Customer Reviews

Romantic Flute

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

 

 

Paula is such a consistent player if it be on stage or in the recording studio. Her endless pursuit to find the line in the music comes through in every piece she playes. In the Nel Cor Piu, truly listen to how she yanks every last bit of romantic quality out of the music and provides the listener with facinating interpretaion never heard previously. Paula is always striving to do something new to a piece never thought up before. It's like it was always there but, she is the only one to find it, making this CD a treasure amongst other recordings of these works. The only setback is the sometimes loud breaths Paula takes. It sounds like the throat needs to be opened a tad more, but if that holds you back, perfect techinique, incredible phrasing, dazzling color changes should help you overlook an occasional loud breath.

The most vividly alive flute-playing you're ever going to hear -- wildly exhilarating, fiercely intelligent, bursting with joy . This isn't dainty playing -- Robison drives purists nuts with her full-bodied, damn-the-torpedoes tone. But even in its quietest, most lyrical moments, this is flute-playing set on fire. Unfortunately there's not a lot of music of consequence here -- but the musicianship will be a revelation to anyone who's never experienced Robison.

Overall, a fabulous disk, with blazing technique making for great fun. Even the album's own comments acknowledge that some of the music has more emphasis on showy technique than on musical values, but the technique delivers, and Paula plays it wonderfully.
[Others] liked the Hummel for musical values, but that is the only track on the disk that I reliably skip - it is just plain boring. Sorry.
[Others are]disappointed in the abridgement of "Carnaval" and rated it down severely because of that. I agree that Carnaval was way too abbreviated and she skipped several of my favorite variations. However, those that she did include were very well done indeed! This ladies double-tonguing should be patented! Quite a sound on the last variation. Basically, I would not rate this disk down so severely because of what it did NOT include. Let's look at what it DID include:
The technical showmanship (show-womanship?) was dazzling and fun; the Bohm "Nel cor piu" was a gorgeous gem of the romantic flute genre (especially variation 1); and the Godard is simply a musical wonder.
... the Godard is the best piece of music here, and actually now one of my favorites in all of the classical literature. It has wit (the Allegretto), beauty (the Idylle), and exhiliation (the Valse). Paula plays the virtuosic Valse with a reckless abandon that leaves me holding my breath, then laughing in amazement.
Get the album - it's a gem!

My disappointment is not with the artist or the music, but the excessive brevity of the Carnival of Venice. I must agree that the description of the CD states that the Carnival of Venice was abridged but it was much too severe. Too much of the more exciting and challenging portions of the music were left out.

After my professors were raving about this particular cd, I had purchased it only to wonder if anyone else notices her airy tone? It drove me crazy. I also don't care for her vibrato.

I did think the best tracks were performances of Godard. The Gaubert pieces were also worth listening to more than once. The Genin version of 'Carnival' was terrible. Find the Briccaldi version and give it to Mark Sparks or Sir James Galway but please skip Robison's attempt!

I'm sure if I were to pick up other Paula Robison cds, I might enjoy her fluffy approach to playing. That sound is appropriate for french repertoire but the cd left me wanting a do-over.