi veder le lagrime

Customer Reviews:

Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour).......2007-06-27

Wonderful Pavarotti sings the best of the best. His voice never ceases to amaze me. Listening pleasure at it's finest.

Luciano Pavorotti.......2007-02-17

All the songs are wonderful, can never become tired of listening to his songs. Excellent.

Luciano is the best!.......2007-01-20

I can't speak more highly of this collection of Pavrotti's songs. I keep this two CD pack in my car so I can enjoy it on my way to and from work. Even after I have arrived, I find myself sitting in my car waiting for a song to end. Walking out on a song seems sacriligious. While I grew up listening to Caruso and Lanza, there is no question that Pavrotti is the Master! Although, I do have to admit Pavrotti has the greater advantage of modern recording technology to better present his talent than Caruso and Lanza had. However, Lanza definitely didn't have the power that Pavrotti has. With Caruso, we will never know... I highly recommend this collection of Pavrotti's, if you are a Pavrotti fan. If you aren't, buy it anyway and become one:)

Average customer rating:

Sarah
Variety of Music
The Moon is Far Away - Sarah Brings it Closer!
producer should be drawn and quartered
Beautiful...ethereal...magnificent...

La Luna
Sarah Brightman
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Eden (US Release - 16 tracks)
Harem
Time to Say Goodbye
Sarah Brightman Classics
Dive

ASIN: B00004UDNP
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Tracks:

La Lune
Winter In July
Scarborough Fair
Figlio Perduto
A Whiter Shade of Pale
He Doesn't See Me
Serenade
How Fair This Place
Hijo De La Luna
Here With Me
La Califfa
This Love
Solo Con Te
Gloomy Sunday
La Luna

Amazon.com

Superstar crossover vocalist Sarah Brightman greets the new millennium with an even surer, bolder sense of her unique musical niche than that evident from 1999's Eden. Like Eden, La Luna is a concept album only in a vaguely free-associative sense. The selection of material here touches on images of the moon that reinforce its ambiguity as a force known to draw together "the lunatic, the lover, and the poet" (Brightman's photo shoots for the album do seem to suggest a sort of Titania-like figure out of a New Age Midsummer Night's Dream). And it's a stylistic as well as thematic voyage, coursing from such contemporary sounds as synth pop (on "This Love") through vintage jazz standards (Billie Holiday's atmospheric and haunting "Gloomy Sunday") to high opera for the title track (a version of the sublime "Song of the Moon" from Dvorák's fairy-tale opera Rusalka), and drawing elsewhere on the gorgeously sinuous melodies of Bach, Handel, and Rachmaninov--one song, "Figlio Perduto," even adapts the slow movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony. Throughout, producer Frank Peterson swathes Brightman's shiny small voice in luxuriant fabrics of sound. Detractors will lament the resulting sameness of tone--no matter what the style involved--but Brightman's focus on spinning an ethereal spell never gets eclipsed. This domestic release includes three tracks not available on the import version and has a special treat hidden in the final track as a bonus. --Thomas May

Amazon.com

Sarah Brightman Photos

More from Sarah Brightman

Time to Say Goodbye
Diva: The Singles Collection
Eden

Diva: The Video Collection
Harem
La Luna (Live in Concert)

Customer Reviews:

Sarah.......2007-08-04

Just as wonderful on the album as it was live. She really knows how to make her audience want MORE!

Variety of Music.......2007-05-25

The La Luna Soundtrack CD is a very nice production for Sarah Brightman. The CD is a concert soundtrack comprised of a variety of songs that were collected for a television concert in the year 2000. La Luna is most enjoyable to listen to because Sarah's vocals are absolutely beautiful, capturing, and amazing. If you never heard Sarah's angelic soprano/alto voice you are in for a treat. The actual concert DVD video, from which this soundtrack is taken from, is available through Amazon.com.

The Moon is Far Away - Sarah Brings it Closer!.......2007-05-15

A really good album on Sarah Brightman's part. This album came out after her two smash-hit albums, TIME to SAY GOODBYE and EDEN. It offers the same sort of material from Eden, with a new theme. Some pop tunes (in English) and some opera and classical (mostly in Italian or Spanish) (and even in Russian). Here's a quick score-and-comment:

1.) LA LUNE - 4/5 - Drawn out with a lot of synth and Neil Armstrong. Beautiful lyrics in French by Sarah. Her voice is haunting.

2.) WINTER IN JULY - 5/5 - A great English pop piece. It really makes you think, and the lyrics are haunting, along with the vocals.

3.) SCARBOROUGH FAIR - 4/5 - A beautiful song. However, on this album, it's a little bit overproduced with the synthetic pop sounds.

4.) FIGLIO PERDUTO - 5/5 - An amazing piece in Italian, which tells the story of a son being separated from his father. The boy describes his captor as "the elfin king". "Figlio Perduto" means "Lost Son".

5.) A WHITER SHADE OF PALE - 4/5 - Once again, a fairly nice song, but a bit overproduced with synth sounds. Her voice seems slightly robotic in the verses, but it really breaks through for the refrain.

6.) HE DOESN'T SEE ME - 5/5 - A great and gentle love song. Sarah really does a great job on this track.

7.) SERENADE - 4/5 - Vocalise to "How Fair This Place"

8.) HOW FAIR THIS PLACE - 4/5 - A nice piece in Russian, but it's kind of hard to tell what she's saying. I'm Ukrainian, and Russian and Ukrainian share words and sound alike. Still nice, though!

9.) HIJO DE LA LUNA - 6/5 - AMAZING! All in Spanish, and all flowing smoothly! I can never get enough of it.

