Customer Reviews

The Bach Album

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is some of the most beautiful music of Bach I have ever heard. The main reason being because I just love the way Itzhak Perlman plays Bach because he plays it romantically and I completely and utterly despise baroque instruments and performance. This combination of the best violinist ever and the best soprano ever is just superb. This IS a very beautiful recording and I can recommend it fully.

This CD is a serious candidate for Battle's best - her voice is flawless and at its most expressive (which is saying a lot, considering how gorgeous her voice ALWAYS is), the recording quality itself is warm and intimate, and Mr. Perlman's playing forms an exquisitely tender accompaniment to Battle's singing. I find myself returning again and again to this recording - it will always hold a treasured spot in my collection. Highly recommended.

This is one of the finest renditions of Bach arias I have heard and was my introduction to the perfect soprano voice of Kathleen Battle. Perlman's violin blends and entwines with Battle's voice to produce soaring and perfectly balanced music that is inspiring and uplifting. Not a disappointing moment in the whole recording.

I would recommend this album to anyone who is venturing for the first time into the realm of opera and particularly soprano voices. This is music straight from the soul that any serious classical music lover will immediately connect with.

THE BACH ALBUM is a beautiful and relaxing collection of Bach arias. Most of the pieces included in the collection are not instantly recognized by the average listener (I include myself in this category) which makes the collection unique and in my opinion gives the collection more of an appeal. I often use it as background music when I am trying to complete a project or wish to create a relaxing atmosphere. Listeners expect great musicianship from both Kathleen Battle and Itzhak Perlman and both deliver exceptional performances. Both compliment each other and neither seems to be competing for attention. The Orchestra of St. Luke's, under the direction of John Nelson supports the two principal musicians well. This album is a must for Bach lovers and anyone else who appreciates the musicianship of these two extraordinary talents.

I am not the kind of individual who ordinarily listens to Opera. However, I have been taking voice lessons this past semester, and my teacher required me to listen to Kathleen Battle. The way in which Perlman and Battle compliment one another is simply divine. It was love at first sight! This CD transcends my former resistence to opera and has opened a whole new world for me.

What I love about this album is that some of the selections have an air of rustic simplicity being, as they are, composed predominantly to showcase a single voice and violinist. Ms. Battle's lovely voice, though classically-trained, never overwhelms the (mostly) sacred intent of the songs on this album and her diction and attention to the text is a wonderful thing to behold. None of these songs are dazzling in the way, say, the Queen of the Night's aria (with all of those high F's) is but they are all beautifully rendered here. Itzhak Perlman's playing complements Ms. Battle and one never gets the impression that these two musicians are trying to outshine the other (regardless of what Ms. Battle's reputation may have you believing!). The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because after an hour the music seems a bit monochromatic. I'm not faulting Perlman or Battle for that, I'm sure that these songs are performed exactly as J.S. Bach wrote them. This is the kind of album one could play to unwind after a long day at the office or school. The tone of the album is a tranquil one without any peaks (or valleys) but, while this may be boring for some, I find the uniformity soothing. Again, I must take my hat off to the accomplished playing of Itzhak Perlman and singing of Kathleen Battle. (The inlay has an essay that is informative though dry, while the English translations of the lyrics are poetic and, for the most part, accurate.) Enjoy!

The magnificence of each J. S. Bach composition featured in this performance is equalled only by the incomparable mastery of coloratura by Kathleen Battle and the cello virtuoso of Itzhak Perlman. I must take exception on two points made in the review of the "music fan from Boston" when reference is made to the "prima donna antics" of Ms. Battle. First, we are reviewing the unmatched soprano skill and vocal talents of Ms. Battle, not her person. I am reminded of the first time I ever heard of Maria Callas. It was not because of her musical ability that I was first introduced to her, but in a newpapaer review that lambasted her "blatantly obnoxious, immature and reprehensible behavior, unbecoming of one of her professional stature." Yet this and other unfavorable characterizations never diminished or tarnished her reputation as a noted soprano. Secondly, the "fan from Boston" says that Ms. Battle's "German is a little suspect." Has anyone ever heard Pavoratti sing in English? A far cry from perfect execution of the language, but, again, we are reviewing the vocal artistry here, not linguistics. The reviews from both S. Africa and Autralia are absolutely correct in their assesments of this remarkable CD and are a refreshing alternative to the brain-washed opinions resulting from over-exposure to U.S. opportunistic/sensationalistic media who delight in the unprofessional and childish practice of bashing Kathleen Battle. Kathleen Battle ranks as one of greatest soprano voices ever. You only have to listen to this performance of Bach's music to confirm my assertion. Her abilities speak for themselves.

This CD is Beautiful Bach. Battle's voice is a lovely interpretation of the glorious music. I highly recommend it. A great addition to any collection.

Kathleen Battle has the clearest, lightest classical voice in the business today. Her tone constantly spins like a top, and the J.S. Bach selections work beautifully with her voice. She sounds as if she is seamlessly joined to the violin, as if they are an extension of each other.

Had I been a bit more of a fan of J.S. Bach, I might have rated this album slightly higher. However, the selections included here are a wonderful range, from the familiar to the lesser known. Unfortunately, when you do an album using material from a composer such as J.S. Bach, you run the risk of everything running together, sounding as if it is all in the same key, same tempo, same general dynamics. The counterpoint is textbook (a bit of an attempt at a joke on my part, since J.S. Bach is pretty much the father of modern counterpoint), but painfully predictable. I would think that my theory professor would cringe to hear me say such blasphemous statements against the great J.S. But this is the place to put opinions, and that is what I am doing.

It might not be fair to penalize Battle for the composer's work, but I think my criticism is that she did an album of strictly Bach pieces. Of course, if you are partial to the late Baroque era music, this will probably be on the top of your listening list!

And, yes I have heard many of the finest. In 50 years of listening. But this recording fully captures the essense of J.S. Bach, with loving performances by Ms. Battle, Mr. Pearlman and Mr. Nelson. The sound engineering is very full, very intimate and very warm. I just cannot listen to it enough. I am a pianist, and I suppose I mostly like Bach's instrumental music, like the Preludes and Fugues, the Inventions and Sinfonias and the Brandenberg Concertos. But I do have to admit that this recording had also made me much more interested in Bach's many works for voice. It is finally dawning on me that this was his finest achievement.

I think Kathleen Battle's equisite singing had had some part in convincing me of that. Five stars are really not enough for this very fine recording, but that is all I can rate it under Amazon's system. I consider this album a "MUST HEAR" for any classical music fan.

And last (but not least), conductor John Nelson only adds to the superb package with his very, very fine conducting. This album is a real treasure and worth every cent you spend on it.