Customer Reviews

Song of America

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

 

 

This is a sterling collection of American songs from their chief modern exponent. Only Ben Heppenr's similar recital comes close, and it's limited to Anglo-American sentimental ballads and operetta. Starting with "An Old Song Resung" (1890), the most stunning recital of old-fashioned platform songs since the golden era of Lawrence Tibbett (one of Hampson's heroes), we've had an exemplary album of Stephen Foster and another of modern songs inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman. These are the sources for the compilation offered here.

This CD has earned harsh reviews here for being a compilation, but it's not marketed as anything else. I, too, wish that there was new material. Yet I would be much sorrier if propsective buyers didn't have a chance to hear in full the three CDs from which this one is drawn. All are indispensable.

I am a huge Tom fan. I go to his concerts and buy all of his CDs. I must say that I have been disappointed by this CD because it's entirely made of old recordings. There's a new photo on the cover, but that's all that is new here. So if you've bought your share of Tom CDs over the years, you want to check out the track info before you guy this one.

Now, Tom has been on tour and I STRONGLY recommend that you go see him next year when he comes through your city.

The other thing really annoying is that on the CD where you'd expect information about the music or the recording co., you instead get a large warning label from the FBI on pirating.

Listening to classical radio one day I experienced something I heard about us as living souls. That each one of us has a personal programmed emotional response maybe to a color, word, image, or a certain musical melody. Well that happened when one of the songs on this CD was played over the air waves. It unexpectedly brought a flood of tears to my eyes because it was so beautiful, and the words resonated like some powerful national and historical American theme. That song was "Shenandoah" sung by Thomas Hampson's rich voice. I was so overwhelmed that I immediately spent much time tracking down this exact CD and purchased it. And the odd thing is that such a very short song could impact me so much! Remarkable.

I've heard most of the great opera and lieder singers of the last 35 years, in person. Every time I leave a Thomas Hampson concert, I continue to grow in the belief that he is the greatest singer of our time. This CD is a sample of what his concerts are like. They touch and expand the mind, the heart, the spirit, and the ear, oftentimes many of these in the same song. He has an uncanny knack for finding the heart of the material and expressing it with the widest array of colors and expression of anyone I've heard. I confess that some of the newer songs are difficult for me to absorb and understand on first hearing, and I'm looking forward to repeated hearings to better "get" their message. It is the one luxury of the CD that cannot be created in the concert hall. The CD is a wonderful sampling of a wide array of American song, and worth hearing on many levels.

My only regret is that he is apparently yet to record "A letter to Mrs. Bixby," by Michael Daugherty, set to the prose text of a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to a mother of 5 deceased civil war soldiers; it was the emotional highlight of his "Song for America" concert in San Francisco in September, 2009. Perhaps in Volume 3...

I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Hampson perform in Fort Worth as part of his tour in collaboration with the Library of Congress. The recital was very engaging, and this world famous baritone sang very beautifully. After wards, I had the opportunity to purchase this cd and have Mr. Hampson autograph it. What a nice man! I played the cd on my way back home. I think the selections on this cd are wonderful. I especially recommend listening to the arrangement of Beautiful Dreamer, Roses of Picardy, and Look Down Fair Moon.

I don't think this recording deserves One Star ratings or that the artist deserves such crude bashing. And re: Hampson's eye-colour.... Uh, these aren't lenses? He has blue eyes. I met him many times and...indeed, they are dark blue.

Anyhow, this is what Hampson is focusing on right now, American song. While those aren't exactly my thing I have to say that he sings them beautifully. I wish he'd stick to that rather than heavy Verdi and Wagner which his voice isn't right for.

Here Mr. Hampson is in his element. Unlike his less than viable attempts at Opera, Mr. Hampson is a thorough and intelligent singer of songs. His affectations, so fully inappropriate in bigger operatic literature, work well with the intimate nature of these sweet and personal songs. If you are Hampson fan, this album will thrill you.

I got this on November 12th, because Mr. Hampson did a concert in my area and I got it signed. He's a good performer and has a beautiful voice. I usually don't like 20th century music, but this is great.

I have not even heard the album, and I will not. Although I revere Mr. H. in just about everything he does, especially in song and Lieder, I am very disappointed that so many of these songs appear on other cds of which I already have about 19 of him. I think he and the producers should have chosen totally NEW material for this instead of drawing on his past achievements. I have no reservations about his performances, for I have seen him at the Met in opera and at Carnegie Hall in Mahler. I value them and all of his past cd productions.

Thomas Hampson swoons and croons to monotonous effect throughout this tired collection; again displaying his ego and faux scholarship in ample measure. Oi-vay, what a disaster! And what is with the blue contact lenses in the Jacket phot? Hampson's eyes are brown. What an unbelievably vain Diva!