Customer Reviews

DEBUT ~ Nathan Gunn - "American Anthem" from Ragtime to Art Song / Kevin Murphy

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It seems as if vocal connoisseurs are always lamenting the imminent demise of the art of classical singing. On the basis of this disc such doomsaying is seriously misplaced. Nathan Gunn is a young American baritone who has created quite a stir in the past few years, much of it for the wrong reasons. Not that there is anything undesirable in an opera singer having handsome looks and a physique that reduced even the staid New York Times to babbling about underwear modeling. What has to be said is that Gunn has the musical goods in abundance as well. His voice, while not huge in live performance, is darkly beautiful in timbre and takes most happily to recording. He also has, on the evidence of his notes to this eclectic collection of American song, an intelligent and thoughtful musical mind.

The music on this disc traverses the gamut of things American, from familiar art songs, to crossover ballads, to folk song arrangements and patriotic lyrics. Familiar names from "serious" music such as Barber, Rorem, Copland and Ives rub shoulders with more popularly oriented composers such as Gorney, Scheer and Bolcom. Gunn sings it all with a seemingly endless flow of beautiful sound, sensitivity to words and changing moods, and above all, evident love of the music. He encompasses the biting humor of "Black Max (Bolcom)," the bluesy lament of "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime (Gorney)," the grandiosity of "General William Booth Enters into Heaven (Ives)" and the tenderness of "Sure on this Shining Night (Barber)" with equal ease. With such a refulgent top voice, it is understandable that one or two keys seem to have been chosen to display high notes rather than for ideal ease of expression and diction. Also, pianist Kevin Murphy, while accurate and sensitive, frequently seems less than fully engaged in the music making. This may be a fault of the somewhat distant recording ambiance which keeps the piano decidely in the background. Still, these are quibbles. Nathan Gunn, the American song, and most important, the art of singing all emerge as winners on this superb album.

Nathan Gunn has proven, in only a short time, that he is an artist to be reckoned with. He is arguably one of the most beautiful baritone voices to be heard in this century and his artistry is mature despite his young age. His voice has depth and beauty but soars lyrically with a proficiency often lacking in many baritones in his repertory (which is vast). His lieder work has the style and inflection hoped for in any concert work. Moreover, unlike many young lieder singers out there, he avoids the temptation to imitate Fischer-Dieskau stylistically and vocally. His opera work is dynamic and musical. With the looks of a young Sean Connery, he steps onto the stage and the eyes and ears couldn't be more pleased. His singing is lacking nothing. Bottom to top, he quite simply does it right. No messy technical terms and opera babble.... He just sings right. This, coupled with an innate musicality, makes for a musical experience that will set new standards for singers young and old. This CD gives people a chance to hear Mr. Gunn singing 20+ songs of a musical variety that impresses. It also gives a chance to hear him sing in his native tongue,(a particular treat with any singer) making it a CD which is enjoyable for even those people who feel unable to identify with classical vocal music. The music is lovely. The title song alone, written by very talented composer Gene Scheer, is likely to rekindle long-dormant feelings of nationalistic pride in any American. This will bring hours of listening pleasure.

I first listened to this recording at the recommendation of a voice teacher and I am eternally grateful. I strongly recommend this album. Nathan Gunn is an extremely talented singer. As a singer myself (also a baritone like Nathan Gunn) I find much in his voice to model.

Nathan Gunn has an extremely beautiful voice, superb technique and execution, and has a very natural sound. There is an old steriotype of opera as sounding forced or artificial, but Nathan Gunn does a great job of avoiding this. He does a great job of communicating the "story" of the song to the listener, and I frequently found myself taken to the world of the song. Listening to many of his songs are like opening a good book and Nathan Gunn takes you there.

Highly recommended.

Baritone Nathan Gunn is a marketing dream - a rich, commanding voice that melts effortlessly over the middle and upper registers of his range; classic matinee idol looks; and in his 1999 debut recital disc, a song repertoire that reflects a panorama of American folk songs. Some of the selections are familiar warhorses from a bygone era, but with the exception of a few clinkers, most are unknown gems, a mix of old and new, that deserve a new audience to hear them. Accompanied ably by pianist Kevin Murphy, Gunn shows a great measure of talent here, much as he did in a recent San Francisco Opera production of Benjamin Britten's "Billy Budd" where he performed the title role beautifully. He is obviously capable of covering many music styles, and this recording provides a proper introduction to his talent. What's more, at a basement-priced $6.98, this has to be one of the best bargains on the entire Amazon site.

