Customer Reviews

Classic Kathleen Battle: A Portrait

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

 

 

This album, despite the misleading title, is not at all representative of Kathleen Battle. Allow me to clarify: it is representative of her voice (as it is culled from a number of, mostly, studio releases) but not of her performance personality. Yes, Spanish folk songs and spirituals figured prominently in her recital literature but Sony has turned a blind eye on what many of us remember her for: the roles she assumed in the theater. She created unforgettable 'portraits' of Susanna, Zerbinetta, Sophie, Zdenka, Blondchen, several -inas (Pamina, Rosina, Zerlina, Adina) and other miscellany (Semele, the 'Celestial Voice', Oscar, etc.) that is not even hinted at on this release. Therein lies my problem. We all know that her voice is a wonderfully used sunlit instrument but this album, since it is so limited in scope, does not even begin to demonstrate how imaginatively she used her voice in the service of operatic composers. I am thinking particularly of her dazzling way with Baroque and bel canto embellishments: always tastefully deployed and proof of a great artist making these arias new again and very much her own. However, her voice is so beautiful in what they have selected that I've only detracted a single star from the overall rating. In truth, words cannot even begin to do justice to a voice that has to be roundly considered one of the most beautiful of the recorded era. Her immaculately wrought silvery tone does not seem out of place in any repertoire, even the one 'popular' tune ("Prelude to a Kiss") is delivered winningly. (To give you an idea of the song's nature, the Ellington standard is associated with vocal greats like Sarah Vaughan.) I was surprised to discover that this number was not overly inflected or fussy (a common complaint lobbed at opera singers who try to sing in the popular style) but I should not have been since her one legitimate crossover album (So Many Stars) was so wonderfully done. Also of note is her new recording of "O Mio Babbino Caro." Ms. Battle's voice has retained a freshness and security throughout but particularly in her upper range that is surprsing for an artist that has been on the world's stages for 30+ years (she had her professional debut with conductor Thomas Schippers in 1972). In fact, these two songs are worth the price of the disc, the other superb tracks notwithstanding. If you are wondering whether you should buy this album, my answer is a resounding yes!

I must comment on the preceeding review which has nothing to do with the calibur of this CD nor of the artist. And just a touch on that whole Brevard "incident", there were two performances one of which came off without a fault...but I too digress. This CD is a plethera of what endures Kathleen Battle to us all...her diversity. It is true that none of her signature operatic roles appear in this mini compilation but what is given more than accomodates. In 18 selections she covers Spirituals, Oratorio, Jazz, Afro-Cuban/Brazilian influenced melodies, cantata's and a symphony all with miraculous ease. It is also true that this is in many ways a best of...and chances are you'll already have most of these pieces, but Classic Kathleen Battle is Worth Buying simply for the four new selections and accompanying art of the set. The pictorial art included in this CD is worthy of gallery display! A standing testament of her vocal beauty and artist superlatives...this is a CD that you don't want to pass up!

CLASSIC KATHLEEN BATTLE: A PORTRAIT is limited in its perspective in the sense that this is a compilation of only SONY Classical recordings from their catalog. There are no Deutsche Grammophon or Angel/EMI performances represented here. A "portrait" of Miss Battle would have rightly included some of these wonderful and musical interpretations of Mozart, Schubert, Villa-Lobos, Gounod, and Bach among others. Of course paying the license fees from the other 2 labels wouldn't be cost-efficient from a record company's standpoint. How wonderful this would've been if they'd all cooperated on a box set of her recordings, which would show Miss Battle's superlative musicality in not only Italian and French, but also her great wit and charm in the English language (her Purcell and Dowland are not to be missed!)

In any case there are several magical performances to be found here:

Puccini's "O Mio Babbino Caro" w/piano; Dormi, Jesu; Cancion de Cuna, Fix Me Jesus, Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss"; Angels Watching Over Me; and the enchanting song (the German title is too long for me to remember--it's from the Das Knaben Wunderhorn cycle) from Mahler's 4th Symphony.

