Customer Reviews

Sumi Jo - Prayers / James Conlon

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is a refreshing change to have a collection of arias on a CD with a title that actually bears some relevance to the contents. This is indeed a prayerful collection. That means, of course, that you have to be in the appropriately contemplative mood in order to appreciate it.

Another nice change is that the orchestral accompaniment enhances the singing rather than just tagging along as an afterthought, which often seems to be the case. It is fitting that James Conlon gets equal billing here. This is splendid singing to splendid music.

Sumi Jo is comfortable in any language and in a broad range of styles. I was uncertain how she would tackle songs like Amazing Grace and Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. I need not have worried. In the latter she reveals a soulfulness that fits the lyrics perfectly.

The only track not worthy of this collection is Bernstein's Take Care of This House. I suppose, as it is a prayer, it was an obvious song to include, and Jo sings it very well, but it is just a very poor song. That still leaves 14 excellent tracks that, if you are a lover of good singing, you will want in your collection.

This is my first Sumi Jo CD, but certainly will not be my last. Unfortunately, the rating scale only goes up to 5 stars - this deserves more. Ms. Jo has the voice of an angel; her versions, especially of Gounod's "Sanctus" and Preisner's "Lacrimosa", will make you grateful just be alive at a time when such performances are available so easily, and make your heart beat faster with the incredible beauty and power of her voice - but the entire CD is most enjoyable. Certainly, this has become one of the CDs I'd have to have if stranded on a desert island.

One word: Lacrimosa. It haunts you and will stay with you long after you hear it. I actually forced several if my coworkers to listen to it many of which are not opera fans and even they could not argue the beauty of it. One of my coworkers was actual on the verge of tears by the end of the song.

The rest of the album is enchanting as well as breath taking. I am a harsh critic when it comes to singers so I do not give those compliments very often, nor am I easily moved by singers but Sumi Jo has certainly done that with this album.

My only complaint is that I would have liked to hear her take of "Ave Maria" by Schubert which, while recorded many times over, would complimented her voice perfectly due to it's simplicity. "Sing low sweet chariot" would have been another great one to hear but as far as spirtuals are concerned I was very happy with her acepella version of "Amazing Grace." I was never a huge fan of "Amazing Grace" since it's been done a thousand times over but she brought such seetness and emotion to it. Of course I am kind of biased becuase I offically hate the "belting" version of this song and that's how it's usually done. It's nice to hear a simple, straight forward version.

My last comment is that it's nice to hear Sumi Jo sing less operatic pieces considering most opera singers are rarely bold enough to sing anything other than classical pieces, excluding Renee Fleming of recent.

This is one of my favourite recordings. Even if you have millions of songs and CDs, sometimes you absolutely have no idea what to play at the moment or you just don't know what you want to hear. Those times, I just put this CD on and I'm in the heaven! Sumi Jo's near perfection singing techniques, bird like lightless of the voice...always thrill me. Caccini's Ave Maria is absolutely stunning!!! Strongly recommanded regardless your religion and your favor type of music.

This has to be one of the best displays of classical and popular music I have heard in years. I'm really a newby at Jo Sumi's fantastic voice, but I have been finding it difficult to find someone that truly compares to her abilities. Perhaps Renee Flemming, I think It's a hard comparison to make. Different styles mean different musical interpretations. My personal favorites on Prayers is Ave Maria by Caccini, which is simply stunning, and Lacrimosa by Preisner, this one displays her wonderful upper range. The only song I don't like is Take care of this house by Bernstein, but that's because it just plain doesn't belong on this disc. And Amazing Grace is somewhat sketchy, she doesn't have here spiritual singing down like Kathleen battle and Jessey Norman. Other than that, this is a truly amazing piece of work. Highly recommended to relax to, introduce people to or put on as background music. Enjoy.

I do agree with Amazon reviewer's opinion about this CD. My favorates are Kaddisch, Laudate Dominum,Ave Maria, Rossini, Pie Jesu, Say a prayer for me tonight. Others may not be easy for your ear if you are looking for typical soothing sacred arias from this CD. However, if you listen more than once, you will like better for own good. If I have to pick 3 most impressive pieces from this CD: Rossini, Gigi movie song, Ave Maria. Well, you will find out.

Sumi Jo is the supreme colatura of today! Her voice soars effortlessly through peices. And unlike many colaturas, her voice does not submerge you in excessive vibrato and overly heavy voice. With sophistication to her style, this cd will hook you to this woman's astounding voice. THis album is a fine collection of eclectic peices mostly and each song is sung is handled delicatly by Sumi Jo. Highlights include: Laudate Dominum, Ave Maria, and Lacrimosa!

I bought this used from an Amazon.com dealer and it came with a cutout on the left side of the CD box. Can this specacular CD possibly have gone out of print by Christmas 2004? If so we have lost one of the benchmark recordings of this splendid artist.

Never is there a weak moment in this incredibly beautiful collection of classical bleeding chunks and spirituals. I don't think you'll confuse Sumi for your favorite spiritual singer in "Amazing Grace" and "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child" but she is magnificent singing the complete and incomplete tunes elsewhere on the CD by famous classical composers including Mozart, Richard Strauss, Rossini, Schubert and Donizetti, to name some of them.

She is in wonderful voice and fresh-faced for the Loewe-Lerner "Say a prayer for me tonight" and does an equally nice job with Susan Graham accompanying Leonard Bernstein's "Take care of this house" from "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue". I'm not much for this kind of music -- I bought this exclusively for her rendition of Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" -- but it adds a dimension to the concert that brings it into the realm of popular Broadway tunes.

This is a wonderful concert of familiar and not so familiar songs from a singer whose voice is eloquent, beautiful and rich, with significant range and span from PPP to FFF. Sumi Jo controls her voice well throughout the concert, giving everyone something to think about regardelss of musical preference. This might have been improved if she'd included a Beatles tune -- maybe "Elenor Rigby" or "Yesterday" -- accompanied by the orchestra and James Conlon's direction. But it stands with any similar collection by any singer as it is.

Living in the hectic Los Angeles surroundings, I am subjected to road rage, smog, traffic that makes snails look like olympic sprinters, heat, and nasty attitudes. That's the outside. Inside my car is an oasis of calm, peace, and etherial zen-ness. Why is that, you ask? Well, if you had this album to flick on, you'd know exactly why, buddy.

It's quite ironic that a girl dubbed "School Bus" while in Korea (she supposedly rode all the boys) did an album on sacred arias and what not, named "Prayers". And when I think of Sumi, bright happy coloratura voice comes to mind, particularly her trademark Queen of the Night aria from Die Zauberflote. Here, she's controlled and commands incredible musicianship. But her diction is a sloppy. I personally felt that she could've been far more crisp with Ravel's Kaddish. She was a bit poppish on the acapella version of "Amazing Grace," which threw me off my balance a bit the first time I heard it. Also, on a complete nitty gritty, I really wish she can end her dictions on some word a bit more crisper, like, "but". "Buhhhh" ???? Oh well...

The Pie Jesu (Faure) is beautiful and Gounod's Sanctus is nice, but I love the Ave Maria by Caccini. For her interpretation alone on this, one ought to purchase it. I just wish that the orchestra would tone down a notch. Well... I guess I'll just have to go get a bose music system for that...

I'm still debating between 4 and 5 stars, but I can't seem to shake off the Caccini. So, for that being the pushing ballet, it's a 5. Knock yourself out and live in peace.

Very fast shipping service. In an excellent condition. and i am enjoying all the songs in this CD.
thanks.