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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breathtaking!!!,
By
This review is from: Isabel Bayrakdarian ~ Joyous Light (Audio CD)
This is a stunning recording. Isabel Bayrakdarian's voice is a wonderful clear soprano, rich and warm throughout its range and free of any roughness. Her long familiarity with this repertoire lets her shape each phrase beautifully and, apparently, effortlessly.The disk derives from a concert that took place in Toronto in September, 2001 commemorating 1700 years of Christianity in Armenia. It consists of 18 pieces of liturgical music. In some Bayrakdarian sings a capella, but in most she is supported by a chamber orchestra. One is aware that this is not western music, but the modes in which it is written are just unusual enough to European ears to be a little exotic while remaining entirely accessible. It's not quite melodic, but not quite chant either. Bayrakdarian's melismas are always sensitive and subtle. The whole effect is soaring, haunting, ethereal, transporting, utterly wonderful. This is a desert island disk for sure.
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Divinely Joyous,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Isabel Bayrakdarian ~ Joyous Light (Audio CD)
Isabel Bayrakdarian is a certified classical music diva today, an excellent Mozartian, Handelian, songs and lieder recitalist and overall a very bright star in the current line-up of young sopranos. And this is how she started her recorded career- with a disc of Armenian liturgical music.
For me it is actually very refreshing to listen to songs in language that I don't understand at all- and a nice break from the usual Latin, German, and my native ones- but at the same time, knowing that they are sung by someone who understands the texts and has a spiritual connection to them is a nice bonus. (And if you want to explore the meaning behind the sounds, the original Armenian texts and translations are included in the CD booklet...) It's also a new musical experience to my ears- I am used to certain melismatic forms of Indian music, and Soeur Marie Keyrouz records of Byzantine chants, yet this music still sounds quite exotic to me. And, at all times, very beautiful. Like Gregorian chant in its pure form, it would get somewhat monotonous, if it wasn't for Bayrakdarian's heartfelt delivery. I find that the opening song is my favourite and often end up listening to it over and over again, but the whole album is very addictive. Not all the songs have the same joyous rapture feel- some are melancholy tinged, some are both at the same time. You need to listen to this music to appreciate its strange charms. It's beautiful and deeply spiritual, all in one. It is certainly Sacred Joy for my ears.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Joyous Light,
By PD (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Isabel Bayrakdarian ~ Joyous Light (Audio CD)
This is liturgical music for people who normally wouldn't touch it--pure, mystical, haunting, yet richly, deeply passionate, full of long, luxurious vocalises. Isabel Bayrakdarian, a very young Canadian soprano who has already made her debut in a number of the great opera houses, is sheer vocal magic with subtle artistry poignantly expressed in this elegant music.It'd make a great Christmas present, incidentally!
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