Enlightenment

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Its title seems squarely in the pilgrim's camp, where much of Van Morrison's '80s music dwells, but 1990's Enlightenment offsets new glimpses of Morrison's oft-sought Avalon ("Avalon of the Heart") with darker confessions of human frailty and challenged faith. The opening "Real Real Gone" belies its hard-charging R&B verve (a welcome return to high-octane soul after his relatively becalmed, then-recent work) with admissions of weakness, and even the lyrical title song reveals confusion more than salvation. A few years later, such defeats might have prompted one of his crankier outbursts, but this set is brightened by the joyful reminiscences of "Youth of 1,000 Summers" and the epic "In the Days Before Rock 'n' Roll," in which Morrison's declamatory fervor is matched by poet Paul Durcan. The latter song is a gloriously apt Morrison moment, exulting in Little Richard as though he walked the same astral plane as William Blake--which, in Morrison's world, is exactly the point. --Sam Sutherland

Tracks:

Ah! Whither Should We Fly...
...As With Rosy Steps The Morn
O Bright Example Of All Goodness!...
...Bane Of Virtue, Nurse Of Passions
The Clouds Begin To Veil The Hemisphere...
...Defend Her Heav'n!
Lord, To Thee Each Night And Day
She's Gone, Disdaining Liberty And Life...
...New Scenes Of Joy
Cantata
Cantata
Cantata
Cantata
Cantata
Cantata
Cantata
Cantata
Se Bramate D'amar, Chi Vi Sdegna
Frondi Tenere E Belle...
...Ombra Mai Fu

Amazon.com

If you think you've heard Handel's "Ombra mai fu" (known as his "Largo") so often, and in so many different arrangements, and sung by so many different voices, that you can no longer be moved or surprised by it, think again. This CD of Handel arias, mostly from his Theodora or the cantata La Lucrezia, ends with "Ombra mai fu," and as sung by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, it is so tender, so beautiful, so impeccably shaded, that you'll think you're hearing it for the first time. But that's only four of this disc's 67 minutes---a follow-up to Hunt Lieberson's extraordinarily successful CD of Bach cantatas. There's not a dull or disinterested moment to be heard anywhere. As the violated Lucrezia, Hunt Lieberson alternately rages against the man who raped her and turns her grief inward; the former is terrifying in its intensity, the latter makes us almost feel as if we're eavesdropping. The five arias for Irene, Theodora's friend, confidante, and the upholder of Christian beliefs are all magical prayers or statements of faith, and from Hunt Lieberson, they become real, with each word honestly conveyed and colored. The voice itself is unfailingly beautiful---warm, lush, never forced, agile when necessary---and her breath control is stunning. She is backed ideally by Harry Bicket and The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the string soloists in the ensemble---the viola da gamba player, lutenist, etc.---are as gifted as she is. If you want proof that Handel was a great dramatist with a special gift for communicating emotion, all while listening to sublime sounds, this CD is a must. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

A Legendary Singer........2007-03-07

I simply don't have the heart to review Mrs. Lieberson's works.
If we call Ms. Bartoli a 'great' singer, then the description of 'legendary' more aptly depicts Mrs. Lieberson.
If ever a truly good artist lived, Mrs. Lieberson is one such.
The only singer that could be recalled singing in such style is Teresa Berganza; but still, they are different.
This is one of my favourite interpretators of Haendel. Having been 'treated' by those coloraturas of arias of Haendel's period by Ms. Bartoli and others, I find the singing of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson a great relief - at last, this is what Haendel would want it to be. And I equally enjoy the singing of soprano arias by Mrs. Lieberson - the timbre is warmer, but still with all the shimmer - so different from the dark mushy tones of other celebrated 'lyrical soprano' around.
Don't want to say more. Mrs. Lieberson's leaving last year is too heavy a news for me.

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's Bach: The mind of God revealed!!.......2007-01-06

These deeply felt performances of two of Bach's most moving cantatas show this transcendent singer's combination of emotional honesty and profound musicality, all combined to reveal the very mind of God through divine redemption from suffering. The disc is to be treasured even more in light of the Ms. Lieberson's recent untimely death from cancer. I'm an agnostic, but this music makes me envious of those who can believe. Roy in Pope Valley, California

Glorious singing to treasure for decades.......2006-07-11

By any measure, America's Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is at least the equal of Italy's premier diva, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, although she does not have the same superstar status. It is difficult to recall past mezzos with clearer enunciation of English text, (as favoured in nine excerpts from Theodora), the richness of voice, displayed in full-throated fortissimo and sharply contrasted pianissimo of utmost delicacy, evokes fondest memories of the tragically doomed Kathleen Ferrier. Masterfully chosen to display every facet of Hunt Lieberson's consumate command of Handel's dauntingly difficult music, the disc's repertoire - recitatives and linkig arias from the operas Theodora and Serse, and the cantana La Lucrezia - is stunning. An unsung mezzo who makes the senses tingle!

Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson (1954-2006), supreme Handelian.......2006-07-06

I have never heard a voice purer of tone, more flexible in phrasing, and so gorgeously produced in a homogeneous column of sound such as this artist in Handel's repertoire. It is very tastefully sung (unlike a certain person whose name begins with R and ends with enaaay Fleming) and so dramatically touching that one could not help but feel that this repertoire finally has found its instrument. And how sad it is to know that this instrument has passed away two days ago. Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson died two days ago in her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico of breast cancer. It is such a huge loss to the opera world, as she is an artist who is still experiencing the prime of her career. The voice is just so beautiful, the tone so pure, that I lament that we can no longer hear any great roles from this artist. She will be missed.

The Stellar Hunt Lieberson.......2006-03-19

Simply put, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson is one of the very best classical singers alive. She combines vocal elegance and purity with an emotional delivery that raises her above the crowd of technically proficient singers who just don't possess her depth of musical understanding or emotional commitment. Hunt Lieberson is a true artist who resists easy classfication except to say she is perfect in what she does.

Average customer rating:

Bostridge in best form in Handel arias

Great Handel

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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As Steals the Morn: Handel Arias & Scenes for Tenor
Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs
Lamentazioni per la Settimana Santa
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Haendel: Il Duello Amoroso

ASIN: B000PFU9LK
Release Date: 2007-07-17

Tracks:

Air Where'er You Walk
Accompagnato Comfort Ye
Air Ev'ry Valley
Accompagnato Frondi Tenere
Arioso Ombra Mai Fu
Aria Cosi La Tortorella
Air Love Sounds Th'alarm
Air Love In Her Eyes Sits Playing
Duet Happy We!
Aria Scherza Infida
Aria Dopo Notte
Air Total Eclipse!
Duet As Steals the Morn
Accompagnato Hide Though Thy Hated Beams
A Father, Off'ring Up His Only Child
Air Waft Her, Angels

Customer Reviews:

Bostridge in best form in Handel arias.......2007-07-17

I get the feeling that Amazon has given up providing official (paid for) reviews, so buyers won't be told that this colleciton of Handel from Ian Bostridge selects from Ariodante, Acis and Galatea, Samson, Jephtha, l"allegro e il penserosso, Semele, and of course, Messiah. The singer's voice has darkened since it willowy early days, and even though there are still a few holdouts like me who cannot abide its tone, there is no doubt about Bostridge's artistry. Here he gets good period accompaniment from the famous Age of Enlighenment orchestra (zingy strings, ni vibrato), although the conducting is notably sluggish at points. The singer avoids his often excessive underlining and over-acting, so all in all one must call this one of his best recent outings.

