Customer Reviews

Our Favorite Things - Christmas in Vienna / Tony Bennett, Vanessa Williams, Placido Domingo, Charlotte Church

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

After listening to all of the tracks here as well as watching the televised program, I feel that this album was almost a classic bringing together some diverse voices to help us enjoy the holidays. The voices of Placido Domingo and Vanessa Williams really got me into the Christmas spirit, while Tony Bennett gave me reminders of Christmas past. The only discouraging participant here was Charlotte Church. Her uninspiring 2-octave soprano voice really poisoned the well here. She has no range, vocal control, or emotion. They may as well have just plucked a choir boy from the local choir and allowed him to join in. The fortunate part here is that they limited her participation to 2 renditions of Silent Night and a duet with Domingo doing O Holy Night. So to a certain extent we can count our blessings. It was a shame that Miss Church had to ruin all of our Christmases with her comments about the 9/11 tragedy and a shame that she had to partly ruin this CD. However, use your own judgement as to whether or not you find this worth the price. I just can't bear to purchase a cd with songs from Charlotte Church any more.

It's good to hear a Christmas CD that honestly conveys the right spirit with its selection.

However, I doubt that there are many who honestly enjoy all four or even three of the voices represented here. You'll probably enjoy Placido Domingo & Charlotte Church, or Tony Bennett & Vanessa Williams.

I do want to address the comments criticizing the album because Charlotte Church wasn't a greater part of it. This is a recording of a concert given in Vienna, and the European audiences are going to have a somewhat different taste in music than those of us in America. Obviously, Placido Domingo dominates this concert...probably because he, of the four, has the greatest appeal there. Tony Bennett & Vanessa Williams as popular singers with long careers are strong support and Tony Bennett especially was undoubtedly a strong drawing card for the Viennese concert. However, by European standards, Charlotte Church would be considered an up & coming singer, but certainly not as accepted as the veteran singers. Though immensely popular, she hasn't yet passed the test of time, nor is it likely that her voice is yet developed to anywhere near its potential. Therefore, her solo, duet, and joint performance in the concluding number would be considered quite appropriate for the European audiences.

Of course, the labeling of the album would be more accurate if it had indicated her "guest star" status in the concert.

All in all, many will probably find this CD quite pleasing, but others will prefer an album which leans more strongly toward either the classical or the adult contemporary genre rather than straddling the boundary lines.

With Charlotte Church displayed just as prominantly as the other singers, one would assume a well balanced mix. But Charlotte fans, don't be mislead-she sings only two songs! While I enjoy all the singers, I admit I bought this strictly because of Charlotte Church and was very disapointed. Anyone who has enjoyed her solo Christmas album knows she has the perfect angelic voice just made for Christmas carols. Why she was neglected here is a mystery.

This CD has the right titles, excellent artists and is all together great for background music during the year end celebrations. A really relaxing first-class release.

ONE AT A TIME IF YOU PLEASE!!!!

This disc includes four of the best voices of our day, BUT they simply do not belong together in one program!!!!Somehow hearing 'O Holy Night' by two classical sounding singers following 'The Christmas Song' sung by a jazz-pop singer doesn't 'light my fire'. Now if you offered me a complete album of anyone of these singers, I probably would take it and enjoy it. Obviously, this is a money-making venture of the extreme sort; after all(say the great commercial powers) if you don't like Tony Bennett, then you have Placido Domingo etc. etc. etc. As I recall the same type disc was recorded 2 years ago (1998) with four diverse singers, Domingo again included.

Oh well, the individual contributions are, for the most part enjoyable, but you will notice I did say: for the most part.

Placido Domingo has done several holiday concert special for PBS over the years. The ones I've seen usually pair him with Jose Carreras on the classical end and maybe one pop diva like Dionne Warwick or Diana Ross. That makes for a mixed bag, and maybe a few awkward moments when the vocal styles don't quite mesh. But with the visuals, the glitz and glamour of the stars usually make these spectacles enjoyable enough.

I've never seen the DVD version of this concert, which also aired of PBS, as I understand it. But I'll wager it works better with the visuals. As a pure listening experience, OUR FAVORITE THINGS comes up short. Domingo is really the only singer who is in top form for the occasion, and his Spanish language carols (probably unfamiliar to most American listeners) are a real treat. Tony Bennett, who has been fine in other recent broadcasts and recordings, sounds a bit hoarse here. He improves as the concert progresses, but he relies more on phrasing than chops and is at a disadvantage when duetting with Domingo. (On the other hand, Domingo's noticeable discomfort with idiomatic American English weakens his performance on tracks like "My Favorite Things" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas").

On the distaff side we have Charlotte Church and Vanessa Williams, whose work I am less familiar with. Church sounds a little nervous and out of her depth when duetting with Domingo. She has a pleasant enough voice, which I hope she does not subject to too much strain before reaching her potential. I am not an expert in these matters, but I have been told by classical singers that too much too soon can be disastrous for a developing voice.

Williams is less distinctive a pop singer than, say, Dionne Warwick or Diana Ross, who could at least begin to hold their own against the classical singers in those previous holiday concerts. She has her moments, but even her duet with Tony Bennett on "White Christmas" seems a bit strained.

Fans of the individual singers featured here may well want to purchase this CD, but (even without having seen it), I'm betting that the DVD would be a wiser purchase. With the visuals of Vienna, the concert hall, the gowns and the glitter, I'm guessing it holds up a bit better. Strictly on a musical level, though, this is none of the stars' shining hour.

Maybe you had to be at the performance to appreciate it. Perhaps the concert itself, with the presence of these four performers, had some sort of flow and dazzle.

But this CD is merely a strange assortment of singers, songs, and stylings, in no particular order. For instance: Placido Domingo's Jesus de Nazareth (the reason I'm giving this three stars instead of two) - followed by Tony Bennett and Vanessa Williams warbling a swinging "Winter Wonderland." Which detracts from my enjoyment of both those pieces.

And then there are the inexcusable versions of "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Silent Night," in which Tony Bennett's voice is just not up to the music anymore. It should have been obvious during rehearsals, and Bennett removed from the ensemble or given easier solos, or other songs selected. (And I still love him as a singer, just hate to see his aging voice be bested by the wrong music. In public.)

It is an odd little CD, as is suggested by the cover. I found it in a bargain bin and was puzzled by the selection of these four performers, and decided to buy it and find out how well it worked. I'm so glad I didn't pay full price.

Yes, it was a huge disappointment. Vanessa Williams could not sing. Tony Bennett tried to drag out his ego by create his own version of bad music. The only three highlights were Charlotte Church, Placido Domingo,and the children chorus of Vienna. I could not understand why Vanessa Williams was a part of this? She was not a singer at all. Did they bring her in for her look? And Tony Bennett? It appeared like he just showed up at the concert without any rehearsal and made up his own tune. And why Charlotte Church was only a small part of this? Certainly she was bigger than Vanessa Williams and a rising star of the European stage, and she had only a minor role?

There is nothing more joyful and pleasurable than listening to 4 of my favorite singers on one album. Exquisite music demonstrating much, much talent -- a memorable experience.

My favorite holiday music performed by top professionals and the gifted Charlotte Church. The amazing abilities of the featured artists supported by the magnificent orchestra and chorus make this an album that I wait all year to hear.