Customer Reviews

Beyond Imagination

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Mezzo Karen England and Soprano Rebecca Knight's debut, supported by perceptive and idiomatic accompaniment, is a solid and impressive recording. The instrumentalists play with great boldness and precision and present the classic works as vibrant music to be taken seriously, not just period pieces.

These compositions pose a range of challenges to the singers. England and Knight respond to the arrangements' disarming freshness and originality with a ready and penetrating intelligence. While they muster ample virtuosic agility of lyric warmth as required, it is their dramatic sense that is most compelling. Knight flings herself passionately into the emotional torrents of "Chanson Boheme," while she delivers her own lyrics in the charming "Ode II Joy" from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with a confident fervor. England sings with pure, attractive tone; her voice has maturity, depth and flexibility, and her diction is impeccable.

All of these songs are of interest in giving us another aspect of each composer's work. Many are achingly lovely -- Catalani's "Ebben?..." and the stirring Cohen/Lew arrangement of "Un bel di," are worth the price of this CD alone. This recital provides abundant evidence that opera (and its babes) has much to offer modern audiences. David R. Bannon, Ph.D.; author "Race Against Evil."

WOW!!! These Babes have produced one absolutely gorgeous album. There won't be superlatives enough to justify an adequate description. If you love opera and pop music you won't be disappointed!
The Opera Babes are Karen England (mezzo soprano) and Rebecca Knight (soprano). Together their voices produce one exquisite sound. They have taken several great classics and combined them with pop music for a sound you won't soon forget. Ms. Knight also provided the beautiful lyrics for 'There's a Place', based on Dvorak's 9th symphony, and 'Ode II Joy', based on you know who. I'm confident that both Dvorak and Beethoven would approve. I also must note that the arrangements are equally as gorgeous. THIS IS ONE AMAZING RECORDING!! And at the new artist debut price, this disc is a steal!

How can something this eloquently beautiful still be brimming over with pure fun? Please know that I am NOT a musician or schooled in music, but I do know what I like - and am absolutely ENCHANTED. 17 tracks - all LOVELY - include Vittoria from Aida, Stranger in Paradise, Ave Maria and Ode II Joy and the Flower Duet. Cheers to the Opera Babes and their angelic voices and their non-traditional take on this breaktaking music.

Not typically a fan of classical/crossover music (why listen to charlotte church when you can hear Renee Fleming?), I took a giant leap in buying this CD. I wasn't disappointed one bit! Opera Babes is a powerful CD that will add drama to any day. I especially appreciate the mezzo soprano voice - finally an opera CD I can sing along to! I always take it with me to vocal competitions; somehow this music instills peace and confidence. And although my voice instructor doesn't approve of the arrangements, even she must agree that the vocals have quality. Buy this CD and keep an open mind - you won't be disappointed!

For all the glorious music out there, this CD has really made an impression on me. These two gifted ladies are accomplished opera singers who have the talent and savy to appeal to the younger generation that might shy away from classic opera as we knew it 50 years (or longer) ago. The refreshing addition of upbeat background brings this genre of music right into the new Millenium. Silky renditions and lofty scales make for an unforgettable listening experience. I give this duo 5 stars and hope to hear more from them in the near future. Classic music will forever be listened to and new voices and renditions should keep it eternally fresh and immensely enjoyable.

I LOVE this CD!!!! I couldn't bring myself to take it out of the car so I could load it onto my iPod, even. I have now, though. Beautiful, angelic voices with an amazing choice of songs. I wish there were more...

Lately I have found myself wholly addicted to classical crossover, with a slew of talented artists to choose from: Izzy, Summer, Mario Frangoulis, Josh Groban, and Sarah Brightman, to name a few. I first heard of the Opera Babes when I was browsing at a record store and bought their CD because it contained some of my favourite arias: Un Bel Di from Madame Butterfly, the Flower Duet from Lakmé, and Ebben from La Wally, and although I had some initial reservations, I was not disappointed.

