Customer Reviews

Com Que Voz

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

 

 

Allthough everything she did was simply great and magical, "Com Que Voz" is Amália's best record, rated by critics and public alike as one of the best, if not the best of Portuguese albums of all time. And the reasons are also apparently simple, but unique: the musical arrangements and melodies, the words of the songs, and Amália's unique and unforgettable voice. She chose to sing poems by some of the greatest Portuguese-speaking poets of all time, like David Mourão-Ferreira, Alexandre O'Neil, Ary dos Santos, Manuel Alegre, and the brazilian Cecília Meireles. The music was composed by Amália's "private" composer, who chose only to write music for her voice, Alain Oulman, of French-Portuguese origin, whose melodies allowed for a greater extension and colloratura, adequate to all Amália could give and waiting for her total delivery. From the deep-felt sad poetry of songs like "Naufrágio", "Cuidei que Tinha Morrido", to the lighter and happier tunes of "Maria Lisboa", "Havemos de Ir a Viana", inspired in portuguese folklore, to the bossa-nova inspired "Formiguinha Bossa Nova", and finally to the soulfullness of the great love songs like the ever flying "Gaivota" (Seagull), and "Meu Amor, Meu Amor" (My Love, My Love"), Amália's voice runs the gamut of all emotions, from a light-hearted jolly mood to an austere deeply-felt sincerity, awesomely but beautifully conveyed by her powerful, strong voice and its beautiful colloratura. Listening to Amália is listening to a new world unraveling in one's heart. Simply the best!

I was sitting in an independent movie theater in New York City, waiting for my movie to begin, when I first heard this CD. It moved me so much that I was compelled to ask the theater manager for the name of the singer--it was then that I was introduced to Amalia Rodriguez and the whole Fado movement, of which I knew nothing. I bought the CD about three weeks before the attacks on the World Trade Center, and since then, Amalia's voice has become a pool of comfort that I have plunged myself into over and over again. There is something so passionate and strong, and yet so very vulnerable, about her singing that I believe it would stir even the most stagnant among us. You will not regret owning this music.

This is It: the penultimate Amalia recording and, apart from (& thanks to!) Amazon.com; one of the most difficult to locate elsewhere. Perhaps it is because it is the one perfect cd. From the opening joy of Naufragio & on to the piece de resistance Com Que Voz thru the jazzy Formiga Bossa Nossa & the heart-opening Meu Amor, Meu Amor (anything more lovely?), this is a perfect full concept, pristine-quality recording with Amalia in Top Form. After this treasure, try Amalia rodrigues 7 926712, a hauntingly beautiful cd opening with Asas Fechadas (& a rare piano joining guitarra & viola). As wonderful and abundant (thanks to EMI reissues in 2000 & 2001) as these recordings are, Com Que Voz is the crown jewel!

This is the best album of Amália Rodrigues! Even Amália herself says so. It's considered by critic's as the "Sr. Pepper" of Amália's recording collection. Recorder in 1970, this album includes some of Amália's best performances. The music is by Alain Oulman, Amália's exclusive composer since 1962 and the guitarists are Fontes Rocha and Pedro Leal, two of the best. For anyone seriously into fado music or Amália Rodrigues music - this album is the top. An essencial masterpicee. (note: it's a concept album! Try to listen to it all at once without interuptions. You'll see how great it is...)

Undoubtadley, all Amalia records are great, but if one wants to listen to her at her best, this is the one CD you'll have to buy. Recorded at the top of her form, in 1969, everything is perfect about this recording: the arrangements, the words, the voice. For it Amália chose to sing some of the best words ever written by portuguese-speaking poets, like David Mourão-Ferreira, Ary dos Santos, Manuel Alegre, and brazilian authors like Cecilia Meireles. The title song, "What With a Voice" in a rough translation, was written presumably by Portugal's national symbol, Camões. The music was composed by Alain Oulman, Amália's renowned composer, who wrotte the kind of suggestive melodies her voice needed, with a larger extension and depth. And then, to crown all this, her voice, with conveys the feelings of those beautiful words, even when you don't speak Portuguese. From the beautiful tones of "Naufrágio" to the happier "Maria Lisboa", going through the forlon tones of "Trova do Vento Que Passa", "Com Que Voz", and the passionate delivery of "Meu Amor, Meu Amor" and the ever-flying love poem "Gaivota"(Seagull), Amália unravels to the listener all the wonders, the mistery and beauty of the best voice in the world.

Maybe this is the best record of Amalia. It is dedicated to portuguese e brazilian poets and the result is UNIQUE. Her voice is just perfect for this repertoire, and as far as I remember, the vinyl won le grand prix du disque in France, After this she made another one, Cantigas D'Amigos, almost the same sort of proposal, very good but not available yet.

Yes, unfortunatly some of us will not be able to fell this masterpiece 100%.
That is because in FADO the poetry is so important as the music and the voice.
And "Com que Voz" was witten by one of the greatest portuguese poets (Luis Vaz de Camoes) who lived 500 years ago, and yet his message is so actual, deep... so strong and so fragile... It's a must to learn portuguese in order to understand that!!
Thanks to Camoes for the poetry, Amalia for the voice and Alan for the music... this is a masterpiece.

Considering the cost, $89.00, I expected a very complete collection. Instead, I received what looked like a home made CD, with 12 songs. The CD was unwrapped, and the case was scratched up, looked used. I called Amazon, was instructed to contact the vendor. I contacted the vendor and was told to return the CD for credit. I did, and my account was credited within a few days. That was the good part!