Customer Reviews

Encore

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am not surprised that the cd is like this. The material is indeed recycled, and me, not believing until I actually have the cd, had to fulfil my curiosity.

I don't mind having Encore, for its new material, but it kind of hurts the wallet when you learn that the songs you paid lots for are already on another 2 cds you already own. The album would have worked out a lot better if there was a new version of La Wally, where Sarah doesn't get drowned out in the end. It's too bad, that was a lovely song to perform on her cd Time to Say Goodbye.

Whistle down the wind is indeed a beautiful song, but it sort of ties the knot between old and new material. I mean, all the songs are older, less known and less in demand. I wish that there were lots of photos and some collaboration with Frank Peterson on Encore. The cd does seem cold, lost and wishing for something really new and enticing.

The cover is pretty nice, though. I love gothic costume, and I think the net veil over Sarah's head suits an album like this, or a Classical cd. This photo should have been reworked and used for a future Brightman cd cover. I am not sorry for buying Encore, because to update my Sarah Brightman collection is fine.
The album is definitely for the diehard Brightman cd collector.

One terribly bad thing...I absolutely dislike Chi Il bel sogno Di Doretta. This song is so old-fashioned, done by Sarah. This was done when Sarah was less experienced in her Bel-Canto style.

So, I spoke my word. You decided now, whether or not you want the cd.
Hope my review has helped you.

Sadly, as with much of Sarah Brightman's recent record releases, this album is not much more than recycled material from her sucessful European album Surrender: The Unexpected Songs. If you like the variation on the Andrew Lloyd Webber songs (Songs from Cats and Sunset Boulevard in Italian etc), or really want a more substantial version of this album, I would highly suggest a copy of the Surrender import, as you will find it much more musically satisfying. Like La Luna (recycled material from her '95 Import Fly) Classics (stuff from many other albums) or The Andrew Lloyd Webber Album (recycled material from another import), this is nothing new. I guess the next step is for As I Came of Age to be resold as "The Early Years" and Dive to be resold as "Aqua". At this rate, maybe Sarah won't have to ever record a new album again!

I have to agree with the above review. As an early fan of Sarah Brightman, I have almost every one of these songs already on previous CD's; the same recordings and everything. While she truly has a beautiful voice, I just don't think it's very fair to her earlier fans when they want something new and fresh to listen to. Everything on this CD is recycled; I could have made it at home on my own computer! There are no new tracks and nothing very enticing about this CD to make me buy it. If Sarah decides to start recording some new songs instead of continuously marketing her old stuff, I might, just might, buy it then. But only until then.

Encore is a whole lot more than a combination of Surrender and The Songs That Got Away and what may some people may consider a collector's piece. As I sit here writing this review, I'm listening to my copy of the disc. The 2001 set is specifically assembled for Sarah B fans, of course, but it's also an introductory piece into those two albums, as well as into the lesser known world of Sarah's ex-hubby, ALW. Prior to the album's ORIGINAL release (in 2001) there was to be four previously unreleased tracks: "Whistle Down the Wind," "The Angel of Music" (that song isn't previously unreleased, but already on Phantom of the Opera OLC), "English Girls" (which I have here on Anything But Lonely CD single), and "Take My Life" (which is from As I Came of Age). The first made it to this collection but the last three were replaced by "One More Walk Around the Garden," "What More Do I Need," and "In the Mandarin's Orchid Garden." So there are even more lesser known songs than there were to be at first, and ones that do indeed showcase the Angel of Music's vocals at some of their best.

All in all, Encore is worthy of being added into Sarah's catalogue and therefore a nice companion to her own 1997/99 ALW Collection.

Here it is:

1. Whistle Down The Wind (previously unreleased)

2. Surrender (from "Sunset Boulevard") 3. Angel of Music (from "The Phantom of the Opera")

4. Piano (Italian version of Memory) (appears on Surrender)

5. If I Ever Fall In Love Again (from "The Crooked Mile") (appears on Songs That Got Away)

6. Nothing Like You've Ever Known (from "Song & Dance") (also appears on Surrender)

7. There Is More To Love (from "Aspects of Love") (also appears on Surrender)

8. Away From You (from "Rex") (also appears on STGA)

9. Half A Moment (from "By Jeeves") (also appears on STGA)

10. Guardami (from "Sunset Boulevard") (Italian version of With One Look) (also appears on Surrender)

11. What More Do I Need? (from "Saturday Night") (probably one of those songs that never appeared anywhere)

12. English Girls (from "Aspects of Love") (previously unreleased)

13. Take My Life (appears on As I Came of Age)

I suspect that due to the b-sides this album is already out of print, but you may find it somewhere.

A second helping of Sarah Brightman's theatrical songs, like The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection. Sure, why not?

Encore hosts selections from Surrender-Unexpected Songs and The Songs That Got Away. What prevents this from being just another odds and sods collection are inclusions of previously unreleased songs done in sessions from both albums.

"Whistle Down The Wind," performed in Sarah's first concert video with Andrew Lloyd Webber on piano, is finally available here. It's the album opener and an ideal way to introduce the album.

"Think Of Me" from Phantom is included here so one doesn't have to buy the original cast recording. It's a wonderful piece that's better here than on The ALW Collection.

