Customer Reviews

A Quiet Thing; David Daniels & Craig Ogden

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I know, I know--you can't stand the countertenor voice, it's "weird," "creepy," "unnerving." I can't promise to change anyone's mind; this voice is an acquired taste. But oh, the glories if you acquire it!

Daniels's tone, shadings, and breath control are pure beauty. The Renaissance songs, such as Dowland's "Come Again Sweet Love," we expect to be great, because Dowland wrote with this voice in mind. But even in the contemporary songs such as "A Quiet Thing," Daniels is a revelation. And in what has become his signature song, "Blackberry Winter," he is heartbreaking; the colors of his voice, the emotion, especially in the repeat of the line, "And I get so lonely," make one cry.

Listen to this CD to understand why the countertenor voice has been so revered and exalted for hundreds of years. Not since the days of Russell Oberlin have I encountered such a moving, almost unbearably beautiful recording.

A QUIET THING: Songs for Voice and Guitar is a unique, idiosyncratic, irresistible collection of songs that span from contemporary melodies from Broadway to English lute songs to versions of Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod and Schubert) to American folksongs. And as if this variety of communication weren't enough, these songs are performed by countertenor par excellence David Daniels and the subtle and sensitive guitarist Craig Ogden. Both performers are intensely musical, intuitive interpreters of poetry and melody line and offer popular ballads from the stage of today with as much sincerity as bel canto songs of Bellini and the other-worldly Dowland and Purcell. For those unfamiliar with the countertenor oeuvre then this is a beautiful introduction to that vocal quality. David Daniels is internationally celebrated for his resurrecting the original countertenor roles in Handel operas and his voice has more power on the opera stage in this unfamiliar vocal range than those many regular tenors. Not being a fan of crossover recordings (big opera stars singing Broadway show tunes) I admittedly approached this album with reservation. But listening to these two men changes all that. Here in this aptly titled collection Daniels proves that his soft and quiet range is just as admirable as his 'big role arias'. The collaboration between Daniels and Ogden is clear and pitch perfect and the result is a recital - no, salon - of intimately communicated moments. An album to treasure.

Unless you simply don't like the counter-tenor voice, you are bound to love this CD. Mr. Daniels has selected some pieces that are perfect for this voice type. I especially enjoy the all-too-rare combination of classical voice and guitar. "A Quiet Thing" joins "Pleasure of their Company" (Battle/Parkening) and "Wayfaring Stranger" (Mentzer/Isbin) as a classic of this genre. In fact, this disc shares two or three selections with the Battle/Parkening one.

Last year I heard Mr. Daniels in recital and was left spellbound by his rendition of Alec Wilder's "Blackberry Winter." When I saw that it was included on his new disc, I knew I had to own it. Given the cost of CD's, it is difficult to say that a single band is worth the cost of the CD, but I would say it is true here. Fortunately, there is a lot to enjoy here. I especially liked the English-language numbers such as the title song, Arlen's "My Shining Hour," and the rarely heard "A Simple Song" from the Bernstein "Mass." As the title of the CD suggests, this is a perfect recording to accompany one's mellow moments.

Having everything from Marylin Manson and The Offspring to Rossini and Offenbach in my CD collection, I'm certainly not a die-hard classical music fan. Driving home one night (stuck in peak-hour traffic) I heard "A Simple Song" (tack 15 from this album) on the radio. It was just so simple, so peaceful and joyous. I had never heard of David Daniels, but I bought the album and have listened to it constantly. It is superb. Even if you think you don't like the counter-tenor (male alto) voice, try this album, you won't regret it.

After a string of remarkable recordings, David Daniels continues to amaze with his uniquely beautiful voice and utterly natural singing. Highlights, difficult to choose, include an incomparable "Come again, sweet love," "Music for a while," and the early Spanish songs, perfect showcases for Daniels' seemingly endless breath, lush low voice, and sublime soft high singing. What comes across most in every song is Daniels' instinctive musicality and sheer artistry-- what will we have next from the pioneering countertenor? This special disc makes almost anything possible. A Christmas album and more complete opera recordings-- Cesare, Partenope, Rodelinda-- are on the top of my wish list.

