Andreas Scholl: Wayfaring Stranger

Anonymous (Composer, Performer), John [British Composer] Ireland (Composer, Orchestra), Scottish Traditional (Composer), English Traditional (Composer), American Traditional (Composer), British Isles Traditional (Composer), Irish Traditional (Composer), Andreas Scholl (Performer), Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Anonymous, Andreas Scholl
• Orchestra: John [British Composer] Ireland, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
• Composer: Anonymous, John [British Composer] Ireland, Scottish Traditional, English Traditional, American Traditional, et al.
• Audio CD (November 13, 2001)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B00005OC0C
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,359 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #17 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Songs & Lieder > Folk Songs
  • #59 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Vocal & Song
  • #74 in Music > Classical > Chamber Music > By Period > Modern & 20th Century

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scholl chooses style over substance, but does it SO well..., December 20, 2001

By 

Stephen Jackson "Classical vocalist and Voice... (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Andreas Scholl: Wayfaring Stranger (Audio CD)

First, I have not always been the greatest admirer of Scholl. As a classical singer (a countertenor myself) with a VERY American sound, I had trouble swallowing the purity and glassiness that I sometimes hear in his tone. I was a MAJOR David Daniels and Bejun Mehta fan, and wasn't enamoured of the gentler side of the CT sound. HOWEVER, I have since given Scholl a second listen (and third and fourth) and decided that his artistry and control of the instrument are superb even if I would choose other timbres for my own vocal style. When I listen to Scholl, it is like an alto Flute, whereas Daniels or myself are more like some doublereed instrument.
The other reviews for this album insist on bashing the sometimes overly sentimental or "produced" quality of the music. What they ignore is the beauty of the songs, the treatment of the arrangements (which are a bit more lush than tradition might dictate, but the effect is none the less true to the meaning of the songs!) and the naturalness of the "fit" into Scholl's voice. I have zero complaints about this CD. Even his occasional less than perfect English diction is really more of an affect of the CT range than poor knowledge of the dialect. (English is my first language, and I occasionally have enunciation issues with the English song repertory, the vowels are simply murderous in some words!)

BUY THE CD... you won't regret it, even if it isn't Vivaldi and Handel on Theoboros and Viols, it IS good music and a damn fine recording.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beauty and sadness in modern arrangements, March 29, 2004

By 

Stephen H. Orel (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Andreas Scholl: Wayfaring Stranger (Audio CD)

I had never heard of Andreas Scholl until he was the guest artist at one of the Orpheus concerts (at Carnegie Hall) to which I subscribe, and I was bowled over. The singing, phrasing, and arrangements are so haunting, so true to the overwhelming melancholy of most of the songs and the piratical jollity of a few. I'm a big fan of modern Celtic folk music by such groups as Altan, Silly Wizard, the Tannahill Weavers and the like, so I do know what it's like to hear, for example, songs of Robert Burns in more earthy arrangements, but Scholl's rendition of "My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose" is glorious by any standard.

5 stars is a lot, I wouldn't award it indiscriminately, and it represents value to me, not my perception of worth to everyone else. In other words, I'm not saying this is a "must have" disc for everyone, but it's one I wouldn't want to be without.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost perfect, but not quite, December 3, 2001

By 

Anna Dewey (MN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Andreas Scholl: Wayfaring Stranger (Audio CD)

Is this a crossover CD? No. Is it borderline to crossing over? Yes. A fine line is tred on Andreas Scholl's new CD, between a pop sound and a traditional folk song setting. Craig Leon's accompaniment does stay faithful to the genre, no need to worry about a rock beat being added, and is quite beautiful, though it occasionally sounds more New-Age than some traditionalists may be comfortable with. Also, there are some inconsistancies of quality on the CD. Firstly, the sound engineering was not done very faithfully, on one of the tracks Andreas' mic is turned on after he starts singing. Secondly, there are times throughout the CD where the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra seems to be in danger of letting the tempo slip away from them, and other moments when they seem to ignore Andreas' use of rubato, perhaps because they are a conductorless group. All that aside, the singing is beautiful, even for the high standards of Scholl fans. Scholl works hard to bring a storytelling element to his singing, and does so successfully, using a wide range of vocal timbre, including some switches to his baritone chest-voice. Whether or not you buy this CD depends on if you can handle Leon's Neo-Orchestral treatments of traditional folk songs. If you are a fan of Andreas Scholl who is devoted to his Baroque works, this CD may not be the right one for you.