Classically trained soprano Rebecca Knight and mezzo soprano Karen England began their OperaBabes career by busking opera to passerby in Covent Garden in 2001. Discovered by the management of crossover phenom Russell Watson, the Babes soon found themselves singing at football finals and basking in stardom.

"Beyond Imagination" blends classical with world, dance, and new age, most times with excellent and imaginative results. I have to give the CD an A for effort and creativity. Instrumentals such as the Arabian Dance from the Nutcracker ballet and Largo from Dvorak's New World Symphony shine as duets, as does You Live On In My Heart's treatment of Morricone's Cinema Paradiso theme. One Fine Day is opened with a gorgeous Eastern-inspired blend of gong, bamboo flute, and wood blocks. "O Fortuna's" foreboding Latin lyrics and ominous choir seem strangely muted by comparison until the final third of the song, but erupts in a passionate finale. The Flower Duet is a soothing blend of new age: raindrop like percussion and flowing harp underscore the melody. Ode II Joy, taken from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, is a study in less is more: with utter simplicity (a simple string backing), the song is uplifting without being overpowering.

The bonus tracks did less for me: The Vibe Tribe remix of Lakmé H20 is too techno for my tastes and adds nothing over the album version. Ave Maria starts out pastorally but ends up overly melodramatic by the end (although still pleasant). Vittoria from Aida sounds like it came off "Generic Car Commercial Background Music Vol. 1" (which can be said of a few songs off Beyond Imagination).

Overall, Beyond Imagination is a pleasant listening experience, beautifully touching up old favourites with new arrangements, blending in new lyrics, and breathing instrumental classics to life. It's wonderfully relaxing and perfect for long car trips, reading or daydreaming. Fans of Sarah Brightman, Izzy and Charlotte Church should check out Opera Babes.

I'm being very generous in my rating. This debut by Opera Babes holds a lot of promise but there's far too much room for improvement. I got this used so I'm not beating myself upside the head but I am sadly disappointed in it. Because the price was so cheap I bought it on impulse, but I still had high hopes. I'm always jumping to buy crossover music because I admire opera and find beauty in all instruments, but I become easily bored by the more traditional classical pieces and am constantly hunting down albums which dare to defy the standards of this otherwise insipid genre. The limits are boundless when it comes to the imagination so I absolutely love the title.

I just wish they would live up to it more...

I fear I'm repeating myself here but I agree with a lot of the other reviewers and think there's way too much orchestration on this CD, which drowns out the lovely singing. I don't, however, agree with those who say there's too much electronic rhythms present. I am completely enamored by their angelic voices (them being soprano Rebecca Knight and mezzo soprano Karen England) but they haven't yet honed the power to seduce the listener with nothing but their natural singing gifts. Compared to a lot of techno inspired artists such as Opera Trance and Sasha Lazard, the modern beats are minimal and are only used to give them a hipper, edgier sound to direct themselves at many audiences.

For me the best tracks are the ones with subtle pop textures, such as "One Fine Day", where the babes soar the highest on their exhilerating World Cup theme for 2002, "There's A Place" from The New World Symphony, "Beyond Imagination" from A Midsummer Nights Dream, and the gorgeous ballad "Remember Me". But depending on your taste in music, opinions are bound to differ.

What I really enjoyed about this album was its distinctive sound and arrangement of the material. I enjoy classically performed opera and was surprised how much I like the Opera Babes' versions. Of course, the wonderful voices added immensely to the high quality of this product.

The first time I heard this CD it was being played over a store's music system. It was at the end of a nerve-wracking shopping expedition, and I was anxious to complete my errands and escape from the noise and the crowds. Suddenly I became aware of the beautiful melodies and harmonies I was hearing, and I could feel myself relaxing. It took me a few days to find out the name of the artists and the CD; then I had to wait for my order to arrive. It was worth it! Whenever life gets too ugly or stressful, I listen to this CD, breathe more deeply, and remember there is still beauty in the world.