The Kiri Selection

George Gershwin (Composer), James Horner (Composer), Jerome Kern (Composer), Cleo Laine (Composer), Jeremy Lubbock (Composer), Enoch Martin (Composer), Paul McCartney (Composer), English Traditional (Composer), Rob Winch (Performer), Kiri Te Kanawa (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Rob Winch, Kiri Te Kanawa
• Composer: George Gershwin, James Horner, Jerome Kern, Cleo Laine, Jeremy Lubbock, et al.
• Audio CD (November 17, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Angel Records
• ASIN: B000002SK4
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #327,844 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Performance, June 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Kiri Selection (Audio CD)

I have only just purchased this CD, and I'm in love with it already! Kiri's voice is so incredibly versatile, that you are just STUNNED by her ability to sing Gershwin, Kern and others like a jazz singer. She's incredible, and so's the recording. I'd recommend it to anyone, as Kiri's best CD outside of her West Side Story and full opera performance CD's. Her duet with Malcom O'Neill is amazing, and the way she interperets Gershwin's hits is so neat - far better than I've ever heard. The only SLIGHT moan I would have is that in one or two of the songs, she is a little to far away from the mic, and the orchestra are a little loud. But considering how great she sounds - does it matter? Make this your next Kiri CD purchase.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice cross-over, March 8, 2003

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Kiri Selection (Audio CD)

There is only a single track on "The Kiri Selection" that didn't come from one of her other releases, and that is "The World You're Coming Into" from Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio. The rest of her songs can also be heard on "Kiri Sings Gershwin," "Come to the Fair - Folk Songs & Ballads," "From Heart to Heart" with Malcolm McNeill, and "Kiri Sings Kern."

It's a jumbled mixture but Dame Kiri negotiates the songs with a light, brilliant touch, never bringing too much heavy operatic artillery to bear on what are essentially popular songs. For those of you who are not operatically inclined, you may remember this lovely soprano from the 1981 marriage ceremony of HRH the Prince of Wales to the Lady Diana Spencer. Te Kanawa sang "Let the Bright Seraphim" (and wore a very strange hat).

Unlike some sopranos (my chorale director says Dame Joan never sang a consonant throughout her entire career), Kiri is scrupulous about her intonation and you will be able to understand almost every syllable she sings. My personal favorite is her rendition of Kern's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes:" "They said some day you'll find,/ All who love are blind,/ When your heart's on fire,/ you must realize,/ Smoke gets in your eyes." She sings with intense pathos, yet a little tremble of courage. I can just see her sitting in some chic '30s cocktail lounge, head (with that outrageous hat on it) held high while her friends chaff her about her unfaithful love. She reaches up to brush the smoke or tears from her eyes and pretends to laugh away a remark that was much too personal.

When Kiri sustains a note, she does something with it. She doesn't just sit on it à la Pavrotti and let us admire her beautiful voice. She interprets every nuance of the lyrics, unlike some of my very favorite opera singers who don't cross over into popular music very well, e.g. Domingo, Ramey, Norman, and Dame Joan.

Te Kawana fans, unless you already own all four of the albums mentioned above, this CD is definitely worth your while. Kern and Gershwin enthusiasts will also find interpretations to treasure.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars favorite soprano singing favorite popular songs, June 25, 2010

By 

Susumu Inoue "Sam, the Doc" (Flint, MI) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Kiri Selection (Audio CD)

This is a different side of Kiri Te kanawa, very enjoyable, a very worth to own.