Noël Coward Songbook

Noel Coward (Composer), Jeffrey Tate (Performer), Sophie Daneman (Performer), Ian Bostridge (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Jeffrey Tate, Sophie Daneman, Ian Bostridge
• Composer: Noel Coward
• Audio CD (September 17, 2002)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B00006HM8Z
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #146,309 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coward the Composer, Quite Charming without the Camp, November 18, 2002

By A Customer

I love this CD. I have a collection of Noel Coward performing his major songs, and I found it entertaining, but frankly I was never much drawn to it after the initial novelty wore off. I never really appreciated Coward as a composer because his campy persona and limited vocal talents got in the way. I bought this CD as a gift for a big Coward fan, and I am ashamed that I have not yet given it to him because I enjoy it so much. Bostridge is a really fine tenor. The beauty and subtlety of his voice bring out the beauty of Coward's melodies and the wit of his lyrics without overwhelming them with a heavy and mannered "classical" style, which is the bane of most such "crossover" CDs. The CD is also beautifully recorded. Outstanding songs include "I Travel Alone," "Parisian Pierrot," "World Weary," and "A Room with a View." Bostridge also has just the right touch with the goofier songs like "Mad Dogs and Englishmen," "Something to do with Spring," and "Any Little Fish." I highly recommend this CD to anyone who enjoys witty cabaret songs in general and Coward in particular. It really did give me a new and greater appreciation of Coward's considerable talents as a composer.

25 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars COWARD'S THEATRE SONGS, September 29, 2002

By	MOVIE MAVEN (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Sometimes musical artists should NOT attempt cross-over albums. I am a huge fan of Jessye Norman, Leontyne Price and Joan Sutherland, but their ventures into "popular" music were, at best, misguided and, at worst, heavy-handed and pretentious. Although Ian Bostridge does not embarrass himself, there is no question that he should stick to more "serious" music and leave musical comedy to other singers.

The theatre songs of Noel Coward take a very different kind of approach than Bostridge gives them. They need an actor who happens to be singing. Except for a very few of the songs on this CD (written by Coward for operettas instead of musical comedies) Bostridge's approach is absolutely without any character. All of these numbers are impeccably sung by Bostridge, but none of them are ever really acted. Coward's songs MUST be acted whether they were written in a comic or sentimental vein. The result is another misfired cross-over album in what otherwise is a splendid career.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting in many ways, June 15, 2008

By	Dino Starcevic Rivera (San José, Costa Rica) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this CD after reading the reviews, asking if it is a wise choice. I love Ian Bostridge art, intelligent artist, great singer; I admire Noël Coward works, intelligent, caustic. But I was not sure of the mix of both.
After hearing it, I still have mixed opinions but I like it. Bostridge singing is, as usual, pristine,and his approach (as he pointed out on the album notes) is probably closer to Weill than Coward. Don't know if that is a right choice but it is valid as an artistic proposal.
Also, in this kind of albums I always miss the orchestral support. Jeffrey Tate sounds good at the piano, but a little weak given the fact that this is music for the stage.
Anyway, the album is good because it is not common to find the work of people like Coward. Also pay attention to Sophie Daneman's interventions, a beautiful voice that deserves more.