10.) HERE WITH ME - 4/5 - Dido originally recorded this piece. Sarah did it in her own way. It's good, but there is a little bit too much pop noise!

11.) LA CALIFFA - 6/5 - A beautiful piece in Italian, written by Ennio Morricone. Sarah doesn't even scoop in this piece! It's hypnotizing!

12.) THIS LOVE - 3/5 - WAY TO OVERPRODUCED! I really don't like this piece at all!

13.) SOLO CON TE - 5/5 - If I remember correctly, Handel wrote this piece. Sarah does a pretty good job on it. The orchestrations are a little heavy, and you can't here Sarah all of the time. Still good, though.

14.) GLOOMY SUNDAY - 6/5 - An awesomly haunting piece, which really focuses in on death and suicide. Sarah's voice makes the piece chill your spine and numb your body.

15.) LA LUNA/MOON RIVER - 6/5 - The Italian version of Dvorak's original piece. Sarah's voice is light here, but still packs a powerful punch. Her voice easily hits the high notes with no scooping! At the end of the track (after about a 20-second break), she begins a beautiful version of Sinatra's "Moon River". Absolutely beautiful.

TOTAL SCORE - 71/75 = about 95%
There will be a 95% chance that you will enjoy this album!

producer should be drawn and quartered.......2006-10-31

While there is no doubt Miss Brightman has a beautiful voice, it is very hard to enjoy it on this CD.

I purchased this after hearing a cut from one of her other CDs, reading all the rave reviews of her work on different sites, and listening to people telling me how awesome she was.

"A Whiter Shade of Pale" has been a favorite of mine for years. With her voice, this version should be haunting. Instead, it just sounds haunted. Her voice is totally overridden by some techno/syntho/new-age garbage that is jarring at best and totally unneeded at worst.

"Scarborough Fair" is fairly clean musically, until you realize that her voice is reverbed throughout, like a mid-60's Johnny Cash tune.

If this techno/syntho/new-age junk is what Miss Brinkman is all about, then there must be a market for it. All I can say is that her voice is wasted amongst the all the excess electronica. The only thing I can figure out is that she is hard up for money and is willing to lend her voice to projects as this out of desperation.

If you really like music, don't waste your money on this. If you think what comes out of an iPod is music, this would probably be right down your alley.

Beautiful...ethereal...magnificent..........2006-10-03

This is one of Sarah Brightman's best music cds. Absolutely magnificent. Sarah's voice is so beautiful, and the songs on this cd are all really good.
It is one of my favorite music cds. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Just a powerful soft touch to your ears!
One just isn't enough
A first - rate recital!
A Star Performance
Sometimes I Dream

Sometimes I Dream
Mario Frangoulis
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Follow Your Heart
Alessandro Safina
Your Love, My Home
Mario Frangoulis - Sometimes I Dream (Live in Concert)
Russell Watson · The Voice

ASIN: B00006FRN6
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Tracks:

Vincero, Perdero
Buongiorno Principessa
Sometimes I Dream
Luna Rossa
Naturaleza Muerta
Nights in White Satin (Notte Di Lucce)
Ton Eafto Tou Paidi
Non Sara'
Hijo De La Luna
Night Wants To Forget
Canzone Arrabbiata
A La Luna De Valencia
Vincero, Perdero

Amazon.com

Forget the age of battling boy bands, the era of dueling young tenors is upon us. Hot on the heels of Josh Groban's dizzyingly successful, Ally McBeal-fueled debut comes this first international release from African-born, Greek-raised tenor Mario Frangoulis. There are some clear parallels between Groban's debut and this Frangoulis release, but some distinctive differences as well. While Groban coated his slick, David Foster-molded pop sense with a veneer of classical respectability, Frangoulis has effectively turned the formula inside out. With similar classical training--but a few crucial years of experience on his American rival--Frangoulis treats the classics reverently but not slavishly, with the title track effectively turning an aria from Puccini's Tosca into romantic Europop. Elsewhere, the international flavor is further expanded by three melody-rich songs ("Hijo de la Luna," "La Luna de Valencia," and "Naturaleza Muerta") by Spanish singer-songwriter Jose Maria Cano and a sing-along-ready take on the 1950s Neapolitan chestnut "Luna Rossa."

Like Groban, Frangoulis and producer Steve Woods also plumb the music of la cinema italiana for inspiration, turning Nicola Piovani's bittersweet Life Is Beautiful theme into the ponderous "Buongiorno Principessa," but faring better with a moody, dramatic take on Rota-Wertmuller's "Canzone Arribiata." The obligatory rock-pop cover here is the flamenco-inflected "Nights in White Satin", with Frangoulis joined in a bilingual duet with original Moody Blue Justin Hayward that's surprisingly effective. Less showy perhaps than Groban's debut, but a more nuanced and emotionally satisfying album overall. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Just a powerful soft touch to your ears!.......2007-08-04

When I brought this CD, at the beginning I was doubtful about it because this tenor is relatively new and he is young too, but when I heard the songs I was impressed because the quality of his voice is just like a soft touch to your ears, is very comfortable and the selection of the songs and the arrangements of the song "sometimes I dream" was delightful and powerful at the same time, I really recomend this item, if you like great tenors definitely you have to buy this CD!!!

One just isn't enough.......2007-08-01

We had to buy two of these CD's. One for the car and one for the house!

