Customer Reviews

A WINTER SYMPHONY (CD+DVD)

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I've read a lot of mixed reviews on this CD, from Brightman fans and non-fans alike. But in my personal opinion, it's a superb album, and I'm thrilled she finally produced a holiday CD.

I'm giving it 4 of 5 stars because I do believe it could have been better, but that by no means implies that I hate the CD in anyway. I've just followed Sarah for the past 10 years since I was a little girl. This woman was my introduction to opera and classical cross over music! That being said, I know what the "best" and "most" could sound like from her; this isn't it.

I really wish three things would have been done with this CD: Sarah singing, "The First of May" (as she did on the Symphony tour, for pre-Christmas dates), and she also included a version of her singing "Carol of the Bells" or her opera-arranged version of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" (another pre-Christmas Symphony tour song).

A few notes:

"Arrival" -- based off of the ABBA track by the same name, it opens the CD in a very unqiue and interesting fashion. I never thought the day would come when I would hear my favourite soprano covering the quartet from Sweden. The thing is, she doesn't do it in a corney fashion either. It's tasteful and I think she does ABBA justice. Her voice also lends the track an unearthly fantistical ring to the track, making you "see" the song as you "hear" it.

"Colder than Winter" -- if you ever had your heart broken by anyone for any reason, you will releate to this song. Enough said.

"Ave Maria" w/ Fernando Lima -- I seriously think this woman loves this song, because this is the THIRD (or more, who knows/remembers) arrangement she's has recorded of it. I have all of Sarah's releases and, while I welcome this addition to the CD, I seriously wish she would just CHILL on the hail Marys. I don't think Fernando Lima has a great voice, it's acceptable, but he's no Andrea Bocelli or Josh Groban, and he's completely not a Nick Garrett or Russell Watson by any stretch of the imagination. So what saves this track? The arrangement. It's beautiful and DIFFERENT. The last minute of the song, especially. Peterson is this verion's saving grace! Take the "Ave Maria" you think you know, to a new place. It's either really fantastic, or really brave. You be the judge.

"I Believe in Father Christmas" -- she also sings this on the "Symphony" tour before the holidays, if you are lucky enough to see her in person. It's fabulous! Oh I love love love this song. It's a unqiue addition to any Christmas CD that doesn't get played enough, and for Sarah, that's a blessing for her album!

This is a great album you can listen to during the winter months. Sarah has created it so that you are not stuck with it for the holidays only, you can well listen to this into January and February. I think this album is alot like Sarah McLachlan's "Wintersong", in that it's got a few Christmas tunes, but it is not really a "deck the halls" sort of album.

The music is very beautiful and flows nicely. I miss winter, and this does help in that I can meditate and see the wintery landscape, in particularly with track 6 "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring". I do agree with some of the other reviews in that I wish Sarah would not sing in that new "Wispy" sound she's done with the "Classics", "Symphony", and now this album. But variety is what she is known for, and she'll make many more beautiful albums such as this one. Add this to your "Wintery Collection", you'll love it.

Before you decide to buy this very wonderful and unique album of Christmas music be forewarned that this is NOT your typical album of American Christmas music, nor is it a "new age" Christmas album. If you are buying "A Winter Symphony" to satisfy those kinds of urges...be warned that this will work will probably not satisfy them!

BUT if you want a very different, very unique and yes...spiritual experience and are willing to embrace some European/British Christmas traditions then jump on in and buy "Winter Symphony."

Sarah Brightman did something which is by all standards quite a bold move...and that is to create a distinctly European and specifically British Christmas Album and release it overseas.

The songs on this album are songs most often heard in Europe/Britain...and NOT the USA. In fact, some of these Christmas songs I haven't heard since I moved back to America. Note: I mean BRITISH...songs British people listen at holiday time to: not songs Americans THINK the British listen to. Now let's deal with the album itself.

You can see just how European this album is with the very first song, which was co-written by the men from ABBA. Being a Japanese-Swedish-American I was struck by how Swedish the first song, "Arrival" is. In fact, "Arrival", reminds me a lot of a talented Swedish folk-singer, Merit Hemmingson, (who sadly is unknown outside of Sweden.) Given that this folk tradition is unknown outside of Sweden, "Arrival" is a pretty bold inclusion and shows you that this album is going to start out strong and it just gets better from there.