The disc opens with a haunting rendition of "Shenandoah", which pours forth Gunn's romanticism over Lee Musiker's dramatic arrangement. The song choice is not surprising but the treatment is. Compare Gunn's performance to an equally amazing version by countertenor David Daniels on his 2003 disc, "A Quiet Thing", and you see how the diametrically opposite voice types can wrap themselves around the same song in completely different ways but to the same enthralling romantic effect. Gunn does similar vocal wonders on "I Wonder As I Wander", a considerably slowed down "At the River", an almost spiritual "Long Time Ago" (these two arranged by Aaron Copland) and even the Depression-era standard, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?". He fares less well with the somewhat discordant Ned Rorem selections that encourage him to turn up his volume a bit excessively, and with some of the novelty numbers ("Murray the Furrier", the 24-second "Slugging a Vampire"), which seem not so much comic relief as just intrusive. The standout tracks have to be the four Gene Scheer compositions included here - the comically fey "At Howard Hawks' House" (which sounds like something that would have been sung by Ginny Simms in the Hollywood Canteen); the swooning, Sondheim-esque "Holding Each Other"; the movingly patriotic "American Anthem" (which would get my vote to replace the "Star Spangled Banner"); and my personal favorite, the serenely beautiful "Lean Away". Gunn is on an obvious upward trajectory in the opera and recital worlds; this recording shows he could easily conquer Broadway if he wants to. I look forward to seeing what he will do next.

Nathan Gunn has chosen a collection of mostly obscure songs and has applied his remarkable baritone voice to music not usually in the operatic repetoire. What results is a CD of depth, some humor, and extraordinary listenability. It's nice to see one of my favorite opera stars branch out. Bravo!

I only recently discovered Mr. Gunn, but after hearing this recording, it makes me wonder why his name has eluded me for so long. Simply put, Nathan Gunn sings like a god! His voice is pure, and hypnotically beautiful to listen to. Turn on this CD and you will be wrapped in the most luxurious blanket of sound--his phrasing is impeccable, and his dynamics are wonderfully varied without being affected. His recording of Barber's "Nocturne" is haunting. "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" shows he isn't afraid of low notes, and the ending has some of the most spectacular high notes I've ever heard from a baritone. The Copland songs are also well done, as are the two John Jacob Niles selections. I wasn't familiar with Gene Scheer's songs prior to this CD, but they are all quite remarkable, though most especially "Lean Away" and "American Anthem." This is the best addition to my CD collection in a long time. I'm only saddened by the fact he doesn't have more recordings available. Mr. Gunn, I know you're busy with your opera schedule, but for those of us who can't make it to New York to see you in person, please record another CD!

Simply one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. Mr. Gunn's rich baritone is both pleasant and powerful with a deep, rich bottom yet he surprises with clear ringing top notes.

Though some of the CD selections aren't up to the quality of Mr. Gunn's gorgeous instrument, it's a thrilling debut CD. He excells with "Shenandoah", "Brother Can You Spare A Dime?", "The Lordly Hudson", "I Wonder As I Wander" and "At the River". He even throws in some unexpected humor. ("Slugging A Vampire")

I hope we will see more recordings from this incredible talent! I also hope that he'll make time in his growing schedule to revisit Boston...soon!

What a preview of excellent American music. A must for the young baritone. Nathan's voice is especially beautiful in the first piece "Shanandoah." The Scheer pieces are really interesting and fun. "American Anthem" and "Lean Away" are beautiful pieces and great recital closers.

This is unalloyed listening pleasure. Gunn's wonderful, virile baritone combined with Murphy's attention to articulation and beautiful, round singing tone make this chamber music of the highest order. Bravi!

I only recently bought this CD but it is already one of the treasures of my considerable collection. Mr. Gunn's voice is one of the most lovely and virile baritones around. This CD has a lot of new and old songs all of which I loved. I look forward to what comes next in this talented singer's recording career.