Sumi Jo: Live at Carnegie Hall [Import]

Richard Bonynge (Conductor), Orchestra of St. Luke's (Orchestra), Sumi Jo (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 27, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Samsung Music
• ASIN: B0000262L9
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #346,905 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The voice sounds better live!, July 5, 2000

By 

Mathew Calewarts (VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sumi Jo: Live at Carnegie Hall (Audio CD)

I,actually, have had this CD for quite a few months now. It was this CD that introduced me to the voice of Sumi Jo and the art of the coloratura soprano. Sumi Jo's light and sparkly voice sparked my interest in opera...yes, thank you Ms. Jo for introducing me to the wonderful world of opera. The CD contains songs that Sumi Jo has previously released, for some reason Amazon.com has decided not to give a track list of the CD so I just wanted to mention that. The program consists of the typical coloratura repertoire. She sings Mozart, Bellini, Offenbach, Bernstein, Johann Strauss, Benedict, Herbert, and three beautiful Korean songs that sound suprisingly western...so don't let that scare you. Sumi Jo's voice sounds more powerful and vibrant on this CD than on any other she has released. Listen to how long she holds out the final high C's and D's of the songs on this recording compared to the other CD's she has released, its obvious that the tone, for some reason, is being reinforced with more energy and vibrance (maybe its because of the excitment of being at Carnegie Hall or because she has practiced for hours and hours for the performance or because she is so familiar with the pieces...I don't know). Listen to Offenbach's doll song for example, I have a recording of Joan Sutherland singing the same aria...Sumi Jo, yes I'll say it, sounds better. Mozart's concert aria, "Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!" is sung with so much ease, there is absolutely NO evicence of vocal strain (she does a better job than Kathleen Battle here). The runs in Berstein's "Glitter and be Gay" sound so efforless( and actually better than Renee Fleming here). As a vocalist myself I can appreciate how difficult this particular piece is.

I personally think this is the best CD Sumi Jo has released to date, I own practicully all of them. The variety of music and stellar performance keeps me coming back to this CD time and time again...its one of my personal favorites. In other words: "I DEFINITELY RECCOMEND IT"!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sumi Jo at her best in concert, February 17, 2008

By 

Steven A. Peterson (Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL)) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sumi Jo: Live at Carnegie Hall (Audio CD)

Sumi Jo made her operatic debut in 1986, and has been one of the top coloratura sopranos since then. This is a recording of her live concert in Carnegie Hall. As such, it is a very nice work.

To start, there is a Mozartian aria made for a soprano of the day, Aloysia Weber Lange, "Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!," who preferred an aria by Mozart rather than the one originally written by the composer. This is the first time I've ever heard this piece. Jo's voice is lustrous here. Richard Bonynge's conducting of the Orchestra of Saint Luke's provides a supportive background. Jo shows good vocal range and good trill technique early on (she has a wonderful trill, and it is somewhat surprising that she does not deploy it more often during the concert). The cabaletta at the end is well sung, featuring a quickened tempo and calling for more vocal agility. Jo answers the call nicely. By the way, for those not familiar with the term, cabaletta refers to a (according to Wikipedia: "form of aria within 19th century Italian opera. It usually refers specifically to the second half of a double aria: a faster or more rhythmic movement following a cantabile section, nowadays often referred to as the cavatina."

Adam's "Ah! Vous dirais-je maman" follows. This is "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" with some real vocal pop! The tune is familiar; the vocal effects can be stunning. This is a nice piece for a coloratura soprano. When the repeat occurs, she ramps up the ornamentation. Her voice is smooth, with not a hint of harshness. The repeat features appoggiaturas, good staccato singing, and a nice final high note, hit right on the mark.

One of the great pieces for coloratura soprano is Bellini's "Qui la voce. . .Vien diletto," from I Puritani. The cabaletta, "Vien diletto" is a great showcase for ornamentation. Jo begins with a sweetly sung rendition of the slow piece, the cavatina, setting up her foray into the cabaletta. The first part of the cabaletta is sung well, but is short on ornamentation (not atypical). The repeat is where one normally gets the vocal pyrotechnics. The repeat is the real deal--nice staccato singing, more florid singing, and a final high note well sung. This is not quite Sutherland-esque, but it is an awfully satisfying version!

Victor Herbert's "Italian Street Song" from the operetta "Naughty Marietta" is a sprightly, up-tempo, fun piece. Jeanette McDonald sang this famously many decades ago. Sumi Jo sings this bon bon nicely. This work is taken at a quick pace, well handled by Jo. She shows off her typical agility. The work ends nicely with the audience getting involved, adding a nice spontaneous feel to the song. Jo ends the song with a well sung high note.

Other pieces are well sung, too. This is a nice showcase of Sumi Jo's talents.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you love Live music, coloratura music, this CD is for you, July 2, 2000

By 

nate (canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sumi Jo: Live at Carnegie Hall (Audio CD)

If you are familiar with live music at the stage or you prefer to listen to live music, this Cd will be for you. For me, I think I prefer studio recorded version much better especially for coloratura arias. I do recommend to listen this CD before you buy for that reason(not quite stunning beautiful voice that I am familiar with her previous studio recorded versions). However some songs are very delightful in this CD. "I Puritani" are very dramatic and very nice. and "Italian Street Song", "Doll song" by Offenbach are very exciting because of the crowds involvement with singer. Another posive aspect of this Cd is that I think these coloratura arias were never been sung better as live by other previous sopranos. However, once again it is not for everybody. The best live operatic CDs that I have heard are "Live in Seoul, Placido Domingo and Hei-kyung hong" and "La Traviata by Angela Gheorghiu". In terms of Hei-kyung Hong, she generated such beautiful live voice, I wished she could have a chance to record the full-length "La Boheme" CD by Puccini in a near future.