For any Kathleen Battle fan, this is a nice selection of her works, but only a 2-dimensional portrait at best. Certainly not Miss Battle's fault, as she graces the listener with no less than FOUR new recordings on this album.

Once again her silvery tones and superb musicality are a wonderful gift to us!

Thank you, and Bravo many times over....

I first heard Kathy Battle sing in 1978, a concert with James Levine at the piano, and from that day to this have adored her voice just as I have decried her prima donna antics. Yet of all the singers I have heard in those 24 years, she has never once let me down, never once failed to give a performance that was radiant both in voice production and the aura of "connection" that she establishes with all the music she sings. In short, she is one of those rare artists I can listen to all day, perhaps all week long.

This album is mostly culled from earlier CBS/Sony releases, but except for the three cuts from the "Baroque Duet" album with Wynton Marsalis I did not have any of this material in my collection, so I guess I am one of those who found this a valuable addition to my library. (Most of my other Battle CDs are on EMI, DG or Decca/London.) This now has pride of place alongside "Baroque Duet," the DG "Bel Canto" album and her gorgeous performances of "L'Elisir d'Amore" and Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream music...what I consider to be the finest Battle albums ever.

I am new to the wonder of Kathleen Battle. As someone who appreciates the arts, I have been aware of her for many years, but I had never heard her sing.

That is, until I caught the end credits of The House of Flying Daggers on cable. Such purity and beauty! I was hooked. I bought Flying Daggers and played her selection again and again. I became a true fan

I recently saw her perform in San Diego. The hype was warranted. Her encore of O Mio Babino Caro could be the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.

I bought this CD because it included that song. Now I am happy to own such a wonderful piece of music as well as the other eclectic works included on this CD. The broad sweep of it opened up other musical horizons for me.

I love it and plan to acquire more works by Ms Battle. Such art.

An excellent compilation of some of Miss Battle's greatest work. Of course, it would have been great if more of her operatic literature was included, but to have the opportunity to hear anything from Miss Battle is heaven.

Fabulous and unusual, this sensational singer provides a beautiful listening experience.
Sometimes when opera stars record songs other than opera it doesn't quite gel, but this collection of songs is quite wonderful.
5/5. Recommended.

Kathleen Battle is admirable, with her many recordings and her many performances across the country. But, I cannot say that I adore her voice. Yes, she may be a soprano, but her voice is not top of my list. Her technique is flawed, and her voice lacks any depth or richness. When I listen to her voice, it sounds so empty. Singers like Sumi Jo (my favorite of all) or Renee Fleming are a much better choice when it comes to rich tone and beautiful technique.

I have followed Ms. Battle's career for a number of years and have always loved the clarity and purity of her voice--no doubt she is a tremendous talent. Several years ago I saw her give a stunning concert at UNC-Chapel Hill and was blown away at the thrill of finally experiencing her voice live. I always thought it unfortunate that so many negative stories about her flourished and subsequently found myself coming to her defense in conversation with others. Last summer I had tickets to see her sing at Brevard Music Center in the mountains of North Carolina. Several nights prior to this performance, my 20-year-old nephew was killed in a car accident. I decided to go ahead with my plans and attend the concert, thinking it would be a sort of balm for my soul after living through this terrible experience of losing someone I loved. Immediately after my nephew's funeral I left my family behind and drove the five hours to the concert venue. Needless to say I had incredibly high hopes for this concert and its potential to help heal my wounds. Long story short, Ms. Battle behaved in the most unprofessional manner I have ever witnessed and refused to perform the program as planned. What little she did offer to the audience was mediocre at best. A packed house of patrons was left stunned and dismayed at what they'd just witnessed. So, Ms. Battle, you proved to me in a very personal way that all the stories are true and you have serious issues. I will not be buying your recordings in the future and I currently have about 20 that are now worthless to me.