Customer Reviews

La Luna

5 star:		(184)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Congrats Sarah! I've been taken to the moon & back. The long awaited Brightman disc has arrived. The songs are ranging from her amazing classical renditions to her angelic versions of pop hits. Sarah is dreamy & laid back in her new cd "La Luna".Don't let the idea of Sarah brightman singing cover versions spoil your likes for her.

The first track "La Lune" brings the hair up on my neck just by listening to the keyboard intro. The 2nd track, "Winter in july", is one of Sarah's "pop married to classic" tracks. The lyrics are heartfelt & reflect her feelings about life. "Scarborough fair" is light and dreamy and "A whiter shade of pale" is operatic and revisited "à la Sarah". Beethoven's "Figlio Perduto" is my 2nd fav. track, I love how Sarah rearranged it to fit her voice. "How Fair this place" is pretty, but too short. The tracks continue into one another, like a multi-mood story of music. I find that tracks like "Here with me" and "Hijo De La Luna" are different tunes all together because "Hijo De La Luna" has a ballroom sound to it, with Spanish lyrics. It is sung à la Kate Bush. "Here with me" is more rock or "Dive-ish". "Gloomy Sunday" tones down the pace resulting in a bluesey, rainy-day track. Keeping with the moon theme, the title track "La Luna", is absolutely amazing. Sarah builds suspense in every breath of this track. Her voice soars as the song reaches its climax, wowing me every time. Unfortunately, the orchestra slightly drowns Sarah out at the end. The disc also features a hidden track. It is a breathy, up close & personal version of "Moon River". Sarah knows how to catch the attention of her fans.

The photos in "La Luna" are breath-taking, right down to the album cover.I dig the space-age lettering of her name on the cover. In comparison, Eden took on a heavier classical flavour, as so with "Time to say good-bye". Nevertheless, "La Luna" balances Sarah's career between "Dive" back in '93 to the present. Don't consider her slowing down even though the thought of a greatest hits double set sounds quite interesting.

I've had the golden opportunity to see Sarah in Montreal at the Molson Center on september 18 for her "La Luna" tour. Describe it, you say, Well, I have one word......EXTRAORDINARY! To hear her is one thing, but to see this woman perform was simply amazing. Definitely worth the money! Sing on Sarah! Hers is definitely one of the glorious voices.

I think this is one of Sarah Brightman's most fantastic CDs ever! I downloaded the songs from Napster but I bought the CD as well because I want the paperwork inside and feel I should support her because I'm an avid fan. I think the CD starts off masterfully and ends brilliantly with her acclaimed "First of May." I liked her version of Scarborough Fair, it's melodic and entrancing. I deeply enjoyed Figlio Perduto, in fact it's the best song on the CD. It's very classical (Beethoven) and employs a dark chorus accompanying her already magnificent coloratura. She does the key change so well that it sounds easy to master. I like Hijo de la Luna, but the prior version is also comparable. I mean Sarah Brightman does use other peoples' songs but does better jobs with them and Frank Petersen is phenomenally talented. His work on Dive, Eden, Fly, etc. is noteworthy and her voice really reflects his support. She is incredible. I greatly enjoyed every song on the CD, especially Dvorak's Silver Moon Aria (which she sings in her usual Italian). It's done quite well, the only thing is that the accompaniment is a bit weak. Lucia Popp sings it better (in Czech) with a full orchestra, but Sarah does it justice! The CD ends with First of May, but she doesn't sound the same as when she originally recorded it. It sounds a bit more breathy but it still beautiful. I highly recommend buying the CD, it's a collector's jewel.

When listening to music I want to feel its power. I made the mistake of listening first to the title track La Luna on Sarah BrightmanÕs new cd. Is it just me, or does she continue to get better with each new adventure? Although the other songs are also wonderful, IÕm still having a problem even getting to them.

At a time when pop, hip hop and rap singers are promoting themselves as divas, Sarah Brightman not so quietly lets her voice speak for itself. SheÕs a diva all right... and not just because of her exhilarating arias. She continues to be an inspiration to my own work.

If you like SarahÕs near perfect timing, pronunciation, range and power, youÕll love this cd.

Cliff Hollenbeck

If you already love Sarah and her gorgeous voice, this CD will not disappoint you one bit. If you're not already a fan, she may win you over here. There are the usual classical pieces on which SB can more than hold her own. But the ethereal, sultry, and passionate pop/vocal tracks are where she shines on this CD. "Here With Me" rings of longing and passion (and stands out as my favorite), "He Doesn't See Me" has a bittersweet, dreamy quality, and "Gloomy Sunday" has a blues-y, downtrodden feel, befitting the sad lyrics. I'm glad Sarah steered clear of the cheesy, sentimental garbage that often marred her past pop albums (e.g., Eden's "Dust in the Wind," or "Johnny Wanna Live" on Dive). This is a top-notch effort that only gets better with each listening. And once again Sarah has melded seemingly disparate musical genres into a cohesive album that sticks to one theme: in this case, La Luna. My only quibble is in the covers of "Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Scarborough Fair" -- these classics don't seem appropriate to Sarah's voice, and vice versa.