A first - rate recital!.......2007-07-28

Mario Frangoulis, faithful to the Romantic traditin, this young raising talent made his international debut in the beautiful outdoor Theatre of Thessaloniki, with a vivd and charismatic presence, an absolute domain about every piece he sang, conferring them an imaginative lyric flight with that special candor and sublime expressiveness.

Particularly emotive was the nice surprise he had reserved the viewer and spectators when just in the final coda of Nights in white stain, he Justin Hayward, the original member of Moody Blues making with Mario a very emotive duo, loaded of vibrant emotion and rewarding memories.

The orchestra, support accompaniment, and enlightenment was superb. The repertoire included three recital!well known pieces of Mecano: the sensitive A la luna de Valencia, Hijo de la luna and Naturaleza muerta, sung with passionate ardor, but there were admirable entries such as Buongiorno Principesca from the film "Life is beautiful", the classic Luna Rossa and Night wants to forget was croned with a adaptation of Tosca "sometimes I dream."

The Italian people have a smart word when they are happy and wish you the best they can; they say Auguri , so I would wish from this humble position, the same hopes for this new promise of the song; Mario Frangoulis.

A Star Performance.......2007-02-28

When I purchased Mario's DVD I had never heard of him. I was actually browsing Josh Groban items when I noticed the [...] suggested items below and had a look.
What a find. Mario Frangoulis is an outstanding performer with an incredible voice. The quality of his concert is excellent with a full orchestra and top notch audio quality. I have watched this performance 7 times and can't wait to see it again.

Sometimes I Dream.......2007-01-19

A wonderfull full tenor voice with the ability to sing, popular, ethnic and opera. You cannot go wrong with this album.

Average customer rating:

Cornucopia of Pavarotti's works
Don't...!!!
Great Tenor - Poor CD Quality
Great Music......Horrible Mastering
Surely I am proud to be an Italian-American!!

Pavarotti: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Romantica: The Very Best Of Luciano Pavarotti
The Best of the Three Tenors
Luciano Pavrotti: The Best (Farewell Tour)
Amore: Romantic Italian Love Songs
Carreras · Domingo · Pavarotti ~ the three tenors in concert / Mehta

ASIN: B0000042HZ
Release Date: 1997-09-30

Tracks:

Turandot: Nessun dorma
La Boheme: Che gelida manina
La Traviata: Brindisi
Aida: Se quel guerrier io foss ... Celeste Aida
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
Rigoletto: Questa o quella
Martha: M'appari
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
Fedora: Amor ti vieta
Pagliaccci: Recitar!... Vesti la guibba
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
Rigoletto: La donna e mobile
L'africana: Mi batte il cuor ... O paradiso
Werther: Pourquoi me reveiller
Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee
Manon Lescaut: Ma se vi talenta ... Tra voi, belle
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar!
TOSCA: Recondita armonia
La Favorita: Spirito gentil
II torvatore: Di quella pira
L'amico Fritz: Suzel, buon di

Tracks:

O sole mio
Torna a Surriento
Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna: Core 'ngrato
Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna: Funiculi Funicul
Notte 'e piscatore
O Holy Night (Cantique de Noel)
Panis angelicus
Ave Marie: Ave Maria
Mattinata
La danza
Caro mio ben
Caruso
My Way
Santa Lucia
Tu che m'hai preso il cuor
Mamma
La mai canzone al vento: La mia canzone al vento
Volare
Passione
Granda: Granada

Customer Reviews:

Cornucopia of Pavarotti's works.......2007-03-01

This is a "Super hits" CD, with over forty different cuts (quite a few of which have appeared elsewhere, of course). For those who are aficionados of Pavarotti, this is what might be called "hog heaven."

Disc 1 features estimable works such as "Nessun dorma" (well done, with his voice showing to good effect), "Che gelida manina" (excellently done, with good characterization), ""Celeste Aida" (elegantly sung), "Di quella pira" (a much better than average version), "E lucevan le stelle" (Pavarotti does a nice job in the Puccini-Verdi repertoire), "La donna e mobile" (sung with aplomb), "Recondita armonia" (the other aria from Tosca, which also shows Pavarotti's voice off to good effect), and so on.

Disc 2 is especially interesting, because it features a more popular set of works, from the redoubtable "O sole mio" (richly orchestrated and nicely sung, not overpowered by Pavarotti's operatic voice), "Core n'grato" (compare with Caruso's version), "Oh, holy night," "La danza" (spritely sung with excellent breath control in a treacherous song), "Santa Lucia" (again, smoothly sung), "Ave Maria" (seemingly sung with respect and affection).

A cornucopia of Pavarottiana. For those fans of Pavarotti, this "greatest hits" collection will be welcome. For those who may not be aware of this tenor when his voice was still fresh, this is a fine entrée to his work.

Don't...!!!.......2005-01-24

To combine a voice as beautiful as Pavarotti's with some of the world's greatest music and outstanding orchestras, and end up with this...`thing'...is unforgivable. After buying and listening to it, it brought to mind those painful words "A fool, a fool. I saw a fool today. I saw him in the mirror."

R. J. Rogers

Great Tenor - Poor CD Quality.......2004-10-11

I have never been a huge fan of Maestro Pavarotti but I must admit that this compilation is a masterful collection of his operatic highlights.

I particularily enjoy the first disc which contains just about all the major tenor arias. The singing is superb and listening to this CD it becomes obvious what the fuss over the pre-3 Tenors Pavarotti was all about - the man really did have one of the greatest tenor voices of all time.
His diction was flawless, his line perfect and his interpretation in keeping with the greatest of the Italian tenors of days gone by.

