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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com's Best of 2000
It's a truism by now that countertenors have made a notable comeback in our time, but David Daniels--Amazon.com's Opera & Vocal Artist of 2000--isn't about to rest on his laurels. As if his recent successes weren't enough to set him apart, on this recital album Daniels forays beyond the countertenor's stereotypical domain of the baroque to interpret lieder of Beethoven and Schubert, as well as French mélodies and Vaughan Williams. A stunningly beautiful disc. --Thomas May
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
BRILLIANT RECITAL!,
By
This review is from: David Daniels - Serenade (Audio CD)
What a brave and diverse group of pieces to appear on one recording. When you have heard 20 renditions of Dowlands "Lute Songs", no matter how beautiful, they simply get OLD. These pieces, ranging from old Italian (arie antique) through Romanticism and 20th century (albeit not my first choice of works) are ALL given a smooth and emotive performance. The only real fault I have with this disk at ALL is that the recording levels are a little inconsistent. This is barely an issue, but one that bothered me just a touch. Daniels moves full force into these pieces with NO reluctance to reach and stretch his voice throughout it's rich and magnificent range. While some may criticize his use of Vibrato and extreme variations in dynamics (which I particularly enjoy), this unique sound sets him apart from other well known counter-tenors. (like Brian Asawa, Deller and Otten) His technique and production are faultless throughout with only the VERY rare "odd' intonation or vowel. (as a composer and countertenor, I am must say that some of these pieces are NOT written to avoid these sounds <particularly the Vaghan Williams, but to a lesser extent, also the Gounod> and thus they are completely natural to both the countertenor voice and the artistic integrity of the piece.) Perhaps it is inherent in the production of the counter-tenor voice that Italian and German are more at home than English.My favorites so far: Nacht und Traume -- beautiful legato and sensitivity Pur dicesti -- such a fun song anyway.. Daniels sounds perfect here. Absence -- exquisite artistry on the chanson style La belle Jeunesse -- Vocal fireworks here.. I do not ever expect to hear this recorded by another counter-tenor, even the adventurous Me! All in all, this is a REQUIRED purchase for countertenor fans and singers, and a STRONG RECOMMEND for anyone who loves good classical art songs. Stephen Jackson thornblack@aol.com
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A glorious, not-to-be-missed recital,
By John Milner (Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: David Daniels - Serenade (Audio CD)
For lovers of a beautiful voice, used with consummate artistry, this wonderful recital is a must. I first heard David Daniels only recently and was immediately struck by the sheer beauty of the sound, his faultless technique and his innate musicianship. This adventurous programme takes the counter tenor into unusual repertoire and is a delight throughout. I particularly enjoyed the French melodies; maybe he will consider another disc devoted to some Massenet, Bizet and Faure as well as more Gounod and Poulenc? As a professional musician and an admirer of fine singing it has been a great joy to discover this gifted young artist. I hope he will provide us with many more disc of this calibre!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good collection of songs sung by someone who can sing,
By P H Wan (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews
This review is from: David Daniels - Serenade (Audio CD)
There have been a number of countertenors lurking around providing us with a very pleasant sort of sound in recent years. Nice and pleasant as these voices can be, one can't really compare them with Daniels. He shows us how he is in control, in different ranges of the voice, and in different repertoire. This disc consists of a very well chosen programme and Daniels demonstrates his ability to do everything, whether it's lirico-cantabile-pianissimo, or espressivo-con fuoco-fortissimo. I really hope that with this voice and excellent technique, Daniels can change people's conception of the countertenor as a voice: it's not simply a novelty or token voice part for Baroque only. If you like vocal music / opera and are sick of one of the following:1. Sopranos with no control over dynamics, with a squeeky voice, sing with synthesizers or digital remixed arias, and demonstrate no sense of phrasing; 2. Contraltos who vibrate their way through arias; 3. Tenors who are Pavarotti-wannabes; 4. Basses with no diction, grumble loudly and can't join two notes in a phrase. ...this disc gives us all some hope.
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