Average customer rating:

Overview of the Paris symphonies
No Need to Look Further!
Thank heaven ...
Cleansing the Palate
A gorgeous new set!!!!

Haydn: Paris Symphonies

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 88 - 92
Haydn: The London Symphonies, Vol. 1
Haydn: The London Symphonies, Vol. 2
Haydn: String Quartets Op. 76, Nos. 1-3
Telemann: The Six Paris Quartets

ASIN: B000031WJC
Release Date: 2000-04-11

Tracks:

Sym No.82 in C 'L'Ours': I. Vivace Assai
Sym No.82 in C 'L'Ours': II. Allegretto
Sym No.82 in C 'L'Ours': III. Menuet - Trio
Sym No.82 in C 'L'Ours': IV. Finale: Vivace
Sym No.83 in g 'La Poule': I. Allegro Spiritoso
Sym No.83 in g 'La Poule': II. Andante
Sym No.83 in g 'La Poule': III. Menuet: Allegretto - Trio
Sym No.83 in g 'La Poule': IV. Finale: Vivace
Sym No.84 in E flat: I. Largo - Allegro
Sym No.84 in E flat: II. Andante
Sym No.84 in E flat: III. Menuet: Allegretto - Trio
Sym No.84 in E flat: IV. Finale: Vivace

Tracks:

Sym No.85 in B flat 'La Reine': I. Adagio - Vivace
Sym No.85 in B flat 'La Reine': II. Romance: Allegretto
Sym No.85 in B flat 'La Reine': III. Menuet: Allegretto - Trio
Sym No.85 in B flat 'La Reine': IV. Finale: Presto
Sym No.86 in D: I. Adagio - Allegro Spiritoso
Sym No.86 in D: II. Capriccio: Largo
Sym No.86 in D: III. Menuet: Allegretto - Trio
Sym No.86 in D: IV. Finale: Allegro Con Spirito
Sym No.87 in A: I. Vivace
Sym No.87 in A: II. Adagio
Sym No.87 in A: III. Menuet - Trio
Sym No.87 in A: IV. Finale: Vivace

Customer Reviews:

Overview of the Paris symphonies.......2007-06-27

Franz Joseph Haydn could be called the father of the symphony. He composed 108 of them in his lifetime. The latter symphonies fall into two groups, the London and Paris symphonies, and refer to where he was residing in when he composed them. This 2-disc set contains all the Paris symphonies, are they are typical of works from this era of classical music; beautifully orchestrated with minimal evocative effects or emotional gusto. The sound quality is great though, along with the recording. For fans of classical music, this is a good buy for under $10.

No Need to Look Further!.......2007-03-17

There are commendable period instrument sets of the 'Paris' symphonies available - Bruggen(Phillips) with the Orchestra of the 18th Century who has the most romantic view of the works, Roy Goodman(individual discs from his complete set on the budget Hyperion Helios)with the Hannover Band and Kurt Weil. Kuijken's, without doubt, is the one to have. Superb sound, plenty of panache and drama. He has spent many years as a Hadyn interpretor and this is in evidence throughout all 6 symphonies. Smart tempos and clean cut phrasing is effectively coupled with poignant delicacy in the slow movements. The hapsicord is never obtrusive and all departments of his fine orchestra excell themselves.
The symphonies, written in 1785-6 for the renowned Concert del la Loge Olympique, are a triumph of the classical symphony. So are these performances!

Thank heaven ..........2007-01-01

My daughter purchased this for my birthday last year. Knowing that I admire Haydn, she searched Amazon and took confidence in the all positive reviews. Well, I thank my daughter and the other reviewers -- this is truly a collection to own.

Cleansing the Palate.......2006-10-16

Haydn's symphonies are refreshingly clean, natural, unpretentious and in general a welcome palate cleanser for the concertgoer despite the preference for the dramatic or the grand or the edgy contemporary fare. Such is certainly the case for the so-called Paris symphonies (Nos. 82 - 87), models of elegance and refinement.

Case in point: at a recent concert with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the opening work was the Haydn Symphony No 82 - at first a seemingly odd choice for a program that was to include the local premiere of a commissioned Viola Concerto by Brett Dean and a celebration of Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition'. But hearing Haydn in this context provided that reminder that Papa Haydn started it all!

This CD with Sigiswald Kuijken conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment traverses all of the Paris symphonies with aplomb. The quality of interpretation is immaculate, the sound of the recording is superb, and in general this is one of the finest 'sets' of these symphonies available today. It is an utter joy to listen to all of the works in one sitting, or to place them as aperitifs through the listening day. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 06

A gorgeous new set!!!!.......2005-01-30

A beautiful set at a cheap price of Haydn's Paris Symphonies! Symphonies 84 and 87 particularly sparkle and the comic effects are fully exploited in 82 (The Bear) and 83 (The Hen). I compared this set to the Karajan and legendary Bernstein. This new set is fresh and lively, also because of period instruments. Bravo!!!

Average customer rating:

"Lovely and Amazing"
I finally got around to getting this......
A great conductor and a rising mezzo make beautiful music together
Another winning recital by Kozena

Mozart Arias

Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tutto Mozart!
Russian Album
Angelika Kirchschlager Handel arias
Enchantment
HOMAGE: The Age of the Diva

ASIN: B000G6BJNK
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Tracks:

Giunse alfin il momento...Deh, vieni, non tardar...
Voi che sapete
Ch'io mi scordi di te... Non temer, amato bene, K.505
"In uomini, in soldati"
"Ei parte...Per pietà"
"E amore un ladroncello"
"Non più di fiori"
"Quando avran fine omai" - "Padre, germani, addio!"
Vado, ma dove? oh Dei!, K.583
"Non so più cosa son, cosa faccio"
Alma grande e nobil core, K.578
"Giunse alfin..." _ "Al desio di chi t'adora" (K.577)

Album Description

Magdalena KozenÃ¡'s first all-Mozart album--and her first

album in collaboration with partner Sir Simon Rattle--stands

out as one of the highlights of 2006's Mozart Anniversary

celebrations.

Magdalena is a natural Mozart singer, garnering rave reviews

and enchanting audiences wherever she performs Mozart

on stage. Recent performances in Philadelphia, Los Angeles,

Berkeley and New York (Carnegie Hall) have brought her

glowing praise.

