Im Chambre Separee: The Operetta Album [Import]

Barbara Bonney (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 14, 2003)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Decca Import
• ASIN: B00008NR78
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,368 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

You don't have to be Viennese to love Viennese operettas, whose lilting waltz-rhythms and catchy tunes have captivated audiences since Johann Strauss, Jr., the Waltz King, originated the style with his masterpiece Die Fledermaus in 1874. His genius remains unequaled; among his successors and imitators, only Lehár (who had the temerity, and the skill, to compete with Schubert's setting of Goethe's "Heidenröslein"--No. 15 on this disc) got anywhere near him in compositional ability or inspiration. Thus, the stand-outs here are the "Laughing Song" from Fledermaus and the "Vilja-Song" from The Merry Widow. Many songs are the only survivors of totally forgotten operettas; indeed, some were written by amateur "spare-time" composers, like Heuberger and Zeller; yet the former's title song and the latter's "Don't be cross" (No. 4) have become classics. Most are about love, dreamed of, yearned for, fulfilled and unfulfilled; primarily slow, they are set off by a few lively, exuberant, mischievous ones. The program ends with "Vienna, City of my Dreams," which celebrates Vienna's glamour, but indirectly also its melting-pot culture: the name of its creator is Rudolf Sieczynski.

Barbara Bonney, star of opera and concert stage, obviously loves this music, but is not quite at home in it. Her voice, clear as a bell with a wonderful top, is perhaps too pure and uninflected for its sensuous seductiveness, sentimentality, and robust, earthy humor. Her German diction is unclear, and the Viennese dialect sounds alien to her. (Her translations, though mostly accurate, also betray a lack of idiomatic feeling.) Pianist Ronald Schneider's accompaniments are much closer to the style, but he sometimes camps them up. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wunderbar!, July 14, 2003

By 

Charles Richards (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Im Chambre Separee: The Operetta Album (Audio CD)

There are some singers who never seem to have an off day, and Barbara Bonney is one of them. Through the years she has produced a series od CD's that have delighted the ears, bewitched the soul, and garnered her many loyal fans all over the world. And her newest offering is no disappointment: these charming remnants of a lost age may seem pure corn to some, but they were a wonderful discovery to this listener. And, of course, there are some old favorites included here as well: the title song (the best interpretation I've heard since Beverly Sills'), "Vilja", "Wien, du Stadt meinter Traume", and "Meine Lippen die kussen so heis". As usual, Bonney's voice is flawless, and her sheer joy in this music is infectious. True, a steady diet of this sort of thing may grow tiresome (like dining on marzipan every evening, perhaps) but in between bouts of Wagner and Verdi it's just the thing, and absolutely ravishing. I cannot find a single thing wrong with this album, and only those who don't care for Bonney or dislike the genre will have trouble with it. Highly recommended.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bonney sparkles in operetta recital, July 6, 2003

By 

Michael Walsh (Houston, Texas, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Im Chambre Separee: The Operetta Album (Audio CD)

For fans of the great soprano Barbara Bonney, this CD is a must have! For those new to Bonney's artistry (or the world of operetta), this CD is a great beginning to what is sure to be a long romance. From the exhuberant opening track to the nostalgic closing song, Bonney's sparkling soprano is captured beautifully. The operetta repertoire gives Bonney ample opportunities to display her georgeous high notes whether in finely spun out pianissimo or in full voice splendor. Bonney's intimate manner of inflection with the German language- the colors she gives each word and phrase with a clear intention of meaning- is most remarkable. Ronald Schneider is wonderful at the piano. It is obvious to hear in the hour long recital how much fun this collaboration was for them. Tracks number 1, 8, 14, and 17 are stand-outs for their intimacy and enjoyment. I have no reservations in recommending this album to anyone, as Bonney and Schneider are in top form in this operetta recital. Their performance is sincere, authentic (just the right amount of schmaltz), and sheer pleasure for the listener!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time to don one's gloves and sip one's champagne - elegance personified, July 27, 2006

By 

Ingrid Heyn "No man is an Iland, intire of it... (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Im Chambre Separee: The Operetta Album (Audio CD)

Let me begin by saying that I'd heard unfavourable reviews of this recording before I purchased it, but a snippet from one of the tracks which was played on the radio was delightful - and I decided to buy the CD in spite of the reviews.

I was not disappointed. It's odd - there is a reviewer below who mentions some problems with the middle register and a certain breathiness and lack of support which I cannot hear in this recording. Yet it's true that in her two subsequent recordings, the glow and wonder of Ms Bonney's voice are definitely impaired.

I listened once again to this CD, and once again was simply enchanted by it. It's possible that the voice is not the same as it was 20 years ago, but it's still incredibly beautiful, agile and intelligently used. I'm particularly charmed by her singing these operetta arias with a piano rather than orchestra - a much braver and more exposed singing and recording experience.

Ms Bonney is sweet, coy, deliciously teasing, devout and loving in turns, as required by the arias. She is always beautiful to listen to.

Recommended.