When I realized Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand covered the first two songs on this CD, I had to admit I was a bit worried that "A Quiet Thing" would be one of those crossover albums that famous opera singers need to do to please their management companies. But leave it to countertenor David Daniels to continue venturing into new territory for his rarefied voice type. Although Baroque-loving traditionalists may balk at his choice of repertoire this time, he paints a broad musical canvas along with guitarist Craig Ogden, encompassing American folk, English and Spanish renaissance, Italian bel canto, two versions of "Ave Maria", and even some Tin Pan Alley. This could have been an unwieldy smorgasbord for a lesser singer, but never underestimate Daniels' vocal dexterity, incredible coloratura and superb taste. Daniels and Ogden have really turned this program into a cohesive vision full of simply beautiful music wonderfully realized through voice and guitar - probably the best such coupling I have heard since Kathleen Battle and Christopher Parkening's "Pleasures of Their Company" more than a decade ago.

Standout tracks include Alec Wilder's melancholy "Blackberry Winter", a contemporary piece which ranks right up there with any of Daniels' much-revered Handel arias; John Dowland's "Come Again, Sweet Love", so familiar yet perfect for his voice; the one-two Americana sequence of "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Shenandoah"; and the title track by John Kander, which he sings with a languid quality that adds dimension to its original meaning. Such flights of vocal beauty make one wonder when he will tackle the Sondheim songbook. This is a terrific album, ideal for those who want an introduction to not only the countertenor voice but also the artistry of David Daniels.

IT'S NOT THE VOICE THAT HAS ME COMPLAINING; IT'S THE SELECTION OF TUNES THAT I FIND DISDAINING!

My problem with this disc has nothing to do with David Daniel's singing; rather it has to do with the line-up of songs. Some of them simply do not suit his voice. I really don't want to hear him singing:"My Shining Hour"-"A Simple Song"-"Beautiful Dreamer" or "Shenandoah"; and I'm not really fond of hearing the "Ave Marias". Not that he didn't do justice to them;he did!

But the remainder of the selections were perfect for him and I think the contrast between the 2 genre is hard to take. The great songs on the album are great indeed:the 3 songs by Bellini;the 2 songs by Dowland;2 songs by Purcell and Martini's "Plaisir d'amour". I would still buy the album for these songs alone for they are performed with skill and emotion. Skilled musicians: Daniels & Ogden!

There are many fine ways to hear David Daniels -- the Handel arias CD for instance, or the unique and wonderful performance he delivers on the DVD of Handel's Theodora. This CD, as other reviewers have declared, is half wonderful, half awful. "Innocent" music has to be sung by innocent voices. The Berlin Philharmonic can't play mariachi, Mick Jagger can't sing Danny Boy, and David Daniels shouldn't sing Shenandoah.

This disc will be painful to the ears. I love Daniels' voice - strong, fluid, clear, especially pleasant in the low to mid range. And his stage presence made the touring Julius Caesar plain fun. But the Bernstein songs on this collection are not melodious and a jarring contrast to the title track and the older pieces. I found myself skipping tracks after the first listening. It was enjoyable, one time, to hear the two versions of Ave Maria for comparison, but they also seem out of place on this secular album. At least he does not take either one "over the top" the way some well-known tenors are wont to do; kept it under control and almost ethereal, as befits the subject. "Shenandoah" is perhaps the strangest pick and not a good choice, lacking the flowing sense of the lyrics and melody - it just didn't sound like a languid river flowing to the sea. Daniels' other recordings are a much better showcase for his voice and presentation.

The 'Quiet Listening' offers a selection of baroque, romantic and XXth century songs performed by the countertenor David Daniels with a guitar accompaniment from Craig Ogden. Neither Daniels's manner(he sings with more vibrato than many of his colleagues) nor a classical guitar are, strictly speaking, 'authentic' for the most part of the songs on this CD, but the singer likely had a different goal in mind - to demonstrate popular vocal souvenirs from different epoch and make them accessible for a large audience.

As this CD arrived, I listened to selected tracks from it. My first reaction was to rate it with four stars but then I got an opportunity to hear the entire program several times and I changed my mind.

I am giving my fresh impressions in form of (very free) variation on a text of a folk song (unfortunately, David Daniels does not sing it here).

Lord, I married me a wife!
She makes me hear this all my life:
Every night, in rain and snow,
"A quiet thing" and "Tears will flow".

Actually, the second song's title is 'Flow my tears' (track 9), but I did not get a rhyme.

Five stars. A perfect nighttime listening in a quiet environment. For a daytime listening turn to David Daniels's thematic Handel CDs Handel: Oratorio Arias David Daniels: Operatic Arias or his `Les Nuits d'Été' with a Berlioz/Ravel program Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Été.