This album is a collection of some of Mozart's finest arias

for female voice, mostly for mezzo-soprano but Magdalena

also taps her soprano potential with arias including Vitellia's

"Non piÃ¹ di fiori" from La Clemenza di Tito.

Sir Simon Rattle is the ideal conductor for this project,

delicately wrapping Magdalena's voice in vivid and sensitive

orchestral sounds of the Orchestra of the Age of

Enlightenment, the period ensemble with which he has

been working for more than a decade.

This release features one of the world's most exciting voices

joined by a brilliant conductor and ensemble--a Mozart

recording poised to captivate music lovers and critics

worldwide.

Customer Reviews:

"Lovely and Amazing".......2007-05-13

Kozena's approach to this series of Mozart arias, many of them old chestnuts, is innovative, yet always beautiful. As one reviewer has stated, he couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd so much enjoyed hearing "Voi che sapete." Kozena's magic in familiar music comes from her skills in ornamenting the nobly simple melodic lines. The listener is continually surprised by her rich but tasteful additions to the written score. She never overdoes them, so Mozart, I suspect, would not have responded to her singing in the way Rossini is reported to have done to a singer of his time who ornamented "Una Voce Poco Fa" to excess. He told her the aria she'd just sung for him was very beautiful, and then slyly inquired who'd written it!

I finally got around to getting this.............2007-04-07

release and I am glad I did. It is a really nice Mozart collection. In fact, I purchased this disc along with Garanca's Mozart disc on Virgin the same week and I have to say that they are two of the best Mozart programs I have purchased. Kozena's voice sounds great (as always) and her ornaments are unexpected but nice. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed "Voi che sapete" so much. The orchestra led by Rattle is wonderful as well. However, the one who really shines through this disc is Mozart.

A great conductor and a rising mezzo make beautiful music together.......2007-01-16

After flurries of gossip about their affair (both were married at the time) Simon Rattle took as his third wife the Czech mezzo Magdalena Kozena. For some reason their CD of Mozart arias hasn't created any waves here at Amazon. It should, becasue Kozena adds to three first-rate recitals on DG; the one in French is particularly fine. Her voice is warm and feminine, if a bit lacking in individuality. YOu can't pick it out instantly the way you could Janet Baker's or Christa Ludwig's. And she's a bit shy of personality compared to those two great predecessors. If she gains more confidence and drama, however, she could evolve into a great artist.

Her range here includes arias for both soprano and mezzo from all the great Mozart operas. It wasn't the best idea to start off with Susanna's 'Deh, vieni' from the Marriage of figaro; Kozena isns't light and witty. She immediately moves into Cherubino's 'Voi che sapete,' which suts her much better. She adds trills and decoration to the vocal line and handles them expertly. Adding to the period feeling, Rattle conducts the Orch. of the Age of Enlightenment, but he seems to have asked them to use vibrato in the modern style. In the concert aria with piano obbligato, 'Ch'io mi scordi di te,' Kozena is technically impeccable, but by now we are feeling a lack of temeprament. She is too wdded to correctness, which wasn't true of her swinging outside Mozart.

When the dozen arias are through, she has displayed enormous talent, and only her lack of drama causes me to hold back the fifth star. Schwarzkopf, von Otter, and other Mozart experts have nothing to fear quite yet, but Kozena should continue to rise--she certainly has all the voice and beauty she needs.

Another winning recital by Kozena.......2006-11-29

Kozena's first ever Mozart recital with Simon Rattle and the OAE is a sure winner - the voice is clear and perfect for this repertoire.

Average customer rating:

A truly amazing artist
About time I said how good this recording is!
a voice teacher and early music fan
Stellar Performance and a Sign of the Greatness to Come
David Daniels: La voz del barroco.

Handel: Opera Arias; David Daniels
David Daniels , George Frideric Handel , Roger Norrington , and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Sento Amor; David Daniels;
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Handel: Oratorio Arias
Stephanie Blythe - Handel & Bach Arias / David Daniels · Ensemble Orchestral de Paris · John Nelson
Rinaldo

ASIN: B00000FDND
Release Date: 1998-12-01

Tracks:

Serse: Recitativo accompagnato Frondi tenere
Serse: Larghetto Ombra mai fu
Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Aria Va tacito e nasacosto
Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Aria Al lampo dell' armi
Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Recitativo accompagnato Dall' ondoso periglio
Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Aria Aure, deh, per pieta
Tamerlano: Aria A dispetto
Ariodante: Recitativo E vivo anora
Ariodante: Aria Scherza infida
Giulio Cesare in Egito: Aria Cara speme
Giulio Cesare In Egitto: Aria L'angue offeso
Rodelinda: Sinfonia Pompe vane di morte
Rodelinda: Largo Dove sei?
Rodelinda: Aria Vivi, tiranno
Rinaldo: Largo Cara sposa, amante cara
Rinaldo: Aria Venti, turbini

Amazon.com

David Daniels seems to be the current leader of the opera world's March of the Falsettos--and with good reason: he's one of the first countertenors with enough beef in his voice to sound convincing in the heroic castrato roles of Handel's operas. His first solo disc is a collection of arias from just those roles--and an impressive debut it is. Daniels has the solid coloratura technique a Handel singer needs and a quick, narrow vibrato that can blend with Baroque instruments without alienating traditional opera buffs. (In fact, he sometimes sounds surprisingly like Marilyn Horne, one of his coaches.) Best of all, he has a musicality and dramatic sense that save the laments and slow serenades from dullness and the bravura showpieces from empty virtuoso display. The performances aren't flawless: Norrington's tempos are occasionally too quick for comfort (Daniels's and the listener's), and Daniels's vibrato sometimes spreads unattractively at the top of his range. He's at his best in the low alto roles that Handel wrote for the great castrato Il Senesino, such as the title roles in Giulio Cesare and Orlando. Let's hope we get to hear him in complete recordings of these operas soon. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

A truly amazing artist.......2007-06-21

David Daniels is one of the finest singers alive. I heard him recently in the Met's Julius Caesar and was overwhelmed with his performance. He not only has a truly beautiful voice, he is a complete artist, both emotionally and technically. This recording does him justice, and the music is some of Handel's finest. We are very lucky to have Mr. Daniels.

About time I said how good this recording is!.......2006-10-02

I've had this CD for a few years now and it is one that I often play. David Daniels is a great singer and his interpretations of Handel's arias are sublime. He is one of the best countertenors currently working in the world and he has few peers - Andreas Scholl, Bian Asawa, Derek Lee Ragin, Daniel Taylor, Robin Blaze, Lawrence Zazzo, Philippe Jaroussky, Gérard Lesne, Bejun Mehta and, of course, James Bowman are his only serious rivals.

This collection is well selected and it includes popular arias as well as a few less well known ones.

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is in magnificent form and Sir Roger Norrington gets magic from the various sections of the orchestra - particularly the Baroque bassoons in "Scherza infida".