"Guardami" and "Piano" are done in Sarah's opera voice, with the majestic orchestra helping out. "Piano," which is Cats' "Memory" sung in Italian, demonstrates how fluid Italian is, and why it is her preferred language of choice in singing. Yes, hearing "Memory" sung in English AND in her opera voice just doesn't match. Now, Italian and opera voice, that's gold to the ears!

Other standout tracks include "There Is More To Love," "If I Ever Fall In Love Again," "Nothing Like You've Ever Known," and "Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta," but the way she wraps her voice around the songs alone makes them worth listening to.

Listening to Encore may merit a reappraisal of The Songs That Got Away, which I dismissed after being spoiled on Time To Say Goodbye and The ALW Collection. So, would anyone who already has Surrender-Unexpected Songs and The Songs That Got Away may be satisfied with those two albums without getting this? Or put it in reverse, would anyone who bought Encore want to get the other two albums? Best yet, one should ask oneself this question, which is the title of one of the songs: What More Do I Need?

"Encore" contains 15 tracks sung by Sarah Brightman. She brings to these selections a voice of amazing sweetness, warmth, and tenderness. The songs represent the work of a number of composers and lyricists: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Richard Rodgers, Stephen Sondheim, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Alan Ayckbourn, and more. The songs are taken from such sources as "The Phantom of the Opera," "Aspects of Love," etc. The liner notes state that the selections include both tracks from other albums and previously unreleased selections.

Most of the disc is in English. Particularly interesting are Italian language versions of "With One Look" ("Guardami" in Italian) from the musical "Sunset Boulevard," and of "Memory" ("Piano") from "Cats."

Brightman offers wonderful interpretations of all these songs. Her voice is truly angelic--but also conveys a very human groundedness. Her rendition of "There Is More to Love" (from "Aspects of Love") is particularly rich in passion and a sweet sadness. Overall, this is a classy and beautiful CD that effectively showcases a remarkable performer.

Sarah Brightman sings beautifully. That's not even up for debate. Her choice of material is generally interesting as well. She runs through a wide variety of genre and regularly comes up with excellent pieces from each of them.

`Encore' is a compilation of material recorded between the late 1980's and 2001. It features strong renditions of `Away from You' by Rodgers and Harnick and `In the Mandarin's Garden' by George and Ira Gershwin. The orchestration on `If I ever Fall in Love Again' is a bit overblown but she sings the piece with sincerity, and very well. Her cover of Lane and Lerner's `One More Walk Around the Garden' is a thing of beauty. The same can be said for her handling of Sondheim's `What More Do I Need'. The weakest moment in the set comes during Puccini's `Chi Il Bel Di Doretta'. She sings it well but her voice doesn't quite have the pure power needed for the piece and there are moments where the strain shows.

Sarah Brightman really shines when she sings music written by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Her voice takes on an extra richness. He wrote the music for nine of the fifteen cuts on this release and can be identified as the composer of each one just by the tone her voice takes on when she begins singing any one of them. It's softer, richer, more expressive- it's as if there's an extra facet in her voice and spirit just for his compositions. He produced this collection but I don't believe that was a factor. The same thing struck me when she performed the material from the Phantom of the Opera that appeared on her La Luna concert DVD. `Think of Me' as performed by her was the song that attracted me to her voice even when I was less than sure of the scope of her talent. The recording here is the recording from `Phantom' and it's still stunning. `Piano' is hauntingly beautiful. `The Last Man in My Life' is given a ravishing performance. `Half a Moment' is devastating. The list goes on. There's not a weak cut from among his material. Webber's songs stay with the listener. Their melodic are lush and rich and have enough scope and variety to remain interesting over a long period of time. His orchestration is sumptuous, elaborately textured and a little sweet in the way that touches the listener as a caress. When she sings them they become all they can be. This isn't his music or hers. It's their music.

This is an excellent collection because of the way it showcases this. The material here has been (unkindly) labelled as `ear worms'. To an extent the term is accurate. Show tunes do lean toward catchy and easily accessible melodic lines. Their lyrics are often shallow. What's presented on this collection has more than its share of all of these faults. It's impossible to be cynical about it though. These songs, particularly the numbers penned by Lloyd-Webber, are strong on their own. When they're performed this well, and with this amount of affection, they're captivating. The quality of the sound on the release compliments the material beautifully. It's rich, lush and always crystal clear. Sarah Brightman herself is always a pleasure to listen to. Her voice it has a sparkling quality that's radiantly beautiful. The material on this collection shows that beauty to its fullest.

Listen to her singing these songs and let them wash over you. It's the perfect antidote for cynicism.

When I bought this Cd, I knew that I already had much of the music already, but there were a few new songs. I just had to get it for that reason. And I had to get it so that I had more than one recording of Sarah's finest songs. I absolutely love her and feel she was and is the ultimate Christine in "Phantom." I know I would be in a minority. I think she is past that part of her life and could not play the part again, but how I wish I had seen her. I could only imagine. If you have never heard Sarah sing before, this is a perfect CD to introduce her voice. The fact that she can sing so many different styles always amazes me. I suppose I appreciate that since I am a singer myself. I recommend this Cd to anyone.

The title of the CD is perfect. Sarah has a beautiful and flawless voice and her singing just pulls you in. If you like Sarah Brightman, this is a wonderful CD to add to your collection. I have only started to collect her CDs from concerts she has done and I love every single one of them! BUY THIS!! You won't regret it!!!