Sarah Brightman: Classics

Sarah Brightman is a wonderful British Broadway musical singer with a naturally light and beautiful soprano voice with a good musical instinct. She is not, however, a classically trained singer, much less an opera singer (she sings with the aid of microphone and has never sung in an opera performance). This CD is a compilation of 15 well known classical tunes that have been re-orchestrated to appeal to the modern audience.

Tracks:
1. Schubert: Ave Maria
2. La Wally (the aria Ebben? ne andro lontana' from Catalani's La Wally)
3. Preisner: Winter Light
4. Anytime, Anywhere (based on Tomasso Albinoni's Adagio in G-minor)
5. Tarrega: Alhambra
6. Lascia Ch'io Pianga (Almirena's aria from Händel's Rinaldo)
7. Dans La Nuit (actually Frederic Chopin's Etude in E)
8. Serenade / How Fair This Place (Rachmaninov's famous Vocalise)
9. O Mio Babbino Caro (Lauretta's aria from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi)
10. La Luna (the famous 'Song to the Moon' from Antonin Dvorak's Rusalka)
11. A. Lloyd Webber: Pie Jesu (Requiem)
12. Figlio Perduto (Repeated 1st section of the allegretto from Beethoven's Symphony #7)
13. Nessun Dorma (From Puccini's Turandot)
14. Bailero (traditional Irish song)
15. Time To Say Goodbye (solo version)

These video clips would give you a good idea of what to expect from this CD:
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB8psfWBZOQ Nessun dorma
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AI83gQBVOc Anytime, Anywhere
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXuw9icKXnU Ave Maria (never mind the questionable visual... just have a listen to the music)

Smorg the Pop/Broadway-fan Says:
Those who have never listened to real opera or classical vocal music before will likely enjoy this CD very much. You will catch a glimpse of some of the most wonderful soprano music you have ever heard. The re-worked non-vocal pieces like tracks 4, 7, 12 also shows Ms Brightman's good feel for music that would sell even to non-classical fans. I dare say you've heard snippets of these numbers before (Albinoni's adagio, for one, is the featured theme music from the film Galipoli). The orchestration is quite complimentary and sometimes (like on Wally's aria, track 2) is so dense that it succeeds in drawing attention away from the voice (at most of the right moments). This is not a bad thing for those who aren't used to focusing on the purity of the singing. The beats will carry you to places you hadn't been before.

So, to the non-classical fans I say; go for it but don't just stop your exploration into this marvelously rich musical theater genre that is opera and classical singing with just Sarah Brightman, but go further and check out the really well trained opera singers like Diana Damrau, Patrizia Ciofi, Anja Harteros, Natalie Dessay, Dorothea Röschmann, Patricia Rachette, or Olga Pasychnik as well. Once you have tried many different renditions of these songs, then you would be able to tell better if it is the music that you enjoy, or if it is the singer.


Smorg the Opera-fan Says:
Those who are already opera and classical music fans would likely find this CD ranging from moderately to extremely annoying. Even with the very favorable re-orchestration and the amplification of the voice, the classical technique is just not there. Unsupported to poorly supported tone, frayed high notes, excessive scooping (if you are one of those who object to the great Gruberova's use of portamenti, you will pull all of your and your neighbors' hair out when you hear Brightman's scooping), non-existent legato, crooning, screaming,..., the whole nine yard. If things haven't been going well for you in your real life, listening to this bastardization of some of the most loved operatic arias can really cause the Mr/Ms Hyde in you to break out and try to pick a fight with the nearest living thing you can find (even if it is the neighbor's guard pitbull). Better protect your sanity and stay away from it.

Bottom line, whether or not you will enjoy this CD will depend almost entirely on whether you have heard the real opera/classical singers done these numbers before. It's the difference between the prepackaged California rolls sushi thingy at the local supermarket from the freshly made real thing at the authentic Japanese sushi bars. If you stop your exploration into classical singing with Brightman, you might mistake liking the music with liking Sarah Brightman. Don't be a sucker... explore and seek for the greats rather than just the first.

1 CD. Booklet contains track list but no printed libretto (you can find that at www.lyricsondemand.com/s/sarahbrightmanlyrics/, however)

Just for fun:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyYH3Ndkzg0 (a fun vocal version of the Allegretto from Beethoven's 7th Symphony)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKvT5eCfqLE (Patrizia Ciofi sings O mio babbino caro)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1PMzQ8PuCo (Renée Fleming sings Rusalka's Song to the Moon)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu1Z2PoaE5I (Ewa Mallas-Godlewska sings Almirena's Lascia ch'io pianca)

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Cleaning the House