This album is both a showcase for the singer and the orchestra. It is vastly superior to most Handel opera aria collections.

I unreservedly recommend this superb disc to all music lovers.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-06-24

David Daniels has devised this program so that it provided a view of Handel at the most significant stages in his London career as an opera composer. With his spectacular debut in England with 'Rinaldo'(1711), he established his ability to compose for the stage, and immediately followed it with 3 masterpieces: 'Tamerlano' and 'Guilio Cesare in Egitto', both from 1724, and 'Rodelinda' the next year. The unique 'Serse' (1738)is from the twilight of his operatic career, while 'Ariodante' shows a time when Handel and his London company was having difficulty competing with the rival Opera of the Nobility sponsored by the Prince of Wales.
Handel's greatest contribution to operatic history is his ability to rise above the sterertypical in his characters, endowing them with a total humanity by allowing them to experience the entire emotional gamut throught a variety of arias and recitatives. Moreover, David Daniels , being one of the finest interpreters of Handel is aware of the need not to be so blinded by the purity of the musical line as to forget what he is singing about. In fact, Handel often shaped the melodic line according to the degree a particular word was to be stressed. Handel was very aware of new devlopments, and styles and attitudes of his time, without ever betraying his own musical personality.
To my mind, Daniels is the consummate Handelian singer, and it is probably this music that he performs best! His delivery is highly dramatic as it should be, his diction absolutely flawless, his tone quality strong and sonorous; in short he is one good singer! It is indeed a very fine disc, not only because of the line-up but also because all arias are sung extremely well by him. I found myself focusing on his selection from "Serse": "Ombra mai fu". He sings this so much more emotionally and endows it with his own unique style. It's so well-done!!! My other favorite is from "Rinaldo": Venti,turbini". This displays his very skillful vocal technique in addition to his excellent diction. I really think he is the leading AMERICAN countertenor.

Stellar Performance and a Sign of the Greatness to Come.......2004-08-10

It is hard to imagine that there could be a finer recital disc of Handel's arias than this one reflecting the exquisite taste and powerful talent of David Daniels...unless of course, you count his splendid follow-up disc of Handel's lesser known oratorio arias released in 2002 (also strongly recommended). But the focus in this 1998 release is the rich music within six of Handel's best-known operas. Now nearly six years after its release, this recording not only holds up beautifully as an introduction to his prodigious talent, but also demonstrates his keen sense of adventure when his voice was at its most pure and unfettered.

Daniels' coloratura technique is amazingly seasoned even at this point of his career, and he approaches each aria in a singular fashion with that incredibly flexible legato that is literally breathtaking. Compare the impressive runs he employs on his rendition of "A dispitto" from "Tamerlano" to his seductive and sonorous tones on "Aure, deh, per pietà" from "Giulio Cesare in Egritto", and you get an idea of the range of emotion and technique of which Daniels is capable. Listening to the two arias from "Rodelinda" will make you recognize how over the course of twelve minutes, he has shown the two distinct sides of Bertarido - the mournful, dejected husband who goes unrecognized in "Pompe van di morte...Dove Sei?" and his enemy's savior at the end with "Vivi, tiranno".

The two arias from "Rinaldo", are also beautifully performed. Six years later, one can appreciate these versions within the context of Daniels' career, as he later recorded the title role in the famous 2000 recital recording of the opera with Cecilia Bartoli and yet again in the 2001 David Alden staging of the opera captured recently on DVD. I recommend getting your hands on all three and comparing the performances, as all are wonderful but quite different. Personally I think his voice ripened to just the right timbre in the Alden-staged version, especially during the opera's centerpiece, "Cara sposa, amante cara". Of all the stellar selections, it is really difficult to pick just one as a favorite, but his version of "E vivo ancora....Scherza infida" from "Ariodante" is especially moving in the way he sings of his plight in being humiliated by an unfaithful woman. Written for a castrato named Carestini in 1735, it is a sublime piece made all the more moving by the warm, round tones Daniels brings to it.

Sir Roger Norrington and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment provide able accompaniment on period instruments, never intrusive or jarring to the ears. It is easy to tell from this recording why Daniels received so much hype for bringing the countertenor voice to the mainstream and why his career has been so meteoric since the release of this disc. Now you can see that it was more than hype...David Daniels is the real thing.

David Daniels: La voz del barroco........2003-10-26

Para los amantes del barroco en su estado puro es esencial tener este cd en el cual el gran contratenor DAVID DANIELS repasa las arias mas celebres de las operas de George Friederich Haendel. Daniels impone una voz bella, muy femenina, homogenea en todo el registro, sin problemas en los agudos, y que enamora nada mas oirla. Ademas canta las arias con un extraordinario sentimiento. ROGER NORRINGHTON dirige a la ORQUESTA DEL SIGLO DE LAS LUCES (que suena magnificamente con sus instrumentos originales) con gran conocimiento del estilo barroco, lo que termina de hacer de este disco una pieza fundamental para los amantes de la opera barroca, que afortunadamente son cada vez mas.

Average customer rating:

clear as a bell
Renee Fleming...somewhat out of her depth
Handel sung with gusto and wit
Very disappointing Handel recital
Brava Renee!!!

Handel
Renee Fleming , Harry Bicket , Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment , and George Friedrich Handel
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sacred Songs
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson: Handel Arias
Haunted Heart
The Inner Voice : The Making of a Singer
Renee Fleming: By Request

ASIN: B0002SZVV8
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Tracks:

Oh Sleep, Why Dost Thou Leave Me?
Endless Pleasure
Scoglio D'Immota Fronte
Quando Spieghi I Tuoi Tormenti
Ombra Mai Fu
To Fleeting Pleasures Make Your Court
Lascia Ch'io Pianga
Dunque, I Lacci D'un Volto...Ah! Crudel
Let The Bright Seraphim
V'adoro, Pupille
Da Tempeste Il Legno Infranto
Ritorna, Oh Caro E Dolce Mio Tesoro
Sommo Rettor Del Cielo...D'una Torbida Sorgente
Pensieri, Voi Mi Tormentate
Bel Piacere E Godera Fido Amor!
Calm Thou Soul...Convey Me To Some Peaceful Shore

Amazon.com

Those who may have feared that Renée Fleming might approach Handel with a too-Romantic vocal attitude need not have; whether it's the leadership of the sympathetic, historically informed Harry Bicket, the sound of the spare but warm Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, plain good sense and musicianship, or any combination of these, here she offers sixteen arias in almost-impeccable Baroque fashion. I doubt whether sopranos of Handel's age had voices as plush as Ms Fleming's but she manages to keep her tone as light and as airy as possible in these selections, never leaning or swooping into an accompanying note in an "un-Baroque" manner, and the result is simply ravishing. The voice, of course, is almost unbelievably beautiful and agile, the technique impeccable, complete with a trill unmatchable in any soprano singing today. From the long-breathed lines of "O sleep why dost thou leave me" from Semele to the fireworks in Cleopatra's "Da tempeste…," with stops along the way at the famous "Ombra mai fu" and a complete rarity from the composer's Lotario, this CD is just breathtaking. Brava Fleming--and bravo Harry Bicket! Oh, yes--bravo Handel! --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

clear as a bell.......2007-02-16

Renee Fleming is one of the most talented female vocalists around. She has such a beautiful, crystal clear voice, and she sings every song on this album well. As a singer myself, I definitely look up to her and very much admire the tone, quality, power, and range of her voice. I would definitely reccommend this album to anyone who enjoys classical music or is looking for someone to aspire to.

