Best of

Marta Sebestyen | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 25, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hannibal
• ASIN: B00000063J
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,012 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #16 in Music > World Music > Europe > Eastern Europe > Hungary

Track Listings

1. En Csak Azt Csodalom (Lullabye For Katharine)

2. Teremtes

3. Szol A Kakas Mar

4. Repulj Madar, Repulj

5. Da Je Visjna

6. Hindi Lullabye

7. Istenem, Istenem

8. The Shores Of Loch Brann/Hazafele

9. Szeress Egyet, S Legyen Szep

10. Szombateste Bucsuztato

11. Tavasz, Tavasz

12. Gold, Silver Or Love

13. Szerelem, Szerelem

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisitely Feminine, Sublime, Exotic Voice, September 29, 2005

By 

Erika Borsos "pepper flower" (Gulf Coast of FL, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Best of (Audio CD)

I loved the film "The English Patient" in which the voice of Marta Sebestyen added greater depth and mystery to the character, Count Almassy. I awakened to the beautiful traditional music of Hungary and searched for CDs after hearing her entrancing voice for the first time. Since then, I found and bought, "Boheme" by Deep Forest, "Apocrypha", "Morning Star" with Muzsikas, "The Bartok Album" also with Muzsikas ... and this wonderful CD. She is also the featured vocalist with Vujicsics, a Hungarian ensemble which plays exclusively Serbian and Croatian instruments and music.

This CD is one of her best. The songs are ethereal and encompass a variety of regions and styles. She sings in Hungarian, Serbian, Croatian, Hindi and English. I have read that "Repulj Madar, Repulj" (Fly Bird, Fly) is among the oldest Hungarian traditonal songs and was written on the pentatonic scale. It is sensational. "Szol A Kakas Mar" from Transylvania is a wonderful example from this region. One very haunting example is "Szombat Este Bucsusztato" (Farewell to Shabat) which is of Jewish heritage. The most memorable are the songs with two word titles ... "Istenem Istenem" (My God, My God), "Tavasz Tavasz" (Spring, Spring), and "Szerelem Szerelem" (Love, Love). Each one is deeply soul-searching and mysterious. They will remain in the heart and soul of the listener for a long time. Erika Borsos (erikab3)

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You don't have to be Hungarian to enjoy Márta Sebestyén, December 19, 1999

By 

Leon A. Goldstein "LAG" (Fayetteville, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best of (Audio CD)

You don't have to be Hungarian to be intrigued by the characteristic down beat of the melodies. The CD is worth buying just for "Szeress Egyet, S Legyen Szép" (Track 9) To call "The Best of Marta Sebestyen" haunting is no exaggeration.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars unratable Marta Sebastyen, May 21, 2003

By 

Mark F. Braun (Norridge, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Best of (Audio CD)

Having heard Marta Sebastyen both on CD and live, she is an acquired form of hypnotic sounds: both of a world long gone and a culture that miraculously survives through some great, great musicians. Haunting and a wonderfully fresh experience for an American boy. Start here and if you are still curious, keep following; I did and don't regret it.