Customer Reviews

A Gala Christmas in Vienna

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Hi there

I read the rates here an I would like to explain something for all those who don't seem to know.

As I can see the album is beeing sold here as 'A Gala Christmas in Vienna'. But the original title of the CD is 'Christmas in Vienna V'. In Europe, Christmas in Vienna is a well known christmas concert which has been performed and shown on TV here 7 times since 1992, with Plácido Domingo as host and some guest stars every time, such as Diana Ross, Patricia Kaas, Dionne Warwick, José Carreras, Michael Bolton, Vanessa Williams and so on, and it is a cult for every christmas fan.

So by now there are seven albums, and this one here was the fifth, and in my opinion, by now the best volume.

Anyway, any wishes of having just Sarah and Placido on the CD or to have a double CD with studio versions and so an are completly irrelevant. It could not have been made in any other way since it is a live recording of the concert.

All in all, I love especially this edition of the series, and I really recommend this album.

Have a wonderful christmas time!

I read all the other reviews and just had to add my thoughts. This is still my favorite Christmas album after listening to it for 5 seasons now. I can hardly wait for next Christmas so I can enjoy it all over. Sarah Brightman is wonderful of course - wish I could find a separate recording of - First Of May - , wow! If you like good Christmas music and the spirit of Christmas you will enjoy this album.

FOUR FOR THE PRICE OF ONE; BUT WHO NEEDS IT!?

Herein we have four skilled vocalists who by themselves are most enjoyable, especially Brightman and Domingo. But together singing songs that are wildly different as are their voices is just painful.

Of course, we all know the reason: the commercial money-making powers that be are interested only in doing just that. And their logic we know is that four will sell better than one. NOT ALWAYS TRUE!!!!In fact, there are no two voices on this disc that blend well and somehow the Christmas Medley mixing 'Child in a Manger' with 'Santa Claus is coming to Town' I find downright offensive.

Buy it if you must,but I am certain that each of these singers have individual discs that are much more flattering to their voices.

Beautiful concert, with a lot of Spirit, Sarah Brightman voice is wonderful, this 4 singers give soul to the concert, is great for christmas time, I love this CD & also the DVD amazing..

I was somewhat disappointed in this album for a variety of reasons. Helmut Lotti's vocal talents are not on a par with Placido Domingo's or Sarah Brightman's but the arrangements were able to somewhat ameliorate the disparity. Not so with Cocciante. I think his voice is inconsistent with the setting, material and arrangements of this particular album and therefore disappointing. (I know, Sting did sing with Pavaroti, but I, myself, didn't like it.) As regards Placido Domingo, it's true that his voice is a gift from God; but I was taken aback by his redition of "Deck the Halls." I thought it sounded stilted, almost like Pavaroti's "Granada" on the latest "Three Tenor's" album; probably a result of the cultural disparity and Domingo's operatic style. The album's arrangements were generally very good, but the further they strayed away from a Baroque feel, the less I liked them. (The strings occasionally reminded me of a sound track to a big budget Hollywood film.) On a positive note, the chorus was wonderful, the arrangements were sumptuous and Sarah Brightman is on the album. This album gives one a chance to appreciate both the power and the ineffable sweetness of her extraordinary voice.

Like many of the other reviewers, I was attracted to this album because it featured Sarah Brightman, whose angelic voice is truly a gift from God. She and Placido Domingo perform well above par, particularly on "Silent Night", "First of May" and "Away in a Manger". Perhaps the concert would have been even better if it had featured these two alone. Helmut Lotti's voice is beautiful when he actually SINGS, as he does in the wonderful, multi-lungual "Adeste Fideles". However, when he reverts into a bizarre, sour twang ("Away in a Manger"), he sounds like a yodeler afflicted with a sinus infection. As for Riccardo Cocciante, his talents hopefully lie more in composing than in singing. In fact, his grating wail and unkempt appearance come close to ruining the recording. But if listeners skip over his sections and focus on Miss Brightman's, they will enjoy this CD for years to come. A nice treat on the American release is Sarah's studio version of "First of May". I prefer this rendition to the live one in that her voice seems more subdued and expressive, probably because she is not forced to out-sing an orchestra as she was in the Vienna performance.

After unsuccessfully trying to enjoy this CD over the past several years, I finally decided to throw it in the trash -- and write a review to share with you all. This may have been enjoyable as a simple TV variety show, but it's unpleasant to listen to as a CD. The vocalists have such different styles and degrees of quality, that they don't belong on the same CD. The different types of songs are jarring when put on the same CD. The pairing of some of these vocalists with some of these songs is downright unpleasant. The orchestra music is simplistic, non-nuanced, and does not stand on its own; it is simply at the service of the vocalists, with songs generally starting with the briefest of orchestral introductions before some vocalist starts belting out the words. I give it 2 stars, because the title still gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling -- I LOVE the idea of Christmas in Vienna!

This CD is my very favorite Christmas CD. I received the 1st one as a gift and
played it for 2 Christmases. Then, fearing something might happen to it, I decided to order another. While I was doing that I opted to also order a few more for my discriminating friends! It is awesome!!

Acho que essa é umas das mais lindas apresentações de natal. Vale a pena ter em casa. A Sarah está maravilhosa, como sempre.

I had the happy fortune to chance upon this concert on PBS last year and immediately was in pursuit of the CD. I highly recommend this CD for several reasons: it inspires in me a wide range of emotions from sheer fun to deep sentiment; the vocal talents are without parallel; the score, the eclectic mix of new and traditional selections, and the overall exuberance captured on this CD all contribute to the likelihood that this CD could become one of your favorites of the season. I pay it my highest compliment--it is "thrilling."