The second disc is interesting in that it is a bit uneven. It contains a few neapolitan standards, a x-mas song, a duet with Frank Sinatra and some other random selections.

Overall this is a 5 star CD but due to the extremely low volume, particularily on the first and most important disc I can only give it a 4 star rating.

On a final note, anyone puzzeled by the current hype over the now againg and commercially over-blown Pavarotti should purchase this CD. This is the great tenor in his prime and as such a CD well worth having...even if you're not a Pavarotti fan.
I'm still not, but I recognize greatness when I hear it.

Great Music......Horrible Mastering.......2004-07-24

Pavarotti has a voice that can take hold of you and change your entire mood...even if you don't know Italian. The problem with this set is the mastering (mastering evens out the volumes and signal to noise ratio on an album). The first CD in this collection is so quiet that you literally have to crank your player to get any kind of volume. For a professional CD this is absolutely unacceptable.
The song choices are good with the exception of "My Way" with Frank Sinatra. Both singers sound ....ummm...let's just say less than their best on the recording. It sits out like a boil on a pretty girl's face.

Surely I am proud to be an Italian-American!!.......2004-06-26

With his wondrous soaring vocals and the humble demeanor within his strong body, Pavarotti is an inspiration to Italian- Americans everywhere - Italian-Americans like me. My family plays his beautiful operas on vinyl nearly every day in me Papa's little wine and cheese shop on 18th and Broadway. The customers compliment the music with glee, pinching my plump cheeks with merriment and wishing me well on their way out the door. Ah, how I love this land of America!!

Oops, I am sorry, Nana.

My Nana has shushed me to "pipe down, little bambino."

Tracks:

Caruso
Non ti scordar di me
Torna a Surriento
Core 'ngrato
Mamma
Mattinata
Chitarra Romana
O sole mio
Passione
La strada del bosco
Funiculi, funicula
Ti voglio tanto bene
Che gelida manina
Una furtiva lagrima
Amor ti vieta
M'appari
Dalla sua pace
Un' aura amorosa
La Danza
Nessus dorma

Customer Reviews:

Okay so track #1 aside..........2005-12-14

I got this as a gift last Christmas and just got around to writing a review. To start off with, let me say that I think Pavarotti is the greatest tenor ever. Period. His command of his voice (breath control, relaxation, etc.) were absolutely flawless, and no he never shouted (except when he was getting old and losing his voice...maybe), cause I have never heard anyone shout with vibrato. Anyways, yes I have heard better accompanyments than Caruso's (track #1) on a certain children's show that will remain unnamed but it features a large purple dinosaur, but that doesn't ruin the entire CD for me like it did for the other reviewers. Let's face it the rest of the CD is Pavarotti classics. You won't find a better Nessun Dorma anywhere. His La Danza is wonderful, his L'elisir is legendary and La Boheme's Rodolfo is one of, if not his truly signature role. As for the Neapolitan songs, you can't criticize him for those. It's no different than Kathleen Battle throwing in a few spirituals on her CDs. Yes, I wish there were more arias on the CD (Ah! Mes amis for instance) but still was not dissappointed by this CD at all. Buy it!

What the heck?.......2005-09-12

I'm so glad I didn't pay for this disc, instead checking it out from the my public library. The first track, "Caruso", had me thinking I was playing the wrong CD. It's not so much that it's electronic accompaniment. It's really bad synthesizer music. Horribly bad. Inexcusably bad. Cheap-lounge-singer-who-can't-afford-a-piano bad. That train wreck of track sets exactly the worst tone, destroying the mood for the rest of the album. If it weren't for some of the later selections from La Bohème and L'Elisir d'Amore, this CD would be a total loss. Even then, these gems are completely drowned in a gushing flow of treacly Italian "classics" apparently aimed at a certain demographic of blue-haired, tittering Pavarotti fans. I don't mean to sound like a snob. It's just the bad vibe from that first track rattling me. My advice: get it from the library and listen to your favorites. Avoid everything else on pain of intense aural assault.

Why on earth is this listed under classical music?.......2004-03-22

Pavarotti has a short but excellent repertoire that belongs in "Classical Music" (e.g. Fille du Regiment), however 99% of his recordings belong in Popular Music. Amazon folks, please get your act straight on this guy and his other two tenor friends!

Why on earth is this listed under classical music?.......2004-03-22

The Very Best Of Luciano Pavarotti.......2004-01-28

This weekend I purchased "The Very Best of Luciano Pavarotti", Romantica. The first track, Caruso is terrible. Classical music, opera, etc, should never be played with synthesized anything! This is especially true with voices like Pavarotti's. This first track was CHEAP and tinny sounding.

Pavarotti is good, but I think that the title is misleading.

Classical music should be with real musical instruments. Lesson #1, if it takes electricity, it's NOT a musical instrument.

