Incanto shows Bocelli at his maximum splendor in terms of voice and power. He delivers these songs with his heart; it is clear that this music has a special meaning for him. The music selection is mostly about classic Italian songs that have been performed by many of Andrea's favorites in the past. Unless you never heard Italian music before, you will recognize at the very least "Funiculi Funicula", "Voglio Vivere Cosi", and "O Surdato "Nnamurato". These are all very nice songs, and are however, the weakest point of this album, because of their predictability. Andrea makes use of his "opera" voice during most of the songs. While this adds to the overall greatness of the CD, it resents the wonderful emotional "rollercoasters" that he can create ... Read More:
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English soprano Sarah Brightman returns with her unique blend of classical opera/pop crossover for the second time in 2008 with A Winter Symphony, a companion CD to previous 2008 release, Symphony.
Despite the absence of the words "Christmas" or "holiday" in the CD's title, that is what A Winter Symphony is: a Christmas CD thinly masked as a "winter" CD. Yet, as a Sarah Brightman fan, I was thrilled to see that she was finally releasing a Christmas-oriented CD. Sarah's angelic soprano voice would be perfectly suited to many holiday classics, yet I found surprisingly small amount of these classics on the album.
Winter Symphony's track listing is somewhat obscure and unexpected for a holiday/winter/Christmas album. Each song is a cover ... Read More:
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I watched the bonus DVD first and learned so much about why each song was chosen and how the arrangements came to be. Yo-Yo Ma is an effervescent personality who exudes such love and joy himself, the artists loved working with him. Some were old friends, some new. The music is exceptionally beautiful, with an unexpected selection for the holidays.
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Andrea Bocelli's latest CD can be bought in the Deluxe edition which includes a DVD that is well-worth having. On the DVD, Bocelli is interviewed while in the Teatro San Carlo in Naples - where many of the operatic tenors of the past (Caruso, Gigli, Tagliavini, Pavarotti, Corelli) had their glory moments. He talks of how they affected him as a listener and how he hopes that his renditions of that same repertoire would touch his listeners in the same way. On this CD, however, Bocelli does not sing the heavier operatic arias but the (primarily) Neapolitan melodies where he can bring his considerable gifts to the table. Here we do not have those heavier operatic voices overwhelming the songs by the very power and "heft" of the voice - but rather the lighter voice ... Read More:
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I'm not a music expert...I just know what I like and I LOVE this cd! The duet pieces are wonderful. I may not understand the words to many of the songs but I can feel the emotion that Andrea Bocelli puts in them. This is certainly a cd worth having.
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I'm not a music expert...I just know what I like and I LOVE this cd! The duet pieces are wonderful. I may not understand the words to many of the songs but I can feel the emotion that Andrea Bocelli puts in them. This is certainly a cd worth having.
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This album was released on compact disc in October of 1990 but it was released on vinyl records sometime between 1969 to 1972. I grew up listening to it most years until I started on my own path. Of course in my younger days the appreciation for Christmas orchestra music was not there. Only rediscovered it on amazon.com in 1994. It's great to play low as background music on Christmas day while opening gifts or while friends and relatives are talking about. The music has a whimsical flare which really brings out the Christmas spirit. Highly recommended for initiating cheer and maintaining calm in the household.
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This production is 95% very, very close-up full face shots. There are no, zero, full stage shots. Very Occasionally there is a full body shot. There is absolutely no sense of theater at all.
This opera could have been filmed in an 8 x 12 foot room. No sense of space exists. DAS BOOT had more wide shots. Even the dance sequences, by famed choreographer Lucinda Childs, are shown in half body, never in full ensamble. There were close-ups that showed only an EYE, full screen. The average cut away was about every two seconds. The camera never lingered on a singer for more than a second or two. The fine chorus was shown, guess what, as only full face individuals. Gerald Finley was excellent, but did we have to see him in extreme close-up ALL THE ... Read More:
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Perhaps the best interpretation of "The Nutcracker" ever made. Baryshnikov's finest hour. And as even the most ballet-ignorant know, that bar's set pretty high.
I have seen Mikhail Baryshnikov dance in the much-praised chick-flick "The Turning Point." And I have seen him dance his own interpretation of "Don Quixote." Good. Great, even. But not as much as fellow Russkie ballerino Nureyev's stab at "Quixote." And I have seen much more of him dancing. The man defies gravity, as well as many other laws. A ballet dancer, in the country of America, has been treated like a movie star. But this may very well be his best work, artistic-wise.
Mikhail Baryshnikov is man who hardly needs an introduction, as he is a man who is synonymous with ballet. The man ... Read More:
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This product was recommended to me by my cousin. It has been well worth the $15-and then some. My son loves it-and has loved it since he was 3 months old. He's now 11 months and will still sit & watch it. I actually enjoy watching it myself-it's very intriguing. The music is wonderful-so peppy and spirited. This is our favorite Baby Einstein dvd. I have purchased several as shower gifts for new mom's. Love it!
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