Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Mannerism, December 5, 2008
Disappointed! No challenge. The same tempi and the same mood with a huge tutti at the end with a cheap modulation. Sorry, don't take it negative!
I have been a sincere Il Divo fan since 2 years ago. What is cross-over music? I wonder how much they (4 wonderful singers) are involved in music choice and arranging. I want them to be original. They can find any motif or melody from Faure, Massnet, Richard Strauss, Rachmaninov, even from Bach---anywhere. Think what they did in the past: 'Isabel' from Faure, 'Aranjuez' from Rodrigo, 'All by Myself' arranged by Eric Carmen who had taken a motif from Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 2 (if I am right). These are cross-over music. But I liked 'Regresa A Mi', 'Nella Fantasia', ' Passera', 'Notte di Luce', 'Caruso' and 'Musica' etc.
This recent album makes me feel so dull--even 'Adagio' by Albinoni.
They don't have to be operatic because of their backgrounds. It depends on the song itself. Am I the only person to think this way? I do wish Il Divo's future prosperity.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful voices, but one-note, December 6, 2008
This was my first time hearing Il Divo, and I dove into "The Promise" CD headfirst, and with great expectations. Perhaps I set the bar too high, because I was sorely disappointed. The music is beautiful, but alarmingly soporific and tedious. The singers have wonderfully clear and resonant voices and take great care and precision in delivering every note perfectly, to the effect that the passion is never allowed to seep through. One of the few bright spots in this album was L'Alba del Mondo, an Italian adaptation of Ennio Morricone's "I Knew I Loved You (Deborah's Theme)." The addition of some more familiar renditions, such as "Hallelujah" and "Amazing Grace" make it more bearable but are not enough to overcome the dreary, one-note atmosphere that plagues the album. I will check out Il Divo's previous works with optimism, but sadly, this is one promise that is never delivered.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Il Divo's Latest CD Keeps Its Promise, December 1, 2008
Prior to receiving this CD, I was only minimally aware of Il Divo, the princes of popera. I had seen them on television several times, and knew that they had amazing voices and harmonies. When I first listened to this, I was blown away. These songs truly showcase Il Divo's incredible harmonies. The instrumentals are expertly arranged. The melodies are deceptively simple, yet compelling. Each song is full of pleasant surprises in harmonies, melodies and dynamics. If you listen, and emerge yourself in the music, you will not only be interested, you will also be lost in the music. With the exception of Amazing Grace, the songs are in Spanish. Regardless if you understand the words, the music emotes the sentiment of the song in a way that makes it easy to understand the message of the music. Songs such as "La Luna", Angelina and Amazing Grace really showcase the power, range and precision of Il Divo's voices.
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