Customer Reviews

The Radiant Voice of Barbara Bonney

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Miss Bonney's singing on this compilation CD does not ever disappoint the listener. From start to finish, each selection offers her unique brand of intelligence, poetic sensitivity, rhythmic security, and tonal beauty. This soprano's Nordic tone quality is perfectly suited to the wide range of classical styles represented on this disc. One might be surprised at how italianate her Adina is -- the character is right-on, without ever turning harsh, or unnecessarily shrewish. Bonney's Sophie is as close to perfection as is humanly possible in the featured scene from Der Rosenkavalier. Not since Helen Donath and Lucia Popp has there been such a radiant Sophie. The Mozart selections are a constant delight. Having heard this fine artist many times in live performances, I can honestly say that this collection is a beautiful and honest reflection of her very special way of making music.

I am a rabid Bonney fan and happen to feel this recording is the perfect culmination of her impeccable artistry. Her sound is luscious, fluid, charming and always perfect for what she is singing. She is definately one of the smartest singers today. I could go into each piece individually, but there is a max of 1000 words.

In a nutshell, the perfect CD for any classical music lovers collection.

Radiant aptly describes the voice of Barbara Bonney. Her silvery tones, the effortless highs, and the quality of her pianissimo are simply stunning. Her voice shimmers with life, and love, and color. The music selections are varied and a grand example of the beauty of Barbara's instrument and artistry. This disk is a heavenly collection of some of the best lyric soprano literature and is pure joy to listen to.

I am a decided Bonney fan. So it is with hesitation I give this disc only three stars (three and a half really, but I don't have that option). But, it does reflect my feelings about this cd. There are certain selections that are especially disappointing because seeing them listed on the cover was my motivation for purchasing the cd to begin with-- the rose presentation from "Rosenkavalier," for example. As far as I'm concerned, Miss Bonney is the best Sophie around today. But this recording doesn't do her justice. Her signature floating pianissimi on the high a's and b's seemed under par here. Too much gear-changing and some vibrato issues (slight, but perceptible). And I wasn't particularly thrilled with the mezzo on this recording. Perhaps I'm spoiled by seeing the Lott-Bonney-von Otter DVD (by the way, THAT'S a definite keeper, if you have the 40 dollars it costs. . . worth it!). The "Exsultate, Jubilate" was less than stellar. It seemed to me that the tempo was just a hair faster than she could comfortably sing the florid lines. The high "c" at the end sounded far too difficult for a soprano like Bonney who does have such easy beautiful high notes. Additionally, I would have liked to hear her sing the entire piece as opposed to just the "Alleluia". I wish the Weber "Pie Jesu" weren't included. I always skip it. There's too much glorious music that suits Bonney so well for her to waste an entire track on this silliness.

Having said all this, the album is not at all a complete loss. There are some truly fine moments on here too. The Mozart arias are wonderful. Her voice really has the appropriate sex appeal for Susanna's aria. That's a favorite of mine anyway. Love the Strauss! Like the Dowland to open the cd. And check out track 16, "Die Nachtigall." The first time I listened to the cd, I had to do a "double take" halfway through this song. I grabbed the cd case and liner notes to see if someone else were singing this piece (since there are several guests on this collection) because it simply didn't sound like the same person. There's a depth and steely quality to her voice that I had never heard from her before. I was amazed. I suspect that she couldn't sustain that sound comfortably for an extended amount of time, but I was still very impressed to hear that she has that capability.

I tend to be overly wordy, so I'll wrap up by saying that this is indeed a cd that is worth buying if you can find it for reasonably less than the retail price. It's worth having for some of the better moments on the recording, but might be somewhat disappointing if you have invested the full retail value (as I did).

I bought this CD based on the music review section in The Absolute Sound magazine (TAS). I have not much to add to Michael White's review of this music CD. The other two reviews are also quite accurate in describing Barbara's voice and musicianship.

This is the impression from someone who has heard CD's of Jennifer L'Amore, Renée Fleming, and Cecilia Bartoli and been their fan. However, after hearing "The Radiant Voice..." I just feel like, "This is it, the voice that I can listen to any day".

