Pangaea [Import]

Miles Davis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 13, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Phantom Sound & Vision
• ASIN: B000026EC3
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,738 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Ov - The Acad Of Ancient Music/Christopher Hogwood

2. Atto Primo, Scena 1. Recitativo: Delle Nostre Fatiche Siam Prossimi Alla Meta - Bernarda Fink

3. Atto Primo, Scena 1. Aria: Sovra Balze Scoscese E Pungenti - Bernarda Fink

4. Atto Primo, Scena 1. Recitativo: Signor, Gia Dal Tuo Senno - David Daniels/Bernarda Fink/Cecilia Bartoli

5. Atto Primo, Scena 1. Aria: Combatti Da Forte - Cecilia Bartoli

6. Atto Primo, Scena 1. Recitativo: Questi Saggi Consigli Accogli Nel Tuo Sen - Daniel Taylor/David Daniels

See all 29 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Atto Secondo, Scena 1. Aria: Siam Prossimi Al Porto - Daniel Taylor

2. Atto Secondo, Scena 2. Recitativo: A Quel Sasso Bramato - David Daniels/Bernarda Fink/Daniel Taylor

3. Atto Secondo, Scena 3. Recitativo: Per Raccor D'Almirena I Piu Dolci Respiri - Ana-Maria Rincon

4. Atto Secondo, Scena 3. Aria A Due: Il Vostro Maggio De' Bei Verdi Anni - Catherine Bott

5. Atto Secondo, Scena 3. Recitativo: Qual Incognita Forza Mi Spinge - David Daniels/Bernarda Fink/Daniel Taylor/Ana-Maria Rincon

6. Atto Secondo, Scena 3. Aria: Il Tricerbero Umiliato - David Daniels

See all 24 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Atto Terzo, Scena 1. Recitativo: Quivi Par Che Rubelle La Terra S'alzi - Daniel Taylor/Bernarda Fink

2. Atto Terzo, Scena 2. Recitativo: La Causa Che Vi Spinge In Si Remota Parte - Bejun Mehta/Bernarda Fink/Daniel Taylor

3. Atto Terzo, Scena 2: Sinf - The Acad Of Ancient Music/Christopher Hogwood

4. Atto Terzo, Scena 2. Recitativo: Qui Vomita Cocito Tutta Sua Nera Peste - Bernarda Fink/Daniel Taylor/Bejun Mehta

5. Atto Terzo, Scena 2. Aria E Recitativo: Andate, O Forti, Fra Stragi E Morti - Bejun Hehta

6. Atto Terzo, Scena 3. Recitativo: Mori Svenata. - O Numi! - Luba Orgonasova/Cecilia Bartoli/David Daniels

See all 29 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This made-up tale of the Crusades (based on Godfrey of Bouillon’s capture of Jerusalem from the Saracens) was Handel’s first Italian opera for London audiences, and it was a resounding success. Fireworks, elaborate stage machinery, and actual birds for the heroine’s bird-song aria -- all were combined with vocal pyrotechnics to create a fabulous, if expensive, spectacle which enthralled the capital’s upper classes. In the 1970s, Rinaldo regained widespread attention once again as a vehicle for Marilyn Horne. The present recording, made after a concert tour in late 1999, features Horne’s most famous student, countertenor David Daniels, in the title role -- along with rising countertenor stars Daniel Taylor and Bejun Mehta, a number of other gifted singers, and megastar Cecilia Bartoli as the lead soprano and the hero’s love interest. Bartoli displays the same virtues and the same flaws audible on her recent Vivaldi disc: the bravura showpieces are sung too aggressively, with constant, overly wide vibrato and coloratura delivered like rounds from a machine-gun; yet the softer, more delicate arias are ravishing -- especially her birdsong aria in Act I, which features a fabulous solo for Rachel Brown on sopranino recorder. (Yes, she sings the famous "Lascia ch’io pianga" beautifully as well.) Contralto Bernarda Fink, in the role of the Crusader general Goffredo (composed as a "pants" role for a female singer), also has a vibrato a bit more pronounced than one might like, but she sings with a great deal of spirit, as does Luba Organosova as the vulnerable villainess. Daniel Taylor doesn’t sound entirely comfortable vocally or dramatically (very possibly because he sings the thankless role of the helpful, supportive younger brother), but he acquits himself well. As Rinaldo, Daniels does his teacher Horne proud: dead-on coloratura, beautiful tone, excellent Handelian style; if there’s a flaw in his performance, it’s that he sounds a bit less involved dramatically than he generally does on the stage (doubtless because this was a concert production). Bejun Mehta, in his one aria, is just as good as Daniels. Best in this starry cast, however, is baritone Gerald Finley as the Saracen general Argante: completely clear diction, just enough vibrato to color the voice without distorting the melodic line, and vigorous, even fearsome singing. Christopher Hogwood’s conducting isn’t as high-energy as that of, say, Paul McCreesh would be, but he paces the opera nicely. Some of those fabulous theatrical effects are included as well: we get to hear 18th-century thunder and birdcall machines, both of which make delightful noises. In spite of a few flaws (none of which are fatal), this Rinaldo is not only an admirable piece of work, it’s great fun as well. --Matthew Westphal

Product Description

DAVIS MILES PANGAEA (2 CDS)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handel Handled by Masters Led by a Soaring Daniels, September 20, 2004

By 

Ed Uyeshima (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pangaea (Audio CD)

This is a magnificent recording with an absolute dream cast. Despite its historical context within the late 11th century battles between the Crusades and the Saracens, Handel's "Rinaldo", written in the early 18th century, is actually a fanciful tale of love, devotion and betrayal populated by kings and warriors, fair maidens and sorcerers. It has all the elements of a great period action movie produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.