Tracks:

'Turandot': Nessum Dorma!
O Sole Mio
La Danza
'Rigoletto': La donna e mobile
'Martha': M'appari tutt'amore
'La Boheme': Che gelida manina
Maira, Mari!
'L'elissir d'amore': Una furtiva lagrima
'Tosca': Recondita armonia
'Fedora': Amor ti vieta
Core 'ngrato
Funiculi-funicula
'Tosca': E lucevan le stelle
'Aida': Celeste Aida
'Pagliacci': Vesti la giubba
'La fanciulla del West': Ch' ella mi creda
Torna A Surriento

Amazon.com

From Calaf's "Nessun dorma" from Turandot, in which the singer exclaims his love for the ice princess and the victory he will have over her, through Lionel's realization that he will have a new life and be happy with Lady Harriet in Martha ("M'appari"), and on to Rodolfo's falling in love with Mimi in La Bohème when he touches her hand ("Che gelida manina"): here we have some of opera's most beautiful love songs, sung by Pavarotti when he was in his golden-voiced prime. His "Una furtiva lagrima" is touching and gentle, while his rendition of the Neapolitan song "Core 'ngrato"--a diatribe against his lover's rejection of him--is heartbreaking. Radames's hymn to Aida ("Celeste Aida") in which he sees Aida as "the splendor of [his] life," is glorious, and all of the other selections are equally fine. For lovers and others, this is a handsome collection. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Mostly as good as usual, some of the selections are excellent.......2006-02-22

Everybody knows Pavarotti has a good voice, whatever he sings it sounds great. In this CD I think he sounds better than the more recent recordings from him, e.g. the three tenor concerts. In my opinion I like "Una Furtiva Lagrima" the most, when his voice comes out he devoted such a sincerity throughout the song, I can just imagine that I am inside an opera house watching an excellent performance. "Nessun Dorma", which is one of his most "famous in singing well" aria, also excellent, his high notes are so beautiful and always beautiful (well...he is a king of high C man~ for real I rarely heard ppl can sing high notes better than him), but personally I like Franco Corelli singing "Nessun Dorma" more, and "Vesti la guibba" too (but of coz pavarotti also sound really good in this aria). As I read from some books, they said Pavarotti is the biggest lyric tenor nowadays, I think it is pretty true though. But one thing I found Pavarotti not "perfect" is, when he sings, mostly I just feel that "wow he sings this note beautifully", or "he sings everything perfectly", but not always have a feeling of "wow he melts my heart", or "wow he makes such a great atmosphere throughout the song", maybe because of his song selections. In general case I like Domingo and Mario Lanza better, when I heard Domingo sings I almost always feel his passion, musical sense, and communication to the audience; but in Pavarotti I dont always feel that, in this CD some of the song has this tiny problem too (like in "E lucevan le stelle", I really think he just "sounds well", I like Jose Carreras singing this song much better), but well this is just my personal opinion. However, his voice is a "legendary beautiful voice", that's 120% true. Again personally I highly recommend his "una furtiva lagrima", listen it and you won't regret it.

One of Pavarotti's best CDs.......2003-11-21

This is one of the best Pavarotti CDs I have listened to. It contains a great selection of 17 arias and Italian lyric songs. However, if you can afford it, "Pavarotti Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection" will offer more in a 2-CD set (a total of 41 arias and Italian lyric songs).

Luciano's greatest compilation CD.......2000-04-28

For over three decades Maestro Luciano Pavarotti has brought joy to human ears all around the world. Sure, the critics may scoff at the big arena concerts and at the later years' natural darkening of his voice. But we the fans just know that listening to him lifts our spirits and opens our hearts to the glory of human voice.

And that's exactly what this collection is all about. To compile it, the Decca producers used material from three albums: "Arias" (his earliest), "Favorite Neapolitan Songs" and "Passione," as well as some complete opera recordings such as "La Boheme" and "Rigoletto." The song "La Danza," Rossini's engaging tarantella is from a rare album "Pavarotti in Concert in Bologna" with Richard Bonynge. Most of these selections, therefore, are from 60s and 70s, in other words, Pavarotti's prime years. As he was establishing himself as one of the all-time greatest tenors on stage, he gave an all-out effort on recordings. And it shows. Listen to the vocal line in "Che gelida manina"; the breath control on "la speranza" is truly unbelievable. There is his signature aria "Nessun Dorma" and, of course, a song often mistaken for Italian National Anthem - Di Capua's "O Sole Mio!"

In addition to magnificent vocal pyrotechnics, Pavarotti's considerable acting-with-voice skills are represented on such demanding arias as "Celeste Aida" and "Vesti la Giubba". And it's a real treat to hear his Duca singing sparkling "La donna e mobile."

Tracks:

Kama Sutra
Harem Overture (Cancao do Mar)
It's a Beautiful Day
Dust in the Wind
Who Wants to Live Forever
Anytime, Anywhere
La Luna
Nessun Dorma
The War Is Over
Free
A Whiter Shade of Pale
The Phantom of the Opera Suite
WIshing You Were Somehow Here Again
Time To Say Goodbye
Question of Honor
Snow on the Sahara (Bonus studio track)

Amazon.com

While the sales of Sarah Brightman's ambitious, Middle Eastern-themed 2003 album Harem may have fallen short of its predecessor, the veteran UK chanteuse's popularity as a live performer has only mushroomed. This live recording of her ambitious, sold-out Harem World Tour engagement at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Arena is testament to that appeal, begging the question: Will Brightman become the Grateful Dead of classical crossover? Indeed, abetted by the rich sonic textures of longtime producer/collaborator Frank Peterson, the worldbeat conceits of her recent studio recordings are folded into a larger, even more expansive live vision here. Brightman's overt dramatic instincts and oft-chaemeleonic vocal abilities drive a slate of material that stretches from the Arabian Nights/Madame Butterflypastiche of Harem's seductive "It's A Beautiful Day" through surprisingly effective classical/rock reinventions of Kansas' "Dust in the Wind" and The Moody Blues' chestnut "Nights in White Satin" to expected classical bowings "Nessun Dorma" and the obligatory nod to "Phantom of the Opera" Amazon.com

Sarah Brightman Photos

More from Sarah Brightman

Time to Say Goodbye
Classics
Eden

Diva: The Video Collection
Live from Las Vegas
La Luna (Live in Concert)