As a person who appreciates operatic voices since his childhood, I have not been very satisfied with recordings of the above singers who otherwise are highly praised by such music authorities as Sir Georg Solti and the likes. Only after listening to track #5 (Alleluia), #9 (Chiedi all'aura lusinghiera from L'elisir d'amore), or #11 (Solveigs Sang) to name a few, I realized how much I have been missing out not knowing and listening to Ms. Bonney. Her voice is delicate and expressive, her singing is both subtle and dynamic; I can go on talking how glorious her singing is but I am afraid I would be running out of words.

To keep it short, listening her again today forced me to come here to AMAZON.COM and search for more of her recordings and videos. No wonder people said, "Even operaphobic folks like her singing." Thank you TAS for spreading the good news, and thanks Ms. Bonney for letting us hear your radiant voice.

This is my first CD of Ms. Bonney.
I would say that Ms. Bonney is the greatest lyrical soprano of the late 20th century (she has retired last year from opera, I saw on the internet).
I've yet to hear another contemporary singer to beat her in her Susanna aria 'Deh vieni non tardar', or her Pamina aria.
Her Solveig's Song I took as a real vocal guide towards this song. Just listen to her 'ah' section and you will understand what I mean - such well nuanced musically line, such refined phrasing. Hard to beat.
Her opening song of Dowland is again a great wonder. Such drama built into so simple a song! Together with her Bach cantata, it reflect her vast span of repertoire that falls nowhere short of greatness.
Yes, I do not find her 'alleluia' from Exultate Jubilate 'very' exceptional, but this, as pointed out, may not be her best account of this work.
If she has really retired from opera then it is a great great loss indeed.

The Radiant Voice of Barbara Bonney is a 2001 Decca Music Group starring soprano Barbara Bonney. Here we get to hear the amazing and world famous soprano sing Dowland, Orff and Pergolesi to mention a few. Bonney does not disappoint but wows the listener with her prowess. The music notes have been written by Richard Wigmore. Truly a stunning performance. Highly recommended indeed. 5/5.

I was inspired to buy this when I heard Barbara Bonney's deliciously cool voice singing Solveig's Song on WQXR/WNYC. I have never been lucky enough to see her in an operatic performance as she is seldom seen on the operatic stage these days. The CD is a treasure of impeccable performance. Ms. Bonney deals in perfection and cool beauty, not passion, and she is very good at it.

Discovered Ms. Bonney by accident. Her voice is amazing, sends chills it is so pure. I will definitely be getting more as gifts, so I can share this wonderful experience.

Barbara Bonney is a phenomenon. With a rich and sensuous voice, she imparts more subtle emotional colors and musical nuances to the works she performs than any soprano in recent memory. To hear her sing is to come away with both a new understanding of the work and a heart full of joy. At the risk of seeming to hedge, however, I am less ecstatic about some of her performances of larger works. On this CD, for example, the "Laudate Dominum" seems strangely forced. (It is only because other of her albums are even more exquisite that I gave this one four stars. She deserves all the stars in the firmament.) But there is no comparison with her renderings of lieder, like the exquisite "Mondnacht." She is haunting, delicate, seductive - and all things in between. I have written elsewhere of the ongoing rediscovery of Robert Schumann. Ms. Bonney's recordings are, in my view, among those leading this revolution, which has led others besides this reviewer to consider Schumann's lieder even more remarkable than Schubert's. Her recent disc with songs of Liszt balanced by the "Dichterliebe" is so lovely as to be almost unearthly. Similarly, in a recording with Vladimir Ashkenazy, she sings the "Frauenliebe und Leben," excerpts from Eichendorff's "Liederkreis," and champions to excellent effect a number of sumptuous lieder by Clara Schumann. This is by way of saying that what Ms. Bonney herself asserts is accurate: that she is a lieder singer first and foremost. Her Richard Strauss and Sibelius are subtle, powerful and passionate. The Mozart arias are sprightly and, where called for, sexy as well. She also works wonders with Andrew Lloyd Weber and Andre Previn, though I think she really deserves to sing better material. This is a marvelous overview of Ms. Bonney's range, and while I am always suspicious of hagiography in program notes, here I can only say "Amen"!