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Editorial Reviews
From the Artist
This recording has grown out of my great respect and reverence for Pope John Paul II. I well remember being asked by the newspapers in Mexico, on the day he was installed in Rome, what I thought about this Polish Pope, and I replied, almost without thinking, that this was the beginning of the end for Communism. He was a parallel force with the Polish trade union leader Lech Walesa, fighting for the poor and against injustice. And he was the greatest human being I have ever known. I had the great privilege of meeting him several times. The last occasion was at the Vatican, when he wanted to thank us for a performance at a meeting at Ancona, Italy; it had included a piece by the Italian composer Marco Tutino that was a setting of one of the Pope's poems. I told His Holiness that I would very much like him to let me see more of his poems. I knew that when he was young, before he entered the Church, he had been an actor and also a writer. With my son Plácido, who is a composer, I looked for these poems. First we found a beautiful collection of religious poetry, the Roman Triptych Meditations, but these were complicated meditations on the Bible. Though I thought it would be marvellous to make a CD of them, I felt we should start with a selection that had more popular appeal. We continued our search until we found some poems that could be set to simpler melodies. Yet although they are popular, they also have depth. One poem, "Madre", may have been intended for his own mother or for mothers in general, but in any case it speaks directly to our hearts. Some poems are about the love of God, others about workers. There was even a beautiful one about a man whose job is to make weapons: he insists that he is not the man who starts wars but simply a craftsman. It refers back to the Pope's days as a patriot. To broaden the poems' appeal, we have kept some in Italian and translated others into Spanish and English. We did not want this collection to contain only solo pieces, so we invited five artists to join the project. I very much like Josh Groban's voice, and Andrea Bocelli, who has been my friend for a long time, was thrilled to collaborate. I had been doing concerts with the Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins - crossover music that made an ideal background for this collection. My son Plácido wrote a lovely song that was perfect for Vanessa Williams, whom I had conducted in Carmen Jones. Plácido himself has a beautiful high-baritone voice, and he sings a song that he wrote with Jorge Calandrelli, the musician who has been central to this project. The London Symphony Orchestra is a great ensemble. I have to say that London musicians have always amazed me: you arrive at the studios in Abbey Road and find these wonderful players who can engage with music they've never seen before - and after three hours you've got 30 minutes of music, perfectly recorded, that will endure for ever. This recording has enormous significance for me, and not only because I am a Catholic. It will speak not only to religious people but to anyone who respects that uniquely great man, John Paul II, who chose to dedicate his life to the service of humanity and of God.
Product Description
This is the deluxe, limited edition, numbered hard bound version of Amore Infinito a hardcover book 5 1/4" wide by 7 1/4" high and 1/2" thick. The special package will include the CD plus color photos of not only the artists on the CD, but also include some very touching and poetic photos of the late Pope John Paul II. Amore Infinito is the new album by Plácido Domingo, who calls it one of the most important recordings of his career. Before Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II, he began writing poetry during years as a quarry worker, playwright, actor, seminary student and priest. Now Domingo, out of deep respect and reverence for the greatest human being I have ever known, has created this collection of settings as a personal affirmation of faith and tribute to the late Polish pontiff.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Songs inspired by the Infinite Love (Amor Eterno) and poetry of John Paul II - Karol Wojtyla.,
By Kokegg (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Amore Infinito: Songs inspired by the Poetry of John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) (Audio CD)
This beautiful album presents the poetry of John Paul interpreted by great tenor Placido Domingo and the London Symphony Orchestra in music and voice. These songs bring back the memory of the late Polish pontiff and his Infinite Love (Amor Eterno) for God and the world. The songs centered on the world of manual labor, young love, war, nature and family relations inspired by the Infinite Love (Amor Eterno) of God. Some of the songs are presented in Italian while other in Spanish and English. Some of the songs provide collaborations with great musicians such as Placido Domingo Jr (Love), Josh Groban (La Tua Semplicita), Andrea Bocelli (Canto del Sole Inesauribile), Vanessa Williams (Gratitude), Katherine Jenkins(A Mother's Wonderment). All of them did a wonderful job along with Placido Domingo and the London Symphony Orchestra. A beautiful album performed with a lot of respect for the poetry of our be loved pope.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb.,
By
This review is from: Amore Infinito: Songs inspired by the Poetry of John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) (Audio CD)
The album's title may be a bit off-putting if one is not a Catholic or not particularly interested in the concept of poetry set to music - believe me, don't let any preconceived notions keep you from getting this CD. Having just purchased it three days ago, I think I've listened to it roughly eight times thus far. The music is excellent and the voices are stellar; Domingo is in fantastic voice throughout and he teams up with five other artists in selected songs, one of whom being his own son (a fine singer in his own right). His duets with Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli are soaring, gorgeous blendings of some of the best tenor voices in current music today, sure to lift one's soul to the heavens. An excellent album with an operatic flavor and a musical experience not to be missed.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE BEST OF BOTH !,
By
This review is from: Amore Infinito: Songs inspired by the Poetry of John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) (Audio CD)
I have long been an ardent admirer of both His Holiness the late POPE JOHN PAUL II, and the very much alive operatic tenor/baritone MR. PLACIDO DOMINGO.
So the pairing of the POPE's poetry and MR. DOMINGO's great voice could only be a wonderful experience... and one is not disappointed! The words of KAROL WOJTYLA, the man who became POPE, bespeak Universal Love, Faith, the Brotherhood of Mankind, and Hope for the World and our Future. The POPE's words are given a life beyond the written page by the profound arias of MR. DOMINGO. But my words alone cannot do this justice... you must HEAR this work to really appreciate it.
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