Renee Fleming...somewhat out of her depth.......2006-10-20

While it's not the most thrilling Renee Fleming album in the catalogue, her interpretations of Handel pieces is quite an accomplished feat, but when compared to her earlier efforts, rings hollow with it's lack of emotion. As other reviewers have noted, Ms Fleming does not sound like she is in complete grasp of the material, and her performance lacks any real depth or dramatic weight.

Perhaps the pieces of Handel aren't completely flattering to her style, or the mood in the recording studio might not have been exactly right...a million things might have happened to dull this album's power. I have listened to this album a couple of times now, and I'll keep it in my collection, but this one is for the die-hard Renee Fleming fans.

[Decca /Universal 475 547-2]

Handel sung with gusto and wit.......2005-12-07

I am utterly in love with Renee Fleming's voice and I am very glad that she returned to her roots in this luminous Handel Recital. While her fioritura is not as excellent as Sutherland's she surpasses the Australian with her sincerity and sense for drama. Not one word is sung without attention, her silken voice sound absolutely radiant here. I also noticed that she is singing more precisely and elegantly here, giving Handel a dignified elegance, yet passion that it hasn't had since Ferrier (Who was an alto but she still reigns supreme). It is definitely a step in the right direction. Brava Miss Fleming!

Very disappointing Handel recital.......2005-10-30

This recital is mostly very bland and boring, with Fleming's Baroque vocal technique lacking in many ways.
The slow, languid arias like the opening "Oh Sleep" are too drawn out, without any character. The fast acrobatic arias show lack of agility, and poorly executed and overdone ornamentation. Fleming's heavy, laboured coloratura seems ill fitted for these selections. "Scoglio d'immota" in particular is very bad. Her leaps "from stone to stone" in this aria are proceeded by something of a bellow before each note. Fleming's rthythmic waywardness is also very evident in many tracks, and her diction is very indistinct. In English tracks she prounounces vowels in such bizarre ways, her singing of "endless laav" made me laugh and her Italian in "Quando spieghi" is just awful.
Fleming's "Ombra Mai Fu" lacks any character, tenderness, not to mention the missing recitativo. Lorraine Hunt's infinitely superior version should not be even compared to this one. And "Lascia ch'io pianga" is just so over the top, it sounds like a crossover track without the beat. Even Angela Gheorghiu's soppy but honest singing of this piece beats Fleming's interpretation.
"Let the Bright Serephim" has very serious tempo and scooping issues; Kiri Te Kanawa's unremarkable but pleasant enough version is better. "V'adoro pupille" is another drawn out, overtly sentimental aria. And in "Da Tempeste" Fleming sings the runs as it was jazz (?) music, it's strange, and the da capo part is so over the top. This aria is a total mess.
I have to admit I have problems listening to this album as a whole, midway through I just could not tolerate it any more. When I finally listened to the rest of this album, I liked it even less. The last track, Peaceful Shore is again so bland and pointless. I was just glad to be at the end of this recital.
As many people pointed out, even the accoustics of this recording are not good. The Orchestra of Enlightment plays just fine, but it makes little difference. With so many wonderful recent Handel recitals to choose from (Hunt, Bayrakdarian, Conolly, classics like Kirkby, Battle's Baroque Duets...) I think this is the one to skip.

Brava Renee!!!.......2005-09-28

This album is truly amazing. Renee has such a way with music from the Baroque era. She didn't over Romanticize the music. She lightened her voice perfectly for Handel's arias. The Giulio Cesare arias are incredible, and Endless Pleasure from Semele is astounding. Once again Brava!!

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos / Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Average customer rating:

One of the best recordings of Branderburg concertos
my copy was ok
Could be great.
Production Error
Try before you buy

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos / Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Johann Sebastian Bach , Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment , Paul Goodwin , Catherine Mackintosh , Rachel Beckett , Mark Bennett , Monica Huggett , Alison Bury , Marion Scott , Lisa Beznosiuk , Malcolm Proud , Elizabeth Wallfisch , Pavlo Beznosiuk , Richard Campbell , Sarah Cunningham , William Hunt , John Toll , Richard Tunnicliffe , Timothy Brown , and Susan Dent
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mozart: Great Piano Concertos
Brahms: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2
Beethoven: Symphonien Nos. 5 & 7 / Kleiber, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Tchaikovsky: Symphony 6 "Pathétique" in B minor Op. 74
Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass / Willcocks, King's College Choir

ASIN: B00000J2PP
Release Date: 1999-06-08

Tracks:

Concerti No.1 in F Major: I. No Tempo Indication
Concerti No.1 in F Major: II. Adagio
Concerti No.1 in F Major: III. Allegro
Concerti No.1 in F Major: IV. Menueto - Trio I - Polacca - Trio II
Concerto No.2 In F Major: I. No Tempo Indicated
Concerto No.2 In F Major: II. Andante
Concerto No.2 In F Major: III. Allegro assai
Concerto No.3 In G Major: I. No Tempo Indicated
Concerto No.3 In G Major: II. Adagio - Allegro

Tracks:

Concerto No.4 In G Major: I. Allegro
Concerto No.4 In G Major: II. Andante
Concerto No.4 In G Major: III. Presto
Concerto No.5 in D major: I. Allegro
Concerto No.5 in D major: II. Affetuoso
Concerto No.5 In D Major: III. Allegro
Conceto No.6 In B-flat Major: I. No Tempo Indicated
Conceto No.6 In B-flat Major: II. Adagio na non tanto
Concerto No.6 In B-flat Major: III. Allegro

Amazon.com

The Brandenburg Concertos seem to be Bach's most popular works by far, and there are so many recordings of them out there--on period instruments and "modern," and at all price ranges. Of course, it's hard to pick out one or even two to call the "best"--but this reissue of a 1989 recording by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment has a good claim for the title of "Best Buy Brandenburgs." These performances don't have the splashy extroversion of Il Giardino Armonico or the caffeine-pumped, high-velocity thrill of Musica Antiqua Köln, but they're not overly reserved or dull, as some English ensembles are accused of being. The OAE's instrumental playing is very skillful indeed, with particularly nice work from the horns in the third movement of the First Concerto, and from trumpeter Mark Bennett in the Second; and the tempos are moderately quick (which means that they would have been considered rather fast before 1980 or so), but without being breathless. The slow movements sing sweetly--the viola playing of Monica Huggett and Pavlo Besnosiuk in the slow movement of the Sixth Concerto is especially lovely--and the quick outer movements have an infectiously bouncy pulse. If money is no object, you might want to consider Il Giardino Armonico or the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, but these here are surely the best Brandenburgs available at such a low price. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

One of the best recordings of Branderburg concertos.......2006-03-06

I own quite a few recordings of the Branderburg concertos (Suzuki, Saval, Boston Baroque...) this one is one of the best.