Customer Reviews:

AMAZING! She is so much better live!.......2006-12-02

This CD rocks! This is Sarah Brightman on her Harem World Tour, and this performance was recorded at her stop in Las Vegas. The first two tracks, "Kama Surta" and "Harem Overture" debut from her newest album, entitled HAREM. The two tracks are connected, but in the actual Harem Tour, the full piece "Harem" is sung. If you go to www.youtube.com and type in "Harem Tour" in the Search Bar, you can see live videos. I would prefer that the album has placed "Harem" instead of these other two tracks. The third track, "It's A Beautiful Day", is from Madame Butterfly, written by Puccini. This version is Brightman's twist, which some more pop and some English. It's pretty cool. The fourth track on the album, "Dust in the Wind" is from EDEN, an amazing album. Track 5 is, "Who Wants to Live Forever", and it seems as though Brightman never creates a tour without putting this piece in it. It's a beautiful tribute to Queen's rendition. Track Six is "Anytime, Anywhere", also from EDEN. I'm not really into the Foreign Language - English songs, but this works very well, especially because she ends the song with the classical foreign language. The seventh track is Brightman's rendition of Dvorak's "Song to the Moon", or "La Luna". The track is beautiful! The eighth track is Puccini's "Nessun Dorma", and Sarah masters this beautifully! There is no other soprano I know that can sing this piece one octave up and can hold the ending note for ever!!! Track 9 is "The War is Over", which is followed by "Free", both from HAREM. Track 11 is "A Whiter Shade of Pale", from LA LUNA. It's beautiful to listen to. Sarah's version is very gentle, but has a lot of energy in the chorus. The twelfth track on this album is "Twisted Every Way", followed by an instrumental version of "The Phantom of the Opera" Theme. The next track is "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again", which is extended at the end, in which you hear some men cry out "WE LOVE YOU SARAH!", and she responds cutely with an, "I love you, too." The audience laughs! Track 14 is "Time to Say Goodbye", the duet that made Andrea Bocelli famous, and skyrocketed as the number one single sold in German history! The last live track on the album is "A Question of Honour", from "Fly", which is awesome! The last track on the album is a bonus track, which I don't really prefer. However, the whole album is simply amazing. I much prefer Sarah when she is live. She has a more magical quality! If you love Sarah Brightman, then you will love this album.

ALSO RECOMMENDED : Since there is so much Sarah Brightman to choose from, I also recommend EDEN, TIME TO SAY GOODBYE, LA LUNA, CLASSICS, and DIVA.

AMAZING! She is so much better live!.......2006-12-02

Inspiring, Beautiful and The Sweetest Voice!.......2005-08-21

What an album, absolutly beautiful!
We, the fans of this great artist finelly have in our hands a live album, and it's amazing:
-The voice is totaly live, she sang about 24 complete songs in the show, but the album only contains 15.
-Snow In The Sahara is a lovely song.

If you have the chase of get this alubum, don't doubt and get it; It wond disapoint you!

astounding performance.......2005-06-07

an impeccable concert experience that successfully elevates the album to majestic heights. I had long been a fan of Dead Can Dance and the unparalleled work of Lisa Gerrard. When Sarah Brightman ventured into these Middle Eastern sounds on the Harem disc, I thought it was too derivative of the Dead Can Dance sounds (there is even a sample used on one of SB's songs that had previously been used within DCD).

However, experiencing this epic and intensely mystical concert compelled me to realize the individual and unique glory of Sarah Brightman. Also, this concert is so phenomenally entertaining at many levels that I couldn't help but fall absolutely in love with the special magic of Sarah Brightman. Obviously, the expansive Middle Eastern milieu can accommodate more than one angelic vocalist!

I now consider Lisa Gerrard and Sarah Brightman to be geniuses who both warrant goddess status in the pantheon of lyrical greats. To see either one of them perform live is surely one of the most powerful and memorable sensory experiences one could ever have!

Great, of course.......2005-03-18

Sarah's voice and style are terrific, as usual. However, I have to say that her version of Anggun's "Snow on the Sahara" is fairly bland, especially compared to the original Anggun version. Sarah has the chops but lacks soul on this great song. Everything els here is very nice.

Renee Fleming - The Beautiful Voice ~ Gounod, Lehaair, Orff, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Strauss

Average customer rating:

Renee Fleming sings favorite works
The best of the best.
Beautiful and creamy voice
Renee Fleming;THE BEAUTIFUL VOICE
The most gorgeous soprano voice I've ever heard

Renee Fleming - The Beautiful Voice ~ Gounod, Lehaair, Orff, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Strauss
Gustave Charpentier , Charles Gounod , Jules Massenet , Antonin Dvorak , Friedrich von Flotow , Giacomo Puccini , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Carl Orff , Richard Strauss , Sergey Rachmaninov , Johann II Strauss , Franz Lehar , Jose Maria Cano , Marie-Joseph Canteloube , Jeffrey Tate , Sir Charles Mackerras , Renée Fleming , English Chamber Orchestra , Osian Ellis , London Voices , and Clive Greensmith
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Renée Fleming
Renee Fleming: By Request
Renée Fleming - Signatures ~ Great Opera Scenes / Sir Georg Solti
Sacred Songs
Handel

ASIN: B0000042I6
Release Date: 1998-02-10

Tracks:

