Diva: The Singles Collection [Import]

Sarah Brightman (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 3, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Angel Records
• ASIN: B000HKDECE
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,374 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Diva: The Singles Collection picks up where the Classics anthology (a collection of songs from Time To Say Goodbye, Eden and La Luna) left us in 2001: longing for more of Brightman's career-spanning hits including music from the Broadway musical that launched her international career ("Phantom of the Opera"), adult-pop hits ("Time To Say Goodbye", "Who Wants to Live Forever") and other adapted classical melodies ("Nella Fantasia", "Pie Jesu") that showcase her range from a pure sweet voice to a powerful operatic soprano.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Adoring the diva, October 10, 2006

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Diva: The Singles Collection (Audio CD)

Sarah Brightman has changed as much as her music has, going from Broadway singer to the ultimate Christine Daae, and then to an astounding pop diva.

That said, people who have her other albums really shouldn't bother with "Diva: The Singles Collection," because they will already have this music. However, this is an outstanding place for newcomers -- who may be overwhelmed by the quantity of Brightman's music -- to get acquainted with both her best pop tunes and her earlier work on Broadway.

It opens with two of her best musical numbers, both from her starmaking turn as Christine. First the dark, dramatic "Phantom of the Opera" ("In sleep he sang to me/in dreams he came...") and the sensual "Music of the Night," which has her sweet voice accompanied by an orchestral sweep of strings and gentle brass.

Then the tone switches to "Pie Jesu," a traditional hymn that is raised to almost ecstatic levels by Brightman's soaring voice, and then again to her gentle classical-pop tunes like the soaring "Who Wants to Live Forever?" the childlike "Tu Quieres Volver," and the bittersweet, fragile "What You Never Know." There are brief forays into her electronic pop past, and some traditional tunes and covers of oldie acid tributes.

But there are also some real lungbusters on this album as well, where Brightman shows that her voice is not just sweet, but powerful. She soars through the swelling strings of "Just Show Me How to Love You" and the wonder-filled "Deliver Me," before wrapping things up with (unsurprisingly) the Andrew Bocelli duet "Time to Say Goodbye."

What can be criticized about the songs? Nothing, really -- these songs are all about Brightman at her best. The main flaw with "Diva" is perhaps that it should have been a double album, since some of her best and most prominent songs are missing. Where's the title tracks of "La Luna or "Eden," for example? Or her cover of Dido's "Here With Me"?

That said, the songs are pretty much all strong. The more rockin' style of "Question of Honour" makes it stick out like a sore thumb, but the others are delicate spins of classical instrumentation and operatic pop tunes. Some of the songs are covers -- Puccini, Procol Harum, and folk songs among them -- but Brightman fits into them very well.

I guess that's the advantage of having a magnificent voice. Brightman can do the grandstanding vocals from "Phantom of the Opera" well enough, but she excels at the sweet vocals of pop songs, and the soaring arias. What's remarkable is that her voice sounds as good in the recent songs as it does in the older ones.

"Diva: The Singles Collection" is not for longtime fans. Instead, it's a solid instroduction to people who haven't heard Brightman before, but want to hear the "angel of music" for themselves.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're interested in Sarah--This is the one to get!, October 5, 2006

By 

ericmusicguy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Diva: The Singles Collection (Audio CD)

Whether you're a newcomer to Sarah or a bona-fide Saraholic, this is one compilation that really gives an excellent representation of the body of her work. Don't be fooled any of her ALW releases or the European Import of "The Best of 1990-2000": this album is the one to get if you're new to Sarah.

This collection covers the periods of her massive success in musical theatre with two selections from the global phenomenon "The Phantom of the Opera" as well as the stunning "Pie Jesu" piece. Selections from her breaththrouh album 'Time To Say Goodbye' are present, from her classical-crossover pioneering global hit in the title track to the two stirring covers offered in "Just Show Me How To Love You" and "Tu Quieres Volver". The more ambient, lush sound of 'Eden' is represented by the exquisite "Deliver Me", which, from Sarah's original adaptive genesis, has grown to be one of the most-performed pieces in the classical-crossover repertoire. Samples from 'La Luna' include the timeless, uplifting "A Whiter Shade of Pale," which is one of her most enduring classics, and lastly, her masterpiece 'Harem' is represented by "It's A Beautiful Day" (which is a crossover explosion, crossing a wonderful dance groove with the vocal from Puccini's "Un Bel Di" aria from his opera 'Madama Butterfy') and the moving "Free." Rounding the collection out is "A Question of Honour", one of her signature pieces and one of the first-ever successful crossover records, it crosses the "La Wally" aria with a dynamic, beat-driven mid-section, before returning again to Sarah's archaic operatic vocals.

The voice is clear as ever, the songs as pure as they were on release, and this collection is without a doubt the best offering available of a comprehensive look at the periods of Sarah's career. The tracklisting flows so smoothly it almost stands as an album itself, and in addition to stunning new artwork for the inlay, there are several collages that feauture beautiful photography, some of which has never been seen before.

While some may say this compilation leaves out masterpieces like "Harem" or "Captain Nemo" (or even her pioneer disco hit "I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper"), this pros outweigh the cons. This is a seamless, stirring, and satisfying collection of the best of Sarah Brightman, and is as enjoyable for the seasoned fan as for the interested newcomer.

Also available is the accompanying spectacular DVD, 'Sarah Brightman - Diva: The Video Collection.'

Satisfy your curiosity and pick up this collection from the "Angel of Music" to hear some of the best of a career that has crossed nearly three decades, torn down barriers, defied standards (and surpassed them), and taken music in general to new heights since 1978. This is Sarah Brightman, the original and only Voice of an Angel.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Diva Hath Spoken, October 3, 2006

By 

A. Bennett "Will 'vouge' For Food" (New Hampsha) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Diva: The Singles Collection (Audio CD)

Slipping quietly onto store shelves, "Diva:The Singles Collection" is a great companion piece to previous release "Classics". Sarah Brightman's talent has gone largely unignored by pop radio; however, her ethereal voice has gained her a huge following ( she sells out arenas...so somebody's gotta be listening!) worldwide. "The Singles Collection" is just that, a sort of "Greatest Hits/Best of/Most Loved" Brightman classics. Starting with "The Phantom of the Opera" and straight through till "Time To Say Goodbye", the songs here are a well appointed batch for those new to Sarah Brightman. Of course die-hards will always cry foul--some major "singles"--"Harem" and "Eden" come to mind but are missing off the track list. But never fear, the songs here are amazing.