There is an evident feel of musical joy coming out of this recording. I can't find other ways to describe it.
The musicians are enthusiastic about the work they are playing, restrained most of the time but when it is called for they give their best.

Highly recommended.

my copy was ok.......2006-02-09

This is an excellent version of the Brandenbergs. The tempos are good and the instruments are all clearly heard. I noticed that some sort of production problem led to some poor reviews with the 2 CDs having the same music for some people. I did NOT have that problem and think this set can be highly recommended.

Could be great........2006-01-02

I got a gift certificate for Borders and I decided to get this as I have been wanting it despite reports of the same music being on both discs. I brought it out to the van and immediately played both CDs and they both were the exact same music. I return the disc at Borders before we left the parking lot. What little we played sounded so right. Brilliant energy and refinement. Excellent sound quality. If I knew I could get one that was manufactured correctly I would purchase it in a heart beat.

Very Dissapointing.

Production Error.......2005-12-08

I would like to confirm the problem reported by Mr. Whittet. I purchased the disks in November 2005 and found the same mistake that he did. Disk 1 has the same music as Disk 2.

In other ways this is a spectacular recording. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment gives a graceful and articulate reading of the concertos, and the recorded sound is clear, warm, and spacious. But, despite the bargain price, it's not worth it just to get two copies of concertos 4-6.

Try before you buy.......2005-11-23

Watch out for a manufacturing error with this 2CD set. I found that the exact same music (Concertos 4-6) was recorded on each CD in the set (they are labelled CD1 and CD2 but both contain the music for CD2). I returned it, obtained a replacement, and the replacement has the exact same problem, so it is not an isolated event. I believe these performances would be excellent if I could only get to hear them all.

Mendelssohn - Elijah / Terfel, Fleming, Bardon, Ainsley, Fulgoni, Paul Daniel

Average customer rating:

Excellent!
Outstanding Performance Deserving a Better Overall Rating!
Mendelssohn-Elija/Terfel
A prophetable experience
The Standard. Period.

Mendelssohn - Elijah / Terfel, Fleming, Bardon, Ainsley, Fulgoni, Paul Daniel
Bryn Terfel , Felix Mendelssohn , Paul Daniel , Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment , Renée Fleming , Edinburgh Festival Chorus , John Mark Ainsley , Neal Davies , Patricia Bardon , Libby Crabtree , Sarah Fulgoni , and Geoffrey Moses
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Mendelssohn: Elijah / Shaw, Bonney, Quivar, Hadley, Hampson, Atlanta Symphony (Sung in English)
Mendelssohn: Elijah
Elijah in Full Score
Elijah: An Oratorio for Piano & Vocal Score
Franz Joseph Haydn: The Creation

ASIN: B0000042HI
Release Date: 1997-10-14

Tracks:

Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: As God The Lord Of Israel Liveth (Introduction) (Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: Overture
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 1 - Help, Lord! Wilt Thou Quite Destroy Us?
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 2 - Lord, Bow Thine Ear To Our Prayer!
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 3 - Ye People, Rend Your Hearts And Not Your Garments (Obadiah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 4 - 'If With All Your Hearts Ye Truly Seek Me...' (Obadiah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 5 - Yet Doth The Lord See It Not
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 6 - Elijah! Get Thee Hence, Elijah! (An Angel)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 7 - For He Shall Give His Angels Charge Over Thee
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 8 - What Have I To Do With Thee, O Man Of God? (The Widow, Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 9 - Blessed Are The Men Who Fear Him
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 10 - As God The Lord Of Sabaoth Liveth (Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 11 - Baal, We Cry To Thee
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 12 - Call Him Louder, For He Is A God! (Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 13 - Call Him Louder! He Heareth Not (Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 14 - Lord God Of Abraham, Isaac, And Israel (Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 15 - Cast Thy Burden Upon The Lord
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 16 - O Thou, Who Makest Thine Angels Spirits (Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 17 - Is Not His Word Like A Fire (Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 18 - Woe, Woe Unto Them Who Forsake Him! (Contralto I)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 19 - O Man Of God, Help Thy People! (Obadiah, Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 20 - Thanks Be To God! He Laveth The Thirsty Land

Tracks:

Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 21 - Hear Ye, Israel (Soprano I)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 22 - 'Be Not Afraid' Saith God The Lord
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 23 - The Lord Hath Exalted Thee From Among The People (Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 24 - Woe To Him! He Shall Perish
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 25 - Man Of God, Now Let My Words Be Precious In Thy Sight (Obadiah, Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 26 - It Is Enough! O Lord, Now Take Away My Life (Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 27 - See, Now He Sleepeth Beneath A Juniper Tree (Tenor I)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 28 - Lift Thine Eyes To The Mountains
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 29 - He, Watching Over Israel
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 30 - Arise, Elijah, For Thou Hast A Long Journey Before Thee (Elijah, An Angel)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 31 - Oh Rest In The Lord (An Angel)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 32 - He That Shall Endure To The End, Shall Be Saved
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 33 - Night Falleth Round Me, O Lord! (Elijah, An Angel)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 34 - Behold, God The Lord Passed By!
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 35 - Above Him Stood The Seraphim - Holy Is The God The Lord Sabaoth (Contralto I)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 36 - Go, Return Upon Thy Way! (Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 37 - For The Mountains Shall Depart (Elijah)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 38 - Then Did Elijah The Prophet Break Forth Like A Fire
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 39 - Then Shall The Righteous Shine Forth (Tenor I)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 40 - Behold, God Hath Sent Elijah The Prophet (Soprano I)
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 41 - But The Lord From The North Hath Raised One - Oh Come Everyone That Thirsteth
Elijah: Oratorio, Op.70: No. 41 - And Then Shall Your Light Break Forth

Amazon.com

Mendelssohn (1809-1847) is a perennially underrated composer who finally may be coming to greater appreciation. Certainly this fine recording (in English) of a masterpiece that he believed joined the Jewish faith of his fathers with his own Protestant Christianity should not hurt his reputation. The superb Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel gives a dramatically charged performance in the title role, while soprano Renee Fleming sings with beauty and limpid understanding; the cast is almost uniformly strong. The Edinburgh Festival Chorus, directed by David Jones, sings with care and conviction, and Paul Daniel conducts his forces firmly. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2007-05-07

I listened to several recordings of Elijah and like this one the best. Given that the technical challenges to record this production would be huge, I think this recording is good. The chorus' diction is superb, and the soloists are exceptional.

