Customer Reviews

I Wish It So: Bernstein / Blitzstein / Sondheim / Weill ~ Upshaw

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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This is one of my all-time favorite albums. There isn't one false note on the entire disc. It's difficult to single out one song over another. "Glitter and Be Gay" is an obvious highlight. Her reading of Sondheim's "There Won't Be Trumpets" is the best I've ever heard. "What More Do I Need?" - a Sondheim gem from "Saturday Night" - is a delight. Two classic tunes from "Lady in the Dark" - "The Saga of Jenny" and "My Ship" are flawless. I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. What are you waiting for? Stop reading this and click the add-to-cart button. Do it now!

What a beautiful disc! Few classical singers sound as natural in this repertoire as Dawn Upshaw. From the very first track, Blitzstein's wistful "I Wish It So," it's hard not to be hooked by Upshaw's seemingly effortless ability with the material -- and some of these songs are deceptively difficult.

But throughout, she sounds delicious, combining gorgeous tone and clean phrasing that make every track spring to life. Nowhere does she show strain or even the slightest difficulties; even Bernstein's "Glitter and Be Gay," a riot of Rossini-esque vocal pyrotechnics, doesn't faze her.

The Sondheim songs are memorable, especially "Like it Was" from Merrily We Roll Along, and "The Girls of Summer," the title song of the short-lived show from 1956. "Take Me to the World," the gorgeous anthem from Evening Primrose, is attractively combined with Blitzstein's "Never Get Lost." And throughout the recording, the arrangements by conductor Eric Stern have just the right feel -- a consummate gracefulness without being syrupy or overbearing -- and the orchestra responds with an equally light touch.

This is an unusual group of songs, and Upshaw's confidence and delivery are totally winning. Rarely, it seems, do classical singers succeed in these types of projects, but here is a fresh example of one that really works.

Dawn Upshaw's voice sounds so natural in everything she does. I have listened to this CD so many times that it is practically worn out. From the title track, which is just about the prettiest version of any song I have ever heard, to her masterful rendition of Glitter and Be Gay, Upshaw proves her impeccable talent and range. This is truly one of my favorite all-time recordings by any artist.

I have a weak spot for crossover albums by opera stars, which can often be train wrecks or embarrissing self-parodies. There's not a cringe-worthy note in this one, however. Dawn Upshaw has never been as vibrant on disc, and her style in pop music (albeit serious pop music) surpasses expectations. She is a master at touching vulnerability and stars-in-her-eyes vulnerability. There's no current Broadway star who can match her in any of these songs form Sondheim, Weill, and Bernstein, certainly not for sheer beauty of voice and charm. Upshaw went on to make an excellent album of Rodgers and Hart songs, but nothing else quite matches this first effort.

Truth be told,I normally don't listen to music such as this, but my husband came home with the CD yesterday, and I've been enjoying it ever since. I love "I feel pretty" and "Glitter and be gay" the most. Ms. Upshaw's voice is one of the most beautiful voices I've heard in a long time, and I, for one, am hooked.

I love this album - it was sent to me accidentally (I'd ordered Upshaw's recording of Canteloube's Songs of the Auvergne) & I nearly sent it back; what a mistake that would have been! I especially recommend the charming The Girls of Summer, and the brilliant Glitter and Be Gay - but it's all worth listening to. If you enjoy this disc, try the Canteloube recording too, or Dawn Upshaw Sings Rodgers & Hart, which is a favorite of my husband's.

This album is so good I resist classifying it as one of the "opera does broadway" albums. Its really just a great singer singing great songs. Part of the albums appeal is that there are very few "war horses". It appears that most opera stars pick up a copy of "Soprano Audition Songs Vol. I" and think it will be interesting to everyone to hear them done for the thousandth time. Upshaw and Stern pick some ripe ones, but also some tunes by Blitzstein, Sondheim and Bernstein which if not exactly unknown, at least they are at least a little dusty. The diction can be a bit overdone which if fine with me (listen to Dame Kiri - are those words she's singing or just a vocalese?). Upshaw is very at ease with the music, wonderful phrasing, perfect diction, a beautiful voice (obviously). The only real complaint is that it can get a little bright in there. I would love to hear Upshaw darken her tone a bit when the song calls for it. But, overall, the best of the bunch bar none. Listen to "My new friends" - absolutely beautiful - the phrase "people who can give each other quiet" with the solo string following. Stern's a genius and Upshaw is fantastic!

This is a wonderful collection of Broadway music. Upshaw is a superb interpretor, not at all too operatic. Though her voice is a little too bright for my taste normally, it suites the music well, and her technique is really superb. This is a terrific example of excellent singing without the stuffiness that opera is sometimes accused of having! "Glitter and be Gay" is just one of the highlights of this great album. I highly recommend it.

Dawn Upshaw is that rare artist able to sound just at home onBroadway as on the opera stage. She proves it here, with possibly hermost impressive album to date. The yearning quality of "I wish it so", the playfulness of "I feel pretty" , and the outright georgeous singing in "Glitter and be gay" all are impressive. Her voice is ideally suited to the songs on this disc, and they show off her lovely voice well. Just get it. END

"I Wish It So" is the CD that first introduced the exceptional "crossover" talents of soprano Dawn Upshaw. The album, which comprises (mostly) little-heard songs by Kurt Weill, Marc Blitzstein, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim, opens with the title number, a lyrical gem from Blitzstein's JUNO, and continues with Sondheim's vibrant "There Won't Be Trumpets," in which Upshaw, rather than belting, lets her voice ring. She then slam-dunks Sondheim's "What More Do I Need," a truly raucous number. Other highlights include the two songs from Weill's LADY IN THE DARK: the haunting ballad "My Ship" and the witty "The Saga of Jenny," presented here in a superb jazz arrangement. The sound of Upshaw's lower middle voice in this number is thrilling. Her combining of Blizstein's "Never Get Lost" and Sondheim's soaring, life-affirming "Take Me to the World" is perfect, as is her musical yet emotional rendition of "Like It Was" from Sondheim's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. The album climaxes with the mock-coloratura aria "Glitter and Be Gay" from Bernstein's CANDIDE, in which Upshaw scales the heights with consistently pure and beautiful tone. In a day when many great opera singers attempt, unsuccessfully, to sing "popular" song, "I Wish It So" is an example of crossover at its very best. It is a CD that no one who loves both opera and musicals should miss.