Louise (Acte 3): Depuis le jour ou je me suis donnee
Faust (Acte 3 - Air des bijoux): O Dieu! que de bijous!... Ah! Je ris de me voir si belle (Air des bijoux - Jewel Song)
Manon (Acte 3): Je marche sur tous les chemins... Obeissons... Profitons bien de la jeunesse (Gavotte)
Gypsy Melodies, Op. 55 B104 No. 4: Songs My Mother Taught Me
Martha (Act 2 - No. 8 The Last Rose): 'Tis The Last Rose Of Summer
La rondine (Act 1): Chi il bel sogno di Doretta
Die tote Stadt (Act 1 - Mariettas Lied): Gluck, das mir verblieb
Carmina Burana (No. 21): In trutina
Vier Lieder, Op. 27 No. 4: Morgen!
Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14: Vocalise
Die Fiedermaus (Act 2 - Csardas): Klange der Heimat (Csardas)
Die lustige Witwe (Act 2 - Vilja-Lied): Es lebt' eine Vilja (Vilja-Lied)
LUNA: Epilogo
Chants d'Auvergne, Series 1: Bailero

Amazon.com essential recording

This vocal recital certainly lives up to its title, perhaps too well. It's a collection of arias and songs Fleming has sung for years that for some may be too much frosting and not enough cake. Surely, her performances are rich with interpretive nuances, wonder-filled portamentos and word colorings that reflect a long history with this repertoire, which ranges from Charpentier's "Depuis le jour" to Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise." Some may find Fleming a bit much, but agree with her or not, she's far more interesting than singers who keep a safe, discreet distance from the music. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Renee Fleming sings favorite works.......2007-07-30

Renee Fleming has turned out a fine CD of arias with which not everyone is familiar. Outstanding are Depuis le Jour from Charpentier's Louise and Marietta's Lied, Glueck, das mir verblieb, from Korngold's Die Tote Stadt. The latter is one of the most haunting arias ever written. Many of us cannot get it out of our minds. She includes Chi il bel sogno di Doretta from Puccini's La Rondine and does it well. Hers is not really a Puccini voice. Perhaps Richard Strauss and Mozart are her strengths.

The best of the best........2007-04-11

I've given away at least a dozen copies of this CD. I'm running low, so I just refilled the stash. For people who haven't discovered Renee Fleming or who think they don't care for opera, this CD is the best possible way to blow down the walls. If you think there's nothing new to be heard in these old arias, you owe it to yourself to find out how wrong you can be.

Beautiful and creamy voice.......2006-02-28

I like so much Ren?e Fleming and this is special cd !

Renee Fleming;THE BEAUTIFUL VOICE.......2006-01-30

IT'S A FINE RECORDING THAT OFFERS A VARIETY OF SELECTIONS FROM OPERA, OPERETTAS AND FOLK SONGS, ALL WITH FLEMING AT HER BEST.

The most gorgeous soprano voice I've ever heard.......2006-01-02

I am a 19-year-old voice student at the University of Central Arkansas and I came across Renee by way of a soprano in my voice studio. She said it was her favorite soprano and that I should give her a listen. I was a little hesistant because I'm a baritone and my voice teacher told me that I should listen to men, but I just want to hear it all. So this past summer I first bought Renee's self-titled album with all of the lolipop arias on it and I was just amazed, not just because of how good she is but how easy she is to listen to. I loved her voice immediately. From the the moment the first tone passed through her throat on Puccini's "O Mio Babbino Caro." So I had to hear more. The Beautiful Voice is even better. It wasn't as easy to listen to at first because some of the songs on this album are not as famous as those on the other one, but these songs are all gems. The Korngold with the pianissimi B flats is my personal favorite. Even my mother who screams at me to turn down that "noise" when I listen to opera cds has grown to be quite fond of Renee Fleming. Sometimes her interpretations can be over the top, but the voice is beyond spectacular. It pours out like melted butter. It's vibrant, rich, expressive, free and always perfectly in tune. There is no hint of strain from any sound emitted from her body. She will undoubtedly be remembered like Callas & Sutherland and all the other great soprano voices before her. Not for the dramatic intensity of Callas or the coloratura & technical ease of Sutherland, but for the sheer unspeakable beauty of her voice. This is a must have for any vocalist seriously dedicated to classical training.

Cecilia Bartoli - An Italian Songbook (Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini)

Average customer rating:

Lovely rendition of Italian songs
Best 'Italian' Selection yet.
Salon pieces to delight the listener
The Italian Songbook......
che bella..

Cecilia Bartoli - An Italian Songbook (Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Cecilia Bartoli - If You Love Me (Se tu m'ami ), 18th-Century Italian Songs
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Cecilia Bartoli - Live in Italy / Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Cecilia Bartoli - Chant d'amour (Mélodies française) / Myung-Whung Chung

ASIN: B0000042H2
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Bel Canto Songs: Aragonese
Bel Canto Songs: Vaga luna che inargenti
Bel Canto Songs: II barcaiolo
Bel Canto Songs: Ah! rammenta, o bella Irene
Bel Canto Songs: L'abbandono
Bel Canto Songs: Or che di fiori adorno
Bel Canto Songs: Malinconia, ninfa gentile
Bel Canto Songs: Amore e morte
Bel Canto Songs: Bolero
Bel Canto Songs: La conocchia
Bel Canto Songs: II fervido desiderio
Bel Canto Songs: Torna, vezzosa Fillide
Bel Canto Songs: Vanne, o rosa fortunata
Bel Canto Songs: Dolente immagine di Fille mia
Bel Canto Songs: La farfalletta
Bel Canto Songs: A ma belle mere
Bel Canto Songs: Per pieta, bell'idol mio
Bel Canto Songs: Me voglio fa 'na casa
Bel Canto Songs: L'esule
Bel Canto Songs: La danza (tarantella napoletana)

