Great Operatic Arias: Gerald Finley

Gerald Finley (Artist), Lucy Crowe (Artist), Anna Marie Gibbons (Artist), Various (Composer), Edward Gardner (Conductor), London Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Edward Gardner
• Composer: Various
• Audio CD (February 23, 2010)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: CHANDOS CHACONNE
• ASIN: B0031Q8VVK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #148,422 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Philadelphia Inquirer, David Patrick Stearns, March 7, 2010

Distinguished singers are periodically tapped by England's Peter Moores Foundation for the deluxe treatment: A disc of operatic scenes with orchestra, chorus, and soloists to fill out smaller roles. The catch: Everything must be sung in English. Baritone Gerald Finley, now at the peak of his career (and giving a Philadelphia Chamber Music Society recital at 8 p.m. Wednesday), lets his broad-reaching musical interests run wide - with almost as many minuses as pluses, though never obscuring his considerable vocal charisma. The big news is Doctor Atomic's "Batter My Heart," from his signature role of Robert Oppenheimer. Though he's reasonably convincing in excerpts of roles he's not likely to sing onstage soon - Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger, Scarpia in Tosca, and Iago in Otello - his voice is still too light, and his personality never fully inhabits more malevolent moments. Surprising successes include an elegantly sung "Toreador Song" from Carmen, a lovely, heartfelt "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific, and articulate, earnest Tannhauser excerpts. English translations have an odd impact on the music: An aria from Tchaikovsky's Iolanta sounds like Franz Lehar (not a bad thing), though in the seductive duet "Là ci darem la mano" from Don Giovanni, "Let's go" just isn't a very poetic substitute for "Andiamo."

Product Description

Leading baritone and dramatic interpreter of his generation, Gerald Finley is an artist who sets alight the stage and delights the ear, whatever the role he portrays.

On this his first arias disc, and first for Opera in English, he explores a broad range of repertory: old favourites, hidden treasures and roles which he himself has created, among them J.Robert Oppenheimer in John Adams's Doctor Atomic and Harry Heegan in Mark-Anthony Turnage's The Silver Tassie.

English National Opera director, Edward Gardner offers a great understanding of Opera in English and here conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra in his debut on Chandos.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A noted singer in great voice but, oh, those English translations, March 15, 2010

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Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Great Operatic Arias: Gerald Finley (Audio CD)

Vocal fanciers have admired Canadian baritone Gerald Finley for quite a while, but he gained stardom with the premiere of John Adams' Dr. Atomic. Here Finley shows off the superb state of his voice in an album of opera arias sung in English. The musicianship and temperament are all there, but Finley lacks the evil intensity needed for Iago's "Mi credo," and moving from Italian to English doesn't help, here or anywhere else. There's a reason that every major opera house has long abandoned opera in translation -- you only have to hear La Traviata in German to concede the point. Boito's powerful, blunt Italian turns into bland poesy in English. The big baritone aria from Tchaikovsky's Iolanta cozies up to Sigmund Romberg. But the British label channdos marches on with their series of full operas in English, helped by a healthy underwrite.

If you can get past the language issue, Finley clearly deserves his international standing. Oppenheimer's most lyrical aria from Dr. Atomic, "Batter my heart," set to Donne's sonnet, could hardly be better. For rarities we get a selection form Euryanthe, Londa di Chamounix, and (rarer still) Turnage's The Silver Tassie -- although modern, this last is quite melodious and touching. Every once in a while a translated text works -- that's the case with Wolfram's Ode to the Evening Star from Tannhauser, which Finley sings feelingly. As a crossover tidbit there's "Some Enchanted Evening," Originally meant for a bass but appealing in Finley's rendition. I find is voice more beautiful than those of is contemporaries in the UK, Christopher Maltman and Simon Keenlyside, but after an hour of arias, one does notice a certainly lack of fire and personality in the delivery. Even so, an enjoyable album.

Here's the program:
Adams, J:
Batter My Heart (from Doctor Atomic)

Bizet:
Votre toast je peux vous le rendre 'Toreador Song' (from Carmen)

You're Most Kind, and in Return I Toast You

Donizetti:
Ambo Nati Questa Valle (from Linda di Chamounix)

In This Valley We Shared Our Childhood

Anne-Marie Gibbons (Maddalena)

Mozart:
La ci darem la mano (from Don Giovanni)

There Will My Arms Enfold You

Lucy Crowe (Zerlina)

Puccini:
Tre sbirri...Una carozza...Presto 'Te Deum' (from Tosca)

Three Agents, Quick As You Can, Now

Matthew Long (Spoletta), Geoffrey Mitchell Choir

Rodgers:
Some Enchanted Evening (from South Pacific)

Turnage:
Oh Bring to Me a Pint of Wine (from The Silver Tassie)

Verdi:
Vanne, la tua meta gia vedo...Credo in un Dio crudel (from Otello)

Take it...Yes, I Believe in God

Wagner:
Verachtet mir die Meister nicht (from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg)

Do Not Disdain Our Masters Thus

O du, mein holder Abendstern (from Tannhäuser)

Look Down, O Gentle Evening Star

Weber:
Wo berg ich mich? (from Euryanthe)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A GOLDEN VOICE, March 20, 2010

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Beverly D. Pierce - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Great Operatic Arias: Gerald Finley (Audio CD)

GERALD FINLEY Has the most beautiful voice I've heard in many years. I listen to his CDs and watch his DVDs every day. The man is amazing. Not only does he possess a golden voice, but his expressive talent is far superior to most opera singers...and he's very handsome as well.. A treat for eyes as well as ears!! OMG, I think I'm in love again and I'm 73 years old!!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Seldom Review, July 9, 2010

By 

John S. Mattingly "(Rev) John S. Mattingly" (Charlotte Hall, MD) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Great Operatic Arias: Gerald Finley (Audio CD)

This is my first review. I am a fan of Gerald Finley. I was not aware that this was opera in English. It is exceptional. While I am not into listening to translations of opera, I was extremely happy I have this CD. It is a must in my library of music.