If you analyze the content of the album you can see that once again, Sarah Brightman and Frank Peterson imagined an album of music that would work like a themed "mini-musical." More specifically, and more exciting is the fact that they tied this "Winter Symphony" in with Sarah's most recent album "Symphony." The two albums deliberately compliment each other: even the art work on the two albums is inter-related with Sarah in "Winter Symphony" looking like the White image of herself that soars above the dead Red image who died in the labyrinth in the "Symphony" album.

I won't bore you with dissecting each song on the album, other than to say that both versions of "Ave Maria" on "A Winter Symphony" are distinctly different from each other and also from the more famous, controversial earlier version of "Ave Maria" that Sarah released previously. I particuarly like the first new version duet with Fernando Lima because of it's distinctly Hispanic flavor (I live in Southern California and can imagine someone singing this version in an old Mission at midnight on Christmas eve.)

Some reviewers criticized Sarah in this album for singing in a very high register...obviously these people never went to a C of E (Church of England) service. Sarah nails the classic C of E choir technique in what is most likely a nod to her childhood. (Again, that very British theme of the album.)

Sarah also includes some really lively songs. like "I Believe in Father Christmas" that remind me of songs you'd hear on the radio in London around Christmas time...the British version of our Fifties Christmas songs.

In closing, knowning just how polarized things have gotten over the years in America, let's address the issue of whether or not a non-Christian fan of Sarah Brightman's can enjoy this music. Being raised in an inter-Faith family of C of E'ers, Swedish Lutherans and Buddhists I can say...yes...both Christians and Non-Christians can enjoy this album.

A non-Christian fan of Sarah Brightman's should not be afraid of this album, even if there are some classic Christian religious songs in it. The religious songs in this album are very classical and very beautifully done...I especially like her version of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." Her "Ave Maria" with Fernando Lima is...well...I'm a Buddhist and I think it's awesome.

Conversely, a Christian fan of Sarah Brightman's should not fear this is some kind of "new age" perversion either. A Christian fan can also enjoy this album not fearing the inclusion of secular songs because these songs are in the European Yule tradition from whence all our current Christmas traditions sprang. In fact, I'd even venture that it might make an American Christian appreciate the European traditions more and slow down and not make their Christmas a frenzied, frantic shopping spree coupled with equally frenzied "Joy of Christmas" religious pagents.

Sarah Brightman's done something quite extraordinary...and that is to create an album of Holiday music which EVERYBODY, regardless of their religion (or lack thereof) can enjoy. Sarah's life the past few years has been challenging to say the least, and she's overcome those challenges in a most amazing manner which has been reflected in the joint "Symphony"/"Winter Symphony" albums. Like all true artists, she's taken her personal life with it's triumphs and tragedies, integrated it into her works and once again given her fans a transcendent experience that allows us to rise with her into a more hopeful future.

Sarah Brightman once described herself as being "very, very British" and that's reflected in her very, very British, very, very enjoyable "A Winter Symphony." And yes...I'd say an American can enjoy a very British album of Christmas music. So if, you're curious, buy the album, jump on in and have a Merry Christmas.

I must agree with another reviewer that this CD, although beautiful, is not a cheery Christmas album. It's all about Sarah Brightman. One thing that also really 'bugs' me about this album is the vocal mixing. In an effort to make Sara's voice seem more ethereal, they add reverb to it. This, coupled with a too-loud instrumental mix makes the words mostly unable to be understood. I feel this has been done on other of her albums also, notably 'Time to Say Goodbye'. Please, please get rid of the excess reverb and put the instrumentals a little farther back. As a long time musician and former choir director, I was constantly telling the choirs that the words are the message. The music is there to help, not hinder.

Ok, so first of all I'd just like to make something clear: "A Winter Symphony" is NOT a Christmas album... at least not a usual one. I'd say it's more of a "winter themed album" (hence the title). So, no "Santa claus is coming to town" or "jingle bells" here. Not that there's anything wrong with those songs, BUT if that's what you're looking for, you'll have to look somewhere else. There are plenty of other xmas albums with merrier tunes that could please you if that's your cup of tea.
So, now that I've got that out of my mind, let's start with the review of the album:

1.Arrival: The opening of the album was originally an ABBA instrumental. I think it actually works quite well, really well indeed and it's one of my favourite songs in the album. The music is quite joyfull and there's a feeling of hope and longing and excitement through the whole song. [9/10]

