Bright Eyed Joy: The Songs of Ricky Ian Gordon

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Along with Michael John LaChiusa and Adam Guettel, Ricky Ian Gordon is one of the Young Turks of New York's musical theater. Like them, Gordon shuns both the accessible pop of a David Yazbek and the bombast of a Frank Wildhorn, preferring instead to write post-Sondheimian art songs. The numbers here (with lyrics by Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorothy Parker, James Agee) span two decades. They are marvelously interpreted by the likes of Audra McDonald, Dawn Upshaw, Darius de Haas, and Judy Blazer. Blazer ambles through "Resumé/Wail/Frustration" with delicious jazz-age wit, while Upshaw once more proves that she's a classical singer with an uncanny flair for the nonclassical repertoire. Note that anyone who's expecting anything resembling a beat is advised to look elsewhere. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Bright Eyed Joy: The Songs of Ricky Ian Gordon, Music, Ricky Ian Gordon, Eric Stern, Clay Ruede, Andrew Sterman, Peter Donovan, Grant Gershon, John Nauman, Adam Guettel, Audra McDonald, Dawn Upshaw, Todd Ellison, Judy Blazer, Ted Sperling, Kenneth Burward-Hoy, Jesse Levy, Lawrence Feldman, Darius de Haas, Art Song (General), Musical, Musical Theater, Pop, Pop Vocals, Popular Music, Vocal, Vocal Music

Bright Eyed Joy: The Songs of Ricky Ian Gordon
Average customer rating:

Phenomenal!

Incredible

Quite an enjoyable CD

Don't Walk, run ...run ...run ...to your stores

Where did all the decent singers go?

Bright Eyed Joy: The Songs of Ricky Ian Gordon
Dawn Upshaw , Todd Ellison , Judy Blazer , Ted Sperling , Kenneth Burward-Hoy , Jesse Levy , Lawrence Feldman , and Darius de Haas
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000059LY2
Release Date: 2001-04-24

Heaven
Poor Girl's Ruination/The Dream Keeper
A Contemporary
Run Away
When Sue Wears Red
Afternoon On a Hill
Love Song For Lucinda
Wild Swans
I'm Open All Night
Souvenir
New Moon
Resume/Wail/Frustration
The Red Dress
Dream Variations
Song For a Dark Girl
Daybreak In Alabama
Once I Was
Joy

Amazon.com

Along with Michael John LaChiusa and Adam Guettel, Ricky Ian Gordon is one of the Young Turks of New York's musical theater. Like them, Gordon shuns both the accessible pop of a David Yazbek and the bombast of a Frank Wildhorn, preferring instead to write post-Sondheimian art songs. The numbers here (with lyrics by Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorothy Parker, James Agee) span two decades. They are marvelously interpreted by the likes of Audra McDonald, Dawn Upshaw, Darius de Haas, and Judy Blazer. Blazer ambles through "Resumé/Wail/Frustration" with delicious jazz-age wit, while Upshaw once more proves that she's a classical singer with an uncanny flair for the nonclassical repertoire. Note that anyone who's expecting anything resembling a beat is advised to look elsewhere. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Phenomenal!.......2001-09-27

Ricky Ian Gordon is a very talented composer and poet, and the songs on "Bright Eyed Joy" display his magnificent gifts. There is not a contemporary composer who has his talent of fitting text to music, and the singers on this disc bring his compositions alive. Track 17, "Once I Was," will make you weep!

Incredible.......2001-06-02

This is an incredible CD, from the sparkling orchestrations which are chamber but in the way they are mixed everything dances out at you, to the vocal interpretations which are so innovative for a recording of this type...settings of poetry but sung by regular, albeit, extraordinary regular people (except people like Dawn Upshaw and Audra McDonald who have already established themselves as major vocal artists)so that the songs feel personal. There is about this CD an incredibly meaningful air...moving, magisterial, powerful...straight from "Heaven" to "Joy" Gordon takes us on an inexorable journey through life towards transcendence and he and his brilliant players and performers succeed...Nonesuch does it again...Superb! Kudos all around. Gordon is a REAL composer, with a deep understanding of poetry as well as a fabulous gift for writing words himself!

Quite an enjoyable CD.......2001-05-20

Being a fan of Mr. Gordon's, I couldn't wait until this CD came out. And I was not disappointed. The music is a cross between classical art songs and standard Broadway fare. Perhaps most enjoyable are the tracks sung by Audra McDonald, some of which were previously released on her first solo album, Way Back to Paradise, but which were supplimented with some additional tracks that really suit her dramatic voice and extensive range. Two other highlights include "Afternoon on a Hill", "Souvenir", and "Once I Was", which demostrate clever writing on the part of the composer, as well as true understanding of the texts on the part of the performers...I feel that Mr. Guettel performs well on this disc. It may appear that he does not have the vocal training that others do, however, his interpretive skills as well as his clear understanding of texts and emotions make his tracks poignant, and his voice is quite pleasant. My only complaint would be that Darius De Haas was included on the disc instead of Billy Porter, who I have seen performing these songs live, and quite well. Mr. De Haas is quite adequate, I simply prefer the power and exultation that Mr. Porter displays when he sings the compositions. Overall, however, this is a wonderful inclusion to anyone's collection, especially anyone who is a fan of anyone writing new, sophisticated theatre music.

Don't Walk, run ...run ...run ...to your stores.......2001-05-08

A huge fan of Donald Katz's "Home Fires" in which Mr. Gordan and his family are the central characters in a moving biographical tribute to an American Family, I have followed the story of this talent ever since. What I have to say of this incredible cd is nothing less then INCREDIBLE. Though there are some major comparisons to the likes of Stephan Sondheim, I am sure Mr. Gordan does not mind in the lease, but in the ened, he is all his own. Do not walk to get this cd, run to get it ....run like there is a wild fire following you to your nearest cd store ....If you don't love it, if you aren't moved by every lyric and strong and chord, then all I can say is, your not a real musical theater fanatic.

Where did all the decent singers go?.......2001-05-07

It is such a tragedy that such beautiful music such as this CD is ruined by inadequate singing on behalf of the performers. There is ONE exception to this, of course, and that being Audra McDonald. Darius De Haas and Theresa McCarthy are both excellent musicians in an artistic sense, but they lack any sort of vocal substanance needed to carry off these difficult songs. Unsupported and in need of clarity are how I would describe their performances. Dawn Upshaw must posses some of the most glorious high notes ever to be heard, unfortunately, she swoops and scoops all over the place and manipultes her vowels in such a way as to distract the listener. Since when did this become acceptable? Adam Guettel is not a singer and I never understood why he insists on attempting to sing anyway. I still remember the first time I heard "Come to Jesus" with he and Audra. He paled so much in comparison... In conclusion - if you can stand the singing (which is very hard, I still can't force myself to listen to McCarthy attempt to sing track 4, or maybe 5)then this CD is excellent. Gordon tends to be very elementary in his compostions, so there are many hummable tunes due to his repititious themes. As a fan of art songs and Dawn Upshaw/Audra McDonald, I've been looking forward to this CD. If you are fans of them as well, and don't mind paying [the price] for about 4 good songs, then have a go at this CD!!

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