Customer Reviews

Conspirare: Through the Green Fuse [HYBRID SACD]

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

 

 

It's heartening for this Minnesotan to discover a choral group continuing on the tradition of impeccable quality that my state's own now-defunct Dale Warland Singers brought to ears for many years.

I had never heard of Conspirare, but will be looking out for more work from them! I enjoyed most every track and think anyone who enjoys sensitive, yet powerful choral singing will want to check this out.

I acquired this cd a couple of weeks ago and have not been able to take it out of my cd player since. This is a quality recording of a wide variety of choral literature, all of which Conspirare performs marvelously. A truly wonderful arrangement by Conspirare's own conductor, Craig Hella Johnson, "Hard Times" is actually one of my favorite tracks on the entire cd, the gorgeous soprano solo and the powerful climax never fail to give me chills. Also noteworthy is the stunning performance of the increasingly popular Ticheli piece, "There Will Be Rest." Almost all of the literature on this disc is very good, and it is all breathtakingly sung by Conspirare.

The only track I didn't like was the unbearably tacky arrangement of "Deep River." This is no fault of the choir as it is sung beautifully, but the singing just can't conquer the tackiness of the arrangement. I had already begun to develop a negative opinion of it as I listened, and then out of nowhere, this ridiculous wailing saxophone entered(a la Kenny G) and I was not braced for the impact. "This is really lame" is all I could think of as the sap oozed out in all its glory. He also has another go at it towards the end as well, just to warn you. This is just way too much to handle! Whenever you want ultimate cheese, adding a saxophone solo of this style is quite a simple solution. Needless to say, I skip this track every single time I come to it. However, this is only my humble opinion, and you should listen to it and pass your own judgment... perhaps this track is your perfect cup of tea!

Aside from this one track, I am absolutely in LOVE with what Conspirare has done here. If you can muster the funds, go ahead and treat yourself to a captivating gem of choral music. Highly recommended!

Finally! An American choir that can rival the greats from Britain. This CD is amazing. Not only is the artistry and singing topnotch, the production values are impeccable. Plus, it's not the standard choral repertoire we've all grown bored with. I strongly recommend this CD to anyone who loves fine singing. I hope this is just one of many CDs to come.

Highlights are Ticheli's "There Will Be Rest" and Whitacre's "Sleep" - certainly the best recordings of these 2 exquisitely beautiful pieces currently available and they alone made the purchase worth it. Single lowlight is the arrangement of Foster's "Hard Times..." which is lovely but ultimately detracts from the song's stark lyrical power. Although breaths are often (somewhat jarringly) audible, technique is otherwise very fine, the artistry is excellent and the technical production is first rate.

While I am probably somewhat biased since I know members of the group, I definitely believe that this is as good a choral album as you will find anywhere. Production and artistry are stunning. If you enjoy contemporary a cappella performance, I would definitely recommend adding this disk to your collection.

After writing two letters inquiring as to when I could expect to receive the CD, and receiving only one answer, I was notified by Amazon that this seller was no longer selling through Amazon. One star is even too much for the extremely disappointing response.