2.Colder Than Winter: A really sad, touching ballad. The holidays is definitly the moment when you miss the ones you love(d) the most, and that's what this song is about. "It's colder than winter since you closed the door". I get goosebumps everytime I hear this song. Beware thos of you who have recently gone through a breakup! [10/10]

3.Ave Maria (with Fernando Lima): I must admit I'm not a fan of Lima's voice. I think it was OK in Pasión, but I just can't stand it in this song. This has to be my least favourite song in the album. Spanish lyrics, poppy tune, doesn't do much for me. Though for those of you who liked LIma's part in Pasión, you'll probably enjoy this one as well. [4/10]

4.Silent Night: I've read that a lot of people complain about Sarah's whispery voice. And you should know that she does the WHOLE album in that breathy voice. To me, it works quite well in most of the songs. I really enjoy this version of Silent Night, Sarah's voice is quite angelic and the orchestra is amazing (if there's something you're gonna love about the album will be the orchestral arrangements, I asure you!) [7/10]

5.In The Bleak Midwinter: Sarah had already recorded this song some years ago for an album called "Save The Children". Back then, Sarah's voice was quite different and still had the Christine Daee timbre. Sarah's voice has obviously changed since then, and so I was really curious about this new version, which I must say is a bit dissapointing. It's not bad, but I'm gonna stick to the old version, just because I think it was more... powerful. Maybe if she had used her soprano voice this could have been better. [5/10]

6.I've Been This Way Before: Another ballad. This song actually made its way to the Symphony Tour. It's definitly a highlight of the album, I'm sureyou'll like it: beautiful lyrics, amazing arrangement, angelic voice. What elsecan I say? [9/10]

7.Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: The popular cantata gets a facelift... or is completly destroyed, depending on your likes. I wonder why Sarah didn't use her soprano voice for this one, the breathy voice doesn't quite work here. Still, I love this song, and the orchestra and the chorus kinda make it up... perhaps it's too little too late to save the song. I'm not skipping it in my plyer anyway. [6/10]

8.Child In A Manger: Well, you all know the carol so there isn't much to say aboout it. Once again, the breathy voice... not the I'm critizising, I'm just pointing it out. It's not my faaaaaavourite, but I don't hate it either. [7/10]

9.I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday: This is one of my 2 absolute favs from the album. This is the ONLY merry merry song in the album. It's amazingly joyfull, Sarah sings with the excitement of a child standing in front of a christmas tree... and there's also a children choir that joins Sarah! (Her "come on children, sing!!!!" is really cute). Oh, and Sarah leaves aside her breathy voice and actually uses her chest voice... which I hadn't heard for quite a while, which is nice! [10/10]

10.Amazing Grace: The intro of the song is certainly impressive, and it's a lovely hymn anyway. Sarah's version has become my favourite version of this piece, not only because of the music, but because of how much emotion she puts into this one (and the voice is amazing, as usual). After so many crappy renditions of this song it's great to finally listen to one that actually inspires a feeling of hope and love and trust in God. [8/10]

11.Ave Maria (Gounod): Ok, so we arrive to the famous Gounod's Ave Maria. This has got to be THE love it/hate it Sarah piece of all time. Sarah sings this again with her breathy voice, much like she did with Schubert's Ave Maria, though I don't think it works as well in this one. The high note is... well, the woman definitly hits the note (and it sure is a high and difficult note) but I think it's just a tiny bit screamed out. Sarah's technique for hitting the high notes has changed in Symphony, I think I kinda get it: she has left all the body resonance behind to make her voice lighter to be able to reach the head resonance easier... it sound too metallic to my taste, but it's not wrong or bad. In any case, there are billions of sopranos singing this same piece, but no one does it like Sarah, that's for sure. [8/10]

12.I Believe In Father Christmas: This is my second absolute fav on the album. I love the song, which is a classic xmas song, and the arrangement is just amazing! The orcestra really gets to my heart, and the song fills me with joy and the spirit of the season. (Just so you know, this song is also sang by Sarah in the Symphony Tour). [10/10]

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Now, these songs can only be found in the Barnes & Nobles edition of the album (in the USA) or in the cd+dvd edition (worldwide). I highly recommend getting the version with the bonus tracks!

