Customer Reviews

Kiri Te Kanawa - Ave Maria

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Te Kanawa's singing gives real joy, and her affinity for the music shines through. She is well accompanied by the English Chamber Orchestra, and some choral and instrumental(Purcell's charming Trumpet Tune) selections help make this beautiful collection more than just a set of arias. She seems to have a great gift for Baroque music, as evidenced also by the shining performance she gave in Handel's Messiah conducted by Sir Georg Solti. A very uplifting CD indeed, and it includes a brief and interesting introduction by David Fingleton who is the author of "Kiri", a biography of Te Kanawa. Here are some of her own words from the CD booklet: "I chose many of the pieces on this recording myself, because they are very beautiful, very melodic, and make people feel good; and if music makes you feel good, well listen to it or sing it!"

Her rendition of Bist du bei mir moves my soul, and her sense of perfection in the Laudate Dominum would have pleased Mozart himself. Aside from her beautiful voice and enthusiasm for this music, she also articulates every phrase just right. It will not come as a surprise to you that she has been singing sacred arias for as long as she remembers, as the CD booklet mentions. Very highly recommended.

Though I had heard her on public radio several times, this was the first recording of Ms. Te Kanawa I had ever heard, and I was immediately swept away by the beauty of her voice and the complete musicianship of the soloist along with the choir and orchestra. The Mozart pieces especially shine: Laudaute Dominum displays Kiri Te Kanawa's voice as flexible and musical; and Ave Verum is compelling in its simplicity, grandeur and beauty. This is one of the best recordings of church music available. I have purchased several copies to give as gifts to family and friends. I highly recommend it.

For anyone who loves Kiri and opera, this CD is superb. The music is gorgeous - glorious, as is KTK's voice in its prime. However, the volume level of the recording is peculiarly low. If you listen to this CD as a stand-alone event you can just turn up the volume to a normal level. The problem arises when you mix this album, or tracks from this album with other albums, and the low volume level of this album becomes readily apparent. If your other albums/tracks are at a comfortable listening level, tracks from this album will be virtually inaudible. If you increase your system's volume to bring tracks from this album to normal levels, the tracks from other albums will be uncomfortably loud.

Dame Kiri's voice shines in these beautiful sacred pieces, and as her biographer David Fingleton, in his excellent liner notes for this CD points out, that going back to her youth and first voice teacher, who was a Sister of Mercy, church music has always been a part of her repertoire, even though she is mostly noted as an operatic soprano.
Favorites include Gounod's exquisite "O Divine Redeemer" ("Repentir"), the two Mozart pieces, "Laudate Dominum" (from "Vesperae solennes de confessore" KV 339), and "Ave Verum" KV 618, and the luminous performance of Schubert's popular "Ave Maria".

Track # 11, Purcell's "Trumpet Time", is a trumpet solo by Crispian Steele-Perkins, and there is also a good and jolly trumpet on track # 11, Handel's "Let the Bright Seraphim" from "Samson", which is the piece Dame Kiri sang in St. Paul's Cathedral for the Prince and Princess of Wales, at their wedding in 1981, and has become one of her most often requested songs.
This recording was made in 1984, at the All Saints' Church in Tooting, England, and the sound is not great but quite adequate. The boys of the Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral sing like little angels, and the English Chamber Orchestra is led by Barry Rose. Total time is 47:40.
This would make a nice change of pace CD during the Christmas Season, and for fans of this wonderful soprano, hearing her voice is a joy any time of the year.

What a great collection, many real sacred classics, all delivered in very heartfelt, but simple way, and Kiri's voice is just so beautiful. And I like the fact that there are many different moods, there are some songs which are very soothing, slow pieces but also different ones, and the the final songs are Let The Bright Seraphim which is so uplifting and bright and Let Their Celestial Concerts. They are both from Samson, it's refreshing to hear these tracks instead of the usual pieces from Messiah.
My favourite songs are Bist du bei mir and especially Mozart's Ave Verum, so perfect when sung by Kiri, I know so many different versions but these are probably the best I have heard.
Mozart's Laudate Dominum is done very nicely, good tempo and such great singing. Kirir has a great trill! Panis Angelicus is good too, I wish Kiri would do something else instead of this worn classic, but her version of Schubert's Ave Marias on this album is actually very good. This is a great, refreshing collection overall, well put together, with very tasteful arrangements. There is also a nice chorus, they only sing in few pieces but they sound really good.
There is a small problem with the sound level on this album, it's true, but Kiri's voice still sounds beautiful, just crank up the volume a little bit, so you can hear her better. Maybe the bright seraphim will hear her too!

This is a CD which can change my day, my mood, my view upon the world. It is simply not possible to listen to Kiri's clear voice singing "Bist du bei mir" or "Ave Maria" and not be moved!

I know that the angels in heaven all sound like Kiri Te Kanawa. I own this album already and am buying another for a Christmas gift as it contains many of my mother's favorite vocal selections. Her voice is rich and lush and is a pure joy to hear.

After listening to this most inspirational music I read the life of the artist and found that to be equally inspiring.

I have never been more moved by music than I am when listening to Kiri singing Sanctus by Gounod. It is impossible not to be caught up by the rapturous melody and swelling chords. The rest of the collection is stellar.

Kiri Te Kanawa voice never fails to inspire me and uplift my spirit. Her rendition of "Ave Maria" is just so beautiful and moving that its effect on the listener can not be expressed in mere words. Kiri's voice and intuitive nature of delivering the inner strength and emotion of each selection on this CD is just inspiring.