You need a real vocal swashbuckler in the title role, and countertenor David Daniels is ideally suited with a rarefied voice that is alternately heroic and romantic. With his stunning coloratura and dramatic intensity, it would be hard to imagine anyone better as the conflicted Christian hero Rinaldo, who can lead an entire army to take Jerusalem but still have trouble taking his true love Almirena away from the hands of evil magicians. Daniels is particularly convincing with the music that reflects his deep love for her, in particular, with Rinaldo's famous lament, "Cara sposa, amante cara, dove sei?". The beauty of his timbre really flows out of him in what seems like an effortless manner, and provides proof positive that his is a special talent. As great as he is here, Daniels actually surpassed this performance two years later in David Alden's audacious update of the opera, staged in Munich in 2001 and luckily captured on DVD two years later (also strongly recommended). While not the most ideal interpreter of Handel, superstar mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli displays her supreme technique as Almirena. Her style is famously full of dramatic fire, but one gets the sense that a more plaintive manner would be more appropriate for such a lovelorn character. I kept thinking she could have been better cast as the sorceress Armida were it as important a role. At times, her presence is so overwhelming that she singes some of the more openly yearning arias with her bravura technique and amazing range. Ironically though, she and the more delicately toned Daniels meld together perfectly on their brief duets, notably "Scherzano sul tuo volto", and she certainly delivers the goods on the sonorous "Lascia ch'io pianga", likely the most definitive recorded version on the market now.

In a "pants" role, i.e., a female playing a male, mezzo-soprano Bernarda Fink convincingly plays the Christian army general Goffredo, who almost acts like the chorus for all the action. Although the role is a bit passive, she lends a beautiful tone to all her pieces. Soprano Luba Orgonasova plays Armida, a sorceress that requires a singer to convey a concurrent sense of sensuality and melodrama, especially as she seduces and then falls in love with the stalwart Rinaldo. She falls a bit short though not at the sacrifice of communicating the fury of feelings which cause her change of heart. Quite impressive is baritone Gerald Finley, who is pitch perfect and provides clear diction as Argante, the King of Jerusalem. Perhaps because his voice is so dramatically deeper than anyone else's in the cast, he fully captures the dominating presence of his character. Amazingly there are two other countertenors in this stellar cast, which just shows how versatile this voice type truly is. Bejun Mehta brings a velvety quality to his aria, "Andate, o forti, fra stragi e morti"; and Daniel Taylor, with his choirboy innocence, does as well as he can in the least interesting role of Goffredo's brother Eustazio, especially with the lovely "Siam prossimi al porto", which opens Act II.

I love how characters will sing successive couplets culminating in some amazingly dulcet tones. Sound effects of thunder and battle and even simulations of birdsongs provide effective bridges between pieces and acts. Special praise should go to conductor Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music for the authentically dramatic sound of the period instruments. This is one of Handel's great early works, and we are lucky to have it preserved in such an exemplary manner here. Make sure to reserve three hours of your time to listen to this opera in total as it should be experienced. An absolute must-have for Baroque music aficionados.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful opera - excellent orchestra - pretty good singing, July 15, 2002

By 

Craig Matteson (Saline, MI) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pangaea (Audio CD)

I am very glad that the Handel operas are being looked at and recorded - usually very well - nowadays. When I was younger there were occasional arias, but the writing for castrati created problems that were hard to overcome.

People would accept "pants" roles for women playing young men, but full fledged gender bending was hard to accept for most. As was the counter-tenor voice when it first appeared.

Nowadays, we are pretty much past that and can have women singing the roles or the use of counter-tenors is quite popular. Here we have both, we have Bernarda Fink ably singing as Goffredo, a captain of the armies and David Daniels and David Taylor singing counter tenor roles very well indeed.

The director, Christopher Hogwood, seems to always go for voices that have some special quirkiness about them (character?). He does that again on this recording. Yes, the voices are all good. (You may or may not like any individual voice in a specific role, but they do all sing well.) And there is some awfully gorgeous ensemble singing.

This is a studio recording and sounds pretty good. The orchestra sounds especially nice.

This is a very good opera and has a lot of excellent qualities that I hope keep it around for a long time. You could do a lot worse than getting this version of Rinaldo into your collection.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best recording of Rinaldo in the market., August 6, 2003

By 

Annio (Spain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pangaea (Audio CD)

This isn't a critic. This is the best recording of 'Rinaldo' that you can find in the market at this moment. Daniels and Bartoli are simply extraordinary, but all the roles are sang with a very high nivel. I specially enjoy with Bernarda Fin, Liuba Orgonasova, Gerarld Finley and Bejun Metha.
Fantastic also the Academy of Ancient Music and Horwoogd. You must have it!