Sarah Brightman's newest CD offers more of the same ecclectic approach to combining opera and pop music side by side with electronic music as well as orchestras. The result is haunting and deeply personal. LA LUNA is not a departure for Sarah, but rather a continuation of the style she honed by the time EDEN was released. Prior to that album she had TIME TO SAY GOODBYE (a largely classical album save the cover of Queen's "Who Wants to Live Forever) and DIVE (almost entirely quirky pop). EDEN marked the first album to combine the two genres -- she did classical pieces, covers done classically, and pop tunes sung in the same style with choirs and various instruments. LA LUNA finds Sarah doing everything from Handel and Beethoven, even the folk song "Scarborough Fair", and a cover of "Here With Me" which was written and performed by DIDO on her 1999 release. So Sarah covers several centuries, and makes it sound seamless. Is it better than EDEN? Yes and no. Yes, the material is much more even (EDEN went from "Dust in the Wind" into a classical aria). Here the elements transition smoothely. But EDEN was a rare blend of the dramatic, and LA LUNA does not always offer you the highs and lows of that previous release. But it's a solid piece of work. If you are a fan...you'll love this. If you're new to Sarah...it's a great album. So all in all...it's a spell worth casting! Stand out track for me is "He Doesn't See Me", but from all I've seen everybody will pick their personal favorite.

When I first heard about La Luna, I had my doubts. Could Sarah Brightman really have produced a viable follow-up to Eden in such a short interval? As as a fiend for instant-gratification (blame either my age or my nationality, whichever you prefer), I paid the tariff and splurged for the import. I was a bit apprehensive when I opened the case and began to play "Scarborough Fair," one of the few tracks with which I was familiar. But with only six words, Sarah immediately assuaged all of my doubts about this album and her artistic genius. After listening to the entire disc, I can confidently say that La Luna easily eclipses Eden. Simply put, Miss Brightman has taken the originality of Eden, coupled it with her classical training, and produced an exquisitely sophisticated piece of artistry. As a classical buff, I appreciate Sarah's extension of the trend she started with Eden, namely that of coupling orchestral music with personal interpretation. Listeners will hear distinctive echoes of "Anytime, Anywhere" (based on a Bellini theme) in Beethoven's "Figlio Perduto." "La Califfa" reunites the sublime partnership shared by Miss Brightman and Signore Morricone, of "Nella Fantasia" fame, and Sarah could well be mistaken for a bona fide bel canto diva (think Cecilia Bartoli) in her rendition of Dvorak's title track. Though she will be hard pressed to repeat the stunning "Nessun Dorma" from Eden, Sarah has confidently launched a potent return volley to the purists who criticize her forays into the classical realm. One word of caution to Sarah's newer fans: this style of singing involves a radically different technique than that of her early Phantom years. To those who have heard only the Phantom soundtrack, I recommend following Sarah's maturation, beginning with the Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection. Then break off to Time To Say Goodbye, followed by Eden, and finally La Luna. By doing so one will gain a finer appreciation for this astonishing performer. All in all, this album is an incredible display of the talent, dedication, and passion on the part of a gifted artist. Congratulations, Sarah, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

I love the intro and how it blends so perfectly into the trip-hoppy Winter In July, which happens to be my favorite song, beside La Luna of course. Her voice is so angelic and sweet that you can't help but invision an angel as you listen. This is truly a beautiful work of art. By having a strange fascination with the moon I was shocked to see the subject being that. It only heightened my anticipation as I waited impatiently for this incredible cd to come out. I bought it the day it was released and have been enthralled ever since. My first introduction to Sarah was by Eden, and just as I thought that there was no way that she could possibly conquer something better than that, what do you know, she does! (At least in my opinion.)

She's working with one of the greatest producers, Frank Peterson, (former member of Enigma), and with the ongoing process of reinventing herself you can't help but love her style of music, no matter what that style might be. One second she's singing New Age (Scarborough Fair), the next a soft, tranquil tune (He Doesn't See Me), surprising you with jazz (Gloomy Sunday), and then warming your heart with more highpitched ballads such as Figlio Perduto, How Fair This Place, and La Luna. This cd is definitely not as operatic as Eden and Time To Say Goodbye, but it moreso ventures onto the pop criteria, in a mellow sort of way.

Trust me. Once you own La Luna you'll soon be thanking me. (Hopefully!)

I hope this review helped. Did it?

I read a review the other day (on another site) that implied that it wasn't considered cool to like Sarah Brightman's work. Writing a good review of a Brightman album, the reviewer said, would be viewed by many as being "akin to drinking wine out of a box."

