Customer Reviews

Christmas in Vienna

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

 

 

On the soundtrack to a PBS TV Special that coincided with the Christmas Season of 1992, this set reached the the Top 10 that Christmas in several European countries. La Ross, ever able to meld her voice around difficult arrangements and changing styles,once again holds her own with two opera stars.

The novel "Upside Down" seemed challenging enough; Ross was able to hit the notes, while all the while adjusting the speed of her soft and airy voice to adjust to the tempo of the track. Even Ross' critics who contend her voice is too light and airy, or that she is one to emphasize style over substance in her pop work would have to concede that neither is sacrificed for the other here. Both elements are at play in a presentation full of grace and finnesse-which is what such a degree of a great performance would require.

Here, she shines on solos "Amazing Grace" and "Ave Maria". "Ave Maria" is notoriously difficult to deliver-especially in a dead language. Ostensibly, "Ave Maria" is in Latin. Thrown in for good measure is her then-current British chart entry-that is, "If We Hold On Together" from "The Land Before Time", a huge hit in Japan years earlier that contains all the majestic power of an opera.

Speaking of scaling majestic heights, the cut spent two years in the top-twenty in Japan and subsequently was certified quadruple-platinum and was at the time of its pinnacle the best-selling single by a foreign artist in Japan.

In celebration of her 30th Anniversary in the music industry, Ross released several special projects including a 20th Anniversary Salute to her iconic, "Lady Sings the Blues", in a pay-per-view and CD special entitled: "Stolen Moments: The Lady Sings Jazz and Blues",a boxed set "Forever, Diana" (and a single disc, the #1 International smash, "One Woman"), and two holiday albums, one solo, "A Very Special Season" released internationally only and this, "Christmas in Vienna" which was a PBS special in 1992 and then commercially released as a CD/DVD in 1993.

After the stunning pay-per-view concert, "Stolen Moments", Diana's fan base had to be more than complete. It was a live taping at the old Ritz in New York in December of 1992 and then much to their surprise, the PBS special, "Christmas in Vienna" w/The Two Tenors, Carreras and Domingo. The project was a global smash hitting the summit across Europe and the states. There was even a near Top 10 European single version of "If We Hold on Together" extracted from the concert.

While her fan base, anticipated how Diana would blend with two renowned classical singers, they need not have been concerned because it proved a formidable team that ended up touring Asia and Europe. It culminated in 3 different television specials, "Christmas in Vienna" shown globally. And "Super Concert" with a Budapest television special and different songs and a Japanese television special.

The album sold over a million copies internationally and added great lustre to Ross' wonderful legacy.

Musically, the songs were mostly traditional holiday fare with the exception being a thrilling version of Ross singing "Amazing Grace" and the aforementioned "If We Hold on Together".

It remains an annual airing and return to the classical/holiday charts as a catalog title.

Domingo and Carreras are truly fantastic. Diana Ross was not up to her usual performance as her voice was too weak and shaky. Domingo and Carreras just totally dominated the music to the point that one hardly knows Diana Ross is singing.

You may think that this a weird match up. However this cd is perfect. Everyone sounds great! The Actual Video is a must. It will put you in the holiday mood anytime of the year.

Christmas is coming and I ordered a few new holiday CDs. So far this one really stands out and glad I ordered it.

What a lovely album. Listen to Diana Ross's version of Amazing Grace! Play it loud!

Firstly, while this is an AVP, this is a review of track 13, IWHT. I am generaly not a fan of Diana Ross, but this song moved me the first time I heard it. Mrs. Ross was able to sing IWHT with such a vocal that it becomes almost haunting. I would put the song in the same catagory as Leon Cohen's Halijua. Those two songs are sung in such a way as to envoke goosebumps.