13.When A Child Is Born: Sarah had already recorded this song with Gregorian before... though she only sang a few lines at the end of the song, so it's great to have her full version of it. The song is lovely, as always and Sarah surfs through it amazingly well. It's alomst as if this song was written specifically for her voice. [9/10]

14.Carpe Diem (with Mario Frangoulis): I'm not a big fan of Frangoulis, though I do enjoy some of his songs. I often find that when he sings his high notes he's a bit of a show-off, too much power, not enough control to make the notes sound... soft enough? So... this duet is enough, but I don't htink it's either Mario's nor Sarah's best performance. Actually, I don't think it fits the album at all, but it certainly is a nice song. I'd recommend to lower th evolume a bit in the end of the song or you may end up deaf. [7/10]

15.Happy Christmas-War is Over: Who doesn't love this christmas classic? Sarah also sang this in the Chritmas in Vienna concert with Placido Domingo, Helmut Lotti and Ricardo Cocciante. I like how clear Sarah's voice sounds in this song, and again theamount of emotion when she sings. In any case, this song is always a favourite of mine, and if Sarah's singing it, even better! [9/10]

So, all in all, I think this is a great album (notice I didn't say it's a "great cmas album"), but it may not be everyone's cup of tea. My advice? Listen to the samples here or go to youtube and listen to the songs before buying it, that way everyone is happy and no one ends up with an album that they hate. Way to go Sarah, another awesome album!
*I only rate this 4 stars because:
1. I hate her Ave Maria with Lima
2.The breathy voice is sometimes a bit too much
3.The deluxe edition SHOULD be the standard edition, it's not fair to release only 12 songs.

With this holiday album Sarah is making Christmas her own and inviting us in the most eloquent way to join in her celebration. The selection of songs are inspired and even with standards (silent night) never cliche. The more
I listen to the album the more I love it: that beautiful voice soothes and sails over magnificent orchestrations. Don't even think about it - just buy it.

Never let it be said that Sarah Brightman doesn't know her fans. This is exactly the kind of record that fans of the opera-crossover artist (and Christmas) should enjoy. Brightman is, of course, an incredibly talented singer, and that's no less true on this release than it has been on any album she's put out. Essentially, there's little to say about this record other than that if you like holiday music and Sarah Brightman, you will like A Winter Symphony. Her voice is powerful as always, and the arrangements are bright and spry, making it a solid winter-season record. If you're not a big fan of either Brightman or the holidays (you Grinch), then bloody stay away. It really is as simple as that.

7.7/10

A Winter Symphony by Sarah Brightman is a stunning collection of seasonal ballads that outstretch the holiday season. Sarah earns our respect just by her tenacity and focus. She knows who she is and doesn't try to sway from it. Her music is a pure fix for the hopeless romantics out there.

There are just a few contemporary artists that are reviving the art of romantic European ballads for example the beautiful song 'Per Te' by Josh Groban from the album Closer 'Un Amore Cosi Grande' by Andrea Bocelli from the album Incanto 'Un Flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle' by Loreena McKennitt A Midwinter Night's Dream 'La Promesa' by Il Divo from the album The Promise 'Oiche Chiuin' by Enya And Winter Came 'The Prayer' by David Foster from the album Hit Man: David Foster And Friends (CD/DVD) and 'Com'e Bello fa L'Amore Quann'e Sera' by Liata from the album Intermezzo.

Again....This music is for the more discerning listener who needs more than pop and rock. Sarah Brightman's A Winter Symphony is another rich addition to this romantic movement in music.

Sarah has produced a treasure chest of old favorites and fresh melodies with contemporary, beautiful sounds and rhythms. I have listened to it more times than I like to admit and I never tire of the richness of her voice and the exquisite accompaniments she incorporates. I have purchased several as gifts for friends for next Christmas.

After reading a few of the other reviews I decided that I needed to give this album my own review. This is not a "Traditional" holiday cd, no, "Frosty The Snowman" or "Little Drummer Boy". Even though I would have loved to hear Sarah sing these favorites, this is really a true holiday album. If you loved Sarah McLachlan's amazing "Wintersong" cd you will love "A Winter Symphony". While "Silent Night" and her fabulous version of "Child In A Manger" are simply beautiful, I love the original compositions such as "Arrival","Colder Than Winter" and especially "I've Been This Way Before". These songs set the mood for a journey into winter and of course the holiday season. Ignore the reviews that say this album is full of "Ballads", these songs are appropriate for the season and year round. Listen to the melodies and especially the lyrics and you will find yourself in a much happier and festive mood. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.