Well, I don't drink wine out of a box (although it would be OK to do so if that's the wine you liked; that's the "cool" attitude about wine these days). But cool or not, I do love Sarah Brightman -- pretty much everything about her, in fact. I love her voice and the stylistic range that allows her to communicate childlike innocence on one song, confident sensuality on another, and diva-like sophistication on still another. I love her approach to a concept album, such as "La Luna," in which the concept -- a moon that unifies humanity and offers a constant in our lives -- is woven loosely through the album, not forced, to allow listeners to define it themselves to a certain degree. I love her willingness to take risks in song selection and placement. Who would have thought that bracketing a Beethoven adaptation with a 60s classic ("Scarborough Fair") and a 70s anthem ("Whiter Shade of Pale") would work? But it did. In fact, "Scarborough Fair" and "Whiter Shade of Pale" have never been sung more beautifully, and the adaptation of Beethoven's music, "Figlio Perduto," is stunning at every level, arguably the best piece on the album.

Now, beware of a potential spoiler that follows, and stop reading here if you don't want to know about the surprise extra cut at the end of the album. It really was a surprise to me, it was wonderfully appropriate to the album's theme, and Brightman could not have presented it better. The song is "Moon River" (Mancini & Mercer), and, while shortened to a couple of verses, it was just right in that spot. It's one of the things I will remember most about "La Luna."

But there is one more thing I discovered and haven't seen mentioned anywhere. I'm not going to spoil this one. Just listen very carefully to the instrumental close of "Moon River" and you will hear a few chords of yet another "moon song," a real classic which requires only a couple of chords to be recognized. Nice touch.

And a very nice album by a gifted woman with a voice of incredible beauty. Now, if my opinion makes me "un-cool," so be it. I love music way too much to run singers or albums through a "cool index" before deciding whether it's OK to like them or not. Besides, from my experience in reading music critics' ideas about what's "cool," too much good material would fail the test and too much garbage would find its way into my CD changer.

Sarah Brightman's new album La Luna, even outdoeses EDen. It is a spectacular album that combines pop. classical and jazz. truly remarkable. What else could you expect from her. This album is reccomended to all!

For those who don't know, Sarah Brightman creates concept albums. She chooses a theme, and everything from costuming, photos, concert design, song choice all revolve around the chosen theme. The theme for this album is La Luna, or, The Moon.

What I enjoyed most about this album was how well everything came together to create a mood and atmosphere. The music held the theme so tightly together that it might as well have been glued to the the concept she had in mind. What you get with La Luna is a bit of fantasy that's ethereal and haunting, cold yet passionate, and every bit as fantastic as its predecessor, Eden.

Most people have heard Scarborough Fair and Dvorak's Song to the Moon, both of which are included on this album, so I'll use them as examples. Both these songs are very passionate songs, but they're both dignified, quiet, and a little mysterious (and mystery, after all, is distance). Most the songs on La Luna are of this vein and style. There's an element of fantasy and mystery in this production. Some songs draw upon folktales to lend a dark, mysterious quality to the album.

There really is an element of elegant mystery to La Luna which is fascinating. Though some may complain that no runaway hits emerged from La Luna, I say that despite the lack of hit singles, the album as a whole was a success.

Here are some of the songs that stood out for me:

-Her rendition of Scarborough Fair is the best I've heard. Her voice is gorgeous, smooth, and perfect for the song.

-Figlio Perduto is, perhaps, the standout song on this album. For those who know their Beethoven, the music for this song is adapted from Beethoven's 7th symphony allegretto. The lyrics are based on the German poem Erlkönig (King of Elves), written by Johann Goethe. It's a very haunting piece, and the power of Brightman's voice builds to an impressive climactic ending. Basically. The song tells a story (in Italian) about a boy who is spirited away by the king of elves. It's definitely an homage to Skandinavian folklore, much of which were more like horror stories than the sugarcoated faery tales of modern day. This song definitely is a tip of the hat to 'old' faery tales and is regarded by many as a beautiful song.

-'This Love' is a song I greatly enjoy. It's laid back, but it definitely requires vocal agility and a lot of feeling. Sarah's mentioned on one of her DVDs that this song was particularly difficult to sing because it required a lot out of the singer, but it still needed to maintain its laid-back quality. Elizabeth Fraser (of Cocteau Twins) co-wrote and sang the original song. I LOVED the original version, and Sarah's version definitely does the original justice.

-Sarah delivers a gorgeous 'Gloomy Sunday' while showing off a different, jazzier side of her voice.

I'll stop before I start listing and going off about all the other songs. Indeed, I love almost every song off this album. I've enjoyed this album as a whole more than any of her other albums.

While I preferred the UK version's She Doesn't See Him to the re-worded US version's He Doesn't See Me (and I also preferred 'First of May' as a bonus track over the US version's 'Moon River'), I'm still very partial to this version.

She ventures occasionally into pop territory with 'Winter in July' and Dido's 'Here With Me,' but I think her voice is still best suited for the more classic songs (note: I didn't say 'classical'). Despite this, however, I still enjoyed 'A Whiter Shade of Pale.'

What you'll get with La Luna is a versatile collection sure to please any music enthusiast who enjoys great voices. If you like this album, do make sure to check her La Luna Concert DVD! =)