Customer Reviews

The American Tenors

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

No offense to the other two great singers on this album, but I'd like to talk about my best friend Nathan who is one of "The American Tenors" and continues to tour and promote this show.

I remember the buzz in the air when they filmed this at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles and the place was standing room only. Critics who were there loved it. Just a few weeks after recording the dvd SONY CLASSICAL (their label) was getting huge marketing projects under way to make "The American Tenors" popular in the States. Unfortunately, all the gigs that were lined up-Jay Leno, The Today Show, and many others got scrapped because the US went to war with Iraq - literally THAT week. Ouch.

That was really too bad because there were some great songs here. The show was buried before it even got a chance because of the war. You might argue that it was buried because the singers were "no names", but let me tell you something, that's crap. There are some songs here that are REALLY GREAT, and the musical arrangments are extraordinary. Nathan's version of "If I Loved YOU" is the best recording of that song you will ever find. I challenge you to find one better.

Whether it be singing on stage at Carnegie Hall, performing on an aircraft carrier in New York Harbor, opening NASDAQ, or a Kareoke Bar in Kansas City, Nathan is a star. He may not be the guy in the headlines today in America, but he has fans in the thousands, and has enormous talent and he can sing any song...ANY SONG and make it sound amazing.

Do yourself a favor and spend the [..] to get this DVD. Or better yet, the [..] for a new copy. Then go visit Nathan Granner's website and find out what he's up to next. If you are lucky someday you may get to hear him sing in person, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

The charismatic "American Tenors" are dramatically upstaging what all the other "three tenors" and "three sopranos" have done. Any music lover who responds deeply to "legit" singing of the bel canto school will surely be as thrilled as I am to hear the sumptuous sounds of these three young Americans, backed by astounding arrangements by conductor Frank McNamara.

Chosen after a national search, Nathan Granner of Kansas City, Daniel Montenegro of California, and Mauricio O'Reilly of New York recently made a debut on a stunning PBS special. Their boundless energy and amazing vocal technique is complemented by their charm, sincerity and depth of feeling. The beauty of singing largely American works shows how easy it can be to sing in English and make it sound truly beautiful. And the patriotism touched upon with "America, the Beautiful," "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "God Bless America" should make it a must for all who care about their homeland and freedom. McNamara's lush arrangements pull all the inherent romance and lyricism from each and every selection. Never have so many inner voices of standard songs been brought out so movingly by a producer-conductor-arranger. He had artistic control over this moving presentation. And Nathan Granner leaves one breathless with his unique, heroic lyricism and natural demeanor.

The huge orchestra and choral backing render this a musical lovefest for the tenor voice and its millions of admirers. Let's hope our courageous leaders in Washington and the Persian Gulf have a chance to be inspired by this remarkable conquest of the high art of singing.

I enjoyed the presentation, and I enjoyed Natan Granner the most. He has a strong clear voice that deals with this material well. Daniel Montenegro is also strong, but Mauricio O'Reilly's voice comes across as thin and not very powerful. He would do better with softer, more intimate songs, with fewer instruments as accompanyment.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this DVD and would recommend it.

I discoverd these new tenors on public television this week...and ran out to buy the CD. These guys are something special...they are young, charasmatic,but mostly, incredibly talented. I loved the solos...especially Nathan's version of "If I Loved You." The arrangements are beautiful. I also loved the patriotic feel of this CD, with all the terrific all-American music. I have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot more from these guys.

Each tenor shares his unique personality and style. I truly enjoyed the solos as well as ensemble work. Patriotic and inspiring. Can't get enough of those McNamara arrangements. Hurry! Order your copy!

After you start playing this CD, it will be along time before you ready to listen to anything else! I counted 5 separate chill times when my hair stood up. If I Loved You and Shenandoah were the best that I've ever heard. The Tenors voices are beyond wonderful. These songs are American Classics and are sung by classically trained young men. The arrangments are made for classically trained voices. The arrangements were done by Frank McNamara who brought the Irish Tenors to fame, so he knows a little bit about this. The "color" of their voices when blended together is fantastic. Each tenor sings a solo and has various solo parts. Danielle's voice is dark and rich. Nathan's voice is the wide middle range. His voice makes you cry when you hear him sing his solos. His voice is a steely tight voice. Mauricio's voice belongs in the heavens. Mauricio gets to end Amazing Grace with a High C! I've never heard a voice quite like his. Together and apart, it's a wonderful experience. You won't get enough of this CD for a long long time!

We were privbileged to see and hear "The American Tenors" on Educational Television, and then could not wait to order a CD, which we have played over and over on the automobile CD player as we travel. We never tire of listening to these great voices, the songs they sing and the harmony. PLEASE ask them to make other CD's for us to purchase!

This is one of my favorite cd's. It has most of my favorite American songs on it. It is very well done.

What a disappointment that the record quality is so poor. The instruments drown out the singers. Their voices are recorded with slight echos and are far too faint to enjoy the strength of tenors.

I don't know why one would think that every tenor voice has to be "operatic" quality to be enjoyed. I've heard some operatic tenors singing "pop" songs in a way to make you cringe. Not every tenor voice sings every song or aria well but there are many beautiful voices out there and I find them wonderful to listen to whether they've made it through the Met trials or not. These three have the kind of tenor voices that are best heard together--they blend beautifully although they are not equally impressive when heard alone. Nathan Grannar has, in my opinion, the best solo voice while the other two fill different slots--O'Reilly with a lovely "Irish" high tenor and Montenegro with a deep but not extremely powerful voice. However, they make beautiful music together and they are extremely personable (if you see their DVD). This album is great listening and I recommend it to anyone who just loves beautiful music, operatic or not.