Outstanding Performance Deserving a Better Overall Rating!.......2007-02-05

My intent is not to repeat the comments from the 'excellent' reviews already present, but to warn others who may be contemplating the purchase of this Elijah set to ignore the two 1-star ratings; first, the sound recording and dynamics on these CDs are outstanding - I'm assuming that the one reviewer has either bad audio equipment or was unlucky to obtain bad discs (exchange them!); second, 'wrong key' downgrades the rating to one star! As already pointed out, this is a HIP adventure, and the tuning of the key used is just different - ignorance of this fact does not deserve an ignorant rating.

This is a worthy performance - did not receive a top rating in the Penguin guide (not sure why not after reading the comments?); in the 'Third Ear', the set did get a glorious review (unusual for that book); and finally, in the 'Rough Guide to Classical Music', this version is the one recommended. If you want to own an Elijah set, do not ignore this one as a possibility - Terfel & Fleming are superb and the period instrument orchestra outstanding.

Mendelssohn-Elija/Terfel.......2007-01-14

This is one of the worst recordings I have ever purchased from Amazon. Many tracks of this sublime music are inaudible. Fortunately the music is "there". With about 8 hours of work, one can remaster the disks to produce a fine recording, but I would not recommend this for most people.

A prophetable experience.......2004-04-28

I've heard a lot of performances of Elijah, a well-crafted work that used to be more popular than it is these days, and this is an extremely good one. The musical direction is to the point, Fleming and Terfel are at their best, and the other soloists are extremely good. (Although I wonder if they originally tried to get an alto better-known than Patricia Bardon.) I'm also glad that there are enough soloists on hand: Mendelssohn asked for at least 8, and older recordings that make do with 4 (turning all octets into choruses, for instance) seriously distort his plan.

The pitch of the performance is a result of the use of period instruments and the tuning standard selected. There was no single pitch standard at this period, but the one selected is plausible and may be one heard by the composer. It is not a "transposition" or a distortion.

The Standard. Period........2002-04-26

I've heard many fine performances of this, the Mendelssohn masterpiece, both live and recorded, and THIS recording is the quintessential presentation. I've heard this sung in German, and I've heard it sung in English. And, no matter which of the two this is sung in, there is no finer performance anywhere. From the opening, with Bryn Terfel bursting force with the most power I've heard from him to date, to the defeat of the prophets of Baal, to the plea for Israel, to the final praise of God by the children of Israel, this work never lets up. Regardless of the pitching of the instruments or how Mendelssohn would have heard it, there is no doubt in my mind that he most certainly would have been enthralled with Terfel's performance. Terfel is, no question, the best there is in the world of classical bass-baritones today. Renee Fleming delivers a magnificently gorgeous performance. John Mark Ainsley holds his own as well. I was particularly impressed with the work of Patricia Bardon, whom I'd never heard from before this recording. Paul Daniel is worth his salt, too. And, the cake, which all of the soloists and the conductor are the icing for, is the combination of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and the Enlightenment Orchestra...these are simply wonderful! They are so dramatic, articulate, and involved. If one is in search of a recording of "ELIJAH" by which one wants to hear the way it was meant to be performed (with intensity, emotion, fervor, and energy), then THIS is THE recording to pursue.

Average customer rating:

Mantra and Self-understanding
A very beautiful recording
For Nyima Gejie fans only!
Deep Heart Song
"Tara Mantras" by jamyang Sakya

Tara Mantras
Jamyang Sakya
Manufacturer: Dharmapala Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Om Tara: Mantras from Tibet
How to Free Your Mind: Tara the Liberator
The Tara Box: Rituals for Protection and Healing From the Female Buddha
Om Mani Padme Hum
The Cult of Tara: Magic and Ritual in Tibet (Hermeneutics: Studies in the History of Religions)

ASIN: B00005R0A3
Release Date: 2000-11-20

Tracks:

The Praises to the 21 Forms of Tara
Green Tara Mantra I
Green Tara Mantra II
100 Syllable Mantra
White Tara Mantra

Album Description

"Tara Mantras" contains the essential chants to the deity of Tara, in her Green and White emanations, chanted by H. E. Dagmo Jamyang Sakya with Lama Nyima Gejie. They were digitally recorded in Santa Monica, CA by David V. Gregoli for Dharmapala Records. The CD can be used as an aid to the Tara practice or to create a meditative mood.

Dagmo Jamyang Sakya, considered by many to be an emanation of Tara, is one of the few women Tibetan Buddhist lamas, very rare and precious.

She is the wife of H.H. Jigdal Dagchen Sakya, who is a lineage holder of Sakya, one of the four sects of Tibetan Buddhism. His father was Trichen Ngawang Thuptop Wangchuk, the last great throne-holder in Sakya, Tibet.

The deity Tara is the female emanation of the Buddha of Compassion who chooses forever to reincarnate as a woman. She is the Mother of All Buddhas.

All profits from this CD go to The Mother Tara Sakya Center or 'Tara-Ling'. This is a non-sectarian, non-profit Tibetan Buddhist Center whose mission is to preserve and teach Tibetan culture and philosophy to all who are interested, through the message of Tara.

Total time: 50:14

Customer Reviews:

Mantra and Self-understanding.......2005-06-12

Mantra is a tool to connect with subtle vibrations that transform our minds/hearts into purified existence. The mantra avialable on this recording can help you in that direction. Green Tara mantra is usefull for all kinds of healing, be it personal afflictions, addictions, vices etc.. The Vajrasattva Mantra is for purification and resolution of past karma.

This is not music, this is prayer. Her voice on the recording is full of clarity and innocence, and this is passed along to the one listening to this chanting.

I work in a spiritual bookstore and have listed to hundreds of "mantra" cd's. This is of the highest quality and sincerity of heart that you can possibly find.

A very beautiful recording.......2004-05-29

I just want to say that dispite the negative review, this is a very worthwhile recording. However, it is NOT a recording of the deep overtone chanting style made famous by the Gyoto and Drepung Losling monasteries. Instead, this is a very bare-bones recording of chanting, very similar to what I have experienced when doing Tibetan Buddhist practice with my lamas. Both styles of chanting have their qualities... but I could see how one might be dissappointed with this recording if you're expecting the former!

For Nyima Gejie fans only!.......2003-10-26

If you're looking to expand your practice with an inspirational rendition of the mantras keep looking(or try Mantras fro Tibet OM TARA By Sarva-Antah). I was hoping this CD would strengthen my practice by inspiring me through an appreciatiion and celebration of the beauty of harmony and the human voice. Though this CD is a very heartfelt repetition, it's musically quite painful.

Deep Heart Song.......2002-02-17

This is a deeply centering experience. Prayer from the ancient soul. Listening to this CD brings me into a state of peace and meditation. Music like this is not easily available on CD and it's very valuable in these times. Highly recommended for yoga, meditation, relaxation, and prayer.
Great production.