Amazon.com

The Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli is one of the most charming and talented singers to appear on the scene in recent years, and this collection of Italian songs by three great opera composers--Bellini, Donizetti, and Rossini--is a most deserving bestseller. There are many small pleasures in the selections, which reflect the bel canto predilections of their authors, and Bartoli renders them artfully. Some will be familiar even to casual listeners (Rossini's La Danza, the famous tarantella); others will be new to most, but equally deserving of a hearing. The sensitive and skillful accompaniment is by conductor-pianist James Levine. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

Lovely rendition of Italian songs.......2007-03-11

The booklet coming with the CD says of Cecilia Bartoli that she "is justly famous for her coloratura mezzo-soprano voice and her interpretations of Rossini and Mozart." This CD features her lush voice taking on songs of three great Bel Canto composers--Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti. Some might think of these as trifles, but the singing and musicality is rich and the songs evocative. The piano accompaniment is by famed conductor James Levine, and he does a splendid job.

Some sampling of the songs. . . . The CD begins with a song by Rossini, "Aragones." This is lushly sung; Bartoli has a wondrously rich and textured voice. The pace is contemplative, altogether consistent with the words of the song, the reflection of a disappointed lover. Well done.

Donizetti's "Il barcaiolo" is also well done. Bartoli shows her vocal agility in this tune. This is a spirited song, and her coloratura technique animates her rendition. There are segments sung forte, showing the power of her voice. There is a nice soft closing to the song, so she ranges from forte to piano.

Bellini is represented, too. His "Vaga luna che inargenti" is a pleasant love song. Bartoli sings this tenderly, creating a melancholy spirit, fitting the song's words.

To close, there is Rossini's wonderful tarantella, "La danza." Levine plays at a quick pace, as he must for this spirited song. Bartoli shows great vocal agility and strong breath control (this is a tough song to get right!). A wonderfully spirited version. She even takes a pass at a trill toward the close. All in all, most satisfying.

Thus, this represents a nice CD, showing Bartoli's skills with the songs of some of the great Bel Canto composers. An album that is a lot of fun to listen to!

Best 'Italian' Selection yet........2006-06-16

'An Italian Songbook' by mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli and accompaniest extraordinare, James Levine is the best of the three collections of Italian material from Bartoli I have reviewed to date. Much of this may be due to Levine, but I believe it is more due to the quality of the material selected. All songs are by 'heaviweights Vincenzo Belline, Gaetano Donizetti, and Gioachino Rossini. It is certainly not due to a difference in the quality of Ms. Bartoli's singing, which is uniformly beautiful throughout.

This would be my first choice for Italian material with only piano accompaniment. For a very first Bartoli album, see her 'flagship' recording, 'Cecilia Bartoli' where she is backed by full orchestra and chorus.

Salon pieces to delight the listener.......2006-03-13

Italian art song never became the serious and high form of art that it did within Germany, and hasn't the same place in culture that the French mélodies had. Rather, Italian operatic composers wrote lighter vocal pieces with fairly simple piano accompaniment, designed to be performed in a more intimate setting. One hears immediately the Bellini line (so familiar to those who love Bellini's operas) in his songs - ditto with the Donizetti and Rossini songs.

This in no way robs the songs of immense charm. It would be easy to perform these songs without a great deal of thought, simply making them sound "pretty". But Cecilia Bartoli never does that - she always gives everything, voice, intelligence, musicality, to her performance.

That is what makes this recording so superb. I can see there are some less-than-satisfied reviewers - I am surprised by the comments. For rest assured, there is no vocal difficulty here at all. Cecilia Bartoli's voice is in superb condition throughout, and her interpretation is of course second to none. Having recorded "Vaga luna" myself, I would be the first to say if I thought anything was lacking in Ms Bartoli's performance - but there's nothing adverse I can say at all. It's simply gorgeous singing, with immaculate phrasing, an intensely personal approach, and some of the most beautiful sounds you're likely to hear.

It is hard to imagine anyone being disappointed by this recording. The comments made about squally sound are not just unfair, they're totally inaccurate. I remember purchasing this CD on the very day it was released in Australia, and it's a firm favourite of mine.

In all... delightful.

The Italian Songbook.............2005-12-09

...........sung like a string of pearls. I have never heard "Vaga luna che inargenti" sung so beautifully radiant and lucid. What a contrast when listening to her mournful "L'abbandono" where she sounds so utterly sad and full of melancholy. Brilliant vocal colouring here. "Malincolia, ninfa gentile" is sung with the appropriate pathos but without gimmicks and tricks. Utterly gorgeous Bellinian line. "II fervido desiderio" is sung with just the right amount of yearning and passion. "Per pieta, bell'idol mio" finds her beautifully charming and endearing, who could say no to her? The closing piece, "La Danza" is a tasty little song that suits her to a T. In my humble opinion every young voice student should not only study the Italian Songbook but own this in order to hear how it's done. This is still my favourite Bartoli album.

che bella.........2004-12-23

Cecilia Bartolia is such a refreshing singer in the current state of vocal affairs. For one thing, she is a serious student of the music she sings, and scorns all the 'popera' and crossover artists. She has sought out plenty of unknown/lesser known material to record (Salieri, Vivaldi, Gluck, etc). In the CD in question she does wonderful work with these Italian pezzi. Her voice is now dark, now breathy, now intense, always altered to reflect the words she is singing. Her vocal agility and control are simply remarkable. Pay no attention to the Bartoli nay-sayers, she is a first rate singer.

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