"Tara Mantras" by jamyang Sakya.......2001-12-31

Really outstanding recording. Feels like I'm in Tibet with the Himalayan mountains in the background. Very inspiring!

Susan Graham - Mozart & Gluck Arias ~ Il tenero momento

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Voice, Great Selection
Extremely competent but not a permanent addition
An album that is very dear to my heart
Bland & Sleepy
Another American Singer That Shines

Susan Graham - Mozart & Gluck Arias ~ Il tenero momento
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Christoph Willibald Gluck , Susan Graham , Harry Bicket , and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Manufacturer: Erato
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Susan Graham ~ Berlioz - Les nuits d'été
Susan Graham - La Belle Époque (The Songs of Reynaldo Hahn)
Susan Graham at Carnegie Hall
Artist Portrait: Susan Graham
Gluck - Iphigénie en Tauride / S. Graham · Groves · Hampson · Rouillon · Mozarteum · Bolton

ASIN: B000056BEZ
Release Date: 2001-02-06

Tracks:

Paride Ed Elena: Oh, Del Mio Dolce Ardor
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Non So Piu Cosa Son, Cosa Faccio
La Clemenza Di Tito: Parto, Ma Tu, Ben Mio
Iphigenie En Tauride: Non, Je N'espere Plus... O Toi Qui Prolongeas Mes Jours
Iphigenie En Tauride: O Malheureuse Iphigenie!
Iphigenie En Tauride: Non, Ect Affreux Devoir... Je T'implore Et Je Tremble
Le Nozze Di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete
La Clemenza Di Tito: Deh, Per Questo Istante Solo
Orphee Et Eurydice: Qu'entends-je? Qu'a-t-il Dit?... Amour, Viens Rendre A Mon Ame
Idomeneo: Non Ho Colpa
Orphee Et Eurydice: J'ai Perdu Mon Eurydice
Lucio Silla: Dunque Sperar Poss'io... Il Tenero Momento

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The "tender moment" of this collection's title comes from a stunning scene in an opera Mozart wrote as a teenager, Lucio Silla. It refers to the heightening of sensitivity and expectation that love, above all else, instills. But the Mozart example (with which the album ends) might also be taken as a metonym for the way in which the most powerful emotions, including love in all its guises, from ardor to lament, can intensify the moment. It's a process that opera itself tries to replicate through the wonderful alchemy of music, text, and character. In her second recording for Erato (following the extraordinary Ned Rorem anthology), American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham focuses on the "tender moment" as depicted by Mozart and Gluck. These two masters of opera aren't often paired, though each in his highly distinct, individual way insisted on elevating the genre beyond the level of frivolous entertainment and display that the century they shared found so tempting. Graham's program of six scenes from each suggests some striking moments of common ground in terms of the larger classical aesthetic, though the success of the whole enterprise is mixed. Certainly, Graham makes a case for the radiant beauty of Mozart's opera seria writing (her own operatic debut was in Lucio Silla), which still tends to be undervalued--as though it were simply a case of the composer being enchained by excessive genre "conventions." There's a magical balance between form and content, substance and decoration in "Parto" from La Clemenza di Tito (notable enough for Antony Pay's melting basset clarinet obbligato), and in the lengthiest selection (the last one, from Lucio Silla), though Graham here exposes the instability of her lowest register.

But to whatever extent Mozart and Gluck might intersect in sensibility, the latter conjures a remarkably different universe when he depicts love's loss and abandon. Somehow the scenes from Iphigénie and, especially, Orphée et Eurydice (in its French version here) don't register as stylistically different enough and they lack that strange, altogether Gluckian combination of objective purity with emotional extremity. And as Mozart's adolescent Cherubino, the kind of intensity that Graham conveys so convincingly on stage comes across a tad too contrived. On disc alone, not all of the selections can capture the spell Graham typically casts in live performance through her combination of singing, "emotional intelligence," and stage presence. Still, it's an intelligent program, and Graham has proved to be a winning exponent of period performance style (as in 2000's superb Alicina). The match here with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is a happy one. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Voice, Great Selection.......2007-01-10

This is one of the best vocal CDs released in the last several years. If you don't know Susan Graham's gift, this CD is the best introduction. I'd also recommend it if you're not especially an opera fan, but are interested in a very listenable introduction to top-notch singing. I've listened to this over and over, and have not filed the CD away for months.

The balance of material between Gluck and Mozart works surprisingly well. Graham eschews the showy and flashy, yet sings with extraordinary power and passion. The accompaniment is excellent, never getting in the way. The recording is almost perfect.

In short, a pleasurable CD that will improve the quality of your life.

Extremely competent but not a permanent addition.......2004-12-16

Very well-focalized, and an evenly produced sound (granted, there is no special color, nor low register) --- but the problem is the anonymous quality of the interpretations. If you want to truly understand Iphigenie's predicament in her aria 'O malheureuse Iphigenie', seek Janet Baker. Not a generalized torment beautifully sounded -- but a moment of tormented grandeur.

An album that is very dear to my heart.......2002-07-22

First my Dad dies unexpectedly and the September 11th attack happens two weeks later. A very unhappy and distressing time in my life. I spent much of this time alone at my parent's home sitting in their big garden on Sunday afternoons listening to this CD and drinking some wine. It helped me make sense of the world around me and my own world at the time - beauty and truth continue to exist even after the worst happenings. "Ô malheureuse Iphigénie!" perfectly reflected my feelings at the time.

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is fabulous, expressive and colourful - you'd never want to hear this music on modern instruments again after hearing them! Susan Graham's voice is expressive and has much pathos - without ever becoming melodramatic.
The repertoire is well selected and there is a very tasteful blend of known and less well known arias. I hope that Ms Graham makes another CD with the OAE again soon! I could stand another disc like this one!

This disc is also the perfect disc to buy with the Cecilia Bartoli Gluck disc. Ms Bartoli tackles Gluck's earlier opera seria arias - while Ms Graham mainly delves into the later reform opera arias - as well as some Mozart. I cherish both discs.

Please consider this CD for your collection.

Bland & Sleepy.......2002-01-02

I enjoy Susan Graham in performance and on CD (her Ned Rorem CD is excellent). This time I was disappointed by the bland and nearly featureless impression this left me with. It is pablum start to finish to my ears. And too...her weak lower register is exposed unflatteringly in this repertoire.

For a study in opposites, try Ewa Podles in the same repertoire and buckle yourself in for the ride.

Another American Singer That Shines.......2001-12-23

Susan Graham has wondeful mezzo voice and she has choosen a repertoire that suits it to a tee. Her creamy and pure tone illuminate the Gluck and Mozart arias in a such beautiful way. If you enjoy this you may want to try her recording of the Berlioz les Nuits d'ete, another group of songs that suit her voice so well. Ms. Graham represents along with Renee Fleming and Ruth Ann Swenson the best of the new American opera singers.

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